What's the Hoopla?

We are so glad that you all have embraced Hoopla with such enthusiasm.  In order to keep offering this on demand service we have had to reduce the number of monthly downloads from 10 to 5 per month.  But never fear!  Every once and a while, such as around  the Holidays or at the start of Summer we very well may restore that magic 10 number. So keep checking in with us.  We love making you all happy.

In this week's Hoopla, we look at some e-Book cookbooks.  Did you know that you can borrow e-Books from Hoopla?  Well you can.  And remember you don't have to wait!  Immediate gratification can be yours!

Not sure what this means?  Click here! 

What Are My Neighbors Up To?

Here is a list of our most popular items this week.

You Are What You Read!

THE LOFT IS BACK!
THE LOFT IS BACK!

Greetings and welcome to the Finally Friday Edition of You Are What You Read. This week’s housekeeping: We send thanks to the Always Charming Diane H for the Taffy Offering of the week. This taffy hails from Rhode Island where they, to my knowledge anyway, do not make it from cactus parts.  Thanks again Diane!  I have no news on Animals Run Amok.  It would appear that the Animal Kingdom is behaving itself and our lives are not overlapping.  I believe this to be a good thing. 

As you can see from our image this week, The SoNo Loft is BACK!  The message is a gentle reminder that sometimes we have to break free of that oh so comfortable comfort zone and try something that’s scary.  Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.”  A couple of years ago there was a book written called My Year with Eleanor by Noelle Hancock.  You may remember how much we all enjoyed it.  Anyway, the author was at a crossroads in her life and she did just that.  Every day she forced herself out of her comfort zone and did something, that to her, was scary.   Grab one of our copies for the weekend read.  I promise it will not disappoint.  Just make sure that your scary thing isn’t a stupid thing, like sticking a fork in the toaster. 

This week we have some sarcasm (no surprise there), an explosion, a muse and some guts and grit.

The Playlist?  Yes is the answer.  And you know that for sure!  (Happy 70th John Lennon!)

Let us begin!

Kaitlin from the Rock is BACK this week with her print and listening.  “Sooooo--I'm still reading Go Set a Watchman. But I'm now listening to Bossypants, by Tina Fey. The good news is that it's hilarious--her stories are relatable, her delivery is sarcastic and witty, and I feel like I'm getting to know someone I always enjoyed watching on TV. The bad news is that I look like a fool laughing out loud and gasping for air as I run around the Rock.”  If you knew the characters that live in our neighborhood you would doubt this as much as I do!

Sweet Ann has just finished Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg. “This a well written novel that follows a group of people reacting to an explosion that occurs on the eve of what was to be a joyous wedding day.  Four people were killed, the bride and groom to be, the father of the bride and a much younger man who is dating the bride's mother. While it made for an interesting story to follow the different points of view, at times it became a bit confusing to figure out their relationships to the deceased. But, it did all become clear at the end of the novel.   Did You Ever Have a Family is a story of forgiveness.  I thought it was a well written book and I would recommend it.”

Abby has just finished Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. “I always appreciate a book that feels totally original and consider it compliment to say a book reminds me of no other and this is true of Fates & Furies. When Lotto and Mathilde are newly married, they are completely immersed in one another. Lotto has personality, charm, and rumors of a grand family fortune.  Mathilde is a beautiful and mysterious woman, striking in her height and hard edges. Together, they are a force. Mathilde fills the classic role of muse to Lotto by paying the bills, ensuring he is surrounded by loved ones, and allowing him to work. But when we hit the midpoint of the story, Groff turns the second half of the novel into a revealing study of Mathilde, and what we see is far from what was initially depicted. There are some lovely passages and images that have stayed with me, but ultimately, I was unable to buy fully into the stories of the characters.”  

The Always Delightful Pat S has turned the last page on Can I Go Now: The Life of Sue Mengers, Hollywood’s First Superagent.  "Can I Go Now? is an intriguing look at a woman who steamrolled her way into an exalted position in a Hollywood that was run by an old boys network, as well as an up close examination of the American film industry in the 60’s and 70’s. Sue Mengers may have started off as a receptionist at a talent agency in NY but she knew in a second that she could and would be a dealmaker to and for Hollywood stars. In ten years’ time, through sheer guts and grit, Mengers had bullied and cajoled her way to California, and along the way, become the highest paid talent agent in the world. While Mengers passed in 2011, Kellow has stuffed his book full of anecdotes from Michael Caine, Ryan O’Neal, Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergan, Ali McGraw, Tina Fey, Peter Bogdonovitch and Robert Evans. While these tales tell much about Sue Mengers as agent, friend, enemy, collaborator, they also speak to the heady times defining the film industry in the last quarter of the last century with an excess of money, drugs and creativity. It was a time when all bets were off-with one exception: growing old. Aging was the one thing that Hollywood could not countenance. In spite of all the success and countless accolades which marked her career years, her last years were sadly somber.

DJ Jazzy Patty McC is here from SUN with the final musings and of course The Playlist.  What’s good Pats? "This week The Loft is BACK! In the midst of their rooftop construction, I thought about the words hanging off their balcony. We increasingly live in a world where the word, “YES” is used less frequently. I don’t know about you, but as a gal with a glass is half-full viewpoint, I could use a little more ‘yes’ in my life that doesn’t involve interweb searches for cute baby animals to soothe my soul. So this week I highly recommend Yes, Please  by Amy Poehler. I understand the value of improvisation and how it relates to everyday living and the potential for classroom education. The four C’s of improv are creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. Although this curriculum exists at some high schools as an elective, wouldn’t it be transformative if we added this to our elementary schools.  Yes, it would!! This week is all about the yes."


DL YES AND... 2015

New eBooks from 3M.

These are the new titles available from 3M.

Come Rain or Come Shine by: Jan Karon

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

M Train by Patti Smith

The Secret Chord by Geraldine  Brooks

The Survivor by Vince  Flynn

New eBooks from OverDrive

Here are the new books available from OverDrive.

Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Hitler's Last Witness:  The Memoirs of Hitler's Bodyguard by Rochus Misch

M Train by Patti Smith

Saturn Run by John Sandford

The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks

The Survivor by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills

 

New eBooks from OverDrive

Here are the new books available from OverDrive.

Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Hitler's Last Witness:  The Memoirs of Hitler's Bodyguard by Rochus Misch

M Train by Patti Smith

Saturn Run by John Sandford

The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks

The Survivor by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills

 

Nice New Book Goodness

Here is what you can find on the shelves that is new next week. Come in and visit us, or put your items on hold from home! We will let you know when they are ready for you to pick up!

What's the Hoopla?

We are so glad that you all have embraced Hoopla with such enthusiasm.  In order to keep offering this on demand service we have had to reduce the number of monthly downloads from 10 to 5 per month.  But never fear!  Every once and a while, such as around  the Holidays or at the start of Summer we very well may restore that magic 10 number. So keep checking in with us.  We love making you all happy.

In this week's Hoopla, I bring to your attention some former and current New York TImes Bestsellers on audio.  And remember you don't have to wait!  Immediate gratification can be yours!

Not sure what this means?  Click here!

 

What Are My Neighbors Up To?

Here is a list of our most popular items this week.

You Are What You Read!

Greetings and welcome to the First Storm Watch Edition of You Are What You Read.  This week’s housekeeping is thusly:  Thanks to Karyn A for the Prickly Pear Taffy from Tempe, AZ. Yes this is a Thing.  Who knew? Oh, and by the way?  It’s rather delicious!  The roof work on The SoNo Loft appears to be over with a brand new railing all white and shiny and awaiting the first banner.  Let’s hope that happens soon.

In Nature Run Amok News, did you hear about the monkey that made the break for freedom in Florida?  If not, here is where you can get the 411 on that.  Please feel free to listen to the 911 call.  I am especially fond of the part where the operator asks the caller to describe the car that the monkey is sitting on.  Well Ms. Operator, it would be the car with the MONKEY on the roof.  In all my trips to Florida I have never seen a monkey on a car roof so I am pretty sure that this is a Rare Thing, not a Thing and fairly easy to spot.  The other disconcerting part of this call is hearing the bystanders pronouncing the monkey ‘cute’ as the monkey grabs mail out of a mailbox and eats it.   Obviously they have never read The Hot Zone.  There is nothing cute about a monkey on a spree of destruction.  At any rate, officers were able to get Zeek the Macaque back to its owner and restore order.  Rest easy People!

The big question this weekend is lay in the bottled water and canned goods? Or should one take a chance and hope for the best.  I would like to take this opportunity to make my pitch for being prepared.  People! We live in the Northeast.  The weather can turn on a dime and when you factor in Global Warming?  It’s always best to have your ducks in a row.  For me this means a loaf of bread and some nice bacon in the freezer, a dozen eggs, some pasta, a nice piece of hard cheese and adequate wine supply. With this in your universe and a gas stove you may make any number of meals to tide you through. Have a gas grill?  Be sure the propane is filled.  Make sure your batteries are fresh, devices charged, flashlights at the ready (one for each family member) and cars are gassed up.   And of course the most important part of this list is a nice stack of books to see you through.  We can help you with that!  Don’t panic, People. We’ll all be fine. 

This week we have some schlepping and flashbacks, Issues, feelings, whoa, whoa feelings, sobriety, and self-control.

And The Playlist!  Wouldn’t feel like Friday without it!

Let us begin!

Introducing Kaitlin!  She can be found on the Help Desk and occasionally up on the KLS Desk. She lives around the corner from me and shall henceforth be known as Kaitlin from the Rock.  Here’s what she’s making time for. “I'm a slow reader (a consequence of having two jobs and being in grad school), but there are sooooo many books I want to read. So I've started listening to audio books while I run, and I read a physical book at night before bed.  I just finished listening to Wild, by Cheryl Strayed and I loved it. Listening to it rather than reading it made her experience more real to me, in particular the physical struggles she had on the trail (like running out of water in the desert) as I schlepped along St. Mary's.
I'm reading Go Set a Watchmen, by Harper Lee. I definitely prefer To Kill a Mockingbird, which I just reread,  this book has a lot of long flashback sequences and side story explanations that sometimes leave me scratching my head, but I'm keeping an open mind that this was an initial draft, and not a true sequel.  And it's fun to be back in Maycomb with Miss Jean Louise. 

Barbara M is feeling uncertain this week. “ I’m not sure how I feel about Isabel Allende’s latest book, The Japanese Lover. I couldn’t finish her last book which was a mystery, but because I think she is an incredible writer I decided to give this one a try. I liked her coming-of-age novel Maya’s Notebook,   I loved The House of the Spirits and her non-fiction book Paula.   In this new offering, the story opens with Irina, an immigrant from Moldova, getting a job at a nursing home. She is befriended by Alma, a resident who hires her as a personal assistant. Alma had also come to the United States as an immigrant from Germany just before World War II. Their complicated, fascinating lives are revealed as the book unfolds. This book lacks the magic of her earlier works but, that being said, it kept me interested. The characters are very well developed and I felt like I knew them very well.  My reticence may be because the book deals with so many issues; the holocaust, the internment of Japanese citizens in the United States, sex slaves, child molestation, homosexuality and AIDS. Read it for yourself and make up your mind. It is a well written story and it did keep me absorbed until the end.”

Steph!  What’s happening this week? "“F*ck Feelings! That’s the title of the best self-help book to come out this year. Authors Michael Bennett, MD (Harvard-educated shrink) and Sarah Bennett (his daughter, a standup comedian) have put together a book that tackles every tough mental health issue under the sun without ever losing its sense of humor. Warning: as you may guess from the title, the language is strong. And the advice may also come across as strong or even harsh to those who are used to the more palliative approach of TV psychiatrists. But whether you’ve got an ex you can’t get over, a suspicion you have an anxiety problem, a kid who’s turned into a stranger, or a trauma that still haunts you, the Bennetts have compassion and realistic advice that can help. The back cover calls this the last self-help book you will ever need, and I believe it."


The Always Fabulous Babs B has just finished Blackout by Sarah Hepola. “This is a memoir that is heartbreakingly honest about addiction.  Sara was a successful writer in Manhattan who turned to alcohol at night.  After too many nights of falling down staircases, sleeping with men she didn't remember the next morning and many other near disasters, she finally fights her way clear of addition.  It wasn't easy, the first time she was sober for 18 months and then one innocent glass of wine started her spiral into drinking again.  Now at the age of 35 Sarah has been sober for 4 years and actually likes the face she sees in the mirror.  This is a must read for recovering addicts and for anyone who has had a difficult past and wants to heal.  Alcoholism is a tough subject to tackle, but Sarah does so with grace, honesty and humor.”


Pat T is, as always, listening.  Here is what she likes this week. “I am listening to The Road to Character by David Brooks. It is fascinating because it weaves together the subjects of sociology, psychology, biography, history and explores how morality is shaped by the cultural changes in society. The decades of the 1960's and 70's saw a great deal of societal shift with the women's movement, civil rights, and free love, but this change really began in the 40's & 50's. People had endured 16 years of deprivation starting with the Depression, and then World War II, so they were ready for a more upbeat lifestyle. The author explores some interesting characters that I had heard of, but knew little about.  People such as Francis Perkins, the only woman in FDR's cabinet and the ‘Woman Behind the New Deal’,  Dorothy Day who became a Catholic worker for the poor, living among them and sharing in their suffering, and George Marshall who was not a very bright student, but with determination, self-control and organization he achieved extraordinary success. Each of these characters rose above their own inadequacy to serve a nobler cause. The last chapter of this book really sums up the whole premise of Brooks’ development of character and he writes ‘People do get better at living, at least if they are willing to humble themselves and learn.”

DJ Jazzy Patty McC is settling into her new home in That State Up North and has some final thoughts and The Playlist.  What’s good Pats?  “It should come as no surprise that this week is one of my favorite times of the year. Banned Books Week is a wonderful time that allows us to celebrate the freedom to read what we want. Last year, I celebrated this week by reading a lot of YA books. My goal was one book a day. I was successful and honestly, I had a hard time trying to find things that would upset folks enough to insist they be banned. This year finds me in the midst of a move. So, I’ve decided to return to a classic by one of my favorite authors, Mark Twain. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains as controversial now as when it was first published in 1885 and any book that gets folks talking and then keeps them talking about banning it for 130 years is a great thing. When we find subject matter or language either offensive or objectionable do we have the right to forbid others to read it? This is a fascinating discussion that I particularly enjoy. Writers practice their craft with care and when they use a word or create a situation that makes us uncomfortable they do so with purpose and with intent. Music is another art form that gets folks all riled up. Remember Tipper Gore and family values in the 80’s? 
I thought I’d be green this week and recycle last year’s playlist that includes a history of musicians who have weathered their own share of the burn.

DL LISTEN TO THE BAND 2014

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