Only Three More Sessions Remain For Tax Assistance!

AARP is back again this year to offer tax assistance for senior and low income taxpayers.

The remaining Wednesday dates are as follows:

March 30

April 6 & 13

On each of the scheduled days, the doors will open to begin tax assistance at 9 am. First come, first served - no appointments. Once they have reached 25 seeking assistance, the doors will shut and no further taxpayers can be helped that day. AARP membership is not required for this assistance.

Documents and Helpful Information that you will need to provide:

• A copy of your 2014 Income Tax Return
• All income documents for 2015 (W2 - 1099 - Retirement - Pensions - Social Security - Unemployment - etc). NEW FOR THIS TAX YEAR - forms 1095-A, -B or -C on Health Coverage
• 2015 Mortgage statement showing interest and property taxes paid
• All Social Security Cards (Taxpayers & Dependents)
• Driver’s license or other valid picture ID.

New Cozy Mysteries from M.C. Beaton and Miranda James

     We love cozy mysteries here at the library (and I love them in particular). They usually don't have a lot of violence and they tend to be quick, easy reads. Two of our newest are: Death of a Nurse: a Hamish MacBeth mystery by M. C. Beaton and No Cats Allowed: a Cat in the Stacks mystery by Miranda James.

     In Death of a Nurse, tall, lanky, ginger-haired police sergeant Hamish MacBeth is in a bit of a funk. His constable, Dick Fraser, has left him to open a bakery with his girlfriend. This has left Hamish all alone to patrol his highland district. Hamish goes to Sutherland to welcome the owner of a recently restored hunting lodge, James Harrison. The old man, however, treats the policeman quite rudely and Hamish has a mind to tell him off. Harrison's beautiful private nurse, Gloria Dainty, steps in before Hamish can open his mouth and apologizes for her employer's behavior. Hamish decides to ask her out on a whim and she says agrees to have dinner with him. On the evening they are supposed to meet, Hamish waits at the restaurant...and waits. Gloria never shows up and Hamish is left sullen and wondering why. He gets his answer four days later when Gloria's body washes ashore on a beach near Braikie. It is going to take all of his charm, wit, and wisdom to find out who killed the pretty nurse, but Hamish will have to move fast or the killer may decide to strike again.

     It is springtime in Athena, Mississippi, but the employees of the university's library can't seem to enjoy the beauty that is in bloom. Their new interim director, Oscar Reilly, has decided that they need to cut some fat; so he sets his sights on cutting the archive and rare book collection. Reilly's unfriendly and caustic behavior has raised the hackles of Charlie Harris' friend and co-worker, Melba--whom Reilly wants to replace with someone younger. Not even Diesel--Charlie's lovable feline companion--is immune from the new director's ire. Reilly claims he is allergic to cats and is determined that Diesel not come with Charlie to the archives anymore. This is the last straw for Charlie, who decides to look into taking a leave of absence. Before he can get the paperwork together, Oscar Reilly's body is discovered in the library and a threatening e-mail settles suspicion squarely on Melba. Charlie knows for certain that Melba is no murderer, so he and Diesel set about trying to solve the case. They begin with the shady stranger that has been lurking around the library ever since Reilly took over. Will they catch the killer before poor Melba is found guilty of something she didn't do?

Figuratively Speaking - A New Series in the Children's Department

In 'Figuratively Speaking, a new series of books for our Children's Department, children can explore different figures of speech and how to tell one kind from another.
Each of the four books gives a definition of the different styles plus numerous examples from different sources such as poems, fables, speeches, and other works.  They also encourage readers to try their hand at making their own.

Geared for the interest of third to sixth graders, this set of four books breaks down and explains these sometimes difficult to understand parts of the English language.

Relationships and Other Life Advice

     Two new books in our dating and self-improvement sections may appeal to the fans of self-help books.

     First is 121 First Dates: How to Succeed at Online Dating, Falling in Love, and Live Happily Ever After (Really!) written by Wendy Newman. Professional dating and relationship educator Newman says there are three things she has learned for sure: There is one special someone for each of us. You will probably meet a lot of "nos" before you find your "yes." And you can't let this fact scare you off, because you could miss out on some amazing experiences! Newman chronicles her often hilarious, always heartfelt, and occasionally mortifying 121 first dates she went on before finding her perfect match. She made every imaginable dating mistake out there--so you don't have to. She busts dating myths, answers some long-sought-after questions, and examines the pitfalls that could make you lose your mind and swear-off dating altogether. She also offers a plethora of the best tips for navigating the online dating scene. Newman's dating pitfalls and triumphs serve to illustrate her advice and will certainly inspire anyone ready to step-out and find just the right person for a happily-ever-after.

     Kelsey Miller had done it all: crash dieting, healthy dieting, and expensive nutritionist-prescribed "eating plans," but nothing was working. In Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting & Got a Life, she chronicles how she realized, at the age of 29, that no diet was going to transform her body or her life. Armed with this knowledge as well as the help of an intuitive eating coach and fitness professionals, she learned how to eat based on her body's natural instincts and how to exercise for her health without obsessing over the number of calories burned. With each healthy step, Miller had to learn to contend with the painful memories from her past. For anyone who has wrestled with a distorted body image, food issues, or family traumas, this book is definitely for you. It is also for anyone who has tried and failed and "felt like a big, fat loser." So, basically, all of us...
     While both of these books tend to be geared toward women, I think guys could pick up some good advice as well. We all feel the jitters of a first date and we all feel less than perfect about our bodies and eating habits every now and then.

200 Suggestions for Reading

Ever want a suggestion on something good to read?  Author and librarian Gina Sheridan offers you 200 titles to choose from in her new book, Check These Out.

The book is divided into fifteen chapters that break down the types of books.  There are even chapters on audio books and young adult fiction.  Each chapter gives you a selection of books with the author, when it was written and a brief description along with why the author enjoyed it.  The audio book chapter even tells you whose voice is reading the book.

So next time you feel stumped on what you'd like to read next, pick up this book for some great ideas.