Books

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is inviting young people, grades 4 through 10, to participate in the Letters About Literature competition.

In this competition, a young person writes a letter to an author that he or she admires, as though she or he were having a conversation with the author. The letter should be about a piece of fiction or poetry that affected the young person in some way. It should be personal but persuasive, explaining how the author’s work changed the youth’s view of his or herself or the world.

The contest is open to students enrolled during the 2012-2013 school year. There are three competition levels: Level 1 (Grades 4-6); Level 2 (Grades 7-8); and Level 3 (Grades 9-10). Statewide winners each receive a cash award, and are then eligible to compete at the national level where there will be one national winner who will receive a $1,000 cash award.

Letters must be submitted by January 11, 2013, using the required entry coupon (also available at the Troy Library’s Youth desk.)

Fall is here. What better time to join one of the Troy Public Library book discussion groups? Read and discuss some of the hottest titles with friends and neighbors. The groups meet monthly, at different times during the day or week. There is no registration necessary. Just read the selected title and join the conversation.

The upcoming November groups are:

Booked for Lunch
Wednesday, November 7, 12:15 pm
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Life Readers
Wednesday, November 7, 7 pm
Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung

Mystery Book Club
Tuesday, November 13, 10:15 am
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Dan Ewald’s Book Group
Tuesday, November 13, 7 pm
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Non-Fiction Book Group
Wednesday, November 28, 7 pm
Lone Survivors: How We Came to Be the Only Humans on Earth by Chris Stringer

Whether you read fiction, non-fiction, mystery, or classics, there is a discussion group for you!

It is said that "Politics makes strange bedfellows," but taking a political thriller to bed is just plain fun!

From Absolute Power by David Baldacci to The Overton Window by Glenn Beck, political thrillers give us a peek behind the curtain of the cutthroat world of high-stakes politics. 

As Election Day approaches, take a break from the rhetoric and check out the Library's collection of both new and classic political fiction. If nonfiction gets your vote, we have that, too. We have plenty to entertain you, no matter who your candidate happens to be.

You have probably seen the Troy Public Library's vast collection of novels by your favorite authors. But did you know that the Library also has a great short story collection, right next to Fiction in the Adult Information Department?

You will find a variety of genres from traditional (Best American Short Stories) to Science Fiction and Fantasy (the Year's Best Science Fiction) to stories by and about women (This Is Not Chick Lit). Other genres include mystery, horror, sports, and historical fiction.

A short story collection is perfect for the reader on-the-go, or the novel reader who wants a change of pace. Click here to browse the Story Collection, or stop by the reference desk in the Adult area for more information.

Book awards season is in full swing.

The Man Booker Prize for fiction has been awarded to Hilary Mantel for Bring Up the Bodies, the sequel to Wolf Hall, which won the prestigious award in 2009. This second book in the Tudor trilogy traces the bloody downfall of Anne Boleyn. Mantel is only the third author to win the award twice, and the first ever to win the award for a sequel.

In other book award news, the finalists for the National Book Awards have been announced.

Among the fiction finalists are the recently named MacArthur "Genius" Fellow Junot Diaz for his short story collection, This Is How You Lose Her. Two other finalists deal with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their aftermaths: The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers, and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain.

Completing the list of fiction finalists are The Round House by Louise Erdrich and Dave Eggers' A Hologram for the King.

Nonfiction finalists include Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo's account of life in a Mumbai slum, and journalist Anthony Shadid's House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family and a Lost Middle East. Sadly, Shadid died in February at 43 while covering the civil war in Syria for The New York Times.

Rounding out the nonfiction nominees is Robert Caro's fourth book on Lyndon Johnson, The Passage of Power; Anne Applebaum's Iron Curtain, The Crushing of Eastern Europe 1944-1956; and The Boy Kings of Texas, a memoir of a sensitive soul growing up in the macho barrio of Brownsville, Texas, by Domingo Martinez.

National Book Award winners will be announced on November 14. Check out the complete list of finalists and come to the Troy Library's Adult Information area or check our catalog to reserve one of these great reads.

Looking for titles for your next book club group? The Troy Library can help.

The Women's National Book Association has selected 20 titles in celebration of October's National Reading Group Month. Now in its fifth year, this event is designed to foster the values of camaraderie, the enjoyment of shared reading, and appreciation of literature and culture.

Another great resource for book discussion groups is the American Library Association's Book Group Buzz. On this site you will find book group tips, reading lists, and lively talk of literary news from Booklist Online.

Troy Library has book group kits for those who are starting a book discussion group. The kits, which include 12 to 15 copies of each title as well as discussion questions, can be checked out for eight weeks. They can be picked up at the Adult Information desk.

Questions? Contact the Adult Information Department at asref@troymi.gov, or 248.524.3534.

Happy reading!