Library News and Notable New Books

The Crawfordsville Library’s Newest Facility - Sometime soon, drive through the Crawfordsville Library’s western-most parking lot to Pike Street. You’ll see work going on to build the new library pavilion planned for youth department activity, book club gatherings, an art class venue, a gracious spot made possible by Friends of the Library and Montgomery County Community Foundation generosity, some available funds, and individual donors. There’s an opportunity for us as library patrons, computer customers, daily readers, and meeting attendees to help complete the funding. Contributions are tax deductible when signed to the Crawfordsville District Public Library and marked "Pavilion project". Think of all the enjoyment ahead when this new place will be one of our habitual destinations.

Now to list the new books available to us. What could appeal more than the beautiful roasted chicken on the "Blue Ribbon Cookbook" cover? Bruce and Eric Bromberg opened their first Blue Ribbon restaurant in 1992 in downtown Manhattan, and are now feeding people at nine locations. Designed for home cooks, this book can help with any meal any day. "Cooking in the Moment" by Andrea Reusing offers ideas by seasons. "Voyager" is Stephen Pyne's history of exploration as Magellan, Cortes, Columbus, Cook, Lewis and Clark, Byrd and Stanley kept studying our earth; finally we're brought up to date as Voyager is described moving to the edge of the solar system.

"Moby-Duck" by Donovan Hohn is a narrative of whimsy and curiosity; many bath toys, lost in our lakes and oceans, are being found, enticing beachcombers, oceanographers, and environmentalists to make a hobby of collecting them.

The memoir, "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard reveals her eighteen years as a prisoner right in her own neighborhood; now safe at home, she thinks of herself as a survivor, not a victim, with her symbol, a pinecone, representing the seed of a new beginning. What a girl!

"The Triple Agent" by Joby Warrick tells about the al-Qaeda mole who infiltrated the CIA and of the war that pits robot planes and laser-guided missiles against a cunning enemy bent on carnage in American cities. "Playing with Fire" by Pamela Constable shows Pakistan at war with itself, exploring the fears and frustrations, dreams and beliefs that animate the lives of citizens in this nuclear-armed nation of 170 million. Eric Greitens describes his education as a humanitarian and as a Navy SEAL in "The Heart and the Fist" which shows his paradox to be strong to do good, and to do good to be strong. "David Crockett: The Lion of the West" by Michael Wallis enlarges our folk image of him, balancing his extraordinary exploits with his election to Congress in 1826.

On to fiction. Debbie Macomber's "A Turn in the Road" follows three friends driving across America with their individual maps and goals. In Dorothea Frank's "Lowcountry Summer" a 46-year-old daughter wants to fill the shoes of her late mother, but dealing with all the episodes on the Tall Pines Plantation in South Carolina’s Lowcountry becomes tricky. Two Berkley Sensation romantic suspense novels are Maya Banks' "Hidden Away" and "No Place to Run".

In Karen Moning's "Shadowfever" two young children were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland; two decades later one is dead and the other has returned to hunt her sister's murderer. Finding that she herself descends from a gifted and cursed bloodline, the plot takes a fantastical turn. In Marcia Clark’s "Guilt by Association" this lead prosecutor on the O.J. Simpson case combines the new voice of her heroine with her own experienced expertise in L.A. courts and criminal law.

Library News and Notable New Books

Everyone Enjoyed the Pumpkin People - Congratulations to the patron families who created the Crawfordsville Library’s amazing “Pumpkin People” portraying children’s book characters. If you hurry, you might still get to see a bit of their display.

Some rather different stories appeal for fall reading. "The Man in the Rockefeller Suit" by Mark Seal tells about the astonishing rise and spectacular fall of the serial imposter Christian Karl Gerheitsreiter, who came from Germany and over decades stepped in and out of nine identities, charming his way across the U. S. from 1978-2008. An incredible rescue mission from World War II is "Lost in Shangri-La" by Mitchell Zuckoff, who tells of three survivors of a plane crash in Dutch New Guinea mountains threatened by a tribe of superstitious natives who had never before seen a white man or woman. Keith Greenberg's "Love Hurts" is the sad story of a teen romance resulting in a crime carried out against the girl's parents and siblings.

"The Beekeeper's Lament" by Hannah Nordhaus is a study of honeybees and beekeeper John Miller, who offers his bees to farmers otherwise bereft of natural pollinators. In "Intern Nation" Ross Perlin tells about college graduates and others who work for next to nothing "for experience"; he explains "why that boom is perverting workplace practices in locations all around the world." "India" is a portrait-of-a-place by Patrick French who asks, "Is this nation rich or poor?" "Why has its Muslim population, the second largest on earth, resisted radicalization to such a considerable extent? Why do so many children of Indians who have succeeded in the West want to return ‘home’ despite never having lived in India?"

"No Greater Loss: The Guidebook to Today's Grandparents’ Rights" by Neil Taft, "Why You Should Know about Asthma and Other Lung Diseases" by Nicholas DiFilippo, and "Treat Your Own Back" by Robin McKenzie are specialty books available for borrowing. There's also "iPad for Seniors for Dummies" by Nancy Muir.

Here are short story collections. "Pirates: Predators of the Seas" by Angus Konstam begins with stories in the Ancient World, then the Middle Ages, the Barbary Coast, the Spanish Main, the Golden Age, the Far East, even the last Americans, a fanciful picture of our earth ending with dramas & movies, including the actor Johnny Depp's character Captain Jack Sparrow. "Pulse" by Julian Barnes is made up of fourteen tales from all eras of history. Each one has spark and humor. "Bullfighting" by Roddy Doyle features an array of men taking stock of their past glories while being concerned about their place in their world, 13 stories that begin with the title tidbit about four friends who go off to Spain for a vacation. "Orientation" offers nine stories by Daniel Orozco that are unsettling, boundary-crossing, and well fashioned plots.

Singer-song-writer, actor, activist Steve Earle tells about an addicted doctor fortunate to meet a young Mexican immigrant full of blessings for others in "I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive". "The Arriviste" by James Wallenstein expresses influence, power, and isolation built around its main character's individualism. "Doc" by Mary Russell brings up the year 1878 and the peak of Texas cattle trade in Dodge City, Kansas; the death of a mixed-blood boy shocks the part-time policeman named Wyatt Earp. "To Be Sung Underwater" by Tom McNeal is an appealing love story about a woman who leaves her simple life in Nebraska for a fancy place, yet 25 years later longs for her earlier existence and the man she loved then. The Amish tale "Sarah's Garden" is a novel of the Pennsylvania Allegheny Mountains and a gardener who finds herself tempted to marry an "outsider"; this is the first novel in the Patch of Heaven series by Kelly Long.

Preview Shelf by Janice Clauser

Library News and Notable New Books

Remember to Check All the Library’s Services - Crawfordsville Public Library services include the use of computers for one hour at a time upstairs in the Reference Department and on the main floor and 15-minute use near the building’s entrance, enabled by library card or by guest card obtained at the Circulation desk.

Two mystery stories have been added to the collection by patron requests. "Learning to Swim" by Sara Henry begins with a small child tumbling from a ferry into Lake Champlain. Susan Albert's "Mourning Gloria" features an herbalist/ex-lawyer who witnesses screams coming from a burning house trailer. She writes: "I want to tell a story built around plants that have power over us, changing the way we feel."

"The Trial" a thriller by Larry Thompson is "a frightening scenario of corporate greed, a classic David-and-Goliath tale of a small-town lawyer fighting the incestuous relationship of a giant pharmaceutical company with the FDA." "Trader of Secrets" is a Paul Madriani novel by Steve Martini in which two missing NASA scientists are holding secrets that a hostile government desperately wants to purchase.

A skeleton found in a tree near a restored old Southern family mansion is the attracter in "The Peach Keeper" by Sarah Allen. "Swim Back to Me" by Ann Packer is made up of six short stories that relate to one family over the course of a lifetime. "My American Unhappiness" by Dean Bakopoulos uses wit and an irreverent voice expressing his theory that if he can only find a wife, he might have a second chance at life. "Jessica Lost" is a story by Bunny Crumpacker alternating the voices of a mother and daughter as they spend years finding each other. "2030" by Albert Brooks begins on June 12, 2030, when millions of baby boomers' finances are being sucked dry by all the "olds" who now live without the threat of cancer. An earthquake causing the cessation of government brings up ideas to survive; the ideas pit national hope against past conditions, making gripping and thought-provoking reading.

Fern Michaels' "Betrayal" describes two happy couples, and suddenly one wife accuses the other husband of a heinous act, turning all four lives into desperation. Karen Harper's historical novel "The Irish Princess" begins as a rich young woman finds her world overturned when tyrant Henry VIII imprisons her father and brutally destroys her family; as she seeks revenge, she must look innocent. The Civil War era story "Secret Tides" by Gary Parker finds two women, one free, one a slave, trapped by loss and lies, two brothers working side by side on a plantation vastly divided on issues, and five families intertwined by the tides of change as the war approaches.

Here are some spectacular-looking books about food, all of them colorful and creative collections. "Michael's Genuine Food: Down-To-Earth Cooking for People Who Love to Eat" by Michael Schwartz offers 70 colored photographs and ingredient tips to make the most of what's freshest at the market. Do roasted "double yolk" eggs with tomato and asiago interest you? Schwartz also touts his pan-roasted half boneless chicken with sauteed escarole. "The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen" offers nourishing, big-flavor recipes for treatment and recovery; Rebecca Katz sets up 150 science-based easy foods with step-by-step guides for pasture beef bone broth, chicken magic mineral broth, and magic green tea rice.

Edward Grinnan, editor-in-chief of Guideposts Magazine lists 9 Keys to Powerful Personal Change in "The Promise of Hope" telling how true stories of hope and inspiration saved his life and how they can transform ours.

Preview Shelf by Janice Clauser

Library News and Notable New Books

Good Shopping Offered Second Saturdays - On Saturday, October 8, the Second Saturday Book Sale sponsored by the Friends of the Crawfordsville Library will open at 9 a.m. This special monthly day on the library's lower level comes early this month. You'll find all kinds of reading and listening bargains available for a donation to the Friends' cause, which is to support the children's library activities.

"Dylan's Candy Bar: Unwrap Your Sweet Life" is a colorful book by Dylan Lauren showing ways to use wrapped candy for centerpieces and other holiday decorations. "Paletas" are Mexican ice pops, shaved ice and aguas frescas, which are taught with directions (in English) by Fany Gerson.

Would you like to learn an Asian language? "Japanese DeMystified" by Eriko Sato untangles complicated grammar rules and sentence structures, explains Japanese characters and pronunciation, enables a rich Japanese vocabulary, and reinforces skills with quizzes, written and oral exercises, and a final exam.

"10 Best College Majors for Your Personality" by Laurence Shatkin offers ideas for different personality types, and also a Best Majors list that leads to jobs with good pay and fastest growth. "The Enemies of Excellence" explains seven reasons why we sabotage success. Greg Salciccioli says leadership is more than building best practices. It's overcoming the obstacles that undermine success. "The Well-Trained Mind" is a guide to classical education at home offered by Susan Wise Bauer. "Your Teacher Said WHAT?" is Joe and Blake Kernen's statement that can defend our kids from the liberal assault on capitalism. "Poor Economics" by Abhijit Banerjee is a radical rethinking of the way to fight global poverty. Edward Humes' "Force of Nature" tells the unlikely story of Walmart's green revolution and how it could transform business and save the world. "Tangled Webs" by James Stewart exposes "how false statements are undermining America: from Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff". Finally, "The Ten Trillion Dollar Gamble" is all about the coming deficit debacle and how to invest now, by advisor Russ Koesterich.

Do you fly a plane? "Mastering GPS Flying" by Phil Dixon is illustrated with charts, maps, photos, and diagrams.

"Weeds of the Midwestern United States and Central Canada" is knowledge more colorful and interesting than one might think, according to editors Charles Bryson and Michael DeFelice.

There are many library books that speak to ideas and theories. For instance, "The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry)" by Siva Vaidhyanathan explains how we have embraced "information"; he exposes the dark side, raising red flags about issues of intellectual property. "Turn & Jump" by Howard Mansfield refers to Thomas Edison before whom light and fire were thought to be one and the same thing; this book takes time and place and shows how they were once inseparable (before the railroads brought about the creation of time zones in 1883).

Two requested books follow. "Kill the Messenger" by Maria Armoudian tells about the media's roles in the fate of the world, the role they played in the Rwandan genocide of the Tutsis, and how media can be used to preserve our democracy. Elizabeth Abbott's "Haiti: A Shattered Nation" details the difference between Haiti and the First world, its dire straits, its corruption, but also the sustained resilience of its people.

Preview Shelf by Janice Clauser

Library News and Notable New Books

Here are Facts to Send a FAX at the Library - Remember, the Crawfordsville Library's circulation desk offers FAX service. The fee is $1 per page to send or receive a FAX in the U.S.A., and $3 for the first page, $1 each additional page sent or received internationally. The library's fax number is
(765) 362-7986.

New nonfiction, requested books in the library begin with "Discoverers of the Universe: William (1738-1822) and Caroline (1750-1848) Herschel" by Michael Hoskin. With his sister's help, the court astronomer to Britain's King George III transformed our view of the universe into the dynamic cosmos it is; using a homemade telescope he discovered Uranus, found infrared radiation, was the first to know our solar system moves through space, and also identified nebulae. Jesse Ventura's "63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read" focuses facts on the major issues of our time. "An Innocent, A Broad" by Ann Leary tells about delivering a premature, two-pound baby in London, where she then dealt with Britain's National Health Service; she tells her story both hilariously and wrenchingly. "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo is the compelling story of a small boy's emergency surgery during which he says he visited heaven. Joyce O'Brien's "Choose to Live" is an inspiring story of healing involving two young parents who refused to accept grim diagnoses. Ann Voskamp's "One Thousand Gifts" begins with the question, "How do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties?" Her answer involves waking up to God's everyday blessings, and in giving thanks for the life we have, which can lead to the life we've actually wanted. Nora Roberts' "Chasing Fire" is about the elite firefighters who thrive on danger and adrenaline by fire jumping, parachuting down to the edge of a blaze, and shoveling and sawing for hours to hold the line and push back the raw power of Mother Nature. "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge" comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration. A "flaming juggernaut of a heavy-metal bio" is the biography of Metallica called "Enter Night" written by Mick Wall and edited by James Romm, according to a Guardian quote in the UK.

The story "Harvest Moon" by Robyn Carr offers a rising sous-chef's adventures with a new acquaintance. "Eve" by Iris Johansen is about a forensic sculptor's new efforts to find her daughter's killer after years have passed. "When We Were Friends" by Elizabeth Arnold makes you ask yourself, "What would I have done?" because the plot is a mother accusing her friend of kidnapping the daughter she had actually pleaded with her to raise. "Mulberry Park" by Judy Duarte takes us to a peaceful San Diego suburb where a jogger finds a letter which she answers, and a new friendship is born. "The Search" by Suzanne Fisher is Book 3 of Lancaster County Secrets where a long ago decision requires reconsideration fifteen years later.

The story "Daughters of Rome" by Kate Quinn is set in 69 A.D. When Nero is dead and the Empire is up for the taking, two sisters face political struggles which challenge their very lives. "Outsourced" by Dave Zeltserman brings out-of-work software engineers a plan to knock over a bank, but the Russian Mafia organization makes that less easy than they expected. In Tracie Peterson's "Embers of Love" a new acquaintance tempts a bookkeeper to change careers. Julie Lessman's "A Hope Undaunted" tells "what happens when the boy she loved to hate becomes the man she hates to love." Kelly Simmons' "The Bird House" is a psychologically charged story about the power and failure of family because of a dark secret. Karen Robards' "Justice" follows an attorney who enters the Secret Service’s unofficial witness protection program as the lone witness to the First Lady’s murder. In disguise, she wins a high profile case for a D.C. law firm. In danger, she must react to threats against herself, not knowing their source.

Preview Shelf by Janice Clauser

Library News and Notable New Books

How to Help our Historical Collections Grow - Recently, several gifts have come to the Crawfordsville Library that enrich local history. If you have pictures, letters, or other special items that offer views or knowledge of life in our county, call 362-2242 extension 117 for ways to share them. They can be copied and returned to you if you don't want to let go of them. The copies' community value will grow as time moves on, and they'll be placed in the most pertinent collection where they'll be enjoyed forever. Call before you throw away any local history artifact. The future thanks you ahead of time.

In the requested book collection, Karen Kingsbury's "Leaving" about a young lady who won an audition for a Broadway musical is Part One of the Bailey Flanigan Series that centers around Indiana. Donald Bain's "Skating on Thin Ice", from the Murder, She Wrote TV series, finds Jessica Fletcher "going for the gold" to solve an Olympic mystery game.

"The Judgment" by Beverly Lewis with a Pennsylvania Dutch setting in Lancaster County offers a fiance who divides her thoughts between her fiance and another fellow whose "gone more than a month now." Another Amish story is Kathleen Fuller's "What the Heart Sees" which includes a reading group guide and old Amish recipes. Three Kat Martin novels in the Raines of Wind Canyon series are "Against the Wind", "Against the Fire", and "Against the Law". "Goodnight, Beautiful" by Dorothy Koomson is about surrogate motherhood. Amy Bourret's "Mothers & Other Liars" about a young mother and daughter living apart from family, highlights an incident which shakes their confidence in a past decision.

Biographies begin with "Blow by Blow" the story of English aristocrat/fashion director/editor Isabella Blow written by her sister Detmar Blow. "Up From the Projects" by Walter Williams is about growing up in West Philadelphia, his mother's educational strength, teachers who challenged him, his Army experience, success over obstacles while becoming a professional teacher, all leading to his advice: "We never know when an opportunity might come along, and we should be packed and ready for it." Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking" tackles her personal problem after four novels and success as an actress while a victim in Hollywood. With wit, she explains herself for the first time.

"The Company We Keep" by Robert & Dayna Baer, is their husband-and-wife, true-life spy story as CIA operatives. Edwin Black's "The Farhud" gives the roots of the Arab-Nazi alliance in the Holocaust. "The Fight of our Lives" by William Bennett is about "knowing the enemy, speaking the truth, and choosing to win the war against radical Islam." One quote is "America's devotion to political correctness has crippled its ability to accurately interpret and respond to the motive of its fiercest enemies." "The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain" by Barbara Strauch says we've badly underestimated the value of the middle-aged mind. Language on the edge of science and technology or "Virtual Words" by Jonathon Keats shows how words get coined, and why some words like “blog” succeed while other words like “flog” fail. The book is designed for word-lovers, technophiles, and science enthusiasts.

The most ancient story of this column, The Campaigns of Alexander called "The Landmark Arrian" is a new translation of his conquest of the empire that stretched from the shores of the Adriatic to the edge of modern India. The translator is Pamela Mensch. What a document!