Is it a crime to have fun?

This week the Library received two “Elizabeth I” mysteries by Karen Harper. They are “The Fyre mirror” and “The Fatal Fashione”. In these novels, Queen Elizabeth I and her courtiers play detective. It sounds like an odd notion, but this series has been commended on the jacket by Anne Perry: “A walk side by side with one of history’s most dynamic characters”. The Library Journal said of “The Fyre Mirror”: “A truly vibrant protagonist, thoroughly satisfying characterisation, attention to detail, and credible plotting mark this as an outstanding historical.” If you would like to have a preview of either of these novels, you can currently read the first section of them on Google books .

We have also received “Agatha Raisin and the haunted house” by M.C. Beaton. If you like a “cosy” detective story, with interesting characterisation, you are likely to enjoy Agatha Raisin. Agatha has a private detective agency and lives in the village of Carsely in the Cotswolds. She is a fairly cantankerous middle aged lady, whose indomitable spirit carries her through many faltering steps to reach a satisfactory conclusion to her investigations. Agatha even has her own website. These books are a lot of fun; and the crimes are unlikely to keep you awake at night!

We hope you are enjoying what ever you are reading this week. If you would like to share the name of a good author with other readers, why not call in to the Library and tell us about it, or post it as a comment here. Happy reading!

The Associate and Underbelly: a tale of two cities

This week, we received John Grisham’s latest novel, “The Associate”. Fantastic Fiction describes the plot as follows: “Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father's small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential. But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn't want - even though it's a job most law students can only dream about.

Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed. With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains - from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale, a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher who shares Kyle's 'cubicle' at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defense contractors in the country - and featuring all the twists and turns that have made John Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, “The Associate” is vintage Grisham.” It will be interesting to hear whether Gilgandra readers enjoy this new book, which Paramount will be adapting as a film, with Shia LaBoeuf already signed to play Kyle McAvoy.

Another new book this week is “Underbelly: a tale of two cities”. Written by John Silvester and Andrew Rule, this is the book of the current TV series, showing on the Nine network. The Age reported on 11 February that the first episode of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities notched a national audience of 2.58 million, with most of that audience — 2.42 million people — staying tuned for the second instalment. There has been criticism that there are scenes in the series involving the Griffith mafia which are misleading and incorrect. The book is likely to be equally controversial.

Great new mystery series recommended by a teen reader

Gilgandra Library is fortunate to have some great teenage customers, and some of these keen readers have been helping us out by writing some terrific book reviews for us. Here is our latest review, prepared by Catherine, in which she reviews a book she has particularly enjoyed.

Private ~ Kate Brian

Private, written by the ever capable Kate Brian, tells the story of fifteen year old girl Reed Brennan who finds herself in one of the most prestigious schools in the country, after winning a scholarship away from her dreary life in Pennsylvania. But the instant she steps on campus, she is choked with realization that she is way out of her depth. Everyone here is prominent with intelligence, sophistication not to mention rolling in money like a casino.

And when she thinks she has no chance of fitting in, she meets the Billings Girls.

They are beyond the most gorgeous, modernized and intellectual women Reed has ever laid eyes on and she is determined to become one of them. Their superiority radiates around campus like an atomic bomb, and everyone treats them like goddesses instead of students.

And then there’s Thomas. The handsome taunting unfathomable Thomas Pearson has Reed wrapped around his finger, and she knows it. Can she manage to become a Billings girl, at the same time juggle every aspect of her life without losing herself?

The Private series has been written with flair and the unexpected twists as well as inexplicable personalities leave you in the dark wanting more action. My recommendation to anyone who loves a good high school drama/mystery is read Private. Because you will never believe what happens next…

Read more on the Private Series website.

Library Lovers and e-democracy

The Library celebrated Library Lover’s Day on 13th - 14th February. This is when we celebrate the great resources provided by all kinds of libraries around Australia. In Gilgandra, the library offered borrowers the opportunity to take a “blind date with a book”. “Blind date with a book” means that a selection of books are wrapped in plain brown paper, with a personal advertisement attached to the front, giving prospective borrowers a hint of what the book is about.
For example: “Warrior-turned monk seeks history buff interested in the daily life of a 12-century monastery – which can be far from peaceful, full of mayhem and murder! May lead to further dates, as there are sequels!” Can you guess which novel this is? If so, post your guess as a comment below or call in to the library to see if you are right!

There is an interesting new program on Radio National called Future Tense, presented by Antony Funnell. Recently, he mentioned some useful websites. Open Australia is a search tool by which you can find what any Federal politicians have been saying lately on a particular issue, or what a particular politician has been saying recently. This information is already available on the web, but is not always so easily found. You can even request an update email whenever your chosen politician has spoken in parliament, or whenever a particular issue has been mentioned in parliament.
Another interesting website discussed on Future Tense was Democracy for sale . This site takes information about political donations and then categorises it so that you can very easily see which industries and organisations are donating to which political parties. This information is already publicly available from sites such as the Australian Electoral Commission, but Democracy for sale presents it in a more accessible manner.
To see the transcript of this edition of “Future Tense” or listen to the program, visit the website and click on the program “e-Australia”.

Two special "Days" this week!

Tuesday 10th February is Safer Internet Day, a day when the whole world looks at the issue of making the internet safer for children and young people. In 2008 over 120 organisations in 56 countries took part in Safer Internet Day celebrations, organising local, national and international events ranging from safety sessions in schools and competitions for young people to public meetings and conferences.

In 2009, the event will concentrate on two themes: social networking and cyberbullying. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has organised a number of events, including the NSW launch of Cybersmart Detectives. Cybersmart Detectives is an innovative online game that teaches children key internet safety messages in a safe environment. It is run as a school activity for upper primary students, and schools can register to participate at http://cybersmart.engagelive.net/default.aspx#register.
The Cybersmart site has a downloadable pdf of cyber rules, which give some very practical guidelines for kids on what to do (and what not to do!) online to be safe: http://www.cybersmartkids.com.au/docs/cyberrules.pdf. Or call in to the Library any day this week to pick up a free laminated copy of these rules. Stick it on the wall next to your computer, and use it to start a conversation with your kids about how to be safe online. The Library also has some copies of booklet called “Cybersmart guide for families” to give away, or you can download it at http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311009.

And finally, this week the Library will be celebrating Library Lover’s Day. On Friday 13th February we will have our urn on all day, so we invite you to come on in, escape the heat, have a cuppa, and find something good to read!

Summer Reading Club winds up/ some new books

Over the school holidays, 70 Gilgandra children and teenagers took up the Summer Reading Club challenge. Each person had a goal of either five or ten books to read before 31st January, knowing that when they reached their target, they could collect a small surprise gift from the Library. So far, 33 young people have collected their gift; a library bag containing a few small treats. The Library would like to congratulate everyone and we hope they enjoyed their reading.

The Library recently received “The Autism sourcebook: everything you need to know about diagnosis, treatment, coping and healing” by Karen Siff Exkorn. In this book, the author provides a moving account of her own experiences as a mother of a child with autism. In the foreword to the book Fred R. Volkmar from the Yale University Child Study Center states that this book is an invaluable resource for parents who want basic, comprehensive information about what treatments are available.

Another recent arrival is “Look me in the eye: my life with Asperger’s” by John Elder Robison. Robison is the brother of Augusten Burroughs, author of “Running with scissors”, and like Burroughs, he had a very difficult home life. On top of that, he grew up with Asperger’s syndrome at a time when the diagnosis didn’t even exist. Robison has written a moving and blackly funny story, which gives us insight into the experience of living with Asperger’s syndrome.