Memphis Reads

Today, fans of a particular science fiction novel are carrying towels--not because of the heat--because it's Towel Day.

From the website: "Towel Day is an annual celebration on the 25th of May, as a tribute to the late author Douglas Adams (1952-2001). On that day, fans around the universe proudly carry a towel in his honour."

Visit the official website towelday.org to learn about worldwide celebrations, honoring the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Labels: News and Notes

Fiction/Mystery

Darletha reviews CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by Tom Franklin (William Morrow, 2010)

Larry Ott is a 41-year-old white man living in Chabot, Mississippi. As a child, he wasn’t the strapping boy a father would be proud of and he struggled to find his place in a desegregated school. When he was sixteen, Larry’s date disappeared and was never found. Larry was never charged with a crime but he still became known as “Scary Larry.” When crime occurs in this small Mississippi town, Larry is automatically considered a person of interest. Larry lives as an outcast with only mail-order books and pet chickens as his company.

Silas “32” Jones is a black man who works as Chabot’s only constable. He was Larry’s only childhood friend. Silas grew up poor but he eventually became a popular high school athlete and Ole Miss graduate. A young woman from a prominent family is missing. All fingers point to Larry since he was the prime suspect in a similar crime 25 years ago. This latest investigation forces Silas to face an old friend and a past he has avoided for many years.

This somber novel is a combination of coming-of-age story, mystery, and human drama. Some of the most painful passages capture Larry being bullied and his eventual isolation as an adult. The southern setting allows Franklin to explore race relations and how they dictate the way blacks and whites interact.

I decided to read this novel because of its rave reviews. I liked the title, which is part of a childhood rhyme about Mississippi that we learned as children in the South. I was expecting a typical investigative mystery but Franklin does more with this story, creating an introspective tale of reconciliation and redemption.

Darletha Matthews, South Branch Library

Labels: Fiction, Mystery, Reviews by Darletha Matthews

The Oprah Winfrey Show is a few episodes away from the final show, which also marks the end of Oprah's Book Club. Since its establishment in 1996, Oprah's book selections have topped bestseller lists and introduced unknown authors to the national spotlight.

Nielsenwire has compiled the top ten best selling books from Oprah's Book Club. Click here to view the list.

Don't know what to read next? Oprah's Book club selections and author interviews are still viewable on oprah.com by clicking here.

Browse the library catalog with the keywords "oprah's book club" to find books.

Labels: News and Notes

Labels: Library Events and Programs

Congratulations to Booker T. Washington High School, Class of 2011! B.T.W. won first place in the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. As reward, President Barack Obama spoke at their graduation ceremony this morning.

Learn more about the school's namesake, Booker T. Washington, from his autobiography:


Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

Mark your calendar to join us Tuesday, May 17th at 10:00 a.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, meeting room L-56. This is something you don’t want to miss.


Text from the flyer: "Local author Della Adams discusses her latest, An American Dream, the story of an African American soldier and POW who spent 12 years in Communist China. Books and Beyond is a social group for book lovers. Please join us for coffee, good conversation, and fun."



Browse the catalog for a copy of An American Dream.

Labels: Library Events and Programs

Booklist Online is profiling the mystery genre during the month of May. Minotaur Books, the mystery publishing branch of St. Martin's Press, has developed a reputation of award-winning novels.

From the article:

“Since its inception 12 years ago, Minotaur has won 43 mystery-industry awards (including 8 Edgars), more than half of those coming in the years since Martin has been at the helm. Even more remarkably, Minotaur has quite a streak going: 4 Best Novel Edgars in a row.”

Click here for the full interview with Andrew Martin, head of Minotaur Books.

The Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of the 2011 Edgar Awards on April 28. Steve Hamilton's The Lock Artist, published by Minotaur, won the Edgar for Best Novel.

Click here to view the full list of nominees and winners.

Browse the library catalog for more mysteries published by Minotaur.

Labels: Awards, News and Notes

Nonfiction/History

Hollye of the Parkway Village Book Club reviews IN THE PRESIDENT'S SECRET SERVICE by Ronald Kessler (Crown Publishers, 2009)

The Parkway Village Book Club read this book for our April meeting. The ladies in the book club liked learning about all of the U.S. Presidents and their "true" personalities when they were not in the spotlight. Ronald Kessler talked to several current and ex-Secret Service men and women to find out how the Secret Service works and what they really thought about each president, vice-president, and their families. It was pretty fascinating stuff and we had a lively discussion about how surprised we were, learning about some of the presidents’ secret lives.

The book told us that Jimmy Carter was the least-liked President of the Secret Service agents. He tried to micromanage everyone and carried empty luggage when boarding Air Force One, to make it look like he was carrying his own luggage. Afterwards, he would try to demand that his Secret Service guys get his real luggage. They told him they would not do this, and one time, when he got to his destination, he had no clothes.

Ronald Reagan was the most loved President of the agents. He always asked about the guys’ families and remembered birthdays. Nancy Reagan was the one who really ran the White House, but she loved her husband and wanted him to look good. She did things to keep him from having fun, like during a ballgame when the crowd cheered after Reagan put on a baseball cap. She told him to take it off because he looked ridiculous. Ronald Reagan often wrote personal checks in response to sad stories written to him by the public.

There is much more written about the presidents by Ronald Kessler. My book club had fun talking about all the presidents, reminiscing about what they remembered about each one. We were all shocked by some stories, laughed at others, and became fans of some of the presidents and their families.

Hollye Ferguson, Parkway Village Library

Labels: Book Club Reviews, Book Clubs, History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Hollye Ferguson

President Obama's recent announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden caused a renewed interest in books about terrorism. The New York Times offers a compilation of books about Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. Click here for the article and recommended reads.

Did you know you can get a free comic book this Saturday? May 7th is Free Comic Book Day. Visit the website to learn more. They have a list of comics that will be given away and a participating store locator.

Mother's Day is this Sunday. We recommend a book that has generated heated discussions about parenting since its release.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

Have you read Chua's book? What unforgettable mothers have you read about in fiction or non-fiction?

Labels: News and Notes

Closed roads, evacuations, and unusually high water have swept through parts of the Mid-South. This type of natural disaster has happened before, as seen on the Commercial Appeal's photo gallery of the 1927 and 1937 floods.

To learn more about the Great Flood of 1927 we recommend:


Rising tide : the great Mississippi flood of 1927 and how it changed America, by John M. Barry

Click here to find a copy from the library catalog.

Labels: Memphis History, News and Notes

The Memphis Public Library's What's Your Flavor? series resumes this month. This book series is a great way to learn the history and current trends in a variety of genres.

Join us for this month's session:

Labels: Library Events and Programs, What's Your Flavor