Bookworm

Fiction

Robert Ludlum's the Bourne Objective by Eric Lustbader: Jason Bourne, nearly killed in an ambush in Indonesia, assumes a new identity and recommences his quest to learn who he really is, but when an American passenger jet is shot down over Egypt by what appears to be an Iranian missile, he joins a global team, led by Soraya Moore, to investigate the attack and possibly prevent another world war.

Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher: Tavi of Calderon, now Captain of the First Aleran Legion, attempts an alliance between Aleran and Cane in order to fight their common enemy, the terrifying Vord.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella: Young Rebecca Bloomwood, a financial magazine writer who has dug herself into a huge debt hole with her perpetual shopping, tries to turn her life around when she meets the desirable Luke Brandon.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson: Lisbeth Salander, recovering in a Swedish hospital from a gunshot wound, calls upon journalist Mikael Blomkvist to help prove her innocence in the murders of three people; but in order to do so, he must uncover a long-buried conspiracy within the Swedish Secret Service.

Heart of the Matter by Emily Griffin: Nick Russo, pediatric plastic surgeon and husband of Tessa, a stay-at-home mom, is called in to treat a six-year-old burn victim; but as he becomes involved in the case, he also finds himself attracted to the child's mother, Valerie.

Standard of Honor by Jack Whyte: In 1187, Alexander Sinclair escapes into the desert after the Battle of Hattin and sets out to find other Templar Knights who survived the battle, while King Richard seeks the help of Sir Henry St. Clair as he prepares to free the Holy Lands.

Inner Harbor by Nora Roberts: In honoring his father's dying wish, Phillip Quinn finds himself caring for a young boy who reminds Phillip of himself, and when he meets a woman who can help him save the boy from his tramp of a mother, he falls in love and tries to make a perfect family for himself and the young boy.

Nonfiction

Nicholas Black Elk by Michael F. Steltenkamp: A comprehensive biography of the life of Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux religious elder, who participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, witnessed the massacre at Wounded Knee, and lived into the twentieth century.

Israel and Palestine by Avi Shlaim: Examines various aspects of Israeli-Palestinian relations, including Israel's establishment in 1948, the Six Day War of 1967, and the Oslo Accords of 1993, and assesses the influence of key political and intellectual figures such as Ariel Sharon, Edward Said, and Yasser Arafat while analyzing the many opportunities for peace that has been missed.

One Hundred Summers by Candace S. Greene: The book presents a recently discovered calendar, created by the Kiowa master artist Silver Horn. Covering the period from 1828 to 1928, the pictures trace Kiowa experiences from buffalo to biplanes, from horse raiding to World War I service, offering a perspective on a critical period of Kiowa history.

Indian Slavery in Colonial America by Alan Gallay: This book examines the complicated dynamics of Indian Enslavement; including how and why Indians became slaves. The essays in this collection use Indian Slavery as a lens through which to explore both Indian and European societies and their interactions, as well as relations between and among Native groups.

The Magnificent Mountain Women by Janet Robertson: Presents three dozen women who from the 1850s to the 1980s ventured into the mountains pursuing their own aims and meeting success.

He Might Be a Redneck If…by Jeff Foxworthy: Presents a collection of Jeff Foxworthy's trademark redneck humor, covering family, love and marriage, homes and vehicles, work, fashion, and other topics.

Fur, Fortune and Empire by Eric Jay Dolin: Traces the dramatic rise and fall of the American fur industry, from the first Dutch encounters with the Indians to the rise of the conservation movement in the late nineteenth century.

I am hard at work on our new website - so my posting here will be minimal, and pretty soon non-existent. I hope to take the website live next week, at which time my daily posts can be found at the new site.

Here's the new address if you would like to take a sneak peek!
http://libraries.ne.gov/alliance

Library Bookclub!

We are implementing a library bookclub - so if you have ever wanted to join a bookclub or make some new friends, now's the time! It sounds like we plan on having two discussion times, one during the day and another in the evening, in order to make it more flexible for anyone who wishes to participate.

An organizational meeting will be held this Thursday at 2:00pm at the library.
If you can't attend the meeting, no worries, as I will post more information as it becomes available.

Bookworm

Large Print Fiction

The Cowpuncher by Bradford Scott: Huck Brannon’s dream was to have a ranch of his own. When Old Tom, a cowpoke, showed him a scrap that was alleged to be a map to a lost mine full of treasure, Huck decided this might be his only chance to have his dream come true.

Crawlspace by Sarah Graves: Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree, having left her career on Wall Street to remodel a 1823 Federal-style house, continues to struggle with her renovation while also teaming up with her mother-in-law to find her son and a true-crime writer who have disappeared and they believe are the targets of a serial killer.

Flint by Louis L’Amour: Suffering from incurable cancer, Flint heads back to New Mexico to die alone after making it big back East. But when all-out range war erupts, Flint chooses to help Nancy Kerrigan, a local rancher, save her ranch using his cash, his connections and his gun.

Ghost Legion by Johnny D. Boggs: Trying to escape a brutal husband, Marty McKindrict disguises herself as a man and joins the Patriot cause. Meanwhile, Stuart Brodie, a freedman, joins the Loyalists after his brother is lynched by a gang of Patriot renegades. In the heat of the American Revolution, fate will bring the two together in a bloody climax.

The House on Sugar Plum Lane by Judy Duarte: When Amy Masterson finds the Victorian house that belongs to her great-grandmother; she's surprised to discover a run-down building. Amy rents the house, fully furnished, and as she begins cleaning out the debris, she opens a window into the past she knows almost nothing.

The Inn at Angel Island by Thomas Kinkade: Liza Martin arrives on Angel Island to sell the inn she and her brother inherited from their aunt. She wants to quickly return to her busy life, so disposing of the inn is an easy decision. Not to easy is what to do with her unstable career and recent divorce. Once on Angel Island, she begins to doubt her decision.

The Hangman's Row Enquiry by Ann Purser: After moving to an old folk's residence, Ivy Beasley along with her cousin Deirdre and her admirer Roy are recruited by Gus Halfhide to start a detective agency called Enquire Within.

The Guns of Parral by Lauran Paine: A pair of lawmen ride into the town, with the intentions of arresting an old outlaw named Pete Harkness, even though he had not committed a reported crime in nearly 15 years, when people in the area find out who they were looking for, for duo find plenty of trouble.

Death of a Trophy Wife by Laura Levine: Freelance writer Jaine Austen finds herself working to clear the name of her friend Lance, who has been pegged as the murderer of millionaire Marv Cooper's trophy wife, a dreadful diva named Bunny.

Cowboy for a Rainy Afternoon by Stephen Bly: A man looks back on his days spent as a ten-year-old at the Matador Hotel in New Mexico, listening to his grandfather and his friends, who spent their lives as cowboys in the Southwest, tell stories and pass down the way of life and western traditions that were quickly becoming extinct.

The Singing Scorpion by William Colt MacDonald: A gang called the Scorpions loot and kill with abandon until Tucson Smith, a slow-talking and not easily riled man, decides to avenge the death of a loved one who has fallen victim to their murderous ways.

Sean's Reckoning by Sheryl Woods: Fireman Sean Devaney knew love never lasted, so he made sure he'd never be in a position to experience that kind of loss again. But he never counted on meeting Deanna Blackwell, who had just lost everything in a fire.

The Man from Battle Flat by Louis L’Amour: Collected for the first time are completely restored texts of three of Louis L'Amour's finest Western Stories.

Operation Paperback

Via the LibraryThing Blog (to read more about how awesone LibraryThing is, click here), I stumbled across the non-profit organization called Operation Paperback, which works to send books to troops deployed overseas. They are looking for donations of "gently" used books. It appears that you do the mailing and they will supply the address. What a great way to recycle books! For more information about the organization and how to help, visit their website at http://www.operationpaperback.org/

Non-fiction Connection at Nebraskaccess

A new searchable reader's advisory database called Non-fiction Connection is available at NebraskAccess. The platform is identical to Fiction Connection, which I posted about a long time ago here; however, the books are all nonfiction narratives that are based on fact yet read like fiction.

The database is available through a subscription and is made accessible to all Nebraskans free of charge courtesy of the ever wonderful Nebraska Library Commission - so thank you NLC! All you need to access the database is your Nebraska driver's license number, or you can contact us for a password.

There are a number of ways to go about finding new books, such as title search and browsing by tags. The site strikes me as pretty user friendly, so have some fun and explore. As always, if you have any questions, just let me know and I'll be happy to help :-)

Book Sale Starts Today!

Don't forget to support the library by attending the Friends of the Library Book Sale!

Hours are as follows:

Tuesday: 12-4pm Members Only & 4-6pm Public

Wednesday: 10am-7pm Public

Thursday: 12:00-5pm Public

Monetary donations are welcome!

Bookworm

Fiction

A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher: Journalist Joshua Crawford is outraged by the depiction of his grandfather as the villain in a dime store novel series penned by a D. B. Morgan, the unknown pseudonym of Daphne McKinley, but just as she begins to reassess her life Joshua rolls into town.

No Distance Too Far by Lauraine Snelling: Astrid Bjorklund, having attended a missionary training school in the South with the hopes of eventually helping sick people in Africa, is called home to Blessing for a family medical crisis, and finds opposition to herself and her work, as well as a man who makes her question her faith in God and love.

The Rule of Nine by Steve Martini: Paul Madriani, a defense attorney in San Diego, attempts to evade a variety of dangers while hunting down an extremist intent on attacking the heart of Washington, D.C., with a catastrophic weapon.

The Search by Nora Roberts: Fiona Bristow, the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer who shot and killed her fiancé and his K-9 partner, runs a dog-training business. Has her life disrupted by Simon Doyle who is desperate for help in calming his puppy, and by the emergence of a copycat killer who wants the woman that got away.

Skein of the Crime by Maggie Sefton: The knitters at the House of Lambspun have begun their fall projects, but Kelly Flynn decides to focus her attention on a murder investigation when one of her knitting students is found dead on the river trail near her house.

Take Four by Karen Kingsbury: Filmmakers Chase Ryan and Keith Ellison are weary about landing a popular young actor for their film, "Unlocked," because of his wild reputation, until he develops an interest in his costar, Bailey Flanigan, which could motivate him to improve himself.

Cool Beans by Erynn Mangum: Just when Maya Davis's life seems to be perfect her best friend starts dating Travis, Maya's long-term boyfriend from high school, who does not seem to recognize Maya, confusing her so much she begins to question everything, including her faith in God.

Fever Dream by Douglas J. Preston: Special Agent Pendergast and Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta set out to investigate the mystery of Pendergast's wife, and who loaded her rifle with blanks, thus leaving her defenseless against the ferocious lion that took her life

Foreign Influence by Brad Thor: Homeland Security agent Scot Harvath is assigned to find the kidnapped daughter of a politically connected family in Afghanistan.

Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch: Twenty years after her father's mysterious disappearance, Hannah Legare returns to her family home in Charleston, South Carolina, hoping to learn what really happened on that long ago day that changed her life.

The Overton Window by Glen Beck: Public relations executive Noah Gardner refuses to help Molly Ross and her group of patriots advance their cause, until an attack on American soil shakes the country to the core and convinces Noah that helping Molly is the most important thing he will ever do, even if it means risking his life.

Predator by Terri Blackstock: After the murder of her fourteen-year-old sister by an online predator, Krista Carmichael tries to lure the killer by creating an online persona, and when Ryan Adkins, who started the GrapeVyne social network, meets Krista, he helps her in her attempt to obtain justice.

Private by James Patterson: Former CIA agent Jack Morgan runs Private, an international investigation company involved in solving important cases. When he learns that his best friend's wife has been killed, Jack devotes all of the company's resources to tracking down her killer, while navigating a workplace romance that threatens to disrupt his plans.

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk: Thirteen-year-old Pygmy, a young terrorist in the United States under the pretext of being a foreign exchange student, tries to make sense of American life while plotting his attack.

Friends of the Library Book Sale!

The Friends will be hosting their semi-annual booksale next week!

The hours are as follows:

Members only:

Tuesday, August 17, 12:00-4:00pm

Open to the public:

Tuesday, August 17, 4:00-6:00pm

Wednesday, August 18, 10:00am-7:00pm

Thursday, August19, 12:00-5:00pm

Monetary donations are welcome and encouraged. So much of what we do here at the library is made possible by this wonderful organization and the funds raised at the books sales. The more you donate, the more we are able to do. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Book donation information: any newly donated books will likely not make it into next week's sale; however, books can be donated year round. Simply drop your donation off at the circulation desk, and we will take it downstairs.

Gloria Clark Air Base Presentation this Thursday!

Capt. Robert D. Rae of Service Company, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment prepares for a training jump in Alliance, Nebraska, in 1943. (image and caption found at www.armcairgeneral.com courtesy of Albert "Bud" Parker)

In conjunction with the military cemetery dedication, Gloria Clark, former Alliance resident, will give a presentation on her book

World War II: Prairie Invasion

at 6:00pm this Thursday

August 12th

in the Alliance Learning Center

Community Rooms.

We still have a few copies of the book available for checkout. See the circulation desk for details.

Based on the Book

The movie Eat, Pray, Love, which I am sure you know is based on the book of the same name by author Elizabeth Gilbert, is expected to hit our theatre soon. So why not be prepared and read the book before seeing the movie.

This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls “Anne Lamott’s hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister”) is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.

Bookworm

Fiction

Family Ties by Danielle Steel: Architect Annie Ferguson puts her life on hold in order to raise her sister's three orphaned children; but now in her forties and the children facing major challenges in their own lives, a chance encounter changes Annie's destiny yet again.

Imperial Bedroom by Bret Easton Ellis: Clay establishes a career in screenwriting in New York City and returns to Los Angeles to find a cast for his new movie, but after encounters with old friends and interactions with a very persistent actress, Clay's inner demons pose a threat to the life he has built.

The Lion by Nelson DeMille: John Corey fears his allotment of good luck may have run out when he signs on as a contract agent with the federal government's Anti-Terrorist Task Force and is assigned to apprehend an alleged Libyan terrorist known as "The Lion."

Sidney Sheldon's After the Darkness by Tilly Bagshawe: Socialite Grace, wife of Lenny Brookstein, one of the founders of the most profitable hedge fund in history, must find a way to clear her own name and that of her husband after investors lose billions of dollars, Lenny disappears while sailing solo, and she is arrested for securities fraud.

The Spy by Clive Cussler: The Van Dorn Detective Agency assigns Isaac Bell, a private investigator, to a case that will reveal whether an American battleship gun designer's death was a suicide or murder, but Bell uncovers a plot set to destroy the great minds of America that are somehow connected to a secret project known as Hull 44.

Broken by Karin Slaughter: When Special Agent Will Trent investigates a prisoner's death he finds a tight-lipped police department following a second death, the county's police chief. When he tries to help the dead chief's widow, Dr. Sara Linton, he is forced to put pressure on officer Lena Adams, who he believes is concealing a dark secret.

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris: Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, having survived the Fae War and is recovering from the torture she endured, realizes the doors to Faery were closed before some fae were able to leave the human world and they are holding her responsible.

Nonfiction
A Baker's Dozen by Karen Costello Soltys: As the publisher of America's Best-Loved Quilt Books, we just had to get in on the fun of quilting with precut fabrics! For this book, we commissioned 13 fabulous quilts designed and made by the stitching experts on our own staff. Now you can indulge your craving for fat quarters, Jelly Rolls, 5-inch charm squares, and 10-inch Layer Cakes!

The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick: Explores the inside story of Facebook, its founders, and how it became a social networking sensation.

The Oglala Sioux Warriors in Transition by Robert H. Ruby: The book presents a picture of the ways in which the lives of the American Indians were altered under the influence of the U.S. government, and it details the heroic struggle of the Sioux to recover and maintain their culture and sovereignty.

Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism by Temple Grandin: The author gives a personal account of her life as an autistic person, describing the way her visual mind works and how she managed to go beyond her impairment and succeed in the outside world.

Surviving the Loss of a Child by Elizabeth B. Brown: The book offers encouragement and hope to those who may think they will never be able to live fully after such tragedy.

Rethinking the Fur Trade by Susan Sleeper-Smith: Exposes what has been called the “invisible hand of indigenous commerce,” revealing how it changed European interaction with Indians, influenced what was produced to serve the interests of Indian customers, and led to important cultural innovations.

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis: Chronicles the events leading up to the economic crash in 2008 by following the lives of various individuals, including Steve Eisman, Vincent Daniel, Michael Burry, Greg Lippmann, Gene Park, Howie Hubler, and others.

Back From Training!

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizzardo/2189776899/

I am back from my workshop and training programs in Sidney, and boy do I have a long list of new to-do items. I am very excited about the new website! It also sounds like we will be able to transfer some of the blog content over to the new platform :-)

I hope to have the website ready to roll by the end of the month (my fingers are crossed as I say this) and I would love to hear any of your suggestions for the site. After all, the website is being made for you to use and enjoy! So, what would you like to see? Leave a comment or you can email me at tkeenan@cityofalliance.net with your ideas. I would love to hear them!

Tech Training

I am in Sidney today for training on how to maintain and enhance our new website, about which I am very excited!!! So, over the next few day the posting will be sparse, and very soon I'll have a new website to share where all of our online services can be accessed from one spot. Yay!

More info coming soon :-)

And the winner of our trivia contest is . . .

Pam Becker!

You have won a handmade garden stone. It will be ready to be picked up Wednesday afternoon. (I still need to pour it.)

And I want to thank all of you who took the time to participate in this contest. I hope you had as much fun answering the questions as I did finding them :-) Is this something you would like to continue with? I'm thinking of putting together another one this fall.

And here were all of the questions and answers:

1. What percentage of the human brain is made up of water? 77-78% (The source was the University of Washington Biology Dept.)

2. What was the original name for popsicles, and how old was the inventor? They were originally called Epsicles and were invented by an 11 year old boy.

3. What time officially marked the beginning of summer? 7:48 PM

4. What was the name of the girl who was the original model for the Coppertone logo and how old was she when the ads came out? Cheri Brand and she was 3 years old
What actress made her debut starring as the Coppertone Girl in TV commercials? Jodi Foster

5. What do the colors of our flag represent? No one knows for sure because it has never been found in any documents. (This was verified by more than one source.)

6. In the sport of surfing, what does the term "goofy foot" refer to? The surfer’s stance

7. How old is the world's oldest rose and where is it located? 1000 years old, Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany

8. Early explorers used watermelons for what practical traveling accessory? A canteen

9. In china, the discarded skins of cicadas are ground up, placed in tea and given to crying babies in hopes of doing what? Quieting them.

10. Who invented the Ferris Wheel and what was it meant to celebrate? George Ferris and it celebrated the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus

11. What is the highest recorded temperature in the state of Nebraska and what city is "lucky" enough to bear this honor? 118 degrees in Minden