Movie, Anyone?

This is a bit of a departure from our usual subjects, but I just watched a really wonderful movie (for the second time) and thought I’d share it with you! It’s become one of my favorite films and it’s a perfect movie to cozy up with your friends, family and/or pets and watch. Produced in 2007, Lars and the Real Girl is a funny, tender, comedy with entertaining moments and intelligent characters. The movie ultimately explores a feeling that all of us can relate to—loneliness--and the healing power of family. Ryan Gosling stars as Lars, a sweet but unusual guy, who thinks he’s found the girl of his dreams in a life-sized doll named Bianca. The most touching part of this film is the way Lars’ family, friends and co-workers treat Bianca as if she is truly a member of their community. The gentleness with which the citizens of this town take care of Lars truly makes you believe in the magic of people. Watching this movie, especially during the holiday season, always makes me appreciate the members of my community just a little bit more. Some of the scenes are hilarious, especially when Lars and Bianca are invited to dinner parties together. This movie is truly a great “gift” to share with others.

Sew a Cute Christmas Gift

I just discovered one of the cutest books on sewing for this holiday season! One of our staff members left the following book, Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle, published by David & Charles, on my desk with a note stating "Thought you might like to look at this." She was right, I absolutely loved it. The book contains 35 projects, ranging from easy to complicated, that can be used to decorate your home in a sweet Christmas style. The book begins with a section on techniques, and then devides the rest of the projects by the type of room (Entrance Hall, Living Room, Adult Bedroom, Girl's Room, etc.) and even includes a "Chistmas Outdoors" section. I especially enjoyed the projects for the hats (pg. 21) and angels (pg. 32). Most of the projects may be sewed by hand, which is desirable for a person like me who enjoys bringing sewing projects everywhere I visit! Although the book was originally published in England, I think the projects described are ones that have appeal for American citizens too. Do you have any favorite craft books for the holiday season? Share your thoughts with our readers, by commenting on this post.

Have a Spy Over for Christmas!

The library’s Mystery Book Club recently held a “Murder Under the Mistletoe” Meeting, where members read mysteries set during Christmas and other Winter holidays. I really enjoy reading Christmas mysteries that are part of a series, but are a departure (of sorts) from an author’s usual fare. One of the best Christmas mysteries that I have read so far this year, is The Spy Who Came for Christmas by David Morrell. Morrell is a thriller author, and this title stars international spy Paul Kagan who is willing to risk his life to rescue a baby kidnapped by the Russian mob. Plot action takes place on Christmas Eve, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during the beautiful, internationally known, annual Christmas lights celebration. Undercover agent Paul Kagan is an appealing hero –when the story opens he is wounded and on the run while sheltering a five-week-old infant under his jacket. The baby is the son of Palestinian Ahmed Hassan, who preaches peace in the Middle East, and is the target of the Russian mob because they wish to silence anyone who threatens their ability to make money from violence in the Middle East. This book is very engaging because Morrell has created the story as a contemporary version of the story of Jesus’ birth, and made it into a spy thriller. There is redemption at the end of the book and even Kagan has an epiphany which changes his life. The book is divided into four parts instead of chapters, and is relatively short. The action is intense and it is as much a “feel-good” Christmas story as it is a thriller. If you like this book, also try reading 24 Hours by Greg Iles. The action is this book takes place during a 24 hour time period, with each chapter taking place over one hour. Greg Iles is a native of Mississippi, who currently lives in Natchez. The story’s action begins in Madison, MS and involves the story of a psychopathic kidnapper who has never been caught and whose victims have never talked to the police. Doctor Will Jennings and his wife Karen race against time to rescue their son and bring the kidnapper to justice. Both 24 Hours and The Spy Who Came for Christmas have the same edgy action that compels you to stay up all night to finish the story!

RITA Romance Awards

The RITA awards are given for the best in published romance fiction. They are given out by the Romance Writer’s of America and named after that organization’s first president, Rita Clay Estrada. In 2008 out of the 12 categories, we own books in seven categories.

Best First Book
“Dead Girls are Easy” by Terri Garey
Nicki Styx has a brush with the afterlife and it leaves her with the ability to see dead people. Now her days consist of cleaning up the messes lefty by the dearly departed, leading ghouls into the Light, and trying to keep her boyfriend from finding out her new “talent.”

Historical Romance

“Lessons of Desire” by Madeline Hunter
This is the latest in the Rothwell series. Phaedra Blair sits in prison unjustly arrested. Lord Elliot Rothwell ensures her release but she must promise not to publish a manuscript that could destroy his family name and he’s not above bribery, threats, or bedding her to get his way.

Inspirational Romance

“A Touch of Grace” by Linda Goodnight
Journalist Gretchen Barker grieves for her sister, whose body was found near Ian Carpenter’s New Orleans mission. She mourned her problems and the family trouble that started them, but he minister’s professions of help make her suspicious.

Paranormal Romance

“Lover Revealed” by J.R. Ward
Ex-cop Butch is the only human allowed into the Black Dagger Brotherhood. However, Butch is no mere human, a fact suspected by his vampire colleague and confirmed by the sinister plans of a fringe group. With the help of Marissa, a vampire, Butch’s destiny comes to light.

Regency Historical Romance

“The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever” by Julia Quinn
Miranda Cheever fell in love with the aristocratic Nigel Bevelstoke when she was 10 and he was 19. Now 20, she is still in love with him but her play for him is thwarted by the indiscretions of his late wife. Nigel is unwilling to risk another chance at love, even if it means hurting his close friend Miranda.






Romantic Suspense

“Ice Blue” by Anne Stuart

Museum curator Summer Hawthorne considered the exquisite ice-blue ceramic bowl given to her by her Japanese nanny a treasure of sentimental value—until somebody tried to kill her for it. International operative Takashi O’Brien has received his directive—take the bowl at any costs.

Young Adult Romance
“Wicked Lovely” by Melissa Marr

Set in a small city south of Pittsburg, Aislinn and her grandmother have followed strict rules all their lives to hide their ability to see faeries because faeries don’t like it and they can be very cruel. Only the strongest faeries can withstand iron, so Aislinn prefers the city with its steel girders and bridges. But now Aislin is being stalked by two of the faeries who are able to take on human form and are not deterred by steel. What do they want from her?

Success

One Sunday morning on the CBS early show, my husband and I watched an interview with Malcolm Gladwell. He is the one who coined the term tipping point and his book by that title and well as “Blink” were both best sellers.
His new book is “Outliers: the Story of Success.” It is built around the premise of wondering why some people succeed more than others. Gladwell argues that true success is more than intelligence and ambition and if we want to understand how some people thrive, we should spend more time looking around them—at such things as their family, their birthplace, or even their birth date. The story of success is more complex—and a lot more interesting--than it initially appears.
“Outliers” explains what the Beatles and Bill Gates have in common, the extraordinary success of Asians at math, the hidden advantages of star athletes, and the reason you’ve never heard of the world’s smartest man—all in terms of generation, family, culture, and class. It matters what year you were born if you want to be a Silicon Valley billionaire, Gladwell, argues and it matters where you were born if you want to be a successful pilot. The lives of outliers—those people whose achievements fall outside normal experience—follow a peculiar unexpected logic, and in making that logic plain Gladwell presents a fascinating and provocative blueprint for making the most of human potential.

Southern Fried Christmas Stories

I often discover the best books while walking past our library’s holding shelves. Since they are located next to our staff work room, I peruse these shelves several times every day. Whether it is a cleverly-worded title or a splashy cover, the little gems that I find are always worth my time. Yesterday, a colorful Christmas book caught my eye. I was first attracted by the lovely illustration on the cover, but when I was close enough to read the title, I knew that I had to share this book with someone else! Titled The Official Guide to Christmas in the South Or, If You Can’t Fry It, Spraypaint It Gold and written by David C. Barnette, this book is a charming, hilarious guide to decorating your home for Christmas in the Southern style. The book teaches the reader how to avoid holiday pitfalls as well as how to navigate the “sometimes unspoken details of Southern etiquette.” Chapters such as “Christmas China and Therapy” and “The Divinity Code” offer tips on how to arrange your house for the holidays and create the perfect food for your large assortment of visitors during the holiday season. Although tongue-in-cheek, the book does offer some practical advice, such as which items you can safely “gild” (translation-spraypaint gold) and give as gifts as well as which presents you can safely “re-gift” and who you can give them to. Another humorous Christmas style guide is Ruby Ann Boxcar’s Move Over Santa—Ruby’s Doin’ Christmas! Ruby is a resident of the High Chaparral Trailer Park, whose book details how to prepare your trailer, inside and out, for the holiday season. The book is arranged by the days of Christmas (one through twelve) and includes recipes, crafts, and other facts about Christmas (did you know that in 1836 Alabama became the first state to declare Christmas a legal holiday?). If you are feeling overwhelmed by this holiday season, be sure and check-out these books yourself, for some laughter and great holiday stress-relief. I promise you won’t be disappointed!!

Get Hooked by an Angel

I am a big fan of police procedurals and I have just finished reading a really great one! Angel’s Tip is the latest mystery thriller from Alafair Burke, and it truly is a fast and exciting read. The book is set in New York and features Ellie Hatcher, a tough, “newly promoted” NYPD detective who has been working in the homicide division of the Thirteenth precinct for exactly one week. The book’s action is centered around the murder of Chelsea Hart, a college student from Indiana who was spending her spring break with her two best friends, in New York City. A bit wild and carefree, Chelsea convinced her friends to leave her at a nightclub on the last night of their trip, so that that she could dance and have fun “a little bit longer.” But, the best night of Chelsea’s life turned sour when her murdered body was discovered the next day in East River Park. The plot is complicated and the action moves quickly in this book. Not only do readers’ get to hear Ellie’s point of view, but also they are pushed into the mind of the killer during several parts of the book. The best part of Alafair Burke’s novel is her heroine, Ellie Hatcher. Ellie’s father was a policeman and she has followed in his footsteps in her own career choice. Ellie lives in a world of men, and being attractive and blond has hindered her ability to be taken seriously by her fellow detectives. In this book, Ellie receives a new partner, J. J. Rogan, who as an African American has had to face his own battles within the force. Ellie and J. J.’s developing partnership and uphill battle to learn the “lay of the land” within the NYPD add an extra layer of tension to this already exciting story. Dead Connection is the first novel written by Alafair Burke, that stars Ellie Hatcher. Burke has also written three books in a series with Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid that are set in Portland, OR; the first book in the Samantha Kincaid series is Judgement Calls. If you like Angel’s Tip, try also reading The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen, the first book in Gerritsen’s series starring Detective Jane Rizzolo. The story involves a creepy cerebral serial killer, a charismatic female doctor and a tough female detective set amidst the history and bustle of Boston, MA.

Visit "The Shack!"

I am usually not fond of reading books on the bestseller list, especially when the book is a “14-day” check-out because so many people want to read it! I don’t enjoy being stressed out and forced to read a book quickly, as I prefer to read at my own pace. However, I just finished reading The Shack by William P. Young, a book that has been on the bestseller list for several weeks. The book is a work of fiction, but the story is so compelling, I kept asking myself as I read it, “What if this book is based on a true story?” The story revolves around MacKensie (Mac) who has a wonderful family and a nice life, until a terrible tragedy occurs and causes him to lose his faith in God and become burdened by The Great Sadness. Mac then gets the chance to have a conversation with God and what he learns is startling, amazing, and wonderful. The God that Mac meets is different from his version that he grew up with and how Mac is changed by him makes the book a good read. The story is vivid and a bit challenging to read – I suggest reading it in small doses, so you can spend time thinking about the story.

For other books that deal with people and their relationships with God try also reading Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsche, in which he chronicles his extraordinary experience of conversing with God through the process of "auto-writing."

STEAMBOATS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

I attended a tribute ceremony to the Delta Queen Steamboat and learned interesting historical facts. Steamboats have played important roles in history. Hopefully those remaining will be in operation for future generations to enjoy. Our library has many books on steamboats, such as
Live Steam by Jon Kral, a photojournalist who gives a behind the scenes look at what it’s like to live and work aboard steamboats.

Monday, November 3, 2008 at 4:00P.M.

Tribute to the Delta Queen

Along the Vicksburg riverfront and from the bow of the American Queen a tribute was made to the departing steamboat, Delta Queen. The Captain John Dugger presented a plaque to
Mayor Laurence Leyens. Mayor Leyens spoke of the importance of keeping the stern-wheel steamboats on the River and proclaimed November 3rd as “Delta Queen Day” for Vicksburg. The American Queen Quartet played and the "Delta Queen Waltz" was performed. The history of the Delta Queen was given as being built in 1927 with a cost of less than a million dollars. She began overnight trips between Sacramento and San Francisco for the next thirteen years going through the Depression. From 1940 to 1946, the Delta Queen served in the U.S. Navy. She was painted overall gun barrel gray. In 1946 she was put up for auction and bought by Tom Green from Cincinnati, Ohio for $46, 250.00 The Green Family renovated the Delta Queen in 1947. Cruises began in 1948 on the Ohio River and have continued for the past sixty years. In 1966 a law was enacted for ocean going vessels having wooden superstructure, stating that they couldn’t carry more than fifty passengers overnight. The Delta Queen has been exempted nine times from this law allowing her to have passenger cruises. Recently the exemption wasn’t given to the Delta Queen and expired on November 1st. The public is being encouraged to contact representatives to ask Congress to allow the exemption. For more information see the website at http://www.deltaqueenhistory.com/

Vote for Your Favorite Adult and Children’s Book!

In acknowledgement of the election season, the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library asked patrons to nominate their favorite adult and children’s books during the month of October. Nominations were accepted through October 31, in cooperation with an exhibit case display of famous people and their favorite books. The nominations in both the Adult and Children’s categories were wide-ranging and covered both Non-Fiction and Fiction titles. When the nominations were tallied, the top five books with the most nominations were:

Adult Books
1) The Bible
2) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3) The Time-Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
4) My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
5) The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Children’s Books
1) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
2) Eragon by Christopher Paolini
3) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
4) The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss.
5) Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

Now, it’s your time to vote! Please visit the library and fill out a ballot, and place it in the “star-covered” paper box located on the top of the exhibit case on the second floor of the library. The case is located to your right when you walk into the library. You may vote for ONE favorite book in both the adult and children’s categories. Votes may be cast until November 21, 2008. The results of the vote will be published in the newsletter as well as on a poster inside the library. If you can’t visit the library, you may e-mail your vote to me, at jensmith@warren.lib.ms.us Don’t miss out on your chance to voice your opinion!