Winner

Where things come back: a novel by John Corey Whaley

Honor Books

Why we broke up: novel by Daniel Handler

Jasper Jones: a novel by Craig Silvey

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

When was the last time your book group read a classic? These five titles were made into films. All received Oscar nominations in one category or other.

Arrowsmith; Elmer Gantry; Dodsworth by Sinclair Lewis

Far from the madding crowd by Thomas Hardy

One flew over the cuckoo's nest by Ken Kesey

Zombie felties: how to raise 16 gruesome felt creatures from the undead by Nicola Tedman & Sarah Skeate

Who doesn't love a cute zombie? This book has a whole cast of the adorable undead, from the Thrilla, Classic, and Bunny Zombies seen on the cover to zombie kitties, babies, brides, and many more. These crafts are easy to make and a lot of fun besides. Find more about zombie felties on Facebook.

1493: uncovering the new world Columbus created by Charles C.

Connie Willis, the prolific science fiction author, has won the prestigious Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award for 2011. The award is given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and celebrates lifetime achievement in science fiction or fantasy. The library owns many of her titles, including Blackout/All Clear, which won the Hugo Award for 2011.

We invite you to visit the Children's Library to tour Turner Town, a Turner Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities Awareness Campaign, during the month of February (Turner Syndrome Awareness Month). This collection of doll houses is an interactive self-teaching traveling exhibit that depicts the everyday challenges of a girl with Turner Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities from birth and through her later teenage years. It has already been displayed in Livonia libraries, the Plymouth District Library and the Detroit Children's Museum. We are excited to have it visit us as well! Turner Town will be on display for the month of February.

For more information please visit Turner Town's website and the Turner Syndrome Society.

This event has been canceled due to the death of the guest of honor.

Sylvan Saturdays are back Saturday, February 11th, from 1:00-5:30 PM. Teens can attend this workshop, an introductory ACT Prep course that will give students some tips and strategies for scoring higher on the ACT. It will also include a full length practice test with scoring. You must attend the entire session. Registration required.

Arc of justice: a saga of race, civil rights, and murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin Boyle — is the 2012 Great Michigan Read, but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words:

DVDs

Eyes on the prize. Vol. 1, [videodisc]: America's civil rights movement by Blackside

February 22, 6:30-8:45 PM join us for our monthly meeting of the Animanga Club! We've got all sorts of zaniness in store from a raffle to trivia to our always popular "mystery anime." What is it this month? Sorry, no hints. Drop by and let your inner otaku run free.

The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association has announced the nominees for the 2012 Dilys Award. This award is given to the mystery titles booksellers most enjoyed selling throughout the year. The winning novel will be announced at the Left Coast Crime Convention in Sacremento on March 31. This year's nominees are:

Faithful Place: a novel by Tana French

Wicked autumn: a Max Tudor novel by G.M. Malliet

Dead end in Norvelt by Jack Gantos — justly deserved winning the Newbery. It is an entertaining as well enriching read set in 1962 Norvelt, Pennsylvania — a real place. Indeed, the story is partly autobiographical which is why the main character's name is Jackie Gantos. Jackie is grounded for the summer for doing a couple dumb things. He ends up having to be the "hired hands" for an arthritic elderly neighbor, Miss Volker. As he transcribes the obituaries for the local paper, a sinister pattern begins to emerge — far too many of the town's elderly are dying in rapid succession by bizarre causes. Zany characters and wild escapades are intermixed with fascinating historical facts about not only Norvelt, but renowned figures in world history.

Guess what? Our beloved mitten state is celebrating a major milestone Thursday — 175 years of Statehood! Time does fly, doesn't it? We've seen both good and bad events in our historical journey through time, plus we have given birth to numerous famous people. On this date in 1837, President Jackson signed the bill that officially made us the 26th state in the union. There are lots of ways you can celebrate this momentous occasion including baking a cake shaped like Michigan, take pictures of your neighborhood, write what you love about our great state, or check out some of our wonderful materials on Michigan.

Into board games like Settlers, Carcassonne, or Puerto Rico? Drop by Saturday, March 3 between Noon and 5:45 PM for our monthly Board Gaming League of Canton meeting. Play some of the hottest games and meet some new folks!

I'm talking about the book and also the horses…

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is about killer horses. Magical, man-eating, maiming-people-within-the-first-few-chapters horses from the sea. And people who ride them. Don't roll your eyes at me. I'm serious. And, it's brilliant. Stiefvater somehow pulls off this strange mix of horror and horses and romance. Yes, it's also a love story. It's also a broken people finding each other story. A turning to animals when others let you down story. The animals just happen to be man-eating horses from the sea. The result is nothing short of beautiful. Check it out.

The American Library Association has announced the winners of the 2012 Youth Media Awards. Here are the winners, with special mentions below:

Winners

Dead end in Norvelt by Jack Gantos — Newbery Medal.

A ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka — Caldecott Medal

Dead end in Norvelt by Jack Gantos — has been awarded the Newbery Medal for 2012.

Newbery Honor books for 2012 are:

Inside out & back again by Thanhha Lai

Breaking Stalin's nose by written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

2011 North American Hammett Prize nominees have been announced by the International Crime Writers Association — North American Branch. The organization will name the Hammett Prize winner, during the Bloody Words Conference, in Toronto, June 1-3, 2012. The winner will receive a bronze trophy, designed by sculptor Peter Boiger.

Feast day of fools: a novel by James Lee Burke

Claire DeWitt and the city of the dead [sound recording]: [a mystery] by Sara Gran

Breakdown by Sara Paretsky — A first time Skype Event at Nicola's Books. Sara Paretsky will join Nicola's Books patrons via an Internet video conference on Tuesday, January 31 at 7:00 PM. A screen and projector hooked to a laptop will bring Ms. Paretsky to you to discuss her new V.I. Warshawski.

Batman Arkam City tops the list with The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim and Minecraft. To view the entire list check out NPR. Is there anything the reviewers missed?