(Combined fiction and nonfiction list from various sources, in no particular order, compiled by E-Connect staff. Blurbs are from the publishers' advance PR materials.)
All the following titles are due to be issued in February 2005. In some cases, the library hasn't yet ordered the title. If you would like to ask that any of the not-yet-ordered titles be ordered, please use this link: http://marinet.lib.ca.us/acquire. Thanks!
Ireland by Frank Delaney
BBC reporter Delaney, now New York–based, fictionalizes the history of his native land. With a six-city author tour.
A Stroke of Midnight by Laurell K. Hamilton
Sex, magic, and faeries: Hamilton's ongoing series has them all, not to mention a seductive heroine named Meredith Gentry who's getting in over her head this time 'round.
Suspect by Michael Robotham
A successful psychologist, just diagnosed with Parkinson's, agrees to help the police solve a murder—and discovers that the victim is a nurse with whom he once worked. This must be one thriller that really thrills; it's a BOMC, International BOMC, Mystery Guild, Literary Guild, and Doubleday Book Club main selection. Not bad for a first novel. Oh, and a BBC miniseries is on the way.
Blood Memory by Greg Iles
Blackouts precede forensic expert Catherine "Cat" Ferry's discovery that her father was not murdered in the garden when she was child but in her bedroom. With an eight-city author tour.
Suspicion of Rage: A Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana Novel by Barbara Parker
Gail and Anthony finally get married, but their subsequent visit to Cuba is no honeymoon: the son of Anthony's dissident friend, Yolanda, is planning an assassination—and Anthony's brother-in-law might be the target.
Have a suggestion for a title that you think the library should purchase? You can offer your suggestion via the new form on the MARINet website at http://marinet.lib.ca.us/acquire.
At the branches
Computer Tutorials
Explore the Internet.
Use electronic information resources available through the library for finding magazine and newspaper articles, books to match individual reading interests, business resources, and more.
Get help with Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
Access library information from the Web-based catalog.
Ask a reference librarian or call 507-4049 for more information.
The Brown Bag Book Club
On Wednesday, January 26, 12 noon to 1 p.m., the Book Club will discuss Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Høag. New members are always welcome!
For more information, call Becky or Livia at 499.6058 or e-mail to ldimare@co.marin.ca.us.
Art under the Dome
In January, the Dome Gallery features paintings by members of the National League of American Pen Women: Golden Gate Branch. This organization “promotes development of the creative talents of professional women in the arts.” More information is available at http://www.americanpenwomen.org/index.shtml.
In the Exhibit Case
Local cartoonist, Correy Harris, winner of an Honorable Mention Award for Cartoons, Hand Drawn/Single Panel at the 2004 Marin County Fair returns to the Civic Center Exhibit Case to feature his Stand By Me comic characters. Sneak a peek at Correy’s work at http://fastrideproductions.com/Archives.html.
New Hours
The Corte Madera Library has changed its weekend hours. The Library is now open from 10 - 5 on Saturdays and from 12 - 5 on Sundays.
Making the Most of Value Line
"Making the Most of Value Line" at the Corte Madera Library. On Wednesday, February 9, at 7 p.m., Money Manager John Kosecoff will teach individual investors how to use Value Line as an effective investment tool. Mr. Kosecoff has lectured on investment at Cornell University, New York University, and other institutions. He has launched and managed three mutual funds. Using Value Line, Mr. Kosecoff has developed an analytic approach to making investment decisions in an informed and consistent manner.
Book Club
The Fairfax Library Book Club usually meets the first Thursday of each month (2nd Thursday in January), 7-9 p.m. The titles for the next 3 months are:
January 13: Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, which won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize.
February 3: Death in Venice, by Thomas Mann, who won a Nobel Prize in 1929.
March 3: Bee Season, by Myla Goldberg, a novel, ostensibly about a spelling bee, that offers glimpses into the Kabbala, cults and secret lives.
All books are available through the Fairfax Library. Click on the title for each book to access the library catalog for reviews of the book or to place a hold using your Marin County Free Library card. If you'd like to purchase your book, BookBeat in Fairfax offers our members a 15% discount.
Internet Tutoring
Free training with experienced computer professionals who will individualize the training to meet your skill level. Call 457-5629 to set up an appointment for a one-hour session.
Friends of the Fairfax Library
Next meeting, Thursday, January 20, 7-9 p.m.
Meeting Room Gallery
Photographs of Marin by Jeremy Cave
New Hours
The Marin City Library has changed its weekend hours. The Library is now open from 10 - 5 on Saturdays and from 12 - 5 on Sundays.
Frankie Holtz-Davis Reading
Monday, January 24, 2005, 7 PM
Former Marin City resident and author, Frankie Holtz-Davis, will discuss her book Mahrynie Red: The Journey. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Marin City Library.
Marin City Book Club
The Marin City Book Club meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. It's free, of course, and drop-ins who have read the book are encouraged to attend. Upcoming Books:
January: The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo, by Paula Huntley
February: The Farming of Bones, by Edwidge Danticat
March: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures, by Anne Fadiman
Introduction to the Internet
In this free two-hour class, volunteer Peter Haas teaches novices about Internet basics and gives out information on useful Web sites and online tutorials students can use to learn more after the class. Tues, Jan. 11, 1:00-3:15pm. See a reference librarian or call 897-1142 for reservations.
Meet the Author on Novato TV
"Book Talk" is shown in Novato on Comcast cable channel 26 every Monday at 2:30pm and 8pm. January's program features a conversation with writer and filmmaker Mark Bittner, author of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story... with Wings. The program includes a clip from the upcoming film based on his book, which will premiere at the Rafael Theater in February.
Teen Advisory Committee
All Novato residents age 12 through 19 are welcome to join in the Teen Advisory Committee meeting to be held Jan. 24, 3-4pm, in the library's meeting room.
Pajama Storytime with Carla & Sandy
"Cozy Tales for a Winter's Night"
Wednesday, January 26th @ 7pm
For ages 3 and up
South Novato Library Reading Club
The South Novato Library Reading Club will meet on January 27th at 6:30pm. January's book choice is Reading Lolita In Tehran : A Memoir In Books by Azar Nafisi. Click on the title to access the library catalog for reviews of the book or to place a hold using your Marin County Free Library card. New members are always welcome. For more information, call Helen at 506-3168 or email hromero@co.marin.ca.us.
Joanne Kyger and Donald Guravich Readings
On Jan 24 7:30pm local authors Joanne Kyger and Donald Guravich will be guests of the "Homegrown" author series hosted by the Bolinas-Stinson Beach Library Improvement Society and presented by Joan Hamerman Robbins. They are authors of poetry and fiction. Kyger's most recent poems are found in As Ever: Selected Poems and Guravich has a new fiction book, Blue Chips.
We have added a whole bunch of new Questions and Answers to our Frequently Asked Questions page. How to renew items, information about wireless access, information about the USA PATRIOT ACT, and more! We'd like to point out a neat chart that shows all the different ways to get library materials. You can check materials out from your library, place a hold on something located at another branch and have it delivered to your branch, use SuperSearch to get materials from other Bay Area libraries (for free), or use InterLibrary Loan to get materials not located at any of the nearby libraries. If you're unable to make it into the library, you can use our Bookmobile, Books on Wheels program, or Library Beyond Walls. Check it out!
Exciting news! Grant Avenue is open again! The construction project is just about complete, and the street and sidewalks look wonderful. Come to see how spacious and clean everything is! And now that the rush of the holidays is over, how about coming in for a nice relaxing read for the cold days of January!
The Book Place needs some help. We need volunteers who could work a regular 3- or 4-hour shift at the store, once or twice a month (or more often!). We especially need people who could work on Friday evenings or Sunday afternoons. If you can donate some of your time for this worthy cause, please contact Cathy Scharf (898-0106) or Nancy Montgomery (883-5628).
Another request: We desperately need a 56kb modem for The Book Place office PC, so we can price the loads of books that come into the Collectible and Rare Book area each week. (Our current 28kb modem is a dinosaur!) So if you have recently upgraded to DSL or cable service and have a used (but functional!) 56kb modem, we would LOVE to have it. And we are 501(c)3 corporation, so your donation would be tax-deductible.
Reminder: we are now open every Sunday, from 1 to 4 pm. (The first Sunday of the month is Bargain Sunday, when the shop is open from 12-4 pm.)
The Book Place is operated by the Friends of the Marin County Free Library, a nonprofit volunteer organization, and all profits are used for special programs, needs, and materials for the Marin County Free Libraries.
The Book Place
1608 Grant Ave; Novato
Tues/Thurs/Sat 10-4; Wed 12-4; Fri 10-8 pm; Sunday 1-4 (12-4 on the first Sunday of the month)
415-878-0212
The Marin County Free Library is now offering reference services via Instant Messaging. You can ask a reference or homework question via a live chat session and get an answer instantaneously! A librarian will gladly help you find the information you need to answer your question, whether it is in print or online. The service is available Monday through Friday, 3pm-5pm.The librarians are often on IM at other times too (but from 3-5 you’re guaranteed to find someone!) For AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and Yahoo! Messenger, our screen name is MarinLibrary. For MSN Messenger, our screen name is MarinLibrary@hotmail.com.
The Library also offers virtual reference service by e-mail!
You can also chat any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a California librarian through the cooperative AskNow project!
