All In the Family

I saw a review of Peter Leonard’s first book, Quiver,which was described as a disappointing debut by the son of legendary crime writer Elmore Leonard in the March 10^th Publishers Weekly. It got me thinking about other authors’ children who enter the field. I just finished Duma Key by Stephen King. In the novel he mentions a few times a mysterious “heart shaped box,” which also happens to be the title of his son’s breakout novel. His son, unlike the other children listed here, chose to write under a different surname, so as to avoid comparison with his father.

Peter Leonard, son of Elmore Leonard
Joe Hill, son of Stephen King, Stephen’s wife Tabitha also writes
Jesse Kellerman, son of Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, both authors
Brian Herbert, son of Frank Herbert
Carol Higgins Clark, daughter of Mary Higgins Clark
Robin Pilcher, son of Rosamunde Pilcher

I wonder, is it an advantage, or disadvantage, to have a famous parent who also writes for a living?

Dark Lantern Review

Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell

In this atmospheric novel of Victorian London, no one is who they seem to be. Mina, the wife of Robert Bentley, longs to flee to Paris to escape her mysterious watchers, and away from a dark secret about to come to light. Jane, the young house maid is hiding a secret that could lose her her job and reputation. The widow of Robert’s brother is an unknown quantity; is she who she appears to be? Sarah, the other housemaid, knows many secrets of the house and uses them all to her advantage. Evocative, full of twists and turns, this novel kept me guessing to the end; a real page turner!

The Currier Museum of Art Is Reopening

The Currier Museum of Art will offer free admission to the museum Sunday, March 30 to Sunday, April 6 to celebrate their grand reopening. The museum has been closed since June of 2006 to build a 30,000 foot addition. The Currier Museum of Art is an internationally renowned art museum featuring European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. The permanent collection includes works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, Calder and Wyeth. If you can’t make the grand re-opening make sure to use the Library’s passes and you can visit the museum free anytime.

Happy Winds-day !

The past few days have reminded me of a classic children’s tale. I swear Winnie the Pooh had March in mind when he made up this little ditty.

Hum for a Blustery Day
From: Winnie The Pooh and the Blustery Day


Hum dum dum ditty dum
Hum dum dum

Oh the wind is lashing lustily
And the trees are thrashing thrustily
And the leaves are rustling gustily
So it's rather safe to say
That it seems that it may turn out to be
It feels that it will undoubtedly
It looks like a rather blustery day, today
It sounds that it may turn out to be
Feels that it will undoubtedly
Looks like a rather blustery day today

896 PAGES!!

I've noticed a trend--young adult books are getting longer, and longer. It started with a little series called Harry Potter. JK maxed out at 870 pages with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Christopher Paolini's 3rd book in his Inheritance series, Brisingr, is coming out on September 20th, and is a whopping 896 pages. Stephenie Meyer's 4th book in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn, due out on August 2 is 704 pages. There were many that thought that kids would not read The Order of the Phoenix because it was too long--I think we all know, that turned out to be false. I also know that kids, and adults, will be clamoring to read Brisingr and Breaking Dawn. All I can say is, I am glad that publishers don't charge by the pound.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time....

I had a bad weekend last week. Definitely of the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad genre.For reasons that I no longer recall (probably due to dietary trauma), I decided that my system could do with a little purification. It was almost spring, Easter was a coming, and hey, celebrities do it all the time. How tough could it be? No, I didn't go to rehab. It was much, much worse. I decided to detox. With a downloaded menu in hand, I announced to family and coworkers alike my intentions. Actually, it was more of a warning...I thought I might be a little cranky at home and at work during the following week. In order to follow the menu plan, I was to give up all dairy products, wheat, caffeine(my coffee!)- all the good stuff in life and give my system a rest for a week. Alcohol wasn't mentioned but I decided to be good and add that too. In the spirit of solidarity, daughters 3 and 4 decided to join me in my journey. The husband threatened to eat juicy steaks in front of us as his contribution. I wasn't scared. He'd have to cook them himself. It was a very simple plan. No funny teas or potions-just a lot of organic fruits and veggies, salads, soups, and a little protein in the form of fish and chicken. Piece of cake. Day 1 passed okay. There were a few complaints about the breakfast which was described as 2 slices of wood with mud slapped on it, otherwise known as Ezekiel bread with almond butter. But other than a few longing looks at the leftover pizza in the fridge, we survived. After breakfast on day 2, I began to worry. The kids hated breakfast, salad was looking bad, and the vegetable soup I made for lunch was activating my gag reflex. We made it to dinner-gluten free pasta with marinara and salad for the third time. During dinner we spoke longingly of the good old days of bread and butter, a glass of milk or wine. I worried about being hauled over to the school for child abuse. Then Satan sat down at our dinner table in the form of daughter #3's boyfriend. He complemented the pasta , gave an evil laugh, and withdrew a large Lindt chocolate bar from his jacket pocket. All conversation ceased. "You know", I said, "We could make this a weekend detox..." Daughter #4 said she was staying up till midnight so she could eat the chocolate bar. I said it was midnight some where and dove for it. Chaos ensued but no injuries were sustained. We shook on it , decided to end detox, and try again another day. Later, as I was explaining to my massage therapist why I had a knot the size of Texas in my neck, I discovered we hadn't even made it to the hard day. Day 3 is the biggie. She detoxes twice a year and takes a week off of work each time in order to hide herself from the world. If you decide that you would like to test your own willpower and stamina, we just received a new book at the library, The Detox Strategy-Vibrant Health in 5 easy steps by Brenda Watson. We also have the Detox Diet by Elson M Haas and several other titles in the stacks. All I can say is good luck and I dare you. I double dog dare you!

That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

I found myself using the phrase “tide her over” yesterday, and started wondering about the origin of the phrase. Is it only nerdy librarians that wonder about these types of things? I found an interesting weblog that gave me the information I was looking for, and I also browsed through some of the library’s collection of books on word and phrase origins. These books are not only good reference sources but they are also just plain ole entertaining. Who wouldn’t want to know the origin of the phrase “put the kibosh on (something)", which can be found in The Whole Ball of Wax and Other Colloquial Phrases by Laurence Urdang. The Word Detective by Evan Morris includes all kinds of interesting words and phrases—you could say everything from soups to nuts (page 187). The Yankee Dictionary by Charles F. Haywood is full good old New England sayings (many that I have never heard of). Ahhhh…I just love looking at these books—it just makes me as happy as a clam at high tide.

The Library will be closed Sunday, March 23

The Library will be closed this Sunday for the Easter holiday. In the meantime, enjoy this very cute Peeps page. People get so creative with their Peeps- there are even Peeps videos now.

And of course, if you have not seen the classic Peeps Visit the Library, you won't want to miss that!

How Well Do You Know Dover History?

After the many fascinating Heritage Walks and Reveals in Dover, many of you are aware of Dover’s historic Mills, fires, and flood. How well do you really know what happened in Dover? We dare you to test your knowledge with a short little quiz we put together.

"The Sun Was Warm but the Wind Was Chill"

We are getting desperate for spring here at the Library and it’s starting to show in our choice of bookmarks. Make sure to pick some up the next time you are in; they may be the only butterflies and flowers you will see for a while.

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.
You're one month on in the middle of May.
Two Tramps in Mud Time by Robert Frost

Irish PI's Aren't Smilin'

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here’s a short list of some recent mysteries and thrillers by a new breed of Irish novelists. Some are set in the Old Sod while others feature Irish-born detectives working here in the U.S. They’re all highly recommended:

Ken Bruen’s “Jack Taylor” series featuring an alcoholic, ex-cop, Galway PI :
The Guards; The Killing of the Tinkers; The Magdalen Murders; The Dramatist; Priest; and Cross. Irish Noir at its best!

Paul Charles’s 1st “Inspector Starrett” mystery, Dust of Death, features a Garda detective investigating murder in Donegal. A very promising series kickoff.

Declan Hughes’s mysteries featuring seedy ex-LA cop Ed Loy who now investigates crimes in Dublin: The Wrong Kind of Blood; The Color of Blood; and The Price of Blood.

Award-winning Irish novelist John Banville writes his mysteries under the pseudonym Benjamin Black and they feature Dublin pathologist “Garret Quirke”. Set in 1950s Boston and Dublin, the two books so far are Christine Falls and Silver Swan.

Of course, you can’t miss with the “Charlie Parker” series, set in Maine, by Irish author John Connolly. The 6th in the series, “The Unquiet” is just out and a little bird tells me that Dover’s own Matt Mayberry is a character in the book! Connolly has been called Ireland’s own Stephen King.

And we can’t forget the women…

Erin Hart’s Haunted Ground and Lake of Sorrows follow Minnesota pathologist, Nora Gavin, a visiting lecturer at Trinity College, as get caught up in such gruesome crimes as a body in a peat bog.

Tara French’s “In the Woods” is both a police procedural and a psychological thriller. A detective investigates a missing child in the same woods where, 20 years, earlier, his two friends disappeared.

Irish “cozies” are the subject of Dicey Deere’s Torrey Tunet series. Torrey is a 28-year old translator from Boston, now living in Dublin, and she probes “The Irish Cottage Murder”, “The Irish Manor house Murder”, “The Irish Village Murder” and “The Irish Cairn Murder” from the hamlet of Ballyragh.

The prolific Rhys Bowen has a historical mystery series featuring plucky Molly Murphy, an Irish immigrant PI in early 20th century New York City. The seventh book, “Tell Me Pretty Maiden”, has just been published.

And for Irish “oldie but goodie” mysteries don’t pass up Bartholomew Gill’s 16 police procedurals featuring Garda Police Supt. McGarr, Peter Tremayne’s 17 “Sister Fidelma” mysteries, or County Clare Inspector Matt Minogue’s detecting in the novels of John Brady.

The Sweetest Season

Even though we are still receiving a weekly dose of snow, signs of spring have begun to appear in long suffering New England. Birds are singing, puddles and potholes are appearing in the roads, and buckets and pipes have begun sprouting from Maples everywhere. If you are curious about how tree sap becomes a delicious treat, take a look at Sweet Maple by James Lawrence. This helpful book with loaded with illustrations and recipes. If you want a guide to show you exactly how to set up your own sugaring operation, look at Making Maple Syrup by Noel Perrin.

Don't Know Much About History

There has been a fair amount of press recently about a survey of teenagers, 1200 17-year-olds, that found that they know little about history and literature. When these type of survey results surface there are always example given such as "one in four thought Columbus sailed for the New World sometime after 1750." Shocking I know, but I've always wondered about the other questions and the wording of the questions, and so I went searching for the test. Alas, I found Common Core, the company that apparently administers the test and they had a link to the test with all 33 questions. After ascertaining that I would not be displaying "stunning ignorance" in my knowledge of history and literature, I can feel better about being shocked. Make sure to take a look at the test so you too can rant, with confidence, against the injustices of the education system.

6th Annual Poetry Contest

Calling all Dover area students please join us for our 6th Annual Dover Public Library Poetry Contest! Since it's inception over 2300 poems have been submitted to our contest--I think that is pretty impressive. The contest is for students from K-12th grade and prizes will be awarded in 6 different grade categories: K-2, 3&4, 5&6, 7&8, 9&10, and 11&12. Pick up a contest rules sheet at the Dover Public Library, at your Dover School Library, or download one here. Last years 1st Place winner in the K-2 category, Joseph Thompson, wrote a poem about the Library--here it is for your reading pleasure.

The Library

Tunnel of imagination

Has to be quiet

Elaborate quietly

Live another life

Isn't so cool to be yelling

Books, Books, Books, Dictionaries, and more books

Rare tenderness kids peace

A dictionary is not enough

Roll to the adventures

You are the mastermind

Student Art on Display at the Library

In celebration of Student Art Month, Dover High School art students are displaying their fantastical creations here at the Library. Take a look at the blog slide show to see some of their brilliant artwork but you really need to visit in person to see how creative and original they truly are. You don’t want to miss the giant cupcake and plastic utensil bird!

And Now For Something Completely Different

There are no deep thoughts or important news to impart in this post. Instead, I offer you a bit of silly sweetness to bring a smile to your face; the world’s cutest bookend.

Is it deductible?

It is tax season again and since this is one of the tasks that falls to me in my household I have been doing a bit of research. I'm always worried that I claimed something I shouldn't have and they are going to throw me in the big house, or that I missed out on some deduction that everyone else knows about but me. Paranoid--who me? While doing my research I found an "Is it deductible?" quiz on Kiplinger's website. Did you know you can claim a charitable contribution if you host a foreign exchange student? Ok, I don't have an exchange student living with me, but if I ever do, I now know. Also they have a tax rebate calculator for those of you who are unsure of how much money you are entitled to, if any, from the economic stimulus package that was signed on Feb. 13. Now I just need to stop procrastinating and get my taxes done. If you don't get your taxes done by the April 15th deadline the library has extension forms on hand--form 4868.

Love and Consequences

Yet another fabricated memoir--this one was titled Love and Consequences: A Memoir of Hope and Survival by Margaret B. Jones (real name Margaret Seltzer). This gang memoir was purportedly about a multi-racial women living in South Central Los Angeles and how she survived the gangs, drugs, foster system, and violence. Ms. Seltzer was found out when her sister saw her profiled in the New York Times, along with a picture, and called the publisher to let them know. Seems pretty silly to me to allow your photograph to be in the paper, where someone you know is bound to see it, when you are trying to pull off this scam. Anyhow the real Margaret lived a fairly privileged life across town in the more upscale Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles. Her excuse for the scam is that the while working to end gang violence she met many people who lived the life she described and their stories needed to be told. Take a look at the article in the New York Times about her, or you can actually listen to an interview with her on NPR that was taped before her confession but never aired. Let us know how you feel about this--was she just trying to make a buck or was she genuinely trying to tell a story she thought needed to be heard?

New Downloadable Audio Books Available

The Chicago Tribune has caught on to how great downloadable Audio Books are; have you? The New Hampshire State Library has purchased more new titles for you to download, check them out!

Title	Author
Airman	Colfer, Eoin
Geography of Bliss	Weiner, Eric
Kiss of the Highlander	Moning, Karen Marie
The Mephisto Club	Gerritsen, Tess
The Sweet Far Thing	Bray, Libba
100 Cupboards	Wilson, N.D.
Beverly Hills Dead	Woods, Stuart
The Fifth Woman	Mankell, Henning
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon	Barry, Dave
The Secret of the Old Mill	Dixon, Franklin W.
The Senator's Wife	Miller, Sue
The Middle Place	Corrigan, Kelly
Be the Pack Leader	Millan, Cesar
Hide and Seek	Michaels, Fern
The Killing Ground	Higgins, Jack
Musicophilia	Sacks, Oliver
A New Earth	Tolle, Eckhart
Prepared for Rage	Stabenow, Dana
The Spiderwick Chronicles, Volume II	Black, Holly
The Spiderwick Chronicles, Volume III	Black, Holly
Stardust	Gaiman, Neil
The Water Horse	King-Smith, Dick
The Appeal	Grisham, John
Firefly Lane	Hannah, Kristin
Lady Friday	Nix, Garth
The Secret Between Us	Delinsky, Barbara
Sizzle and Burn	Krentz, Jayne Ann