Library Notes
July 1, 2011
Lynn Denison
We’ve all heard it said that crime does not pay. Recently I came upon some facts that may refute that theory in certain instances. In April 2011 the British newspaper The Guardian published a “Crime Writers Rich List.” The list is based on recorded sales, box office returns, license fees and company accounts. The list revealed that two living crime writers from the United States, John Grisham and Dan Brown, were in first and second place. Third and fourth place go to British authors Ian Fleming and Agatha Christie. Both of these authors are deceased but continue to live on through the successful sales of their works.
John Grisham holds the title of most successful and highest earning crime writer of all time at $600,000,000. His first book, A Time to Kill, was not a success. His next book, The Firm, spent 47 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and became the bestselling novel of 1991. His next books, The Pelican Brief and The Client, were bestsellers. A Time to Kill was then republished and this time around it was also a bestseller.
Grisham usually publishes one novel a year and to date each one has been an international bestseller. Nine of his novels have been made into films.
Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 bestselling novels, including The Da Vinci Code, which has become one of the bestselling novels of all time as well as the subject of heated debate among readers and scholars. Some of his other books include Angels & Demons, Deception Point, Digital Fortress, and the Lost Symbol. His fortune is valued at $400,000,000.
Number three on the list with a net worth of more than £100 million is British crime writer Ian Fleming, the creator of the world’s most famous secret agent, James Bond. Fleming wrote 14 James Bond novels and to date there have been 22 official James Bond films. According to “the list” more than 100 million copies of Bond books have been sold worldwide. Some of Fleming’s works available at the library are The Man with the Golden Gun, Goldfinger, and Casino Royale.
It is not surprising that the “Queen of Crime,” Agatha Christie, is named as the fourth richest on the list with a total worth of £100 million. Her crime fiction includes 67 novels, 150 short stories, and 16 plays. The Mousetrap, her most successful play, premiered in London’s West End in 1952 and is still running after more than 24,000 performances—the longest running play ever. Christie created two of fiction’s best-loved characters: the fastidious Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and the elderly amateur sleuth Jane Marple. Christie’s own personal list of favorite novels includes And Then There Were None, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, A Murder Is Announced, and Murder on the Orient Express.
Rowan Public Library is the place to find all of the novels listed above. Many are also available in large print, as audiobooks on CDs or tape, and some movie versions on DVD. Please stop by the library soon and find out for yourself what these talented authors have created that put them at the top of the “Crime Writers Rich List.”
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Library Notes
Edward Hirst
July 10, 2011
Gene Weingarten is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for both his serious and humorous work. A former editor he now writes "Below the Beltway," a weekly humor column for the Washington Post that is nationally syndicated. In 2010 he published a collection of twenty of his best feature stories that originally appeared in the Washington Post. The book is titled The Fiddler in Subway: the True Story of What Happened When a World-class Violinist Played for Handouts. He has the ability to simply tell each story as he sees it from his perspective. Many of the topics don’t sound funny such as, living with terrorism in Jerusalem or life in a remote Alaskan village plagued by alcoholism and suicide.
The book begins with the story of The Great Zucchini, one of the most popular entertainers of preschool age children in the Washington DC area. Eric Knaus as The Great Zucchini makes an annual income of $100,000 working two days a week, yet he has no idea where his money goes. He can’t drive his car since he owes $2000 in parking tickets, he is behind on his taxes and hounded by creditors. “When the lights go out it’s time to pay the bills”, Weingarten writes. Over the course of the story we learn The Great Zucchini is addicted to gambling and this is story of his struggle with his own personal flaws.
The title of the book comes from an experiment to see if rush hour commuters would recognize the talents of a world class violinist playing for handouts. One January morning commuters entering a DC subway station had no idea that the young man with the ball cap and jeans was one of the finest classical musicians in the world. Earlier that morning Joshua Bell took a cab three blocks from his hotel to the subway entrance to protect his violin, a 1713 Stradivarius worth an estimated $3.5 million dollars. For forty five minutes of playing he earned $32.17 in tips from just over a thousand subway passengers who passed him. Days before he played at a venue where the decent seats were $100 each.
In the Pulitzer Prize winning story “Fatal Distraction” he writes of the tragic phenomenon of parents who have left their young children in hot cars. He explores the events through careful reconstructions to let the parents tell their stories of blame and guilt.
Edward Hirst
July 10, 2011
Gene Weingarten is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for both his serious and humorous work. A former editor he now writes "Below the Beltway," a weekly humor column for the Washington Post that is nationally syndicated. In 2010 he published a collection of twenty of his best feature stories that originally appeared in the Washington Post. The book is titled The Fiddler in Subway: the True Story of What Happened When a World-class Violinist Played for Handouts. He has the ability to simply tell each story as he sees it from his perspective. Many of the topics don’t sound funny such as, living with terrorism in Jerusalem or life in a remote Alaskan village plagued by alcoholism and suicide.
The book begins with the story of The Great Zucchini, one of the most popular entertainers of preschool age children in the Washington DC area. Eric Knaus as The Great Zucchini makes an annual income of $100,000 working two days a week, yet he has no idea where his money goes. He can’t drive his car since he owes $2000 in parking tickets, he is behind on his taxes and hounded by creditors. “When the lights go out it’s time to pay the bills”, Weingarten writes. Over the course of the story we learn The Great Zucchini is addicted to gambling and this is story of his struggle with his own personal flaws.
The title of the book comes from an experiment to see if rush hour commuters would recognize the talents of a world class violinist playing for handouts. One January morning commuters entering a DC subway station had no idea that the young man with the ball cap and jeans was one of the finest classical musicians in the world. Earlier that morning Joshua Bell took a cab three blocks from his hotel to the subway entrance to protect his violin, a 1713 Stradivarius worth an estimated $3.5 million dollars. For forty five minutes of playing he earned $32.17 in tips from just over a thousand subway passengers who passed him. Days before he played at a venue where the decent seats were $100 each.
In the Pulitzer Prize winning story “Fatal Distraction” he writes of the tragic phenomenon of parents who have left their young children in hot cars. He explores the events through careful reconstructions to let the parents tell their stories of blame and guilt.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
“NEED A JOB?” By Pam Everhardt Bloom – July 3, 2011
Need a job? Finding a job can quickly become a full time job in itself. Whether embarking on an unforeseen job search, or planning for a positive career change, maneuvering today’s online job search and applications can be somewhat overwhelming. Your public library can provide unexpected and valuable online job information without ever having to leave your home.
To start this process at home you do need internet access. If that’s not available, free internet and computer time is available at the library. You may either log on with your library card or request a guest pass if without a card. Laptops are also available for check out within the library to patrons with proper identification and no outstanding fees or fines.
Whether at home or at the library, once on the internet, access the home page for the Rowan County Library, www.lib.co.rowan.nc.us/ . Next look at the left hand side of the page and click “Online Tools.” When Online Tools opens, click on “Jobs” and a wealth of job hunting information is available at no cost.
Since many of today’s jobs require an online application, a valid email address is required. If you don’t have an email account or need to set up an email account with your professional name, this page will immediately direct you to free email sites.
Once you’ve taken care of basics, you’ll find extensive information about application procedures. Read all the tips for success when filling out your applications and find a fact sheet to print and complete with pertinent information to carry with you on your job search.
Not quite sure how to write a resume or cover letter? Continue down the list. If looking for a specific agency to help you, the JobLink Career Center, the Employment Security Commission, and other locations, addresses, and numbers are a click away. And should you be nervous about interviewing, learn about everything from the top 35 questions to be prepared to answer, to how to dress, to what questions to ask your interviewer. Also find information about programs such as Goodwill’s Career Connections for no cost personalized career counseling with one-on-one interview coaching.
With all the preliminaries covered, it’s time to look for openings. You’ll find a list of local job listings linked to this site. In addition, you’re also able to search for jobs throughout North Carolina and the nation. Should you need to consider a total career change, other sites such as O*NET and Occupational Outlook Handbook provide information to help you choose a career that matches your interests.
In today’s economy, more and more people who never imagined having to re-enter the job market are out there looking. The better you prepare, the better your chances to find the right job match. Helpful information is just a “click” away using Rowan Public Library’s Home Page.
Good luck!
Need a job? Finding a job can quickly become a full time job in itself. Whether embarking on an unforeseen job search, or planning for a positive career change, maneuvering today’s online job search and applications can be somewhat overwhelming. Your public library can provide unexpected and valuable online job information without ever having to leave your home.
To start this process at home you do need internet access. If that’s not available, free internet and computer time is available at the library. You may either log on with your library card or request a guest pass if without a card. Laptops are also available for check out within the library to patrons with proper identification and no outstanding fees or fines.
Whether at home or at the library, once on the internet, access the home page for the Rowan County Library, www.lib.co.rowan.nc.us/ . Next look at the left hand side of the page and click “Online Tools.” When Online Tools opens, click on “Jobs” and a wealth of job hunting information is available at no cost.
Since many of today’s jobs require an online application, a valid email address is required. If you don’t have an email account or need to set up an email account with your professional name, this page will immediately direct you to free email sites.
Once you’ve taken care of basics, you’ll find extensive information about application procedures. Read all the tips for success when filling out your applications and find a fact sheet to print and complete with pertinent information to carry with you on your job search.
Not quite sure how to write a resume or cover letter? Continue down the list. If looking for a specific agency to help you, the JobLink Career Center, the Employment Security Commission, and other locations, addresses, and numbers are a click away. And should you be nervous about interviewing, learn about everything from the top 35 questions to be prepared to answer, to how to dress, to what questions to ask your interviewer. Also find information about programs such as Goodwill’s Career Connections for no cost personalized career counseling with one-on-one interview coaching.
With all the preliminaries covered, it’s time to look for openings. You’ll find a list of local job listings linked to this site. In addition, you’re also able to search for jobs throughout North Carolina and the nation. Should you need to consider a total career change, other sites such as O*NET and Occupational Outlook Handbook provide information to help you choose a career that matches your interests.
In today’s economy, more and more people who never imagined having to re-enter the job market are out there looking. The better you prepare, the better your chances to find the right job match. Helpful information is just a “click” away using Rowan Public Library’s Home Page.
Good luck!
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