Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Books Into Movies Now at Theaters

Finding a good movie to see is pretty easy this holiday season. This year's releases include several inspired by books you'll find at the Library. Links to our catalog are provided.

The Imitation Game stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, a British mathematician who helped break Nazi codes during World War II. Andrew Hodges' biography Alan Turing: the Enigma is the basis for the film. You'll find the book at BT688H.

The much anticipated adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken has had lots of publicity, in part because Angelina Jolie directed it but also because of the man whose experiences are the subject of the film. A favorite of the Library's Non-Fiction Book Group, Unbroken is the story of Louis Zamperini, Olympic track star/ World War II Army pilot/ Japanese prisoner of war.  If you haven't  read the book, I recommend you do. As the book group concluded, "they don't make many like Zamperini anymore." And Hillenbrand is a terrific writer. Her earlier book Seabiscuit was also adapted into a great film. If you haven't read Unbroken, the Library has several copies. You'll find it in hardcover and audiobook at 940.5472 H642u.

Another book group favorite was Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Strayed decides to hike more than 1000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail as a way to deal with her mother's death, a divorce, and some self-destructive behaviors. Her lack of experience and training make for some funny moments, while some encounters with fellow hikers are suspenseful. You'll find this story of self-discovery and redemption at 796.51 S913w. Friends who've seen the movie liked it and say it's true to the book.

That's not the case with Foxcatcher, the movie about John duPont's murder of Dave Schultz. Dave and his brother Mark were Olympic gold medalists in wrestling. DuPont had established a wrestling facility at his Foxcatcher Farm estate in Newtown Square, inviting the Schultz brothers to make his dream of creating a world-class wrestling team come true. After seeing the movie and liking it, I wanted to learn more, so I read Mark Schultz book Foxcatcher: the True Story of My Brother's Murder, John duPont's Madness, and the Quest for Olympic Gold.  All that did was lead to more questions. In the book the relationship between duPont and Mark Shultz plus the implied motivations for duPont's actions are not as clear as those in the movie. Foxcatcher can be found at 796.812 S388f

American Sniper had a limited opening on Christmas Day. Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle, whose autobiography is the basis for the film. Kyle, the most lethal sniper in US military history, served tours from 1999 to 2009. You'll find the book at 956.7 K99a.

So what's with the torture, murder, and angst? Where are Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler? Why so many dark movies in this season of light? According to Bruce Nash, there may be three reasons:

  1. The Oscars. To qualify for the next awards, a film must be shown in a commercial theater during the 2014 calendar year. A Christmas screening is just under the wire.
  2. Christmas on Thursday. That's not a big opening day. These films are intended to be seen well into 2015 so no Christmas themes.
  3. Recouping an investment. For maximum profit, a Christmas-themed movie will come out earlier. Just like decorations and urgent reminders to get your gift shopping done, the Christmas-appropriate movies may be out as early as November. 


Friday, December 26, 2014

Palmer Evening Book Group **UPDATES**

The annual book swap, originally posted as being January 26th, will now be on January 27th.

There will be a discussion on February 24th for the book Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline. The discussion will be led by the always-lovely Sharon S.

There will also be a discussion on March 24th for Rosie Project by Graeme Simison, led by the equally-lovely Joan V.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Today's Birthday

Today is the birthday of Madam C.J. Walker, a manufacturer of hair products.
For books about hair styling and care, see 646.724.
For books about barbers and hairdressing, see 391.5.
For books about hair loss, see 616.546.

Monday, December 22, 2014

BRINGING RECIPES ALIVE @ 641.5: Dinner Slow Cooker Recipes




Join us on our culinary adventure through our cookbook collection.  Our staff will post recipes reflecting various cultures and nutritional needs which will be cross-referenced to a specific cookbook and page in our collection (641.5). 

 

Come along with us and explore the wonders of how food can open your world to lifelong happiness and good health.

 






Wouldn't we all love to have dinner ready and waiting for us when we get home after a long day? Or are you busy all day caring for your children with little time for preparation and cooking every day? Or maybe you are running from one job to the next with little time to prepare food? Maybe you need a main dish to take to a potluck? The following slow cooker dinner recipes are some favorites that require very little prep time, but provide a satisfying home-cooked meal ready when you are!







 Check back weekly in December for other slow cooker meal ideas...all from the EAPL stacks!

Read more for the full, adapted recipes.


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

BRINGING RECIPES ALIVE @ 641.5: Soup Slow Cooker Recipes

Join us on our culinary adventure through our cookbook collection.  Our staff will post recipes reflecting various cultures and nutritional needs which will be cross-referenced to a specific cookbook and page in our collection (641.5). 

 

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Come along with us and explore the wonders of how food can open your world to lifelong happiness and good health.

 



WHO DOESN'T LOVE SOUP?   A slow cooker is the perfect method to prepare soup.  Load it up with your favorite ingredients and let it do it's magic...  in several hours, it is ready to eat.  Pair it with fresh bread and/or salad and you have a healthy, hearty meal.

Below you will find some recipes we have posted for you, but don't hesitate to change it up... add or subtract ingredients to make it your own...  have fun with it!

As mentioned in the first slow cooker blog posted Dec. 9th, these sources can be found in our stacks.


 Check back weekly in December for other slow cooker meal ideas...
all from the EAPL stacks!

Scroll down for the full adapted recipes.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

What You'll Find at This Week's Book Sale



We advertised 14,000 items for sale, and here's some of what you'll find.

We have a section devoted to holiday-themed books and items. Volunteers have removed those that have been personalized so many are suitable for gifting. There are also bins of "like new" gift books donated by a store that went out of business. 



Looking for children's gift books? You'll find four shelves devoted to children's Christmas books  - plus a few on Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Many are like new. And that's in addition to hundreds of children's books arranged by age appropriateness, picture books, chapter books, etc.  Why pay $3 to $12 for a children's book when you can buy them at our sale for $ .50 or $1.00?



A college professor donated a large collection of books about African history and the diaspora, slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean, and women's history and studies. You'll find these in our already extensive section on American, world, and military history.

You'll find books for every interest. Art is another large section with art history, techniques, individual artists and schools, etc. Local history is bigger than usual - these go fast. We have about six shelves of biographies, eleven of cookbooks, several on sewing and crafts and home projects along with philosophy, literature, business, foreign languages, etc.

Fiction is sorted by genre - mystery, action, fantasy, young adult, Manga, etc. Media includes music CDs, books on CD, and movies on DVD. Most media items sell for $1.00. For those of you who still have working VCRs, videos are $ .25 each.


Our sale is easy to shop. Items are cleaned, sorted, and placed on shelves or tables; tables and shelves are clearly labelled by subject or genre. The only books in boxes are textbooks and duplicates.

Best of all, we price to sell! Hard covers, trade (quality) paperbacks, CDs, and DVDs are $1.00. Small paperbacks and children's books are $ .50. Videos and Harlequin romances are $ .25.

The Main Library is located at 515 Church Street between N. 5th and 6th Streets. The city has put parking meters on most street parking, so you should find nearby parking if our lot is full. Just remember to feed the meters! Enter the sale from the Church Street entrance which is handicapped-accessible.

The public sale   opens on Friday, December 12 at 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. Saturday hours are 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Monday, December 15, is Half-Price Day from 2:00 to 7:00 pm. Tuesday, December 16, is $5 Bag Day from 2:00 to 7:00 pm. We supply the bags.

December 10 - What should we celebrate?

December 10th is Human Rights Day.
For books about constitutional law and history, see 342.
For books about civil and political rights, see 323.
For books about public schools and state education, see 379.

On this date in 1684, Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity, contained in the paper "On the motion of bodies in an orbit," was read to the Royal Society by Edmund Halley.
For books about mathematical physics, see 530.15.
For books about gravity, see 531.5.
For biographies of physicists, see 530.92.
For books about astronomical objects and astrophysics, see 523.
For books about planetary orbits, see 521.3.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

BRINGING RECIPES ALIVE @ 641.5: Breakfast Slow Cooker Recipes



https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6bypD4iWW4d-7rt0ooRD7TXDuyo83EfIMbJz7syLvZm4hqzppLnOjXJytG9qZdsK_wzfXD40h2bMP7AAioB-yobPzo4QksONP8JTyQMKemFg9zgQmMRj88rG7cyx_w-OHizvsi9zjBE/s640/blogger-image-1813374555.jpg

Join us on our culinary adventure through our cookbook collection.  Our staff will post recipes reflecting various cultures and nutritional needs which will be cross-referenced to a specific cookbook and page in our collection (641.5). 

 

 

Come along with us and explore the wonders of how food can open your world to lifelong happiness and good health.

 

 



       
      
Having guests and want some delicious brunch ideas? Would you rather spend Christmas morning with your family than in the kitchen cooking? Or maybe you wish you could have a hot, satisfying breakfast ready when you wake up on a cold winter morning without all the fuss? Maybe your family likes to have breakfast for dinner (we call it "brinner" in my house)? These following recipes can be made ahead and cook while you are sleeping.....or working, or wrapping gifts!

 Our favorites for this blog can be found in the stacks of EAPL:
Check back weekly in December for other slow cooker meal ideas...all from the EAPL stacks!

Scroll down for the full adapted recipes.

Monday, December 8, 2014

December 8 - What should we celebrate?

December 8th is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day.
For books about costumes and fashion, see 391.
For books about relativity and time warps, see 530.11.
For books about time in a metaphysical sense, see 115.
For books about chronology, see 529.

December 8th is also the birthday of Eli Whitney, who was born in 1765.
For biographies of inventors, see 609.2.
For biographies of engineers, see 926.2.
For books about farm devices and implements, see 681.7.
For books about manufacturing cotton, wool, and other fabrics, see 677.

December 8th is also Bodhi Day in Japan.
For books about the Buddha, see 294.36.
For biographies of buddhists, see 294.309.
For books about Buddhist meditation, see 294.344.
For books about oriental philosophies, see 181.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

December 4 - What should we celebrate?

December 4th is Dice Day.
For books about dice games, see 795.1.

December 4th is also Cookie Day.
For books about baking cookies, see 641.8654.

December 4th is also World Wildlife Conservation Day.
For books about animal conservation, see 333.954.
For books about animal habitat and migration, see 591.52.
For books about rare and endangered species, see 578.68.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

December 3 - What should we celebrate?

December 3rd is Make a Gift Day.
For books about hand crafts, see 745.5.

December 3rd is also Disability Day.
For books about people with physical disabilities, see 362.4.
For books about people with learning disabilities, see 362.3.
For books about people with mental illnesses, see 362.2.

On this date in 1967, Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant, in South Africa.
For books about heart surgery, see 617.412.
For books about heart transplants, see 617.951.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Palmer Evening Book Group: December 2014 **NO MEETING**

Unfortunately, this month we are not holding our monthly book group, as the fourth Tuesday falls on the week of Christmas. So hey, Happy Holidays!!! We will be having our annual book swap on January 26th, so we'll post a reminder when the date comes closer.

For the book swap, bring in a book that you enjoyed (all wrapped up like a present), so that you can share the amazing story with others.

Sew Others May Be Warm

This knitting and crocheting charity meets every Thursday from 1-2:30 at the Palmer branch of the Easton Area Public Library. Yarn will be provided, but you must bring either your own knitting needles or crochet hook.

Some of the group’s donations have included baby and preemie hats for Easton Hospital, adult wool hats for Safe Harbor, and blue scarves for children of abuse. The ladies have also knitted bereavement blankets to be donated to area hospitals, made for the mothers of babies who are taken off life support.

All ages are welcome to join!!!!!

December 2 - What should we celebrate?

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is Giving Tuesday.
For books about charity, see 361.
For books about child welfare, see 362.7.
For books about virtues such as patience and gentleness, see 179.9.

December 2nd is Fritters Day.
For books about frying food, see 641.77.
For books about cooking with fruit, see 641.64.
For books about cooking with vegetables, see 641.65.

On this date in 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned emperor of France in Paris.
For books about Napoleon, see BN216 in the biography section.
For books about the French Revolution, see 944.04.
For books about the First Empire of France, see 944.05.