'Last Lecture' should have been read sooner

“The Last Lecture”
By Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow

I am generally not someone who gushes over books, particularly non-fiction titles, but “The Last Lecture” inspired and impressed me so much, I can not say enough about it. I will admit that I bought this book not long after it was published and it sat on my nightstand for quite awhile. I buy few non-fiction books in the first place (no need since the library is very handy!) so for me to buy it and have it sit, is unusual. I should have read it immediately. It will be one I reread and reread.

The “Last Lecture” series at Carnegie Mellon University is a series of lectures given by people, often university professors, who are to talk about “their personal and professional journeys.” When Randy Pausch was asked to give his “last lecture,” he knew it would truly be his last lecture.

Pausch had recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly forms of cancer, with a life expectancy of three to six months. He wanted this lecture to be his legacy to his family and his way of communicating all the life lessons he would not be able to teach his young children himself. The lecture was to be videotaped for his family so his children could view it later in life. (The lecture may be watched in its entirety on YouTube, where it has been viewed over 8 million times.)

The book expands on his talk through a number of short chapters divided into sections. Pausch talks about the lecture, growing up, his dreams, his career, Jai, his wife, and their three children in these five sections. He takes the reader through his life starting with the last lecture before going back to his childhood years and moving forward through his life.

All of the sections reflect how he lived his life before and after his diagnosis but it is Section V that talks about how people should live their lives. In fairness to the reader he qualifies the section by saying “This section may be called ‘It’s About How to Live Your Life,’ but it’s really about how I’ve tried to live mine. I guess it’s my way of saying: Here’s what worked for me.”

Most of what he talks about should not be new to readers as the lessons should be things we learned growing up. The short chapters talk about what he truly believes: “Dream Big” (how he missed seeing Neil Armstrong walk on the moon and the lesson learned by missing it), “Don’t Complain, Just Work Harder” (complaining takes up too much energy), “Don’t Obsess Over What People Think” (your wasting your time), “No Job is Beneath You” (the perceived entitlement among younger people today), “Show Gratitude” and two of my favorites, “Get in Touch with Your Crayon Box,” where Pausch talks about carrying around a crayon (usually black or white) to be reminded of your child and how things are not always right or wrong; and “Watch What They Do, Not What They Say,” his dating advice for his 18-month old daughter and his two sons.

Randy Pausch was not perfect and he did not get a miracle cure — he passed away on July 25, 2008. He did try to live his life simply, with joy, happiness, love, respect and no regrets. He tried to be Tigger, not Eeyore in this not-so-perfect world in which we all live.

This is a relatively short book that is very easy to read. And while the lecture was taped as a means of communicating his life and beliefs to his children, the book gives even more. This is one of the best, most honest and inspiring books I have read in a long time. A must read for everyone.

~Susan Wray- Library Director

Wonders of Wildlife

The Children's Summer Reading Club is well underway. It's hard to believe, but we've almost finished our fourth week, and have a mere five to go!

Today Misty Mitchell and some teen volunteers from Springfield's Wonders of Wildlife visited and presented two back-to-back shows about Missouri Animals. The children that attended were lucky enough to meet a red-eared slider turtle, a flying squirrel, a barn owl and a great-plains rat snake. The children who attended also had the unique opportunity to touch several of the animals.

If you missed Wonders of Wildlife do not despair. They will be returning on September 17th at 6:00 p.m. to present a Discover Downtown "Wild Nights" show on the front lawn. Also the Library has numerous other programs during the next five weeks of Summer Reading. Check out the Library Calendar for a complete listing, drop by the Children's Desk and pick up a program guide, or call 417-623-2184.

More Adult Summer Reading Reviews!

A lot of adults have turned in booklogs this summer, entering them for a chance to win a Booklover's Bag full of prizes from local businesses. If you've missed out, there's still time. Come by the library and ask about the Adult Summer Reading Program at any public desk.

Here are some more favorites from our Adult Summer Reading participants:

Homebirth in the Hospital: Integrating Natural Childbirth with Modern Medicine
by Stacey Marie Kerr, M.D.

It was mainly birth stories of women who made decisions regarding their birth. It wasn't a guide as to how to integrate as the title suggested. Good for birth stories, not in how to navigate the over-medicalized model of childbirth so prevalent (and mandated) in our society.
~Crystal

The Lazarus Trap
by T. David Bunn

An impressive business espionage book. A man wakes up with amnesia, later finds out he is supposed to be dead and is being framed for over 400 million worth of embezzlement from the company he worked for. Very clean, no curse words.
~Peter

The Secret
by Beverly Lewis

Story of a daughter's struggle to understand her mother and her own life. At the same time, all she knew of her past is not necessarily the truth. She uncovers more and more with each chapter. Can't wait for the sequel!
~Brenda

Dave Berry's Book of Bad Songs
by Dave Berry

The Author took a survey of bad songs and was flooded with responses. This book covers the best of the in a very funny way.
~Lynn

No ‘Lion’: Updated book is heartwarming tale

“A Lion Called Christian”

By Anthony Bourke and John Rendall

Last summer, a heart-tugging YouTube clip went viral, forwarded to person after person around the globe until it made headlines. You might have seen it: It featured a reunion between two young men and an adult lion, with Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” as the soundtrack. Definitely a Kleenex moment. Even now, thinking about it, I get a little misty-eyed.

The story behind that clip is told in “A Lion Called Christian,” originally published in 1971 but recently updated and re-released. The book is a fast read and, while not as sentimental as the YouTube clip, is heart-warming and fascinating.

In 1969, friends Anthony Bourke and John Rendall, newly arrived from Australia, were sightseeing in London’s famous Harrod’s when they came upon two lion cubs for sale. They immediately felt a connection with the male cub, whom they dubbed Christian. After some discussion, they purchased him for the modern equivalent of $3,500 dollars, intent on saving him from the gawking shoppers and life in a cage.

If you can get past the ethical concerns about trafficking in exotic animals (remember, this was 40 years ago), their early days with Christian are rather amusing. Home was an apartment above the furniture store where they worked, appropriately named Sophistocat. At night, Christian slept in the heated basement on a pile of blankets and used a lion-sized litterbox. During the day, he was free to roam around the store, where his presence attracted the attention of customers, who were asked, “Do you have any objection to lions?” His daily exercise consisted of playing in a cemetery surrounded by a tall brick wall.

The laid-back lion cub enjoyed being carried and cuddled but was not encouraged to use his superior strength. “We had not told Christian that he was a lion,” the authors cheekily write. “We thought this knowledge would only lead to regrettable lionlike behavior.” But by the time he was 8 months old and 130 pounds, Christian was growing too bored and too big for life in London.

A fortuitous meeting with the stars and director of the hit film “Born Free” provided a welcome opportunity. They proposed sending Christian to Kenya. There he would be put into the care of George Adamson, whose work with lions had inspired “Born Free,” and rehabilitated before his release into the wild. “It was as if a prison sentence had suddenly, simply, been lifted. Of all the lions ever born in Europe, Christian had been offered an unprecedented reprieve. He was to go back where he belonged.”

In 1970, Bourke and Rendall traveled to Kenya with Christian and stayed during the early days of his rehabilitation. As time passed, Christian became comfortable with his surroundings. He learned to hunt and take care of himself, and even joined a pride. Confident in their lion’s progress, Bourke and Rendall returned to London but continued to stay in touch with Adamson. In 1971, they returned to Kenya, as a film crew wanted to shoot their reunion with Christian.

In describing that event, the authors excerpt a letter Bourke wrote to his parents: “He stared hard at us for a few seconds, and then slowly moved closer for a good look. He stared intently. … We couldn’t wait any longer and called him. He immediately started to run down towards us. Grunting with excitement, this ENORMOUS lion jumped all over us, but he was very gentle.”

The friends saw Christian one more time, during a visit in 1972, and they again received a warm response, again recounted in Bourke’s letter home: “(He) jumped up on me only once as before on his hind legs and he did it extremely gently. He licked my face as he towered over me. He nearly crushed John by trying to sit on his lap!”

Early in 1973, Christian crossed a river and headed toward a national park, never to be seen again. Regretting nothing, Bourke and Rendall write that they hope he lived another 10 years and established a pride of his own so that his descendants live on in Kenya.

They seem genuinely stunned and touched by the explosion of interest in their story since the YouTube clip went viral. They’ve used this renewed attention to appear on television and accept speaking engagements, where they tell Christian’s story, talk about wildlife conservation and champion the work of George Adamson.

Reading “A Lion Called Christian” definitely made me want to surf over to YouTube and watch that clip again. Pass the Kleenex, please.

~Lisa E. Brown - Administrative Assistant

Sci-fi titles highlight young-adult offerings

Unwind

By Neal Shusterman

(Young adult)

In a futuristic society, The Heartland War has devastated the United States of America and the peace settlement negotiated between the two sides is known as The Bill of Life. This bill ends abortion, but allows parents the option to have their children between the ages of 13 and 18 “unwound.”

A teen that has been unwound means that every part of the teen is harvested and their body parts are given as transplants to the sick or injured. According to the law, they are not being killed since, technically, every piece of them is still alive, just “in a divided state.”

When sixteen-year-old Connor finds out his parents are having him unwound, he runs away and in the process meets up with Risa and Lev.

Risa is an orphan who is being unwound because she is not a gifted enough pianist. Lev is the tenth child of a wealthy, religious family who is voluntarily having him unwound as a “tithe” to God.

Connor’s plan is to keep them all alive until they turn 18 and can no longer be unwound. However, Lev is morally conflicted because of his religious beliefs and he makes Connor’s and Risa’s journey especially difficult.

Author Neal Shusterman skillfully manages to explore both sides of every issue, using a matter-of-fact approach to broach sensitive subjects. While the idea of being unwound is deeply terrifying, when Shusterman details the process it is with a methodical approach, lacking blood or gore.

Despite the straightforward descriptions, this is definitely a teen and adult title because of the complex subject matter. Shusterman has written a gripping piece of literature that will have readers questioning whether this futuristic society could one day become reality, and if so, what would they do to survive.

Wake

By Lisa McMann

(Young adult)

Seventeen-year-old Janie Hannagan has more than her fair share of problems.

Her mother is an alcoholic. She must work full-time at a nursing home to support herself. She lives on the wrong side of town. She longs to attend college, but hold little hope, despite how hard she works.

And her major problem is dreams. Not her dreams, but those of anyone who falls asleep in her presence. Janie has a supernatural gift that causes her to be sucked into dreams and she cannot pull herself out until the dream ends.

This bothersome gift announced itself to Janie at age eight, but as she gets older it is becoming increasingly harder to hide the seizure-like state she goes into while other people dream.

Janie is fed up with not being able to control herself and people are starting to become suspicious. And things get even more weird after she falls into a particularly gruesome nightmare where someone is dreaming about her.

Lisa McMann has written an intriguing and suspenseful read. Janie is a likable character and readers are sure to quickly devour this title and search out Fade, the second book in the series.

~Jeana- Children's Librarian

Summer Reading has begun!

We're almost one week into our Summer Reading Programs and we're off to a great start! My favorite part of the Adult Summer Reading program is looking at all of the great books that people are reading. Here are some of the books people have reviewed thus far:


Haunted Missouri by Jason Offutt
A look at some of Missouri's haunted places. The author chose places that are open to the public so others can go ghost-hunt. Peace Cemetary in Joplin and the Spook Light are featured. Don't read in the dark of night!
~Danya

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zebin
This teen book deals with the tough subject of death. When Liz gets hit by a car, she wakes up and finds herself on a boat in white pajamas. She quickly learns that her boat is headed to "Elsewhere", a place not like heaven or hell, but somewhere in between. In Elsewhere, as years pass you grow younger. Will Liz be able to acclimate to her new "life" or will she constantly be wishing for what was lost in the car accident? Definitely a great read with a compelling plot.
~Breana


Me of Little Faith by Lewis Black
Comedian Lewis Black dissects the topic of religion in this sorta-funny but not-funny-enough-to-make-it-be-worth-reading memoir. From his native Jewish faith to Mormons to Muslims and every faith in between, nobody is spared in the barbed lambasts of Black's bitter world view.
~Mark


Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts
When Nell arrives on Three Sisters Island she feels like she is home at last. She falls in love but fear of the past continues to intrude. Does she have the power to triumph?
~Irell

Check back for more reviews from Adult Summer Reading participants!

Childbirth isn't what it used to be...

A few months ago, I checked out The Business of Being Born, a documentary produced by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein that provides mothers-to-be with insight about the birth process and advocates giving the choices back to the mother instead of the doctors. Being a pregnant woman, I was extremely moved by this documentary and the idea that homebirth is a viable option for many women. Homebirths have dropped in popularity as elective c-sections and inductions have risen, and this film provides you with the knowledge you need to make an educated choice about what you want from the birth process.

Because I loved the movie so much, I jumped at the chance to read Lake and Epstein's new book, Your Best Birth. Many people accused The Business of Being Born of being completely one sided and making women feel like the only choice was the natural choice. I believe that anyone who reads Your Best Birth will feel like Lake and Epstein are encouraging women to take the reigns during childbirth, whether it be in your home, in a hospital or in a birthing center. This book has wonderful birth stories and compelling facts that will empower women to become more educated about their bodies and their lives. Definitely a great read for anyone getting ready to embark on the pregnancy journey.

~Breana- Children's Assistant

CD Review: Bob Dylan "Together Through Life"

At this late date in the troubadour's career (this marks his 33rd studio album in almost 50 years of recording) Bob Dylan seems content to enjoy himself a little bit with this collection of new tracks.

Written in conjunction with a lyricist (a rare event for Dylan) the song's lyrics aren't engulfed in the fire and brimstone or the legendary wordplay of Dylan's best work. Instead, the songs fill a lusty void in Dylan's canon - both sensual and savage, romantic and enraged, the album crackles with the vintage warmth of a tube-fired guitar amp set to 11.

Dylan is backed by his top-notch touring band on the album, plus guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos on accordion. Hidalgo's accordion moves fluidly in and out of the melody on most of the album's 10 tracks, much the way Scarlet Rivera's violin enhanced the songs on Dylan's mid-70's masterpiece Desire.

Perhaps not a masterpiece, but a fun and slightly funky entry into Dylan's canon, Together Through Life probably won't win any new converts to the Dylan camp (although the album did debut at Number One on the Billboard charts - officially making Dylan the oldest artist to ever achieve such a feat) but for those who have been there with him during the long, strange trip of his epic career, the new album's rewards are plenty.

(Together Through Life is available in the library's audio CD collection)

Library upgrades NoveList access

The reader’s advisory database NoveList is a database Joplin Public Library has subscribed to for many years and one that was reviewed in this column last November.

The subscription was recently upgraded to include nonfiction titles and a separate database just for children, tweens, and teens called NoveList K-8 Plus.

NoveList is now NoveList Plus and includes more than 220,000 fiction titles and 60,000 titles of readable or narrative nonfiction books (nonfiction books that read like a story). All the great features it had before for fiction readers, it now has for nonfiction readers.

The opening screen has the same look and you can still do basic searches, limit to age, browse award winners, look at author read-alikes and recommended reads, or view discussion guides and feature articles. Now, however, the award winners include categories such as Biography and Memoir, Current Events and Politics, Literary Nonfiction, and Spirituality and Religion.

Author Read-alikes include some nonfiction authors, and they are easily found as you scroll through the list. At the bottom of the entry, NoveList marks each entry and/or title with designations for Fiction or Nonfiction and age level (adult, teen, etc.). Each Read-alike entry has several paragraphs about the author and some of their works along with a recommendation on what to read first if the author is new to you. Following this information are the Read-alike authors. For instance, if you like Bill Bryson and “A Sunburned Country,” NoveList Plus says to try Tim Cahill, Charles Kuralt or Calvin Trillin.

Recommended Reads has many nonfiction lists, and perhaps if you’ve read all the Historical Fiction recommendations, you might try the History list or for a change of pace you might scroll down and sample some Nature Writing, Sports and Competition or True Crime. You can also see what is recommended for Teens (13-18), the Older Kids (9-12), or the Younger Kids (0-8). I know I could read Dr. Seuss every day!

Now Featuring on the home page highlights titles and authors with a Kid’s Corner for children’s authors and titles. Help is available on every screen and a click on the “Tour NoveList” link takes you to a support site where you can view a video, sign up for a training session or access online help sheets.

You can still create your own account. It is a very simple process and allows you to save lists, save preferences for your use of NoveList Plus, save your search history, share your folder with other people, and create alerts and RSS feeds. With the alerts and RSS feeds, you can be notified when something new is added to the database that meets the criteria you set for a search.

NoveList K-8 Plus is designed for a reader’s advisory for age 18 and below. It has many of the same features and information as NoveList Plus without the adult titles. If you work with children or have children of your own, this is a great place to find new titles and authors. You can still access Recommended Reads and Award Winners. Also check out the Book Talks and Book Discussion Guides. If you teach, these are great resources to use. The Working With Kids section also has a lot of helpful resources.

The Curricular Connections link gives you a great way to tie fiction titles into the different subject areas. Books from the 50 States lets you look by state and get titles and descriptions of books that you can use in conjunction with study of that state. Picture Book Extenders is a great tool for you to use to make picture books a learning experience. If you want a quick list of books by subject, try the Grab and Go Lists.

There is so much information in NoveList Plus and NoveList K-8 Plus that you need to get online and explore for yourself. Also remember that any title you find that Joplin Public Library does not have in its collection, we can try to borrow for you from another library through interlibrary loan. Just check with the staff at the Reference Desk.

Patty Crane - Reference Librarian

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

In 1875, Little Wolf, chief of the Cheyenne nation, traveled to Washington to suggest to President Ulysses S. Grant that peace between the Whites and Cheyenne could be established if the President were to give the Cheyenne 1,000 white women as wives in exchange for 1,000 horses. The Cheyenne believed that by marrying these white women and raising children from these unions that their children would assimilate into the White culture. The President, completely horrified by the suggestion, turns Little Wolf away as his wife faints to the floor. That, my friends, is where this story stops being based on fact and begins being fiction. Yes, Little Wolf did indeed propose this deal to President Grant and was turned away. But author Jim Fergus takes the story one step further, speculating on what would have happened if President Grant had secretly agreed to this proposal.

Ads begin to be posted in papers looking for woman to voluntarily agree to travel across the country to marry “men from the West.” The government names the program “Brides for Indians” and when enough women cannot be found, the government begins recruiting women from jails, penitentiaries, or even mental institutions, offering full pardons for participation. We meet May Dodd, the author of the journals we will follow at a mental institution, where she has been kidnapped and imprisoned by her family for engaging in an affair with a man out of wedlock from which she mothered two children. May joins the program and finds herself traveling west with the other brides, some white and some black. All have agreed to stay with their soon-to-be Cheyenne husbands for two years and upon completion have the option of leaving.

The women arrive to meet their to-be-husbands and the tribe to which they now belong. May marries Little Wolf and finds herself sharing a tipi with his two other wives who don’t seem to appreciate her company. As these women acclimate to the lives of the Cheyenne, they find themselves more displaced then ever, not knowing to which society they truly belong.

This book was truly riveting. The Cheyenne culture is so rich and interesting, as are the lives of the indentured brides. They experience prejudice from their original culture and in turn learn more about themselves through their own prejudices and stereotypes. Though I finished this book days ago, I find myself continuing to think about the characters, the plot and the twists on which Fergus led me. It was wonderfully written, thoroughly researched and a joy to read.

~Breana- Children's Assistant

Get Ready!!!

Joplin Public Library is getting ready to kick off our Summer Reading Programs on Tuesday, May 26th!

JPL's Summer Reading Club for Kids is urging you to "Be Creative @ Your Library" with a variety of fun activities for kids! This summer, we'll have crafts, speakers, Dog Day Afternoons, Storytime and many more! Be sure to come by the Children's Desk and pick up a gameboard, which gives your child the chance to win TWO free books! Plus, any child who does not live in Joplin is entitled to a *FREE* library card for the duration of the Summer Reading program. With all this creativity, how can you resist?

Teens are spending their summer Expressing themselves at the library with great programs such as a scavenger hunt, tie-dye, a pizza taste test, super-sized Monopoly and other fun programs. Come by the Children's Desk, Reference Desk OR Teen Desk to pick up your reading log for summer reading to be eligible to win AWESOME prizes. No library card? No problem. With a parent or guardian, you can get one FREE for the whole summer!


Finally, the adults can Master the Art of Reading with our Adult Summer Reading Program. Adults can pick up program guides at booklogs at all public desks, read three books and write a short review, then turn it in for the chance to win prizes from great local places such as Crabby's, Hackett Hot Wings, Books-a-Million, Red Onion, Olive Garden, Hardee's, McAlister's and MANY more! Plus, every adult who turns in a booklog gets a Literary Latte courtesty of Columbia Traders. Each week, all adults who turn in a booklog are eligible to win a "Booklover's Bag" which contains lots of prizes! With all of these prizes and freebies, why not participate??

For more information, check out our library website: www.joplinpubliclibrary.org or call us at 623-7953.

Nuclear fears prompt retreat into ‘Compound’

“The Compound”

By S. A. Bodeen

(Teen fiction)

Eli’s father is a ruthless billionaire who is obsessed with all things nuclear. He has taught Eli and his twin brother, Eddy, about nuclear warfare and nuclear testing since they were little.

Eli’s father is so obsessed, in fact, that he built an elaborate underground compound to protect his family should the United States ever face a nuclear attack. Once the door locks in the compound, they are shut in with enough supplies to last for 15 years. Eli’s father has planned every detail and has spared no expense in building the compound.

While on a camping trip, Eli’s father gets word of an incoming attack and the family runs through the dark and the woods towards the compound. They make it though the compound door with not a minute to spare. After the door is shut and locked into place, Eli realizes that his grandmother isn’t with them. Then, he realizes that Eddy didn’t make it either.

Six years pass and Eli is still coping with losing his brother. Despite his misery, he and his sisters have kept up with their school studies and life inside the compound has become routine. Then Eli begins to realize that their food stores will not last the full 15 years and that things on the outside may not be as bad as they thought.

It’s time to open the compound door and find out, but Eli’s father won’t let that happen.

“Shift”

By Jennifer Bradbury

(Teen fiction)

Chris and Win (short for Winston) have been friends since elementary school. They have been best friends for almost that long. Win is considered a member of the family at Chris’ house, but Win’s house is not that welcoming of either boy.

Unlike Chris’s very involved parents, Win’s parents are rich and distracted. His mother is more interested in her social calendar than her son’s life and his father wants Win to carry on the family legacy of ruthless manipulation and unchallenged power regardless of what Win wants.

The boys decide that the day after their high-school graduation they will head out on a cross country bike ride, traveling from their homes in West Virginia all the way to Win’s uncle’s house in Seattle. Their parents reluctantly agree to let them go, but Chris’ parents make them promise to call twice a week to check in and assure them (mostly Chris’ mom) that they’re not lying in a ditch somewhere.

At first, the trip is everything the boys hoped it would be. They challenge themselves physically, their friendship strengthens and they are having one adventure after another. Things turn sour towards then end of the trip even though neither Win nor Chris will admit it. Finally, one morning, Win leaves Chris behind. Chris tries to find Win for days, but he ends up catching a bus and going home without Win by his side. Now, Chris is in his first semester of college and Win still hasn’t come home. He hasn’t called. He hasn’t written. Nothing. Win’s father believes that Chris knows more than he’s telling and uses all of his power to send an FBI agent to hound Chris at school and makes moves to get Chris’ dad fired from his job.

Is Win hiding somewhere in the middle of the country from his less than loving family? Is he dead? Has he been kidnapped? Chris has to find out before his life and the lives of his parents are ruined.

Cari- Teen Librarian

Children's Musician Dino O'Dell Coming Soon

As part of May’s Discover Downtown event on Thursday, May 21^st, the Joplin Public Library will host children's musical educator and entertainer, Dino O’Dell. Dino, also known as Kevin Dolan, has worked professionally in rap, polka, ska, and disco and has been entertaining audiences of all ages for years with his fun, creative lyrics. His music groups have opened for the legendary Alvin and the Chipmunks and he just released a children's CD entitled "Itty Bitty Monsters." Bring the whole family and come prepared for a rockin’ good time!

Weather permitting; Dino will perform on the front lawn of the Library at 6:00 p.m., otherwise the performance will be held in the Large Meeting Room of the Library. Attendees are welcome to bring a picnic style dinner or snacks, and are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or a blanket.

For more information, call (417) 623-2184 or visit the Library website at www.joplinpubliclibrary.org

Have we been missed?

Getting ready for Summer Reading has taken SO MUCH of our attention that we've fallen behind on updating the blog. Please, forgive us, and once again enjoy the book reviews provided by the JPL Staff!

“Three Weeks to Say Goodbye”

By C. J. Box

(Compact-disc audiobook)

After several years spent trying to conceive a child, Melissa and Jack McGuane adopt a baby girl and name her Angelina. Life with their baby daughter is nearly perfect for the McGuanes. Angelina is a beautiful, precocious 9-month-old when Jack and Melissa receive the devastating news from the adoption agency that Angelina’s teenage birth father never signed away his parental rights.

Money is tight for the McGuanes. Jack works for the Denver Convention and Visitors Bureau, and when they adopted Angelina, Melissa quit her job to be a full-time mother. Jack and Melissa are stunned when the baby’s father, Garrett Moreland, and Garrett’s father, Federal Judge John Moreland, pay them a visit. Judge Moreland tells Melissa and Jack that they must give Angelina back in three weeks and even offer to help them find another child! Melissa and Jack realize they do not have the funds to fight the powerful judge, but they intend to do everything in their power to keep their little girl.

Two of their best friends, Cody, a cop, and Brian, a prominent real-estate developer, use their resources to help Jack and Melissa discover why Garrett, a thug and member of the Mexican mafia gang, and his father want the child. The judge’s wife doesn’t even know about Angelina until Melissa runs into her at a fund-raiser, and she seems less than thrilled to learn she is going to have a baby granddaughter in her house. During Jack, Cody and Brian’s investigation it becomes evident that the judge and his son have some rather dark motives for wanting Angelina and also uncover a shocking secret and a plot that will endanger the child.

Some of Jack’s and Cody’s escapades are a little over the top but C.J. Box’s novel is a spellbinding and suspenseful thriller that you won’t want to put down. John Bedford Lloyd’s narration is superb. Lloyd also narrated “Blue Heaven,” another of C.J. Box’s thrillers that I highly recommend.

“The Lost Witness”

By Robert Ellis

(Compact-disc audiobook)

LAPD Det. Lena Gamble’s first appearance was in “City of Fire” and she returns in this gripping thriller by Robert Ellis. Lena hasn’t been allowed to handle a murder investigation for months. Instead she has been relegated to doing investigative paperwork on officer-related killings.

The LAPD brass was not happy with some of her revelations about the LA police department when she solved the Romeo case in “City of Fire,” so Lena is surprised when she is given a high-profile case to work, but suspects that she is being set up to take a fall by the LAPD chief and his assistant.

Lena’s assignment is the particularly brutal death of prostitute Jennifer McBride. Jennifer is found in a dumpster, her body cut in pieces with surgical precision and placed in a garbage bag. Lena teams up with her colleague Stan Rhodes to investigate this gruesome murder. Lena realizes there was a witness when she receives a hazy video of the crime and the victim’s driver’s license. As Lena follows the few leads in the investigation, she becomes aware she is under constant surveillance by someone in the police department when she uncovers evidence of high-tech video and eavesdropping equipment in her house.

Lena’s investigation leads her to the office of a famous pediatrician and the son of a pharmaceutical company giant. She is in a race with the murderer to locate the missing witness in this bizarre case as the body count continues to rise.

Robert Ellis does a terrific job with the characters, especially the deep, complex Lena Gamble character. Be prepared for a wild ride in this latest thriller with its many twists and surprises. Deanna Hurst’s excellent narration adds to the suspense.

Both novels are available in print editions at the Joplin Public Library.

~Phyllis- Technical Services Librarian

ARCs offer advanced look at upcoming titles

At library conferences, many publishers bring along and give away advance reader’s copies (ARCs) of books that are soon to be published. Every librarian I know loves ARCs as we get an advance look at what is coming out and what we may want to purchase for our libraries.

Below are reviews of some titles I picked up at the American Library Association conference in January. These will be available for checkout at the library upon publication.

‘While I’m Falling: A Novel’

By Laura Moriarty

Veronica, a junior at the University of Kansas, is taken aback when she learns her parents are divorcing. This unexpected event, in what she thought was her reasonably normal family, turns her world upside down. She falls behind in her coursework; wrecks the car of another student for whom she is to house sit for one weekend; and recklessly throws a party at said student’s townhouse where she almost sleeps with super-sexy Third Floor Clyde. This causes a breakup with her boyfriend, who had wanted her to move out of the dorms (Veronica hates her RA job and is about to lose it) and in with him.

When she thinks things cannot get any worse, her mother shows up at her dorm room with the family dog in tow needing a place to stay.

Veronica must figure out what to do about her upcoming final exams and the breakup with her boyfriend, whom she really does want to be with, and sort out her feelings about her parents’ divorce and her family in general.

Kansas author Laura Moriarty has written an excellent, insightful book on family relationships. The characters are realistically portrayed and the family dynamics and campus life believable and on the mark. Highly recommended. (Publication date: August 2009.)

‘Who is Mark Twain?’

By Mark Twain

Here are 24 short pieces by Missouri author Mark Twain that have never before been published.

Upon his death, Twain left letters, ramblings, false starts, opinion pieces and more. Some items he believed would offend and therefore did not want published during his lifetime; others he wrote just to write. He made it clear that these writings should not be published during his lifetime, but long after his death, thinking they would be of little interest to anyone by that time.

The stories, fables and opinions in this collection touch upon religion (“Conversations with Satan”), a review of Jane Austen’s work (“Jane Austen”) in which he finds fault with many of her characters, dentistry (“Happy Memories of a Dental Chair”) and much more.

Twain writes with insight, satire and humor that only Mark Twain can. (Publication date: April 2009.)

‘Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

By Jarrett J. Krosoczka

In this graphic novel written for younger readers, Hector, Dee and Terrance wonder what kind of life their school lunch ladies have outside of the cafeteria. Do they have families to care for? Do they have cats?

When the lunch ladies meet the new substitute teacher who is filling in for a teacher who has not missed a day of school in 20 years, they set out to find out the truth. These ladies are not your ordinary lunch ladies. Lunch Lady (no actual name is given) is really a secret agent and Betty loves to make gadgets — a spatula becomes a “spatu-copter” and the lunch tray is not regular tray, but a secret laptop.

As the lunch ladies work on discovering who this substitute teacher really is and his mission, the kids decide to follow the ladies after work to find out if they have a life outside of school. Little do they know what they will find upon entering the warehouse.

This is a very quick read perfect for beginning readers, especially those who like comic books or graphic novels. The black, white and yellow drawings enhance the minimal dialog. Highly recommended with hopes of more Lunch Lady adventures to come. (Publication date: July 2009.)

~Susan Wray- Library Director

‘Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet’

By Padma Lakshmi

If you’re a fan of the Bravo series “Top Chef,” then you’re familiar with its host, Padma Lakshmi. I must admit that, although I enjoy most things culinary, I rarely watch that particular show, as I have little tolerance for Lakshmi. Her presence among the knowledgeable chefs and food critics is jarring, and I tend to regard her as lovely but bland window-dressing in a low-cut dress and high-heel boots. (And don’t even get me started on her recent Hardee’s commercial. You know which one I’m talking about.)

Prior to “Top Chef,” I’d only known of Lakshmi as the model/actress ex-wife of writer Salman Rushdie, not as a foodie. So it was with some skepticism that I picked up her new cookbook, entitled “Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet.”

Much to my surprise, I actually liked it. The book is undeniably gorgeous and as sumptuous as its title, brimming with recipes and colorful photos rich in shades of red, yellow and green.

Its subtitle — “A World of Recipes for Every Day” — fulfills the book’s promise. Recipes range from the exotic — lobster bruschetta, green mango curry, lychee granita — to the familiar — grilled cheese toastie with portobello and bacon, creamy broccoli soup, krispy fried chicken. As I scanned the table of contents, the more playfully named recipes enticed me to look them up just to see what they entailed: two hens laughing, green dragon curry with shrimp, fiddlehead ferns in glassy onions.

Some of the more complex recipes are not what I’d deem “for every day,” unless you happen to have a few hours to prepare them. But the majority seem easy enough to prepare after a long day spent at work or chasing the kiddies around the house. Ingredient lists aren’t too long, nor are they too unusual. If an item is very specialized, Lakshmi helpfully suggests a more common substitute.

My one complaint about “Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet” is that, as a longtime vegetarian, I don’t have much use for lamb meatballs simmered in creamy spinach sauce or BBQ Korean short ribs. With her Indian heritage, I would have expected Lakshmi to be a little more vegetarian-friendly, but that is a small and personal quibble. The book contains plenty of salad and vegetable recipes, and I have enough skills in the kitchen that I can make meatless versions of many recipes.

I’m not sure if Lakshmi had help writing the book, but some of the prose is a tad purple. Witness the introduction to the recipe for basil and blood orange salad: “The salad is not only glorious to eat but beautiful to look at. The glistening oranges, jeweled with dried cranberries, sit regally in a luxurious bed of dark green spinach that’s laced with the spiky fragrance of basil. The nuttiness of the pepitas completes the odyssey of taste and texture.”

If I were her editor, I would have cut her off after the first sentence.

However, when she turns to her background, her writing becomes more relaxed and personal. She describes living in South India, moving to New York City with her single mother, and traveling abroad as a student, model and actress; photos of family and friends add to the intimate tone. Through her life experiences, she has soaked up a variety of cuisines and cultures: lingering in the kitchen while her Indian relatives cooked, grocery shopping in New York City’s Spanish Harlem and Chinatown with her mother, absorbing the tastes of Spain, Italy and France.

“No one I know eats one type of cuisine all the time,” she writes in the introduction. “Our lives have been touched by the many cultures that coexist among us. The way we eat now is a reflection of what America has become.”

Remember that next time you’re in your kitchen making tacos or spaghetti or stir-fry. And if you run out of fresh ideas, take a peek at Lakshmi’s “Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet.” I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

~Lisa - Administrative Assistant

‘Graceling’ a brilliant, unforgettable story

“Graceling”

By Kirstin Cashore

(Young adult)

Katsa lives in a world where certain people are born with an extreme skill, or Grace.

Her Grace of killing, which she loathes, announced itself unexpectedly when she was 8 years old and it makes her the most feared individual in her uncle Randa’s kingdom. Katsa is not happy being her uncle’s thug, but he expects her to punish and torture anyone who angers him and up until she meets Prince Po from a neighboring kingdom, who is also Graced with exceptional fighting skills, she cannot see a way around carrying out her uncle’s dirty work.

Debut novelist Kristen Cashore has written a brilliant, unforgettable story. Katsa and Po are extraordinary characters and they will stick with the reader long after the story has ended.

“The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks”

By E. Lockhart

(Young adult)

Frankie Landau-Banks is a sophomore at Alabaster, a private boarding school. As a freshman she was pretty much invisible, but during the summer between her freshman and sophomore year, she blossomed into a full-figured knockout. Upon returning to Alabaster she catches the eye of senior heartthrob, Matthew Livingston, and he quickly becomes her boyfriend.

Frankie is not simple a piece of eye candy. She has a brain and when Matthew refuses to tell her about the secret all-male society on campus, she takes matters into her own hands and secretly infiltrates the society.

Lockhart has written a clever novel for sharp teens who enjoy humor, wit and a strong female character who refuses to take “No” for an answer. Frankie’s personality may catch readers off guard but they will soon be cheering her on and waiting with anticipation to see what antics she will dream up next.

“The Boy Who Dared”

By Susan Campbell Bartoletti

(Grades 4 through 8)

Death row in Nazi Germany is not where one would want to be in 1942, but that is exactly where 17-year-old Helmuth has been imprisoned for 264 days.

However, readers must wait to find out what Helmuth has done to be awaiting his execution, with the full story being flushed out through flashbacks to Helmuth’s childhood.

Helmuth was once a happy, naive German citizen, enamored with his country; and when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, he, along with many others, thought that Hitler would solve Germany’s problems. At first, things improve, but after awhile things take a negative turn and Helmuth must make a difficult decision. Find a way to voice his concerns and face imprisonment or worse yet, death; or remain silent and watch innocent people suffer.

This book is based on a true story that came to Susan Campbell Bartoletti’s attention while researching her Newbery Honor book, “Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow.” Bartoletti’s portrayal of Helmuth’s story is though-provoking and provides a rare look at what it is like to be an average German citizen caught up in a World War that is careening out of control.

~Jeana- Children's Librarian

Electronic sources offer reading options

In the summer of 2007 I reviewed the library’s collection of electronic books. At that time we had about 6,200 e-books from Netlibrary. Since that time, we have continued to add books to this collection; it now contains more than 9,400 titles.

The newest additions include a broad range of subjects. You can access books on careers and job, such as “Career Guide as a Computer Technician,” “Careers in the United States Secret Service” or “200 Best Jobs for Introverts.”

Find a job you like? Use “Cover Letter Magic,” “Gallery of Best Resumes” and “Acing the Interview” to help you apply for the position. “Award Winning Customer Service” or “Boss from Outer Space and Other Aliens at Work” may help when you get the job.

If you want to travel instead of job hunt, you can read travel guides to everywhere including Tampa, Florida, Alps, Puerto Vallarta, Peru or Sicily. Staying at home? Maybe “Write Your Life Story” or “French in Your Face: The Only Book to Match 1001 Smiles, Frowns and Gestures to French Expressions” will help to fill your time.

Health and self help books are plentiful in the collection. Health topics include migraines, diabetes (both type 1 and 2), diet and weight loss and childhood cancer. “Help, I’m Knee Deep in Clutter,” “30 Days to a More Powerful Memory” and “Are You Your Own Worst Enemy” are just a few of the self-help titles available.

Other titles you might find interesting are “No-Cry Discipline Solution,” “Kids of Character,” “Savvy Mom’s Book of Legal Forms” and “I’m On Facebook — Now What?”

All of these books and the 9,400 other titles in the collection are available to you through the Internet with a Netlibrary account. If you don’t have an account, call (417) 624-5465 or come by the reference desk.

Another previously reviewed resource that has added content is Litfinder.

When the library subscribed to Litfinder it was published by Roth Publishing and it offered only poetry. Cengage, formerly Gale Publishing, purchased the database and began to upgrade the content.

The database offers criticism, biographies, overviews of works and literary topics, reviews and full texts of many literary works. Those literary works, in addition to poetry, include short stories, essays, novels, plays and speeches.

Besides additional content, the publisher also added search capabilities and updated the screens. This upgrade did not come without growing pains.

If you used Litfinder in the last few months, you’ve probably noticed a serious lack of speed. This issue has now been resolved and I encourage you to try it again.

A basic search returns a lot of information and many links to take your search in a new or a more focused direction. A keyword search for Easter, results in four biographies, three overviews and 1,198 primary sources and literary works.

You can narrow your results by clicking the subject link on the left side of the screen. Clicking on “Easter” brings up 317 works while clicking on the broader search term, “Holidays,” nets 2,294 works.

Perhaps in light of the holiday you want to narrow the search and choose Easter. From the results list you can read the H. E. Bates short story “The Easter Blessing” or read the poem “Easter Time” by Laura E. Richards. You have the option to print, e-mail, and download any the works.

You can translate any of the pages very easily. The translation tool is in the tool box on the right side of the screen. Just choose the language and click “Translate.” Languages available are Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese (simplified) and Korean.

There are many other tools to help you get the most from this database. You can use the “Tips and Guided Tour” links at the top of page for hints and a good overview on the use of Litfinder.

The next time you need a book or a poem and can’t come into the library, try one of these great resources from home. Go to www.joplinpubliclibrary.org and get instant access to a variety of wonderful works.

~Patty- Reference Librarian

Book explains why mistakes get made

Why We Make Mistakes

By Joseph T. Hallinan

In the spirit of books such as “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell and “Why We Buy” by Paco Underhill, Joseph T. Hallinan has written “Why We Make Mistakes: How We Look Without Seeing, Forget Things In Seconds and Are All Pretty Sure We Are Way Above Average.”

Hallinan is a journalist formerly with the Wall Street Journal and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. He has done a dandy job of investigating why we make the mistakes we all do (constantly) and has written about it in an engaging manner.

Each of thirteen chapters focuses on a different type of mistake.

Chapter one, “We Look But Don’t Always See,” centers on how we don’t actually see a large field (as we suppose we do) but rather a small area, and that we tend to see what we expect to see and not what we don’t.

We are all also, apparently, inherently lazy about looking for things. We give up. He quotes a research ophthalmologist who says, “If you don’t find it often, you often don’t find it.”

This can, unfortunately, have serious ramifications. For example, routine mammograms turn up tumors only about .3 percent of the time. So, 99.7 percent of the time, there is nothing to see. Therefore, there are a lot of instances of the viewer not seeing the tumor in the .3 percent of the time that it is present.

Studies suggest that the “miss” rate for radiologists is about 30 percent. Not very comforting, that. The same problem exists with airport screening for guns.

Apparently, our brains are wired so that if we aren’t rewarded with an “I see one!” fairly often, we just don’t really see one when it does show up.

Chapter five, “We Can Walk and Chew Gum — But Not Much Else,” explores the myth of “multitasking.”

Humans, unlike some computers, can’t really multitask. What we do is divide up our time onto each task we’re trying to perform.

Mostly, that’s just inefficient. However, when you’re driving or flying a plane, it can be deadly.

Forty percent of aircraft accidents are attributed to CFIT — Controlled Flight into Terrain. That means there was nothing wrong with the plane (no spiraling out of control, engine failure, explosion, etc.) but that the pilot was distracted. The Air Force refers to “task saturation” for these events, meaning the pilot was trying to do too many things at once.

Most of us don’t fly planes, but we do drive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that in 78 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of near crashes, the driver was either looking away or engaging in a “secondary task” such as using a cell phone or tapping on a Blackberry.

~Linda- Circulation Supervisor/Collection Development Librarian