Book Glutton is a Web 2.0 site for books. After setting up an account, you can read a book online, add annotations and comments, chat about a text, join discussion groups and invite friends to participate. Here's a YouTube video to show how it works.

Fantasy fiction enthusiasts lost a pioneer in the writing epic fantasy novels when David Eddings died on June 2, 2009 in his Carson City home.  Read the details in the Nevada Appeal newspaper.  He is best known for his Belgariad and Malloreon series but also wrote the Elenium, Tamuli, and Dreamers series.   Always a fan of the epic novels where I could really stay with characters I liked I have to say the the Elenium was probably my favorite of Edding's series. 

The Big Bang Book Club is a science book club open to all that meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month, 7 to 9 p.m. at 
Grumpy's Bar & Grill Downtown
1111 Washington Av. S. 
Minneapolis, (612) 340-9738

Sponsors: Magers & Quinn Booksellers; Secrets of the City; Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy; and Grumpy's.

Just in time for Father's Day, celebrate with one of the top 10 LadLit books. LadLit is the male version of ChickLit, a lighthearted genre written from the male point of view about dating, work scenarios, love, family issues, and more.

Los Angeles police detective Hieronymus (a.k.a. Harry) Bosch discovers something odd in what appears to be a routine drug overdose case. The victim has a face from Harry's past, a fellow `tunnel rat' from Vietnam named Billy Meadows. Convinced that Meadows's death is really murder, Harry searches for the killers and soon clashes with the FBI, investigating Meadows for another reason. Trying to walk through a minefield of deception and corruption in high places, Harry works with FBI agent Eleanor Wish to solve the case before they both get killed. Whose tracks have to be covered at the cost of their lives?
• Find "The Black Echo" in a suburban library
• Find "The Black Echo" in a Minneapolis library

Do your friends' eyes glaze over when you start talking about music?  Have you ever been called a music snob?   Find your next read on this list of books by other people who like to think about pop music.   And tell us a favorite of yours.  We know you can't believe we left  ______ off the list.

Interested in getting a sneak peek of R. Crumb’s, The Book of Genesis? Check out the June 8th edition of the New Yorker. Crumb accompanies the actual text of the first book of the Bible with his own illustrations. The book will be published on October 19th of this year. To read more about the book, visit the Guardian website.

• Find "The Book of Genesis" in a suburban library
• Find "The Book of Genesis" in a Minneapolis library

I rarely reread a novel. There are too many books I haven't read to take the time to revisit one. I enjoyed "The Big Love" by Sarah Dunn about five years ago and remember appreciating its perfect and very smart ending. Recently a friend mentioned she also counted it as a favorite. I had just read Dunn's new novel "Secrets to Happiness" (which is not as good) so I decided to reread "The Big Love". I had forgotten how much I Iaughed turning the pages. Alison finds herself dumped by her live-in boyfriend Tom. He went out to buy mustard for a dinner party they were hosting; he then called Alison and said he was not only not buying the mustard, he wasn't coming back. He was in love with his ex-girlfriend. The breakup is told from Alison's unique viewpoint. She overthinks everything and reminds me of a female Woody Allen. She's also a confused former evangelical Christian with hilarious musings. The novel shimmers with deadpan humor and occasional wisdom. Shannon Olson fans will love it. Way above most chick lit, "The Big Love" is the perfect beach read.
• Find "The Big Love" in a suburban library
• Find "The Big Love" in a Minneapolis library

Just about everybody is using Twitter these days, including authors. Here's a page from the Mashable site, with links to the tweets of 100+ fiction writers. They're organized by topic, such as Children's and Young Adult, General Fiction and Mystery, Crime, etc.

So in my life outside the library I participate in local science fiction conventions and will be sitting on a panel this July called "Great Authors You've Never Heard Of." Using my social media fu, I put out the call to find new authors and thought I'd share the bounty with you. Some are shelved in the Teen or Young Adult sections but are awesome reads for "old" adults, too.

Who are some great authors you know of who deserve more recognition?

Arneson, Eleanor - fantasy (MN author)
Baker, Kage - science fiction, fantasy
Bear, Elizabeth - science fiction, fantasy
Blackman, Malorie - Young Adult audience; fantasy
Blaylock, James - steampunk
Bledsoe, Alex - fantasy
Bowes, Richard - fantasy
Buckell, Tobias - science fiction
Cadigan, Pat - cyberpunk
Durham, David Anthony - fantasy
Emshwiller, Carol - fantasy
Frost, Gregory - fantasy
Hairston, Andrea - science fiction
Hines, Jim - fantasy
Kessler, Jackie - urban fantasy
Knight, EE - dark fantasy
Kritzer, Naomi - fantasy (MN author)
Kushner, Ellen - dark fantasy
Link, Kelly -  fantasy
Liu, Marjorie M. - romantic fantasy 
Monette, Sarah - fantasy
Morehouse, Lyda aka Hallaway, Tate - science fiction, urban fantasy (MN author)
Nagata, Linda - science fiction
Okorafor, Nnedi - Young Adult audience; fantasy
Pratt, Tim - fantasy
Ridley, John - science fiction
Robson, Justina  - science fiction
Ruff, Matt - science fiction
Russo, Richard Paul - science fiction
Schroeder, Karl - steampunk
Schwartz, David J. - fantasy (MN author)
Scott, Melissa - science fiction
Sedia, E(katerina) - fantasy
Sherman, Delia - fantasy
Shinn, Sharon - science fiction, fantasy
Smith, Kristine - science fiction
Stevermer, Caroline - fantasy (MN author)
Valente, Catherynne - fantasy
Wrede, Patricia - fantasy (MN author)

Get ready for the lake cabin with Fresh Fiction's ideas for light reading, perfect for a day of R&R! Includes summer recipes to enjoy on a summertime picnic!

I’m always pumped up when the latest annual edition of the "Pen/O.Henry Prize Stories: The Best Stories of the Year" comes out. This year’s is the 90th anniversary volume and has a wonderful mix of recognizable names (Paul Theroux, Ha Jin, Nadine Gordimer) and up-and-coming writers of whom you probably never heard. Ha Jin’s tale of a young Chinese man scraping by in Queens while rooming in a house with three prostitutes is unexpectedly warm and hopeful, while Roger Nash’s “The Camera and the Cobra," taking place in the Egyptian Sahara, is more atmospheric and about place than people. And what a treat to have a story by South Africa’s Nadine Gordimer, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature! These volumes are never best sellers and you won’t have trouble getting a copy right away. Keep it on your bedside table or in the breakfast nook for a quick, satisfying reminder that great writing does not have to have chapters. By the way, this is an especially valuable collection for aspiring short-story writers, thanks to the judges' end-of-book notes on their choices.
• Find "The Pen/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009" in a suburban library
• Find "The Pen/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009" in a Minneapolis library

A selection of books about the experiences of those who've served or are currently serving our country in the U.S. armed forces.

The American Booksellers Association frequently posts popular Indie Next Lists, drawn from bookseller-recommended favorites. Check out their Fall '08-Winter '09 and Spring-Summer '09 Reading Group suggestions. You may find the "next big thing" or an "undiscovered gem." Recommended titles are arranged by topics, including "Outstanding Debuts," "Visiting Other Worlds," "IntriguingTales," and "Thought Provoking Nonfiction," and more.

The Hunt for Gollum is a 40-minute independent fan film inspired by The Lord of the Rings. It can be downloaded and viewed free from The Hunt for Gollum website. The description from the site: 'The script is adapted from elements of the appendices of The Lord of the Rings. The story follows the Heir of Isildur; the "greatest huntsman and traveller in Middle Earth" as he sets out to find the creature Gollum. The creature must be found to discover the truth about the Ring, and to protect the future Ringbearer. ' It appears to fill in the time just before the Fellowship of the Ring begins. Let me know what you think. I've only viewed the trailer so far...

Web comics, comics found online rather than in print, may be the next big thing in graphic novels. Librarians have long been a fan of Unshelved, which got its start on the web. What's your favorite web comic? Post it below and share it with others. If you're new to the format, visit The Web Comic List or Top Web Comics to browse online comics.

Take a look at the titles on the annual James Beard Foundation Book Awards List, many of which our library system owns.

Red Room is the website of the Red Room Writers Society. The site offers author information and blogs, book reviews, bookclub and book events, even videos and podcasts.

Author and feminist Marilyn French died Saturday at the age of 79. Her classic feminist novel The Women's Room was published in 1977 and sold over 20 million copies. I read it as a young woman and still remember a few powerful scenes that will probably stay with me always. French wrote both fiction and non-fiction including Our Father, In the Name of Friendship and Beyond Power: On Women, Men and Morals. Her final novel The Love Children will be published this fall.
• Find "The Women's Room" in a suburban library
• Find "The Women's Room" in a Minneapolis library

Enjoy a book celebrating the ups and downs of motherhood, otherwise known as MomLit. Check out Candy Covered Books for pages of recommendations and reviews in this genre.