Tony Hillerman, 1925 - 2008

Tony Hillerman, prolific author of American Southwest fiction, died yesterday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the age of 83. Known for his mysteries featuring characters from the Navajo Tribal Police, Hillerman called upon his extensive familiarity with American Indian life to give authenticity to his novels. The New York Times obituary today provides a very interesting profile of his life, including the fact that as a child he attended St. Mary's Academy, a school for Potawatomie Indian girls in Dust Bowl-ravaged Oklahoma. Hillerman maintained a lifelong and respectful relationship with Navajo communities, and he stated, "I think it's important to show that aspects of ancient Indian ways are still very much alive and are highly germane even to our ways." A beloved icon of American fiction, Tony Hillerman had many fans among the patrons at our library. If you would like to give his works a try, Bernardsville Public Library offers a large collection of Hillerman fiction in regular and large print as well as audiobooks on cd and cassette.

Our Halloween MySpace Playlist

photo source - Bernardsville Public Library

Well, the picture is a whole lot clearer on our MySpace page, but here's a facsimile of the big, shiny red Halloween playlist now appearing on Bernardsville Library's MySpace. To get your fill of creepy music without the usual Halloween kitsch, push the play button once you visit our page. You'll find such chilling classics as the themes from The Exorcist and Halloween as well as the fantastic theme music to The Shining. Do you remember those great opening aerial shots from The Shining that took you over woods and lakes and up winding cliffside roads to the mountaintop hotel? Remember the scene's accompanying music with its unnerving hints of otherworldly souls crying out? That song is number one on our playlist and waiting to give you the chills. There's an eclectic mix of other haunting tunes as well, including pieces by Disturbed, AC/DC, Eric Burdon, Talking Heads, and yes, Bach himself! Give it a try.

Ahoy, Avast, Aweigh, Awash!

Get your sea legs the easy way! Amble on over to Bernardsville Public Library's new display, Seaworthy Tales, for some exciting nautical stories. An enticing collection of booktapes, book cds, novels, and dvds have been grouped together in the video section of the library and feature some of the great sea sagas of all time. C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower novels, for instance, are showcased here along with the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, of which Master and Commander is the first book. In addition, you'll find the tales of Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, and Nathaniel Philbrick. For these authors, life at sea proved to be the true test of character and grit. Ah, can't you just smell the salt air from here?

New Crafters Group To Meet at the Library

Used with permission - "Janice G. Fischel: An Uncommon View"

Calling all knitters, sewers, and crafters! If you enjoy doing handwork, please come to a new library group, Saturday Crafters, meeting at Bernardsville Public Library this Saturday, October 18th, at 3:30 p.m. You are invited to bring your own projects to the Community Room where we will enjoy pleasant conversation while sharing creative tips. Staff member Evelyn Fischel will feature both the latest library books for crafters and new project ideas. Meeting one Saturday afternoon each month, Saturday Crafters is a fun, easy-going gathering, so please join us. Bring a project and a friend!

Are You Finding Enough Romance at the Library?

Bernardsville Public Library would like to know if we offer enough titles and resources to keep romance readers happy. Tell us what you are looking for in the way of new authors or types of romance. Do you have a favorite series or author that you think the library should add? Would you be interested in meeting with fellow romance readers to share reading lists? Simply click to give us your opinion in a brief survey. Remember to click the "done" button when you are finished with the survey. Thanks for your input.

Don't Let Stress Suck You In

Dare I say we live in stressful times? Between illiquid markets, tanking investments, and contentious presidential campaigning, you may be feeling a wee bit stressed right about now. While you can't do much about these global and national issues, you might want to visit Bernardsville Public Library for a friendly greeting and a few books on stress relief. There's a new display in the nonfiction wing (by the oversize books) which will point the way to peaceful thinking in difficult times. Our Turn Over a New Leaf display showcases books on health, meditation, and coping skills. We hope you'll find contentment at the turn of a page.

The Next Book for Saturday Samplers

Saturday Samplers, one of Bernardsville Public Library's book discussion groups, will be reading Anita Diamant's The Red Tent for their next meeting in November. Please note that this is a change in the reading selection for that month. Bernardsville Library owns several copies of The Red Tent, and additional books are being ordered from other libraries. Led by staff member Evelyn Fischel, Saturday Samplers will meet in the Community Room at 3:30 p.m. on November 1st for an afternoon of good discussion. For upcoming information about this book or about the book group itself, refer to the

Saturday Samplers blog. Please feel welcome to attend our group.

Our Library Display "Breaks the Chains" on Banned Books

photo source - Bernardsville Public Library

Bernardsville Public Library is observing Banned Books Week (Sept. 27-Oct. 4) with an eye-catching display of titles which have been challenged or banned at some point in their published history. This display includes such renowned books as Beloved, Lolita, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Satanic Verses. In the past, some school libraries and public libraries censored these books because of their perceived obscenity, profanity or blasphemy. Even the countries of France and Argentina got into the act, branding Vladimir Nabokov's masterpiece, Lolita, as obscene and banning it in the 1950's.

Banned Books Week is observed during the last week of September under the auspices of the American Library Association. To learn why the books in our display were challenged or banned at some point in the 20th century, please ask the library staff to show you our information sheets on this topic. The display, located next to the circulation desk during the month of October, is marked by an oversized model of a book and a large broken chain. Why not grab a formerly "chained" book and read it with a 21st century point of view?