Just Life| Books For Christmas

There are only a handful of days until Christmas. If you are gift shopping for family and friends, please don't forget about books. 

They can be the best presents. 

If you are thinking about buying an E-reader for a loved one, I recommend that you checkout a Nook from your local library and use it for a few days to see if you like it or not. You can borrow these E-readers for three weeks free of charge. 

Here are a few of these pre-loaded Nooks from the library. Click on any of these choices below to see which books they contain.

Nook Teen

Nook Childrens

Nook Adult, mystery

Nook Adult, non-fiction

If you don't know what types of books to buy, a bookstore gift card would be great too. Who doesn't like gift cards, right? 

Happy reading and happy book shopping!

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| New Books & More

At our libraries, we are constantly adding new materials to our shelves. For example at the Troke library, we receive hundreds of new items every week.

So if you are wondering how you can browse these new library materials from the comfort of your home, here are the steps:

• Go to www.ssjcpl.org 
• Click on "Catalog Home" from the top of the page
• Then on the left side of the the screen, you can view the new library materials such as: new DVDs, new fictions, new non-fictions, new audio-books, new music and the new large print.

If you find something interesting while browsing these new materials, you can place it on hold and then you can choose a library close to you for the pickup location.

It is easy and convenient.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha 

Just Life| Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree

If you are looking for a fun picture book to read to your child, the "five little monkeys sitting in a tree" by Eileen Christelow is a good pick. 

This is the story of five naughty monkeys who were trying to tease Mr. Crocodile. This is quite an entertaining picture book and it introduces counting to children as well.

Of course, my very favorite book by Eileen Christelow is the" five little monkeys jumping on the bed". This is the perfect storytime book.

Kids totally love this book. Every time I use this book for my story-time, half of the kids know the entire book by heart and they all help me read it. 

If you would like to learn more about this author, please visit her website:

http://www.christelow.com/

We have many books by Eileen Christelow in our library system. Here are a few of these books:

• Five little monkeys reading in bed

• Five little monkeys go shopping

• Not until Christmas, Walter!

• Letters from a desperate dog

Happy reading!

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

 

Just Life| Getting your home ready for the holiday season

The holiday season is right around the corner and that is usually the time of year most of us invite family and friends to our homes. 

So is your house ready for the holiday season?

Does your family room need a bit of updating? Is your guest room ready for the out of town guests? 

Does your living room need a face lift before the guests arrive?

If you need to sprinkle some style into your home without breaking the bank, head to your local library for some home decorating books.

In your local library, the home decorating books are shelved in the nonfiction 747 call number area.

I love home decorating books. It seems like after looking through these books, I always get inspired to make my house prettier. As if I am trying to compete with the pages in these home decorating books.

So here are some home decorating books from your local library:

Decorating fearlessly by Suzanna Salk



The things that matter by Nate Berkus



Sarah Style by Sarah Richardson

If your house is cluttered like mine, here are a few books for both of us:

• Smart organizing : simple strategies for bringing order to your home

• Stop clutter from stealing your life 

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| International Cookbooks

I am still amazed at the number of international cookbooks that one can find in the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public libraries.

There are shelves and shelves of cookbooks from all around the world in our library system.

Seriously, our libraries have Indian cookbooks, Japanese cookbooks, Lebanese cookbooks and the list goes on and on. 

If you are not a really good cook like me, I would recommend that you head to the children's area. I find the instructions in the children cookbooks much more straight forward. I love children cookbooks. They are easy to follow and the recipes are pretty amazing.

Persian food made by my Aunt Angie

Remember folks, holiday season is upon us.  Wouldn't it be nice to surprise your family and friends with some exciting foods from far away lands.

Here are a few cookbooks from all over the world at your fingertips in your local public library.


Cooking the Australian way


Portuguese homestyle cooking


Delightful Brazilian cooking


A taste of Lebanon : cooking today the Lebanese way : over 200 recipes developed and tested


And no holiday table is complete without desserts. Here are few irresistible dessert recipe books to delight your soul.

The Beekman 1802 heirloom dessert cookbook



Baking chez moi : recipes from my Paris home to your home anywhere



Bon appétit desserts the cookbook for all things sweet and wonderful







Happy cooking.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha 

Just Life| Piggie says " I Really Like Slop!"

Mo Willems is one of my favorite children authors. The kids love his books.

Mo Willems just published a new easy reader book called," I Really Like Slop!". 

So here is the basis of the story:

Piggie the pig, is cooking a pretty smelly concoction and is asking Gerald the elephant to taste it.

I am not gonna reveal anything else about this book, let's just say that sometimes we all do crazy things for our friends. 

The Elephant & Piggie books are perfect for k-2 graders. 

To be honest, anyone who likes to read would enjoy these books. As my daughter says; " these books are just funny". As simple as that. 

And we all could use some fun to brighten our days.

Here are some other easy readers by Mo Willems:

We are in a book

I will take a nap!

The pigeon needs a bath!

Here is also a chapter book by this author published in October of this year that is perfect for the older kids.

The story of Diva and Flea

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha

Just Life| Beautiful Pictures

Let's kick start this week with some beautiful pictures.

Muskegon Michigan

A bowl full of pomegranates

A bowl of pomegranate seeds

Stockton is beautiful

Happy Monday everyone.