Cooking with Love

Some of our newest cookbooks and cooking memoirs feature Italian and French cuisine. Check out the titles below or browse our core collection of more than 3000 cookbooks and create a special meal tonight!

Molto Gusto : Easy Italian Cooking by Mario Batali 2010

The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone 2010

Lunch in Paris : a love story, with recipes by Elizabeth Bard 2010

Keeping the Feast : one couple's story of love, food and healing in Italy by Paula Butturini 2010

-DB

How Philosophy Can Save Your Life: 10 Ideas That Matter Most

Marietta McCarty scores big in this gem of a book. Taking on the time-honored question "What is the good life?" McCarty explores 10 ideas, which if clearly understood and integrated into our daily lives, would form the building blocks of a life well lived: simplicity, communication, perspective, flexibility, empathy, individuality, belonging, serenity, possibility, joy.
Each chapter includes a banquet of ideas and approaches, ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, in unique pairings, e.g. Epicurus and Charlotte Joko Beck; Epictetus and Lao Tzu; Shunryu Suzuki and Jane Addams. Discussion questions and "homework" include suggested musical compositions, art, and literature all of which would develop and enhance our understanding of the 10 ideas. McCarty suggests that while the reader can enjoy a solitary exploration of these ideas, the richness of each idea can be enhanced in discussion with others. Detailed suggestions on the formation of a philosophy circle are given. Book clubs will enjoy a break from fiction titles and the delving into one or all of the ideas. Don't miss this one! PM

Are you ready for...the AKINATOR???

Gee, I hope it's ok to post something purely fun here. It won't help your research skills, inform you about a writer, a book or even a CD, VHS or DVD and it has nothing to do with libraries! The Akinator is an online game that essentially plays 20 questions with you. You think of a famous person--real or fictional--and the Akinator asks some questions and then guesses your person. It did pretty well playing against me. I picked Howard Zinn and it was right. I then picked Jack Ruby and it guessed Lee Harvey Oswald. Pretty close, huh? With a few more questions it guessed right. Give it a try.
Once again, thanks to Phil Bradley.
--RL

and another thing about video games . . .

These past few months of open gaming and Guitar Hero tournaments are far from the last events we'll be having in the library! We're looking for your input on how we continue with the tournaments, and what games we'll be playing, so please take 2 minutes (literally!) and fill out this very, very short survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wflgaming. And if you want to keep current with our upcoming gaming sessions, visit our gaming blog at http://wflgaming.wordpress.com/




MW

Guitar Hero on You Tube

Yes, the Wednesday Guitar Hero tournaments at the library were a great success! And thanks to Wellesley Cable, we made it to You Tube. Click on the link above to watch.

We hope to have more guitar Hero tournaments in the future.


maf

Discussion Starters: Speaking Fluency Activities for Advanced ESL/EFL Students by Keith S. Folse

Looking for ways to improve your speaking fluency in English?

Working with a conversation partner or friend in practice sessions?

Find great jumping off points here to energize and enhance your discussions and promote fluency in Discussion Starters: Speaking Fluency Activities for Advanced ESL/EFL Students by Keith S. Folse. PM

Listen to Your Mind

Wondering why it's a good idea to let your husband drive at night instead of you? Daniel Amen provides an interesting answer to this and other questions regarding male and female difference in brain function in his new book The Brain in Love: 12 Lessons to Enhance Your Love Life. Riding the successful wave of his earlier titles, Change your Brain, Change Your Life, Amen repeats his successful brain diagnosis formula as it applies to relationships.

Kirkus Update!

(See Dec. 14 for original post)
Librarians everywhere are heaving sighs of relief. Kirkus Reviews has been saved! The most colorful pull-no-punches book review source out there will live to call them as they see 'em for the foreseeable future. Herb Simon, owner of the Indiana Pacers, will be the new owner. Mr. Simon was described as "an inveterate and unquenchable and voracious reader" and a long-time subscriber to Kirkus.
--RL

New World War II

New World War II books February 2010.


Freedom Flyers : The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II
by Moye, J. Todd

Remembering Survival : Inside a Nazi Slave-Labor Camp
by Browning, Christopher

Yalta : The Price of Peace
by Plokhy, S. M.

The Last Train from Hiroshima : The Survivors Look Back
by Pellegrino, Charles

Americans in Paris : Life and Death under Nazi Occupation
by Glass, Charles

Shadows in the Jungle : The Alamo Scouts Behind Japanese Lines in World War II
by Alexander, Larry

Masters and Commanders : How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945
by Roberts, Andrew

World War II : The Definitive Visual History
by Dorling Kindersley Publishing Staff

TB

Human Right Watch--Haiti

With Haiti the focus of the world's attention, the media has reminded us of the lack of human rights for many of the citizens, young and old. Human Rights Watch publishes its yearly findings in World Report 2010 of 90 countries regarding human rights abuses. Their website features a world map where you may click on a country, such as Haiti, and view a .pdf summary of their findings for the year 2009. And yes, the United States has a presence on the map and a summary as well. SH (photo from website)

Readability!

A Simple, Simple Tool for Reading on the Web


Do you like reading on the Web? I mean, doesn't it annoy you sometimes to have to read an article amidst a sea of ads, graphics, boxes and other formatting? Well here's a solution. Try Readability a tool from Arc90 Laboratory. It's amazingly simple: 1) choose among several settings for style, size and margins 2) drag the Readability "badge" to your toolbar 3) click on the Readability link when you are visiting a web site. Your page immediately transforms into a clean book-type page.
Thanks to Phil Bradley's Weblog for this!
--RL

Great Books into Movies

In past blogs I have alerted you about forthcoming movies based on previously published books. The next time you are visiting the library, feel free to peruse our newest display of movies and the books which inspired them located in our first floor alcove

.

-DB

This Book Is Overdue!

I love the cover of this book -- and I also like the topic! For any librarian in need of consciousness-raising, for all my relatives and friends predicting my imminent demise, and _especially_ for the couple of Wellesley library patrons who've asked me over the years if:

----we get to read a lot on the job

----if I like to do crafts because I spend a lot of time stamping things

---- or.... if we're all volunteers here (!!!!)

I want you to read this This Book is Overdue! Library Journal writes that: "Librarians and archivists, in all their eccentric, tech-savvy, and service-oriented glory, are celebrated in this highly complimentary and lively survey of their professions." Yay!


maf

JD Salinger, 1/1/19 - 1/27/10

Yesterday news outlets around the world reported the passing of the great JD Salinger, best known for The Catcher in the Rye, a title that has become required reading whether in high school or just passing through adolescence.

A couple of items of note are the obituary from the New York Times, and this article from The Canadian Press about how locals in Cornish, NH fiercely protected the literary icon's privacy.

It's interesting to note how the attitudes of (or at least perception of) librarians towards challenging literature have changed, as the NY Times' piece notes that "not everyone, teachers and librarians especially, was sure what to make of [The Catcher in the Rye] . . . ."

With JD's passing comes speculation about what will happen to his long-suspected troves of unpublished material--and like some authors (and musicians) who have seemingly published more posthumously than during their time among the quick, will his unpublished works exceed his published ones?

We Are What We Remember

At the reference desk I am often asked for websites that have primary historical materials. So, I thought I would list a few for you to browse.




History Central




Chronology of Historic Documents




Chronicling of America






Working Women



TB

Who Can Resist?

In the pre-Internet days (or as my kids would say, in ancient times), you might show your collection of comic book covers to your friends and relatives. Now fast forward to 2010. Not only can you collect cover images from other obsessors round the globe, but you can display your 450,000 comic book (and magazine) covers for the world to see. But wait, there's more! You can search them, tag them, download them, buy them, compare movie images with comic book images and more. It's the coverbrowser.com site. Be sure to check out the Speech Bubbler in the lab section, where you can insert your own words into the speech bubbles of selected covers. (See Archie above.)
And don't neglect its sister site, vintageadbrowser.com, where you can find vintage ads--123,000 of them, from 1851-2008. They are arranged by subject (and within subjects, by decade) and keyword searchable.
Thanks (once again) to ResearchBuzz for the tip.
--RL

Ugly American Author , William J. Lederer

The term "ugly American" has been bandied about a lot recently and its roots can be traced to the 1958 book, The Ugly American, by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick. This book, which the authors said was more fact than fiction, was the basis for the 1963 Marlon Brando film, The Ugly American. Mr. Lederer died this past week and left several books as his legacy.

Another of his books, Ensign and Toole and Me, was semi-autobiographical and was used as the basis for the Dean Jones tv series in 1962-1963 titled Ensign O'Toole. Other titles by William J. Lederer are:


Our Own Worst Enemy - an expose of war profiteering.

A Nation of Sheep - Discusses the effects of the apathy and ignorance of the American people on United States foreign policy, relations with other nations, and use of foreign aid funds.

Sarkhan - Another book that puts a small country in the middle of the struggle betweeen Communism and Democracy and the methods used by each side to claim it as its own. SH

Aid for Haiti Earthquake Victims

In the aftermath of the tragic earthquake in Haiti, many of us would like to donate our time and resources to help save lives and restore some normalcy to a devastated country. The choices of where to send aid are numerous. Following are links to several humanitarian agencies which are coordinating donations.

• International Committee of the Red Cross
• American Red Cross
• Doctors Without Borders
• Care International
• Oxfam America
• Partners in Health
  
• Save the Children
• World Vision
• UNICEF United States Fund
• UN Foundation for the UN Central Emergency Response Fund
  
• Salvation Army
• AmeriCares
  
• ActionAid International
• Clean Water for Haiti
  
• International Medical Corps
  
• Catholic Relief Services
  
• Beyond Borders
  
• United Methodist Committee on Relief

-DB

The Library on a sitcom

Librarians and other library employees don't often make it into TV shows or movies. When we do, we often don't come out looking too good. Check out this episode of Parks and Recreation:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/106737/parks-and-recreation-ron-and-tammy#s-p2-so-i0


maf

Coming in January--Word 2007

Excitement fills the air as we look forward to the upgrade to Microsoft Word 2007 on the public computers at the Wellesley Free Library!

If you have not had the opportunity to experience this user friendly edition of Microsoft Word, sign up for a computer class in Jackie's Room to assist you with the transition OR call the Information Desk at 781-235-1610. Stay tuned! SH

What Makes a Library a Library?

A very nice video of Creekview High School (Canton GA) students answering that very question.
--RL

Best of the Best of the Year

If it's the end of the year,
it's the the beginning of the "Best" season: Best books, best movies, best songs, best ads, best supporting role by a politician's spouse, best green and yellow toys with 2 USB ports for 4-year-olds, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love those lists. But what with the multitude of "Best Books of the Year," I always wait for the "Best of 'The Best Books of the Year.'" This year VQR (Virginia Quarterly Review) has combined the lists from 10 reputable sources, including the NY Times, Washington Post and Publisher's Weekly and ranked the books in order of most appearances. A nice touch, I think. Leading the list is Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel, with 6 hits. (If you hurry, there's a rental copy available right now, or at least there was at 11:35 am...)
--RL

Your Wellesley Library & Web 2.0

We've been busy at the Library this year expanding our online presence, embracing new social networking venues, and integrating Web 2.0 tools into our repertoire. Here's some highlights of our efforts this year:

Staff Reads Blog - We're really working hard at putting quality reading, listening, and viewing suggestions out there for our patrons to enjoy. The blog covers a wide range of topics, from summer reads to classics, graphic novels to history, and includes movies, music, and books. With about 10 suggestions a month, you can keep current with what the librarians are reading and see what's catching our attention!

Twitter - Want to stay updated on events at the library, weather-related closings, and other cool things that catch our eye? Follow our tweets at http://twitter.com/wellesleylib

Facebook - For the many of you who are already on facebook, become a fan of the Wellesley Free Library and get a stream of information collected from our events, blog posts, tweets, hour updates, and more.

del.icio.us - Helping us maintain a list of websites that we find useful in answering your questions is this innovative website that allows users to "tag" a website with words that helps us find it again when the need arises. Check out our list of websites that we've found useful and pick up some new tricks!

Reference Home Page - We've been hard at work redesigning our Reference Home Page on the Library's website. Check out some of the great highlights like a guide to business resources, a listing of online resources by subject, book lover's links, and more!

MW

Social Networking for Cookbook Users

Andrew Gray, the developer of Cookbooker, began the site out of personal need : he owns over 100 cookbooks and food magazines and kept cooking the same few recipes. Cookbooker enables him to catalog, rate and review recipes and find out what other cooks think of them. Gray looked at Epicurious, Library Thing and Yelp for inspiration in his quest. Membership is free so join up today and share your favorite holiday recipe.

-DB

The Guardian Digested Reads

Don't have time to read a book? Looking for some humorous reviews now that Kirkus is going out of business? Try the Digested Read column in The Guardian. They read the book so you don't have to! Yes, there are a lot of British titles covered here, but The Guardian is a British newspaper after all. If you can't keep up with all the current literature, try the Digested Classics column. Both columns are written by John Crace, a features writer for the newspaper. Last week the column covered Going Rogue by Sarah Palin. Sorry to all Sarah fans out there, but they don't seem to like her book very much.

MAF

Still Wild About Harry?

Are you missing Harry Potter a little? Then you should take advantage of Harry Potter: The Exhibition taking place at the Boston Museum of Science through Sunday, February 21. I was fortunate to experience this display of over 200 costumes and props actually used in the series of Harry Potter movies while I was in Chicago in June. It is amazing to stand next to the clothing worn by Harry, Hermione, Ron, Hagrid, and even Dumbledore. My, were the children little when they first began filming the series, and the size of Harry's broom for playing Quadditch reinforces the idea of how young they were. The settings and music put you right into the scenes in the Great Hall, Hagrid's hut, and the Gryffindor common room.

The exhibit in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry featured Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in their IMAX theatre. How wonderful it was to immerse myself in the World of Harry Potter by seeing the movie and then reminiscing about the first five with the Exhibit. It makes you want to have a Harry Potter movie marathon! Since Boston's Museum of Science isn't showing the movie, watch it at home on DVD OR actually reread some of the books, and then make your journey to Boston.

Word of Advice: Rent the audio for the exhibit so you don't miss any of the interesting facts behind the costumes and props. It will be a wonderful way to bring in 2010! SH

Kirkus Reviews--not your typical book reviewer

Kirkus Reviews: Closing after 75 years
With its reputation for sharp-tongued (or penciled) book reviews, the magazine will be missed by librarians everywhere. In looking for ripe examples of their more colorful put-downs, I realized that those truly knife-twisting reviews were more the exception than the rule. Whether good, mixed or ugly KR's reviews rarely failed to deliver thoughtful, forthright and entertaining prose.
Here then are some (un)representative taglines I did find...
*Any author who loves Venice can't be all bad, no matter how lacking he is in subtlety or how clumsily he handles suspense. Never mind. Relax, have a cappuccino and enjoy the scenery.
*A questionable mishmash of cultural, scientific, literary, psychological and political material gives birth to an atmospheric but unnatural doppelganger to Shelley's classic.
*Not a single overweight, ill-dressed or remotely ordinary character disturbs the high gloss. The mystery , by the way, is settled before the big question: How will Nora's New Year's Eve party go?
*A novel of leaden purpose rather than spirit.
*Stylistically two-dimensional, with frozen surfaces that resist the reader.
*Manufactured suspense, along with pages of invented and hackneyed dialogue, vitiates this account of the varieties of heroism.
*Mawkish morass of gloom, lightly frothed with escapism.
*One constant is the dialogue: stilted and unnatural throughout, as are the characters' responses to their many mind-blowing adventures.
*Gingerbread characters, cookie-cutter plotting.
*About half a book, and pretty thin at that.
We'll miss Kirkus.
--RL

Online Book Clubs

Join our Online Book Clubs and keep up with your reading this holiday season. Daily, Monday through Friday, you'll receive a five-minute selection from a chapter of a book via email. By the end of the week, you'll have read 2-3 chapters. Every Monday a new book begins. Choices include fiction, non-fiction, business, mystery, and science fiction. Go to http://www.wellesleyfreelibrary.org/; click on Reference Services; choose Books and Reading; then Online Bookclubs. Happy reading!

BW

Digital Overload!

Amazon's Kindle and Sony's eReaders may very well be all the rage among gift-givers this holiday season, but these ebook readers have a long ways to go before they can offer the bounty of digitized information available on the Internet. Digital projects like Google Books are among the best-known of these projects, which seek to make publicly available digitized editions of out-of-copyright books, maps, personal correspondence, sound and video recordings, and more.

In regards to books, some of the larger digital archiving projects are Brewster Kahle's Internet Archive (which goes way beyond books), and Project Gutenberg. A problem that exists with most digital projects, however, is that the efforts are spread out, and the methods of searching for books so diverse, that you're never quite sure what is truly available on the internet. Thankfully, John Mark Ockerbloom has come to the rescue with his digital books compilation site, The Online Books Page, which consolidates diverse resources from across the 'net (even diving into the Invisible Web) and brings them into an easily searchable format. Ockerbloom's project is really humming, and you can see the daily updates of what's being added to the plethora of ebooks daily.

For the food enthusiast, Michigan State University's Feeding America project will be of interest, with important cookbooks from the late 18th to early 20th century, such as Fannie Farmer's barn-burner of a cookbook, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook.

Many, many more projects like these exist, so I'll try to keep you updated on any new and interesting digitization project sites I come across. I hope you enjoy!

MW

Books into Movies - Coming in December

Invictus, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, comes to theatres on December 11. Based on John Carlin's 2008 nonfiction book Playing the Enemy : Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation, the movie is directed by Clint Eastwood.

A Single Man, based on the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood, is directed by Gucci fashion designer turned filmaker Tom Ford and stars Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and Ginnifer Goodwin. The film is due out on December 11.

Sherlock Holmes, due out December 25, is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Rachel McAdams, and Jude Law and is directed by Guy Ritchie.

Up In the Air is based on Walter Kirn's 2001 novel about a career transition counselor who is also a very frequent flier. The film stars George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Jason Bateman and is directed by Jason Reitman.

-DB