Mary Daniels Brown

My mother always insisted that, as soon as I was old enough to sit up, she’d find me in my crib after my nap babbling away, with a Little Golden Book on my lap. I’ve had my nose in a book ever since. I grew up in a small town, with the tiny town library literally in my backyard. As an only child in an unhappy home, I found comfort and companionship in books. As an adult I wanted to be Harry Potter, although I admit I’m more Hermione. My life has been a series of research projects. Reading has taught me that human lives are deliciously messy and that “it’s complicated” isn’t a punchline.

John Updike, Author, Dies at 76

John Updike, Author, Dies at 76 – Obituary (Obit) – NYTimes.com: NEW YORK (AP) — John Updike, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, prolific man of letters and erudite chronicler of sex, divorce and other adventures in the postwar prime of the American empire, died Tuesday at age 76. Updike, a resident of Beverly Farms, Mass., died […]

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Library use jumps in Seattle area; economy likely reason

Local News | Library use jumps in Seattle area; economy likely reason | Seattle Times Newspaper: A library card has become a hot property in the Seattle region — area public libraries are experiencing a surge in circulation. While busy libraries in one of the nation’s most literate cities are nothing new, some librarians credit

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Librarian Nancy Pearl Dips Below The Reading Radar : NPR

Librarian Nancy Pearl Dips Below The Reading Radar : NPR: Although we all can turn to reviews, advertisements or the best-seller lists for some suggestions, many books remain unreviewed and overlooked. I always especially like to look for books that have fallen beneath the reading radar, or books that I think more people ought to

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In difficult economic times, libraries become even more popular with the general public

In difficult economic times, libraries become even more popular with the general public Books fly off shelves as library use soars http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090108/NEWS0107/901080426/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01 The Santa Barbara Independent Libraries Busy in Faltering Economy http://www.independent.com/news/2009/jan/08/libraries-busy-faltering-economy/ The Public Library Renaissance http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/the-public-library-renaissance/ Judge orders libraries to stay open http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/20090106_Judge_orders_libraries_to_stay_open.html Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com/ Nancy Pearl’s Book Lust Wiki

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Hollywood rarely did Donald Westlake justice

Hollywood rarely did Donald Westlake justice – Los Angeles Times: Roughly two dozen films emerged from Westlake’s novels or involved screenplay work by the man himself. But only two — 1967’s ‘Point Blank,’ based on the first novel he wrote under the pseudonym Richard Stark, and Westlake’s adaptation of Jim Thompson’s ‘The Grifters’ (1990) —

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‘Conversations With God’ Author Accused of Plagiarism

‘Conversations With God’ Author Accused of Plagiarism – ArtsBeat Blog – NYTimes.com: Neale Donald Walsch, author of the best-selling series ‘Conversations with God,’ recently posted a personal Christmas essay on the spiritual Web site Beliefnet.com that was nearly identical to a 10-year-old article originally published by a little-known writer in a spiritual magazine. He now

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Donald E. Westlake, Mystery Writer, Is Dead at 75

Donald E. Westlake, Mystery Writer, Is Dead at 75 – Obituary (Obit) – NYTimes.com: Donald E. Westlake, a prolific, award-winning mystery novelist who pounded out more than 100 books and five screenplays on manual typewriters during his half-century career, died Wednesday night. He was 75. Aw, darn. The audiobook currently playing on my iPod is

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My Best Books Read in 2008

Most of the year’s best books listed compiled by book reviewers cover only books published during the current year. My list, however, includes books that I read during this past year, regardless of when they were published. Being a full-time student has cut way, way down on my pleasure reading. This past year I only

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