BRANCH EVENTS The Marin County Free Library hosts a wide variety of cultural and educational branches responsive to the needs in our communities. In addition to special events for adults, teens, and kids, the Library hosts regular book clubs, storytimes, bilingual and Spanish language events. For further information about free Library Events and Classes please visit our branch event webpage or our news & events section for a complete listing.

HOURS and LOCATIONS Marin County Free Library branches are located throughout East and West Marin. Open days and hours of operation vary by branch. With 10 locations to choose from as well as 24/7 access on our website to reference assistance, the online catalog, and digital resources such as databases & eBooks you'll never be far from the information you need.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET CLASSES The Marin County Free Library offers classes and one-to-one tutoring in computer basics, the Internet, e-mail, the Library’s online resources, Microsoft Word, Excel, and more. Please check our website for times, locations, and registration information.

BOOKCLUBS Marin County Free Library branches host a wide variety of monthly reading groups. Club members meet each month for a lively discussion about a particular book or theme. Please check our bookclub listing for locations, times, selections, and contact information.

STORYTIMES The Marin County Free Library offers storytimes at each of the branches for children in various age groups. Please check our Storytimes page for times and ages.

BOOKMOBILE The Marin County Free Library Bookmobile visits geographically isolated communities throughout the County. Most stops are made twice within a four-week period each month. Copies of the Bookmobile schedule are available at all County Library branches and on the Bookmobile’s webpage.

LIBRARY BEYOND WALLS The Library provides in-home delivery of library books, tapes, CDs, and other materials to our patrons who have a permanent or temporary disability that prevents them from getting to a branch of the library system. To find out more about the program, how to sign up or volunteer, please visit our Library Beyond Walls webpage or contact our Volunteer Coordinator by calling (415)499-7451.

Place your request early and be one of the first to check out these new releases. More fiction and non-fiction previews along with New York Times Best-Selling fiction and non-fiction titles are available through BookLetters. Each of our BookLetters listings provides links to our online catalog, so you can check availability and easily request materials be delivered to your local branch library. You can also subscribe to one or more of these lists and have updated information send to you via email or RSS feed.

Down Around Midnight: A Memoir of Crash and Survival By Sabbag, Robert 2009/06 - Viking Books 9780670021024 Check Our Catalog A bestselling author tells the terrifying and inspiring story of the plane crash he survived. ...More

Trouble By Christensen, Kate 2009/06 - Doubleday Books 9780385527309 Check Our Catalog A vibrant story of female friendship and midlife sexual awakening from the acclaimed author of "The Great Man," winner of the 2008 PEN/Faulker Award. ...More

The Sages: Warren Buffett, George Soros, Paul Volcker, and the Maelstrom of Markets By Morris, Charles R. 2009/06 - PublicAffairs 9781586487522 Check Our Catalog A bestselling author examines the perspectives and principles of three pillars of the financial world--as well as their judgments on the current crisis and the path to recovery ...More

Have a suggestion for a title that you think the library should purchase? You can offer your suggestion via the form on the MARINet website at http://marinet.lib.ca.us/acquire.

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New Audio Books

The following are selected audio book titles from our collection. More recorded book selections are available through BookLetters. Each of our BookLetters listings provides links to our online catalog, so you can check availability and easily request materials be delivered to your local branch library. You can also subscribe to one or more of these lists and have updated information send to you via email or RSS feed. A complete list of the MARINet libraries' audio CD & cassette holdings is available online via a quick search.

The John Updike Collection By Updike, John Updike, John 2003/10 - Caedmon 0060577215 Check Our Catalog The extraordinarily evocative stories depict the generation born in a small-town America during the Depression and growing up in a world where the old sexual morality was turned around and material comforts were easily had. Yet, as these stories reflect so accurately, life was still unsettling, and Updike chronicles telling moments both joyful and painful. The texts are taken from his recent omnibus, "The Early Stories, " 1953-1975. In describing how he wrote these stories in a small, rented, smoke-filled office in Ipswitch, Massachusetts, he says, "I felt that I was packaging something as delicately pervasive as smoke, one box after another, in that room, where my only duty was to describe reality as it had come to me -- to give the mundane its beautiful due." ...More

The Book of Unholy Mischief By Newmark, Elle Esparza, Raul 2008/12 - Simon & Schuster Audio 9780743578042 Check Our Catalog Newmark's transcendent debut follows a penniless orphan in Renaissance Venice as he is swept up from the streets and into a world of immeasurable passion and power on a journey that leads not only to betrayal and mystery, but also to love. ...More

Eclipse By Patterson, Richard North James, Peter Francis 2009/01 - MacMillan Audio 9781427206091 Check Our Catalog The spellbinding story of an American lawyer who takes on a nearly impossible case--the defense of an African freedom fighter against his corrupt government's charge of murder--Eclipse combines a thrilling narrative with a vivid look at the human cost of the global lust for oil. ...More

Have a suggestion for a title that you think the library should purchase? You can offer your suggestion via the form on the MARINet website at http://marinet.lib.ca.us/acquire.

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New DVDs

The following DVD titles have recently been added to our collection. Complete lists of the MARINet libraries' DVD and video holdings are available online via a quick search. You can also browse our BookLetters Movie Database for descriptions and video clips of hundreds of new releases and favorite classics. Each of our BookLetters listings provides links to our online catalog, so you can check availability and easily request materials be delivered to your local branch library.

	Peter Allen: The Boy from Oz A documentary about the life of singer/songwriter Peter Allen, featuring archival footage and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues.
	Hounddog Set in rural Alabama in the late 1950s, Lewellen lives with her stern grandmother, Grammie, but spends most of her time with her much-adored Daddy in his dilapidated shack. Daddy's wild side is tempered by his beautiful but troubled girlfriend, Ellen, who has a mysterious history but calming influence on the lonely, young girl. Lewellen is deeply talented and finds comfort and safety, as well as a place to put her hurt and rage, in the music of Elvis Presley..
	The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Daisy Fuller Williams is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital the day that Hurricane Katrina hits. At her side is her adult daughter, Caroline. Daisy asks Caroline to read to her aloud from the diary of Daisy's lifelong friend, Benjamin Button. Benjamin's diary recounts his entire extraordinary life.
	Doubt 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. Father Flynn is a charismatic priest who is trying to upend the schools' strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier. The Sister is the iron-gloved principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline..
	How About You Ellie is a free-spirited and headstrong young woman. She is left in charge of a residential home over the Christmas holidays. Her youth and inexperience bring her into conflict with the four grumpy residents. See how the hilarious antics of this uncivilized group, an unlikely romance, and the gradual solidarity that develops between the residents and Ellie unfold.
	A Jihad for Love "First feature documentary to explore the complex global intersections between Islam and homosexuality ... The film travels a wide geographic arc presenting us lives from India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa and France. Always filming in secret and as a Muslim, [filmmaker] Parvez [Sharma] makes the film from within the faith, depicting Islam with the same respect that the film's characters show for it"--Container.
	Yes Man Carl Allen signs up for a self-help program based on one simple principle: say yes to everything ... and anything. Unleashing the power of 'yes' transforms Carl's life in amazing and unexpected ways, but he soon discovers that embracing every opportunity might just become too much of a good thing.
	August Evening "August Evening follows an aging undocumented farm worker named Jaime and his young, widowed daughter-in-law, Lupe ... As the rural Texas life they've known quickly disappears, Jaime and Lupe make their way to San Antonio," and face further changes.--Web site.
	Taking Chance The remarkable true story of one soldier's death in battle, another soldier's journey of discovery and a nation's reverence and gratitude toward its war dead. After hearing of the heroic death of a young Marine in Iraq, veteran officer Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl volunteers to escort the remains of Lance Corporal Chance Phelps back to his hometown in Wyoming. As Strobl crosses America's heartland, he will find himself on an unexpectedly emotional journey into the soul of a country mourning not only Chance, but all of our country's fallen heroes.
	Cadillac Records Chess Records was located on the south side of Chicago. In 1947, it began recording blues music with Muddy Waters and Little Walter. This eventually gave birth to rock and roll in 1955 with Chuck Berry. Record producer, Leonard Chess has an ear for this different type of music and believes he can cash in by signing up new talent such as songwriter, Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, and Etta James. .
	A Woman Called Golda Golda Meir grew up on the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She harbored an incredible dream: she wanted to help the Jewish people build a new home. Her arduous journey led to a dusty kibbutz in Palestine and the struggle to establish the nation of Israel. Through hardship, war, and countless sacrifices, Golda survived it all and became Israel's first female prime minister. A stunning reminder that one life can truly make a difference.
	Battle in Seattle November, 1999. A peaceful demonstration to stop the World Trade Oraganization talks quickly escalates into a full-scale riot, and soon a State of Emergency is declared by the Mayor of Seattle. The streets are mayhem, and the WTO is paralyzed. Caught in the crossfire of civil liberties and keeping the peace are Seattle residents, including its beleaguered mayor, a SWAT riot officer on the streets and his pregnant wife. The choices they all make will change their lives forever.
	Waltz with Bashir
	Baghdad Revisted
	Bedtime Stories Marty Bronson raises his son and daughter on his own. He doesn't get along with either Jill or the children, but his easy-going attitude loosens them all up. He starts telling the children bedtime stories and the children grow fond of him. They make suggestions about how the stories should go. When the stories become true in real life, Skeeter tries to manoeuver the stories into a direction which will make his dream come true, too
	Elegy Cultural critic David Kepesh finds his state of 'emancipated manhood' thrown into tragic disarray. David is a renowned college professor whose life is turned inside out when he becomes involved in a passionate relationship with Consuela. Consuela is a well-mannered student who awakens a sense of sexual possessiveness in her teacher. As their sexual relationship evolves, an incredible love story is born
	Che Che has inspired generation after generation as the young idealist and revolutionary who fought for the poor and oppressed. A story about Che's fearless life as he helped lead a bloody socialist revolt that would shock the world.
	Frontrunners "Follows the student council presidential campaign at one of the country's most prestigious public high schools, Stuyvesant High School in New York City"--Container.
	Gospel Hill
	Momma's Man Bumped from a flight back to Los Angeles and his life, Mikey returns to his childhood home, a cluttered Manhattan loft presided over by his bohemian parents. His mother tells him he may stay as long as he wants. What begins as a respite from adult responsibility becomes a premature mid-life crisis. Re-installed in a house saturated with two generations of bric-a-brac evoking days gone by, Mikey starts to regress and drift back to an awkward youth he never outgrew.
	What Doesn't Kill You Childhood friends Brian and Paulie do whatever it takes to survive in the dog-eat-dog neighborhood they live in. As they grow up they find themselves involved in organized crime and jail becomes part of doing business on the streets they call home. Brian uses his time in jail to get clean while Paulie makes plans for one last job that requires Brian's help. Brian must decide if he should stand by his friend or salvage his family.
	Inkheart
	I.O.U.S.A. "I.O.U.S.A. tells the story of America in debt. Faced with key deficits in budget, savings, trade and leadership, increased foreign competition and ballooning financial obligations, the federal government is critically overextended. Weaving together archival footage, economic data and candid interviews with Warren Buffett, Alan Greenspan, Paul O'Neill, Robert Rubin, Alice Rivlin and Paul Volcker, along with David Walker of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and Robert Bixby of the Concord Coalition, the film offers a vivid and alarming profile of America's financial status."--Container
	Hotel for Dogs Foster children Andi and Bruce have been placed with a flaky couple who care more for their aspiring rock careers than their charges. Their mischievous tendencies repeatedly get them into trouble. After a close call with the local pound, the kids end up searching for Friday, their secretly adopted dog, in an abandoned old hotel where they find several other stray dogs seeking shelter. .
	Marley and Me John and Jen are journalists who are a newly married couple. Marley is the adopted puppy that no one wants, a high-strung lab who is virtually untrainable. Marley shreds cushions, destroys floors and walls and most everything in between. Instead of taking him to the pound, they love their dog and he faithfully loves them in return. John and Jen eventually have three children and Jen gives up her career to be a mom. John's career continues to advance as he carves a niche as a local columnist. The family moves from Florida to Pennsylvania. John struggles with his own career direction, but Marley remains the constant. A memoir of Philadelphia Inquirer columnist John Grogan's life with his yellow Labrador retriever
	My Father, My Brother, and Me "In 2004, journalist Dave Iverson received the same news that had been delivered to his father and older brother years earlier: He had Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological disorder that affects about one million Americans. Iverson sets off on a personal journey to explore the scientific, ethical, and political debate that surrounds Parkinson's, a disease at the center of the ongoing controversy over embryonic stem cell research. Iverson talks to scientists on the cutting edge of new cures and therapies for Parkinson's as well as a number of other major neurological conditions. And he has intimate conversations with fellow Parkinson's sufferers like actor Michael J. Fox and writer Michael Kinsley."--Container
	Nothing but the Truth A volatile story about a Washington, D.C. political reporter who writes an explosive story about a government scandal in which she reveals the name of a covert CIA agent. Unexpectedly finding herself behind bars, she struggles to maintain her principles and relationship with her family when she refuses to divulge her source. Inspired by true events.
	New in Town A high-powered consultant in love with her upscale Miami lifestyle is sent to a small Minnesota town, in the middle of nowhere, to oversee the restructuring of a blue collar manufacturing plant. She endures a frosty reception from the locals, along with the icy roads and freezing weather. She warms up to the small town's charm, and eventually finds herself being accepted by the community. When she's ordered to close down the plant and put the entire community out of work, she's forced to reconsider her goals and priorities. Now she needs to find a way to save the town.
	Notorious Chronicling the extraordinary life of Christopher 'The Notorious B.I.G.' Wallace. Through raw talent and sheer determination, Biggie transforms himself from a Brooklyn street hustler (once selling crack to a pregnant woman) to superstardom. He has to juggle the increasing demands of fatherhood, marriage, and a music career that is strife with chaos and controversy. On March 8, 1997, in Los Angeles, a black Chevy Impala pulls up along Biggie's car and fires several shots at Biggie, killing him. He had become one of the greatest rappers of all time.
	Synecdoche, New York Theater director Caden Cotard is mounting a new play. Determined to create a piece of brutal realism and honesty, he gathers an ensemble cast into a warehouse in Manhattan's theater district. He instructs each to live out their constructed lives in a small mockup of the city outside. As the city inside the warehouse grows, Caden's own life veers wildly off track. His daughter, Olive, is growing up under questionable guidance. He's helplessly driving his marriage to actress Claire into the ground. His daughter, Ariel, is mentally handicapped. He steadily blurs the line between the world of the play and that of his own deteriorating reality. As he pushes the limits of his relationships, both personally and professionally, a change in creative direction arrives in Millicent Weems, a celebrated theater actress who may offer Caden the break he needs.
	The Beautiful Truth A 15 year-old boy goes on a mission to determine if what Dr. Max Gerson wrote in his controversial book is a legitimate alternative cure for cancer. After numerous interviews with doctors, skeptics, members of Gerson's family, and cancer patients, it became abundantly clear that a cure for virtually all cancers and chronic diseases does exist, and it has existed for over 80 years.
	The Cake Eaters Easy Kimbrough is the patriarch of the family and the local butcher. He is grieving over the recent loss of his wife, Ceci. He hides his secret ongoing affair. Beagle is his youngest son who was left to care for his ailing mother. He works in the local high school cafeteria by day but want to paint street signs. Guy is the oldest son who has been away from the family for years while pursuing his rock star dreams. He learns of his mother's passing, but misses the funeral. When Guy returns home, the family begins to unravel..
	Open season 2 Elliot and Boog find themselves on another adventure. After falling head over hooves in love with Giselle, Elliot's road to the alter takes a slight detour when Mr. Weenie is kidnapped by a group of pampered pets determined to return him to his owners. Boog, Elliot, McSquizzy, Buddy and the rest of the woodland creatures launch a full-scale rescue mission for their sausage-shaped friend and soon find themselves in enemy camp. Led by a toy poodle named Fifi, the pets do not plan to let Mr. Weenie go without a fight.
	The Reader Post-WWII, Germany. Michael Berg is a teenager who becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair. Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Hanna is enthralled as Michael reads to her from different works of literature. Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken. Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life, only this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna's past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives.
	Un secret Secret A young boy who has a vivid imagination dreams up a brother for himself and a better past for his family. On his 15th birthday he finds his dreams shattered when he uncovers a shocking secret that ties his family to the Holocaust.
	Rachel Getting Married In and out of rehab for the past 10 years, Kym Buchman returns to the family home for the wedding of her sister Rachel. She brings with her a long history of personal crisis and family conflict. The wedding party, friends and relatives have gathered for an idyllic weekend of feasting, music and love, but Kym's passion for the dramatic incites tension in the family.
	The Wrestler Back in the late '80s, Randy 'The Ram' Robinson was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, decades past his prime, he barely gets by working small wrestling shows in VFW halls and as a part-time grocery store employee. He faces health problems that may end his wrestling career and is attempting to come to terms with his life outside the ring. He wants to reconcile with the daughter he abandoned in childhood and begins a relationship with a stripper. He struggles with his new life and an offer of a high-profile rematch with his 1980s arch-nemesis, 'The Ayatollah,' which might just be his ticket back to stardom.
	Timecrimes A man accidentally finds a time machine and travels back in time where he is involved in a mystery filled with murders, terror, and another version of himself Note: Official selection, 2008 Sundance Film Festival ; Audience Award and Best Feature Jury Prize, Fanatastic Fest 2007 .
	Valkyrie Based on the incredible true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and his ingenious assassination plot targeting Adolf Hitler, this engrossing thriller reenacts the daring operation to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known.
	Sunrise Tai Chi "Awaken, heal, and strengthen your mind, body, and spirit"--Disc label and container
	W. A look at the life of the 43rd president of the United States. Rising from a privileged alcoholic to a born-again Christian whose belief in religious destiny helped move him to the top ranks of political power. How he used Christianity to turn his life around, met and married his wife, and the days before his decision to declare war on Iraq
	What Just Happened Ben is an overburdened movie producer. He tries to balance his life and has to contend with the never-ending demands of 2 ex-wives, his ice-queen studio head, and a menagerie of various Hollywood prima donnas. Ben manages to take it all in stride. He copes by exuding a smoothly assuring demeanor. The only thing that really seems to upset Ben is when he discovers that his ex-wife sleeps with one of his colleagues.
	I've Loved You So Long A shell-shocked Juliette is released from prison after serving 15 years for murdering her young son. As life has moved on, she must relearn certain basics. After being banished from her family, she is now reunited with her younger sister, Lea. Hopefully, Juliette will learn to forgive herself in the process.
	JCVD Jean-Claude Van Damme
	Last Chance Harvey Harvey, a divorced, down-on-his-luck music jingle composer, and Kate, a lonely British airline employee, are brought together by chance. Harvey comes to London for his daughter's wedding, planning only to attend the wedding ceremony. However, he ends up being let go from his job before going back to America and decides to stay for the reception, asking Kate to accompany him. Thus begins a growing connection between these two guarded strangers.
	Let the Right One In 12-year-old Oscar is a fragile and bullied boy who finds love and revenge when he meets Eli. Eli is a beautiful but peculiar girl he befriends. She has moved into his building. Oscar does not know that she and her father are vampires. When strange disappearances and murders start happening in the town, suspicions mount from her neighbors and police. Eli must move on to stay alive or stay to help Oscar the only way she knows how.
	Not Easily Broken After years of disagreement concerning what true happiness, success, and love really are, Dave and Clarice Johnson have finally reached a breaking point in their marriage. Clarice is hurt in a car accident and the obvious truth is that more than just her injuries need immediate attention. Their odds of making it are worsen as Clarice begins to see a physical therapist. Dave develops a friendship with Julie and her teenage son Bryson. The acceptance and comfort he finds in them stirs his longing for a family and a passionate partner. Temptation tugs at Dave. Clarice pulls farther away.
	Obama, all access Barack Obama's road to the White House 60 Minutes tracks the rise of Barack Obama from Senator to President with behind-the-scenes access over a two-year period. Contains material from six separate broadcast segments, and includes major public appearances and speeches.
	Quantum of Solace Bond at his best!
	Taken Kim is seventeen years-old and the pride and joy of her father, the ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills. Bryan left the agency to stay near Kim in California. Kim lives with her mother Lenore and her wealthy stepfather Stuart. Kim convinces the reluctant Bryan to sign an authorization form so she can travel to Paris with her friend Amanda. When they arrive, they share a cab with a stranger named Peter...

Have a suggestion for a title that you think the library should purchase? You can offer your suggestion via the form on the MARINet website at http://marinet.lib.ca.us/acquire.

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Online recommendations for reading, viewing, and listening

Looking for bestsellers, fiction, non-fiction, mysteries or audio books? Check out some of our most popular recommendations on BookLetters. You can also subscribe to one or more book lists and have updated information send to you via email or RSS feed.

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E-Connect publication

E-Connect is an online publication distributed monthly by the Marin County Free Library. Contact: Library@co.marin.ca.us

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Past Issues

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