Horror week

For our last recommended book of horror week, we turn to a different sort of vampire book. Different, that is, from so many recent vampire novels, which feature the vampire as a brooding hero. In The Strain, the authors return to the vampire as the implacable foe of humanity: "When a plane arriving from Berlin goes completely black on the runway at JFK, losing all electrical power and contact with the outside world, authorities expect to find a tense hostage situation on board. Instead, they discover that almost everyone on the plane has mysteriously died, presumably during the very brief interval between the time it landed and the moment a SWAT team stormed the cabin. Suspecting a disease of some kind and fearing its spread, authorities call in Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, head of a CDC team set up to deal with just this sort of fast-moving, potentially catastrophic epidemic. What Dr. Goodweather and his team gradually discover, however, is something much stranger and potentially even more dangerous." Check it out!

This is reality tv taken to a new and horrifying level. In a futuristic USA, there are only 12 districts who are under the Capitol. Every year each district must select one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the Hunger Games. This is a fight for survival with only one winner -- the one left alive. All citizens may view it on screens as it happens. This is a real page turner, as you don't want anyone to lose, and wonder how the boy and girl who are part of a love triangle will figure a way out, or if they will. Book one of a projected trilogy (book two has been published). For teens and older.

Horror week

Today's entry, The Suicide Collectors by David Oppegaard, is set in a post-apocalyptic world. From the publisher: "The Despair has plagued the earth for five years. Most of the world’s population has inexplicably died by its own hand, and the few survivors struggle to remain alive. A mysterious, shadowy group called the Collectors has emerged, inevitably appearing to remove the bodies of the dead. But in the crumbling state of Florida, a man named Norman takes an unprecedented stand against the Collectors, propelling him on a journey across North America." Check it out!

Horror week

Those who enjoy a good old fashioned ghost story need look no further than Heart-Shaped Box. The author, Joe Hill, is Stephen King's son but as the Barnes & Noble review said, "[t]his revelation really wouldn't mean anything if Hill's debut novel weren't a singularly unforgettable horror masterwork that will delight and disturb anyone who reads it. The apple, it seems, doesn't fall far from the tree…" Check it out!

Horror Week

Stephen King, who knows a thing or two about writing horror, has said "I am in awe of Dan Simmons." In Summer of Night, Simmons "...has produced an outstandingly eerie and truly horrifying tale, a page-turner of the first order. A miasma of evil hangs over the bright summer streets of the small town of Elm Haven, Ill., perceptible only to a group of boys who have just finished their last year at Old Central, an oversize, grotesquely ornate grade school built in the previous century. When one of the students disappears on the last day of school, some of the youngsters decide to investigate. Simmons impeccably evokes a small Midwestern town in 1960, peopling it with appealing--and appalling--characters. His slow and careful introduction of the elements of evil builds credibility and moves to a high-pitched intensity." (Publishers Weekly)

Horror week

In honor of the upcoming Halloween, we will be featuring new and old horror books this week in our blog. First up is World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (son of filmmaker Mel Brooks). Think of it as a cross between Studs Terkel and George Romero. Fast, funny, frightening - it's a great way to kick off your Halloween week!

Former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has written a fascinating and unusual memoir, Read my Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box. In it, she describes how she used jewelry as a communication aid: "Pins became part of Albright's diplomatic signature. International leaders were pleased to see her with a shimmering sun on her jacket or a cheerful ladybug; less so with a crab or a menacing wasp. Albright used pins to emphasize the importance of a negotiation, signify high hopes, protest the absence of progress, and show pride in representing America, among other purposes.

Part illustrated memoir, part social history, Read My Pins provides an intimate look at Albright's life through the brooches she wore. Her collection is both international and democratic—dime-store pins share pride of place with designer creations and family heirlooms. Included are the antique eagle purchased to celebrate Albright's appointment as secretary of state, the zebra pin she wore when meeting Nelson Mandela, and the Valentine's Day heart forged by Albright's five-year-old daughter. Read My Pins features more than 200 photographs, along with compelling and often humorous stories about jewelry, global politics, and the life of one of America's most accomplished and fascinating diplomats."

Author Marcy Doyle to speak at library

Marcy Doyle, author of the book A Face of Red Wing, MN, From my Perspective, will give a presentation about her book at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 24 in the Foot Room of the library. Her book is a street by street architectural and personal history of Red Wing buildings and residences, incorporating numerous historic photos and brief biographical sketches of families who lived in the houses featured.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Red Wing Library and is free and open to the public. Doyle will have books for sale and will sign them following her presentation.

She will also present a complimentary copy of the book to one member of the audience.

H1N1 flu

To find out the latest information about H1N1 Flu (swine flu) check out websites from the CDC, Minnesota Department of Health and the Mayo Clinic.

Author Patricia Hampl to visit Anderson Center

This Friday, October 23, nationally renowned author Patricia Hampl will visit the Anderson Center and read from her newest book, The Florist's Daughter. There will be a public reception at 6:30 and a reading/book signing at 7:30. And if you'd like to read The Florist's Daughter or any of her other books before the reading, just give us a call and we'll get them for you!

Best selling and Edgar Award winning author John Hart has written another enormously popular and critically acclaimed novel. In The Last Child, thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon is determined to find his missing twin sister, Alyssa. When a second girl disappears from his rural North Carolina town, Johnny makes a discovery that sends shock waves through the community in this multi-layered tale of broken families and deadly secrets. The Washington Post says "Hart is still far too young for The Last Child to be called a crowning achievement, but the novel's ambition, emotional breadth and maturity make it an early masterpiece in a career that continues to promise great things."

New thriller

The Hunted, the latest thriller from Brian Haig, is an "exciting, entertaining and well written" tale based on the true story of a Russian multi-millionaire who is forced to flee to America after he runs afoul of KGB thugs. All is not well, however, even when he reaches the land of the free... Check it out!

Winter already?!

In honor of today's snowfall, we'd like to bring to your attention one of the many travel guides we have to warm sunny locations: Fodor's Caribbean 2009.

Birthday cakes for all!

Tired of making the same old birthday cake? There are 75 new recipes waiting for you in The Birthday Cake Book by Dede Wilson. Check it out!

Garden delights

In Planthropology, author Ken Druse"celebrates the secret stories of plants and explains their importance within daily life, now and since ancient times. A pleasingly random and ever delightful garden stroll of a book, it uncovers scientific facts, dispels myths, exposes controversies, tells some rollicking good anecdotes, and, along the way, casually dispenses an abundance of practical gardening wisdom." Check it out!

Thor Heyerdahl

October 6 is the 95th anniversary of the birth of Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl. One of his best know feats was his 1947 voyage across the Pacific ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. His vessel was a raft made using only the materials and technologies known to the pre-Columbian inhabitants of South America. The incredible story of that journey is detailed in his book Kon-Tiki, available at the library. Check it out!

Dean Koontz is a bestselling author of thrillers and horror novels, with more than 20 #1 New York Times bestsellers on his resume. In A Big Little Life: a Memoir of a Joyful Dog he writes a very different kind of story. It's about a three year old Golden Retriever named Trixie who changed Koontz's life. Reviewers have said it is "a lively and joyful read," "enchanting," "a powerful tribute to a beautiful friend" and that "nobody with a heart will leave it disappointed." Check it out!

National Parks

PBS is currently showing the latest documentary by Ken Burns, titled The National Parks: America's Best Idea. It's an incredible film but can only cover a very little of all there is to see and know about our national parks. Come visit the library to learn more from our many books and movies about our national parks!

Ig Nobel awards

The 19th annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony will be held tonight at Harvard University (there's a live webcast beginning at 7:13). The prizes are given by the organization Improbable Research, whose stated goal is to "make people laugh, then make them think. We also hope to spur people's curiosity, and to raise the question: How do you decide what's important and what's not, and what's real and what's not — in science and everywhere else?"