Wallkill Public Library Newsletter | November/December 2009

Every holiday shopper has at least one person on her list who's impossible to buy for. You've done the Yankee Candle bit, you've gotten the bubble bath/perfume/makeup gift sets, and this year you're just stumped.

Not to worry! Among the benefits of a library membership comes the ability to test drive the books and videos that might make someone's holiday. Here's a list of a few newly or soon-to-be released items that might help you jumpstart your own lists for those you love:

Books

1. The Wallkill Public Library Cookbook - On sale now at the library, this 64-page binder features 150 delicious recipes from our own patrons, plus helpful indexes such as calorie counters, measurement charts, and baking tips. Included is a stand that can be used for other cookbooks as well (ideal for when you're racing around the kitchen and need to keep referring back to the recipe you're working on). The books are $13, or $25 for two. All profits go toward library programming for adults and children.

2. Under the Dome, by Stephen King - An invisible force field suddenly and mysteriously engulfs Chester's Mill, Maine, in King's new thriller. Weighing in at an arm-cramping 1088 pages, the book is packed with King's usual wide-range assortment of small-town characters. And Publishers Weekly calls it a "nonstop thrill ride" despite its heft. Release date is November 10.

3. I, Alex Cross, by James Patterson - After a close relative is discovered brutally murdered, Alex Cross vows to catch the killer. His search leads him to Washington's elite and an earth-shattering secret... On sale November 16.

4. Pirate Latitudes, by Michael Crichton - This manuscript was discovered after the author's 2004 death. It promises the usual mix of adventure and suspense that made his other books blockbusters (and it's already been picked up by Steven Spielberg for the big screen). To be released November 24.

5. The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver - Marks the author's first book in nine years (following The Poisonwood Bible). This novel is set in the early 20^th century and examines the life of Harrison William Shepherd. Born to a Mexican mother and divorced American father, Harrison becomes a writer after being kicked out of the military, and is later investigated for un-American activities. November 3 release.

DVDs

1. My Sister's Keeper - Give the gift of uncontrollable sobbing. This tear-jerker starring Cameron Diaz goes on sale November 17 and features a mother and father who resort to unorthodox methods to save their daughter, only to have their decision come back to haunt them.

2. The Hangover - Three hungover groomsmen must find a missing groom after a night of drunken debauchery goes wildly awry. This summer comedy, on sale Dec. 15, earned great reviews from critics and audiences alike.

3. Inglourious Basterds - Nazi-killers stalk their prey in occupied France as a Jewish cinema owner plots to take down top-ranking SS officers in this Dec. 15 release starring Brad Pitt.

4. Julie and Julia - Amy Adams stars as an amateur chef who decides to cook every recipe in a cookbook from celebrity chef Julia Child in this Nora Ephron-adapted screenplay. Available Dec. 8.

5. Star Trek - While catering to old-time Trekkies, this resurrection of the classic sci-fi franchise earned a huge following of new ones after its theatrical release. Goes on sale Nov. 17.

Sources: Amazon.com, About.com, Moviefone.com

Book of the month

The Financial Lives of the Poets, by Jess Walter

Having gambled his livelihood on a Web site featuring business news in the form of poetry, former journalist Matthew Prior has lost, and lost big. Just in time for the recession he suddenly finds himself jobless, crippled with debt, days away from losing his house, and - to top it off - suspicious about his wife's flirtatious e-mails with an old flame.

Walter's wit and observations are both funny and, at times, touching. For anyone who's read and enjoyed writers such as Nick Hornby or Richard Russo, this is a must-read.

Check out Aquabrowser

Aquabrowser is a whole new way to search for material online. To find this new catalog, go to the library home page and click on "Aquabrowser Catalog" on the right-hand side of the screen.

Enter the title, author, or keyword terms in the simple search box. Results may include books, DVDs, music, magazines, sound recordings, etc.

The advantage of Aquabrowser is that it offers you a broad array of materials in one overarching search. It's designed to be similar to searching on Google or Amazon.

If you prefer the "old" way of finding materials, the classic catalog is still available through the library Web site.

Popular kids' series hit shelves

For those who read the Sunday bestseller lists, you've probably noticed that the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has been holding its own among heavy hitters such as Dan Brown and Michael Connelly. Patrons can pick up books from this hit series and others at the Wallkill Public Library. Get your kids reading with Jeff Kinney's Wimpy Kid books (including the original as well as Rodrick Rules, Dog Days, The Last Straw, and the Do-It-Yourself book), volumes 1-6 in The 39 Clues series, or with the Smart Girl Guides, which offer advice on everything from starting middle school to staying home alone to dating.

Food for fines

For the week of Nov. 16 through Nov. 21, the Wallkill Public Library will be a food donation site for the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in Wallkill. During that week - and only that week - patrons may pay off any fines with canned goods or other non-perishable items (such as pasta, rice, instant potatoes, or crackers) that will be donated to fill Thanksgiving baskets for needy families in our community. We will exchange one fine for one canned good of any size. Fines will be waived only at the time they are exchanged for a food item. There is no limit to the amount of fines (old or new ones) that can be waived, as long as there is a food item for every fine. Food items must be presented directly to the circulation staff. No items will be accepted in the drop box. There is no exchange for lost items. Thank you so much for participating in this program to help us support our community.

Give the gift of literacy

This holiday season you can help the Wallkill Public Library expand its book and media collections with the Giving Tree. With a $15 gift for the children's or teen collections, or a $25 gift for the adult collection, you can honor friends, family, an organization, or anyone close to your heart with a book plate in their name. All recipients will be notified with a gift card from the library in time for the holidays.

Gifts can be made to the Wallkill Public Library and are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Please specify to which collection you'd like to donate your gift. Thank you for your support!

Mountain Laurel presents free puppet show

The Mountain Laurel Waldorf School of New Paltz will put on a puppet show for children ages 2-5 in November and December. "The Little Mouse and the Cat" will be presented at 11 a.m. Nov. 16 and Dec. 14 in the children's room of the Wallkill Public Library. There is limited space available, so please RSVP to the library at 895-3707.

The Mountain Laurel Waldorf School is part of a growing worldwide association of schools dedicated to developing the creative potential of each child.

New for the holidays

The following are either on our shelves or coming soon:

Fiction

· Midnight Fugue: A Dalziel and Pascoe Mystery, by Reginald Hill

· Hollywood Moon, by Joseph Wambaugh

· Morning Show Murders, by Al Roker

· New York, by Edward Rutherford

· U is for Undertow, by Sue Grafton

· Holiday Grind: A Coffeehouse Mystery, by Cleo Coyle

· Deeper Than the Dead, by Tami Hoag

· Catered Birthday Party, by Isis Crawford

· Trial by Fire, by Judith A. Jance

· Too Many Murders: A Carmine Delmonico Novel, by Colleen McCullough

· Fired Up, by Jayne Ann Krentz

· Noah's Compass, by Anne Tyler

· Unfinished Desires, by Gail Godwin

· Sizzle, by Julie Garwood

· Not My Daughter, by Barbara Delinsky

· Honor of Spies, by W.E.B. Griffin

· Kisser, by Stuart Woods

· Wolf at the Door, by Jack Higgins

· Treasure Hunt, by John T. Lescroart

· Remarkable Creatures, by Tracy Chevalier

· Blood Ties: A Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Novel, by Kay Hooper

· Deadly Deals, by Fern Michaels

· Impact, by Douglas J. Preston

· Nanny Returns, by Emma McLaughlin

Nonfiction

· Ultimate Happiness Prescription: Seven Keys to Joy and Enlightenment, by Deepak Chopra

· Future Church: How Ten Trends are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church, by John L. Allen

· Best Life Guide to Managing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes, by Bob Green

· It's Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase in God's Favor, by Joel Osteen

· One Simple Act: Discovering the Power of Generosity, by Debbie Macomber

· Googled: The End of the World as We Know It, by Ken Auletta

· Changing My Mind: Occassional Essays, by Zadie Smith

· Live a Little: Breaking the Rules Won't Break Your Health, by Susan Love

· Notes from the Cracked Ceiling: Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and What It Will Take for a Woman to Win, by Anne E. Kornblut

· Talking About Detective Fiction, by P.D. James

· You: Having a Baby: The Owner's Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy (Includes Pullout Calendar), by Michael F. Roizen

Biography

· Lit, by Mary Karr

· Open!, by Andre Agassi

· Robert Redford: The Biography, by Michael Feeney Callan

· Finding It: And Satisfying My Hunger for Life Without Opening the Fridge, by Valerie Bertinelli

· Last Words, by George Carlin

· Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn, by Alison Weir

· Happy: A Memoir, by Alex Lemon

· Literary Life: A Second Memoir, by Larry McMurtry

Audiobooks

· It's Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase God's Favor, by Joel Osteen

· Source of Miracles: Seven Steps to Transforming Your Life Through the Lord's Prayer, by Kathleen McGowan

· Trial by Fire, by Judith A. Jance

· Life After Death: The Evidence, by Dinesh D'Souza

· Bride, by Julie Garwood

· Though Waters Roar, by Lynn N. Austin

· Christmas Blizzard, by Garrison Keillor

· Honor of Spies, by W.E.B. Griffin

· Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Greg Mortenson

· Kisser, by Stuart Woods

· Sizzle, by Julie Garwood

· Noah's Compass, by Anne Tyler

· Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession, by Julie Powell

DVDs

· Up!

· Aliens in the Attic

· Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Thank you for being a friend

Thanks to two of our newest Friends of the Wallkill Public Library - Gwen Saunders and Zoraida Lugo-St. Paul. Your support is appreciated!

A sad goodbye

The Wallkill Public Library bids a fond farewell to our friend and longtime patron, Doris Ross, who passed away November 4, 2009.