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Pied Piper calls Musicians

Have you ever noticed how many people in the music industry are writing their memoirs these days?  I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence or just the fact that aging rockers are reaching a certain age and it’s now or never for them, but there have been quite a few books lately.  The thing is, people remember these folks and who’s not interested in reading about celebrities so their popularity remains high.

If you recall, getting ahead of the game a number of years ago was the musician Sting.  His memoir, “Broken music”  was an instant success. Perhaps he set the pace for excellence and others are now just beginning to follow the tune.

The 2010 National Book non-fiction award winner was “Just kids.”  This is singer songwriter Patti Smith’s memoir of her and Robert Mapplethorpe’s life on the streets of New York in the 1960s. Readers will love her poetic reading and find fascination with her life.

Don’t forget to take a look at another amazing story, “Life”, by Keith Richards.  This long awaited autobiography of the Rolling Stones guitarist and vocalist is sure to please.  While the book details drug and sexual experiences it also touches on guitar playing and songwriting.  A similar choice would be Steven Tyler’s “Does the noise in my head bother you: a rock ‘n’ roll memoir.”

The most recent items to hit the bookshelves include the following titles:

The soul of it all: my music, my life by Michael Bolton

Rod: the autobiography by Rod Stewart

Hitmaker: the man and his music by Tommy Mottola

Kicking and dreaming: a story of heart, soul and rock and roll by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson and Charles R. Cross

Who I am by Pete Townshend

Waging heavy peace by Neil Young

Luck or something like it: a memoir by Kenny Rogers

In the pleasure groove: love, death and Duran Duran by John Taylor

A natural woman: a memoir by Carole King

My cross to bear by Gregg Allman

And other recent biographies to look for include:

Remembering Whitney: my story of love, loss, and the night the music stopped by Cissy Houston

Bruce by Peter Carlin

Mick: the wild life and mad genius of Jagger by Christopher P. Andersen

Mick Jagger by Philip Norman

Hello gorgeous, becoming Barbara Streisand by William J. Mann

Whoever the musician may be, they each have a story to tell.  Their story will be unlike any other person's, but they all have the same passion …following a tune.  Check out a few items @ your Library.

Image courtesy of Google images.

Cool New Teen Books (and a few Children’s books as well)

 I am a fan of YA literature, so I always like to be aware of what books are coming out soon that I might be interested in or are gaining attention in the news.  One such book is Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.  I read her debut novel, Cinder, last year and was such a fan.  The book was something new and fresh in YA literature, so I was ecstatic when Scarlet was released already this year.  Another book that I read last year and thoroughly enjoyed was the False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen.  The next book in the series is to be published in March and I cannot wait!  These books and more are listed below and all look to be great reads!

Recent Releases -Teen

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter (Heist Society #3)

Catherine by April Lindner (modern retelling of Wuthering Heights- Jane was awesome!)

Prodigy by Marie Lu (Legend #2)

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #2, Cinder was amazing!)

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger (setting based in Victorian England)

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Also Known As by Robin Benway (sounds intriguing)

Recent Releases -Children’s

Jinx by Sage Blackwood

Never Say Die by Will Hobbs (love his books!)

Sugar & Spice by Lisa Papademetriou (Confectionately Yours #3)

Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli

Shadow Breakers by Daniel Blythe (looks terrifying- I can’t wait to read it)

Coming in March

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (Infernal Devices #3)

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielsen (Ascendance Trilogy #2, after The False Prince)

Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Delirium #3)

To Be Released in April & Beyond

The Elite by Kiera Cass (Selection #2)

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen (always popular)

All I Need by Susan Colasanti

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (Grisha Trilogy #2, after Shadow and Bone)

Award-winning Books!

Every January, the American Library Association gives awards to the best children’s and young adult books that were printed in the previous year.  The runners-up are given the title “Honor books”.

The Newbery medal, initiated in 1922, is the oldest children’s book award in the world.  Although it is named after an 18^th century British bookseller named John Newbery, this award is given to the most distinguished American children’s book of the year.  The 2013 winner is The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.  The Newbery honor books are BOMB: The race to build and steal the world's most dangerous weapon by Steve Sheinkin and Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage.

Recognizing that the illustrations are as important as the text in a picture book, in 1938 the ALA began awarding the Caldecott medal to the illustrator of the most outstanding picture book published in America.  The award is named after Randolph Caldecott, a 19^th century illustrator known for the action and humor of his illustrations, and is celebrating its 75^th anniversary this year.  The winner of the 2013 award is This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen.  Caldecott honor recipients are Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, and One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo.

These two time-honored awards have been joined by some more recent ones.  For example, the Theodor Seuss Geisel award has been given to the author and illustrator of the most outstanding Early Reader since 2006.  It is named after Dr. Seuss of course, who believed that even beginning children’s books should be fun.  This year’s winner is Up, Tall and High! by Ethan Long.  The honors award was received by the following books:  Let’s Go For a Drive! by Mo Willems, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin, and Rabbit & Robot:  The Sleepover by Cece Bell.

The Michael J. Printz award is given to the best book written for teens.  It is named after a school librarian from Topeka Kansas who had a passion for finding the right book for the right student.  This year’s award went to In Darkness by Nick Lake.  Runners up include:  Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, and Dodger by Terry Pratchett.

Looking for some great reads? For descriptions of the winners and runners-up of these awards and many others, go to the Assn. for Library Service to Children and the Young Adult Library Services Assn websites.  Great books, audiobooks and videos await you!

Image courtesy of Google images

“When life gives you chicken… make soup.”

With the cold winter winds blowing, there is nothing like comfort foods to make you feel warm inside. Now that the bustle of the holidays is behind us, we can settle down into our routines again.  Once again we have a little more time to call our own.  What a perfect opportunity to do some home style cooking.

In her newest cookbook, Martha’s American Food, Martha Stewart celebrates all that is America.  This allows you to travel through America without ever leaving your kitchen.  The book is written according to regions and she has gathered the best recipes to represent foods enjoyed in that region.  A history has been written for each recipe.

I’ve always enjoyed the Cooks Illustrated Magazine with their great recipes and helpful hints.  They do all the work to perfect a recipe and you get the great results.  You can only imagine what their cookbook is like.  The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook is not only filled with 2,000 recipes from the past 20 years of their magazine history, but it also explains why you have just made the most perfect Snickerdoodles, Farro Risotto, or Chicken Bouillabaise.  Do you like making great meals but don’t like using every pot and pan that you own to make it?  Then you would like The Best One Dish Suppers from Cook’s Illustrated.  Whether cooking for your family or entertaining guests, there are over 180 recipes for simple dinners fit for a king without all the mess.

For meat lovers, Michael Symon’s Carnivore has recipes for every type of domesticated meat (beef, pork, chicken, or lamb) and game meats (venison, pheasant, boar, duck, quail, rabbit, and elk) that you could imagine, as well as side dishes to compliment these dishes.  All the way from Britain, Mark Sargeant shows us in My Kind of Cooking  how to use cheaper cuts of meat and fish to give us results that are as “delicious and tender as prime cuts”.  Cutting back on cost doesn’t mean you have to cut back on flavor.  If you would prefer to concentrate just on fish, you might enjoy Fish: Recipes from the Sea.  A wide range of fish from white, oily, flat, freshwater fish and seafood are covered in this book and are used in 200 Italian home cooked recipes.  There are helpful hints as to how to choose and prepare fish for these simple and authentic recipes.

When you think Italian, one often thinks of pasta.  The cooks from America’s Test Kitchen have updated many standard pasta dishes and made them healthier and easier to make in Pasta Revolution.  Many of the 200 recipes contain only 6 ingredients.  Included in these recipes are ones for Asian noodle dishes.  Speaking of Italian cuisine, have you ever wondered if you could eat all these wonderful Italian dishes and lose weight?  In Now Eat This! Italian, 100 classic Italian recipes such as Cannoli, Mozzarella en Carozza, and Chicken Parmegiana have had their calories reduced, but have maintained their wonderful taste.  There’s nothing worse than when you’re told you have to restrict what you’re eating.  If Chicken Fettucine Alfredo, Sour Cream and Onion Smashed Potatoes, and Red Velvet Cupcakes are on your forbidden list, then you might want to consider Eat More of What You Love.  Each of their 200 recipes for the above mentioned dishes and others are all under 350 calories.

I love to prepare meals using a slow cooker.  Put all of your ingredients together in the morning, go on with the rest of your day, and come home to the smells of a mouth watering meal that’s ready to eat.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  You can either stick with more traditional meals like recipes found in Margaret Fulton Slow Cooking and Fix-It and Forget-It Pink Cookbook or travel the world with recipes from Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook, The French Slow Cooker, The Mexican Slow cooker, and 150 Best Indian, Thai, Vietnamese and More Slow Cooker.

As long as we’re traveling through cooking, it wouldn’t hurt to see what’s new in the line of Jewish cookery.  As with so many other cookbooks these books, The Mile End Cookbook, Helen Nash’s New Kosher Cuisine, and Jerusalem-A Cookbook are a blending of the old with the new to make meals that are both tasty and healthy.  Sprinkled between recipes are tips, memories and traditions.

Up to this point, all of the above mentioned cookbooks have recipes for meat dishes.  We don’t want to forget those who would prefer meatless dishes.  Fix-It and Forget-It Vegetarian Cookbook, The Easy Vegan, Cornelia Guest’s Simple Pleasures, Herbivoracious, and Vegan Indian Cooking contain recipes that won’t disappoint you.  They contain recipes for appetizers, snacks, breakfast dishes, soups, main courses, pasta, salads, and desserts.  They also contain menus and substitution lists. 

For people that are diagnosed with gluten intolerance, cooking can be somewhat of a challenge.  From quick meals to slow cooked meals there are many new cookbooks to help meet this challenge with tasty recipes.  Small Plates and Sweet Treats, Allergy-Friendly Food For Families, The Autism Cookbook, Simply…Gluten-Free Quick Meals, The Gluten Free Table, Everyday Gluten-free Slow Cooking, and The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking.

For this blog I wanted to list all of our new cookbooks.  As I was working on this I realized that I would not be able to do this.  So this is just a starter list.  You will have to come in and check out all the great new books that we have.  

Happy reading, happy cooking, and bon appétit!

***Pictures courtesy of Google images

Abraham Lincoln

Why is Lincoln so popular today?  Of all the books on the Library’s shelves, the one person with the most titles has got to be Abraham Lincoln.  Everyone knows the story of how Lincoln grew up in a log cabin and went on to become perhaps the greatest president. The appeal is universal. Thus anything new, written or recorded about him is guaranteed to be popular.

Take Bill O’Reilly’s book, Killing Lincoln: the shocking assassination that changed America forever. This book came out over a year ago. It’s still on the bestseller’s list and still has Library holds on it.  While it may not be the best book on Lincoln, people still want to read the story.  Steven Spielberg’s new movie, Lincoln, which came out last month, has been attracting large audiences too. I can say I too saw that one. Even President Obama, a Lincoln fan himself, got in the act by hosting a pre-screening of Spielberg’s movie at the White House. Again, the appeal factor is the man himself and his steadfast ideas.

Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 in one room log cabin in Kentucky.  According to Wikipedia, Lincoln’s father Thomas enjoyed considerable status in Kentucky until he lost all of his land, two 600 acre farms in Kentucky, because of faulty property titles.  The family then moved north across the Ohio River to Perry County which is now Spencer County, Indiana.  Lincoln’s mother Nancy died of milk sickness when he was just nine.  Sarah, Lincoln’s sister, took over the care of him.  Thomas Lincoln remarried a widow, Sarah Bush Johnston, who had three children.  Lincoln became very close to his stepmother.  Life in the frontier was difficult.  Lincoln had little education.  He was mostly self educated and was quite an avid reader.

Fearing a milk sickness outbreak in 1830, the family again moved west where they settled on public land in Macon County, Illinois. Lincoln was at the age when he longed for a better life for himself so he went off to New Salem, IL.  He was hired by a businessman to take goods on a flatboat down to New Orleans.  Here he experienced slavery first hand.  In 1832 he and a partner bought a general store in New Salem.  After a struggle he sold his share of the business.  He began his first political campaign for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly.  He lost that election probably because of his lack of education, powerful friends and money.  In 1834 he won election to the state legislature. He moved to Springfield, IL and went on to study law and became a lawyer.  Lincoln served four successive terms in the Illinois House of Representatives.  In 1846 Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for one two-year term and then continued practicing law in Springfield.

In the 1850’s slavery was still legal in the southern states and Lincoln returned to politics opposing the pro-slavery Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854.  Lincoln ran as a Whig for the U.S. Senate seat from Illinois. After leading in the opening rounds his support dwindled. In 1858 he battled Stephen Douglas for a seat in the U.S. Senate, but it turned out be a bitter loss for Lincoln. In 1860 Lincoln was nominated and elected the 16^th President of the United States and re-elected in 1864.  Lincoln was married to Mary Todd Lincoln and had four sons. Lincoln died on April 15, 1865.

Look for these new and exciting titles about Lincoln

Rise to greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s most perilous year by David Von Drehle

The hammer and the anvil: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln and the end of slavery in America by Dwight Jon Zimmerman

Emancipating Lincoln: the proclamation in text, context and memory by Harold Holzer

The long road to Antietam: how the Civil War became a revolution by Richard Slotkin

Decided on the battlefield: Grant, Sherman, Lincoln, and the election of 1864 by David Johnson

Lincoln on war edited by Harold Holzer

Abraham Lincoln and Horace Greeley by Gregory A. Borchard

The dogs of war, 1861 by Emory M. Thomas

Presidental avenger:  Boston Corbett by Robert K. Lieding, Sr.

In novels

The Lincoln conspiracy: a novel by Timothy L. O’Brien

The impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter

DVDs

The conspirator

Abraham Lincoln, vampire hunter

Children’s books

Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: the story behind an American friendship by Russell Freedman

The life of Abraham Lincoln by Maria Nelson

Abraham Lincoln by Marion Dane Bauer

Abraham Lincoln by Mary Pope Osborne

Lincoln’s last days: the shocking assassination that changed America forever by Bill O’Reilly

Select more titles about Lincoln @your Library.

Picture courtesy of Google images

The Ins and Outs of Holiday Entertaining

The holiday season is here which means you might be entertaining house guests from out of town or throwing a party for friends, family or coworkers.  If you are looking for some ideas on themes, foods or simple tips on making your party successful, look no further than the Frank L. Weyenberg Library.  We carry plenty of entertaining books, cookbooks and so on to make your Holiday Season successful and hopefully stress free.

Entertaining can be both fun and sometimes stressful.  However, with the right direction, it is possible to minimize the stress and enjoy just enjoy the time with friends and family.  Check out these books for tips and tricks:

Upcycling celebrations : a use-what-you-have guide to decorating, gift-giving & entertaining by Seo, Danny.
Cupcakes and cashmere : a guide for defining your style, reinventing your space, and entertaining with ease by Schuman, Emily.
Cornelia Guest's simple pleasures : healthy seasonal cooking and easy entertaining by Guest, Cornelia.
You're so invited : panic less, play more, and get your party on by Najafi, Cheryl.
Celebrate : a year of festivities for families and friends by Middleton, Pippa, 1983-

It seems like this time of year everyone is looking for that perfect recipe to make the holidays great.  Whether it is just a desert or a full course meal, playing with new recipes can be fun and rewarding.  Check out these Cook Books to try something new at your Holiday gathering:

Christmas with Paula Deen : recipes and stories from my favorite holiday by Deen, Paula H., 1947-
A Hanukkah holiday cookbook by Raabe, Emily.
Not your mother's slow cooker recipes for entertaining by Hensperger, Beth.
Cake pops : holidays by Bakerella.
Rachael Ray's big orange book : her favorite all-new 30-minute meals, veggie meals, holiday menus, dinners-for-one, kosher meals, rollover menus, and much, much more! by Ray, Rachael.
Vegan for the holidays : celebration feasts for Thanksgiving through New Year's Day by Allen, Zel.

Sometimes entertaining includes providing activities for your guests.  If you are looking to entertain your guests over a weekend you might be interested in borrowing these holiday movies taken from one of our earlier blog posts:
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Christmas Story
Frosty the Snowman
Home Alone
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
It’s a Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34^th Street
The Muppet Christmas Carol
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
The Polar Express
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
A White Christmas

**Image courtesy of Google Images.

Time Travel

When I moved to Wisconsin, I was told there was a time machine at the bank.  How cool—like an H.G. Wells novel, or perhaps Back to the Future?  Turns out it was a TYME machine, or for the non-natives, just an ATM.  However, time travel is possible in Wisconsin, but at the library, not the bank.

For example, you can travel to 1970s Cambodia with Vaddey Ratner in her book In the shadow of the banyan .  In this poignant novel, a young child relates the story of her family’s tragic experiences during the civil war in Cambodia.  Each of the members of the child’s extended family is expertly characterized, so that the reader comes to know and love them, just as the young protagonist clearly does.  The story parallels the author’s own life.

You can go to the 2008 Olympics with Shawn Johnson in her book Winning Balance:  what I’ve learned so far about love, faith, and living your dreams. 

You can visit pre-war and WWII France in Helen Gremillon’s The confidant.  This tale is full of twists and turns as the reader gradually discovers the truth of what transpired between the main characters.   When you’re done reading it, you’ll want to start reading it all over again to look for clues!

You can travel the globe in one of Ken Follett’s books.  In Fall of Giants, the reader is propelled from Russia to England, Germany and the United States, following the lives and fortunes of several inter-related families during WWI.  The family sagas are continued in the second book of the series, Winter of the World. 

Perhaps the greatest journey of all, travel To heaven and back:  a doctor’s extraordinary account of her death, heaven, angels and life again:  a true story by Mary C. Neal.  Can’t think of a better example of ‘travel through time and space’ than that!

Want to give gift of time travel to your children?

They could journey out west to Minnesota with young Almanzo Wilder and his family  (first introduced in the Laura Ingalls Wilder “Little House” books) in a new novel by Heather Williams called Farmer Boy Goes West.

They could travel to 2008 Baghdad and meet Nouri and his cousin Talib in The white zone by Carolyn Marsden. Snow falls in that city for the first time in anyone’s living memory.  Will this new experience help the Sunnis and the Shiites forget that they hate each other?

Boys might want to travel down the St. Lawrence River in 1943 with 16-year-old Scott and his friend Adam in a riveting tale by Curtis Parkinson called Man Overboard! Or they might wish to take a train from Chicago to South Carolina, and then across the country to Oregon with 13-year-old Levi Battle as he searches for his father, a black paratrooper during WWII in Shelley Pearsall’s unforgettable tale  Jump into the sky.

Girls may wish to visit the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia in 1953 to meet Lydia Hawkins as she moves to a coal mine with her aunt and uncle in the novel Child of the mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank.

So be sure to visit the library, and enjoy your free time travel!

Photo courtesy of Google images

Tis the season...

The gathering of family and friends for Thanksgiving is behind us, but there are many more occasions for us to celebrate in December.  In just a few days there will by the celebration of Hanukkah.  During the Festival of Lights, many will come together to remember, to play games, and to celebrate these eight days with the traditional potato latkes as well as such delicacies as Tarragon Pea Soup, Sweet Potato and Pear Soup, Honey Turnips, Sauerbraten A La Nathan, Roast Goose with Chestnut and Apple Stuffing, Brisket with Burgandy-Orange Sauce, Sufganiot, and David Star Cookies.  All these recipes and many more are in the following books: The Jewish Holiday Kitchen, Divine Kosher Cuisine, Jewish Holiday Cooking, The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking, The World of Jewish Entertaining, and A Hanukkah Holiday Cookbook and in the DVD, Jacques Pepin’s Chanukah.

     In mentioning cookies, our next holiday comes to mind.  What would Christmas be without cookies?  In Christmas Cookies: A Holiday Cookbook, Cookie Cookbook: an inspiration for the season, and Very Merry Cookies, there are well over 200 recipes for you to try.  Many of our other books include cookie recipes as well as everything else you need to make this holiday bright: ideas to help with decorating inside and out, gift making and wrapping, special cooking for the holiday and plans for special gatherings.  The following books should help inspire you for the season: Sweet Christmas, The Best of Christmas at Home Cookbook, Nigella Christmas: Food, Family, Friends, Festivities, Victoria, 500 Christmas Ideas, Christmas With Paula Deen, I’m Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas, and Christmas From the Heart.

     Because this is such a busy time of the year any shortcuts are appreciated.  If you’d like to have a variety of cookies, but don’t have the time to bake 30 varieties, how about a cookie exchange?  You could start a new Christmas tradition by getting together with family and friends.  Each person that comes would bring an allotted amount of cookies, the exchange is made, and after a nice get together, everyone goes home with a great assortment of cookies.  All the ins and outs of a perfect cookie exchange as well as more cookie recipes are shown in the following books: Very Merry Cookie Party: how to plan and host a Christmas cookie exchange, The Great Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook: 60 large batch recipes to bake and store, and The Christmas Cookie Cookbook: all the rules and delicious recipes to start your own holiday cookie club.

     There may be some of you who would love to make the traditional cookies, but can’t because of wheat allergies.  No problem.   In Gluten-free Baking for the Holidays and Gluten-free Christmas Cookies are all the gluten-free basics to help you create well over 100 varieties of cookies to help make your season merry.

     So however you celebrate the season, we at the Weyenberg Library wish you and yours a very special holiday season.

Picture courtesy of Easicat

      

     

The light between oceans

What would you do?  How would you react if you were in Tom and Izzy’s shoes? These are the questions everyone should ask themselves as you read M. L. Stedman’s new debut novel, The light between oceans.

It’s a novel set on a remote Australian island, where a childless couple live quietly running a lighthouse, until a boat carrying a baby washes ashore.

I found this book to be a fascinating story from page one.  It’s one you won’t want to put down.  It’s tragic as well as heart wrenching. You will become emotionally involved with the characters as they make their decision and try to live with the consequences.  If you like a book with a good moral dilemma this one’s for you.

If you are in a book club I highly recommend this book for your group.  Certainly there will be lots of discussion to follow.  Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

While you are waiting for Stedman’s book you may want to check out this similar title.

The snow child by Eowyn Ivey

A childless couple working a farm in the brutal landscape of 1920 Alaska discover a little girl living in the wilderness, with a red fox as a companion, and begin to love the strange, almost-supernatural child as their own.

If you enjoy stories that deal with moral issues you may want to look for these titles.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

March by Geraldine Brooks

The cider house rules by John Irving

Mudbound by Hilary Jordan

The god of small things by Arundhati Roy

The lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

The great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Additionally you may want to check out Jodi Picoult’s books as her books almost always deal with societal or moral issues. 

My sister’s keeper

Sing you home

Lone wolf

Picture perfect

Handle with care

If you would like further information about The light between oceans check out BookBrowse.com for reviews, excerpt, author biography and a reading group guide.

image courtesy of Google images