thursday september 21
It recently dawned on me that I am closer to 50 than 40. With this realization came the urge to wear purple and red. Then a new book, The Red Hat Society Cookbook, arrived in my department. Well, I was immediately drawn into the wonder that is the Red Hat Society. Now I read in the paper that the Ohio Red Hatters Convention will be at the Sharonville Convention Center this weekend. It seems that someone or something is telling me to envelop myself in the wonders of the red hat movement. Luckily, after reading about the Society on their website, I found out that I can wear pink for a few more years.
You may like to check out other materials that the Library has on the Red Hat Society.
And let's not forget Jenny Joseph's poem that inspired it all, Warning.
saturday august 12
Avian Flu or as it is commonly called, Bird Flu, is the newest terror to come to our notice in the last few years. Along with SARS and Mad Cow Disease, the Bird Flu has us all wondering if mother nature is turning against us. While the CDC and WHO are monitoring the situation and developing procedures to combat the spread of Avian Flu, the average person, like you and me, just want to know what is happening in our world and how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones.
If you are interested in checking out some books on this topic try
If you want to know about the Flu Pandemic of 1918, which is considered to be the most devastating breakout in modern times, try these books
friday july 28
It is hard enough in today's world to find someone to love, but when you cross racial lines, there are additional issues and problems. Will your family reject you and your mate, will friends disappear, will strangers stare and judge you? How will this affect your children together? Just what is it that attracts you to the mate that you choose? Kalina M. Craig-Henderson's book, Black Men in Interracial Relationships: What's Love Got to do with It , addresses these issues and more from the viewpoint of black men. She interviewed 25 black men in depth to find out why they entered into interracial relationships. What she found is that love comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Sometimes you just love someone in spite of all the issues.
If you would like to read other opinions on the subject, check out these titles
friday july 14
Have you watched a movie or show and wondered how they got that animal to perform? Do you want to be one of the trainers for these cute, scary, furry, or deadly animals?
Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched : Life and Lessons at the World's Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers will introduce you to the intense, exciting. exhausting world of training wild animals.
Amy Sutherland spent a year following students at the prestigious
Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at California's Moorpark College. Despite long hours, difficult conditions, and dangerous animals, competition for slots in the program is intense and the rewards at the completion are high. During her year with the students, Amy discovered that human behavior can be as challenging as animal behavior. She wrote an article for the
New York Times (
free registration required) about how she used the techniques that she learned to train her husband. But beware, as Amy found out, any "animal" can be retrained.
monday july 03
Most people remember Al Gore only as a politician, but he has always had a great interest in environmental issues. His new book, An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It, was published to coincide with the release of the companion documentary and deals with the current and future environmental crisis of global warming. The book and film were inspired by multimedia presentations that Mr. Gore developed and presents worldwide. He uses charts, pictures and anecdotes to eloquently argue that we have little time to come up with solutions to the issue of global warming or the consequences could be disastrous. The book is an excellant introduction to the issue of global warming for those of us who are unsure of the problems involved. Read the book, see the film, visit the website.
Check these titles out if you are interested in the issue of global warming
For another title on the environment by Al Gore read Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit
friday june 23
The Soap Box Derby has come back to Cincinnati after 30 years. When I was a child, the Soap Box Derby was a huge event with kids working all year to build and race the perfect car. Since its beginnings in Dayton, Ohio in 1933, the Derby has attracted large numbers of participates and observers. If you are interested in finding out more about the Soap Box Derby visit the official website or the local division.
For nostalgic glimpses of the Derby, check out some of these titles from the library
friday june 16
The press of bodies, the clamor of the hunters, the excitement of the find. Throngs of people traveled downtown to the Main Library to the Friends' Annual Book Sale for a chance to find and purchase books, movies, and music for just a few dollars.
People performed versions of the shuffle dance to navigate the various areas where materials were stacked and I heard the call "Look what I found!" from every direction. Hunters came with trolleys and shopping carts to lug their trophies home. By end of day, the tired but jublilant hunters departed with promises to continue the pursuit next year.
Many of the treasures at the book sale are also in our collection. Here are a few of the diverse trophies I captured during my hunt
There are always treasures at the Library, don't wait for the book sales to discover this gold mine of entertainment.
friday june 02
School's out, summer's starting and the kids are hungry. What's a parent to do? With childhood obesity rates rising, we all seem to be looking for ways to get our kids healthy, fit and well-fed. Our collection contains several good titles to help you. Anita Bean's book, Awesome Food for Active Kids: The ABCs of Eating for Energy and Health is a great place to start.
If this topic interests you, try some of these titles :
Make your kid the fit kid.
When is gardening like cooking? Okay, let's admit it, they frequently resemble each other with the mixing and the measuring and the one of this and three of that. Especially when you try the innovative techniques described in Patricia Lanza's gardening books, Lasagna Gardening and Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces. Ms. Lanza advocates a layering of different materials to enrich your garden's soil and allows you to cook up a beautiful garden with little effort or fuss. Try these "recipe books" if you are interested in giving a twist to your gardening technique.
