Movies - Best Picture Winners 1927-2011

It's almost time for Academy Award nominations to be announced (tomorrow!), so it seemed like a good time to launch the movie part of our reader's advisory blog. Get ready for some viewer's advisory!

To start with, did you know that you can check out every Best Picture winner since 1927 from Samuels Library? (The only exception is the 1932/1933 winner Cavalcade, which is currently unavailable on DVD.)

Following the jump ("Read more"), you will find brief annotations for all 84 of these films.

Reading lists - Locus Award winners

Each year, the readers of Locus magazine vote for their favorite science fiction and fantasy books, among other categories. Ballots are sent in the February issue of Locus, along with a recommended reading list featuring titles published during the preceding year. Here are the nominees in the three biggest categories—the winners were announced in June.

Science Fiction Novel

Embassytown by China Miéville (winner)

Retaining a tenuous peace on a distant planet in the far future, humans and aliens work together through a mutually beneficial economic arrangement that is threatened by the arrival of a new group of humans that destabilizes the world's balance. (F Mie)

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

When Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war. Attacked by a stealth ship belonging to the Mars fleet, Holden must find a way to uncover the motives behind the attack, stop a war and find the truth behind a vast conspiracy that threatens the entire human race. (F Cor)

11/22/63 by Stephen King

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? The author's new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination. (F Kin, BCD F Kin, LP F Kin)

Rule 34 by Charles Stross

Head of the Rule 34 Squad monitoring the Internet for illegal activities, Detective Inspector Liz Kavanaugh investigates the link between three ex-con spammers who have been murdered. (PB SciFi S, ebook)

The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge

Ten years have passed on Tines World, where Ravna Bergnsdot and a number of human children ended up after a disaster that nearly obliterated humankind throughout the galaxy. While there is peace among the Tines, there are those among them—and among the humans—who seek power, and no matter the cost, these malcontents are determined to overturn the fledgling civilization that has taken root since the humans landed.(F Vin)

Fantasy Novel

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (winner)

New threats emerge to endanger the future of the Seven Kingdoms, as Daenerys Targaryen fights off a multitude of enemies, while Jon Snow faces his foes both in the Watch and beyond the great Wall of ice and stone. (F Mar, BCD F Mar, ebook, e-audio)

Snuff by Terry Pratchett

The 39th installment in the New York Times bestselling "Discworld" canon from Terry Pratchett, "the purely funniest English writer since Wodehouse." (F Pra)

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero as he attempts to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm where he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist. (F Rot, ebook)

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

Set in an alternate version of St. Petersburg in the first half of the twentieth century, Marya Morevna, a clever child of the revolution, is transformed into the beautiful bride of Koschei the Deathless, a menacing overlord. (F Val)

Among Others by Jo Walton

Seeking refuge in fantasy novel worlds throughout a youth under the shadow of a dubiously sane mother who dabbled in magic, Mori Phelps is forced to confront her in a tragic battle and gains unwanted attention when she attempts to perform spells herself. (F Wal)

First Novel

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (winner)

A fierce competition is underway, a contest between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in "a game," in which each must use their powers of illusion to best the other. Unbeknownst to them, this game is a duel to the death, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. (F Mor, ebook, Book Club in a Bag)

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Immersing himself in a mid-twenty-first-century technological virtual utopia to escape an ugly real world of famine, poverty, and disease, Wade Watts joins an increasingly violent effort to solve a series of puzzles by the virtual world's creator. (F Cli, ebook, e-audio)

God’s War by Kameron Hurley

Nyx is a former government assassin who makes a living cutting off heads for cash. But when a dubious deal between her government and an alien gene pirate goes bad, Nyx's ugly past makes her the top pick for a covert recovery. The head they want her to bring home could end the war—but at what price? (F Hur)

Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh

In a near-future America that is slowly succumbing to anarchy due to scarce resources, diseases, and economic depression, Jasper, a college graduate, leads a group of former middle-class Americans across the Southeast to find a safe haven. (F McI, ebook)

Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti by Genevieve Valentine

As a circus of performers recreated with mechanical parts treks across a chaotic world, a government man asks for the ringmaster's help in building a world of order, while two performers desire a pair of cursed magical wings. (F Val)

Award Winners - 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Awards

Mystery Writers of America celebrates the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth by announcing the nominations for Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, and television published or produced the previous year. The Edgar® Awards for 2011 were presented on April 26, 2012. Winners are listed in bold.

Best Novel

The Ranger by Ace Atkins (F Atk)

Gone by Mo Hayder (F Hay)

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino (F Hig)

1222 by Anne Holt (F Hol)

Field Gray by Philip Kerr (F Ker)

Best First Novel

Red on Red by Edward Conlon (F Con)

Last to Fold by David Duffy (F Duf)

All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen (F Ros)

Bent Road by Lori Roy (F Roy)

Purgatory Chasm by Steve Ulfelder (F Ulf)

Best Paperback Original

The Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett (F Ben)

The Faces of Angels by Lucretia Grindle (F Gri)

The Dog Sox by Russell Hill

Death of the Mantis by Michael Stanley (F Sta)

Vienna Twilight by Frank Tallis (F Tal)

Best Fact Crime

The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars by Paul Collins

The Savage City: Race, Murder, and a Generation on the Edge by T.J. English

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard (973.8 Mil)

Girl, Wanted: The Chase for Sarah Pender by Steve Miller

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter by Mark Seal (364 Sea)

Best Critical Biographical

The Tattooed Girl: The Enigma of Stieg Larsson and the Secrets Behind the Most Compelling Thrillers of our Time by Dan Burstein, Arne de Keijzer & John-Henri Holmberg

Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making by John Curran (823 Cur)

On Conan Doyle: Or, the Whole Art of Storytelling by Michael Dirda (823 Dir)

Detecting Women: Gender and the Hollywood Detective Film by Philippa Gates

Scripting Hitchcock: Psycho, The Birds and Marnie by Walter Raubicheck and Walter Srebnick

Mary Higgins Clark

Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton (F Bol)

Come and Find Me by Hallie Ephron

Death on Tour by Janice Hamrick (F Ham)

Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry (F Hen)

Murder Most Persuasive by Tracy Kiely

Award Winners - 2011 Bram Stoker Award Winners

Each year, the Horror Writers Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement, named in honor of Bram Stoker, author of the seminal horror work, Dracula. The Bram Stoker Awards were instituted immediately after the organization's incorporation in 1987. Last years' awards were presented on March 31, 2012. Come check some out at the library!

Novel: Flesh Eaters by Joe McKinney (F McK)
First Novel: Isis Unbound by Allyson Bird (only available in Kindle format from Amazon)
Long Fiction: “The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine” by Peter Straub (on order)
Short Fiction: “Herman Wouk Is Still Alive” by Stephen King (The Atlantic Magazine, May 2011)
Anthology: Demons: Encounters with the Devil and his Minions, Fallen Angels and the Possessed edited by John Skipp (SC Dem)
Fiction Collection: The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares by Joyce Carol Oates (F Oat)
Vampire Novel of the Century: Richard Matheson for his modern classic I Am Legend (F Mat)

Reading Lists - Locus Award Winners for Best Fantasy Novel

Each year, the readers of Locus magazine vote for their favorite science fiction, horror, and fantasy books, among other categories. Ballots are sent in the February issue of Locus, along with a recommended reading list featuring titles published during the preceding year.

Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin (2009)
In The Aeneid, Virgil's hero fights to claim the king's daughter, Lavinia, with whom he is destined to found an empire. Lavinia herself never speaks a word in the poem. Le Guin gives Lavinia a voice in a novel that takes the reader to the half-wild world of ancient Italy, when Rome was a muddy village near seven hills.

Making Money by Terry Pratchett (2008)
In the 32nd installment (yes, you read that correctly!) of Pratchett’s Discworld series, prisoner-turned-postal worker Moist von Lipwig tackles a new assignment in a different branch of the government. He is directed to oversee the printing of Ankh-Morpork's first paper currency, a job with unexpected challenges. Pratchett is known for his fast-paced, laugh-out-loud novels.

The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner (2007)
Anticipating nothing more than a conventional life and marriage among the city's high society, young Katherine Talbert is stunned when her uncle, the Mad Duke, hands her a sword, relegates her to boy's clothing, and sends her on an adventure-filled odyssey of self-discovery. This story’s plot and style are in the swashbuckling tradition of Dumas.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (2006)
Fat Charlie is the son of Anansi, the trickster god, whose embarrassing taunts and untimely death cause a lot of problems for young Charlie. His trouble is multiplied when he meets the brother he never knew—Spider gets him fired, sleeps with his fiancée, and gets him arrested in this romantic screwball comedy seasoned with murder, magic, and ghosts.

Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold (2004)
Three years free of the madness that kept her imprisoned in her family’s castle, Ista, Dowager Royina of Chalion, is finally released from her last remaining duties by the death of her mother. She undertakes a pilgrimage, but doesn’t get far before she is overtaken by trouble, sorrow, need, and a host of other adversities.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (1997)
In the first of Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice saga, the kingdom of the royal Stark family faces its ultimate challenge in the onset of a generation-long winter, the poisonous plots of the rival Lannisters, the emergence of the Neverborn demons, and the arrival of barbarian hordes. Intrigue, action, romance, and mystery abound in this saga.

The Innkeeper’s Song by Peter S. Beagle (1994)
Lukassa drowns but is abducted by an ethereal sorceress with golden eyes. As Tikat braves a long and dangerous trek to find the lover whose death and resurrection he witnessed, he meets three women—each of whom hides a secret, and who each undertake impossible missions.

Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card (1988)
The first installment of the Tales of Alvin Maker takes place in the Northwest Territory in the late
18th century. Alvin is the seventh son of a seventh son and heir to great powers that he must learn to use and control. In the tradition of T. H. White's Sword in the Stone, Card mixes historical figures and imaginary ones, fantasy and philosophy.

Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe (1987)
In 479 B.C., Athens and Sparta have defeated the invading Persians. Latro, a Latin-speaking mercenary with the Persian army, has suffered a head wound and lost his memory; he can't remember from one day to the next. Every night he records the previous day's events on a scroll, which he must read the next morning to rediscover his circumstances and who his companions are.

Trumps of Doom by Roger Zelazny (1986)
In the sixth of the classic Amber Chronicles, Corwin, Prince of Amber, is exiled to Earth because of an ancient feud with his brothers. He must battle his way back to the perfect world of Amber, the center of reality. Like the rest of Zelazny’s series, Trumps of Doom features heroic fantasy figures combined with kinetic action and a cliff-hanging conclusion.

Job by Robert A. Heinlein (1985)
After he firewalked in Polynesia, the world wasn't the same for Alexander Hergensheimer, now called Alec Graham. As natural accidents occurred without cease, Alex knew Armageddon and the Day of Judgment were near. Somehow he had to bring his beloved heathen, Margrethe, to a state of grace, and, while he was at it, save the rest of the world in Heinlein’s “comedy of justice.”

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1984)
Bradley’s Avalon series reworks the Arthurian legend with greater focus on the supplanting of the Earth Mother religion by male-dominated Christianity. Morgaine is a priestess of Avalon, seat of the Great Goddess. She falls pregnant with Arthur’s son during fertility rites, later turning against him when she thinks he has betrayed the old ways.

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien (1978)
Tolkien began writing these legends in 1917, decades before the publication of The Lord of the Rings. Two brief tales, which outline the origin of the world, precede the title story about the Silmarils—three brilliant, jewel-like creatures who are desired and fought over. Two final short tales follow to round out the history of the Third Age.

Reading Lists - Hugo Award Winners for Best Novel

The Science Fiction Achievement Awards, or Hugos, are selected annually by popular vote of the World Science Fiction Society. Established in 1953 and named for Hugo Gernsback, an early science fiction publisher, the awards are given for the best science fiction and to individuals for contributions to science fiction writing, art, and publishing.

The City & The City by China Miéville (2010)
Twin southern European cities Beszel and Ul Qoma coexist in the same physical location, separated by their citizens' determination to see only one city at a time. Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad roams through the intertwined but separate cultures as he investigates the murder of Mahalia Geary.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (2010)
In a future of rising water levels, bioengineered plagues, widespread food shortages, and retrotechnology, calories have become currency. An encounter between Anderson Lake, AgriGen's "calorie man" in Bangkok, and Emiko, a genetically engineered member of the New People (and titular “windup girl”), sets off a cataclysmic chain of events.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (2009)
While a killer murders his family, a baby pulls himself out of his crib and toddles out of the house and into the night. Finding his way into an ancient graveyard, the baby is discovered by a caring couple who just happen to be dead. Under their care, baby "Nobody" is raised among the dead in order to protect him from the murderer, who relentlessly pursues him. (YAF Gai)

The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon (2008)
In a world in which Alaska, rather than Israel, has become the homeland for the Jews following World War II, Detective Meyer Landsman and his half-Tlingit partner Berko investigate the death of a heroin-addicted chess prodigy. Raucous, decidedly impolite, and stylistically arresting, this book is a brilliantly engaging read.

Spin by Robert Charles Wilson (2006)
After witnessing the onset of an astronomical event that has caused the sun to go black and the stars and moon to disappear, Tyler, Jason, and Diane learn that the darkness has been caused by a time-altering, alien-created artificial barrier and that the sun will be extinguished in less than forty years.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002)
A convict called Shadow is flung into the midst of a supernatural fray of gods such as Odin, Anansi, and a multitude of other ancient divinities as they struggle for survival in an America beset by trends, fads, and constant upheaval. They are joined in this struggle by such contemporary deities as the geek-boy god Internet and the goddess Media.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (1999)
In 2057, Ned Henry goes back in time to 1889 to study the Coventry Cathedral for a wealthy American who wants to build a replica. This novel is the grand result of taking an excursion through time, adding chaos theory, romance, plenty of humor, a dollop of mystery, and a spoof of the Victorian novel.

Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (1997)
In the final installment of the Mars trilogy, Mars has declared independence from Earth, but it still faces problems—an impending ice age, a search for religious meaning, and immigration. New medical discoveries enable people to live 200 years, causing overpopulation on Earth; the Martians object to being swamped by Earthmen.

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge (1993)
In a far future interstellar society, intelligence is limited by a mind's location in the universe. A scientific experiment gone awry disrupts this situation, causing widespread destruction and chaos. Refugees who may have the secret to saving civilization fall into the hands of a medieval race of aliens, and the quest is on for an oddly assorted band of rescuers to save the refugees.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (1986)
A desperate Earth command resorts to genetic experimentation in order to produce a tactical genius capable of defeating the alien “buggers.” So likable but determined "Ender" Wiggins, age six, becomes Earth's last hope. In a dramatic, brutal series of war games and computer-fantasies, Ender is forced to realize his military genius and to rely on nothing and no-one but himself.

Neuromancer by William Gibson (1985)
Case was the hottest computer cowboy cruising the information superhighway. Then he double-crossed the wrong people, who caught up with him in a big way and burned the talent out of his brain. Banished from cyberspace, trapped in the meat of his physical body, Case courts death in the high-tech underworld until a shadowy conspiracy offers him a second chance and a cure.

Gateway by Frederik Pohl (1978)
In this adventure, earthmen try to unlock the secret of the Heechee Gateway, an asteroid created by a long-gone civilization that provides instantaneous passage to the far reaches of the universe. Prospectors venture to unknown destinations, mindful that only one in three will survive, but the financial rewards for a successful return are stupendous.

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm (1977)
Having foreseen and planned for the worldwide devastation of war and pestilence, the landed Sumner family of Virginia have assured themselves physical survival through a perilous cloning experiment, but they are hard-pressed to provide for a meaningful human future. This novel is sweeping, dramatic, and rigorous in its science.