Chatfield Public Library

Library News for the week of February 22, 2012

 Barnes & Noble recommends William Landay’s DEFENDING JACOB, saying it “brilliantly combines the best features of a gripping psychological thriller, a realistic courtroom drama, and a moving portrait of a family in meltdown.” “Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student. Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive. Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group.) Library Journal says, “This brilliant novel by the author of The Strangler and the award-winning Mission Flats is equal parts legal thriller and dysfunctional family saga, culminating in a shocking ending. Skillful plotting and finely drawn characters result in a haunting story reminiscent of Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent.”

New in nonfiction is MINNESOTA TWINS: THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY. “From old Met Stadium to brand-new Target Field, celebrate fifty seasons of Minnesota Twins baseball with the stories, images, and stats that have captured the hearts and imaginations of generations of baseball fans. Harmon and Hrbek, Carew and Kirby, Tony-O and the M&M Boys, Pascual and Santana, Blyleven and Baker, and many many more are highlighted here with player profiles, boxscores of key games, year-by-year analysis, and behind-the-scenes stories—as told by your favorite sportswriters and photographers of the Star Tribune.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, MBI Publishing Company.)

Join us for storytime, Friday mornings at 9:30am.

Don’t forget to join us for “Vanishing Landmarks” with Doug Ohman, Feb. 23rd at 7pm at the American Legion Room in the Chatfield Center for the Arts. Doug will share his experiences, photos, and information about a variety of sites from Minnesota’s oldest Courthouse to the last Civil War recruiting station.

Library News for the week of February 15, 2012

Publisher’s Weekly says, “Misdirection and a rising body count ratchet up the tension” in Nevada Barr’s newest novel, THE ROPE.  “Anna Pigeon’s first case—this is the story her fans have been clamoring for … this is where it all starts. In The Rope, the latest in Nevada Barr’s bestselling novels featuring Anna Pigeon, Nevada Barr gathers together the many strings of Anna’s past and finally reveals the story that her many fans have been long asking for. In 1995 and 35 years old, fresh off the bus from New York City and nursing a broken heart, Anna Pigeon takes a decidedly unglamorous job as a seasonal employee of the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area. On her day off, Anna goes hiking into the park never to return. Her co-workers think she’s simply moved on—her cabin is cleaned out and her things gone. But Anna herself wakes up, trapped at the bottom of a dry natural well, naked, without supplies and no clear memory of how she found herself in this situation. As she slowly pieces together her memory, it soon becomes clear that someone has trapped her there, in an inescapable prison, and no one knows that she is even missing. Plunged into a landscape and a plot she is unfit and untrained to handle, Anna Pigeon must muster the courage, determination and will to live that she didn’t even know she still possessed to survive, outwit and triumph. For those legions of readers who have been entranced over the years by Park Ranger Anna Pigeon’s strength and determination and those who are new to Nevada Barr’s captivating, compelling novels, this is where it all starts.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press.) Library Journal states, “Another awesome winner for Barr.”

Find help for you and your family when a beloved pet dies in Jon Katz’s new book, GOING HOME: FINDING PEACE WHEN PETS DIE. “In Soul of a Dog, Izzy & Lenore, A Good Dog, and other acclaimed works, New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz has written meaningfully about the cherished bond between humans and animals—especially our intense connection to our pets. Now, in this moving and thoughtful book, Katz addresses the difficult but necessary topic of saying goodbye to a devoted companion, and offers comfort, wisdom, and a way forward from sorrow to acceptance. When Jon Katz first brought Orson home, he couldn’t predict how this boisterous border collie would change his life, most notably by inspiring him to buy Bedlam Farm. Yet for all of Katz’s years as a dog owner, Orson’s death shook him in a deeply profound way. ‘I was embarrassed by my grief,’ he remembers. ‘What right did I have to fall to pieces over a border collie?’ Drawing on personal experiences, stories from fellow pet owners, and philosophical reflections, Katz provides guidance and support for those in mourning. By allowing ourselves to grieve honestly and openly, he posits, we can in time celebrate the dogs, cats, and other creatures that have so enriched us. With great compassion, Katz compels us to consider if we gave our pets good lives, if we were their advocates in times of need, and if we used our best judgments in the end. In dealing with these issues, we can alleviate guilt, let go, and help others who are undergoing similar passages. Full of empathy, insight, and sage advice, Going Home is an invaluable guide and touchstone for anyone who has lost a pet. Jon Katz honors the animals that have graced our lives and reveals their truly timeless gifts: unwavering companionship and undying love.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group.) Library Journal says, “Katz addresses a need, and he does it beautifully.”

Don’t forget!  “Vanishing Landmarks” with Doug Ohman, Feb. 23rd at 7pm at the American Legion Room in the Chatfield Center for the Arts.  Doug will share his experiences, photos, and information about a variety of sites from Minnesota’s oldest Courthouse to the last Civil War recruiting station.  Doug’s Minnesota Byways books will be available for purchase and signing. This event is sponsored by the Chatfield Public Library, along with the Friends of the Library and the Chatfield Center for the Arts Committee.  It is free and all are welcome.  Refreshments will be served. This project was funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Library News for the week of February 8, 2012

THE TIGER’S WIFE, written by Téa Obreht, was named one of the best books of 2011 by The Wall Street Journal, O: The Oprah Magazine, The Economist, Vogue, Slate, Chicago Tribune, The Seattle Times, Dayton Daily News, Publishers Weekly, and Alan Cheuse of NPR’s All Things Considered. “In a Balkan country mending from years of conflict, Natalia, a young doctor, arrives on a mission of mercy at an orphanage by the sea. By the time she and her lifelong friend Zóra begin to inoculate the children there, she feels age-old superstitions and secrets gathering everywhere around her. Secrets her outwardly cheerful hosts have chosen not to tell her. Secrets involving the strange family digging for something in the surrounding vineyards. Secrets hidden in the landscape itself. But Natalia is also confronting a private, hurtful mystery of her own: the inexplicable circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. After telling her grandmother that he was on his way to meet Natalia, he instead set off for a ramshackle settlement none of their family had ever heard of and died there alone. A famed physician, her grandfather must have known that he was too ill to travel. Why he left home  becomes a riddle Natalia is compelled to unravel. Grief struck and searching for clues to her grandfather’s final state of mind, she turns to the stories he told her when she was a child. On their weekly trips to the zoo he would read to her from a worn copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, which he carried with him everywhere; later, he told her stories of his own encounters over many years with ‘the deathless man,’ a vagabond who claimed to be immortal and appeared never to age. But the most extraordinary story of all is the one her grandfather never told her, the one Natalia must discover for herself. One winter during the Second World War, his childhood village was snowbound, cut off even from the encroaching German invaders but haunted by another, fierce presence: a tiger who comes ever closer under cover of darkness. ‘These stories,’ Natalia comes to understand, ‘run like secret rivers through all the other stories’ of her grandfather’s life. And it is ultimately within these rich, luminous narratives that she will find the answer she is looking for.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group.) Publishers Weekly says, “Obreht is talented far beyond her years, and her unsentimental faith in language, dream, and memory is a pleasure.”

THINKING, FAST AND SLOW was selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the best books of 2011, was a Globe and Mail Best Books of 2011 title, one of The Economist’s 2011 Books of the Year, and one of The Wall Steet Journal‘s Best Nonfiction Books of 2011. “Daniel Kahneman, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his seminal work in psychology that challenged the rational model of judgment and decision making, is one of our most important thinkers. His ideas have had a profound and widely regarded impact on many fields—including economics, medicine, and politics—but until now, he has never brought together his many years of research and thinking in one book. In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behavior. The impact of loss aversion and overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the challenges of properly framing risks at work and at home, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning the next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems work together to shape our judgments and decisions. Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. Thinking, Fast and Slow will transform the way you think about thinking.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.) Library Journal says this book is “A stellar accomplishment, a book for everyone who likes to think and wants to do it better.”

Library News for the week of February 1, 2012

Sara Paretsky, named 2011 Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, has a new book out! It is called BREAKDOWN and Kirkus Reviews says, ‘Plotted with all Paretsky’s customary generosity, this standout entry harnesses her heroine’s righteous anger to some richly deserving targets, all linked together in a truly amazing finale. “Carmilla, Queen of the Night, is a shape-shifting raven whose fictional exploits thrill girls all over the world. When tweens in Chicago’s Carmilla Club hold an initiation ritual in an abandoned cemetery, they stumble on an actual corpse, a man stabbed through the heart in a vampire-style slaying. The girls include daughters of some of Chicago’s most powerful families: The grandfather of one, Chaim Salanter, is one of the world’s wealthiest men; the mother of another, Sophy Durango, is the Illinois Democratic candidate for Senate. For V. I. Warshawski, the questions multiply faster than the answers. Is the killing linked to a hostile media campaign against Sophy Durango? Or to Chaim Salanter’s childhood in Nazi-occupied Lithuania? As V.I. struggles for answers, she finds herself fighting enemies who are all too human.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, Penguin Group USA.)  Booklist says, “V. I. reigns as crime fiction’s spiky, headstrong warrior woman of conscience, and Paretsky, classy champion of the powerless, has never been more imaginative, rueful, transfixing, and righteous.”

Kirkus Reviews praises Nina Sankovitch’s new book TOLSTOY AND THE PURPLE CHAIR: MY YEAR OF MAGICAL READING: “What Sankovitch has accomplished in her first book is not only to celebrate the transformational, even healing, powers of reading, but to give the reader a feeling of reading those books as well, through the eyes of an astute reader.” “Nina Sankovitch has always been a reader. As a child, she discovered that a trip to the local bookmobile with her sisters was more exhilarating than a ride at the carnival. Books were the glue that held her immigrant family together. When Nina’s eldest sister died at the age of forty-six, Nina turned to books for comfort, escape, and introspection. In her beloved purple chair, she rediscovered the magic of such writers as Toni Morrison, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ian McEwan, Edith Wharton, and, of course, Leo Tolstoy. Through the connections Nina made with books and authors (and even other readers), her life changed profoundly, and in unexpected ways. Reading, it turns out, can be the ultimate therapy. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair also tells the story of the Sankovitch family: Nina’s father, who barely escaped death in Belarus during World War II; her four rambunctious children, who offer up their own book recommendations while helping out with the cooking and cleaning; and Anne-Marie, her oldest sister and idol, with whom Nina shared the pleasure of books, even in her last moments of life. In our lightning-paced culture that encourages us to seek more, bigger, and better things, Nina’s daring journey shows how we can deepen the quality of our everyday lives—if we only find the time.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, HarperCollins Publishers.) Publisher’s Weekly says, “As well as being an homage to her sister and their family of readers, Sankovitch’s memoir speaks to the power that books can have over our daily lives. Sankovitch champions the act of reading not as an indulgence but as a necessity …”

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Mark Thursday, Feb. 23rd on your calendars today!  Photographer and popular public speaker Doug Ohman will be at the American Legion Room, Chatfield Center for the Arts at 7pm to present “Vanishing Landmarks” – photos, stories, and history of Minnesota through historic buildings that are quickly disappearing.  You don’t want to miss this, as Doug’s programs are always fabulous.  Save the date! 

Library News for the week of Jan. 25, 2012

Did you go see War Horse in the theaters?  Steven Speilberg’s movie is based on the book WAR HORSE written by Michael Morpurgo, now available in the youth fiction section of our library. “In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey’s courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer’s son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?”  (Book synopsis from the publisher, Scholastic, Inc.)  A Barnes and Noble book review says, “This is an eloquently told and absorbing friendship story. Horse lovers will be on the edge of their seats from the beginning to the end. This runner-up for the Whitbread Award goes far beyond the horse story genre. Morpurgo presents both a fine history lesson and an emotional tale.”

Barnes and Noble says THE GARNER FILES is “a memorable autobiography of an unforgettable actor.”  “After suffering physical abuse at the hands of his stepmother, Garner left home at fourteen. He became Oklahoma’s first draftee of the Korean War and was awarded with two Purple Hearts before returning to the United States and settling in Los Angeles to become an actor. Working alongside some of the most renowned celebrities, including Julie Andrews, Marlon Brando, and Clint Eastwood, Garner became a star in his own right, despite struggles with stage fright and depression. In The Garner Files, this revered actor and quintessential self-made man recalls ‘trying to decipher’ William Wyler with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine, breaking Doris Day’s ribs, having a ‘heart-to-heart and eyeball-to-eyeball’ with Steve McQueen, being ‘a card-carrying liberal—and proud of it,’ and much more.”  (Book synopsis from the publisher, Simon & Schuster.)  Publishers Weekly says this book “resembles a conversation with an old friend who loves to tell colorful stories.”  Library Journal says it is “An enjoyable look !into the life of one of our most beloved actors.”

Did you get a new ebook reader or some kind of listening device for Christmas?  Are you aware that you can download ebooks and audiobooks for free through Overdrive with a valid SELCO library card?  Take a look at what’s available through Overdrive by clicking on the Overdrive graphic prominently displayed on our website: www.chatfieldpubliclibrary.org.  Once you are on the Overdrive site you will find a “Quick Start Guide” on the left side of your screen that will help you get started. This collection is only a year old, but is steadily growing and is immensely popular!

Library News for the week of Jan. 18, 2012

Library Journal says of Janet Evanovich’s newest, LOVE IN A NUTSHELL, “Sassy dialog, laugh-out-loud humor, vastly appealing characters, and an intriguing setting make this fast-paced, suspenseful romance one to imbibe. “Number one bestselling author Janet Evanovich teams up with award-winning author Dorien Kelly to deliver a sparkling novel of romantic suspense, small-town antics, secretive sabotage, and lots and lots of beer.  Kate Appleton needs a job. Her husband has left her, she’s been fired from her position as a magazine editor, and the only place she wants to go is to her parents’ summer house, The Nutshell, in Keene’s Harbor, Michigan. Kate’s plan is to turn The Nutshell into a Bed and Breakfast. Problem is, she needs cash, and the only job she can land is less than savory. Matt Culhane wants Kate to spy on his brewery employees. Someone has been sabotaging his company, and Kate is just new enough in town that she can insert herself into Culhane’s business and snoop around for him. If Kate finds the culprit, Matt will pay her a $20,000 bonus. Needless to say, Kate is highly motivated. But several problems present themselves. Kate despises beer. No one seems to trust her. And she is falling hard for her boss. Can these two smoke out a saboteur, save Kate’s family home, and keep a killer from closing in…all while resisting their undeniable attraction to one another? Filled with humor, heart, and loveable characters, Love in a Nutshell is delicious fun.”  (Book synopsis from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press.)  Kirkus Reviews says, “Blending classic romance archetypes with an edge of mystery, the duo of Evanovich and Kelly is sure to appeal to fans of both genres with reader-friendly writing that mirrors its characters’ all-American appeal.”

New in nonfiction is KILLING LINCOLN: THE SHOCKING ASSASSINATION THAT CHANGED AMERICA FOREVER.  Peter J. Boyer of Newsweek says, “If Grisham wrote a novel about April 1865…it might well read like Killing Lincoln.” “A riveting historical narrative of the heart-stopping events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the first work of history from mega-bestselling author Bill O’Reilly.” The anchor of The O’Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America’s Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln’s generous terms for Robert E. Lee’s surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln’s dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased. In the midst of the patriotic celebrations in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth—charismatic ladies’ man and impenitent racist—murders Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre. A furious manhunt ensues and Booth immediately becomes the country’s most wanted fugitive. Lafayette C. Baker, a smart but shifty New York detective and former Union spy, unravels the string of clues leading to Booth, while federal forces track his accomplices. The thrilling chase ends in a fiery shootout and a series of court-ordered executions—including that of the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government, Mary Surratt. Featuring some of history’s most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.”  (Book synopsis from the publisher, Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.) Author Vince Flynn says this is “a must read historical thriller.  Bill O’Reilly recounts the dramatic events of the spring of 1865 with such exhilarating immediacy that you will feel like you are walking the streets of Washington, DC, on the night that John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln.  This is a hugely entertaining, heart-stopping read.”

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Library News for the week of Jan. 11, 2012

Tom Clancy’s newest novel is a cooperative venture with Mark Greaney called LOCKED ON. “Tom Clancy’s All-Star lineup is back. Jack Ryan, his son, Jack Jr., John Clark Ding Chavez and the rest of the Campus team are facing their greatest challenge ever. Jack Ryan, Sr. has made a momentous choice. He’s running for President of the United States again and thus giving up a peaceful retirement to help his country in its darkest hour. But he doesn’t anticipate the treachery of his opponent, who uses trumped up charges to attack one of Ryan’s closest comrades, John Clark. Now, Clark is in a race against time and must travel the world, staying one step ahead of his adversaries, including a shadowy organization tasked to bring him in, all while trying to find who is behind this. Meanwhile, Jack Ryan, Jr., Ding Chavez, Dominick Caruso and other members of the Campus-the top secret off-the-books intelligence agency founded by Jack Ryan during his first term in the White House-deal with a question of their own: Why is a Pakistani military officer meeting with Dagestani terrorists? The answer will ultimately lead to a desperate struggle, with nothing short of the fate of the world at stake.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, Penguin Group USA).

“You have what it takes! Did you ever wonder what you can do with all of those LEGO® bricks after you have created the project they came with? Now with THE LEGO IDEAS BOOK, you can take what you already have and make something new! The book is divided into six themed chapters—transportation, buildings, space, kingdoms, adventure, and useful makes — each with basic templates of key models and spreads to inspire you to create your own. Hints and tips from Master Builders can help you turn your classic car into a race car or add a bridge to your castle! Don’t be concerned if you haven’t got all the bricks you need: this book also shows how to simplify details, making this a great user-friendly guide for any building ability. Featuring all-new LEGO® building projects, tips to supplement and enhance your LEGO creations, inspirational builds, and expert advice from LEGO Master Builders, The LEGO Ideas Book will keep kids of all ages creating for hours.” (Book synopsis from the publisher, DK Publishing, Inc.)  Check this book out for your kids … then enjoy it yourself when they are not looking!

Chatfield’s own Eric Dudley has published a picture book! Eric will be in the Reading Room of the library from 3:30pm to closing on Thursday, January 12 to sell and autograph his book: AN ANGELIC CATCH. Eric will happily provide tips and impromptu drawing lessons to anyone interested, so stop in any time that evening and visit him!