Author Jill Shalvis Never Disappoints!

July 29, 2015July 28, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

I read a lot of contemporary romance books, although lately, I haven’t been reading much. The books seem to carry the same theme and they were all starting to sound alike. I’ve even passed on some new books by a few of my favorite authors. But then one of my most favorite authors came out with a new series and I gave her new book a shot. Nirvana! I was not disappointed in the least!

Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis is the first book in her new series, Cedar Ridge. Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it’s the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there’s an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile .

The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things his own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing, she has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes, slow dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if he can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second chance .

There have been plenty of books about firefighters and rescuers, but somehow (because she’s overflowing with talent?), Ms. Shalvis consistently writes books that are fresh, new, and exciting – and this one is a real page turner. From the very first chapter, you are completely engaged in the characters and the location. Readers can relate to the Kincaid family – it is flawed and struggling with a life that hasn’t been easy. Ms. Shalvis’ description of the town of Cedar Ridge makes you want to move there. The story flawlessly moves along enveloping you in lots of romance and laughter, great chemistry between characters, and enticing secondary characters throughout that make you very excited for the next book to come out!

POST NOTE: On July 25, 2015, Ms. Shalvis was awarded a RITA award at the Romance Writers of America conference in New York City for her book, One In A Million, the last book in her Lucky Harbor series.

(RITA Award – The purpose of the RITA award is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas. The award itself is a golden statuette named after RWA’s first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for excellence in published romance fiction.)

Adult Non Fiction about Librarians and Libraries

July 27, 2015July 15, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

I was inspired by the new series of posts about the work that goes on behind the scenes in our library to gather some of the best books about working in a library and the history of libraries to share. If you want to know a little more about life behind the desk, and some history of our little corner of the world and beyond, you might want to take a look at these titles.

I Work at a Public Library: a Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks by Gina Sheridan
Collects strange-but-true anecdotes, heartwarming stories, and humorous interactions with patrons from a public librarian.

Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas
An autobiography set in a Southern California public library offers a quirky description of life as a caretaker of modern literature and furnishes an account of the history of libraries from the Gilded Age to the present day.

The World’s Strongest Librarian: a Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne
Traces the public librarian author’s inspiring story as a Mormon youth with Tourette’s Syndrome who after a sequence of radical and ineffective treatments overcame nightmarish tics through education, military service and strength training.

This Book is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson
In a celebration of libraries and the dedicated people who staff them, the author argues that librarians are more important than ever, and discusses a new breed of visionary professionals who use the Web to link people and information.

Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference by Joanne Oppenheim
Provides the story of life in a Japanese internment camp during World War II through the correspondence of the children in the camp to their librarian, Miss Clara Breed, who worked on their behalf to show the injustice of their imprisonment.

Library: an Unquiet History by Matthew Battles
Provides an intriguing historical study of libraries and books, their preservation, and destruction, from the U.S. to Europe and Asia, from medieval monasteries and Vatican collections to the ever-changing information highway of today.

For further reading about the history of libraries and what it can be like on the other side of the counter check out: Running the Books: the Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg, Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert, Dewey: the Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter, The Library: an Illustrated History by Stuart A.P. Murray, Library: the Drama Within photographs by Diane Asséo Griliches ; essay by Daniel J. Boorstin, The Librarian’s Book of Quotes compiled by Tatyana Eckstrand, and Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out edited by Katia Roberto and Jessamyn West.

On Our Shelves: New Romance June and July 2015

July 22, 2015July 6, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

Add some romance to your summer reading!

Suspense

Falling Hard – Helenkay Dimon

Hell Or High Water – Julie Ann Walker

You Can’t Escape – Nancy Bush

Paranormal

In The Air Tonight – Lori Handeland

Heat of the Moment – Lori Handeland

SEAL Wolf Hunting – Terry Spear

Historical

The Beautiful One – Emily Greenwood

Lady’s Maid – Dilly Court

Only A Promise – Mary Balogh

Love In The Time of Scandal – Caroline Linden

The Best of Both Rogues – Samantha Grace

The Duke But No Gentleman – Alexandra Hawkins

Do Not Forsake Me – Rosanne Bittner

Contemporary

At His Service – Suzanne Rock

I’ll Stand by You – Sharon Sala

Rules of the Game – Lori Wilde

All Of Me – Jennifer Bernard

Sharp Shootin’ Cowboy – Victoria Vane

Kiss Me – Susan Mallery

A New Hope – Robyn Carr

Can’t Fight This Feeling – Christie Ridgway

Redemption Bay – RaeAnne Thayne

Second Chance Summer – Jill Shalvis

Last Chance Hero – Hope Ramsay

Read the book first or see the movie first?

July 17, 2015July 6, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

Some interesting books are coming to a theater near you soon. Are you the type who wants to read the book first to see if the movie would be worth going to, or do you look at who’s starring in the movie and see it first and then read the book later? Which one of the following movies do you think you’ll go see?

Book

Mr. Holmes (PG) – based on the book A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Gullin. Starring Ian McKellen, Laura Linney. Release date July 17, 2015. “In 1947, ninety-three-year-old Sherlock Holmes lives out his retirement in a remote Sussex farmhouse with a housekeeper and her young son, Roger, who stumbles upon information about Holmes’s secret past and long-ago infatuation with Mrs. Keller, while the one-time master detective tends his apiary, writes in journals, and copes with the fading powers of his mind.”

Book

Dark Places (R) – based on the book by Gillian Flynn. Starring Charlize Theron. Release date August 7., 2015 ” After witnessing the murder of her mother and sisters, seven-year-old Libby Day testifies against her brother Ben, but twenty-five years later she tries to profit from her tragic history and admit that her story might not have been accurate.”

Book

Paper Towns (PG-13) – based on the book by John Green. Starring Cara Delevigne and Nat Wolff. Release date July 25, 2015. “One month before graduating from his Central Florida high school, Quentin “Q” Jacobsen basks in the predictable boringness of his life until the beautiful and exciting Margo Roth Spiegelman, Q’s neighbor and classmate, takes him on a midnight adventure and then mysteriously disappears.”

Book

Black Mass(R) – based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill. Starring Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch. Release date September 18, 2015. ” A profile of FBI agent John Connolly and James “Whitey” Bulger, the godfather of Boston’s Irish Mob, describes how these two childhood friends, who grew up together on the tough streets of South Boston, conspired to bring down Boston’s Italian mafia in a scheme that spiraled out of control, leading to drug dealing, racketeering, and murder.”

National Nude Day – July 14, 2015

July 13, 2015June 19, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

While doing some research for future blog posts, I came across National Nude Day. Now, I know what some of you are thinking, but I immediately thought about……. Art. The human body has always been a fascinating subject for artists. A recent example was featured on CBS This Morning here. The Cheshire Library has a wonderful collection of books, DVDs, and magazines on a variety of art subjects, including some of the world’s best known artists famous for their nudes.

A Few Famous Artists

Michelangelo: a life in six masterpieces

Francisco de Goya

Vincent Van Gogh: life and work

The Unknown Matisse

A Life of Picasso

Magazines

American Art Review Magazine

Art In America Magazine

DVDs

Drawing the line: a portrait of Keith Haring

Getting Started With Bob Ross

Vincent Van Gogh: A Stroke of Genius

Vincent – A Dutchman

Andy Warhol

A Model for Matisse

The Great Masters of the Italian Renaissance

Alex Katz: Five Hours

Books – Adult

Lives of the Great 20th Century Artists

How to Paint Abstracts

Art: over 2,500 works from cave to contemporary

Art: a new history

The Collins Big Book of Art: from cave art to pop art

Introduction to Drawing the Human Body

Books – Children

A History of Art for Young People

Paul Cezanne

100 Artists Who Changed the World

History of Art for Young People

The Children’s Librarians and Reference Librarians will be happy to guide you in finding the perfect title for you.

Now – for those interested in the actual National Nude Day -” National Nude Day is a way to keep cool on a hot , sticky summer day. Nudist groups around the world celebrate this holiday and take it quite seriously! Nudist’s are not perverts…even though their desire to go “au natural” might be offensive to the conservative population! Nudist’s are individuals who believe the human body is most beautiful in their natural state. Whether or not you agree with them, nudist’s encourage people to strut their stuff. ” (source: National Day Calendar) And, yes, there are a few ‘clothing optional’ resorts in Connecticut.