Monday, August 19, 2013

Ann Patchett Recommends....

Many of you may not know that Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder and Bel Canto, owns a bookstore in Nashville named Parnassus.  At the American Library Association meeting in June, she offered attendees a list of books she recommends to her customers that I thought might be of interest to all of you.  The books she recommends are:

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Coming of age in middle America, eighteen-year-old Rosemary evaluates how her entire youth was defined by the presence and forced removal of an endearing chimpanzee who was secretly regarded as a family member and who Rosemary loved as a sister.

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Marra has written a brilliant debut novel that brings to life an abandoned hospital where a tough-minded doctor decides to harbor a hunted young girl, with powerful consequences. 

Claire of the the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat
From the best-selling author of "Brother, I'm Dying" and "The Dew Breaker: " a stunning new work of fiction that brings us deep into the intertwined lives of a small seaside town where a little girl, the daughter of a fisherman, has gone missing. 

A Day at the Beach: recollections by Geoffrey Wolff
In these autobiographical essays, Wolff shares with the reader the wisdom of an alert man learning through the unsettling collisions of time, place, and local custom, and through the force of hardship and hazard, to bring his many disparate selves together --
with astonishing high-stakes candor and dazzling literary agility.

Old Filth by Jane Gardam
Filth is a lawyer with a practice in the Far East. A few remember that his nickname stands for Failed In London Try Hong Kong. But Old Filth is not as pompous as people imagine, and his past contains many secrets and dark hiding places. 

The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling
Pagford is a town at war.  Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations? Rowling's first novel for adults is blackly comic, thought-provoking, and constantly surprising. 

The Patrice Melrose Novels: Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope and Mother's Milk by Edward St. Aubyn
This single volume brings together the first four Patrick Melrose novels by Booker Prize Finalist Aubyn. The collection includes "Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope," and "Mother's Milk." The novels take the reader into the world of the English upper class as they
follow Patrick Melrose's story from child abuse to heroin addiction and recovery.  Beautifully written.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
This is a story of a boy and his painting.  Theo lost his mother in an explosion and came into possession of a dutch painting entitled "The Goldfinch" that has the biggest impact on his life.  As an adult he is led into the dark world of art theft.  The novel has well-drawn characters, beautiful prose, and takes the reader through loss, love, and the world of art.

Take Ann Patchett's recommendations or check out our booklists here on the blog or our Pinterest site.  Enjoy!  SH

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Third Thursdays Local Author Series 2013

2013 PROGRAM SCHEDULE


 Beginning Mid-August, the Wellesley Free Library will be hosting local author book talks the Third Thursday of every month. Come meet local authors in a small, casual group setting in the Main Library Arnold Room from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.


THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2013

KEVIN WALSH
THE PERFECT CATCH
The Perfect Catch is for all men, about forming lasting bonds and some really good fly fishing.  Three adult brothers and their elderly father travel together for what could be their last time together to catch steel-head trout.  Like the fish returning to the river to spawn, the Walsh men are returning to their roots as a family.



THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

DREW YANNO
IN THE MATTER OF MICHAEL VOGEL
In the late summer of 1966, in a small town in upstate New York, the body of eight year old Michael Vogel is found at the bottom of the deep end of the municipal swimming pool.  This novel is told from the perspectives of three members of the community, whose stories all come together in a startling and thrilling conclusion.



THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013

MICHAEL J. STEDMAN
A FOR ARGONAUT
The story of former Special Operations officer Lt. Colonel Mack Maran, betrayed by the Pentagon and tossed out of the Army. To restore his honor, he must unravel a conspiracy which leads him from a high-tech private spy firm to the dangerous streets of Kinshasa.



THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

ROLLY WESTER
RHYMING AROUND
A collection of humorous rhymes including “Young Ladies With Red Cars on Highways” and “In a Dentist’s Chair, Impatiently”.







THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19

MICHAEL URBAN
IRONSIDE’S PERIL
The War if 1812 is long over, but the War of 2012 has just begun.  In this suspenseful thriller, Boston is under attack, and “Old Ironsides” must be recaptured using 21st Century weapons and tactics.


Questions? Contact Elise MacLennan
781-235-1610 x1107
emaclennan@minlib.net

~Jason

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Emmy Nominees Announced--See what they are all about

Check out the Emmy nominations announced on July 18 and then get started viewing the
nominated series with a request in our catalog.

The nominees for best drama are:
  • "Breaking Bad"
  • "Downton Abbey"
  • "Game of Thrones"
  • "Homeland"
  • "House of Cards"
  • "Mad Men"
 Start from Season one and work your way up to the nominated season for free @your library!  SH

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Time for a Party

 From "Big Night"


 



Who doesn't enjoy casual summer entertaining outdoors with friends and family? New ideas for uncomplicated, attractive and delicious party fare are available for you in our cookbook and style sections of the library.  Below are some of our newest additions to the collection:

Cupcakes and cashmere : a guide for defining your style, reinventing your space, and entertaining with ease by Emily Schuman

Gather : the art of paleo entertaining by Hayley Mason and Bill Staley

Celebrate : a year of festivities for families and friends by Pippa Middleton

Seriously simple parties : recipes, menus & advice for effortless entertaining by Diane Rossen Worthington

What's a hostess to do? by Susan Spungen   



 



 

Friday, July 19, 2013

More new summer fiction

A few more titles coming out this summer:

My Education by Susan Choi
What happens when a graduate student decides to have an affair with the wife of a professor known himself for his many liaisons with students?  Regina Gottlieb will soon find out. 

Blood and Beauty: The Borgias by Sarah Dunant
Another work of historical literary fiction from the author of The Birth of Venus.

Amy Falls Down by Jincy Willett
Writer Amy Gallup has isolated herself from the world for the past twenty years teaching and reviewing.  She hasn't done much writing.  What happens when Amy accidentally clobbers herself on the side of a birdbath changes her life. 




maf

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

New History Books 2013



The list below is of the most popular history books published in 2013 so far.  Popularity is based upon the number of circulations the book has had since January.

Engineers of victory the problem solvers who turned the tide in the Second World War

by Paul Kennedy

New York Times Bestseller Paul Kennedy, the award winning author of The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers and one of today’s most renowned historians, now provides a new and unique look at how World War II was won." Engineers of Victory is a fascinating nuts-and-bolts account of the strategic factors that led to Allied victory.

The Hopkins touch Harry Hopkins and the forging of the alliance to defeat Hitler

by David L. Roll

David Roll shows how Harry Hopkins, an Iowa-born social worker who had been an integral part of the New Deal's implementation, became the linchpin in FDR's, and America's, relationships with Churchill and Stalin.  Lacking an official title or a clear executive branch portfolio, Hopkins could take the political risks his boss could not, and proved crucial to maintaining personal relations among the Big Three.

Big Week six days that changed the course of World War II

by Bill Yenne

The Allies knew if they wanted to invade Hitler’s Fortress Europe, they would have to wrest control of the skies from the Luftwaffe.  Big Week launched the largest bombing campaign of the war thus far, dropping roughly ten thousand tons of bombs in a rain of destruction that would take the skies back from the Nazis.


A higher call an incredible true story of combat and chivalry in the war-torn skies of World War II

by Adam Makos, Larry Alexander

 This is the true story of the two pilots whose lives collided in the skies that day: the American Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown, a former farm boy from West Virginia who came to captain a B-17--and the German--Second Lieutenant Franz Stigler, a former airline pilot from Bavaria who sought to avoid fighting in World War II. What happened between them, the American 8th Air Force would later classify as 'top secret.' It was an act that Franz could never mention or else face a firing squad.

The fall of the house of Dixie the Civil War and the social revolution that transformed the South

by Bruce C. Levine

In this major new history of the Civil War, Bruce Levine tells the riveting story of how that conflict upended the economic, political, and social life of the old South, utterly destroying the Confederacy and the society it represented and defended. 

by Nick Turse

Americans have long been taught that events such as the notorious My Lai massacre were isolated incidents in the Vietnam War, carried out by "a few bad apples." Nick Turse demonstrates in this groundbreaking investigation, violence against Vietnamese noncombatants was not at all exceptional during the conflict. Rather, it was pervasive and systematic, the predictable consequence of orders to "kill anything that moves."





Monday, July 8, 2013

What's new in Fiction and Mystery for July?



Wondering what's new in Fiction and Mystery for July?  Here are a few titles:



The Light in the Ruins  by Chris Bohjalian
A new novel from the best-selling author set in the hills of Tuscany during World War II.

Death Angel by Linda Fairstein
The latest mystery with ADA Alexandra Cooper concerns a murder in Central Park.

Fin and Lady by Cathleen Schine
It's 1964 in Greenwich Village and 11-year-old Finn moves in with his older sister.

Love, Dishonor, Marry by David Rakoff
A novel written in verse where each chapter introduces a distinct character living in a different era.
maf

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Online Resource of the month: ConsumerReports.org

The Wellesley Free library now has access to ConsumerReports.org for Wellesley Library patrons!

Find ratings on:
  • Cars
  • Appliances
  • Electronics
  • Baby Products
  • Money Products
  • Health Products
  • Home & Garden Products
  • ...and so much more!
To access ConsumerReports.org begin at www.WellesleyFreeLibrary.org select Online Resources and navigate down the list to Consumer Reports.

Have questions? Stop by the Reference Desk and find out more information. We hope you enjoy this great resource!

Looking for more consumer information? Check out the Consumer Recourse table located on the second floor of the library, across from the paperback book collection.
-Jason

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

OptimalResume is the Online Resource for June

Looking for a job and need some assistance with making a stellar resume or having a confident interview?

Wellesley residents may now try out this easy-to-use resource which allows the user to
 

  • choose from hundreds of customizable resume and cover letter styles. 
  • include presentations and sample documents in a portfolio 
  • create a resume webpage
  •  share your resume with social networking sites such as Linked In, Facebook, and Twitter.  

If you would like to practice interviewing, try out the interviewing prep which allows to record your interview with actors utilizing questions from a database of over 900 questions.  You may customize the questions.

The possibilities for making you look like a star on paper, a webpage, video, or in an interview situation are endless!

To learn more, watch the resource tutorials included OR stop by the Reference Desk.  This is an awesome resource!  SH


Monday, June 10, 2013

Summer Reading

Cue Will Smith's "Summertime"

With the end of the school year fast approaching, the library is gearing up for Wellesley Summer Reading! Check out the lists for the public schools or participate in Wellesley Reads Together, a partnership with Mass Bay Community College.

Wellesley High School

     Wellesley High School Summer Reading can be found at the Wellesley High School Library Website.

Wellesley Middle School

     Entering Sixth 2013/2014
     Entering Seventh 2013/2014
     Entering Eighth 2013/2014

Wellesley Reads Together


The Wellesley Free Library joins forces with Mass Bay Community College for a town-wide reading program with the theme of Civic Engagement. Borrow the book this summer & Watch for related free events and book discussions this fall.

This year Wellesley will read : The Pact

Summary: They grew up on the streets of Newark, facing city life's temptations, pitfalls, even jail. But one day they promised each other that they would all become doctors, and stick it out together through the long, difficult journey to attaining that dream. A New York Times best-seller, this is a story about the power of friendship, beating the odds and changing your life and the lives of those you love...together. '...an inspiration to young people... Their message can transform the world' - Bill Cosby

Saturday, June 8, 2013

New titles in Fiction and Mystery for June

Here are a  few titles by popular authors coming out in June:

 Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand
The setting is Nantucket and the occasion is a wedding between the Carmichael and Graham families.

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen
Another very funny story of garden-variety Florida crime from Hiaasen.  

The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank 
The story of one woman's quest to find the love she deserves.  A tale of family, friendship and self-discovery. 

Maf

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Mass Book Awards 2013 announced in time for Summer Reading!

The Massachusetts Book Awards' mission is to highlight the work of our vital contemporary writing community and encourage readers to do some "close reading" of those imaginative works created by the authors among us.  

 We highlighted the MassBook "must reads" announced in March and are happy to provide you with the winners so you may add them to your summer reading list.  Click on the link and request today!

2013 Winners:

Fiction
The Technologists by Matthew Pearl.  (One of my favorite books.  The audio is quite good.)
A well-researched mystery set in 1868 which brings to life the history of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's first senior class, the beginnings of the MIT/Harvard rivalry, and life in early Boston.



Non-Fiction
Brothers: George Howe Colt on his Brothers and Brothers in History by George Howe Colt.
An idiosyncratic and masterful blend of memoir and history featuring both the author’s three brothers and iconic brothers in history—the Booths, the Van Goghs, the Kelloggs, the Marx Brothers, and the Thoreaus.


Children's/Young Adult
Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm.
Explains how all life on the Earth depends, directly or indirectly, on light from the sun, and describes how all ocean life, from the tiniest plankton to great whales, including the creatures in the darkest depths, form a web that uses sunshine.

SH




Tuesday, May 28, 2013

From the Interesting-Google-Search-You-May-Not-Have-Heard-of Department



Who knew?
A reverse image search? Yes, you plug in an image into Google's image search and Google returns similar images and websites with discussion of that image. Use this search to find images that are similar, but differ in size or shape or quality. Use it also if you have questions about the identification of an image. Or if you want information about that image. Simply go to Google's image search and click on the camera at the left of the search box. You then plug in a stored image or the web address of an image. That's it. (For more info go to http://www.google.com/insidesearch/features/images/searchbyimage.html)
--RL

Friday, May 24, 2013

Consumer Reports Online now available!

The Wellesley Free Library is excited to announce Wellesley residents now have access to
Consumer Reports Online!

How do you get there you ask???



Head over to the Wellesley Free library homepage: www.wellesleyfreelibrary.org



In the left hand column, you will see the link for: Online Resources



Navigate down the page to Consumer Reports



If you are in the library you will be directed to Consumer Reports online.
If you are at home, it will ask for your library card number prior to directing you to the Consumer Reports website.

Stop by the Reference Desk if you have any questions!

~Jason

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

2013 Edgar Award Winners Announced

The Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of the Edgar Award on May 2.  Three of the categories were Best Novel, Best First Novel, and Best Fact Crime.  You may also enjoy the nominees, so check out the list and place your requests.


The winners are:

Best Novel


Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
Prohibition has given rise to an endless network of underground distilleries, speakeasies, gangsters, and corrupt cops. Joe Coughlin, the youngest son of a prominent Boston police captain, has long since turned his back on his strict and proper upbringing. Now having graduated from a childhood of petty theft to a career in the pay of the city's most fearsome mobsters, Joe enjoys the spoils, thrills, and notoriety of being an outlaw.  

Best First Novel

The Expats by Chris Pavone
When expat Kate begins to travel around Europe, she finds herself buried in layers of deceit so thick they threaten her family, her marriage, and her life. Intricate, riveting, and surprising, this thriller is of the highest caliber. 
This was a title discussed at the Wellesley Free Library Monday Night Book Group in May.

Best Fact Crime

Midnight in Peking: how the murder of a young Englishwoman haunted the last days of old China
by Paul French
Peking in 1937 is a heady mix of privilege and scandal, opulence and opium dens, rumors and superstition. The Japanese are encircling the city, and the discovery of Pamela Werner's body sends a shiver through already nervous Peking.  Two detectives—one British and one Chinese—race against the clock to solve the crime before the Japanese invade and Peking as they know it is gone forever. Can they find the killer in time, before the Japanese invade?

SH

60th Anniversary of the Korean War




To enrich the observance of the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War, check out the 2nd floor display table for a variety of Korean War nonfiction and fiction books, audiobooks, and DVDs.  The Reference Department also has booklists available for you take.

The official website for the anniversary, Korean War 60th Anniversary, offers (by clicking on History on the toolbar at the top of the page) the history, personal testimonials, photographs, biographies and more for this Forgotten War,

Some of the titles available on the display include:

Naval Aviation in the Korean War 




Bully Able Leader : the story of a fighter-bomber pilot in the Korean War



Home: A Novel by Toni Morrison



Mash: A Novel about 3 Army Doctors by Richard Hooker



War Trash: A Novel by Ha Jin


SH

Friday, May 3, 2013

NEW ONLINE RESOURCE : OPTIMAL RESUME


Looking to create a resume? Lost on how to get started? Check out the new tool available to Wellesley Free Library patrons – Optimal Resume


Create an Account –
From the Wellesley Free Library Online Resources, navigate down the list to OptimalResume https://wellesleyfreelibrary.optimalresume.com/
Click the link “Create New Account” and follow the account creation prompts.

Key Features

Home Tab
Once you have created an account you can view Resume and Cover letter samples particular to a wide variety of vocations under the Home tab. With over 100 sample resumes, you can explore different resume styles as well as see the difference in resumes between someone entering the field and a well established member of that field.

Document Center Tab 
Use this area to create Resumes, Cover Letters, Portfolios, Skills Assessments, Resume Websites, Video Resumes and Interviews.

Search Jobs Tab 
OptimalResume has a SimplyHired job search built within it. A best practice you should start to develop is catering your resume to a particular job. Search for some current openings in your field and see what keyword or industry specific jargon and use that as inspiration for your resume.

Help Tab
The help tab has pdf directions of each element of the OpitmalResume tool.

What to do when you finish?

OptimalResume’s strength lies in the possible customization. If you are not interested in all the web hosting features, you can always download your resume as a word document or pdf. (note: if you are emailing your resume, it is best to email a pdf, as all computers can recognize pdfs)

Where to go for next steps

Looking for more information? Stop by the Reference Desk or
Watch a video tutorial here: http://vimeo.com/9861255