Remembering WWI

Local Artifacts

The Crawfordsville District Public Library is currently displaying, on the second floor, WWI memorabilia as an homage to all who served in "The Great War" and especially to a few, heroic soldiers with Montgomery County roots.

There are many non-fiction books about WWI included with the display and available for check out. Below, is a supplemental list of other classic, non-fiction and fiction books and movies that tell both the tragic and victorious stories inherent in WWI history.

The African Queen by C. S. Forester

Two very different people find themselves thrown together in the war-torn African jungle in 1914 and together they embark on a dangerous mission to destroy a German gunboat.





All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

This classic anti-war drama details the horrific experiences of young German soldiers & the tough sergeant who helps them survive the brutalities of trench warfare during World War I.






The Blue Max by Jack D. Hunter

Bruno Stachel is a nobody, a newly recruited junior officer in a First World War German combat squadron. But he is determined not to remain a nobody for long. He has his sights on the Blue Max - the most coveted of all German decorations - and he will do anything to get it.




A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

This is the story of Lieutenant Henry, an American, and Catherine Barkley, a British nurse. The two meet in Italy, and almost immediately Hemingway sets up the central tension of the novel: the tenuous nature of love in a time of war.






Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer

The story of one special man, a soldier named Sam Damon, and his adversary over a lifetime, fellow officer Courtney Massengale. Damon is a professional who puts duty, honor, and the men he commands above self interest. Massengale, however, brilliantly advances by making the right connections behind the lines and in Washington's corridors of power.



Sergeant York (based on the true story of Sergeant Alvin C. York)

During World War I, a man from Tennessee is torn between his pacifist principles and his patriotic duty. He goes on to become the most famous hero of that war, Alvin C. York.

Battle of the Authors Voting Results

Battle of the Authors

Koontz vs. King
Who will rule this ring?
One will win and one will lose
You get to choose...

In October and November we offered our community of readers the opportunity to voice their opinions about the novels and writing styles of our competing authors Dean Koontz and Stephen King and vote for their favorite. In addition, we provided posts that compared and contrasted their lives, works, and CDPL borrowing statistics as an aid to help our voters make informed decisions.

The votes are in - 36 for King, 14 for Koontz...

The undisputed winner of CDPL's first Battle of the Authors contest is Stephen King!

**Weigh in on our next Battle of the Authors contest between Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer**

Preview Shelf by Janice Clauser

Library News and Notable New Books

Another Record at the Library - A record 106 children and parents attended the Crawfordsville Library Youth Services' Fall Party at the end of October. Games, punch, cookies, and crafts were the activities, and many participants came dressed in costumes.

Bulletin: The library will be closed next week from Wednesday noon to Friday at 9 a.m. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

The latest Elm Creek Quilters novel by Jennifer Chiaverini has just been shelved. It's called "A Quilter's Holiday", celebrating the day after Thanksgiving as the official start of the quilting season, when the "Master Quilter" wants to revive a cherished family tradition. "Knit the Season" by Kate Jacobs is a Friday Night Knitting Club novel with a plot tailored to our upcoming holiday season.

Another new book is "The Civil War Wall Chart" (actually a spreadable time line) from Publications International Ltd. The Foreward by William C. Davis says, "To Americans, our Civil War represents a virtual Continental Divide of the old from the new, a turning point in our society, in our notion of government, even in our sense of ourselves." Pictures and small descriptions of events month by month from April, 1861 through April, 1865 offer a unique way to learn where and when so many thousands of lives were lost.

The requested book "A Soldier in World War I" is the diary of Elmer Sherwood, capturing his words as a Hoosier soldier writing on the front lines, having left Indiana University as a sophomore, inspired by his grandfather's service in the Union army. Ronald Kessler's "In the President's Secret Service" goes behind the scenes with agents in the line of fire and the Presidents they protect. Donovan Campbell's "Joker One" tells of being commander of a 40-man infantry platoon assigned to Ramadi, a gripping tale of leadership, loyalty, faith, and camaraderie throughout the best and worst of times. "True Compass" is Edward M. Kennedy's memoir, published earlier this year.

"Guinness World Records 2010" is the Book of the Decade. Interior designer Nina Campbell's "Decorating Notebook" features photos and text by journalist Alexandra Campbell. Simple moneymakers are contained in "Quick Cash for Teens" by Peter Bielagus.

New kitchen aid 534-page "Cooking" offers 600 recipes and 1500 photographs by James Peterson. "The Twelve Teas of Friendship" (seasonal celebrations) includes paintings by Susan Rios and text by Emilie Barnes. "One Bite at a Time" is Rebecca Katz' collection of nourishing recipes for cancer survivors and their friends. "Cooking with Convection" features 150 recipes and what's needed to get the most from this oven by Beatrice Ojakangas.

Garrison Keillor's "Pilgrims, A Wobegon Romance" is about a trip to Rome shepherded by Marjorie Krebsbach and party. Joyce Meyer's "Any Minute" shows a car plunging off a bridge into a river; the working mother driver has been barely squeezing family time into her busy work life. In Stuart Woods' "Hothouse Orchid" a CIA Special Agent takes a break from years on the trail of an internationally wanted terrorist, but finds another scary problem arise in her new environment. Julie Lessman's third book in The Daughters of Boston is "A Passion Denied" following a girl who pursues her best love until his shocking secrets push her away. "Plain Promise" is A Daughters of the Promise Novel by Beth Wiseman about a young Amish widow in Lancaster County, PA. Debbie Macomber's "Midnight Sons, Volume 2" holds two stories north of the Arctic Circle where bringing women to town is a challenge.

Preview Shelf by Janice Clauser

Library News and Notable New Books

Janice Clauser

November 14th (two days from now) is the date of the next "Second Saturday Book Sale" on the lower level of the Crawfordsville Public Library. Beginning at 9 a.m. customers can select all kinds of materials for the price of a donation to the Friends of the Library. Monthly proceeds are earned from the public's contributions of books, videos, etc.; the Friends' volunteer work makes possible many special programs offered at the librar1y all year long. Everyone benefits from this recycling concept.

Bernard Comrie offers a good library reference book called "The World's Major Languages" that can be borrowed; it provides the first detailed guide to the world's forty major languages, and offers the origins and nature of language forms in a technical but useful way. "Total Recall" by Gordon Bell and Jim Gemmell tells how the e-memory revolution will change everything. It says that this book shows "a technological revolution that will accomplish nothing less than a transformation in the way humans think about the meaning of their lives". The forward by Bill Gates explains the unlimited future that's promised.

The Sotheby's - Christie's auction house scandal, a mesmerizing and entertaining event, is written up by Christopher Mason in "The Art of the Steal" a tale of the turn of our century. "Decoding the Heavens" shows the century-long search to discover a 2,000-year old computer's secrets; Josephine Marchant narrates the use of the Antikythera Mechanism that matched 18th century inventions and saved at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, looking like the inside of an alarm clock.

A book by Michael Jordan about his daily life is "Rare Air" and it includes photos by Walter Iooss, Jr. The National Audubon Society's "First Field Guide to Insects" is appealing because of the bright colors. "Seaweeds" is another book of happy learning composed by David Thomas. "What Color Is Your Parachute? 2010" is the updated practical manual for career-changers by Richard Bolles, touted as the most popular job-hunting book in the world.

New technical manuals are really useful guides. "Best iPhone Apps" is the guide for downloaders by Josh Clark with "Twitter" tips, tricks, and tweets by Paul McFedries. Microsoft's "Windows 7 on Demand" comes from Steven Johnson. "Digital Video for Dummies" by Keith Underdahl has its character on the cover saying "Shoot your masterpiece and share it on DVD". Bob LeVitus' "Mac OS X Snow Leopard for Dummies" shows how to navigate the desktop and get to know the Dock, get online, set up an e-mail account, and surf the Web with Safari, enjoy music, movies, DVDs, and digital photos on your Mac, and organize and manage files and folders. A big book called "Master the GED 2010" by Ronald Kaprov has everything needed to get that passing score by offering 3 full-length tests, reviews of all the expected subject matter, and practice drills and exercises to gain strength and destroy weaknesses.

"Showings" by Julian of Norwich presents central problems of the spiritual life during the Middle Ages that relate to today's needs. The text begins "Here is a vision shown by the goodness of God to a devout woman still alive, A.D. 1413, very many words of comfort." The book gives the "words" in modern language. In "Power, Ambition, Glory" Steve Forbes & John Prevas cite stunning parallels between six great leaders of the ancient world and contemporary business leaders. They see permanent principles of effectiveness to provide guidance for the future.

Upstairs/Downstairs November 2009

This is a listing of the books that have moved Upstairs from the Downstairs 7-Day Shelf and can now be checked out for 28 days.

As of November 7, you will find the following new books in the Adult Fiction section of the library

Poppy Adams - The Sister

Nadeem Aslam - The Wasted Vigil

Kate Atkinson - When Will There be Good News?

Donald Bain - A Slaying in Savannah

David Baldacci - Divine Justice

L. A. Banks - The Wicked

Pamela Britton - To the Limit

Rita Mae Brown - Santa Clawed

Claudia Mair Burney - The Wounded

Shirlee Busbee - Seduction Becomes Her

Orson Scott Card - Ender in Exile

Mary Higgins Clark - Dashing Through the Snow

Lori Copeland - Now and Always

Corbin Dailey - Rebirth

Nelson DeMille - The Gate House

Emma Donoghue - The Sealed Letter

Lin Enger - Undiscovered Country

Louise Erdrich - The Plague of Doves

Richard Paul Evans - Grace

Vince Flynn - Extreme Measures

Carlos Fuentes - Happy Families

Lisa Genova - Still Alice

Linda Grant - The Clothes on Their Backs

Carolyn Hart - Ghost at Work

Philip Hensher - The Northern Clemency

Kay Hooper - Blood Sins

Charlie Huston - The Mystic Arts of Erasing all Signs of Death

Jean-Claude Izzo - The Lost Sailors, A Sun for the Dying

P.D. James - The Private Patient

J.A. Jance - Cruel Intent

Randa Jarrar - A Map of Home

Brenda Joyce - A Dangerous Love

Stephen King - Just After Sunset

Karen Kingsbury - Every Now & Then

Thomas Kinkade - A Christmas Star

Dean Koontz - Your Heart Belongs to Me

Michael Landon Jr. - One More Sunrise

Sally MacKenzie - The Naked Gentleman

Gregory Maguire - A Lion Among Men

Kat Martin - Heart of Fire

Brad Meltzer - The Book of Lies

Diana Palmer - Big Sky Winter

T. Jefferson Parket - The Renegades

Jayne Anne Phillips - Lark & Termite

Belva Plain - Crossroads

Luanne Rice - The Letters

Nora Roberts - The Pagan Stone

Marilynne Robinson - Home

Marcus Sakey - Good People

Peter Schilling Jr. - The End of Baseball

Jeff Shaara - The Steel Wave

Connie Lynne Smith - Vanished Glory, Under the Mistletoe

Stuart Wood - Hot Mahogany

Sherryl Woods - A Slice of Heaven

David Wroblewski - The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Preview Shelf by Janice Clauser

Library News and Notable New Books

The Library's Latest Acquisition for Patron Services - The building at the corner of Pike & Walnut Streets, formerly called Parsons Rentals and Apartments, is now owned by the Crawfordsville District Public Library. The Crawfordsville Fire Department has been given permission to use the location for training purposes. Meanwhile, sealed bids are being received until November 16th for five areas of labor accomplishing demolition of the building and construction of the new section of parking lot.

Here are new items to borrow at 205 S.Washington Street. From the visionary creator of CSI, Anthony Zuiker, comes the first "digi-novel" named "Dark Origins", taking the best features of books, film, and interactive digital technologies into "a raw, dark, and intense storytelling experience"; every 20 pages, the reader can log in to a three-minute motion picture scene, where the characters spring to life. "Log-in, read, watch, and enjoy!"

New, large-print books are now shelved. The mystery "The Broken Window" by Jeffery Deaver is about "data mining", the industry of the 21st century, and shows three frantic days of twists and turns. Dean Koontz's "Dead and Alive" is Book Three of his Frankenstein series that is a reworking of the renowned classic story and dedicated to the memory of C. S. Lewis who wrote: "I am very doubtful whether history shows us one example of a man who, having stepped outside traditional morality and attained power, has used that power benevolently." Keith Donohue's "The Stolen Child" involves changelings. "Sing Softly to Me" by Dorothy Garlock presents a romantic situation in Cody, Wyoming. "Only You" by Deborah Bedford shows a woman's willingness to fulfill a man's responsibility. John Le Carre's "A Most Wanted Man" depicts the War on Terror converging upon a German civil rights lawyer, a banking scion, and a mysterious newcomer from Russia. "Heart in the Right Place" by Carolyn Jourdan is a memoir about helping others regardless of the cost.

Nine requested books hit the shelves this week, the first three being mysteries. Robert Parker's Spenser novel "The Professional" holds a map of Boston inside the cover, useful because Spenser's case moves from blackmail to murder, as women with common "indiscretions" drop dead all over town. Dan Simmons' "Drood" is a mystery of 771 pages named for the Charles Dickens' character, and involving Dickens himself and Wilkie Collins in strange 1860s London neighborhoods. Clinical psychologist Jonathan Kellerman's "Evidence" is an Alex Delaware murder story and vendetta set in the shadowy part of glittering Los Angeles.

Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" is a deadly race through Washington, D.C., featuring a long-lost world of wisdom held in Masonic secrets. "Alex Cross's Trial" by James Patterson tells of a courageous fight for freedom by one of Alex' ancestors in the era of the Ku Klux Klan during the early part of the 20th century. "Tenth Stone" by Bodie & Brock Thoene is their newest "numbered" historical fiction taking us to Bible lands in 30A.D. Charlaine Harris' "A Touch of Dead" contains five Sookie Stackhouse southern vampire short stories. "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" a Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich begins when a celebrity chef comes to Trenton to cook; instead, he 1oses his head.

Audrey Niffenegger offers "Her Fearful Symmetry" that begins when twin high school graduates are asked by a London solicitor to live in their deceased English aunt's apartment for one year without their parents entering it, in order to inherit the unusual place enveloped by the Highgate Cemetery community.