December 2006

New Fiction

• Ines of my Soul - Isabel Allende
  
• The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog - Dave Barry
  
• Santa Cruise: a Holiday Mystery at Sea - Mary Higgins Clark
• Queen of Swords - Sara Donati
• Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
• Nature Girl - Carl Hiaasen
• The Gods of Newport - John Jakes
  
• Capital Crimes - Jonathan & Faye Kellerman
• Lisey's Story - Stephen King
• The View from Castle Rock: Stories - Alice Munro
  
• Cross - James Patterson
• Bleeding Hearts - Ian Rankin
  
• Red Chrysanthemum - Laura Joh Rowland
• The Rising Tide: a Novel of World War II - Jeff Shaara
• Dear John - Nicholas Sparks
• H.R.H. - Danielle Steel
• Master of Souls: a Mystery of Ancient Ireland - Peter Tremayne
• Murder at the Opera: a Capital Crimes Novel - Margaret Truman
• Ruby in her Navel - Barry Unsworth
• Devil's Backbone - Kim Wozencraft

New Non-Fiction

• Palestine Peace Not Apartheid - Jimmy Carter
• Chas Addams: a Cartoonist's Life - Linda H. Davis
• The Songs of Wild Birds (CD included) - Lang Elliott
• The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream - Barack Obama
• Trafficking in Sheep: a Memoir - From Off-Broadway, New York, to Blue Island,Nova Scotia - Anne Barclay Priest
• Wrestking with Gravy: a Life With Food - Jonathan Reynolds
• Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary - Rombauer, Becker and Becker

New Audios

All CDs unless noted

• One Good Turn - Kate Atkinson (tapes)
  
• The Coffin Dancer: a Lincoln Rhyme novel - Jeffery Deaver
  
• A History of the Middle East - Peter Mansfield
  
• Black Girl White Girl - Joyce Carol Oates (tapes)

New DVD's

• Absolutely Fabulous Absolutely Special
• The Awful Truth
• His Girl Friday
• Holiday
• Only Angels Have Wings
• The Talk of the Town
• West Wing Season 7
• Wordplay

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BOOKLISTS

Every month in this spot we feature reading suggestions. These include historic fiction, science fiction, mysteries, and more. Many of these titles can be found in the Mid Hudson Library System.

Fiction with Recipes

• Martha’s Vineyard mysteries - Philip Craig *
  
• Culinary mysteries - Diane M. Davidson *
  
• Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquivel, 1992 *
  
• Dark Celebration: a Carpathian reunion - Christine Feehan, 2006
  
• Hannah Swenson mysteries - Joanne Fluke
  
• The Friendship Cake - J. Lynne Hinton, 2000
  
• Esther's gift : a Mitford Christmas Story - Jan Karon *
  
• There’s Something About Christmas - Debbie Macomber, 2005
  
• The Spice Box - Lou Jane Temple, 2005

Food Memoirs

• Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes by Maya Angelou [641.597 Anf] *
  
• A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines by Anthony Bourdain [audio Bou] *
  
• Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain [ BIO Bou] *
  
• The Nasty Bits : collected varietal cuts, usable trim, scraps, and bones by Anthony Bourdain
  
• Heat : an amateur's adventures as kitchen slave, line cook, pasta maker, and apprentice to a Dante-quoting butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford [641.594] *
  
• Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin [641.5 Col]
  
• More Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin [642.4 Col] *
  
• A Thousand Days in Venice: an unexpected romance, 2002 - Marlena De Blasi [943.31] *
• Take Big Bites: adventures around the world and across the table - Linda Ellerbee, 2005 [Bio Ell]
  
• Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child by Noel Riley Fitch [BIO Chi] *
  
• Miriam's Kitchen by Elizabeth Ehrlich [641.567 Her] *
  
• Long Ago in France: the years in Dijon by M. F. K.Fisher [641.09 Fis] *
  
• Last House: Reflections, Dreams and Observations 1943-1991 by M. F. K.Fisher [BIO Fis] *
  
• French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew by Peter Mayle [394.109 May] *
  
• Under the Tuscan Sun - Frances Mayes [BIO May]*
  
• The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pepin [audio Pep] *
  
• Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen by Julie Powell
  
• Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table by Ruth Reichl [audio Rei] *
  
• Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl [641.5 Rei] [Audio CD Rei] *
  
• Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl [641.509 Rei] [Audio Rei] *
  
• Eating My Words: An Appetite for Life by Mimi Sheraton [BIO She] *
  
• Culinary Boot Camp: Five Days of Basic Training at the Culinary Institute of America – Martha Rose Shulman [641.5 Shu] new *
  

Food Writing

• The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars by Joël Glenn Brenner [338.766 Bre]
  
• The True History of Chocolate by Sophie D. Coe [641.3374 Coe]
  
• Curry : a tale of cooks and conquerors by Lizzie Collingham [394.1 Col] *
  
• Near a Thousand Tables: A History of Food by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto [641.3009 Fer] *
  
• The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky [641.694 Kur] *
  
• Cod: a Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky [333.956 Kur] *
  
• Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky [553.63 Kur] *
  
• On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee [641 .5 McG] *
  
• What to Eat by Marion Nestle [613.2 Nes]
  
• My Year of Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki
  
• Endless Feasts: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet by Ruth Reichl [641.5 End]
  
• A Goose in Toulouse: and Other Culinary Adventures in France by Mort Rosenblum [641.01 Ros] *
  
• Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light by Mort Rosenblum [641 .3374 Ros]
  
• The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America by Michael Ruhlman [641.5 Ruh] *
  
• A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove: A History of American Women Told Through Food, Recipes, and Remembrances by Laura Schenone [641 .509 Sch]
  
• Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser [394.1 Sch] + [audio]
  
• Feast: A History of Grand Eating by Roy Strong [394 .1 Str] *
  
• Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner [641 .3 Tur] *

Holiday Cookbooks at SRL

• Feast: food that celebrates life - Nigella Lawson *
• Gourmet's holidays and celebrations - from the editors of Gourmet. *
• Mario Batali holiday food: family recipes for the most festive time of the year - Mario Batali *
• Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates festive meal for holidays and special occasions - the Moosewood Collective*
• Special occasions: the best of Martha Stewart Living - the editors of Martha Stewart living *
• The spirit of Christmas all-time favorite gifts from the kitchen - edited by Jane E. Gentry. *
• Vegetarian Celebrations: festive menus for holidays and other special occasions - Nava Atlas *

* In the Stone Ridge Library collection

HOLIDAY
OPEN HOUSE

Sunday, December 3, 1-6pm
Marbletown Community Center

Share the spirit and get some shopping done! The day will feature a mix of music including Cajun, Jazz and Classical performed by local artists, a gift table with select books by local authors, fiber arts, holiday ornaments, and donated items, plus a fabulous silent auction. Have your purchases gift wrapped while you enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and holiday punch will be served. Cash bar. Admission is $10 at the door for adults, children free. more

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Gift Wall

Gifts galore adorn our Holiday Wall once again.

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Knitting Group

Saturdays, December 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
10am-noon at the Library

Our knitting group meets every Saturday in the Library's Reference room. We welcome newcomers at any level.

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HOLMES & COMPANY:
A Reading Club for Mystery Lovers

Wednesday, January 3, 2007, 6:15pm
in the Reference Room

We’re reading Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle. Edgar Allen Poe’s Dupin Tales and The Beautiful Cigar Girl by David Stashower. Books are available at the Circulation Desk.

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Stone Ridge Library Begins Restoring Historic Buildings

The Stone Ridge Library begins a major restoration of its historic buildings

Shoring and bracing will go up on the east wall of the Library’s north house. Rods will also be installed at the attic level. This work will stabilize the 1798 stone building while additional engineering, restoration and fundraising are undertaken. more

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ON THE SHELVES

Poughkeepsie Journal 11.12.06
On the Shelves with Josh Cohen

Fiction works point to difficulty of life in Africa

On the Shelves is a monthly column by a rotating list of mid-Hudson Valley library directors who comment on notable books coming to your local public library.

Dafur has been in the news lately, reminding of us of earlier African ordeals such as Rwanda and Biafra. While there are many excellent works of nonfiction examining these tragedies, fiction writers can tell the story in a way that offers some background, but also, by creating individual stories that offer a glimpse behind the headlines, humanizes the situations.

Acts of Faith, by Philip Caputo; Vintage.

When Douglas Braithwaite forms Knight Air and teams with Fitzhugh Martin to fly in humanitarian aid to isolated villages in war-torn Sudan, opportunities for financial gain appear. Expanding his operation brings in several other characters and attracts the attention of a shady financier. Soon Braithwaite is faced with several moral dilemmas. Does he start smuggling guns in as well as food to support the rebels to whom he has become sympathetic? Does he trade his conscience for more moneymaking opportunities? Behind all this is the social-political situation in Sudan and how easily the best of efforts can be corrupted.

Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Knopf.

Two sisters, Olanna and Kaienne, both upper-class Nigerians in the early '60s, and their husbands see their lives torn apart by a civil war. Olanna lives with a professor who advocates for a separate state, while Kaienne falls for an English journalist who is interested in Nigerian art. A third character is Ugwu, a 13-year-old houseboy from a small village, whose move to work in the city is a leap forward in time. The novel jumps to the late '60s when Biafra has seceded from Nigeria, impacting all as they become pawns in the political struggle.

Intrigue in Congo

The Mission Song, by John le Carre; Little, Brown & Company.

Although this novel takes place in Britain, the outcome will change the future of the Congo. Bruno Salvador is half Congolese and is currently a translator living in London. His knowledge of French, Swahili and several Congolese dialects makes him the perfect choice for a secret meeting between a rising Congolese politician and three tribal leaders whose support could tip the scales in his favor.

Surprisingly enough, his first instructions are to pretend he can only speak English, French and Swahili. He soon discovers why this is so, but this is only the beginning of the intrigue as he is drawn into the politics of the situation and a true understanding of what lies behind the real mission.

Moonlight Hotel, by Scott Anderson; Doubleday.

Set in a fictional African country circa 1983, American diplomat David Richards leads a comfortable life in a coastal city. When the king is persuaded to wipe out the minor guerrilla activity in the north, the situation changes as the rebels not only defeat the King's forces, but also surround the city and cut it off from food and supplies. The rebels tell the diplomats they can move to safety in the Moonlight Hotel, but the rest of the city is bombed and starved. As the situation in the city deteriorates, the nonintervention of the major world powers forces David to question what is happening and who is behind it.

Whiteman, Tony D'Souza; Harcourt.

An American relief worker, Jack Diaz, is assigned to help a village in the Ivory Coast find potable water. He soon learns of the futility of this and works to become accepted by the villagers. During his time there, he learns of their customs and rivalries with other villages and tribes. D'Souza sheds light on the reality of African life and the adaptations necessary to survive the periodic guerrilla violence.

Josh Cohen is the executive director of the Mid-Hudson Library System, which provides a shared library automation system and resources to 66 public libraries in Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam and Ulster counties.

Can't decide on what to read? Visit
Mid Hudson for links to lists of titles that might attract your interest.

GREAT WEBSITES!

The Writer's Almanac

The website for "a daily program of poetry and history hosted by Garrison Keillor," broadcast on public radio and offered on this site. Includes an archive of the audio and text for the programs back to early 2001. Free daily e-mail updates available. "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch." more

Second Hand Songs: A Cover Songs Database

"Find out who performed the original version of a particular song, or who covered that song." Features a database searchable by song, artist, or album, lists of newly added and recent songs, and related material about cover songs. The "Guidelines" section includes the website's definitions of original and cover songs, partial covers, samples, remixes, and other terminology. From a "group of fanatic cover song lovers." more

Famous Native Americans

Selection of historical photos of well-known Native Americans. Includes photos of Rain in the Face, Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Ouray and Chipeta, Chief Joseph, Geronimo, Ignacio, and American Horse. Part of the photography collection at Denver Public Library. Note: may not display enlarged images. more

Theodore Roosevelt: Icon of the American Century

"This exhibition is a retrospective look at the man and his portraiture, whose progressive ideas about social justice, representative democracy, and America's role as a world leader have significantly shaped our national character." Features a chronology of the public career of Roosevelt, and annotated images of artwork of Roosevelt as a Rough Rider, U.S. president, big game hunter, and in other situations. From the National Portrait Gallery. more

Moving the Mail

Exhibit about the develop-ment of trans-portation service for mail delivery in the U.S. Includes images and information about the Railway Mail Service, airmail, and the "postal service's vehicular fleet, the largest in the world." Also includes details about the "Star Route" service, in which "the Post Office Department hired contractors ... and allowed them to use any form of transportation they chose to carry the mail, from canoes to snowshoes." From the National Postal Museum. more

50 Classics

"Peruse over 70 free commentaries covering the self-help, success and spiritual fields" from "personal development" author Tom Butler-Bowdon. Includes lists of self-help classics, success classics, and spiritual classics, reviews of selected works such as Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" (1854), Samuel Smile's "Self-Help" (1859), Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (1936), and more recent titles. more

Bibliographies on South Asian Topics

Collection of links to bibliographies about South Asia in general and countries in South Asia, covering topics such as religion (including Hinduism and Sikhism), women's rights, politics, languages, arts, literature, and history. From Columbia University Libraries. more

National Contact Center: Locating Individuals

This site lists federal agencies and private organizations that "assist individuals in locating persons of unknown whereabouts." Provides guidance for finding active, reserve, and retired military personnel, and private individuals (including U.S. citizens living or visiting abroad). From the Federal Citizen Information Center, a service of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). more

World Culinary Institute: Visit With the Masters

Brief biographies of four famous chefs: Fernand Point, Auguste Escoffier, Julia Child, and James Beard. Includes descriptions of culinary careers and highlights, such as Escoffier's "revolutionizing and modernizing the menu, the art of cooking and the organization of the professional kitchen," and how Beard "appeared in his own segment on television's first cooking show on NBC in 1946." From the World Culinary Institute, a site that links to hundreds of cooking schools and related sites. more

The Official Site of Will Rogers

Official site for this actor, author, humorist, and pundit who died in a plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska, in 1935. Features a brief biography, fast facts, filmography, a few photos, writing excerpts, and quotes such as "I never met a man I didn't like" and "Everyone is ignorant, only in different subjects." Also includes links to related sites. more

MEDLINEplus

This directory site is designed to lead the user to resources containing information that will help with researching their health questions. It includes information from MEDLINE, links to self-help groups, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) drug database, medical dictionaries, directories of doctors and hospitals, access to National Institute of Health consumer-related organizations, clearinghouses, health-related organizations, and a search databases section with dozens of databases on topics such as clinical trials, nutrition, AIDS, cancer, etc. more

DailyMed: Current Medication Information

This website provides U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labels and other material for over 1,200 approved prescription drugs. Searchable, or browse by drug name. Listings include professional and consumer-level information, such as precautions, adverse reactions, and dosage. From the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. more

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