For Booklovers and Researchers
A Middletown Thrall Library Blog
Literary news and other information we think you might find lovely!
May Fiction
May 1, 2008
The following are new titles by popular authors due out in May.
You can locate titles in the library catalog and place reserves by clicking the title links below.
April Fiction & "Spring Selections"
March 28, 2008
April Fiction
The following titles by popular authors are due out in April.
Requests may be made now using the links below.
Spring Selections
At the library we have a fresh book display located
near the new books area. It's called "Spring Selections."
There you'll find a seasonal blend of fiction and nonfiction.
We invite you to come and check out any titles you find interesting!
The Virtual NewsStand
March 19, 2008
We have created a new area at our website
called the Virtual NewsStand.
The Virtual NewsStand offers a clickable list
of many popular publications we currently
subscribe to at Thrall.
These publications include popular magazines,
journals, newspapers, and newsletters.
The primary benefit of this list is that you can, from one page, access
our most popular periodicals in up to three locations: the publication's home page on the web,
issues of publications listed in our library catalog, and, wherever available,
articles or abstracts from the publication indexed in our
general article databases.
There are three kinds of links you will find:
- If you click the title of a publication, you will be taken to that publication's website. A number of such websites offer free content and other things, such as audio and videos, that complement their print editions.
- "Library catalog" links (located under the title of a publication) will let you search our online catalog to see if a particular issue is available at Thrall or one of the other libraries in the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS).
- If articles from a publication are searchable within our general article databases, you will see a "database" link. Clicking that will take you to an "A-to-Z" index page, where you will find specific database links, which you can follow (logging in with your Thrall library card number) to locate abstracts and articles.
You can click here to visit our Virtual NewsStand!
Links to the NewsStand are also available on our home page and
Current Interests guide.
March is Women's History Month
March 6, 2008
March is the nationally designated month in which
we have an opportunity to reflect on and honor the
historic achievements of women throughout history.
Thrall maintains a web guide to help you locate
information on this essential topic - not just
for a month but throughout the year.
Our
Women's History Month web guide
highlights information available within our
library system as well as select sites on the
web.
There are many more sources available to you
at the library, such as specific biographies
and other historical works that you can read
and check out. Our librarians
will be happy to help you find all the
information you need!
Displays for Mystery Lovers
March 5, 2008
"Solving a Mystery" is the latest theme for our rotating book display near the
adult catalog computers at the library.
Explore hardboiled detective, amateur sleuth, cozy, historical, and contemporary
mystery series titles arranged by series for your reading pleasure.
While at the library, also check out our entertaining "The Butler Did It!"
mystery display across the way, near the information stand.
If you've been looking for something new and exciting to read, now's your chance!
Books Due Out in March
February 28, 2008
The following is a list of books by popular authors due out in March. The links below will lead to the library catalog so that you can place your requests now:
Nonfiction
Fiction
Newspaper Archive
February 25, 2008
Middletown Thrall Library is pleased to announce it has a new subscription to the Internet-based Newspaper Archive service.
This subscription enables you to search - for free - any old local area Middletown newspapers back to the 1800s up to the 1970s.
You can also locate articles in other newspapers from other states indexed in Newspaper Archive.
Click here to access the service through our Databases page. Click the "Newspaper Archive" link to log in with your Thrall library card number.
If you are at the library, a librarian will be happy to direct you to a computer where you can begin your Newspaper Archive research.
Once logged in, you can use the simple or advanced search modes. Advanced searching lets you limit your searches to a date range and/or a specific region (e.g. city and/or state).
If you don't already have it, you will need the free
Adobe Reader to download and display newspaper pages.
We hope you enjoy this new service. Remember, if you have any questions,
all you have to do is ask!
Romance Stories
February 4, 2008
Our latest book display in the library is
"Romance Stories," a selection of romantic fiction
titles you might especially enjoy during this
Valentine's Day holiday.
You are invited to browse these titles and check out
any of them that might interest you.
You can also click here to browse the Romance fiction
category in our library catalog or
click here to find some romance titles featured in our RAVES! reader's advisory service.
February Fiction
January 31, 2008
The following works of popular fiction are due out this month. Request them now!
Best Books of 2007
January 7, 2008
Happy 2008! A new display featuring the "best" books of 2007 is currently
being featured by the new book section of the library.
These books were selected according to lists such as
New York Times Notable Books for 2007,
Library Journal's "Best Books of 2007," and
Time Magazine's Top "10 Fiction and Nonfiction Books of 2007."
When the American Library Association (ALA) releases their notable books list,
those titles will be added to the display.
A companion binder including all the lists is available for browsing at our
Reader's Advisory Center, which is located right at the Reference Department.
New Books for the New Year
December 20, 2007
Put your requests in for these titles now as they are sure to be popular!
Romance Blogs
December 4, 2007
If you enjoy reading blogs and romance, the following websites will be a sweet treat for you:
- Teach me Tonight - Subtitled "Musings on Romance Fiction from an Academic Perspective," this blog is authored by professors of English literature who enjoy and/or write romance. Besides the blog, there is an excellent collection of links to websites for romance readers.
- RomancingtheBlog - "What's hip, what's now, what's tomorrow in the romance world." The columnists on this website are readers, writers, aspiring writers, and bestselling writers of romance. Reading this blog should keep you current with trends in the genre.
- MyRomanceStory Blog - The blog portion of MyRomanceStory contains essays on various aspects of the genre. MyRomanceStory also has reviews, a good set of romance links and two free graphic romance novellas changed daily.
Universal Digital Library (UDL)
December 3, 2007
One of the most ambitious digitization projects is now partly accessible over the Internet:
The Universal Digital Library: A Million Book Collection Hosted by Carnegie Mellon University.
The project's mission is intended "to create a Universal Library which will foster creativity
and free access to all human knowledge."
Currently one million texts are said to have been digitizized between 2006 and 2007.
In ten years they hope to make ten million books available.
You can read more about their project on
their "About Us" page
At the moment, as of this post, you might experience some delays or web browser time-outs
when trying to reach the website (www.ulib.org) due to so many people around the world
trying to access it at once. Once you do get in, you will be able to search and browse
for texts.
Displaying texts from the UDL requires special plugins for your web browser.
You should find links to those downloads once you reach the home page of www.ulib.org.
Due Out In December
November 28, 2007
The following titles by popular authors are due out in December:
Nonfiction
Fiction
New Books for November
November 1, 2007
The following new titles are due out in November:
Nonfiction
Fiction
2007 Nobel Prize in Literature
October 11, 2007
The 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Doris Lessing.
You can read more about this
at the Nobel Foundation website.
The formal announcement is available in PDF form (
Adobe Reader required), along with videos of the announcement
and a link to more resources to learn about Doris Lessing.
To
locate items in the library catalog by Doris Lessing, please click here.
You can learn more about this author and her writings through the
Literature Resource Center database, which is freely accessible to Thrall cardholders.
Out in October
September 28, 2007
The following books by popular authors are due out in October.
Bridge of Sighs is Richard Russo's first novel since he won the Pulitzer Prize for
Empire Falls in 2002.
World Without End is a sequel to Ken Follett's blockbuster bestseller
Pillars of the Earth.
In
Home to Holly Springs, Karon writes about Father Tim's return to his childhood home.
The Almost Moon is Alice Sebold's first novel since
The Lovely Bones.
Conflict and Character
September 12, 2007
To accompany a display honoring local World War II veterans,
a new book display entitled "Conflict and Character: Stories and Studies of World War II"
has been established.
Located by the library catalog computers on the first floor, this display features
works of fiction and nonfiction. We hope you have the opportunity to browse the
many titles on display and to check those out that interest you.
September Titles
August 31, 2007
The following books due out in September are bound to be popular. Put your request in for them now.
A New Poet Laureate
August 2, 2007
The
Library of Congress has announced the
next Poet Laureate will be Charles Simic.
You can
read their announcement at this link.
Finished with Potter?
August 1, 2007
If you recently finished reading J. K. Rowling's
Harry Potter series and are interested in continuing your reading adventures
and discovering comparable stories and themes, consider these titles and authors:
- Lloyd Alexander:
("The Chronicles of Prydain" series)
The Book of Three,
The Black Cauldron,
The Castle of Llyr,
Taran Wanderer,
The High King
- Clive Barker: "Abarat" series
- T. A. Barron: "Lost Years of Merlin" series
- Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson:
Peter and the Starcatchers,
Peter and the Shadow Thieves
- L. Frank Baum: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- Marion Zimmer Bradley: Mists of Avalon
- Terry Brooks: "Shannara" series
- Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; Through the Looking-Glass
- Susanna Clarke: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
- Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist
- Eoin Colfer:
("Artemis Fowl" series)
The Artic Incident,
The Eternity Code,
The Opal Deception,
The Lost Colony
- Susan Cooper:
("Dark Is Rising" series)
Over Sea, Under Stone,
The Dark Is Rising,
Greenwitch,
The Grey King,
Silver on the Tree
- Peter Dickinson
- Diane Duane:
("Young Wizards" series)
So You Want to Be a Wizard,
Deep Wizardry,
High Wizardry,
A Wizard Abroad,
A Wizard's Dilemma,
A Wizard Alone,
Wizard's Holiday,
Wizards at War
- Jeanne DuPrau:
The City of Ember,
People of Sparks
- Edward Eager
- Cornelia Caroline Funke: Dragon Rider, Thief Lord
- Neil Gaiman
- Frances Hodgson: The Secret Garden
- Diana Wynne Jones
- Robert Jordan:
("Wheel of time" series)
Eye of the World,
The Great Hunt,
The Dragon Reborn,
The Shadow Rising,
The Fires of Heaven,
The Lord of Chaos,
A Crown of Swords,
A Path of Daggers,
Winter's Heart,
Crossroads of Twilight,
Knife of Dreams
- Ursula Le Guin
- C. S. Lewis: The Chronicles of Narnia
- George R.R. Martin:
("Song of Ice and Fire" series)
A Game of Thrones,
A Clash of Kings,
A Storm of Swords,
A Feast for Crows
- Madeline L'Engle:
A Wrinkle in Time,
A Wind in the Door,
A Swiftly Tilting Planet,
Many Waters
- Anne McCaffrey: Dragon Series books
- Robin McKinley:
The Blue Sword,
The Hero and the Crown
- Jenny Nimmo: "Charlie Bone" series
- Garth Nix: "Sabriel" series
- Christopher Paolini: Eragon, Eldest
- Terry Pratchett: Wee Free Men
- Philip Pullman:
("His Dark Materials" series)
The Golden Compass,
The Subtle Knife,
The Amber Spyglass
- Mary Stewart:
("Merlin, the Enchanter" series)
The Crystal Cave,
The Hollow Hills,
The Last Enchantment,
The Wicked Day
- Jonathan Stroud:
The Amulet of Samarkand,
The Golem's Eye,
Ptolemy's Gate
- J. R. R. Tolkien: The Hobbit; The Lord of the Rings; The Silmarillion
- T. H. White: The Sword in the Stone; The Once and Future King
- Jane Yolen
Click on any of the above author names or titles to search for them in the library catalog. Some entries include summaries, chapter excerpts, and reviews, which can help you decide if the book is something you'd like to read.
Some other "if you like Harry Potter" lists exist on the web:
Even more reading recommendations can be found easily using these free services:
- Beyond the Bestsellers - Electronic version of our quarterly printed publication of "new and notable titles not necessarily found on bestseller lists"
- Booklovers Web Guide - Websites for readers just like you!
- FicionConnection - Locate books and authors by topic. Available only to Thrall patrons.
- Novelist - Find similar authors, titles, and series. Available only to Thrall patrons.
- RAVES! - Locate titles and authors recommended by other readers, and even make your own recommendations!
- Request a personalized reading plan - Tell us who and what you like to read, and we will present you with a list of reading choices! Available only to Thrall patrons.
In addition to this you can also come to the Reference Department and browse our extensive reader's advisory materials, which include many easy-to-use
directories arranged conveniently by reader interests and genres as well as age groups.
You can also ask any of our librarians to show you how to locate reading suggestions using any of these available services.
Reference can be reached by telephone at 341-5461. If you have Internet access and an e-mail account,
consider taking advantage of our
Ask a Librarian service.
August Beach Reading
July 27, 2007
Need a book for the beach? Look for these titles to be out in August:
Click titles to check if they are available in the library catalog.
Spirituality Guide
July 9, 2007
A new guide at Thrall.org highlights informative spirituality websites as well as
information available at the library, including print materials, and article databases.
Click here to go to the web guide.
Playaways, MP3 Players
July 9, 2007
As more readers express interest in electronic formats such as eBooks and eAudio,
we continue to expand and modernize our collections and your ability to access those new items.
Thanks to Friends of Middletown Thrall Library, Inc.,
we will soon be making "Playaways" and MP3 players available for borrowing.
"Playaways" are self-contained and simple-to-use electronic audio books.
It's easy: Just plug in your headphones and press play!
While "Playaways" are perfect for those of you who are new to electronic audio books,
computer users may be more interested in our circulating MP3 players, which can be used
along with Overdrive's Media Console to transfer e-audio titles you have requested
through
our eBook service.
Summer Selections
July 9, 2007
Reading's always in season, but if you have a little extra time this summer,
consider catching up on some books you've always been meaning to read!
At Thrall we have a new book display called "Celebrity Favorites."
This display features titles chosen by local area "celebrities,"
including local authors and journalists, entertainers, and legislators.
These people were asked by our Library Director to share with us their
favorite adult and/or children's books. Some additional favorite titles
were selected by Thrall staff members.
Still looking for something good to read? Consider these suggestions...
Pre-Overdue Notices
July 9, 2007
If you are a member of Middletown Thrall Library and are currently registered to receive e-mail notifications,
a new service is now automatically being provided to you for free! This new service, known as
Pre-Overdue Notices, sends you e-mail reminders when one or more items are due to be returned
soon to the library, which can help you avoid costly overdue fines!
Another benefit is that materials returned on time can be made available to other patrons more promptly.
If you have Internet access but are not already signed up for our free e-mail notification service,
you can go to
our library catalog and click the
"register for e-mail notices" button.
July's Hot Titles
June 25, 2007
The following fiction titles due out in July by favorite authors are
bound to be hot. Place your holds on them now!
Check out the Summer 2007 edition of
Beyond the Bestsellers
now available in print at the library. An
electronic edition is also available at our website.
Please consider
adding an entry to Raves
for anything you read. You don't necessarily have to
rave
about it -- you can express your disappointment as well. Let's share what we read!
FictionConnection
May 23, 2007
FictionConnection, a product of the company that provides the
Books in Print database
(which you have free access to through Thrall's subscription to that service)
is now accessible at home to members of Thrall Library.
FictionConnection is a "reader's advisory" database that offers you reading
suggestions based on titles, authors, or topics you like. You can also check to
see if a title in their database is in the library catalog.
If this sounds familiar, it might be because you've already discovered Thrall's own
free reader's advisory service called RAVES!,
which has allowed you to do just the same
as well as recommend books you have
read and comment on books others have "raved" about. If you haven't had the chance
to check out RAVES! yet, now's your chance!
You can find links to both
FictionConnection and
RAVES!
on
our databases page at Thrall.org.
By the way,
Books in Print: Patron Edition is now part of FictionConnection
and is available there once you log in. You can still access
BIP Professional at
the library.
Novelist is a another potentially
helpful database you can use when trying to find similar authors or titles
running in a series.
Also worth mentioning: by the
Reference Department
we have built an entire mini-library of reader's advisory books just for you!
Arranged primarily by genre, these specialized books contain suggestions
for readers of all ages. Titles in genres such as historical fiction,
science fiction, romance, literary classics, westerns, mysteries,
young adult books, and more await your discovery!
Throughout the year Thrall also publishes a guide called "Beyond the Bestsellers"
in print and
on the web
to help you discover more of what you may like by featuring titles not
necessarily found on bestseller lists.
But wait, there's more! :-) In the library we have a rotating book display
featuring items from our print collections. Books on display are selected according
to themes. For example, for May the theme is
A Sense of Humor.
If that doesn't suit you, how about
your very own reading plan?
That's right! You tell us exactly what you like, and we'll provide you suggestions!
With all these wonderful tools, you'll never run out of ideas of what to read next!
If you do, our librarians are ready to help you branch out and find
new and interesting things.
June Blockbusters
May 7, 2007
These new books are due out in June. Click a title to check for it in the library catalog:
*Richard Bachman is a pen named used by Stephen King. Blaze, written thirty-five years ago, but never published, was recently rediscovered by King. King has edited and rewritten parts of this "sweet, but sad and suspenseful" crime novel.
A Sense of Humor
April 27, 2007
"Know your own happiness."
- Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility
Happiness often makes for brighter and better days, wouldn't you agree?
Well, have you read anything that made you smile or laugh out loud lately?
We all could probably use a giggle or two every so often to keep
our lives in balance and egos in check.
With that in mind, we invite you to come to the library and browse our
latest book display, "A Sense of Humor." We have some titles here that
are almost guaranteed to make you smile
:-)
Located near the library catalog computers, this display features
titles spanning the spectrum of humor, from downright silly
to thought-provoking.
While you're at it, you can also check our library catalog for
more titles yet to help you cheer up. Click these any of these links
to browse the catalog by subject:
affirmations,
amusements,
comedians,
comedy,
comedy films,
contentment,
happiness,
humor,
jokes,
joy,
satire
If you're in the mood to explore the deeper side of happiness
and related topics, you can try any of these catalog searches for more titles:
depression,
happiness (psychology),
positive thinking
peace of mind,
relaxation,
self-acceptance,
self-actualization,
self-deception,
self-esteem,
self-evaluation,
self-perception,
self-realization,
success
Not long ago we prepared a special publication for anyone interested
in Self-Help information. You can
access that special guide here
to help you possibly discover more paths to inner happiness.
The
American Psychological Association (APA) also offers a
variety of interesting articles on the topic of happiness at their website. Below are some examples:
Elsewhere on the web you might consider visiting HelpGuide.org's
Humor and Laughter: Health Benefits and Online Resources.
Even more articles on health and well being exist in
our article databases
(especially in the Health and Wellness Resource Center)
and our
Health blog.
We hope this all goes to show how far we are willing to go here at the library just to put a smile on your face.
Be happy, be well, and remember we're always here and eager to help you find things to make your life
more informed, enjoyable, and fulfilling!
World Digital Library
April 25, 2007
The
Library of Congress
has
announced its intentions to assist in the creation of what is being called
The World Digital Library.
This project plans to make multilingual resources freely available: "significant primary materials from cultures around the world, including manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, architectural drawings, and other significant cultural materials."
The World Digital Library is said to be created in hopes of promoting "international and inter-cultural understanding and awareness."
You can read more about this undertaking at their
About page.
2007 Pulitzer Prize Winners
April 16, 2007
The 2007 Pulitzer Prizes have been named.
The following titles in their respective categories were awarded:
Click any of the above titles to see their entries in the library catalog.
Ray Bradbury and John Coltrane also received special recognition for their achivements.
You can read more about the
Pulitzer Prizes at the official website.
Celebrity Reading List
April 16, 2007
Gardiner Public Library
has published it's most recent edition of its
annually updated "Celebrity Reading List" called "Who Reads What."
The list goes back to 1988. An index of celebrity names is also available to help you find out what your favorite celebrities like to read.
New Einstein Biography
April 14, 2007
Einstein: His Life and Universe is a newly published biography written by Walter Isaacson, who also
wrote
Benjamin Franklin: An American life.
To check the library catalog for either title and, if you want, to be added to the waiting list,
click either of the above links. Included in the catalog information are reviews from major journals to help you learn more about these works.
There are more
biographies on Albert Einstein by other authors that are available in the library catalog.
You can also learn more about Einstein (along with many other people in history)
by accessing the
Biographical Resource Center
or doing an "Einstein" search in
Encyclopedia Britannica or World Book Encyclopedia, which are freely available to members of Middletown Thrall Library.
If you're feeling a little more adventurous and are curious about Einstein's theory of relativity
and his other work you can
jump to the Sciences section of our
Ready Reference web guide.
There are also
many other related items in print, on CD and DVD throughout the library system that can help quench your thirst for knowledge about this influential thinker or any of his theories and writings.
Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)
April 12, 2007
The memory of novelist and essayist
Kurt Vonnegut
lives on in
his writings.
To learn more about this writer, check out his listings in the
Biographical Resource Center database
or
click here to view some books
written about him.
30 Ways to Celebrate
April 11, 2007
The Academy of American Poets
has at their website
a list of up to 30 different ways
you can celebrate National Poetry Month in April.
There are
many related titles available
in the library catalog for you to explore.
Oprah Bookclub's latest selection
March 28, 2007
Oprah's Book Club has posted their latest selection,
The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
If you are interested in this book, you can
click here to find it in our library catalog
and even request the book be reserved for you if you want. Regular print, large print, audio cassette and CD formats are currently available.
Coming out in May
March 28, 2007
Several popular authors have new books coming out in May. Click a title to check for it in the library catalog:
*Khaled Hosseini wrote the Kite Runner. This new novel has received excellent reviews.
In most cases these books may be requested now through the
library catalog
or by telephoning the
Reference Department at 341-5461.
Jane Austen's Makeover?!
March 28, 2007
The
BBC has a report
about a portrait of Jane Austen being revised for a book cover because
publishers considered the original image "unattractive."
Follow the above link to read the full story and to view the images in question.
Harry Potter's Final Chapter
March 26, 2007
The seventh and final book in the popular fantasy series
Harry Potter
will be published on July 21, 2007.
At her website, writer J. K. Rowling
reflects on how she feels about concluding her series with
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Scholastic.com has
updated their website
with some information about the book and some activities to help entertain
fans until the release date.
While true fans will undoubtedly purchase their own copies of the book,
there will be multiple copies available throughout the library system once
the book is published.
A placeholder for the title is already
listed in the library catalog,
and you can even try to place a reserve to get in early on the waiting list for it!
You can also
search the catalog for related titles if you're interested in catching up on this series or reading other books about it.
NEW Tolkien Book to be Published
March 26, 2007
J.R.R Tolkien, author of
The Hobbit and
The Lord of the Rings,
will have a new book coming out in April 2007:
The Children of Húrin. The story is said to take
readers back "to a time long before
The Lord of the Rings,
in an area of Middle-earth that was to be drowned before ever Hobbits appeared."
Tolkien's son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien,
finalized the incomplete manuscript.
You can read more about this book from the
Tolkien Estate website
and
Tolkienlibrary.com.
Did you know there are
many more titles under Tolkien's name other than
just
The Hobbit and
Lord of the Rings. Follow the link to discover more works,
including his epic work
The Silmarillion.
"Audio Wizard" from Random House
March 15, 2007
Are you going on a long trip or planning a family vacation? Do you listen to audio books?
Random House publisher offers something called the
"Audio Wizard" which promises "to take the guesswork out of finding the right audiobook for your next family vacation."
Did you know...?
The audiobook collection at Thrall continues to grow, offering titles from Random House and other publishers. Did you know as a member of our library you have free access to
e-audio books as well? If your computer supports it and your Internet connection is fast enough, you can be downloading and enjoying audiobooks this very moment!
HarperCollins Introduces "Browse Inside" Feature
March 15, 2007
HarperCollins is now offering something called "Browse Inside" so you can preview what a book is like before purchasing it.
Here's HC has to say: "Browse Inside is the digital experience of flipping through the pages of a book to get a sense of it. Ultimately, each book in the HarperCollins catalog will have the Browse Inside link."
The service is apparently still under construction, but already some titles are available for previewing. To learn more about this you can visit
HarperCollins.com.
Did you know...?
Many titles in
our library catalog contain chapter excerpts and reviews, which also enable you to preview materials before borrowing or requesting them.
Also remember: if there's a book that you find you might like, from HarperCollins or any other publisher, you can check our catalog or, if we do not own the item, you can
suggest we consider purchasing it.
