WHAT CHA' BEEN READING-NOV. 2007

Donna Jo Atwood- OPL
CHRESTOMANCI SERIES by Diana Wynne Jones
YEAR OF THE DRAGON by

Rita Miziorko- KCKPL
DRINKING COFFEE ELSEWHERE by ZZ Packer
HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood

Andrea Kempf- JCCC
RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST by Mohsin Hamid
ZEROVILLE by Steve Erickson
SOON I WILL BE INVINCIBLE by Austin Grossman
IDENTICAL STRANGERS by Elyse Schein

Alicia Alhvers- KCPL
BOW GRIP by Ivan Coyote
WHEN A CROCODILE EATS THE SUN by Peter Godwin
THE WORLD WITHOUT US by Alan Wiesman
ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE by Barbara Kinsolver
HOW DOCTORS THINK by Jerome Groopman
THE WORDS OF EVERY SONG by Liz Moore

Amy Fisher- MCPL
UNDEAD SERIES by MaryJanice Davidson
DEAD UNTIL DARK by Charlaine Harris
SPYING IN HIGH HEELS by Gemma Halliday
LESSON BEFORE DYING by Ernest Gaines

Cindy Guyler- JCPL
LESSON BEFORE DYING by Ernest Gaines
RIVER OF DOUBT by Candice Millard
THE ELECTRIC MICHELANGELO by Sarah Hall
THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield

Helen Hokanson- JCPL
RIVER OF DOUBT by Candice Millard

Susan Burton- KCMLIN
TOUCHING EVIL by Kay Hooper
BETWEEN GEORGIA by Joshilyn Jackson

UNITED WE READ 08 NOMINATIONS

The following seven titles were voted on to be the nominations for next years United We Read. Remember we will be voting on these titles in December.

A LESSON BEFORE DYING by Ernest Gaines
THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY by Thornton Wilder
DRINKING COFFEE ELSEWHERE by ZZ Packer
THE GLASS CASTLE: A MEMIOR by Jeannette Walls
THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood
THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST by Mohsin Hamid
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen

BEACH READS READING LIST

The following are the titles that were discussed at the Beach Reads Workshop:

Afternoons with Emily by Rose MacMurray
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg
Black Ice by Ann Stuart
The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
Country Wife by Rebecca Shaw
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
Dresden Chronicles by Jim Butcher
Echelon Vendetta by David Stone
Enchantment of Orson Scott Card
The Girls by Lori Lansten
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wall
Grace Eventually by Anne Lamont
The Harlequin by Laurel K. Hamilton
The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
I’ve Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark
Indiscretion by Jude Morgan
Just One More Day by Mitchell Albom
Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Kill Me Instead by Dean Koontz
Kill the Messenger by Tammy Hoag
Marley and Me by John Brougan
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Plum Wine by Angela Davis-Gardner
River of Doubt by Candace Millard
Sofie Metropolis by Tory Carrington
Sun Stroke by Jesse Kellerman
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Trouble by Jesse Kellerman
The Wood by Harlan Coben
Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy (Juvenile)
Zorro by Isabel Allende

NON-FICTION WORKSHOP READING LIST

Here is the list of books that Barry mentioned at the workshop. Sorry it has taken so long to be posted.

WARRIOR QUEENS by Antonia Fraser
ARC OF JUSTICE: A SAGA OF RACE, CIVIL RIGHTS AND MURDER IN THE JAZZ AGE by Kevin Boyle
A TASTE OF COUNTRY COOKING by Edna Lewis
HOW TO COOK A WOLF by MFK Fisher
UP IN THE OLD HOTEL by Joseph Mitchell
THE PINE BARRENS by John McPhee and Burt Curtsinger
THE BOOK ON THE BOOK SHELF by Henry Petroski
PENCIL: A HISTORY OF DESIGN AND CIRCUMSTANCE by Henry Petroski
STRANGER ON A TRAIN by Jenny Diski
SHIP OF GOLD IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA by Gary Kinder
UNDERTAKING: LIFE STUDIES FROM THE DISMAL TRADE by Thomas Lynch
A HISTORY OF READING by Alberto Manguel
CLOISTER WALK by Kathleen Norris
SHORT WALK IN THE HINDU KUSH by Eric Newby
CONFEDERATES IN THE ATTIC: DISPATCHES FROM THE UNFINISHED CIVIL WAR by Tony Horwitz
BLUE LATITUDES: BOLDLY GOING WHERE CAPTAIN COOK HAS GONE BEFORE by Tony Horwitz
LONGITUDE: THE TRUE STORY OF A LONE GENIUS WHO SOLVED THE GREATEST SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM OF
HIS TIME by Dava Sobel
PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK by Annie Dillard
FARM: A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN FARMER by Richard Rhodes
AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793
by Jim Murphy
FROZEN WATER TRADE by Gavin Weightman
CONNECTIONS by James Burke
BOTANY OF DESIRE: A PLANT'S-EYE VIEW OF THE WORLD by Michael Pollan
THE EARTH MOVED: ON THE REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF EARTHWORMS by Amy Stewart
JULIE AND JULIA: MY YEAR OF COOKING DANGEROUSLY by Julie Powell
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN by Frances Mayes
SALT: A WORLD HISTORY by Mark Kurlansky
A YEAR IN PROVENCE by Peter Mayle
HOLLAND MANIA by Annette Stott
GRAVE (EVENTUALLY): THOUGHTS ON FAITH by Anne Lamott
FATHER JOE: THE MAN WHO SAVED MY SOUL by Tony Hendra
MY GRANDFATHER'S BLESSINGS: STORIES OF STRENGTH, REFUGE AND BELONGING by Rachel Naomi
Remen
CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD: AND UNCOMMON DIALOGUE by Neale Donald Walsch
IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES by Gracia Burnham and Dean Merrill
THROUGH THE GATES OF SPLENDOR by Elizabeth Elliot
A HISTORY OF GOD by Karen Armstrong
TREASURE by Clive Cussler
AMONG GRIZZLIES: LIVING WITH WILD BEARS IN ALASKA by Timothy Treadwell
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE by Aron Ralston
ALIVE by Piers Paul Read
SHADOW DIVERS by Robert Kurson
SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET by Heinrich Harrer
THE UNUSUAL SUSPECT: MY CALLING TO THE NEW HARCORE MOVEMENT OF FAITH by Stephen Baldwin
YOU GOT NOTHING COMING: NOTES FROM A PRISON FISH by Jimmy A. Lerner
THE DEVIL'S TEETH: A TRUE STORY OF OBSESSION AND SURVIVAL AMONG AMERICA'S GREAT WHITE
SHARKS by Susan Casey
AND THE BAND PLAYED ON: POLITICS, PEOPLE AND THE AIDS EPIDEMIC by Randy Shilts
FLU: THE STORY OF THE GREAT INFLUENZA PANDEMIC OF 1918 AND THE SEARCH FROM THE VIRUS
THAT CAUSED IT by Gina Kolata

WHAT CHA BEEN READING?- March 2007

Virginia Hermes- JCPL
DOUBLE BIND by Chris Bohjalian

Rita Miziorko-KCKPL
MR. THUNDERMUG by Cornelius Medvei

Andrea Kempf- JCCC
THE INHERITANCE OF LOST by Karan Desai
KAFKA ON THE SHORE by Haruki Mura kami
SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRANIUM by Marina Lewycka
KALOOKI NIGHTS by Howard Jacobson
EDDIE KRUMBLE IS THE CLAPPER by Dito Montiel

Susan Burton- KCMLIN
ZERO GAME by Brad Meltzer

Donna Jo Atwood- OPL
NINETEEN MINUTES by Jodi Picoult
TASTE OF INNOCENCE by Stephanie Laurens
IN THE BED OF A DUKE by Cathy Maxwell

Amy Fisher- MCPL
THE QUEEN OF BABBLE by Meg Cabot
THE HOT ROCK by Donald Westlake

Alicia Alhvers- KCPL
THE DEAD FATHERS CLUB by Matt Haig
PAULA SPENCER by Roddy Doyle

Kaite Stover- KCPL
THEN WE CAME TO THE END by Joshua Ferris

UNITED WE READ WORKSHOP

The United We Read workshop was a great success. This was the first year for having this event and those that attended took away with them many useful ideas. If you missed the workshop, there is a link to the side that has informational as well as promotional material.

2006 MARRTY BEST BOOK AWARD

The 2006 MARRTY Best Book Award goes to Anne Tyler's DIGGING TO AMERICA. In a very close second was Sara Gruen's WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. In third place was Cormac McCarthy's book THE ROAD. Thank you to all who partcipated in this years MARRTY award.

WHAT CHA BEEN READING? February 2007

Alicia Ahlvers-KCPL
HOUSE OF MEETINGS by Martin Amis
THE RHYTHM OF THE ROAD by Albyn Hall
THE ATTACK by Yasmina Khadra

Rita Miziorko- KCKPL
SNOW FLOWER & THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See
DANCING GIRLS OF LAHORE by Louise Brown
THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck

Pat Wells- UMKC Pen/Faulkner
THE LEADWAY COTTAGE by ?
THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING by Laura Moriarty
SUCH SWEET THUNDER by Vincent Carter

Meredith Roberson- NKCPL
FAT KID RULES THE WORLD by K.L. Going
UGLIES by Scot Westerfeld
PRETTIES by Scot Westerfeld

Cindy Guyler- JCPL
FALSE MIRROR by Charles Todd
WHAT'S UP WITH HARD CORE JEWISH PEOPLE? by Margery, Isis Schwartz

UNITED WE READ 2007

The Kansas City Library and Information Network announces that THE FINAL SOLUTION by Michael Chabon is the United We Read selection for 2007. This deceptively simple novella, set at the time of the blitz in World War II Britain, resurrects an aged Sherlock Holmes, never actually mentioned by name. The old man is asked to help police discover the murderer of a commercial traveler and the whereabouts of a missing parrot belonging to a young Jewish boy rescued from Germany. As the mystery unfolds, layer upon layer of meaning is discovered and yet in the end the meaning is ambiguous. Chabon has penned an exquisite homage to Sir Conan Doyle, obliquely examining not only the horror of the Holocaust, but the legacy of racism in Great Britain, and the vicissitudes of aging. Readers of all ages will find much to discuss in this elegant novel. The Final Solution is the winner of the 2005 National Jewish Book Award and also the 2003 Aga Khan Prize for Fiction by the Paris Review.

Submitted by Susan Burton KCMLIN