A boy hides out in 'Canada'

In the new novel Canada by Pulitzer-Prize-winning Richard Ford, fifteen-year-old Dell Parsons seeks refuge in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan after his parents are arrested for their impulsive and ill-fated decision to rob a Montana bank.  Dell is taken in by Arthur Remlinger who, unbeknownst to Dell, is hiding a dark and violent nature.  Fans of historical fiction with strong character development will enjoy this atmospheric tale set in 1956 Canada.  Looking for other novels set in post-WWII prairie towns? You may also like A Life of Bright Ideas, set in 1970s Wisconsin.

No Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2012

In the end, the Pulitzer Prize committee could not agree on a winner in the "Fiction" category for 2012.  Could this mean that the three nominees for this prestigious literary prize, which recognizes American-themed fiction by American authors, are all equally good?  Check them out from Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library and decide for yourself.

• Train Dreams by Denis Johnson - Presents the story of early twentieth-century day laborer Robert Grainer, who endures the harrowing loss of his family while struggling for survival in the American West against a backdrop of radical historical changes.
• Swamplandia! by Karen Russell - Twelve year old Ava must travel into the Underworld part of the smamp in order to save her family's dynasty of Bigtree alligator wresting.
• The Pale King by David Foster Wallace - The character David Foster Wallace is introduced to the banal world of the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, and the host of strange people who work there, in a novel that was unfinished at the time of the author's death. 

Pulitzer-winning author reveals Catherine the Great

From a minor German princess to empress of Russia, Catherine the Great's life provides great fodder for a biography, and Pulitzer-winning author Robert K. Massie has accomplished this task to rave critical reviews.  Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman talks about Catherine as an individual as well as a ruler, taking a behind-the-scenes look at the life of this great leader.  Click here or pick up a free copy of Bookpage at your Community Library to read an interview with this new biography's author.

Looking for another high-quality biography of a powerful woman?  Try Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff, which made quite a splash when it came out in late 2010.

A Visit from the Goon Squad: Book to TV Alert

First a Pulitzer, next a TV series... Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad is being turned into a television series on HBO, according to this article from Deadline. The book (and the planned TV series) tell interlocking stories across a span of decades centered around Bennie Salazar, an aging ex-punk rocker from San Francisco. Egan's book is available to Mastics-Moriches-Community Library cardholders in multiple formats: print, e-book, CD audiobook, and downloadable audiobook. Reserve a copy by clicking the red check-mark "request" link and entering your cardnumber & PIN/password.

Pulitzer Prize Winners

Few literary awards are as well-known as the coveted Pulitzer Prize. These are winners of the recently-announced 2011 Pulitzer Prizes in the letters and drama categories:

Fiction: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
General nonfiction: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
History: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner
Biography: Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
Poetry: The Best of It: New and Selected Poems by Kay Ryan

Many of these titles have been featured in previous "best of" lists on this blog, so take this post as your reminder to check out these library books and treat yourself to some high-quality writing.