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New Titles: April 29 - May 5

BOOKS

FICTION
Jane Gardam Last friends
Rachel Kushner The flamethrowers
Jennie Shortridge Love water memory

Historical Fiction
James Salter All that is
Rose Tremain Merivel: a man of his time

Multi-Gen Literature
Peggy Riley Amity & Sorrow

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
Loren D. Estleman Alive! a Valentino mystery
Andrew Gross No way back
Iris Johansen Taking Eve
Philip Kerr A man without breath: a Bernie Gunther novel
Brian McGilloway The nameless dead
Bart Paul Under Tower Peak
Alexander Söderberg The Andalucian friend
Donald Thomas Death on a pale horse: Sherlock Holmes on Her Majesty's secret service
Robert Wilson Capital punishment

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
Evie Manieri Blood's pride
Liesel Schwarz A conspiracy of alchemists

Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Comic Strips
Brian Michael Bendis All-new X-Men: Yesterday's X-Men 741.5 X7
Scott Snyder American vampire: Volume three 741.5 S675a v.3
Daredevil: Volume three 741.5 D217w v.3

* * * * *

NONFICTION
Applied Sciences
Barb Blair Furniture makeovers: simple techniques for transforming furniture with paint, stains, paper, stencils & more 684 B635

Arts, Architecture & Crafts
Elizabeth Armstrong More real: art in the age of truthiness 709.05 A735
Diane Keaton House 720.286 K25
Richard Meyer What was contemporary art? 709.04 M613
Out of character: decoding Chinese calligraphy 745.6 O942
Derek Sayer Prague, capital of the twentieth century: a surrealist history 700.9437 S274
Dickran Tashjian A boatload of madmen: surrealism & the American avant-garde, 1920-1950 709.73 T19

Biography & Genealogy
Maya Angelou Mom & me & mom 92 A584m
Hawa Abdi Keeping hope alive: one woman, 90,000 lives changed 323.092 H389
Julia Sweeney If it's not one thing, it's your mother 362.734 S974

Computer Science
Steve Krug Rocket surgery made easy: the do-it-yourself guide to finding & fixing usability problems 006.7 K942

Food & Drink
Caitlin Freeman Modern art desserts: recipes for cakes, cookies, confections & frozen treats based on iconic works of art 641.86 F855
Jeanne Kelley Salad for dinner: complete meals for all seasons 641.83 K294

Health & Medicine
Letty Cottin Pogrebin How to be a friend to a friend who's sick 610 P746

History
Max Boot Invisible armies: an epic history of guerrilla warfare from ancient times to the present 355.02 B725i
William Dalrymple Return of a king: the battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 958.1 D151
Sean McMeekin July 1914: countdown to war 940.311 M167j

Literature & Writing
Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm The annotated Brothers Grimm 398.2943 G864a 2012
Postmodern American poetry: a Norton anthology 811.08 P85 2013

Social Sciences & Current Events
Evgeny Morozov To save everything, click here: the folly of technological solutionism 302.23 M871
James Sherwood The perfect gentleman: the pursuit of timeless elegance & style in London 391 S554

Sports & Games
Pete Jordan In the city of bikes: the story of the Amsterdam cyclist 796.6 J824

Travel & Geography
Alastair Sawday's special places to stay: French châteaux & hotels 647.9444 S271
Alastair Sawday's special places to stay: Italy 647.9445 S271

* * * * *

CHILDREN'S COLLECTION
DVDs
Frankenweenie

* * * * *

AUDIOBOOKS
Fiction
Edward Rutherfurd Paris: the novel

Nonfiction
Michael Pollan Cooked: a natural history of transformation 641.5 P771c

* * * * *

DVDs
Drama
Coriolanus
Mrs. Parker & the vicious circle

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
Our man in Havana

Posted on May. 5, 2013 by Heather Terrell

Staff Picks: American Librarians Pick Their Faves!

In the spirit of staff picks, this month we’ll be offering books chosen by librarians across the nation! The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction was established in 2012 to recognize the best of the books published in the U.S. during the previous year: the shortlist is pulled from selections made by the library professionals’ magazine Booklist and the Reference and User Services Association’s “Notable Books List”. 

The prize will be awarded in June so, while you’re waiting for the recipient to be announced, read a few of the finalists’ works and decide for yourself who should win the 2013 Carnegie Medal! The staff picks display will include both 2012 and 2013 fiction nominees (the non-fiction nominees will be on display on the 3rd floor), with staff writing recommendations of their favorite books from amongst the honorees.

Here’s the full list of Carnegie Medal fiction nominees in the Mechanics’ Institute Library collection:

2013 nominees

Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig

Astray by Emma Donoghue

Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Canada by Richard Ford

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

Arcadia by Lauren Groff

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

In One Person by John Irving

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

The Headmaster's Wager by Vincent Lam

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

Home by Toni Morrison

Dear Life by Alice Munro

The Cove by Ron Rash

The Lower River by Paul Theroux

The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin

One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper

The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins

 

2012 nominees

The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright (WINNER - 2012 Fiction) 

Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks 

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes 

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt 

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

Say Her Name by Francisco Goldman 

Faith by Jennifer Haigh 

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach 

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan 

Chango's Beads and Two-Tone Shoes by William Kennedy

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante

Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje

The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Philips

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

Luminarium by Alex Shakar

We the Animals by Justin Torres

American Boy by Larry Watson

Posted on Apr. 29, 2013 by Heather Terrell

New Titles: April 21-27

BOOKS

FICTION
André Aciman Harvard Square
Allison Amend A nearly perfect copy
Elizabeth Berg Tapestry of fortunes
Barbara Taylor Bradford Secrets from the past
Ford Madox Ford Parade's end
Francisco Goldman Say her name
Marian Keyes The mystery of Mercy Close: a Walsh sister novel
Ann B. Ross Miss Julia stirs up trouble
Lisa Scottoline Don't go
Lauren Willig The Ashford affair
Meg Wolitzer The Interestings

Historical Fiction
Alan Brennert Palisades Park
Jennifer McVeigh The fever tree

Multi-Gen Literature
Benjamin Alire Sáenz Aristotle & Dante discover the secrets of the universe

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
Linda Barnes The perfect ghost
R.J. Ellory Candlemoth
Nicci French Tuesday's gone
Liza Marklund Lifetime
T. Frank Muir Hand for a hand
Anne Perry Midnight at Marble Arch: a Charlotte & Thomas Pitt novel
Stuart Woods Unintended consequences

* * * * *

NONFICTION
Applied Sciences
Kristy Athens Get your pitchfork on! the real dirt on country living 630 A867

Biography & Genealogy
Pat Brown The murder of Cleopatra: history's greatest cold case 92 C628bm

Business & Economics
Maurice R. Greenberg, Lawrence A. Cunningham The AIG story 368 G798
Robert G. Hagstrom Investing: the last liberal art 332.6 H146i
Sara Horowitz The freelancer's bible: everything you need to know to have the career of your dreams on your terms 658.11 H816
Geoff Mann Disassembly required: a field guide to actually existing capitalism 330.126 M281
Deborah Perry Piscione Secrets of Silicon Valley: what everyone else can learn from the innovation capital of the world 330.9794 P676

Chess
John Donaldson The life & games of Frank Ross Anderson (1928-1980) 794.15 A546
Susan Polgar & Paul Truong Chess tactics for champions: a step-by step guide to using tactics & combinations 794.1 P76
Aleksei Suetin A contemporary approach to the middle game 794.123 S94c

History
Edwin G. Burrows Forgotten patriots: the untold story of American prisoners during the Revolutionary War 973.371 B97
Brian Todd Carey Hannibal's last battle: Zama & the fall of Carthage 939.73 C273
Citizens of discord: Rome & its civil wars 937.05 C581
Neil Faulkner Apocalypse: the great Jewish revolt against Rome, AD 66-73 933 F263
Benn Steil The battle of Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White & the making of a new world order 339.53 S818

Literature & Writing
Vladimir Nabokov The tragedy of Mr. Morn 891.72 N11

Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Stephen R. Anderson Doctor Dolittle's delusion: animals & the uniqueness of human language 591.59 A549
Doris Sloan Geology of the San Francisco Bay region 557.9461 S634

Performing Arts & Music
Jason Robards remembered: essays & recollections 792.092 R629
Michael Rose The birth of an opera: fifteen masterpieces from Poppea to Wozzeck 782.1 R797

Philosophy, Psychology & Religion
Marina Chapman The girl with no name: the incredible story of a child raised by monkeys 155.45 C466

Politics & Government
Masha Gessen The man without a face: the unlikely rise of Vladimir Putin 947.086 P98g
The politics book 320.01 P769

Reference
Dan Smith The Penguin state of the world atlas 912 S64

Social Sciences & Current Events
David L. Kirp Improbable scholars: the rebirth of a great American school system & a strategy for America's schools 371.2 K59
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore The end of San Francisco 306.76 S981

Sports & Games
Victor Mollo & Nico Gardener Card play technique, or, The art of being lucky 795.41 M72c

* * * * *

LARGE PRINT
Fiction
Julian Barnes The sense of an ending
Deborah Crombie The sound of broken glass
Louise Erdrich The round house
Ernest Hemingway A farewell to arms
Armistead Maupin Mary Ann in autumn
Ann Patchett Bel canto

* * * * *

AUDIOBOOKS
Fiction
Åsa Larsson The blood spilt

* * * * *

DVDs
Drama
Life of Pi
Trainspotting

Posted on Apr. 25, 2013 by Heather Terrell

New Titles: April 12-18

BOOKS

FICTION
A.L. Kennedy The blue book
Jill McCorkle Life after life

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
M.C. Beaton Death of yesterday
Kerry Greenwood Out of the Black Land
Elizabeth Gunn Eleven little piggies: a Jake Hines mystery

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
James S.A. Corey Caliban's war
Tom Holt Doughnut

Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Comic Strips
Joe Hill Locke & key Volume 1, Welcome to Lovecraft 741.5 H646 v.1

* * * * *

NONFICTION
Arts, Architecture & Crafts
Ethan Wagner & Thea Westreich Wagner Collecting art for love, money & more 707.5 W132
Hans M. Wingler The Bauhaus: Weimar, Dessau, Berlin, Chicago 707.1 W771

Business & Economics
Barbara Bissonnette The complete guide to getting a job for people with Asperger's syndrome: find the right career & get hired 650.14 B623

Food & Drink
Andrea Nguyen Asian tofu: discover the best, make your own & cook it at home 641.6565 N57

Health & Medicine
Mary Roach Gulp: adventures on the alimentary canal 612.3 R62

History
J.H. Crouwel Chariots & other wheeled vehicles in Italy before the Roman empire 932 C952
Sam Moorhead & David Stuttard The Romans who shaped Britain 936.1 M825
The Parthenon: from antiquity to the present 938 P273

Home & Family Management
Deborah Moebes Stitch savvy: 25 skill-building projects to take your sewing technique to the next level: home décor, patchwork & quilting, bags, sewing for children, clothing 646.2 M6933
Margaret Rowan Handsewn: the essential techniques for tailoring & embellishment 646.2 R877

Law
Karen Houppert Chasing Gideon: the elusive quest for poor people's justice 345.056 H839
Julia Nissley How to probate an estate in California 346.052 N72

Literature & Writing
Charles Simic New & selected poems, 1962-2012 811 S589ne
I told you so: Gore Vidal talks politics 818 V64i

Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Amy Stewart The drunken botanist: the plants that create the world's great drinks 581.632 S84

Philosophy, Psychology & Religion
A.C. Grayling The God argument: the case against religion & for humanism 211.6 G783
Adam Phillips Missing out: in praise of the unlived life 155.2 P558

Social Sciences & Current Events
Staughton Lynd Accompanying: pathways to social change 303.484 L988
Douglas Rushkoff Present shock: when everything happens now 303.483 R95

Travel & Geography
Stephen Clarke Paris revealed: the secret life of a city 944.36 C597
Lonely Planet Spain 914.6 L847
My first trip to China: scholars, diplomats & journalists reflect on their first encounters with China 951.05 M995

* * * * *

LARGE PRINT
Fiction
Tracy Chevalier The last runaway
Agatha Christie Taken at the flood: a Hercule Poirot mystery
Barbara Kingsolver Flight behavior
Ian McEwan Sweet tooth

* * * * *

AUDIOBOOKS
Fiction
William Boyd Restless
Jamaica Kincaid See now then
Ian Rankin A question of blood: an Inspector Rebus novel
Ian Rankin Fleshmarket Alley: an Inspector Rebus novel
Michael Robotham Lost

* * * * *

DVDs
Drama
Lincoln

Foreign Language
Chunhyang (Ch'unhyangdyŏn)

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
The hunger games

Nonfiction
Pina 792.8 P645

Drama
Revolutionary road 791.43/72

Posted on Apr. 21, 2013 by Heather Terrell

New Titles: April 5-11

BOOKS

FICTION
Anita Hughes Market Street
Kristopher Jansma The unchangeable spots of leopards
Dina Nayeri A teaspoon of earth & sea

Historical Fiction
Jennifer Cody Epstein The gods of heavenly punishment
Therese Anne Fowler Z: a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

Multi-Gen Literature
Janet Nichols Lynch My beautiful hippie

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
William Kent Krueger Ordinary grace
Owen Laukkanen Criminal enterprise
Donna Leon The golden egg
Jon Stock Dirty little secret
James Thompson Helsinki blood
Jacqueline Winspear Leaving everything most loved

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
Kit Reed The story until now: a great big book of stories

Short Stories
Nikolai Leskov The enchanted wanderer & other stories

* * * * *

NONFICTION
Applied Sciences
Sam Tracy Bicycle!: a repair & maintenance manifesto 629.2877 T762

Arts, Architecture & Crafts
François Blanciak Siteless: 1001 building forms 721 B641
Larry Busbea Topologies: the urban utopia in France, 1960-1970 711.4 B976
Julia Christensen Big box reuse 725.21 C554
A handbook of California design, 1930-1965: craftspeople, designers, manufacturers 745.0979 H236
Le Corbusier Le Corbusier & the power of photography 770.92 J43
Aldo Rossi A scientific autobiography 720.92 R83
Massimo Scolari Oblique drawing: a history of anti-perspective 741.01 S422
Felicity D. Scott Architecture or techno-utopia: politics after modernism 720.973 S425
Sentient city: ubiquitous computing, architecture & the future of urban space 720.1 S478
Jill Stoner Toward a minor architecture 720.1 S881
Jeremy Till Architecture depends 720.1 T574
Utopie: texts & projects, 1967-1978 720.92 U91

Biography & Genealogy
Paul A. Lee There is a garden in the mind: a memoir of Alan Chadwick & the organic movement in California 635.987 C432
Domenica Ruta With or without you: a memoir 362.29 R972
Tamara Shopsin Mumbai New York Scranton 974.7 S559

Business & Economics
Ram Charan Global tilt: leading your business through the great economic power shift 338.9 C469

History
Simon James Rome & the sword: how warriors & weapons shaped Roman history 355.0937 J291
Garry J. Shaw The pharaoh: life at court & on campaign 932 S534

Law
Christopher A. Ball California workers' comp: how to take charge when you're injured on the job 344.021 B18
Ilona Bray & Loida Nicolas Lewis How to get a green card 342.082 B827h
Denis Clifford & Ralph Warner Form a partnership: the complete legal guide 346.068 C62
Emily Doskow Nolo's essential guide to divorce 346.0166 D723
Stephen Elias & Kathleen Michon Chapter 13 bankruptcy: keep your property & repay debts over time 346.078 E42c
Stephen Fishman Deduct it!: lower your small business taxes 343.052 F537
Stephen Fishman Every landlord's tax deduction guide 343.052 F537e
Stephen Fishman Home business tax deductions: keep what you earn 343.052 F537h
Shae Irving Living wills & powers of attorney for California 344.04 I72
Peri H. Pakroo The small business start-up kit for California 346.065 P15
Mary Randolph 8 ways to avoid probate 346.052 R194
Mary Randolph The executor's guide: settling a loved one's estate or trust 346.056 R19
Lisa Sedano & Emily Doskow How to change your name in California 346.012 S447
Katherine E. Stoner Divorce without court: a guide to mediation & collaborative divorce 346.0166 S881
Ralph Warner Everybody's guide to small claims court in California 347.04 W28c
Ralph Warner, Toni Ihara & Frederick Hertz Living together: a legal guide for unmarried couples 346.016 W28

Philosophy, Psychology & Religion
Adam Sharr Heidegger's hut 193 H46sh

Social Sciences & Current Events
Eran Ben-Joseph ReThinking a lot: the design & culture of parking 388.474 B456
Barbara Garson Down the up escalator: how the 99 percent live in the Great Recession 339.2 G243
Abigail R. Gehring The simple joys of grandparenting: stories, nursery rhymes, recipes, games, crafts & more 306.8745 G311
Andrew T. Guzman Overheated: the human cost of climate change 363.738 G993
Chris Lehmann Rich people things: real life secrets of the predator class 305.52 L523

Sports & Games
Hugh Jones & Alexander James Marathons of the world 796.42 J774

Travel & Geography
England 914.2 L847
France 914.4 L847
Berlin 914.315 L847

* * * * *

LARGE PRINT
Fiction
Jonathan Kellerman Guilt: an Alex Delaware novel
Jacqueline Winspear Leaving everything most loved

* * * * *

CHILDREN'S COLLECTION

BOOKS
Fiction
Jon Klassen This is not my hat

* * * * *

AUDIOBOOKS
Nonfiction
Peter Townshend Who I am 780.92 T753c

* * * * *

DVDs
Comedy
Paper moon
Ted

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
Heat

Posted on Apr. 11, 2013 by Heather Terrell

New Titles: March 29 - April 4

BOOKS

FICTION
Jane Austen Pride & prejudice
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Oleander girl
Ernest Hemingway A farewell to arms
Virginia Woolf Orlando: a biography

Historical Fiction
Ann Chamberlin The sword of God
Alana White The sign of the weeping virgin

Multi-Gen Literature
Lauren Roedy Vaughn OCD, the Dude & me
Blythe Woolston Black helicopters

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
Jo Bannister Deadly virtues
Lucretia Grindle Villa triste
James Patterson Alex Cross, run

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
Deb Taber Necessary ill

Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Comic Strips
Camaren Subhiyah Agent Gates & the secret adventures of Devonton Abbey: (a parody) 741.5 S941

* * * * *

NONFICTION
Applied Sciences
Denyse Beaulieu The perfume lover: a personal history of scent 668.5 B377

Business & Economics
Ben S. Bernanke The Federal Reserve & the financial crisis: lectures 330.973 B517
Juan Pablo Cardenal & Heriberto Araújo China's silent army: the pioneers, traders, fixers & workers who are remaking the world in Beijing's image 337.51 C266

Food & Drink
Eugenia Bone Well-preserved: recipes & techniques for putting up small batches of seasonal foods 641.4 B712

Health & Medicine
John S. Link with James Waisman, Nancy Link The breast cancer survival manual: a step-by-step guide for women with newly diagnosed breast cancer 616.994 L796
Jane E. Drichta & Jodilyn Owen The essential homebirth guide: for families planning or considering birthing at home 618.2 D779
Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson The longevity kitchen: satisfying, big-flavor recipes featuring the top 16 age-busting power foods 612.68 K199
John Elder Robison Raising Cubby: a father & son's adventures with Asperger's, trains, tractors & high explosives 616.8588 R66r

History
Ancient Nubia: African kingdoms on the Nile 939.78 A541
Rory Carroll Comandante: Hugo Chávez's Venezuela 987.06 C512c
Christopher Clark The sleepwalkers: how Europe went to war in 1914 940.311 C593
Tom Huntington Searching for George Gordon Meade: the forgotten victor of Gettysburg 973.741 M481
Dane Kennedy The last blank spaces: exploring Africa & Australia 916 K353
Lary May Screening out the past: the birth of mass culture & the motion picture industry 302.2343 M466
Military history: the definitive visual guide to the objects of warfare 355.09 S664
Lynne Olson Those angry days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh & America's fight over World War II, 1939-1941 940.531 O52t
Monte Reel Between man & beast: an unlikely explorer, the evolution debates & the African adventure that took the Victorian world by storm 916.721 R327

Home & Family Management
Brad Wilson Do more, spend less: the new secrets of living the good life for less 640.73 W746

Languages & Linguistics
Sarah Ogilvie Words of the world: a global history of the Oxford English Dictionary 423 O349

Law
Martin Clancy & Tim O'Brien Murder at the Supreme Court: lethal crimes & landmark cases 345.73 C587
John Douglas & Mark Olshaker Law & disorder: [the legendary FBI profiler's relentless pursuit for justice] 345.05 D73

Literature & Writing
Always apprentices: the Believer magazine presents twenty-two conversations between writers 809 A477
Mathew Henderson The lease 811 H497
Phillip Lopate Portrait inside my head: essays 814 L86pi
W.S. Merwin Selected translations, 1948-2011 808.81 M576
Andrea Pitzer The secret history of Vladimir Nabokov 813 N11ps

Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Virginia Morell Animal wise: the thoughts & emotions of our fellow creatures 591.51 M841
Marlene Zuk Paleofantasy: what evolution really tells us about sex, diet & how we live 599.93 Z945

Performing Arts & Music
Rita Moreno Rita Moreno: a memoir 792.092 M843

Philosophy, Psychology & Religion
John Corvino What's wrong with homosexuality? 176.4 C832
Lauren Drain with Lisa Pulitzer Banished: surviving my years in the Westboro Baptist Church 286.5 D7598
Ennis B. Edmonds Rastafari: a very short introduction 299.676 E241
Peter Eisner The Pope's last crusade: how an American Jesuit helped Pope Pius XI's campaign to stop Hitler 282.092 L159
Chan Master Guo Jun Essential Chan Buddhism: the character & spirit of Chinese Zen 294.39 G977
Gary Kowalski Goodbye, friend: healing wisdom for anyone who has ever lost a pet 636.088 K886
David Malouf The happy life: the search for contentment in the modern world 170 M258
Anthony Peake The labyrinth of time: the illusion of past, present & future 115 P357

Reference
Allen J. Coombes The A to Z of plant names: a quick reference guide to 4000 garden plants 635.03 C775

Social Sciences & Current Events
Marina Adshade Dollars & sex: how economics influences sex & love 306.7 A244
Dan Baum Gun guys: a road trip 683.4 B347
Joel F. Harrington The faithful executioner: life & death, honor & shame in the turbulent sixteenth century 364.66 H299
Henry Jenkins, Sam Ford, & Joshua Green Spreadable media: creating value & meaning in a networked culture 302.23 J524
Michael Muhammad Knight Tripping with Allah: Islam, drugs & writing 305.6 K711
Andy Molinsky Global dexterity: how to adapt your behavior across cultures without losing yourself in the process 395.52 M723
David Priestland Merchant, soldier, sage: a history of the world in three castes 305.09 P949

Sports & Games
Elly Blue Everyday bicycling: how to ride a bike for transporation (whatever your lifestyle) 796.6 B658
Bill Jones The ghost runner: the epic journey of the man they couldn't stop 796.42 T192
Joe Peta Trading bases: a story about Wall Street, gambling & baseball (not necessarily in that order) 796.357 P477

Travel & Geography
Charlie LeDuff Detroit: an American autopsy 977.434 L44
The rough guide to Croatia 914.972 R856
Michael Sorkin Twenty minutes in Manhattan 720.9747 S714

* * * * *

CHILDREN'S COLLECTION

BOOKS
Nonfiction
Kathleen Monaghan, Hermon Joyner You can weave!: projects for young weavers 746.14 M825

DVDs
The adventures of Tintin. Season one

* * * * *

AUDIOBOOKS
Fiction
Jussi Adler-Olsen The absent one: a Department Q novel
Stephen Crane The red badge of courage
Jo Nesbø Phantom
George Saunders Tenth of December: stories

Nonfiction
Louis Markos The life & writings of C.S. Lewis 823 L67
Amy Stewart The drunken botanist: the plants that create the world's great drinks 581.632 S84c

* * * * *

EBOOKS
Isaac Adamson Complication
In pursuit of Spenser: mystery writers on Robert B. Parker & the creation of an American hero
Yann Martel Life of Pi
Joel C. Rosenberg Damascus Countdown
Staten Island noir

* * * * *

DVDs
Comedy
Midnight

Foreign Language
Commissar (Komissar)

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
Perry Mason. Season 3, volume 1

* * * * *

CDs
Classical
Philip Glass Glassworks
Evelyn Glennie Shadow behind the iron sun

Musicals & Soundtracks
Edward Kleban A class act

Vocals
R.E.M Monster

Posted on Apr. 7, 2013 by Heather Terrell

Staff Picks: Books on Film

Much like books, the visual arts are one of many media used for storytelling. This month, the Mechanics' Institute staff members have chosen materials at the intersection of film and print: books about film, books so fantastic that someone decided to make films out of them, and, maybe, even a few DVDs and film soundtracks as well.

Some of our picks were adapted into amazing films and television, and some were, well, not so great. A few of these celluloid adaptations were even…ahem…better than the book! See what you think. Was the 500+ page picaresque Youth in Revolt more engrossing as a novel, or did you like the film’s pacing better? What about Fight Club? Most of us know the spectacular David Fincher ending in the movie version, but how did author Chuck Palahniuk resolve the existential crisis of Tyler Durden? As always, we’ll be adding materials to the display throughout the month, so check back often.

Here are a few of our picks:

Jeremy selected Henry Mancini: Reinventing Film Music by John Caps

“Mancini’s themes remain some of the most recognized works of film music to date.  He wrote music for over 40 films and television series, several of which were adapted from plays and books. My personal favorite: Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

Erika selected  Stardust : Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie by Neil Gaiman

“Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Coraline, the Sandman comics) has had many novels adapted to screen, but Stardust is probably the most uplifting work he has done. It is about Tristan, who has vowed to cross over the Wall to fetch a falling star to give to his girlfriend…but he makes some discoveries about properties of the star, and about himself, that complicate his task. Filled with Gaiman’s offbeat British humor, Stardust is light without being lightweight, sweet but substantial.”

Taryn selected An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser

“When a pregnancy gets in the way of a young man’s climb up the social ladder, murder is the only answer.” Woody Allen adapted this book as Match Point.

Bobbie selected Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen edited by Stephanie Harrison

“Many a movie has been inspired not just by novels, but by short stories as well. Read on to find out which films started out as just a blip of a story.”

Posted on Apr. 1, 2013 by Heather Terrell

New Titles: March 21-28

BOOKS

FICTION
James Conaway Nose
Jonathan Dee A thousand pardons
Indira Ganesan As sweet as honey
William H. Gass Middle C
Kent Haruf Benediction
Guy de Maupassant Bel Ami
Cormac McCarthy The orchard keeper
Ellen Meister Farewell, Dorothy Parker
Edward Kelsey Moore The Supremes at Earl's all-you-can-eat
Ruth Ozeki A tale for the time being
Taiye Selasi Ghana must go
Marisa Silver Mary Coin
Vladimir Sorokin Ice trilogy
Nicholas Sparks Safe haven

Historical Fiction
Mary Beth Keane Fever
Dewey Lambdin Hostile shores: an Alan Lewrie naval adventure

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
C.J. Box Breaking point
Harlan Coben Six years
Kishwar Desai Witness the night
Elly Griffiths A dying fall: a Ruth Galloway mystery
C.S. Harris What darkness brings: a Sebastian St. Cyr mystery
Erin Kelly The burning air
Becky Masterman Rage against the dying
Denise Mina Gods & beasts
Andrew Pyper The demonologist
Sally Spencer A walk with the dead: a Monica Paniatowski mystery
Stephan Talty Black Irish Fic
Joseph Weisberg An ordinary spy

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
Anne Bishop Written in red: a novel of the Others
Queen Victoria's book of spells: an anthology of gaslamp fantasy

Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Comic Strips
Ben Katchor Hand-drying in America & other stories 741.5 K19h
The mammoth book of best war comics 741.5 M265w
Batman. Volume 2, The City of Owls 741.5 B333n v.2

* * * * *

NONFICTION
Applied Sciences
Roger Wiens Red rover: inside the story of robotic space exploration, from Genesis to the Mars rover Curiosity 629.8 W647

Biography & Genealogy
J.L. Heilbron Galileo 520.92 G15
Tom Hickman Churchill's bodyguard 92 T478
Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen & Jim DeFelice American sniper: the autobiography of the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history 356.162 K993
Aldo Schiavone Spartacus 92 S737
Jonathan Sperber Karl Marx: a nineteenth-century life 92 M392s
Elie Wiesel Open heart 92 W651o

Books, Reading, Publishing, Journalism, Library & Information Science
Guy Kawasaki, Shawn Welch APE: author, publisher, entrepreneur: how to publish a book 070.5 K22
Lauren Leto Judging a book by its lover: a field guide to the hearts & minds of readers everywhere 028 L649

Business & Economics
Jake Breeden Tipping sacred cows: kick the bad work habits that masquerade as virtues 650.1 B832
Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell Lean in: women, work & the will to lead 658.4 S213
Christopher Steiner Automate this: how algorithms came to rule our world 332.01 S822

Chess
Tim Harding Why you lose at chess 794.1 H263w
Bogdan Lalič & Vladimir Okhotnik Carpathian warrior book two: secrets of a master new opening theory 794.122 L195cw

Food & Drink
John Baxter The perfect meal: in search of the lost tastes of France 641.5944 B35
Scott Haas Back of the house: the secret life of a restaurant 647.9574 H112

History
Richard Cartwright Austin Building utopia: erecting Russia's first modern city, 1930 947.41 A937
James P. Delgado Gold rush port: the maritime archaeology of San Francisco's waterfront 979.461 D35
Bill Fawcett Doomed to repeat: the lessons of history we've failed to learn 909 F278
Denise Kiernan The girls of Atomic City: the untold story of the women who helped win World War II 976.873 K475
Charlene Mires Capital of the world: the race to host the United Nations 341.23 M674
Lee Sandlin Storm kings: the untold history of America's first tornado chasers 551.55 S217
Jerry Toner Homer's Turk: how classics shaped ideas of the East 950.072 T664

Home & Family Management
Stu Campbell Let it rot!: the gardener's guide to composting 631.875 C191
Barbara Reich Secrets of an organized mom: from the overflowing closets to the chaotic play areas: a room-by-room guide to decluttering & streamlining your home for a happier family 648 R347

Languages & Linguistics
Nataly Kelly & Jost Zetzsche Found in translation: how language shapes our lives & transforms the world 418.02 K298

Law
Denis Clifford Quick & legal will book 346.054 C63
Lisa Hanks & Carol Elias Zolla The trustee's legal companion: a step-by-step guide to administering a living trust 346.052 L551
Leila Schneps & Coralie Colmez Math on trial: how numbers get used & abused in the courtroom 345.07 S359

Literature & Writing
The New Oxford book of Irish verse 821 N532

Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Linus Pauling General chemistry 540 P32
Ian Stewart Visions of infinity: the great mathematical problems 510 S84v

Performing Arts & Music
Anne Sinai Reach for the top: the turbulent life of Laurence Harvey 792.092 H341

Philosophy, Psychology & Religion
The best spiritual writing 200.973 B56

Politics & Government
Lee Fang The machine: a field guide to the resurgent Right 320.52 F211

Reference
Frederick G. Ruffner, Jr. & Laurence Urdang Ruffner's allusions: cultural, literary, biblical & historical: a thematic dictionary 081 R924
Pocket Oxford Chinese dictionary: English-Chinese, Chinese-English 495.1 P739
Current biography yearbook 920 C976

Social Sciences & Current Events
Jonah Berger Contagious: why things catch on 658.834 B496
Viktor Mayer-Schönberger & Kenneth Cukier Big data: a revolution that will transform how we live, work & think 303.4833 M468
L. Todd Rose with Katherine Ellison Square peg: my story & what it means for raising innovators, visionaries & out-of-the-box thinkers 371.9 R796
Craig Simons The devouring dragon: how China's rise threatens our natural world 363.7 S611

Travel & Geography
Damron women's traveller 910.2 D166w
The golden shore: California's love affair with the sea 917.94 H48
How to travel the world on $50 a day: travel cheaper, longer, smarter 910.2 K38
Andalucía 914.68 L847
East Africa 916.76 L847
Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands 918.66 L847
Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania 914.79 L847
Finland 914.897 L847
New Orleans 917.63 L847
Singapore 915.957 L847
Tanzania 916.78 L847
Prague & the Czech Republic: true stories 914.371 T779
Angkor Wat & Siem Reap encounter 915.96 L847e

* * * * *

AUDIOBOOKS
Fiction
Elizabeth George This body of death: an inspector Lynley novel
Louise Penny The cruelest month: a Three Pines mystery

Nonfiction
Allen C. Guelzo The American mind 191 G925

* * * * *

DVDs
Classics
Random harvest
Reach for the sky

Comedy
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Two girls & a guy

Drama
Somebody up there likes me
The verdict

Foreign Language
Osaka elegy
Sisters of the Gion
Street of shame
Women of the night

Nonfiction
The invisible war 355.0082 I629
Saving the bay: the story of San Francisco Bay 304.2 S2676

Opera
Madama Butterfly 782.1 P97m

* * * * *

CDs
Jazz
Norah Jones Feels like home
Don Pullen's African-Brazilian Connection Ode to life
Marcus Roberts The joy of Joplin

Musicals & Soundtracks
Eddie Vedder Into the wild: music from the motion picture

Vocals
U2 The Joshua tree

World
Omar Sosa Afreecanos

Posted on Mar. 28, 2013 by Heather Terrell

New Titles: March 14-21

BOOKS

FICTION
Thea Goodman The sunshine when she's gone
Elizabeth Graver The end of the point
Mohsin Hamid How to get filthy rich in rising Asia
Amit Majmudar The abundance
Jodi Picoult The storyteller

Historical Fiction
Jim Crace Harvest
Ann Hood The obituary writer

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
Steve Berry The Paris vendetta
Cara Black Murder below Montparnasse
Rhys Bowen The family way
Colin Cotterill The woman who wouldn't die
Heimito von Doderer Every man a murderer
Erin Hart The book of Killowen
Jonathan Kellerman Guilt: an Alex Delaware novel
Robert Masello The Romanov cross
Joyce Carol Oates The accursed
Kristina Ohlsson Silenced
Thomas Perry The boyfriend
John Pilkington Marbeck & the double-dealer
Dana Stabenow Bad blood
Randy Wayne White Night moves

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
Julie E. Czerneda A turn of light: Marrowdell

Short Stories
Andrew Lam Birds of paradise lost: stories

Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Comic Strips
Al Hirschfeld Hirschfeld: art & recollections from eight decades 741.5 H66

* * * * *

NONFICTION

Arts, Architecture & Crafts
Nina Katchadourian ; introduction by Brian Dillon Sorted books 700 K195
Védís Jónsdóttir Knitting with Icelandic wool 746.43 V415

Biography & Genealogy
Dominic Hibberd Wilfred Owen: a new biography 92 O976
Stanley McChrystal My share of the task: a memoir 355.092 M478
Franny Moyle Constance: the tragic & scandalous life of Mrs Oscar Wilde 92 W669
Dear Bunny, Dear Volodya: the Nabokov-Wilson letters, 1940-1971 92 N11L 2001
Mary Robinson with Tessa Robinson Everybody matters: my life giving voice 92 R663e
Phillip F. Schewe Maverick genius: the pioneering odyssey of Freeman Dyson 509.2 D99

Business & Economics
Anat Admati & Martin Hellwig The bankers' new clothes: what's wrong with banking & what to do about it 332.1 A238

Food & Drink
Deborah Madison Vegetable literacy: cooking & gardening with twelve families from the edible plant kingdom, with over 300 deliciously simple recipes 641.65 M18
Paris patisseries: history, shops, recipes 641.865 P232

Health & Medicine
Nicole Daedone Slow sex: the art & craft of the female orgasm 613.96 D122
Robert H. Lustig Fat chance: beating the odds against sugar, processed food, obesity & disease 362.19 L972

History
Stephen Budiansky Blackett's war: the men who defeated the Nazi U-boats & brought science to the art of warfare 940.5451 B628
Ernest Freeberg The age of Edison: electric light & the invention of modern America 303.483 F853
Stacy Perman A grand complication: the race to build the world's most legendary watch 681.114 P451

Literature & Writing
Elizabeth Jennings The collected poems 821 J542
Shannon McKenna Schmidt & Joni Rendon Novel destinations: literary landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West 823 S354

Natural Sciences & Mathematics
David Moskowitz Wolves in the land of salmon 599.773 M911
Nigel Rothfels Savages & beasts: the birth of the modern zoo 590.73 R846

Performing Arts & Music
Thurston James The prop builder's molding & casting handbook 792.025 J294
Andy Wilson Making stage props: a practical guide 792.025 W746

Philosophy, Psychology & Religion
John Thavis The Vatican diaries: a behind-the-scenes look at the power, personalities & politics at the heart of the Catholic Church 262.13 T368

Politics & Government
Jerome R. Corsi The Obama nation: leftist politics & the cult of personality 328.73 C826
Joshua Kurlantzick Democracy in retreat: the revolt of the middle class & the worldwide decline of representative government 321.8 K96

Social Sciences & Current Events
Napoleon A. Chagnon Noble savages: my life among two dangerous tribes--the Yanamamö & the anthropologists 304.5 C433
Sylvia A. Earle The world is blue: how our fate & the ocean's are one 333.91 E12w
Al Gore The future: six drivers of global change 303.4 G66
Carolyn Hall The forties in Vogue 306.4 H174
Tracy Thompson The new mind of the South 305.8 T47

Travel & Geography
Cooks, clowns & cowboys: 101 skills & experiences to discover on your travels 910.202 C773
The rough guide to Chile 918.3 R856
The rough guide to France 914.4 R856
The rough guide to Guatemala 917.281 R856
The rough guide to Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei 915.95 R856
The rough guide to Naples & the Amalfi Coast 914.573 R856
The rough guide to Norway 914.81 R856
The rough guide to Sweden 914.85 R856
The rough guide to Thailand's beaches & islands 915.93 R856b
The rough guide to the Netherlands 914.92 R856
The rough guide to Venice & the Veneto 914.53 R856

* * * * *

LARGE PRINT
Fiction
Joyce Carol Oates The accursed

* * * * *

AUDIOBOOKS
Fiction
Emma Donoghue Astray
Louise Penny A fatal grace: a Three Pines mystery

* * * * *

DVDs

Drama
House of cards trilogy
My life without me
Ordinary people

Foreign Language
Burnt by the sun

Posted on Mar. 25, 2013 by Heather Terrell

New Titles: March 9-17, 2013

BOOKS

FICTION
Apuleius The golden ass
Steve Stern A plague of dreamers: three novellas

Historical Fiction
Julie Kibler Calling me home
Sir Walter Scott Ivanhoe: a romance

Multi-Gen Literature
Rainbow Rowell Eleanor & Park

Mystery, Suspense, Espionage & Intrigue
Ken Bruen The white trilogy
Stephen Dobyns The burn palace
David Rosenfelt Airtight

Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
The mad scientist's guide to world domination: original short fiction for the modern evil genius M1781
Gail Z. Martin Ice forged
Adam Nevill Last days
Lawrence Watt-Evans A young man without magic
Lawrence Watt-Evans Above his proper station

Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Comic Strips
Ian Flitcroft & Britt Spencer Journey by starlight: a time traveler's guide to life, the universe & everything 530.12 F627
Michael Schumacher & Denis Kitchen Al Capp: a life to the contrary 741.592 C247

* * * * *

NONFICTION
Biography & Genealogy
Lawrence J. Friedman The lives of Erich Fromm: love's prophet 150.19 F93f
Sarah Gristwood Blood sisters: the women behind the Wars of the Roses 920 G869
Justin Martin Genius of place: the life of Frederick Law Olmsted 712.092 O51m
Lindsey R. Swindall Paul Robeson: a life of activism & art 92 R653sL

Business & Economics
Frederic S. Mishkin & Stanley G. Eakins Financial markets & institutions 332.1 M678
Daniel Mollat Stock options: the greatest wealth building tool ever invented 332.645 M726

Health & Medicine
David Posen Is work killing you?: a doctor's prescription for treating workplace stress 616.98 P855

History
Walter Johnson River of dark dreams: slavery & empire in the cotton kingdom 976 J71
Ira Katznelson Fear itself: the New Deal & the origins of our time 973.917 K19
William K. Klingaman & Nicholas P. Klingaman The year without summer: 1816 & the volcano that darkened the world & changed history 551.21 K65
Jerry White A great & monstrous thing: London in the eighteenth century 942.1 W585

Languages & Linguistics
Their way of writing: scripts, signs & pictographies in Pre-Columbian America 497 T377

Law
Joseph L. Matthews Social security, Medicare & government pensions: get the most out of your retirement & medical benefits 386.42 M43

Literature & Writing
Jane Austen The annotated Emma 823 A933e
Wendy Laura Belcher Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: a guide to academic publishing success 070.5 B42
Daniel P. Calvisi Story maps: how to write a great screenplay 808.23 C168
Stuart Horwitz Blueprint your bestseller: organize & revise any manuscript with the book architecture method 808.02 H824

Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Ariel Rubissow Okamoto & Kathleen M. Wong Natural history of San Francisco Bay 508.794 R896

Performing Arts & Music
David Sheward Rage & glory: the volatile life & career of George C. Scott 792.092 S426

Social Sciences & Current Events
Zoltan J. Acs Why philanthropy matters: how the wealthy give & what it means for our economic well-being 361.74 A187

Travel & Geography
Frommer's Banff & the Canadian Rockies day by day 917.11 F93d
Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland 916.8 L847
Lonely Planet Western USA 917.8 L847
Freddy Price A traveller's wine guide to Germany 641.22 P945
Hans-Christof Wächter Pacific passages: travelling the South Seas 919.5 W114

* * * * *

LARGE PRINT
Fiction
Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express: a Hercule Poirot mystery

* * * * *

EBOOKS
Karen Russell Vampires in the lemon grove: stories

* * * * *

DVDs
Action & Adventure
Tora! Tora! Tora!

Comedy
Tropic thunder

Drama
Argo
The hustler

Nonfiction
Chronicle of the Third Reich 943.086 C557
Duke Ellington 780.92 E46g
Five dedicated to Ozu 791.43 O999
How to survive a plague 362.19 H847
Valentina Lisitsa live at the Royal Albert Hall 786.2 L769
Men for sale 306.74 M534
Searching for Sugar Man 780.92 R6969

* * * * *

CDs
Classical
Ludovico Einaudi Divenire

Posted on Mar. 18, 2013 by Heather Terrell