Saturday, March 10, 2012

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris














The well-hyped titled non-fiction researched work by David McCullough on early Americans in Paris is due worth its praise. McCullough is able to cover numerous noteworthy early American Presidents, diplomats, inventors, scientists, artists, entertainers, authors, and doctors, and tell about their careers and experiences during their excursions and findings in Paris.

McCoullough's packs his book with a plethora of facts and historical events. His work is like a historical story and a commentary on the highlights of Paris, France in the late 19th century. There was a mystery and force that seemed to pull America's figures to the City of Lights and fond memories that kept Americans coming back again and again. McCoullough's work is inspirational to visit Paris in his descriptions of the city even today.

If you have a love of the Humanities and interest in the late 19th century history of U.S. and France you will definitely enjoy this well-written and captivating non-fiction work by David McCullough.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The Christmas Wedding


James Patterson and Richard DiLallo's The Christmas Wedding is a story about bringing a family torn apart by tragedy; however, is reunited by the Mother, Gaby Summerhill. Gaby's miracle of Christmas is to reunite her kids and loved ones together with her wedding; however, no one knows to whom she is betrothed. If you like weddings and the holidays, then this book is the perfect book for you. The heartfelt bond of a family that stays strong, even when confronting loss, is quite evident in this work and well told.

It is a quick read, too. Patterson's and DiLallo's relatively new title hits the spot and readers and fans alike will rave about The Christmas Wedding.

This title can be found in Harrison Memorial Library's Main Library in the Lobby under New Fiction and as an Audio Book CD. Enjoy!

Monday, February 27, 2012

E-books in the news

The Herald ran a great article recently about e-books in our local libraries, with pictures from our own library!  Check it out!

Friday, February 17, 2012

California Teen Video Challenge

Congratulations to our Teen Advisory Board! They created this fun and inventive video and entered it in California's Teen Video Challenge. You can view it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymSe_iXOyQA

Be sure to "like" it on YouTube as this helps us to win the competition!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

HML's New Print Biography Titles


























Harrison Memorial Library has some great intriguing, interesting, and all new biographies to choose from located at the Main Library's Lobby New Books Biography section.

Try out and peruse some of the titles, listed below.

The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture by Joshua Kendall.

The Tigress of Forli: Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de Medici by Elizabeth Lev.

Ghosts by Daylight: Love, War, and Redemption by Janine Di Giovanni

Byron in Love: A Short Daring Life by Edna O'Brien

Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots by Thomas S. Kidd

Velazquez and the Surrender of Breda: The Making of a Masterpiece by Anthony Bailey

Joan Mitchell: Lady Painter by Patricia Albers

Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life by Lisa Chaney




Friday, February 3, 2012

New magazines

We are subscribing to some new magazines based on your requests:
  1. American Art Review
  2. Dwell
  3. Elle
  4. Harper's Magazine
  5. Men's Health
  6. Reader's Digest in Large Print
And in our Children's Branch
  1. National Geographic for Kids
  2. ChopChop: The fun cooking magazine for kids

Monday, January 30, 2012

A wonderful short film for book lovers

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore


Enjoy this delightful 14 minute wordless film crafted by children's author William Joyce. One of the my book club members shared it with me, and I thought our library patrons would love to watch this. Here's a brief summary, from the website Short of the Week:

"The story of Mr. Lessmore is a simple one. We meet Morris quietly writing his book, when a freak storm uproots him and his city, Wizard of Oz-style, leaving behind not even the words on a printed page. While picking up the pieces, he meets a friendly book that leads him to a new home and life. It is a wordless story about words and stories."

The film has received many awards already, and has been nominated for an Oscar.

 

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Harrison Memorial Library's Reference Collection of Natural Wonders





Beautiful illustrations, resourceful information, and everything you wanted to learn about nature and its wonders are at your fingertips. Come by the library and peruse through our reference collection of print encyclopedias and resources about Nature, specifically on Botony and Zoology. Would you like to learn more about the names of plants? There are plenty of species to look up and enjoy learning about. Or, if you live around the water or even Carmel-by-the-Sea, we have a book on shells that could be just for you! Our Reference section houses the following titles listed below, however, these titles cannot be checked out.

California Natural History Guides: Introduction to California Plant Life, REF. 581.97 ORN
Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia: Second Edition, REF. 590GRZ V. 1-17
Cambridge University Press' The Names of Plants 4th edition by David Gledhill,
REF. 580.14GLE

Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity: With a photographic guide to insects of eastern North America by Stephen A. Marshall, REF. 595.7MAR
The Book of Shells: A Life-Size Guide to Identifying and Classifying Six Hundred Seashells by M.G. Harasewych & Fabio Moretzsohn, REF.594.147 HAR
Gale Cengage Learning's Environmental Encyclopedia 4th Edition, REF.363.7 ENV

Friday, January 20, 2012

The Buddha in the Attic

It's been a long time since I finished a book in one day, but I couldn't stop reading Julie Otsuka's The Buddha in the Attic. This novel is unlike anything I've read before. Instead of having a traditional narrator, the story is told by the collective "we." The "we" in the book are the Japanese women who came to San Francisco as "picture brides" for husbands they had never met. The novel follows their experiences through the years, as they adjust to their husbands and a sometimes disappointing life in the U.S., raise their children, and prepare for the mass re-location of Japanese-Americans into internment camps during World War II. By using the collective "we" in the novel, Otsuka illuminates both the variety in these women's stories and the similarities. You would think this approach would distance you, but in fact it makes the stories even more powerful and moving. This novel may be unlike anything you've ever read before, but you won't be disappointed. The Buddha in the Attic is available at the library and as an eBook for your Kindle, iPod or eReader.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

New eBooks and Audiobooks for January














It's a new year, and we've ordered another group of exciting titles for you!

New eBooks:
Back to Work by Bill Clinton
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
Catherine the Great by Robert Massie
Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Persuader by Lee Child
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter
At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks

New Audiobooks:
Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear