Come to the library and sharpen the joys of summer!

In July, our display spotlight is on "Beach Reads" -- books that are enthralling, mesmerizing, funny, moving, thrilling, cryptic, charming, riveting, jocular  ... well, you get the picture!

And, your "Road Trip" this summer gets the spotlight in another display.  You'll find more than you'll ever need to get the most fun out of your next jaunty excursion!

There are three important things you need to know about Justin Cronin's new epic novel, The Passage.

First: You'll want to cancel any appointments, meetings, and commitments you had planned for this week.  Trust me, they are no longer important.  Once you start reading this book you won't be able to put it down.  Cronin does a masterful job of quickly building tension and then maintaining it over the entire span of the novel.  Reading The Passage feels like reading Stephen King at the height of his game (fellow lovers of The Stand, this book is for you!), which is probably why King wrote a rave review for the dust jacket.  Just like with King’s novels I was afraid to keep reading, lest one of my favorite characters get killed or infected with the terrifying virus that plagues Cronin’s tale.  But the story was so compelling that I was afraid to stop reading!  I had to know what happened next so I kept reading, and reading, long into the night.  Which brings us to the important question of sleep.  Sleep no longer matters. 

Sure feels like summer, doesn't it? And summer reading at ELPL for children of all ages (and adults, too) will begin on Monday, June 14. We'll have lots of fun, free programs to keep everyone busy, plus a reading incentive program to keep kids reading all summer long.

To offset reductions to the library's budget, fees for nonresident library cards have increased, as of July 1, 2010. This first increase in seven years was approved by the East Lansing Library Board of Directors on April 21, 2010.

New annual rates are:

• Individual card: $30 (from $20)
• Family card: $40 (from $30)
• 6-month individual card: $18 (from $12)

What's the 5th book in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson?  The author's first name is Marilyn and she writes a mystery series--who could she be?  Has James Lee Burke written more than the Dave Robicheaux series?

The What's Next Books in Series database (compiled by the Kent District Library) is one of our favorite sites for answering questions about all things related to book series.  It's bound to become a favorite of yours, too.

I kept reading good things about Sarah Blake's new novel, The Postmistress, but I thought, "not another book about World War II." Well, yes, it is another book about World War II, but a good one, told from yet another vantage point. The Postmistress is told partially from the viewpoint of a young woman, a journalist, stationed in London on the eve of the United States' entrance into WWII and partially from the viewpoint of the postmistress of a small town in Cape Cod.

I recently finished a wonderful work of historical fiction called Honolulu by Alan Brennert, which is the absorbing tale of a young Korean mail order bride who arrives in Hawaii in 1914 in search of a better life. Her dreams, unfortunately, don't become reality, at least at first. Her marriage turns out to be a disaster, but she proves to be a strong woman who ultimately finds love and community. Her life in Honolulu is a far cry from what she would have been offered as a woman in Korea.

I rarely have "Oh my God!" moments when reading a book, but I did when I read Audrey Niffenegger's latest work Her Fearful Symmetry. You might recognize the author's last name because she penned the best-selling novel (and movie) The Time Traveler's Wife. Her current work is about a set of twins, their extremely close relationship, their relationship with their

One of the most popular novels of 2009, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, will be discussed at  Book Talk on Tuesday, January 26, from 7-8:30 pm.  The author, an acclamied short-story writer, has written his first novel - the story of Henry Lee, a recent widower, who relives his childhood in Seattle and his first love, Keiko, whose family ends up being relocated to a Japanese internment camp.

Guest speaker: Dr. Iwao Ishino will talk about his family's experiences in Japanese internment camps during WWII.

Did you know that the Friends of the East Lansing Public Library have used books for sale every day? It's the best deal in town! Stop in the library and check out the Friendshop, where you'll find tons of used books at great prices. There's something for everyone - adult fiction, mysteries, history, gardening, music CDs, magazines, children's books, and much more. You'll pay a fraction of the price of brand new, and when you're done, you can donate them back to the library! And remember, all proceeds benefit the library.

Check out the Friends' web site for more information.

Are you in a book group? Thinking about joining or starting one? October is National Reading Group Month, so if you're not in a book group already, now is a good time to join. Check out the following web sites for info on reading groups and lists of good books:

National Reading Group Month (with lists of featured books)
Reading Group Choices (sign up for their free newsletter)

What's your favorite book? Adventures of Huckleberry Finn....Harry Potter....The Twilight Series....Captain Underpants...

Chances are good someone has tried to ban it.

Book Talk, the library's fiction book discussion group, will now be meeting in the evenings, with its first program of the fall taking place on Tuesday, October 27 at 7 pm. We'll be reading Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan. An impressive debut, this is the story of two families, one white and one black, caught up in the blind hatred of a small Southern town. FREE! No need to have a library card - everyone is invited to attend.