Bible Fiction are stories whose characters may not all be real people and contain some events which may not be true, but are generally based on background history, stories or prophecies from the Bible.

This story is one of the winners of the Harry Potter Fan Fiction Contest. Congratulations!

Chapter 1. Tundra

The first feeble rays of sunlight were just starting to appear on the horizon. Papa raised himself slowly and stood in the center of what was left of our nest. He stretched his powerful wings and ruffled his majestic, white feathers. Settling himself back down into a seated position, we all drew in closer to the warmth of his body. The dreaded time was approaching, but it had not yet arrived. For a few precious moments, we all still had each other.

This story is one of the winners of the Harry Potter Fan Fiction Contest. Congratulations!

The snow fell in a storm of white all around the festive old town. In the backyard of a house far into the country the snow changed colors as it fell. Children ran through the snow playing with their toy broomsticks hovering slightly above the snow. Adults watched the kids through the windows laughing at their merriment. A few older kids and teens whizz around through the snow on actual brooms. A young boy around the age of eleven touched back to the ground and ran for the door to the house.

This story is one of the winners of the Harry Potter Fan Fiction Contest. Congratulations!

“MREOW!!” the kitten yowled, “MREOW!!”

Mundungus Fletcher walked quickly through the streets of Diagon Alley, holding a bag full of ginger Persian cats. He tried to look unconcerned and casual, but his glances back and forth, quick steps and ducked head showed that he had just stolen. Inside the bag, six kittens and a mother squirmed and wiggled. Five kittens had ginger and white stripes, pug-like faces and bright blue eyes. But the sixth kitten was obviously the leader. He was larger than all of the others, but where his brothers and sisters had slightly flat features, his face looked like it had been smashed with a frying pan. There were mats in his soft long fur, and he switched his long tail from side to side as he climbed to the top of the bag.

This story is one of the winners of the Harry Potter Fan Fiction Contest. Congratulations!

She was beautiful. Harry watched as Ginny sat down at the base of the apple tree in the backyard of the Burrow. He wanted to kick himself for not noticing her for all those years. If he hadn't been so blind, they would have had years together. Years of running his fingers through her hair, years of kissing in the common room, years of clandestine meetings—like this one. He walked up and sat beside her. “Hey Gin.”

Ginny turned and smiled wistfully. Harry. Kind, wonderful Harry, who was pushing her away for her own protection. Sweet, stubborn Harry, who refused to believe that she was already a prime target in the war. Strong, brave Harry, who had taught her not to be afraid of the man who had once possessed her, to say Voldemort's name. He was everything to her. “Hi Harry.”

How about discussing a book by a Michigan author and/or story-based in Michigan?

Shadow of a doubt by William J. Coughlin

The complete short stories of Ernest Hemingway by Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961

Legends of the fall by Jim Harrison

The Neon Rain by James L. Burke — James Lee Burke, author of the award-winning Dave Ribocheaux series and a series featuring Billy Bob Holland, Texas attorney and his cousin, Texas sheriff Hackberry Holland, was born this month on December 5, 1936.

Millions of fans wait for Nora Roberts' lively books filled with romance, humor, and a little suspense here and there.

Lovers of dogs and/or dog stories will be delighted to know that a deluge of delights awaits them this publishing season. Here is but a sampling of some recent dog tales. Take your pick of the litter!

A dog called Homeless by Sarah Lean

The vanishing by Christopher Holt

The dogs of winter by Bobbie Pyron

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross [sound recording] by James Patterson

Twelve drummers drumming [sound recording]: a mystery by C.C.

1225 Christmas Tree Lane [sound recording] by Debbie Macomber

A fool's gold Christmas [sound recording] by Susan Mallery

An O'Brien family Christmas [sound recording] by Sherryl Woods

The Christmas wedding [sound recording] by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo

The dogs of winter by Bobbie Pyron is an incredible, heart-pounding survival story based on fact.  Ivan is but one of 80,000 to 2 million homeless children forced to fend for himself in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. Most of these abandoned children form packs and live in vacant buildings and/or underground train stations. What distinguishes four year old Ivan Mishukov is his decision to depend on a pack of feral street dogs instead of other children for his survival.  For two years they eek out an existence together, helping one another just as a family would.  Enduring the brutal Russian winters with temperatures often twenty below zero is almost beyond belief.  As Ivan is later quoted as saying, "I was better off with the dogs.

If you enjoyed A Great and Terrible Beauty, try one of these:

Clockwork angel by Cassandra Clare

Grave mercy by Robin LaFevers

The diviners by Libba Bray

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle

Michigan's own Elmore Leonard was awarded The National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the ceremony announcing the 2012 winners of the National Book Award.

The round house by Louise Erdrich

The beginner's goodbye [large print] by Anne Tyler

Breakdown [large print] by Sara Paretsky

Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden cookbook: [large print] Hannah Swensen's recipes from the cookie jar by Joanne Fluke

At Bertram's hotel [large print]: a Miss Marple mystery by Agatha Christie

Thanksgiving Day kicks off a month of celebrations. May we suggest a movie, tips from Martha Stewart on Thanksgiving prepartions, a history, music to sooth, and a story about family.

Planes, trains and automobiles [videodisc] by Paramount Pictures

Martha's classic Thanksgiving [videodisc] by [presented by] Marth Stewart Living Omnimedia

Mayflower: a story of courage, community, and war by Nathaniel Philbrick

Read the book? See the movie. Throughout the month of November, Turner Classic Movies is featuring film adaptations of well-known novels. The films run 24 hours on Mondays and Wednesdays. A variety of themes are featured including Southern Novels, Adventure, American Literature, Westerns, Science Fiction and more. Stories for Children and Young Adults will be shown all day on Thanksgiving Day.

Several major films being released this fall and winter are based on novels you can find in the Library's collection. Get them while you can!

Les misérables by Victor Hugo — Starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe. Release date: December 25

On the road by Jack Kerouac — Starring Kristen Stewart, Sam Riley. Release date: December 21

Chinese writer Mo Yan 莫言, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, set much of his fiction in his home province Shandong, China. His books touch on many of contemporary China’s most sensitive themes, including the Cultural Revolution and the country's strict family-planning policies. The award citation states that "Mo Yan has created a world reminiscent in its complexity of those in the writings of William Faulkner and Gabriel García Márquez, at the same time finding a departure point in old Chinese literature and in oral tradition." CPL has many of his works in Chinese, a couple in English translations, as well as a DVD of his Red Sorghum.

Favorite children's author Steven Kellogg celebrated his birthday on October 26. He has written many fun and silly books for kids. Check some of them out:

A-hunting we will go! by Steven Kellogg

Pecos Bill: a tall tale by retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg