Best Books of 2014

Celebrate the New Year with one of the "Best Books of 2014!"

New York Times' 10 Best Books of 2014:

FICTION

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
• Euphoria by Lily King
• Family Life by Akhil Sharma
• Redeployment by Phil Klay

NONFICTION 

• Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
• On Immunity: An Inoculation by Eula Biss
• Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life by Hermione Lee
• The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
• Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David by Lawrence Wright

 Washington Post's 10 Best Books of 2014:

 FICTION

• A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
• Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
• The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

NONFICTION

• Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
• Berlin: Portrait of a City Through the Centuries by Rory MacLean
• Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans by Gary Krist
• The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
• Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh by John Lahr 

See also Goodreads Choice Awards (selected by readers), Publishers Weekly, and Slate for other "top" lists.

You can search the Library's catalog to check availability and place holds.

Happy New Year!

New electronics this holiday season? Check out FREE eBooks!

The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library offers free downloadable books through OverDrive Media Console--available to you 24 hours a day.  You just need a device, a library card number and password--some devices will also require an App or two,  but it is all free!  With OverDrive books, you can't even rack up any fines because the books automatically return themselves!

A bonus for the kids: For a limited time, to encourage families to use new computers, tablets and other technologies for reading this holiday season, StarWalk Kids Media is  making all eBooks in its collection available free of charge for anyone with Internet access —children, families and educators—from December 24, 2014 through January 5, 2015. NO Passwords • NO logins. Kids can just start reading by visiting StarWalkKids.com/PopUp.

Anyone who visits StarWalkKids.com/popup can immediately read any eBook on any device. Most StarWalk Kids eBooks also offer a “Read to Me” option for kids, with high quality, professional narration.

A Wealth of Resources, All Free

I do work at a library and I love what I do, but I am also a huge advocate for all the great, free things a library offers.  Across the country, each library is different as staff evaluates the needs of a community.  Our library carries a wide array of DVDs and blu-ray movies to borrow at the cost of zero dollars and zero cents.  The cost is the same for borrowing new cooking books, biographies, and fiction titles.  Perhaps you have a New Year's resolution that involves shedding a few pounds.  With more than 100 exercise DVDs we've got you covered.  There is always a chance that there is a new tablet, Kindle, Nook, or Fire under the tree eagerly waiting for you.  In that case, we have free ebooks available on our website.  What's that?  You're more of a music person?  Freegal is a free database that allows you to download three songs per week with your library card.  Both ebook and music databases have apps that you can download on your smart phone or tablet, giving you or a loved one a great opportunity for portability during the holiday season or any season.  Trust me when I say I could go on and on and if you have seen the lady with the purple hair, you likely have been on the receiving end of one of my long speeches (in case you did not know, we also offer great programs for teens, including Kitchen Sink Crafts and a first ever Count Down to Noon Years).  We hope to see your smiling faces soon and while all of our staff is more than happy to assist you, you can always ask for the Teen Librarian.  I am the only one and I would be happy to help you.

Evergreen Upgrade and Downtime

Beginning the evening of December 23^rd the Evergreen Indiana online catalog system will be shut down for maintenance and upgrades; it will be back online on December 28^th.  

To accommodate our patrons during this downtime, all checked out items will have extended due dates during this period,with nothing due Dec. 24 - Dec. 28! Plus, anything returned during this time will be handled as if it were returned on Dec. 23^rd.  We do ask that you be patient during that time as it will likely take a little longer than usual to get all items checked in.

This downtime also means that from the evening of the 23^rd through the 28^th you will not be able to access your regular library account to place holds, renew items, check due dates, or pay fines.

Regarding your Overdrive account; if you have set up your account prior to the Evergreen system shutting down on the 23^rd, you will still be able to access that account to download eBooks and audio books. So, if Santa will be bringing you an e-reader for Christmas and you want to be able to borrow electronic items right away, be sure that you have signed into Overdrive and set up your account before the 23^rd. You can sign-in using your library card number and PIN HERE.

Include Fitness in Your Holiday Plans

The last thing we are apt to think about this time of year is fitness.  Then when January comes, we groan and moan about the weight we gained and the energy we lost during the holidays.  The November/December issue of "Pilates Style" magazine has some tips for us to maintain our fitness routine during this busy time of year:

Do Some De-Stressing:  "Putting your fitness routine first will help you manage all the stress that comes this time of year."  What better way to beat stress than yoga? 

With all the mindful breathing and slow poses, one of these routines will get you relaxed in no time.

Stay Ahead of the "New Year, New You" Game: "Getting back into shape is so much harder than maintaining your exercise routine."  We say to ourselves that we'll get back to it when life slows down.  But when does that happen?   If walking is your choice, walk with one of these DVDs.  We have several choices for you by Leslie Sansone and others.  One mile is only 15 minutes.  Get the family off the couch and get walking.

Every Good Plan Has a Backup: "Whether you skip class for holiday shopping, eat too much fudge, or snooze through your morning class, don't panic."  Just get to your library.   One of the most popular classes is Zumba.  We have a great option, a 7 DVD set that will keep you dancing all December long.  You'll feel great when you say hello to 2015.

And don't worry, if you skip these guidelines from "Pilates Style", we'll still be here in January to help you with those New Years Resolutions!

Tandem Read Book Club

The Tandem Read Book Club is back! This Parent/Child book club will meet on the second Monday of each month from January to May.  Parents and children can spend quality time reading together and talking about children’s literature.  During our Book Club meeting we have a pot-luck dinner so we can eat while we discuss the book of the month--it is always very tasty!

We are hosting a Tandem Read Book Club Kick-off Party where we will provide PIZZA and discuss the upcoming books we will be reading.  You will also get to pick up the first book so you will have plenty of time to read over winter break!  The Tandem Read Book Club Kick-off Party will be Mon., Dec 15 at 6:30  PM.

The books we will be reading are listed below.  You register for each meeting individually.

January 12: Whittington by Alan Armstrong

February 9: Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

March 9: Gregor the Overlander By Suzanne Collins

April 13:Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

May 11: Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck

That's a Wrap!

"Thank you so much for the free wrapping station!!  Total home run!"  

Today is the fourth day of our first ever free wrapping station and it is already a huge hit.  Simply pack gifts to be wrapped into the car and head to the Library.  From wrapping paper, to tape, scissors, gift tags and bags, we have everything you need to wrap your gifts.  Did we mention it is free?  With too many tasks calling your name at home, be sure to steal some time away for yourself, grab a hot cocoa and head to the Library.  You are welcome to wrap whenever the Library is open and we will keep the fun going until we run out of supplies.  Gift wrapping, just another way the Library is here to help.

Hilarious Author Coming to the Library

    

  

Next Tuesday, Dec. 16th at 6:30 PM, syndicated columnist and WISH-TV feature reporter Dick Wolfsie will bring his unique outlook on life to the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library. Join us to hear him talk about his latest collection of essays, The Right Fluff. You'll discover why he has only round numbers in his check book, stole another man's underwear, and is listed as a female with Medicare, among many other hilarious insights. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.   To make sure you get a seat, register ahead of time by clicking  here or calling the Library (317) 873-8341.

See you at the Library!

Picture an Old-Fashioned Christmas

Step inside the Library’s Fifth Street lobby this Christmas season and you’ll be greeted by a towering old-fashioned Christmas tree and a friendly wooden Santa.  It’s the perfect spot to bring your family for a low-stress, tear-free picture with St. Nick!  This year, members of the Circulation Department helped decorate for the season by stringing popcorn, spraying snow on pine cones, creating paper snowflakes, and wrapping "presents" to go underneath our tree.  If you look carefully, you may find old-fashioned red toy ornaments scattered on the tree.  The result is a beautiful, picture-worthy tree all residents can enjoy. Share your photos with the Library on Twitter or Facebook and use the hashtag: #ZPLAmazing!

Remembering Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson, one of America’s premier poets, was born nearly two-hundred years ago on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Daughter of a prominent lawyer, and granddaughter of one of Amherst University’s founders, Dickinison was the second of three children.

Dickinson lived a quiet life. Only a few of her poems were published during her lifetime, and those were published anonymously. Shortly after the poet's death in 1886, her younger sister, Lavinia, discovered hundreds of short, untitled verses, some sewn together in booklets, others copied on small fragments of paper. Transcribing these handwritten poems presented a major challenge.  (Images of Dickinson’s poems can be viewed at Emily Dickinson Archive.) Editing and publishing them also created a rift between members of Dickinson's family and friends.
 
In Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family’s Feuds, Lyndall Gordon tells Dickinson's story in two parts. The first half of the book presents the poet’s life, including Lyndall’s speculation that epilepsy contributed to Dickinson’s reclusiveness; the second half recounts the strife that arose over the disposition of Dickinson’s unpublished work.

For more information about the poet and her writings visit the Emily Dickinson Museum.

The Library has several books about Dickinson including Lives Like Loaded Guns (B DICKINSON, GORDON) and The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, edited by Thomas H. Johnson, (811 DICKINSON).

WANTED: Jingle the Elf

Have you found Jingle the Elf yet? He'll be hiding out in the Youth Department until Christmas! Come on in and find him, and be sure to tell the librarian at the Youth Department desk what he's getting into for your prize!

Check out where's he's already been!

Hanging out with Raggedy Anne & Andy!

Resting in his igloo.

Are You a "Body Beast"?

We now have the Body Beast DVDs at your library.  If you've sweated through P90X and Insanity, this is the next high intensity workout for you to try.

This set includes seven DVDs:

1. Beast Basics
2. Chest/Tris,  Shoulders, Beast, Abs
3. Legs, Back/Bis
4. Chest, Back, Legs
5. Shoulders, Arms, Beast, Abs
6. Cardio, Abs
7. Total Body, Abs

Body Beast is built on the concept of "Dynamic Set Training".  The developers describe it as "a specific sequence of sets and reps which maximize the muscle's time under tension with the goal of exhausting the muscle and "recruiting" more muscle fiber".

This system does require some equipment.  They suggest:

• Curl bar, dumbbells, or resistance bands
• Flat-incline bench or stability ball
• Chin-up bar or resistance bands with door attachment

 This is for people who want big gains in muscle mass.  They say it is possible to add ten pounds of muscle in 90 days. Though it appears that all the demonstrators are men, this system is also for women who are not afraid of lifting weights. 

Although there is a lot of sweating going on during these workouts, the exercises themselves are basic tried-and-true movements.  There is not any complicated choreography, just straight-forward weight lifting.  If this sounds good to you, come get your Beast on.

The Best Holiday Concert in Town

Come to Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library for the best holiday concert in town! On Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 PM, three local groups will put on a fun, festive revue of classic holiday music for all ages. First, the Strolling Strings of Zionsville Middle School will bring their youthful sound. Next come the silver bells of the Zionsville United Methodist Church Bell Choir. Rounding out the show will be the Victorian voices of the Dickens Carolers, donning their 19th century apparel. A combination of old and new you don't want to miss. While at the Library, you'll have a chance to do a little holiday shopping. Books, crafts, and all sorts of unique items will be on hand. To make sure you get a seat, register ahead of time by clicking here or calling the Library at (317) 873-3149 ext. 12400.
See you at the Library!

Raffle Winner Revealed for the Scary Book Challenge

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Scary Book Challenge!  The reading logs were passed out at the Boone Village Trick or Treat event and we are impressed with how many logs made it back to the Library!  The winner of the prize basket was pulled this week and he was excited to pick up his prize.  It isn’t so scary to come into the Library to get books, stop in and see us soon!