New Editions of Classic Literature

Jack London's two most famous and beloved tales of survival in Alaska were inspired by his experiences in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. In The Call of the Wild, Buck is a pampered pet in California who is stolen and forced to become a sled dog in the Alaskan wilderness. There, he suffers both the brutality of nature as well as the savage treatment by a series of masters causing him to heed his long-buried instincts and turn his back on civilisation. White Fang is a reverse journey of sorts. White Fang is adopted by a group of Native Alaskans, but when the dogs of the village reject him, he is traded to a man who stages merciless fights with other dogs, wolves, and even lynxes. This life makes him violent, defensive, and dangerous, but a benevolent gold miner sets out to earn his trust and show him the meaning of love and family.

Lolita was first published by the Olympia Press, Paris on September 15, 1955. It quickly became Vladimir Nabokov's most famous and controversial novel. Humbert Humbert is feeling his age when he meets the nymphet Dolores Haze. He quickly falls into an obsessive, devouring, and, eventually, doomed passion for her. Many believe this work is a meditation on love as outrage and hallucination, madness and transformation. Does the story live up to its controversial past or is it tame by today's standards?

The mid twentieth century saw the rise of a counterculture icon by the name of Jack Kerouac. On the Road was a landmark work of fiction when it was published in 1957. His restless, questioning characters mimicked the changes in society at the time. The ardent relationship between writer Sal Paradise and his outrageous,vexing, and incomparable friend Dean Moriarty is one of the great friendships in American literature. Included with this classic work are four other autobiographical works about his life on the road--The Dharma Bums, The Subterraneans, Tristessa, and Lonesome Traveler--as well as a selection from his journals that illustrates his unique and dazzling career.

Only Four AARP Tax Assistance Sessions Remain!

AARP will be here in our Meeting Room for four more sessions to assist senior citizens and low-income taxpayers with their tax preparation for the 2017 tax year 

These are the final four Wednesdays :

March 21—March 28

April 4—April 11

On each of the scheduled days, the doors will open to begin tax assistance at 9 am. First come, first served.  The volunteers will only be able to assist 10 individuals per day - no appointments.  AARP membership is not required for this assistance.

Documents and Helpful Information that you will need to provide:

· A copy of your 2016 Income Tax Return

· All income documents for 2017 (W2 - 1099 - Retirement - Pensions - Social Security - Unemployment - etc) . 

· 2017 Mortgage statement showing interest and property taxes paid

· All 2017 Tax Receipts from Tax Collector's Office (Home, Land & Tags)

· All Social Security Cards (Taxpayers & Dependents)

· Driver's License or other valid picture ID

Women in the Spotlight--Fiction

In Miss Jane--a novel by Brad Watson--Miss Jane Chisolm is born into a rural area of early twentieth-century Mississippi. She is born with a genital birth defect that will surely exclude her from the roles traditional for a woman of her time and place; however, it frees her to live her life on her own terms. Unlike others with similar afflictions, Miss Jane isn’t melancholy or bitter about her situation. She is affable with an exuberance and generosity of spirit that is contagious and eternal.

When We Were Worthy is a novel by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. The small town of Worthy, Georgia is just like most southern towns on a fall night—full of young people and football. On this night, however, the sound of sirens pierce the cool night air just a few hours after the Wildcats scored a winning touchdown. Two cars collided and three cheerleaders are dead. The only survivor is a boy in the other car and he is believed to be at fault, so naturally, rumors, allegations, and secrets begin to churn in this close-knit community. At the center are four women: Marglyn, a grieving mother; Darcy, whose son was behind the wheel; Ava, a substitute teacher with a time-bomb of a secret; and Leah, a cheerleader who should have been in the car with her friends, but wasn’t. When the truth is finally let loose, it will either bring redemption or destruction.

John Banville continues the saga of one of Henry James's characters in his novel Mrs. Osmond. Isabel Archer is the young protagonist in James's novel The Portrait of a Lady who was brought to Europe in the late nineteenth century by an aunt who thought that the trip would round out the girl's eager, yet naive view of the world. Isabel comes into a large, unexpected fortune and is lured into a marriage with the charming, penniless--and as she later learns--cruel and lying Gilbert Osmond. As married life grows more intolerable each day, Isabel defiantly takes a solo trip to England where she is confronted with the opportunity to free herself from the loveless union she is bound to, however, she inexplicably chooses to return to her husband in Italy. Mrs. Osmond picks up where James's novel ends and furthers Isabel's journey with an intensity and dark humor that would make the author proud.

Enchantress of Numbers is a novelization of the life of Ada Lovelace by Jennifer Chiaverini. The only legitimate child of the brilliant and infamous Lord Byron, Ada was destined for greatness from birth. Her mathematician mother is determined to save her child from the destructive and passionate behavior that seems to be the Byron legacy. Ada's education is a rigorous one founded in mathematics and the sciences. Fairytales and anything that sparks the imagination have long been banned from the nursery--or so her mother thinks. Ada is introduced into London society as a highly eligible young heiress and she soon discovers the intellectual and social circles she has longed for. An exciting new friendship with the brilliant, charming, and occasionally grouchy inventor Charles Babbage and his invention, the Difference Engine will most certainly define her destiny.

March is Women's History Month

This month, we saluted the women - both past and present - who have helped to form history.  Follow our page on Facebook as we present a selection of quotes from famous women over the years.

Is there a quote that you find particularly inspiring or witty?  Let us know on Facebook this month.

More African-American Non-Fiction to Enjoy!

In A Moonless, Starless Sky Alexis Okeowo weaves together four narratives that form a powerful tapestry of modern Africa: a young couple, kidnap victims of Joseph Kony's LRA; a Mauritanian waging a lonely campaign against modern-day slavery; a women's basketball team flourishing amid war-torn Somalia; and a vigilante who takes up arms against the extremist group Boko Haram. This debut book by one of America's most acclaimed young journalists illuminates the inner lives of ordinary people doing the extraordinary--lives that are too often hidden, underreported, or ignored by the rest of the world.

Goddess of Anarchy by Jacqueline Jones recounts the formidable life of the militant writer, orator, and agitator Lucy Parsons. Born to an enslaved woman in Virginia in 1851 and raised in Texas-where she met her husband, the Haymarket "martyr" Albert Parsons-Lucy was a fearless advocate of First Amendment rights, a champion of the working classes, and one of the most prominent figures of African descent of her era. And yet, her life was riddled with contradictions-she advocated violence without apology, concocted a Hispanic-Indian identity for herself, and ignored the plight of African Americans. Drawing on a wealth of new sources, the author presents not only the exceptional life of the famous American-born anarchist but also an authoritative account of her times-from slavery through the Great Depression.

For Bound to the Fire, Kelley Fanto Deetz draws upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records, and folklore to present a nuanced study of the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation and beyond. She reveals how these men and women were literally -bound to the fire- as they lived and worked in the sweltering and often fetid conditions of plantation house kitchens. These highly skilled cooks drew upon skills and ingredients brought with them from their African homelands to create complex, labor-intensive dishes such as oyster stew, gumbo, and fried fish. However, their white owners overwhelmingly received the credit for their creations. Focusing on enslaved cooks at Virginia plantations including Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and George Washington's Mount Vernon, Deetz restores these forgotten figures to their rightful place in American and Southern history. Bound to the Fire not only uncovers their rich and complex stories and illuminates their role in plantation culture, but it celebrates their living legacy with the recipes that they created and passed down to future generations.

February Book Fun!

We're in the final few days of 'Blind Date with a Book' and we hope you've given at least one of our eligible book a try.  Don't forget to turn in your 'Rate the Date' slips before the deadline.

In addition, we also have a monthly reading challenges.  February's challenge goes with our Blind Date theme - read any book with a Valentine theme.  Some examples that we have in our collection :

• Be My Texas Valentine by Jodi Thomas
• Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
• Death of a Valentine by M. C. Beaton
• A Valentine Wedding by Jane Feather
• The Valentine's Day Murder by Lee Harris
• Valentine Princess by Meg Cabot (YA)

We hope that everyone that has participated had a great time checking out new authors.  Maybe some of them will even become new favorites.

Love is in the Air

Barking Up the Wrong Tree is a Bluff Point Romance by Jenn McKinlay. Carly DeCusati has returned to Bluff Point, Maine licking her wounds after her life fell apart. She is determined to get things back on track. She starts by trying to find a home for an elderly golden retriever and an excessively chatty parrot she inherited just as things were crumbling around her. Hunky one-night stand, James Sinclair agrees to help her if she will just give him the time of day. He doesn't care that she doesn't do relationships, he is determined to win Carly's heart, but will James's secrets tear them apart before they get their happily-ever-after?

Right Where We Belong is a Silver Springs Novel by Brenda Novak. With her husband arrested for attacking three women, Savanna Gray is in desperate need of a change. She takes her two kids and high-tails it to Silver Springs as soon as the divorce is settled. The old farmhouse her late father was going to renovate looks like a good place to get back on track and take charge of something. Gavin Turner is the one person who can understand Savanna's struggle to start over. Gavin was abandoned when he was five and it wasn't until he found his way to the New Horizons Boys Ranch as a teen that her finally began to heal. In spite of her attraction to Gavin, Savanna is reluctant to let him close; after all, her ex had a similar sad backstory and look how that turned out.

Tomorrow the Glory is a Graham Novel by Heather Graham. Kendall Moore is a high spirited southern belle, but a cruel marriage-bed betrayal forces this proud and beautiful woman to risk her life for freedom. Brent McClain is a Confederate agent who meets Kendall aboard the warship Jenni-Lyn and loses his heart in a single night of passion. When war and treason tear them apart--Brent into a raging battle and Kendall in her determined flight from a vengeful husband--these two lovers can only hold onto the promise of tomorrow and the love that will burn eternally in their hearts.


Other Romances for Your Consideration:

AARP Tax Assistance is Here!

AARP will be here in our Meeting Room to assist senior citizens and low-income         taxpayers with their tax preparation for the 2017 tax year on the following 

Wednesdays :

February 7—February 14—February 21—February 28

March 7—March 14—March 21—March 28

April 4—April 11

On each of the scheduled days, the doors will open to begin tax assistance at 9 am. First come, first served.  The volunteers will only be able to assist 10 individuals per day - no appointments.  AARP membership is not required for this assistance.

Documents and Helpful Information that you will need to provide:

· A copy of your 2016 Income Tax Return

· All income documents for 2017 (W2 - 1099 - Retirement - Pensions - Social Security - Unemployment - etc) . 

· 2017 Mortgage statement showing interest and property taxes paid

· All 2017 Tax Receipts from Tax Collector's Office (Home, Land & Tags)

· All Social Security Cards (Taxpayers & Dependents)

· Driver's License or other valid picture ID

Historical and Contemporary African-American Biographies

Keep Your Airspeed Up: The Story of a Tuskegee Airman is the memoir of an African American man--Harold H. Brown--who, through dedication to his goals and vision, overcame the despair of racial segregation to great heights, not only as a military aviator, but also as an educator and as an American citizen. This memoir is told from the actual beginning: not on the first day of combat, not on the first day of training, but at the very moment Brown realized he was meant to be a pilot. He revisits his childhood in Minneapolis where his fascination with planes pushed him to save up enough of his own money to take flying lessons. Brown also details his first trip to the South, where he was met with a level of segregation he had never before experienced and had never imagined possible. This moving memoir of one of the original 930 Tuskegee pilots is sure to inspire all who read it.

Superstar comedian and Hollywood box office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons begins in North Philadelphia. Hart was born an accident, unwanted by his parents. His father was a drug addict who was in and out of jail. His brother was a crack dealer and petty thief. And his mother was overwhelmingly strict, beating him with belts, frying pans, and his own toys. The odds were most certainly stacked against him, but with hard work, determination, and a whole lot of humor, Hart managed to become one of the most recognizable comedians today (his films have, together, earned a total of $3.5 billion). “Not only do you get to choose how you interpret each chapter, but your interpretation writes the next chapter,” he says. “So why not choose the interpretation that serves your life the best?”

Queen of Bebop: The Musical Lives of Sarah Vaughan is written by Elaine M. Hayes. Sarah Vaughan, a pivotal figure in the formation of bebop, influenced a broad array of singers who followed in her wake. Drawing from a wealth of sources as well as on exclusive interviews with Vaughan’s friends and former colleagues, Queen of Bebop unravels the many myths and misunderstandings that have surrounded Vaughan while offering insights into this notoriously private woman, her creative process, and, ultimately, her genius. Hayes deftly traces the influence that Vaughan’s singing had on the perception and appreciation of vocalists—not to mention women—in jazz. She reveals how, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Vaughan helped desegregate American airwaves, opening doors for future African-American artists seeking mainstream success, while also setting the stage for the civil rights activism of the 1960s and 1970s. She follows Vaughan from her hometown of Newark, New Jersey, and her first performances at the Apollo, to the Waldorf Astoria and on to the world stage, breathing life into a thrilling time in American music nearly lost to us today.

We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories is by Gabrielle Union. In this moving collection of thought provoking essays, actress Gabrielle Union efuses her unique wisdom and deep humor, using her fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic, and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support.

Ali: a Life is by Jonathan Eig. Muhammad Ali was one of the twentieth century’s most fantastic figures and arguably the most famous man on the planet. But until now, he has never been the subject of a complete, unauthorized biography. Jonathan Eig, hailed by Ken Burns as one of America’s master storytellers, radically reshapes our understanding of the complicated man who was Ali. Eig had access to all the key people in Ali’s life, including his three surviving wives and his managers. He conducted more than 500 interviews and uncovered thousands of pages of previously unreleased FBI and Justice Department files, as well dozens of hours of newly discovered audiotaped interviews from the 1960s. Collectively, they tell Ali’s story like never before—the story of a man who was flawed and uncertain and brave beyond belief.

Blind Date with a Book!

Join us for our second year of Blind Date with a Book!  Just choose one of the wrapped books from the selection on our Valentines table, check it it, take it home and enjoy!

Patrons are asked to fill pit a Rate the Date slip and return it to the Circulation Desk.  These slips will go into a drawing at the end of the program for prizes!

Don't miss out on the fun - take a chance on a book!