Retro Reads: A Study in Scarlet

After discovering the fantastic new BBC series Sherlock, I wanted to go back and read Arthur Conan Doyle's original. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson made their first appearance in A Study in Scarlet, available as a free ebook from our Digital Library's "Always Available" collection.

Many screen portrayals have captured Holmes' eccentricities, but none can match the quirks, difficult personality, and brilliance of Doyle's creation. A Study in Scarlet details the first meeting between Watson and the world's only consulting detective, as Holmes helps Scotland Yard solve a series of murders involving poison and revenge.

You can download this title and hundreds of other classic books to your home computer, or transfer them to an EPUB-compatible reader. You will need to download Adobe Digital Editions to access the ebooks. For the Always Available books, you will need to click the Download button, then save the file to your computer (make note of its location). Open Adobe Digital Editions, then choose Library -> Add item to library. The Always Available classic ebooks do not expire and do not count against your checkout limit, so you can check out as many as you want and keep them for as long as you want.
-Michelle (Sunset)

New Nonfiction

New nonfiction books in various categories arrived at the library last week.

New Travel Books

Frommer's Prague

Frommer's Honolulu, Waikiki & Oahu

Find hotels, dining options, walking tours, and more travel tips from these classic guides. Notes on history and culture are also added.

New Cookbooks

The Quintessential Quinoa Cookbook

Lushy illustrated and full of breakfast, entree, side dish, and dessert recipes using this South American grain. Tips are included for lower-fat, vegan, and gluten-free variations.

Simply Gluten-free Quick Meals

For people on special diets who don't have a lot of time, this cookbook offers easy recipes and quick-cooking strategies.

New Children's Nonfiction

Citizen Scientists

Inspiring kids to go outside and discover the world around them, this book offers practical tips and background information about butterflying, birding, frogging, and ladybugging.

Armed Services

An overview of the military for young readers, including history, global combat, weapons and aircraft, and more.

Book Review: Monday Mornings

What happens when doctors make mistakes? Who is punished, and which doctors lose their jobs? What happens to the patients, or to their surviving family? And how do doctors learn from tragedy?

Practicing neurosurgeon and media correspondent Sanjay Gupta brings these issues to life in his novel Monday Mornings. At the fictional Chelsea General Hospital, surgeons are summoned to a six-a.m. Monday conference to analyze their own mistakes - the neurosurgeon who failed to screen for a deadly bleeding condition before operating, the triage doctor who declared a neo-Nazi accident victim dead before examining him, even the director of the surgery department who made a basic and careless error. The professional and personal lives of these characters are explored in a compelling and fascinating read, opening the door on the difficult choices and very human mistakes that surround doctors every day. - Michelle (Sunset)

Book Review: The Thief

Fuminori Nakamura is Japan's new sensation. Recent winner of Japan's most prestigious literary prize,The Akutagawa Award, The Thief is his first novel published in English. It's a crime novel you won't be able to forget or put down - a cross between James Patterson, Franz Kafka, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. If this hasn't piqued your interest, have you ever thought of the psychological dynamics of a pickpoket as he weaves his way through Tokyo crowds? How does he operate? What is he thinking? Does he have a moral system? Does he love? Can a brief moment of spiritual enlightenment and a moment of kindness change his eternal path? In just two hundred and eleven pages you are going to have your socks knocked off! Fast-paced entertainment with a spiritual thunder clap that will enlighten the most critical reader! - Henry (Downtown)

Chandler Mayors' Stories: April 3

On April 3, 2012, Mayor Jay Tibshraeny and former Mayor Coy Payne will share their stories of growing up in Chandler and how they came to serve on the City Council. “Chandler Mayors’ Stories” will be held at the Downtown Chandler Library, 22 S. Delaware Street, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Mayor Tibshraeny served from 1994-2002, and 2011 to the present; while Coy Payne led the City from 1990-1994. Each arrived in the mayor’s seat through a very different set of circumstances, and their stories provide an interesting contrast - while revealing the rich diversity of our history. They will also talk about the ways they tried to shape the community under their leadership, and the major challenges they dealt with during their terms.

The presentation is part of the City’s Centennial Speaker Series, celebrating Chandler's 100th birthday on May 17. For more information about the Centennial, including events, history, and more, visit www.chandler100th.com.