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Martha Canfield Library E-news - November
Welcome to the November edition of the Martha Canfield Library’s e-newsletter. If you have any suggestions, you can email them to our hotmail account or leave them in our suggestion jar on the front desk.
We’ll be closed on Thursday, November 24, Thanksgiving Day.
Message from the Board of Trustees
Soon, some of you have received a letter about our annual fund drive. Those of you who don't receive it probably indicated that you didn't want to be on our "mailing list" when you signed up for your library card.
You may not know that the Martha Canfield Library gets the vast majority of its operating expenses from this fund drive. We receive a small amount from the three towns that we serve directly. The amount per capita that the towns give us is far less than the state average for town participation. And we receive NO funds from the state. We have an endowment fund and we use the interest from that account for operating expenses, but you can imagine what the current economic trend is doing to our endowment. So we DEPEND on those of you who use the library, who recognize how important a library is to the community and to you personally.
Libraries all over North America are facing huge cutbacks. Some libraries are cutting hours, some are closing permanently. We have managed through your support to not only remain open, but increase our hours and services.
PLEASE, when you receive your annual fund letter, respond as generously as you can. Every single dollar is important. If you haven't received a letter we have fund envelopes at the front desk, just pick one up.
Thank you.
Martha Folsom,
President
News
Universal Class is a new learning program available through the Vermont Department of Libraries. Universal Class offers over five hundred online classes ranging from How to Create Web Pages to Conflict Resolution to Knitting Basics. You can find the link on the bottom of our home page. To register for the site you will need to enter a library membership ID that includes part of your library card barcode number. The password format is 2VSNA900XXXXXX, just replace the six X’s with the last six characters of your barcode. Once you register and create your username and password, you will use that to login. Happy learning!
Technology News
Are you baffled by some of the things your computer does? Do you want some tips for using email or searching the internet? A technology intern, Jessi Webb, will be available to help at the Library on Wednesday afternoons from 1 to 2 pm and on Thursday evenings from 7 to 8 pm. If your laptop has wireless capability, you may bring it with you, or you can have a lesson on one of our computers. Please call the Library at 802-375-6153 to pre-register for a time slot.
Jessi will present a demonstration of Email Tipsin the Library meeting room on Thursday, November 17 at 6:30 pm. She will cover some general techniques and answer questions. You need not pre-register, and you may bring your own computer if you wish.
This service is sponsored by an E-Vermont Broadband Grant.
Events
Our book discussion of the Vermont Reads 2011 book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, will be held on Sunday, November 20 at 2 pm in the meeting room. More than a story of race, class, and growing up in the Deep South of the 1930s, To Kill a Mockingbird is a story of innocence, prejudice, parental love, and moral development. Perhaps above all, it is a story of integrity and courage. Join us, and join your neighbors, in discovering and rediscovering this classic story of the moral awakening of a young girl that parallels the moral reawakening of a country. The discussion will be led by Bob Dudley. Books are available at the library.
Book Sale
Our book sale in the Community House will be open one more weekend, November 19 and 20. Hours will be Saturday 10 – 4 and Sunday 1 – 4. If you are beginning to think about holiday shopping, we have many special books suitable for gifts. Or, fill a bag for yourself for the upcoming winter for the bargain price of $5.00 a bag (excluding special price books.)
Book Donations
We are still happy to accept donations of gently used books, DVDs, games and puzzles at the Library during our regular hours. But, please, we can’t use books with mold, mouse droppings, dirt or insects.. Mold on books can be a health hazard for staff and for you, especially if it spreads to other books in the building. Mold is not always obvious as it often hides under the paper dust jackets. Please check any books you plan to donate, it costs the Library money to dispose of moldy books.
Also, we can’t use textbooks, Readers’ Digest Condensed Books, encyclopedias, old medical books and magazines that are not current.
For Kids
If you’re just learning to read, we have a lot of beginning readers for you. There are books about dogs, books about cars, books about children like you. One of my favorite books is Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog, by Cynthia Rylant. Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, live next door to Mrs. Teaberry and her small dog, Zeke. One day Mrs. Teaberry slips and hurts her foot, so she can’t take Zeke out for his walk. Mr. Putter agrees to walk Zeke, but he gets into all kinds of adventures with Zeke. Some of the things that happen are funny, and the pictures made me laugh. If you want a funny book, come and borrow one of our many books about Mr. Putter and Tabby.
In the Canfield Gallery
Our annual arts and crafts show for the holidays is open now through the end of December. We have many reasonably priced items for gift giving, such as wooden toys, scarves and hats, baby items, candles, ornaments, jewelry and many more unique items, all made by area crafters. Stop in and see what’s new!
The Russell Vermontiana Collection
By Bill Budde, Curator
In the last library newsletter, I asked residents of Sandgate, Arlington, and Sunderland to donate photographs of the storm and its aftermath for our historic photograph files. In return for the photographs, we offered to add the photographs as a special “mini-collection” in the donor’s name. This would then be part of our Hurricane Irene Documents. A big thank you goes out to donations received from Martha Folsom, Bill Budde, Phyllis Skidmore, Andrew McKeever, Kathleen Kenny, and Richard Holton. Please send any Irene photos in for the record, including post-repair photos you may have taken.
Following our request for volunteers to map and record our area cemeteries, we had two volunteers offer to help, both Trustees. We received some excellent photos of the so-called Mt. Pleasant cemetery and the legible inscriptions thanks to the work of trustee Martha Folsom and her sister-in-law, Elaine Gower. Bob Dudley, another trustee, has started to work on the West Arlington Cemetery.
Volunteer Opportunities
We are still looking for someone to handle some publicity for the Library, writing press releases and submitting them to the media. If you have a flair for writing, we would appreciate your help.
The Mystery Corner
New Mysteries on the Shelf
By Martha Folsom
I love this time of year! Lots of new books, by the really good writers! Here are some of our new ones.
Steve Berry - The Jefferson Key
Political intrigue is served up with style by Steve Berry. His research is so thorough and so closely intertwined with the plot that it is almost like reading a historical novel. If you aren't familiar with Article 1 Section 8 of our Constitution and our country's historical connection to pirates, you are in for an interesting read that is more action than character driven.
C. J. Box - Free Fire
Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum merely has her vehicle trashed on a regular basis. Box's Game Warden, Joe Pickett, goes through vehicles with classy style. Free Fire takes place in Yellowstone National Park where due to a legal loophole a man gets away with murdering four men. (The loophole is a true one, which is being closed.) The Joe Pickett series is a great read, best done from the beginning with Open Season, but if you are already reading the books, you'll find this one excellent.
J. A. Jance - Betrayal of Trust
Seattle's Homicide Investigator, J. P. Beaumont, is getting older, in fact one of the suspects calls him 'an old man' and his knees hurt. But he is still one of the best reads in the mystery world. In this case, the Governor's step-son is sent a video of a snuff film on his cell phone and the Governor asks for Beaumont to be put on the case. Jance is an excellent writer. You'll enjoy this series.
Craig Johnson - Hell is Empty
I need a book of superlative words to write about Craig Johnson and his character, Sheriff Walt Longmire. Unlike the earlier Longmire books, this is basically a chase, rather than a mystery. It's not as funny as some of the earlier books, but there is still a lot of dry wit. The colorful side-characters Johnson has had in the earlier books are here in very small roles. Hell is Empty is more about Sheriff Longmire himself, and his determination. (Hell is 13,000 feet up a Wyoming mountain in a freezing, blinding May snowstorm chasing an escaped convict.)
Louise Penny - A Trick of the Light
Another death returns Chief Inspector Gamache to Three Pines, Quebec. Penny continues to surpass herself with each book. She is, indeed, one of the most talented of the present day mystery writers. If you haven't read other books by her, start at the beginning of the series with Still Life, to enjoy the real development of the characters. You will become addicted to this series.
Anne Perry - Acceptable Loss
The William Monk series takes place in Victorian England. This book is a continuation of Execution Dock. Monk is now Head of the Thames River Police. In this book he is forced to face an evil worse than he has ever faced before. He must, also, once again square off in court against his old friend, Oliver Rathbone. Rathbone is also faced with the challenge of deciding which loyalty demands the most from him - family, or truth and justice.
Christopher Reich - Rules of Deception
This is a typical non-spy-person-gets-entangled-in-an-international-spy-drama-and-must-save-the-world story which requires more suspension of belief than the professional spy type thrillers. Nevertheless, it is a real page turner. If you really would like to see Reich's writing at its best try Numbered Account.
J. D. Robb - New York to Dallas
This is a bit darker than most Eve Dallas stories. Eve is a lieutenant in New York's Homicide Squad in 2060. The escape of a man she had put behind bars long ago brings her up against a terrible criminal as well as issues from her past she felt she had dealt with, when the case sends her from New York to, once again, Dallas, Texas.
Reader's Pick by Lesley Nase
Beginner’s Grace: Bringing Prayer to Life, by Kate Braestrup
If you have ever wondered what words to say when praying, Kate Braestrup’s book Beginner’s Grace: Bringing Prayer to Lifeis a book that will make you ponder, laugh, and reflect on your own relationship with prayer. Kate is a community minister in Maine, she does not serve in a church; as she puts it, “I serve diverse populations out in the world.” Kate Braestrup is the Chaplin to the Maine Warden Service. As Chaplin, she has been called to assist game wardens and other community members during good times and tough times.
Kate’s book is broken up into six parts: invitation, siren calls, ask, celebrate, the word and leap. Throughout she has sprinkled family stories, life experience and bible verses. It is not a book telling you what to believe, it is a book that will help you bring prayer to your life in a meaningful way for you. The greatest comfort or acknowledgment that one can offer is prayer whether it is for oneself or others. This book will inspire you to bring grace into your daily life.
Wanted: More Reader's Picks
How about a Biography Reader's Pick for this newsletter? Or a History Reader's Pick, a Young Adult Reader's Pick -- even a Cookbook Reader's Pick? Send us short reviews of favorite books you think other like-minded readers will enjoy.
By the way, if the Library doesn't yet own the book, perhaps you'd like to purchase a copy -- at the Library's 20-45% discount -- and gift it to the collection. Talk to Phyllis.
New Books
Fiction
Black Wind, by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler
Happy Birthday, by Danielle Steel
Fallen, by Karin Slaughter
This Glittering World, T. Greenwood (VT author)
Noah’s Compass, by Anne Tyler
Private, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
The Rug Merchant, by Meg Mullins
The Septembers of Shiraz, by Dalia Sofer
The Silent Girl, by Tess Gerritsen
Stardust, by Joseph Kanon
The Whole World Over, by Julia Glass
Jayber Crow, by Wendell Berry
The Distant Hours, by Kate Morton
The Lost Gate, by Orson Scott Card
Mothers and Daughters, by Rae Meadows
Smash Cut, by Sandra Brown
Swamplandia!, by Karen Russell
Two Rivers, by T. Greenwood (VT author)
World War Z, by Max Brooks
Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell
Galileo’s Dream, by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Marsbound, by Joe Haldeman
Large Print
Spies of the Balkans, by Alan Furst
The Lady in Blue, by Javier Sierra
Mystery
Betrayal of Trust, by J. A. Jance
The Redbreast, by Jo Nesbø
The Snowman, by Jo Nesbø
Acceptable Loss, by Anne Perry
Flash and Bones, by Kathy Reichs
New York to Dallas, by J. D. Robb
A Trick of the Light, by Louise Penny
The Neon Rain, by James Lee Burke
The Various Haunts of Men, by Susan Hill
Nemesis, by Jo Nesbø
Right from the Gecko, by Cynthia Baxter
The Jasmine Moon Murder, by Laura Childs
The Red Door, by Charles Todd
A Matter of Justice, by Charles Todd
Non-fiction
Curse of the Narrows, by Laura M. MacDonald
Embraced By the Light, by Betty J. Eadie with Curtis Taylor
Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations, by Georgina Howell
Haunted Vermont, by Charles A. Stansfield, Jr.
Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian, by Paul F. Knitter
Beginner’s Grace: Bringing Prayer to Life, by Kate Braestrup
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua
A Singular Woman: the Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mother, by Janny Scott
The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy and the Way Out of Afghanistan, by Bing West
Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog, by Lisa Scottoline
A Secret Gift: How One Man’s Kindness – and a Trove of Letters – Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression, by Ted Gup
Imperfect Endings: a Daughter’s Story of Love, Loss and Letting Go, by Zoe Fitzgerald Carter
Wendy and the Lost Boys: the Uncommon Life of Wendy Wasserstein, by Julie Salamon
Fantastic Furniture in an Afternoon, by Mickey Baskett
A Stolen Life, by Jaycee Lee Dugard
Contemporary Marbles and Related Art Glass, by Mark P. Block
Touchpoints Three to Six, by T. Berry Brazelton and Joshua D. Sparrow
Rabbits for Dummies, by Audrey Pavia
The Color of Atmosphere: One Doctor’s Journey In and Out of Medicine, by Maggie Kozel
Deep Future: the Next 100,000 Years of Life on Earth, by Curt Stager
Eating for Acid Reflux, by Jill Sklar and Annabel Cohen
It Happened on the Way to War: a Marine’s Path to Peace, by Rye Barcott
The Memory Palace, by Mira Bartok
Einstein: His Life and His Universe, by Walter Isaacson
My Stroke of Insight: a Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, by Jill Bolte Taylor
Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West, by Benazir Bhutto
Audio CD
Robert Ludlum’s the Arctic Event, by James. H. Cobb
Body of Lies, by David Ignatius
The Charlemagne Pursuit, by Steve Berry
Executive Privilege, by Phillip Margolin
The Fires of Heaven, by Robert Jordan
The Last Oracle, by James Rollins
The Last Templar, by Raymond Khoury
The Messenger, by Christopher Lane
The Secret Servant, by Daniel Silva
The Shadow Rising, by Robert Jordan
Stalin’s Ghost, by Martin Cruz Smith
Terminal Freeze, by Lincoln Child
24 Hours, by Greg Iles
The Associate, by John Grisham
Bones to Ashes, by Kathy Reichs
The Book of Fate, by Brad Meltzer
Break No Bones, by Kathy Reichs
Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese
Echo Park, by Michael Connelly
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn
Hide, by Lisa Gardner
Invisible Prey, by John Sandford
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s, by John Elder Robison
The Traitor, by Stephen Coonts
DVD
The Heartbreak Kid, with Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan and Jerry Stiller
My Super Ex-Girlfriend, with Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson
The Lost Weekend, with Ray Milland and Jane Wyman
Young Adult
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
Angel Isle, by Peter Dickinson
The Seer of Shadows, by Avi
The Bridge to Never Land, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
The Glorious Adventures of the Sunshine Queen, by Geraldine McCaughrean
Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork
Messenger, by Lois Lowry
Party Princess, by Meg Cabot
The Power of Six, by Pittacus Lore
Wisdom’s Kiss, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Children
Fiction
The Big Nap, by Bruce Hale
The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, by Bruce Hale
The Malted Falcon, by Bruce Hale
Murder My Tweet, by Bruce Hale
The Mystery of Mr. Nice, by Bruce Hale
Give My Regrets to Broadway, by Bruce Hale
The Hamster of the Baskervilles, by Bruce Hale
This Gum for Hire, by Bruce Hale
The Doll in the Garden: a Ghost Story, by Mary Downing Hahn
Friendship According to Humphrey, by Betty G. Birney
The Wizard of Dark Street, by Shawn Thomas Odyssey
Picture Books
Koala Lou, by Mem Fox
Possum Magic, by Mem Fox
Quiet! There’s a Canary in the Library, by Don Freeman
We’re Roaming in the Rainforest, by Laurie Krebs
Froggy Goes to Camp, by Jonathan London
Beginning Readers
Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea, by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake, by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter and Tabby Fly the Plane, by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter and Tabby Row the Boat, by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter and Tabby Take the Train, by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish, by Cynthia Rylant
Aggie Gets Lost, by Lori Ries
Non-Fiction
Kids Can Cook!, by Nicola Graimes
Horse, by Juliet Clutton-Brock
Puzzle Island, by Paul Adshead
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