The Cover Was Blue.

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

How many times has someone recommend a book, or you saw a book on the shelf and did not have time to read it, and you thought you would remember the author or title when it came time to find it and read it yourself? It happens to us too. We know exactly who wrote that book or series, at least until someone asks us. When that happens, we use our skills and look it up, even though we feel like we should already know the answer.

bluebooksSometimes no one can remember enough of the author or title to do the necessary searching to figure out the answer. Often times at this point all any of us can remember is the color or image on the cover. For some reason, the cover in these cases is almost always blue. So, here are some of the most popular books that might fit the bill if you are looking for a popular read and all you can remember is that the cover was blue. I have noted any books shelves in or children’s room with a J, and any books shelved in our young adult or teen area with a YA.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (YA)
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
The Selection by Kiera Cass (YA)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (YA)
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (YA)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (J)
Wonder by R.J. Palacio (J)

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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (YA)
Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (YA)
The Wind is Not a River by Brian Payton
The Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

This is only a small portion of possibilities, as blue seems to be a very popular color for book covers. Are you still searching or need a different cover color? Comment with the information you do have and I will do my best to find the book for which you are searching!

What’s Trending at Cheshire Public Library

/ Linda / Leave a comment

what's trending                    movie

It was a long, very hot summer, and a lot of people took advantage of our extensive DVD collection to enjoy some movies at home.  During June, July and August, our circulation for adult DVDs and Blu Rays topped over 15,500!  Here are the 15 most popular adult/family film titles that were checked out this summer.

brooklynBrooklyn – A young Irish immigrant travels to New York City and is torn between two countries and two men.

 

 

the hateful eightThe Hateful Eight – A stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth and his fugitive Daisy Domergue, race towards the town of Red Rock.

 

pride prejudice zombiesPride and Prejudice and Zombies – Elizabeth Bennet, a master of martial arts, and Mr. Darcy, a fierce zombie killer, must swallow their pride in order to conquer the undead.

 

deadpoolDeadpool – Witness the origin story of Wade Wilson, who adopts the alter ego Deadpool after a rogue experiment leaves him with accelerated healing powers…and a dark, twisted sense of humor.

 

bridge of spiesBridge of Spies – An American insurance lawyer is recruited by the CIA to rescue an American pilot detained in the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

 

peanuts movieThe Peanuts Movie – Prepare to dream big and laugh out loud with Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved Peanuts gang in this all-new animated adventure for the whole family!

 

daddy's homeDaddy’s Home – Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg face off in the ultimate Dad vs. Step-Dad showdown! Brad (Ferrell), who always dreamed of having the perfect family, is determined to become the best step-dad to his new wife’s (Linda Cardellini) children.

 

zoolander 2Zoolander 2 – When the world’s most beautiful people are in danger, former models Derek and Hansel are recruited for a top secret mission to defeat the criminal mastermind Mugatu.

 

 

jurassicJurassic World – Owen and Claire race to restore order at Jurassic World theme park when a ferocious genetically modified dinosaur escapes.

 

good dinosaurThe Good Dinosaur – An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.

 

 

big shortThe Big Short – Based on the true story of four outsiders who saw what the big banks, media and government refused to: the global collapse of the economy. A bold investment leads them into the dark underbelly of banking, where everyone and everything is in question.

harry potterHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – A young boy on his eleventh birthday discovers, he is the orphaned boy of two powerful wizards and has unique magical powers.

 

everestEverest – Everest documents the deadly journey of two mountain climbing expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind.

 

love the coopersLove the Coopers – A chaotic family reunion leads to a joyful rediscovery of family bonds and the magic of love in this sparkling, all-star comedy

 

spotlightSpotlight – Chronicles the true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered a decades-long cover-up of child abuse within the local Catholic Archdiocese.

Cookbooks that Caught My Eye, But I Know I Will Never Try

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Sometimes when we catalog or check in or out library materials a book catches our eye and requires some serious perusal. More often than not this means setting it aside to check out and bring home.

Cookbooks with insanely creative or intricate recipes and decorating ideas regularly catch me. I love to bake and cook but do not have the time or energy to necessarily get fancy. I tend to worry first about taste and if I can get my family to eat it.

However, looking at the wonderful ideas and execution in these books sometimes inspires me to get more creative, and cookingsometimes just makes me wonder how anyone can eat something that obviously took some serious time and effort to make look so good. Here are some of the more recent cookbooks that have made me stop and look at their deliciously beautiful covers.

Cake My Day by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson

The New England Soup Factory Cookbook by Marjorie Druker and Clara Silverstein

What’s New, Cupcake?: Ingeniously Simple Designs for Every Occasion by Karen Tack

The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the World by Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez and the Bakers of Hot Bread Kitchen with Julia Turshen

Cupcakes, Cookies, and Pie, Oh, My! by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson

Seriously Delish: 150 Recipes for People Who Totally Love Food by Jessica Merchant

Great Balls of Cheese by Michelle Buffardi

The Confetti Cakes Cookbook: Cookies, Cakes, and Cupcakes from New York City’s Famed Bakery by Elisa Strauss with Christie Matheson

For some of us more realistic, or pessimistic, chefs I offer:
The Can’t Cook Book : 100+ Recipes for the Absolutely Terrified! by Jessica Seinfeld

Learning to Face Your Fears

/ Mary / Leave a comment

worriedOctober 11, 2016 is National Face Your Fears Day, a day for confronting, if not overcoming, things that scare you.

The Cheshire Library is here to help. Try some of these online classes from lynda.com. FREE for Cheshire Library card holders.  Login in via cheshirelibrary.com/elearning.

Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking. Although it may seem to come naturally to some people, public speaking is actually a skill that can be learned. Learn techniques to prepare yourself mentally and physically so that you can feel comfortable—or even enjoy—delivering your message to an audience.  26 minutes.

Learning To Say No. Learning to say no is about making choices about what is important to you. Learn how to classify your work into categories of importance and decide how it matches your own goals and values. Using these guidelines, you can choose what to say “yes” to and what to say “no” to more effectively and in a way that is brief, honest, positive, and respectful.  22 minutes.

Learning to Be Assertive. We all get frustrated when we feel taken advantage of, or alternatively, respond too aggressively when we feel provoked or trapped. Overcome these knee-jerk responses by learning how to be assertive. This course reveals what assertiveness really means, and how it is different from aggression, and outlines specific techniques you can use to respond to challenging situations and difficult people.  55 minutes.

Building Self-Confidence. Confidence can help you accomplish your goals and build strong relationships. But the reverse is also true; a lack of confidence can hurt you personally and professionally. Luckily, there are steps you can take to build lasting self-confidence. In this 20 minute course, you will learn 10 techniques for building confidence you can apply at work and in your personal life.

Embracing Change. In this short course (12 minutes!), author and business coach Todd Dewett explains how you can harness the power of change and benefit those around you by avoiding quick reactions, adopting a positive attitude, and developing a 30-day plan to integrate change.

Or try some downloadable audiobooks books:

Fear Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm / Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Speed : Facing Our Addiction to Fast and Faster– and Overcoming our Fear of Slowing Down / Stephanie Brown, PhD

 

And downloadable ebooks:

Goldsmith, Barton.

 

 

 

Or some books off the shelf:

RewireRewire Your Anxious Brain : How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, & Worry / Catherine M. Pittman, PhD, Elizabeth M. Karle, MLIS

The Science of Fear : Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn’t– and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger / Daniel Gardner

Growing up Brave : Expert Strategies for Helping Your Child Overcome Fear, Stress, and Anxiety / Donna B. Pincus

October is National Seafood Month

/ Linda / Leave a comment

sea

October is National Seafood Month.  Integrating seafood into your regular diet is something you can start in October and continue all year. By adding fish and other types of seafood to your palate, you can enjoy health benefits that are hard to find on land.  Here are some great seafood cookbooks for you to explore.

seafood how to buySeafood: how to buy, prepare, and cook the best sustainable fish and seafood from around the world – Featuring more than 300 recipes inspired by world cooking traditions, this fully illustrated cookbook provides information on seafood, shellfish and freshwater fish, and explains how to prepare them and the best way to cook them to bring out their flavor.

mystic seafoodMystic seafood: great recipes, history, and seafaring lore from Mystic Seaport – A delectable seafood cookbook from the eighteenth-century New England coastal village of Mystic brings together more than one hundred great seafood recipes, along with archival photographs and informational sidebars on such topics as the role of fishing in colonial America, how to prepare a classic clambake, and the culinary history of the lobster.

nyt seafoodThe New York Times Seafood Cookbook: 250 recipes for more than 70 kinds of fish and shellfish – A foremost food reviewer collects recipes for more than 100 kinds of fish and shellfish, in a volume that has options for every course and contributions by veteran food writers and top chefs including Mario Batali, Dave Pasternack, and Nobuyuki Matsuhisa.

new england seafood marketThe New England Seafood Markets Cookbook: recipes from the best lobster pounds, clam shacks, and fish mongers – Accompanied by profiles of more than 30 of the top seafood markets–their histories, owners and specialties–and profiles of some of the more colorful fishing operations along the New England seaboard, this cookbook offers recipes from the best seafood markets in the six-state New England region.

seafood lover's new englandSeafood Lover’s New England: restaurants, markets, recipes & traditions – Perfect for the local enthusiast and the traveling visitor alike, this book includes: restaurants and shacks, local fishmongers and markets, regional recipes from New England chefs and restaurants, a New England seafood primer, seafood-related festivals and culinary events and regional maps.

williams sonomaWilliams-Sonoma Seafood – A collection of oven and outdoor-grill Williams-Sonoma seafood recipes provides for dinners, parties, and casual entertaining, sharing the preparation instructions for dozens of options from Grilled Salmon and Garlic Shrimp to Lobster Risotto and Clams Oreganata.

fresh fishFresh Fish: a fearless guide to grilling, shucking, searing, poaching and roasting seafood – Collects recipes that showcase the versatility of seafood, including such options as curried lobster roll and New-Haven style white clam pizza, and offers tips on everything from shucking oysters and roasting whole fish to organizing a clambake.

two if by seaTwo If By Sea: delicious sustainable seafood – Boiling over with more than 150 new recipes for entrees, salads, soups, appetizers, pastas, stews, sides and sauces, a cookbook by the author of For Cod and Country features seafood that hasn’t been overfished or caught in an environmentally destructive way and provides advice on buying, choosing and making the most of your ingredients.