2014 Gift Book Suggestions from the Staff of the Northfield Public Library

Fiction

All the Light We Cannot See—Anthony Doerr

Museum of Extraordinary Things—Alice Hoffman
Cambridge—Susanna Kaysen
Goldfinch—Donna Tartt
The Invention of Wings—Sue Monk Kidd
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher; stories—Hillary Mantel
The Children Act—Ian McEwan
The Arsonist—Sue Miller
Still Life With Bread Crumbs—Anna Quindlen
Lila—Marilynne Robinson
Nora Webster—Colm Toibin
 

Non Fiction

Before we Say Goodnight: How to tell Bedtime Stories about Your Life and Family—Hank Frazee

Can’t we Talk About Something More Pleasant? A Memoir—Roz Chast
Empathy Exams: Essays—Leslie Jamison
A Farm Dies Once a Year—Arlo Crawford
In the Kingdom of Ice: the Grand and Terrible Voyage of the U.S.S.

Jeannette—Hampton Sides

Lego Architecture: the Visual Guide—Phillip Wilkinson

Minnesota’s Own: Preserving our Grand Homes—Larry Millett

Texts from Jane Eyre– Mallory Ortberg

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End—Atul Gawande

Yes, Please—Amy Poehler

 

 Cookbooks
 

 America: Farm to Table: Simple, Delicious Recipes Celebrating

 Local Farmers—Mario Batali

 Baking Bible—Rose Levy Berenbaum

 Lake Superior Flavors: a Field  Guide to Food and Drink Along the Circle Tour—James R. Norton

 Make some Beer: Small Batch Recipes from Brooklyn to Bamburg– Erica Shea

 Make it Ahead: a Barefoot Contessa Cookbook—Ina Garten

 

 Children’s Picture Books
 

 Book with No Pictures—B.J. Novak

 Duck Sock Hop—Jane Kohuth

 I Wish I Had a Pet—Maggie Rudy

 Ninja Red Riding Hood—Corey Schwartz

 The Secret Life of Squirrels—Nancy Rose

 Little Blue Truck’s Christmas—Alice Shertle

 

 

Author Rachael Hanel to Speak at the Northfield Public Library

Author, Rachael Hanel will give a talk on Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 7 pm at the Northfield Public Library on her book “We’ll be the Last Ones to Let You Down: Memoir of a Gravedigger’s Daughter”.  Rachael is a former newspaper reporter and copy editor and teaches Mass Media at Minnesota State University, Mankato.  The book is described as “at times heartbreaking and at others gently humorous and uplifting”.   The book was a finalist for the 2014 Minnesota Book Awards.   The program is free and open to the public.  For more information please call the library at 507-645-6606. 

Minnesota's Own: Preserving our Grand Homes

Update: The presentation will be done by a MNHS educator, Dave Sylvester. The program was developed by author Larry Millett.

Larry Millett, author of Minnesota’s Own: Preserving our Grand Homes, will speak at the Northfield Historical Society on Thursday, October 30 at 6:30 PM about his new book.  Mr. Millett will show us pictures of some of Minnesota’s beautiful homes from around the state and tell us stories about their construction, original owners and restorations.   This program is cosponsored by the Northfield Historical Society and the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library.

 

Click here to get a glimpse of one of the homes in the book.

 

For more information call the library at 507-645-6606 or the Northfield Historical Society at 507-645-9268.

 

 

1964: Reexaminded Fifty Years Later

Anne Aby will give a talk on "1964:  Reexamined Fifty Years Later" at the Northfield Public Library on Thursday, October 16th at 7 pm.  

 

"1964" is usually considered to begin on November 22, 1963, with Lyndon Johnson being sworn in as president on Air Force One with Jacqueline Kennedy standing beside him and conclude with President Johnson's inauguration in his own right on January 20, 1965.  After a brief discussion of the challenges immediately faced by the "accidental" president,  the presentation will focus on the passage of the Civil Rights Act (signed July 2, 1964) and Mississippi Freedom Summer during the 1964 Presidential Election.

This presentation is part of the Cannon Valley Elder Collegium Invitational Talks. It is free and open to the public.  For more information please call the library at 507-645-6606.

The Amish in America

 

David Sudermann will give a talk on the “Amish in America” at the Northfield Public Library on Thursday Sept. 25 at 7 PM.  David will review the history and growth of the Old Order Amish and give some insight into settlements in Minnesota and Wisconsin. This program is part of the Cannon Valley Elder Collegium Invitational Talks.  David grew up in an Amish community in Goshen, Indiana and has a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in German literature and history.  The program is free and open to the public.  For more information call the library at 507-645-6606.

 

September Programs

Sept. 9 Meet author Michael Perry who will be talking about his new young adult novel “The Scavengers”.  Co-sponsored by Monkey See, Monkey Read! 6:30-8 pm 

 

Sept. 11 One Cobbler’s Adventure on the Appalachian Trail—Randy Malecha will talk about his hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  7-8 pm

 

Sept. 20 Meet local author Lisa Galle Bolduc

She will be reading from and talking about her picture book “Autumn”

10:30 am

 

Sept. 25 “The Amish in America” with David

Sudermann   This program is part of the Cannon Valley Elder Collegium Invitational Talks.  David will give a 1 hour presentation on the course he will be teaching this fall for the CVEC.  For more information about the CVEC go to www.cvec.org  7-8 pm 

 

Sept. 27 Magical Comedy with David Walbridge! 

Fun for all ages.  David will be at the Riverwalk Market Fair with the Friends & Foundation of the Library area at 11 am!  He will move to the library’s meeting room in the event of inclement weather. 

All programs, unless otherwise noted will be held in the library's meeting room. For more information call the library at 507-645-6606.

 

   

 

What the Northfield Public Libray staff is listening to, reading and watching - right now

Here's a list of what the staff is listening to, reading and watching... this week.  It's a real mix.

Books
Breath of Snow and Ashes - Gabaldon  - FIC
Destroyer Angel - Barr - MY
Big Tiny: A built-it myself memoir - Williams  640.92 WI
Historian - Kostova - FIC
Gormenghast novels - Peake   (Selco)
Cultural History of France
On Such a Full Sea - Lee (Selco)
Invisible Cities - Calvino - FIC
Thuvia, Maid of Mars - Burroughs - (Selco)
Black Cauldron - Alexander - J FIC
Heirloom Murders - Ernst - MY
Hand of God
33 Days to Morning Glory
A little Princess - Burnett - J FIC
Perfect Harmony - Roberts - PB/RO
We are Water- Lamb - FIC
All the Light We Cannot See - Doer - FIC
Martian - Weir - SF
Coop: a Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting - Perry  - 921 PER
And the Mountains Echoed - Hosseini - FIC

Audio
Narrows - Connelly - BCD FIC CONN
Written in My Own Heart's Blood - Gabaldon - BCD FIC Gabaldon

DVDS
House of Cards - Season 1
Under the Tuscan Sun
Amazing Spiderman 2
Blue Bloods - Season 1
Last Will and Testament
Orange is the New Black - Season 2

Magazines/Newspapers
Romantic Times
Old House Journal
Consumer Reports
Real Simple
New York Times - Sunday edition
Sun magazine
New Yorker
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Websites
Book Riot

And that's just this week.......

Online Author Interviews

Did you know that there are online author interviews? The list on NPR is impressive.
Think about using that list for choosing your next book group book. Read the book, then listen to the interview as a group.
I think it brings a totally different perspective to the discussion. You get a sense of who the author is and what they are trying to get across.
Happy reading as you gear up for your fall book groups!

New NonFiction DVD Titles

Muscle Shoals      DVD 782.42 MU
Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, has helped to create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time.  Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, rick Hall brought black and white together to create music for the generations.

Blackfish        DVD 599.53 BL
A discussion on the keeping of intelligent creatures in captivity.  Employs the story of Tilikum, the notorious performing whale who, unlike orcas in the wild, has taken the lives of several people while in captivity.

Beauty Beneath the Dirt       DVD 796.51 BE
Three young urbanites thru-hike the Appalachian Trail on a 2,178 mile adventure from Georgia to Maine, ultimately attempting to reach the summit of Mt. Katahdin together.

Gatekeepers          DVD 323.119 GA
A documentary featuring interviews with all  surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets.

The Amish: Shunned          DVD 289.73 AM
The Amish intercuts historical analysis with contemporary footage to provide an unprecedented look at this highly private, little understood,  and utterly unique community whose beliefs raise important questions about religious liberty in American life.

Learning a new Language- YOU CAN DO IT!!

A friend recently forwarded an article from the New York Times called "The Benefits of Failing at French". (7/15/14)  (Seems crazy, right? Failing?  It's an interesting article about the benefits of learning a new language... just trying.)  She also had told me how much she liked the new language learning resource at the library called "Transparent Language".  Our language books and audio resources get a lot of use at the library so we knew people around here were interested in learning languages. Now it's easier than ever. The new online resource can be used from home 24/7 with your library card. You just need to create an account.   You can even download an app and use it on the go anywhere, even when you travel. But even if you aren't traveling try learning a new language. According to the NYT article, it isn't necessary to take an expensive course.  Try Transparent Language! It's free!!
Questions?  Call the reference desk at 507-645-6606.

The "Goldfinch" and the "Bully Pulpit" win Andrew Carnegie Medal awards for 2014

New Nonfiction titles at the Library

Eight World Cups- Vecsey (796.334 VE)

Healthy Probiotic Diet- Ruppenthal (612.2 RU)

Digestive Health with Real Food- Jacob (616.3 JA)

Gentle Yoga for Arthritis - Sanford - (On Order)

Vintage Parties- Hansson (793.2 HA)

No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA and the U.S. surveillance state - Greenwald (342 GR)

Made by Yourself: 100% DIY handmade Designer projects for the Home, from Furniture to Accessories - Fehrentz - (On Order)

Mindful Discipline: a Loving Approach to Setting Limits, & Raising an Emotionally Intelligent
Child - Shapiro (649 SH)

Great River Shakespeare Festival Programs

Stage Combat Workshop   Thursday, June 19 5:30-6:30  pm—At the library (Grades 6-12)

Ever wonder how the slaps, punches, and swordfights happen onstage? Actors from the Great River Shakespeare Festival will  lead an interactive stage combat workshop! Don't miss your chance to learn how stage fighting really works, and to try your hand at it too. This program is designed for grades 6-12. Anyone under age 12 needs to have a parent in attendance. 

 

Go Behind the Scenes of the Great River Shakespeare Festival    Thursday, June 19  

6:30-7:30 pm  - At the library (A Program for Adults)

Join Great River Shakespeare Festival artistic and education staff for a discussion of the 2014 season! You'll get to go behind the scenes of Hamlet, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead to explore the process of creating a play from rehearsal to design to performance. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the historical context of the plays and have all of your questions answered.  Both of the GRSF programs are paid for with funds from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

 

No registration is needed for either program.

Questions? Call the library at 507-645-6606.

April is National Poetry Month!

April is National Poetry month.  Why does poetry need a month? 

Fiction doesn’t have one.  Neither does nonfiction. The other day someone said to me, I’m sorry but I HATE poetry.  And this is why poetry needs a month.

We are introduced to poetry as children.  These are usually silly little rhymes; 

later we may be forced to read Longfellow: Listen, my children, and you shall hear/ Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…And later, we’ll read Poe: And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes/ Of the beautiful Annabel Lee…And these are the ones, as children, that we understand.  And if we’re lucky enough to have a good teacher, we learn about the music in these poems, and others.  But how many of us read poems after we leave school?  When I taught undergraduate creative writing, even the students who said they liked to write poetry, didn’t read poetry. 

If you are not a seasoned reader of poetry, please do not assume it is 

inaccessible, corny or boring.  There is a poet out there you will love. 
A poem exists that can change your life--even for that moment as a
poem’s words echo through you.  Rita Dove said, “Poetry is language at
its most distilled and most powerful.”  But that doesn’t mean one cannot understand this language. 

Here are a few ways to incorporate more poetry into your life:

Come to the library and check out a poetry book!

Sign up for Poem a day on www.poets.org.  Every day a poem will be sent

to you via email.  While at poets.org, peruse their informative and
inspiring site.

Participate in Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 24th.

Minnesota has many award winning poets.  Look them up and read them.

(submitted by library staffer Brenda Hellen)