Coming Attractions June 2009

Coming Attractions for June -
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Rogue Forces by Dale Brown

Knockout by Catherine Coulter

Medusa by Clive Cussler

Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner

Skin Trade by Laurell Hamilton

Relentless by Dean Koontz

Matters of the Heart by Danielle Steel

Beyond Agatha Christie

Mysteries have always been my favorite genre, and British mysteries are what I guess you might call my favorite sub-genre. However, much as I love reading and re-reading Agatha Christie, I'm always on the lookout for something new. Recently I have branched out into mysteries that not only feature faraway locations, but are also translated into English from the original language. I just finished Woman with Birthmark, a great revenge tale by Swedish author Hakan Nesser, featuring Inspector Van Veeteran. (Imagine a Stockholm based 87th precinct.) I wish an audio version were available so that I could hear how all the Swedish town names were pronounced. I'm also reading a very funny fiction book, Doghead, by Morten Ramsland, translated from the Danish. It came highly recommended by my friend and former co-worker, Jeanne, who I can always count on for great suggestions.

Have you read any good mysteries lately? If you're looking for something a little bit different, try some of these books and broaden your horizons.

Murder on the Leviathan - Boris Akunin (Russian) - Inspector Erast Fandorin
The Paper Moon - Andrea Camilleri (Italian) - Inspector Montalbano in Sicily
A Widow in Copacabana - L.A. Garcia-Roza (Portugese)
The Spoke - Friedrich Glauser (German)
Bethlehem Raod - Batya Gur (Hebrew)
The Final Bet - Abdelilah Hamdouchi (Arabic) - Casablanca
Double Blank - Yasmina Khadra (French) - Algiers
A Not So Perfect Crime - Teresa Solana (Catalan) Spain

Linda Knorr - Readers' Services

Play the Game

Did you ever watch the $10,000 Pyramid Game Show? It was popular in the 70's. I wish I could say I just know of it from reruns, but I watched it real time and it was a favorite. Basically, the game involved word clues being given by one team member to the other team member who had to guess the category that all the clues fell into. (At least that's how I remember it.) So let's play.

Here are the clues:

Hobby Farms
Going Bonkers
Mental Floss
Reminisce
Dwell

If you've browsed the magazine collection on the 3rd floor you may have guessed. These are five of the hundreds of magazine titles we have. Our collection is vast and varied with a strong emphasis on popular offerings. The titles listed above are new(ish) and illuminating. I should have added Paste to that list. I initially thought it had something to do with crafts but it doesn't. It is actually an artsy entertainment magazine with an emphasis on the new and hip.

I grab The Week and Mental Floss to read in the break room when I'm too hungry to read Gourmet or Bon Appetit. The Week is a news digest that is more concise than Newsweek and Time but with equivalent breadth. Mental Floss is described as an intelligent read, but not too intelligent. Lots of lists and odd ball facts. Perfect for game show lovers.

Share your thoughts on favorite magazines. We evaluate the magazine collection every Spring and your opinions help us decide what to add and what to remove.