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The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
1960s -- fiction, Classics, John Gaines, LibraryPoint Blog, surrealism, Shelf Life Blog, Reading Room Blog, Literary Fiction
03/19/2013 - 3:31am
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

What was it that defined the 1960s and made it one of the most important decades of the 20th century?  This question is often asked, even by those who lived through its tumultuous events. Many classic novels portrayed and influenced the counterculture of the 1960s, including Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, and Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.  Another classic novel indelibly linked the culture of the 1960s was The Crying of Lot 49, one of Thomas Pynchon’s earliest works.  Supposedly the story of a woman seeking to sort out the estate of her dead boyfriend’s will, The Crying of Lot 49 is a kaleidoscopic narrative that ventures through centuries-spanning conspiracies, bizarre characters, and an American rock band desperately pretending to be part of the British Invasion.  One of Pynchon’s earliest and shortest novels, The Crying of Lot 49 is a surreal whirlwind of 1960s literature.

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Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel
Craig Graziano, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, LibraryPoint Blog, mermaids -- fiction, Riverboats -- fiction, Shelf Life Blog, Reading Room Blog, Fantasy, Literary Fiction
03/12/2013 - 3:31am
Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel

Sailor Twain is a graphic novel that is heavy on the novel half of that term. The book draws from the romantic authors of the nineteenth century, from the sirens of the Odyssey, and from the emotional and carnal explorations of modernist literature.

On a riverboat churning through the Hudson, we meet two very different men. One is the serious, contemplative Captain Twain. The other is the more freewheeling boat owner Lafayette. They are about to become ravaged by the same obsession: mermaids.
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Project Gutenberg
Caitlin Griggs, eBooks, LibraryPoint Blog, Tech Answers, Web Site Reviews, Reading Room Blog, Tech Answers
01/09/2013 - 2:50pm
project gutenberg logo

"Powered by ideas, ideals, and by idealism." This is one of the first few lines in the mission statement of Project Gutenberg, a Web site stating that it is the first—and largest—single collection of free eBooks. Another tidbit worth mentioning is the fact that it is completely run by volunteers, and there are no dues or membership requirements. While they do gladly accept donations and new volunteers, the site makes its main goal clear: “...provide as many eBooks in as many formats as possible for the entire world to read in as many languages as possible.”

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Headquarters Book Group
Book Groups, Book Groups Monthly Selection, Reading Room Blog
05/14/2013 - 11:11am
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Meets the second Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the 3rd floor conference room

Current Selection:

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Porter Book Group
Book Groups, Book Groups Monthly Selection, Reading Room Blog
05/03/2013 - 4:24pm
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

Meets the first Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm.

Current Selection:

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Book It! Salem Church Book Group
Book Groups, Book Groups Monthly Selection, Reading Room Blog
04/29/2013 - 2:23pm
Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje

Join other readers to talk about books. The group meets the fourth Tuesday of the month from 7-9 pm.

Current Selection:

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England Run Book Group
Book Groups, Book Groups Monthly Selection, Reading Room Blog
04/29/2013 - 2:26pm
Book cover of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7pm

Current Selection:

May 28 - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Jay Gatsby had once loved beautiful, spoiled Daisy Buchanan, then lost her to a rich boy. Now, mysteriously wealthy, he is ready to risk everything to woo her back.

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How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittlemark and Sandra Newman
books -- authorship, Creative writing, Humor, John Gaines, LibraryPoint Blog, Writing, Shelf Life Blog, Reading Room Blog, Crafts & Hobbies, Nonfiction, Self-Help
01/02/2013 - 9:42am
How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittlemark and Sandra Newman

Have you ever wanted to become a writer and brave the strange and confusing world of trying to sell your work to the publishing industry? Do you feel you might need a refresher course in creating a marketable thriller or romance novel?  If you are curious about improving your writing technique to make your work more compelling, concise, or appealing to publishers, you may benefit from How Not to Write a Novel, a writing guide from Howard Mittlemark and Sandra Newman.  This guide is a compilation of examples of common writing mistakes that can make novels confusing, boring, or unappealing to read.  Humorous and well-organized, this book is both a great educational resource and a good comedic read.

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How Music Works by David Byrne
Craig Graziano, LibraryPoint Blog, music theory, Performance, technology, Shelf Life Blog, Reading Room Blog, Music
12/25/2012 - 4:30am
How Music Works by David Byrne

How Music Works offers many answers to a question that I had never even asked. Now that I've read it I wonder, "How could I have gone so long without this information?" Musician and writer David Byrne crafts such an enticing collection of essays, dropping factoids and anecdotes along the way, that I was equally informed and entertained.

More of a blend of personal experience and hypothesis than a hard-line course in objective facts, Byrne tackles nearly every conceivable aspect of the art form: venues throughout history; the creative process; collaboration; recording; and business.
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Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
Courtney McAllister, LibraryPoint Blog, National Book Critics Circle Award, New York City -- fiction, Noir fiction, People with disabilities -- fiction, Tourette's Syndrome -- fiction, Shelf Life Blog, Reading Room Blog, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers
12/19/2012 - 4:31am
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem

Only Jonathan Lethem could turn an homage to the classic noir style into a wildly inventive exploration of language, loyalty, and the principles of Zen Buddhism. Lethem’s fascination with noir played a major role in his debut novel, Gun, with Occasional Music. In Motherless Brooklyn, the reader is treated to a gritty interpretation of noir filtered through an unforgettable narrator—Lionel Essrog. As always, Lethem’s writing is superb, and the construction of Lionel’s narrative voice is a rare accomplishment.

Lionel Essrog is an inexperienced detective who has a complicated relationship with language. Lionel is always looking for an antidote – some sensation or substance that will temporarily quell the feral language percolating in his brain. White Castle hamburgers can have therapeutic properties, and fear will work in a pinch. But Lionel’s mind always reverts back to an intricate arrangement of associative tics, repetition, and wordplay.

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