China Patterns

There've been several new books lately which have focused on the experiences of westerners living in China. Each is part memoir, part travelogue, and part biography, yet each one tells a unique and strikingly-good story about this most populous land in the world. Pick the "China Pattern" that appeals to you from among:

Big in China: My Unlikely Adventures Raising a Family, Playing the Blues, and Becoming a Star in Beijing by Alan Paul. After his wife takes a 3-year post in China, the Paul family, with three young children, adjusts to a new culture, a new language, and a new way of life in Beijing. Alan forms a blues band with 3 Chinese musicians and they end up winning an award as Beijing's Best Band! Based on the author's blog for the Wall Street Journal and sure to be enjoyable!

Fortunate Sons: the 120 Chinese Boys Who Came to America, Went to School, and Revolutionized an Ancient Civilization by Liel Leibovitz. In 1872, these boys were sent to elite New England prep schools and colleges in order to learn "western ways". After 9 years, they were called back to China and many became prominent in China's drive for modernization. Here is their fascinating story both here and abroad.

The Foremost Good Fortune by Susan Conley. This Portland, Maine-based mom of 2 young sons moved to Beijing with her husband on the eve of the 2008 Olympics. Just as they were getting adjusted, she developed breast cancer and had to return to the States. After treatment, she did return to China where she searched for the perfect Chinese talisman to ward off any leftover "cancer juju" and hoping to ease her boys' fear about their mom's mortality. An uplifting and memorable story.

Country Driving: a Journey Through China from Farm to Factory by Peter Hessler. This author of two other renowned books about China here recounts his epic road trip following the Great Wall along northern China. His experiences with driving on roads ranging from superhighways to dirt paths, from villages to industrialized cities, with so many "car-crazy" and inexperienced new drivers is both funny and fascinating.

Pearl Buck in China: a Journey to The Good Earth by Hilary Spurling. This biography of the author (1892--1973) of "The Good Earth" trilogy traces her youth in China as the daughter of a missionary and her work in the US for multicultural adoption and anti-discrimination laws. Buck won both the Nobel & Pulitzer prizes yet, at one time, was blacklisted as a communist sympathizer. Reading "The Good Earth" in junior high was my introduction to Chinese culture and the novel (pub. 1958) made a lasting impression on me.

For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History by Sarah Rose. The true story of a Victorian-age botanical thief, Robert Fortune, who was hired by London's East India Company to spy and steal tea seeds and young tea plants in China and smuggle them to British India: "the greatest theft of trade secrets in the history of mankind"!

Beautiful Art in Children's Room

Youth Art Month (created in 1961) is a national event held every March to emphasize the importance of Art Education for all children. Every March, in celebration of this event, the talented art students from St. Thomas Aquinas High School arrive in the Children's Room to set up displays to exhibit their artwork. Be sure to stop in to admire their work.

An Invitation to Young Poets

We are pleased to announced the commencement of the Dover Public Library's 9th Annual Poetry Contest. Nine years--I can't believe it! The contest is for kids in grades k-12 that either have a Dover Public Library card or go to a Dover school (this includes private schools). Prizes will be awarded in 6 different grade categories. Pick up a contest rules sheet at the Dover Public Library, at your Dover School Library, or on our website. Deadline for submission is April 11. Good luck to all.

The Year of the Tiger?

Four recent, highly-acclaimed new books all feature the word "TIGER" in their titles. Three are non-fiction; the other a novel. Each is radically different from the next, but each has received rave reviews and/or significant notice from critics. They are:

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. This is the controversial, and oft-debated, book by a Chinese-American mom who applied strict, uncompromising, and authoritarian parenting techniques in raising her two daughters. Chua disdains Western-style "indulgent" parenting and the fallout from this book has been all over the media.

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant

Cited on many non-fiction "Best" lists, this riveting story follows a deadly Siberian tiger and the Russian poachers who seek to trap him. Not just an adventure story, the book explores late 1990s politics, socioeconomic conditions, and conservation fronts in the Russian Republic. The lethal encounters between man and beast are "bone-chilling".

Tiger, Tiger: A Memoir by Margauz Fragoso (on order)

The author's 15-year relationship, from age 7 to 22, with a pedophile she met as a child at a public pool, is detailed from her diaries with "unflinching honesty" and shows how pedophiles can manipulate and menace the lives of children. An important yet disturbing memoir.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

This book, no doubt, will be named one of 2011's finest. Set in the wartorn Balkans, it is the story of a young woman doctor's search for her grandfather who has died in a remote village. On her journey, she recounts the family stories, legends and folk tales he told her as a child. A wondrous mix of magical realism and reality will keep the reader mesmerized.

Thou Shalt What???

If you happen to be in England for the Royal wedding this spring, you may want to pop over to Cambridge University to check out their special display of rare bibles. One of the bibles is known as the "wicked bible" or "sinner's bible". Through a typographical error, or Freudian slip, the seventh commandment was listed as "thou shalt commit adultery". King Charles I, that old killjoy, was most displeased. He fined the printers and demanded that all the bibles be recalled and burned. Only a few bibles survived, making the wicked bible very rare indeed.

Busby Berkeley Was Here

Sawyer Mansion

The Library just received a new biography of Busby Berkeley, Buzz: The Life and Art of Busby Berkeley. During the 1920s, Hollywood choreographer Busby Berkeley owned the Sawyer Mansion here in Dover. Berkeley was famous for elaborate musical productions featuring scores of chorus girls. He shared a very close bond with his mother, who lived with him. The Dover City Directory listed the house at 47 Central Avenue under his mother's name, Mrs. Gertrude B. Enos. The property was taken over by the city after Busby Berkeley neglected to pay taxes. The Sawyer Mansion was torn down in 1958 when the Spaulding Turnpike overpass was built, where the present day Burger King stands. We were thrilled to find that the Library's website was sited as a source of research for the book! Want to see the web page the biography mentioned?

Help I'm Having a Moral Dilemma

I just finished reading The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld. I really enjoyed the book which is a historical thriller set in 1920, surrounding the real-life unsolved mystery of the Wall Street bombing. During the story we meet up with Sigmund Freud, Marie Curie, Warren Harding & Billy Flynn. Here is the moral dilemma: Jed Rubenfeld is married to Amy Chua, better known as "Tiger Mom", from her now infamous book The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. If you are not familiar with Amy Chua or her book take a look at this Wall Street Journal article that seems to have started the controversy. I personally find Amy Chua's parenting techniques upsetting to put it mildly. Where was Jed while all this was going on? Did he agree with the parenting techniques? I am feeling a bit guilty about enjoying his book. What do you think--can you like a book by an author that you find distasteful?

Townie

Andre Dubus III, author of House of Sand and Fog, has a new memoir being published today. Townie: a Memoir has been getting great reviews--it is being called powerful and gritty. Mr. Dubus grew up in a seedy, violent and drug infested section of Haverhill, Massachusetts. His Father leaves the family, and his Mother struggles to raise 4 children alone. Each of the Dubus children deal with their situation in their own way, and Andre eventually turns to weightlifting and boxing so that he can be the family protector. It is an amazing story of how he eventually becomes a writer. You can read a review of the book at The New York Times or listen to a great interview with him on the Diane Rehm's Show.

Would You Love to Visit a Palace?

Wouldn't you love to visit a stunning Venetian-style palace with three stories of galleries surrounding a sun- and flower-filled courtyard? Ok, you might have to wait until spring for the sun and flower filled part, but this can all be found at The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The Friends of the Library have generously purchased this new museum pass for us, and we want you to take advantage of it. Call us now to book a pass, 516-6050.

Did You Celebrate National Dog Biscuit day?

I am so embarrassed. I let February 23rd slip away without celebrating National Dog Biscuit Day. Thank goodness my dogs haven't figured out how to read a calendar yet. I am going to make it up to them by checking out the chapter on dog biscuits in  Better Food For Dogs by David Baston. He has 12 different recipes so I am sure I can find something I want to make and the dogs want to eat.

Moving Forward

I just finished Alice Hoffman's latest book, a collection of connected short stories called The Red Garden. It has the light touch of a magical element that I have always enjoyed in her other novels. The stories take place in a small town in the Berkshires and take the town from its founding to modern times, with reoccurring themes of eels, bears, a ghost child, collies, and a garden with soil that is blood red. I was totally immersed in the audiobook, read skillfully by Nancy Travis.Then that New England accent would wrench me out of the story. Nancy Travis has lived in Boston and New York and has the New England habit of pronouncing forward as foe-ward. That dropped r kept jarring me out of the story. You would think after all these years surrounded by New Englanders I would be used to it. I can't complain, her slight  New England accent is perfectly appropriate to the story. I just never realized how many times Alice Hoffman uses "forward" in the book.
I recommend The Red Garden, it is wicked awesome.

The Library Newsletters are Going Green!

Did you know that it takes one 15 year old tree to produce half a box of paper? Help us to save paper and sign up now to receive the Library's new eNewsletters, plus other valuable information about events and programs at your favorite library. Follow this link to access the form and you will be on your way!

New Museum Passes Available

Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Dover Public Library, we now have a 2nd pass to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire! The passes allow admission to the museum for up to four people (children and/or adults) for half price ($4 each). We are excited to be able to offer two of these passes per day to our patrons.

Last year, over 250 DPL families made use of this savings. Next year, we hope to make the number of happy borrowers 500+. Drop by or call the Children's Room @ 516-6052 to reserve your pass.

*There are still passes available for borrowing during February vacation week. Call soon!

More New eBooks Have Been Added to the NH Downloadable Books Site!

New eBooks, check them out at NH Downloadable Books.

Afternoon on the Amazon    Mary Pope Osborne

Alone    Lisa Gardner
Angels Flight    Michael Connelly
Another Thing to Fall    Laura Lippman
By a Spider's Thread    Laura Lippman
Chasing AllieCat    Rebecca Fjelland Davis
Cloaked    Alex Flinn
A Compromised Lady    Elizabeth Rolls
Dead in the Family    Charlaine Harris
Deep-Space Food Fighter    Peter Hannan
Dreaming of You    Lisa Kleypas
The Fates Will Find Their Way    Hannah Pittard
Flyte    Angie Sage, Mark Zug
The Girl in the Green Raincoat    Laura Lippman
Heartwood    Belva Plain
His Lady Mistress    Elizabeth Rolls
I, Alex Cross    James Patterson
If Morning Ever Comes    Anne Tyler
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks    Rebecca Skloot
In a Strange City    Laura Lippman
The Incredible Journey    Sheila Burnford, Carl Burger
The Iron Queen    Julie Kagawa
Judy Moody    Megan McDonald, Peter H. Reynolds
Junie B. Jones and that Meanie Jim's Birthday    Barbara Park, Denise Brunkus
Kabul Beauty School    Deborah Rodriguez, Kristin Ohlson
Kiss an Angel    Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Knight of Desire    Margaret Mallory
Knight of Pleasure    Margaret Mallory
The Last Place    Laura Lippman
Leon and the Spitting Image    Allen Kurzweil
Marrying the Captain    Carla Kelly
The Millionaires    Brad Meltzer
No Surrender    James Sheeran
Not My Daughter    Barbara Delinsky
Pictures of You    Caroline Leavitt
Private    James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
The Red Garden    Alice Hoffman
Rogue    Rachel Vincent
A Scandalous Proposal    Julia Justiss
The Sentry    Robert Crais
Show Time    Sue Stauffacher, Priscilla Lamont
The Spark    Chris Downie
Strategic Moves    Stuart Woods
Three Seconds    Anders Roslund, Börge Hellström
Tick Tock    Dean Koontz
Unbroken    Laura Hillenbrand
Will Grayson, Will Grayson    John Green

Free Programs for School Vacation Week

Next week is school vacation week in Dover, and the library has great programs planned with a "Summer in February" theme. All programs are FREE and open to the public.

• Tues., Feb. 22 @ 10:30am: Indoor Tide Pooling--a special hands-on program presented by the folks at the Seacoast Science Center. Learn how sea sea stars eat, where urchins live, how crabs crawl, why snails have trap doors, and more!
• Wed., Feb. 23 @ 10:30am: Special Drop-in Story Time--Miss Kimberly will present a drop-in story time featuring summertime fun.
• Sat., Feb. 26 @ 2pm: Saturday Matinee showing of Secretariat, rated PG, based on the remarkable true story of the 1973 Triple Crown winner.
• Feb. 22 - 26: Make-it , Take-it Craft--join us to make a rainbow windsock.

Undissing the Undead

I find myself in the awkward position of having to recant a statement I made in last week's blog post concerning vampires. I mentioned that they were "so yesterday." Boy, was I wrong. I just finished reading "A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness and my antipathy for the undead is no longer. Matthew Clermont is one hot vampire. His romance with historian and witch Diana Bishop begins in Oxford's Bodleian library and ranges from France to upstate New York. We have forbidden love, lost manuscripts, and secret orders of knights all wrapped up in a juicy novel. And the best part is that it is only volume one of the All Souls trilogy. Can't wait for volume two!

Who Was Your Crush?

This morning the Librarians were all gathered to discuss what we read this weekend. Really, we did! I mentioned I was reading the latest book by Alison Pearson who wrote the wonderful, I Don't Know How She Does It. Oh, one of the other Librarians said, you mean, I Think I Love You, the book about the woman who wins a contest to meet her teenage crush, David Cassidy and doesn't get to meet him until she is in her late 30s? That's the one! That got us all talking about our first crushes, an appropriate subject for Valentine's Day. Some of the long ago crushes included Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, Leif Garrett, David Cassidy, William Shatner, and Barbara Eden. How about you, who was your first crush?

Despicable Me

Join us this Saturday at 2:00pm in the Library Lecture Hall for our free Saturday Matinee: Despicable Me. This is an animated family comedy, and the film is rated PG. Here is the description:

Vying for the title of “World’s Greatest Villain”, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) – along with his hilarious crew of mischievous minions – plots to pull off the craziest crime of the century: steal the moon! But when Gru enlists the help of three little girls, they see something in him nobody else has ever seen: the perfect dad.

I was surprised how touching this movie is in light of it's title. Don't miss it!

How Many Books Could You Read in a Year?

I am a subscriber to the web site Good Reads, which is a social networking site for readers. I was looking at their 2011 Reading Challenge, which is designed to motivate people to read more books during the next year. The average challenge number is 72 books. Now, I was encouraged by this number because I think it is a lot--especially considering all the data that shows that a large part of our population reads absolutely nothing. Now my coworker came along and said 72 books is that it? What do you think? Not enough or way to go!

What Did You Say?

Did you know flowers have a language of their own? During the 19th century, florigraphy, as the language of flowers was known, was extremely popular.The Victorians were skilled as assembling bouquets with all sorts of symbolic meanings. Most of us know that red roses symbolize romantic love, but did you know a full rose over two buds symbolizes secrecy? The lovely hydrangea symbolizes boastfulness, heartlessness and frigidity. Striped tulips declare, "you have beautiful eyes". New Hampshire's state flower is the purple lilac which symbolizes first love. You could assemble a really special bouquet full of hidden meanings for your Valentine by researching "The Secret Language of Flowers" by Shane Connolly.

What Do We Do Now?

Since all things football are over and it looks like all things spring are a way off, we hear people wondering "what do we do now"? From the kinds of material patrons are checking out, here are some suggestions to keep the winter blahs from invading your thoughts:

• People are dreaming of vacations in warm places. Check out our 2011 guidebooks on South Florida, Miami & the Keys, Maui, and the Virgin Islands. If it's more fun in the snow you want we have 2011 travel books on Montreal & Quebec City, the places for winter carnival fun.
• Speaking of the ever-present snow, come look over the books in our 796.9 section on skiing and skating which also include information on cross-country and snowshoe trails.
• But if your thoughts are truly migrating to gardening, opportunities abound to get a head start on spring by forcing bulbs. Books in our 635.944 section will guide you to indoor blooms that will chase away the winter blues.
• If you really just want to enjoy the final winter weeks from your window, come get an armload of materials -- books, dvds, music – on subjects meant for inspiration, movitvation, self-indulgence, relaxation, pleasure, or entertainment. We have it all!

Red Hot Romance at Your Local Library

Ahhh...February. A time for hearts, flowers, chocolate, and thoughts of spring. Well we know that last one isn't going to happen anytime soon. And maybe I won't get my heart set on any of the others either. So what's a gal to do? One suggestion. Slink and sigh your way over to the paperback aisle. We have romance galore. Some of our more recent titles include, The Seduction of his Wife by Tiffany Clare, Kiss at your Own Risk by Stephanie Rowe, and How to Marry a Duke by Vicki Dreiling (not a manual ladies, even though there is an upcoming royal wedding). Who could pass up a title like Duchess of Sin by Laurel Mckee or Dark Waters by Alex Prentiss? And what about Must Love Kilts by Alex Mckay? Will she answer the ever present question of what lies underneath them? If you are a more trendy type, let me just say that vampires are so yesterday. Werewolves are where it's at and two of our most recent novels are The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlyn Chase and A Werewolf in Manhattan by Vicki Lewis Thompson. So we have a pocket sized bit of romance for you whether you are a werewolf lover, a royals stalker, or just your basic girl wants guy. Come for a brief encounter.

Authors @ Night @ DPL

The third lecture in our local author series will be held on Tues., Feb. 8 @ 7:00pm. Stephanie Harzewski will be here to discuss her new book Chicklit and Postfeminism. Where did the term "chick lit" come from? Is chick lit literature? Why is the popularity of Jane Austen, dubbed "the mother of chick lit," at an all-time high? What does chick lit and corollary phenomenon like Sex and the City tell us about contemporary love, sex, and dating? What is "postfeminism" and how does chick lit help us define it? What is the place of chick lit, with its kinship to designer and upscale commodities, in the recession? What is the future of this popular subgenre and its numerous movie adaptations?

Stephanie Harzewski, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the English department at the University of New Hampshire. A Dover, NH resident, she specializes in contemporary Anglophone fiction and women's narrative prose. She is considered an expert on the chick lit genre and has been interviewed on the topic for publications like Poets and Writers and The Chicago Tribune.

Is April Really the Cruelest Month?

T.S. Eliot says that April is the cruelest month, but I am beginning to think that February is the month that deserves that title. I was in a meeting today when I heard a crash that actually shook this big old brick building. I wondered if a plow had hit the Library. When the meeting adjourned we saw that an avalanche of ice and snow from the roof had thundered down onto the skylights and broken two of them. Spring won't come soon enough for me!

New eBooks This Week

Did you know that new eBooks and new audiobooks are constantly being added to the New Hampshire Downloadable Books site? You can check them out free with your Dover Public Library card!

Just this week all these titles were added to the eBooks section.

The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss
The Admiral's Penniless Bride by Carla Kelly
All the Wrong Moves by Merline Lovelace
Along Came Trouble by Sherryl Woods
Asylum by Patrick McGrath
The Beautiful Stranger by Julia London
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern
The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale
Caribou Island by David Vann
Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez
The Dangerous Gentleman by Julia London
Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart
Dawn on a Distant Shore by Sara Donati
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
The Endless Forest by Sara Donati
Escape from Shadow Island by Paul Adam
Eye of the Beholder by David Ellis
Family Affair by Debbie Macomber
The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard
Fire Along the Sky by Sara Donati
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Hidden Man by David Ellis
If Morning Ever Comes by Anne Tyler
Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati
Lake in the Clouds by Sara Donati
A Little Murder by Cindy Davis
Lucy on the Ball by Ilene Cooper, David Merrell
The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt
Queen of Swords by Sara Donati
The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman
The Ruthless Charmer by Julia London
Secretariat by William Nack
Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas
Tick Tock by Dean Koontz
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz
Witch & Wizard by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonne

"Dover Reads" into Spring!

Let's all read into Spring with "Dover Reads"! "Dover Reads", a citywide reading project sponsored by the Dover School District Community Involvement Committee, encourages everyone in Dover to read the same book to promote a sense of community and the joy of reading.

This year, the committee has chosen One Thousand Tracings: healing the wounds of World War II written and illustrated by Lita Judge. When Lita (who lives in New Hampshire) discovered hundreds of tracings of feet in her grandparents' attic, she had to know the story behind them. Once she knew the story, she had to share it. Find out what she learned in this moving story.

All are welcome to join us for the annual "kick-off" celebration on Friday, February 4 @ the Dover City Hall Auditorium from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Pick up a copy of the book to read and share, hear the Dover High School Chamber singers, enjoy a reading from the book, and be inspired by the special guest speaker, Paul Moore of Moore*Mart.

For more information about "Dover Reads" and upcoming events click here.

Authors @ Night @ DPL

The second lecture in our Local Authors series will be held this Monday evening, Jan. 31 @ 7:oopm. Harrison Thorp will be here to discuss his new novel Freak the News: Journalistic High Jinks in a Small Maine Town.

Freak the News is the story of Chris a 50-something seasoned journalist who enjoys a good drink. After years away from the field, he returns to his first love, the copy desk, at a small newspaper in Maine. Shawn, a talented writer fresh out of journalism school, winds up at the same paper. He wants to hang around long enough to make a name for himself, get some clips and move on to a big-city paper. When a surgical deaths story at the local hospital is killed by newspaper executives, Chris and Shawn become suspicious and discover a scheme that involves the blackmail of an alcoholic physician into naming a cardiac care center after the paper. Against the backdrop of a frantic, fractious and bawdy newsroom, Chris and Shawn, each at times fearful and uncertain about their commitment to the cause, find themselves driven on to a climax that exposes the bad guys and gives the paper's readers a front page they'll never forget.

After 20 years in the newspaper business spent working at 10 different newspapers, Mr. Thorp has seen the good, the bad and the ugly in journalism in its rawest form. And he writes it that way in his new book, Freak the News. From Vermont to Virginia to New Hampshire and Maine, he's worked as a reporter, sports editor, city editor as well as editor of the Foster's Sunday Citizen where he won three Newspaper of the Year awards. He was also a sports editor in the early '90s at the Portsmouth Herald.

Award Winners

The American Library Association recently announced their list of the Best Books for Young Adults 2011. The Teen Loft at the DPL has quite a few of the books on the list and they are all displayed together for your browsing pleasure. You are welcome to come in and check out as many as you choose (well I guess we have that crazy 50 item limit per card)!

"The 12 Rules of Reading" are still relevant!

John Cotton Dana (1856--1929) was a prominent turn-of-the-20th century librarian (Denver, Springfield, MA, and Newark NJ) and president of the American Library Association. He wrote these now-famous "12 Rules of Reading" and whatever device you're using to read: iPad, eReader, computer, smartphone, or a traditional book format, they are still true!

1. Read.

2. Read.

3. Read some more.

4. Read anything.

5. Read about everything.

6. Read enjoyable things.

7. Read things you yourself enjoy.

8. Read, and talk about it.

9. Read, very carefully, some things.

10. Read on the run, most things.

11. Don't think about reading, but...

12. Just read

Arrest the scofflaws! (...or worse!)

On January 24, the Washington Post ran an AP article about a Vermont woman who kept over 40 library books and A/V items overdue for more than a year. The items were valued at $460 and the library in St. Johnsbury couldn't get her to return them. So she was cited for "theft of rented property" and has a court date in March.

My question is...why is this news? Of course it's theft. Of course she should go to court and return the items and pay fines or restitution. If someone can be charged with shoplifting for stealing a 6-pack from a store, why shouldn't that person be cited for stealing library materials worth $460? It must have been a slow newsday for the AP to cover this breaking story!

My feelings on the matter of non-returned library books can best be expressed by this little poem (which is not official City of Dover Library Policy, by the way, but simply my own opinion):

These books belong to none but me,

For there's my name inside to see.

To steal this book, if you should try,

It's by the throat that you'll hang high.

And ravens then will gather 'bout

To find your eyes and pull them out.

And when you're screaming "Oh, Oh, Oh!"

Remember, you deserved this woe!

Clara & Mr. Tiffany

Loved, loved , loved Susan Vreeland's latest novel: Clara and Mr. Tiffany. This historical novel introduces you to the relationship between Louis Comfort Tiffany and Clara Driscoll, one of his top designers. Little was known about the women designers of Tiffany & Co., known as the "Tiffany girls", until Martin Eidelberg, an Art History Professor, began doing research for a book and realized the significance of some letters that were housed at the Queens Historical Society. It had always been thought that Louis Tiffany was the designing force behind the Tiffany leaded glass lamps, such as the dragonfly and the wisteria lamps, but some believe the letters prove that Clara Driscoll was the designing force. Fascinating! The book is also an interesting look at women's roles in the workforce during the turn of 19th century.

If Bookshelves Could Talk

I think someone must have put the new politically correct version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain in the bookcase.

What caption would you give to this photo of an unusual design for a bookshelf?  Thanks to Failblog for posting it.

Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Join us this Saturday at 2:00pm in the Library Lecture Hall for our free matinee: Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. Legends of the Guardians is adapted from the Kathryn Lasky book series and is rated PG.

Young owl Soren marvels at his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, mythic winged warriors who fought a great battle to save all owl kind from the evil Pure Ones. When he and brother Kludd fall from their treetop home and into the talons of the Pure Ones, it's up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave owls. Together they seek the Great Tree, home of the Guardians--the only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms. The stellar voice cast includes Abbie Cornish, Miriam Margolyes, Helen Mirren, Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Jim Sturgess and Hugo Weaving.

Think of Joy today

Remember Born Free? I may be dating myself when I say I remember seeing the movie as well as reading the book. It was the touching story of a young lioness who was raised by Joy Adamson, the wife of an African game warden. Her husband George brought three tiny lion cubs home to Joy after he was forced to kill their mother. Two of the cubs were sent to a European zoo while Elsa, the tiniest cub, remained with Joy and George. Joy was determined to raise Elsa with all the skills she would need to fend for herself in the wild.

The reason I bring this up is that today, January 20, was Joy Adamson's birthday. This would be a perfect day to check out Born Free, which is here at the library today. We also have another interesting book about a lion raised by humans then released into the wild, A Lion Called Christian. You probably saw the famous YouTube clip of the lion recognizing the two men who raised him. Both are fascinating books, both are available for you to check out!

This Day in Dover History 1810

The memorable "cold Friday" occurred, of which mention is frequently made by New England historians. The thermometer ranged all day long from 15 to 20 degrees below zero while the wind attained to the proportions of a hurricane. A family in Sanbornton, whose house was prostrated by the gale, perished before its members could reach the nearest shelter, a half mile way. A stage driver on the route from Boston to Salem, was found frozen stiff upon his box with the reins in his hands, when the horses halted before the hotel door in Lynn.

From "Notable Events in the History of Dover, N.H. by George Wadleigh, c. 1913.

Library Employment Opportunity

Morning Library Page to Start Immediately:

Energetic person wanted to re-shelve books, periodicals, and audio-visual materials in the adult, and children's room sections of the Dover Public Library. Successful applicant must possess superb attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy while maintaining a steady pace.

Successful applicant must be capable of standing and walking for long periods of time; able to carry armloads of books for considerable distances; able to bend to lowest shelves and also reach to top shelves. Must be able to work independently and manage a busy workload.

15.5 hours per week, Monday through Friday mornings.
Rate of pay: $9.94 per hour.
Applicant must be 16 years of age or older.
Open until filled.

Applications and full job description available at City Manager's Office and online at http://www.dover.nh.gov/employment.htm.

In the event of snow...

The Library's "History of Collectors and Collecting" program, scheduled for 7pm tonight, has been canceled. We hope to reschedule this fascinating talk by Hetty Startup in the future!

Also a reminder: when school is canceled, our Children's Room storytimes are also canceled. BUT, the library does not follow the schools' schedule. In most cases, we will be open (as we are today...at least for the time being) when schools are closed. We always put a message on our answering machine if we close due to a snowstorm and also post on Facebook and Twitter.

Speaking of which, please like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DoverPLNH and for up-to-the-minute library news follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DPLNH.

Dover Gage

On January 15, 1822, Dover Gage died, "a respectable black man, at a very advanced age. He, and his sister, was stolen from his parents in Africa, while playing a short distance from his home, by some of those miscreants in human shape who violate the rights of their fellow man and make slaves of those whose complexions the God of all may have tinged with a darker hue than their own. He lived in this town from his youth, useful and respected; but it seems to have been the peculiarly hard fate of  Mr. Gage to have been denied a home where his own choice or that of his friends would have fixed him: for scarcely had he been place in his grave ere his body was again stolen, and it may be by his unrelenting white persecutors."

From "Notable Events in the History of Dover, N.H. by George Wadleigh, c. 1913.

Steampunk is Hot!

The steampunk genre of literature for teens is currently very hot! (excuse the pun) Here is the best, succinct definition I found of steampunk from Scifipedia: Steampunk is set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of HG Wells and Jules Verne. Here is a list of steampunk that we have in our Teen Loft, but would probably be enjoyed by adults as well.

• Airborn by Kenneth Oppel (also in series Skybreaker & Starclimber)
• Airman by Eoin Colfer
• Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Infernal Devices series)
• Death Collector by Justin Richards
• Foundling (Monster Blood Tattoo series) by D.M. Cornish
• Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa (graphic novel series)
• Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials series)
• Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
• Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
• Larklight by Philp Reeve
• League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill (graphic novel
• Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (sequel Behomoth)
• Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (Hungry City Chronicles series)

Goedendag!

Unfamiliar with the word above? It means good day in Dutch, and Dutch is one of the many languages you could be learning with Mango. Mango is an online language-learning database that Dover Public Library library cardholders have access to from their home computers. The database offers 34 foreign languages, and help with English for 15 foreign languages speakers. If you have always wanted to learn another language, or want to brush up on your Spanish from high school this really is a great way to do it. ουσ. καλοτυχία, καλή τύχη !

Stretch Your Dollars

Is your family looking for something to do on this 3 day holiday weekend? The Dover Public Library still has slots open for our reduced admission passes to the New England Aquarium and Museum of Science in Boston. The pass is available for the Aquarium on Sunday & Monday, Jan. 16th & 17th, and allows admission for 4 people at $8 each. The Museum of Science pass is still available for all 3 days, and allows admission for 4 people at $5 each. We also have other passes available, visit our web site for a complete list, and give us a call for availability--516-6050 adult circulation and 516-6052 for the children's room.

The Newbery & Caldecott Medal Winners Announced

The Newbery Medal winner for 2011 is Moon Over Manifest written by Clare Vanderpool. The Newbery is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The honor books in this category are Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm, Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman and One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.

The Caldecott Medal winner for 2011 is A Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead. The Caldecott is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

The two honor books in this category are Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill and Interrupting Chicken, written and illustrated by David Ezra .

Tax Help Is Coming Soon

The AARP will provide free Tax Assistance from February 1 through April 14.

The times they will be here in the Lecture Hall of the Library are as follows:

Tuesday 9am-2pm (February only)

Tuesday 9am-12 noon (March and April)

Thursday 9am-12 noon

Saturday 9am-12 noon

The AARP will take appointments this year. Please call them at 211 after January 17 to schedule a time for Tax Assistance.

Holy MFA Batman!

Did you know that there is a Museum of Fine Arts in Portsmouth? I didn't. At least not until I read about the Sugipop Exhibit in Hi-Fructose magazine. Sugipop shows "anime, manga, comics and their influence on contemporary art." It's a small exhibit (it's a small

museum) but very interesting. The Dover Public Library has several DVD's by Hayao Miyazaki who is an artist featured in the exhibit. Admission is free but hurry because it's only on until January 16. The Portsmouth Museum of Fine Arts can be found at one Harbour Place in Portsmouth. Their phone # is 603-436-0332.

Put it on Your Calendar!

The Library will be holding a series of talks in the forthcoming months called AUTHORS @ NIGHT @ DPL: Booktalks by local writers. They will be held in the Lecture Hall at 7, and as always, they are free.

Monday, January 10:   Louis Salome   “Violence, Veils & Bloodlines”

This memoir by an American journalist explores how entrenched notions of self, family, and tribalism dictate human behavior in our modern world. Salome's work as a foreign correspondent, reporting from such places as Belfast, Kabul, Bosnia, and Somalia, provided him with a unique perspective on the role nationalism and tribalism play in global conflicts. 

     

Monday, January 31:   Harrison Thorp   “Freak the News”

Fiction. Chris' is a 50-something seasoned journalist who enjoys a good drink. After years away from the field, he returns to his first love, the copy desk, at a small newspaper in Maine. Shawn, a talented writer fresh out of journalism school, winds up at the same paper. He wants to hang around long enough to make a name for himself, get some clips and move on to a big-city paper. When a surgical deaths story at the local hospital is killed by newspaper executives, Chris and Shawn become suspicious and discover a scheme that involves the blackmail of an alcoholic physician into naming a cardiac care center after the paper. Against the backdrop of a frantic, fractious and bawdy newsroom, Chris and Shawn, each at times fearful and uncertain about their commitment to the cause, find themselves driven on to a climax that exposes the bad guys and gives the paper's readers a front page they'll never forget. It is a profession proudly steeped in the virtues of truth and integrity. But what most don't realize is that those virtuous journalistic endeavors are often no more than a means to an end. The only reason to "get it right" on most stories is so they can successfully manipulate readers on a precious few. 

Monday, March 7:        Michele Albion   “The Quotable Thomas Edison”

Thomas Edison was the "Wizard of Menlo Park." A prolific inventor and holder of numerous patents, he was also called a "magician," "the Napoleon of Science," and the "Inventor of the Age." But he was also a practical joker, a self-made man with a certain disdain for polite society, an ambitious explorer, and a public intellectual.
 The Quotable Edison offers a wealth of his insightful, enlightening, and sometimes humorous comments and witticisms on a wide range of subjects, from business to politics, from religion to nutrition, from advice to boys to opinions on women’s clothing.
 Famous for his dictum that "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration," Edison offered many other gems.
- On religion, "Satan is the scarecrow of the religious cornfield."
- On the English, "The English are not an inventive people; they don’t eat enough pie."
- On the law, "A lawsuit is the suicide of time."

Tuesday, February 8:   Stephanie Harzewski   “Chick Lit and Postfeminism”

Originally a euphemism for Princeton University's Female Literary Tradition course in the 1980s, "chick lit" mutated from a movement in American women's avant-garde fiction in the 1990s to become, by the turn of the century, a humorous subset of women's literature, journalism, and advice manuals. Stephanie Harzewski examines such bestsellers as Bridget Jones's Diary, The Devil Wears Prada, and Sex and the City as urban appropriations of and departures from the narrative traditions of the novel of manners, the popular romance, and the bildungsroman. Further, Harzewski uses chick lit as a lens through which to view gender relations in U.S. and British society in the 1990s.

The Dirty Life

I just finished reading The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball. This is a non-fiction book about a Manhattan travel writer who gets sent to interview an organic farmer and falls in love. The book details her transition from city girl to farmer. This is a very interesting look at the back-breaking life of a small scale farmer, and what we take for granted when we purchase our food. I was very amused when Ms. Kimball talks about receiving seed catalogs during the cold winter months:

"Mark and I had spent evenings poring over the seed catalogs that had arrived during the darkest week of winter, piling up next to the bed like farmer porn. I decided the glossy Johnny's catalog, with its four-color spreads of air-brushed produce, was aimed at farmers who are visually stimulated, while the scrappy Fedco catalog, just newsprint and line drawings but with gorgeous descriptions, was aimed at people like me, who get off on words."

I read this at the perfect time because I also have just received my stash of seed catalogs and the Fedco catalog definitely rules!

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Due to very late tax law changes enacted by Congress, the tax season will start late for some people. Visit this IRS web site to find out if you are affected. The late changes also mean that the IRS will be late in getting the forms out to us. This all means we need to be patient, take deep breaths and smile!

"Violence, Veils & Bloodlines" author here Jan. 10

Portsmouth resident and former 35-year foreign correspondent Lou Salome's memoir, "Violence, Veils and Bloodlines: Reporting from the War Zones" (McFarland & Co., 2010), is a sweeping tour of the world's most contentious corners, reported from such war-torn locations as Belfast. Kabul, Bosnia and Somalia.

Salome's book is also interspersed with amusing and wrenching anecdotes and is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the world we live in today. Mr. Salome will speak about his experiences and his travels on Monday evening, January 10, 2011, at 7pm at the library.

In his book, the role of nationalism and deeply-rooted tribalism are explored. Loyalities may be forged with outsiders, but only as they benefit the tribe, which begins with family and widens to include religion and ethnicity. "Tribes usually resist shedding their views of history," says Salome, and use ancient grudges to fuel new wars. He has a unique perspective on his own familial roots and invites readers to follow the evolution of his own thinking as he dodges bullets, shares meals, parries bureaucracies, and talks to everyone, from rubble-dwelling survivors in Lebanon to the beaten, but unbowed, Bernadette Devlin in northern Ireland.

Louis Salome's astute observations about tribal loyalities and rivalries are essential to understanding the challenges faced by America and The West in today's world. This program is free and all are welcome. For further information, call us at 516-6050.