Danbury Library Blog

There is a wonderful new book from the photo archives of "The New York Times" entitled New York: 365 Days. It is a marvelous visual journey through the history of New York City in the 20th Century. There are photographs spanning all areas of the city: politicians, parks, transportation, sports, weather and transportation. One of my personal favorites from the collection is from 1938 entitled "Taking the Plunge. " It shows a group of boys diving into the East River within sight of the Williamsburg Bridge. We learn from the caption accompanying the photograph that "the East River is not really a river...The East River is a salty tidal estuary, which means that it's actually an arm of the Atlantic Ocean (hence its currents & tides)."

Posted by John O'Donnell at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For One More Day, a new novel by Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie and Five People You Meet in Heaven, addresses a universal human struggle: “What could you do better if you have a chance to fix what you did wrong in the past?”and “If you have one more day with someone you lost, what would you do?” This beautifully written novel depicts a middle-aged man's journey in search of a reason to live. Albom makes the story resonate in unexpected ways. Sad yet uplifting. I enjoyed this thoughtful read.

Posted by Yan at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Blook? It’s not a typo - it’s a new genre! Books based on blogs or blooks, are attracting big name publishers and opening doors for self-publishing. A popular blog with a huge following is a sure-fire blook-buying audience.

Julie Powell blogged as she cooked all 524 recipes from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The blook, Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen has sold over 100,000 copies.

Colby Buzzell’s blog while a soldier in Iraq was shut down by Big Brother but not before drawing media attention and offers from publishers, spawning My War: Killing Time in Iraq.

PostSecret, a blog which solicits the public’s most personal secrets as postcard art, begat Frank Warren’s blook My Secret.

'Tis the good reader that makes the blook...

Posted by Claudia at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Best known for his more recent role as the patriarch in the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond", actor Peter Boyle, who passed away last week, had a long career that included dramatic as well as comedic roles. In The Candidate from 1972 he plays the hard-nosed campaign manager for Robert Redford's election bid. A film still relevant today.

"Raymond' scriptwriter Phil l Rosenthal's book "You're Lucky You're Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom" is worth taking a look at for anecdotes about Peter Boyle.

Peter Boyle will always be remembered fondly--just thinking of him dancing with Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein makes you smile.

Posted by Mary at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Regan Books, apparently undeterred by the storm of controversy which greeted its plan to publish OJs book "If I Did It," is planning to publish a book about Yankee superstar Mickey Mantle in the Spring of 2007. The book, by Peter Golenbock, will not be a biography however. It is titled "The Mickey Mantle Novel" and is described by its author as an "inventive memoir." The book tells Mickey's story in the first person. The reason that Golenbeck, who was a great friend of Billy Martin and has written numerous successful sports books, did it as a novel was so that he could use the various Mantle stories related to him by ex-teammates and managers. One of the stories that the book relates is that Mickey had an affair with Marilyn Monroe while she was still married to the other Yankee center fielder Joe DiMaggio.

More about Peter Golenbock...

Posted by John O'Donnell at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're looking for gift ideas for your book lovers or just want to top off your reading list, the Times just published the 10 Best Books and the 100 Most Notable Books of 2006. The list is also available in the December 10, Sunday Book Review, at the library.

What are your Top 10 picks for 2006? Okay, you're busy, how 'bout your Top 5? Top 1?

My short list (I guess I read older stuff this year):

I Feel Bad About My Neck. Rings true and quite a few laughs out loud.
Dog Heroes of September 11. Our amazing animal partners...what a job they did, wow.
Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen. Yes, I read it from cover to cover. Best veg chef in the universe.
I Like You. Amy Sedaris, warped hostess extraordinaire. Hilarious, edgy, don't read for the recipes, unless you are a butterhead.

Posted by Claudia at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dewey Readmore Books, beloved resident cat of the Spencer Public Library in Spencer, Iowa, died on Nov. 29. at age 19. Librarian Vicki Myron rescued the freezing kitten from the building's book drop on a minus 10 degrees day in January 1988. With library staff TLC, the kitten recovered and thrived in his new "forever home" at the Spencer Library. A contest to name the feline mascot drew 387 entries, with Dewey Readmore Books winning. The "Dewey" part comes from Melvil Dewey, creator of the Dewey Decimal System. More at the Sioux City Journal.com

Rest in Peace Dewey!

Posted by Claudia at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recently a colleague of mine read "What Is the What" and recommended the book very highly. It is the fictionalized autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng and the story of his life during the civil war in the Sudan during the 1980s and 90s. It is a poignant and compelling tale of being tossed about by the wars and having to leave his native village of Marial Bai and go to camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. Ultimately he is able to make his way to the United States but his transition to life in this country also has some surprises for him.

The book was written by Dave Eggers and is by turns funny, bleak, lyrical and ultimately an improbable tale of survival in the face of overwhelming odds. The title comes from a Dinka creation myth. Deng has a website should you want to learn more about him and life in the Sudan: http://www.valentinoachakdeng.com/

Posted by John O'Donnell at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)