Book Bucket List | The Cuckoo's Calling

I cannot wait to get my hands on Robert Galbraith's The Cuckoo's Calling.  Absolutely, cannot wait.  Why would I be itching to get my hands on a first time author's crime novel?  Well, Mr. Robert Galbraith is not actually a "Mr." at all, but J. K. Rowling!  She chose that pseudonym because she considers Robert F. Kennedy to be one of her heroes (a valid reason) and that when she was a child, she really, really wanted people to call her "Ella Galbraith" (a somewhat less valid reason.)

After the book was released on April 30, the book was positively reviewed and sales were moderate.  However, this July, Rowling told her editor that she had actually written The Cuckoo's Calling and ever since then, copies have been flying off the shelves.

The story is about detective Cormoran Strike who has recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan.  His private investigation business  and personal relationships seem to be falling apart, until Cormoran is given a case concerning the mysterious death of a supermodel known as the "Cuckoo".  This new case sends Strike into the magical (see what I did there?) world of the rich and famous.

I can't wait to read Rowling's latest book and will now add myself to the hold list!

Learning | Dodger

I was excited to see that the library recently purchased a new book by one of my favorite authors, Sir Terry Pratchett.  He wrote so many books for his comic fantasy Discworld series, that I was sure this new one was part of it. Upon further investigation, I learned that his 40th Discworld book, Raising Steam, will be published in the fall of 2013, but the new book, Dodger, is a horse of a different color.

The title made me think of a Dickens character called the "Artful Dodger." I was not surprised to learn that he is the main character of this book, but it was a surprise that this is not set in Discworld, but in the London of the early Victorian period. 

Discworld books are hilarious parodies of all sorts of topics in our world: myths, history, literature, entertainment--you name it.  The humor is still in Dodger, but Pratchett does attempt to avoid too much over-the-top anachronism and fantasy here. What's really cool is that Dodger encounters quite a few actual historical figures in the course of this story. It's easy to imagine Charles Dickens (one of the first people he meets) becoming inspired by a real "Dodger" like Pratchett's. 

If you haven't read Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, you should. It's a story about a boy, who escapes an orphanage and comes to London to seek his fortune.  He joins a gang of young thieves, which includes the Artful Dodger. We eventually learn Oliver's true identity, but I don't want to give too much of the story away,  to those unfamiliar with it. 

Dickens was paid by the word, so this is a long book with a lot of description. It's generally considered to be appropriate for Grade 6 and up. The book is considered a classic; it has been made into several movies, and even a musical. I remember reading the book before I saw the movie version of the musical Oliver!, which was released in 1968. Comedians, and even TV commercials ("MORE PUDDING?"), have parodied a memorable scene in the workhouse, when little Oliver asks for more to eat, and the man is astonished at his audacity.  

Image courtesy of El Bibliomata's photostream on Flickr.com. Some rights reserved.

Dickens helped to expose some atrocious social conditions in his city. Pratchett explores these same conditions, but with a different point of view: Dodger's.  Dodger is uneducated, but streetwise, and he has a tendency to think more philosophically than one might expect.  For example, see this passage, right after Dodger has been informed that there are other planets besides Earth, and they all revolve around the sun:

"It seemed to Dodger that everything he was told by Solomon stuck him like a silver pin, which didn't hurt but filled him up with a sort of fuzz. He was beginning to see a world that stretched far beyond the tunnels beneath the streets--a world that was filled with things he didn't know. Things he hadn't even known he didn't know until now. Things he realized with a jolt that he wanted to know about. He wonder too if maybe Simplicity might be even more interested in a man who knew this kind of thing--and he realized how much he was looking forward to seeing her again."

Terry Pratchett's Dodger introduced me to a few new words, or at least, in the case of "geezer," a different meaning than I thought it had.

• Tosher: this is a person who makes a living by finding lost or discarded things of value in the sewer.  I couldn't even find this term in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, but it does have the word "tosh," which means rubbish or nonsense.
• Geezer: The same dictionary defines this word the way I have understood it, a derogatory term for an old man, but it has a very different meaning in Dodger. Perhaps the words of the character Sharp Bob explain it the best: "A geezer, now, well, a geezer is somebody that everybody knows and he knows everybody, and maybe he knows something about everyone he knows that maybe you wished he didn't know. Um, and well, he's sharp, crafty, um, not exactly a thief but somehow things find their way into his hands. Doesn't mind a bit of mischief, and wears the street like an overcoat."
• Peeler: a police officer. This slang term comes from the name of Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the Metropolitan Police Department. I'm more familiar with "bobby" as the term for a police officer; this name also comes from Sir Robert Peel. Sir Robert is one of the historical figures Dodger encounters in this novel.

If you like Pratchett, or Dickens, or history, I think you might enjoy Dodger. If you read it, let me know what you think--and tell me which interesting words you found.
 

4 Kids | So Much To Do

It's Tuesday, July 23. Could summer vacation from school be coming to an end already? Don't despair! There's still plenty of time -- and plenty of things -- to do!

Today -- and any day -- check out the SSJCPL Calendar of Events. From our website, click on the News & Events tab and then on the calendar. You can search by library branch too, by the way.

So what's happening today?

The Mountain House Branch Library hosts the Shedskin Reptile Show today at 4 pm. Take it from me: you don't want to miss this one! Jeff and crew bring an amazing bunch of reptiles, including an anaconda, to inform and amaze any and every body! I highly recommend it. 

Feeling creative? Check out the Tracy Branch Library today at 4 pm for a sports mobile making program. 

And there's more! The Cesar Chavez Central Library hosts The Corny Crow Show, which is ventriloquist Steve Chaney and his puppet sidekick Cornelius Crow and all their hilarious antics. The program is at 4 pm, and everyone is invited.

So visit your public library! Check out some books! Attend a program! We're always happy to greet you!

Just Life | Don't Use Floss As Your Bookmark

It was midnight and I was reading this book, Everyone is beautiful. I turned a page, and right smack in the middle of the page was a long piece of dental floss. Yuck!

Why would someone use dental floss as a bookmark? I am praying that it was clean.

Anyway, it made me sad that someone would do that to a library book.
 

So:

• Please do not use dental floss as a bookmark

• Please don't consider reading a library book while taking a bubble bath. (Seriously)

• Please use your inner voice in the library.

• Please don't move around library furniture or we will ask your in-laws to do the same to your house on their next visit.

• Please don't leave your children unattended in the library.

• Please don't re-shelve library materials. We would gladly do it for you.

• Please don't complain about library fines. All the library staff pay library fines too...especially me!

 Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Teens Only | Lead a Better Life

I've got a poster above my computer that says: Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. 

I do hope you've not grown weary of my always promoting reading. I am a librarian, after all. And beyond that, I love reading and want all of you to experience the awesomeness of reading a really great book.

So along those lines, let me ask you: Did you know you can check out ebooks from the Library. I imagine there were a couple of gasps of surprise there. No? Well, it's true. The Library has access to two great services (Overdrive and Axis360) providing ebooks and audiobooks that can be checked out and enjoyed on your own device. 

All you have to do is go to the Library's website -- www.ssjcpl.org -- and click under the "Books & More" tab for ebooks and audiobooks. On that first page you'll see what you need (apps and such) to enjoy your favorite books. But it's so easy and with a SSJCPL library card, it's free. Yes, I said free. 

I was just browsing in the recently returned titles on Axis360. Oh. My. Gosh. So many great titles that I just know you've been waiting with bated breath to read:

Anthony Horowitz' Oblivion, the final installment of the Gatekeepers series, is available on Axis360. If you've been reading this series, here's your chance to find out how it all ends. Matt, Pedro, Scott, Jamie and Scar. Five Gatekeepers have finally found one another. And only the five of them can fight the evil force that is on the rise, threatening the destruction of the world. No light reading there, right? BTW, you can also check out this book in book form. But ebooks are fun, don't you think? (The link above takes you to the book. Like I said earlier, to see ebooks the Library has access to, go to ebooks and audiobooks under the Books & More tab.)

I've just gotten back into listening to audiobooks while I'm driving, or just hanging out at home. It's way relaxing to have someone read a book to you. And again, there are lots of great audiobook titles to choose from.

Browsing again in Axis360 I found Discovering Wes Moore, the story of a Rhodes scholar who looks at the factors that influenced him as well as another man of the same name and from the same neighborhood who was drawn into a life of drugs and crime and ended up serving life in prison. In fact, Wes Moore is the subject of the #ReInventStockton Summer Book Club being led by City Councilman Michael Tubbs at the Maya Angelou Branch Library on Wednesdays at 3 pm (through July 31). You really should check that out! (P.S. The link above also takes you to the book.)

I've gotta say: SSJCPL rocks. We've got it going on. Check us out, and remember to look at the events calendar often. There's always something going on.

Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. (And it's so easy at your Library!!)

4 Kids | Eating Stuff

My esteemed colleague, Panteha, recently shared a popular Persian recipe -- green beans and rice. Sounds delicious and I can't wait to try it.

But it might be a while before I do any serious cooking again.

You see, I had a birthday brunch last week for my niece. Thank goodness my other niece helped me. It was a lot of work. Actually, the cooking wasn't so bad. The cleaning the house before was a lot of work. The cooking was quite a bit of fun.

So you know what brunch is, right? The dictionary tells us that it is a late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch. (See how great it is to work at a library and have quick access to a dictionary whenever you want to look up the meaning of a word?!)

If you're in the mood to do some cooking, I say go for it! Visit your local library and check out the children's cookbooks. Helpful hint: look for the 641's and you'll find a ton of great cookbooks.

One I like a lot is Indoor S'mores: And Other Tasty Treats for Special Occasions by Nick Fauchald. There are quite a few good (and easy) recipes in this one, plus I just love the title: s'mores. In fact, I am going to go camping so I can build a campfire and then eat smores. What's not to love about marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers!?!

Did you know the Library also has lots of cookbooks by celebrity chefs? It's true! Rachael Ray even has a cookbook for kids called Yum-O!: The Family Cookbook. Rachael's recipes are pretty easy, don't take a lot of time, and are always, always yummy. And this book -- for the whole family -- features a lot of healthier recipes. And we all want to be healthy, right?

As with any books I mention here, be sure to ask library staff to help you place a request if you don't find the book you want at the library branch near you. It's really super-easy to get a book from another library branch!

Oh, back to the brunch we had last week. I'm sorry I didn't take any beautiful pictures of the food. I am afraid I was a little busy eating. Our menu? Glad you asked: 

• Pancakes -- plain and chocolate chip (with butter, syrup, and whipped cream)
• Quiches -- super easy made with crescent roll dough, and filled with cheese, zucchini, bacon, and onions
• Fruit parfaits -- blueberries, vanilla yogurt and strawberries, in that order, in honor of 4th of July
• Biscuits and gravy
• Bacon and sausage
• Juice and coffee

Let me tell you. We were all stuffed. Fun times. It's always fun to spend time with your family. I highly recommend it.

So, as always, happy reading. And a belated birthday shout out to P and P! 

Just Life | I Want A Tiger For Christmas

In my ideal world, I would be living in a house full of exotic animals. I would have a pet tiger, a cheetah, and a handsome bobcat that I would call Bob.

In my real world, my only pet is Smoky, an old cockatiel. He has been my companion for the past 15 years. My daughter also has two gold fish, Noodles and Connor. 

Our Smoky

I am a cat lover, but we can't have one because of my husband's allergy. I would like to have a small dog, but my husband doesn't think that is a good idea either. 

"Too much work" he said. 

He is probably right. Unlike him, I don't have any experience taking care of a dog. I have never faced all the challenges that come with owning a dog. I am a working mom.  I wonder if I can add one more responsibility to my to do list.

To be honest, now that I think about it, as I go through all the responsibilities and duties that come with welcoming a dog into our lives, I might not be ready. 

Maybe, after my daughter heads to college and if I am still alive after paying for her college tuition, then I might think about filling our empty nest with an adorable dog like this.

Picture from www.ullrichs.net

Until then, I have to wait and just read about them:

The genius of dogs : how dogs are smarter than you think 

Soldier dogs : the untold story of America's canine heroes 

Howl : a collection of the best contemporary dog wit

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha