PaperCuts

Louis Dearborn LaMoore, the man we know as the writer Louis L'Amour, was born 100 years ago on March 22, 1908.  Here are some highlights of his life, adapted from his online biography: 
L'Amour spent his early life in North Dakota, but after finanancial hard times hit the nation he wandered the country working odd jobs and meeting many memorable characters that would later become the basis for the characters in his books.  He only had formal schooling through the 10th grade, but he had a thirst for knowledge that he satistified through visiting libraries and bookstores, often going without meals so that he could buy books.  He liked to brag that from 1928 to 1942 he read more than 150 non-fiction books a year.  His writing career started with poetry and short story submissions to literary pulp magazines, but didn't really take off until his return from Europe where he was sent as a soldier in World War II.  A friend advised him to consider writing westerns, and so he did.  He caught his big break when one of his stories was adapted as the movie Hondo in 1953.  From then on he enjoyed a productive career as a writer, until his death from cancer in 1987.
I can't think of a better way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of L'Amour's birth by reading one of his books or by reading about his life.   Do you have a favorite L'Amour book or story?  Please share in the comments below.

Posted on March 22, 2008 by Deb at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The literary world is mourning the passing of Arthur C. Clarke.  I know many of our readers will be sad to hear of his death.  He will be long remembered, who can ever forget the writer of 2001: A Space Odyssey?  I recall reading that book and just being blown away by the fantastic ending.  Clarke had the ability to create scenes and characters (who can forget the supercomputer HAL) that stick with a reader long after putting down one of his books.  Feel free to share and thoughts you have about Clarke and his writing with a comment below, and for more about Clarke's life and accomplishments check out his obituary from the Washington Post. In it he is quoted as saying  "I want to be remembered most as a writer -- one who entertained readers, and, hopefully, stretched their imagination as well"  I have no doubt that he will be.

Posted on March 19, 2008 by Deb at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are you ready for St. Patrick's day?  Here is an Irish themed booklist I put together which should put you in the mood for the upcoming holiday:

FICTION

A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry

Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy

Murphy’s Law: A Molly Murphy Mystery by Rhys Bowen

Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane

Dubliners by James Joyce

A Midwinter’s Tale by Andrew Greeley

Patrick: Son of Ireland by Steve Lawhead

Druids by Morgan Llywelyn

Call me the Breeze by Patrick McCabe

Charming Billy by Alice McDermott

Irish Magic II

The New Dubliners

Posted on March 11, 2008 by Deb at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Start your year off right and join a book discussion group!
So Many Books, So Little Time Book Discussion Group
Always wanted to join a book group, but never made the time?  If you want to read well-crafted, contemporary, literary works and discuss them with interested readers, then this book group is for you!  Everyone is welcome and books are provided.

Mark your calendar
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Sunday, February 24, 3-5 pm, Menninger Room 206
Call 580-4540 to register, or e-mail us that you plan to attend.

(read more about the book and get a sneak peek at our discussion topics after the cut)

Continue reading "Read and Discuss: Plainsong by Kent Haruf" »

Posted on February 02, 2008 by Deb at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted on January 31, 2008 by Anne at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Margaret Truman Daniel, the only child of former President Harry Truman, has died. She was 83.

Daniel died this morning in Chicago following a brief illness, according to the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence. She had been living in an assisted living facility there for the past several weeks and was on a respirator, the library said.

For the rest of the article, click here.

Thanks to staffer Susan for this entry!

Posted on January 29, 2008 by Anne at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two cases of plagiarism in the news (via CNN.com):

NEW YORK (AP) -- An author who claims Jerry Seinfeld's wife plagiarized her cookbook sued the famous couple on Monday, finding no humor when the comedian compared the three-name author to the three-name killers of John Lennon and Martin Luther King Jr.

The lawsuit, seeking unspecified damages for copyright and trademark infringement, was brought in U.S. District Court in Manhattan by Missy Chase Lapine, the author of "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals."

"Jerry Seinfeld is an enormously wealthy and well-known comedian, and Jessica Seinfeld is his wife, but that does not give them license to slander and plagiarize," the lawsuit said.

The Seinfelds' lawyer, Richard Menaker, disputed Lapine's claims of defamation and plagiarism and suggested Lapine was seeking publicity to boost her book's sales.
Continue reading this article here.

Also:
NEW YORK (AP) -- A popular romance novelist who's been criticized for allegedly lifting material has angered the biggest name in the genre: Nora Roberts.

A romance novel Web site, http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com, has posted numerous excerpts from Cassie Edwards' novels and placed them alongside passages from magazines and nonfiction books that were found by using the Google search program.

Roberts, whose fiction has sold hundreds of millions of copies, told The Associated Press on Thursday that "it seems clear" Edwards acted improperly.

"Given the side-by-side comparisons I've read, it seems clear Ms. Edwards copied considerable portions of previously published work and used them in her books without attribution to the original source," Roberts wrote in an e-mail to the AP. "By my definition, copying another's work and passing it as your own equals plagiarism. As a writer, a reader and a victim of plagiarism, I feel very strongly on this issue. I'm not a lawyer, but I can't see it as fair use, or fair anything when one writer takes another's work."
Continue reading this article here.

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Meghan at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In sad news, from CNN.com:

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fantasy author Terry Pratchett has admitted that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease -- but says he plans to continue writing his multi-million selling Discworld books.

Pratchett, 59 -- whose books have, according to his Web site, sold more than 45 million copies worldwide in 33 languages -- suffered what he called a "phantom stroke" earlier this year.

In a statement titled "an embuggerance" on the Web site of Discworld illustrator Paul Kidby, Pratchett says that he has been diagnozed with what he terms "a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's."

"I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news," says Pratchett, who has a strong following among fans of fantasy fiction.
Continue reading this article here.

In follow-up news to this story about Robert Jordon’s passing:

PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Brandon Sanderson, author of the fantasy "Mistborn" series, will finish Robert Jordan's final novel.

Jordan, whose real name was James Oliver Rigney Jr., died from a blood disease in September in South Carolina. He was working on the 12th book in his "Wheel of Time" fantasy series at the time of his death.

More than 44 million books in the "Wheel of Time" series have been sold worldwide, according to publisher Tor Books. The final book is titled "A Memory of Light."

"To me, Robert Jordan is still kind of a mythological figure," Sanderson told the Daily Herald of Provo. "I would have done this with no credit and no payment, to be perfectly honest."
Continue reading this article here.

 

Posted on December 13, 2007 by Meghan at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I just got this note from local author Judith Miller and thought I would pass the news along:

Posted on December 12, 2007 by Deb at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From The New York Times:

Elizabeth Hardwick, the critic, essayist, fiction writer and co-founder of The New York Review of Books, who went from being a studious Southern Belle to a glittering member of the New York City intellectual elite, died Sunday night in Manhattan. She was 91.

Her death, at a Manhattan hospital, was confirmed today by her daughter, Harriet Lowell.

Known mainly as a critic, and credited for expanding the possibilities of the literary essay through her intimate tone and her dramatic deployment of forceful logic, Ms. Hardwick nevertheless resisted easy classification. Although born into a large Protestant family in Lexington, Ky., she had her eye on New York City and its culture from an early age.
Continue reading this article here.

 

Posted on December 06, 2007 by Meghan at 08:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In very sad news, from CNN.com:

Norman Mailer, the outspoken writer whose prize-winning works made him a towering figure on the American stage for more than 50 years, is dead. He was 84.

Mailer died about 4:30 a.m. Saturday at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, his literary executor, J. Michael Lennon, said.

Author of "The Naked and the Dead," "The Armies of the Night" and "The Executioner's Song," Mailer was probably the most famous of the generation of writers who came of age after World War II -- he was certainly the most colorful, and most pugnaciously so.

He wrote constantly: novels, screenplays, articles (he was a key figure in the "New Journalism" movement of the 1960s), poems, polemics. He co-founded the Village Voice. He was married six times.
Continue reading this article here.

 

Posted on November 10, 2007 by Meghan at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier author Ishmael Beah will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, in the Washburn Room, Memorial Union, Washburn University. The event is free and open to the public.  More information is available on the Washburn website.
I would strongly encourage those who can attend to go hear Beah's story.  I listened to him narrate the audio version of his book and to hear his accented voice tell his own story was very powerful.  He has a way with words and creates vivid picture of his life in Sierra Leone.  The book covers his life as a boy before he is displaced by rebel soldiers, as a boy soldier forced to fight with the rebels, and during and after his rehabilitation.  While it is not always an easy book to listen to, first hand accounts of the struggle's faced by others in the world are important for us to know about so that we can change our world for the better. 

Posted on October 26, 2007 by Deb at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Reuters:

NEW YORK - Best-selling author Nora Roberts won book of the year on Monday at the third annual Quill Awards, which were created to bring glamour and red carpet extravagance to the world of publishing.

“Romance rocks,” Roberts told the crowd after accepting her award, which was voted online by the public, for a romance/thriller novel “Angels Fall” published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore was also among the 19 Quill Award winners, announced at a black-tie event attended by celebrities including actresses Brooke Shields and Joan Allen and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.

Read the rest of the article here.

Posted on October 23, 2007 by Anne at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted on October 11, 2007 by Meghan at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As Banned Books Week winds to a close, I can't help but think about all the books and authors I've read over the years who have made this list. From the ALA website, here's a list of the 10 most challenged books from 2006:

• “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, for homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group;
• “Gossip Girls” series by Cecily Von Ziegesar for homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, and offensive language;
• “Alice” series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor for sexual content and offensive language;
• “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things” by Carolyn Mackler for sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
• “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison for sexual content, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
• “Scary Stories” series by Alvin Schwartz for occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, and insensitivity;
• “Athletic Shorts” by Chris Crutcher for homosexuality and offensive language;
• “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky for homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
• “Beloved” by Toni Morrison for offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group; and
• “The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier for sexual content, offensive language, and violence.

Off the list this year, but on for several years past, are the “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.

Of the books listed, I've read most of them. I love the Alice series by Naylor and have read every single one. Scary Stories scared me to death as a child, but I secretly bought my own copies and hid them under my bed, reading them a few at a time until I couldn't take the fright anymore. I've enjoyed all of Carolyn Mackler's books, but for the life of me I can't see what all the fuss is about over The Earth, My Butt... Mostly, I'm surprised that J.K. Rowling and Judy Blume missed the list this year, as well as Stephen King.

Celebrate your freedom to read by choosing a title from the top 100 list. Want to hear what it's like to be a banned author? Listen to my podcast with author Maureen Johnson about her banned book The Bermudez Triangle (and check her blog for updates about action she's taking to get it unbanned). Visit the ALA website to find out more great ways to fight against censorship!

Posted on October 05, 2007 by Meghan at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Quills book award, sponsored by NBC and Reed Business Information, is a "consumers choice" book award.  A panel of booksellers and librarians have already chosen the finalists for "book of the year" from 19 categories.  But the final winner is up to YOU.  Will it be Sissy Spacek's audio recording of To Kill a Mockingbird, Diane Setterfield's debut novel The Thirteenth Tale,  David Weisner's picture book Flotsam, or one of the many other choices?  Go to the Quills website to cast your vote--but hurry, you only have until October 10th.  The winner will be announced at the Quill Awards program which will be televised by NBC on Saturday, October 27th.

Posted on October 04, 2007 by Deb at 02:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Outside In is the 1^st novel of actress Courtney Thorne-Smith.  It is a light-hearted look at what happens when everything is falling apart.

Posted on October 01, 2007 by Meghan at 04:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Did you know that many authors run contests on their websites to give readers free books and other prizes?

Search for the websites of your favorite authors, and check to see if they offer a contest for their readers. I just checked the websites of my two favorite romance authors - Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Crusie – and took a moment to enter their current contests.

If you would rather enter lots of contests to increase your chances of winning something, several book-themed websites compile a list each month of available contests. Visit Fresh Fiction for great new fiction reviews and list of current contests. Or, try Writerspace to connect with romance readers and writers, and enjoy links to author’s pages with contests.

The Internet connects authors to their readers, but the trade off for free contests is that most contest entries automatically add you to that author’s mailing list for e-mail newsletters and announcements.  

Posted on September 24, 2007 by Lissa at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wyoming libraries are lauching advertising campaigns for library services throughout their state. This bumper sticker is designed to advertise an Auto Repair database available to Wyoming residents. What do you think of their new campaign?
Don't be too jealous - our library here in Topeka offers access to Auto Repair Referece Center, which I think is just as sexy as the Auto Repair database in Wyoming! What kind of advertising would you like to see for our Topeka library services?

Posted on September 21, 2007 by Lissa at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From CNN.com:

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (AP) -- Author Robert Jordan, whose "Wheel of Time" series of fantasy novels sold millions of copies, has died of a rare blood disease, his aide said Monday. He was 58.

Jordan, whose real name was James Oliver Rigney Jr., died Sunday at the Medical University of South Carolina of complications from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy, his personal assistant, Maria Simons, said. The disease attacks the body's major organs; in Jordan's case, it caused the walls of his heart to thicken.

He wrote a trilogy of historical novels set in Charleston under the pen name Reagan O'Neal in the early 1980s. Then he turned his attention to fantasy and the first volume in his Wheel of Time epic, "The Eye of the World," was published in 1990 under the name Robert Jordan.
Continue reading this article here.

 

Posted on September 17, 2007 by Meghan at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

 I just received this in an e-mail from amazon.com...

"As 2007 reached its halfway point, we pulled our heads up from our reading long enough to choose four lists of our favorite books of the hundreds we've seen in the first six months of the year. See Amazon.com's top 10s of 2007 (so far) in fiction , nonfiction , books for children and teens , and some hidden gems . "

I love this idea, because by the time the actual "Best of 2007" lists are being published at the end of the year, I am busy thinking about the holidays and my family and don't have as much time to read.

Have you read any of the picks from Amazon?
Do you agree with their lists?
What is the best book you have read in 2007 (so far)?

Posted on August 25, 2007 by Lissa at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From CNN.com:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Poet and short story writer Grace Paley, a literary eminence and old-fashioned rebel who described herself as a "combative pacifist," has died. She was 84.

Paley, who had battled breast cancer, died Wednesday at her home in Thetford Hill, Vermont, according to her husband, playwright Robert Nichols.

A published writer since the 1950s, Paley released only a handful of books over the next half century, mostly short stories and poems. Writing was a passion, but not a compulsion: She never felt the need to put every experience into words. Her fiction, although highly praised, competed for time with work, activism, family and friends.

"None of it happened, and yet every word of it is true," she once said of her fiction. "It's truth embedded in the lie."
Continue reading this article here.

Posted on August 23, 2007 by Meghan at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Where you fall in poll of U.S. reading habits – from cnn.com August 21, 2007
 

“One in four adults say they read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Of those who did read, women and seniors were most avid, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices.

Since you are reading a library blog, I’m guessing you might be an above-average reader. What is your best idea for encouraging more people to read? For attracting new readers to the library? For encouraging people to read more?
Share your comments, and maybe your idea will start a reading revolution!!

Posted on August 22, 2007 by Lissa at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

“A number of authors and celebrities are participating in “What Book Got You Hooked?”— a national awareness campaign from First Book, the children’s literacy organization that provides new books to children from low-income families. The 15-year-old organization has just given its 50 millionth book to children in need.”

Read more about the project in the Publisher’s Weekly article “

BONUS - read the celebrity reading list on the First Book website. Check out the top 50 books that got America hooked on reading (over 100,000 people responded to their poll!)

QUESTION – which book got you hooked on reading?
Post your comment below.

Posted on August 14, 2007 by Lissa at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter share their birthday today! Rowling is turning 42 while Harry, in real time, is turning 27 today. Happy Birthday!

Now that you've read the final installment in the Harry Potter series (or if you haven't, try to snag a copy off our Best Seller Express or put yourself on the waiting list), it's time to have a party! Get your finest wizard gear on, polish that wand and be prepared to celebrate the life of one of literature's greatest heros.

When: Saturday, August 4th
Where: Marvin Auditorium
Time: 1-4pm

There will be a costume contest, trivia, games and prizes! Brush up on your Muggle Studies and get a glimpse into your future with Divination. There might even be a surprise or two as you compete with your House to win the Hogwarts House Cup!

After the party, we'll also be hosting an adult book discussion covering The Deathly Hallows. Muggles 16+ are welcome to register for this lively discussion about Harry, what happened, what was missed and what we're going to do now that it's over.

When: Wednesday, August 8th
Where: Menninger Board Room
Time: 6:30-8:45pm
Call: 785-580-4540 to register.

See you there!

Posted on July 31, 2007 by Meghan at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As the clock approaches midnight all over the world, fans will finally find out whether or not The Boy Who Lived will be the one to die. Spoilers have been flourishing all over the Internet the last few weeks and we here at PaperCuts are not going to join in (in fact, you'll have noticed a severe lack of HP news since the leaks started). With respect to Ms. Rowling, we're going to wait to find out what happens as originally intended! (Note: comments submitted with spoilers will not be posted.)

The library will have copies of the book available on the Best Seller Express kiosk featured in the atrium (that's the hallway with the large wood column in the middle of the library) at 9am on Saturday morning. These copies are on a first come, first serve basis, only check out for 14 days and are not renewable. Regular copies of the book are available to have a hold placed on them. Ask a librarian for details!

Of course, after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is out, read, reread and finally set down, what are we going to do? Never fear--TSCPL is planning to host the biggest Harry Potter party in the region! Get your finest wizard gear on, polish that wand and be prepared to celebrate the life (and death?) of one of literature's greatest heros.

When: Saturday, August 4th
Where: Marvin Auditorium
Time: 1-4pm

There will be a costume contest, trivia, games and prizes! Brush up on your Muggle Studies and get a glimpse into your future with Divination. There might even be a surprise or two as you compete with your House to win the Hogwarts House Cup!

After the party, we'll also be hosting an adult book discussion covering The Deathly Hallows. Muggles 16+ are welcome to register for this lively discussion about Harry, what happened, what was missed and what we're going to do now that it's over.

When: Wednesday, August 8th
Where: Menninger Board Room
Time: 6:30-8:45pm
Call: 785-580-4540 to register.

See you there!

Posted on July 20, 2007 by Meghan at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, according to Wired Magazine probably not!