Happy New Year!

In observance of the New Year, the library will close at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 31st.

We will reopen with normal hours on Saturday, January 2nd.

Have a Happy and Safe New Years!

Merry Christmas!

We will be closing today at 3:00 and will open again at with regular hours at 10:00 am on Saturday, December 26th.

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

Bookworm

This picture comes from my all time favorite Christmas book aptly titled Santa Claus, which I have been reading every Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. The library will be open up through Christmas Eve, so be sure to stop in and pick up a little something to read over the Holidays. Here is a quick list of some of the new books we have in our collection:

Fiction
Green by Ted Dekker
The Shroud by Harold Robbinson
The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan
Ford County Stories by John Grisham
Sunset by Karen Kingsbury
Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

Nonfiction
Game Plan for Life by John Wooden
Inside the Kingdom by John Lacey
Making Homemade Lampwork Beads and Glass Jewelry by Hava Ronat
Glass Beads by Louise Mehaffey
All the Wild Horses by Dayton Hyde
Beyond Basic Knitting
Staking Her Claim: Women Homesteading the West by Marcia Meredith Hensley

It's Christmas Cookie Time!

This weekend is sure to a flurry of baking and preparations for many people, myself included, so I thought I would post some links for various baking recipes. We also have a large collection of cookbooks available for checkout, so stop on in and find some new recipes to try this year. If you have a good recipe you would like to pass along, you can share by using the comment feature found at the bottom of the post.

Books in our collection:

Cookies For Kids (JUV 641.8 BET)

1001 Cookie Recipes (641.8 GIL)

The Allergy Cookie Jar (641.5 RUD)

Baking Artisan Bread (641.8 HIT)

Betty Crocker's Ultimate Cake Mix Cookbook (641.8 CRO)

The simple Art of Perfect Baking (641.8 BRA)

www.allrecipes.com: AllRecipes is a wonderful website for finding recipes, complete with user reviews and alterations. Here are a few:

Molasses Sugar Cookies http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Molasses-Sugar-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Gingerbread Men (Molasses Free) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Gingerbread-Men/Detail.aspx

Pebber Nodder (Danish Christmas Cookies) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pebber-Nodder-Danish-Christmas-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Cranberry Orange Loaf http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cranberry-Orange-Loaf/Detail.aspx

Cranberry Eggnog Scones http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cranberry-Eggnog-Cornbread-Scones/Detail.aspx

Bookworm

Take a cue from Santa and stop in and check out our new Christmas books!

Fiction
The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans: When James Kier read the newspaper he found his own obituary in the newspaper, he had no idea what the article was about to set in motion.

A Christmas Promise by Anne Perry: Gracie Phipps and Minnie Maude, having enlisted the help of shop owner Mr. Balthasar, search for Minnie's uncle Alf's donkey and cart, which disappeared after the man was murdered and is believed to hold a golden box, which Mr. Balthasar warns may contain evil.

Home for Christmas by Andrew M. Greeley: Captain Kane, having been a victim in a suicide bombing in Iraq and visited by God during a near-death experience, realizes he was meant to be with his childhood sweetheart and travels home to apologize to her for enlisting in the Army and not giving their love a chance.

Merry, Merry Ghost by Carolyn Hart: Bailey Ruth Raeburn, a spirit on assignment from Wiggins and Heaven's Department of Good Intentions, investigates the murder of a wealthy woman in Oklahoma, just before she was to sign her will over to a young boy, a move that shocked the rest of the family.

Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham: Melody Tarleton encounters a man clad in Revolutionary War clothing who claims he is a Patriot soldier sentenced to death by the British; but her friend Mark is skeptical.

A Creed Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller: Widowed rancher Lincoln Creed, advertising for a governess to his young daughter Gracie, takes in Juliana Mitchell, the displaced teacher at the local Indian school, as well as four of her students, and finds the heart he thought was closed forever opening again to love.

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern: Lou Suffern is inspired by the holiday spirit to help Gabe, a homeless man huddled outside his office, but Lou begins to question his good deed when Gabe starts meddling in his affairs, unaware the kind soul is trying to help Lou understand what truly matters and the precious gift of time.

A Christmas Blizzard by Garrison Keillor: A wealthy and depressed man on his way to Hawaii for the holidays winds up stranded by a blizzard in North Dakota after stopping to visit his ailing uncle, and as he bides his time in the darkened silence after a power outage, he realizes happiness may hinge on a simpler life.

A Blue & Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott: The ladies of Covington discover a cache of Civil War-era letters and diaries that inspire them to plan a very special Christmas surprise for two families changed by war.

A Wish for Christmas by Thomas Kincaide: David struggles to cope with changes along with the mental and physical traumas he brought home to Cape Light after serving in Iraq; and meanwhile, Lillian Warwick, an independent elderly woman, heals her own heart while caring for an old friend in need, Dr. Ezra Elliot.

Three Wise Cats: a Christmas Story by Harold M. Konstantelos: The old Siamese, Ptolemy, sends three young cats to journey in his place and follow the unusual star and fulfill the prophecy -- "the three finding the one". The fourth traveler is a rat, Asmodeus, who can hear of no glorious thing without wanting to spoil it. After many miles together they were where the star stopped over a humble stable.

A Quilter's Holiday by Jennifer Chiaverini: The Elm Creek Quilters come together the day after Thanksgiving to work on quilt blocks and projects that represent their thankfulness and gratitude and share stories of love, family, and friends.

Wishin' & Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb: Fifth Grader Felix Funicello experiences several memorable days prior to Christmas in Three Rivers, Connecticut in 1964.

Nonfiction
Simply handmade: 365 Easy Projects For Every Occasion: 365 projects and ideas to celebrate every major holiday and special occasion throughout the year. Projects ranked by level of difficulty, including: Good Ideas, Make in Minutes, and Step-by-Step.

Creative and Thoughtful Gift Giving: Easy Ideas for Making Gifts Special: Special yet simple ways to present gifts in style with suggestions for men, women, and kids, for all occasions, from simple bags to elegant packages to add the personal touch

Based on the Book

I remember the first time I was ever read The Polar Express. The school librarian read it to our class for Christmas and I fell in love with the wonderful illustrations as well as the story. I very badly wanted the Polar Express to show up at my house and take me to the North Pole.

The movie is just as visually stimulating, and both are available for checkout here at the library along with other Christmas classics for both children and adults. So stop on in and find something to help get you in the Christmas spirit.

Bookworm

Fiction
There Goes the Bride by M.C Beaton: Agatha Raisin becomes the prime suspect when she attends her ex-husband's wedding and the bride, Felicity Bross-Tilkinton, is shot just before the ceremony.

Southern Lights by Danielle Steel: Assistant District Attorney Alexa Hamilton reluctantly sends her seventeen-year-old daughter Savannah, to live with her ex-husband and his family in Charleston after she received death threats against Savannah's life for prosecuting serial killer Luke Quentin.

True Blue by David Baldacci: "Mace" Perry was a D.C. cop until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime. After two years in prison her goal is to win back her badge. In order to do that she must solve the crime she didn't commit.

The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell: Dr. Kay Scarpetta offers to give her services pro bono to New York City's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In no time at all, her increased visibility seems to precipitate a string of unexpected and unsettling events.

Abandoned by Cody McFadyen: The wedding of FBI Agent Smoky Barrett is interrupted when a women staggers down the aisle. She is incoherent, emaciated, head shaved, and wearing only a night gown. She has been missing for eight years and Barrett begins to fit together the pieces of a psychopath, who doesn't take murder personally and never makes a mistake.

Grave Secrets by Charlaine Harris: Sleuth Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver visit the two little girls they both think of as sisters. Memories of their horrible childhood resurface, their father is out of jail and looking for family and they discover what happened to their missing sister many years before.

Angel Time by Anne Rice: Contract killer Toby O'Dare encounters a seraph who offers him the chance to save lives instead of destroying them, taking him back in time to thirteenth-century England, where he begins a dangerous quest for salvation.

Nonfiction

How to Raise the Perfect Dog by Cesar Millan: Cesar Milan offers advice on raising dogs, discussing housebreaking, nutrition, vaccinations, obedience, exercise, and more.

Kinly's Celebrity Pet Files by Kinky Friedman: Collects more than forty stories in which Kinky Friedman discusses his celebrity friends and their pets, and includes photographs.

How to be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood by William J. Mann: Chronicles Elizabeth Taylor's career in Hollywood, describing how her larger-than-life personality was created, discussing her highly publicized marriages, exploring her lasting impact on the film industry, and revealing little known facts about her relationships, rivalries, and personal life.

Reinventing the Body, Ressurecting the Soul by Deepak Chopra: Describes how to enhance our awareness and transform our health more dynamically and powerfully than had once been thought possible.

Seldom Seen by Patrick Dobson: In May 1995 Patrick Dobson left his home and a steady job in Kansas City, Missouri, he made his way to Helena, Montana, letting chance encounters guide him to a deeper sense of whom he was and where he was going. His chronicle of this journey charts his experiences with the people of the small towns, the outposts, and the Great Plains that make up America.

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell: American Navy SEAL and team leader Marcus Luttrell tells his story of the loss of his teammates in July 2005 along the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border to al-Qaida insurgents.

Andy Rooney: 60 Years of Wisdom and Wit by Andrew A. Rooney: Brings together the best of Rooney's work in an unforgettable celebration of one of America's funniest men -- from his beginnings as a correspondent, to script writing, to "60 Minutes", he has made a career out of his unquenchable curiosity.

Finally Back with the November Trivia Winner!

Well, I am finally back in and posting - I was unexpectedly out of the office on Monday and was unable to post Tuesday. So without further ado, the November Trivia contest winner is . . .

Mark Dykes!

He has won a copy of Chuck Palahniuk's book Choke and a Subway coupon. The prize will be available for pickup tomorrow.

I won't be posting any trivia for the month of December, as I plan on focusing some more time and energy into our facebook page, which can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alliance-NE/Alliance-Public-Library/178291658476?v=wall so head on over and become a fan!

I will still be posting on the blog throughout the month, hopefully daily, so check back in frequently!

December Brown Bag Program

Jody Mischnick reviews

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

by Barbara Robinson

This Friday, December 4th

12:00 noon

in the Alliance Learning Center

Community Rooms
This free program is provided courtesy of The Friends of the Library. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.

Based on the Book

If you listen to NPR, you may have already heard about this week's based on the book. The film Precious by Lee Daniels has been creating quite a buzz. It is based on the book Push by author and poet Sapphire and is about an obese and illiterate black teenage girl who is pregnant for the second time with her father's child and is badly abused by her mother. Though the topic of the story is grim, the book is written in wonderfully crafted prose. I read the book a few years back, having picked it up in the poetry section of one of my favorite used books stores, A Novel Idea in Lincoln. I loved it so much, I gave it to a friend for Christmas.

Click here to read an article about Precious from The New York Times
Click here to read an article on Sapphire with an excerpt from the novel from NPR

And here's the trailer:

November Trivia Contest

Today is Mark Twain's Birthday. He would be 174 years old. Of course, we have numerous books by Mark Twain available for checkout.

Question #4

Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name of Mark Twain, had another name under which he wrote. What was his other pen name?

To participate, simply email your answer and name to tkeenan@cityofalliance.net and for each correct answer, your name will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

This is the last trivia contest of the month. You can still answer the other questions. Simply email your answers to me by midnight tonight. I will be on vacation through the rest of the week, so the winner will be announced next Monday. Good luck!

(Even though I will be gone, I have a number of posts lined up, so be sure to check back throughout the week!)

November Trivia Contest

Happy Thanksgiving from the Alliance Public Library Staff!

The Library will be closed Thursday and Friday.

Question #4

In what year did Thanksgiving become a national holiday?

To participate, simply email your answer and name to tkeenan@cityofalliance.net and for each correct answer, your name will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

Thanksgiving Time is Here!

The Alliance Public Library Thanksgiving Hours are as follows:

Wednesday: 8am to 6pm

Thursday & Friday: Closed

Saturday: 10am to 5pm

Sunday: 1pm to 4pm

Bookworm

Fiction

Jumper Cable by Piers Anthony: Arachnid Jumper assumes human form and relies on the help of a troupe of beautiful damsels in order to save the magical land of Xanath.

The Gates by John Connolly: Samuel Johnson and his dachshund Boswell decide to begin their trick-or-treating three days before Halloween, but when he arrives upon the Abernathy's house, Samuel discovers they have conjured up Satan and Samuel must use science, faith, and love to defeat the evil and save the world.

Tragic Magic by Laura Childs: Carmela, owner of a scrapbook shop, and her best friend, have a big project. Melody Mayfeldt is converting an old mansion into a haunted house for those who flock in for a creepy fix. She needs Carmela's crafty touch to make it come to life in time for the upcoming horror convention.

The Ghost King by R.A. Salvatore: Young Thuro turns to the mountain warrior Culain for help when he is chosen to travel to the land of the Mist and retrieve the Sword of Power that can defeat the armies of the ruthless Witch Queen.

Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn: Six days after a series of explosions devastated Washington, D.C., killing 185 people. It was an act of violence that called for extreme measures on the part of operative Mitch Rapp and his team member, Mike Nash.

The House of Reckoning by John Saul: Sarah Crane, coping with the untimely death of her mother, ends up in foster care after her alcoholic father is jailed for killing a man in a bar fight and injuring her in a car accident, and is befriended by a schizophrenic boy and an art teacher who help Sarah hone her psychic abilities.

Blood Game by Iris Johansen: When a senator's daughter is found murdered and her body drained of blood, Eve enters the world of a psychotic serial murderer -- and he might know something about her missing daughter, Bonnie.

Nonfiction

In the Words of Our Enemies by Jed Babbin: Years before September 11, our enemy warned us--and we weren't listening. We are being warned today--by enemies like Iran, North Korea, and radicals and terrorists across the globe--but we are still not listening.

Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan: A collection of short stories by Uwem Akpan that celebrate the resilience and wisdom of children in third world countries.

True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy: Edward M. Kennedy tells his personal story, discussing his legendary family, political career, cancer diagnosis, faith, and more.

American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood by Marc Eliot: Filled with remarkable insights into Eastwood's personal life and public work, American Rebel is highly entertaining and the most complete biography of one of Hollywood's truly respected and beloved stars–an actor who, despite being the Man with No Name, has left his indelible mark on the world of motion pictures.

The Love Revolution by Joyce Meyer: Joyce Meyer examines what would happen if everyone decided to refuse to live only for themselves, and instead, used their actions to display love.

Crude Oil: the Violent Twilight of Oil by Peter Maass: Provides an account of the often negative consequences of the world's addiction to oil for oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kuwait, Iraq, Ecuador, Afghanistan, and others.

Understanding and Preventing Suicide by Kristine Bertini: Discusses how suicidal tendencies and thought patterns develop, and how biology, environment, and culture predispose some people to see only one way out of their problems, with anecdotes that illustrate what to look for, explanations of treatment, and provides various support resources.

Based on the Book

When I went to see Where The Wild Things Are, I became overly excited when I saw a preview for Wes Anderson's new stop-motion animation film The Fantastic Mr. Fox, especaillay when I discovered it is based on a Roald Dahl book. I am a huge fan of stop-motion and Roald Dahl, and when I found the two have been melded into what looks to be a beautiful and meticulously made film, I nearly wet myself. Wes Anderson is the creator of the movies The Royal Tannenbaums (wonderful film) and A Life Aquatic. Dahl is one of my favorite juvenile authors, and I have never read a book by him that I did not like. We have the book here at the library, so be sure to stop by and check it out if you or your children plan on seeing the movie.

Here are a few videos I found concerning the film, including the theatrical trailer:

What Should I Read Next?

So you loved the Twiligt series, you've read them all, and you are excited to go see the movie this weekend. But what books do you read next? If you are looking for something similar to New Moon, here are a few, all of which are available for checkout. Click on the link to read a summary of the book at barnesandnoble.com:

If you want to read more books on vampires:

Blood and Gold (The Vampire Chronicles) by Anne Rice

Betrayed: a House of Night Novel by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast

Blood Noir by Laurel Hamilton

Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts

From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse Series/True Blood HBO Series inspiration) by Charlaine Harris

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

If you would like some good old fashioned romance, vampires or no vampires:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Wuthering Heights by EmilyBronte (Bella's favorite book)

Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather (good book!)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Far from the Maddening Crowd by Thomas Hardy

November Trivia Contest

Happy Birthday Margaret Atwood! Margaret Atwood is one of Canada's leading poets and novelists, winning many prizes for her numerous literary works. She is best known for her novels, which include Alias Grace, Cat's Eye and The Robber Bride. I am a big fan of her collections of short essays and stories, such as The Tent, which is available for checkout, along with her other works, at FIC ATW. Her novel Oryx & Crake is also on my to read list. If you have never read her work, I strongly encourage you to stop in and give her a try.

Question #3

Which book written by Margaret Atwood won the Booker Prize of Fiction?

To participate, simply email your answer and name to tkeenan@cityofalliance.net and for each
correct answer, your name will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

Fiction
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson: Hacker Lisbeth Salander assists Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist, with the investigation of Harriet Vanger's disappearance decades earlier, and the two uncover a dark world of secrets about a Swedish family as well as a surprising connection between themselves.

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon: Jamie Fraser and his wife Claire know that the Americans will win the Revolutionary War, but neither knows the cost of victory, or whether they will survive the dangers of war.

To Dream Anew by Tracie Peterson: A family moves in near the Diamond V ranch intend on forcing Dianne and Cole Selby off their land in order to establish a new empire in Montana.

A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve: British newlyweds Margaret and Patrick decide to spend a year living in Kenya, where photojournalist Margaret begins to realize how little she knows about her husband, but when the couple is invited on a climbing expedition to Mount Kenya, tragedy strikes and scars their marriage forever.

And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer: Arthur Dent, having survived a number of grueling ordeals, returns to Earth only to encounter a variety of unemployed gods, an irritating computer, a love struck green alien, and an enormous hunk of cheese.

Frost Bitten by Kelley Armstrong: Elena Michaels, the world's only female werewolf, investigates a series of brutal slayings in the Alaskan wilderness with her mate, Clayton Danvers, and when they stumble across a creature that resembles the legendary Wendigo, they each find themselves facing ghosts from their pasts.

The Phoenix Transformed by Mercedes Lackey: Harrier, a Knight-Mage, and Tiercel, a High Mage, continue to fight alongside desert tribe leader Shaiara against the evil power of Ahairan that was conjured by Bisochim, a Wildmage with whom the heroes join forces.

A Separate Country by Robert Hicks: After the Civil War, John Bell Hood, a general from the Confederate army who was responsible for the deaths of thousands, tries to begin life anew with his wife, Anna Marie, but an outbreak of yellow fever could destroy everything he has worked for.

Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates: In two related narratives Krista Diehl and Aaron Kruller describe their emotions and opinions about the murder of Aaron's mother, Zoe, each blaming the other person's father for the killing and eventually coming to terms with their obsession over the case and one another..

Rough Country by John Sandford: Virgil Flowers, an investigator with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, is pulled from a fishing tournament to take the case of a murder at a nearby resort for women only, and his queries reveal a second murder the year before, and the very real possibility of a third about to happen.

Blood's a Rover by James Ellroy: The unsolved heist of an armored car in Los Angeles in 1964 has far-reaching repercussions that ripple out to involve J. Edgar Hoover, Howard Hughes, the FBI, and the Mob.

13 ½ by Nevada Barr: Polly Deschamps, a literature professor with two daughters and her own home in New Orleans, meets architect Marshall Marchand, a bachelor who she soon marries before realizing that he may be connected to the "Butcher Boy" multiple homicide of 1971.

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber: Cassie's Christmas wish is for a husband and children and decides to hire a professional matchmaker to help her dreams come true, but Simon Dodson demands Cassie complete three tasks before he introduces her to her perfect mate.

Traitor's Gate by Kate Elliott: The Guardians who have not yet been corrupted by their malevolent peer’s place their hope in the eagle reeves and Captain Anji's militia, and when Joss is chosen to command the surviving reeves against the horde, a new and unforeseen threat emerges.

Based on the Book

Well, I guess it's a no brainer that I will be featuring New Moon on based on the book today, since the much anticipated Twilight sequel is hitting theatres this Friday. As I was cataloging the new magazines this morning, I found an article that chronicles the success of the Twilight Series and the making of the movies. It was interesting to discover that the first Twilight movie had a $37 million budget, which is relatively small. I think it was before the whole "Twilight Mania" had settled in, though, and I have a feeling that the budget for the sequel was quite a bit larger. So, stop on in and check out the book before hitting the theatre this weekend. If you've already read it, check the book out again to brush up on all the little details :-)

Click here to read Time Magazine's article It's Twilight in America

Here's a Time 10 Questions interview with Stehpanie Meyers



And here's the trailer:

The wonders of LibraryThing!

LibraryThing is a wonderful online resource that allows users to catalog and create a virtual library of your own collections. It also includes features such as "to read" and "currently reading" collections, which is a great way to keep track of the books you have read/want to read . You can recommend books, review books and connect with other readers through the LibraryThing online community.

Up to this point, I had been using the service http://www.bookmovement.com/ to keep track of the books I have read and want to read over the past year; however, the site is more bookclub oriented and doesn't quite have the organizational features that http://www.bookthing.com/ provides, so I am switching over. The service is free - all you have to do is sign up for an account, so give it go and let me know what you think.

My profile can be found here - though it is so new that I only have a few books cataloged. If you create an account and would like to share your library with others, simply email me the link and I will post it for all to enjoy.

Happy Cataloging!