National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

February 22, 2015January 16, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

February 22 through 28th is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. While many of us are still focused on New Years resolutions about health and weight, it is a good time to stop and think about the ramifications of the focus on being perfect that seems so prevalent in today’s world. Making changes is great, but it is important that we all do so in a smart and healthy manner.

There are far too many young adults and adults out there suffering from eating disorders and other self image problems. to make matters works these concerns are becoming more of an issue with younger and younger children each year. thankfully there are many resources out there, and many fantastic books, to help. Here is a selection of related books that I would recommend for anyone that suffers from one of these disorders, knows someone that does, worries that someone close to you (or you yourself) might be heading in that direction, or just wants to educate themselves in order to understand and help others.

I have broken the list down into fiction featuring characters dealing with eating disorders and nonfiction books that can help answer specific questions with research and medical information. this is far from a comprehensive list, so if you have found a resource or book that I have forgotten please mention it in a comment to share with others.

For more immediate help, information, and support please visit the National Eating Disorder Association‘s or the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders website.

Fiction:
1. Skin & Bones by Sherry Shahan
2. Butter by Erin Jade Lange
3. Purge by Sarah Darer Littman
4. Zero by Diane Tullson
5. Faded Denim: Color me Trapped by Melody Carlson
6. Healing Waters by Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn.

More quality adult and young adult fiction that deals with eating disorders include: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, Massive by Julia Bell, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, Perfect by Natasha Friend, Skinny by Ibi Kaslik, Saving Ruth by Zoe Fishman, Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos, and Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler.

Non Fiction:
1. If Your Adolescent has an Eating Disorder: an Essential Resource for Parents by B. Timothy Walsh and V. L. Cameron
2. Take Charge of your Child’s Eating Disorder: a Physician’s Step-by-Step Guide to Defeating Anorexia and Bulimia by Pamela Carlton, and Deborah Ashin
3.Surviving an Eating Disorder: Strategies for Family and Friends by Michele Seigel, Judith Brisman, Margot Weinshel
4.Regaining your Self: Breaking Free from the Eating Disorder Identity: a Bold New Approach by Ira M. Saker and Sheila Buff
5.Gaining: the Truth about Life after Eating Disorders by Aimee Liu
6.Eating Disorders: the Facts by Suzanne Abraham and Derek Llewellyn-Jones
7.Going Hungry: Writers on Desire, Self-denial, and Overcoming Anorexia edited by Kate Taylor.

I would also suggest checking out The Eating Disorder Sourcebook by Carolyn Costin, Next to Nothing: a Firsthand Account of one Teenager’s Experience with an Eating Disorder by Carrie Arnold with B. Timothy Walsh, Life Beyond your Eating Disorder: Reclaim Yourself, Regain your Health, Recover for Good by Johanna S. Kandel, Treatment Plans and Interventions for Bulimia and Binge-eating Disorder by Rene D. Zweig, Robert L. Leahy, Goodbye Ed, Hello Me : Recover from your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life by Jenni Schaefer, Anatomy of Anorexia by Steven Levenkron and When Dieting Becomes Dangerous: a Guide to Understanding and Treating Anorexia and Bulimia by Deborah Marcontell Michel, Susan G. Willard.

If you liked the book, will you like the movie?

February 17, 2015February 12, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

Some very popular books have recently come out as movies and are generating a lot of positive buzz.

Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed – A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.

The movie stars Reese Witherspoon (and is also Producer) as Cheryl Strayed and Laura Dern as Cheryl’s mother, Bobbi. It is rated R for sexual content, nudity, drug use, and language. It is mostly faithful to the book and critics say Reese delivered the performance of her life and was nominated for a Golden Globe and Oscar. Laura Dern was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The movie is rated R.

Unbroken: A World War II story of survival, resilience and redemption by Laura Hillenbrand – Relates the story of a U.S. airman who survived when his bomber crashed into the sea during World War II, spent forty-seven days adrift in the ocean before being rescued by the Japanese Navy, and was held as a prisoner until the end of the war.

The movie is most notably directed by Angelina Jolie. It has won the American Film Festival top ten film of the year. Jack O’Connell, who plays Louis Zamperini, has won two awards – Hollywood Film Award for Actor and National Board of Review Award for breakthrough actor. The movie is rated PG-13.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova – Feeling at the top of her game when she is suddenly diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease, Harvard psychologist Alice Howland struggles to find meaning and purpose in her life as her concept of self gradually slips away. The movie stars Julianne Moore as Alice who recently won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress. She also won Best Actress with several other associations including The Chicago Film Critics and Hollywood Film Awards and has been nominated for an Oscar as Best Actress. Alec Baldwin stars as the husband, John. The movie is rated PG-13.

American Sniper by Chris Kyle – A member of Navy SEAL Team 3 describes his life as a father and husband, and as the serviceman with the most confirmed sniper kills in the history of the United States military while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bradley Cooper has been nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Chris Kyle. The movie has also been nominated for Best Picture. The movie is rated R.

If you’ve read the book, will you go see the movie? Let us know what you think of the movie. Did it capture the essence of the book, or was it a disappointment? If you liked the movie, will you read the book? Which did you like better? We want to know!

Children’s Books with Non Traditional Families

February 12, 2015January 29, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Children love to see something of themselves and their families as they read. Sometimes spotting something of themselves in the main character’s personality or home life is what helps them connect to a book or foster a love in reading. When growing up in a family that is everything you need, but not the expected mom and dad with 2.5 kids and a dog, it is sometimes hard to make that connection. Thankfully, since the ‘expected’ family is becoming less of a norm for a variety of reasons I thought it would be helpful to share some children’s books with alternative families to help every child find a book that they can relate to. Here are some picture books and easy readers to share with some young readers about a variety of families.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; illustrated by Henry Cole
At New York City’s Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose Lewis; illustrated by Jane Dyer
A woman describes how she went to China to adopt a special baby girl. Based on the author’s own experiences.

The Family Book by Todd Parr
Represents a variety of families, some big and some small, some with only one parent and some with two moms or dads, some quiet and some noisy, but all alike in some ways and special no matter what.

In Our Mothers’ House BY Patricia Polacco
Three young children experience the joys and challenges of being raised by two mothers.

Two Homes by Claire Masurel; illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
A young boy named Alex enjoys the homes of both of his parents who live apart but love Alex very much.

Black is Brown is Tan by Arnold Adoff; pictures by Emily Arnold McCully
When it was first published in 1973, Black is Brown is Tan featured the first interracial family in children’s books.

There are many more kinds of families, and many more books about how wonderful each is. Here are a select group of more books on the subject:Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen, Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers; illustrated by Marla Frazee, The White Swan Express: a Story about Adoption by Jean Davies Okimoto and Elaine M. Aoki; illustrated by Meilo So, Who’s in a Family? by Robert Skutch; illustrations by Laura Nienhaus, I Have Two Homes by Marian De Smet; illustrated by Nynke Talsma, Who’s Whose? by Jan Ormerod, Raising you Alone by Warren Hanson, All Families are Special by Norma Simon; illustrated by Teresa Flavin.

My list is not comprehensive, there is no way to include every good book on the subject. If I missed a great one you have run across please share it in the comments so we can all check it out!

Uniquely Tasty Cookbooks

February 5, 2015January 22, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

If you browse the cookbook section of the library, Amazon, or any bookstore you are liable to run into a wide variety of cookbooks about traditional cuisines and diets that are intended to make you healthier. However, there are also a large number of less expected or strangely specific titles that tend to get lost in the shuffle, such as recipes all featuring nutella or using a waffle iron with unexpected food. Here are some of the most unique and tastily temping or worrying cookbooks that I have seen go by at the circulation desk.

1. Nutella: the 30 Best Recipes edited by Johana Amsilli

2. Will it Waffle?: 53 Unexpected and Irresistible Recipes to Make in a Waffle Iron by Daniel Shumski

3. The Mac + Cheese Cookbook: 50 Simple Recipes from Homeroom, America’s Favorite Mac and Cheese Restaurant by Allison Arevalo and Erin Wade

4. Melt: 100 Amazing Adventures in Grilled Cheese by Shane Kearns

5. Weelicious Lunches: Think Outside the Lunchbox with More than 160 Happier Meals by Catherine McCord

6.Meatloaf: Recipes for Everyone’s Favorite by Maryana Vollstedt

7.Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Dr. Seuss! concocted by Georgeanne Brennan and photographed by Frankie Frankeny

8. Muffin Tin Chef: 101 Savory Snacks, Adorable Appetizers, Enticing Entrees & Delicious Desserts by Matt Kadey

9. Fifty Shades of Kale: 50 Fresh and Satisfying Recipes that are Bound to Please by Drew Ramsey, MD & Jennifer Iserloh ; with photographs by Ian McSpadden

10. No Bake Makery: More Than 80 Two-Bite Treats Made with Lovin’ Not an Oven by Cristina Suarez Krumsick

For more unique and tasty reads you might want to check out: The Book Club Cookbook: Recipes and Food for Thought from your Book Club’s Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, The Craft Beer Cookbook: from IPAs and Bocks to Logers and Porters, 100 Artisanal Recipes for Cooking with Beer by Jacquelyn Dodd, Serious Barbecue: Smoke, Char, Baste, and Brush your Way to Great Outdoor Cooking by Adam Perry Lang, with J.J. Goode and Amy Vogler, Cast-Iron Cooking with Sisters on the Fly by Irene Rawlings, Super Seeds: Cooking with Power-Packed Chia, Quinoa, Flax, Hemp & Amaranth by Kim Lutz, Orange is the New Black Presents the Cookbook: Bites, Booze, Secrets, and Stories from Inside the Big House by Jenji Kohan, Tara Herrmann, Hartley Voss, and Alex Regnery, The Book of Burger by Rachael Ray, Thug Kitchen: Eat Like You Give a F*ck, Insanewiches: 101 Ways to Think Outside the Lunchbox by Adrian Fiorino, Fifty Shades of Chicken: a Parody in a Cookbook by FL Fowler, Irish Pub Cooking by Larry Doyle, or Mom ‘n’ Pop’s Apple Pie: 1950’s Cookbook; Over 300 Great Recipes from the Golden Age of American Home Cooking compiled and edited by Barbara Stuart Peterson.

Our Patrons Pick Their Favorite Books of 2014

February 3, 2015January 16, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

For the last several years, The Department of Human Services of Cheshire has had a mitten tree in the library’s lobby, requesting the public to donate holiday gifts for needy girls and boys. Our patrons have always been very generous and we thank you very much!