Locked Room Mysteries

A person is found dead, presumably murdered, but all the doors and windows to the room were locked.  How did it happen?  And more importantly, who did it?
This is the premise of the mystery sub-genre known as “locked room mysteries.”  However, this type of mystery doesn’t always happen in a locked room.  Sometimes the people [...]

Shelf Examination: Short Stories

Once upon a time, on a hectic blue planet, everybody was so busy earning a living, doing housework, feeding the dog, feeding the cat, feeding the marmoset, running errands, and surfing the internet, that nobody had time to read anymore.  So everybody in the book industry moved to upstate New York and raised goats instead of writing and publishing, [...]

Shelf Examination: GLBT Fiction

Today’s installment of Shelf Examination highlights the GLBT fiction collection, which combines genres to please the various reading tastes within the spectrum of people who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, intersexed, or otherwise queer.  So, whether you’re looking for a good mystery, an inspirational heart-warmer, or a supernatural thriller, you’ll find it here, written by, for, and [...]

Shelf Examination: Mystery

When the poor sap stumbled into my office, I could see he was desperate. “You’ve gotta help me,” he rasped. “You’re the only one who knows.”
I eyeballed his lanky form and decided he was more sinned against than sinner.  “Have a seat,” I said, and gestured to the battered computer chair where all my clients [...]

Shelf Examination: Historic Fiction

Ready to do the time-warp again?  Part three of this ongoing series whisks you around the world, by way of the wayback machine.
The Book: The Religion, Tim Willocks.
The Setting:  Malta, 1565
Check this out if you like:  Rogues, ruffians, and adventurers; extensive descriptions of bloody battles, religious or political intrigue, occasional touches of earthy eroticism, or subplots fueled by [...]

Celebrating National Library Week

Did you know that it’s National Library Week? Yes, it’s true – a whole week to love your library even more than you usually do. May we recommend some ways to celebrate?

Attend a library program! You can use our events calendar to find the right activity for you. In keeping with National Poetry Month, why [...]

The “It’s all good,” all-you-can-read, Eleventh Stack book buffet

Frequently, we library folks are asked to recommend a “good” book.  While we’re always happy to do this, the definition of “good” sometimes becomes a sticking point.
For example, in my personal readerly universe, the prospect of spending a few hours with Chicago’s only practicing wizard, Harry Dresden, is decidedly “good.” You, however, may prefer old-school [...]

Waxing gibbous

I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but a couple of years ago I took book clubs for granted. I led a weekly spirituality book club with a group of friends, and monthly book clubs with adults and teens at the library where I worked. In each situation I was reading things that we had [...]

Pittsburgh reads.

Congratulations, Pittsburgh: you’re the ninth most literate city in America. I knew Steve Jobs was wrong when he said people don’t read anymore. He just doesn’t know you like I know you, Pittsburgh.
You see, I see you everyday at the library, with your arms, briefcases, and backpacks full of books. I know you check out other things too, and [...]