Bradbury Stories: 100 of his Most Celebrated Tales

Bradbury Stories: 100 of his Most Celebrated Tales
by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury was one of the true giants of 20th century literature, with close to fifty books published, including classics such as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, etc. He also wrote poems, essays, operas, plays, teleplays and screenplays -- he was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay to John Huston's version of Moby Dick. But one of the things he'll be best remembered for is the hundreds, yes, hundreds of short stories he wrote over the course of his career. I grew up reading his classic collections, such as R is for Rocket and S is for Space in my school library as a kid, growing into The Martian Chronicles and others as I got older. For me, Bradbury has become one of my top five favorite authors off all time. He's had so many stories published in his lifetime, that it is sometimes difficult to track them all down. This collection, Bradbury Stories, assembles 100 of his absolute best short works, and is a perfect way to pay tribute to the master, now that he has passed away, just this month. It's impossible to single out which of Ray's stories have most affected me over the years -- he's such a lyrical, stylized writer, with a gift for capturing a "sense of place" and nailing characters in just a few phrases. But, if you've never read Bradbury (shame on you), I would definitely start with "There Will Come Soft Rains" and "A Sound of Thunder" (perhaps one of the two or three best "time travel" stories ever written!). Though those two stories are not in this particular 2003 volume (from which I'd recommend "The Burning Man" and "The Toynbee Convector"), this collection is still to be savored -- don't try to read it all in one short period of time -- instead, read a few stories at a time and spread out the pleasure. You've got a treasure chest waiting to be opened! [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try any of Bradbury's other short story collections or novels, including Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man, The Halloween Tree, and many more. Another excellent story collection is The Stories of Ray Bradbury, released in 1980.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [subscribe to Scott's monthly "It's All Geek to Me!" booklist newsletter or any of the 35+ other newsletters available through the libraries Books, Movies & More email newsletter service!]

[ Ray Bradbury entry on Wikipedia with numerous off-site links ] | [ official Ray Bradbury web site ] | [ Ray Bradbury entry on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

Did you know...? -- November 22nd

For many Americans (and perhaps those of other nationalities, as well) in their late 40s or beyond, November 22nd maintains its dark place in history as the day that United States President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX in 1963.

You might be surprised to learn how many other well-known individuals in the fields of popular culture have also passed on this day, in various years, throughout history. Here are some highlights:

Authors who died on November 22nd (year in brackets)

• Jack London [1916] -- author of "Call of the Wild"
• Aldous Huxley [1963] -- author of "Brave New World" -- same exact day/year as JFK
  
• C.S. Lewis [1963] -- author of the Narnia series -- same exact day/year as JFK
  
• C.C. Beck [1989] -- prominent mystery author
• Leonard Wibberley [1983] -- author of "The Mouse That Roared"
• Anthony Burgess [1983] -- author of "A Clockwork Orange"

Prominent actors/entertainers/artists who died on November 22nd (year in brackets)

• Scatman Crothers [1986]
• Sterling Holloway [1992]
• Mae West [1980]
• Michael Conrad [1983] -- Hill St. Blues
• Shemp Howard [1955]
• Mark Lenard [1996] -- Sarek in the Star Trek series/movies
• Michael Hutchence [1997] -- INXS lead singer
• Parley Baer [2002]
• Verity Lambert [2007] -- first producer of Doctor Who in 1963
• Dave Cockrum [2006] -- long-time artist on The X-Men

What is it about November 22nd?

Blaize Clement, R.I.P. 1932-2011

Popular mystery writer Blaize Clement has died, according to a July 27th announcement on her "Kitty Litter" blog by her son, Jack. The author of the cozy mystery series starring pet sitter Dixie Hemingway, Clement had been in hospice care and lost her battle with cancer on July 20th.

Since being diagnosed, Clement had continued her writing work, completing one stand-alone mystery/thriller -- I, Malcolm -- and a new volume in the Dixie Hemingway series -- The Cat Sitter's Pajamas. Clement made it known that she wanted her son to continue the Hemingway series, and he has announced that he has signed on for one additional volume (and possibly more), moving forward with his mother's characters.

Blaize Clement's entry in Wikipedia

Official Blaize Clement website

L.A. Banks, R.I.P. 1959-2011

Popular paranormal fantasy author L.A. Banks (a.k.a. Leslie Esdaile) has lost her recent battle with cancer, according to her publisher's website in the following post this morning:

"Several authors have reported today that Paranormal Fantasy author L.A. Banks has just passed away. Banks had been fighting a battle with cancer for some time, one that she tragically lost today. Banks was known to the science fiction and fantasy community primarily for her Crimson Moon werewolf series as well as The Vampire Huntress Legend series. Under a variety of pen names, L.A. Banks also wrote in several other genres including crime, thriller, and romance.

L.A. Banks was a witty, upbeat author who brought energetic and strong sensibilities to her work. The fields of SFF and her fans will miss her deeply."

L.A. Banks entry in Wikipedia

Official L.A. Banks website

With Love and Laughter, John Ritter

With Love and Laughter, John Ritter
by Amy Yasbeck [Biography Ritter]

John Ritter was one of my TV heroes -- a comedic actor, adept at both witty dialog and absurd pratfalls, but who managed to remain a "good guy" in real life. From his early parts and recurring role as the paster on The Waltons, to his star turns on Three's Company, Hearts Afire and Hooperman, I had followed his career with pleasure, enjoying each of his performances, but enjoying reading about his behind-the-scenes life almost as much. His death in 2003 was so sudden and shocking, it threw me for a loop, and hearing after-the-fact that it was due to an undiagnosed medical condition was all the more alarming. Ritter's second wife, Yasbeck, does a tender job of looking back at Ritter's life -- the celebrity of his parents Tex and Dorothy Ritter, and his innate need to perform. Counter-balancing Ritter's career trajectory, Yasbeck shares her own background and upbringing, leading to their relationship and the child they had together. Though the last couple of chapters deal with the heartbreak of Ritter's death and the medical issues associated with the condition he fell victim to, the majority of this book is a feel-good tribute to one of our best comic actors, taken from us too early. I enjoyed this tremendously. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official John Ritter Foundation web site ] | [ John Ritter entry on Wikipedia ]
Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

The Night Bookmobile

The Night Bookmobile
by Audrey Niffenegger [741.5 Nif]

I had read some positive comments about this "adult picture book", from the author of The Time Travelers Wife, and was happy to have a chance to read it. I had no idea Niffenegger was also an artist, although the art in this graphic novel is notably simplistic (for the most part). The tale she tells, however, is whimsical, nostalgic, thoughtful, depressing and uplifting all at once. Told in retrospect, this is the story of Alexandra, a young woman who stumbles across the Night Bookmobile, in a large Winnebago staffed by librarian Robert Openshaw. This mysterious mobile library is only open from Dusk until Dawn, and she discovers that it is ONLY stocked with the hundreds of books that she has already ready in her young life. Inspired to reconnect with the books she's always loved, Alexandra seeks out the bookmobile again, only to not find it whenever she's actually looking for it. It is only when she stop looking that it reappears to her at various times in her life. I found myself very moved by this work, despite its at-times childish art style. If you're a lover of books, you will connect with The Night Bookmobile's message -- that, as Neil Gaiman says, "what we read makes us who we are." Delightful and thought-provoking! [I have a hard time recommending that readers try her full-length novels, The Time Travelers Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry, but Niffenegger does have two experimental photographic novels that might appeal to fans of this graphic novel.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Night Bookmobile page on the UK's "The Guardian" site ] | [ official Audrey Niffenegger web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

Making Rounds With Oscar

Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat
by David Dosa [636.8 Dos]

Oscar is a nursing home cat in Rhode Island on the floor for patients with advanced dementia. And he knows when someone is close to passing away. Not only does he maintain a vigil with the patient until the end, but he also provides solace for family members. Based on a paper written for the "New England Journal of Medicine" by a physician in that nursing home, Dr. Dosa attempts to understand Oscar's behavior. A quick read, be prepared to cry your way through the book as you meet the patients and families. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable format.]

[ official David Dosa web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

Making Toast

Making Toast
by Roger Rosenblatt [Biography Rosenblatt]

This is a bittersweet, painful little gem of a book. When columnist/writer/university professor Roger Rosenblatt's 38-year-old daughter dies suddenly of a rare and undiagnosed heart condition, he and his wife Ginny move in with their son-in-law to help raise their three young grandchildren. Rosenblatt's book is basically just a series of slice-of-life vignettes, told mostly in chronological order (with a few flashbacks) as Roger and Ginny settle into the "parenting" routine they thought they'd left behind 20 years earlier. Family members each have different ways of coping with their losses, and Rosenblatt himself is superb at controlling his emotions. Each scene of this book is like a brittle, fragile feather -- you're never quite sure if it will crumble or disintegrate. But when you combine all of those feathers together, by the end of the book, you've got an entire pillow's worth of feathers -- capable of supporting the heavy emotional load of the subject matter. I found Making Toast to be an exceptional read, and Rosenblatt's ultimate message that "life goes on" and you should make the most of the small moments, was reassuring. Even if those small moments are as simple as perfecting the methods of making toast for your grandchildren. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable audio and book-on-cd formats.]

[ Making Toast as it originally appeared as a column in The New Yorker ] | [ official Roger Rosenblatt web page from HarperCollins.com ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

R.I.P. John E. Gardner

John E. Gardner, the British thriller writer who became the official authorized James Bond novelist from 1981 until 1996, died August 3rd in England, from suspected heart failure.

Gardner established himself as a proper thriller writer from his first book (The Liquidator, 1964), which introduced series character Boysie Oakes (star of 8 books), and was an impressive choice to pick up where Ian Fleming had left off with the iconic espionage character. Between 1981 and 1996, Gardner wrote 16 original James Bond adventures, though he was quoted in interviews as being somewhat ambivalent about writing adventure novels featuring a character not of his own creation.

Retiring from "Bond-age" in 1996, Gardner returned to writing his own completely original fiction, although from 1997 until 2001 he went unpublished, dealing with both medical issues and the death of his wife in 1997. He had recently achieved critical acclaim for his historical mystery series featuring a 1930s female Detective Sergeant named Suzie Mountford.

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Here are some links to additional John E. Gardner information:

Gardner books in the Lincoln City Libraries collection
John E. Gardner's official website
Obituary and Tribute on MI6 Bond fansite

R.I.P. Madeleine L'Engle

From the AP newswire feed earlier today:

HARTFORD, Conn. - Author Madeleine L'Engle, whose novel "A Wrinkle in Time" has been enjoyed by generations of schoolchildren and adults since the 1960s, has died, her publicist said Friday. She was 88. L'Engle died Thursday at a nursing home in Litchfield of natural causes, according to Jennifer Doerr, publicity manager for publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

The Newbery Medal winner wrote more than 60 books, including fantasies, poetry and memoirs, often highlighting spiritual themes and her Christian faith.

Although L'Engle was often labeled a children's author, she disliked that classification. In a 1993 Associated Press interview, she said she did not write down to children.

"In my dreams, I never have an age," she said. "I never write for any age group in mind. When people do, they tend to be tolerant and condescending and they don't write as well as they can write.

"When you underestimate your audience, you're cutting yourself off from your best work."

"A Wrinkle in Time" — which L'Engle said was rejected repeatedly before it found a publisher in 1962 — won the American Library Association's 1963 Newbery Medal for best American children's book. Her "A Ring of Endless Light" was a Newbery Honor Book, or medal runner-up, in 1981.

In 2004, President Bush awarded her a National Humanities Medal.

"Wrinkle" tells the story of adolescent Meg Murry, her genius little brother Charles Wallace, and their battle against evil as they search across the universe for their missing father, a scientist.

L'Engle followed it up with further adventures of the Murry children, including "A Wind in the Door," 1973; "A Swiftly Tilting Planet," 1978, which won an American Book Award; and "Many Waters," 1986.

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Here are some links to additional L'Engle information:

• The official Madeleine L'Engle website
• Bibliography of Madeleine L'Engle's works
• Madeleine L'Engle's wikipedia entry
• http://www.awrinkleintime.com/

Mark Harris, r.i.p.

Mark Harris (no not the amphibious character played by Patrick Duffy on Man From Atlantis), author of Bang the Drum Slowly and several other novels and non-fiction titles published between 1946 and 1994, died of complications from Alzheimers Disease in Santa Barbara, CA on May 30, 2007.