Take Charge of Your Sleep!

Due to the hectic times of today, I know most of us try to pack as many things as we can into every minute of every day. Unfortunately, the more we do this, the less "brilliant sleep" we have and the more irritable we become. As a result, our world is full of exhausted, fatigued people. If this is you, don't despair, the author of Tired But Wired, Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan, has some great solutions for you! Dr. Ramlakhan is a sleep and energy coach, who works with corporate clients as well as being a sleep therapist at Capio Nightingale Hospital. She has created a "Sleep Toolkit" that can help you get the wonderful sleep you deserve. This book is filled with practical suggestions to help you sleep, such as limiting the amount of caffeine you have and not watching violent television shows before you get into bed. Dr. Ramlakhan believes that because of all of the technology that we use every day, we, as a nation, do not get enough relaxation (or non-stimulation) time during the day. This lack of relaxation during the day contributes to us not having restful, deep sleep during the night. This book is very accessible and the solutions Dr. Ramlakhan suggests can be easily performed by anyone. If you suffer from unsatisfactory sleep, you owe it to yourself to try out the ideas in this book.

Teach Your Kids the Joy of Slow Cooking

The library currently has several "Fix-It and Forget-It" Slow Cooker Cookbooks in its collection. Each one showcases a different type of meal such as entertaining, diabetic cooking, Christmas recipes or feasting with your slow cooker. I am very excited to be able to tell you about the latest entry in the slow cooker series, Fix-It and Forget-It Kids' Cookbook: 50 Recipes to Make in a Slow Cooker by Phyllis Pellman Good. The cookbook contains a series of recipes divided into the categories of breakfasts, lunches, snacks, dinner and dessert. There is a great beginning section introducing kids to the characteristics of slow cookers and encouraging parents to let their kids cook with them by giving tips on how they can help. There are tips on how to measure, how to follow a recipe, safety tips and descriptions of the equpment you'll need to create these fabulous recipes. I especially enjoyed the lip-smacking lasagna and gooey chocolate pudding cake recipes and plan on preparing them with some favorite children in my life! The recipes are straight-forward, easy to use and the print on the page is big enough for a child to to read comfortably. I encourage you to don your apron and use this book to help your kids have some fun cooking time with you. If you enjoy this cookbook, I suggest you try out some recipes in one or more of the other books in this series.

Hiss of Death

I always enjoy reading new installments in Rita Mae Brown's "Mrs. Murphy" mysteries and her latest, Hiss of Death is another great entry in the series! Hiss of Death solves a mystery as well as furthers the story of Mary Minor Harristeen (Harry) and her husband Fair, her pet cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, her corgi Tee Tucker and her horses Shortro and Tomahawk. Harry and her family live in Crozet, Virginia where she farms and enjoys life outdoors and with her friends. Animals are very important to Harry and her trusty sidekicks (Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker) are by her side every minute of the day. Harry has this uncanny knack of stumbling over dead bodies , and the murders she keeps finding in this book are all associated with Central Virginia Hospital. I admire Rita Mae Brown's tackling cancer in this book---Harry and her friends help host a 5K run to raise funds for breast cancer research and Harry has her own, deeply personal brush with breast cancer. This book is a wonderful cozy mystery with plenty of humor, exploration of the newest cancer treatments and lots of descriptions of beautiful Virginia landscapes. A great choice for fans of the series as well as any cozy mystery lover.

Food Wars: North vs. South

I read the most entertaining book yesterday, Somebody Stole the Cornbread from My Dressing by Elizabeth Gourlay Heiskell and Susanne Young Reed. This book is a very humorous look at the comparisons and differences between the northern and southern parts of the United States by comparing each regions take on foods, social events and etiquette issues. The book is a series of essays followed by recipes (i. e., weddings) and each essay is a delight to read! Elizabeth and Susanne grew up in Rosedale, MS where Elizabeth met Luke Heiskell, married him and settled in Cleveland, MS where they raise three girls and she is an instructor at the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, MS. Susanne (unfortunately) took a different route and after atteding Ole Miss and receiving her Ph. D. in Education, she fell in love with a Yankee named Charlie Reed, married him and moved to south-central Pennsylvania for his career and to raise their son Carter. This move gave Mrs. Reed a unique view on the differences between the North and South---she lives these differences everyday! My favorite story is about Susanne's first Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania, where she "saved up" her carbohydrate calories for her first taste of Thanksgiving dressing. She eyed the savory dish and closed her eyes for the first bite, but was stunned to find nothing but bread--where was the savory grittiness of the cornbread that she had been longing for? The story of the meal is hilarious and though Susanne has grudgingly come to appreciate bread dressing, her heart still belongs to the southern dressing she grew up loving. This is a cookbook as well as a story of southern culture, and something that should not be missed. If you like this book, try also reading Gayden Metcalfe's Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral and Jill Conner Browne's The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love.

Sookie Appears Again!

One of my favorite characters in the book world today has to be Sookie Stackhouse. I have been a fan of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series of books since before the HBO series "True Blood" began production. The latest book in this series is Dead Reckoning, and it stars, once again, all of Sookie's interesting boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, friends, family members and enemies. I adore all of the supernatural creatures that find their way into Sookie's world and how she takes it all in stride. Sookie is a telepath and a waitress at Merlotte's, a bar and restaurant owned by her shape-shifting friend Sam, located in a small town in Renard Parish, LA. In this installment of the series, Sookie has an enemy who keeps trying to kill her, and the Vampire King of Louisiana has a big bone to pick with Sookie's vampire husband, Eric Northman. A lot of action occurs in this book as well as some very interesting twists with Sookie and Eric, Eric's "second-in-command" vampire Pam, and Sookie's fairy cousins. You definitely have to have read the other books in the series before you read this one or you will be hopelessly lost with the novel's plot. A special treat is a surprise appearance by Bubba (Sookie fans will know exactly who he is :)) I truly enjoy reading about the food and atmosphere of Louisiana and the believable characters, supernatural or not that are in this book. Charlaine Harris is truly a talented author. Be sure to also check out Harris' Aurora Teagarten and Connerly siblings series.

Relax on a Supernatural Vacation

Summer is close at hand--although you can't really say that according to the cool weather we've been experiencing lately! I can think of no better way to celebrate the relaxation of summer time than by reading a vacation-themed book. Death's Excellent Vacation, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner, is a collection of thirteen short stories that center around the theme of vacation. The book is great entertainment for those folks who enjoy reading about tales of paranormal R & R. Trust me, there is a little bit of everything for everyone in these tales--from vampires, to werewolves and even leprechauns. I especially enjoyed being able to "taste" a little writing from some authors that I had heard of but never read. This collection is a great introduction to many current, popular supernatural writers such as Charlaine Harris, Toni L. P. Kelner, Jeff Abbott, Lilith Saintcrow and many more. The book is a quick read, so you'll have the chance to whet your appetite before delving into another, longer book by these authors.

Let Cheryl Burke Give You Dancing Lessons

I truly enjoyed reading Dancing Lessons: How I Found Passion and Potential On the Dance Floor and in Life by Cheryl Burke! I am a big fan of the television show, "Dancing with the Stars," and enjoy watching the celebrity as well as the professional dancers each week as they hit the ballroom floor and perform Latin and Classical ballroom dances. This book was written by Cheryl Burke, one of my favorite professional dancers, who has been with the show since Season Two. During that season, she won the coveted "mirror ball trophy" when her celebrity partner Drew Lachey (formerly a singer with 98 degrees) won the season. The book is very approachable and is arranged by the types of dance that mirror a specific time in her life. I always had the perception that Cheryl was this wonderfully talented, confident dance, but this book shows how she overcame numerous insecurities (she used to be shy :) ) to have a successful dance career and win the mirror ball trophy twice, so far. My favorite part of the book was learning about all of the struggles that Cheryl's mom went through (as a divorced single mom) to start and maintain her own business and how Cheryl overcame some really harsh personal incidences to become the star she is today. The book ends with a section on each of her celebrity partners and a discussion of the lessons she learned from each of them. This is a truly inspiring read, if you are a fan of the show or not. It is a great story of finding your dream and living life to the fullest. I think this would be a great book to give to a teen who is entering college and embarking on her own quest to find herself.

Find "The Way Back"

Every now and then I view a movie that makes a big impact on me. The movie that I have recently checked out from the library and really enjoyed is called The Way Back. Inspired by real events, the movie details the struggle of seven prisoners who attempt the impossible---escape from a brutal Siberian gulag in 1940. They begin a treacherous 4,500-mile trek to freedom across some of the world's most merciless landscapes (Siberia, Mongolia, the Himalayas) in their desperate attempt to beat the odds and live. The prisoners have very little food and water and barely trust each other, and their trek is further complicated when a teenage runaway asks to travel with them. This movie is a gripping wilderness adventure as well as a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. This is an incredible story that you will not soon forget. The movie stars Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Saqirse Ronan and Colin Farrell and is directed by six-time Oscar-nominee Peter Weir.

New YA Books Added to the Collection--Part 2

This is the second blog (of two) that examines new books that have been recently added to the library's YA collection. If you missed last week's blog, check the archives for the May 4, 2011 entry.

The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks opens with Tobias Richard Vandevelde waking up in the hospital with no memory of the night before. His terrified mother tells him that he was found unconscious at Featherdale Wildlife Park in a dingo pen. He figures his two rambunctious best friends are responsible until he discovers that they're just as freaked out as he is. Then the mysterious Reuben turns up, claiming that Toby has a rare and dangerous "condition." Next thing he knows, Toby finds himself involved with a strange bunch of sickly insomniacs who seem convinced that he needs their help. It's not until he's kidnapped and imprisoned that he starts to believe them.

Virals by Kathy Reichs introduces 14 year old Tory Brennan. She is the niece of the world-famous forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. She moves to the middle of nowhere Morris Island, South Carolina to live with a marine biologist dad she's never known. Tory does the best she can to adjust to her new life. There she meets a group of local kids who are just as "Sci-Phile" as she is--science geeks who have grown up experiencing the backswoods marshlands of nearby Loggerhead Island. But there's something strange going on at the Loggerhead Research Institute...maybe even something deadly. After rescuing a stray wolfdog pup from a top-secret lab, Tory and her friends are exposed to a rare strain of canine parvovirus, changing them--and their DNA--forever. Now, with newly heightened senses and canine-quick reflexes, they'll have to solve a cold-case murder that's suddenly become very hot.

Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Jusine Larbalestier is an anthology of 12 stories. Though each tale has its own flavor, the dialogue between the co-editors draws them together, creating the feel of one long, continuous story. With Black defending the unicorn side of the debate and Larbalestier advocating voraciously for zombies, each team has six powerful stories to sway readers into joining one side or another.

After by Amy Efaw is Devon's story. Before it all, Devon was a good student, a good athlete, an all-around good girl, but then IT happened--the thing that was so horrible, so shameful, so impossible to imagine that Devon simply chose not to admit it to anyone, even herself. But denial can't make a thing go away, and now Devon's in a juvenile detention center, facing a possible life sentence for her actions. Does she deserve that punishment? Did she know what she was doing? Or was her denial so deep that she was unable to register the seemingly unavoidable changes happening to her?

These are just a few of the wonderful YA books available for check-out---browse the shelves and see what else the library has to offer!

New YA Books Added to the Collection--Part 1

Recently Jennifer has been working on beefing up our YA collection. The YA collection sits on white shelving to the right of the elevator (if you are in front of the elevator) and contains books suitable for high school through college age. Some amazing-sounding titles have passed through my hands and I wanted to share a few.

You by Charles Benoit finds fifteen-year old Kyle Chase covered in blood with no memory of what happened and time is running out.

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins has Sophie Mercer discovering that she is not a witch, like she thought, but a demon and one of only two in the world. She also learns that she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. She decides to got to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers for good--or kill her. But once she arrives she makes a shocking discovery--someone is raising demons in secret, with plans to use their powers, and probably not for good.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is the story of Finn and Claudia. Finn cannot remember his childhood or life before Incarceron--a prison that has been sealed for centuries, where inmates live in cells, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. No one has ever escaped, but then he finds a crystal key and a girl named Claudia. Claudia's father is the Warden of Incarceron and Claudia is about to become a kind of prisoner herself, doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost far more than they know because Incarceron is alive.

Stayed tuned for next week's blog where we examine four more new YA books!!!