Famed Boston mystery writer Robert B. Parker, author of the Spenser series, passed away of heart attack in his home in Cambridge, MA on Monday.
Parker was known for his tough PI Spenser and was the author of over 60 novels inlcuding young adult novels and westerns. Helen Hunt requeted him tte the Sunny Randall series, about the daughter of PI, to make it to a movie. The first one was published in 1999, but no movie has been made yet. Parker is also known for his Jesse Spencer series about a detective in a wealthy Boston suburb, that was turned into a few Tom Selleck TV movies.
His last novel, Split Image, will be a Jessie Stone mystery and will be published next month.
Kids books: A conversation with ‘Strega Nona’ author Tomie dePaola
Tomie dePaola, author of “Strega Nona’s Harvest,” talks about the grandmotherly Italian witch/folk healer and her magic pasta pot.
What to Give & What to Get
More than 40 Penguin authors are sharing book recommendations for holiday gift-giving as part of Penguin’s What to Give & What to Get campaign. Check out videos of authors Nick Hornby, Kate Jacobs, Robert B. Parker and Frank Bruni who share favorite books on camera.
Oxford Word of the Year 2009: Unfriend
The New Oxford American Dictionary chose Facebook’s “unfriend” as its 2009 Word of the Year, according to the OUP blog.
Bark for Books
A fun-filled, literary, family event with author readings, illustration workshops, and opportunities to buy books signed by the authors and illustrators (or “pawed” by protagonists) — just in time for the holidays! The books make thoughtful gifts for the animal-loving children in your life, and extras can be donated to the League’s Read-2-Me program, which provides humane-themed books to classrooms, school libraries and students.
Word Play: Going global
Interested in more than what the U.S. children’s market has to offer? The LA Times shares new imports from British, Dutch and French authors.
Overdue library books returned half century later
A high school librarian in Phoenix says a former student at the school returned two overdue books checked out 51 years ago along with a $1,000 money order to cover the fines.
