It can't really be said that Alan Furst is "under the radar," given the amount of exposure his latest book got in the New York Times and elsewhere, but he is so good I must put in a plug for him. The title I most recently finished is "Spies of the Balkans," but most of his ten or so novels share certain characteristics.  Think "Casablanca" crossed with John Le Carre.  The heroes are mostly ordinary men doing their best in extraordinary times (before, during and after WW II in Europe).   Like Rick in the movie, they are strong but silent types who struggle to lead meaningful professional, family and love lives while all hell is breaking loose around them.   Drawing on inner reservoirs of patriotism and morality, they choose somewhat against their inclination to join the fight against the evils of fascism.   As in Le Carre's novels, the details of everyday spycraft are meticulous and the plotting is tight.  Take one of these with you on your next vacation.

Submitted by Mary Rindfleisch, Assistant Director

Slates Magazine has offered a slightly different take on the best books of 2012.  View their list of "The Overlooked Books of 2012."

Here's a tip for mystery readers who like historical settings and unique scenarios-the Billy Boyle World War II series by James R. Benn.   Boyle is a Boston cop (Irish, naturally) who is distantly connected by marriage to General Eisenhower.   When he is called up during the Second World War, strings are pulled to get him assigned to Ike's staff. - but this in no way puts him out of harm's way.  The General employs Billy, along with a cast of intriguing recurring characters, to investigate murders and other crimes that impinge on the successful conduct of the war for the allies.  The result is a series of well-crafted detective stories that also introduce the reader to less-well known aspects of the war, from IRA sabotage of the British war effort to what was really on the mind of Vatican officials as Hitler and the Germans advanced on Rome.  The series has gotten rave reviews but still hovers just below the radar - give it a try!

Submitted by Mary Rindfleisch, Assistant Director

It's the time of year when publications pick there best books of the year.    Here are some of the ones that have weighed in on their choices for the best of 2012:

The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2012
The New York Times 100 Notable Books
The Washington Post Best Books of 2012
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2012

The National Book Award Winners were announced last night.  Here are the winners:

Fiction: The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Non-Fiction: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Young Adult Literature: Goblin Secrets by William Alexander
Poetry: Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations by David Ferry

The  best books of the year lists are starting to come in.   Here are Publishers Weekly's choices for the Best Books of 2012.

David Mitchell has gotten a lot of attention recently because of the forthcoming star-studded film of his "Cloud Atlas."  While I enjoyed reading it for a book group earlier this year, this is a highly unusual book in every way, and the movie promises to be even more challenging.

But Mitchell has also written some more traditional novels that are simple yet stunning.   During the storm, I found the time to read (by candlelight) his 2006, "Black Swan Green," a coming-of-age novel set in a small village in England during the time of the Falklands War in the early 1980s.  Hero Jason Taylor will remind some people of Holden Caulfield, with hints of the boy from "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime."  Mitchell has done an incredible job of getting inside the head of this young man, and bringing the reader along.  To say more about the plot would spoil the joy of discovery, but give this one a try if you enjoy exceptional character development and a truly humane attitude by an author towards his creations.

Submitted by Mary Rindfleisch, Assistant Director

Hilary Mantel has been awarded her second Booker Prize for her novel "Bring Up the Bodies."

This year's Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to Mo Yan of China.  

Yesterday,  the semifinalists for the National Book Award were announced.  The winners will be honored at the National Book Award Ceremony in New York City on November 14, 2012.

Publishers Weekly has declared October 2 as The Best Book Day of 2012.  Find out why.

The National Book Foundation has just named this year's "5 under 35" fiction authors to watch. The 5 Under 35 program, now in its seventh year, honors five young fiction writers selected by past National Book Award Winners and Finalists.

This week Julia Child would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday, and a new biography of the inimitable Child has just been published to glowing reviews.  

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child
by Bob Spitz
Published to coincide with what would have been her 100th birthday, this biography of the iconic Julia Child captures another side of Julia's complex personality: her fierce diligence in mastering the science as well as the art of cooking through detailed experimentation and her concern to translate the preparation of complex French recipes for readers in America. (Annotation from BookLetters)

Readers everywhere mourn the loss of beloved author Maeve Binchy.   Read the tribute from the Irish Times.

Some summer reading recommendations from the American Library Association's Reading List Council::

"Summertime and the Reading Is Easy: Genre Fiction Summer Reads"

Here's some insight into why the Pulitzer for fiction was not awarded this year.  Michael Cunningham, one of the jurors for selecting the finalists, gives his take on what happened.

"Letter from Pulitzer Fiction Jury: What Really Happened this Year"

Thanks to the Friends of the Ridgefield Library and the Westmoreland Book Club, ten copies of the titles above have been recently added to our Book Club Corner.   These titles can be reserved for book discussions by contacting Interlibrary Loan Coordinator Karen Kazzi at 203-438-2282 x1011 or klkazzi@ridgefieldlibrary.org to inquire about available for specific dates.

Looking for a book to take on vacation?  Check out the "Beach Books" display in the Fiction Room on the second floor of the Library and pick up a copy of our updated "Beach Books with Brains and Bite" booklist. Our librarians are always ready to suggest a reading recommendation based on your interests.

Here is something that caught our eyes.

While the list of past winners of the National Book Award for fiction is readily available, how about the titles that didn't win?  The National Book Foundation has posted an "online exhibition" of the 373 works that were contenders for the award over the last 50 years, but that lost in the final vote.  See how many of these books we are still reading today.

The Contenders: 61 Years of National Book Award Fiction Finalists

Welcome to our new blog for readers!

 We hope this will be a place you'll visit frequently for reading suggestions.  We plan to share the early word about the most talked about new titles, but also to bring to your attention some of our favorite books that fall under the radar.

 And of course, we hope you'll share what you're reading.