Best Books Of 2011

It's that time of year again when lists of the year's best books start coming out, just in time to find titles to fill in your holiday shopping! The New York Times recently put out its list of The 10 Best Books of 2011, listed below.

FICTION

The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach
11/22/63, by Stephen King
Swamplandia!, by Karen Russell
Ten Thousand Saints, by Eleanor Henderson
The Tiger's Wife, by Tea Obreht

NONFICTION

Arguably, by Christopher Hitchens
The Boy in the Moon, by Ian Brown
Malcolm X, by Manning Marable
Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman
A World on Fire, by Amanda Foreman

For more information about these titles, or to place them "On Hold," visit the library catalog here.

And for even more great book suggestions, browse a few of the following lists:

Best Sellers and Award Winners for all ages: Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System

100 Most Notable Books of 2011: The New York Times

Amazon's Top 100: Amazon.com (This list is even conveniently separated by various genres, age groups, and includes lists for both print and Kindle versions of titles!)

Top 100 Best Sellers of 2011 for all ages: Barnes and Nobel

We hope you enjoy hunting for the perfect books to give to all your friends and family this holiday season!

New eBook And eAudiobook Newsletter!

If you are one of the many patrons who are now enjoying the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System's collection of downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks and would like to keep up with new titles being added to these collections, then our new eMedia Newsletter may be just the thing for you! This electronic newsletter will feature new electronic media that may be downloaded to mobile and e-reader devices like the Kindle, Nook, MP3 players, iPods, iPads, and smart phones, and will be delivered straight to the inbox of your choosing. Visit the sign-up page and enter your email address to subscribe.

If you'd like more information about how to get started with our downloadable materials, (especially if you're thinking of getting or giving an eReader this holiday season!) visit our Overdrive Downloadable collection and check out the Getting Started pages, the video guided tour, or the My Help section. And as always you can contact your local branch to speak with a librarian for more information about these resources. Happy downloading!

Thanksgiving Holiday Hours

All branches of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will close at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23, 2011. The library system will remain closed on Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving Holiday. All branches will reopen at their regularly scheduled times on Saturday, November 26, 2011.

Please check our events calendar for holiday activities that may be taking place at your local branch during the week!

We hope everyone has a very safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

Spotlight on NoveList!

Have you ever had trouble figuring out what the next title in your favorite series is? Or been searching for a book just like the last one you read? Or maybe you've been searching for authors like the one that finally got your child to sit down and read happily for hours? Well, one of the best resources to answer all these questions (besides your local librarian, of course!) is a database called NoveList. All Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System card holders have free access to this database through the library's website, twenty-four hours a day. NoveList makes it easy to find series, title or author recommendations based on books you've previously read, or genres you particularly enjoy. Here's how you get started:

1. Go to the library's homepage at www.afpls.org.
2. Under Books, Research and Databases, click on A-Z Databases.
3. Scroll down the list and click on NoveList. Note, if you are outside of the
library you will be asked for your library card number!
4. In the search box type in your description of a book you'd like to read, or
search for specific authors, titles, and series.
5. Each result from your search will also give you 9 author read-alikes and 9 title
read-alikes.
6. Print or save your lists and use them to search the library catalog for your next great read!

Halloween @ Your Library!

Many branches of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will be celebrating the fall season with programs and story times of a spooky nature in the next few weeks. Check the calendar of events to see what might be happening at a branch near you!

And while you're in the library enjoying some of our free programs, be sure and check out some more fun and spooky items just in time for Halloween! Here's a few suggestions that could be fun for the whole family:

The Halloween Handbook : 447 Costumes, by Bridie Clark

Take Back Halloween and Freak Out a Few More Neighbors, by Tom Nardone

Basic How To Halloween Makeups [DVD], by Bogdan "Don" Pecic

Bethany Lowe's Folk Art Halloween, by Bethany Lowe

Scary Sound Effects: Nightmarish Noise for Halloween [CD], by Robert C. Wayne

Dog Trick or Cat Treat : Pets Dress Up For Halloween, by Archie Klondike

The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection [DVD], by Wes Craven

Have a safe and SPOOKTACULAR Halloween!

Kindle Books Now Available @ Your Library!

Great news for eBook lovers and Kindle users! You can now download free Kindle books from the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System! The majority of our downloadable eBooks are now in a Kindle-friendly format that works with Kindles and all free Kindle reading apps. This means you don't even have to own a Kindle to take advantage of this opportunity. Simply download the free app to your smart phone, handheld device, or computer, set up a free Amazon.com account, and you're ready to start enjoying free eBooks!

To get started, visit our eMedia collection at Overdrive and start browsing for Kindle books. You will need your library card number and your PIN. Once you check out the Kindle title, you will be redirected to Amazon where you can sign in and select "Get Library Book." The next time you open your app or sync your Kindle, your title will be there waiting for you!

For more information contact your local library branch or check out Overdrive's My Help page.

Have fun Kindle users!

Library Closed Monday, October 10th

Just a friendly reminder to all of our patrons that the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will be closed this Monday, October 10, 2011, so that we can hold our annual Staff Development Day. This annual meeting of the entire library staff helps us to better serve you through training sessions and professional development!

All branches will reopen at their regularly scheduled times on Tuesday, October 11, 2011.

We appreciate your support!