Zombies invading a Jane Austen classic? Sea monsters churning the waters of a beloved tome? Abraham Lincoln, a vampire hunter? Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina the subject of an upcoming mash-up? What’s a reader to do? What’s a librarian to do?

Have some fun as the classics are re-imagined in today’s mash-ups, and encourage readers to sample the original works.

A short list of books read and reviewed in 2009.

With Labor Day approaching, it is a perfect time to delve into some novels that explore the lives of working men and women. A great place to begin, of course, is John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, his heartfelt tale of the challenges facing the Joad family as they leave their dustbowl home during the Depression in search of work as migrant fruit pickers in California. The depth of characterization and the pure passion Steinbeck brings to the novel is amazing. Also try his earlier novel In Dubious Battle for a portrait of a young man involved in labor disputes between migrant workers and apple orchard owners.