Best Books of the Year

What were the most notable books of 2010? Here are some chosen by the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon.com:

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARK TWAIN, Vol. I, by Mark Twain. The great American humorist is his own best character in this first volume of his unexpurgated autobiography that doubles as a razor-sharp portrait of the human comedy.

THE BIG SHORT, by Michael Lewis. Lewis has written the briskest and brightest analysis of the crash of 2008. Other books might provide a more exhaustive account of what went wrong, but Lewis's character-driven narrative reveals the how and why with peerless clarity and panache. When will they ever learn?

THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES: A Biography of Cancer, by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Mukherjee’s powerful and ambitious history of cancer and its treatment is an epic story he seems compelled to tell, like a young priest writing a biography of Satan.

FREEDOM, by Jonathan Franzen. Like Franzen’s previous novel, “The Corrections,” this is a masterly portrait of a nuclear family in turmoil, with an intricately ordered narrative and a majestic sweep that seems to gather up every fresh datum of our shared millennial life.

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, by Stieg Larsson. In the third installment of the pulse-racing trilogy featuring Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, the pair are threatened by an adversary from deep within the very government that should be protecting them.

THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett. An uplifting debut novel set during the cascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Mississippi, where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver.

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS, by Rebecca Skloot. Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer, yet her cells - taken without her knowledge - became one of the most important tools in medicine: vital for developing the polio vaccine, uncovering secrets of cancer and viruses, and leading to in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping.

THE IMPERFECTIONISTS, by Tom Rachman. This intricate novel is built around the personal stories of staff members at an improbable English-language newspaper in Rome, and of the family who founded it in the 1950s.

MATTERHORN: A Novel of the Vietnam War, by Karl Marlantes. In this tale, 30 years in the creation, bloody folly envelops a Marine company’s construction, abandonment and retaking of a remote hilltop outpost.

MR. PEANUT, by Adam Ross. In this daring first novel, a computer game designer suspected of murdering his obese wife is investigated by two marriage-savvy detectives, one of whom is Dr. Sam Sheppard.

A RELIABLE WIFE, by Robert Goolrick. Rural Wisconsin, 1909. In the bitter cold, a successful businessman stands alone on a train platform waiting for the woman who answered his newspaper advertisement for "a reliable wife."

ROOM, by Emma Donoghue. Donoghue’s remarkable novel is narrated by a 5-year-old boy, whose entire world is the 11-by-11-foot room in which his mother is being held against her will.

SHADOW TAG, by Louise Erdrich. Erdrich’s portrait of a marriage on its way to dissolution appears to be seeded with deliberate allusions to her own relationship with the writer Michael Dorris.

Holiday Closures

Don't forget, all four branches of the Chandler Public Library will be closed on:

Friday, December 24 (City observation of Christmas )
Saturday, December 25 (Christmas)
Friday, December 31 (City observation of New Years)
Saturday, January 1 (New Years)

Regular hours will be in effect all other days this holiday season.

Need information from the library while we're closed? Don't worry - we still offer:

Account access - look up your due dates, check if you have any fines or holds, and renew your materials online. Enter your library card number as your user ID and your 4-digit PIN. (Please note, you cannot renew items if others have placed holds on them or if they are already overdue.)

Information databases - search articles from newspapers, magazines, and reference sources, on all sorts of topics such as health, auto repair, and Consumer Reports ratings. All you need is your library card and PIN numbers, and you can log in from home!

Downloadable books - want to try out that new MP3 player or ebook reader you got for the holidays? Log in to the Greater Phoenix Digital Library and download ebooks or e-audio books. It's free and there are no late fees! (Please note, not all books are available in all formats, and some devices, including the Amazon Kindle, are not compatible.)

Still have a question? You can send it to us through our Ask A Question page, but remember we won't be able to answer it until the next working day after the closure.

Enjoy your holidays!

DVD Review: Mother Ghost

Wouldn't it be nice to work out issues with your parents this holiday season, even those who have passed on? You wouldn't have all those bad feelings and you could really get into absolute joy. Don't shake your head, it's really possible. All you have to do is watch the movie Mother Ghost.

Keith's life is falling apart because he has not accepted the death of his mother and has major issues with both her and his living father. His wife has threatened divorce and things that were buried with his mother keep reappearing. In absolute desperation he phones in to a faltering radio psychiatrist, Dr. Norris, who has been told he will lose his job if his ratings don't vastly improve. With Dr. Norris giving Keith a caring heart by phone, he begins a type of therapy that just might work for anyone. Besides bringing tears to your eyes, the movie will make you ask yourself if you have any unfinished business with your own parents. Mother Ghost has a unique storyline and excellent acting by Mark Thompson and Kevin Pollak. It is a psychological comedy that will grip your heart and maybe improve your holiday season. -Henry (Downtown)

DVD Review: Everybody's Fine

Marketed in theaters as a holiday comedy, Everybody’s Fine is a DVD release with Robert DeNiro and Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell, and Kate Beckinsale as his adult children. The story plays out as a sad drama centered on a recent widower, DeNiro, who now must try and reconnect to his far-flung grown children and learn about them as adults. The film is a tear jerker, and the audience feels sorry for the father and the kids whom he never knew while they were growing up. Everybody’s Fine is a typical drama if you know what to expect: great performances from DeNiro and especially from Rockwell. Everybody’s Fine is rated PG-13 for a brief violent scene, sexuality, drug references, and language. - Kathy (Downtown)

Chandler's Parade of Lights and Tumbleweed Tree Lighting

Kick off the holiday season with a Chandler Tradition. The 2010 Parade of Lights and Tumbleweed Tree Lighting ceremony will be held on Satuday, December 4 in the A.J. Chandler Park / San Marcos Resort area in Downtown Chandler.

Entertainment and kids' visits with Santa start at 4:30. The Parade of Lights begins at 7:00, with the tree lighting ceremony to follow at 8:00. Chandler's unique Tumbleweed Tree dates back to 1957, when Chandler residents began gathering tumbleweeds to fashion into a holiday tree.

Visit the City of Chandler website for more information about the event.

Book Review: Packing for Mars

Japan chooses theirs by making them fold paper cranes. America's first included multiple monkeys named Albert. Others have been subjected to miserable food, two weeks without a change of clothes, and bizzare toilet procedures. They're astronauts, and they've got an eye to go to Mars next. Mary Roach examines everything that goes into planning this trip, and any space voyage, in her book Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. From the early days of the space program to the International Space Station (which has much better bathroom facilities), Roach details the challenges of making everything we take for granted on Earth work in an environment with no gravity, no up or down, no atmosphere and no resources except those the astronauts bring with them. Who knew it would be so hard to eat, to keep clean, to fight motion sickness, and to get along with other people while trapped in a metal box with no way out?

Roach turns her curious and irreverent eye on all aspects of space travel, creating a fascinating, sometimes gross, and always laugh-out-loud documentary peppered with tangents about all sorts of interesting things. Her trademark voice is also on display in other books that explore unexpected topics, including Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. - Michelle (Sunset)

Audiobook review: Sworn to Silence

Formerly Amish sheriff talks tough in Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo, read by Kathleen McInerney. (Also in regular and large print.)

Do you like mildly “chicklit” books starring former Amish people who wield the F-Bomb? Good news - this is a series now. Sheriff Kate Burkholder left the sect but still knows the players in this neck of Ohio and is determined to catch a killer of young women, both Amish and “English” (non-Amish).

Burkholder eventually hooks up with a state-level cop with his own demons. Oh - did I mention that she thinks the killer may be a man who assaulted her and whom her Amish family “dispatched” to the next world - maybe (she had never really been sure he was dead)? I didn’t mention it? Well, it’s true.

There is some hooking up (the mildly chicklit part) but nothing too icky. Two damaged souls bumping in the night.

We are not talking “Witness” here with dreamy sponge baths and barn raisings. More like "where shall we stash the stiff?" Kathleen McInerney does a fair job of reading without getting all girlish and inserting charming little pauses. I hate it when that happens.

Star Lawrence owns a recession site called Do the Hopey Copey (http://hopeycopey.blogspot.com/) and can be reached at jkellaw@aol.com.

Books on the big screen

...or small screen. Here's the latest news about forthcoming book-to-movie and televion adapations.

Charlaine Harris’s Harper Connelly books are being considered by CBS for adaptation to a TV series, following the succes of HBO's True Blood, based on her Sookie Stackhouse novels. The 4th Harper Connelly novel, Grave Secret, came out last year.

Shooting on Life of Pi, based on Yan Martel's award-winning novel, will being in January. Director Ang Lee has chosen newcomer Suraj Sharma to play the lead role, in an audition that included over 3,000 other teenagers. (Also available in large type and audio.)

Filming on The Hobbit is scheduled to begin in February, following an agreement reached between director Peter Jackson and the New Zealand actors guild. The movie will be realeased in two parts. (Find the library's many editions of The Hobbit, including commentary and graphic novel adaptations, here. Hint: the original novel is listed as F TOLKIEN or YA TOLKIEN.)

The Help was the top movie story in People magazine. Based on Kathryn Stockett's debut novel, the film is directed by Tate Taylor and scheduled to come out in August 2011. (Find the book, large type, or audio.)

Chandler Library and Friends of the Library online

Are you a fan of Facebook? Thrilled about Twitter? You can find the Chandler Library and the Friends of the Library on Facebook and Twitter!

Visit the library's Facebook page to learn about events happening at the library, see what others are saying about the library, and more:
http://www.facebook.com/chandlerpubliclibrary

Follow the library on Twitter to get quick updates about library happenings:
http://twitter.com/ChandlerLibAZ

Are you a Friend of the library? "Friend" the Friends on Facebook, and see when the next Friends booksale is, find out what special programs the Friends are sponsoring, and learn about the Friends gift shop/cafe:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-the-Chandler-Public-Library/113175892072089

Get updates about what the Friends of the Library are doing, and other fun bookish stuff:
http://twitter.com/fotcpl

New Arrivals

Here are some of this week's new arrivals at the Chandler Library. Click a title to view the book's record, where you can check availability and place a hold with your library card and PIN numbers.

Adult fiction

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai, by Ruiyan Xu

A Shanghai businessman's world is shattered when an accident takes away his ability to speak Chinese.

Adult nonfiction

Cook This, Not That, by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding

How to turn your favorite restaurant treats into healthier dishes that are easy to make at home.

Junior fiction

Girl's Best Friend: A Maggie Brooklyn Mystery, by Leslie Margolis

Dogs are disappearing all over town, and only a 7th-grade sleuth can solve the mystery.

Junior nonfiction

Who Wants Pizza? The Kids' Guide to the History, Science & Culture of Food by Jan Thornhill

How do our bodies use food? What do people in other countries eat? And what's good - or bad - about pizza?

Picture books

Two Dumb Ducks, by Maxwell Eaton

Steve likes cans. Carl likes socks. Why do the other birds call them two dumb ducks?

DVD Review: The Bounty Hunter

Jennifer Aniston’s new movie The Bounty Hunter has just been released on DVD. The action-packed comedy/drama follows the same formula as many of her other films: bad-boy ex-cop (hunky Gerard Butler) is chasing down independent ex-wife (Aniston) and in the process solves a mystery nobody else in the greater Philadelphia area is aware of. The plot is far-fetched and predictable, despite some gun-toting chase scenes and a few minor twists. Checking out The Bounty Hunter will be worthwhile as long as you don’t expect too much but light, mindless entertainment. The film is rated PG-13 for language, violence and some suggestive situations. - Kathy (Downtown)

Book Review: American Rebel

American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood is a thoroughly researched biography of the film legend, and methodically covers the actor/director’s life from childhood to the present day. Biographer Marc Eliot utilizes extensive interviews and memiors from other actors, directors and family to draw a detailed portrait of the man and movie legend. From his television days on Rawhide in the early 1960’s to his extremely popular “spaghetti westerns,” Eastwood has climbed the ladder of success with hard work and business savvy to become an Academy Award winning director and producer. Despite his turbulent personal life and stoic demeanor, Eastwood is known in Hollywood circles as being an effective “actor’s director.” The reader will learn the motivation and strong character behind this private man after reading Eliot’s well-resourced text. [Also in large type and ebook.] - Kathy (Downtown)

Chandler Parade of Lights

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Or it will, on December 4 during the Parade of Lights. You can be part of the parade by putting together your own float, band, vehicle or walking entry.

To enter the parade, fill out an entry form (online or print and mail) and submit it by November 10. All entrants must attend a pre-parade meeting on November 22. For more information, visit the City of Chandler website.

Book Review: The Happiness Project

Gretchen Rubin’s yearlong journey, The Happiness Project, is a straightforward read, developed from her blog of the same name. Laced with scientific research, philosophy, and personal analysis, Rubin's book takes us through her own personal “Aha” moments about how to make life more fun, happy and hopefully stress free. Month by month we follow the author through her resolutions such as eating better, which she refers to as “no fake food,” or no nagging comments, which was very tough for her argumentative personality. Overall, readers will gain at least one nugget of useful information that can help better their happiness quotient. Rubin offers straightforward suggestions, along with other readers’ tips, to share specifics of what has been successful in that elusive journey toward true happiness. Check out the Happiness Project website, if you’d like a sneak peek at the author’s happiness toolkit.

New Arrivals

New books and audiobooks that arrived this week at the Chandler Library:

Adult fiction
Warlord, by Ted Bell
The new adventure featuring British spy Alex Hawke.

Pretty Little Things, by Jilliane Hoffman
When a 13-year old girl goes missing, an investigator finds himself in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with an online predator.

Adult nonfiction
The English Is Coming, by Leslie Dunton-Downer
Fascinating stories of English words and how they're used around the world.

Badasses, by Peter Richmond
A down-and-dirty history of the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s.

Teen fiction
Crusade, by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Six young vampire hunters try to stop the Cursed Ones from taking over the world.

Dear America: The Fences Between Us, by Kirby Larson
(also on audio)
Piper Davis awaits news from her brother, a solider on the battleship Arizona stationed in Pearl Harbor.

Junior fiction
Reckless, by Cornelia Funke
A magical mirror transports a boy into another world in this new adventure by the author of Inkheart.

Goosebumps Horrorland: The Wizard of Ooze, by R.L. Stine
Why is Marco being followed by a man dressed as his favorite comic book villain?

Picture books and Readers
Max & Ruby's Bedtime Book, by Rosemary Wells
"Just one more story!" Max and Ruby beg their grandmother.

Martha Speaks: Haunted House, by Susan Meddaugh
Martha the talking dog has to deliver flowers to a very scary house.

New feature - Reserve study rooms online!

Do you need to use a study room? You can now reserve study rooms online, in advance and from home, without calling the library and waiting on hold. All you need is your library card and PIN numbers. You can make one reservation per day per library card, up to a week in advance.

Start at chandlerlibrary.org and look for the Study Room Reservations link:

Choose the branch where you want to make your reservation. Downtown, Sunset, and Basha have study rooms.

Choose your date and room number. The grid will show you what times are available. Use the checkboxes to select your desired time. You can have one block of up to two hours per day. Then click the Continue button at the bottom of the page.

Enter your library card and PIN numbers. (Forgot your PIN? Call 480-782-2800.) Click Login, then your name and email address will appear. An email address is required - enter one here if one does not come up.

Enter the number of people using the room (max. 4 for most rooms, max. 6 for Downtown rooms 137 and 138). Verify that all the information is correct, then click Verify Request.

You'll get a confirmation email showing your room number and date, along with a cancellation link. You might want to print this out so you remember which room you're in. (Please don't use a different room - it will alter our schedule for the rest of the day!)

There's a cancellation link in case you need to cancel your room - just click it to go to the cancellation page. Please cancel as soon as you know you can't make it to open the room up to others.

When you come in for your reservation, you can go right to your room - no need to check in at the desk! (Let us know if someone else is in your room by mistake.)

Fall book preview

Bestsellers, new fiction, nonfiction and more are due out this fall. Click to learn more about these highly anticipated titles, and place a hold to reserve your spot on the waiting list.

Hell's Corner, by David Baldacci
The lastest adventure featuring Oliver Stone and the Camel Club. (Publication date: Nov 9)
also in Audio, Large Type

Wicked Appetite, by Janet Evanovich
The mystery writer launches a new series with an offbeat couple battling the Seven Deadly Sins. (Publication date: Sep 14)
also in Audio

The Confession, by John Grisham
A guilty man has four days to save an innocent man on death row in this new legal thriller. (Publication date: Oct 26)
also in Audio, Large Type

Safe Haven, by Nicholas Sparks
Secrets surround a mysterious young woman who appears in a small North Carolina town. (Publication date: Sep 14)
also in Audio, Large Type

Decision Points, by George W. Bush
A memoir by America’s 43rd president. (Publication date: Nov 9)
also in Large Type

Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That? by Ina Garten
New recipes for delicious food that can be prepared with a minimum of fuss. (Publication date: Oct 26)

My Discoveries - make your own booklists

Too many things you'd like to read? You can now make your own lists of books you'd like to read, books you read and liked, or books you'd like to tag with descriptive phrases, using the My Discoveries feature in our new library catalog.


Anytime you search for a book - or anything else - in our new catalog, you'll have a chance to log in to My Discoveries.When you pull up the full record (click on the title), you'll see the "Save or Tag" option on the right.Click here, and you'll be prompted to log in to My Discoveries. The first time you click, you'll be prompted to register. (Make sure to save your username and password, as it's not stored with the rest of your checkout information so library staff cannot look it up for you.)


When you log in, the screen will refresh and show a new field where you can add the title to a list and tag it. Scroll down to look for the field under the tags, just above the copy availability.


Choose "Add to list" and you'll have an opportunity to create a list or add the title to an existing list. Then type in a tag or description and click Save. You can view your lists anytime by clicking My Discoveries in the upper right and logging in.


Please note: books you put on your My Discoveries list will not automatically be added to your holds list. To place a hold, click Place Hold and enter your library card and PIN numbers.

Book Review: The Glass Rainbow

THE GLASS RAINBOW, Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcell together forever? Written by James Lee Burke, read by Will Patton, reviewed by Star Lawrence

This is the 18th Robicheaux/Purcell caper—is it the last? I will get to that in a moment.

Dave, as the legions of fans know, is a mercurial cop-family man guy, who was tossed off the New Orleans PD and landed in the New Iberia, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Department. Clete is his bigger-than-life brawler of a pal, late of the NO cops, never at the Sheriff’s Department, and now sort of a freewheeling PI and world-class drinker.

These two are low-life Velcro. They find every reptilian, old-money, new-money, pimp and scoundrel rattling around Louisiana, In The Glass Rainbow, they are entangled with a creepy old oil man and his dilettante son, Kermit. Added to the mix are some young women tossed into landfills like trash and one of those celebrity criminals. You know, the kind celebrities lionize.

About then, Dave starts spotting the phantom steam paddlewheeler on his beloved Bayou Teche outside his house. And the guys in the black SUVs start to show up.

Amidst the trademark Burke nature lore, the bruised skies, the tink of raindrops, the great grand-daughter of New Orleans famed voodoo queen glances at Dave and remarks that he is “disappearin’, thinning out.”

Now, I don’t want to spoil this, but let’s say the ending is ambiguous. Dave boards the paddlewheeler, sees his long-dead parents, medics from Vietnam…Clete tries to pull him back down the gangplank.

Is this the end for our guys?

Star Lawrence owns two websites—one, HEALTHSass (http://healthsass.blogspot.com/), contains interesting health tidbits and the other, Do the Hopey Copey (http://hopeycopey.blogspot.com/) is for those seeking to stay alive in this economy.

Books in the News

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman was reviewed by Maureen Corrigan on NPR’s Fresh Air. This story about social manners in Silicon Valley during the dot-com era, featuring two sisters with opposite personalities, has been described as "updated Austen [that] hits the spot."

Room by Emma Donoghue has been nominated for the UK’s Man Booker Prize, and will be published in the U.S. in September. The Guardian calls it, "Perhaps the most controversial novel [on the nomination list], inspired by the case of Josef Fritzl who kept his daughter prisoner for 24 years," and The Economist says, "…it is already being talked about as the next The Lovely Bones."



The Power, the follow-up to Rhonda Byrne’s bestseller The Secret, is due out on August 17. The New York Times noted that the publisher has planned an initial print run of 2 million copies, and describes The Power as "a handbook to the greatest power in the universe - the power to have everything you want."

Book Review: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

Aimee Bender's novel The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is a coming of age tale with a twist. Nine-year-old Rose, whose mother has made her favorite lemon cake for her birthday, bites into the cake and discovers that she can taste in food the emotions of the people who made it. She spends the next several years learning to avoid anger- or distress-laden foods, identifying the emotionless factories that make junk food, and making excuses not to eat her mother's cooking. While she struggles to navigate the feelings in food, she must also learn to navigate the dynamics of her troubled family: her depressed mother, her distant and workaholic father, and a brother so remote and strange that he actually seems to be disappearing.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake handles its unusual theme with a gentle touch, taking the impossibility as a given in Rose's life and examining how she comes to terms with it and what it says about her and her family. It joins the ranks of well-respected novels with fantastic or science-fictional themes, such as Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic fable The Road, Kit Reed's view of the not-so-distant future in Thinner Than Thou, and Margaret Atwood's classic futuristic novel The Handmaid's Tale. - Michelle (Sunset)

Book review: The Why of Work

The Why of Work, by husband and wife authors Dave and Wendy Ulrich, is not only a how-to manual on managing employees, but also a great tool to use every day when dealing with people. Resources and strategies are fully discussed, charted, and diagrammed for easy understanding. Dealing with conflict, managing change, and handling difficult people are just a few topics the authors explore. We live in a world of change, and this way of life is not slowing down. Therefore, managers and successful leaders must deal with issues head-on, to empower and engage their staff for a successful future. As detailed in the latter chapters, bringing a sense of delight with humor, fun, and productive activities also makes for a more meaningful work experience. Check out The Why of Work for better insight and a different perspective on what motivates people. - Kathy (Sunset)

Summer Reading Program - the last week!

You have until Saturday, July 31 to finish reading and turn in your entry forms for the Adult Summer Reading Program! Our drawing for the grand prize gift certificate will take place on or about August 2.


Some last-minute reading ideas from recent Summer Reading entry forms:


Blueberry Muffin Murder, by Joanne Fluke
Do One Green Thing: Save the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices, by Mindy Pennybacker
Falcon Seven, by James Houston
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, by John Grisham
Island Beneath the Sea, by Isabelle Allende
Ransom My Heart, by Meg Cabot
True Colors, by Kristin Hannah


And don't forget about Summer Reading Programs for kids and teens. Now through July 31.

Volunteering at the library

Looking for something to do when summer's over? If you've been interested in volunteering at the library, our volunteer orientations are starting up again. Library volunteers assist with tutoring adult learners, checking in books, the Friends of the Library in the Gift Shop and with used books, delivering books to homebound residents and much more.

Visit this page for more information about our volunteer program (scroll down to Volunteering) as well as to download a volunteer application. The application includes more information about the different volunteer opportunities at each branch. Prospective volunteers will fill out an application, then attend a volunteer orientation.

Our first volunteer orientation for the fall will take place on Wednesday, August 11 at 10:00 am. See the event listing for registration information, and make sure to fill out your volunteer application form in advance. (View our calendar for additional monthly orientation dates.)

Teen volunteer opportunities will also re-open in the fall. Visit this page and scroll down to Teen Volunteer Application for more information about how to apply.

Teens needing community service hours for school may or may not be able to fulfill these short-term assignments at the library, depending on our schedule availability. If you need community service hours for school, please send in your application early for a better chance at getting onto the schedule.

Please note: Unfortunately, we do not have positions available for court-ordered community service. For information about court-ordered volunteer opportunities, visit this page and scroll down to Court-Ordered Community Service.

Book Review: Hollywood Station

Hollywood Station by Joseph Wambaugh immediately entertains the reader with an L.A. Police car patrol prowl on the Hollywood strip. Here, police rookies (right out of the academy) have to deal with addicts, crazies, and gangbangers. With non-stop action, you witness high-speed auto chases, a jewelry store robbery that leads to the Russian Mafia, a murder-suicide near Hollywood's famous "Grauman's Chinese Theatre", a police horse patrol on the "Sidewalk of the Stars" that goes terribly wrong, and a racial profiling investigation. This novel shines above the rest in character development, dark humor, social satire, current Los Angeles politics, and action you won't forget!

Joseph Wambaugh in Hollywood Station is at his absolute best. From U.S.C. dropout surfing cops, meth freaks, and homeless street performers - you witness some of the best character development I've ever read. The author provides a fascinating look at not only Hollywood/ Los Angeles culture but also its ever volatile social and political climate. I guarantee this thriller will provide non-stop entertainment, with characters and settings you won't forget, and may even provide relief from Arizona's heat! - Henry (Downtown)

Summer Reading Program - halfway through

Here are more of our readers' favorites for the Adult Summer Reading Program:

Caught, by Harlan Coben
Desert Wives, Desert Shadows, and Desert Cut, by Betty Webb
In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan
Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer
Knockout, by Catherine Coulter
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Donald Miller
Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, by Piper Kerman
The Overton Window, by Glenn Beck
Xenogeneis series, by Octavia E. Butler

Want to read for a chance to win prizes? Just pick up entry forms at any Chandler Public Library, fill one out for each book you read (or audiobook you listen to) and drop them in the entry box. Each week we'll have a drawing for a $20 gift card, with a $50 grand prize drawing at the end of the program. The more books you read, the more chances you'll have to win! Now through July 31.
And don't forget about Summer Reading Programs for kids and teens. Now through July 31.

Book Review: This Time Together

This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection is the latest memoir from iconic comedienne Carol Burnett, relating over fifty years of her personal life, hit TV show, and famous friendships. Burnett uses a light tone to highlight her start on The Garry Moore Show, and utilizes short, succinct chapters to convey memories: from her first meeting with Cary Grant and Lucille Ball to how her show’s famous ensemble was formed. As she touches on sad moments, never lingering long, the reader will get a sense of the hard work and drive this entertainer harnessed to produce and perform a hit variety show for eleven seasons. Even after surviving a divorce and the untimely death of her daughter, Burnett makes the reader come away with good feelings and happiness, the same feelings she still shares with audiences today. - Kathy (Sunset)

Summer Reading Program - more of your favorites

Here are more favorites from Adult Summer Reading Program participants:

Beatrice and Virgil, by Yann Martel
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, by Allison Hoover Bartlett
The Nanny Diaries, by Emma McLaughlin
House Rules, Nineteen Minutes, and The Tenth Circle, by Jodi Picoult
Brava Valentine, by Adriana Trigiani
Whisper to the Blood, by Dana Stabenow


Want to read for a chance to win prizes? Just pick up entry forms at any Chandler Public Library, fill one out for each book you read (or audiobook you listen to) and drop them in the entry box. Each week we'll have a drawing for a $20 gift card, with a $50 grand prize drawing at the end of the program. The more books you read, the more chances you'll have to win!


And don't forget about Summer Reading Programs for kids and teens. June 1 - July 31.

Books in the News

What's being talked about in newspapers and on television?


Tom Rachman’s best selling debut novel The Imperfectionists was reviewed in the New York Times. Brad Pitt’s production company has bought the film rights to this story of a struggling newspaper in Rome.


A story on CBS Sunday Morning featuring Delivering Happiness, by the CEO of online shoe retailer Zappos, sent the business book to #1 on Amazon.


Unsurprisingly, The Facebook Effect has been widely advertised on Facebook and other social media, pushing up its Amazon ranking well before its publication date of June 15.


There was a vampire showdown in the pages of USA Today and the New York Times, as reviewers covered Blood Oath, The Passage, and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

Summer Reading Program - your favorites

Here are some of the books people have been reading for the Adult Summer Reading Program:

Living Dead in Dallas and Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris
The Glassblower of Murano, by Marina Fiorato
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
One for the Money and Two for the Dough, by Janet Evanovich
The Present: The Gift That Makes You Happy and Successful at Work and in Life, by Spencer Johnson

Want to read for a chance to win prizes? Just pick up entry forms at any Chandler Public Library, fill one out for each book you read (or audiobook you listen to) and drop them in the entry box. Each week we'll have a drawing for a $20 gift card, with a $50 grand prize drawing at the end of the program. The more books you read, the more chances you'll have to win!

And don't forget about Summer Reading Programs for kids and teens. June 1 - July 31.

New Arrivals

Here are some of the new DVDs and CD books received this week at the Chandler Libraries:

DVD

Extraordinary Measures

A father seeking a miracle cure joins forces with a reclusive medical researcher.

Invictus

Clint Eastwood's biopic about South Africa's post-apartheid rugby team.

Young Adult DVD

Ten9Eight

In America, a kid drops out of high school every 9 seconds. Imagine if they didn't.

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

Collection 1 of an anime classic.

CD Book

Storm Prey, by John Sandford

The new volume featuring investigator Lucas Davenport.

61 Hours, by Lee Child

Jack Reacher is back in this showdown thriller.

Young Adult CD Book

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

Book 2 of The Hunger Games.

Look for the pink tape on our new-release DVDs and CD books, just like on our new books! Your library branch might have a display for these new releases, or you can scan the shelves for the pink tape to identify new arrivals.

Movie Review: The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones is a new DVD release, which brings to the screen Alice Sebold’s heart-wrenching novel of the same name. While the film does not follow the book precisely, director Peter Jackson (from Lord of the Rings fame) does keep the same tone and mystical quality that Sebold’s original novel possessed. The audience sees the main character, Susie Salmon, in a happy family setting growing up, and then flash-forwards to Susie at age 14. She then reveals to the audience that she has been murdered by someone she knows, and so begins The Lovely Bones. Jackson’s film version has a fairly reasonable plotline, with Oscar-nominated bad guy Stanley Tucci giving the creepiest performance of his life. The middle 90 minutes of movie seems to drag on, while Susie (or her spirit) is caught in limbo between Heaven and remaining on Earth to help her grieving family and seek revenge for her death. Susan Sarandon does an excellent job as the eccentric Grandmother who helps the devastated parents, but the comic relief Sarandon provides seems out of place in this mostly serious film. The Lovely Bones is rated PG-13 for some violent content, mature themes, and language. - Kathy (Sunset)

Search the catalog for the DVD movie
Search the catalog for the book / large print book / audio book
Place a hold using your library card and PIN numbers (more info)

Book Review: Staying True

Staying True is a poignant memoir of not only the former North Carolina Governor’s wife, but also of her ex-husband, Mark Sanford, and his exhilarating climb up the political ladder followed by his masterful fall. In short, concise chapters colored with spiritual overtones, the reader learns of the couple’s introduction to one another nineteen years ago, yet is shown foreboding signs of the events to unfold in the future. Ms. Sanford never bad-mouths her husband, relating his horrific mistakes with honesty and integrity. Always strong and remaining “true” for her four teenage sons, Sanford seems to finally understand how to be honest within her own self, as well. A quick read, Staying True is an excellent example of how someone can find a worthwhile certainty in an otherwise truly appalling life experience. - Kathy (Sunset)

Book Review: How We Decide

What do airline pilots who discover a disastrous mechanical problem midflight, NFL quarterbacks who have a split second to make a game-saving throw, and backgammon-playing computers have in common? They all must make decisions, quickly and accurately, often without much time to analyze their choices.

How We Decide is a fascinating look at how they do it, and how the human mind makes all sorts of decisions. From everyday choices about what to eat, to major investment decisions, to crisis situations where the wrong choice can mean lost lives, author Jonah Lehrer examines how the brain makes up its mind about what to do. How do people make rational choices, and what if they don't have enough time to weigh all the evidence? Is there such a thing as thinking too much about a decision? What is the role of emotions, and can they hinder or even help the decision-making process? Lehrer examines a great deal of current pyschological research, giving his book some heft and authority, but he never becomes dull or overwhelming. This engrossing book sheds light on one of our biggest mysteries: how our own minds work. - Michelle (Sunset)

Get ready for summer with beach reads

From Entertainment Weekly's summer roundup comes 18 Books We Can't Wait to Read This Summer. Request some of these highlights (click on the links, then "Place Hold" with your library card and PIN numbers) and get ready for summer!

This Body of Death, by Elizabeth George
Another thickly plotted mystery featuring Scotland Yard inspector Thomas Lynley.

Half Life, by Roopa Farooki
An Indian doctor is haunted by past loves.

Girl in Translation, by Jean Kwok
A girl and her mother, immigrants from China, succeed despite incredible odds.

The Last Stand, by Nathaniel Philbrick
The battle of Little Bighorn told by a noted historical novelist.

Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put On My Pajamas and Found Happiness, by Dominique Browning
How a magazine editor coped with sudden unemployment.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larsson
The conclusion to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, by Stephenie Meyer
A novella set in the world of Twilight.

Book Review: Game Change

Game Change is a detailed account of the 2008 Presidential election and the bitter fight between the Obama and Clinton campaigns. Densely written, with first-hand remarks from staffers and other insiders, the book recalls every power play, misstep, and success each side maintained throughout the battle to win the Democratic nomination. Authors John Heilemann and Mark Halperin also touch on the McCain campaign and the further drama that resulted when Sarah Palin was selected as McCain's running mate in late August. The Palin moments are entertaining, and also prove that human beings run these political machines, and everyone is capable of making mistakes. History buffs and fans of our current President will enjoy the insider’s view in Game Change, and will be anxious to see what happens when election year rolls around again. - Kathy (Sunset)

New Arrivals

Here are some of the new materials received this week at the Chandler libraries:

Adult fiction
Shameless, by Karen Robards
The Frightened Man, by Kenneth Cameron

Adult nonfiction
10-10-10: A Fast and Powerful Way to Get Unstuck in Love, at Work, and at Home, by Suzy Welch
Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of "War and Peace," by Dominic Lieven

Young adult (teen) fiction
The Cinderella Society, by Kay Cassidy
Sweet 15, by Emily Adler & Alex Echevarria

Juvenile (junior) fiction
How to Survive Middle School, by Donna Gephart
Love, Puppies and Corner Kicks, by R.W. Krech

Youth nonfiction
Opposing Viewpoints: China
The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe, by Loree Griffin Burns

Picture books
Polly's Pink Pajamas, by Vivian French
Say Hello, by Rachel Isadora

Find more new books, CDs, and DVDs. Go to chandlerlibrary.org and click "Search the Catalog" in the upper left corner. Our new catalog search page features links to new, recently added, and on-order titles right in front. Place a hold on new and forthcoming items using your library card and PIN numbers.

Last day to register to vote! April 19

Want to vote in the upcoming Special Election on May 18? The deadline for registering to vote is Monday, April 19 at midnight. You can download voter registration information and forms at the Maricopa County Elections office, or register online at ServiceArizona.com. Or, check your local library - some branches have forms you can pick up and mail in.


Learn more about the ballot measures and how they affect you:
Proposition 100: Arizona state temporary sales tax increase
Proposition 300: Chandler One-Time Override of the State-Imposed Expenditure Limitation


Find your polling place:
Polling Place Finder

Movie Review: Shutter Island

Shutter Island, the new thriller based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, is exactly what the moviegoer would expect: another fast-paced, suspenseful Martin Scorsese thriller. As the story opens, two federal marshalls are headed out by ferry to isolated Shutter Island, a mental institution for the criminally insane, in search of a missing patient. Lead investigator Teddy Daniels, played by Leo DiCaprio, has a few secrets of his own that complicate the investigation. Ben Kingsley, who portrays the medical director of the facility, gives another outstanding and sympathetic performance to offset DiCaprio’s over-the-top portrayal of the tormented Daniels. Mark Ruffalo and Michelle Williams round out the cast with smaller but pivotal roles that will have you wondering as you leave the theater, “What just happened?” Shutter Island is rated R for language, gruesome violence, and adult themes. - Kathy (Sunset)

Book Review: Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay, a new outing for Corcoran O’Connor and the dark North Woods, audio book by William Kent Krueger, read by Buck Schirmer.

I first read about deliberate, thoughtful sheriff Corcoran O’Connor in Mercy Falls, and I see from Amazon that he has been treading those pineneedle-covered forest trails, running into the occasional degenerate murderer, for several books. The last one I read is Thunder Bay.

Thunder Bay is actually in Canada, but the story begins in Minnesota. O’Connor has resigned as sheriff of Tamarack County. His friend, an almost 100-year-old Ojibwe medicine man named Henry, is hospitalized and asks O’Connor to find his son, who would then be 73. Son? What son? O’Connor had known the old man all his life, no mention of a son.

He reluctantly agrees and at least googles the mother’s name, one of two clues the old man had. The other clue is a gold watch with a beautiful Latin woman’s picture in it. Of course, through the wonder of Inspector Google, he finds the connection right away. The son, a zillionaire industrialist, is a recluse a la Howard Hughes on an island near Thunder Bay.

O’Connor journeys to the place, bringing the watch. By then, he has learned the old man’s story, which we readers learn to the tune of half the book. I won’t go into it—but I cried and I am not usually a sappy mess.

The son is a wackypack, with long white hair and a closetful of clean bathrobes and surgical masks. Or is he?

I will leave it to you.

There is a second story line I won’t go into and all I can say is that the book nimbly dodges Nancy Drew World a few times, for which I was thankful.

Buck Schirmer? The reader? Wonderful bass voice. My gosh, you could take a bath in his voice. I asked my daughter why I never meet anyone with a voice like that. She said it was because I never went anywhere.

Oh.

Star Lawrence owns a health website called HEALTH’Sass at http://healthsass.blogspot.com/ and a recession site at http://hopeycopey.blogspot.com/. She can be reached at jkellaw@aol.com.

Book Review: Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me

Comedian Howie Mandel's Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me is a hilarious and revealing autobiography, which details his childhood, his rise as a standup comic, and most importantly his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Mandel tells of the horrific childhood vacation to Miami Beach that most likely reinforced his compulsive behaviors. (If you have a weak stomach, just know that you’ve been warned!) He lets us into his germaphobe mentality and the antics he's mastered to deal with the regular world. His knuckle-bumping, surgical masks, and faking injuries in order to keep germs at a distance are a sad way of life, but also very funny in Mandel's conversational style of writing. The most surprising story isn't Mandel’s OCD, but rather that he wasn't the first choice of producers for Deal or No Deal and didn't even want to do the pilot, although this game show is what has made the comic a household name! - Kathy (Sunset)

Book Review: An Irish Country Doctor

If you would like to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with something more than corned beef and cabbage, why not try An Irish Country Doctor, a novel by Patrick Taylor? Dr. Barry Laverty is fresh from medical school in Belfast when he takes a position as an assistant to Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly in the rural village of Ballybuckleboo. Dr. O’Reilly has his own unconventional ways of dealing with his patients; his motto is to “never let the patient get the upper hand.” Life is changing rapidly in the 1960’s, even in Northern Ireland, and Dr. O’Reilly’s methods often conflict with young Barry’s “modern” medical knowledge. An eccentric but endearing cast of characters blend together to teach Barry lessons not only about medicine and healing but life and death as well.

The author is a doctor who had a practice in rural Northern Ireland before becoming a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He also wrote a medical humor column in addition to numerous scientific and medical literature. This well written novel has great character development and wonderful descriptive elements. Taylor’s attention to detail includes a bit of Irish slang which is explained in a glossary. Also in the back of the book are authentic Irish recipes provided by Mrs. Kinkaid, the housekeeper. By the time you’re done with the book, you’ll be craving that corned beef and cabbage and wanting to hop on the next plane to Ireland.

Following An Irish Country Doctor (2007), Patrick Taylor has continued the series with An Irish Country Village (2008), An Irish Country Christmas (2009) and An Irish Country Girl which was released in January. An Irish Country Courtship will be released at Christmas. -Linda (Downtown)

Books about THE PACIFIC

HBO's The Pacific, a 10-part miniseries about World War II and Marine involvement in the Pacific Theater, premiers on March 14. While the miniseries is based on soldiers' memoirs published after the war, there is no single book from which the program is drawn.

Numerous new and re-released titles are related to The Pacific, however. R.V. Burgin, one of the soldiers featured in an episode of the series, has released the new memoir Islands of the Damned: A Marine at War in the Pacific.

A memoir written in the 1950s by Robert Leckie provided much of the inspiration for the television series, and Leckie also appears as one of the main characters. A writer before the war began, Leckie went on to write numerous other books about the war, including Strong Men Armed : The United States Marines Against Japan and Okinawa : The Last Battle of World War II.

Spring Break @ your library

Chandler Schools are on spring break March 15-29, and Kyrene School District's spring break is March 15-19. How to keep your kids busy? Check out these library events!

All branches
Cover to Cover Club from In-N-Out Burger - Kids age 4-12 can read 5 library books to earn a certificate for a free burger from In-N-Out. Pick up a reading log at the library and read between March 6 and April 17. (Note: Hamilton branch kids can turn in their reading logs at the Downtown branch during Hamilton's closures.)

Downtown events
GameHall - Get your game on! Rock Band, Wii Sports, Super Smash Brothers Brawl and more. Tuesdays, 3/16 and 3/23, 3:30 - 5:30.
Crime Caper - Tweens, get ready to figure out who done it! Please register online. Thursday, 3/18. 2:00 pm.
Once Upon a What? - East Valley Children's Theatre presents a delightful adventure tale. Saturday, 3/27, 2:00 pm.

Sunset events
From Seeds to Snacks - Learn about how seeds grow and watch them get made into a yummy snack. Tuesday, 3/16, 1:00 pm.
Crime Caper - Put on your detective badge to solve the crime. Please register online. Wednesday, 3/17, 2:30 pm.

Basha events
Crime Caper - Tweens, get ready to figure out who done it! Please register online. Monday, 3/15, 2:00 pm.
Once Upon a What? - East Valley Children's Theatre presents a delightful adventure tale. Saturday, 3/20, 11:00 am.

Please note: the Hamilton branch library will have reduced hours during the school's Spring Break closure, for maintenance work. Click here for more information.

Can't find the book you want? Make a purchase suggestion!

Looking for a book but can't find it in the library catalog? You can easily make a purchase suggestion right from the library's homepage.

Start at chandlerlibrary.org and click the Search the Catalog button in the upper left.

Next, look for the Suggest a Purchase button.

Enter as much information as you have, but all fields are not required. Title and author are critical, and ISBN if you have it. Your library card number is a required field. If the library orders your suggestion, a hold will be placed for you and you'll be notified when it comes in for you.

Our ordering department will send you a response within a few days, to your email address on file.

Note: Making a suggestion for purchase does not guarantee that the Chandler Public Library will order your suggestion. For books that are esoteric, scholarly, or out of print, it's best to request an Interlibrary Loan. Ask a librarian for more information.