Tag Archives: staff picks

November is Picture Book Month

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This year marks the second celebration of Picture Book Month.  “In September 2011, I had the idea to create a campaign, an international initiative designating November as Picture Book Month,” said Dianne de las Casas, a children’s book author and storyteller.   Clermont County Public Library has an assortment of great picture books for you to choose from by great authors such as Mo Willems, Laura Numeroff, Jane Yolen and Eric Carle .

For more information on picture books and their authors, visit one of our 10 branches and talk to one of our Youth Service Librarians.

To hear great picture books and other stories read out loud, you can also visit one our many story times at our branches.  Check out the online calendar for more details.

For more information about Picture Book Month, visit the website

 

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Haunted House Books

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anna dressed in bloodAuthor Neil Gaiman has a fantastic idea – celebrate Halloween by giving someone a scary book. Genius! I find haunted house stories particularly creepy so some recommendations:

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. Not just a book but a piece of art with its different fonts and colors, even die cut pages which make a beautiful dressing for an intensely creepy story A door appears behind a closet but in this unnerving story, it most certainly doesn’t lead somewhere good, like Narnia.

Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. An isolated house, reputed to be haunted, is the scene for this unnerving story. A paranormal researcher gathers  a group to investigate the house’s tragic history. Unexplainable incidents occur and as the reader you’re never quite sure if they’re proof of a haunting or one of the characters slowly losing her hold on reality.

Turn of the Screw by Henry James. A young governess, looks after two orphaned children in an isolated mansion. Odd, disquieting events happen – the result of ghosts or proof that the governess is slipping into insanity?

Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Set in postwar Britain, a doctor becomes entangled with a family living in a centuries old mansion. Their way of life is changing with the coming of the modern world but what is it really that ties them to the house? Atmospheric and chilling.

Anna Dressed in Blood  by Kendare Blake. Cas, hunts and kills ghosts. When he hears about the ghost of a young woman who attacks people, he has to investigate. Cas discovers Anna, a spirit so full of rage that she kills anyone entering her house. But there’s more to Anna than just a thirst for vengeance as Cas discovers when he tries to investigate her murder.

Classical Music at the Library, Part the Third

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As promised, I have summoned my colleague Philip Koro for a further adventure in the wide world of classical music. This time around, we’ll have a look at his cd picks. In chronological order by date of composition, we’ll begin with:

Bach Sonatas for Recorder (BMV 1030-1035, for all of you Baroque nerds)-

“If you love the recorder, you can’t go wrong with these six sonatas, beautifully performed by Michala Petri, perhaps the foremost soloist in the world on this particular instrument. She is joined on the harpsichord by Keith Jarrett, who is actually better known as a jazz pianist. As far as Bach, we are all familiar with some of his orchestral works (Brandenburg Concerti, Suites), his organ music (Toccata & Fugue in D Minor) and his vocal works (Cantatas & Masses), but listening to this CD, we hear his mastery of chamber music as well. Five stars!”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream-

“The overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written when Mendelssohn was just 17 and it is truly one of the great masterpieces of the Romantic era. Much later in Mendelssohn’s short life, he was commissioned to write the incidental music to Shakespeare’s play and the result is a number of memorable pieces, none more so than the Wedding March , played every day all over the western world as a recessional in weddings. Outstanding performance by the Boston Symphony under the direction of Seiji Ozawa.”

Carmina Burana-

“Carl Orff may be known for only this one work, but what a work it is! Even if you are not attuned to listening to 20th century classical, this music is very approachable. Sung in Latin and Middle High German, Orff finished this cantata in 1936 and it is based on poems found in the medieval collection of the same name. The opening piece entitled “O Fortuna” should be immediately recognizable as it has been featured in numerous commercials and motion pictures. The performance by the San Francisco Symphony is absolutely spectacular and one the greatest I have ever heard.”

This concludes Mr. Koro’s broadcast. Tune in next time when we explore your humble dilettante’s dvd picks.

 

How Not to Train for a 5K

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eric trains for a 5kAt the beginning of the summer, let’s say around May, my friend asked me if I wanted to run a 5k. I obviously said no. Then he said it was the Warrior Dash complete with obstacles, plus you get a fuzzy warrior helmet and other swag, and bonus, the proceeds go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. So I reluctantly agreed.

So in May I started running…. OK, I will not call it running, more like slow jogging, but not even fast walking. Let’s just say I got off the couch and moved my legs in a forward direction. I made it about a quarter mile and that was it. I was in trouble; I wasn’t really sure what 5k stood for but I was pretty sure I had a long way to go and a short time to get there.

Meanwhile, this so-called, quickly becoming my not-friend said, Let’s run in another race called the Mudathon. Me, being the genius that I am, said, what the heck, I won’t be able to finish the one, might as well not finish two. By the way, these two races have a two-week window between them, and both were set for August.

That gave me plenty of time to stretch my legs out and find all those 5ks that are out there (I guess that is 10ks now).  So let me tell you, it takes a lot to get off the couch and train in any way, especially since the only time I normally run is away from somebody chasing me, which occurs rarely or in some kind of sport, but let’s face it, my sporting days are mostly behind me now. About a month into my training and not feeling like I was getting anywhere, I said to myself, wait a minute, I am smarter than this; I work at a library and I am sure we have books on training or getting in shape or something like that. Lo and behold, we do. I found a book called Galloway’s 5k and 10k Running.

After months of grueling training, the fateful day had arrived. Despite the 12:30pm start time and the middle of August date, the weather was perfect for the Mudathon. No rain. No humidity. A slight breeze. Plus a temperature in the mid 70s. A better day would be impossible. Well, except I had to run.

Not just run: I had to navigate 40 obstacles (for course map just click). I guess that is what I signed up for….but I am not complaining because I had a great time. My favorite part was floating down the lazy mud river; my least was the monkey bars. I cannot tell you how many bales of hay I had to leap over; it had to be in the thousands. (video)

Two weeks later was the Warrior Dash. At the end of this one was fire that you had to leap over. To train for this, I jumped over a candle in my living room every time the electric went out this summer, which by the way was a lot. There were far less obstacles in this one which made it easier (course map), but there was some swimming involved which increased its awesomeness! I hate to admit it but for this one I sort of wore a kilt, but so did some of my friends. Also, I’m not reluctant to share with you that wearing a kilt is awesome. I think I am going to wear it all the time. My only worry was losing it on the course in the water or it getting caught on fire.

The best part of the day for me was the camaraderie between runners. Everybody helped each other, either physically or with motivation. I can also report I did too, except for the ladies who had on Pittsburgh Steelers garb; I only heckled them (Who Dey!).

All in all, I had two great weekends with great friends. I met some really cool people and didn’t get injured at all (a little second-day soreness but that’s it, maybe third day as well.) If you have a chance to participate in these or events like this, do them: you don’t have to run or jog, think of it as a hike. As for my training, I can run a 5k, but when doing these events, it is also important to work on the upper body as well because you will be pulling yourself over various objects. If you don’t feel like you can make an obstacle, somebody will help you, or just go around it. The main thing is to bring a buddy and meet some new friends; what more could you ask for in a weekend?

Halloween Prep

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a zombie ate my cupcakeBefore I start making fun of this general group of women, let me just say: I am one. This is one of those preemptive comments that makes readers nervous but I feel like it’s a necessary precaution.  I’m talking about the women (and men? Are there any?) who spend hours on Pinterest, Blogger, and other social perfect-ifying websites studying up on how to do things just exactly so. Like, for example, preparing the perfect Thanksgiving holiday {All table decorations must be handmade from cloth you’ve woven yourself, twigs you’ve snapped from family heirloom trees, and candles scented with your backyard’s crisp fall air}, or maybe creating a working carousel out of your advanced child’s leftover construction paper scraps which will, as a bonus, teach them about the ups and downs in life as their little paper animals swing up and dip low, along with your mood for crafting.

I’m exaggerating, but you know who I’m talking about. The people who want to whisk Martha Stewart into their living room and get one of her signature half smiles of semi-approval. I could also mention actual mommy-bloggers, but then I’d be breaking my promise of personal inclusion in “the group” as I’m not yet a mother. I keep waiting for the competitive nature of these online bloggers and pinners to build until some hilarious display of primal rage, like a virtual food fight, erupts–except instead of cafeteria fodder, they would throw organic, home-blended baby food.

As much fun as I may make, I too have a Pinterest with thousands of pretty pins waiting to be imperfectly replicated, and I follow my favorite blogs as religiously as my parents and grandparents read the newspaper. Pinterest andblogs can make for some unique inspiration, and they’re great creative outlets for writers. They offer up ideas for every aspect of life imaginable so we don’t have to think of them ourselves, thank goodness, and they’ve birthed an entire generation of people looking to do things on their own, which can’t possibly be a bad thing. So, for those of you who are looking to throw a great Halloween party from scratch, worthy of a hundred re-pins, CCPL has got your back! Browse our great selection of Halloween books and look to the pros for your crafting and decorating ideas. Also, check out the fun books available for download via Freading. There are categories like crafts&hobbies, house&home, and cooking. The book “A Zombie Ate My CupCake!” by Lily Vanilli might be my personal favorite for goulish, fun eats–and when your party goers eat them up without savoring your creative culinary brilliance first, we have books for that too.

Classical Music at the Library, Part the Second

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classical music reviewIn the first part of this series, we scrutinized Philip Koro’s classical music on DVD picks. Now for my picks–this time, in the CD collection. Here they are, in no particular order:

Flute Sonatas- Joachim Quantz is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of Baroque composers (more likely it is J.S. Bach), but he deserves his recognition, too. This recording not only gives you a feel for his style, but the sound quality is amazing. Go for baroque.

The Complete Works for Piano- Today, the Debussy piece “Clair de Lune” is so commonplace that even someone without a background in classical music would immediately know the tune. It’s hard to believe, but in the rough-and-tumble world of nineteenth century Paris, Claude was a rebel–complete with disheveled beard. Expand your appreciation of this genius with Geiseking’s interpretation! Although an older recording of Debussy’s complete catalog of solo piano compositions, it still will provide hours of listening pleasure.

The Planets- Gustav Holst’s perennial favorite is one of the classical pieces that first got me hooked.  Chances are, you’ve probably heard some of the compositions from this suite. The popularity of this work, while definitely deserved, obscures his other works, which are just as noteworthy. Try out his First and Second Suites for Band after you return from outer space.

Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) – This is the other work that made me an aficionado. Stravinsky’s ballet score is still as sublimely atavistic as it was back in 1913, where the opening night led to a riot by offended Parisians. Have your own riot at home or in the car (or even at work!). Not to be missed.

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis- A long time ago, my grandmother told me that one of my distant relatives roomed with Ralph Vaughan Williams at university. Whether or not this is true, his compositions are lovely– the aural equivalent of dental floss. This compilation CD has one of his most well-known works, including The Lark Ascending.

Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio- I admit, this isn’t exactly “classical music” to the genre purist.  But bear with me. Claude Bolling’s piece is a rich blend of jazz and classical sensibilities, complete with some fancy work on the flute by Jean-Pierre Rampal, a noted classical flautist. It makes for a refreshing listen, one that yields more nuance with each new hearing.

 

 

What We’re Reading – September Edition

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staff picksAnother look at what the library bloggers are reading.

Emily – Fun House by Chris Grabenstein – The 7th installment in this New Jersey-set mystery series has Officers John Ceepak and Danny Boyle reluctantly overseeing security for the raunchy and rambunctious cast of a Jersey Shore-esq reality show.

Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts – I’ve just started listening to the audio version of this mystery that stars Lucky O’Toole, a “fixer” for a major Las Vegas casino.  The first in a series, Lucky finds herself investigating the mysterious death of a woman who died falling from a casino-owned helicopter.

Cara – I just started The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann (JF). I’m only a few chapters in, but I love mysterious and sinister tone that’s set for the reader as a whole town disappears, faeries are integrated into English society, and Bartholomew, a changeling, seems to be headed for trouble as a strange visitor to the town sees him for what he is. Hits shelves September 18, 2012.

Sarah – Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. YA fantasy set in an alternate Russia, where magic-wielding children are raised to form an army under the mysterious Darkling. Alina’s gift is so strong and frightening that it might save the country–if she can learn to control it without being controlled herself.

Vanessa – I am reading Private Patient by PD James. It’s an Adam Dalgliesh mystery that is British detection at it’s finest. If you’re looking for a good mystery whose ending you’ll never see coming, PD James is your lady!

Laura S. – I’m only reading books with their cover art painted by Daniel Dos Santos. Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch, My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, Moon Called by Patricia Briggs are the first titles in some of the series. He only picks the best books to work on, they are all hilarious; the covers reflect that. He paints them all in traditional oils.

Phyllis – The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty – historical fiction loosely based on the life of Louise Brooks, silent film actress.

Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews – Love lost, love found and secrets revealed.

Donna -  Currently, I’m reading a cozy mystery in “A Cat in the Stacks Mystery” series titled Classified as Murder by Miranda James.  This series is a fun read, I love that the main character is a college librarian in a small southern town. His Maine Coon Cat, Diesel, adds a lot of character to the story.

I’m listening to The Innocent by David Baldacci, a really exciting mystery that is making me tempted to drive farther so I can listen to just one more chapter.

MacKenzie – I’m reading The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making by Catherynne Valente. With a title like that you know it’ll be good. I’m also reading “The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year’s Best Science Fiction” edited by Gardner Dozois.

Andrea – I’m listening to Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand about four high school students and their families after a fatal car accident on Nantucket.

I’m reading Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson who survived a plane crash with third-degree burns over 80 percent of her body and embraces the fullness of life, love, motherhood and faith everyday.

Laura – I’m reading Spy the Lie in which former CIA agents explain how to spot signs that someone may be lying to you. Interesting to discover that things that we all accept as a sign of lying like not making eye contact isn’t actually a reliable sign at all.

Susan – When the Mississippi Ran Backwards; Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes by Jay Feldman. The 1811-1812 earthquakes that violently shook the midwest in and around New Madrid, Missouri are the backdrop to major historical events including the Indian and U.S. Government relations between Tecumseh, his brother The Prophet, and William Henry Harrison, the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, and the first steam boats to run on the Mississippi river.  This was a time when Ohio was still considered “wilderness”, Indian tribes were plentiful and Spain, France and England were still influential in the young United States development.

Diane – I’m listening to Night Watch, by Linda Fairstein.  Book 14 in her Alex Cooper series, we find Alex in France with her lover, Luc Rouget, famed restaurateur.  48 hours into her one week vacation, a former employee of Luc’s is murdered. Before Alex can become embroiled in this case, she’s called back to New York for a high-profile rape case involving, coincidentally, an important French economist.

Staff Summer Reading: Polygamy

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“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. “ First Amendment to the United States Constitution

chosen oneIn a land that values its freedoms and rights where do we draw the line? For the library staff’s summer reading program this year, we were able to read books on the topic of our choice. The topic I chose has recently been in the news quite a bit and tends to ruffle feathers: Polygamy.

The Chosen One by Carol Williams is a young adult fiction book that gives a realistic voice to thirteen-year-old Kyra. Kyra finds herself with two great forbidden loves- one for books the other for a boy her own age, Joshua. Kyra must make a heartbreaking choice that had me sitting just a few extra minutes to learn what happened next.

Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka is a unique look at beliefs, family and outsiders. Told in alternating voices of Celeste, Nanette, and Taviana, each girl must abide by strict guidelines that influence every aspect of their lives. Celeste and Nanette are sisters that have never known anything outside of the Movement, while Taviana, who is from the outside world, has only been with them for a little while. These three girls will come to influence each other’s lives in so many unthinkable ways.

Lost Boy by Brent Jeffs, adult nonfiction, is a different take on the entire situation! I’m so glad I read this book as one of my selections. For girls in the FLDS, their future is out of their hands. They are told by the prophet who they will marry, essentially become their husband’s property, and are even told this is their only way into heaven. Learning about Brent’s experience with the FLDS made it slightly easier to understand the mind-set of the males involved. I highly recommend this triumphant book about overcoming and staying strong.

Keep Sweet, written by Michele Greene, is a young adult fiction book that tells of Alva Jane, who is content with the strict rules that define her life in the walled community where she lives with her father, his seven wives, and her twenty-eight siblings. But when Alva is caught in an innocent kiss with the boy she loves, everything changes. When she is beaten and faces marriage to a violent, fifty-year-old man, Alva must make the decision of her life.

Church of Lies by Flora Jessop is an adult nonfiction book that stunned and enraged me! Flora lived life on the inside of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS). She tells of her journey from an abused child to a leader in a modern day underground railroad of sorts.

Nancy works as a Library Assistant at the Milford-Miami Twp. Branch.

What’s on Your Nightstand?

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stack of booksIf you’re like most readers, you have a book on your nightstand. For some of us, reading is the last thing we do at night. For others, it’s the first thing we do in the morning (Okay, maybe there’s coffee first, but you know what I mean). Sometimes it’s the same book we read other places and for some of us, it’s a nightstand specific choice.

A random sampling of coworkers gave me this list of current books on nightstands:

Me? I always have one book that I read only at night before I fall asleep. Right now, I’m reading Cat’s Claw by Susan Wittig Albert; it’s one of her Pecan Springs mysteries.

And you? What’s on your nightstand?

 

What We’re Reading – Early May 2012

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Unsurprisingly, we bloggers have very different tastes when it comes to choosing books to read for  pleasure. Here’s a peek at what we’re currently reading:

Donna – I’m reading a cozy mystery, An Uplifting Murder-a Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper Series by Elaine Viets.

Amy B. – I’m reading Quiet: The power of Introverts in a world that can’t stop talking by Susan Cain.

Laura S – I’m reading Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith, Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore and I JUST got Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir  by The Bloggess Jenny Lawson. It’s going to be a funny, funny weekend in my house!

Vanessa – I am reading Anne’s House of Dreams, the 5th book in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables Series. Anne and Gilbert have finally gotten married and moved into their “House o’Dreams”. Such a sweet book!

Sarah – I’m reading The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. It might be juvenile fiction, but it’s funny for grown-ups, too!

Amy M. – I’m reading Mad Women: The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the ’60′s and Beyond by Jane Maas.

Emily – I’m reading The Expats by Chris Pavone.  Newly arrived in Luxembourg, mother and expat Kate Moore suspects that another American couple are not who they claim to be and as her paranoia grows, she becomes increasingly terrified that her own past is catching up with her.

Ross – I’m currently waiting for The Social Conquest of Earth by Edward O. Wilson.  Seems like a fascinating (and probably controversial) read. We shall see.

Laura – Grave Mercy by Robin Lefevers. Marked by St. Mortain as his handmaiden, Ismae escapes a brutal arranged marriage to become a nun in St. Mortain’s convent, which isn’t your ordinary Medieval convent but one which grooms its members to be assassins. Engaging, alternate world fantasy.

McKenzie – I’m reading Clash of Kings, the second book in George R. R. Martin’s “Song of Fire and Ice” series.

Eric – I’m reading the new book from Seth Grahame-Smith, Unholy Night. Mr. Grahame-Smith is the author o Abraham Lincoln:  Vampire Hunter which was adapted for the movies and will be in theaters June 22nd.