5 picks from the May Library Reads list

Here are a few good reading recommendations from librarians across the country!

Uprooted
by Naomi Novik

“A young girl is unexpectedly uprooted from her family and becomes involved in a centuries-old battle with The Wood, a malevolent entity which destroys anyone it touches. Fast-paced, with magic, mystery and romance, Novik’s stand-alone novel is a fairy tale for adults.”

Lucy Lockley, St. Charles City-County Library, St. Peters, MO

A God in Ruins: A Novel

by Kate Atkinson

“In A God in Ruins, we become reacquainted with Teddy Todd, the beloved little brother of Ursula from Atkinson’s last book. As with Life After Life, this novel skims back and forth in time, and we see the last half of the 20th century through Ted’s eyes and the eyes of his loved ones. At times funny and at others heartbreaking, Atkinson revels in the beauty and horror of life in all its messiness.”

Jennifer Dayton, Darien Library, Darien, CT

The Knockoff: A Novel

by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza

“The Knockoff is a digital-age mash-up of old-school movies The Women and All About Eve, set in the Devil Wears Prada world of a high fashion magazine. I absolutely loved this fresh, charming, addictive and ultimately heroic story of 40-something cancer survivor Imogen’s quest to rescue and rebuild her career, despite the machinations of a younger tech-wiz rival.”

Janet Schneider, Bryant Library, Roslyn, NY

Seveneves: A Novel

by Neal Stephenson

“Stephenson’s back in fine form with this hard science fiction masterpiece, combining the detail of Cryptonomicon with the fast-paced action of Reamde. Fans of Anathem will appreciate Stephenson’s speculation about the possibilities of human evolution. This book is a great follow-up for readers who enjoyed the science of Weir’s The Martian. I heartily recommend Seveneves to SF readers.”

Keith Hayes, Wake County Public Libraries, Cary, NC

Our Souls at Night: A Novel

by Kent Haruf

“Beautiful, elegant and poignant, this novel is a distilled experience of Haruf’s writing. The story of how two elders attempt to poke at the loneliness and isolation that surrounds them will stick with me for a long time to come. I’m amazed at how Haruf says so much with such spare prose. He will be missed.”

Alison Kastner, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

--Post by Tracy

4 Book Club Recommendations

We have several different book discussion groups here at Monroeville Public Library. I've been the leader of one of those groups for quite a few years and have read a lot of different types of books. Some have been really good and some not so good. Here are four that my group has read over the last two years that were enjoyed by all.

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan

This well researched book tells the true story of the thousands of women (and men) who worked at a top secret facility in Kentucky during World War Two. An entire town was created to house all of the people who were performing jobs that they had no idea how it was contributing to the war effort. Young women came from all over the United States not having any idea where they were going or how long they would be there. It wasn't until the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima that they realized what they had been apart of. Denise Kiernan introduces the reader to many different women doing many different types of jobs. This was a definite hit with our book group.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Harold Fry is a reserved, retired Englishman who has just found out that an old friend of his is dying. He decides to send her a letter, but on his walk to the post office he somehow ends up on a pilgrimage to visit this friend who is in a nursing home almost 500 hundred miles to the north. As he walks, Harold examines his marriage, his career and the mistakes he has made throughout his life. Along the way he becomes a bit of a cult figure with an entourage following him. We all found this to be a sweet and heart warming book.

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

The subtitle for this book really sets the stage for this fascinating story. David Grann, staff reporter for The New Yorker, follows in the footsteps of Percy Fawcett. Fawcett was a British explorer who disappeared in the Amazon in 1925. He was in search of El Dorado or, as he called it, The Lost City of Z. Many men have gone in search of El Dorado and to find out what happened to Fawcett's expedition but they either never returned themselves or didn't learn anything new. But what made this middle-aged city boy take on this adventure? Read the book for yourself to find out!

The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

Like many of Louise Erdrich's books, this one tells a story of Native Americans in North Dakota struggling with their past and their present. This time the story is centered around the mystery of the murder of a family in 1911. A lynch mob is formed to find the killers. Three Indian men are hanged for the murder, while young Mooshum Milk is not. As the years pass the families of both groups, the hanged and the posse, develop complex relationships with one another. While there are parts of the book that feel like they don't quite belong, Erdrich weaves an intricate tale of how the actions of a few so long ago, affected so many. 

--Post by Tracy

Laugh and the World Laughs With You

In celebration of comedian Eddie Izzard's recent birthday (February 7), we're here to offer you a highly subjective list of a few of our favorite comedians. Let them tell you a little bit about themselves -- in their own words:


-- Mike Birbiglia

"Growing up, I was discouraged from telling personal stories about insignificant things. Like, I wouldn't make the soccer team, and my father would say, 'Don't tell anyone.' And I would say, 'They're gonna know when they show up to the games and I'm not on the team and I'm crying."

Mike Birbiglia's comedy has appeared several times on NPR, and his Sleepwalk With Me story -- in which he recounts the time he sleepwalked his way out of a two-story hotel window -- went on to become a best-selling book, as well as a film. He also runs an online blog, My Secret Public Journal, where you can read his humor essays and stay up-to-date on upcoming shows.

You can hear his sleepwalking story on NPR's website.

"I wake up at 4:30 am to jump on a plane, which is that part of the morning before the earth even exists. Before they've even programmed the Matrix. You walk out of your apartment and the road isn't even there. You walk out of your house, and there's just a guy with a laptop who yells, 'We need a road, stat!' 'How 'bout a building, Tank!'"

Request What I Should Have Said Was Nothing from the Catalog



-- Ellen DeGeneres

"All we have is the here and now. That's why procrastination feels so right. Procrastinate now; don't put it off!"

Before her long-running daytime talk show and acting career, Ellen Degeneres started out as a stand-up comedian. She gained acclaim for her observational humor in the early 80s, appearing on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson in 1986 (Carson reportedly likened her to Bob Newhart). She's hosted the Oscars, the Emmys, the Grammys, won 13 Emmys and 14 People's Choice Awards -- and voiced the forgetful fish Dory in Pixar's classic animated film Finding Nemo.

"Have you ever heard somebody sing some lyrics that you've never sung before, and you realize you've never sung the right words in that song? You hear them, and all of a sudden you say to yourself, 'Life in the Fast Lane?' That's what they're saying right there? You think, Why have I been singing 'wipe in the vaseline?'  How many people have heard me sing 'wipe in the vaseline?' I am an idiot."

Request Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now from the Catalog



-- Eddie Izzard

"It's the cutting edge of politics in a very extraordinarily boring way."

Born in England, Eddie Izzard's comedy incorporates world history, politics, religion, languages, and film study into his comedy (I was first introduced to his stand-up when a college linguistics professor showed us a few clips from Izzard's shows). But when your Henry VIII sounds like Sean Connery and you've got Death Star Stormtroopers sipping tea and waving flags, the resultant show is anything but dry. Izzard's humor effortlessly juxtaposes the everyday with the truly quirky, and the result is wholly unique.

"We stole countries! That's how you build an empire. We stole countries, with the cunning use of flags. Just sail halfway around the world, stick a flag in. 'I claim India for Britain.' And they're going, 'You can't claim us; we live here! There's five hundred million of us!' - 'Do you have a flag?' - 'We don't need a bloody flag, this is our country!' - 'No flag, no country! You can't have one. That's the rules that I've just made up!'"

Request Dress to Kill from the Catalog



-- Louis C.K.

"People on planes are the worst. They get off the plane, they come to your house, and they tell you about their whole flight experience. 'That was the worst day of my life!  I had to sit on the runway for forty minutes!'  For forty minutes?  Oh, my God, really?  What happened then??  Did you fly through the air, like a bird, incredibly?  Did you soar into the clouds, impossibly?  Did you partake in the miracle of human flight, and then land softly on giant tires that you couldn't even conceive how they put air in them??  How dare you! Complaining about flying! 'I had to pay for my sandwich --' YOU'RE FLYING!  You're sitting in a chair in the sky!  You're like a Greek myth right now!!  [You think] air travel is too slow?  [It's] New York to California in six hours!  That used to take thirty years!"

Combining his self-deprecating humor with his observations on modern society, Louis C.K. manages to make us laugh at our own shortcomings, as well. Releasing his annual stand-up shows on his website, LouisCK.net, he is also the creator, head writer, and star of the hit FX series Louis. 

"So then my doctor's like, 'Well, okay. How far into a meal do you typically realize you're full and stop eating?' And I'm like -- 'I don't stop eating when I'm full. The meal isn't over when I'm full. The meal is over when I hate myself.'"

Request Hilarious from the Catalog




-- Post by Ms. B 

Thank You For Being a Friend

September is Women's Friendship Month, and while the month is over, it's never too late to celebrate the beauty of friendship!  Read on for five of our favorite fictional friendships:


Rosalind and Celia - Shakespeare's As You Like It

These Shakespearean cousins would clearly be friends even if they weren't related!  When Celia's father bans Rosalind from court, Celia promptly follows her friend into the Forest of Arden. Once there, she's more than happy to join Rosalind in donning disguises and enjoying the often complex, always hilarious antics of the forest. These are pals who know how to stay together through thick and thin -- but who also know how to have fun together.

Request "As You Like It" on DVD from the Catalog



Anne and Diana - L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." So says Anne Shirley, the spunky, imaginative, orphaned hero of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables books. When she arrives at Green Gables newly adopted, she is thrilled to discover there's another little girl her own age at the next house over -- Diana Barry, who quickly becomes Anne's BFF (or "bosom friend"). Their childhood friendship forms a bond that lasts throughout their lives -- and the book series.

Request "Anne of Green Gables" from the Catalog



Laverne and Shirley -- Laverne & Shirley

Starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, this ABC sitcom revolved around the lives of two roommates, co-workers, and best friends. Working together as bottlecappers in a Milwaukee brewery, the characters originally appeared as buddies of Fonzie on Happy Days before warranting their own spin-off show. The two friends were presented as polar opposites: Laverne is a tough-talking tomboy from Brooklyn, while sunny Shirley is a bit shyer and decidedly more optimistic. Their differences give the two gal-pals unique outlooks on life -- but it also makes for a fun, and decidedly hilarious, friendship.

Request "Laverne & Shirley" Season One on DVD from the Catalog

Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia - The Golden Girls

Long before Samantha, Miranda, Carrie, and Charlotte -- there were the Golden Girls. The show revolved around a trio of women living as roommates in 1980s Miami: Dorothy, a no-nonsense but good-humored substitute teacher from New York; Rose, a simple but good-hearted counselor from Minnesota; and Blanche, a Southern belle who just manages to find time for her job at a local art museum in between her busy nightlife. And then there's Sophia, Dorothy's mother, who is perhaps the wisest -- and most mischievous -- of the bunch. Supporting each other through dating woes, family crises, and the challenges of changing lives, these gals are always there for each other. Usually over a cheesecake.

Request Season One of "The Golden Girls" on DVD from the Catalog

Ashburn and Mullins - The Heat

Buddy cop movies are a dime a dozen -- but it's rare that the cops in question are women. In The Heat, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy take center stage as the story's leading ladies. Bullock plays Ashburn, the tough-as-nails FBI agent whose strength and skill in the field isn't enough to win over her fellow agents when they come up against her unforgiving personality. It's not until she meets Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) -- a Boston plainclothes cop whose unorthodox methods seem to (usually) help, rather than hamper, her investigations -- that Ashburn may have finally found a partner, and a friend, who can understand her. It just might take a little effort for them to find a way to work together ... but you can count on there being plenty of laughs along the way.

Request "The Heat" on DVD from the Catalog



-- Post by Ms. B

The Other Baker Street Irregulars

The iconic figure of Sherlock Holmes has proven the inspiration for fictional detectives that run the gamut from Hercule Poirot to Temperance "Bones" Brennan, from Lt. Columbo to Richard Castle. And yet the inspiration for fictional detectives can come from all sorts of places -- even from the history books themselves.

In this book list, we offer a selection of murder mysteries that all feature a real-life historical figure as their story's star. While fictional, these novels offer a peek into what life would've been like in a variety of times -- and with a variety of very unique people. Here are historical figures like you've never seen them before. Read on and enjoy!



-- Aristotle

Philosopher, scientist ... and now, detective. In Margaret Doody's Aristotle Detective, the young student Stephanos narrates the tale of his teacher solving crimes, using deductive reasoning on par with Sherlock Holmes. The twist, of course, is that Stephanos is a student in 332 BCE Athens, and his teacher is none other than Aristotle himself. Yet this is no dry-and-dusty take on history: Doody seamlessly weaves disguises, escapes, and midnight attacks in with well-researched details of 4th century BCE Athens -- home and politics, citizenship and the legal system, the treatment of men and women, and more. The result is a story as historically informing as it is immensely entertaining.

Click here to request Aristotle Detective




-- William Shakespeare

The era: Elizabethan England. Symington Smythe (who doesn't care for his name) has been trained by his uncle as an ostler, but his real passion lies in a far different direction: the theatre. When, much to his father's disgust, Symington makes for London to realize his dreams, he does so quite on his own. That is, until he encounters one William Shakespeare, a young man also on his way to a life in the theatre. While meeting up with Shakespeare puts Symington on the path towards conspiracy, mistaken identity, arranged marriages, and murder, there's no denying it's an exciting way to jumpstart an artistic career.

Click here to request A Mystery of Errors



-- Jane Austen

Jane Austen couldn't be happier to be visiting her newly-married friend, Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave. But then, tragedy strikes, as Isobel's husband (many years her senior) falls victim to a strange and swift-moving illness. Isobel is heartsick, but her problems are only beginning, as she soon receives a message accusing her of adultery with her husband's nephew -- and of murdering her husband the Earl. Terrified, Isobel turns to Jane for help, and so it is up to the young author to uncover the clues and peel back the mystery before Isobel is disgraced ... and before Jane herself makes an enemy.

Click here to request Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor



-- Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt begins her (fictional) amateur sleuthing quite without meaning to; a young woman who works for Roosevelt is accused of murdering her boyfriend. Convinced that her employee is innocent, Roosevelt takes it upon herself to prove it -- even if that means stepping on the toes of several government officials, including the Congressman whose son was the murdered man. There's jewel thefts, gambling, and false identities to contend with, but through it all, Roosevelt -- like her real-life incarnation -- remains steadfast and determined to see justice done.

The Eleanor Roosevelt mystery series deserves special mention for being the work of a perhaps-unlikely author: Roosevelt's own real-life son, Elliott Roosevelt. (Though whether or not he had ghost writers helping him out has been a topic of debate.)

Click here to request Murder and the First Lady



-- Edgar Allan Poe

"Now, in my opinion, Dupin was a very inferior fellow." So said Sherlock Holmes, in a line in which author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle poked gentle fun at Holmes's literary predecessor: C. Auguste Dupin, the deducting detective of Edgar Allan Poe's trio of mystery tales. The truth remains that it is Poe, not Conan Doyle, who wrote the first Western modern detective story -- a debt which Conan Doyle himself acknowledged on multiple occasions, with obvious admiration for Poe. It makes Poe a natural fit as the star of a mystery novel, even if we remember the author far better for his tales of horror.

In this young adult read, we hear the tale of Edmund, whose mother is gone and whose sister has just vanished. Alone in the dark streets of nineteenth-century Providence, Rhode Island, Edmund has no one to turn to for help -- save a dark and shadowy stranger who introduces himself only as "Dupin." It seems this man needs Edmund's help as much as Edmund needs his, as the two of them work together to solve the mystery surrounding them.

Click here to request The Man Who Was Poe




-- Post by Ms. B

Staff Recommendation #32: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

The Silkworm

by Robert Galbraith

Once again J.K. Rowling, writing as Robert Galbraith, takes a look at the world of celebrity in her latest Cormoran Strike novel, The Silkworm. This time she's out to expose the publishing industry, something she knows a thing or two about.

After the successful resolution of the murder of model Lula Landry, Cormoran Strike has almost more cases than he can handle. These cases are nothing like the high profile Landry case, but he's now able to pay off his debts and actually move into a real apartment instead of sleeping in his office. This also means that he's able to keep his new assistant Robin Ellacott despite her fiancé Matthew's misgivings. Matthew still hasn't quite forgiven her for not taking that higher paying human resources job. But Robin is intent on working with Strike no matter what either man in her life thinks.

While Strike is in the midst of dealing with yet another disgruntled spouse, in walks Leonora Quine. A somewhat frumpy looking, middle aged woman who needs help finding her missing husband. Despite her inability to pay him, Strike decides to help her. This is not the first time her husband Owen, a nominally famous author, has gone missing.

As Strike begins his search, he's discovering the seamy side of the publishing industry. The back stabbing, gamesmanship and ruined friendships. Owen Quine was desperate to be famous for his writing so he sets out to write a book betraying everyone he knows from his publisher, to his editor and even to his long-suffering wife. But did he go too far? Strike thinks that Quine might have when he discovers Quine's murdered body posed exactly as described as a body in his manuscript. Now Strike has to determine who knew about Quine's manuscript and when they knew about it.

With the help of his eager assistant Robin, Strike finds the killer in this great new addition to the series. As I wrote in my review of The Cuckoo's Calling, the first in the series, this mystery is once again above average, but nothing outstanding. What sets this series apart are the characters that Rowling has created. As with her Harry Potter series, I think that she is at her best when developing a world and its inhabitants over the long haul. And since it's just been announced that Rowling plans on writing even more books in this series than she did for Harry Potter, this should make all of her fans very happy!


To request The Silkworm click here.

To request The Cuckoo's Calling click here.


--Post by Tracy

There and Back Again

July 19th is the 60th anniversary of the first publication of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. Part of the Lord of the Rings fantasy trilogy, these outrageously popular books (and now films) are an undeniable cultural phenomenon in their own right.

But Tolkien's trilogy is responsible for something else, as well: the ushering in of the modern epic fantasy genre. Eager fans finished the Rings trilogy but weren't satisfied with a mere three books, allowing other authors to step in and tell their own tales of grand high fantasy -- many of which were, it has to be said, clear copycats of Tolkien's original.

But there are plenty of epic fantasy novels that, while wholly original, still owe a debt to Tolkien for kickstarting a modern-day interest in the fantasy genre that persists to this day. So in honor of the anniversary, read on for some recommendations of our own fantasy favorites:




-- Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

One of the (understandably) biggest complaints about trying an epic fantasy novel is that, generally speaking, you're kicking off a major reading commitment. Most fantasy novels aren't standalone stories; rather, they're the first book in a three or six or ten-part series, requiring you to devote some serious reading time to get through them.

Warbreaker is that rarest of epic fantasy animals: a standalone novel. There's no sequel, no prequel, no "companion volume" -- just one complete story, told in a single book.

And it's quite a story. Foregoing the usual epic-fantasy traps of long quests for magical talismans, Warbreaker instead revolves around two sisters with an unusual magical power. Though eldest sister Vivenna is the one who originally finds herself betrothed to the God King, it's her flighty and impetuous younger sibling who ends up fulfilling the arrangement. Determined to save her sister, Vivenna promptly follows after her into the city -- only to find herself enmeshed in a world of thieves, immortals, and a god who doesn't believe in his own religion.

The book's twist-filled plot, original magic system, and rich character development make Warbreaker one of my very favorites.

Brandon Sanderson in the Catalog:

-- Warbreaker

Mistborn Trilogy
-- The Final Empire
-- The Well of Ascension
-- The Hero of Ages

Stormlight Archive
-- The Way of Kings
-- Words of Radiance




-- Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

As a big fan of pirate tales, I'm always on the lookout for fantasy reads that have a few nautical elements to them. In my experience, however, fantasy books with ships and sailors are few and far between.

So I was delighted when I stumbled across Ship of Magic. The first book in a trilogy, it gives you everything you could ask for in a nautical fantasy: ships, sailors, sea serpents, and even a handful of the requisite pirates.

Merchant's daughter Althea Vestrit is determined to do whatever it takes to rescue her father's ship from her ruthless brother-in-law. Young priest-in-training, Wintrow, just wants to find his way back home. And Captain Kennit, the would-be Pirate King, is (like all good pirates) on the lookout for ways to seize as much power as possible. And on an ocean where ship's figureheads are sometimes known to spring to life, nothing will be as simple as it seems.

Robin Hobb in the Catalog:

The Liveship Traders
-- Ship of Magic
-- Mad Ship
-- Ship of Destiny

Farseer Trilogy
-- Assassin's Apprentice 
-- Royal Assassin
-- Assassin's Quest

Tawny Man Trilogy
-- Fool's Errand
-- The Golden Fool
-- Fool's Fate 




-- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

He's been an innkeeper, swordfighter, magician, thief, musician ... and assassin. Our hero, Kvothe, is already a legend -- but the Chronicler who is determined to write down the true story of his exploits quickly finds himself peeling back the layers to find the man behind the myth.

The Name of the Wind kicks off with Kvothe's early days. ("I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in," as he blithely explains.) As the story unfolds for the Chronicler, so too does the truth behind Kvothe's life come into sharp relief. With another uniquely-written system of magic, and plenty of complex characters, this series has quickly become a go-to favorite for many fantasy fans.

Patrick Rothfuss in the Catalog:

Kingkiller Chronicle
-- The Name of the Wind
-- The Wise Man's Fear




-- Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett

There is a curse. They say:
"May you live in interesting times."

The Discworld series started life as a parody of epic fantasy and went on to become, in the course of forty installments, something else entirely. (Don't be scared off by the quantity; each volume is written as a standalone story.) While the intensely wry (and altogether delightful) humor has always remained a constant, the Discworld series has become a complex fantasy universe in its own right, with as delightful a cast of characters as one could ever ask for.

This particular offering stars my favorite character of the series -- Rincewind the wizard, who is so inept that he only knows one spell (and it's not a very useful one). He's also an outrageous coward, although given the number of times someone or something seems hell-bent on killing him, it's rather hard to blame him.

When the Unseen University receives a request for a "Great Wizzard" to be sent to the Counterweight Continent, the faculty decides Rincewind is the only man for the job. What follows is a whirlwind adventure that sees Rincewind running into the likes of  Cohen the Barbarian and his Silver Horde of Warriors (everyone's a bit older now), a villainous Grand Vizier, a well-meaning army -- and Rincewind's old traveling companion, Twoflower. It's exactly the kind of "interesting" adventure that Rincewind so dreads -- and that makes for such delightful, hilarious, and surprisingly poignant reading.

Terry Pratchett in the Catalog:

-- Interesting Times
-- The Colour of Magic
-- Mort
-- Wyrd Sisters
-- Maskerade
-- Guards! Guards!
-- Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman)

"Luck is my middle name. Mind you, my first name is Bad."

-- Rincewind the Wizard

-- Post by Ms. B

The Secretive Life

Premiering in 2004, the TV series Veronica Mars is not, at first look, that incredibly unusual. The mystery series starred actress Kristen Bell in the title role, a high school student and Nancy-Drew-esque sleuth who was the daughter off a county sheriff. The show followed Veronica's adventures as she began her career as a private investigator, while also trying to uncover the truth behind the murder of her best friend. Cancelled after a three-season run, the show had a devoted cult following that never quite translated into the ratings.

But Veronica Mars recently made internet history, when an online campaign for the show raised nearly $6 million in fan donations and, in doing so, guaranteed a Veronica Mars movie release. With Kristen Bell's 33rd birthday on the horizon (July 18), and a Veronica Mars movie on the way, it seemed like a great time to check out some of our other favorite TV gumshoes:

- Nancy Drew

from The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977-1979) and Nancy Drew (2002)

Created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer, Nancy Drew -- amateur teenage sleuth -- first appeared in 1930 as the star of her own book series. Her adventures were written by a variety of a different authors, all who took on the pen name "Carolyn Keene" for the series. Hugely popular, the Nancy Drew books have remained popular to this day, and have resulted in spin-off offerings such as video games, films -- and television.

In the 1970s, Nancy started in the ABC series The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, played by Pamela Sue Martin and Janet Louise Johnson. There was another, short-lived series in 1995 (which lasted only half a season) ... and then, in 2002, ABC aired the TV movie Nancy Drew. In the title role as Nancy was Maggie Lawson -- who would go on to play another TV sleuth, Detective Juliette O'Hara in the hit show Psych.


-  Laura Holt 

Remington Steele is probably best remembered as the series that launched Pierce Brosnan's career. But credit must also go to Stephanie Zimbalist, who played licensed private detective Laura Holt. Setting up shop as a private eye, Holt discovers that clients are reluctant to hire a female detective.

So Holt hatches a scheme. She creates a fake (male) business partner for herself: Remington Steele, the man in charge who Holt "works" for. She always intended to keep Steele an unseen, fictitious business partner -- until she gets tangled up with a former con man (played by Brosnan) who ultimately ends up assuming the identity of Remington Steele. The two start working together -- but it's Holt, not "Steele," who remains the P.I. in charge.


- Cagney & Lacey

This long-running 80s police procedural took the unique step of making its two leads female detectives. Sharon Gless played Christine Cagney, a single woman intent on her career; Tyne Daly played Mary Beth Lacey, a working wife and mother. Set in Manhattan, the show followed the cases and lives of its star characters.

With an unusual and bumpy ride to the screen (the show was cancelled twice, being renewed in the end both times), Cagney and Lacey ultimately ran for seven seasons.

- Sergeant Lucy Bates 

The seven-season police drama Hill Street Blues is remembered by fans as one of the first police shows to carry multi-episode story arcs and long-ranging plotlines throughout its seasons. Dealing with real-life issues -- and shot in a more documentary-like style than the average series -- the show first aired in 1981 and quickly became beloved by critics and fans alike.

Betty Thomas starred as Sgt. Lucy Bates -- as gritty, tough, and real as all the other cop characters on the show. Committed to the police force, with her own personal struggles to overcome, Bates was capable at her job and a force to be reckoned with.

- Jessica Fletcher

Long before Richard Castle, there was Jessica Fletcher, star of the long-running series Murder, She Wrote. Played to perfection by Angela Lansbury, Jessica Fletcher is a murder mystery author who ultimately becomes an amateur detective. A former English teacher, the now-retired (and widowed) Fletcher has become a best-selling mystery writer. Living in a small town on the coast of Maine, Jessica Fletcher becomes a Miss-Marple-like figure to the local police, picking up clues they miss and always solving the crime.

With a 12-season run, Lansbury was nominated for 10 Golden Globes and 12 Emmys, holding the record to this day for the most Best Dramatic Actress Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.


- Special Agent Dana Scully

This no-nonsense FBI agent had her work cut out for her when she got partnered with fellow agent Fox Mulder. The two are assigned to X-Files cases (hence the name of their nine-season television series): those unsolved cases that may or may not have a paranormal cause behind them.

The practical, skeptical Scully was often at odds with her more intuitively-minded partner, who believed in such phenomena as aliens and the paranormal. Like all iconic partnerships, however, their opposing viewpoints were often precisely what made them such a great team.


- Catherine Willows & Sara Sidle

When it premiered in 2000, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation reinvented the crime procedural. With a unique emphasis on physical evidence and the science behind solving crimes, the show was a unique and instant hit.

Catherine Willows, who ultimately becomes head supervisor of the CSI night shift, originally made her living as a Vegas showgirl until a friend encouraged her to return to school. Sharp and intelligent, Willows became interested in crime-solving and earned a degree in Medical Science before joining the CSIs. And Sara Sidle, a materials and elements analyst, is perhaps the CSI most devoted to the job, her determined and skeptical nature making her a natural fit for the position. As long-standing characters in the show, Willows and Sidle have both had plenty of time to become some of the most layered and memorable characters in the series.


- Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson

Heading up the Major Crimes Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson is known as "The Closer" due to her ability to deduce the facts and compel confessions -- closing out her cases.

The daughter of a captain in the U.S. Army, Brenda has worked for the CIA, the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C., and the Atlanta Police Department. Portrayed by actress Kyra Sedgwick, Brenda -- with her Southern accent, sloppy habits, and obsessive commitment to her job -- is a complex, complicated character that makes her both engaging and relatable.


- Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan

Dr. Temperance Brennan and her FBI partner Special Agent Seeley Booth have always put me in mind of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (at least until the romance starts!). But despite some similarities between Holmes and Bones, Dr. Brennan is actually based loosely on real-life forensic anthropologist (and best-selling author) Kathy Reichs.

Nicknamed "Bones" by her new partner, Brennan holds three doctorates and has the brain power to match. Detached, clinical, and with genius-level intelligence, Bones speaks seven languages, is trained in three martial arts, is a bestselling author -- and is somewhat socially inept. Her partnership and friendship with Agent Booth go a long way towards helping her discover how to identify and share her emotions.

Fun fact: Temperance Brennan gets her name from real-life author Kathy Reichs's best-selling mystery novels (which feature a character named Temperance Brennan). In the show Bones, however, Brennan has her own best-selling series of mystery novels, starring a forensic anthropologist character named ... Kathy Reichs.


- Rizzoli & Isles

Another show coming from a series of novels (these by author Tess Gerritsen), the show stars Angie Harmon as Detective Jane Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander as Dr. Maura Isles. Set in Boston, the series follows the practical, street-savvy Rizzoli and the book-smart Isles, best friends despite their polar-opposite personalities.

From highly different backgrounds -- and with different approaches to solving crimes -- this modern-day Cagney & Lacey duo have gone on to be original characters in their own right.


- Joan Watson

When it comes to shaking up the original Sherlock Holmes stories, modern-day adaptation Elementary didn't really break the mold so much by making Dr. John Watson into Joan. (After all, a female Watson has been done before.) What really makes Joan Watson stand out from her fellow onscreen Watsons is her character journey. This Watson may have started out as a surgeon, but as the show progresses, so does she, moving from a second career as a sober companion to recovering addicts to another new profession: detective.

Hired as a sober companion to recovering addict Sherlock Holmes, it isn't long before Sherlock notices that his Watson has an aptitude for solving mysteries. Holmes promptly takes her under his wing, and by the end of the first season, Watson has become both apprentice and partner to Sherlock himself. It's a unique take on the Holmes-Watson friendship that has left this Sherlockian eager for Season Two.

-- Post by Ms. B

Capes Need Not Apply

Having returned from a successful trip to New York Comic Con (more on that later this week), I got to thinking about the graphic novel medium for storytelling. One of the points made clear through several sessions of Comic Con was that you don't have to be a fan of superheroes and science fiction in order to enjoy graphic novels. Many people tend to view graphic novels as a genre instead of a medium -- assuming that they all tell stories of superpowered characters in tights and capes saving their cities from disaster.

But there's an astonishing variety of stories being told through the medium of graphic novels, stories that go far beyond capes and cowls. The storytelling possibilities present through the use of text matched to artwork is boundless, and writers and artists have used the graphic novel medium for Westerns, mysteries, sci-fi and fantasy, historical fiction, and even autobiographies. So if superheroes aren't your thing, you might want to try picking up one of these titles instead, and see if you don't have an inner comic book fan waiting to be released.

Just be sure to read them in time for New York Comic Con 2013. Only 357 days to go!

-- Bone, by Jeff Smith

Lord of the Rings meets Seinfeld?  This fantasy series has a unique humor that has made it wildly popular for fans of all ages, detailing the adventures of the Bone cousins (Phoney Bone, Smiley Bone, and our hero, Fone Bone) as they find themselves lost in the mysterious Valley. The series eventually grows to encompass a Tolkien-styled quest to save the world, but there's plenty of misadventures and high good humor along the way to make this series a thoroughly unique read.

-- Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

Satrapi wrote and drew this autobiographical series about her experiences as a girl and young woman in  Iran, during and after the Islamic revolution in the late 1970s. Satrapi's use of heavy black-and-white artwork makes for a compelling, powerful read, emphasizing the effects of political unrest on Satrapi's everyday life. The graphic novels were eventually adapted into an animated film.

-- Maus, by Art Spiegelman

It's hard not to think of Orwell's Animal Farm while reading this book, the first-ever graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize. Don't let the animals in the artwork above fool you, however: this graphic novel is a true story, based on interviews between Spiegelman and his father, in which the elder Spiegelman recounted his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. Of course, some details were changed -- most notably that of the characters, in which the Jewish people are drawn as mice (while the Nazis are portrayed as cats). Part fable, part memoir, it's a powerful look at one of the darkest periods in human history.

-- Womanthology

Keep an eye out on MPL's shelves for the soon-to-be-added title Womanthology, a book written and drawn entirely by female writers and artists. After criticism was leveled last year at the comic book industry for their lack of female creators (and characters), artist Renae De Liz came up with the idea for an all-female-created graphic novel. Posting the project on Kickstarter (a site designed to allow artists and creators to gain financial backing for their independent projects), the book took only a single day to meet its $25,000 fundraising goal. The result of the project was a book featuring original stories by over 150 female creators, and was successful enough to warrant an ongoing series.

-- A Wrinkle in Time, by Hope Larson

It will probably be helpful to read Madeleine L'Engle's fantastic (prose) novel A Wrinkle in Time before picking up this graphic novel adaptation. However, if you've read, and loved, L'Engle's story, this becomes a must-read. L'Engle's classic "science fantasy" details the story of Meg Murray, her brother Charles Wallace, and her classmate Calvin O'Keefe, on an adventure across space and time to find Meg and Charles's missing father. The creatures, worlds, and enemies they encounter defy description, however, and here they are brought to life in blue-toned artwork that is weirdly and wildly imaginative -- while never losing track of the emotional heart of the story.

-- Post by Ms. B