Tag Archives: elderly

February

Hopefully the deep freeze of January will give to something resembling livable weather. Here’s some things to check out next time you’re here!

Kristin – Circulation

16287508Comet’s Tale: How the Dog I Rescued Saved My Life – By: Steven Wolf – NON-FICTION: 636.70832 WOL

If you love the relationship between dog and man, this book is for you. The story of a man facing debilitating back issues and how he adopts and self-trains a former racing greyhound to be his service dog. A true story, the book cites the struggles of slowly losing independence due to illness and the joys of dog ownership and one dog’s devotion to his master. This is a heartwarming read and recommended for everyone, but especially dog lovers.

Margaux – Circulation

17383998Dot Complicated: Untangling Our Wired Lives – By: Randi Zuckerberg – NEW NON-FICTION:  303.4833 ZUC

Everyone’s heard of Mark Zuckerberg, the man who started Facebook. Although Randi Zuckerberg no longer works for the multinational organization, she did learn a thing or two in her time there. Do not plan a presidential town-hall meeting in an empty warehouse in two weeks while you’re almost nine months pregnant, for example. The most important thing she took away from working at Facebook and working with other online organizations for years was that there is a balance that can be struck between being tech savvy and being, essentially, a robot.

With section titles like “DotSelf,” “DotFamily,” “DotCareer,” and “DotLove,” Zuckerberg breaks down the essential parts of a modern woman’s life and gives tips and cautionary tales about how technology can be fit into one’s life. Her book reads like a conversation with the book’s audience which makes it much more a fun read than a scholarly one. Because she’s writing from first-hand experiences, it might be difficult at times to relate to her (especially being a Chicago native who is just finishing graduate school) but she does bring up some excellent points about authenticity online and the evolution of the modern woman’s brand as it is represented across multiple social media platforms.

I’d recommend this book to any person who feels the need to be constantly plugged in to their iPhone, iPad or other technological device. Zuckerberg’s message is although it’s arguably the most difficult habit for a citizen of the 21st century to break: having time away from technology is a reward in and of itself.

Sue – Circulation

5775498The Sweet By and By – By: Todd Johnson – FICTION: Johnson

This is a touching story about friendship and growing old. It is set in North Carolina and centers around a nursing home. Over the course of many years, it tells the story of five women connected with the nursing home – two residents of the home, a nurse working there, her daughter, and a hairdresser working there. The story is narrated by each of the main characters in alternating chapters, which allows you to get to know and understand each character more deeply. A lovely story, filled with wisdom and celebrating friendship and following your own path in life.

432472The Distance from Normandy – By: Jonathan Hull – FICTION: Hull

A single mother can’t handle her 16-year-old son Andrew, depressed after the suicide of his best friend. After he gets expelled from his Chicago school for bringing a knife to class, his World War II veteran grandfather in California, Mead, takes him in for several weeks in order to try and reach the boy. Andrew and his grandpa don’t have much in common, though, and Andrew instead forms a bond with his grandpa’s neighbor, a widow with eyes for Mead. After Andrew makes a serious mistake, his grandfather, at his wit’s end, decides to take Andrew on a trip to Normandy where he was part of the D-Day Invasion, hoping the experience will help Andrew mature and realize his good fortune. Mead has demons of his own as a result of his war experiences and both grandfather and grandson learn some valuable lessons on their trip.

18929854All Creatures Great and Small – By: James Herriot – NON-FICTION: 636.089 Her

The first book in James Herriot’s beloved five-book collection: All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, and Every Living Thing, first published in the 1970s, with the last book being published in 1992. James Herriot was the pen name of the British veterinarian Alf Wight. These books are a fictionalized account of his life as a country vet in England. He began his career in the 1930s by joining the practice of a vet in rural Yorkshire. The books are funny and warm-hearted, but also touched with sadness as they detail both the triumphs and the tragedies of veterinary medicine in that time period. Herriot had a gift of bringing a scene to life and bringing out the humor in a situation. He also was very compassionate and you can see the love he felt for his animal patients and human family and friends shine through in his writing. If you are an animal lover and you haven’t read James Herriot, you are missing out on a special writer.

Mary – Youth Services

9755737The King’s Speech — Starring: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush – DVD: KINGS SPEECH
If you have not seen The King’s Speech, it deserves all the accolades it has received. The film focuses around the friendship of King George VI (Firth) and an unlikely ally: a speech therapist and failed theatre actor, named Lionel (Rush). Based off the true relationship between these two men, The King’s Speech delves into the lives of the monarchy, speech disabilities, and an unconventional friendship which affirms the power of each individual’s unique voice in society.

the-hobbit-tolkienThe Hobbit – By: J.R. Tolkien – YA: TOLKIEN
There is something quite depressing about being in my twenties, a book lover, a librarian, a youth service librarian, AND not having read The Lord of the Rings Series. (Believe me; I am more ashamed for myself than you possibly can be.) For those of you that haven’t read it, (and those of you who want to start the series) The Hobbit is the tale that comes before the Lord of the Rings adventures. Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, is swept into an adventure for the first time in his life, and as the reader, of course, brought into this richly layered fantasy world, as well. Also: look out for our stunning vintage copy of this tale at our library. But please don’t lose it. (I have access to records.)

Check back next month for more!

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