March is Women's History Month. Celebrate by reading about the famous & sometimes infamous women of history...
The 2010 Edgar Awards for best Mysteries were announced in January. Check out the list of nominees for best Mystery novel & click the link below to see all of the categories and nominees:
Best Novel
- The Missing by Tim Gautreaux
- The Odds by Kathleen George
- The Last Child by John Hart
- The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston
- Nemesis by Jo Nesbo (translated by Don Bartlett)
- A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn
This April marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission. Adler Planetarium is offering special exhibits and programs in honor of the anniversary. If you are looking to do something a little closer to home- check out the following books and movies from the library's collection:
- Apollo 13 feature film starring Tom Hanks
- Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 by Jim Lovell (available in book & book on cassette)
- In the Shadow of the Moon (documentary)
- Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond by Gene Kranz
In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
An incredible adventure story recounting the trials and tribulations of Captain George DeLong and his crew traveling to discover the North Pole during the 1870's. Without giving too much away, one can only marvel at what these men went through in order to survive; from being stranded on ice for a year, to overcoming lead poisoning, and not to mention the Arctic weather conditions. A very gripping story, one that I actually listened to, rather than read. The narrator, Arthur Morey, did an excellent job and one could even detect changes in his voice as the story's mood changed. This is a book for any history buff, adventure enthusiast, or anyone who likes a story about human survival and perseverance. Also a great book to read if you are looking to improve your vocabulary.
March's Fiction Book Discussion pick, A Long Long Time Ago & Essentiallly True by Brigid Pasulka is a beautifully told family history set in Poland with an ending that is worth the wait. The story alternates between "Old Poland" and Pigeon & Anielica and then "New Poland" and their granddaughter Beata also known as "Baba Yaga." In Old Poland, Pigeon seeks to win over the village beauty Anielica only to have his plans thwarted by World War II. In New Poland Beata is starting a new phase of her life and unsure as to which direction to move. As she learns more about her family history she becomes more certain of who she is and what she wants out of life. This novel is written by Chicago teacher Brigid Pasulka and is the 2010 winner of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award.
Let these tales of intriguing discoveries transport you from the Midwest to the Middle East this summer.
Afghanistan
Turkey & Egypt
Lebanon & Syria
Iraq
Get ready for the 2012 Oscars with the Brookfield Library?
Have you entered 2012 Oscars Challenge? The person whose picks are closest to Academy's will win a copy of this year's Best Picture!
Sign up to come see the The Help (4 nominations) at the Library on Saturday February 13th at 1:00pm.
We wil have Oscar Nominees and Winners past and present on display in the Library!
It was a big year for big-screen adaptations as six of the nine Oscar Nominees for Best Picture (Hugo, The Descendants, The Help, War Horse, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Moneyball) were based on books. Some interesting notes about the list is that there are two first time novelists on it (Kaui Hart Hemmings and Kathryn Stockett), it contains for the second time in three years a Michael Lewis non-fiction sports book (The Blind Side, 2010), and the first time since 1940 there are novels by two female authors nominated (Gone with the Wind and Wurthering Heights).
Continue on to see all the Oscar Nominated books and to put your request in for their DVD counterparts.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (J FIC CALDECOTT SELZNICK)
- Request the DVD (scheduled release date - April 2012)
The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings (FIC HEMMINGS)
- Request the DVD (scheduled release date - March 13, 2012)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (FIC STOCKETT and LP STOCKETT and eBook)
- Request the DVD (available to check out now)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (FIC LARSSON and LP LARSSON and CD LARSSON and eBook)
- Request the DVD (scheduled release date - March 2012)
Moneyball by Michael Lewis (796.357 LEW and eBook)
- Request the DVD (available to check out now)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (FIC FOER and CD FOER)
- No release date as of yet
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre (FIC LE CARRE)
- Request the DVD (scheduled release date - March 20, 2012)
Drive by James Sallis (MYS SALLIS)
- Request the DVD (available to check out now)
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (J FIC MORPURGO and audiobook)
- Request the DVD (scheduled release date - April 2012)
Steel by Richard Matheson (SF MATHESON)
- Request the DVD (available to check out now)
The Iron Lady by John Campbell (B THATCHER CAM)
- Request the DVD (scheduled release date - April 2012)
My Week with Marilyn by Colin Clark
- Request the DVD (scheduled release date - March 13, 2012)
Warning: Don’t start reading Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels unless you want to get hooked. I got started at the urging of a library patron, and now my sister and my son are fans, too.
I really liked the very first Reacher book, Killing Floor which I got through My Media Mall for my Kindle. But I thought it was too bloody, and I don’t like vigilantes.
Soon there I was though, picking up another Lee Child and another and yet another. I think it’s the action that keeps me coming back. These books do not get boring. And because Reacher is a vagabond who can’t seem to settle down, the books are set in various parts of the country, including the nearby states of Indiana and South Dakota. Yes there are flaws. I almost gave up reading Die Trying,
the second in the series, because the villain was just too incredibly evil. But then I realized that all of Child’s villains are horrible.
Yes, Child has flaws. Do all the women have to be so incredibly gorgeous? Would they really fall so hard and so quickly for a man who wears his clothes for three or four days (barring times he has to toss a shirt early because he got too much blood on it). And could any mere mortal really accomplish what Jack Reacher does? Five against one is an easy day for this guy. Or watch him cross 300 yards on foot with no cover up to a house where bad guys with guns are looking out the windows.
Some fans might disagree, but I don’t think you need to read the Reacher saga in order. Excuse me please, I’m on page 98 of Bad Luck and Trouble 
Angels & Demons (based on the novel by Dan Brown) hits theaters this weekend. This thriller features Brown's lead character Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) as he is off to Rome on the trail of the mysterious secret society the Illuminati who have kidnapped four cardinals. Filled with mystery, intrigue, suspense and beautiful art, Angels & Demons (both the book & movie) has many elements that make for a great story. If you haven't read it, check it out- I recommend the Special Illustrated Edition as it includes pictures of the various works & places referenced in the book. Click below to see other titles related to Angels & Demons.
If you'd like to learn more about Rome, the Vatican or the mysterious Illuminati, check out the following titles:
- The Secret History of the World : As Laid Down by the Secret Societies by Mark Booth
- Secret Societies : Inside the World's Most Notorious Organizations by John Reynolds
- Angels & Demons Revealed (DVD)
- Inside the Vatican (DVD)
- The Vatican Collections: Papacy and Art
- The Genius in the Design : Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry that Transformed Rome by Jake Morrissey
- Galileo in ROme: The Rise & Fall of a Troublesome Genius by William Shea
- Rome by Olivia Ercoli
As an Anglophile and/or a media junkie, you might pick up “Dial M. for Murdoch” by Member of Parliament Tom Watson and journalist Martin Hickman.
Frankly, I found it much less compelling than it should be. It seemed like a lot of plowing through the calendar from 2002 to 2011. It would help if I were more familiar with British organizations, personalities and acronyms. And it might help if the authors gave more information when referring to people like Tommy Sheridan after not mentioning him for 100 pages. (He's a Scottish politician who won a lawsuit against News of the World; then went to jail for perjury in that suit; then Sheridan was released and Andy Coulson, editor of News of the World and later communications director for Prime Minister Cameron Brown, was charged with perjury in the case. Clear??)
The book promised some juicy inside news, and you might expect it from Watson, a government insider who has his own flashy lifestyle and blames his fight to bring down the Murdochs with ruining his marriage. Mostly it is a boring recitation of what happened in the News International phone hacking scandals that eventually closed the 168-year-old News of the World. The newspaper illegally got into voice mails of celebrities and people close to the Royal Family. But what really shocked the nation and brought on all kinds of official wrath was the revelation that agents of the newspaper went into the cell phone voice mail of a young missing girl.
Scotland Yard, often portrayed as a paragon on BBC dramas, is accused of corruption and ineptitude. One revelation driven home again and again was the terrifying power that Murdoch's papers had or were believed to have over British officials -- threatening and possibly making and bringing down those as high as prime minister.
To be fair, some reviewers liked the book. Check out the Washington Post account at Opinions
The whole hacking story as told by the New York Times is available through the Brookfield Public Library website. NYT
Beastly Things
No one loves Venice like Commissario Brunetti. No one. He has lived there all his life and cannot understand how anyone can put up with earthly irritants like traffic jams. And he loves the architecture. Every time he walks across the tiny city or takes a ride down one its canals he finds more beauty to admire.
One thing we North Americans learn is that Venice and Venetians are different from the rest of Italy in ways other than boats are the main mode of transportation. They even have their own language, more or less.
And even though Brunetti is chasing the most dastardly murderers, there's something relaxing about his lifestyle. For one thing there's the food. His wife, Paola is the scion of one of Venice's richest families, and she teaches English literature at university. But none of this interferes with the fabulo
us meals she puts on the table noon and night for her family of four. And unlike your more hardboiled American detectives, Brunetti neither shoots people nor chases women, although if he weren't so smitten with his wife we might get a little nervous about his relationship with Signorina Elettra, his boss' secretary.
All this said, the reader who is not already passionate about Brunetti should probably start with an earlier book rather than the latest, Beastly Things. Our hero seems to spend more time than usual contemplating good and evil, and the action is slight. He does, however, get to charge the murderer with murder this time, rather than settling for achieving justice in a more round about way.
With crooked politicians, corrupt enviromentalists, and a whole host of inept criminals and zany heroes, Carl Hiaasen's novels are hilarious thrillers set in Hiaasen's vividly described home state of Florida.
June's Book Discussion pic- Skinny Dip features slightly murderous biologist Chaz Perrone who is being stalked by the wife he tried to kill. Will attempted murder victim Joey get revenge against her egomaniac husband? Check out the book to find out and come to book discussion on June 15 & share your thoughts on Skinny Dip.
If you like humorous books where anything can happen and often will, then check out author Carl Hiaasen. With crooked politicians, corrupt enviromentalists, and a whole host of inept criminals and zany heroes, Carl Hiaasen's novels are hilarious thrillers set in Hiaasen's vividly described home state of Florida.
To make up for our cancelled June book discussion on Hiaasen's Skinny Dip join us on Tuesday August 17 at 7:00 p.m. where we'll discuss Skinny Dip along with Hiaasen's other works.
Job searching can be frustrating at the best of times, but even more so in a struggling economy. Your library however can be a great resource for assistance & inspiration in getting the job you want, or escape from stresses of job searching.
For inspiration and assistance, check out our collection of books on resumes, cover letters, and interviewing. Also check our calendar to find dates for our Online Job Searching workshops or to sign up for our Interviewing 101 workshop on May 21 at 7 pm.Â
To add a little humor to your job search, check out the article Job Search Lessons from Jaws (click on the title to see the article).  Also Bitter is the New Black and other titles by Jen Lancaster. Jen's descriptions of her own period of unemployment are humorous yet inspiring.   Plus check out our many wonderful books, movies, and CDs for escape from the every day.Â
Back in October, our Third Tuesday discussion group enjoyed reading and discussing Ann Patchett's riveting novel Bel Canto. Last week it was announced that the Lyric Opera will premiere the opera Bel Canto for their 2015-16 season. Now I've seen plenty of good discussion books turned into movies, but I'm pretty
sure this the first time I've seen one made into an opera! Patchett's story about a group of strangers held hostage by terrorists at a swanky party for a Japanese businessman weaves a love of music throughout the novel.
Perhaps our most favorite 2011 book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, will debut in theaters next year starring Kate Winslet. Our group loved this charming novel featuring the correspondance between a vivacious London writer and the residents of the quiet island occupied by the Germans during the war.
November 17, 2006 marks the release of the latest Bond movie (and the first ever James Bond novel) Casino Royale, starring the newest James Bond, Daniel Craig.
Relive your favorite James Bond memories by reading Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. Check them out now on display by the Reference Desk.
Going to see Daniel Craig in the new James Bond movie Quantom of Solace? Check out my favorite James Bond resource The Jame Bond Encyclopedia by John Cork. This great encyclopedia references all the James Bond films, the actors potraying James Bond, the Bond villians, Bond girls and all the great spy technology. This book, along with our James Bond novels & films can be currently found in our James Bond display by the DVD collection.
James Bond Starring Sean Connery
- Dr. No
- From Russia with Love
- Thunderball
- You Only Live Twice
- Diamonds are Forever
James Bond Starring George Lazenby
- On Her Majesty's Secret Service
James Bond Starring Roger Moore
- Live & Let Die
- The Man with the Golden Gun
- The Spy Who Loved Me
- Moonraker
- For Your Eyes Only
- Octopussy
- A View to a Kill
James Bond Starring Timothy Dalton
- The Living Daylights
- License to Kill
James Bond Starring Pierce Brosnan
- GoldenEye
- Tomorrow Never Dies
- The World is Not Enough
- Die Another Day
James Bond Starring Daniel Craig
- Casino Royale
- Quantom of Solace
The Fiction Book Discussion Group wrapped up its last meeting for the year (we're on hiatus in December). See below to check out what titles the group has read over the last year.
2009 has been a busy year for Brookfield Public Library. In addition to our regular book discussion group we started a Non-Fiction discussion group which met at the Salt Creek Wine Bar. See our list below to keep up with what our book discussion groups have been reading.
Fiction
- January - The Life & Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
- February- Chocolat by Joanne Harris
- March- The Pig Did It by Joseph Caldwell
- April- The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- May- The Cure for Modern Life by Lisa Tucker
- June- The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon
- September- Hannah's Daughters by Marianne Fredricksson
- October- Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennet
- ***Special October Book Discussion- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
- November-
Due to the remodeling project, our Fiction group will not meet again until Feb 16 when we will discuss The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. If you would like to request a copy of the book, please call the library at 485-6917 x 127 or request it online through SWAN.
Coming soon- our list of Non Fiction Book Discussion Titles...
As we all know, there are many great movies out there that started out as great books. Check out our lineup of books that were recently released as a movie or are coming out soon. So whether you read the book before, or after you see the movie you'll have some inspiration for your reading list.
Scott Pointon presented a wealth of information about brewing tools, ingredients, and technique.
He shared the following websites during his presentation:
BOSS: Brewers of South Suburbia
Beer Judge Certification Program
Rooftop Brew: Homebrewer's Journal
Get in the Irish Spirit by reading an Irish Author! For great fiction try James Joyce, Frank Delaney, Edward Rutherford and Maeve Binchy. If you like Chick Lit, try Marian Keyes, and if you're a mystery lover, try Ian Sansom's Mobile Library Mystery Series starring librarian Israel Armstrong. For those who enjoy non- fiction, try Frank McCourt whose compelling memoir Angelas Ashes won the Pulizter Prize for Biography.
This week's book pick is Betty Bunny Wants Everything by Michael B. Kaplan. Betty Bunny goes on a shopping trip to the toy store with her parents. They tell her she may pick out one toy. Betty Bunny loses sight of this rule as she runs through the store putting a wide variety of toys into her cart. Her mom just doesn’t understand that she wants a lot of things, and she deserves to have them. She imagines her room full of all of those toys and is very excited!
Read on to see what Betty Bunny finally brings home from the toy store.
One the good things and the bad things about working in a library is that you are exposed to so many wonderful books, DVDs, music, etc. It's great because you can almost always find something that fits your mood, but the downside is that you have a constant backlog of books to read & movies to watch. That being said- my favorites of 2009 aren't necessarily things new in 2009 but rather things that were new to me.
Books
The Life of Pi was one of those books on my list that I was never able to get to- until we read it for book discussion. It was one of those page turning stories that kept me going until the end.
Assasination Vacation by Sarah Vowell discusses her trips to various sites relating to assassinated presidents & their assassins.
The Gates by John Connolly. It's been a while since I've laughed while reading as much as I did while reading The Gates. Connolly's novel features a Samuel, young boy in England who just happens to witness a brief opening of the Gates of Hell, Nurd, a banished demon who happens to get free when the gates are opened, some possessed neighbors, and some scientists at CERN who make you wonder what really goes on at research factilities. I enjoyed Connolly's use of footnotes to add more info to the scenes he describes. All in all it was a fun read.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan. This popular children's series features Percy Jackson- a kid who discovers that his dad is the Greek god Poseidon & gets sent to Camp Half Blood- a summer camp for demi-gods. The first book in this series, The Lightning Thief, will be released as a movie in 2010.
DVDs
I finally caught up to 2 TV series on DVD - Arrested Development & Deadwood.
Arrested Development stars Jason Bateman & is "the story of a wealthy family who lost everything & the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together." Basic plot synopsis- Dad (Jeffrrey Tambor) gets arrested for embezzling from the company & his son Michael (arguably the only sane member of the family) must put up with the crazy hijinks of his family members as they try to find a way to get their dad released from prison.
Deadwood - Put out by HBO, Deadwood tells the story of the Deadwood the boom town in the 1800s. With characters as colorful as the language, this drama gives you a side of the old west you don't often see in movies- the politics of the times, the seedy nature of the men in boom towns and even dirt. While older Hollywood westerns glamorize the old west, Deadwood shows it for what it really is.
These are just a few of the many great things I've read or seen in 2009 so stay tuned for more favorites...
These three titles were at the top of the critics choice list.
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
Renfield Halloween is just around the corner. To capture the spirit of the season, check out these scary books on display by the Reference Desk.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Interview With a Vampire by Anne Rice
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Renfield, Servant of Dracula by Barbara Hambly
The Shining by Stephen King
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
The Brookfield Public Library is celebrating the Dog Days of Summer this week. Check out these dog friendly reads...
"Get Your Green On @ your library" this summer by checking out these ecologically themed fiction titles:
- Cape Perdido by Marcia Muller (MYS Muller)
When a South Carolina company wants to take water from Cape Perdido the town's residents protest. Things get ugly and someone is killed.
- Dust by Charles Pellgrino (FIC Pellegrino)
A biological thriller with fungus gnats, bugs, & vicious mites eating their way up the food chain set in a world gone wild- all because of human misunderstanding.
- A Friend of the Earth by T.C. Boyle (FIC Boyle)
Follows the adventures of an eco-terrorist whose efforts to save the planet place his own family at risk.
- Ishmael by Daniel Quinn (FIC Quinn)
A man & an ape conduct a series of conversations that ask the question-"Does the Earth belong to humans or do humans belong to the Earth?"
- Mother Nature by Sarah Andrews (MYS Andrews)
Geologist Em Hansen digs into greed, deception, murder and other natural disasters.
- Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver (FIC Kingsolver)
- Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen (FIC Hiaasen)
"Comic eco defense in Florida"
- Wish You Well by David Baldacci (FIC Baldacci)
Siblings battle the foces of industry to save the family farm.
- The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (FIC Atwood)
Click on the titles to see their records in SWAN
Ever wish you could step into a book and talk with your favorite characters? Do you wonder why the 3 Little Bears each had their own bed or just what Humpty Dumpty was doing on that wall when he fell? Do you think the Gingerbread man is just a teeny bit creepy? Well then check out the wonderfully wacky book world of Jasper Fforde.
In his first series, Fforde has created an amazing alternate world in which Special Operative Thursday Next (star of the Thursday Next Series) can step into the book world to mingle with such memorable literary characters as Miss Haversham (Great Expectations) Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre) and the Cheshire Cat (of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/ Through the Looking Glass fame). In book one (The Eyre Affair), Thursday must save a kidnapped Jane Eyre from the evil Acheron Hades. Later books chronicle Thursday's adventures in the book world while in the witness protection program.
(Thursday Next Series: The Eyre Affair; Lost in a Good Book; The Well of Lost Plots; Something Rotten)
Classic British literature not your style? Check out Fforde's Nursery Crime Series. Join detectives Jack Spratt and Mary Mary of the Nursery Crime Division as they attempt to solve the murder of Humpty Dumpty and the case of the 4th Bear. But be sure to watch out for Jack's nemesis- that homicidal maniac, the Gingerbread Man.
(Nursery Crime Series: The Big Over Easy; The Fourth Bear)
**Warning- an active imagination and a love of great literary characters are a prerequisite for enjoying these books.
Halloween is on the way! Sink your fangs into these great vampire reads!
Vampire Chick Lit
- Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowen
- Undead & Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson (1st in the Betsy Taylor Vampire Queen Series)
- You Suck, A Love Story by Christopher Moore
Vampire Lit with Mystery & Suspense
- Blood Price by Tanya Huff (1st in the Blood Books series)
- Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (1st in the Southern Vampire Mystery Series- this series is the basis for the new HBO show True Blood).
- Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin (1st in the Jaz Parks series)
- Vampyres of Hollywood by Adrienne Barbeau
Vampire Classics
- The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
- Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Don't forget to check out our special Vampire triple feature. Our Book Discussion group will meet to discuss Dracula by Bram Stoker on Tuesday 8/21. On Saturday 10/25 we'll be showing Dracula starring Bela Lugosi as the sinisters Count Dracula and Nosferatu, the classic silent vampire film.Â
Discarded and repurposed materials can be transformed into some of the most unique art and craft pieces. We have several books in our collection to inspire, instruct, and celebrate green craftiness.
62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer (and other discarded electronics) by Randy Sarafan
What can you do with discarded cell phones, diskettes, motherboards, and other unwanted electronics? This book provides illustrated step by step instructions for both practical and over the top creations.
1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse by Garth Johnson
This is a gallery of artistic color photographs. Displayed are sculpture, furniture, everyday objects and jewelry made out of alternative and trash items ranging from cinder blocks & banana stickers to books & Barbie Doll parts.
Knit Green: 20 Projects & Ideas for Sustainability
This book provides resources to green up the art of knitting,including a discussion of sustainable yarns and alternative fibers. Included are 20 patterns for projects using these yarns as well as projects that help reduce waste.
AlternaCrafts by Jessica Vitkus
How do you make wallets out of food wrappers and juice pouches? What about jewelry make from bottlecaps, or purses made from blue jeans? This is a family friendly book with instructions for 20 simple and trendy projects.
Eco-Craft: Recycle, Recraft, Restyle by Susan Wasinger
The projects in this book use discarded materials to create unique and stylish items for the home. It provides step by step instructions with color photographs and lists materials needed.
Stupid Sock Creatures by John Murphy
What fun are mismatched socks! Striped ones, argyle pattered, solid colors, gym socks. This book has charming photography and instruction on making fictional sock creature friends.
Did you know in addition to being Library Card Sign-Up Month, September is also National Piano Month? For our musically inclined patrons, check out our display of music books including:
- 150 of the Most Beautiful Songs Ever
- Piano/ Vocal Selections from Wicked: A New Musical
- The Best in Popular Sheet Music
- 50 Easy Classical ThemesÂ
Other books of music scores can be found in our Oversize Collection in the 780s.Â
2009 marks the 75th anniversary of the death of John Dillinger. If you're a John Dillinger fan, or planning on seeing Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp- check out these related titles:
- Dillinger's Wild Ride by Elliott Gorn
- John Dillinger: The Life & Death of America's First Celebrity Criminal by Dary Matera
- Dillinger: The Untold Story by G. Russell Girardin
- Dillinger: The Novel by Jack Higgins
- G-Men (DVD)
- Dillinger (DVD- On Order)
- John Dillinger (DVD- available through SWAN)
 One of the great things about the modern day Mystery genre is that there are many sub-genres to appeal to the varied interests of mystery readers.  For those of us who enjoy a little history with our mysteries, the following are great authors to check out
 
Caleb Carr                                                                                                                                              Set in New York city in 1896, The Alienist involves an eclectic team of investigators as they search for clues to catch a serial killer. One of the things I personally enjoyed about this book is how much history the author included in the book. I learned a great deal about New York City at the turn of the century as well as police practices at that time. I found it fascinating that the team had to come up with inventive means to understand what movitivated their killer in a world forensic science of any kind was not yet considered reliable evidence. If you enjoy Caleb Carr, you might also enjoy Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mystery Series which also takes place in New York City during that time period.  Â
Edward MarstonWhen we think of modern day writers of British historical fiction, Anne Perry comes to mind with the Inspector Monk and also Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series. However, it could be said that Edward Marston might just be giving Anne Perry a run for her money. Marston has written several series of historical mysteries. His most recent series, features a savvy detective, Inspector Robert Colbeck whose fascination with trains enables him to solve perplexing cases that revolve around the railways.   His books are suspenseful but also capture the essence of whatever era in which he is writing so that you learn about that period and can picture yourself there along with the characters.
Warm weather is approaching. It's time for light weight knitting projects. Here are some projects perfect for the season.
"Tulip Top" in Stitch N Bitch: Superstar Knitting by Debbie Stoller
This is a short sleeved top with an I-cord edging knit in cotton.
"No Plastic Please" in Stitch N Bitch: Superstar Knitting by Debbi Stoller
This easy cotton market bag is knit with cotton yarn. Lightweight and sturdy, is a crafty way to go green at the market.
"Wine Bottle Cozy" in Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders
A conversation piece at picnics or parties. This is knit with a blended fiber yarn to fit a standard wine bottle.
"Moso Netbook Sock" in Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders
Protect your netbook or laptop with this double-heeled sock.
"Posy Cosy" in Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders
This cozy will adorn your soda cans, glass of lemonade, or even perfume and lotion bottles. The sky is the limit!
"Two Color Pillow" in Cables Untangled by Melissa Leapman
Practice your colorwork and dress up your patio furniture with this pillow cover. You can choose any fiber for indoor or outdoor use.
Socks are the perfect summer project. The yarn is lightweight, and the final project is no bigger than a foot.
"Quickie Socks" in The Joy of Sox by Linda Kopp
These socks knit up fast using worsted weight yarn.
"Peekaboo" in The Joy of Sox by Linda Kopp
These are the "flip-flops" of socks. Perfect for showing off a pedicure. They are toe-less with a strap between the first and second toes.
"Bex" in Sock Innovation by Cookie A.
This pattern is complicated, but not too difficult. It is a busy pattern with cables and ridges.
Knit an entire garden with Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh
Imagine what kind of a book Michael Lewis would have written about the rise of the Left Tackle in American football if he had not met Michael Oher. Chances are Sandra Bullock wouldn’t have won an Oscar for that movie.
The story of the poor 15-year-old with great athletic skills who crossed the color line in Memphis and became part of a wealthy family was made for Hollywood.
But the book’s subtitle is “Evolution of a Game,” and Lewis makes it clear that Oher, who now plays right tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, can credit some of his football success to the NFL’s desperate need to protect the quarterback from defenders like Lawrence Taylor, known for ending the career of Joe Theismann.
As a follow up, Oher, and the Tuohys who adopted him have written books about their experience.
Oher’s book, “I Beat the Odds” pretty much backs up what Lewis reported about the Tuohys, who he made sound saintly. However, the young man told NPR he was really angry that the movie made it look like he had to learn football from Leigh Anne Tuohy, the diminutive whirlwind who took on the young man’s cause. “I've been studying — really studying — the game since I was a kid!' That was my main hang-up with the film.”
Read “The Blind Side” or any book with a football theme and come discuss football books at Sports Talk Book Discussion, 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Irish Times, 8869 Burlington Ave. We’ll buy the first round of appetizers. Please go to Events at Brookfield Public Library to register, but everyone high school age and up is welcome.
Celebrate 3/14 by curling up with a great math book! We have numerous titles to choose from.
The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution
Traces the life of the mathematician who introduced Arabic numbers to Western Europe, including how the book "Liber Abbaci" enabled people to understand numbers, engage in commerce, and make advances in the fields of science, technology, and business.
Letters to a Young Mathematician
Shares what the author wishes he had known when he was a student, such as the relationship between logic and proof, the function of beauty in mathematical thinking, and how to handle the peculiarities of the mathematical community.
The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS: Solving Crime with Mathematics
Using plots and scenarios used in the television show "Numb3rs," shows how mathematics can be and is used to solve crimes, describing the techniques used and providing real-life examples of this crime-solving tool.
The Math Book: from Pythagoras to the 57th Dimension
Beginning millions of years ago with ancient “ant odometers” and moving through time to our modern-day quest for new dimensions, it covers 250 milestones in mathematical history. Among the numerous delights readers will learn about as they dip into this inviting anthology: cicada-generated prime numbers, magic squares from centuries ago, the discovery of pi and calculus, and the butterfly effect.
Provides practical advice with straightforward explanations for using simple math to improve all areas of daily life, including education, employment, health, and love life.
Fiction with fangs seems to be the trend that won't go away. Granted most of this fiction like the Twilight series and the Sookie Stackhouse series (the inspiration for HBO's True Blood) is aimed at female readers there are books out there that male (and maybe even some female) readers can enjoy.
Meet Joe Pitt: the vampire jack of all trades created by novelist Charlie Huston. Joe is hard drinking, chain smoking, gun toting all around tough guy similar to those lone wolf PI times of crime fiction. Joe's tendancy to look out for #1 tends to get him in trouble with the various vampyre clans of New York City. You can find the first 4 Joe Pitt books in our Mystery section. Book 5- Every Last Drop comes out this fall.
After a 5-year wait, epic fantasy author George R.R. Martin’s long-awaited fifth book in the Song of Ice and Fire series was published in July. If you haven’t read these engrossing, well-plotted books (or seen the HBO series), be prepared to get hooked! You wouldn’t think an 800-page book could be a page-turner, but Martin draws you into his richly-detailed world of magic and political intrigue. Start with A Game of Thrones and keep reading.
If you've already read and enjoyed the Song of Ice and Fire series, you might also like series from these other epic fantasy authors:
After a 5-year wait, epic fantasy author George R.R. Martin’s long-awaited fifth book in the Song of Ice and Fire series was published in July. If you haven’t read these engrossing, well-plotted books (or seen the HBO series), be prepared to get hooked! You wouldn’t think an 800-page book could be a page-turner, but Martin draws you into his richly-detailed world of magic and political intrigue. Start with A Game of Thrones and keep reading.
If you've already read and enjoyed the Song of Ice and Fire series, you might also like series from these other epic fantasy authors:
While going through the Mystery section one day I stumbled across Marshall Karp's "The Rabbit Factory." It was advertised to feature Carl Hiassen like humor, a good mystery plot, and the always intriquging back drop of Hollywood. So I checked it out, took it home and when I started reading found it delivered on all 3. The basic plot involves a series of murders connected to a Disney wanna-be corporation. Two quirky cops, Lomax & Biggs, are assigned in to investigate and their case quickly becomes roller coaster like with all it's twists and turns. To me it was a thoroughly enjoyable page turner and a highly recommendable read.
The November book for the Fiction Book Discussion Group is Chasing Cezanne, a humorous who dunit caper set in the world of art theft. Over the centuries the art world hosts some of the most brutal crimes and thefts as dazzling as the masterpieces themselves. Even the more "honestly" acquired masterpieces like the Parthenon Marbles acquired by Lord Elgin often inspire a great deal of debate. If you find yourself intrigued by the mysteries of the worlds of art theft & forgery, check out these titles:
Fiction:
- And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander
- The Art Thief by Noah Charney
- Chazing Cezanne by Peter Mayle
- The Good Thief's Guide to Paris by Chris Ewan
- Murder at the National Gallery by Margaret Truman
- Valfierno: The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa by Martin Caparros
Non Fiction:
- The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser
- The Lost Museum by Hector Feliciano
- The Medici Conspiracy by Peter Watson
- Museum of the Missing by Simon Houpt
- The Rescue Artist by Edward Dolnick
Blue ChristmasGet in the festive mood with some great holiday literature! By our New Books shelf we have a display of some great holiday themed fiction. On display by the Reference Desk are books on holiday decorating. Let our holiday books inspire you with ideas for a wonderful holiday season.
Looking for a good Christmas story to fill you with the holiday spirit? Check out these great holiday themed reads:
- Â The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore
- A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flag
- Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
- Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
It's cold outside, and many of us are bundled up in thick warm hats and scarves. Indoor scarves are in style too! Indoor scarves tend to be light and colorful. They can easily transition to springtime wear. Consult our knitting books for some light decorative scarf patterns.
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Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders by Judith Durant
746.432 SOC
Cables Untangled by Melissa Leapman
OVS 746.432 LEA
Mastering Color Knitting by Melissa Leapman
NEW 746.432 LEA
Speed Knitting by Kris Percival
746.432 PER
Knitting Pretty by Kris Percival
746.432 PER
What Bears fan can resist a collection of inside stories from the infamous Steve McMichael.
Amazing Tales from the Chicago Bears Sideline delivers.
For example, Kurt Becker and Glen Kozlowski were roommates who apparently did not like each other. McMichael claims that Kozlowski even wrapped Becker’s feet in blankets and set them afire as he slept. And that was just one of the first volleys.
What is your favorite football book? Come tell us about it at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Irish Times.
Escape to Ireland through Irish Novels
An Irish Country Girl, An Irish Country Village, An Irish Country Christmas, An Irish Country Doctor
Venetia Kelley's Travelling Show, Tipperary, Simple Courage:A True Story of Peril on the Sea
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Dubliners, Finnegan's Wake, The Portable James Joyce
The Third Policeman, Complete novels
Emerald Magic: Great Tales of Irish Fantasy, Second Spring, September Song, A Christmas Wedding, Younger than Springtime, A Midwinter's Tale
The Deportees and other Stories
A Good Confession
Irish Mysteries
The Price of Blood
In a Guilded Cage, Tell Me Pretty Maiden, In Dublin's Fair City, Oh Danny Boy, In Like Flynn, Death of Riley, Murphy's Law
Death of an Irish Lover, Death of an Irish Sinner, Death of an Irish Tinker, Death of Love, Death of a Joyce Scholar
Andrew M Greely's Nuala Anne McGrail Novels:
Irish Tweed, Irish Tiger, Irish Cream, Irish Stew,
Irish Love, Irish Eyes, Irish Mist, Irish Whiskey, Irish Lace
If a friend says you must read Half the Sky, listen to him or her. Other options are watching the PBS documentary or visiting the website, Half the Sky.
This is the story of too many women and girls around the world held as slaves in brothels or allowed to die in childbirth or treated as outcasts after suffering vicious rapes. Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, a married couple of very brave journalists who jointly won the Pulitzer Prize, travel to Asia and Africa frequently and bring these stories. Before you say (as I often do) that you don’t read depressing books, notice the subtitle: ”Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.”
Kristof and WuDunn want to move you to action. Some suggested steps are easy – donating to keep girls in school. Others are much more difficult – traveling to Asia or Africa to volunteer. The authors tell of programs they think work, and those where well-meaning efforts backfired.
And here’s the ultimate irony: these horrors stem from stereotypes and traditions that treat women as less than men. But education and empowering women could provide the energy and know how that helps raise these countries from poverty.
But where does the books title come from? A Chinese proverb: “Women hold up half the sky.”
This time of year zucchini is abundant. My friends and neighbors give me wonderful squash from their plentiful gardens. What is one to do with a bounty of zucchini and summer squash? Zucchini bread, zucchini soup, zucchini omelets, just to name a few. Many recipes can be frozen. Check out these cookbooks dedicated to zucchini!
Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier
In her first book, Dusoulier provides a glimpse into the life of a young Parisian as she savors all that the city has to offer and shares her cooking philosophy in the form of more than 75 recipes that call for healthy ingredients (such as zucchini) and more indulgent tastes (such as chocolate). The Los Angeles Times calls her recipes "simple, charming, and fun."
The Classic Zucchini Cookbook by Nancy C. Ralston
Revised and updated, The Classic Zucchini Cookbook is like a new book -weighted to the way we eat today, and with a completely reworked format and design. Ninety new recipes have been added, and the existing recipes have been revamped. All-new illustrations have been added. Hundreds of boxes on zucchini and squash varieties; grower profiles; advice on how to select, store, clean, and preserve; fun zucchini lore and facts; and even information on zucchini festivals has been included. What hasn't changed is the core of inspiring, practical, and creative ways to use zucchini - and summer squash, crookneck squash, patty pan squash, and winter squash - in a variety of dishes. The result is a zucchini extravaganza of 225 easy-to-make, through-the-menu recipes.
The New Zucchini Cookbook by Nancy C. Ralston
Over two hundred recipes for appetizers, breads, relishes, salads, stews, and other dishes made from zucchini and squash.
Jane Austen ranks as one of the greatest authors in history. Her completed novels Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, Sense & Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice are beloved by many. This weekend the movie Becoming Jane tells the story of Jane Austen's own romance which served as the inspiration for her classic tales.
For fans of Austen who can't get enough of her characters, check out the following books:
- An Assembly Such as This; Duty & Desire; and These Three Remain. Novels of "Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman" by Pamela Aidan. This trilogy tells the story of Pride & Prejudice from Darcy's point of view.
- Pride & Prescience; Suspense & Sensibility; and North by Northanger. Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mysteries by Carrie Bebris
- Austenland: A Novel by Shannon Hale
- The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
- What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist: The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England by David Pool
- Jane Austen: Her Life, by Park Honan
Two very different knitting memoirs / essays arrived this month.
Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously by Adrienne Martini
Sweater Quest is a very thoughtful memoir of a woman who decides to knit a sweater by designer Alice Starmore that can only be found in an out-of-print book Tudor Roses. The author describes this pattern as "a knitter's Mount Everest, our curse, and our compulsion." Adrienne Martini, mother of two, knits in order to keep a grasp on her sanity. On this journey she interview other knitters and bloggers in order to truly understand the origin of this pattern. Martini forms relationships and gains wisdom from several knitters along the way. She is determined not to let her life, or this sweater unravel (the two are closely intertwined). The book is not a tutorial, and it does not contain any patterns, just process. I found this book to be very engaging, and in the back of my mind, wonder if I dare seek out this pattern.
Home is Where the Wine Is by Laurie Perry
This memoir is told by a thirty-something woman navigating solo life in Los Angeles while trying to better herself before turning the dreaded 40. The author is a witty blogger who is also known as "Crazy Aunt Purl." She has hilarious run-ins with the landscaper, travels solo on two vacations, and joins a gym. Online dating, spray tans, giant zuchinnis, and bikini waxes are just a few of the adventures chronicled in this book. Did I mention she has 3 cats? This is a hilarious account of trying new things, keeping a good attitude, and charging forward with your adult life. And how does this relate to knitting? It is mentioned in one chapter, and the book contains color photographs and patterns. This is not a "how knitting changed my life," kind of book. It is honest and humorous. I finished this in one sitting recommend it to both knitters and non-knitters as a light, feel-good, laugh-out-loud read.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.
After reading Gone Girl, I was intrigued enough to see if I would enjoy Flynn's other novels. Although mystery and psychological suspense is not my regular genre, I was immediately taken in by Flynn's characters in this chilly thriller.
"Troubled newspaper reporter Camille Preaker is sent back to her Missouri hometown in a bid to get the inside scoop on the murders of two preteen girls--both were strangled and had their teeth removed. Almost as nasty as the brutal crimes are Camille's twisted family dynamics. She intends to stay with her zombielike mother, whom she has hardly spoken to in 8 years; her cipher of a stepfather; and her twisted, overly precocious 13-year-old half sister."
I am a big fan of epistolary novels (Ella Minnow Pea, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society), so when a librarian friend recommended "84, Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff, I took the book home that same day. It is a short book, and I think I read it in little more than an hour. It was a feeling of success that I finally finished a book in one sitting! I can't imagine not reading it in one sitting -- I wanted to follow this lovely relationship from start to finish from the moment I opened the book.
The Daily Telegraph says: One of the subtlest, sharpest, most moving relationships ever formed between pen pals... A must for anyone who reads...the correspondence between book lover Helen Hanff and Messers Marks & Cross of Charing Cross Road.
After I finished Flynn's most current book Gone Girl and her first novel Sharp Objects, I decided to read Gillian Flynn's second novel Dark Places. I have to admit I wonder where Flynn gets her ideas for her characters. This is an extremely well-written mystery, but I could not find a likable character. I give credit to Flynn for keeping my attention when I felt no pity for any of the characters.
"For a price Libby Day will reconnect with the players that murdered her mother and two sisters in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas." Having testified that her brother Ben was the murderer on that fateful night twenty-five years ago, now she is not so sure as, piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started--on the run from a killer."
As I continue my quest to learn more about the personal accounts of Japanese American citizens following the bombing at Pearl Harbor, I turned to my previous recommendation of Silver Like Dust, and found a suggested read, “Farewell to Manzanar” by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston.
"Farewell to Manzanar" is the true story of one spirited Japanese-American family's attempt to survive the indignities of forced detention . . . and of a native-born American child who discovered what it was like to grow up behind barbed wire in the United States. Library Journal calls "Farewell to Manzanar" 'An extraordinary episode in American history.'
I just finished Chris Cleave’s Incendiary. This was Cleave’s first novel (he also wrote Gold and Little Bee). It is an intense and moving portrait of a distraught British woman surviving the aftermath of one of Osama Bin Laden’s (fictional) attacks. The book is written as a letter to Osama Bin Laden after her four-year-old son and her husband are killed in a massive suicide bomb attack at a soccer match in London. This is not a pretty story, and the main character is far from perfect. This novel is of the same style as Cleave’s second book, Little Bee, a powerfully heartbreaking story about a painful topic we’d prefer not to think about.
Incendiary by Chris Cleave.
This is Cleave’s first novel (he also wrote Gold and Little Bee). It is an intense and moving portrait of a distraught British woman surviving the aftermath of one of Osama Bin Laden’s (fictional) attacks. The book is written as a letter to Osama Bin Laden after her four-year-old son and her husband are killed in a massive suicide bomb attack at a soccer match in London.
This is not a pretty story, and the main character is far from perfect. This novel is of the same style as Cleave’s second book, Little Bee, a powerfully heartbreaking story about a painful topic we’d prefer not to think about. In spite of the topic, this is a must read.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan is a wonderful tale about the intersection of old school (i.e. printing presses, print books, and literature) and new school (Google and the internet, iPads, and all things technology). The Economist says: “Robin Sloan cleverly combines the antiquated world of bibliophilia with the pulsating age of digital technology, finding curiosity and joy in both. He makes bits and bytes appear beautiful…the rebels’ journey to crack the code–grappling with an ancient cult, using secret passwords and hidden doorways–will excite anyone’s inner child. But this is no fantasy yarn. Mr. Sloan tethers his story to a weird reality, striking a comical balance between eccentric and normal…The Pages swell with Mr. Sloan’s nerdy affection and youthful enthusiasm for both tangible books and new media. Clay’s chatty narration maintains the pace and Mr. Sloan injects dry wit and comedic timing suited to his geeky everyman…A clever and whimsical tale with a big heart”.
One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper
This is a novel about fractured families, relationships, lost souls, and trying to make good. Wonderfully written characters, that are extremely likable, especially the tight-knit group of middle aged divorced men who support their fellow downtrodden.
Here is a brief description: ‘Drew Silver is dying in many ways: his marriage has been over for seven years, his ex-wife is getting remarried, his career as a rock drummer is long past, his 18-year-old daughter is pregnant, and he has a life-threatening heart condition…Silver has never been much of a dad or a husband, so when he finds out about his defective heart, he determines he will not have a life-saving operation. After all, what does he have to live for?'
Silver Like Dust: One Family’s Story of America’s Japanese Internment by Kimi Cunningham Grant
After reading Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor Was Divine and The Buddha in the Attic, I became very interested in reading more about what happened to our Japanese American citizens following the bombing at Pearl Harbor. This memoir is ultimately ‘the poignant story of a Japanese American woman’s journey through one of the most shameful chapters in American history.
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. This is a Young Adult book that reads beautifully. Here is a book description: ‘Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love."
I laughed and cried uncontrollably through this book — often experiencing both emotions on the same page. The characters are honest and believable and they stole my heart. For those who don’t read YA books because there is “too much angst,” please give this novel a chance to change your mind.
I just finished "The Story of Us" by Leah Stewart. This is domestic fiction focusing on grief, adulthood and responsibility. I like domestic fiction because it allows me to lose myself in the issues of some other family (where the problems are far from mine). This was a good read for a cold winter day underneath my fleecy blanket where I was safe from the main character Eloise's problems.
Library Journal says: Eloise Hempel is the de facto mother to three twentysomething siblings, having become their primary caregiver after their parents were killed in a car accident. Always planning to put her life back on track as a Harvard professor, Eloise has found herself rooted in Cincinnati for 20 years as she parented her sister's children to adulthood. Inextricably linked together, the three also have strong ties to their childhood home. Looking toward future domestic arrangements, Eloise slowly hedges toward momentous decisions, while the siblings dabble in their own decision making, sometimes with disastrous results.
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison.
This book is rich with pain, struggle, pain, companionship, giving, and ultimately, receiving. "Listen to me, everything you think you know, every relationship you've ever taken for granted, every plan or possibility you've ever hatched, every conceit or endeavor you've ever concocted, can be stripped from you in an instant. Sooner or later, it will happen. So prepare yourself. Be ready not to be ready.Be ready to be brought to your knees and beaten to dust. Because no stable foundation, no act of will, no force of cautious habit will save you from this fact: nothing is indestructible."
The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont
‘Devastated by the suicide of his prep-school roommate and disdaining the trappings of his affluent Manhattan life, Jason transfers to another school and bonds with a troubled classmate whose subsequent death compels Jason to uncover the truth, in a tale set against a backdrop of the 1987 stock market collapse’.
This novel is, without doubt, one of the best I have read thus far in 2012. Starboard Sea is an examination of a young man’s foray into the risks and pleasures of adulthood. At times tragic, at other times hopeful, Jason’s story is full of poignancy, painful self-discovery, and reminders how complicated this journey to adulthood can be. Although this novel is most definitely not a ‘beach read’, this haunting novel, complete with unforgettable descriptions of sailing, is not to be missed”.
It's that time of year! Gardens, fruit trees, and farmers' markets are abundant! We have resources with ideas to help you preserve and share your harvest.
This book features: User-friendly recipes that will appeal to novice and experienced canners, "The Home Canning Problem Solver," which provides answers to questions and problems, a produce purchase guide, and and extensive glossary of ingredients, terms, and equipment.
Preserving : self-sufficiency by Carol Wilson (641.42 WIL)
This book provides several methods for preserving fruits and vegetables. 60 recipes are showcased. Saving money and reducing your carbon footprint are the themes of this book.
Author Linda Amendt has won over 300 Blue Ribbons from state and county fairs. She shares over 200 recipes. Food safety and technique are discussed in detail. The book also contains a chapter about competing in fairs, and what judges look for in preserves.
Cooking and canning with Mamma D'Amato by Antoinette D'Amato (641.5945 DAM)
This book is written by an Italian mother & grandmother. She share recipes collected from canners around the country. The book features simple recipes for home cooked authentic Italian meals.
Canning and preserving without sugar by Norma M. MacRae (641.42 MAC)
This book provides canning recipes and techniques that do not include sugar. It has recieved positive reviews by those interested in diabetic cooking, and is a resource for healthy eating.
Note: This book was published before Stevia which can be substitued as a sweetener in some of the recipes.
Making and using dried foods by Phyllis Hobson (641.44 HOB)
Step-by-step instructions for drying almost everything with or without a commercial dehydrator. Includes more than 200 delicious recipes using dried foods.
Pendergast SeriesMurder, Mystery, Mayhem and More. This effectively describes the world of Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast, FBI. Pendergast is a no-nonsense agent who is drawn to bizarre homicides (for reason's you'll discover in book 5 of the series, Brimstone). With friends in the most unusual places, Pendergast is on the scene to save the day and help the local police discover that sometimes the truth is every bit as strange as it seems.
Books in Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Pendergast Series include: Relic; Reliquary; Cabinet of Curiousities; Still Life With Crows; Brimstone; Dance of Death; and Book of the Dead.
It's Sex & the City meets Harry Potter- chick lit gets a magical twist. Katie Chandler is a too normal Texas girl living in the Big Apple. At first she writes off the many odd sights in the city as being a "only in New York" thing- but soon she finds out that magic really exists and the city is populated by wizards, elves, fairies & ogres. As a rare  person who immune to magic, Katie becomes important to the staff at her new job working for Magic, Spells, & Illusions Inc. In this fun filled series by Shanna Swendson- Katie takes on life in New York City, love and a dark wizard set to take over the world.
Like a bookstore- the library does contain a humor section- just look under in the Non Fiction section under 817 and there you'll find favorite authors like Dave Barry, David Sedaris, Jen Lancaster, Chelsea Handler and the Sweet Potato Queens.
In fact though, humor exists in many places throughout the library- we have humorous fiction by authors like Christopher Moore, Jennifer Crusie, and Janet Evanovich. Humor can be found in the DVD section in classic series like Monty Python or newer titles starring modern comedians such as Steve Carrell or Will Farrell. There is even humor among the more traditional areas of Non Fiction like histories written by Sarah Vowell or Bill Cosby's parenting advice.
And if you're the type of person who needs live action to find something truly funny, check out our special after hours Improv Night @ The Library on Saturday July 17 at 7 pm. Local improv enthusiasts will making us laugh by doing skits and games based on audience suggestions.
Love the Earth? Check out Marilyn's list of "Green Books"
- 1,001 Ways to Save the Earth by Joanna Yarrow (333.72 YAR)
- American Earth (333.72 AME)
- Do One Green Thing by Mindy Pennybacker (333.72 PEN)
- Farewell, My Subaru by Doug Fine (333.72 FIN)
- Green Guide (333.72 GRE)
- The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers (333.72 ROG)
- Living Like Ed by Ed Begley Jr. (333.72 BEG)
- This Moment on Earth by John Kerry (333.72 KER)
- True Green (333.72 MCK)
- Wake Up & Smell the Planet (333.72 WAK)
- You Can Save the Earth (333.72 YOU)
Trying to make sense of the fluctuating American economy? Check out a book from our financial & ecomonics section. Concerned about your investments. From the stock market to mutual funds and real estate, our books by knowledgeable experts can help you get started investing or make sense of the market today. If you don't see the book you need ask at the Reference Desk.
Inspired by the Library's recent program, Pie Party- check out these mysteries featuring food:
- Conant Susan & Conant Jessica. Series Star: Gourmand Chloe Carter. First Book: Steamed.
- Diane Mott Davidson- Series Star: Goldy Schulz, a caterer from Colorado. First Book: Catering to Nobody.
- Joanne Fluke- Series Star: Hannah Swensen, a bakery chef from Minnesota. First Book: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder.
- Tamar Myers- Series Star: Mennonite Magdalena Yoder, owner of the Penn Dutch Inn. First Book: Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth.
Have other favorites? Post a comment and share you favorite foodie authors.
April is National Poetry Month! Celebrate the art of poetry by reading the works of poets past & present.  From Shakespeare to Whitman; epic poetry from the classical period to more modern works by Sylvia Plath or Ogden Nash, poetry has something to offer everyone.  For inspiration- check out our books by these great poets:
- Robert Frost- An American poet who received 4 Pulitzer Prizes for his work.Â
- Edgar Lee Masters- Author of the poetry book Spoon River Anthology a collection of poems based on life along the Spoon River in Illinois. Â
- Carl Sandburg- An Illinois poet who wrote a lot about Chicago. Sandburg was awarded 2 Pulitzer Prizes during his lifetime.
- Shel Silverstein-Â This poet's wacky poems make poetry fun not only for kids, but kids at heart.
- Laura Van Prooyen- A local Brookfield poet whose first book of poems Inkblot & Alter was released last year.
We have some great new resources in the general sciences. These are a few of my favorites.
Who came up with Velcro? What does its name mean? What about the vaccum? Post-It Notes? Golf Tees? Is it true that an angry undertaker led to the push button phone? Rick Beyer's The Greatest Science Stories Never Told answers these questions and more. The book contains illustrations from around the world.
100 Most Important Science Ideas by Mark Henderson, Joanne Baker and Tony Crilly, is an overview of essential topics in Genetics, Physics, & Mathematics. The authors use diagrams and everyday examples to eaplain scientific principles, hypotheses, and laws.
What On Earth Evolved by Christopher Lloyd explores life on earth before and after man. It is a compilation of biographies of species that have influenced or changed the Earth in notable ways. Fossils, plants, sheep, humans, bugs, potatoes, dinosaurs, and many others are discussed as part of the "big picture."
National Geographic's Concise History of Science & Invention is full of color photography. It is a chronological account of science and invention. The following eras of science are examined: Origins of Science, Classical & Early Medieval Science, Late Medievel & Renaissance Science, Scientific Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Age of Steam, Age of Electricity, Atomic Age, Space Age, Modern World. Did I mention the photography? It's worth taking a look!
Her Royal SpynessRhys Bowen, author of the Molly Murphy and Constable Evans series, introduces his latest slueth- Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugnie, a minor English royal in 1930's England. When Lady Victoria runs away from her family's castle in Scotland to London she lands herself in one misadventure after another. When the arrogant Frenchman, who wants her family's 800-year-old estate for himself, winds up dead in her bathtub. her most important job becomes clearing her very long family name. Enjoy this American memoir. Perfect for baseball season.
The 1970s was a decade marked by Vietnam, Watergate, counterculture, sexual liberation, and stadium rock. For author Josh Wilker, it was a time spent navigating a challenging childhood in which only his prized baseball card collection could give him unfailing faith that a winning season would one day present itself.
Wilker shares his heartbreakingly comic childhood, set adrift by hippie parents harboring utopian dreams, anchored by brotherly love, and buoyed by an obsession with our national pastime. In pitch-perfect prose, Wilker tells his unconventional story through the cards he collected, whose full-color images—of Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, Tom Seaver, Wade Boggs, and many lesser-known players—open each chapter and become the means for expressing all the fears, hopes, bewilderment, passions, and dreams of childhood. Cardboard Gods announces the arrival of a talented new voice in the stadium of big-league memoirs.
Check out the New Science Fction and Fantasy shelve for these tales of a memory hacked president, the assassin's apprentice, a ghostly hanger-on, journey into the "Zone" beyond the laws of physics, witches on run, ecological dystopia, and the mysteriously missing demons.
Featured this month is Liminal States by debut novelist, Zack Parsons.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
SomethingAwful.com creator Parsons (My Tank Is Fight!) whips up an awe-inspiring, helter-skelter journey through mind-blowing SF, western dime novel, noir mystery, and near-future dystopian horror that somehow manages to become a cohesive, thought-provoking whole. Gideon Long is a brutal and brutalized man who is in the process of getting himself shot in 1874 when he stumbles onto a pool that will create a copy of him every time he dies. Warren Groves, husband of Long's lover Annie, becomes Long's unwilling partner in resurrection, and the two have an uneasy history down the years. In the 1950s, Warren meets a woman who looks just like Annie, and events begin spinning out of control as the mysterious pool turns out to have its own agenda. There's no way a novel with this many moving parts should hold together, but it does, and even readers initially daunted by the jumble will soon be glad to go wherever Parsons takes them.
You can find Liminal States along with any of the other books listed below on the New Science Fiction and New Fantasy Bookshelves in the Library.
From classic cars to movie stars, the 1950's are an iconic period in American history. Stop by the library and check out our display of books and movies reminiscent of the 1950's. If cars are your thing, check out the books showcasing the cool cars from the 50's. If it's fashion and pop culture- we've got that covered too. Plus any number of movies featuring stars of the 1950's like Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, Steve McQueen. And if you're wondering what great literature came out of the 1950's check out these authors:
- Beezus & Ramona by Beverly Cleary (1955)
- The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (1957)
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1952)
- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954)
- The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952)
- The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (1950)
- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1958)
- The Old Man & the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (1951)
- Peyton Place by Grace Metalious (1956)
For Nora Roberts fans everywhere. Check out these Nora Roberts novels now premiering as movies on Lifetime TV. Starting 1/29, at 8 pm- see Heather Locklear in Angels Fall. Montana Sky premieres 2/5, Blue Smoke on 2/12, and Carolina Moon on 2/19.
Camilla Lackberg is a Swedish crime fiction author whose books are being translated into English. These novels take place in the coastal town of Fjällbacka Sweden, which is full of dark secrets.
Returning to her hometown of Fjallbacka after the funeral of her parents, writer Erica Falck finds a community on the brink of tragedy. The death of her childhood friend, Alex, is just the beginning. Her wrists slashed, her body frozen in an ice-cold bath, it seems that she has taken her own life.
Erica conceives a book about the beautiful but remote Alex, one that will answer questions about their own shared past. While her interest grows into an obsession, local detective Patrik Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. But it is only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about a small town with a deeply disturbing past.
In the fishing community of Fjallbacka, life is remote, peaceful, and for some, tragically short. Foul play was always suspected in the disappearance twenty years ago of two young campers, but their bodies were never found. But now, a young boy out playing has confirmed the grim truth. Their remains are discovered alongside those of a fresh victim, sending the tiny town into shock. Local detective Patrik Hedstrom, expecting a baby with his girlfriend Erica, can only imagine what it is like to lose a child. When a second young girl goes missing, Hedstrom’s attention focuses on the Hults, a feuding clan of misfits, religious fanatics and criminals. The suspect list is long but time is short—which of this family’s dark secrets will provide the vital clue?
The remote resort of Fjallbacka has seen its share of tragedy, though perhaps none worse than that of the little girl found in a fisherman's net. But the post-mortem reveals that this is no accidental drowning! Local detective Patrik Hedstrom has just become a father. It is his grim task to discover who could be behind the methodical murder of a child both he and his partner, Erica, knew well. He knows the solution lies with finding a motive for this terrible crime. What he does not know is how this case will reach into the dark heart of Fjallbacka and tear aside its idyllic facade, perhaps forever.
(Summaries are from the Product Description)
Henning Mankell ; translated from Swedish by Steven T. Murray, Ebba Segerberg, Laurie Thompson
Arnaldur Indridason ; translated from Icelandic by Bernard Scudder, Victoria Cribb
Camilla Lackberg ; translated from Swedish by Steven T. Murray
Jo Nesbo ; translated from Norwegian by Don Bartlett
Stieg Larsson ; translated from Swedish by Reg Keeland
Other Scandinavian Fiction
Genealogy is now the 2nd most popular hobby (after gardening) in the United States.  In light of this October has been dubbed "Family History Month"- a month to inspire us all to start researching and celebrate our families' heritage.   If you need a little assistance and or inspiration in your Genealogy research, check out these great Genealogy books at your library.
- German- English Genealogical Dictionary by Ernest ThodeÂ
- The Family Tree Problem Solver by Marsha Hoffman Rising Â
- Finding Your Chicago Ancestors by Grace DuMelleÂ
- Finding Your Family on the Internet by Michael Otterson
- The How to do Everything with Your Genealogy by George Morgan
- Tracing Your Family History by Lise HullÂ
- Tracing Your Irish Ancestors by John Grenham
- Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs by Maureen A. Taylor
 For more Genealogy resources check our Genealogy page on the Databases section of our website.   Also, check out About.com's article Ten Ways to Celebrate Family History Month. Â
Who knew that Physics would turn up at Nascar, or apply to the super powers of superheroes? What's the science behind Krypton's explosion? How tough is Aquaman's skin under the pressure of the deep sea? Does my dog know that she is defying some laws of physics? What is happening on the track at NASCAR? How fast can the cars safely take the curves? What is Kinetic Energy? What does E=MC2 really mean? Check out these new Physics titles!
Physics of Nascar by Diandra Leslie-Pelecky How to Teach Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel
Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios Instant Egghead Guide: Physics by Brian Clegg
The Night Sky Month by Month by Will Gater
Including the northern and southern hemispheres, this user-friendly guide helps stargazers discover and navigate the sky above by illustrating bright stars, prominent constellations and meteor showers for each month through 2019.
Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku
Based on interviews with over three hundred of the world’s top scientists, who are already inventing the future in their labs, Kaku—in a lucid and engaging fashion—presents the revolutionary developments in medicine, computers, quantum physics, and space travel that will forever change our way of life and alter the course of civilization itself.
Hidden Harmonies: The Lives and Times of the Pythagorean Theorem
The Harvard mathematician authors of The Art of the Infinite present a history of the famous relation "A squared plus B squared equals C squared" that assesses its contributors from da Vinci to the Freemasons while analyzing its numerous proofs and applications.
Understand Algebra by Paul Abbott
Topics include: The meaning of algebra; Elementary operations in algebra; Brackets and operations with them; Positive and negative numbers; Expressions and equations; Linear equations; Formulae; Simultaneous equations; Linear inequalities; Graphical representation of quantities; Straight line graphs; coordinates; Using inequalities to define regions; Multiplying algebraicalalgebraics; Factors; Fractions; Graphs of quadratic functions; Quadratic equations; Indices; Logarithms; Ratio and proportion; Variation; The determination of laws; Rational and irrational numbers; Arithmetical and geometrical sequences.
Understand Trigonometry by Paul Abbott
Topics include: Historical background; The tangent; Sine and cosine; In three dimensions; Angles of any magnitude; Solving simple equations; The sine and cosine formulae; Radians; Relations between the ratios; Ratios of compound angles; The form asinx+bcosx; The factor formulae; Circles related to a triangle; General solution of equations.
Samurai Santa by Rubin PingkAll Yukeo wants for Christmas is an epic snowball fight, but that cant happen when all the little ninjas are trying to be good so they dont end up on Santas Naughty List. Yukeo has a plan to surprise Santa and scare him away. Will this get him the epic snowball fight he wants, or will it land him on the Naughty List?
The Quickest Kid in Clarksville by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Alta is the quickest kid in Clarkesville. Or is she? Alta wants to be like her idol, Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph, but there is a new girl in town. Charmaine challenges Alta to a race to see who is the fastest. Their rivalry soon turns into a bond when Wilma Rudolph comes to town for a parade and the girls race to get a good spot on the sidelines. This book has many relevant themes including teamwork, dealing with disappointment, and finding friends in those you may not expect. Check out this great new title, just in time for our Summer Reading theme Read for the Win!
Migrant by Maxine Trottier, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Anna and her large family are Mennonites, who hold dual Mexican and Canadian citizenships. They live in an isolated community in Mexico most of the year. Every summer Anna and her family make the long journey from Mexico to Canada so her family members can work farm fields. Anna is too young to work, though, and feels disconnected. Though it is difficult, Annas imagination helps her through the long summer.
A Beginners Guide to Bear Spotting by Michelle Robinson, illustrated by David Roberts
This hilarious book, set up like a hikers field notes, is a fun read for everyone. Quirky illustrations demonstrate the properties of the black bear and the brown bear. As the books hiker encounters these bears the narrator offers some advice on how to react. For instance, Pepper spray works on BOTH kinds of bears. It makes them dizzy. Or was it hungry? The hiker comes up with some creative solutions for dealing with the bears that will have kids cracking up.
Bottle Cap Boys: Dancing on Royal Street by Rita Williams-Garcia, illustrated by Damian Ward
Coretta Scott King Award Winner Rita Williams-Garcia gives a poetic spin to the bottle cap dancers found on New Orleans Royal Street. Two brothers dance for tips with the bottle caps they place on their shoes. As they dance, the boys discuss what they will do with their tips. Should they eat Po Boys and Jambalaya or ride the Canal Street streetcar? Percussive words echo the sounds the boys make while dancing. Williams-Garcia does an excellent job of putting the flavor of New Orleans on the page, while creating a book that works well for even the earliest of learners.
Red by Jan De KinderTommy blushes. The young narrator, his classmate, points this out to the other students. They begin to make fun of Tommy. The young narrator regrets bringing Tommys rosy cheeks to the attention of the others. It is getting out of control. She wants to stop it, but she is also afraid of the class bully, Paul. Will she have the courage to stand up for Tommy? Illustrated in a muted pallete of mostly reds and black, this is a great book for everyone, especially those who have experienced bullying or been the bully.
Wild by Emily HughesThe animals dont know where the girl came from, but there is no question they will take care of her. Bird teaches her to speak, bear teaches her to eat, and fox teaches her to play. It is only when humans try to tame her that problems occur. The humans speak wrong, they eat wrong, and they definitely dont know how to play. Whats a girl to do? Wild and lively art dominates the pages of this endearing story of nature and family.
The Other Rabbit by Maranke Rinck & Martijn van der Linden
Rabbit is searching for the other rabbit. He keeps finding other things, but no other rabbit. He finds an airplane, and then airplane finds another airplane, but still no other rabbit. This continues, with Rabbit finding things in pairs, feeling increasingly lonely as he cannot locate his mate. This giant game of Memory is a playful and entertaining read for anyone familiar with the game.
Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear & Isabelle Arsenault
Vanessas sister Virginia wakes up one day feeling wolfish. Vanessa tries to draw Virginia out of her sadness with treats, her violin, and making faces at their brother, but nothing seems to work. Vanessa doesnt give up and eventually finds a way to cheer her sister up. This beautifully illustrated picture book is wonderful for teaching children about depression.
Dreams Are Made for Children: Classic Jazz Lullabies selected by Misja Fitzgerald Michel, illustrated by Ilya GreenThis whimsically illustrated book of timeless jazz songs is accompanied by a CD with the songs sung by jazz legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Billie Holiday. Each lyric is accompanied by a brief note on the singers and the music. With endless options for bedtime material, this unique collection stands out among the rest.
This is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James RansomeThree generations are connected by a piece of rope and by the strength of their hopes. Based on author Jacqueline Woodsons family, this story tells the journey of not only a piece of rope, but of a family. Beginning in South Carolina, the narrators grandmother finds a rope under an old tree. This rope stays with the family through their Great Migration to New York City and serves many purposes throughout the years. This book is a wonderful example of how an object can connect family members and become more than just an object.
Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt
In this rhyming retake on the classic tale, Cinderella is a mechanic who dreams of fixing fancy rocket ships. Cinderellas wicked stepsisters leave her behind and head to the Princes Royal Space Parade, taking her toolbox with them so that she cant fix the familys broken rocket and join them. Cinderellas fairy godrobot appears and gives her a new set of tools to fix the ship and shes off. But her space suit will only last until midnight. Find out what happens to the pink-haired Cinderella in this futuristic take on one of the most well-known fairy tales.
Who Done It? by Olivier Tallec
This clever picture book will test your childs powers of observation by asking questions like Who didnt get enough sleep? and Who is in disguise? Each question is accompanied by a lineup of quirky figures and children must use clues to guess Who Done It.
Im New Here by Anne Sibley OBrien
Maria, Jin, and Fatima are new to this country. They feel lost, alone, and voiceless. Back home, they each thrived in their schools, but here things dont make sense. Maria, Jin, and Fatima poetically tell their versions of what it is like to live in a foreign land and how they gradually begin to grow into their own with the help of friends and teachers.
Trombone Shorty by Troy Trombone Shorty Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier
In this autobiographical picture book, Troy Trombone Shorty Andrews recounts the story of his nickname and the importance of music to the city of New Orleans. For as long as he could remember, Troy wanted nothing more than to play music, but finding instruments wasnt always easy. Troy and his friends created makeshift instruments and paraded the streets of Tremé. One day, Troys discovery of a discarded trombone sealed his fate. With watercolor and collage illustrations by award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier (including the 2016 Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration for this book), Trombone Shorty is a true tale that will inspire and uplift.
The Voyage of Turtle Rex by Kurt Cyrus
Gorgeous full-page illustrations of gigantic turtles and other primeval creatures grace the pages of this picture book that edges on the side of nonfiction. Rhyming text takes the reader on the turtles journey from egg to sea in a time when water covered the United States and plesiosaur and mosasaur swam with archelon, the giant prehistoric turtle. Seafoam green is the prominent color in this book perfect for dinosaur lovers.
Be a Friend by Salina YoonDennis is a regular boy. A regular boy who is also a mime. He does not speak, but acts everything out. Dennis enjoys being a mime, but sometimes its lonely. That is until he meets Joy. Dennis and Joy dont need to speak, because friends dont have to.
Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
The new baby is almost here, but Gia is not looking forward to having a new sibling. Her mother is craving pecan pie and says the baby loves it too, but Gia just thinks the baby is being a copycat. Everyone is so excited about this new baby, but Gia just sees it as something that will take her mama away from her.
Rubys Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Based on the true story of the authors grandmother, Rubys Wish is the story of a girl who rises above the oppression imposed upon her gender. Ruby was born into an incredibly large and wealthy family in China. Because he had so many grandchildren, Rubys grandfather hired a teacher to come to their home. Any grandchild who wanted to learn was welcome, including the girls, which was rare in those days. Rubys grandfather noticed she exceled in her studies, but in those days girls were expected to marry instead of go to university. But Ruby wont stay silent on the issue. This is a great story for Womens History Month!
Shark Detective by Jessica Olien
Lonely Shark dreams of being a detective in the city. His opportunity comes when he finds a missing poster for a kitty. To find Kitty Shark will have to learn to look like a kitty, act like a kitty, and think like a kitty.
Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian, illustrated by Mike Curato
Worm loves Worm. Its as simple as that. So why is everyone else trying to make it so complicated? Their friends want to know Who will wear the dress? and Who will wear the tux? But it doesnt matter to Worm and Worm, because love is all that matters.
Jacobs New Dress by Sarah & Ian Hoffman, illustrated by Chris Case
Jacobs class always plays dress up. Jacob loves to be the princess, but his classmate Christopher doesnt think boys should wear dresses and isnt hesitant to let Jacob know. Christophers mean comments make Jacob sad, but Christophers bad attitude doesnt stop Jacob from making his own dress to wear to school. This book is excellent for discussing gender roles with young children. It is a wonderful tale of how we dont all fit inside the labels were given, but we shouldnt let others perceptions of how things should be stop us from living the way we want to live.
I Dont Like Koala by Sean Ferrell, illustrated by Charles Santoso
Adam does not like Koala. Adam does not like Koalas terrible eyes that follow him everywhere. Adam tries everything he can to get rid of Koala, but Koala keeps coming back. This is the story of a boy and the stuffed animal he cannot stand. But when things get scary, maybe Koala isnt so terrible after all.
The White Cat and the Monk by Jo Ellen Bogart, illustrated by Sydney Smith
A monk works diligently accompanied by his cat companion, who also has a task. The two work side by side as the monk tries to decipher a puzzle and the cat tries to catch a mouse. Told in large panels, graphic novel style, this book based on the poem Pangur Bán written by an Irish Benedictine monk more than one thousand years ago. It is a lovely tale of working with a beloved pet by your side.
Buddy and Earl by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Carey Sookocheff
One rainy day Mom comes home with a mysterious box. As Buddy the Dog investigates, he discovers a prickly little hedgehog named Earl. But Buddy has never seen a hedgehog, so he asks Earl, And what are you, Earl? Earls many replies stretch Buddys imagination, and they have many adventures throughout the living room. Buddy discovers that no matter what Earl is, he is definitely a friend.
Library Mouse by Daniel KirkIn honor of National Library Week, this weeks Picture Book of the Week is Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk! Sam the Mouse lives in the library in a little hole in the wall behind the childrens reference books. At night when everyone goes home, the library belongs to Sam. Sam has read almost every book in the library, when he finally decides it is time for him to write a book of his own. In doing so, he inspires the whole town. There are five books in the Library Mouse series. Celebrate National Library Week by checking one out today!
Emily Giffin's best-selling book comes to the big screen this May in a movie starring Ginnifer Goodwin as Rachel, Kate Hudson as Darcy, Colin Egglesfield as Dex, and John Krasinksi as Ethan. Friendships are tested and secrets come to the surface when terminally single Rachel falls for Dex, her best friend Darcy's fiancé.
If you're not familiar with the plot behind this chick flick check its literary inspirations: Something Borrowed, which tells Rachel's story as she sleeps with and consequently falls for Dex, & Something Blue, where we hear Darcy's version of things.
Canning and preserving fruits and vegetables is a great way to ensure your family eats healthy all year long. Check out these great resources to learn more:
September 24 through October 1, 2011, the American Library Association and libraries across the country will be celebrating Banned Books Week, a week long celebration of the First Ammendment and our right to read freely.
Many beloved books from classics to modern tales have caused scandal at one point or another. Celebrate your right to read freely by checking out these or other banned, censored, or challened titles. For further inspiration, check out the ALA's list of Books Challenged or Banned in 2010-2011.
In honor of Valentine's Day I have a list of 10 romantic literary couples. Check out the titles below to read their stories and, feel free to recommend other romantic couples not on the list.
- Romeo & Juliet from Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare- While there's no happy ending- Romeo & Juliet are one of the most infamous romantic couples in literary history.
- Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Nearly 200 years since its publication Mr. Darcy continues to fascinate women everyone.
- Lancelot & Guinevere from stories based on folktales. Women often dream of their own knight in shining armor. Read about the gallant Lancelot who risked all for his love for Queen Guinevere.
- Scarlett & Rhett from Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. Follow the tumultuous relationship between the fiery Scarlett O'Hara & the genteel Rhett Butler.
- Jane Eyre & Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The road to true love is never easy but Jane & Rochester will finally find happiness together.
- Jamie Fraser & Claire Randall from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Imagine traveling through time to discover that your true love actually lives in another century.
- Edward & Bella from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. It's the series that has captivated millions about the true love between a young woman & a vampire.
- Ron & Hermione from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. It took them seven book to finally get their first kiss but the best friends of Harry Potter were meant to be together.
- Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. Set in Nova Scotia, orphan Anne Shirley ends up marrying her former childhood nemesis & later friend.
- Becky Bloomwood & Luke Brandon from Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series. She loves to shop & is a disaster with money but Luke Brandon loves Becky Bloomwood anway.
Many of the more popular TV shows and movies were originally books. Check out these popular series that you can both read and watch.
- #1 Ladies Detective Agency - Based on the#1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith (coming soon on DVD!)
- Band of Brothers- Inspired by Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E Ambrose.
- Bones- Inspired by real life Forensic Anthropologist's Kathy Reichs's Temperance Brennan Mystery Series (request DVDs through SWAN)
- Dexter - Based on the Dexter novels by Jeff Lindsay.
- Dresden Files - Based on the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher.
- Roots-Based on Alex Haley's Roots: The Saga of an American Family.
- True Blood- Based on the Southern Vampire Mystery Series by Charlaine Harris.
- The Unit - Inspired by Inside the Delta Force by Eric Haney. (request DVDs through SWAN)
Information taken from TvChitChat.net
Get in shape and support your community by participating in the Chamber of Commerce's Insanity Run, a 5k run and obstacle course on Saturday, June 23.
Check out these great resources to help you train for the big day. Plus, check out the music database Freegal to download a training playlist designed to keep you moving.
This year marks the 7 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack. Commemorate the anniversary by checking out the following titles:
- Touching History by Lynn Spencer (973.931 SPE)
- Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11 by Damon DiMarco (973.931 DIM)
- 9/11: A Tribute (OVS 973.931 NIN)
- 9/11 Commission Report (973.931 NIN)
- 9/11 Commission Rerport (DVD 973.931 NIN)
- Fahrenheit 9/11 (DVD 973.931 FAH)Â
- Inside 9/11 (DVD 973.931 INS)
2009 saw the development of the Romance collection here at the Brookfield Public Library. Our new Romance section is home to favorite authors like Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Stephanie Laurens, and Sherrilyn Kenyon. Many of the titles from Amazon.com's Editors' Top 10 in Romance can be found in our Romance collection...
- Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh
- Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
- Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole
- The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick
- Bending the Rules by Susan Andersen
- What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
- Fireside (The Lakeshore Chronicles) by Susan Wiggs
- A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James
- Immortal Outlaw by Lisa Hendrix
- Angel Lane by Sheila Roberts
If you're in the mood for a good love story, stop by and check out our new Romance section. Need inspiration? Check out these authors in the following Romance Sub-Genres:
- Contemporary Romance: Donna Kauffman, Carly Phillips, Susan Wiggs
- Romantic Comedy:Â Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Philips, Lauren Willig
- Regency: Mary Balogh, Eloisa james, Stephanie Laurens
- Paranormal Romance:Â Jayne Castle, Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Romantic Suspense:Â Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Heather Graham
- Western Romance: Janet Dailey, Georgina Gentry, Linda Lael Miller
- Popular Classics: Jude Deveraux, Fern Michaels, Jayne Ann Krentz, Nora Roberts
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The upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is all over the media. If you're an Angophile who can't get enough of English royalty, check out these titles to fill your royal appetite.
The Making of a Royal Romance by Katie Nicoll
Royal Romance, Modern Marriage: The Love Story of William & Kate by Amy Hansen
William & Kate a Royal Love Story by Christopher Andersen
Invitation to a Royal Wedding (Prince Charles & Princess Diana) by Kathryn Spink
Royals Behaving Badly
Royal Affairs: A Lusty Romp Through the Extramarital Adventures That Rocked the British Monarchy by Leslie Carroll
On Royalty: A Very Polite Inquiry into Some Strangely Related Families by Jeremy Paxman
Royalty in Historical Fiction
- Rhys Bowns' Royal Spyness Series: Fictional Lady Georgie battles murder, mystery & intrigue on behalf of the England's royal family in the 1930's. Start with: Her Royal Spyness.
- Ann Easter Smith's historical novels feature the House of York during the time of the War of the Roses (an English Civil War between the Houses of York and Lancaster).
- Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl & the tv series The Tudors brought renewed interest to Henry VIII & the Tudor family. Diane Hager's histroical novels (The Secret Bride; The Queen's Mistake; The Queen's Rival) follow in that vein featuring the Tudor court & its subjects who must follow their own hearts while doing the King's bidding.
- If the Tudors are too "last season" for you, the new King rising in popularity is Charles II. Exit the Actress by Priya Parma and Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell both tell the story of King Charles II and his famous mistress, actress Nell Gwyn. Susan Holloway Scott also writes historical fiction set in the court of Charles II: look for The King's Favorite; The French Mistress; and The Countess and the King.
Check out one of the staff's favorite books from 2011:
Britta Katie Kate Kim&Louise Christy Matt Toni Debbie
These are two new books in the knitting collection that deserve mention.
Sock Innovation by Cookie A is a collection of patterns that revolutionize sock design. This unique designer has added lacy patterns and flair paired with painted and solid yarns to create footwear that is a work of art. I tried out one of her designs.
Hat Heads by Trond Anfinssen features hats that were custom-designed and knit for the author's friends and family in Norway. The book showcases artistic photography and simple patterned hats for solid yarns. I liked one of his patterns so much that I knit it in two different colorways.
If you are a fan of TLC's L.A. Ink, you may enjoy this new mystery series by veteran mystery author Karen E. Olson. The Tattoo Shop Mystery series is set in Las Vegas as stars Brett Kavanaugh, owner of The Painted Lady tattoo parlor set inside the shops at the Venetian Resort. Like most amateur sleuths, Brett has a habbit of letting trouble find her, much to the annoyance of her older cop brother Tim. Throughout the books in this series, she gets mixed up in a missing persons case, murder, possible terrorist plots, and the lives of the crazy characters that reside in her Las Vegas community. The Tatto Shop mysteries are a fun read - my only complaint - having read all 3, I now have to wait until next summer to read book 4.
150 years, on April 15, 1861, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumpter beginning the American Civil War, the deadliest conflict in American history. Check out the titles below to learn more about this bloody war.
We have some new selections about creatures big, small, old, and new!
The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs by Gregory S. Paul
World-renowned dinosaur illustrator and researcher Gregory Paul provides comprehensive visual and textual coverage of the great Mesozoic animals that gave rise to the living dinosaurs, the birds. Paul presents thorough descriptions of more than 735 dinosaur species and features more than 600 color and black-and-white images, including unique skeletal drawings, "life" studies, and scenic views.
The Great White Bear by Kieran Mulvany
The Great White Bear celebrates the story of this unique species. Through a blend of history, both natural and human, through myth and reality and observations both personal and scientific, Kieran Mulvaney masterfully provides a context for readers to consider the polar bear, its history, its life, and its uncertain fate.
Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo by Michael McCarthy
Describes the behavior of various migratory birds of both Europe and America, discussing how their continued existence is being endangered by environmental threats such as deforestation and global warming.
Sandhill and Whooping Cranes: Ancient Voices of America's Wetlands by Paul A. Johnsgard
Incorporating current information on changing migration patterns, population trends, and breeding ranges, Johnsgard explains the life cycle of the crane, as well as the significance of these species to our natural world. He also writes frankly of the uncertain future of these majestic birds, as cranes and their habitats face the effects of climate change and increasing human population pressures. Illustrated with the author’s own ink drawings and containing a detailed guide to crane-viewing sites in the United States and Canada, this book is at once an invaluable reference and an eloquent testimony to how much these birds truly mean.
The Bed Bug Book: The Complete Guide to Prevention and Extermination by Ralph H. Maestre
This book explains how to prevent bedbugs, identify them, and exterminate them, in a book that includes tips for travelers, advice on buying secondhand goods, and provides environmentally friendly methods and solutions.
The 1940s through 1960's hold a special place in American History. It's the baby boomer era, the space race, television and rock & roll. This idyllic period has been through modern books, music, movies & TV that pay tribute plus the many classics the originated from that period like Elvis, I Love Lucy and The Catcher in the Rye. If you fondly remember the 40's-60's or find that period interesting come to our progrom on Thursday June 24 at 7 pm as local musician Steve Cooper presents highlights of Commericals & TV Theme Songs from TV's Golden Age. This program will be held in the lower level of the Brookfield Village Hall. Plus check out the recommendations below.
Books Set in 1950's
- A Painted House by John Grisham (FIC Grisham)
- The Catcher in the Rye (FIC Salinger)
- Revolutionary Road (FIC Yates)
- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (MYS Bradley)
- The Fifties by David Halberstam (973.92 HAL)
- The Life & Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (B Bryson)
Movies Set in the 1940's-1960's
- Mad Men (DVD TV Mad) seasons 1-3
- American Graffiti
- Dirty Dancing
- Good Night, and Good Luck
- Grease
- L.A. Confidential
- Pleasantville
“It was an age of miracle, it was an age of art, it was an age of excess, and it was an age of satire.”
-F. Scott Fitzgerald – Echoes of the Jazz Age
Set roughly in the decade between the end of WWI and the collapse of the Stock Market in 1929, the Jazz Age (coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald) was a era mythologized in American culture. It was a time of speakeasies and gangsters; the Charleston and Prohibition; bathtub gin and dance halls croning out African-American music to a young white socialite crowd. During this period the United States was introduced to the "Flapper Girl", a newly liberated, flaming youth, characterized her socially defiant bobbed haircut, rich makeup and baggy dresses, along with the radio, accessible automobiles, and Harlem Jazz Clubs. It was also a time where Paris became a hot-bed for artists looking for inspiration and collaboration. Writers, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, could be found discussing their craft in bars, while Gertrude Stein critiqued the works of Dali, Matisse, and Picasso at her apartment. In the corners of clubs, Cole Porter could be found crooning out hits such as "C’est Magnifique" and "Let's Do It" near a dimly lit piano. All-in-all the Jazz Age still remains an era of time immortalized in the American psyche through fiction. From the works of the time period like Fitzgerald's Jazz Age Stories and Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises to the recent blockbusters, The Paris Wife and Midnight in Paris, the Jazz Age will forever be a staple of eloquence, liberation, creation, and hedisom that took hold of the United States during the 1920s. For more on the Jazz Age, check out some of these books which capture an era long gone.
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Paris is a city that lends itself to daydreaming, to walking the streets and imagining all sorts of magic, a quality that Woody Allen understands perfectly. Midnight in Paris is Allen's charming reverie about just that quality, with a screenwriter hero named Gil (Owen Wilson) who strolls the lanes of Paris with his head in the clouds and walks right into his own best fantasy. Gil is there with his materialistic fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and her unpleasant parents, taking a break from his financially rewarding but spiritually unfulfilling Hollywood career--and he can't stop thinking that all he wants to do is quit the movies, move to Paris, and write that novel he's been meaning to finish. You know, be like his heroes in the bohemian Paris of the 1920s. Sure enough, a midnight encounter draws him into the jazzy world of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Picasso and Dali, and an intense Ernest Hemingway, who promises to bring Gil's manuscript to Gertrude Stein for review. Gil wakes up every morning back in the real world, but returning to his enchanted Paris proves fairly easy. In the execution of this marvelous fantasia, Allen pursues the idea that people of every generation have always romanticized a previous age as golden (this is in fact explained to us by Michael Sheen's pedantic art expert), but he also honors Gil's need to find out certain truths for himself.
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Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they've fought so hard for.
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Tales of the Jazz Age (1922) is a collection of eleven short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald that defined the era of Flappers and Philosophers. Divided into three separate parts, according to subject matter, it includes one of his better-known short stories, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Several of the stories had also been published earlier, independently, in either The Metropolitan, Saturday Evening Post, Smart Set, Collier's, Chicago Tribune, or Vanity Fair.
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Published posthumously in 1964, A Moveable Feast remains one of Ernest Hemingway's most beloved works. It is his classic memoir of Paris in the 1920s, filled with irreverent portraits of other expatriate luminaries such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein; tender memories of his first wife, Hadley; and insightful recollections of his own early experiments with his craft. It is a literary feast, brilliantly evoking the exuberant mood of Paris after World War I and the youthful spirit, unbridled creativity, and unquenchable enthusiasm that Hemingway himself epitomized.
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Based on a real case whose lurid details scandalized Americans in 1927 and sold millions of newspapers, acclaimed novelist Ron Hansen’s latest work is a tour de force of erotic tension and looming violence. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Ruth Snyder is a voluptuous, reckless, and altogether irresistible woman who wishes not only to escape her husband but that he die—and the sooner the better. No less miserable in his own tedious marriage is Judd Gray, a dapper corset-and-brassiere salesman who travels the Northeast peddling his wares. He meets Ruth in a Manhattan diner, and soon they are conducting a white-hot affair involving hotel rooms, secret letters, clandestine travels, and above all, Ruth’s increasing insistence that Judd kill her husband. Could he do it? Would he? What follows is a thrilling exposition of a murder plan, a police investigation, the lovers’ attempt to escape prosecution, and a final reckoning for both of them that lays bare the horror and sorrow of what they have done.
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For her graduation from high school in 1920, Frankie Pratt receives a scrapbook and her father’s old Corona typewriter. Despite Frankie’s dreams of becoming a writer, she must forgo a college scholarship to help her widowed mother. But when a mysterious Captain James sweeps her off her feet, her mother finds a way to protect Frankie from the less-than-noble intentions of her unsuitable beau. Through a kaleidoscopic array of vintage postcards, letters, magazine ads, ticket stubs, catalog pages, fabric swatches, candy wrappers, fashion spreads, menus, and more, we meet and follow Frankie on her journey in search of success and love. Once at Vassar, Frankie crosses paths with intellectuals and writers, among them “Vincent” (alumna Edna St. Vincent Millay), who encourages Frankie to move to Greenwich Village and pursue her writing. When heartbreak finds her in New York, she sets off for Paris aboard the S.S. Mauritania, where she keeps company with two exiled Russian princes and a “spinster adventuress” who is paying her way across the Atlantic with her unused trousseau. In Paris, Frankie takes a garret apartment above Shakespeare & Company, the hub of expat life, only to have a certain ne’er-do-well captain from her past reappear. But when a family crisis compels Frankie to return to her small New England hometown, she finds exactly what she had been looking for all along.
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The story opens on New Year's Eve in a Greenwich Village jazz bar, where Katey and her boardinghouse roommate Eve happen to meet Tinker Grey, a handsome banker with royal blue eyes and a ready smile. This chance encounter and its startling consequences cast Katey off her current course, but end up providing her unexpected access to the rarified offices of Conde Nast and a glittering new social circle. Befriended in turn by a shy, principled multimillionaire, an Upper East Side ne'er-do-well, and a single-minded widow who is ahead of her times, Katey has the chance to experience first hand the poise secured by wealth and station, but also the aspirations, envy, disloyalty, and desires that reside just below the surface. Even as she waits for circumstances to bring Tinker back into her orbit, she will learn how individual choices become the means by which life crystallizes loss.
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Drama unfolds case by case as the heroes of The Poisoner's Handbook-chief medical examiner Charles Norris and toxicologist Alexander Gettler-investigate a family mysteriously stricken bald, Barnum and Bailey's Famous Blue Man, factory workers with crumbling bones, a diner serving poisoned pies, and many others. Each case presents a deadly new puzzle and Norris and Gettler work with a creativity that rivals that of the most imaginative murderer, creating revolutionary experiments to tease out even the wiliest compounds from human tissue. Yet in the tricky game of toxins, even science can't always be trusted, as proven when one of Gettler's experiments erroneously sets free a suburban housewife later nicknamed "America's Lucretia Borgia" to continue her nefarious work. |
Yes, Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper solves a few murders in Night Watch, but it seems like she spends more time than usual anguishing over her love life. And the big question, of course, is whether he is worth it. After all, Luc Rouget, despite his Michelin stars, might actually be involved some how in the murderous plot. As Alexandra's friend (and as all readers know, her true love) NYC Detective Mike Chapman says in colorful, unquotable language, managing her personal life is not her strong suit. But we do get one of Fairstein’s signature tours of backstage Manhattan, this time the 21 Club, especially its wine cellar with great tricks left over from Prohibition. And we visit the picturesque Mougins in the south of France and learn a bit about the stratospheric restaurant business. Perhaps most intriguing are the peeks inside the world of high-rolling New York politics. For example, why is Alexandra’s career as an assistant district attorney in jeopardy because a photographer caught her outside her own apartment building? This was neither her fault nor scandalous. As usual, Alexandra is surrounded by great food, even when she’s too lovelorn to eat.
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart. The Night Circus is projected to be THE BOOK of the fall. Read it & see if you agree.
Mary Delany was seventy-two years old when she noticed a petal drop from a geranium. In a flash of inspiration, she picked up her scissors and cut out a paper replica of the petal, inventing the art of collage. It was the summer of 1772, in England. During the next ten years she completed nearly a thousand cut-paper botanicals (which she called mosaicks) so accurate that botanists still refer to them. Poet-biographer Molly Peacock uses close-ups of these brilliant collages in The Paper Garden to track the extraordinary life of Delany, friend of Swift, Handel, Hogarth, and even Queen Charlotte and King George III.
How did this remarkable role model for late blooming manage it? After a disastrous teenage marriage to a drunken sixty-one-year-old squire, she took control of her own life, pursuing creative projects, spurning suitors, and gaining friends. At forty-three, she married Jonathan Swift's friend Dr. Patrick Delany, and lived in Ireland in a true expression of midlife love. But after twenty-five years and a terrible lawsuit, her husband died. Sent into a netherland of mourning, Mrs. Delany was rescued by her friend, the fabulously wealthy Duchess of Portland. The Duchess introduced Delany to the botanical adventurers of the day and a bonanza of exotic plants from Captain Cook's voyage, which became the inspiration for her art.
Peacock herself first saw Mrs. Delany's work more than twenty years before she wrote The Paper Garden, but "like a book you know is too old for you," she put the thought of the old woman away. She went on to marry and cherish the happiness of her own midlife, in a parallel to Mrs. Delany, and by chance rediscovered the mosaicks decades later. This encounter confronted the poet with her own aging and gave her-and her readers-a blueprint for late-life flexibility, creativity, and change.
We celebrate many holidays in March among them are Women's History Month & St. Patrick's Day. March 7 is also the date of our second afternoon book discussion group's meeting at the Wye Valley apartments. If you feel like celebrating all 3 events, join us at Wye Valley at 2:30 to discuss The Story of Chicago May by Nuala O'Faolain- a biography of one of the more notorious residents of Chicago. At age 19 Mary Ann Duignan left her homeland of Ireland & eventually came. Follow May's story from her homeland in Ireland to her eventual rise to "Queen of the Underworld." Copies of the book are available on the Book Discussions shelf or click here to request a copy online.
Over the next few days, millions of people will be flocking to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday on Tuesday, March 8. If a trip to the Big Easy isn't in the cards this year, check out these books & movies set in New Orleans.
Angels and DemonsWe’d like to recommend 3 very different books, all entertaining and well worth reading. The first, Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, is a fast paced, high action mystery thriller set within the Vatican and the streets of Rome. Brown, the author of the extremely popular Da Vinci Code , leads us through the realm of an ancient secret society that intends to destroy the face of the Catholic Church forever. This book effortlessly combines science, religion, history, and murder in such a way as to keep the reader eagerly reading to its final surprising conclusion. Angels and Demons is a highly entertaining, page turning experience.
The next recommended title is The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. This enchanting book is the story of Teresita, a young Mexican girl in the late 1800’s, who, through the teachings of the village curandera, becomes a miraculous healer. This historical novel is populated with memorable, unique characters and, according to the author, is based on the life of his great aunt Teresita who later became Mexico’s “Saint of Cabora”. Anyone looking for a book that satisfies on many different levels will not want to miss reading this book.
Teacher ManLast, but definitely not least is Frank McCourt’s newest contribution to the world of memoirs. This renowned author of Angela’s Ashes and Tis has now turned to the telling of his first love in the writing of Teacher Man, the highly entertaining story of his 30 year teaching career in the high schools of New York. McCourt writes of the difficulties and dignities of this largely thankless profession with his usual irreverent wit and sometimes heartbreaking honesty. This book is a tribute to teachers everywhere, and a must read for everyone. If you've read any of these books or want to make suggestions to other patrons, we invite you to comment here.
-Marilyn Fay, Adult Services
As the holiday shopping season draws near, now is the time to remember one of Chicago's most beloved department stores, Marshall Field's. On Thursday December 2 at 7:00 p.m., Leslie Goddard will discuss the history & traditions of that great store. Meanwhile, check out these great titles relating to Marshall Field's.
Marshall Field's: The Store that Helped Bulid Chicago
by Gayle Soucek
977.311 SOU (New)
Marshall Field's Food & Fashion: A Chicago Tradition
by Joan Green
977.311 GRE (New)
Marshall Field's: A Building Book from the Chicago Architecture Foundation
by Jay Pridmore
720.977 PRI (New)
by Axel Madsen
B FIELD MAD
Slightly gruesome fact: May 19 marks the anniversary of the beheading of Anne Boleyn. In tribute to Anne Boleyn and the court of Henry VIII, check out these titles relating to Tudor England.
Fiction:
- The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
- Innocent Traitor by Allison Weir
- The Lady Elizabeth by Allison Weir
- The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
- The Secret Bride- In the Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger
Non Fiction:
- Anne Boleyn by Norah Lofts (942.052 LOF)
- Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne By David Starkey (942.055 STA)
- Jane Boleyn by Julia Fox (B Boleyn Fox)Â
- The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd (BIOG B More ACK)
- The Sisters of Henry VIII by Maria Perry (942.05 PER)
- The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser (942.052 FRA)
DVD
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII (BBC Documentary series)
- The Tudors (Note: Showtime TV Series- rated R)
- The Other Boleyn Girl (2008 feature film- coming soon!!)
 After 14 years, Elizabeth Peters has brought back art historian turned sleuth Vicky Bliss for another adventure. When King Tut's mummy goes missing, Vicki, her retired art thief boyfriend John, and zany boss Schmidt head to Egypt to clear John's name. If you're a fan of Peters's Amelia Peabody series you'll enjoy Vicky Bliss as well. While I'm still eagerly awaiting the next Amelia Peabody adventure, Vicky Bliss & friends are keeping me entertained in the meantime. If you're new to the series, you'll want to read them in this order:
- Borrower of the Night
- Street of Five Moons
- Silhouette in Scarlet
- Trojan Gold
- Night Train to Memphis
- The Laughter of Dead Kings
Winter is the perfect time of the year to make a cup of hot cocoa (or coffee or tea if you prefer), and curl up in your favorite spot with a good book. The following books are several of my favorite books that I'd recommend...
- The Alienist by Caleb Carr. A historical mystery set in Victorian New York City in the late 1800s.  As the "corrupt" NYPD only solves crimes worthy of attention, an unlikely band of detectives is formed to discover the serial killer who is murdering New York City's undesireables.Â
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. This classic tells the story of Edmond Dantes, a man once imprisoned, who after he escapes from prison, sets out to bring revenge on those who betrayed him.Â
- Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg.  A story of friendship with humor and mystery mixed in as only Fannie Flagg can write.Â
- The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. This novel tells the story of a Historians search for the real Vlad Dracula.
- Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Due to its size, this book is a true challenge- but the story behind the Broadway hit musical is even better than the musical.   It's a saga of a group of individuals in France whose stories become intertwined. Don't be put off by Hugo's tendency to ramble, it's a powerful story that if you are a fan of the classics, you won't regret reading it.
- The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. A modern gothic novel about a young woman who is hired to write the biography of a mysterious author.
- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenigger.  An intriguing love story between a man who has a genetic trait allowing him to travel in time and his ordinary wife. The movie based on this book is currently in production and is due out in 2008.
In October the Reading Patch Club read spooky books! Here are some of their thoughts:
Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost by Cornelia Funke.
Sofia said, "It was good because there was a big ghost being haunted by an even bigger ghost.", while Cece disagreed and disliked it, "because it was boring and the author really did not describe it good."
Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve by Mary Pope Osborne.
Rachel enjoyed this one because "It's spooky, adventurous, and they get turned into a raven."
Welcome to Dead House by R.L. Stine.
Ethan liked this and says, "I have always been a fan of R.L. Stine. He puts a lot of thought into his writing." We are reading non-fiction books for our next meeting, which will take place on Tuesday, November 24 at 4:00 p.m. Come on in to get your book today!
For January the Reading Patch Club read books that were written as journals, diaries, or correspondence. One well-liked book was Please Write in This Book by Mary Amato. One club member, Sofia, wrote, "I thought it was funny. I like the way that she wrote the book." Sofia also said that she would definitely recommend this book to her friends!
Please join us next month for Reading Patch Club! We will read books that look at relationships between families and friends, and we will meet on Tuesday, February 23 at 4p.m. Hope to see you there!
In November, the Reading Patch Club had fun reading non-fiction books! Here is what some of our member had to say!
Myrical enjoyed El Deafo by Cece Bell. She says, "I liked the book because it's like they tell a moral. The moral is that whether you're different or not, you're awesome in your own way."
Makhia also liked El Deafo because it was like reading a comic strip, while Sofia enjoyed the story of what happened to Cece and how she overcame obstacles.
El Deafo is a graphic novel memoir which recounts Cece Bell's hearing loss and how she overcame it by becoming her own superhero! Check it out today!
The Reading Patch Club will take a break in December for the holidays, but stay tuned because we'll be back on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 @ 4:00 p.m.!
What the Robin Knows:How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World by Jon Young
A lifelong birder, tracker, and naturalist, Jon Young is guided in his work and teaching by three basic premises: the robin, junco, and other songbirds know everything important about their environment, be it backyard or forest; by tuning in to their vocalizations and behavior, we can acquire much of this wisdom for our own pleasure and benefit; and the birds' companion calls and warning alarms are just as important as their songs.
Birds are the sentries—and our key to understanding the world beyond our front door.
Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans by John MarzluffA University of Washington professor of wildlife science taps the findings of his extraordinary research into crow intelligence to offer insight into their ability to make tools and respond to environmental challenges, explaining how they engage in human-like behaviors from giving gifts and seeking revenge to playing and experiencing dreams.
The Black Rhinos of Nambia: Searching for Survivors in the African Desert by Rick Bass
Rick Bass first made a name for himself as a writer and seeker of rare, iconic animals, including the grizzlies and wolves of the American West. Now he’s off on a new, far-flung adventure in the Namib of southwest Africa on the trail of another fascinating, vulnerable species. The black rhino is a three-thousand-pound, squinty-eyed giant that sports three-foot-long dagger horns, lives off poisonous plants, and goes for days without water.
Human intervention and cutting-edge conservation saved the rhinos—for now—from the brink of extinction brought on by poaching and war. Against the backdrop of one of the most ancient and harshest terrains on earth, Bass, with his characteristic insight and grace, probes the complex relationship between humans and nature and meditates on our role as both destroyer and savior.
Natural History: The Ultimate Visual Guide to Everything on Earth
How I Killed Pluto And Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown
Filled with both humor and drama, How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming is Mike Brown’s engaging first-person account of the most tumultuous year in modern astronomy—which he inadvertently caused. As it guides readers through important scientific concepts and inspires us to think more deeply about our place in the cosmos, it is also an entertaining and enlightening personal story: While Brown sought to expand our understanding of the vast nature of space, his own life was changed in the most immediate, human ways by love, birth, and death. A heartfelt and personal perspective on the demotion of everyone’s favorite farflung planet, How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming is the book for anyone, young or old, who has ever dreamed of exploring the universe—and who among us hasn’t?
Writing in Dust: Reading the Prairie Environmentally by Jenny Kerber
During the golden age of safaris in the early twentieth century, one man set out to preserve Africa's great beasts. In this epic account of an extraordinary life lived during remarkable times, Jay Kirk follows the adventures of the brooding genius who revolutionized taxidermy and created the famed African Hall we visit today at New York's Museum of Natural History. The Gilded Age was drawing to a close, and with it came the realization that men may have hunted certain species into oblivion. Renowned taxidermist Carl Akeley joined the hunters rushing to Africa, where he risked death time and again as he stalked animals for his dioramas and hobnobbed with outsized personalities of the era such as Theodore Roosevelt and P. T. Barnum. In a tale of art, science, courage, and romance, Jay Kirk resurrects a legend and illuminates a fateful turning point when Americans had to decide whether to save nature, to destroy it, or to just stare at it under glass.
Fact: Brookfield Public Library patrons LOVE mysteries. We can hardly keep our new mysteries on the shelves. Our copies of T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton, Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell, and Double Cross by Jame Patterson are so popular they still have waiting lists. So, if you're still waiting for one of the above novels, or just looking for a good mystery try one of the following authors...
- If you like Patricia Cornwell, try Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper thrillers. Start with Final Jeopardy.
- For fans of Sue Grafton, try Sara Paretsky (her V.I. Warshawksi series takes place in Chicago) or Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series.
- Mysteries series similar to James Patterson's include John Sandford's Prey series or Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series.
- For those who enjoy humorous mysteries like Janet Evanovich, try Sarah Strohmeyer's Bubbles Yablonsky series.
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Author James Patterson's mystery series The Women's Murder Club will be a new TV series on ABC, premiering Friday, October 12, at 8:00 pm. The series will star Angie Harmon as Lt. Lindsay Boxer; Paula Newsome as Clair Washburn; Aubrey Dollar as Cindy Thomas; and Laura Harris as Jill Bernhardt.
To read up on the adventures of The Women's Murder Club- check out the books in this series:
- 1st to Die
- 2nd Chance
- 3rd Degree
- 4th of July
- 5th Horseman
- 6th TargetÂ