Halloween Mysteries

These are a few of the Halloween mysteries from our collection.  Click on the titles to check availability and read more about them:

Blackwork by Monica Ferris

A Catered Halloween - A Mystery with Recipes by Isis Crawford

Hallowed Bones by Carolyn Haines

Halloween Murder - A Lindy Haggerty Mystery by Shelley Freydont

A Hole in Juan by Gillian Roberts

Wicked Witch Murder - A Lucy Stone Mystery by Leslie Meier

Science Fiction Trends

Orson Scott Card is a science fiction author known to many of us for his classic novel, The Ender’s Game, updated in 1991. Recently Card was interviewed about science fiction trends by The Browser, an on-line magazine. He notes that new science fiction has left behind the “gosh-wow” works of the 1920s and 1930s and that many writers have migrated to fantasy fiction.  “They (have) devised magic systems that work like science and (have) created fully-realized worlds. Perhaps the most substantial example of this is George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, a work in progress that is already excellent, beginning with A Game of Thrones." In other words, there has been a resurgence of epic fantasy. On the other hand, given the cancellation of the space shuttle program, it is probably not surprising that Library Journal noted earlier this year that the number of new, traditional science fiction titles is declining.

So if you haven’t looked at science fiction/fantasy for awhile you may want to give it another try. Contemporary classics include Lois McMaster Bujold’s Chalion series beginning with The Curse of Chalion, and Patrick Rothfuss’s The Kingkiller Chronicles featuring the recently released The Wise Man’s Fear.  Also visit NPR's list of the top 100 science fiction/fantasy books. http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139085843/your-picks-top-100-science-fiction-fantasy-books

Other new science fiction/fantasy titles released this fall include:

The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge

The Diviner by Melanie Rawn

Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock

Snuff by Terry Pratchett

Spellbound by Blake Charlton

Check them out.

Movies Based on Books

Many upcoming movies are based on popular book titles.  The movies and corresponding books are listed below.  While anticipating the movie releases, you can check out some of the books from our collection.

Three Musketeers to be released on October 21, 2011
Three Musketeers Dumas, Alexandre (1941)  Fiction Dumas

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part I to be released on November 18, 2011
Breaking Dawn  Meyer, Stephenie (2008)  Fiction Meyer

Hugo to be released on November 23, 2011
The Invention of Hugo Cabret  Selznick, Brian (2007)  J Caldecott Selznick

The Descendants to be released on November 23, 2011
The Descendants  Hemmings, Kaui Hart (2007)  Fiction Hemmings

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy to be released on December 9, 2011
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy  Le Carre, John (1974)  Fiction Le Carre

Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows to be released on December 16, 2011
Complete Sherlock Holmes Doyle, Arthur Conan (1930)  Mystery Doyle

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to be released on December 21, 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  Larsson, Stieg (2008)  Fiction Larsson

The Adventures of Tintin to be release on December 21
The Adventures of Tintin  Herge (1993)  J 741.59493 HER

War Horse to be released on December 25, 2011
War Horse  Morpurgo, Michael (2007)  J Fiction Morpurgo

Going to the Opera?

The Lyric Opera of Chicago's 2011-1012 season has begun, and you can learn more about the operas from the library's collection of recordings, scores, librettos, and DVDs.  You will find all of this season's operas and their resources listed with links to our catalog at this site:  Lyric Opera Library Resources.  Or select an opera below to go directly to a list of sources in our catalog.

Aida           Ariadne auf Naxos           Boris Godunov
         
Lucia di Lammermoor          The Magic Flute
         
Rinaldo          Show Boat            The Tales of Hoffmann


The Lyric Season Companion 2011/12 is also available in the library's collection.  It includes stories and histories of the operas, information on the composers and librettists, and notes about the Lyric's production of each opera.

All commentaries for the 2011-12 season will be available free-streaming online at the opera’s website: http://www.lyricopera.org/. (At the website select Education, then Education Resources.)