It
might seem like the Y2K craze was only a few years ago but we all have to admit
that it’s now been more than a decade. Before you ask yourself where 12 years
have gone or how we’ve all become 12 years older let’s focus on the book-worthy events of the past year, 2011.
Non-fiction published in 2011 was
much-anticipated and some of it focused on sensational trials and crime. Two
murder cases had our attention, the Florida trial of Casey Anthony and the
trial in Perugia, Italy of American Amanda Knox. “Inside the Mind of Casey
Anthony: A Psychological Portrait” by Keith Ablow and “Imperfect Justice:
Prosecuting Casey Anthony” by Jeff Ashton were just two books focusing on the
Florida mother of Kayley Anthony.
“The Fatal Gift of Beauty: The
Trials of Amanda Knox” by Nina Burleigh delves into not only the accused
murderess but also Italian culture and justice.
In addition to crime, celebrity and
politics make for interesting reading. At least a plethora of books were
published in 2011. Those written by and about the Palins have mesmerized
readers since the Alaskan governor nearly won the vice-presidency in 2008. This
year daughter Bristol Palin co-authored her own story with “Not Afraid of Life:
My Journey So Far” with Nancy French. A few months later, the book “Deer in the
Headlights: My Life in Sarah Palin’s Crosshairs” by the father of Bristol’s
child was published.
Some of the more uncomplimentary
books about Sarah herself were published this year: “The Lies of Sarah Palin:
The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power’ by Geoffrey Dunn, ‘Blind
Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years” by Frank Bailey,
and the much-anticipated “The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin” by Joe
McGinniss.
The couple-most-watched across the
Atlantic, of course, was Kate Middleton and Prince William. Their wedding
enthralled many of us and spawned a host of coffee-table photographic journeys
in addition to “William and Catherine: Their Lives, Their Wedding” by Andrew
Morton.
More important world events inspired
books written in 2011 and we can expect many more to be written about the Arab
Spring in the coming year. “Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the
Islamic World” by Robin Wright and “Generation Freedom: The Middle East Uprisings
and the Remaking of the Modern World” by Bruce Feiler. Feiler is the author of
“Walking the Bible” and has lived fifteen years in the Middle East. Wright is a
foreign correspondent who is watching a hopeful change in the region which is
rejecting Islamic extremism and embracing liberation on many fronts.
After the death of Osama Bin Ladin
in May, 2011 several books were published including “Wanted Dead or Alive:
Manhunts from Geronimo to Bin Laden” by Benjamin Runkle and “SEAL Target
Geronimo: The Inside Story of the Mission to Kill Osama bin Laden” by Chuck
Pfarrer. Novelist John Weisman
wrote a fictional account, “KBL: Kill Bin Laden: A Novel Based on True Events.”
Anticipating the 10th anniversary of
the tragedy of the Twin Towers and 9/11 brought us over a dozen books. “One
Nation: America Remembers September 11, 2001, 10 Years Later” was written by
journalist Tom Brokaw. Some others were more poignant because they include the
personal memories and experiences of those relatives and friends left behind.
“The Legacy Letters: Messages of Life and Hope from 9/11 Family Members” was
edited by Brian Curtis and “A Decade of Hope: Stories of Grief and Endurance
from 9/11 Family and Friends” was compiled by Dennis Smith and Deirdre Smith.
“The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of
9/11” by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan explores every aspect of the day’s
events and the aftermath. In “Where You Left Me” author and widow, Jennifer
Gardner Trulso, moves through the intense pain to find joy in her life again.
In 2011 the 12th edition of the
hundred-year old Concise Oxford Dictionary was released. Over 400 new entries
were added, including the words cyberbullying and sexting and the terms gastric
band and slow food. Certainly when the 13th edition is released sooner or later
it may include new meanings for words like “occupy” and new concoctions like
Ron Paul’s “Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan.”
April 2011 saw the release of local
author Howie Carr’s book “Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey
Bulger’s Enforcer and the Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld.” After
Whitey’s arrest last June we can anticipate at least three books scheduled for
publication in 2012.
Many of other of the events of 2011
have yet to hit the bookstands. Chicagoans Tony Rezko and Rod Blagojevich were
sentenced to terms in prison. Rebecca Black’s Friday video went viral along
with that of the Talking Twin Babies. The Iraq War ended and we learned of the
deaths of authors Vaclav Havel, Christopher Hitchens and Brian Jacques (of the
Redwall series.)
Andy Rooney, Elizabeth Taylor, Jack
Kevorkian and Joe Frazier were other notable losses of the year and we can
expect new biographies of their lives sometime in the next few years. And
certainly the first months of 2012 might bring books about the scandal of Jerry
Sandusky at Pennsylvania State University and Robert Wagner’s role in the death
of his wife, Natalie Woods.
If you need help searching for any
books in the Morrill Memorial Library or the Minuteman Library Network, please
call our Reference or Information desks (781-769-0200) or visit the library.
