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Parents, teachers, and fellow librarians!  This is your chance to get up close and personal with the 2013 Youth Media Award winners and honors -- Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author & Illustrator Awards, Pura Belpré Award, Printz Award, Sibert Award, S

We have an extensive collection of Christian nonfiction here at the Hoover Public Library. If you are looking for something from popular insipirational authors like Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, T.D. jakes, Gary Chapman, Anne Lamott or local author David Platt , we have what you need. If you are looking for classics from C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer or Billy Graham, we have those as well. We have books detailing the history of the Christian church and its various denominations, and ones on building the church of the future. We have books of prayers, hymns and daily devotionals. We even have books on dieting and nutrition from a Christian perspective!

That's how I feel about anyone who hasn't read and/or watched The Princess Bride.  It is something very seldom experienced -- that rare occurence when the book and the movie are equally excellent.  And, since it's Valentine's Day, what could be a better blog subject than a love story featuring sword fights, fire swamps, Rodents of Unusual Size, and torture?  Nothing, that's what.  It's perfect for people in love AND people in the Pit of Despair. 

February is Library Lovers' Month!  One of the best ways to demonstrate your love for Hoover Public Library is to fill out a comment card.  These lime green cards, available at every desk, give you the opportunity to tell us what we're doing right and suggest ways we can be even better.  You can also send an email to hvcontact@bham.lib.al.us or fill out this online form.

Oliver Sacks’ newest book, Hallucinations, examines the historical and cultural role of the hallucination in a very approachable, yet thoroughly scientific manner. Instead of hallucinations belonging only in the sphere of the insane, Dr. Sacks examines how many people experience visual hallucinations, auditory hallucinations and even hallucinatory smells in their daily life and often fear the stigma associated with such behavior.

A love out of time.  A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Beth Revis's Across the Universe trilogy "just might make sci-fi cool again." (Booklist review)  The final book, Shades of Earth, comes out this Tuesday, January 15, 2013.  If you haven't yet discovered the drama aboard Godspeed, make sure you start at the beginning.  For more information, go to one of the following websites:
http://www.bethrevis.com/books/
This is the official author webpage.  It showcases reviews, book trailers, an author interview, and a fan art gallery.
http://acrosstheuniversebooks.com/

Starting a new year is always a great time to look back and decide which books of the year were your favorites.  A book on everyone’s must read list is from an Alabama native, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.  A favorite of the teen’s department, it was also named Time Magazine's best book of the year.  While not every book can be an award winner, here are a few books from the last year that we believe are worth reading and

Love New Orleans? Visit the Nonfiction Department to read these love letters to New Orleans and Louisiana from noted Southern authors:

Did you know the Circus is coming to town in January? Read Ringlingville USA: The Stupendous Story of Seven Siblings and Their Stunning Circus Success, an engaging chronicle woven together from newspaper accounts, oral histories, and never before published records of the Ringling family. Find out how the seven brothers Ringling journeyed from immigrant poverty to become kings of the circus world, one fifty-cent ticket at a time.

I AM SO EXCITED!!!! Do you know what movie hit the big screen today, December 14, 2012? The first installment of Peter Jackson's return to the Shire -- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  I loved how he handled The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  And, as a child, I loved the animated version of The Hobbit. In fact, I used to terrorize my little sister with my dead-on impression of Gollum.  I finally read the book in high school and realized that my beloved cartoon left out a "bit" of the story.  Not sure if there's enough material to do THREE movies, but I can't wait to find out.  Stop by the Hoover Public Library to see the fantastic display in the Teen Spot.  And pick up every "little" hobbit thing that we have to offer. 

Every January, we post a blog series about our favorite books of the previous year. It's a very popular list of titles. The 2012 series will be posted January 8-10, 2013. BUT . . . you can see, hear, touch, and maybe even win some of the books at our sneak peek event.  Best Books of 2012 is coming to the Kid Zone on Monday, December 17, 2012 at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Our outreach librarian Katie Jane (that's me!) will present over 125 of our staff's favorite picture, fiction, and nonfiction books for children, preschool through sixth grade.

When I sent an email out to our staff requesting their favorite holiday movies, I thought I'd get lists of DVDs.  And I did.  But I also got all these little bundles of Christmas memories too.  I feel so honored that my coworkers were willing to share their family traditions with me.  Those stories are what made this blog post one of my very favorite ones to put together.  Whether you need warm fuzzies, holiday hijinks, or Bruce Willis this Christmas, you'll find what you're looking for here.

Have you wanted to broaden your horizons with a good book lately? Or perhaps you’ve felt like reading something that will take you back to your roots? In either case, Promised Land: Thirteen Books that Changed America by Jay Parini is sure to inspire you with ideas for your reading list. This collection of essays focuses on the core thirteen books that entered American life and explains how they altered how we think and act. The author also offers a list of 100 other influential books in our history. Find this book, and others like it, in the Literature Room in the Nonfiction Department.

Or perhaps you want to plan the Great American Road Trip? Here are some great stories about traveling around our wonderful nation:

The Nonfiction Department has recently added some great new books on Chinese history. Check out these titles on China’s long history:

  • Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen R. Platt
  • The Boxer Rebellion and the Great Game in Chinaby David J. Sibley
  • China’s Wings: War, Intrigue, Romance, and Adventure in the Middle Kingdom During the Golden Age of Flight by Gregory Crouch
  • Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China by Ezra F. Vogel
  • Restless Empire: China and the World Since 1750 by Odd Arne Westad

First, it was a 1,500-page book: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Then, it became the world's longest-running stage musical -- seen by over 60 million people (including me) in 42 countries and winning 96 international awards. Now, Les Mis is coming to the big screen on Christmas Day. That doesn't give you much time to read the book. Better get busy!

Hidden Treasures? What kind of treasures? Books!

You may have been in the library and saw a book that caught your attention. Perhaps someone was checking it out, checking it in, asking about it, or maybe you saw it on one of the many carts that our library pages use to get materials back where they belong. Believe it or not, there are things that we may not have seen before either. Today, while in the Adult Biographies, several titles jumped out asking to be picked up and considered:

Dog Days : A Year in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile by Dave Ihlenfeld
B Ihlenfeld

The name's Bond . . . James Bond. Also known as Agent 007. He first appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming, but catapulted to fame on the big screen. On October 5, 1962, the first Bond movie, Dr. No, introduced a larger audience to the Aston Martin-driving, shaken not stirred martini-drinking secret agent. And now -- 50 years, 6 actors, and innumerable Bond girls later -- the 23rd film, Skyfall, is in theatres.

The name's Bond . . . James Bond. Also known as Agent 007. He first appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming, but catapulted to fame on the big screen. On October 5, 1962, the first Bond movie, Dr. No, introduced a larger audience to the Aston Martin-driving, shaken not stirred martini-drinking secret agent. And now -- 50 years, 6 actors, and innumerable Bond girls later -- the 23rd film, Skyfall, is in theatres.

I am a bit obsessed with words. I routinely throw interesting words into my conversation, without missing a beat. My entire family teases me about it. My coworkers do too. But, really, why say "note" when you can say "missive"? I can't help it. I'm a reader. Luckily, I have a friend equally fascinated by word choice. I call him "Walking Websters" and thoroughly enjoy our email and face-to-face conversations about the English language. I can't wait to disclose this vital information -- Tuesday, October 16, 2012 is Dictionary Day. Why? Because Noah Webster, the father of the modern dictionary, was born on October 16, 1758. Dictionary Day is exciting news if you're a wordie like me.

A new acquisition to our adult nonfiction collection, Still Life: Inside the Antarctic Huts of Scott and Shackleton with photography by Jane Ussher and essays by Nigel Watson of the Antarctic Heritage Trust, is a beautiful and haunting memorial to those first doomed explorers of the South Pole. Bound in rough canvas with coloring reminiscent of the century old material still slowly decaying in situ in Antarctica from the original expeditions, the detailed photographs within are intimate investigations of what life was like for these adventurous, and often heroic, men. The climate and isolation of these modest huts in Antarctica has left intact and untouched many artifacts of this time period. Jars and tins of food stores sit unopened. Hams still hang in muslin bags.

One month of summer is already over. But you still have plenty of time to clean your grill and try out some new recipes. New grilling cookbooks to check out include: Charred & scruffed : bold new techniques for explosive flavor on and off the grill by Adam Perry Lang and Rao's on the grill : perfectly simple Italian recipes from my family to yours by Frank Pellegrino.

David Zinczenko, author of the very popular Eat This Not That series has written Grill this, not that! : backyard survival guide.

Other healthy grilling cookbooks include Cooking Light's Way to Cook Grilling and Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm.

-RC

Our Local Record Labels Showcase is Thursday night and we're featuring some of Birmingham's finest songwriters. All four performers have performed in a variety of local bands over the years and are staples of Birmingham's club scene. This will be a unique opportunity to see them perform stripped down solo & duet versions of their songs. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. It is FREE and open to the public.

HENRY DUNKLE

 

PAUL JANEWAY & JESSE PHILLIPS

Check out the great googling tips on this swell infographic!

Get more out of Google
Created by: HackCollege

To understand Stieg's work, I said, one had to know who he really was.--pg. 185

I picked up this book yearning to learn more about the author who died before his novel legacy was even published. That fact in itself intrigued me; I just really wanted to learn more about Stieg Larsson's life from an unbiased source. With this relatively short biography, you get the straight facts--no beating around the bush, just the candid and honest facts--from the one constant presence in his life: Eva Gabrielsson.

Check out the real story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the focus of the new George Lucas film, Red Tails:

Dogfights Season Two

Nightfighters

The Tuskegee Airmen

I do not exactly know what I was expecting when I opened The Language of Flowers and started reading, but I do not think that I was expecting to be completely and utterly amazed and captivated by the story right from the very first paragraph:

For eight years I dreamed of fire. Tree ignited as I passed them; oceans burned. The sugary smoke settled in my hair as I slept, the scent like a cloud left on my pillow as I rose. Even so, the moment my mattress started to burn, I bolted awake. The sharp, chemical smell was nothing like the hazy syrup of my dreams; the two were as different as Carolina and Indian jasmine, separation and attachment. They could not be confused. (pg 3)

Life is full of interesting coincidences, isn't it? Example: I discovered Bicicloteca during the Hoover Public Library's week-long salute to Brazil.

Bicicloteca is Brazil's adaptation of a mobile library. It's a large tricycle that has been outfitted with a compartment capable of carrying 150kg of books. It doesn't require a driving license or expensive fuel, and it can easily manuever through the busy streets. I don't think I'll ever look at a tricycle the same way again.

Please join us on Thursday, October 6th at 10:00 am in the first floor meeting rooms for our book discussion of Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese was one of the best books I read when it came out in 2009. Now that we are going to have it for this month’s book discussion group, I get to enjoy it all over again. Verghese draws richly dramatic characters with Ethiopia having its own personality throughout the book. Multiple dynamics keep you on the edge of your seat, such as brotherly love, betrayal, illicit love affairs and even a shipboard drama, along with medical breakthroughs. But it all begins with the story of twins.

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