Because I Love Her: 34 Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond edited by Andrea N. Richesin

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Tim Egan

Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, Or How Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper

Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free by Charles P. Fierce

The Pearl Diver by Jeff Talarigo is the Canton Seniors Book Group final selection for this year. Copies of the book will be distributed at the May 26, 2010 meeting. After May 26  copies ask for a copy at the Canton Public Library's Adult Reference Desk. Participants must register with the Senior Adult Department at the Summit by calling (734) 394-5485. If you have questions, contact Joyce Simowski or Elaine Skrzynski at the Canton Public Library (734) 397-0999.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver is the selected book in March. Copies of the book will be distributed at the February 24, 2010 meeting or can be picked up at the Canton Public Library's Adult Reference Desk after February. Participants must register with the Senior Adult Department at the Summit by calling (734) 394-5485. If you have questions, contact Joyce Simowski or Elaine Skrzynski at the Canton Public Library (734) 397-0999.

Here is where the landscape, the country, and the people all play a part in forming life-changing experiences in the real and fictional worlds of Africa!

• The challenge for Africa by Wangari Maathai
• A beautiful place to die by Malla Nunn
• Ivory's ghosts: the white gold of history and the fate of elephants by John F. Walker
• Playing the enemy: Nelson Mandela and the game that made a nation by John Carlin
• Cry, the beloved country by Alan Paton
• A change of altitude by Anita Shreve
• Tea time for the traditionally built by Alexander McCall Smith
• The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips
• The laughter of dead kings by Elizabeth Peters
• Heart of darkness by Joseph Conrad

Tend to procrastinate? Need to improve your time management skills? If so, take some advice from Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. His secret to ending procrastination? Tackle the biggest, most challenging task of your day first thing. That's your "frog," says Tracy. If you're like many people, you'll instead try to complete several quick, easy and/or enjoyable tasks first thing in the morning. You'll learn why it's so important to "eat that frog" first, along with loads of other useful time management tips. No time to read a book, you say? No problem! Listen to the audiobook (on CDs) in your car while driving to work or running errands.

April's reading selection is Forgetfulness by Ward Just. Copies of the book will be distributed at the March 24, 2010 meeting or can be picked up at the Canton Public Library's Adult Reference Desk after March 24. Participants must register with the Canton Senior Adult Department at the Summit by calling (734) 394-5485. If you have questions, contact Joyce Simowski or Elaine Skrzynski at the Canton Public Library (734) 397-0999.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger is the Canton Seniors Book Group May selection. Copies of the book will be distributed at the May 26, 2010 meeting or can be picked up at the Canton Public Library's Adult Reference Desk after May 26. Participants must register with the Senior Adult Department at the Summit by calling (734) 394-5485. If you have questions, contact Joyce Simowski or Elaine Skrzynski at the Canton Public Library (734) 397-0999.

This month, the Canton Seniors Book Group will discuss the Everyone's Reading 2010 selection, Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow.  Copies of the book will be distributed at the January 27, 2010 meeting or can be picked up at the Canton Public Library's Adult Reference Desk after January 27th.  Participants must register with the Senior Adult Department at the Summit by calling 734-394-5485. If you have questions, contact Joyce Simowski or Elaine Skrzynski at the Canton Public Library (734-397-0999).

The Canton Seniors Book Group will be discussing the 1994 ALA Black Caucus Award winning book A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines.  Copies of the book will be distributed at the November 18, 2009 meeting or can be picked up at the Canton Public Library's Adult Reference Desk after November 18th.  Participants must register with the Senior Adult Department at the Summit by calling 734-394-5485. If you have questions, contact Joyce Simowski or Elaine Skrzynski at the Canton Public Library (734-397-0999).

From October 26-30, you are invited to participate in a unique, virtual dialogue on "Stealing Buddha's Dinner" with individuals from other Michigan communities, high schools, colleges, and others. Questions emanating from Bich's tour visit Oct 13-17, as well as from her memoir, will be posed to stimulate dialogue on immigration stories, cultural understanding, and contemporary history.

Discussion will occur on the Great Michigan Read Facebook Discussion Board, beginning October 26. We look forward to the conversation and your participation!

Bouchercon 2010 will be held in San Francisco this year, October 14 - 17.  Bouchercon is the World Mystery Convention. Every year readers, writers, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers and other lovers of crime fiction gather for a long weekend of both education and entertainment. Panel discussions, author signings, awards, and more are available throughout this four day conference. This year's Guests of Honor are Lee Childs, Denise Mina, Laurie R. King, Eddie Muller, and Maddy van Hertbruggen. 

For more information visit Bouchercon by the Bay 2010.

Bouchercon 2010 is a memory now. Named in honor of the late Anthony Boucher — mystery writer, mystery critic and mystery fan — this largest world mystery convention met in San Francisco and has been dubbed "Bouchercon by the Bay." Bouchercon emphasizes the best in mystery fiction by providing the setting for the presentation the Macavity Awards, the Barry Awards, the Shamus Awards, Bouchercon’s own Anthony Awards, and the Crimespree and Derringer awards. Carol Thomas' Mystery Series Examiner column has a complete list of the nominees and awards.

Bouchercon 2011 — Spirits of St. Louis will meet September 15-18 in St. Louis, Missouri.

[Logo: Private Eye Writers of America 2010]

This month, the Canton Seniors Book Discussion group which is held at The Summit, will meet on the third Wednesday of the month, November 18th. at 2:00PM to discuss The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg. Ms. Berg's novel looks at the consequences of one family member's revelations at an annual family reunion. Copies of Ms. Berg's book are available at Canton Public Library at the Adult Reference Desk.

Stuart Kaminsky, a former Grandmaster of the Mystery Writers of America and author of many mystery series and stand-alone novels, died Friday, October 9, 2009 at the age of 75. His four series featuring Lew Fonesca, Abe Lieberman,Toby Peters,and Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov were extremely popular. Kaminsky's Inspector Rostnikov novel A Cold Red Sunrise received the 1989 Edgar Award for Best Novel. He earned six other Edgar nominations, most recently for the 2005 non-fiction book "Behind the Mystery: Top Mystery Writers Interviewed", which was also nominated for an Anthony Award, a Macavity Awards, and an Agatha Award.

The North American Branch of the Association of Crime Writers announced that The Turnaround by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown), has been named the winner of the organization's annual Hammett Prize for a work of literary excellence in the field of crime writing.

Hilary Mantel’s historical novel set in 16th-century Britain has won the £50,000 ($79,400) Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Wolf Hall (Fourth Estate) is the story of Thomas Cromwell’s tumultuous rise in the Tudor court.

The wind turbine pictured here is one of 32 harnessing clean electricity on Harvest Wind Farm in Elkton, MI. (I took this photo during a summer trip to the Thumb Area.) Michigan Wind 1, with 46 turbines, is another wind farm located just north of Elkton in Ubly, MI. Major energy companies like DTE and Consumers Energy are tapping into these and other wind farms in Michigan to supply electric power to their customers. Combined, both wind farms generate about 122 megawatts of electricity — enough to power roughly 35,000 homes.

Wind, solar and geothermal are among the most promising methods to generate clean, renewable energy. You can learn more about a clean energy future by reading Hot, Flat and Crowded, by Thomas Friedman, best-selling author and Pulitzer-prize winning columnist from The New York Times.

Browsing CPL's huge collection of audiobooks can be daunting. So many books to listen to, and so little time. Let us help narrow the search with some nonfiction titles--they were all up for awards, so you know they must be good!

Author Colin Dexter, the creator of British Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse and his onetime “sidekick,” Robbie Lewis, who is now the star of his own excellent TV series (Inspector Lewis) celebrated his 79th birthday this week.

Lyn Hamilton, author of the Lara McClintoch series passed away last month on September 10.  Ms. Hamilton's Arthur Ellis Award nominated series featured Canadian antiques dealer and amateur detective,  Lara McClintoch.