Gleason Readers

Starship Adventure - Summer Reading for Everyone

2009-06-24T15:55:00.006-04:00

This year's summer reading program has something for everyone - kids, teens, and adults (why should kids have all the fun?). Log your reads at the library or at readsinma.org. Relax with a good book, challenge others to read as many pages as possible, and be eligible to win prizes just for participating.

Want to share your opinions on what you've read? Add your reviews at readsinma.org or in the comments here. Have a great summer!

Consumer Reports online

2009-05-19T15:49:00.003-04:00

Now available for Gleason Library cardholders: consumerreports.org! Log in here or through the Gleason Library website (click on the Consumer Reports logo at the bottom of the page). Enter your library card number and choose ConsumerReports.org for full access to the Consumer Reports website and reviews. This is an EbscoHost product. Questions? Ask a librarian.

New at the Library

2009-03-17T12:17:00.003-04:00

Here are a few of our most recent additions, along with some related older titles - what have you been reading lately?

New Books:

Joe Torre's look at The Yankee Years was released today - or read about the Red Sox in Red Sox Rule: Terry Francona and Boston's Rise to Dominance or Faithful to Fenway : believing in Boston, baseball, and America's most beloved ballpark

The Last Dickens, the latest by Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Club

Audiobooks:
Try Laura Lippman's latest, Another Thing to Fall, or the winner of the Printz Award for young adult literature, Jellicoe Road

New on DVD:

Australia, or Baz Luhrmann's earlier movies, like Strictly Ballroom or Moulin Rouge

High School Musical 3: Senior Year, or check out the original High School Musical or the first sequel

Music on CD:
The Meanest of Times, by the Dropkick Murphys, in time for St. Patrick's Day, or check out some more traditional Irish music like Boys of the Lough

Fareed Zakaria online

2009-01-05T16:45:00.002-05:00

Check out these interviews, reviews, and more information on Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World:

www.fareedzakaria.com, his official website, has an archive of Zakaria's articles published in Newsweek, the New York Times, and more; links to interviews and reviews, and information on other publications and appearances.

Fareed Zakaria's GPS on CNN: Zakaria hosts this weekly foreign affairs program on CNN; the website includes video from the show and downloadable podcasts.

Interviews
"A conversation with Fareed Zakaria", Charlie Rose (online video)

Zakaria on The Daily Show on Comedy Central (video):
May 6, 2008 and January 14, 2008

and on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central (video):
October 19, 2005 and October 20, 2008

"Thomas Friedman and Fareed Zakaria: Author One-to-One"

The Village Voice, "The Interpreter"

Playboy interview: Fareed Zakaria

Links to more reviews and interviews

More by Fareed Zakaria

2009-01-05T16:31:00.004-05:00

Read The Post-American World and interested in more? Here are more books by the author, available in Carlisle or through other MVLC libraries:

The future of freedom : illiberal democracy at home and abroad, Fareed Zakaria (2003) – available in regular and large print. Newsweek International's editor exposes the down side of democracy, i.e., the assumption that what's popular is right.

From wealth to power : the unusual origins of America's world role, by Fareed Zakaria (1998) - Fareed Zakaria, the managing editor of Foreign Affairs, tries to understand why the United States decided in 1898 that it was time to start acting like a world power.

Democracy : opposing viewpoints, Mike Wilson, book editor (2006) – chapter on "Spread of democracy does not always result in more freedom" by Zakaria.

The right war? : the conservative debate on Iraq, edited by Gary Rosen (2005) – chapter on "Like it's 1999: how we could have done it right" by Zakaria.

The road to 9/11 (DVD, 2005) - "...this dramatic documentary chronicles the deep historical roots of Al-Qáida, examining the years of political oppression, economic stagnation, religious fanaticism, and violence that gave rise to the attacks of September 11, 2002. It features rare footage, and insightful commentary by leading scholars and journalists including Bernard Lewis, Fareed Zakaria, Thomas Friedman, Irshad Manji, Azar Nafisis, Kanan Makiya, Fawaz Gerges, and David Fromkin."

Inside Islam : the faith, the people, and the conflicts of the world's fastest-growing religion, edited by John Miller & Aaron Kenedi ; introduction by Akbar S. Ahmed. – chapter on "Why they hate us" by Zakaria (2002)

Globalization [sound recording] : what's in it for you? - Lecture delivered 08-09-2001 at the Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, New York by Fareed Zakaria.

The American encounter : the United States and the making of the modern world : essays from 75 years of Foreign affairs, edited by James F. Hoge, Jr., and Fareed Zakaria (1997)

Cover to Cover: Community Read

2008-12-08T15:20:00.007-05:00

Throughout the month of January, readers in Carlisle will buzz about a single book. The first community read in Carlisle, Cover to Cover, begins January 2009. The book selected by Carlisleans is The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria. All you need to do to participate is pick up a copy of the book, thumb through it, devour it, skim it, or listen to it, whatever it takes to form an opinion about the book and the subjects within. Then consider what your vision of the future is for Carlisle and the global community and talk about it with friends, neighbors, at the library or transfer station, or online at www.gleasonlibrary.org. Click here to request The Post-American World now.

For more information on Fareed Zakaria online, including articles, online interviews, and downloadable audio, click here. For more books by Fareed Zakaria available from the Gleason Library, click here.

The Gleason Public Library is holding some special events, focusing on the global themes of the book, including:

Tuesday Jan. 6, 7p.m. - Middle Eastern Cuisine: Demonstration with Ahmad Yasin

Wednesday, January 14th from 1:30- 3:00 - Southeast Asian Cuisine: Demonstration with E. Sok Woodward

Wednesday Jan 14, 7 p.m. - Open Book Group: Join guest leader Ann Rosas for an informal gathering and discussion of Post American World.

Friday Jan 16, 10:30 a.m. - Open Book Group: Join guest leader Marilyn Harte for an informal gathering and discussion of Post American World.

Thursday Jan 22, 7 p.m. - Community Panel Conversation, facilitated by Glen Urban

Friday Jan 23, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Music in the Library: Folk instrumentals with Michael Kerry.

Fri Jan 30, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Music in the Library: Indian instrumentals with Girija Ramapriya.

Sat Jan 31- Community Potluck: Friends of the Gleason Public Library Annual Potluck.

All of the events are sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library. Unless otherwise noted, they will be held at the Gleason Public Library. Check back soon for more information. Questions or suggestions? Let us know here in the comments here, email Ann Rosas at anngrosas@hotmail.com, or stop by the library!

Best of 2008

2008-12-04T14:48:00.002-05:00

Year-end "best of" lists are already hitting blogs and newsstands, from the New York Times Book Review to USA Today, NPR, and Publisher's Weekly. Browse their lists for holiday gift ideas, or comment here with your favorite books of the year!

National Book Award

2008-10-15T13:37:00.002-04:00

The finalists for the National Book Award have been announced:

Fiction
Aleksandar Hemon, The Lazarus Project - Call number F Hemon
Rachel Kushner, Telex from Cuba
Peter Matthiessen, Shadow Country
Marilynne Robinson, Home - Call number is F Robinson
Salvatore Scibona, The End

Nonfiction
Drew Gilpin Faust, This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War - Call number LT 973.71 Fau
Annette Gordon-Reed, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family - Call number Bc Hemingses
Jane Mayer, The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals - Call number 973.931 May
Jim Sheeler, Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives
Joan Wickersham, The Suicide Index: Putting My Father’s Death in Order

Click here to see more finalists in young people's literature and poetry.

October is National Book Group Month

2008-10-02T15:54:00.002-04:00

Did you know about these resources for book groups (at the library and beyond)?

Through the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC), of which GPL is a member, more than 200 book club kits for adults, young adults and children are available. Each kit includes 15 copies of one title, a discussion guide to assist book club leaders, and when available, a large print copy of the same title, and a DVD or video relating to the book. These kits can be reserved up to three years in advance in order to facilitate long-term planning.

Looking for discussion questions and guides for your next title? Try Reading Group Guides and Book Browse, or go straight to the author or publisher's website - most publishers have discussion questions available for their recent titles.

Picking your next book? Find out what's coming soon at Early Word (targeted at booksellers and librarians, but great for finding out what's getting the latest buzz) and Overbooked (lists of books by topic and the latest releases).

Or check out books at the library like Nancy Pearl's Book Lust or Read it and eat : a month-by-month guide to scintillating book club selections and mouthwatering menus.

The Gleason Public Library (GPL) maintains an information file on the various book discussion groups that abound in Carlisle. This file contains information on each group: their book selections for the current year, their meeting dates and times, whether or not they are accepting new members and the names of contact people. This information is used by the library staff for obtaining books through interlibrary loan, by book group members as a convenient reminder, and by other book groups and patrons as a good source of reading selections and a means of avoiding scheduling conflicts.

To maintain this valuable resource, the library staff is collecting information from each of Carlisle’s book groups. Contact Martha Patten (mpatten@mvlc.org) or Kay Edelberg (kedelberg@mvlc.org) or call the library (1-978-369-4898) to update your group’s information.

Community Read: Vote Now

2008-09-16T15:13:00.006-04:00

Vote and let your choice be read! The Gleason Public Library's 1st annual Carlisle Community Read, Cover to Cover, is coming in January 2009, but we need your help NOW to choose the book. The ballot will be available from September 12th to September 26th. When you cast your vote you will have the opportunity to nominate a book for the 2nd annual Carlisle Community Read. Vote now, or scroll down for more information on the nominees.

For more information about Cover to Cover, or to volunteer to help with Carlisle's 1st annual Community Read, please email Ann Rosas at anngrosas@hotmail.com.

A committee of readers has been meeting and suggesting book titles for Cover to Cover, but we want the Carlisle community to vote and help make the final book selection. Here are your book candidates:

Click: What Millions of People are Doing Online and Why it Matters by Bill Tancer

As online directories replace the yellow pages, search engines replace traditional research, and news sites replace newsprint, we are in an age in which we've come to rely tremendously on the Internet--leaving behind a trail of information about ourselves as a culture and the direction in which we are headed. With surprising and practical insight, Tancer demonstrates how the Internet is changing the way we absorb information and how understanding that change can be used to our advantage in business and in life. Click analyzes the new generation of consumerism in a way no other book has before, showing how we use the Internet, and how those trends provide a wealth of market research nearly as vast as the Internet itself. Understanding how we change is integral to our success. After all, we are what we click.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski

Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm--and into Edgar's mother's affections.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

Eight short stories examining the gulf that separates expatriate Bengali parents from their American-raised children—and that separates the children from India—remains Lahiri's subject for this follow-up to Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake.

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria

Following on the success of his best-selling The Future of Freedom, Zakaria describes with equal prescience a world in which the United States will no longer dominate the global economy, orchestrate geopolitics, or overwhelm cultures

People of the Book: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks

One of the earliest Jewish religious volumes to be illuminated with images, the Sarajevo Haggadah survived centuries of purges and wars thanks to people of all faiths who risked their lives to safeguard it. Geraldine Brooks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March, has turned the intriguing but sparely detailed history of this precious volume into an emotionally rich, thrilling fictionalization that retraces its turbulent journey.

Call Number of the Week

2008-05-28T16:49:00.003-04:00

Noticed today: in the Dewey Decimal system, the art of making snuffboxes has its own call number: 745.5934 (tucked between candles and hunting decoys). We don't currently have any books on this topic at the Gleason, but we'd be happy to request some through interlibrary loan if there's an interest!

New materials

2008-03-10T16:52:00.003-04:00

Check out our latest additions online here; a few of the latest are:

Fiction books
The Soul Thief, by Charles Baxter
Johnny One-Eye: a tale of the American Revolution, by Jerome Charyn
The Palace of Illusions, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Remember Me?, by Sophie Kinsella
Betrayal, by John Lescroart
Change of Heart, by Jodi Picoult
Lady Killer, by Lisa Scottoline
Dead Time, by Stephen White

DVDs
American Gangster
Becoming Jane
The Bourne Ultimatum
Gone Baby Gone
Michael Clayton

Read anything you particularly enjoyed lately, new or old? Leave your recommendations in the comments here.

Primary season

2008-01-09T14:37:00.000-05:00

Ready for primary season? Check out books by and about the candidates, or browse our latest display of political reading under the window by the magazines.

Hillary Rodham Clinton
John Edwards
Mike Gravel
Dennis Kucinich
Barack Obama
Bill Richardson

Rudy Giuliani
Mike Huckabee
Alan Keyes
John McCain
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Fred Thompson

Notable Books of 2007

2007-11-23T14:42:00.001-05:00

The New York Times Sunday Book Review has posted their list of 100 Notable Books of 2007, fiction and non-fiction, from Harry Potter and Ian McEwan, to Princess Diana and the Supreme Court. Any favorites to recommend (or dis-recommend) from their list?

Thanksgiving tips

2007-11-19T10:37:00.001-05:00

Looking for something to read or watch over Thanksgiving? Check out our lists of new books and dvds at the Gleason here, or search for themes or read-alike authors with Novelist (requires library card number). Any suggestions for holiday reading(/viewing/listening)? Leave a comment here.

Also, we're launching a monthly e-newsletter - click here to sign up, or let us know if you have any suggestions!

Congratulations, Doris Lessing!

2007-10-13T11:23:00.000-04:00

Doris Lessing has won the Nobel Prize in literature - check out some of her books at the library (on display across from the circulation desk, or in the stacks), or, online, read her biography from the BBC, a Q&A with the Boston Globe from this past summer, or an opinion piece she wrote for the New York Times in 1992: Questions You Should Never Ask a Writer.

In other award news, the finalists for the National Book Award have been announced:

FICTION
Mischa Berlinski, Fieldwork
Lydia Davis, Varieties of Disturbance
Joshua Ferris, Then We Came to the End
Denis Johnson, Tree of Smoke
Jim Shepard, Like You’d Understand, Anyway

NONFICTION
Edwidge Danticat, Brother, I’m Dying
Christopher Hitchens, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Woody Holton, Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution
Arnold Rampersad, Ralph Ellison: A Biography
Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA

Click through to see finalists for poetry and young adult literature.

Read Chinese-Language Magazines Online

2007-09-26T15:47:00.000-04:00

Qikan Library (also called Dragon Source) is a Chinese Language Magazine database that is purchased by Boston Public Library and made available for all users statewide.

Read articles from over 100 popular magazines from mainland China, from 2005 to the present. Subjects include the arts, current events, business, health, children's literature and much more. Most titles are viewable in both simplified and classical viewing styles.

You can access Qikan remotely with your Carlisle library card at:

http://mblc.state.ma.us/books/magazine/index.php

Ask at the reference desk or email us at mca@mvlc.org if you have any questions.

Book Talk: an online book discussion group

2007-09-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

This just in from Andover's Memorial Hall Library:

Do you like to read? Do you like to discuss books? Are you looking for a book group that fits into your schedule? If you or your patrons are interesting in book groups, try Book Talk, MHL's new online book discussion group!

Book Talk is an online community of readers who discuss one selected book each month. We welcome readers who are members of book groups, who can’t attend a face-to-face book group, or anyone who enjoys reading and talking about books! This message board allows you to share ideas, ask questions, and learn about more great books!

You can access Book Talk at the following URL: www.mhl.org/booktalk

Some tips for getting started:

Visit General Information for an overview of Book Talk.

Read the Forum Rules.

To join, click Register, and select a username and password.

View the 2007 Reading List

Visit Introductions to learn about Book Talk's members and to share some information about yourself.

Start talking about books under Other Books or join in on the monthly book discussion.

Recommend books for future Book Talk discussions.

Our next discussion, Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, begins on Tuesday, September 25.

Happy reading!

Overlooked favorites?

2007-08-30T17:22:00.000-04:00

There's an interesting discussion over on Chasing Ray of books (recent or older) that have been overlooked, with contributions from several bloggers - see the explanation of "Recommendations from under the Radar" here, the introductory post of schedule and recommendations here, and an index of all posts here. What are some of your favorites that you think have been overlooked or underrated? Share suggestions in the comments.

Booker Prize nominees

2007-08-08T17:19:00.000-04:00

The long list of 13 nominees for the Man Booker Prize (for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of either the Commonwealth of Nations or the Republic of Ireland) has been announced.

Check out the nominees here. Some of the nominated titles have not yet been released in the U.S.; our library has:

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (F Hamid)

The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies (F Davies)

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (F McEwan)

and other MVLC libraries have:

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

Gifted by Nikita Lalwani

Consolation by Michael Redhill

Or, browse past winners (last year was Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss, call number F Desai/pb at the Gleason Library) here - most are available here or through other MVLC libraries.

Looking for more Harry Potter?

2007-07-25T13:50:00.000-04:00

J.K. Rowling's already announced her next plans, a Potter encyclopedia (warning: plot points from Book 7 mentioned in linked article). While you're waiting, share your reactions to Deathly Hallows in the comments here or check out some video of Harry and the Potters playing the release party in Harvard Square. Whether or not you're a fan of the books, how cool is it to see Harvard Yard, packed with thousands of people of all ages screaming at the top of their lungs about the power of reading?

Fodor's Travel Guides Online

2007-07-11T15:56:00.000-04:00

Hundreds of Fodor's guides, published in 2006 and 2007, are now available online as part of our Infotrac database (provided to all state residents by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners). Thanks to Libraries For My Friends for the tip. Check out what's available:

1. Log in through this site (enter your library card number, with no spaces) and click on "PowerSearch."
2. Then, click on "InfoTrac OneFile".
3. You'll see a search box - type in the name of your destination.
4. Click on the "Reference" tab at the top of the list of search results, and travel books from Fodor's and Hunter will be included in the results - here's an example of the first few results if you search for Venice (click to enlarge):

Click on a title for full text from the current book.

Or, to browse all Fodor's publications, click on "Publication Search" and enter Fodor's, or the name of the specific book you're looking for.

Summer reading has begun!

2007-06-25T11:16:00.001-04:00

Share your book suggestions and reviews in the comments here.

Summer reading instructions

2007-06-25T11:09:00.000-04:00

Count pages of books and magazines, minutes of audiobooks, and approximate pages of material read; keep track with a log (available at the library) or online at http://www.readsinma.org/

Add your pages to our total weekly (or whenever you like) by submitting recording slips at the library, or online at http://www.readsinma.org/

Share your opinions with others here on our blog or by filling out review slips at the library

The more participants we have and the more pages read, the more our Read to Feed challenge will succeed. For each milestone reached (40,000, 80,000, 120,000, and 160,000 pages), the Friends and Trustees of the Gleason Public Library will provide more animals to needy families through Heifer International.

All participants can win prizes through random drawings, with additional prizes for the top readers.

Questions? Suggestions? Post your comments here, email us at mca@mvlc.org, or talk to Martha or Angela at the library.