Madison Library » books and reading

Friday fun for readers

madisonlibrary — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:08:43 +0000

Reading redirect

madisonlibrary — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:42:38 +0000

Each summer, it seems there’s a book that everyone wants to read at the same time, and (no surprise to most of you) this summer’s is Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, followed (naturally) by the second and third in the series. So while you’re waiting for your name to move up the reserve list, may we direct you to some alternate read-alike titles (when this was posted, they were all on the shelf):

Scandinavian thrillers and mysteries:

The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell
What Is Mine and What Never Happens by Anne Holt

Note: Never one to ignore a trend, James Patterson has set his next book (coauthored with Swedish crime writer Liza Marklund) in Stockholm. Look for this one, Postcard Killers, in August.

Thrillers with tangled plots:

Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
The Poet by Michael Connelly

Beat (or appreciate) the heat with some wintry tales

madisonlibrary — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:55:39 +0000

Need an escape from the temperature and humidity? Find a double dose of chills, read a thriller set in winter.

Chill of the Night by James Hayman
Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney
61 Hours by Lee Child
Winter Study by Nevada Barr
Chasing the Dead by Joe Schreiber

Gearing up for summer reading

madisonlibrary — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:47:01 +0000

What books are you looking forward to reading this summer? Steig Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest? Oprah’s latest recommendation Women Food and God? Scott Turow’s sequel to Presumed Innocent (imaginatively titled Innocent)? Help us plan purchases, let us know your picks.

Books we’ve recently added to consider for your reading list:

Dog Boy by Eva Hornung
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
Eye of the Red Tsar by Sam Eastland
Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent

Books to catch up on before reading the hot, new sequel:

The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson
Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, fabulous reads, not just for teens. Final installment in trilogy, Mockingjay, will be published in August.

And, finally, books for lost Lost fans.

Meet author of “Killer Mountain” on Thursday

madisonlibrary — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:27:03 +0000

Join the Friends of Madison Library on Thursday, February 11 at 7 pm in the library’s Chick Room. Local author Peter Pinkham, who wrote both the recently-published thriller Killer Mountain and its prequel Hidden Mountain, will speak about his inspiration for these stories, his writing, and what goes into plotting a thriller. Sponsored by the Friends of Madison Library; homemade refreshments and cider. Mr. Pinkham will bring books for sale and signing.

Best Books List

madisonlibrary — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:23:15 +0000

We heard from local readers (and one not-so-local via our Facebook page), who told us what their favorite books from the past decade were (2000-2009). Here’s the list, in no particular order:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Housseini
Tolstoy: A Biography by A.N. Wilson
The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
One Man’s Wilderness by Sam Keith and Richard Proenneke
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (“great ending!”)
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson (“stayed with me”)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon-2 votes (“feeling of you are there”) (“so imaginative, great story”)
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw

Feel free to add to this list by adding a comment.

Best books of the decade

madisonlibrary — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:35:55 +0000

What was the best book or books that you’ve read over the past decade? We’re compiling a list of local readers’ favorites. Let us know your pick(s) by stopping in the library, calling 367-8545, or posting a comment below. Check back for list on December 30th or so.

End-of-year book purchases

madisonlibrary — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:45:13 +0000

What a community of readers we are in Madison! Demand for new books at the library has been high this year, and we try to meet as many requests for new materials as funds allow. With grateful thanks to some recent patron donations, we will be able to continue purchasing books through the end of the year, as budgeted funds were used up earlier this fall. And, just in time to spark some interest in new titles, White Birch Books put a Books supplement in today’s Conway Daily Sun. So, if you find a title listed that you just HAVE to read (and we completely understand and identify with this imperative), let us know.