How About Some Murder With Your Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras Murder is by Ellen Byron. Southern charm meets the dark mystery of the bayou as a hundred-year flood, a malicious murder, and a most unusual Mardi Gras converge at the Crozat Plantation B&B. It’s Mardi Gras season on the bayou, which means parades, pageantry, and gumbo galore. But when a flood upends life in the tiny town of Pelican, Louisiana—and deposits a body of a stranger behind the Crozat Plantation B&B—the celebration takes a decidedly dark turn. The citizens of Pelican are ready to, “Laissez les bon temps rouler”—but there’s beaucoup bad blood on hand this Mardi Gras. Maggie Crozat is determined to give the stranger a name and find out why he was murdered. The post-flood recovery has delayed the opening of a controversial exhibit about the little-known Louisiana Orphan Train. And when a judge for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant is shot, Maggie’s convinced the murder is connected to the body on the bayou. Does someone covet the pageant queen crown enough to kill for it? Could the deaths be related to the Orphan Train, which delivered its last charges to Louisiana in 1929? The leads are thin on this Fat Tuesday—and until the killer is unmasked, no one in Pelican is safe.

An exploding Mardi Gras float has got to be the strangest murder weapon scrappy sleuth Carmela Bertrand has ever encountered in Glitter Bomb: a Scrapbooking Mystery from the bestselling author Laura Childs. It's Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand is excited to be attending the Pluvius parade along with her best friend, Ava. Carmela's ex-husband, Shamus, rides by the duo on his float at the head of the parade, when suddenly the revelry turns to disaster. Shamus's float crashes and explodes, and although Shamus escapes unhurt, a member of his krewe is killed. Carmela and Ava plunge into an investigation of the krewe member's death, but as they dig deeper, it starts to look less like an accident and more like a murder...and Shamus seems less like a victim and more like a suspect.

In No Mardi Gras for the Dead by D.J. Donaldson, Kit Franklyn, lately drowning in personal doubts about her life and career, has to put those concerns aside after finding a corpse buried in the garden of her new home. Together with her boss, the loveable and unconventional chief medical examiner Andy Broussard, she sets out to solve this case that’s growing colder by the minute. Though they identify the body as a missing hooker, now dead for twenty-seven years, all hope of finding the killer seems lost—until the unorthodox duo link the body and two recent murders to a group of local, wealthy physicians.

With The Devil’s Muse, the acclaimed crime writer Bill Loehfelm conjures rowdy New Orleans in all its mess and marvel, and sends Maureen deep into the city on another wild, high-octane adventure. It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans and rookie cop Maureen Coughlin has no idea what she’s in for. Her night working the parades begins calmly enough—until a half-naked man careens through the crowd and throws himself onto the hood of an oncoming SUV. As she tries to deal with the incident amid the pulsing chaos of the parade, Maureen hears gunshots. Moments later, with three wounded and a handful of drunken witnesses, Maureen has a full-fledged investigation on her hands. Who was the shooter? Who was he after? Who’s the next target? City bigwigs begin pressuring Maureen and her crew for quick answers. And with an amateur camera crew intent on capturing “the real Mardi Gras” for their YouTube channel, an incompetent supervising detective, and tense race relations in a city more likely to mistrust cops than ever, it’s going to be a very long night—and a memorable first Mardi Gras—for Maureen.

In the Mood for Mardi Gras?

 

With this colorful study, Reid Mitchell takes us to Mardi Gras--to a yearly ritual that sweeps the richly multicultural city of New Orleans into a frenzy of parades, pageantry, dance, drunkenness, music, sexual display, and social and political bombast. In All on a Mardi Gras Day Reid Mitchell tells us some of the most intriguing stories of Carnival since 1804. Woven into his narrative are observations of the meaning and messages of Mardi Gras--themes of unity, exclusion, and elitism course through these tales as they do through the Crescent City. Moving through the decades, Mitchell describes the city's diverse cultures coming together to compete in Carnival performances. We observe powerful social clubs, or krewes, designing their elaborate parade displays and extravagant parties; Creoles and Americans in conflict over whose dances belong in the ballroom; enslaved Africans and African Americans preserving a sense of their heritage in processions and dances; white supremacists battling Reconstruction; working-class blacks creating the flamboyant Krewe of Zulu; the birth and reign of jazz; the gay community holding lavish balls; and of course tourists purchasing an authentic experience according to the dictates of our commercial culture. Interracial friction, nativism, Jim Crow separatism, the hippie movement--Mitchell illuminates the expression of these and other American themes in events ranging from the 1901 formation of the anti-prohibitionist Carrie Nation Club to the controversial 1991 ordinance desegregating Carnival parade krewes. Through the conflicts, Mitchell asserts, "I see in Mardi Gras much what I hear in a really good jazz band: a model for the just society, the joyous community, the heavenly city...A model for community where individual expression is the basis for social harmony and where continuity is the basis for creativity." All on a Mardi Gras Day journeys into a world where hope persists for a rare balance between diversity and unity.

One of America's greatest restaurants, Brennan's in New Orleans is known worldwide as a home of fine cuisine. "Breakfast at Brennan's" is a longstanding tradition among sophisticated visitors to the city. This collection of the Brennan family's distinctive Creole recipes was first issued in 1961 and has remained a favorite ever since. Author and columnist Hermann B. Deutsch recounts the fascinating story of the Brennan clan, telling how a family of poor Irish immigrants rose to become the premier restaurateurs in New Orleans. Numerous photographs and drawings illustrate the history of the family and their restaurant. The more than 150 recipes in the book include such time-honored Brennan's favorites as Bananas Foster, Trout Amandine, Pompano en Papillote, and Eggs Benedict. With more than 155,000 copies in print, Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook is a classic compendium of superb food from one of the nation's finest restaurants.

New Orleans is a restaurant city and it's long been that way. Food, cooking and restaurants reflect the spirit of New Orleans, her people and their many cultures and cuisines. Restaurants are our spiritual salve, our meeting place to connect, converse, consume, and of course, plan the next meal. Culinary traditions here are firm, though there is a dynamic food/dining evolution taking place in what we have come to call the new New Orleans. Today's restaurant recipe includes a lot of love, a taste of tradition, and the flavor of something new. New Orleans continues to be a most delicious city, from its finest white tablecloth restaurants to homey mom and pop cafes and chic new eateries––and there's a place at the table waiting for you. With recipes for the home cook from over 50 of the city's most celebrated restaurants and showcasing 100 beautiful full-color photos, New Orleans Chef's Table is the ultimate gift and keepsake cookbook.

Fabulous New Orleans by Lyle Saxon evokes a city steeped in the traditions and idiosyncrasies of three cultures--French, Spanish, and American. Known widely as one of Louisiana's great writers, Lyle Saxon documented many of the quirks and mysteries of New Orleans. His narratives include a vivid picture of Mardi Gras as seen through the eyes of a young boy, a brief history of the city, and accounts of strange and remarkable events, including the great Mississippi flood of 1927, the year of the great plague, and a voodoo cult ceremony. By any standards, New Orleans is a unique city, and Saxon depicts it unadorned, with all its flaws and glories.

Celebrate Black History Month!

African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song is by Kevin Young, editor. Across a turbulent history, Black poets created a rich and multifaceted tradition that has been both a reckoning with American realities and an imaginative response to them. One of the great American art forms, African American poetry encompasses many kinds of verse: formal, experimental, vernacular, lyric, and protest. The anthology opens with moving testaments to the power of poetry as a means of self-assertion, as enslaved people voice their passionate resistance to slavery. This volume captures the power and beauty of this diverse tradition and its challenge to American poetry and culture. The volume also features biographies of each poet and notes that illuminate cultural references and allusions to historical events. --(adapted from jacket.)

And Still I Rise: Black America Since MLK is by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Kevin M. Burke. The companion book to Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s PBS series, And Still I Rise--a timeline and chronicle of the past fifty years of black history in the U.S. in more than 350 photos" -- "Beginning with the assassination of Malcolm X in February 1965, And Still I Rise: From Black Power to the White House explores the last half-century of the African American experience. More than fifty years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the birth of Black Power, the United States has both a Black president and Black CEOs running Fortune 500 companies-- and a large Black underclass beset by persistent poverty, inadequate education, and an epidemic of incarceration. Harvard professor and scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. raises disturbing and vital questions about this dichotomy. How did the African American community end up encompassing such profound contradictions? And what will "the Black community" mean tomorrow? Gates takes readers through the major historical events and untold stories of the sixty years that have irrevocably shaped both the African American experience and the nation as a whole, from the explosive social and political changes of the 1960s, into the 1970s and 1980s-- eras characterized by both prosperity and neglect-- through the turn of the century to today, taking measure of such racial flashpoints as the Tawana Brawley case, O.J. Simpson's murder trial, the murders of Amadou Diallo and Trayvon Martin, and debates around the NYPD's "stop and frisk" policies. Even as it surveys the political and social evolution of black America, And Still I Rise is also a celebration of the accomplishments of black artists, musicians, writers, comedians, and thinkers who have helped to define American popular culture and to change our world. 

George Washington Carver: A Life is by Christine Vella. Nearly every American can cite at least one of the accomplishments of George Washington Carver. The many tributes honoring his contributions to scientific advancement and black history include a national monument bearing his name, a U.S.-minted coin featuring his likeness, and induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Born into slavery, Carver earned a master's degree at Iowa State Agricultural College and went on to become that university's first black faculty member. A keen painter who chose agricultural studies over art, he focused the majority of his research on peanuts and sweet potatoes. His scientific breakthroughs with the crops both of which would replenish the cotton-leached soil of the South helped spare multitudes of sharecroppers from poverty. Despite Carver's lifelong difficulties with systemic racial prejudice, when he died in 1943, millions of Americans mourned the passing of one of the nation's most honored and well-known scientists. Scores of children's books celebrate the contributions of this prolific botanist, but no biographer has fully examined both his personal life and career until now. 

The Man Called Brown Condor: the Forgotten History of an African American Fighter Pilot is by Thomas E. Simmons. The forgotten true story of American war hero John Charles Robinson, a.k.a. The Brown Condor of Ethiopia, and the commander of the Imperial Ethiopian Air Corps during the brutal Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935. Simmons brings to life Robinson's success in becoming a pilot, his expertise in building and assembling his own working aircraft, his influence on the establishment of a school of aviation at Tuskegee Institute. More than a biography of a black pilot who became a US hero, this book provides insight on racial conditions in the first half of the twentieth century and illustrates the political intrigue within a League of Nations afraid to face the rise of Fascism. 

Large Print Valentine Novels

 

Travel to the Scotland Highlands with this classic called Death of a Valentine: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery is by M.C. Beaton. "Amazing news has spread across the Scottish countryside. The most famous of highland bachelors, police sergeant Hamish Macbeth, will be married at last. Everyone in the village of Lochdubh adores Josie McSween, Macbeth's newest constable and blushing bride-to-be. While locals think Josie is quite a catch, Hamish has a case of prenuptial jitters. After all, if it weren't for the recent murder of a beautiful woman in a neighbouring village, there wouldn't be a wedding at all. For it was a mysterious Valentine's Day package--delivered to the victim before her death--that initially drew Hamish and Josie together on the investigation. As they work side by side, Hamish and Josie soon discover that the woman's list of admirers was endless, confirming Hamish's suspicion that love can be blind, deaf . . . and deadly." (from Amazon.com)

In A Catered Valentine's Day by Isis Crawford, "Bernie and Libby, owners of A Taste of Heaven, have plans to partner up with the Just Chocolate store for a taste-tempting Valentine's Day fundraiser featuring pairings of exotic chocolates, food, and wine, as well as a bachelor auction. And though Bernie isn't too happy about her boyfriend volunteering to be auctioned off, she's got too much on her plate to be jealous: one of the coolers is leaking; they need a new butter supplier, and the mother of a very good client has died. Putting their preparations on hold, Bernie and Libby attend the funeral, only to be recruited to help solve a mystery. In an old cemetery-turned-lover's-lane, the body of Ted Gorman has been found in someone else's grave. The same Ted Gorman who supposedly died in a fiery car crash weeks earlier. Ted was the owner–with his wife–of Just Chocolate. So now, as Bernie and Libby continue working with the grieving widow, they open up a mixed box of dark financial scandal, sticky family ties, bittersweet passion, and just desserts." (from Amazon.com)

It's the one day each year when being single is a sin . . .In The Trouble With Valentine's Day by Rachel Gibson, it just plain stinks! "Kate Hamilton should know. Dumped by her boyfriend, burnt out by her job, she's returned to Gospel, Idaho, where a Mountain Momma Crafters' original poetry reading is about as good as it gets on a Friday night. Then her first attempted seduction of a hunky stranger is completely rejected. So much for her self-esteem! It turns out that Rob Sutter, former ice hockey madman, owner of Sutter's Sports—and the hunky stranger who told her to get lost—has been more than burned by love and isn't looking for a relationship. But then he and Kate find themselves in an ultra-compromising position in the M&S Market after-hours, giving the phrase "clean up in aisle five" a whole new meaning, and causing a whole lot of gossip in Gospel . . ." (from Amazon.com)

Valentine Murder is by Leslie Meier. "It's Valentine's Day in Tinker's Cove. And while the cupcakes Lucy Stone is baking for her children will have pink frosting and candy hearts, Lucy's thoughts aren't centered on sugary sentiments. She's barely arrived at her first board meeting of the newly-renovated library when Bitsy Howell, the new librarian, is found dead in the basement, shot only minutes before story hour was to start. The agitated board members assume that Bitsy was killed by an outsider, until Detective Lt. Horowitz arrives on the scene and announces that the killer is among them. Lucy was already aware that Bitsy's uppity big city ways rubbed some people in Tinker's Cove the wrong way. But she has a hunch that motives for the librarian's violent death run a lot deeper. From Hayden Norcross's elegant antique shop to Corney Clark's chic kitchen, Lucy relentlessly snoops into the curious lifestyles and shocking secrets of Tinker's Cove's most solid citizens--secrets that will plunge her into a terrifying confrontation with a conniving killer. . ." (from Amazon.com)

Tracie Peterson has penned the historical romance My Valentine. "Enjoy two touching historical romances set in 1800s New York City. When Pierce and Darlene meet in her father’s tailor shop, their lives are on very different paths. But neither can forget the other. Also includes the bonus story, Little Shoes and Mistletoe by Sally Laiity, in which two orphans restore a woman’s capacity to love." (from Amazon.com)

 

Why Not Try Woodworking?

Spruce up your outside spaces with Weekend Woodworking for the Garden by Cindy Burda. "In just a single weekend, you can decorate your garden with a classic bench, bird feeder, planter, lawn furniture and more. No special skills required! From functional gadgets to fabulous furniture, here are 20 great looking projects that even beginners can make in just a day or two. If you can saw a board, hammer a nail, and drive a screw, you can construct a bluebird house, seedling tray, hanging wine chiller, picnic table and bench combination. There's no need for hard to learn procedures, advanced tools, or specialty lumber. With the carefully constructed plans, simple techniques, and inspiring photos of the finished items, your garden will soon be decorated. Don't fill your beautiful "outdoor rooms" with manufactured items when it's quick, easy, and satisfying to do-it-yourself!" (from Amazon.com)

The Well-Decorated Garden: 50 Ornaments & Accents to Make Your Outdoor Room is by Laura Dover Doran. "Decorative touches turn your garden area into an outdoor extension of your home. Fifty-five no-prior-skills-required projects for garden containers, stakes and markers, furnishings, and other features will add comfort, attract wildlife, and literally light up the space. Start small, if you'd like, with adorable planters made from stiffened garden gloves. Bend and twist wire into an ivy topiary frame. Take shelter in a romantic locust-log arbor covered with climbers. Soothe your soul with the sound of running water in a lava rock cascade fountain or with wind chimes. Feathered friends will flock right to the Victorian bird feeder--especially if you set it right in the midst of your most colorful blooms. Many of the materials are recycled, and a variety of crafting techniques will kindle your creativity!" (from Amazon.com)

Measure Twice, Cut Once by Jim Tolpin is the first book a woodworker needs! "Professional woodworker Jim Tolpin offers solid instruction on the principles of measurement and proportion, walking you through every step of the woodworking process. From design and layout to developing a cutting list, his easy-to-follow style introduces a variety of tools (new and old) used to transfer measurements accurately to the wood. You'll learn the best cutting techniques, how to prevent mistakes before they happen, and for those unavoidable mistakes, you'll learn how to fix them so no one will know!" (from Amazon.com)

The Complete Guide to Easy Woodworking Projects is from Black & Decker and the editors of Creative Publishing International. "Provides detailed instructions for fifty simple, attractive woodworking projects, for both inside and outside the home, including outdoor furnishings and accents, furniture projects, children's projects, accessories, and storage projects, all complete with plans, information on materials, and more. Easy woodworking projects. Step by step guide with photos to guide you." (from Amazon.com)

Keeping Bees and Chickens...And a Bit of Gardening

"One woman's charming and personal account of abandoning the rat race to live blissfully as a beekeeper and honey entrepreneur—plus everything you'd ever want to know about bees. Ten years ago, Marina Marchese fell in love with bees during a tour of a neighbor's honeybee hives. Surprised to find that allowing docile honeybees to crawl across her hands instilled a serene tranquility and comfort, Marina quit her job, acquired her own bees, built her own hives, harvested honey, earned a certificate in apitherapy, studied wine tasting in order to transfer those skills to honey tasting, and eventually opened her own business. Today, Red Bee Honey sells artisanal honey and honey-related products to shops and restaurants all over the country. Honeybee: Lessons From an Accidental Beekeeper is not only a warm and inspiring story of one woman's intimate experience with honeybees (arguably the most industrious creatures on earth) but it is also bursting with fascinating and practical information about all aspects of bees, beekeeping, and honey, including life inside the beehive and the role of the queen, drones, and workers; how bees make honey; pollination and its importance in sustaining life; building a beehive; hiving and keeping honeybees; harvesting honey and comb; healing with honey and the practice of apitherapy; and much, much more. Recipes for food, drink, and personal care products are included throughout. Also included is a detailed appendix of 75 different varieties of honey." (from Amazon.com)

"Keeping Bees and Making Honey by Alison Benjamin is a stunning, comprehensive and attractive lifestyle guide to beekeeping packed with images, information, practical advice, useful resources and recipes. Whether you have a tiny balcony or acres of land; live in the middle of a city or in the countryside surrounded by flowers, you can keep bees. Keeping Bees and Making Honey caters for every situation, and covers everything you will need to consider before you set up your colony – including when and how to tell the neighbours! 'Understanding your bees' introduces you to the history of bees and humans, the anatomy of a honey bee, the variety of species that you are likely to encounter, the caste system within a colony of queen, worker and drone, and the birth and life cycle of bees. 'What to consider' suggests factors to consider before keeping bees, from the space where you will house your hives to children and pets. Learn about the variety of hives available and how they work, as well all the important things that you will need including protective clothing, a smoker and hive tool, as well as honey-harvesting equipment. There are a variety of sources for purchasing your bees and 'Where and when to get your bees' will give you all the advice you need covering the nucleus, packaged bees, full colonies and tips on marking the queen. There are detailed sections on pollen and supers. 'Gardening for bees' will help you consider the best flowers to supply nectar and pollen to your bees whilst ensuring your garden looks great! It is probably the prospect of home-grown honey that entices most people to keep bees. 'All about honey' will show you how bees make honey, and how to harvest, jar and sell your honey. There is a whole chapter devoted to other bee products, from uses of beeswax; candles and cosmetics, to delicious recipes made with honey. Finally, 'Health and care' will ensure that your apiary stays clean and tidy, and your colony is pest free, strong and vigorous." (from Amazon.com)

"Raising chickens is a growing trend hitting urban and suburban areas, as well as the country. The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Raising Chickens by Jerome D. Belanger covers every aspect of raising chickens, whether one lives in the country, suburb, or city. People wanting their own supply of organic, additive-free, free-range eggs want to know how to keep their chickens healthy and egg producing." (from Amazon.com)

• How to choose what to start with-chicks, pullets, or hens
• How best to feed and water
• Coverage of the most popular breeds
• Everything about eggs, including how to sell them"

"Christine Heinrichs, author of the critically acclaimed How to Raise Chickens, teaches you how to care for every type of feathered friend. Backed by the National FFA Organization, our acclaimed series of How to Raise guides has helped countless first-time animal owners across the United States confidently care for their new companions. In this freshly updated second edition of How to Raise Poultry: Everything You Need to Know, fowl expert Christine Heinrichs offers her seasoned advice in raising 14 different poultry species: chickens, ducks, emus, geese, swans, turkeys, guinea fowl, peacocks, pheasants, quail, partridge, pigeons, ostriches, and rheas. From feeding and housing to husbandry and health, from showing and marketing to legal concerns, Heinrichs clearly details the differing requirements of each kind of poultry. With her comprehensive approach, fully illustrated with instructional photography, you’ll be well-equipped to select breeds, keep your birds healthy, harvest and sell products, and hatch new generations—whether you want eggs, meat, feathers, hides, or simple companionship." (from Amazon.com)

"For every gardener who cares about the planet, this guide to designing a bee garden helps you create a stunningly colorful, vibrant, healthy habitat that attracts both honeybees and native bees. In The Bee-Friendly Garden, award-winning garden designer Kate Frey and bee expert Gretchen LeBuhn provide everything you need to know to create a dazzling garden that helps both the threatened honeybee and our own native bees. No matter how small or large your space, and regardless of whether you live in the city, suburbs, or country, just a few simple changes to your garden can fight the effects of colony collapse disorder and the worldwide decline in bee population that threatens our global food chain. There are many personal benefits of having a bee garden as well! Bee gardens

• contain a gorgeous variety of flowers
• bloom continuously throughout the seasons
• are organic, pesticide-free, and ecologically sustainable
• develop healthy and fertile soil
• attract birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects
• increase the quantity of your fruit and vegetable harvest
• improve the quality, flavor, and size of your produce" (from Amazon.com)

"Many gardeners fear chickens will peck away at their landscape. But you can keep chickens and have a beautiful garden, too! In this essential handbook, award-winning garden designer Jessi Bloom offers step-by-step instructions for creating a beautiful and functional space while maintaining a happy, healthy flock. Free-Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom covers everything a gardener needs to know, from the basics of chicken keeping and creating the perfect chicken-friendly garden design to building innovative coops." (from Amazon.com)

Work Your Butt Off...

 Last week we featured books for brain health and overall health and wellness. This week we are featuring diet and exercise books to help you meet your goals.

"Sometimes it's the simple choices-like switching diet soda for regular; selecting a less-caloric sandwich at the fast food joint; stopping at just one dip into the candy bowl; filling up on salad rather than bread before your main course; or taking the kids for a bike ride instead of hanging out in front of the TV-that make the pounds melt away almost effortlessly. Whether you're a junk food junkie, an emotional eater, or even a mindless muncher, Good Housekeeping Drop 5 Pounds by Heather K. Jones offers hundreds of ideas for small and very doable changes in your diet that can add up to significant weight loss. The Diet Decoder quiz right at the start helps you pinpoint your particular eating patterns and food pitfalls, priming you for a transformation. Then, follow the icons to identify customized strategies that target your behavior. Plus you'll learn about diet destroyers like the hidden calories in “friendly” foods; simple substitutes that make both home-cooked and restaurant-bought foods less fattening; how to avoid holiday weight gain; and practical ways to incorporate exercise into your routine. Easy-to-follow charts identify “Diet Madness” meals and give you “Diet Makeover” alternatives, plus “Make This Swap” suggestions. Every chapter opens with “Drop 5 Top 5" strategies to ditch the pounds at home, at work, and at play. 

• Start with a self-quiz to diagnose your diet pitfalls
• Use our Diet Makeovers to end Diet Disasters
• Steal our Special Diet Tricks for Meal Skippers, Nonstop Nibblers, Liquid Calorie Lovers, Emotional Eaters, and Junk Food Junkies
• Mix and match our Drop 5 advice to change your diet according to your tastes and habits
• Choose from dozens of fat-blasting recipes to drop 5 pounds" (from Amazon.com)

"This completely revised and updated edition of the popular Mayo Clinic Diet is a practical, no-nonsense approach designed to help you lose weight and, most importantly, keep it off. The book includes step-by-step advice on key behavior changes to promote weight loss, plus four weeks of daily menus and all-new recipes. Based on years of experience with thousands of individuals trying to lose weight and research into the behaviors that do and don’t work, this guide establishes five habits to include in your daily routine, five habits to break, and five bonus habits to increase your chances of lasting success. The Mayo Clinic Diet includes: 

• A two week quick-start program designed to help you lose 6 to 10 pounds in a safe and healthy way

• A long-term maintenance plan in which you continue to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week until you reach your goal, and learn how to maintain a healthy weight for life

• Meal plans, recipes, food lists, tips on overcoming challenges, and much more" (from Amazon.com)

"Want to finally lose the weight and keep it off? Want to be able to eat the foods you love? Reaching your goals can only happen when you don't feel deprived and you continue to stay motivated. Now, celebrity trainer and star of the hit reality series The Biggest Loser, Dolvett Quince, tells you how to do all of that and more in his revolutionary program, The 3-1-2-1 Diet. This 21-day program works by manipulating your body's natural tendency to slow its metabolic rate in response to calorie restriction. It takes a new approach to getting lean-one scientifically based on changing up food and calories to tap into your body's potential to burn fat. This unconventional plan results in greater muscle and less fat than any other diet you've ever tried. Dolvett's effective eating plan is as easy as 3-1-2-1: three days of clean eating, one day of cheating, two more days of clean eating, and one final reward meal at the end of the week. No foods are off limits and you will never feel deprived because the plan is flexible enough to fit into any lifestyle. You'll lose weight fast-10 pounds or more in just 21 days-and you won't plateau. Dolvett's simple meal plans and delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes, together with his fast and effective workouts that combine cardio and body-shaping moves, will have you back in your skinny jeans in less than three weeks!" (from Amazon.com)

"A month from now, you'll wish you had started today. Yes, a month is all it takes to see long-term results. And seriously - even YOU can lose that weight! Food and exercise fads come and go, mainly because they just aren't sustainable. After a few days, you're hungry, bored, or hungry AND bored. That's why the Today Show's very first lifestyle and fitness correspondent, Jenna Wolfe, created her famous 30-Day Fitness Challenge for her viewers. The challenge was wildly successful because of its unprecedented and simple approach to everyday health and fitness - one small tip a day for 30 days. 

Now, in Thinner in 30, Jenna takes her foolproof program to the next level, giving you the tools and motivation you'll need to achieve your wellness goals with 30 small changes that add up to big results - in as few as 30 days. It's all possible without joining a gym, counting calories, or signing up for a trendy class you can't even pronounce. The perfect plan for busy men and women of all ages and fitness levels, Thinner in 30 puts the focus on small, bite-size tips which lead to long-term weight loss. Jenna blends athletic wisdom, laugh-out-loud humor, and easy-to-follow advice, like how many times to chew your food per bite, what the heck carbs are all about, and how to sneak in workouts without any time, money, equipment, or energy (pretty much covering any excuse you may have). Thinner in 30 will help you discover just how easy it is to get healthy without having to deprive yourself or work out 12 hours a day." (from Amazon.com)

Fitness expert and media icon John Basedow's body-transforming plan is literally Fitness Made Simple. After trying just about every fitness fad and gimmick with little success, John developed this multidimensional approach that is improving the bodies and lives of thousands of men and women, from teenagers to grandparents. Fitness Made Simple is not just about losing weight. It's about changing your entire body composition so that you increase lean muscle mass and decrease body fat. This easy-to-follow program eliminates all the guesswork for building the body of your dreams with John's comprehensive “Fitness Triangle”:

• Nutrition: By concentrating on natural protein sources, healthy fats, and slow-digesting carbs, you'll never be hungry, your junk food cravings will disappear, and fat will melt from your body.
• Exercise: Utilizing a combination of cardiovascular and weight training workouts, you'll look great, feel better, and strip away fat to reveal those six-pack abs!
• Supplementation: Not all supplements are created equal. John shows you which fat loss and muscle building products can actually produce cosmetically significant results, rather than just false hope and a depleted bank account.

Plus, John tells his own inspiring story of how he took control of his body and life, while accumulating years of health and fitness wisdom along the way. His signature “John-isms”--helpful quotes sprinkled throughout this book--will keep you motivated to stick with your new fitness lifestyle." (from Amazon.com)

"America’s favorite fitness expert presents a breakthrough program to win the war against aging–a battle she has personally fought and won. We all know that aging is inevitable–but how gracefully you age is up to you. Scientific research shows that we can turn back the clock and retain our youthful strength and energy through a targeted regimen of age-busting exercise and nutrition. Now, in Fit and Fabulous After 40, award-winning fitness expert Denise Austin presents her own revolutionary, sure-fire plan to help you stay healthy, strong, slim, and fabulous–no matter what your age. Built around Austin’s five-part pyramid plan of exercise, diet, health, beauty and attitude, Fit and Fabulous After 40 features a fat-blasting anti-aging regimen that helps you literally defy gravity (no more sagging body parts) and sculpt every inch of yourself, from chin to kneecaps with special “Stop-the-Clock” fitness routines. By exercising for just thirty minutes a day, and using cutting-edge fitness techniques such as yoga and Pilates-based exercises, you will build strength, shed extra pounds, improve flexibility and balance and look years younger. Austin then shows you how to eat for optimum health and vitality, with delicious slimming recipes that complement the vitamins and supplements she recommends. She also presents invaluable advice on common health concerns for women, such as menopause, breast cancer and heart disease, as well as special beauty tips–including anti-wrinkle exercises." (from Amazon.com)

The Exercise Bible is by Joanna Hall. "This is a guide to exercise and physical activity to help the reader achieve body wellbeing. It provides information on all types of exercise, whatever the reader's aims, fitness level, body shape, available time and budget. Each of the three exercises (cardiovascular, resistance and flexibility) necessary for whole body health are covered, with explanations of how they benefit the body, the types of sports that involve them and how to use them for maximum effect. Each of the chapters is supported by a number of practical exercise programs. Diet is also examined. Using scientific research, sample daily menus, recipes and advice on snacking and nutritional supplements, it shows how to eat and drink to optimize and boost energy." (from Amazon.com)

About Those Resolutions...

It's the beginning of a new year and most people resolve to become healthier or learn something new. The library is a great place to find books on how to live healthier lives, find new hobbies, or improve your outlook on life in general. This month we are featuring books to help people make (and keep?) our New Year's resolutions.

Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss and Increase Mental Fitness by Lawrence Katz will help you exercise your brain to keep it young and sharp. "A neurobiologist provides simple ways to exercise your brain, enhance your memory, and boost your cognitive health. Over forty? Getting forgetful? Having trouble learning new things, or remembering that actress’s name without reaching for your smartphone? Chances are, your brain needs a workout, and neurobics—simple, unique brain exercises that can be done anywhere, anytime—are here to help. In this little book, you’ll find eighty-three brain teasers and challenges that will keep your mind occupied, whether during work breaks or on your commute, at mealtimes or at the market. It’s a fun, effective way to keep your neuron pathways fit and functioning, now and as you age." (from Amazon.com)

"Welcome to the era of white noise. Our lives are in constant tether to phones, to email, and to social media. In this age of distraction, the ability to experience and be present is often lost: to think and to see and to listen. Enter Rob Walker's The Art of Noticing—an inspiring volume that will help you see the world anew. Through a series of simple and playful exercises—131 of them—Walker maps ways for you to become a clearer thinker, a better listener, a more creative workplace colleague, and finally, to rediscover what really matters to you." (from Amazon.com)

Evangelist and bestselling author Joyce Meyers has penned Look Great, Feel Great: 12 Keys to Enjoying a Healthy Life Now to help us feel better with our bodies and ourselves. "The bodies God gives are instruments for experiencing a fulfilling life on earth, for doing good works, for spiritual development. To do the work individuals are meant to do, they need to keep in shape. They must maintain a sound mind, body, and soul. Yet in the modern world, it is all too easy to let one, two, or all three of these slip. LOOK GREAT, FEEL GREAT presents Joyce's twelve-key plan to address the epidemic of "self esteem drought" that appears to be a factor in perpetuating habits that create poor health. Additionally, Joyce will provide helpful resources, like the "Ounce of Prevention Checklist," for self-maintenance." (from Amazon.com)

"In an attractive, oversized format, enlivened with illustrations, sidebar quotes, personal accounts, techniques to try, and profiles of leaders in the field, Discovering the Body's Wisdom by Mirka Knaster is a basic resource for well-being and natural health. Body disciplines and therapies have enjoyed phenomenal growth in the past decade, becoming a major alternative to mainstream medicine and traditional psychotherapy. But with more than 100,000 practitioners and dozens of methods available in the United States alone, how can consumers choose the right one for themselves? Mirka Knaster's richly informative guide provides an overview of the principles and theories underlying the major Eastern and Western body therapies, or "bodyways." It shows readers how to befriend their own bodies, getting back in touch with their internal sources of health and wisdom. It also describes more than 75 individual approaches, answering such questions as: How does each therapy work? What can we expect from one session or a series? What are the reasons for selecting this method? How do we find a qualified practitioner? What, if any, are the "consumer-bewares"?" (from Amazon.com)

Health coach Gayle Reichler helps people live healthier lives with her book Active Wellness: a Personalized 10 Step Plan for Health Empowerment. "Enlightened by the author's own story of recovery from cancer, here is a unique lifestyle philosophy and a practical guide to feeling your best for a lifetime. Active Wellness encompasses every facet of choosing—and, more important, staying with—a healthy lifestyle. From mental preparation to changing old habits; from creating personal eating and fitness plans to recognizing and managing stress; from dealing with the threat of self-sabotage to celebrating the thrill of success, this is a unique, full-spectrum program that has been proven effective, showing that healthy living is easy when it is satisfying to your body, mind, and spirit. A comprehensive health plan with a strong weight-management component, the Active Wellness program has been adopted by tens of thousands of individuals, groups, and corporations across the country." (from Amazon.com)

"In Living Well, Montel Williams explains the science behind his successful battle against multiple sclerosis, interviewing a global "SWAT Team" of doctors, scientists, and researchers, and reveals the amazing effects of healthy eating and regular exercise. Most importantly, Montel shares his groundbreaking 21-Day Living Well Food and Workout Program? a hard-hitting health plan of diet changes, a step-by-step exercise plan, and the gradual addition of raw and whole foods to daily menu plans. This three-week regimen forms the cornerstone of Montel's successful dietary health plan. Also included are simple, wholesome recipes that are as healthful as they are delicious. For anyone who wants to fight obesity, cancer, heart disease, and neurological diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, or multiple sclerosis; or if they just want to feel spectacular every day." (from Amazon.com)

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

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May you and yours find yourself full of Love and Joy this holiday season!

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