The Miracle of Freedom by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart

The Miracle of Freedom; 7 Tipping Points that Saved the World by Chris and Ted Stewart desribes 7 historical events that contributed to the rise of freedom in the world. The reader may find a useful framework to examine the concept of freedom as we know it today. This title is available in the Arrowhead Library system in book format at the Hibbing Public Library.

Best Books and Authors Worth Reading.

Lists of Best Books for 2011 abound.
What was your favorite book of 2011?

Check out our past blog entries to see some of the staff favorites.

What authors are you waiting for in 2012?

Check out these three books coming in January.

The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell

Gideon's Corpse by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

The Rope by Nevada Barr

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.

Steve Jobs

Tracking Santa

Starting at 4am Eastern Time on December 24, you can:

• Track Santa Online: Logon to www.NoradSanta.org.
• Call the Santa Hotline: From the United States or Canada, call
  1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).
• Google Maps: Follow Santa with Google Maps for mobile.
• Mobile Apps: Download a free mobile app either from iTunes App Store or for Android devices.

For more information on NORAD and their history of tracking Santa go to

Tracking “Big Red”: NORAD’s Secret Santa Mission

The Beauty and the Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First World War by Peter Englund

Peter Englund writes about the personal experiences of twenty people who lived through World War I. Englund writes: "My cast of characters has been chosen with a view to provide an all-round picture of the First World War, both as an event and as an experience."
"Three of the twenty will perish, two will become prisoners of war, two will become celebrated heroes and two will end up as physical wrecks. Many of them welcome the war when it breaks out but learn to detest it; a few of them detest it right from the first day; one of them loves it from beginning to end. One of them will lose his mind, another will never hear a shot fired."
Read about an American wife of a Polish aristocrat, a German schoolgirl, a Russian army engineer, and English nurse, a Danish soldier, American army field surgeon, A British Army infantryman and many others in this personal look at World War I.
Found in the new book section under 940.30922 ENGLU

Books That Make Great Gifts

The following are some of Nancy Pearl's suggestions for gifts:

Adult Fiction Titles

On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry
The story of an Irish-American widow looking back over her life and her husband's involvement in the Troubles.  It's just a fabulous novel.  If you're somebody who loves wonderful writing, than this is the book for you.

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard
One of my favorite novels this year, narrated by an unnamed fourteen-year-old girl growing up in a small town in the Midwest.  I don't think I'll ever forget the main character.

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
One of the scariest and best written books I've ever read.  It's one of those books you don't want to start too late at night, mainly because you don't want to put it down.  A fabulous, boffo ending.

Blind Sight by Meg Howrey
One of those books whose strength is the dialogue.  All the main characters are wonderfully developed, three dimensional, and the kinds of people who will stay in your mind.

The Long Goodbye by Meghan O'Rourke
The writing is so magnificent, which makes perfect sense because O'Rourke is a poet.  It seems like she's a good friend telling you the story of her mother and those very intimate details of family relationships.

Ghost Hero by S. J. Rozan
S. J. Rozan writes a terrific series of mysteries, and I never think they get enough accolades from the the general public.

Adult Nonfiction Titles

A World On Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War by Amanda Foreman
A wonderful gift for anyone who loves Civil War history or biographies.  The story of two societies - American and British - in the five years leading up to the Civil War and what forces made Britain decide to aid the South rather than the North.

A History of thw World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor
Sometimes a book will come along where I think you can give it to every adult on your reading list.  This is one of those.

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean
I think Susan Orlean is one of the best nonfiction writers we have these days.

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

Just in time for Christmas, Explosive Eighteen is available for some light reading during the holidays. Plenty of laughs, Stephanie with her friends and relatives delivers another rolicking read of zany mishaps while attending funerals with Grandma Mazer; arresting bail jumpers with Lula; and keeping two boyfriends on the string.

The Drop by Michael Connelly

The open unsolved unit of the Los Angeles Police Department looks into unsolved murders going back 50 years. Of the 10,000 cases still open, using DNA can put new life into a cold case. Harry Bosch and David Chu handle such cases. Bosch finds that confronting killers years later who think they have gotten away with murder very addictive.
Bosch and Chu are given a cold case from 1989 involving rape and murder as well as a current case where the son of his arch enemy Irvin Irving was pushed or fell to his death.
Michael Connelly has a website: www.michaelconnelly.com

Inferno: the world at war, 1939-1949 by Max Hastings

Max Hastings: "This is a book chiefly about human experience. Men and women from scores of nations struggled to find words to describe what happened to them in the Second World War, which transcended anything they had every known."
"Some survivors found that the manner in which they had conducted themselves during the struggle defined their standing in their societies for the rest of their lives, for good or ill."
Read about the battles in the Pacific, Bataan, Midway, Guadalcanal; battles in the Atlantic, Arctic convoys; the Fall of France and Norway; the Russian front, the African front, the European front and finally the Fall of the Third Reich.
Both familiar battles and lesser known conflicts are represented in a fine military book for a broad overview of the Second World War. Find in our new book section under, 940.54 HASTI.

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan

Illustrator Jon J. Muth has painted beautiful images and has brought to life a beautiful children's book, with words by one of our most admired song writers, Bob Dylan!
His song "Blowin' in the Wind" is captured in beautiful watercolor landscapes. 

This book includes a CD of Bob Dylan's original 1963 recording of the song Blowin' in the Wind from his album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan".  In 1999, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, it was ranked #14 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

This book is available at the Hibbing Public Library or through interlibrary loan.

Blowin' in the Wind
Lyrics by Bob Dylan

How many roads most a man walk down
Before you call him a man ?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand ?
Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea ?
Yes, how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free ?
Yes, how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn't see ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky ?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry ?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

This would be a great Christmas gift 

for any Bob Dylan fan! 



Gadget Zoo

Have you been thinking of stuffing a stocking with an e-reader or tablet this holiday season.  Try one for yourself before you purchase.  Come to the library's gadget zoo on Wednesday, December 14th.  Drop in any time between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

We will have the following devices for you to try:

Ipod Touch
Nook Color
Kindle Fire
Ipad 2
Ipod Nano

There will be comparison charts and reviews along with instructions on how to use the library's free "Downloadable Books Library" (Overdrive).

You can also check out the following sites for more information:

TopTenReviews

CNet Reviews

Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-book reader should you buy?

Best Five tablets

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans

Lost December is a nice Christmas story and a fast read for the busy holiday season.  The author is Richard Paul Evans, author of The Christmas Box.  Lost December is a story of second chances and patterned after the age-old story of the prodigal son.  Its message is inspirational and heartwarming.

Devil' Gate by Clive Cussler

Clive Cussler, adventurer and author, leads an exciting life of exploration: "Clive Cussler began writing in 1965 and published his first novel featuring Dirk Pitt® in 1973. His first non-fiction work, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996.
Clive is the founder of the National Underwater & Marine Agency, (NUMA) a non-profit organisation that dedicates itself to American maritime and naval history. Cussler and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers have discovered over 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites. After verifying their finds, NUMA turns the rights to the artifacts over to non-profits, universities, or government entities all over the world. Some of these finds include the C.S.S. Hunley, best known as the first submarine to sink a ship in battle and the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania. (from the Clive Cussler website.)
Clive Cussler's latest book, Devil's Gate is ninth in the Numa Files series featuring Kurt Austin.

Minnesota Education Department Has New Website

Hibbing Public Library has received the following notice from the Dept. of Education.

New Minnesota Department of Education Website - Scheduled for Launch December 1, 2011!


The Minnesota Department of Education is pleased to announce that our newly designed agency website is on the way.
Designed with you–our customers–in mind, the new site will provide the same useful information you’ve come to expect from us, presented in a more intuitive and accessible way.

Click here to check out the new site.

Eight Things You Should Know Before You Buy a Daily Deal

Information from the USA.gov team:

Frugalistas looking to snag a bargain on a massage or a fancy dinner at new restaurant can spend a lot of time browsing daily deal sites. While these sites provide the opportunity to try new businesses at a discounted price, shoppers need to be sure they read the fine print on their deals and understand the sites’ terms of service agreements to avoid complications when they redeem their deal vouchers.

These tips from USA.gov will help you better understand the daily deal sites so you can shop safely and enjoy the deals you purchase.

• Check the expiration and black-out dates: Most daily deals have expiration dates. Plan accordingly so you use your voucher before the deal expires. Make sure you check for blackout dates too. Some of the popular vacation deals can only be redeemed during certain times of the year.
• Do your research: Spend five or ten minutes reading reviews of the product or service you're thinking about purchasing. If the company has a lot of bad reviews, you may want to skip the purchase, no matter how great the deal seems to be.
• Understand how you can use the deal: Some deals you can use more than once until the entire amount of the deal is gone, but other coupons you have to use all at once. In general, you can't combine a daily deal with another coupon or promotion. Read the conditions of your specific deal before you buy. If you’ve read the fine print, but still don’t understand everything,ask questions before you buy. Many of the daily deal sites have a frequently asked questions section or an area of the site where they handle questions about specific deals.
• Verify which locations accept your voucher: Some deals for chains are only valid at certain stores. Check to make sure the location closest to you is one of the participating stores or else you might have to go out of your way to use the deal.
• Know when your credit card will be charged: Some sites won't charge you until after a certain number of deals have been purchased; other sites will charge you immediately or at the close of a business day. After you purchase a deal, keep an eye on your credit card statement to make sure you are charged correctly.
• Check the site's refund policy: Some sites will refund your money if you are disappointed in a deal. Others will refund your money if a merchant goes out of business before your deal's expiration date. Some won't refund your money at all. Make sure you understand and are comfortable with a site's refund rules before you make a purchase.
• Know whom to contact with problems: In most cases, the daily deal sites can't help you solve problems with the company you bought the deal from. You will need to work with the company directly. If you have an issue, stay calm and state exactly what happened and how you would like the situation to be resolved. You can use the tips from the USA.gov sample complaint letter to help fix the problem.

The Next Decade by George Friedman

George Friedman founder and CEO of STATFOR, a publisher of worldwide geopolitical intelligence, shares some of his insights about Iran, Russia, Germany, China, Latin America and the US role in history and the next 10 years. Available at Hibbing Public Library, other Arrowhead Libraries and in electronic format.

Z Puppets at Library!

Street performer Chris Griffith and playwright Shari Aronson started Z Puppets Rosenschnoz in 1998 with some fluorescent paint, a $3 pack of ping pong balls, and inspiration and imagination.  Today, they have fifteen original productions and also bring their workshops to thousands of audiences across the country.

Z Puppets’ performances include a unique blend of live music, zealous humor and hand-crafted puppets.  They will be bringing this extraordinary family experience to story time at the Library on Tuesday, December 13^th at 10:00 a.m.

Everyone is welcome to this free program that is funded by Arrowhead Library System, the Minnesota Library Legacy Fund, and the Hibbing Library.

Santa Will Be At The Annual Yuletide Festival

We all know that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole with his magical elves and his flying reindeer.  He makes a list of children throughout the world, keeps track of their behavior and what they have asked to receive on Christmas morning.  The elves work feverishly in the North Pole workshop to make all the toys and the reindeer condition themselves for a marathon flight.  Then on one single night, Santa visits all of the homes in the world and delivers presents. 

Once again Santa is taking time from his busy schedule to spend a couple of hours with all the families that attend the library’s annual Yuletide Festival on Tuesday, December 6^th.  He will be arriving about 6:00 p.m.  There will be a holiday story and song by the fireplace and then Santa will spend time talking to each child that has something to tell him.

Please join us for our annual holiday celebration.  In addition to Santa’s visit, there will be a holiday craft area, the Hibbing City Band will be performing, the Literacy Action Center will be giving away books to children, and the Friends of the Library will be serving refreshments.

New Nonfiction

Learning to Breathe: My yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life by Priscilla Warner

One woman's journey to find peace from her panic attacks.

Attack on Pearl Harbor: Strategy, Combat, Myths, Deceptions by Alan D. Zimm

Evaluation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor from the Japanese point of view.

You are Not so Smart by David McRaney

Psychology says that you have no idea why you act the way you do.

Book Give Away at the Yuletide Festival

Bring the kids to the Yuletide Festival and have them pick out a free book to take home.  The Literacy Action Center and the book-give-away is another event that has been part of the library’s holiday celebration for many years.

The Literacy Action Center office is located in the basement of the Hibbing Public Library.  It is a program of the Hibbing school district through the Community Education Department.

The Center:
•Provides free, confidential and private tutoring to adults who wish to improve their reading, and writing skills.
•Provides tutoring for people in which English is a second language.
•Works with other community education programs for GED testing and preparation.

It also promotes reading by putting books in the hands of children through book give-aways.  Funding for the books is provided by United Way of N.E. MN, Minnesota Community Foundation, Northland Foundation, Hibbing/Chisholm Rotary, and Security State Bank.

The annual Yuletide Festival will be on Tuesday, December 6^th from 6:00 until 7:30 p.m.

Trout Caviar: Recipes from a Northern Forager by Brett Laidlaw

The author grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and spent time each summer on Lake Brereton in eastern Manitoba: “I can recall so clearly all the sensations of cleaning the fish we caught, an activity which took place in late morning in the cool shade of the pines beside the cabin, on a wooden table covered with newspapers in the yard of packed dirt with a patina of pine needles. I recall the smell of the fish, kept on a stringer in the lake until we were ready to clean them. They smelled … lakey, not fishy, not bad at all, but fresh and watery. When I’m lucky enough to find supremely fresh fish today, I’ll take a good whiff and think, Ah, it smells like Lake Brereton.”

Brett Laidlaw wants to share with the reader his interest in natural foods while finding those foods in the wild, local gardens or the market. Check out the recipes and try a few including: Summer Lake Trout Chowder, Trout Caviar and Apple Blackberry Galette. Find the book in the new book section: 641.302 LAIDLAW

100 Famous Novels with Catchy First Lines

Snoopy, in the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, often started his novel with this line: "It was a dark and stormy night."
The opening lines of a novel can prove crucial. From Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities to Melville's Moby Dick, often the opening sentence or two of a book will become the most frequently quoted and iconic passage from the entire novel. From American Book Review.

The Ranker Website list 100 famous novels with catchy first lines.

What favorite first lines do you remember?

New Movies at the Library

Cars 2

Lightning McQueen competes in the World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car.

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer

Family comedy based on the best selling book series.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Shia LaBeouf and the AUTOBOTS must fight the DECEPTICONS to defend the world from evil.

Captain America: the First Avenger

Captain America leads the fight for freeom from the Red Skull and HYDRA organization.

Everything Must Go

Will Ferrell moves himself and all his possessons to his front yard.

Fast Five

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of all stars from every chapter of the movie franchise.

Hibbing City Band Will Play at Annual Yuletide Festival

Everyone is invited to the library on Tuesday, December 6th for a holiday performance by the Hibbing City Band. The musical selections will begin about 6:15 p.m.

The City Band, once known as the Hibbing Municipal Concert Band, has a long and interesting history. Their background is documented in a graduate research paper, written in 1972 by Arthur M. Hill. “A History of the Hibbing Municipal Concert Band” is available at the front desk of the library.
According to Mr. Hill the first band rehearsals began in 1897, “but progress was slow because of the calloused hands of the men and the difficulty of getting to rehearsals”. The members persevered and in the following years the numbers grew, they elected a director, and even purchased uniforms. The name changed a few times until in 1903 it was changed back to the Hibbing City Band.
In the early 1900s the band began furnishing the music for the town’s Fourth of July celebrations. There is record that the band won competitive honors over the years. They were even invited to play at the State Fair in both 1915 and 1916. The band’s tradition of providing the community with wonderful summer concerts began as early as 1916.
The Hibbing City Band is truly a wonderful tradition in our community. They have graciously played for the Yuletide Festival at the library for many years and we hope will continue to perform for many more. So please join the library staff and the Friends of the Hibbing Public Library on December 6th for some wonderful music.

How to: Many websites and so little time

Websites that offer how to instructions are abundant: How To Do Things, Ehow, Instructibles, and You Tube all give directions and can make you an expert in no time. Need help learning how to knit, paint, tile floors? All information can be found on a handy website. After reading through the instructions, you will quickly know if the thing you are attempting is beyond your abilities and best left to the professionals. What projects have you attempted and had success or decided hiring someone would be a better idea? Write in and let us know.
The library also has sections on woodworking, quilting, knitting, crocheting, painting, house and car repair and many other "do it yourself" projects.

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier

Charles Frazier, author of Cold Mountain, has put out his third novel titled Nightwoods.  Nightwoods is set in the Appalachian  mountains of North Carolina in the 1960's.  Luce is a woman with a dark past who has taken a job as caretaker of an old abandoned lodge.  Her solitude is interrupted when her murdered sister's two children come to live with her.  The children have witnessed their mother's murder and it is evident that trauma lies at the root of their dysfunction.  The children do not speak, blankly stare and are fascinated with lighting fires.  Bud, the kid's alcoholic and violent step-dad has been acquitted of Lily's murder.  Things get messy when he appears back into their lives.  Suspense mounts in a dramatic manner as Bud's path begins to converge with Luce and the children. 

Zero Day by David Baldacci

John Pullar, U. S. Army Criminal Investigator, is sent to investigate the murder of an Army colonel and his family in West Virginia coal country. Pullar, married to the Army, comes from a military family with a retired general for a father and a brother in a military jail for treason. 

Pullar, along with Sergeant Samantha Cole, from the local sheriff’s department, soon realize that they are on to something that threatens national security. With time running out, and bodies piling up, they must link the coal mining industry to an old bunker built in the 1950s to save the local community.

David Baldacci has another hit with Zero Day. He has a website: www.davidbaldacci.com

David and his wife are cofounders of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy across America: www.wishyouwellfoundation.org

Killing Lincoln: the shocking assasination that changed America forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard



Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard write in a historical account that reads like fiction of the events surrounding the assassination and tracking of the killer John Wilkes Booth and accomplices.

Fall Festival on PBS

Friday nights on PBS

H.M.S. Pinafore: Oct. 14

AMERICAN MASTERS Pearl Jam Twenty: Oct. 21

GREAT PERFORMANCES Miami City Ballet: Oct. 28

Give me the Banjo: Nov. 4

AMERICAN MASTERS Bill T. Jones: Nov. 11

Women Who Rock: Nov. 18

GREAT PERFORMANCES Il Postino: Nov. 25

GREAT PERFORMANCES Andrea Bocelli: Dec. 2

GREAT PERFORMANCES The Little Mermaid: Dec. 16

Check out the display of music with bookmarks at the front gate of the library.

Masterpiece Mystery on PBS

Hercule Poirot
David Suchet plays the suave Belgian detective. In Three Act Tragedy, a cocktail party is the scene of a crime, while in The Clocks, multiple frozen clocks factor into a murder. Agatha Christie’s detective Poirot investigates a death at a festive event turned foul in Hallowe'en Party.

Miss Marple
Julia McKenzie plays Agatha Christie's detective with a gentle smile and probing mind in The Pale Horse. Miss Marple's old friend is found murdered, and when she receives a list of names sent by the victim before his death, Miss Marple seeks justice.

Zen
What does an honest cop do when his bosses are on the side of the lawbreakers? Outwitting prosecutors, politicians, mobsters, kidnappers and killers, Detective Aurelio Zen brings justice to modern-day Italy. Rufus Sewell stars as Zen, based on the books of Michael Dibdin.

Inspector Lewis
Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox play Inspector Lewis and DS Hathaway in four Oxford University-based whodunits, which have them solving cases at an all-female college, investigating the poisoning of a bishop, looking into a clinical trial and examining a sinister blackmail plot. Inspector Lewis is the spinoff from the Inspector Morse series by Colin Dexter.

Jackson Brodie
Set amidst the iconic landscapes of modern Edinburgh, Case Histories brings the delightful jigsaw puzzles of Kate Atkinson's bestselling novels and the complexity of her hero Jackson Brodie, played by Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter) to life.  (from the PBS website)

Books and some movies based on the PBS Masterpiece Mystery series are available in the library and by interlibrary loan.

Window Exhibits at the Library

The window display at the entrance of the library is available for use by community organizations. Library exhibits serve to make the public aware of the informational, educational and cultural resources of the community. The exhibits may direct the public's attention to the materials and services of the library itself, to the work of talented individuals, or to ideas expressed by community organizations.

All exhibits are scheduled for two week time periods. Call the library at 362-5959 to reserve the window display for your organization.

The front window display is currently being used by the North Star Hospice.  North Star Hospice was organized in 1984 as a licensed hospice provider.  In 2003 North Star Hospice affiliated with Fairview Range Regional Health Service.  Hospice is a special program designed to enhance the quality of life in people whose life expectancy is limited.

 The Hospice has a volunteer program and also always accepts memorial donations.  Check out the informational display in the library’s entrance and go to their web site at http://www.range.fairview.org/services/hospice.

BOO BOO BEAR'S MISSION

"Boo Boo Bear's Mission" by Mary Linda Sather is a heartwarming story about a beloved teddy bear on an imporatnt mission.
Young Shea Leigh's dad has been deployed to Iraq with the Air National Guard. To help her dad feel less lonely while he is away from his family, Shea Leigh sends Boo Boo Bear to him in a care package. Boo Boo tours the base with Dad, embarks on a jet fighter flight and fulfills an important mission—to carry a family's love until they can be together again.

This title is available through interlibrary loan. You may also click the link below for more information on this title and author.

http://www.boo-boo-bears-mission.net/index.html

Great Books Reading Club

Members of last year’s Great Books Reading Club are currently reorganizing.  One of the issues that need to be decided is if they will stay with the Great Books format or choose more contemporary reading selections.  The group is also looking for a new leader/moderator.  If you are interested in joining a book club please call the library at 362-5959 or email hibbingpl@arrowhead.lib.mn.us and leave your name and phone number.  Also indicate which format you would prefer.  This will help with the decisions.

Emily Post's Etiquette: Manners for a new world.

In the 18th edition, virtual manners and social networking have their own chapter.

When posting on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace or other social sites, good manners are important. "The conventions for interacting and conversing in a polite, positive, considerate, respectful and honest way still apply. That means take care with what you write and what you post. People who receive your message don't have your body language, your facial expressions, or tone of voice to help interpret the meaning of your message. All they have are the words on their screen. While you might have been joking or sarcastic, they may read your comments as hurtul, rude or spiteful. Take time with your messages and posts to consider whether they might be interpreted in a negative light by the people who look at them."

Remember to be polite. Everything online is public and permanent and what you say reflects on you. Proofread your spelling and grammar, be selective about your word choice, remember proper punctuation and keep it clean and civil.

Social networking is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family.

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg with an introduction by Lemony Snicket

The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams

The Stranger You Seek introduces a new private detective:
  "My name is Keye Street. First name from my Asian grandfather; my adoptive parents awarded me the second. By trade I am a detective, private, that is a process server and bill recovery agent. In life, I am a dry alcoholic, a passionate believer in Krystal cheeseburgers and Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and a former behavioral analyst for the FBI. How I ended up here in the South, where I have the distinction of looking like what they still call a damn foreigner in most parts of Gerogia and sounding like a hick everywhere else in the world is a mystery Emily and Howard Street have never fully unraveled for me."
Keye Street is soon dragged into consulting on a serial killer case for the Atlanta homicide department. Pleanty of action and suspense with some humor from the creative ways she gets results as a process server, The Stranger You Seek is available at Hibbing Public Library.
Amanda Kyle Williams has a website: http://www.amandakylewilliams.com/

Young Adult Novels

Books stacking up on my desk....  I need to get them back out on the shelves! ~Ginny
Here are my Fall 2011 Young Adult reads:

Ruby Red By Kerstin Gier. Translated by Anthea Bell (2011).  Warning: this is the first in a time travel series, translated from the original German (2009).  So, unless you can read German and get a copy of Sapphire Blue in German, you will have to wait until 2012 for the second book (New York Times Review).  Gwenyth's cousin Charlotte has been trained all her life to time travel, but when they turn 16 it is Gwenyth that jumps back in time with handsome but snooty Gideon. Good enough that I wished I'd waited until all the books are out (in English!)

Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars by Nick James (2011).  Published right here in Minnesota (Flux Books, Woodbury).  Another first in a series (more patience required).  Much more science fiction than fantasy.  The year is 2095 in post-apocalypse American, two boys are thrown together Jesse from the skyship community, Cassius from the government on the Surface.  Both competing for the Pearls of energy that fall from the sky.  Both wondering where they fit in their warring societies and why the adults that mentor them are not telling them the whole story...
Ten questions with Nick James

And now for something completely different:
the summer i learned to fly by Dana Reinhardt (2011).  Not a series, not out of this world.  Dana, at age 13 and a bit of  a loner, hangs out at her mother's cheese shop.  She is given a rat, just a regular pet rat she names Hum, no magic abilities. But that rat leads her to meet Emmett, a friend who leads her into summer adventures and new awareness of herself, her town, and the people that share it. Indiebound Kid's Next List

Orionid Meteor Shower

map from http://www.meteorblog.com/

If you are interested in meteor showers and like astronomy, Check out Astro Bob's Blog.
Bob King works at the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minn. as a photographer and photo editor:
"I'm also an amateur astronomer and have been keen on the sky since age 11. My modest credentials include membership in the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) where I'm a regular contributor, International Meteorite Collectors Assn. and Arrowhead Astronomical Society. I also teach community education astronomy classes at our local planetarium."

For more information and best viewing times to see the Orionid Meteor Shower Saturday morning, check out Astro Bob's Blog: http://astrobob.areavoices.com/ and Meteor Blog: http://www.meteorblog.com/

Explore Careers in the Health and Medical Sciences

The National Institutes of Health's Office of Science Education "Life Works" homepage was designed to help young people learn about different careers in the health and medical sciences. Visitors can browse for information on more than 100 careers by title, education required, interest area, or median salary. (from The Scout Report, October 21, 2011)

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny

Chief Inspector Gamache revisits the small village of Three Pines after a body is found in the flowerbed of his artist friends, Clara and Peter Morrow. Clara, full of terror and joy at the accolades for the success of her gallery showing, is astonished when a body is discovered the morning after the party.

Louise Penny says this about her books: “My books are about terror. That brooding terror curled deep down inside us. But more than that, more than murder, more than all the rancid emotions and actions, my books are about goodness. And kindness. About choices. About friendship and belonging. And love. Enduring love.
If you take only one thing away from any of my books I'd like it to be this:  Goodness exists.”

Louise Penny has a website: http://www.louisepenny.com/
The seventh and previous books in the series are available through Hibbing Public Library and our digital media catalog.

Do It Yourself Repair

Snow will be on the ground soon and now is the time to make sure your snowmobiles and snow blowers are ready to go.  The Small Engine Repair database is a reference that is available free of charge to library card holders.

It is the definitive online tool for small engine assistance.  Original photos and illustrations guide the user through every repair job.  The database provides assistance for routine maintenance such as tune ups and brake service as well as extensive repairs involving engine and transmission disassembly.

Just go to the library’s website at www.hibbing.lib.mn.us, click on “databases and search engines”, click on “consumer” and then click on “Small Engine Repair”.  Have your library card handy because the 14 digit number on the back is need for access.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

A debut novel by Vanessa Diffenbaugh about a young 18 year old woman  named Victoria who is a distrustful and and troubled product of the foster care system.  The book alternates between past and present events which brings greater meaning to why she behaves the way she does with the people she meets.  We see how Victoria learns and communicates through the language of flowers and we see her struggle to accept herself and the love others offer.

A nice touch to the end of the book is Victoria's Dictionary of Flowers.

The Killer Is Dying by James Sallis

Three males converge:

Christian, Vietnam veteran, goes by the nickname he received while serving in Vietnam. A hired hit man with a terminal disease, Christian has a contract on John Rankin but someone else attempts to murder Rankin before Christian can shoot him. Already living longer than expected, Christian wants to understand the meaning of his life as a contract killer. “How many dead and dying men had he stood above or beside? And death, finally, wasn’t all that interesting. What was interesting, what never failed to surprise and amaze him, is the way life always holds on, whatever the circumstances, how it just won’t let go.”

Jimmie, abandoned by his parents, lives on the toys he buys and sells on the Internet, living a life he never expected to last. “At first he had waited, living off what was left, canned food, cereal, expecting someone to show up at the door, a neighbor school officials, police. But no one did. So then, still expecting to be exposed any day, he’d gone on to work with what he had. Now he found it difficult to imagine another life, another way of living.” Jimmie learns while living on his own that, “Your day needs structure.” He has built a life for himself by volunteering at the local retirement home and Mrs. Flores, his neighbor can be counted on in an emergency.

Detective Graves and Sayles are investigating the shooting of John Rankin. Sayles’ wife, Josie is dying and has gone into hospice care. Sayles says “Strength was not about overcoming things. Strength was about accepting them.”

Sayles is unknowingly looking for Christian, while Jimmie dreams about Christian’s memories.

James Sallis: Drive, currently in theaters and The Killer is Dying, his latest book, has a website: http://www.jamessallis.com/

Defensive Wounds by Lisa Black

Theresa MacLean, forensic investigator, is called to the murder of the criminal defense attorney, Marie Corrigan, by a text from her daughter who has a summer job at the front desk of the famed hotel. The Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland is hosting a convention for lawyers when Corrigan is found in the presidential suite by housekeeping.

Not well liked, Marie Corrigan was not exactly mourned by the police community who nevertheless must investigate her murder while believing that her unethical behavior in the courtroom caused her death. Corrigan’s murder has many suspects as this police procedural looks for a killer amongst her personal and professional relationships.

Theresa, while pulling samples from the presidential suite where Corrigan was found tries to limit her daughter Rachel’s exposure to the grim aspects of the murder investigation when a second murder occurs. In this fourth book in the mystery series, Theresa and the homicide detectives, Kelly and Powell, try to figure out how the murder occurs in this new twist in the case of the locked room when there is no record of an electronic key issued.

Lisa Black has a website: http://www.lisa-black.com/

WikiHow: Featured Website

WikiHow states that they are "the world's collaborative how to manual."
First learn how to from one of the 123,291 articles by finding the topic you are interested in; share your how to information with millions of people; and work together with others to improve on your how to experience.
Check out the featured articles on everything from office etiquette to pitching a baseball and tieing a tie.
Browse by category: arts and entertainment; computers and electronics; finance, business and legal; and sports and fitness; and travel.

Kindle Owners Can Download Books from Library

Kindle owners can now download free ebooks from the library’s Overdrive site.  You can enjoy library eBooks on your Amazon Kindle or free Kindle reading app.

All you need to get started is a valid library card and a registered Kindle device or reading app.  Next visit the library’s collection of eBooks.  Just click on the “Download Audio Books” icon on the website at www.hibbing.lib.mn.us.

• Browse the ebook collection and check out a Kindle book.
• Click the 'Get for Kindle' button. This opens the Amazon.com website. You may be required to sign in with your Amazon.com account if you are not already logged in.
• Select a Kindle device or Kindle reading app. Click the 'Get library book' button and sync your device or app to download the book, or choose to send it to your device via USB.
• An active Wi-Fi connection is required for wireless delivery to a Kindle device.
• If your Kindle is not Wi-Fi capable or you do not have an active Wi-Fi connection, read Amazon's instructions for transferring files via USB.

Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture by David Mamet

Film director, playwright and essayist David Mamet takes a sociological, political and philosophical look at American Culture during his lifetime and describes how it has shaped his current values. The Secret Knowledge is available at Hibbing Public and other Arrowhead Libraries through interlibrary loan in book and sound recording (discs) format.