The Library Opens on Sundays Starting September 7th

Starting September 7th, the library will be open from 1p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, through the end of May 2009.

DNC Fever

The Democratic National Convention kicks off today, to jeers or cheers depending on your political position. Whatever your politics, you might be interested in these books for and against the Democratic candidate in the spotlight this week.

In Obama : from promise to power, Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendell offers a compelling look at the candidate. Ricky L. Jones uses Barack Obama's presidential campaign to explore issues of black leadership in America, as well as the challenges Obama will face as a black man seeking power on the national stage, in What's wrong with Obamamania? : Black America, Black leadership, and the death of political imagination. Jerome R. Corsi's Obama nation : leftist politics and the cult of personality argues that an Obama presidency would harm the nation, and attempts to counter the spin that the Democratic party will be revving up this week. The Case against Barack Obama : the unlikely rise and unexamined agenda of the media's favorite candidate by David Freddoso is another negative biography, arguing that Obama's liberalism and inexperience are dangerous to national security. And Obama shares his own vision of the future in The audacity of hope : thoughts on reclaiming the American dream. Finally, Sen. Joseph Biden, Obama's chosen running mate, discusses his life and principles in his autobiography Promises to keep : on life and politics.

Of course, it's not just Obama and Biden on stage this week. National attention is focussed on the Democratic Party as a whole, and plenty of authors have an opinion on the health and future of the Dems. Both sides are well represented; for example: David Limbaugh sounds off in Bankrupt : the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of today's democratic party, while Gary Hart calls for unity in The courage of our convictions : a manifesto for Democrats.

That said, partisan politics can be a little silly, if you think about it. If that's the mood you're in, you might enjoy the bipartisan humor of You know you're a Republican/Democrat if...

Let the debate continue!

Beijing 2008

The official coverage of the Olympics is pretty comprehensive, but if you're wishing for a better sense of what it's like for citizens, athletes, and spectators in the city itself, you can't get better than this series of candid images from professional photographer Kris Krüg, based out of Vancouver. Kris is in Beijing on assignment, but he's taking a slew of photojournalistic shots on the side and posting them to his Flickr account. It's well worth a look--or in my case, the better part of a hour.

If you've got Olympic fever, we've got a few books you might be interested in. The origins of the Games are detailed in Nigel Spivey's The Ancient Olympics: A History. You could follow that with Allen Guttmann's The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games. A good reference to have on hand while watching coverage of the 2008 games (epecially if you're watching with kids) is The Encyclopedia of the Summer Olympics. And The Olympics : Unforgettable Moments of the Games is chock full of photos to feed the fever.

Now back to NBC!

The New Russia

The Georgia-Russia Conflict is the lead story in international news this week. Russia: Opposing Viewpoints offers some good background information on the political situation. Putin's labyrinth : spies, murder, and the dark heart of the new Russia gives a darker view of the "real story" inside the Russian Federation. For a historical view, try Russia and the Russians : a history, from Harvard University Press (2001). And A history of modern Russia from Nicholas II to Vladimir Putin will bring you almost up to date.

A more academic view of international tensions within the former Soviet Union can be found in Reviving greater Russia? : the future of Russia's borders with Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Ukraine from the American Foreign Policy Council.

But if all this is just getting you down, why not unwind with a good mystery? You might try Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express, by Stuart Kaminsky--just to keep with the theme.

R.I.P. Bernie Mac

Chicago-born entertainer Bernie Mac passed away on Saturday, and the world lost a great comic. You can find out more about Bernie Mac's life in the biography Maybe You Never Cry Again. Or, why not check out The Bernie Mac Show on DVD?

What comes next?

With some authors, it's easy to tell what book comes next in a given series: Janet Evanovich'sStephanie Plum books are all numbered (One for the Money, Two for the Dough,...), and Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone books go through the alphabet in order (A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar,...). But authors and publishers are not always that helpful! Luckily, there are websites that let you search by character name, series title, author, or individual book title, and find a list of all the books in a given series.

Kent District Library has one, as does the Los Angeles Public Library. (I usually use the KDL, although the LAPL includes brief summaries of books and series.) If you're looking for the sequel to a Teen or Children's book, try the Mid-Continent Public Library, with over 24,500 titles aimed at readers 12th grade and below.