New Harper Lee novel in demand; J.K. Rowling turns 50
The Fresno County Library Bookshelf column shares suggestions for books, music, and other items, and provides information about library programs.
Top 5 most requested books
▪ “Go Set a Watchman,” by Harper Lee.
▪ “Tricky Twenty-Two,” by Janet Evanovich.
▪ “Nemesis,” by Catherine Coulter.
▪ “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” by Marie Kondo.
▪ “Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny,” by Holly Madison.
New arrivals
▪ “The Little Paris Bookshop: A Novel,” by Nina George. Jean Perdu sees himself as a literary pharmacist, prescribing books to ease his customers’ ills. One day, he decides to tackle the biggest challenge of all — his own wounded heart.
▪ “When Men Betray: A Novel,” by Webb Hubbell. After a U.S. senator is killed on live television, will attorney Jack Patterson be able to clear the triggerman’s name?
▪ “Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty,” by Charles Leerhsen. One of baseball’s true greats, Ty Cobb also has been condemned as a bully, a racist, an alcoholic and worse. This account finds the truth behind the legends and puts Cobb in his rightful historical place.
J.K. Rowling is 50!
▪ “Harry Potter — The Creature Vault: The Creatures and Plants of the Harry Potter Films,” by Jody Revenson. For everyone who needs to know more about Merpersons, Hippogriffs, Whomping Willows, and other odd things that populate the Potter universe.
▪ “Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination,” by J.K. Rowling. The text of Rowling’s famed Harvard University commencement speech. “We do not need magic to transform our world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already …”
▪ “Potterwookiee,” by Obert Skye. When teenager Robert Burnside throws a stack of favorite books into a closet, a cross between Harry Potter and Chewbacca of “Star Wars” emerges — to great fanfare and total hilarity.
Events
▪ “Mary Poppins” Special Performance: CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre presents this musical to benefit the Clovis Friends of the Library. 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 30, at the Mercedes Edwards Theatre (902 Fifth St., Clovis). For tickets, visit www.fresnocountylibraryfriends.org.
▪ Saturday afternoon movie: Enjoy a family-friendly matinee from 2-4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Caruthers Branch Library. Details: (559) 864-8766.
▪ Live music of Jeffrey Logan: Join us for some funk and soul as part of our Summer Reading Challenge from 5-6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1, at the West Fresno Branch Library. Details: (559) 600-9277.
This is a weekly column written by the Fresno County Public Library staff. Events are usually free. Visit www.fresnolibrary.org, or call (559) 600-6227 for details.
This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 3:07 PM with the headline "New Harper Lee novel in demand; J.K. Rowling turns 50."