New but not "New" books

Here at the library we are constantly circulating new books into the library, many of which have been dontated to the library and don't make it to the "New" shelves, so I thought I would highlight some of those here.

We had a nice donation of "women's" fiction recently, which included:

Something Blue by Emily Griffin:
Darcy Rhone thought she had it all figured out: the more beautiful the girl, the more charmed her life. Never mind substance. Never mind playing by the rules. Never mind karma. But Darcy’s neat, perfect world turns upside down when her best friend, Rachel White, the plain-Jane “good girl,” steals her fiancé, while Darcy finds herself completely alone for the first time in her life…with a baby on the way. Darcy tries to recover, fleeing to her childhood friend living in London and resorting to her tried-and-true methods for getting what she wants. But as she attempts to recreate her glamorous life on a new continent, Darcy finds that her rules no longer apply. It is only then that Darcy can begin her journey toward self-awareness, forgiveness, and motherhood. Something Blue is a novel about one woman’s surprising discoveries about the true meaning of friendship, love, and happily-ever-after. It’s a novel for anyone who has ever, even secretly, wondered if the last thing you want is really the one thing you need.

Miss New York Has Everything by Lori Jakila:
Don't let the smiling stewardess on the cover fool you: Jakiela's memoir has more in common with Chuck Klosterman than Coffee, Tea or Me? The early story focuses on the author's 1970s childhood in a working-class Pennsylvania town, especially on her father, a factory worker who considered other people "cockroaches," but doted on his pet miniature poodle. She dwells on her love of '70s pop idols like Shaun Cassidy and explains that her decision to abandon a career as a journalist and writing teacher to become a flight attendant was inspired by a childhood admiration for Marlo Thomas and That Girl. Unsurprisingly, Jakiela discovers life in the skies isn't really glamorous, and the job quickly takes an emotional toll. "My world started to shrink down to small spaces," Jakiela writes, an endless chain of jet cabins and hotel rooms. But there are also poignant moments in brief portraits of colleagues and passengers, and more than enough proof that Jakiela's decision to pursue a writing career was the right move.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss:
Once upon a time a man who had become invisible arrived in America." An unlikely and unforgettable hero, Leo Gursky is a survivor -- of war, of love, and of loneliness. A retired locksmith, Leo does his best to get by. He measures the passage of days by the nightly arrival of the delivery boy from the Chinese restaurant and has arranged a code with his upstairs neighbor: Three taps on the radiator means, "ARE YOU ALIVE?, two means YES, one NO." But it wasn't always so. Sixty years earlier, before he fled Poland for New York, Leo met a girl named Alma and fell in love. He wrote a book and named the character in it after his beloved. Years passed, lives changed, and unbeknownst to Leo, the book survived. And it provides Leo -- in the eighth decade of his life -- with a link to the son he's never known. How this long-lost book makes an extraordinary reappearance and connects the lives of disparate characters is only one of the small miracles The History of Love offers its readers. Rich, inventive, and continually surprising, this is a novel about lost love, found love, and rediscovered love; it is about where we find love when it seems all too elusive and what happens when we do. In short, it is a triumph.

June/July Display

The June/July display in the library is a wonderful collection of bald eagles that belongs to the kind and generous Larry Yeager. make sure to stop in and check them out.

A few facts about bald eagles:

* Bald eagles can fly to an altitude of 10,000 feet. During level flight, they can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph.
* Bald eagles have 7,000 feathers.
* Bald eagles weigh from ten to fourteen pounds and have lifting power up to 4 pounds.
* The bald eagle became the National emblem in 1782 when the great seal of the United States was adopted.

Bookworm

Fiction
Beyond This Moment by Tamera Alexander: Dr. Molly Whitcomb, having lost her job at a university, decides to move to Timber Ridge, Colorado, where she will make a new start teaching children, but a lie about her past threatens to ruin her newfound faith and her relationship with the sheriff.

The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson: Nun Mary-Margaret Fischer, having returned to her convent to take her final vow, receives a message from Jesus that she must marry her troubled childhood friend Jude Keller and debates what she should do.

Drama City by George Pelecanos: Lorenzo Brown hopes that his new job as an officer for the Humane Society will keep him out of trouble and out of prison; however, his parole officer, Rachel Lopez, seems to be heading for trouble, just when Lorenzo needs her the most.

Mercy Street by Mariah Stewart: Former detective Mallory Russo teams up with police detective Charlie Wanamaker in order to solve the murder of two young boys in a park and the disappearance of two missing teenagers possibly involved in the killings.

Breakwater by Carla Neggers: Quinn Harlowe had recently left the pressure of her job at the Justice Department to "have a life". But that ends when her friend is found dead outside her bayside cottage. She suspects Huck, a bodyguard at Breakwater, but he is really an undercover agent trying to penetrate a violent network of vigilantes.

Every Move You Make by Carla Cassidy: After receiving a strange gift on her thirtieth birthday, Annalise Blakely finds out about a string of recent murders where the killer targets women, dresses them up as dolls, and leaves them for the police to find.

Carved in Stone by Jefferson Bass: Anthropologist Bill Brockton is called to a cave in East Tennessee when a thirty-year-old corpse, preserved into an almost perfect mummy, is discovered, and soon Bill finds himself pulled into a local feud and an ecological mystery that is baffling scientists.


Nonfiction
Do The Right Thing by Mike Huckabee: Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee recalls his campaign to secure the Republican nomination for president in 2008, and explains why he believes his back-to-basics message drew such a following throughout the country.

Get a Jump! By Carl Buck: Created to help families learn more about the financial aid process and discover the resources they need to pay for college.

Step-By-Step Yard and Garden Projects: Hundreds of easy projects, tips, and techniques to make your garden more beautiful and comfortable.

The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches by Jeff Yeager: Jeff Yeager shares the strategies he has used to save money, retire early, and live the ultimate cheapskate life while making a difference in the world.

Outliers: the Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell: The author explores why some people are high achievers and others are not, citing culture, family, and upbringing as possible reasons some people are not as successful as others.

Bicycles: Love Poems by Nikki Giovanni: A collection of romantic-themed poetry from African-American poet Nikki Giovanni, and features the title selection along with "I am Jazz," "Your Shower," "Gray Clouds Hover," "Friends and Lovers," and others.

Never Give Up by Joyce Meyer: The author relates her struggle to overcome obstacles, including an abused childhood and bad marriage, in order to be successful and profiles individuals who did the same.

Today is World Oceans Day!

To celebrate World Oceans Day, I thought I would put together a post highlighting some of the ocean themed materials we have available here at the library.

In our DVD collection, we have BBC's series Blue Planet: Seas of Life. If you are interested in learning about the ocean and it's various ecosystems and lifeforms, this is one of the best visual resources available. Here is a playlist I put together with some excerpts.



In addition to the DVD, we have a companion book for the series titled The Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Oceans

Other Nautical themed works in our collection include:
Moby Dick by Melville Herman
The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules VerneMurder on the Oceanic by Conrad Allen
Ship of Ghouls by R.L. Stein
Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener
Fatal Tide by Iris Johansen
Dolphin Song by Lauren St. John
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
And many many more non-fiction and fiction books concerning the ocean and the rich life it holds.

For more information on how you can help protect the ocean, visit http://www.theoceanproject.org/

Based on the Book

We decided at the staff meeting this morning that I should change my name to Blogmaster T. This makes me feel like I should have super powers of somekind or at least wear a cape, but I possess neither so I guess I'll just have to stay plain old Tiffany (at least for now).


And for those of you have commented on the blog when you have come in to the library - thank you so much! It is good to know that there are people on the other end reading my posts :-)

This week's Based on the Book is Bee Season, which has been available on DVD for some time now. We have the novel available for checkout.

"Eliza Naumann, a seemingly unremarkable nine-year-old, expects never to fit into her gifted family: her autodidact father, Saul, absorbed in his study of Jewish mysticism; her brother, Aaron, the vessel of his father's spiritual ambitions; and her brilliant but distant lawyer-mom, Miriam. But when Eliza sweeps her school and district spelling bees in quick succession, Saul takes it as a sign that she is destined for greatness. In this altered reality, Saul inducts her into his hallowed study and lavishes upon her the attention previously reserved for Aaron, who in his displacement embarks upon a lone quest for spiritual fulfillment. When Miriam's secret life triggers a familial explosion, it is Eliza who must order the chaos.

Myla Goldberg's keen eye for detail brings Eliza's journey to three-dimensional life. As she rises from classroom obscurity to the blinding lights and outsized expectations of the National Bee, Eliza's small pains and large joys are finely wrought and deeply felt.

Not merely a coming-of-age story, Goldberg's first novel delicately examines the unraveling fabric of one family. The outcome of this tale is as startling and unconventional as her prose, which wields its metaphors sharply and rings with maturity. The work of a lyrical and gifted storyteller, Bee Season marks the arrival of an extraordinarily talented new writer. "

Below is an interview with Richard Geer on his role in the movie:

Paige Picks

It's been awhile since I have featured any staff picks, so I thought I would ask our paiges to recommend some books. They are well read, as you can imagine, and it sounds like they have some good recommendations.


Jett picked Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead. Jett says, "I enjoyed the unique spin it puts on the Robin Hood legend."

"For centuries, the legend of Robin Hood and his band of thieves has captivated the imagination. Now the familiar tale takes on new life, fresh meaning, and an unexpected setting.

Steeped in Celtic mythology and the political intrigue of medieval Britain, Stephen R. Lawhead's latest work conjures up an ancient past and holds a mirror to contemporary realities. Prepare yourself for an epic tale that dares to shatter everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood."






Sean picked Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose. It is a nonfiction account of the trials faced by a company of soldiers during World War II. Sean says of the book, "It illustrates courage and bravery at it's finest"

"They came together in the summer of 1942. It was as good a rifle company as any in the world. Here is the story of E Company -- men who went hungry, froze, and died for each other -- from the rigorous training in Georgia in 1942 to their disbanding in 1945."





Anthony chose The Legend of Drizzt Series by R.A. Salvatore. The series consists of 13 fantasy books. Anthony says he likes these books because "there are elves and swords and fighting. What's not to like?"

The epic tale of everyone's favorite dark elf, Drizzt Do'Urden, reaches new heights!Drizzt Do'Urden struggles with his own inner voices, voices that call him back to the pitiless depths of the Underdark. But louder still are the voices of his newfound friends, and the dream that drives Bruenor Battlehammer on to reclaim Mithral Hall. Time and again they're told to turn back, that some dreams can never be fulfilled, but on they fight -- together.

The Twilight Saga in The Atlantic

I found an article in a back issue of The Atlantic about The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer, and luckily the entire article is available on their website. It is titled "What Girls Want: A Series of Vampire Novels Illuminates the Complexities of Female Adolescent Desire" and delves into the deeper issues found within the stories that speak to a new generation of young women.

It is evident that the author of the article, Caitlin Flanagan, is well read in the classical romance novel. If you have read the novels or have a daughter who has read the novels, you should read this article. It's pretty good and has enough references to other love stories that you just might find a new book to read in the process.


Click here to read the article.



When hearing the term "Vampire Romance Novel" one may be more inclined to think of dime store paperbacks than classical literature, but the Twilight sagas are so well crafted and engaging that they will likely become classics themselves (though I still want to scream "find a hobby" at the main character because her obsession with Edward and his unnatural beauty is a little over the top, not to mention unhealthy.)

Bookworm

FICTION

Nightwalker by Heather Graham: Jessy Sparhawk is haunted by the ghost of the murdered man who fell onto her while she stood at a craps table, and involves herself in the a murder investigation being led by Private Detective Dillon Wolf which takes them to a desert, ghost town called Indigo.

Still Life by Joy Fielding: Interior designer Casey Marshall, severely injured and left in a coma after being hit by a car, can still hear what is going on around her, and finds herself privy to some very disturbing information--including the fact that someone may have tried to kill her.

Boneman's Daughter by Ted Dekker: Intelligence officer Ryan Evans, having spent time in Fallujah as the captive of insurgents who forced him to learn to kill by breaking bones and leaving victims to die, returns to find himself under suspicion when a serial killer who employs the same method of murder begins abducting young girls--including Evans' own estranged daughter.

Deadlock by Iris Johansen: It begins with a mission when Emily and her partner, Joel Levy, and the crew are attacked and held hostage by a captor who is determined to find the missing link to a legendary treasure. Jon Garrett is a hired to save Emily and Joel and is soon catapulted into unraveling the truth behind a bigger conspiracy...or dies trying.

Miss Julies Delivers the Goods by Ann B. Ross: When naïve Hazel Marie, the former mistress of Miss Julia's first husband, learns that her flulike symptoms have another cause, it's up to the enterprising Miss Julia to patch things up between Hazel Marie and her estranged PI boyfriend, J.D. Pickens. Meanwhile, a burglary at the house of lawyer Sam Murdoch, Miss Julia's second husband, means trouble.

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline: Reporter Ellen Gleeson is stunned when she sees her adopted son Will on a "Have You Seen This Child?" flier and must decide if she is willing to uncover the truth about her son's birth and possibly risk losing him forever.

The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice: After her husband dies and her eldest daughter, Carrie, runs away, Maggie Shaw moves her remaining brood-level-headed Travis and troubled Beck-from Ohio to Newport, R.I., where she will teach English at the prestigious Newport Academy, where the kids also enroll.

The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick: Lucinda Bromley is plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fiancé, but manages to keep tending her beloved plants and occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. The death of a lord, by a poison from a plant that was stolen from her conservatory, leads her and Caleb Jones into an investigation concerning the early days of the Arcane Society and a deadly conspiracy.

Malice by Lisa Jackson: Detective Rick Bentz awakens in the hospital following an accident to see his first wife, Jennifer, who died twelve years earlier, standing in the room, and when a copy of her death certificate arrives in the mail emblazoned with a red question mark, Bentz travels in search of the truth--falling right into the trap of a vengeful killer.

The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips: In 1931, a miner's family in Alabama tries to make it through the Depression while dealing with racial tension in their small town, the possibility of a disastrous mining accident, and the discovery of a dead infant in their well.

The Diary by Eileen Goudge: When the two grown daughters of Elizabeth Marshall discover an old diary of their mother’s in her attic, it comes as a shock to learn that the true love of Elizabeth’s life was not their father.

Borderline by Nevada Barr: Anna Davidson is on administrative leave and the bright spot in her life is her husband Paul. Hoping the warmth and the adventure of a raft trip in Big Bend National Park will lift her spirits, they float on the Rio Grande. But, in the downed branches between two boulders, more dead than alive, is a pregnant woman.

The Dakota Cipher by William Dietrich: Ethan Gage returns home to investigate the Louisiana Territory for Napoleon, who maintains it was sold back to France, and with the help of Norwegian, Magnus Bloodhammer, encounter British loyalists, hostile Indians, and disciples of an Egyptian snake cult.

Michal by Jill Eileen Smith: Soon after Michal, the daughter of King Saul falls in love with a young harpist named David, he is forced to flee the kingdom, and Michal is left alone to deal with her father's unpredictable moods, compete with her beautiful older sister, and wonder whether she and David will ever be reunited.

Based on the Book

This weeks based on the book is Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen, which was made into a movie in 1985 and stars Maryl Streep and Robert Redford. Both the novel and the movie are available in our collection.

In this book, the author gives a true account of her life on her plantation in Kenya. She tells with classic simplicity of the ways of the country and the natives: of the beauty of the Ngong Hills and coffee trees in blossom: of her guests, from the Prince of Wales to Knudsen, the old charcoal burner, who visited her: of primitive festivals: of big game that were her near neighbors--lions, rhinos, elephants, zebras, buffaloes--and of Lulu, the little gazelle who came to live with her, unbelievably ladylike and beautiful.



Here is the original trailer

NPR's Three Books

I thought I would share a selection from NPR's "Three Books" series. The theme is "Three Books To Make You Feel Like A Kid Again," all of which have been selected by Augusten Burroughs. Click here to listen to the segment and read Augusten's entire post.


The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - We have this book in our collection. I remember my best friend reading this book in eigth grade and she was absolutely drawn in an absorbed, so much that she wouldn't even giggle with me in class.

Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annex" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.



Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote - We have this book in our collection as well. I haven't heard of this book before now, but it sounds pretty good.

Published when Truman Capote was only twenty-three years old, Other Voices, Other Rooms is a literary touchstone of the mid-twentieth century. In this semiautobiographical coming-of-age novel, thirteen-year-old Joel Knox, after losing his mother, is sent from New Orleans to live with the father who abandoned him at birth. But when Joel arrives at Skully's Landing, the decaying mansion in rural Alabama, his father is nowhere to be found. Instead, Joel meets his morose stepmother, Amy, eccentric cousin Randolph, and a defiant little girl named Idabel, who soon offers Joel the love and approval he seeks.

The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg - This one we don't have, but if it sounds like something you would want to read, let us know and we can try to get it in for you. It sounds like this character does something that all of us, to some extent, dream of doing.

Uncomfortable with the fit of her life, now that she's in the middle of it, Nan gets into her car and just goes—driving across the country on back roads, following the moon; and stopping to talk to people. Through conversations with women, men, with her husband through letters, and with herself through her diary, Nan confronts topics long overdue for her attention. She writes to her husband and says things she's never admitted before; and she discovers how the fabric of her life can be reshaped into a more authentic creation.

For more information on NPR book selections, visit www.npr.org, and if there is something you find and would like to read but we don't have in the collection, just let us know and we can either try to add it to our collection or order it through the ILL program.

Synopsis information was found at www.barnesandnoble.com

A Few Updates

Thought I would take a few minutes to update all of our readers on some of the library happenings.

Our summer reading program has begun! The first program is tomorrow morning and the theme for this year is "Be creative @ Your Library" so we have a bunch of fun filled and inspiring programs. The children participating in the summer reading program (1st through 12th grade) will be visiting the library every Wednesday morning, so if you are looking for a nice and peaceful reading environment, plan accordingly. Thursday mornings at 10:00 we will have an hour long storytime for 3-6 year olds who are too young to attend the summer reading program. Also, if you have kids in 1st - 12th grade but missed the deadline summer reading deadline, they are still welcome to attend the Wednesday morning program, so bring them on ever! The only thing they will miss out on is the pizza giftcards and read for a ride

With summer reading and all the kids being out of school we are entering our busiest time of the year, and the frequency of my posts will probably reflect this. I will, however, make sure that I am posting a couple of times each week, so keep checking back in, even if there isn't a new post every day. I promise to post as often as possible.

We have filled the open clerk position! Yay! Our new clerk is named Cindy, so be sure to stop on by and say hello. I will also have her introduce herself on the blog once she gets all settled in.

The adult summer reading program is slated to begin June 15, so be on the lookout for more information. I believe we will find a way to the blog into the program as well :-)

Our summer hours are beginning today and will run through Labor Day. We are open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8am to 6pm, Wednesday from 8am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 5pm and we are closed Sunday.

Wow, it looks like a lot is going on! Sounds like summer is here!

Bookworm

FICTION
LEFT TO DIE by Lisa Jackson: Montana detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli, hoping for a career-making case, get more than they bargained for when they are called upon to find a serial killer who orchestrates accidents, seduces the victims, and then leaves them to die in the woods.

JUST TAKE MY HEART by Mary Higgins Clark: Natalie Raines, one of Broadway's brightest stars, accidentally discovers who killed her former roommate and sets in motion a series of shocking events that puts more than one life in extreme peril.

PURGATORY RIDGE by William Kent Krueger: When an explosion kills the night watchman at a lumber mill near the Anishinaabe tribe lands, it's obvious where suspicion will fall. Former Sherriff Cork O'Connor agrees to help investigate but has mixed feelings because he is part Anishinaabe and his wife is a lawyer for the tribe.

FATALLY FLAKY by Diane Mott Davidson: Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz, planning a wedding reception for a spoiled bride who has decided to change the location to the Gold Gulch Spa, investigates the death of a family friend who died in a suspicious car accident and uncovers a link between the man's death and research being conducted at the spa.

DARE TO DIE by Carolyn Hart: The Darlings are unprepared when the arrival of a mysterious young woman shocks their sea island and stirs up more than just gossip. Things take a turn for the worse when Annie befriends Iris and invites her to attend a party where Death shows up too.

TURN COAT by Jim Butcher: Harry Dresden, a professional wizard who consults with the police on cases involving the supernatural, is not always in good standing with the magical ruling body, the White Council, so he takes a big risk when he agrees to help Morgan, a veteran Warden with the Council who has been accused of treason and needs a place to hide while trying to clear his name.

WORMWOOD by Susan Wittig Albert: China takes a needed vacation in a Shaker community. The restored modern version of the village is plagued with misfortune and strife -- possibly from sabotage. After a shocking death, China will plunge into the archives of another time to connect the sins of the past with a modern-day murder.

NON FICTION
THE CHINA STUDY by Colin T. Campbell: Presents the results of a monumental study of diet and death rates from cancer in more than 2,400 Chinese countries and explains the study's significance and what it reveals about the implications of poor nutrition.

THREE CUPS OF TEA by Greg Mortenson: Greg Mortenson recounts the experiences he had while trying to help impoverished villages in Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya build schools for their children.

AIN’T NO RAG by Charlie Daniels: Charlie Daniels is very patriotic and expresses thoughts about liberalism, Hollywood, anti-war crowds and the political correctness faze.

ENGAGING THE MUSLIM WORLD by Juan Cole: A leading American expert on the Islamic world seeks to dispel many of the persistent myths about Islam and the Middle East. Cole convincingly demonstrates why one should not confuse Muslim activism with hidebound fundamentalism.

A PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST by Joseph C. Lemay: An autobiography of Joseph C. LaMay, an Alliance, Nebraska citizen. Also includes his artwork and his ancestors' history.

THE CATTLE HEALTH HANDBOOK by Heather Smith Thomas:
Preventative care, disease treatments & emergency procedures for promoting the well-being of your beef or dairy herd, includes discussions on bacterial, viral and protozoal diseases, weather-related problems, parasites, nutrition and much more.

BASIC BASKET MAKING: A complete guide to tools and materials; covers basic techniques from weaving spokes to making a basket base; illustrated steps with full color photographs.

Hurry! Summer Reading Sign Up Ends Tomorrow!

If you haven't signed your child up for summer reading yet, you still have time! We will be signing children up today until we close at 8:00 and then again tomorrow from 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Hopefully, those of you who have children in school received the following letter from Stephanie, our Children and Youth Librarian:

With another school year quickly coming to a close it is time once again to start thinking about summer reading. This year at Alliance Public Library our theme is “Be Creative @ Your Library”, and we are looking forward to six weeks of fun, great prizes and excellent shows at the library!

This year’s program is open to all area students entering 1st through 12th grade. The program begins on Wednesday, May 20th, and ends on Wednesday July 1st. Pizza Hut will once again be donating our weekly pizza prizes for students who make their reading goal. Bruce Lundy and his staff always go above and beyond in supporting this program!

The Read for a Ride program will also run this year in conjunction with our summer reading program. Read for a Ride is a partnership between the Alliance Chamber of Commerce and the Alliance Public Library in which students who meet all six weeks of their reading goals have a chance at winning a wristband for use on either Wednesday or Thursday night of the 2009 Heritage Days Carnival. Last year, 228 students met all their goals and each of them was awarded a wristband! Of course, none of this would be possible were it not for our local businesses and individuals who donate to this program and the awesome help I have in running it from Chamber Director Dixie Nelson! This is really a great incentive to get your kids out reading and, while the program is challenging, it is a reward in itself to see how proud they can be of a job well done and the pride they take in earning something for themselves.

Registration for this program will be held every Monday through Friday from 8:00-4:00 p.m. at the library. Your last day to register will be Wednesday, May 20th. Please take advantage of this great opportunity to get your kids out doing something positive this summer! I always like to close with this reminder. . .children that participate actively in reading through their summer breaks have statistically returned back to school in the fall at or above the reading level they ended with. So, what are you waiting for? Bring your child up to join us for a great summer of reading and fun @ your library!

Based on the Book

This week's Based on the book, Forrest Gump by Winston Groom, is a reader request who commented "I just finished reading the book, and while the movie captured the spirit of the story, that Alabama boy went through a lot more than what was put on the screen."

Now, I'm sure most of us are familiar with this character, who was portrayed so well by Tom Hanks in the 1994 Academy Award winning Spielberg film, and I would strongly encourage those who enjoy the movie to stop in and check out the book. And if you haven't seen the movie, well, you are really missing out. We have both the movie and the novel available for checkout.

Here's an interview with Tom Hanks on portraying Forrest Gump:

Read Around the Posies

Read Around the Posies

Read Around the Posies is an anuual fundraiser conducted by the Library Board. The planters will be displayed in the library May 16-22 with bids being accepted through noon on Saturday, May 22nd. Be sure to stop in and check out the gorgeous flower arrangements and pots!

Summer Reading Sign Up

Summer Reading Sign Up!

Register your children for summer reading now through May 20th

Monday-Thursday from 8:00am to 4:00pm

& Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm

Summer reading is open to all children entering 1st grade through 12th grade and will run from May 20th through July 1st.

Bookworm

I'm posting the bookworm a day late, as I was out sick yesterday with a short-lived-but-miserable bug. Needless to say, between my days off last week and being out yesterday, the work here has certainly been backing up. It feels like I have enough work to do to last me month!

So . . . without further ado . . . this week's Bookworm! (insert applause here)

Fiction

First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh: Vanessa Huxtable Dew offers to marry the Viscount Lyngate to save her sister from a loveless union and the Viscount accepts while pursuing other problems. But, all of a sudden they can't keep their hands off each other and love can't be far behind.

Word of Honor by Terri Blackstock: Attorney Jill Clark, taken hostage by a suspect in the bombing of a post office, begins to believe the man's claims that he did not commit the crime, but her attempts to prove his innocence are hindered by his misplaced sense of loyalty that keeps him from naming the real killer.

Double Minds by Terri Blackstock: Christian singer and songwriter Parker James begins to question her safety, the industry in which she works, and her future when she begins investigating the murder of a young woman and uncovers corruption as well as evidence that makes it clear she was the intended victim.

Into the Blue by Robert Goddard: Harry Barnett, caretaker of a villa belonging to British government official Alan Dysart, has finally found happiness after a lifetime of failure, but when his friend, Heather Mallender, vanishes without a trace, he embarks upon an investigation that leads to tragedy and redemption.

Summer of Roses by Luanne Rice: Lily Malone hopes to make a new life for herself and her nine-year-old daughter, Rose, where she befriends Marisa Taylor and her daughter Jessica and helps them cope with an uncertain future and a dangerous past.

Fault Line by Barry Eisler: Alex Treven has sacrificed everything to achieve making partner in his high-tech law firm. But then the inventor of a technology Alex is banking on is murdered, the patent examiner who reviewed the innovation dies--and Alex himself narrowly escapes an attack in his own home.

Without Warning by John Birmingham: As American troops lay ready to invade Iraq from Kuwait, a gargantuan serge of energy destroys the majority of the continental United States which leads to U.S. soldiers fighting without command and control.

Nonfiction
Equal Women Reshape American Law by Fred Strebeigh: Discusses the history of the advancement of equality rights for women, especially in the legal profession.

Artificial Intelligence by Blay Whitby: Readers encounter everything from the nanotechnology used to make insect-like robots, to the computers that perform surgery and, reminiscent of films like Terminator, computers that can learn by teaching themselves.

Day by Day by Christine Frisbee: When serious illness strikes a child, the blow hits all family members with horrifying ferocity. Often, while the adults are feeling from that devastating impact, the purity of the feelings and spirit of a young sibling can provide strength which sustains all.

Greening Your Home by Clayton Bennett: Greening Your Home provides helpful information that will help you select sustainable green options that match your specific needs for every system in your house.

Frontier Teachers by Chris Enss: Frontier Teachers tells the stories of a dozen courageous, intrepid women who faced down rooms full of children on the open prairies and in the mining towns of the Old West to bring them educational opportunities.

Black & Decker: The Complete Guide to a Green Home: The first home remodeling book to recognize both the broadening appeal of green practices and the fact that working within those guidelines can be done without extraordinary methods or premium prices.

The Birth of the New NFL by Larry Felser: The book examines the history on the field, as well as off the field between warring owners and cities.

Based on the Book

This week's Based on the Book feature is James and the Giant Peach by Ronald Dahl, which was made in to a movie by Disney in 1996. It is the story of a young man named James who lives with his two atrocious and verbally abusive aunts. With a bit of magic, James is swept away across the ocean on a giant peach accompanied by a cast of interesting insects.


Ronald Dahl has written numerous books for the young reader, most of which involve magic and zany characters, and include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches and The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant).

His books are wonderful reading for both the young, old and in between. We have James and the Giant Peach both in print and also on VHS.

Here is the original movie trailer:

Vacation Time!

I am taking a vacation from the Library, so I won't be posting any new comments to the blog until Monday, as I have the next five days off - yippee! No major plans, I am just going to hang around and do whatever I feel like :-)

See you next week!

Tiffany

Nonfiction Library Bestsellers

Library Journal's Bestseller list is compiled from data on books borrowed and requested (placed on hold) at public libraries throughout the United States. It includes statistics from urban, suburban and rural libraries. The entire list with ISBN and pricing can be found in the April 15, 2009 edition of Library Journal or on their website by clicking here.

(* = books in our collection)

*1. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell

*2. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin

*3. Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron and Brett Wittler

*4. Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama

*5. Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Groban

6. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey

*7. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the America Dream by Barack Obama

*8. Eat This Not That! Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds or More! by David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding

9. Against Medical Advice: A True Story by James Patterson and Hal Friedman

10. Multiple Blessings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets by Jon & Kate Gosselin

*11. Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How it Can Renew America by Thomas Friedman

12. The Yankee Years by Toe Torre and Tom Verducci

*13. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

*14. Flat Belly Diet by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass

*15. A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Boll O'Reilly

Library Bestsellers

Library Journal's Bestseller list is compiled from data on books borrowed and requested (placed on hold) at public libraries throughout the United States. It includes statistics from urban, suburban and rural libraries. The entire list with ISBN and pricing can be found in the April 15, 2009 edition of Library Journal or on their website by clicking here. We have all of the books listed available for checkout.

1. Run For Your Life by James Patterson
2. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
3. Cross Country by James Patterson
4. The Associate by John Grisham
5. Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
6. Mounting Fears by Stuart Woods
7. Divine Justice by David Baldacci
8. The Shack by William P. Young
9. The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
10. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
11. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Marie Ann Shaffer & Annie Burrows
12. Sail by James Patterson & Howard Roughan
13. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
14. Heart and Soul by Meave Binchey
15. The Appeal by John Grisham

Final We Shall Remain Program This Thursday!

Thursday, April 30th

7:00 pm in the Library Community Rooms

Jerome Kills Small, Professor of Language, Philosophy and Native American Thought at the University of South Dakota-Vermillion, will discuss Wounded Knee of 1890 as well as portray Dr. Charles Eastman, a Pine Ridge doctor and notable scholar of the early 20th century.

This will be the final installment on the We Shall Remain community programs, which compliment the PBS series. Click here to be taken to the
PBS We Shall Remain website.

Bookworm

Fiction
Night and Day by Robert B. Parker: Police chief Jesse Stone, dealing with a junior high school principal who conducted a surprise inspection of female students' underwear before a dance, investigates the crimes of a peeping Tom who breaks into the homes of his victims and forces them to strip at gunpoint.

Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child: When paleoecologist Evan Marshall and his small group of scientists discover a large, ancient animal encased in ice two hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, the media threatens to reveal the creature on television, despite warnings from Native Americans that a mythic killing machine maybe released.

Irish Tweed by Andrew M. Greeley: Nuala Anne McGrail, a problem-solver from Connemara, warns her loyal husband, Dermot Coyne, that some evil looms over their family, and when the Coynes' nanny's suitor is brutally attacked, old feuds and new-world politics are brought into focus.

The Jesus Chronicles: Luke's Story by Tim LaHaye: An apocalyptic novel that examines the life and ministry of Jesus through the life story of the Gospel writer, Luke.

Any Place I Hang My Hat by Susan Isaacs: Political reporter Amy Lincoln searches for the mother who abandoned her when she was just a baby, and along the way discovers the importance of family and just how much her mother's abandonment impacted her life.

Corsair by Clive Cussler: The 6th Oregon novel and adventure of a dilapidated ship with sophisticated equipment and a rakish, one-legged captain, Juan Cabrillo. Corsairs are pirates and come in many varieties. When the U. S. Secretary's plane crashes the Oregon is sent to search for it and the passengers. Then he must stop the terrorist who wants to change the summit plans.

Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke: Baker owner and part-time sleuth, Hannah Swensen, investigates the murder of beautiful fitness instructor, Ronni Ward, while trying to clear the name of her detective friend, Mike Kingston.

Nonfiction
The Everything Heatlth Guide to Migraines by Paula Ford-Martin: Information about symptoms, coping methods, medicinal and natural treatment options, identify the different types of migraines, myths and misconception, and more.

The Autism Answer Book by William Stillman: In a time when parents are overwhelmed with confusing, and often conflicting, information, The Autism Answer Book provides them clear and confident counsel by providing straightforward answers to their most pressing questions.

The Perfect Insult For Every Occasion by A.C. Kemp: Sometimes a well-spoken insult is the proper response -- use language and zingers to your advantage. Essential advice for gaining the upper hand at school, work, parties, reunions and defend yourself against know-it-alls, answer rude questions in an equally rude manner, deliver impeccable insults, master put-downs.

"Then Osborne Said to Rozier" The Best Nebraska Cornhusker Stories Ever Told by Steve Richardson: Chronicles more than four decades of the greatest Nebraska football stories as told by coaches, players and fans--from the growth of Memorial Stadium under Bob Devaney to the tumultuous tenure of Bill Callahan.

Famous Firearms of the Old West by Hal Herring: Follows the life stories of a pistols and rifles instrumental in shaping America's history, including the lives of the shooters themselves, which provides a natural history of individual guns and a vivid portrait of famous western characters, paired with the guns that helped make them famous or infamous.

The Golden Warrior: The Life and Legend of Lawrence Arabia by Lawrence James: A study of one of the twentieth century's most remarkable figures, T. E. Lawrence. He was involved in the Middle Eastern anti-imperialist movement and wrote about his experiences, and became an advisor to Winston Churchill.

A Soldier's Best Friend by John C. Burnam: An affecting testimonial to the bond between American soldiers in Vietnam and their canine helpers, veteran John C. Burnam’s account of his tenure as a scout dog handler patrolling the jungles of Vietnam with his German shepherd, Clipper, at his side.

Brown Bag Program This Friday!

Patricia Jones reviews

The Historians Wizard of Oz:

Reading L. Frank Baum's Classic

as a Political and Monetary Allegory

by Ranjit S. Dighe

Friday, May 1st at noon

in the Alliance Learning Center

Community Rooms
Join us for this free program sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Cookies and Coffee will be served. The library will be closed from noon until 1:00 to host the event.

Based on the Book

This week's based on the book feature is Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally, which was made into an Academy Award winning movie by Steven Spielburg in 1993. I am going to have to admit that I have never seen the movie. I was only 13 when it was released and it wasn't on the top of my "movies to watch" list, but now I think I might have to give it a try. We have the movie, the book and the audio book available for checkout.

"Schindler's List is a remarkable work of fiction based on the true story of German industrialist and war profiteer, Oskar Schindler, who, confronted with the horror of the extermination camps, gambled his life and fortune to rescue 1,300 Jews from the gas chambers.

Working with the actual testimony of Schindler's Jews, Thomas Keneally artfully depicts the courage and shrewdness of an unlikely savior, a man who is a flawed mixture of hedonism and decency and who, in the presence of unutterable evil, transcends the limits of his own humanity."

Click Here to watch an interview with Steven Spielberg on Schindler's List

The book synopsis was found at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Book Review Sunday

Library Director Dena Crews will review The Lance and the Shield: the life and times of Sitting Bull by Robert Utely

Sunday, April 26th

2:00pm at the Library

The program is part of a series of events we are hosting throughout the month of April to compliment the PBS series We Shall Remain, which chronicals Native American history from the arrival of the Mayflower to Wounded Knee. It airs on Mondays at 7:30pm.

A Stranger in Her Own City

I watched a short documentary film the other night called A Stranger in Her Own City directed by Khadija Al-Salami, which chronicles a day in the life of a Yemen girl who dares to defy her cultural norm by appearing in public without a veil or a male escort. I found a portion of the film on You Tube, and thought I would share. It is an amazing story. I had never really seen anything this up-close and personal concerning the Muslim Fundementalists before and found it quite educational.



The entire film is available for purchase at wholphindvd.com

Bookworm

Fiction on CD
True Detectives by Jonathon Kellerman: Detectives and brothers, Moses and Aaron, who have a turbulent family history that sets them at odds, are pulled into the same case when Caitlin Frostig disappears. Investigation of one of the suspects pulls them into the sinister, seamy side of the city.

The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer: Thea Sperelakisis a brilliant medical doctor and her father Petros is a celebrated internal medicine specialist. When Petros is injured and in a coma, Thea fights to keep him alive and discovered that the accident wasn't an accident. Petros sends her a message with his eyes.

Runner by Thomas Perry: Jane Whitefield comes out of retirement to help a young woman who is trying to escape an abusive relationship with her real estate mogul boyfriend who will do anything to get her and their unborn child back.

Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer: A novel inspired by the true story of George Mallory's dream of reaching the top of Mt. Everest. On his third attempt he was seen 600 feet from the top in 1924. But he died and his body was found in 1999. Questions still remain about whether he reached the top.

Angels of Destruction by Keith Donahue: When a nine-year-old girl arrives at the doorstep of Mrs. Margaret Quinn, a widow who has previously lost her daughter, the two enter into an agreement to pass the young orphan off as a newly discovered granddaughter, Norah Quinn, who gradually displays strange magical qualities.

Large Print Fiction
The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers by Lillian Jackson Braun: Polly Duncan is off to Paris, temporarily leaving Jim Qwilleran without his lady companion. Good thing there's lots to keep Jim busy. Like a mysterious death from a bee sting that leaves everyone but Koko the Siamese in a state of confusion.

Blaze by Richard Bachman: Abuse suffered at the hands of his father and in foster homes and orphanages has left Clay Blaisdell with reduced mental skills, making him the perfect partner to seasoned criminal George Rackley who has a plan to kidnap the infant heir to a huge fortune, and who continues to aid and abet Clay even after he is murdered.

Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg: Three sisters living in Chicago at the end of World War II struggle to cope with rations, metal drives, and the uncertainty of their futures as their boyfriends and fiancés fight overseas.

Pandroa's Daughter by Iris Johansen: Dr. Megan Blair, raised by relatives after the death of her mother, is forced to fight for her life when she is contacted by childhood acquaintance Neal Grady, now a government agent, who informs her that her mother, a psychic, was murdered by underworld kingpin Molino, and that the crime lord is now looking for Megan.

Cell by Stephen King: Maine artist Clayton Riddell, elated after closing the deal for his first comic book, comes down to Earth quickly when a brain-zapping energy burst--The Pulse--strikes, reducing cell phone users to zombie-like creatures, and leaving Clayton desperate to find a way home from Boston to see if his wife and son have survived.

The Woods by Harlan Coben: Prosecutor Paul Copeland is distracted from his high-profile case against some wealthy college students when his past intrudes with the discovery of the body of a middle-aged man who was one of four young campers presumed to have been murdered twenty years earlier--a crime that occurred while Copeland was neglecting his duties as a security guard to enjoy a tryst with his girlfriend.

The Collectors by David Baldacci: Members of the Camel Club have a mission to find out what is really happening behind the closed doors of America's leaders. Now they are trying to solve two murders and get a shot in the arm with a con artist in high-heeled boots.

I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark: Kay Lansing, daughter of the landscaper to the wealthy Carrington family, overhears an argument at the New Jersey estate as a child that proves crucial when as an adult she marries Peter Carrington, who is subsequently charged with murder.

Panning For Murder by Jessica Fletcher: Mystery author Jessica Fletcher's vacation cruise to Alaska becomes challenging when she becomes caught up looking for clues to the disappearance of a friend's sister, Wilimena, who set sail on an earlier voyage, making no secret of the fact that she was going to claim the treasure her aunt, a famous madam in Alaskan history, is reputed to have hoarded away during the gold rush.

Community Program Wednesday Night!

Tom Buecker from the Nebraska State Historical Society Museum at Fort Robinson will discuss the Cheyenne Outbreak of 1879

Wednesday, April 22

7:00 pm

Alliance Public Library

Community Room

The program is part of a series of events we are hosting throughout the month of April to compliment the PBS series We Shall Remain, which chronicals Native American history from the arrival of the Mayflower to Wounded Knee. It airs on Mondays at 7:30pm.

Tiffany's "To Read" List

I thought I would share another book from my "To Read" list with you. Working in a library, my list keeps getting longer and longer, and makes me feel like I don't read enough :-) although I did read The Road, which I posted about last week, and I absolutely loved it! It was probably one of the best books I have ever read (right up there with The Art of Racing in the Rain.) No wonder it won the Pulitzer. Be looking for a review in the next week or so, and I believe I will be giving a copy away, too. Yay!

So this week I have chosen The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I started to read the book last November, but I became distracted with the holidays and have yet to pick it back up. The book is another Pulitzer Prize winner, taking the cake for 2008. It also won the 2008 National Book Critics Circle Award. We have the book in our collection, and it can be found at FIC DIA.

Synopsis:
Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives with his old-world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the Fukœ-the curse that has haunted the Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim.

Click Here for an excerpt via The New Yorker

Open House & We Shall Remain Tomorrow

Don't forget that tomorrow we will have an Open House from 3:00 to 7:00 to celebrate National Library Week followed by a dicussion with Jim Henson, Historian in resident at the Museum of the Fur Trade, on the Crow Raid on Bordeaux Trading Post and the Battle of Crow Butte.

The dicussion is part of our April community programs taking place in conjunction with the PBS We Shall Remain series, which premiered on Monday, April 13. For more information on the series, click here.

The Bookworm

FICTION
We'll Always Have Paris by Ray Bradbury: A new collection of never-before-published stories, with prose that soars and sings.

While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky: Molly and Robin Snow are sisters who have been close, Molly receives the news that Robin has suffered a heart attack and has a grim prognosis. Their parents collapse and their brother withdraws, so Molly has to make the decisions and makes discoveries that destroy some of her beliefs about the sister she thought she knew.

Kill For Me by Karen Rose: Susannah Vartanian and Luke Papadopoulos investigate the brutal attacks of six teenage girls and find themselves pulled into the dark world of Internet chat rooms, where they uncover an intricate web of deception that could lead them to the killers, but only if they can find the killers before the killers find them.

The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich: Nine-year-old Omakayas and her family, members of the Ojibwa tribe, are forced to leave their island on Lake Superior in 1850 when white settlers move into the territory, and comes to realize that the things most important to her are her home and way of life.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates: Frank and April Wheeler become dissolutioned with their mediocre lives and decide to move to France in order to develop their true artistic sensibilities.

Fool by Christopher Moore: A twisted and insanely funny tale of a moronic monarch and his deceitful daughters, plots, subplots, betrayals, a ghost (there's always a ghost), as seen through the eyes of a man wearing a codpiece and bells on his head.

Run For Your Life by James Patterson: A killer who refers to himself as The Teacher stalks New York City, murdering powerful, arrogant people and drawing the attention of Detective Mike Bennett, who tackles the case while also caring for his ten children, who all have the flu virus simultaneously.

NON FICTION
Ethics Since 1900 by Mary Warnock: This book is an up to date a well-informed and discriminating account of the main ethical problems of the twentieth and 21st centuries.

Baseball's Best 1,000 by Derek Gentile: Ranks the top one thousand players from the history of baseball, with statistics, records, and brief biographical profiles for each player.

The Reading Answer Book by Karen Morris: Provides answers to more than two hundred questions about beading, covering different types of beads, findings, stringing, working with wire, off-loom beading, repairs, and other related topics.

The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women: New information on women's heart disease and practical suggestions for reducing your own personal risk of heart-related problems.

Just In Case: How to be Self-Sufficient When the Unexpected Comes by Kathy Harrison: Describes how to evaluate, organize, and prepare for a number of emergency situations, which includes power outages, fires, toxic hazards, terrorism, and other unexpected disasters.

Business Writing Clear and Simple: Includes the fundamentals of writing (composition, form, and style); basic grammar and punctuation; main components and formats of a business letter; sample business letters for every situation; essential writing references for all business situations. You can write quality business correspondence and create a strong impression.

Fly Now! By Joanne Gertstein London: A collection of illustrated aeronautical posters from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum that describes the history of air travel from the hot-air balloons of the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Based on the Book

This week's Based on the Book is a little late, as we are short staffed for the time being. I will try to post everyday, but if I don't, keep checking back. It won't be more than a day or two before I post, at which time I'll try to make up for the days I missed.

So, with that said, I have decided to feature Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, which will release on May 15th. It's written by the author of The DaVinci Code and is based on the same characters, though I don't think you have to read The DaVinci Code to follow the story.

Reel Native Videos

PBS has a number of videos posted on their website that we created by Native Americans across the country and deal with issues such as connecting with their Native roots and keeping traditions alive.

Click here and you will be able to browse and view the videos.

Upcoming We Shall Remain Program

To celebrate National Library Week, which is April 12-18, we are hosting a series of community programs throughout the month of April to compliment the PBS series We Shall Remain.

Thursday, April 17th from 3:00 to 7:00

The Alliance Public Library will host an open house followed by a

7:00 discussion with Jim Henson, historian in resident at the Museum of the Fur Trade, on Crow Raid at Bordeaux Trading Post and Crow Butte Battle

To Read: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

For a couple of months now, I have been wanting to read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It is a post-apocolyptic tragedy type of tale that follows a father and his son as they journey through the ashes of what use to be the United States. I actually have a copy of the book to give away here on the blog at some point, but first I think I will read it and then maybe write a review or something.

"His tale of survival and the miracle of goodness only adds to McCarthy's stature as a living master. It's gripping, frightening and, ultimately, beautiful. It might very well be the best book of the year, period."
— San Francisco Chronicle

Here is a video of Oprah interviewing Cormac McCarthy.


P.S. I think it is hilarious when she asks him if he is passionate about writing!

Bookworm

FICTION
Under the Radar by Fern Michaels: The seven friends and their mentor escape to their mountaintop hideaway. During the night they are wakened by an alarm bell and see Charles and Myra entering a helicopter leaving a short note behind.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett: Three extraordinary women, whose determination to start a movement of their own, forever changes a town, and the way women view one another.

The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer: Thea is a brilliant medical doctor and her father Petros is a celebrated internal medicine specialist. When Petros is injured and in a coma, Thea fights to keep him alive and discovered that the accident wasn't an accident. Petros sends her a message with his eyes.

What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: To salvage her floundering career after leaving her role on America's favorite sitcom and being left by her famous husband, Georgie York fakes a new marriage with her former costar Bramwell Shepard for the Hollywood paparazzi, but begins to question why Bram, whom she had considered an enemy, is being so supportive.

Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein: A young woman, a conservator of rare books and maps, has been assaulted but refuses to cooperate with authorities. Another woman with a rare book is murdered in the same apartment. This leads Alex Cooper to the strange and privileged world of the Hunt family, benefactors of the Library and rare book collectors. Who would kill for a rare book containing the world's oldest map?

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigani: Thirty-three-year-old Valentine Roncalli, faced with the seemingly impossible task of helping her family's shoe business rebound from financial ruin, travels to Tuscany in search of techniques and materials which will help her rebuild the company, and while she is there, she learns a secret and has life-changing experiences.

The Renegades by T. Jefferson Parker: Charlie Hood knows that there are still outlaws in the American West and prefers to cruise the highways at night and alone to find them. But he is assigned a partner named Terry Laws, a County veteran who everyone calls Mr. Wonderful. Laws is shot dead in the passenger seat and Hood is left find the gunman who didn't think Mr. Wonderful had lived up to his name.

Nonfiction
Classic Farmall Tractors by Kenneth Updike: From the first tractor built in 1924 to the last Farmall model to roll off the line, this richly illustrated history tells the full story of Farmall tractors and fills in a key chapter of American agricultural history.

Windpower by Christopher Gillis: "Windpower" is an examination of one of the many proposed solutions to energy in today's world.

Classic John Deere Two-Cylinder Tractors by John Dietz: The most popular tractors by the world’s favorite tractor manufacturer, these stalwarts of agriculture and industry get their due in this fascinating, fully detailed, extensively illustrated history.

The Naughty Secretary Club by Jennifer Perkins: 50 fun, secretary-themed jewelry projects, plus lots of quirky sidebars covering hot topics. Turn almost anything into a charm -- cake toppers, doll furniture, and hotel keys.

The Legend of Colton H. Bryant by Alexandra Fuller: Tells the story of the short life of Colton H. Bryant, a Wyoming roughneck who fell to his death from an oil rig in 2006.

War History of Uss Leutze by Walter J. Fillmore: The history of a naval ship which became a fighting ship later in the war; a story about the ship, the men, and the families that supported them.

The Way We Die by Leslie Ivan: Explains the medical processes involved in death and dying along with the many ethical, moral and legal dilemmas that confront doctors and the decisions that may have to be taken by relatives. Also explores the topics of euthanasia, assisted suicide, organ transplants, and more.

Based on the Book

This week's feature is House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. The movie was released in November of 2008 and is now available on DVD. I haven't read any of Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker's books, as I tend to read at night and scary stories make it hard for me to go to sleep, but these two author's seem to be the big thing in the supernatural thriller genre.

Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti--two of the most acclaimed writers of supernatural thrillers--have joined forces for the first time to craft a story unlike any you've ever read. Enter House--where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose...and the only way out is in.

The stakes of the game become clear when a tin can is tossed into the house with rules scrawled on it. Rules that only a madman--or worse--could have written. Rules that make no sense yet must be followed.

One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn.

synopsis taken from www.barnesandnoble.com

Storytime

Let's Celebrate Easter!

Help Stephanie and Tiffany celebrate easter with some hoppy stories!

Tuesday, April 7th at 6:30 pm and

Thursday, April 9th at 10:00 am.

Storytime is for all children ages 3 to 6. Please register your child at the front desk before attending.

National Library Week is just around the corner!

April Brown Bag

Join us tomorrow

for a Brown Bag Presentation with

Don Henderson reviewing

World War II: 4,139 Strange and Unusual Facts

12:00 Noon

in the Alliance Public Library Community Rooms

My "To Read" List

Working here in the library, my list of books I want to read just keeps getting longer and longer, so I figured I would start sharing a title from my list each week. If you would like to share a book from your own "to read" list, simply email the title and your name (optional) to me at luv2read15@yahoo.com and I will post it.

So, two of the books on my list are Son of a Witch and A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire. He wrote Wicked: the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which I absolutely loved and will probably read again someday. These two books continue his "Oz" stories. I am a fan of the Oz books by Frank L. Baum, and while I usually don't read spin offs, Wicked was so different and unique that it didn't bother me at all.

When a Witch dies-not as a crone, withered and incapable, but as a woman in her prime, at the height of her passion and prowess-too much is left unsaid. What might have happened had Elphaba lived? Of her campaigns in defense of the Animals, of her appetite for justice, of her talent for magic itself, what good might have come? If every death is a tragedy, the death of a woman in her prime keenly bereaves the whole world. Ten years after the publication of Wicked, bestselling novelist Gregory Maguire returns to the land of Oz to follow the story of Liir, the adolescent boy left hiding in the shadows of the castle when Dorothy did in the Witch.

A Lion Among Men complements the New York Times bestseller Son of a Witch in fleshing out the world of Oz, seen this time through the eyes of the Cowardly Lion-remembered from Wicked as a tiny cub defended by Elphaba. While civil war looms in Oz, an ancient and tetchy oracle named Yackle prepares for death. Before she can return to dust, however, the Cowardly Lion, an enigmatic figure named Brrr, arrives in search of information about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. As payment, Yackle, who hovered on the sidelines of Elphaba's life, demands some answers of her own.

The book synopsis' were found at www.barnesandnoble.com