Books to Remember, 2004
Librarians at The New York Public Library annually select 25 memorable books published within the past year.
The following titles are from the list for 2004. RC is a Recorded cassette book. BR is a braille book.
Fiction
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
RC 58885
In the early 1800s, with England embroiled in the Napoleonic Wars, Norrell reveals his skills as a practicing magician. Novice Jonathan Strange becomes Norrell's pupil and takes up England's cause on the battlefield. As Strange's powers grow, so does his obsession with the ancient, magical Raven King. Bestseller. 2004.
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
RC 58935
In this alternative history, a young man--called Philip Roth--recounts his Jewish family's fears and humiliations when aviation hero Charles Lindbergh is victorious in the 1940 presidential election. The New Jersey Roths struggle as America, caught up in anti-Semitic fervor, descends into fascism. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2004.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
RC 58940
Barcelona, 1945. Young Daniel Sempere selects Julian Carax's The Shadow of the Wind when his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Daniel loves the novel, investigates the author's life and death, and meets a cast of characters hiding deadly secrets. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2001.
The Tyrant's Novel by Thomas Keneally
BR 15740
A nameless totalitarian desert country. Camp detainee Alan Sheriff recounts his misfortunes. The country's dictator, dubbed Great Uncle, commands Sheriff, under contract with an American publisher, to ghostwrite a polemic novel denouncing international sanctions on this country, throwing Sheriff into political conflict and personal danger. Strong language. 2004.
Nonfiction
The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America by Russell Shorto
RC 58272
Portrait of the "first New Yorkers"--the earliest European inhabitants of Manhattan predating the thirteen "original" English colonies. From archival documents including letters, deeds, journals, and court proceedings, the author reconstructs the multiethnic Dutch settlement and clash of two seventeenth-century powers that ended in 1664 when England took over Manhattan. 2004.
On the Wing: To the Edge of the Earth with the Peregrine Falcon by Alan Tennant
BR 15734
Award-winning author and naturalist recounts his mid-1980s efforts to radio-track the transcontinental migration of peregrine falcons. Following the beautiful raptors through uncharted territory, Tennant and his partner travel from Texas to the Arctic, south through Mexico and Belize, and into the Caribbean on a mission fraught with danger. 2004.
Lists from previous years are available at the Andrew Heiskell Library's website at this URL: http://talkingbooks.nypl.org/books_template.cfm?id=117.
The following titles are from the list for 2004. RC is a Recorded cassette book. BR is a braille book.
Fiction
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
RC 58885
In the early 1800s, with England embroiled in the Napoleonic Wars, Norrell reveals his skills as a practicing magician. Novice Jonathan Strange becomes Norrell's pupil and takes up England's cause on the battlefield. As Strange's powers grow, so does his obsession with the ancient, magical Raven King. Bestseller. 2004.
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
RC 58935
In this alternative history, a young man--called Philip Roth--recounts his Jewish family's fears and humiliations when aviation hero Charles Lindbergh is victorious in the 1940 presidential election. The New Jersey Roths struggle as America, caught up in anti-Semitic fervor, descends into fascism. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2004.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
RC 58940
Barcelona, 1945. Young Daniel Sempere selects Julian Carax's The Shadow of the Wind when his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Daniel loves the novel, investigates the author's life and death, and meets a cast of characters hiding deadly secrets. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2001.
The Tyrant's Novel by Thomas Keneally
BR 15740
A nameless totalitarian desert country. Camp detainee Alan Sheriff recounts his misfortunes. The country's dictator, dubbed Great Uncle, commands Sheriff, under contract with an American publisher, to ghostwrite a polemic novel denouncing international sanctions on this country, throwing Sheriff into political conflict and personal danger. Strong language. 2004.
Nonfiction
The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America by Russell Shorto
RC 58272
Portrait of the "first New Yorkers"--the earliest European inhabitants of Manhattan predating the thirteen "original" English colonies. From archival documents including letters, deeds, journals, and court proceedings, the author reconstructs the multiethnic Dutch settlement and clash of two seventeenth-century powers that ended in 1664 when England took over Manhattan. 2004.
On the Wing: To the Edge of the Earth with the Peregrine Falcon by Alan Tennant
BR 15734
Award-winning author and naturalist recounts his mid-1980s efforts to radio-track the transcontinental migration of peregrine falcons. Following the beautiful raptors through uncharted territory, Tennant and his partner travel from Texas to the Arctic, south through Mexico and Belize, and into the Caribbean on a mission fraught with danger. 2004.
Lists from previous years are available at the Andrew Heiskell Library's website at this URL: http://talkingbooks.nypl.org/books_template.cfm?id=117.
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