The Way Back Machine – Best Sellers 2009

We’re gearing up for Thanksgiving, so let’s make today’s trek to the past just a short hop – I think you can remember most of these, right? (And, if not, you might want to bulk up on the broccoli next week!)

In addition to the books listed below, 2009 was the year that:

• Somali pirates hijacked the Maersk Alabama; Captain Richard Phillips was rescued four days later. (April 8)
• Michael Jackson died. (June 25)
• Windows 7 launched, replacing the much maligned Windows Vista OS. (October 22)

Take a quick ride back and pick up one of the books you missed reading the first time around! Titles are from the New York Times Best Seller list for the week of November 22, 2009.

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FICTION

1. Ford County by John Grisham

2. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

3. Kindred in Death by J. D. Robb

4. The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

5. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

6. True Blue by David Baldacci

7. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

8. Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn

9. The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell

10. Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving

11. No Less Than Victory by Jeff Shaara

12. Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly

13. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

14. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

15. Heat Wave by Richard Castle

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NONFICTION

1. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

2. Superfreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

3. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

4. Arguing with Idiots by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe and Others

5. The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons

6. The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe

7. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

8. The Sellout by Charles Gasparino

9. Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin

10. When the Game Was Ours by Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson with Jackie Macmullan

11. The Time of My Life by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi

12. True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy

13. Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz

14. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

15. Bon Jovi by Jon Bon Jovi

Take Ten: War Movies

If you’re looking for something to binge-watch this weekend, why not watch a few war movies in observation of Veterans’ Day tomorrow. The best ones not only reflect what the experience is like for the combatants, they also show us the inhumanity and the humanity of war (and maybe help us understand how to prevent them in the future). Besides, some are just plain good entertainment!

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Grab one of these:

All Quiet on the Western Front (WWI)

Black Hawk Down (Operation Restore Hope: Somalia)

Drums Along the Mohawk (Revolutionary War)

Glory (Civil War)

Green Zone (Iraq)

The Great Escape (WWII)

The Last of the Mohicans (French and Indian War)

Pork Chop Hill (Korean War)

The Thin Red Line (WWII)

We Were Soldiers (Vietnam War)

NaNoWriMo 2016

It’s NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth! Your challenge: Write a 50,000 novel in 30 days. We know you can do it!

Check out nanowrimo.org and register for free – you’ll get access to forums with other writers, pep talks and other writing tips, and a chance to “officially” list your word count (you know, for those of us who need to answer to an authority greater than ourselves).

Don’t forget that the Library is a great place to write if you need a quiet change. Plus, we’re throwing a “Write-In” on Tuesday, November 15 from 6:30-8:30 PM, a time to share, commiserate, inspire, and snack!

The next big Best Seller may be rattling around in your brain – let it out this November!