I Love Snow

December 21, 2015December 15, 2015 / Linda / 1 Comment

snow 2

I love snow. Yes, love it! I know, I’m in the minority – most people tend to complain about snow. We live in New England. Snow is a way of life. Sure, I’m not thrilled with having to scrape the frost and snow off my car, dig the car out, deal with a dead battery, but still, I love snow. It always makes me smile when I see the flakes falling. No matter my mood, snow lifts me up. Out of curiosity, I typed ‘snow’ in the search box of our catalog and 1,224 items came up! There are children’s books, movies, adult fiction and non-fiction. Below are a few adult titles that might be of interest. If nothing appeals to you, take a look at our catalog. There is sure to be something out of the 1,224 titles that you might want to check out.

The Snow Bride – Debbie Macomber – While journeying to Alaska to marry a man she met on the Internet, Jenna Walsh is kidnapped by Reed Kenner, a fellow passenger, who will do anything to prove that she is making the biggest mistake of her life.

Snow in August – Pete Hamill – An unlikely friendship between an eleven-year-old Irish Catholic boy and a lonely rabbi from Prague in 1947 Brooklyn has the two opening new windows of understanding with each other but still fighting the prejudices of the day.

Waiting for Snow in Havana – Carlos Eire – A survivor of the Cuban Revolution recounts his pre-war childhood as the religiously devout son of a judge,and describes the conflict’s violent and irrevocable impact on his friends, family, and native land.

The Snow Queen – Michael Cunningham – A heartbroken man turns to religion after seeing a vision in the sky above Central Park, while his musician brother takes drugs he thinks will help him compose a ballad for his seriously ill wife.

Last Snow – Eric Van Lustbader – In the aftermath of an American senator’s death on a political trip, presidential Special Advisor Jack McClure is dispatched to investigate a perilous trail throughout Eastern Europe, an assignment that is complicated by his efforts to protect two unlikely companions.

Mercy Snow – Tiffany Baker – A tragic bus accident has devastating repercussions for two families from opposite sides of the tracks of a tiny New England paper milling town.

Sisters of Heart and Snow – Margaret Dilloway – Two estranged sisters reconnect when they return to their childhood home in response to their mother’s dementia diagnosis and one of the pair takes on her mother’s power of attorney.

Whiter Than Snow – Sandra Dallas – When a devastating avalanche traps nine children walking home from school in 1920, the disaster has life-changing effects on the people who live in the small Colorado town where it occurs.

Hidden Treasures in the Library Lobby

December 18, 2015December 19, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

When you walk into the Cheshire Public Library you enter the main floor lobby. This large area is home to CD’s, DVD’s, Audiobooks, adult fiction, and new books. There are also a variety of displays, the public catalogs, the circulation desk, and the Friends book sale and donation area. Most regular visitors to the library are aware of their favorite areas, and browse those areas comfortably. However, like in the children’s room there are some hidden treasures that often get over looked and deserve some attention.

Science Fiction
I have always been a big fan of science fiction and fantasy, and love helping people discover new authors and series to explore. Unfortunately, most people miss our Science Fiction shelving area entirely. As with our mystery books, they are shelved separately from the rest of the fiction. You can see which area any adult (or children’s) book is shelved in by reading the call number. Adult fiction call numbers will all start with where they are shelved; Fiction, Mystery, or Science Fiction. The mysteries are easy to find, since they are shelved right after the regular fiction. However, the Science Fiction materials are shelved on the wall near the fiction between the audiobooks and classic movies.

Graphic Novels
Graphic novels are not just for children and teens. Take for example the popularity of The Walking Dead. Our selection of graphic novels in the lobby is not huge, but it is high quality and well worth taking a look at. Since it is a fairly small collection it might be easy to over look, but it is not hard to find or to browse if you are interested. The collection is housed on the endcap of the New Biography and Nonfiction shelf, facing the windows and DVD’s. If you like what you see, but are looking for even more graphic novels, do not be afraid to explore the large selection in the Teen’s Room!

Categorized DVD’s
Most regular visitors know where to find the DVD’s they enjoy most, and where our Quick Flick, New, regular, and Blu-Ray movies are each shelved. However, there are a few groups of films that are shelved separately. We have labeled these disks and changed their call numbers to match these special areas, but infrequent movie borrowers might not know about these little nooks and crannies. Classic movies are labeled with a red Classics label and are shelved on a slat-wall display on the wall by the fiction books. Comedy movies have an orange Comedy label and shelved in the next slat- wall display. On the same wall, in the build in bookcase between those two slat-wall displays, you can find the television show box sets which have a bright pink TV label on them. If you keep following that wall to the corner you will find the Family Films (with a green label), and in the next bookcase after a window you can find the non-fiction films (classed by number) and the Foreign Films which have a yellow Foreign sticker on them.

Lost And Found
While not a part of our library collection, it is an often asked for and searched for item. Small or valuable items (wallets, phones, jewelry, etc) that have been turned into library staff stay at that service desk for a time and then are tucked away in a safe until claimed. However, items like coats, mittens, notebooks, umbrellas, and so on are kept at the service desk of the area they were found in for a few hours and are then placed in our Lost and Found bin. This is located between the Friend’s donation area and the Audiobook collection.

Do not forget about the variety of ever changing displays. Any of our items that are on these displays can be checked out. If you are still unsure where to find what you are looking for swing by the Circulation desk and we would be glad to help you!

College Applications and Financial Aid Help

December 11, 2015December 17, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Have you decided to go back to college? Maybe you have a family member that is going back to school, or just starting to think about life after high school? Well, it is never too early, or too late, to start researching options and resources that might be available to you. The library has plenty of books, guides, and other resources that can make the decision and application process a little bit easier. Here are some great places to start the search and decision making process, but keep in mind that there are many more resources and help you available at the library and online.

After checking out the paper resources you might also want to check out an upcoming program on the subject. On January 12 2016 Jennifer Philips will be presenting a seminar on College Financial Aid at 6:30pm. Registration is required. For more information or to register take a look at all the details here.

Choosing the Right School:
The Other College Guide: a Roadmap to the Right School for You by Jane Sweetland, Paul Glastris and the staff of Washington Monthly
Profiles of American Colleges 2016 compiled and edited by the College Division of Barron’s Educational Series
The Hidden Ivies: Fifty Top Colleges from Amherst to Williams that Rival the Ivy League by Howard R. Greene and Matthew W. Greene
Bound-for-College Guidebook: a Step-by-Step Guide to Finding and Applying to Colleges by Frank Burtnett

Applying to School:
In! College Admissions and Beyond: the Experts’ Proven Strategy for Success by Lillian Luterman and Jennifer Bloom
The New Rules of College Admissions: Ten Former Admissions Officers Reveal What it Takes to Get into College Today by Stephen Kramer, Michael London
The Simple Guide to College Admission & Financial Aid: How to Select the Right College, Applying for Admission, Writing the College Essay, [and] the Financial Aid Process Made Easy by Anne M. St. Pierre & Danielle M. Printz
B+ Grades, A+ College Application: How to Present your Strongest Self, Write a Stand-Out Admissions Essay, and Get into the Perfect School For You–Even with Less-than-Perfect Grades by Joie Jager-Hyman, EdD

Paying for School:
Paying for College Without Going Broke by Kalman A. Chany with Geoff Martz
Getting Financial Aid 2016 from College Board
Peterson’s How to Get Money for College 2016
Scholarship Handbook 2016
Paying for College: the Greene’s Guide to Financing Higher Education by Howard R. Greene and Matthew W. Greene

This is just a starting point, and everyone’s path through higher education is different. If you need further help using online resources or finding materials you need please stop by the Reference desk, we will be more that happy to help. And do not forget about our eLearning resources on the library website, which can help with the research and preparation as well. We are also holding a College Financial Aid Seminar at the library on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 6:30pm.

Romance Novels With Mature Couples

December 9, 2015November 19, 2015 / Linda / 2 Comments

It seems that in most of the romance books I read, the couples are very young. The average age of heroines in romance books today is 24-26. The average romance reader is 44, and the number of readers over 45 is 44%. Sometimes I find it hard to connect to the stories because I’ve long passed my twenties. Are you finding yourself with the same dilemma? The good news is that the industry is aware and romances are no longer about the young, perfect couple with perfect jobs and perfect lives. Stories have become more like real lives with all the real issues and hardships, and that includes stories with more mature characters. If you’d like to read romances with more mature characters, here is a small selection of titles.

Black Rose – Nora Roberts – Roz, a wealthy and independent woman who believes that love is behind her, is stunned when unexpected romance comes into her life.

Julie and Romeo – Jeanne Ray – Julie Roseman and Romeo Cacciamani had been born to rival florist families in Boston, but it is love at first sight when they spot each other across a crowded lobby.

Hannah’s Courtship – Emma Miller – Amish widow Hannah Yoder never intended to marry again. Yet when her friendship with veterinarian Albert Hartman begins to bloom into something more, Hannah wonders if perhaps she’s finally ready for a new love.

Taken With You – Shannon Stacey – Even though he is her complete opposite, librarian Hailey Genest finds herself falling for rugged, outdoorsy game warden Matt Barnett, who is renting the house next door.

Wild Man – Kristen Ashley – When DEA agent Brock walks into Tessa O’Hara’s bakery, she thinks she’s found the man of her dreams, until the details of his mission jeopardize what they have together.

Honeysuckle Summer – Sherryl Woods – Raylene Hammond, who is shielded from the world by her best friends as she recovers from a disastrous marriage, falls in love with sheriff’s deputy Carter Rollins, but wonders if she is strong enough to accept what he is offering.

This Heart of Mine – Susan Elizabeth Phillips – When children’s book author Molly Somerville acts on her crush on Chicago Stars quarterback Kevin Tucker, she sets in motion a chain of events that will alter the lives of everyone it touches.

Delicious – Sherry Thomas – A rising political star, Stuart Somerset gets more than he had bargained for when he meets his talented new chef, Verity Durant, and finds himself attracted to more than just her cooking abilities.

Catch of a Lifetime – LuAnn McLane – While making her aunt’s diner the go-to place for gourmet down-home fare, Jessica Robinson, a single mother and world-class chef, catches the eye of former major leaguer Ty McKenna who, no stranger to her cooking, tries to convince her that he is a one-woman man.

Sources:  Booklist Reader, Dear Author, Romance Writers of America

On Our Shelves: Cozy Mysteries

November 13, 2015October 21, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

Grab your hot chocolate or hot tea, a blanket and curl up in your favorite chair with the latest cozy mysteries.

A Gala Event ( An Orchard Mystery) – Sheila Connolly
The Fall harvest may be over, but orchard owner Meg Corey is busier than ever planning her wedding to Seth Chapin. And even though the happy couple has invited most of Granford, Massachusetts, to the ceremony, they might have to make room for one more guest…Ex-con Aaron Eastman has unexpectedly reappeared, searching for answers to the tragic fire in his family’s past that put him behind bars twenty-five years ago. Moved by his sincerity, Meg vows to do everything she can to help him solve the cold case.

Floral Depravity ( A Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery) – Beverly Allen
The daughter of a local historian is getting married in a medieval-themed, hand-fasting ceremony, and Audrey, co-owner of the Rose in Bloom Flower Shop, is responsible for providing period-accurate blooms. But making sure she gets her roses right turns out to be the least of Audrey’s problems. Shortly after the vows are exchanged, the father of the groom suddenly drops dead. When Audrey discovers the man’s death stems from monkshood poisoning, it’s a clear-cut case of murder.

Bread of the Dead ( A Santa Fe Cafe Mystery) – Ann Myers
Life couldn’t be sweeter for Tres Amigas Cafe chef Rita Lafitte, decorating sugar skulls and taste-testing rich, buttery pan de muerto in anticipation of Santa Fe’s Day of the Dead bread-baking contest. That is, until her friendly landlord, Victor, is found dead next door. Although the police deem Victor’s death a suicide, Rita knows something is amiss. To uncover the truth, she teams up with her octogenarian boss, Flori, the town’s most celebrated snoop.

Ghost of a Potion ( A Magic Potion Mystery) – Heather Blake
When her boyfriend’s mother is accused of killing architect Haywood Dodd during a costume ball, shop owner Carly Beth Hartwell employs her keen skills of detection to clear her name while dealing with a group of ghosts who need her help, including the deceased.

Death, Taxes and Chocolate Cannoli (A Tara Holloway Novel) – Diane Kelly
True crime doesn’t pay… taxes. IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway has risked her life to take down drug cartels and other dangerous tax frauds. But going after the mob is one offer she can’t refuse.

Faux Paw (A Magical Cats Mystery) – Sofie Kelly
Painted into a corner after stumbling upon the body of a visiting curator, librarian Kathleen Paulson, her detective boyfriend, Marcus, and her magical cats, Owen and Hercules, must track down a murderous art thief before someone else has a brush with death.

Flipped for Murder (A Country Store Mystery) – Maddie Day
Robbie Jordan is trading in her life on the West Coast for the rolling hills of southern Indiana. After paying a visit to her Aunt Adele, she fell in love with the tiny town of South Lick. And when she spots a For Sale sign on a rundown country store, she decides to snap it up and put her skills as a cook and a carpenter to use. Everyone in town shows up for the grand re-opening of Pans ‘n Pancakes, but when the mayor’s disagreeable assistant is found dead, Robbie realizes that not all press is good press.

Florist Grump (A Flower Shop Mystery) – Kate Collins
Stopping to smell the roses should be a must for flower shop owner Abby Knight, but stress has turned her into a major grump. While their house is under construction, Abby and her new husband, Marco, are living with her parents, who are driving her nuts. Not to mention that everyone has babies on the brain, and Marco’s mother is dropping hints that she expects a new sprout from Abby and her son—as soon as possible! But things get even thornier after a flashy former banker pushes up daisies.

The Silence of the Chihuahuas (A Barking Detective Mystery) – Waverly Curtis
Pepe, aspiring P.I. Geri Sullivan’s muy clever Chihuahua, has stopped talking. But why now, with Geri’s best friend Brad missing and her ditzy sister in grave danger? Geri’s lost without Pepe’s dogged detective work, especially when a client of Brad’s expires under very murky circumstances. Luckily, Pepe turns out to be an excelente blogger, and his nose for clues soon has the detective duo chasing down leads.