Library Corner…

Now that the weather is turning cooler there’s nothing like old-fashioned baked
goods. “250 Best Cobblers, Custards, Cupcakes, Bread Puddings & More” by Esther Brody will
take you back to your childhood with treats that your mother or grandmother probably
made. The recipes are easy to follow and you can almost smell the aroma from the color
photographs! The change in seasons often brings families and friends together around the coziness of a fireplace. John Lewman’s “Fireplace and Mantel Ideas” will help you design and install your own creation. You can update from a kit, or design your own. Revised standards and specs and lists of manufacturers and suppliers make this book a must-read for handy-persons everywhere. Why are some children in a family more successful than others? “The Pecking Order” by Dalton Conley addresses this question in depth in an interesting and informative manner. His evidence is backed by thousands of family studies. Numerous anecdotes and stories make his facts spring to life. Diane Stanley’s “Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation” is an engaging children’s book (K-5) to share with your youngsters. It has time travel, humor, and lots of fascinating details. Holly Berry’s charming illustrations and word balloons add a new twist to the familiar story. New York City’s “Waterfront” is an ever-changing phenomenon. Author Phillip Lopate takes the reader on a walking tour around Manhattan and points out developments and historical facts. His fascinating commentary is a wonderful city guide. Now that we’ve said goodbye to daylight savings time, darkness will be falling earlier, and your children will be forced to spend more time indoors. What could be cozier on a crisp autumn evening than snuggling together with your youngster’s and sharing a favorite story? Reading doesn’t always have to be at bedtime. It may be time to start some new traditions! If you’re wondering about the value or history of an older clock in your home, check out Robert W. & Harriett Swedberg’s “Encyclopedia of Antique American Clocks.” This is a wonderful resource for identifying and learning about that special timepiece. More than
900 color photographs make for easy identification. Do you want to spruce up your home’s decor? Do you have any talent for stitchery? Let “Hand Knits For the Home” by
Caroline Birkett introduce you to some stylish projects to make your home cozy and comfortable this winter. Concise instructions for each stitch and easy to follow instructions will help you master more than 20 projects. Outdoorsman Aron Ralston lived through 6 horrifying days trapped in a Utah canyon. He knew his death was imminent since no one knew of his whereabouts. His unimaginable method of survival “Between A Rock and A Hard Place” is an adventure story that will live on for generations to come. “Seaport: New York’s Vanished Waterfront” recalls the city’s maritime operations that flourished from the late 1880s the early 1930s. Photos taken during this period (Edwin Levick collection) reflect life on and around the docks. Phillip Lopate’s descriptive commentary captures the essence of what was once the busiest port in the world. If you’re “technically challenged” and you refuse to give up your 35 mm camera, don’t despair. Pamela R. Lessing’s “The First Week With My New Digital Camera” will walk you through the basics. With this book in hand it’s really not all that difficult. Her illustrations are very helpful and cartoons by David Shenton will add some levity to your learning experience. From Leslie and the Children’s Room: “Evangeline Mudd and the Golden Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle” by David Elliott and illustrated by Andrea Wesson. Young
Evangeline Mudd wasn’t raised like other girls. Her parents are primatologists and they raised
her in the tradition of the golden haired apes. This works out well for the family and they are pleased with themselves until one day…. And we’re off on an adventure with the perky and intelligent heroine Evangeline to rescue her parents from Rexi who wants to turn an ape habitat into a mall. The illustrations complement the text, as they are a lot of fun. The whole book is a lot of fun; it is a real page-turner for the junior (as in 8-13 year olds) set. “Dr. Clock-sicle” by Martha Weston and illustrated by Martha Weston is an ER, an easy reader, with a story that is likely to interest boys as well as girls. In this humorous little book Dr. Clock-sicle travels to the ice age to find a saber-toothed tiger. He is the hapless scientist, and for some reason, his capable sidekick is his baby, who is never given a name and whom he ignores. Yet the breezy text and pictures make this an enjoyable book, and a fun introduction to science.

Alessandra’s Book Bites: “Copies in Seconds: Chester Carlson and the Birth of the Xerox
Machine” is David Owen’s fascinating biography of the shy, humble inventor of xerography.
Growing up in unspeakable poverty, Carlson discovered “the most successful product ever

marketed in America” during the Great Depression. In “Valverde’s Gold: In Search
of the Last Great Inca Treasure,“ Mark Honigsbaun chronicles his attempts to unravel the riddle that has inspired treasure hunts for centuries. During the time of Pizarro and the
conquistadors, Inca generals amassed the greatest treasure in history to pay the ransom for their king, Atahualpa, held hostage by Pizarro. The Spanish murdered the Inca king and the Inca’s hid the ransom in the Llanganati Mountains of eastern Ecuador. The treasure has never been found. “Hitler’s Piano Player: The Rise and Fall of Ernst Hanfstaengl, Confidant of Hitler, Ally of FDR” is Peter Conradi‘s incredible story of the only person to have worked directly for both Hitler and Franklin Roosevelt. A must read for WWII history buffs. Sylvia Jorrin’s “Sylvia’s Farm: The Journal of an Improbable Shepherd” is the true story of the author’s journey from growing up fearing animals to a sheep farmer. “Ace of Spies: The True Story of Sidney Reilly” by Andrew Cook is the intriguing biography of the spy who inspired Ian Fleming’s 007. Like Bond, Reilly drove fast luxury cars, enjoyed fine living, had numerous affairs and is one of the most fascinating spies of the twentieth century, while remaining one of the most enigmatic. Do you need help finding the career of your dreams? If the answer is yes, then Colleen A. Sabatino’s “The Play of Your Life: Your Program Finding the Career of Your Dreams – And a Step-by-Step Guide to Making It a Reality” should definitely be on your reading list.

Librarian’s Pick of the Week: “Deception” by Denise Mina. Lachlan Harriot believed he has the perfect marriage until his psychologist wife is charged with and convicted of two murders related to her work. Lachie and his wife Susan went to medical school, but only his wife went on to have a career in the medical field. Now they have a small child, a non-English-speaking nannie, and separate lives, as Lachie becomes more concerned with raising his daughter and taking care of household chores. As the story goes on, the reader gets a picture of an unusual man who forged through med school, but gave up medicine willingly in order to have a peaceful home. Susan has a time-consuming job as a court-appointed psychologist who most recently worked closely with Andrew Gow, a serial killer who has gotten married while in prison and then paroled when other murders using the same M.O. as his have taken place, casting doubt on his guilt. Susan (Susie), in the last year, has come home from work exhausted every night and retired to her upstairs office, not speaking much and leaving Lachie to take care of house and daughter. Abruptly Lachie’s blissful world is rocked when Gow
and his new wife are murdered and Susie is sent to prison. Lachie, facing the loss of the woman he considered his ideal mate, is determined to get her a second trial and begins to spend all of his time upstairs in Susie’s office, reading her files and poking around on her computer. What he finds there shocks him and changes his idyllic life forever. There’s no way to put this book down – it will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned. Also new and recommended: “Requiem for a Summer Cottage” by Barbara Lockhart; “Unfit for Command” by John E. O’Neill; “The Dark Tower VII” by Stephen King; “Melancholy Baby” by Robert B. Parker; “Northern Lights” by Nora Roberts; “A Gentleman’s Game” by Greg Rucka;
“The System of the World” by Neal Stephenson; “Dark of the Moon” by Tess Pendergrass; “The Double” by Jose Saramango; “The Midsummer Rose” by Kate Sedley; “Untimely Graves” by Marjorie Eccles; “Best-Kept Secrets” by Sandra Grown; “The Hazards of Sleeping Alone” by
Elise Jiske; “Hour Game” by David Balducci; “The Murder Artist” by John Case; “Love in the Asylum” by Lisa Carey; and “To Dream of Snow” by Rosalind Laker. New in non-fiction: “The First Week with My New Imac” by Pamela Lessing; “In the Shadow of No Towers” by Art Spiegelman; “The Story of the World’s Most Popular Superstition” by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer; “Smoke on the Water” by DaveThompson; “Mysteries of History” by Robert Stewart (YA); “The Complete Guide to High-End Audio by Robert Harley; “Movie Star Homes” by Judy Artunian; and “Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer” by Jenna Glatzer.

Alessandra’s Web Bites: 2004-05 Flu Vaccine Shortage at
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccineshortage.htm includes information about
who should get the vaccine, questions and answers about the shortage and flu
prevention techniques, and interim recommendations for influenza vaccination.
Find a Flu Shot at http://www.findaflushot.com/lungusa allows you to search by
ZIP code for flu shot clinics provided by drug store and supermarket chains.
Check out Ghosts of the White House at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ghosts/ for
"stories of strange noises in the White House. Homemade Halloween Costumes at
http://www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/halloween/costumes.htm offers ideas for easy
and inexpensive costumes, including some for wheelchair users. The Moonlit Road
at http://www.themoonlitroad.com/ provides ghost stories and strange folktales
of the American South, told by the region's most celebrated storytellers.
Pumpkins and More at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/ answers many
questions about this large squash. Learn about the many varieties, including
nutritional value, facts and history, growing tips, and more.
A tour of local gardens is being planned for Spring 2005 by a group of
volunteers headed by Sue Yeager. Sue requests that you email her at
yeagersue@yahoo.com if you would like to volunteer to help plan the tour, be a
tour guide, have a specific garden that you would like to see on the tour, or
want to offer your own wonderful garden as a stop on the tour. This will be the
first garden tour offered by the Library, and with Sue at the helm, promises to
be exciting, informational and a wonderful treat for the senses.