Book of the Week #48

Delirious by Daniel Palmer (NY: Kensington Books, 2011)

This first novel by New Hampshire resident Daniel Palmer is, according to Booklist, a "solid, well-constructed thriller, nicely convoluted and definitely suspenseful."
Delirious is the story of Charlie Giles, an electronics superstar who sold his startup to a giant Boston firm, and is at the top of his game until the day everthing starts going terrifyingly wrong. As he struggles to save his own life, Charlie races to find the truth and realizes nothing can be trusted--including his own fractured mind.
Palmer's next novel is expected in January 2012.

Sending Ladybug Tally Sheets

Voting for the 2011 Ladybug Picture Book Award should be wrapping up this week as all votes must be recieved at the Center for the Book at the NH State Library no later than 5pm on December 5, 2011.

I have had several inquiries about faxing tally sheets. You may fax your votes, but if you don't get through before the deadline your votes won't be counted. Because of construction here at NHSL one of our fax machines has been unplugged and packed away, this leaves only one fax machine (603-271-2205). The original tally sheet posted on the website had the now disconnected fax number on it. The working number is on the version currently on the website.


You're best bet is to put your tally sheet in the mail. The address is in large type at the top of the tally sheet.

Deadlines are Approaching

Several NH Center for the Book projects have deadlines coming up:

• Applications for Granite State Reads Grants are only being accepted by mail for the 2012 grant cycle  and must be postmarked by December 1, 2011
• Votes for the Ladybug Picture Book Award must be recieved at the NH Center for the Book by 5pm on December 5, 2011
• Letters About Literature entries must be postmarked no later than January 6, 2012 and must be recieved at LAL Central no later than 1/17/2012. Each entry must have an official entry coupon attached.
  
  
  

Book of the Week #47

Walking the Dog's Shadow by Deborah Brown (Rochester, NY: BOA Editions, 2011)

This book of poetry from UNH Manchester professor Deborah Brown was chosen out of nearly eight hundred submissions as the winner of the ninth annual A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize. It was also the winner of the 2011 NH Literary Award for Outstanding Book of Poetry.

Read "Reprise" for a sample of Brown's poetry.

Book of the Week #46

A Different Time, A Different Man: The Story of John L. Sullivan, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for FDR and Truman's Sectretary of the Navy by Stephen Clarkson (Portsmouth, NH: Peter E. Randall Publisher, 2011)

Stephen Clarkson, a resident of Rye, NH and author of Patriot's Reward, has written the first biography of John L. Sullivan. Sullivan served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Franklin D. Roosevelt and was President Truman's Secretary of the Navy. He played a key role in the financing of World War II and then fought after the war to preserve a strong Navy and save the Marine Corps from being folded into the Army.

"Throughout his life, John Lawrence Sullivan was a devoted New Hampshire man. He was born and raised in Manchester and practiced law there. He managed several political campaigns and ran for governor twice. Over the years he became a respected political operative both in New Hampshire and nationally. He always kept his domicile in New Hampshire, although he continued to reside in Washington in the winter months after his government service. During the summers he and his family stayed much of the time at their other home on the coast, at Little Board Head in North Hampton, New Hampshire, next to Rye Beach."  (p.7)

It seems to happen every couple years

Time got away from me and I realized today that I missed posting a book of the week for the last 2 weeks. There is a book posted for this week (#46), but week #44 and week #45 had no books posted.  After a slow start in 2007 I missed 2 weeks in 2009. As it has happened again in 2011 I clearly need to be careful in 2013.

And the winners are...

The New Hampshire Literary Awards were held this evening at the NH Institute of Art in Manchester. It was a wonderful night for NH's literati and I am very glad that I didn't have to choose the winners from among all the wonderful nominees!

• Outstanding Children's Literature Award -- Joseph Monninger for Wish
• Outstanding Book of Poetry Award -- Deborah Brown for Walking the Dog's Shadow
• Outstanding Work of Nonfiction Award -- Beyond the Notches: Stories of Place in New Hampshire's North Country, edited by John R. Harris, Kay Morgan, and Mike Dickerman
• Donald M. Murray Award for Outstanding Journalism -- Meg Heckman, "Living with Hepatitis C," Concord Monitor
• Outstanding Book of Fiction Award -- Ann Joslin Williams for Down from Cascom Mountain
• Charles Simic was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award
• Readers' Choice Awards
  Katherine Towler, Island Light (fiction)
  Mary Carroll Moore, Your Book Starts Here (nonfiction)
  Liz Ahl, Luck (poetry)
  David S. Rawding, Lucas the Traveling Crab (children's literature)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Go to RiverRun this week and buy books

There are several excellent reasons why a visit to RiverRun Bookstore should be on your calendar this week:

• On Wednesday 11/2/2011 at 7pm author Kevin Brockmeier will be there reading from his latest novel, The Illumination
• On Friday, 11/4/2011 at 7pm Colson Whitehead will be there (If you haven't read his books yet, start with The Intuitionist which is amazing)
• If RiverRun is going to remain Portsmouth's independent bookstore, it needs your support! The Los Angeles Times is concerned about this, and we should be too.