Readers Dozen – FEBRUARY

February is usually a month when we get just a little tired of winter (though, this year hasn’t been too bad – fingers crossed), so we thought a literary trip somewhere warm would be a good idea. Our theme for READERS DOZEN this month is to read a book set in the tropics.

There’s still a great variety of places (Cuba, Malaysia, Madagascar) and genres (mystery, romance, travelogue), so you’re sure to find something that works for whatever mood you’re in (happy, anxious, quiet). Stop in and we’ll set you up with something – or check out this list: Goodreads Tropical Book Lists

 

The Way Back Machine – Best Sellers January 1992

We’re barreling through January 2019 – let’s slow things down a little with a good read. Stepping back to 1992 (which saw the election of Bill Clinton, the Winter Olympics in Albertville, and the launch of the Cartoon Network), we’re sure to find something fascinating in the New York Times Best Sellers list for the week of January 26.

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FICTION

1. Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley

2. Hideaway by Dean R. Koontz

3. Needful Things by Stephen King

4. No Greater Love by Danielle Steel

5. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

6. Night Over Water by Ken Follett

7. Blindsight by Robin Cook

8. The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy

9. The Firm by John Grisham

10. Lila by Robert M. Pirsig

11. Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

12. Line of Fire by W. E. B. Griffin

13. The Doomsday Conspiracy by Sidney Sheldon

14. Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock

15. Private Eyes by Jonathan Kellerman

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NONFICTION

1. Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart

2. Memories by Ralph Emery with Tom Carter

3. Backlash by Susan Faludi

4. Me: Stories of My Life by Katharine Hepburn

5. The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith

6. Plausible Denial by Mark Lane

7. Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She? by Molly Ivins

8. Uh-Oh by Robert Fulghum

9. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle by Susan Jeffers

10. Iron John by Robert Bly

11. The World Is My Home by James A. Michener

12. Parliament of Whores by P. J. O’Rourke

13. Under Fire by Oliver L. North with William Novak

14. Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle

15. J. Edgar Hoover by Curt Gentry

Take Ten: Martin Luther King, Jr.

In addition to the greater Civil Rights movement, next Monday we also honor Dr. King himself, an American hero whose own powerful personality helped drive change. If he had lived, he would have turned 90 years old on January 15. Read more about his extraordinary ability to inspire generations with one of these books:

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The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Drawing on King’s unpublished writings and other materials, a civil rights scholar assembles a first-person narrative of King’s life.

Becoming King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Making of a National Leader – Troy Jackson

• Unique portrait of the civil-rights struggle and how it shaped one of the country’s foremost revolutionaries. Martin Luther King Jr.’s transformation into the voice of America’s moral conscience would not have been possible without the influence of the grassroots warriors he met in Montgomery.

Behind the Dream: The Making of the Speech that Transformed a Nation – Clarence B. Jones and Stuart Connelly

• A thrilling, behind-the-scenes account of the weeks leading up to the great event, as told by Clarence Jones, co-writer of the speech and close confidant to King.

Burial for a King: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Funeral and the Week that Transformed Atlanta and Rocked the Nation – Rebecca Burns

• An unlikely alliance of former student radicals, the middle-aged patrician mayor, the no-nonsense police chief, black ministers, white churchgoers, Atlanta’s business leaders, King’s grieving family members, and his stunned SCLC colleagues worked to keep Atlanta safe, honor a murdered hero, and host the tens of thousands who came to pay tribute.

Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Last Campaign – Michael K. Honey

• Provides an in-depth history of the final crusade of Martin Luther King, Jr., against the economic injustices, racism, and lack of political power that marked 1968 Memphis and transformed the city into a struggle between the white upper crust that sought to prevent change and the black workers, activists, unionists, and black-power advocates that sought to bring about equality.

Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation – Jonathan Rieder

• Presents an account of the creation of King’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and the related protest march on Washington, offering insight into its timeless message and crucial position in the history of human rights.

Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin – Hampton Sides

• From the acclaimed bestselling author of “Ghost Soldiers” and “Blood and Thunder,” a taut, intense narrative about the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the largest manhunt in American history–a sixty-five-day search that led investigators to Canada, Portugal, and England.

King and the Other America: The Poor People’s Campaign and the Quest for Economic Equality – Sylvie Laurent

• The Poor People’s Campaign, designed by King in 1967 and carried out after his death, brought together impoverished Americans of all races to demand better wages, better jobs, better homes, and better education. He believed that not only a fight for rights but the radical distribution of wealth had to be demanded through interracial protest.

Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63– Taylor Branch

• Focuses on Martin Luther King, Jr., and the key moments that defined his rise to the forefront of the civil rights movement in America, from Rosa Parks’ arrest in Montgomery to King’s imprisonment in Birmingham and his triumphant march on Washington. Also read: Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963-65 and At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68.

The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. – Selected by Coretta Scott King

• A compilation of Dr. King’s most significant speeches and writings.

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Books to Movies 2019

Readers Dozen – JANUARY

This month, we’re challenging you to read a True Crime book. Whether you’re interested in a historical crime, like the Lindbergh kidnapping, or something that happened last year, such as the capture of the Golden State killer, we can help find a book that feeds your need. You can ask for a recommendation, or pick up one of our display books.

Need more ideas? Check out these sites:

33 Great True-Crime Books, According to Crime Writers (vulture.com)

The 16 Best True Crime Books of All Time (time.com)

True Crime Books (goodreads.com)