Come Help. Celebrate, and/or Discuss by Janice Clauser

Come Help. Celebrate, and/or Discuss

Janice Clauser

            The Crawfordsville Library is issuing a new pamphlet about its Homebound Services program.  Circulation staff member Dawn Bonebrake announces that helpers will be appreciated this summer to deliver books to patrons unable to visit the library.  Call 362-2242 Extension One, if you’d enjoy this work. The leaflets are available now at the circulation desk.

            The annual party honoring CDPL volunteers is scheduled for May 19^th with entertainment and refreshments from 2-4 p.m.

            Another activity to consider is one of the library’s book clubs. The Family Book Club will have its first discussion on June 25^th at 5:30; to prepare, J. K. Rowling’s book and movie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” can be borrowed at the circulation desk starting the last week of May.

           

              

              There are many newly published stories to inspect. Barbara Taylor Bradford’s “Secrets from the Past” tells about a woman discovering a certain archive containing family secrets. Walter Mosley’s “Stepping Stone” and “Love Machine” are two separate short novels which explore life’s cosmic questions. “Damage Control” contains stories by Amber Dermont about privilege and uncertainty experienced by characters at the crossroads of their maturity. “Winesburg, Ohio,” “The Triumph of the Egg,” ”Horses and Men,” and “Death in the Woods,” written between 1919 and 1933 comprise “Sherwood Anderson: Collected Stories.” 

              

              

               “Z” is Therese Fowler’s novel of Zelda Fitzgerald’s world and the legendary circles in which she moved in the Jazz Age. She met F. Scott at a country club dance in 1918 when she was 17 and he was a young army lieutenant. Susan Tekulve’s “In the Garden of Stone” is a multigenerational tale about how an impoverished family in Appalachia endures estrangement from their homeland Sicily in the 1920s. “Coup d’Etat” is alternative history by Harry Turtledove considering what might have happened if Chamberlain had chosen not to appease Hitler. Shane Jones gives a character courage to face a lifelong fear in “Daniel Fights a Hurricane.” “Alive!” by Loren Estleman is called a comedic mystery about Bela Lugosi’s lost screen test for “Frankenstein.” Someone has it and a horror magazine publisher wants to buy it. Next, a bumpy ride is promised if you read Tammy Kaehler’s mystery “Braking Points;” a lady racecar driver is the target of vicious messages as a friend’s killer hunts for her. “The Flamethrowers” by Rachel Kushner is about a young artist and the new worlds she encounters in New York and Rome in the mid-1970s, throwing her into a radical movement and then betrayal  “Criminal Enterprise” by Owen Laukkanen begins with a Minneapolis bank robbery.  

             

               The science fiction “Wool” by Hugh Howey depicts life underground meant for safety, the greatest danger being emerging to outside air. “A Map of Tulsa” by Benjamin Lytal begins when the main character is home from college and through a friend’s eyes rediscovers his hometown. “Something about Sophie” by Mary McComas is about a sleepy, idyllic hamlet upset when a newcomer arrives in town. “The Dream Merchant” by Fred Waitzkin describes a “charismatic yet morally ambiguous salesman” who becomes the father of a pyramid scheme. Jake Arnott’s “The House of Rumour” searches for connections between seeming disparate events: World War II spy intrigue, occultism, the West Coast science-fiction set, and the new-wave music scene of the 1980s. “Ordinary Grace” by William Krueger transports us 40 years after the fateful summer when a teen loses his whole family.

Local Treats at Library Conference by Janice Clauser

           

            “A good time was had by all” (learning and pleasure) when the Crawfordsville Library staff hosted the annual Conference of Indiana District 2 Libraries. Our circulation department’s Katy Myers, head of Adult Programs, reports on the inspiring day: “One hundred of us gathered last Friday morning with great anticipation, for 20 programs in five sessions to enhance our abilities to be more effective, efficient, and open to new ideas. Lali Hess of The Juniper Spoon catered our delicious lunch. She is featured in “Food for Thought: An Indiana Harvest” the book (reviewed in this column and available in the CDPL) promoted by the day’s keynote speakers, David Hoppe and Kristen Hess, who described farms, stores, and businesses with “making life better” offerings ranging from bison farms and organic caterers to homemade candy stores and award-winning grappa-brandy made from grape skins.” 

             

            New research on Crawfordsville shelves opens our eyes to contemporary views. In “The New Mind of the South” Tracy Thompson honors a book of 1941 by Wilbur Cash called “The Mind of the South” by being its sequel. She praises the South for its ability to adapt and transform itself. She finds African Americans now returning, drawn back by a mix of ambition, family ties, and cultural memory. The new South is ahead of other places in absorbing waves of Latino immigrants, and rediscovering its agrarian traditions. The author still thinks the region is misunderstood by outsiders and even by its own people. 

           

            “The Secretary” by Kim Ghattas is a journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the heart of American power. With compelling detail she tells how Clinton transformed from popular but polarizing politician to America’s envoy to the world with its tensions and high-stakes diplomacy. “Lee Kuan Yew” profiles the founding father of modern Singapore and prime minister from 1959 to 1990, moving his country into a Western-style economic success. The book contains interviews and selections by Graham Allison and Robert Blackwill. 

 Tom Daschle and Charles Robbins’ “The U.S. Senate”, second in the Fundamentals of American Government series, explores the inner workings of this part of the legislative branch, showing exactly how the Senate really operates. ”The Good Rich and What They Cost Us” by Robert Dalzell, Jr. addresses a great historical paradox, a passionate belief in the principles of democracy combined with an equally passionate celebration of wealth. “The Battle of Bretton Woods” by Benn Steil tells of John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the making of a new world order at the New Hampshire town when representatives of 44 nations gathered in July, 1944. Michael Dobbs’ “Six Months in 1945” spans some dramatic moments of the 20^th century: the end of WW II, the dawn of the nuclear age, and the beginning of the Cold War.  

             

            Here are two new requested novels. Elizabeth Berg’s “Tapestry of Fortunes” illustrates two ideas: how women grow through their relationships that define them, and the power of female friendship. “Bristol House” by Beverly Swerling “blends a haunting supernatural thriller with vivid history of Tudor London where monks are being executed, Jews banished, and the power of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell reach every corner of the kingdom.”

Crawfordsville Library Hosts Federation Conference by Janice Clauser

The Crawfordsville Library will be closed tomorrow; it is the site for the Indiana Library Federation District 2 Conference. Between 8:30 and 4:10 lectures and workshops will take place featuring four conference sessions.

“Shadow Warrior” by Randall Woods is a biography of William Colby and his era of the CIA. As a World War II commando, Cold War spy, and CIA director under presidents Nixon and Ford, he played a critical role in some pivotal events of the twentieth century. “All the Best, George Bush” is the travelogue of an observant president George H. W. Bush. “His writings cover affairs of state and affairs of spaniels on equal footing. The short takes on a long life reveal an underlying sense of duty to office, family and morality.” (Jennifer Harper, the Washington Post). 

“A Belief in Providence” by Julie Young is the life of Theodora Guerin, a pioneer on the Indiana frontier and recently Indiana’s first saint in 2006.  From France she came to the United States in 1840, and founded the Sisters of Providence and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, the oldest Catholic women’s liberal arts college in the U.S. Debbie Reynolds’ “Unsinkable” a memoir, gives her a unique perspective on Hollywood and its elite, from the earlier era of MGM to the present.

Bob Knight’s “The Power of Negative Thinking” is his unconventional approach to achieving positive results. He makes the case that negative thinking can actually produce more positive results than unrealistic optimism. “The Captain” is Ian O’Connor’s report on the long journey of Derek Jeter using some materials from his 200 interviews to reveal how this biracial kid from Michigan became New York’s most beloved sports figure, and the example of a steroid-free athlete.

“This Explains Everything” edited by John Brockman quotes the world’s most influential minds on physics, economics, psychology, and neuroscience, with 150 brilliant theories about our minds, societies, and universe. Amy Brann has written “Make Your Brain Work” to maximize efficiency, productivity and effectiveness. A simpler book by Ron Fry is “Improve Your Reading” for students. “Your Survival Instinct is Killing You” is Marc Schoen’s treatise on retraining our brains. How to get help with addiction is found in “Inside Rehab” by Anne Fletcher.

 

“My Last Empress” by Da Chen is a story of passion and obsession set against the upheavals of nineteenth-century imperial China. Erec Stebbins’ “The Ragnarok Conspiracy” fills a traditional terrorist thriller with engaging characters, great conflicts, and profound thoughts, with twists and turns around every corner. Clare Clark’s “Beautiful Lies” takes us to London in 1887 where a proclaimed Chilean heiress educated in Paris is torn between her love of poetry and the new art of photography, besides at the same time being chased by a notorious newspaper editor; it’s a take on the true story of a politician’s wife who lived a double life for decades.  

Newly requested books begin with Karen Kingsbury’s “The Chance” featuring a teenage girl and her best friend, a boy, who wrote letters to each other and buried them in an old box. The plan was to return eleven years later from wherever they were. Meanwhile they both had disappointments in their lives. So what will happen when they meet on schedule? C. J. Box offers “Breaking Point” a Joe Pickett novel in which Joe’s friend disappears; there are obvious reasons why, but proving them and finding him is the challenge. 

Come and Discuss “Life of Pi” by Janice Clauser

At the Crawfordsville Library, the book club called “Never Judge a Book by its Movie” will discuss “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel next Thursday at 6:30 p.m. You are welcome to attend, and may pick up a book copy at the circulation desk and/or see the movie on your own beforehand. 

 

 

 

 

 

           Here are a few “how to” and “how it was” books at the Crawfordsville Library that seem unique. “Accidental Pharisees” by Larry Osborne shows how to avoid pride, exclusivity, and the other dangers of overzealous faith. “The Rules of Influence” by William Crano (called “one of the best books on social psychology ever written”) teaches about winning when you’re in the minority. “Friendkeeping” by Julie Klam is a field guide to the people you love, hate, and can’t live without. “Quiet” is Susan Cain’s take on the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking. 

           Karen Webb offers “Principles of the Enneagram,” the narrative method of reporting our self-observations to others, a discovery that strengthens us spiritually as we make progress expressing our observations. “Habits animate and limit different types of people.” 

 

 

 

 

 

          


           There are two nonfiction story books. In “A Little History of Science” author William Bynum says it’s a great adventure story. It traces the march of science through the centuries. It charts the evolution of chemistry’s periodic table. It recounts the scientific quest that revealed the DNA molecule. It tells personal stories of scientists famous and unsung. “The Story of ‘Ain’t’” by David Skinner discusses America’s language, and the most controversial dictionary ever published. 

           

           There’s “The Spine of the Continent” in which Mary Hannibal writes about the most ambitious wildlife conservation project ever undertaken. “The Great Railroad Revolution” is the history of trains in America compiled by Christian Wolmar; it mentions the Indiana Central Railroad and the Indianapolis, Crawfordsville & Western Railroad although it is really a general look at the era of building and popularizing this transportation. “Walkable City” by Jeff Speck educates us about how downtown can save America, one step at a time.

            Kurt Vonnegut’s “Letters” mostly never published before, have that uncanny wisdom that has endeared the author to his readers worldwide. He observes science, art, and commerce with his open-hearted humanism. In “Mao: The Real Story” Alexander Pantsov uses previously unavailable Russian documents to reveal new details about his rise to power and his leadership in China. “Former People” is Douglas Smith’s title as he surveys the final days of the Russian aristocracy. 

            Fodor’s 2013 “travel intelligence” guide “Arizona & the Grand Canyon” is now on the new shelf. 

 

 

 

 

           You can find billions of dollars in scholarships, grants and prizes in the large paperback called “The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2013” by Gen Tanabe. Zola & Norman Schneider’s “Campus Visits & College Interviews” and Sarah McGinty’s “The College Application Essay” come from the College Board, New York.

           

                   



 

 

 

 

            One book deserves special attention because of its treatment of Samuel Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner;” it’s also a wise lecture on our present day environmental crises. “The Rime of the Modern Mariner” by Nick Hayes is a work of art that’s fun to read, a treat for the eyes, and a display of woodcut variety and beauty. 

Visit Montgomery County’s Crinoids by Janice Clauser

 

 

 

One very special historical display in Montgomery County is the collection of crinoids from the Mississippian Era preserved on the upper level in the Crawfordsville Library, described, labeled and donated by the William Jones family.            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Thavis, recently retired prize-winning chief of the Rome bureau of Catholic News Service, has written (in 2012) “The Vatican Diaries,” a behind-the-scenes look at the power and personalities at the heart of the Catholic Church.  His writing takes readers from the politicking behind the election of a new pope to a dispute over a parking lot excavation that unearthed a stunningly preserved Roman grave site. “Stalin’s Curse” is Robert Gellately’s research of newly released Russian documentation revealing Joseph Stalin’s true motives, and the extent of his enduring commitment to expanding the Soviet empire, during the years in which he seemingly collaborated with Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and the capitalist West. Walter Johnson’s “River of Dark Dreams” explains slavery and empire in the cotton kingdom’s era, and he predicts that the next generation of debaters over slavery in the U. S. must wrestle with his startling and profound insights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Masters of the Universe” by Daniel Jones examines the birth of neo-liberal politics after 1945 through a transatlantic network of think tanks, businessmen, politicians, and journalists. Jeb Bush and Clint Bolick offer a practical, non-partisan approach to “Immigration Wars.” “Ethical Chic” holds Fran Hawthorne’s comments about companies we think we love. She analyses six Apple, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, American Apparel, Timberland, and Tom’s of Maine. Tom Allen’s “Dangerous Convictions” asks “What’s really wrong with the U.S. Congress.” “Frankenstein’s Cat” is about cuddling up to biotech’s brave new beasts as our grandest science fiction fantasies are fast becoming reality. And then as a contrast, from 2,000 years ago, there’s “The King of Infinite Space” about Euclid and his elements, written by David Berlinski.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Fair Food” comes from Oran Hesterman’s ideas about growing a healthy food system for all; Alice Waters writes, “’Fair Food’…illuminates a clear path toward a more sustainable, fair, and delicious future.” Melanie Warner’s “Pandora’s Lunchbox” tells how processed food took over the American meal, resulting in the cheapest, most abundant, most addictive, and most nutritionally inferior food in the world now producing 70% of our nation’s calories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Best Hikes Near Indianapolis” by Nick Werner offers good tours including Shades State Park, Pine Hills, Turkey Run State Park, and Raccoon State Recreation Area (pages 225-244.) Farther east is Fodor’s new “travel intelligence” about “New England” featuring historic towns, fall foliage, hiking and skiing.”

“American Rose: the life and times of Gypsy Rose Lee” is an immersive, almost novelistic portrait,” according to USA Today.”   

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

            “The Ellington Century” by David Schiff takes away walls between musical genres usually discussed separately – classical, jazz, and popular - in an integrated view of 20^th century music. It does this by placing Duke Ellington (1899-1974) at the center of the story with his broad ideas of rhythm, melody, and harmony. Best of all, the book shows how composers and performers shared the pursuit of representing the changing conditions of modern life