Library Notes Week of December 29

As we are getting ready to start a new year, I hope you plan to make the library a regular stop. We always have new books, audio books, and videos just waiting to be checked out. Here are a few titles you might be interested in. Happy New Year!!

Last Words by George Carlin. As one of America's preeminent comedic voices, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature humor with never-before-told stories from his own life.

The Time of My Life by Patrick Swayze. A behind-the-scenes look at a Hollywood life and a remarkable love, this memoir is both entertainment and inspiration. Patrick and Lisa's marriage is a journey of two lives intertwined and lived as one--throughout their years in Hollywood and at home on their working ranch outside Los Angeles, and culminating in the hope and wisdom they've imparted to all who know them.

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi. Agassi’s incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a child. By the age of thirteen, he is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. He dyes his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning-fast return.And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world’s best, his greater confusion as he starts to win. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target.

Library Notes Week of December 14

The library is hosting its annual Family Fun Day at the Library. Come by the library Tues., Dec. 22nd anytime between 2 and 6 p.m. We will have “make and take” projects for the kids, games, puzzles, and refreshments. It will be our way of wishing you a great holiday season.

KJ Cooper, our Children’s Specialist has been reading some of the books in our Young Adult collection. Here are a few of her reviews.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. Dessen delivers another of her perfectly crafted stories. This one features Auden, an insomniac, who will be going off to college in the fall. Auden has not slept at night since her parents started fighting. They are now divorced and her father has a new family. Auden decides to spend her summer with them and explore some of the teenage pleasures she has missed—most notably, riding a bike and having actual friendships. Then, she meets a fellow insomniac, Eli, a loner with problems of his own.

Maze Runner by James Dashner. Thomas wakes up in the lift remembering only his first name. When the doors open, he is surrounded by boys, Gladers, who also have no memories of how they got there. They live in the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Every morning, the stone doors to the surrounding maze are opened. Every night, they are tightly closed. Every 30 days, a new boy arrives in the lift. The pattern is disrupted when a girl with a message is sent up the very next day. In this thrill ride of a story about problem-solving. The ending nicely sets up for the next book in this trilogy, tentatively called, “The Scorch Trials.”

Hollywood is Like High School with Money by Zoey Dean. When twenty-four-year old Ohio native, Taylor Henning lands her dream job as an assistant at a major movie studio, she finds that she hasn’t left the “Mean Girls” contests of high school behind. The stakes are just higher. Taylor wasn’t one of the queen bees in high school and is ill-prepared to play the same tired games. Then, she meets her boss’s popular daughter, Quinn who takes Taylor under her wing, teaching her one lesson a week until Taylor finds herself swimming gracefully with the sharks. Dean delivers a Devil Wears Prada type story in a funny, quirky easy read.

Library Notes Week of November 18

November is Native American Heritage Month. We have a wonderful database – the American Indian History Online--which has access to more than 15,000 years of the culture and history of the American Indian. There are biographies, images, maps, charts and other wonderful information. You can find it on our website www.lclib.lib.wa.us under Homework Help. It is password protected, but just give us a call and we can tell you how to get in. This wonderful resource is paid for by the La Conner Rotary.

Here are a few books from the new book shelf. Come in and check one out.

Moon River and Me by Andy Williams. When in the mid-1950s Andy Williams reached a low point in his career, singing in dives to ever-smaller audiences, the young man from Wall Lake, Iowa, had no inkling of the success he would one day achieve. Before being declared a national treasure by President Ronald Reagan, Williams would chart eighteen gold and three platinum albums, headline at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for more than twenty years, and host an enormously popular weekly television variety show.

Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved by Elgen M. Long. A detailed chronicle of the last days of Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, and what went before, based upon an exhaustive 25-year study. Celebrated pilot Elgen Long and his coauthor wife, a public relations consultant with the Western Aerospace Museum, claim that the solution of the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Electra, Earhart's plane, has never been found until now.

The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson. James Patterson and Martin Dugard dig through stacks of evidence--X-rays, Carter's files, forensic clues, and stories told through the ages--to arrive at their own account of King Tut's life and death. The result is an exhilarating true crime tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal that casts fresh light on the oldest mystery of all.

Library Notes week of November 9

Teen Game Night @ the Library is Friday the 13th from 6 to 8 p.m. Call and tell us you plan to be there so we know how much Pizza to order!

Saturday, November 14 is National Gaming Day @ Your Library. All ages are invited to come and have some fun. From 12 to 4 p.m. we will have table games, computer games, and the Wii set up so you can play as a family or by yourself.

So many new books arriving!! Sometimes it is hard to decide what to read next. Here are a few you might be interested in.

There Goes the Bride by M. C. Beaton. Bossy, impulsive, yet hopelessly romantic, Agatha is dreading the upcoming marriage of her ex-husband, James Lacey. Although she has set her sights on a handsome and beguiling new Frenchman, she can’t quite stop obsessing about James.

Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman. In the half-built skeleton of a monstrously vulgar mansion in one of L.A.’s neighborhoods, a watchman stumbles on the bodies of a young couple–murdered and left in a gruesome postmortem embrace. Though he’s cracked some of the city’s worst slayings, veteran homicide cop Milo Sturgis is still shocked at the grisly sight: a twisted crime that only Milo’s killer instincts–and psychologist Alex Delaware’s keen insights–can hope to solve.

Razor Sharp by Fern Michaels. When it comes to repaying a debt, the women of the Sisterhood - Myra, Annie, Kathryn, Alexis, Yoko, Nikki, and Isabelle - never forget. And now one of their allies needs help. A powerful attorney with a cut-throat reputation, Lizzie Fox has just taken on a high-profile new client - Lily Flowers, the Madam of a high-end bordello operating under the guise of a summer camp. The chips - a.k.a. the prominent Washington politicians who frequent the bordello - are stacked against Lily and her girls. But one phone call to the Sisterhood might just swing the vote. And soon, even the highest courts in the land will prove no match for seven fearless friends determined to ensure that real justice is served, Sisterhood style.

Library Notes Week of October 12

We are starting up our Teen Advisory Board after the summer break. Unfortunately the members all graduated and we need some new members. If you are or know a high school student who would be interested in planning activities in the library for our local teens have them get in touch with KJ at the library. This is a once a month meeting, you get school credit and get to plan cool activities.

KJ has provided us with some reviews this week. Pass them on to young people you know or check them out for yourself.

The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan.
If you’ve read and enjoyed Linda Buckley-Archer’s Fairy Tale Detectives series or Lemony Snicket’s works, you might enjoy this as well. Keith McGowan’s first novel for ages 9-14 is a modernized version of Hansel & Gretel. Fay Holaderry starts the book with a “cautionary tale” telling how she gets her victims/dinners. The story includes secrets, surprises and courageous deeds as we follow the Blink children unraveling their parents’ sinister plot.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. In this sequel to the much acclaimed Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peetta Mellark are still alive, and how they managed to stay that way has ticked off The Capitol big-time. This is fueled by the fact that Katniss has become the face of the growing rebellion among the subjects of this dystopian society.

Click by David Almond, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Deborah Ellis, Nick Hornby, Margo Lanagan, Gregory Maguire, Ruth Ozeki, Linda Sue Park & Tim Wynne-Jones. This book is labeled, “One Novel Ten Authors.” Each author contributed a chapter of the story revolving around the death of “Gee” Keane, (a world-famous photographer) and the items he left to grandchildren, Maggie and Jason. Maggie’s legacy was a wooden box with sea seven shells that Gee had collected from around the world. Inside, was a note that told her to “throw them all back.” Jason inherited a camera and a box of photographs. From there, the novel branches off into a number of different directions. Each chapter is a spin-off of the first. Each author used his/her own style. Even so, they fit together nicely. Taken as a whole, they demonstrate how we are all interrelated in this world.

Library Notes Week of September 28

From September 26 through October 3 libraries and bookstores celebrate Banned Books Week. This is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 after a sudden surge in the number of challenged books in schools, bookstores and libraries. We will have a display in the library and you may be surprised by the books you find on the challenged list.

We have some new books you might enjoy. Stop in an check one out. Here are a few to tempt you.

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. Griffin has been driving around for nearly a year with his father’s ashes in the trunk, but his mother is very much alive. He and his wife, Joy, are driving to the Cape for the marriage of their daughter Laura’s best friend. The Cape is where he and Joy honeymooned, in the course of which they drafted the Great Truro Accord, a plan for their lives together that’s now thirty years old and has largely come true. But be careful what you pray for. A year later, a far more important wedding takes place, their beloved Laura’s. This time Griffin’s chauffeuring two urns of ashes as he contends once more with Joy and her large, unruly family, and both he and she have brought dates along. How in the world could this have happened?

A Plague of Secrets by John T. Lescroart. The first victim is Dylan Vogler, a charming ex-convict who manages the Bay Beans West coffee shop in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. When his body is found, inspectors discover that his knapsack is filled with high-grade marijuana. It soon becomes clear that San Francisco’s A-list flocked to Bay Beans West not only for their caffeine fix.But how much did Maya Townshend—the beautiful socialite niece of the city’s mayor, and the absentee owner of the shop—know about what was going on inside her business? And how intimate had she really been with Dylan, her old college friend?

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. After moving into her grandmother's crumbling house to get it in shape for sale, Connie comes across a small key and piece of paper reading only Deliverance Dane. The Salem witch trials, contemporary Wicca and women's roles in early American history figure prominently as Connie does her academic detective work. What follows is a breezy read in which Connie must uncover the mystery of a shadowy book written by the enigmatic Deliverance Dane.

Library Notes Week of September 21

Summer Reading is officially over and was great fun. If you had a student who participated and completed the required number of hours to finish, they need to stop by and pick up a free paperback. If you are not sure if they “finished” the names are listed by the paperbacks. We also want to congratulate Heather Henriksen who won the drawing for a bike and helmet. Another winner was Amanda Grant who participated in the teen program. She won a basket full of gift certificates, a movie, candy and other fun stuff.


Our Children’s Specialist, KJ Cooper has provided the reviews this week. These are some of the latest young adult and juvenile books the library has on its shelves.

The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti. This cautionary tale about a family of women with the worst collective luck with relationships rings true. The action surrounds Quinn, a seventeen year old girl who is just dumped by her boyfriend who she doesn’t even like that much. Quinn discovers that her father (who has just begun taking an interest in her and her little sister) stole more than the hearts of the women in his life. Quinn contacts her older half-sister and together with her younger sister and an gorgeous guy, set out to restore treasures to their rightful owners

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow. Using the name Lillith Saintcrow, the author has written two adult fantasy series. In her first book for Young Adults, she introduces sixteen-year-old Dru Anderson. Dru and her dad travel the land hunting dangerous supernatural beings (wulfen, blood suckers and zombies to name a few). She is more of a Harry Potter than a Bella Swan (even though she is dealing with vampires and werewolves and is in the center of a potential love-triangle), Dru is tough and can take care of herself or so she thinks until her father comes back from a hunt a changed “man”.

Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde. The main character is running in the woods, but she has no idea why. For that matter, she doesn’t remember any part of her life before that point. Then she hears the dogs. The girl is taken in by an older couple who have six year old Ravyn living with them. As they nurse her back to health after being attacked by the dogs, she learns of the disappearance of another child, Isabel, six years before, a baby who just disappeared (both from the same family) and the witch who lived in the woods who is blamed for both disappearances. Word gets around the village and Isabel’s parents come to claim her and take her home where she meets her suspicious eighteen year old sister, Honey.

Library Notes Week of August 31st

School is right around the corner. If you have a student in the La Conner School District be aware that we have some fantastic homework help links on our web page. The World Book Reference Center and American Indian History Online are great resources for students (and adults). You will need a password, but just give us a call and we can give it to you. The Rotary Club of La Conner pays for these two resources annually and we appreciate their support.

If you need a new read, stop by and check out one of these books.

The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock. When WWII breaks out, many Americans find their lives turned upside down, few more so than the Heller family. Seeking refuge from Hitler-controlled Germany, the Hellers had moved to smalltown Victory, Ill., only to find themselves, 10 years later, suspected by their neighbors of being Nazis. Feeling the threat to her family grow, headstrong 20-year-old Sophie Heller also feels powerless to stop it; soon, however, she meets a handsome, similarly frustrated schoolteacher named Cole Ambrose, whose bad leg prevents him from enlisting. Their instant attraction is, naturally defied by racist townsfolk bent on keeping them apart by whatever means necessary.

Guardian of Lies by Steve Martini. Katia, who's living with creepy Emerson Pike, a man old enough to be her grandfather, in a dilapidated estate surrounded by an expensive security fence, decides to return home to Costa Rica. In her flight, she just misses running into the legendary assassin known as the Mexecutioner, who sneaks into Pike's house.

Gone to the Dogs by Mary Guterson. Twenty something Rena, part-time Jew and full-time waitress, is depressed and moping after being dumped for another woman. In a mad moment, she steals her ex’s dog, and in the process of caring for Big Guy, she starts to recover from her depression and realizes it’s time to move on from her college apartment, job, and lifestyle.

Library Notes week of August 10

We have had a great time this summer with the various summer reading activities. One that is great fun is Reading with Lukas. Lukas is a trained reading buddy dog who is coming to the library every Tuesday morning from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Children in grade school can sign up for 10 minutes of reading aloud to Lucas. Studies show that this simple act can improve kids reading skills since he is a noncritical listener. Call us to sign up your child.

This week KJ, our Children’s Specialist, has provided us with some book reviews of recent young adult titles.

Michele Obama; An American Story by David Colbert. In 151 pages, this biography gives you a quick overview of our newest First Lady’s life and helps you understand the woman behind the President. Descended from an illiterate slave, the Robinsons emphasized the importance of an education, so both Michelle and her brother excelled in school. Instead of parlaying her Ivy League degree into a lucrative career as a lawyer, Michelle chose to work to better her community and now, the country.

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry. This is Ms. Berry’s first novel and it shows great promise. Lucinda Chapdelaine lost her parents and their wealthy lifestyle at a young age. She was sent to live with her uncle (by marriage) and his second wife to live a Cinderella-like existence in their jewelry shop. Enter a mysterious lady with an even more mysterious gem stone, a prince and a thief. What ensues is a life-threatening adventure with underlying enchantment and romance that keeps you turning pages and wanting more.

Killer—a Pretty Little Liars Book by Sara Shepard. Hanna, Aria, Spencer and Emily are the liars for whom this series is named. Their lives of privilege are disrupted once again by murder…or is it? The body didn’t stay put long enough for law enforcement to record it. Their nemesis, an unknown texter named “A” threatens that Spencer could be next if she doesn’t figure things out. Reader reviews call this installment the best one yet. Warning: these books are not “stand-alones.” To really understand what is going on, you need to read the series.

Library Notes Week of July 13

We have some great programs coming up. Don’t miss Kimmy the Clown, July 14, 10 a.m. at the library. Kimmy enjoys encouraging children and adults to explore their imaginations and creativity, thus bringing a multitude of smiles and laughter! Making people comfortable in social settings and filling the room with laughter has always been one of Kimmy's attributes. Her high energy and bubbly personality is one that can charm any crowd; babies, young children, teens and adults!

Then we have Jennifer Bradbury, July 22, 11 a.m. at the High School Library. Jennifer Bradbury is an English teacher living in Burlington. She has written a popular teen book called Shift. Jennifer will be doing a writing workshop for our teens.

KJ has supplied the reviews this week. If you have someone interested in Young Adult books, recommend one of these.

Miles to Go by Miley Cyrus. At a grand old age of 16, Miley Cyrus has written her memoirs (at least she recognizes she’s got a lot of life yet to live). This collection of her thoughts and memories is written in a chatty style reminiscent of notes passed in history class. Fans of Hannah Montana aka Miley Stewart aka Miley Cyrus will enjoy this glimpse into her real world.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. When Nobody Owens’ family is murdered, Bod was toddling out of the house into the nearby graveyard. He is raised and educated by ghosts and a guardian who moves between the worlds of the living and the dead. Gaiman was inspired by Kipling’s classic, The Jungle Book and the chapters are a series of episodes as Bod grows from a baby to a teen. The Graveyard Book combines ghost story with a coming of age novel to the delight of readers who like quirky and creepy fare.

Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty. The fifth and final installment of the McCafferty’s Jessica Darling series starts with her running into ex-boyfriend Marcus Flutie. This finale takes place at the Newark Airport and centers around Jessica and Marcus. It is the only book of the series that is told in the third person, giving the reader the opportunity to understand Marcus without Jessica’s filters. Most of the book is conversation and that may put off some readers, but most agree this is a satisfactory conclusion to the series.

Sign up now to get a part in the Teen Murder Mystery Party – Death of a Vampire. The party is Friday, August 7th, 6:30 p.m. at the La Conner Regional Library. Pizza, pop and frights will be part of the evening.

Library Notes Week of June 29th

We are looking forward to the 4th of July parade this Saturday. I think the Friends of the Library will have an entry pushing some book carts and with any luck we will have a couple of people holding the library’s summer reading banner to remind everyone that children need to be reading this summer. Hope to see you there!

Stop in and check out a book from our new book shelf. Here are a few you
might be interested in.

Knockout by Catherine Coulter. FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock have their hands full when Savich is caught in a bank holdup near his Washington, D.C., home. The vicious attack leaves the criminal leader dead and his injured teen daughter swearing revenge. She manages to escape, leading the FBI on a bloody chase.

A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell. It’s 1931 in Berlin, and though the Weimar Republic has begun to crumble, the celebrated decadence of the era remains in full flower. Hannah Vogel is a crime reporter, on intimate terms with Berlin’s underbelly, but that doesn’t protect her from the shock of seeing her brother’s picture posted in the police department’s Hall of the Unnamed Dead. She’s reluctant to make a formal identification until she knows what happened to him; scandal may lurk behind his death, as Ernst was a cross-dressing cabaret star whose list of male lovers included at least one Nazi leader.

Fugitive by Phillip Margolin. Oregon attorney Amanda Jaffe takes on the case of a lifetime when she is tapped to defend Charlie Marsh, aka Guru Gabriel Sun. Marsh was a prisoner whose freedom came when he saved the life of a guard during a riot. He then changed his name and published a book in which he spoke of how you, too, could achieve personal transformation. The public ate it up, especially the wife of a U.S. congressman. After the congressman’s murder, both his wife and Marsh stood trial for the crime. Before the verdict was read, though, Marsh escaped, landing in Batanga, Africa. When Marsh finds he might be caught for bedding one of the tyrant’s wives he realizes that a trial in the U.S. bodes better for him than punishment at the hands of Batanga’s cruel ruler.

Library Notes Week of June 15

School is out (or should be soon) and it is vacation time. I hope you plan on stopping
by the library and checking out a book, video or maybe an audio book. If you need help the staff can always give you a recommendation. Next week they are headed to a two day class where they will get some reference training. I am sure they will come back with lots of great ideas on how to serve our patrons better.

You Can Observe a Lot by Watching by Yogi Berra. Berra and coauthor Kaplan have penned this charming book about teamwork. In anecdote after anecdote about his legendary career with the Yankees, his not-so-legendary career as a manager, and his days growing up on the streets of St. Louis, Berra shows how respect and cooperation made him a success on the field and in life. Lessons include the importance of punctuality, owning one's mistakes, and a positive attitude.

What’s Age Got to do With It? by Robin McGraw. Robin McGraw, wife of television talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw, receives thousands of emails from women asking her what she does to look and feel so vibrant, energetic and healthy at the age of 55. It all started back in Robin's twenties and thirties when pivotal moments in her life made her realize that if she did not put her health and well-being first, no one else would.

The Woman Behind the New Deal by Kirstin Downey. Frances Perkins is no longer a household name, yet she was one of the most influential women of the twentieth century. Based on eight years of research, extensive archival materials, new documents, and exclusive access to Perkins’s family members and friends, this biography is the first complete portrait of a devoted public servant with a passionate personal life, a mother who changed the landscape of American business and society.

Library Notes week of May 4

I hope you remember to use our website from home. From our catalog you can check on when your books are due, renew books, and place holds from the comfort of your own home—24 hours per day!! We have other items on there as well. If you go to the program page you can see what some of the Summer Reading Programs are going to be. We have some great events scheduled. Oh and for you gals who attended our tea party last year we have scheduled another tea party for Sunday, May 31st. Look for more information soon!!

If you enjoy reading non-fiction, here are a few of the latest titles to arrive.

Selling Your Father’s Bones by Brian Schofield. This account of the Nez Percé's trials is a painful tale well told. British journalist Schofield writes a history of this Columbia River Valley tribe down to its present-day remnant, confined to a modest Idaho reservation. Casting a wide net, he also describes white settlement in the northwest, emphasizing its devastation of wildlife, soil, rivers and forests.

The Last Good Nights by John West. The Last Goodnights provides a unique, powerful, and unflinching look inside the reality of one of the most galvanizing issues of our time: assisted suicide. Told with intensity and bare honesty, John West’s account of the deaths of two brave people is gritty and loving, frightening and illuminating, nerve-wracking and even, at times, darkly humorous.

The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama by Gwen Ifill. Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960s. She offers incisive, detailed profiles of such prominent leaders as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and U.S. Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama (all interviewed for this book), and also covers numerous up-and-coming figures from across the nation.

Library Notes week of April 27

Congratulations to the winners in the annual Tulip Poster raffle. The Friends of the Library had another successful raffle to raise funds for the library. There were lots of prizes besides the beautiful framed poster, I hope you were lucky enough to win one.

We are getting in lots of new books. Maybe one of these will interest you.

Death of a Witch by M.C. Beaton. The Scottish Highlands most stubborn bachelor returns to his home village of Lochdubh from a disappointing vacation to discover a witch stirring up trouble. To Macbeth's annoyance, the sex-starved local men have fallen under the spell of Catriona Beldame, who turns out to be a runaway bride with a shady past. Macbeth longs to prove she's selling illegal remedies for sexual dysfunction, and warns her to stop if she is. Macbeth gets a shock when someone murders Beldame and sets her house on fire—soon after Macbeth is overheard to say he'd like to kill her.

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker. In an upstate New York backwater, Truly has a bleak existence with her depressed father and her china-doll–like sister, Serena Jane. Truly grows at an astonishing rate—her girth the result of a pituitary gland problem—and after her father dies when Truly is 12, Truly is sloughed off to the Dyersons, a hapless farming family. She befriends the Dyersons' outcast daughter, Amelia, and later leaves her beloved Dyerson farm to take care of Serena Jane's husband and son after Serena Jane leaves them. Haunting the margins of Truly's story is that of Tabitha Dyerson, a rumored witch whose secrets afford a breathtaking role reversal for Truly.

Cape Disappointment by Earl Emerson. A man and a woman, their coastal getaway interrupted, say goodbye on an isolated landing strip in Washington State. She then calls from the air. And he watches from the base of a lighthouse as the plane, with eleven people on board, plummets into the steely gray sea. The man remembering this tragic event is in a hospital room, the victim of a bombing weeks after the crash. In this extraordinary thriller by award-winning author Earl Emerson, Seattle private eye Thomas Black returns after more than a decade–and he must put together the shattered fragments of his life. His life and his country depend on it.

Library Notes Week of April 13

This is National Library Week. First celebrated in 1958, it is an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians.

Secretary of State Sam Reed encourages Washington citizens to help celebrate National Library Week by visiting and using their local library. “Now more than ever, libraries play a crucial role throughout Washington and America,” Reed said. “They not only provide many useful resources and services, they open up new worlds and help make lifelong learning possible. What better way for people to celebrate National Library Week than by visiting a local library and taking advantage of the many services offered?”

Washington State Librarian Jan Walsh agrees, pointing out that libraries have tremendous civic, cultural and economic value. “Everyone benefits by using libraries, especially during these tough economic times,” Walsh said. “A library can save people a lot of money. Buying books, CDs and DVDs can be expensive. But these same books, CDs and DVDs are free if you have a library card.”

Walsh pointed out that libraries are much more than books. “They give people access to newspapers and periodicals, CDs and DVDs, computers and the Internet, historical documents and so much more.”

If you haven’t visited our library lately you are missing out!! Why not stop in today.

Ghost at Work by Carolyn Hart. When Bailey Ruth Raeburn and her husband die on their cabin cruiser during a storm, Bailey joins the heavenly host. Later, she returns to earth via the Rescue Express to help the rector's wife, Kathleen Abbott. After finding the body of a dead man on her back porch, Kathleen fears either she or her husband might be accused of the crime. Bailey Ruth helps her to move the body, inaugurating a search for the killer that proves difficult as the victim was despised by many. As Bailey Ruth uncovers more than one crime, she must contend with her own violations of the Precepts for Earthly Visitation and adjust to her powers on earth.

Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood. Sophie Rose, a tough and determined newspaper reporter, is the daughter of Bobby Rose, who happens to be a notorious big-time thief sought by every law-enforcement agency in the country. When the major Chicago daily where she works insists she write an exposé about her roguish father, Sophie refuses, quits her job, and goes to work at a small newspaper. Far from her onetime high-powered crime beat, she now covers local personalities such as the quirky winner of several area 5K runs whose trademark is goofy red socks.

Oolong Dead by Laura Childs. Indigo Tea Shop proprietor Theodosia Browning and her horse, Captain Harley, encounter murder most unsavory during the annual Charleston Point-to-Point Race. Shortly after clearing a jump, they're spooked by encountering the corpse of Abby Davis, an evening TV news anchor, who's been shot through the forehead.

Library Notes week of March 30

Are you curious about the President’s stimulus package? We had the document – all 1434 pages—donated to us. Stop in if you want to wade through it. Also, April is National Poetry Month. If you go to http://www.poets.org/ you can get a poem a day sent to your e-mail. What a great way to celebrate!

We have lots of poetry titles. Below are just a few of the most recent we have in our collection.

Ballistics by Bill Collins. Two-term U.S. Poet Laureate touches on love, death, solitude, youth and aging in this collection of poetry. His tongue-in-cheek assault on the gloom and doubt in our poetry is his remedy for the loneliness that (even for him) shadows all poems: this is a poem, not a novel, he laments, and the only characters here are you and I,/ alone in an imaginary room/ which will disappear after a few more lines.

The Blue Hour of the Day by Lorna Crozier. Lorna Crozier has become one of Canada’s most beloved poets, receiving high acclaim and numerous awards. In this definitive selection of poems, Crozier’s trademark investigations of family, spirituality, love’s fierce attachments, and bereavement and loss have been given a new framework.

The Way It Is by William Stafford. His widely anthologized "Ceremony," "Thinking for Berky," and "Traveling through the Dark" are here, along with others, including "Adults Only," which begins, "Animals own a fur world; / people own worlds that are variously, pleasingly bare." A writer of silence, loss, memory, and conviction, Stafford wrote a poem almost every morning, rising at four to eat toast and compose. This is a part of his myth that the Stafford industry--other poets, workshop leaders, old friends--agrees is admirable, the hard-working farmhand who beats the cows to the dairy barn.

Library Notes week of March 9

Have you visited the library website lately? We have great things available to you. Homework help, automobile repair on-line. We also have a new page about the Library Book Club that meets here the 4th Wed. of the month. The page has a list of books they have read and discussed. Try out one of the titles you might not be familiar with.

Come by the Library and check out one of these new books.

The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan. Before there was Marley, there was a gleefully mischievous boy growing up in a devout Catholic home outside Detroit in the 1960s and '70s. Despite his loving parents' best efforts, John's attempts to meet their expectations failed spectacularly. Whether it was his disastrous first confession, the use of his hobby telescope to take in the bronzed Mrs. Selahowski sunbathing next door, the purloined swigs of sacramental wine, or, as he got older, the fumbled attempts to sneak contraband past his father and score with girls beneath his mother's vigilant radar.

Stronger After Stroke by Peter Levine. This book puts the power of recovery in the reader’s hands by providing easy instructions for reaching the highest possible level of healing. Written for stroke survivors, their caregivers, and their loved ones, the book presents a new approach that is startling in its simplicity: stroke survivors recover by using the same learning techniques that anyone uses to master anything. Basic concepts are covered, including repetition of task-specific movements, proper scheduling of practice, challenges at each stage of recovery, and setting goals and recognizing achievements.

American Rifle: a Biography by Alexander Rose. In this solid history, Rose explores the development of the rifle, such as how it evolved in American history to become an iconic symbol of freedom and how it developed as an effective military instrument as well as a private citizen's firearm. Drawing on numerous primary sources, from letters and journals of ordinary soldiers to the writings of inventors such as Samuel Colt, Rose traces the rise of the rifle from its original use as a hunting tool and a means of defense and protection to its eventual use as an offensive weapon in wars of conquest.

Library Notes Week of March 2

The Skagit Libraries are all participating in “Skagit County Reads One Book.” We are encouraging all adults to read Three Cups of Tea and for the kids we have Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand. There will be programs throughout the county centered around these two inspiring stories of how one person can make a difference. Multiple copies of both books will be distributed to libraries and schools throughout the county. Liz Scott will be at the Friends of the La Conner Library meeting, Monday, March 9, 9 a.m. at the Retirement Inn, 204 First Street, La Conner. Consider attending to hear the story of little Alex Scott.

Stop in to the library and see what is new. Here are a few of our latest arrivals.

Thai Die by Monica Ferris. Among the many souvenirs Betsy's friend Doris Valentine brings home from a Thailand vacation is a stone Buddha to be delivered to a St. Paul antiques dealer. When Doris discards the dirty cloth the Buddha was wrapped in, Betsy rescues the cloth, which turns out to be valuable silk more than 2,000 years old. Has Doris become an unwitting pawn in an international antiquities theft operation? After someone ransacks Doris's apartment and murders the antiques dealer, Sgt. Mike Malloy of the Excelsior police and civilian detective Betsy find themselves involved in a case more complicated than any needlework pattern she's ever attempted.

Cross Country by James Patterson. When the home of Alex Cross's oldest friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, the destruction leads him to believe that he's chasing a horrible new breed of killer. As Alex and his girlfriend, Brianna Stone, become entangled in the deadly Nigerian underworld of Washington D.C., what they discover is shocking: a stunningly organized gang of lethal teenagers headed by a powerful, diabolical man--the African warlord known as the Tiger. Just when the detectives think they're closing in on the elusive murderer, the Tiger disappears into thin air. Tracking him to Africa, Alex knows that he must follow. Alone.

The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith. Smith delivers yet another delightful installment to his Scotland Street series. This time out, he focuses mostly on the irrepressible Bertie Pollock, a precocious six-year-old whose mummy, Irene, forces him to play a saxophone, converse in Italian, do yoga and see Dr. Hugo Fairbairn, a psychotherapist who looks a lot like Bertie's baby brother, Ulysses. As Bertie struggles to accommodate his nutty mummy and new brother, another crisis explodes for artist Angus Lordie, whose beloved dog, Cyril, has been thrown in the pound for biting someone. Cyril is innocent, and Angus, with Bertie's assistance, sets out to rescue Cyril before he's put down.

Library Notes Week of February 9

Feb. 12, 2009 is the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. This would be a great time to read up on Lincoln’s life or explore other topics such as freedom, democracy and equality of opportunity. Lincoln inspired many people including poets like Walt Whitman and Carl Sandburg. If you are interested in Lincoln inspired poems check out http://www.abrahamlincoln200.org/ If you want to read his Gettysburg Address or find out more about his life we have books on him and remember we have the World Book on-line available through the homework page of our website http://www.lclib.lib.wa.us/. If you don’t have the password give us a call.

If you enjoy biographies, here are some of our newest ones.

Call Me Ted by Ted Turner. An innovative entrepreneur, outspoken nonconformist, and groundbreaking philanthropist, Ted Turner is truly a living legend, and now, for the first time, he reveals his personal story. From his difficult childhood to the successful launch of his media empire to the catastrophic AOL/Time Warner deal, Turner spares no details or feelings and takes the reader along on a wild and sometimes bumpy ride.

Amarcord: Marcella Remembers by Marciella Hazan. In an evocative memoir, she recounts her life from childhood to Florida Gulf Coast retirement. Hazan spent her earliest years on another coast, in Cesenatico, a village on the Adriatic; during WWII the family moved to a lake in the mountains between Venice and Milan. Fresh out of the university, she taught college math and science and met a young man who had returned to his Italian homeland after more than a decade in America. He loved food, and his worldliness and sophistication made a good match for the comparatively earthbound author.

Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir.
Writing with BBC correspondent Lewis (Slave), Bashir, a physician and refugee living in London, offers a vivid personal portrait of life in the Darfur region of Sudan before the catastrophe. Doted on by her father, who bucked tradition to give his daughter an education, and feisty grandmother, who bequeathed a fierce independence, Bashir grew up in the vibrant culture of a close-knit Darfur village. She anticipated a bright future after medical school, but tensions between Sudan's Arab-dominated Islamist dictatorship and black African communities like her Zaghawa tribe finally exploded into conflict.

Library Notes for the week of February 2

Are you aware of all the things our Friends of the Library do for our Library? They raise money to help us purchase books, furniture, even equipment that we would otherwise be unable to buy with our budget. If you are around on the third Monday of the month stop in and visit their meeting. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. with a social time, 9:30 for the program followed by a brief business meeting. They meet at the Retirement Inn. We appreciate all the things our Friends of the Library do for us. The library cannot have enough Friends—consider joining them!

We have lots of new books. Why not check out one of these:

Rachel’s Secret by B J Hoff. When the wounded Irish American riverboat captain, Jeremiah Gant, bursts into the rural Amish setting of Riverhaven, he brings chaos and conflict to the community―especially for young widow, Rachel Brenneman. The unwelcome “outsider” needs a safe place to recuperate before continuing his secret role as an Underground Railroad conductor. Neither he nor Rachel is prepared for the forbidden love that threatens to endanger a man’s mission, a woman’s heart, and a way of life for an entire people.

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs. Drawn together by the sense of family the club has created, the knitters rely on one another as they struggle with new challenges: for Catherine, finding love after divorce; for Darwin, the hope for a family; for Lucie, being both a single mom and a caregiver for her elderly mother; and for seventy something Anita, a proposal of marriage from her sweetheart, Marty, that provokes the objections of her grown children.

Crossroads by Belva Plain. Plain's latest book focuses on two women—privileged but plain Gwen Wright and beautiful but poor Jewel Fairchild. Their lives occasionally intersect, and eventually Jewel marries a wealthy man and discovers that money can't buy happiness. Gwen, meanwhile, marries a poor but honest man—but she still finds herself drawn to Jewel's husband, and the foursome is soon tangled in a web of deceit.

Library Notes for the week of January 5

Last year we had a great time providing a reading program for adults. Why should the kids have all the fun with their Summer Reading Program? Thanks to our partners—Friends of the Library and Next Chapter Bookstore—we will be running the Winter Reading Program from January 15-March 31. Pick up a reading record the week of January 12. After you finish reading three books, bring it in for a free “literary latte” and a chance to win a book lover’s basket of great local products.

Here are a few books from our new book shelf to get you started toward that free latte.

Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs. Chicago cartoonist Sarah Moon tackles life's real issues with a healthy dose of sharp wit in her syndicated comic strip Just Breathe. As Sarah's cartoon alter ego, Shirl, undergoes artificial insemination, her situation begins to mirror Sarah's own difficult attempts to conceive. However, Sarah's dreams of the future did not include her husband's infidelity: snag number two in Sarah's so-called perfect life.

Death Swatch by Laura Childs. Jekyl Hardy is hosting a Mardi Gras party in his French Quarter apartment, amid Zydeco rhythms and popping champagne corks. On a wild night like this, anything can happen. The guests—including scrapbook-store owner Carmela Bertrand—never imagine it will be murder. But as the evening progresses, Jekyl’s neighbor, float designer Archie Baudier, is found on the balcony choked to death with a barbed wire garrote. Buried up to her neck in strange clues, Carmela is sure of only one thing: whoever killed Archie is now following her.

The Red Scarf by Kate Furnivall. Davinsky Labor Camp, Siberia, 1933: Only two things in this wretched place keep Sofia from giving up hope: the prospect of freedom, and the stories told by her friend and fellow prisoner Anna, of a charmed childhood in Petrograd, and her fervent girlhood love for a passionate revolutionary named Vasily.