Romance

(Originally published February 17, 2018 in the Marquette Mining Journal.)

This week there has been a lot of love and romance in the air. Now is the time to sit down with a romance novel and munch on those Valentine’s Day chocolates your significant other bought you.

Cathy Maxwell’s If Ever I Should Love You might tickle your fancy. An Earl with virtually no money has to find a wife, a woman with wealth and tolerably pretty (his words). So there are 3 young ladies, known as the “Spinster Heiresses” are on the top of his list. One of whom he had saved her reputation many years before. The author asks, “Why do people fall in love?” Come join her and maybe you will find the answer.

A Million Little Things by Susan Mallery, #1 NY Times bestselling Author of “The Friends We Keep”, is has a multilevel plot filled with expectations, assumptions, and classic family dynamics. This is a funny, tender and moving story of 3 women facing surprising change as well as the challenging impact of friends. The book is filled with lots of family dynamics and drama. Go ahead and indulge yourself.

Another novel by Susan Mallery, Second Chance Girl, doesn’t get any better. Mallery has a way of expertly blending emotional nuance, humor and awesome storytelling. The characters will have you laughing, crying and falling in love. Go dunk some of those chocolates into a cup of hot milk, stir and cozy up for an evening of love and romance.

The novel The Paris Secret by author Karen Swan is a story you will find difficult to put down until you’ve read every page. Be prepared to be up late into the night with this book. The main character, Flora Sykes, a high-powered fine art agent, is called in to assess some art objects in a Paris apartment that had been abandoned since WWII. The very powerful Vermeil family asks her to trace the history of each painting. The story uncovers a scandal, a secret that delves into the heart of the family. Flora and Xavier seem to have a powerful attraction to each other, but despite that attraction, he is very determined to separate Flora from his family’s affairs. What secrets is he trying to hide?

In Wired, Julie Garwood once again created another masterpiece. It’s not only romantic, but also suspenseful. This book with make romance skeptics think twice about romance suspense being dead. A beautiful computer hacker, Allison Trent and a bad-boy FBI agent have to collaborate, but as hard as Liam tries, Allison wants nothing to do with his job and turns him down. Wait until you uncover the secrets Allison is hiding and how Liam will do almost anything to get her to join his team, even putting his job and both their futures on the line.

Last but not least, Jayne Ann Krentz, who has written more than 50 bestsellers, gives us Promise Not to Tell. Both Virginia Troy and private investigator Cabot Sutter share a similar childhood horror story having both lived in a cult where Virginia’s mother was killed as a fire swept through the building. He was one of few who survived that horrible fire and he is the only one that can help her now. It will be hard to put this book down, so start reading early so you can get some sleep tonight.

--Nicki Malave, Network Coodinator

New on DVD

 (Originally published in the Marquette Mining Journal on February 10, 2018)

The Peter White Public Library is offering up a number of recently added DVDs.  If you want to experience a show of a different kind, winter can be a great time to view the cosmos. Not only is it dark for longer, but the dry, cold air offers a clear view through the atmosphere. The library’s relatively new telescope hasn’t had a lot of use this winter. It’s getting a little bit warmer, come in and check it out, or go online to put it on hold.

Dangal (2016, 161 min.) - DVD
If you missed Bollywood Night last week, the featured film is now available to borrow. The title translates to “wrestling competition”, and is based on a true story about a family of wrestlers in India. Against societal norms, father Mahavir teaches his daughters Babita Kumari and Geeta the sport of wrestling so that they may compete in the Commonwealth Games. Subtitles. Unrated for US audiences, rated PG in Canada and the UK.
Music from the movie also available in the compact disc soundtrack section.
New DVDs by title

The Lost City of Z (2016, PG-13, 141 min.) - DVD and Blu-ray
Based on the true story of explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who was lost while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon rainforest in the 1920s.
New DVDs and Blu-rays by title

Frantz (2016, PG-13, 113 min.) - DVD
In the aftermath of WWI, Anna grieves for her fiancé Frantz, who perished in the war. She meets a mysterious young Frenchman who is also visiting Frantz’s grave, and a friendship ensues. Winner of multiple awards in its home country. Subtitles. Black & white.
New DVDs by title

Dunkirk (2017, PG-13, 106 min.) - DVD and Blu-ray
During an early WWII battle in 1940, allied soldiers primarily from Belgium, Britain, and France find themselves in Dunkirk, backed up along the French coast by the German Army. Being a little less than 50 miles from the English town of Dover, a rescue plan is hatched.
Music from the movie also available in the compact disc soundtrack section.
New DVDs and Blu-rays by title

Loving Vincent (2017, PG-13, 94 min.) - DVD
The events of impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh’s life, leading up to his controversial death. A visually stunning film, composed entirely of animation evocative of the artist’s oil paintings.
New DVDs by title

--Bruce MacDonald, Technical Services Librarian

Read Alouds

Looking for cozy activities on cold winter days? The new shelf at the Peter White Public Library is filled with stories to read-aloud as a family or enjoy by yourself. Do you have a Star Wars obsessed family member? Stop by and grab Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know by Adam Bray. Want an adventure? Grab Sandra Neil Wallace’s Bound by Ice: A True North Pole Survival Story about a crew trapped by polar ice in 1879, who abandon their ship and brave across the arctic to safety. Other great reads include:

The Secret Project by Jonah Winter is a beautifully illustrated, all-ages read about how the U.S. researched, experimented and built the World’s first atomic bomb, in the New Mexican desert in the 1940s. Illustrator Jeanette Winter’s warm earth tones, rich in browns and reds contract the natural surroundings with the blacks and dark blues of the secret, isolated work taking place in the lab. The easy to understand text offers an introduction on this topic for young kids.   

Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Schiltz is not a typical princess story. Bored and squeaky clean, the princess longs for fresh air, exciting stories and un-princess like adventures. When her parents say no to her request for a pet dog, Cora writes her fairy godmother, explaining her plight and asking for help. When a crocodile shows up the next morning, hilarity ensues, as the ferocious reptile sends Cora outside to play; and takes her place in the bath, reading with her mother and jump roping with her father. When the adults soon realize how boring Cora’s days have become, they promise to give her a pet dog, as long as the crocodile relocates out of the castle.

In Elly Mackay’s wordless book, Waltz of the Snowflakes, a young girl is unhappy with her grandma’s plans to take her to the ballet on a rainy, December evening. Once there she becomes captivated with the story of the Nutcracker. As the girl’s mood toward attending the theater changes, Mackay’s illustrations shift from black and white to color-rich watercolors endearing audiences to the whimsical joy expressed through a ballet performance. This book will appeal to both dancers and non-dancers alike.

In The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell, Xar a wizard and Wish, a Warrior are taught from birth to hate each other and their tribes. Xar is taught that warriors want to strip wizards of their magic and to stay away from the line that separates their woods. Wish is taught that all magic is evil. After all, weren’t the witches, (the very worst kind of evil, and extinct for hundreds of years) magic? So when the two nearly 13 year-olds meet in the woods they’re not sure how to proceed. Especially if the black feather they found really does belong to a witch. How will they convince their parents – both tribe leaders, that the evil force is resurfacing? Can they bring the two tribes together before it’s too late?  After huge success with the How to Train Your Dragon series, Cowell’s page-turner The Wizard’s of Once kicks off the series leaving readers wanting more.

My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson tells the story of the world’s most successful literacy campaign, carried out in 1961 in revolutionary Cuba. The story follows the life of fictional 13-year Lora as she leaves her parents city home to help teach rural Cubans how to read. Steeped in historical fact, Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia, uses Lora’s character to give audiences a sense of the magnitude, dangers and success of the campaign. In just one year volunteers help 700,000 Cubans to read, raising the literacy rate from 60 percent to 96 percent.

Another great  new book about Cuba is Forest World by Margarita Engle. Set in present day Florida and Cuba, Engle explores a family reunion that occurs when the travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba are lifted. Edver isn’t happy about going to meet his estranged father and grandfather in a remote forest in Cuba. When he arrives and learns he has a sister, Edver’s confusion turns into anger. Luza can’t believe their mother never told Edver he had a sister! As the pair work through their emotions about their parents' decisions and separation; they bond over their love for exotic animals. Eventually they team up to stop a notorious poacher

--Jeni Kilpela, Youth Services

Anxiety and Stress

Feeling stressed?  If you are, you’re not alone.  According to a recent article in the New York Times, Anxiety disorders are the most common condition in psychiatry.  Whether you are looking for coping skills or just a better understanding for yourself or someone you love, the Library has a number of new titles to help you learn about anxiety and stress.

Andrea Petersen was first diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at the age of twenty, but she later realized that she had been experiencing panic attacks since childhood. With time her symptoms multiplied. She agonized over every odd physical sensation. She developed fears of driving on highways, going to movie theaters, even licking envelopes. Although having a name for her condition was an enormous relief, it was only the beginning of a journey to understand and master it—one that took her from psychiatrists’ offices to yoga retreats to the Appalachian Trail. On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety is her memoir, documenting her experiences.

Ten Minutes to Deep Meditation : Techniques that Reduce Stress and Relieve Anger, Anxiety & Depression by Michael J. Cavallaro presents two main types of meditation analytical and placement and explains how each can help you in different ways. You will also learn the answers to common questions regarding this soothing process: How is meditation different from relaxation, concentration, and self-hypnosis? Which techniques are right for you?

If you’re looking for advice geared specifically towards teens, try Project You: More than 50 Ways to Calm Down, De-stress, and Feel Great by Aubre Andrus. This book will help young adults find their balance. Some of the tips included in this book:  Make a protein-packed smoothie to energize for a busy day. Center yourself after a stressful week by taking five minutes to write in your journal. Strengthen your body and calm your mind with simple yoga poses and breathing techniques. Craft a vision board to help you achieve your goals. Create a time budget to organize your schedule. Develop an evening routine that will help you wind down before sleep.

Another book written specifically for teens is Chill : Stress-Reducing Techniques For a More Balanced, Peaceful You by Deborah Reber.  Reber explains what happens to your body and mind when you're stressed; shows you how to de-stress through a variety of techniques including time management, visualization, exercise, and creative outlets; offers organizational tips to make every part of your life run more smoothly; and helps you deal with some of the side effects of stress.

Child Psychologist Stuart Shanker doesn’t believe there’s such a thing as a bad kid.  In his book Self-reg : How to Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage with Life he invites parents and professionals to reframe behavior through the lens of self-regulation.  Shanker translates decades of his findings from working with children into practical, prescriptive advice for parents, giving them concrete ways to develop their self-regulation skills and to teach their children to do the same and engage successfully with life for optimal learning, social, and emotional growth.

I'm OK!: Building Resilience Through Physical Play by Jarrod Green is intended for all teachers of young children. It is a guide to both conceptual and practical approaches to building resilience, a key skill in overcoming stress. In particular, it examines children's physical development as it relates to resilience, including topics such as active play, physical risk-taking, safety and injury, and so on. By providing an in-depth exploration of both the theoretical and practical sides of building resilience, this book will help educators use effective strategies throughout their practice to better support the children and families they serve.

-- Ellen Moore, Web Developer

Healthy Cooking

It’s that time of the year when New Year’s resolutions are fresh in our minds.  The first one is usually to eat better and lose those extra holiday pounds.  This great selection of cookbooks, each with a slightly different focus, will help you find the best dishes for your new and improved style of food preparation.  Find them in the New Non-fiction section on the main floor.

America the Cookbook by Gabrielle Langholtz (641.5973 LA) is a giant volume of recipes from the fifty United States – 3600 tasty dishes in all.  Within the chapters of Starters, Main Courses, Side Dishes, Desserts, etc., the recipes are presented alphabetically by state, with an image of the state at the top of the page.  If a particular recipe is also vegetarian, dairy-free, or grain-free, a symbol to indicate that attribute is included on the page – very visual.  This thick book with red, white, and blue on its cover offers many choices for healthy cooking.

David Tanis Market Cooking (641.5 TA) is subtitled “Recipes and Revelations Ingredient by Ingredient” because the recipes are basic and start with whole, fresh ingredients.  Every easy-to-prepare recipe is shown in a delicious-looking color photo.  There’s a section of kitchen essentials that provides instructions on how to clarify butter, make mayonnaise, culture yogurt, prepare pizza dough, and cook a basic broth – all from scratch.  Call it whole foods or back-to-basics, but this book is a new classic!

Guerrilla Tacos:  Recipes from the Streets of L.A. by Wesley Avila (641.84 AV) is Avila’s autobiography told through his soft taco creations and updates of other Mexican foods.  Each section of the book inspires a story from the author’s ongoing culinary journey.  Avila uses the humble corn tortilla as a “blank canvas” for flavorful taco toppings in many combinations which include some surprises, such as duck heart, octopus, and oxtail.  Join Avila on a unique cooking adventure, as he also puts a personal spin on traditional Mexican foods such as pozole, menudo, and quesadillas. 

Lake Fish:  Modern Cooking with Freshwater Fish by Keane Amdahl (641.392 AM) is a collection of recipes that boast fish as the main ingredient.  You won’t settle for a fried up batch of perch or sunfish anymore – unless you add some Pickled Onion and Chile Mayo on the side.  How about trying a Walleye Lettuce Wrap or Pecan-Crusted Catfish? These recipes are anything but traditional, bringing a bit of fun into the kitchen.  Most of the fish mentioned in these recipes can be caught locally.

The Pho Cookbook by Andrea Nguyen (641.5959 NG) is a cultural introduction to a Vietnamese noodle delicacy.  Traditionally made with flat rice noodles, broth, thinly sliced beef and chopped vegetables, pho can also be vegetarian or made with chicken in modern kitchens.  Nguyen expands on traditional preparation methods to include baked and fried pho, and throws in yummy side dishes such as Rice Paper Salad Rolls and Pho Pot Stickers.  Flavored coffees and drinks finish off the meal and the book.

The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman with Beth Dooley (641.5929 SH) is an overview of locally grown and harvested foods, along with delicious recipes for native dishes.  Although Sherman is most familiar with indigenous cuisine from Minnesota and the Dakotas, he has tasted his way throughout North America, discovering a variety of recipes and regional ingredients.  This book takes readers back to the basics of making your own flour and sweetener.  Many recipes feature the “three sisters” of corn, beans, and squash, along with other staples of wild rice and fresh herbs.  It’s an insight into a new cuisine emerging from the revitalization of Native American culture.

Zingerman's Bakehouse by Amy Emberling & Frank Carollo (641.815 EM) is full of wholesome recipes that may qualify as “healthy” when baked with whole grains and eaten sparingly.  However, recipes such as Sicilian Sesame Semolina Bread, Big O (for oatmeal) Cookies, or homemade Graham Crackers will complement dishes from the previous cookbooks and provide a treat to keep your healthy diet on track.  In addition to modern twists on traditional recipes, these tried and true pastries will delight all the diners at your table.

--Lynette Suckow, Reference Department