Holiday Books

Some books about the history, folklore, and culture of holidays.

The American Book of Days By Christianson, Stephen G. Compiled by Christianson, Stephen G. 2000-01 - H. W. Wilson 0824209540 Check Our Catalog For each day of the year, several essays explore significant events at their anniversaries. Coverage of American holidays has been revised and updated since the first edition in 1937.

Holiday Symbols and Customs By Henderson, Helene 2008-03 - Omnigraphics 9780780809901 Check Our Catalog Holidays reflect the history and identity of people of all cultures. This book provides an introduction to the ways in which people celebrate and the meanings attached to these traditions.

Charlemagne's Tablecloth By Fletcher, Nichola 2005-08 - St. Martin's Press 9780312340681 Check Our Catalog Feasts, banquets, and grand dinners have always played a vital role in our lives. They lift the spirits, involve all our senses and, at times, transport us to other fantastical worlds. Nichola Fletcher has written a captivating history of feasts throughout the ages that includes the dramatic failures along with the dazzling successes. …More

The Joy of Family Traditions: A Season-By-Season Companion to Celebrations, Holidays, and Special Occasions By Thompson, Jennifer Trainer 2008-05 - Celestial Arts 9781587611148 Check Our Catalog This season-by-season companion to 400 celebrations, activities, and rituals inspires and instructs families on creating, personalizing, adapting, and preserving family traditions that will be meaningful and special to them. …More

Holiday Decorating By Fulweiler, Megan 2001-11 - MetroBooks (NY) 1586632272 Check Our Catalog Filled with charming ideas for decorating inside and out, "Holiday Decorating" explores ways to inject the spirit of the season into every part of the home, from the front porch to the family room and dining room. …More

Ex-Etiquette for Holidays and Other Family Celebrations By Blackstone-Ford, Jann Author Jupe, Sharyl 2007-10 - Chicago Review Press 9781556527197 Check Our Catalog Through realistic and trusted advice, this innovative new guide brings the celebration back to the holidays for blended families. . …More

Tinsel: A Search for America's Christmas Present By Stuever, Hank 2009-11 - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) 9780547134659 Check Our Catalog A heartfelt, hilarious look at the evolution of a half-trillion-dollar American holiday. Stuever's portraits of the happy, mega-churchy, shop-until-you-drop community in "Tinsel" are revealing and riotously funny, showing how our ancient rituals of celebration have survived--and succumbed to--the test of time. …More TB

Credo Reference is December's Featured Online Resource

Interested in Reference E-books that are available to you 24/7? You must look at our featured online resource for December-- Credo Reference.

Not only does it search its 550+ reference titles covering a wide range of topics, Credo also searches images, videos, Google Books, e-journals, and our library catalog and subscription resources,

The results are displayed in a well-organized topic page. Don't be the last to check it out!

SH

Books into Movies for December

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Dec 9) is adapted from John le Carre's 1974 spy thriller. Directed by Tomas Alfredson, this remake stars Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Toby Jones and Mark Strong.

Carnage (Dec 16) is based on Yasmina Reza's award-winning 2006 play God of Carnage, a scathing drama. Directed by Roman Polanski, the film stars Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz.
Sherlock Holmes : a Game of Shadows (Dec 16) is inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth and his adventures. Guy Ritchie directs and stars for this sequel include Robert Downey Jr., Rachel McAdams and Jude Law.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Dec 21) is adapted from the late Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy. Directed by David Fincher, stars include Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright and Rooney Mara.


-DB

New Books for December

Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell

The new Kay Scarpetta novel from the world's #1 bestselling crime writer.

D.C. Dead by Stuart Woods

After a shocking loss, Stone Barrington is at loose ends, unsure if he wants to stay in New York and continue his work as a partner at Woodman & Weld. It comes as a welcome relief when he's summoned to Washington, D.C., by President Will Lee.

Gun Games by Faye Kellerman

Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus are back in this gripping mystery involving a secret cabal of some of Los Angeles' most wealthy-and vicious-teens.

maf

The Library of Days Gone By

Apparently the library of days gone by isn't much more different than the library of today, according to a recent article in the New York Times Sunday Book Review about the reading habits of library patrons in Muncie, Indiana, considered to be the bellwether city for average American life in a small town. The data was taken from checkout ledgers from 1891 to 1902 and collated with census ledgers at the time to give a more exacting picture of what your everyday Joe was reading. So what kept readers' noses in books? The same kind of thing that does today: popular literature! Of course, the popular literature of the late 19th century isn't anything that we'd recognize today (just who the heck is Oliver Optic anyways?) but the story remains the same--if it's a page turner, you can bet that your local library will be stocking several copies.

MW

National Book Award Winners announced for 2011

National Book Award Winners for 2011 were announced on November 16, 2011. Perhaps some of them will end up on your holiday list.

They include:

FICTION Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. A big-hearted novel about familial love and community against all odds and a wrenching look at the lonesome, brutal, and restrictive realities of rural poverty, Taking place over a 12 day period during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Salvage the Bones is revelatory, real, and muscled with poetry.


NONFICTION The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt An innovative work of history and a thrilling story of discovery, in which one manuscript (On the Nature of Things by Lucretius), plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it.

POETRY Head Off & Split by Nikky Finney





YOUNG PEOPLES' LITERATURE
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.

A list of the winners and finalists may be found on the National Book Award website. Make your request for these and other finalists at your library today!

SH

Books Take You Nowhere

Librarians Lie!
Read this important new study, effectively debunking various myths long propagated by "librarians" that books will "transport you" to places you've never been. On behalf of my profession, I'd like to apologize to all the boys and girls who have been misled about this amazing power of books.
--RL

New Audiobooks

Jerusalem : a biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore, narrated by John Lee. The epic 3,000 year history of faith, fanaticism and coexistence.

Catherine the Great : portrait of a woman by Robert K. Massie, narrated by Mark Deakins. Hear about the 14-year old German princess who came to Russia and became one of the most powerful and fascinating women in history.


The price of civilization : reawakening American virtue and prosperity by Jeffrey Sachs, narrated by Richard McGonagle. A diagnosis of our economic ills by the author of The End of Poverty and Common Wealth, Sachs calls for Americans to restore the virtues of fairness and honesty as the foundations of national prosperity.

-DB

Grzimek's Animal Life Online--November Featured Online Resource

November Featured Online Resource

Looking for information on animals? Go to one of the best animal resources available--Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia--with up-to-date facts on 4000+ species (including prehistoric), photos, maps, videos, news and websites. Excellent for student reports as well as serious research but the photos, maps, videos, and audio tracks make it a great place to just have fun! Have your library card ready and try it out today.

SH

ebooks for Nooks & iPads & more!

Heard about all the great, free ebooks you can download from the library but don't know how? Fret no more, because in addition to our video for Kindles, we've now made tutorials on how to download ebooks for your Barnes & Noble Nook and various iDevices. Enjoy!





MW

October Snow now What?

Did the freak October snow storm cause some damage to your trees and shrubs?
Learn how to prune and care for damaged trees with these books.

Homeowner's complete guide to the chainsaw : a chainsaw pro shows you how to safely and confidently handle everything from trimming branches and felling trees to splitting and stacking wood By Ruth, Brian J. Author Ruth, Jen W. 2009-10 - Fox Chapel Publishing 9781565233560 Check Our Catalog Taking the fear out of chainsaws by emphasizing safe handling practices, this resource aims to put raw power in the hands of everyday yard workers. With step-by-step color photographs throughout, 12 of the most common household chainsaw operations are tackled with expert advice and sure-handed guidance. …More

The Tree Doctor: A Guide to Tree Care and Maintenance By Predergast, Daniel Author Predergast, Erin Author Prendergast, Daniel 2003-09 - Firefly Books 9781552977422 Check Our Catalog "A practical guide for growing healthy trees." As the most dominant and permanent feature in any garden, trees establish a landscape's character more than any other plant. Moreover, trees can filter the air of pollutants, muffle noise, screen the sun, calm the wind, attract birds, reduce soil erosion, raise the water table, and increase property values. Knowing which varieties to grow and how to maintain them is a must for anyone who owns trees or is considering planting one. The Tree Doctor is an easy-to-understand guide for growing healthy trees that will benefit generations to come. …More

The Pruning Answer Book By Hill, Lewis Author O'Sullivan, Penelope 2011-03 - Storey Publishing 9781603427104 Check Our Catalog Previously published as: Pruning made easy. …More

Pruning Basics: Tools * Techniques * Timing By Squire, David 2001-06 - Sterling Publishing 0806951133 Check Our Catalog "Gives excellent, thorough advice on what to prune when and how to go about it, with clear, easy-to-read diagrams and lots of them. It will help you achieve full bloom, healthy growth and proper shaping for any kind of shrub or small tree."--"Chicago Tribune." …More

Pruning & Training By Brickell, Christopher Author Joyce, David Joint Author Joyce, David 1996-08 - DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) 1564583317 Check Our Catalog Whether you are planning a new garden, wondering how to bring back a neglected tree or shrub, or want to develop areas of special interest, AHS Pruning & Training contains all the techniques you need in easy-to-follow, step by step explanations. …More TB

Nine of the Funniest Library Videos!!!!!!!

Nine of the Funniest Library Videos...
From the Huffington Post. Savor them. No more than one or two per day.
--RL

Happy 100th

The blonde, light-footed partner of dancer Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers was born in Independence, Missouri in July, 1911 and died in 1995. In 1941, Rogers was Hollywood's highest paid female star performing dramatic, comic and Broadway leading roles. She made 73 movies opposite such leading men as James Stewart, Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Her 1941 Academy Award for her performance in Kitty Foyle are displayed at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University along with a trove of correspondence, photographs, scripts and film and stage memorabilia in honor of her birthday. Come browse our media collection for some of Rogers' films such as The Gay Divorcee, The Barkleys of Broadway, Swing Time, Shall We Dance, Top Hat and 42nd Street.

-DB

October 2011 Audiofile Earphone Awards

If you are an audiobook lover, you will want to take a look at the newly announced Audiofile Earphone Awards for October, 2011. These awards are given to audio presentations with exceptional

• narrative voice and style

• vocal characterizations

• appropriateness for the audio format

• enhancement of the text

Some of the titles include:

The Wreckage by Michael Robotham; read by Sean Barrett.

The Return by Hakan Nesser; Read by Simon Vance.

Neuromancer by William Gibson; Read by Robertson Dean

Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie; read by John Moffatt



So if you are going on a trip, exercising, or just relaxing, request one of the October 2011 Audiofile Earphones Award Winners to enjoy!

SH

New Books for November

What's coming out in November? Here are a few titles:

11/22/1963 by Stephen King

What if you could go back into the past and change the course of events? See what happens in Stephen King's new novel.

V Is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

Kinsey Milhone is back -- for the 22nd time! And there's a woman with a murky past. Did she kill herself or was it murder?

The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin

No more John Rebus books from Ian Rankin. This is the second novel featuring the new character, Inspector Malcolm Fox of the Edinburgh Internal Affairs Department.

maf

Keeping up with Standardized Tests

If you used a #2 pencil to fill in circles on standardized tests you'd be amazed on how much has changed. Nowadays, computers rule and security in testing centers puts the TSA to shame. For some exams you can even click a button and find out most of your scores before you leave the center!

Because the tests undergo significant changes every few years it's important to use an up-to-date test preparation book. Here are just a few of the recently revised 2012 prep books available in the library:

Cracking the New GRE (The Princeton Review)

Kaplan GMAT Premier

Cracking the SAT Math Subject Tests (The Princeton Review)

Kaplan AP Chemistry

Downloading library ebooks for your Kindle

Have you heard about how you can download library ebooks for your Kindle but been a little shy about trying it out? There's no need to fear, we've created a tutorial to help you get started--you'll be downloading ebooks in no time, I promise.




MW

Libraries, Amazon and Privacy

Amazon Kindle owners will probably have heard by now that they can borrow ebooks from libraries (through Overdrive) and read the books on their readers. This was exciting and long-anticipated news, since Kindles are so popular among e-reading devices. There is a new wrinkle, however, making its way into librarian discussion groups. Public libraries have very strict guidelines (embedded in state laws, and American Library Association principles) about the confidentiality of library records--specifically the borrowing history of its patrons. Short of a court order, those records are erased and unavailable to anyone when a book is returned. So what about the borrowing records of Kindle ebooks? Those records, are the property of Amazon and are used to sharpen their marketing of similar books to their customers. The discussion is still in its early stages, so no one knows yet how (or whether) public libraries will be able to uphold its principles and continue to deliver ebooks in this very popular format. The Minuteman Library Network will discuss the issue in its November meeting. Stay tuned...
--RL

Wellesley the Home Front 1940-1945

The Wellesley local history collection has a wonderful oversize book of the publicity of the Wellesley Committee on Public Safety during the war years 1940-1945. It is filled with articles published by the Townsman, Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Wellesley Ledger.

Defense information, air raid planning, scrap collection, food and nutrition classes, blackouts, first aid, knitting, and other public safety articles reflect what life was like in Wellesley during the war years.

Ask to see it at the reference desk.

Click on picture for larger image.


TB

Try Scientific American Online

Wellesley Free Library is happy to offer online access to the most 

respected science magazine for the general reader—ScientificAmerican, winner of the 2011 National Magazine Award for General Excellence.   

Scientists, inventors, and engineers present their ideas and achievements that demonstrate the latest in scientific discovery and technological innovation in easy to understand articles with rich graphics.  So whether you are an amateur scientist or a student with a project, keep up with our fast moving world from home or in the library using this wonderful resource!

SH

The Marilyn Obsession

The coming fiftieth anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death in 2012 has sparked even more Marilyn Obsession (as described last week in the NYT Fashion & Style section).  The October Vogue cover story features a photo shoot by Annie Liebowitz of Michelle Williams as Marilyn, the role she plays in the upcoming movie My Week with Marilyn.  The movie is based on the book by Colin Clark, son of Sir Kenneth Clark (most well-known to Americans for his 1969  BBC series, Civilization). The audio version of Clark's book features narrator Simon Prebble, one of AudioFile's Best Voices of 2009.

-DB