Book Giveaway!

I have been lucky enough to stumble across a copy of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and I've decided to pass the luck along to you, our patrons. This is one of my new favorite books, and I thought What good is a good book if it isn't shared with others, which happens to be a little mantra of mine - hence my employment in a library :-)

So what do you have to do to win your very own copy of this glorious book? Simply leave a comment on this post with the title of one of your favorite books. The contest is open until Tuesday, February 16th at 5:00pm. I will randomly select a comment and announce the winner the following day. To leave a comment, just click the "comment" link below .

Based on the Book

I went to the movies and watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last night and it was amazing. So I thought to myself "I bet the book is better" because they usually are, as any reader would know, and I became even more excited when I discovered the book was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books.) At first it didn't look like we had the story, but with some digging I found it in Fitzgerald: Novels and Stories 1920-1922, and was surprised to discover it is actually a short story about 30 pages long. The movie was pretty lengthy (about 2&1/2 hours) so it will be interesting to see what the differences are.

But I don't plan on checking the book out until I finish the one I started a few days ago, so come on in, read the story and then go downtown and watch the movie. It is definately worth the $6.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and your loved ones a Very Merry Christmas!



The Library will close on Christmas Eve at 3:00 and will open again on Friday, December 26th with regular hours.

Stop in the library and check out one of these new Books on CD!

THE HOST by Stephanie Meyer: The earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of their human hosts. But Melanie refuses to give up her mind and Wanderer, the invader, can't overcome it. Melanie loves Jared who is in hiding and Wanderer eventually loves him too. Together they set off to find Jared.

TWILIGHT by Stephanie Meyer: When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets a handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human.

NEW MOON by Stephanie Meyer: When the Cullen’s, including beloved Edward, leave Forks rather than risk revealing that they are vampires, it is almost too much for eighteen-year-old Bella to bear, but she finds solace in her friend Jacob until he is drawn into a "cult" and changes in terrible ways.

BREAKING DAWN by Stephanie Meyer: Continues the story of the human Bella and the vampire Edward whose love is threatened by their difference, a werewolf named Jacob, and other outside influences.

ECLIPSE by Stephanie Meyer: As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger.

THE PRIVATE PATIENT by P.D. James: Rhoda Gradwyn goes to a famous plastic surgeon to have a scar removed and a pleasant recovery at the old manor. Two days later, she is dead. Adam Dalgliesh is called to investigate and few things make sense. Suspects multiply all too rapidly and then there is a second murder.

DIVINE JUSTICE by David Baldacci: Former CIA assassin Oliver Stone, having assassinated the two men who were responsible for the death of his wife and being hunted by friends and enemies, finds himself embroiled in the secrets of a small Virginia mining town and falling for a widow.

DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW by Mary Higgins Clark: In New Hampshire, four employees of Conklin's Market win the lottery by using numbers they had gotten from a man who is now missing and amateur sleuth Alvirah Meehan and private investigator Regan Reilly, visiting on holiday, go out in search of him.

THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON by Stephen King: Trish is nine and wonders off into the woods to escape her family's bickering. Her shortcut back pulls her deeper into the woods where she listens to the Boston Red Sox game and imagines that her hero, Tom Gordon is with her. It explores our deep dread of the unknown and the extent to which faith can conquer.

RITUAL IN DEATH by J.D. Robb: When a high-society party is crashed by a naked, knife-wielding, blood-covered man who "thinks" he might have killed someone, Eve Dallas must track down the crime, and the criminals. Everything points to satanic ritual, but Eve doesn't believe in devil worship.

YOUR HEART BELONGS TO ME by Dean Koontz: Ryan Perry, an Internet entrepreneur, falls suddenly ill and needs a heart transplant. A year later he has never felt better and begins to get letters and gifts from someone -- a stalker who wants her heart back.

BRISINGER by Christopher Paolini: Eargon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives, but unrest claims the rebels and Eragon must make choices. He is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny.

ARCTIC DRIFT by Clive Cussler: President Garner Ward must contend with a corrupt Canadian cabal that's subverting efforts to solve America's energy problems. Pitt barely escapes serious injury when a bomb destroys a D.C. lab along with records of research into an artificial photosynthesis process that could, almost immediately, eliminate the threat of global warming. That discovery may be connected with a legendary failed 19th-century sailing expedition to the Arctic

Based on The Book

Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas by Jim Henson was always (and still is) one of my favorite Christmas specials. It is the heartwarming tale of a mother and son otter who both want to give each other the perfect Christmas gift. The movie is based on the children's book by Russell Hoban, which have available in the library.

Rare Books

Do you have a book you think might be rare or valuable? The Rare Books and Manuscript Section of the American Library Association has a website that provides information concerning rare books such as what makes a book rare, how to care for the book and more.

TwitterLit

During my library adventures, I came across the site TwitterLit that "serves up literary teasers twice daily. " The author of the site posts the first line from two diffeerent books each day then links to the book on amazon.com so you can discover the title and author. Some of the posts are quite amusing, and this may be one of the most unique ways of discovering new books and authors that I have seen yet. So explore the site, and if there is a book that intrigues you, just give us call or stop in.

Bookworm

FICTION

HOUNDED TO DEATH by Rita Mae Brown: Jane Arnold searches for the links between the death of handler Mo Schneider, who was found shot after the Mid-America Hound Show, her friend and popular veterinarian Hope Rogers, and the disappearance of a wealthy pet food manufacturer, which happened during the Virginia Hound Show.

TESTIMONY by Anita Shreve: When a sex scandal breaks out at a New England boarding school, a videotape triggers the involvement of men, women, and teenagers, including the headmaster, a young boy who made a mistake, and his mother, while everybody looks for a person to blame.

WHERE ANGELS GO by Debbie Macomber: Angels Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy return to Earth to perform Christmas miracles for an elderly man who wants to know his wife will be taken care of after his death, a young woman who is afraid to risk her heart a second time, and a little boy who longs for a dog.

SABRINA by Lori Wick: Sabrina Matthews, rescued from a life of prostitution in 1880 by police officer Danny Barshaw and his wife Callie, who led her to belief in Christ, decides to leave Denver behind and make a new start in Montana Territory.

WHEN THE SOUL MENDS by Cindy Woodsmall: Two years after leaving her Amish community, Hannah Lapp finds herself returning to help her sister who is suffering from a mental condition and facing the same problems she left, including her father's disapproval and her former fiancé.

THE YEAR OF FOG by Michelle Richmond: Photographer Abby Mason's happy anticipation of a life as a wife and stepmother comes to an abrupt end when Emma, the six-year-old daughter of her fiancé Jake, disappears at the beach while in her care.

ELIZABETH & LEICESTER by Sarah Gristwood: Examines the unusual relationship between Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley, describing his devotion to her as advisor and unofficial consort, and Elizabeth's rage when he finally remarried.

NONFICTION

KNITTED BEADED JEWELRY by Ruth Herring: How to make stylish and fun projects using a combination of knitting and beading with a variety of materials, from yarn and cotton to beads, sequins and wire. Each project is fully illustrated with step-by-step drawings.

CONTEMPORARY SHEDS by Philip Schmidt: A full-color, illustrated guide to building sheds, with complete plans for twelve projects including a hobby studio, playhouse, and garden outbuilding.

FRAKTUR by Ruthanne Hartung: The Pennsylvania Dutch are noted for the beautiful hand-lettered and designed documents known as fraktur. These include birth and marriage certificates, family trees, bookplates, awards, and house blessings.

ROADS TO QUOZ by William Least Heat-Moon: A travelogue that explores the small towns of America, revealing their depth and character as part of the nation.

THE ASSASSIN’S ACCOMPLICE by Kate Clifford Larson: Chronicles the alleged involvement of Mary Surratt in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.

THE LAST LINCOLN CONSPIRATOR by Andrew C.A. Jampoler: Despite all that has been written about the April 1865 assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the story of John Surratt--the only conspirator who got away.

THE DEATH OF RAYMOND YELLOW THUNDER by Stew Magnuson: The long-intertwined communities of the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation and the bordering towns in Sheridan County, Nebraska, mark their histories in sensational incidents and quiet human connections, many recorded in detail here for the first time.

Santa Claus is coming to Storytime!

A Visit from St. Nick!

Since the librarians here at Alliance Public Library have been so good all year, Santa Claus agreed to come and visit our storytime kids! And he's coming tonight!

Tuesday, December 16th, 6:30 pm

Stop by the library to see Santa and have some treats!

Storytime will continue with Christmas themed programs on

Thursday, December 18th at 10:00 am and

Tuesday, December 23rd at 6:30 pm

The library will be closed Christmas Day

Based on the Book

This week's Based on the Book feature is the The Christmas Wish written by Richard Siddoway (we have both the book and the DVD)

At the age of four, Will Martin lost his parents and went to live with his grandparents. The warm memories of life in a small town and the old-fashioned Christmas holidays he and his grandparents shared sustain him still as a young man making his way in the world.

Years later, Will takes a leave of absence from his jog in New York City to return home after his grandfather's death to help run the family real estate business. There he discovers something about his grandfather's past that shatters him and the memories of a the life he so loved. As dinner one evening, his grandmother tells Will that she was been reading her husband's journals and learned that every Christmas Eve, when she and Will were out doing their traditional last-minute shopping, her husband was seeing a woman named Lillian. This year his grandmother's Christmas wish if for Will s to find out who Lillian is and why Will's grandfather, a seemingly devoted husband, saw Lilliand every year for more than twenty-seven years and never mentioned her name.

Classic Literature Quiz

Think you know classic literature? Try your hand at this quiz and find out! Simply match the one liner with the correct classic novel and see how you fair.

I scored a 50% and I have to admit that I haven't yet read the majority of the classics referenced. Though you could never pay me enough to read War and Peace.

2008 National Book Awards

The 2008 National Book Awards were announced on November 20th, and I have been meaning to post the results. So here they are:

Peter Matthiessen’s Shadow Country won Fiction

Inspired by a near-mythic event of the wild Florida frontier at the turn of the twentieth century, Shadow Country reimagines the legend of the inspired Everglades sugar planter and notorious outlaw E. J. Watson, who drives himself relentlessly toward his own violent end at the hands of neighbors who mostly admired him, in a killing that obsessed his favorite son. Click here for a review from the New York Times.

Annette Gordon-Reed's The Hemingses of Monticello won Non-Fiction

The enthralling multigenerational story of Thomas Jefferson's hidden slave family. Click here for a review from the New York Times.

Judith Blundell What I Saw and How I Lied won Young Adult

When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.As she begins to realize that almost everything she believed to be a truth was really a lie, Evie must get to the heart of the deceptions and choose between her loyalty to her parents and her feelings for the man she loves. Someone will have to be betrayed. The question is . . . who? Click here to read a review.

Mark Doty's Fire to Fire won Poetry

Mark Doty's Fire to Fire collects the best of Mark Doty's seven books of poetry, along with a generous selection of new work. Doty's subjects—our mortal situation, the evanescent beauty of the world, desire's transformative power, and art's ability to give shape to human lives—echo and develop across twenty years of poems. His signature style encompasses both the plainspoken and the artfully wrought; here one of contemporary American poetry's most lauded, recognizable voices speaks to the crises and possibilities of our times. Click here for an excerpt.

Fiction Connection

Today I would like to introduce you to the online service Fiction Connection, which is accessible through the Nebraska Library Commission's NebraskAccess website.

Fiction Connection is an excellent way to discover new books and authors. You can search for books based on a myriad of different criteria such as topic, genre, setting, characters, timeframe and location. Within those catagories the possibilities are virtually endless with subcatagories such as animals, 20th century, rescue missions, small town life, good vs. evil and so much more!

Fiction Connection is the perfect tool for discovering new authors based on subjects of interest and it can be accessed either through the NebraskAccess website or by going directly to Fiction Connection at http://www.fictionconnection.com/welcomeclouds.asp?

Check it out and have fun browsing!

December Display

Wally Seiler has generously provided his exquisite Presidential and Royal Christmas cards and blown glass ornaments for our December display. Make sure to stop by the library to view this festive and elegant collection, to be displayed through the end of the month.

Bookworm

FICTION
THE BRASS VERDICT by Michael Connelly: Attorney Mickey Haller, tapped to take over when his former colleague Jerry Vincent is murdered while in the middle of defending Hollywood producer Walter Elliot against a charge of killing his wife and her lover, scrambles to prepare a case while also working with detective Harry Bosch to find Vincent's killer who has apparently targeted Haller as his next victim.

A SPOONFUL OF POISON by M.C. Beaton: Middle-aged private detective Agatha Raisin and her young assistant, Toni, investigate two murders by poisoned jam at a near-by church festival.

THE GATE HOUSE by Nelson DeMille: The story returns to the Gold Coast of Long Island and the changing world of ultra-Wasp John Sutter to tell a stunning tale of love and lust, redemption and retribution.

EXTREME MEASURES by Vince Flynn: Counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp, on the trail of a terrorist cell whose leader is obsessed with the notion of becoming the next head of al-Qaida, struggles to prevent another attack on the country after he finds himself hobbled by select members of Congress who are suddenly concerned about Rapp's unorthodox methods.

THE ELEVENTH MAN by Ivan Doig: The "Supreme Team" was Treasure State University's 1941 undefeated football team whose WWII exploits are reported by teammate Ben Reinking--the eleventh man--whose war record tests the law of averages.

THE WHISKEY REBELS by Davis Liss: Ethan Saunders, a former spy, is hired by his former fiancée to find her missing husband, which also means working for his former enemy--Alexander Hamilton.

THE GLASS OF TIME by Michael Cox: In 1876, nineteen-year-old orphan Esperanza Gorst goes undercover, at the request of her guardian, as a maid working for Emily Duport, the widowed Baroness Tansor, and uncovers secrets about her employer's past as well as her own.

NONFICTION
GREETING CARDS IN STITCHES by Sharon Jankowicz: A detailed basics section includes general embroidery information plus an overview of all techniques and tools.

AMERICAN PRINCE by Tony Curtis: The motion picture actor's memoir of his life, rise to the top of his profession, and insiders look at Hollywood and its stars.

CHARLES GOODNIGHT COWMAN AND PLAINSMAN by J. Evetts Haley: Chronicles the life of nineteenth-century American cattle business legend Charles Goodnight, discussing his childhood on the frontier and his rise to immortality among rangers in Texas.

DOGOLOGY by Vicki Croke: Discusses the personality types of dog owners and examines the connection between canine pets and their owners with quizzes, psychological insights, and humorous analysis of people's selection of certain breeds as companions, and contains checklists, tips for training, and exercises for bonding with one's dog.

LIFE OF A SOLDIER ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER by Jeremy Agnew: Young men joined the frontier army only to endure a life of tedious drills, bad meals, uncomfortable quarters, and ill-fitting uniforms all for $13 a month.

TRIED BY WAR by James M. McPherson: Chronicles the military leadership of President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, his strategic insight, and how he often overstepped the boundaries of his political office to assume the role of commander in chief, ultimately changing the course of the war and saving the Union.

CREATING CANDLES by Luisa Sacchi: How to make 104 different kinds of candles is described and illustrated with concise text and more than 1,000 beautiful color photographs.

CHRISTMAS MERRYMAKING by Barbara Hallman Kissinger: A collection of over 150 illustrations depicting holiday traditions from Europe and the United States, capturing the many faces of Father Christmas, children enjoying their Christmas toys, and other symbols of the season.

Storytime!

Learn About the Boston Tea Party! Tuesday, December 9th at 6:30pm

and

Thursday, December 11th at 10:00am

Back with Based on the Book!

After a week long absence, I am back and posting! The library was very busy last week and I was off on Thursday and Friday, so I apologize for the lag in posts.



This week I thought I would feature a timeless Christmas Classic . . . Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. This story has been made into numerous movies, too many to count here, and continues to be retold in various movie and TV formats. At the library, we have both the original classic novel and the original black and white 1951 cinema version.

Based on the Book Christmas Style!

I am a sucker for Christmas movies. It's pretty much a constant stream of Christmas movie goodness from Thanksgiving on, so I will be focusing "Based on the Book" on the holidays for the next few weeks. We have both of the below items in the library, so stop in and check them out today!


Skipping Christmas by John Grisham










AKA



Christmas with the Kranks (I watched this on Thanksgiving and it was really good.)

Storytime

Celebrate Walt Disney's Birthday!

Tuesday, December 2nd at 6:30 pm

and

Thursday, December 4th at 10:00 am

Library up and running!

As you may have heard, we have had some problems in the library over the last few days. During the power outage on Monday, our emergency generator took a dive and released noxious fumes into the building. The fumes were still lingering on Tuesday, but today we are all aired out and ready to go!

We will be open to the public today until at 6:00. We will be closed on Thursday and Friday and will reopen on Saturday morning at 10:00 am with normal hours for the remainder of the weekend.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Turkey Stock Recipe

I just realized that I didn't post the turkey stock recipe last Friday. So here it is, just in time for your Thanksgiving feast! this recipe is taken from the November 2007 issue of Gourmet Magazine which we have available at the library for checkout along with hundreds of other magazines, both current issues and back issues.

Turkey Stock
Makesabout 10 cups
Active time:20 min
Start to finish:5 hr

We come back to this basic stock recipe year after year because we love the depth and dark hue that come from roasting the meat and vegetables beforehand—they translate to a terrific gravy.

5 lb turkey parts such as wings, drumsticks, and thighs
2 medium yellow onions, left unpeeled, trimmed and quartered
2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
4 qt cold water, divided
5 parsley stems (without leaves)
1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California
8 black peppercorns
Equipment:
a 17- by 14-inch flameproof roasting pan

*Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in lowest position.
*If using turkey wings, halve at joints with a cleaver or large knife, then crack wing bones in several places with back of cleaver or knife. (Do not crack bones if using other parts.) Pat turkey dry. Roast turkey parts, skin sides down, in dry roasting pan, turning once, until browned well, about 1 hour. Transfer to an 8-quart stockpot using tongs, reserving fat in roasting pan.
*Add onions, celery, and carrots to fat in pan and roast, stirring halfway through roasting, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Add vegetables to turkey in stockpot.
*Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 2 cups water and deglaze by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Add deglazing liquid to turkey and vegetables in stockpot, then add remaining 3 1/2 quarts water along with remaining ingredients and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer, uncovered, 3 hours.
*Strain stock through a large fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. (You will have about 10 cups stock.) If using immediately, let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and discard fat. If not, chill, uncovered, until cool, then covered, before skimming fat (it will be easier to remove when cool or cold).

Cooks’ note: Stock can be chilled in an airtight container up to 1 week or frozen up to 3 months.

Twilight Review

Working at the library, I see Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" books go out the door as soon as they came back in. I wondered what all the hype was about, but really had no intention of reading the books until my good friend called me up and said they were the best books she has read. She read all of them in just four days and in fact she thought they were better than Harry Potter. Better than Harry Potter? Impossible. So I decided I had to find out for myself what is so great about the books.

Now I am in the midst of reading the Twilight series and have made it through the first three books, Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse. I will be writting a review for each book with this being the first. If you haven't read the book but plan to, you may want to skip the review so I don't spoil any of the book for you. I personally hate it when any of the plot is revealed before I have had a chance to read it.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Synopsis
Twilight is the story of a teenage girl named Bella Swan who moves from sunny Pheonix, Arizona to rainy Forks, Washington to live with father. On her first day of school, Bella meets the unnaturally handsome Edward Cullen, who harbors and obvious yet unfounded dislike toward her. Despite Edward's aversion, Bella is mysteriously drawn to him. Then Edward unexpectedly saves Bella from being killed by a car sliding uncontrollably on ice. He shields Bella with his own body. Miraculously, he survives without so much as a scratch, fueling Bella's intense curiosity. Shortly after the accident they become friends; however, Bella begins to suspect that Edward is not entirely human.

On a trip to the ocean with some of her high school friends, Bella meets Jacob, a Quileute Native who lives on his tribe's reservation. Jacob tells Bella Quileute legends about "the cold ones" who feed off of human blood. According to legend, the Quileute "wolfmen" protect the tribe from "the cold ones" until a treaty was reached in recent years by a group of bloodrinkers who feed on animals only. The treaty allows "the cold ones" to live in peace and hunt animals, though they are not allowed on Quileute land. Bella then realizes that Edward isn't human, but a vampire, and she still wishes to be his friend. They soon fall in love and she discovers the reason behind his less than friendly behavior is that he is unresistably drawn to the scent of her and her blood. The story continues by illustrating the complications that arise from a human-vampire relationship until Bella is threatened by a human feeding vampire and the Cullen family is forced to fight for her life.

Review
I enjoyed the book, though at times it was a little over-the-top romance as well as obviously written for a teenage audience. Meyer constantly reiterated Edward's beauty to the point of redundancy in the typical romance cliche style of the "he was so beautiful I kept forgetting to breathe" genre. This, however, was balanced out by wonderful storytelling and good character development.

Written as a first person narrative, the story is told by the main character, Bella. The fantastical world of Edward Cullen's vampire family is revealed slowly as she herself discovers them. This has the reader always wanting to know more, and makes the book hard to put down. Bella's character is that of a normal teenager, a little pessimistic, sarcastic and self-conscious, which makes her easy to identify with.

While the book is definately written for young adults, something that was strongly evident, by the end of the book I was engrossed enough in the story and characters that I was ready to read more. Meyer's has a beautifully descriptive writing style with a talent for subtle suspense, which kept me glued to the pages in search for the next discovery.

Stay tuned for the upcoming reviews of New Moon and Eclipse.

P.S. Harry Potter still wins.

Storytime

Happy Thanksgiving!

Celebrate Turkey Day with Stephanie and Tiffany!

Tuesday, November 25th at 6:30 pm

No Storytime on Thursday

A Gourmet Thanksgiving Gobbler

The following recipe is from the November 2007 issue of Gourmet Magazine, one of over 100 magazines the Library subscribes to. We do keep back issues, and they are available for checkout. So if you would like to look at some older issues, just let us know at the desk.

Maple-Glazed Turkey With Gravy
Serves 8 (with leftovers)
Active Time: 30 min. start to finish: 4.75 hr (includes bringing turkey to room temperature, does not include making stock)
If you're eager for a turkey to have a luscious, crisp skin, you'll love this glaze, which takes it to a whole new level-maple syrup caramelizes on the surface, creating a super thin, almost glass like, slightly sticky coating all over. And because the syrup is steeped with black peppercorns before glazing, it adds a nuanced floral quality along with a hint of heat


*1 (14 lb) turkey at room temperature 1 hour, any feathers and quills removed with tweezers or needle nose pliers, and neck and giblets removed and reserved for another use if desired
*2 to 2.5 cups water, divided
*1.5 teaspoons black peppercorns
*2/3 cup Grade B maple syrup
*1/2 cup all-purpose flour
*5 cups turkey stock heated to liquefy if gelled
Equipment: kitchen string, a 17 by 14 inch flameproof roasting pan with a flat rack; a 1 qt. measuring cup, a fat separator (optional)


Make Turkey: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F with rack in lowest position.
*Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and sprinkle turkey cavities and skin with 2 teaspoons salts and 1 teaspoon pepper. Fold neck skin under the body, then tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under the body.
*Add 1 cup water to pan and roast, without basting, 1 hour.


Make a Glaze When Turkey Goes in Oven: Place peppercorns in a small sealable bag or wrap securely in a kitchen towel, then crack with a rolling pin or bottom of a heavy skillet. Transfer to a small heavy saucepan and add syrup, then cook over medium-low heat until heated through. Remove from heat and let syrup steep until ready to glaze turkey.

Glaze Turkey: After turkey has roasted one hour, rotate pan and add 1 cup water to a pan. Roast, without basting, 45 minutes more.
*Just before 45 minutes is up, pour syrup through a small fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding peppercorns.
*Brush turkey allover with syrup and continue to roast (if bottom of pan is completely dry, add the remaining 1/2 cup water) until an instant read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both, close but not touching bone) registers 170 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes more (total roasting time: about 2 hours)
*Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175 degrees F)

Make Gravy While Turkey Stands: Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add vinegar and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Strain through cleaned fine-mesh sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to the top. Skim off and reserve fat. (If using a fat separator, strain pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to the top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measuring cup, reserving fat.)
*Heat 6 tablespoons reserved fat (if you don't have enough fat, substitute butter) in a heavy medium saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 5 minutes. Add pan juices and stock in fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in any turkey juices from platter and briskly simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Check back tomorrow for the Turkey Stock recipe!

Bookworm

FICTION

THREE BAGS FULL by Leonie Swann: A flock of sheep living on a hillside near the Irish village of Glennkill, regularly exposed to literature by their shepherd George, feel well-equipped to investigate murder after they find George dead--pinned to the ground with a spade.

HOT MAHOGANY by Stuart Woods: Stone Barrington, having accepted an assignment to watch over CIA agent Lance Cabot's brother who is suffering from amnesia, finds out that the man he is guarding had stolen gold coins from the South Vietnamese government and may be responsible for the theft of a twenty-four million dollar antique secretary.

THE PIRATE KING by R. A. Salvatore: The Arcane Brotherhood has long held the city of Luskan in their power, but when corruption eats away at their ranks, Captain Deudermont comes to the rescue of a city that has become a safe haven for the Sword Coast's most dangerous pirates.

PAUL OF DUNE by Brian Herbert: Relates the story of Paul Maud'Dib's holy war, set between the action of Frank Herbert's "Dune" and "Dune Messiah," as he builds his empire, questions his own power, and becomes the Messiah while wondering who is plotting against him and if he is going insane.

THE LAUGHTER OF DEAD KINGS by Elizabeth Peters: After her longtime significant other John Tregarth--a former art thief known as Sir John Smythe--is accused of stealing one of Egypt's most valuable treasures, Vicky Bliss searches for clues to prove John's innocence.

INDIGNATION by Philip Roth: Marcus Messner, the nineteen-year-old son of a Newark butcher, must learn to handle life on his own after he flees to Ohio, to attend college and even more to escape his father whose anxiety that Marcus could be sent to fight in the Korean War has made him suffocatingly overprotective.

THE LETTERS by Luanne Rice: Parting ways after the sudden death of their only son, Sam and Hadley West retreat to opposite sides of the country, but the couple exchanges written letters while Sam treks out to the crash site in Alaska via dogsled, and Hadley moves into a slightly haunted house in Maine, with intentions to start painting again.


NONFICTION

THROUGH THE EYE OF THE STORM by Cholene Espinoza: Cholene Espinoza recounts the experiences she had while helping people whose lives were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and shares the lessons she learned about strength, faith, and the healing power of community in the weeks following the storm.

POWER AT SEA A VIOLENT PEACE, 1946-2006 by Lisle A. Rose: Examines the development and importance of sea power from 1945 to 2006, focusing on the United States Navy's role in global politics and conflicts and the impact of key events around the world, including the fall of the Soviet Union and the conflicts in the Middle East, on naval power.

POWER AT SEA THE BREAKING STORM, 1919-1945 by Lisle A. Rose: Examines the development and importance of sea power from 1919 to 1945, discussing the strategies, battles, ships, planes, weapons, and people that influenced power at sea in the years following World War I.

POWER AT SEA A VOILENT PEACE, 1946-2006 by Lisle A. Rose: Examines the development and importance of sea power from 1945 to 2006, focusing on the United States Navy's role in global politics and conflicts and the impact of key events around the world, including the fall of the Soviet Union and the conflicts in the Middle East, on naval power.

THE SNOWBALL: WARREN BUFFETT AND THE BUSINESS OF LIFE by Alice Schroeder: A biography of American investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett, drawing from interviews with Buffett, as well as his wife, children, friends, and business associates to look at his childhood, struggles and triumphs, and the principles and ideas that allowed him to become one of the world's richest people.

THE WORST HARD TIME by Timothy Egan: Recounts the experiences of six families and they communities as they struggle to survive the dust storms that terrorized America's High Plains during the Great Depression.

HERO OF THE UNDER GROUND by Jason Peter: Peter, a star at the University of Nebraska's storied football program in the late 1990s and a first-round NFL draft pick, details his short, frenzied life as a drug user and veteran of the treatment center circuit.

Based on the Book

Twilight releases this week! And I know there are a lot of you that will be going to see it, as the books in this series are some of the most popular books in the library. If you have heard and wondered about Stephenie Meyer's vampire series and have thought "I should read that" just give us a call and we'll reserve a copy of the book for you. Normally there is a waiting list, as the books go out as soon as they come in, but the story is well written and worth the wait.

In order, the series is made up of four books so far (though I believe another is being written) and they are Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

Library Bestsellers

The Books Most Borrowed in U.S. Libraries, November 15th, 2008

Fiction
1. Sail, James Patterson
2. Fearless Fourteen, Janet Evanovich
3. Smoke Screen, Sandra Brown
4. Tribute, Nora Roberts
5. Sundays at Tiffany's, James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
6. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski
7. The Appeal, John Grisham
8. The Whole Truth, David Baldacci
9. Where Are You Now?, Mary Higgins Clark
10. Rogue, Danielle Steel
11. The Lucky One, Nicholas Sparks
12. Tailspin, Catherine Coulter
13. 7th Heaven, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
14. Devil Bones, Kathy Reichs
15. Moscow Rules, Daniel Silva

Nonfiction
1. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
2. Audition: A Memoir, Barbara Walters
3. When You Are Engulfed in Flames, David Sedaris
4. The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
5. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, Elizabeth Gilbert
6. sTORI Telling, Tori Spelling
7. Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, Chelsea Handler
8. Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution - and How It Can Renoew America, L. Friedman
9. A New Earth: Awakening to You Life's Purpose, Eckhart Tolle
10. The Secret, Rhonda Byrne
11. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, Barack Obama
12. The Glass Castle: A Memoir
13. Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conguering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger and Impulsiveness, Daniel G. Amen
14. Fleeced: How Barack Obama, Media Mockery of Terrorist Threats, Liberals Who Want to Kill Talk Radio, the Do-Nothing Congress, Companies the Help Iran, and Washingont Lobbyists for Foreign Governments Are Scamming Us . . . and What To Do About It, Dick Morris & Eileen McGann
15. The Post-American World, Fareed Zakaria

*Compiled by Library Journal from rural, urban and suburban libraried across the U.S. Originally printed in Library Journal, November 15th Issue

Storytime

Puzzle and Game Week!

Tuesday, November 18th at 7:00 pm

at

Thursday, November 20th at 10:00 am

*Please register your child at the front desk before attending storytime.

NebraskAccess

NebraskAccess is another free service you can utilize as a patron of the Alliance Public Library. It is provided by the Nebraska Library Commission and includes online access to thousands of current periodicals such as magazines, journals and newspapers as well as reading recommendations, geneology tools and business information. Full text articles are available in html and pdf format from a large variety of resources.

The NebraskAccess eLibrary contains information from 200 newspapers, 1500 magazines and 300 books. NebraskAccess also makes available the Wilson Web research database, which is a wonderful tool for finding scholastic and scholarly research articles, perfect for writing papers.

NebraskAccess not only helps our patrons search periodicals online, but it also aids in finding new fiction books to read. The Fiction Connection link allows readers to search for new reading material based on genre, subject, age group, character type, setting and more.

To take advantage of this free service, simply go to www.nlc.state.ne.us/nebraskaccess and login using your current drivers license number.

You'll likely be seeing a few more posts about the features of NebraskAccess in the future, so check back in!

Staff Recommendations

Tiffany recommends The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Enzo, the dog of professional race car driver Denny Swift, recalls the memories of his life and shares his insight into the human condition that he learned from observing his owner.







Kathy recommends Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human.






Dena recommends No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Discusses the distinct leadership roles of the President and First Lady during the war years.






Anthony recommends Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Eragon tries to uphold the oath he made to save Katrina from King Galbatorix, while being pulled in different directions by the needs of the Varden, elves, and dwarves--all of whom need his help and strength to overcome the tyranny of the king.

Stephanie recommends The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon, the victim of a sexual assault and murder, looks on from the afterlife as her family deals with their grief, and waits for her killer to be brought to some type of justice.







Ronda recommends Left Behind by Tim LaHay

Airline captain Rayford Steele, stunned when over one hundred passengers vanish from his plane in the blink of an eye, quickly realizes the Rapture his wife had been telling him about--an event in which Jesus would return to take his followers to Heaven before they die--has happened and he has been left behind.





Jan recommends Feels Like Far by Linda Hasselstrim

Award-winning author Linda Hasselstrom paints an intimate portrait of family, love, work, nature, and survival against the backdrop of the far-flung South Dakota prairie.

Sean recommends Chosen by Ted Dekker

As the land of the Forest Dwellers is increasingly decimated by the Horde, Thomas Hunter, supreme commander of the Forest Guard, chooses four sixteen-year-old recruits for a special mission--to find the seven lost Books of History that have power over the past, present, and future.

Reader's Resource

Calling all book clubs!

While researching book clubs online, I stumbled across an amazing reader's resource website, great for book clubs and independent readers alike.

Bookmovement.com has a little bit of everything; reviews, bestseller lists, book club planners, giveaways, reading guides, discussion guides, free online book club homepages and more. You can even create your own book list, which is an excellent way to keep track of all the books you've heard about and would like to read. You can even keep a list of the books you've already read - a great tool for all you book-a-week readers out there!

I haven't used the book club services yet, so if you give it a try, send me an email and let me know what you think.

Book Worm: November 11, 2008

FICTION

FACES OF FEAR by John Saul: Fifteen-year-old Alison Shaw reluctantly agrees to let her new stepfather perform plastic surgery to make her more beautiful, but when Alison discovers a photo of his first wife and realizes he is turning her into the dead woman's image, Alison is frightened and sets out to uncover his true motives.

RULES OF DECEPTION by Christopher Reich: Doctors Without Borders surgeon and mountaineer Jonathan Ransom, arriving at a Swiss train station to claim two bags belonging to his recently deceased wife, finds himself becoming the target of law enforcement personnel and holding the key to a deadly conspiracy which he races to uncover.

THE LOST ART OF KEEPING SECRETS by Eva Rice: Eighteen-year-old Penelope Wallace's uneventful life with her brother and widowed mother becomes much livelier when she meets Charlotte Ferris and is initiated into the exciting social scene of post-World War II London.

REMEMBER ME by Sophie Kinsella: Lexi Smart wakes up after a car accident with no memory of the past three years, unaware of how she managed to land a gorgeous husband, the perfect job, and a fabulous house, and as she struggles to adjust to her unfamiliar life, she begins to wonder if she was ever really happy.

YOU HAD ME AT GOOD-BYE by Tracey Bateman: Aspiring editor Dancy Ames must redefine her life when she's fired by her publisher, and as she tries to decide what direction she wants her new life to take, she realizes she has the chance to create her own fairy tale ending with the job and the man of her dreams.

TIME IS A RIVER by Mary Alice Monroe: Mia Landan, recovering from cancer and the shock of discovering her husband's infidelity, leaves her home and takes refuge in a fishing cabin, recently inherited by her fishing instructor Belle Carson, and becomes caught up in trying to learn the truth about Belle's grandmother.

OH DANNY BOY by Rhys Bowen: Molly Murphy, an immigrant at the turn-of-the-century, is contemplating giving up her work as a private investigator, but she agrees help when Captain Daniel Sullivan begs for her help in clearing his name.


NONFICTION

HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED by Thomas L. Friedman: Argues that the United States needs to adopt an environmentally friendly national strategy to be healthier, wealthier, and more secure, innovative, and productive.

THE LAST LECTURE by Randy Pausch: Computer science professor Randy Pausch, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, discusses how to overcome obstacles in one's life and achieve one's dreams.

THE WAR WITHIN by Bob Woodward: Presents an in-depth look into the secret debates, tension, and distrust within the White House, the Pentagon, and State Department from mid-2006 to mid-2008 over the way the war in Iraq has been handled.

SEE NO EVIL by Robert Baer: CIA field officer Robert Baer recounts the experiences he had while fighting terrorism in the back alleys of the Middle East and shares what he has learned about how terrorism works and how the CIA's work has been sabotaged by Washington politics.

THREE LITTLE WORDS by Ashley Rhodes-Courter: Ashley Rhodes-Courter provides an account of her life; focusing on the nine years she spent in Florida's foster care system after being removed from her mother at the age of three, and explaining how her life changed after she was adopted.

BIPOLAR DISORDER DEMYSTIFIED by Lana R. Castle: Lana Castle describes her personal experiences living with bipolar disorder, discusses the difficulties in diagnosing the illness, and offers suggestions on how to cope with manic depression and other mood disorders.

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW by Robert Baer: Former CIA operative Baer challenges the conventional wisdom regarding Iran in this timely and provocative analysis, arguing that Iran has already half-won its undeclared 30-year war with the United States and is rapidly becoming a superpower.

Based on the Book

The Secret Life of Bees

by Sue Monk Kid

Set in rural South Carolina during the civil rights movement, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of a young girl, Lily's, quest for her past. After fleeing racists with her black care giver, Lily finds herself in the home of three generous women, where she learns about bee keeping, love, feminine power and herself.

The movie hasn't made it's way to our theater yet, so you still have time to check it out before it gets here.

November Display

Stop by and see the Russian Tea sets of Teresa Dykes. The display includes two full tea sets and other various tea cups and saucers and will be on display through the end of November.

Storytime

Join us this week for
America Recycles Day!

Tuesday, November 11th, 7:00 pm

&

Thursday, November 13th, 10:am

*Please register your child at the front desk prior to attending storytime

Book Worm - November 4th

Stop by and check out one of these new titles!

Fiction

THE SHACK by William P. Young: After Missy is abducted during a vacation and evidence of her murder shows up at a shack in the forests of Oregon, Mackenzie Philips, Missy's father, receives a strange note inviting him to return to the scene of the tragedy where he wrestles with nightmarish religious questions.

THE ROGUE by Danielle Steel: Maxine Williams' amicable divorce from her husband, Blake, has allowed them to remain friends, taking frequent vacations together while Blake still enjoys his fun-loving lifestyle but when Maxine falls in love with another man, her relationship with Blake is forced to change, causing Blake to wonder if he is ready to give Maxine up for good.

DEATH ANGEL by Linda Howard: Drea Rousseau, a beauty with a taste for the finer things in life, is forced to run after betraying her boyfriend, crime lord Rafael Salinas, who sends the Assassin after her, and when fate intervenes to give her another chance, she teams up with the most dangerous man she has ever met, risking her life and heart to bring Salinas down.

THE ASSASSIN by Stephen Coonts: Special agent Tommy Carmellini attempts to infiltrate a group of political leaders in order to find the person responsible for leaking key information to Al Qaeda leader Abu Qasim and track down Qasim before the terrorist can unleash further destruction on the world.

SILKS by Dick Francis: Defense lawyer Geoffrey Mason agrees to counsel jockey, Steve Mitchell, who has been accused of killing another rider and soon finds himself involved in a web of lies and violence.

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski: A tale reminiscent of "Hamlet" that also celebrates the alliance between humans and dogs follows speech-disabled Wisconsin youth Edgar, who bonds with three yearling canines and struggles to prove that his sinister uncle is responsible for his father's death.

THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X by James Patterson: Fifteen-year-old Daniel has followed in his parents' footsteps as the Alien Hunter, exterminating beings on The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma, but when he faces his first of the top ten outlaws, the very existence Earth and another planet are at stake.


Non-Fiction

IT’S GETTING UGLY OUT THERE by Jack Cafferty: The author presents a series of uncensored remarks on everything from his perception of government politicians, the two-party system, the war in Iraq, and illegal immigration.

DEWEY by Vicki Myron: A small kitten was stuffed in the library book drop and found by the director, Vicki Myron. Gradually it won the hearts of the staff, then the town, then the state and so on to become know around the world. For nineteen years, he charmed people and became more than a friend.

THE AMERICAN HISTORY COOKBOOK by Mark H, Zanger: Traces the history of American cooking through commentary and recipes, featuring fifty chronologically arranged chapters on historical themes and topics, covering a period that ranges from 1200 through the 1970s, each with step-by-step instructions for three or more recipes.

MY PERSONAL BEST by John Wooden: John Wooden describes his life, from a farm boy in Indiana to an award-winning basketball coach for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he worked for twenty-seven years, and examines all of the people who influenced his life, including his father, wife, students, and players.

DISPATCHES FROM THE EDGE by Anderson Cooper: News correspondent Anderson Cooper offers an inside look at some of the political, military, social, and natural crises that have defined modern times, sharing the experiences he had while covering events around the world.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT LETTERS TO THE OVAL OFFICE: Presents a collection of letters and correspondence sent to various presidents of the United States while they served in office, from George Washington to Bill Clinton.

NATIVE UNIVERSE VOICES OF INDIAN AMERICA: Presents a collection of illustrated photographs depicting the art and cultures of native peoples of the Western Hemisphere from ancient times to the twenty-first century.

Khaled Hosseini

Here's a few more video interviews with Khaled Hosseini. Don't forget to attend the brown bag program this Friday at noon, where Sharon Groskopf will be reviewing his award winning book, The Kite Runner.

On using real people and events . . .


On writing from a female point of view . . .

Based on the Book

With so many movies being made from great books, I've decided to add a "Based on the Book" feature to the blog. I'll try to post this early in the week, so if there is a movie you want to go see on the weekend, it will give you some time to stop in and check out the book to read before hand. If you know of a great movie based on a book and would like to see it featured, send me an email and I will share it here on the blog.

This week's pick is Appaloosa, based on the book by Robert B. Parker. We have this book both on audio CD and in print.

Khaled Hosseini Interview Vol. 2

Here's another interview video in which Khaled Hosseini, acclaimed author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, speaks about character and event choices in his writing.

Khaled Hosseini and The Kite Runner

This Friday, November 7th at noon, the Friends of the Library will host a brown bag program in the Alliance Learning Center Community Room in which Sharon Groskopf will review The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

A modern classic, The Kite Runner vividly illustrates the devastating struggle and complicated culture of the Afhganistan people. Below, you find a few videos in which Khaled Hosseini talks about his writing. This will be the first in a series of videos to be posted throughout the week, so check back in.

On Writing . . .


On His Medical Career . . .

Download Audio Books at Home!

As a patron of the Alliance Public Library, you can use the digital audio book service, OverDrive, absolutely Free!

OverDrive audio books are available online the same way they would be available in the Library, the only difference is that instead of coming into the Library and checking out the book, you download the item directly to your home computer or personal storage device, such as your IPod or MP3 player. You are even able to burn some titles to CD.

To access the virtual catalog, go to http://nebraska.lib.overdrive.com

Each title is available to one patron at a time, and the check out period is 7 days. Some of the files even expire on their own after the check out time has passed, depending on what type of device you use. If an book you wish to check out is already spoken for, you can even place a hold on the item, the same as you would in the Library.

To check out titles, you simply set up an account using your Alliance Public Library patron number, which can be found below the barcode on the back of your card, and download the free software to your computer. Don't have your card? No problem. Simply give us a call and we can look the number up for you.

Using the OverDrive service is a great way for you to access Library materials anytime at your convenience. You don't have to worry about a scratched CD or old cassette keeping you from hearing the entire story, and digital audio books are perfect for those long car rides or evening walks. So give OverDrive a try, and if you have any questions or need help, just give us a call at the Library and we'll be glad to help.

Vote and Be Heard!

Make sure to vote November 4th and let your voice be heard, but before heading to the polls, educate yourself by reading up on the issues and the candidates.

Storytime!

Celebrate National Peanutbutter Month!

November 4th at 7:30 p.m.

&

November 6th at 10:00 a.m.

Please register your child at the front desk before attending storytime.

William Kloefkorn to Speak at Library

On Tuesday, October 28th at 6:00pm, Alliance Public Library, the Alliance Public Library Foundation and the Nebraska Humanities Council is proud to provide residents the opportunity to see Nebraska Author William Kloefkorn speak

Kloefkorn has published numerous volumes of poetry and fiction as well as three memoirs depicting life in rural America, including Restoring the Burnt Child, the selected book for the 2008 One Book, One Nebraska program.

Growing up in mid-twentieth century rural America has shaped and inspired Kloefkorn’s many works. The son of a Kansas county employee, Kloefkorn has never abandoned his small town roots. His most recent work, a four part memoir (of which three have been published to date) intimately reveals his love for humanity, humor, and language.

William Kloefkorn was named the Nebraska State Poet, a lifetime appointment, in 1982 by the Nebraska Unicameral. He has published over 30 books, mostly poetry, and his works have appeared in distinguished literary journals including The Prairie Schooner, Midwest Quarterly, Calliope, and the South Dakota Review. He is emeritus professor of English at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and in 2004, Restoring the Burnt Child won the Nebraska Book Award for Non-Fiction.

Established in 2005, One Book, One Nebraska is a state-wide reading program designed to encourage Nebraska residents to collectively read and enjoy the works of Nebraska authors, both contemporary and classic, and includes state-wide community events, author visits and discussions. Previous selections have included Crazy Horse by Mari Sandoz, One False Move by Alex Kava and My Antonia by Willa Cather.

Storytime

Banned Books Presentation this Friday!

Mr. Wally Seiler of Alliance, a member of the Intellectual Freedom Section of the Nebraska Library Association, will present a Banned Books Program at noon in the Alliance Learning Center Community Rooms.

In 2007 the Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) reported 420 attempts to remove books from public or school libraries with sixty-one percent of the complains being made by parents, fifteen percent by library patrons and 9 percent by administrators. Though more than one request per day has been reported to the OIF, it is believed that only one out of every four or five complaints is documented.

A wide variety of books has been challenged throughout the years and includes popular and historical authors such as Stephen King, Dr. Seuss, Dean Koontz and Shakespeare. Examples include The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, challenged for criminalizing the forest industry; Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, challenged and banned for racist statements against Native Americans; and The Color Purple by Alice Walker, challenged for sexuality and racism. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, a book frequently found in High School curriculum, has been challenged or banned in over 53 districts for reasons such as racism and profanity.
Challenges on books are not simply an expression or point of view. They are, in fact, an attempt to remove books from the public use and restrict access for others. Censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves. Being able to make the personal decision of what book to read is firmly rooted in The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Celebrate your freedom to read and learn more about banned books and the Office of Intellectual Freedom during Wally Seiler’s Banned Books presentation, sponsored by the Alliance Public Library Foundation and the Nebraska Library Association.

A light desert will be provided. Please bring an hors d'oeuvre to share.

Library Bestsellers

See what the buzz is all about - Check out a Library Bestseller today!
All of the below Fiction and most of the Non-Fiction titles are available in our collection.


The Books Most Borrowed in U.S. Libraries*
October 15, 2008

Fiction

1. Sail, James Patterson
2. Fearless Fourteen: a Stephanie Plum Novel, Janet Evanovich
3. Tribute, Nora Roberts
4. Sundays at Tiffany's, James Patterson
5. The Appeal, John Grisham
6. Smoke Screen, Sandra Brown
7. The Whole Truth, David Baldacci
8. Moscow Rules, Daniel Silva
9. 7th Heaven, James Patterson
10. TailSpin: an FBI Thriller, Catherine Coulter
11. Rogue, Danielle Steel
12. Where Are You Now? Mary Higgins Clark
13. The Front, Patricia Cornweffreyll
14. Nothing to Lose: a Jack Reacher Novel, Lee Child
15. Phantom Prey, John Sandford

Non-Fiction

1. Auditions: a Memoir, Barbra Walters
2. When You are Engulfed in Flames, David Sedaris
3. The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
4. Three Cups of Tea: one Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
5. sTORI Telling, Tori Spelling
6. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
7. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Pupose
8. Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea, Chelsea Handler
9. The Secret, Rhonda Byrne
10. The Glass Castle: A Memoir
11. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
12. The Post-American World, Fareed Zakaria
13. Fleeced: How Barack Obama, Media Mockery of Terrorist Threats, Liberals Who Want to Kill talk Radio, the Do-Nothing, Companies That Help Iran, and Washington Lobbyists for Foreign Governments Are Scamming Us . . . and What To Do About It, Dick Morris & Eileen McGann
14. Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, Barack Obama
15. In Defense of Doos, An Eater's Manifesto, Michael Pollan

*Library Journal's Best Sellers is compiled from data on from public libraries throughout the U.S. and appears in the October 15, 2008 print edition.