Making a List

Turning the Pages 

Here's a quick list of new books, both fiction and non-fiction, that you might like to add to your reading list.  Expect more than a few of these titles to rise to bestseller or recommended status, if they haven't already.

The Sublime Engine : A Biography of the Human Heart by novelist Stephen Amidon (Human Capital, 2005) and his cardiologist brother, Thomas Amidon, offers a stunning tribute to the heart in art, literature, science, and popular culture.

Fans of crime and suspense fiction (sprinkled with humor, of course) may enjoy Something for Nothing, a debut fiction title by David Anthony.

Dreams of Joy is Lisa See's follow up to Shanghai Girls (2009).

National Book Award finalist Francine Prose's (Blue Angel, 2000) latest is My New American Life, an immigrant tale set in post 9/11 New York.

Newspaper guy Pete Hamill brings us Tabloid City.  Plot = "When a wealthy socialite and her secretary are found murdered in a stately West Village townhouse, a flurry of seemingly unrelated people spring into action." (Publisher description)

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo is a hot pick by many looking for more, more, more in the way of fiction from Nordic lands; e.g. Steig Larsson's Girl With.. titles.

Will Allison's The Long Drive Home tells the story of a reckless driving accident and its anguishing, for all, aftermath.

True crime fans will no doubt appreciate The Man in the Rockefeller Suit : The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Impostor by Mark Seal.

Perspective Is Everything

Reading the Robisons

If you read Augusten Burrough's bestselling memoir, Running with the Scissors (2002), you will remember his older brother John Elder Robison.  Robison authored Look Me In the Eye : My Life With Aspergers, (2007) which also achieved bestseller status.  Robison's latest release is Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian with Practical Advice for Aspergians, Misfits, Families and Teachers.

Also weighing in is Margaret Robison, Augusten and John's mother, with her memoir The Long Journey Home, which was released last week.

Listen to a podcast about the three authors and their books, courtesy of NPR's Morning Edition.

Memorial Day Reads

Leading Up to Memorial Day 2011

When making plans to attend Memorial Day observances and family gatherings, you might like to add one or more of the following books to your weekend agenda.  WWII titles are featured since veterans of this war are well into their 80s and 90s.

If you read the The Greatest Generation series by Tom Brokaw, you will no doubt appreciate The Last Good War : The Faces and Voices of World War II.

Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff "unleashes the exhilarating, untold story of an extraordinary World War II rescue mission, where a plane crash in the South Pacific plunged a trio of U.S. military personnel into the jungle-clad land of New Guinea."  Listen to an author interview courtesy of NPR.

Before Julia Child became a chef, she served in the OSS along with her husband, Paul, and Jane Foster, who turned out to be a Soviet spy.  Pair A Covert Affair with Julia's memoir, My Life in France. Author Jennet Conant's earlier book, The Irregulars : Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington, also reads like a thriller with plenty of who's who appeal.

The Long Road Home : The Aftermath of the Second World War by Ben Shephard explores the post-war refrugee crisis and what happened to the millions of people displaced by the war in Europe.

Alex Kershaw's The Envoy tells the "epic and heroic story of how Raoul Wallenberg out-dueled Adolph Eichmann and saved more than 100,000 Jews in Budapest from the Nazi death camps."  Pair this title with Schindler's List or the The Bielski Brothers. 

Surf's Up
Also consider visiting the Veterans History Project website, a project of the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. The project "preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war."

Forever Young

Longevity and You
Here's a few additions to the growing canon of consumer health and popular science titles about how to achieve good health and a longer life.

Oprah guru Bob Greene's latest, 20 Years Younger, offers plenty of sage advice on how to look better, feel better, and age gracefully.

Also try The Longevity Project : Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study by Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin. The authors examine an eight-decade-long study of 1,500 people; surprising conclusions abound.

Fans of scientific adventures will enjoy Long for This World : The Strange Science of Immortality by Pulitzer winner Jonathan Weiner.  Learn about cutting-edge research and explore the questions "Could we live forever? And if we could--would we want to?"

Related Reading
Forever Young by Nicholas Perricone
YOU: Staying Young by Mehmet Oz
Treat Me, Not my Age by Mark Lachs
The Water Secret by Howard Murad
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell; Thomas M. Campbell II
Healthy Aging by Andrew Weil

Timing Is Everything

Navy Seals
Though scheduled for publication long ago, The Heart and the Fist : the Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy Seal was published on April 11 and  Seal Team Six : Memoirs of an Elite Navy Seal Sniper was published on May 10.  The former book is now riding high on several national best seller lists.

Further Reading and Viewing
Lone Survivor : the Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson

Seals : The US Navy's Elite Fighting Force by Mir Bahmanyar and Christopher Osman

Walking Point : The Experiences of a Founding Member of the Elite-Navy Seals by Chief James Watson

The Teams : an Oral History of the U.S. Navy Seals edited by Kevin Dockery and Bill Fawcett

History of the Navy (3-disc documentary with historical footage)

Dylan Turns 70

Happy Birthday
Bob Dylan celebrates his 70th birthday next Tuesday, May 24.

For more info about one of the most influential singer/songwriters of the second half of 20th century history -- and who's probably supplied at least one song to the soundtrack of your life -- find books and music @ your library.

Books for Adults and Teens
Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan
Positively 4th Street by David Hajdu
Bob Dylan in America by Sean Wilentz
No Direction Home : The Life and Music of Bob Dylan by Robert Shelton

For Kids
Man Gave Names to All the Animals by Bob Dylan; Jim Arnosky (Illustrator)
When Bob [Dylan] Met Woody [Guthrie] : The Story of the Young Bob Dylan by Gary Golio; Marc Burckhardt (Illustrator)

Music
For a quick list of Dylan CDs available for checkout, including great covers by others, click here.

Magazines
There's all Dylan all the time at Rolling Stone online now and the print issue is up and coming.  Library subscribes.  Be there.

Surf's Up
Also visit the Rock Hall and Roll of Fame.

Photo Above
Dylan, Bob. Photograph. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition Web. 17 May 2011. Click here and use your EHPL library card to login.

Counting Down to Father's Day

Books for Guys

We certainly don't want to stereotype anyone's reading choices and yet a few of the following books have a decidedly "guy" feel.  We'll leave the rest up to you...

If you've seen Guys and Dolls, you may enjoy reading about the real life man who inspired the Sky Masterson character who, as you know, gambled on everything.  Try Titanic Thompson : the Man Who Bet On Everything by Kevin Cook.

The Man Cave Book by Michael H. Yost and Jeff Wilser is a sometimes hilarious though unintentional take on a Billy Joel song line : "Yes, we all need a room of our own."

Ken Denmead writes the blog Geek Dad : Raising Geek Generation 2.0 for Wired Magazine.  His latest title is The Geek Dad's Guide to Weekend Fun : Cool Hacks, Cutting-edge Games, and More Awesome Projects for the Whole Family.

How to Be a Man : a Guide to Style and Behavior for the Modern Gentleman is authored by Glenn O'Brien.  O'Brien writes The Style Guy column for GQ magazine.

He flew through the air with the greatest of ease... on a motorcycle.  Enjoy Leigh Montville's Evel : the High-flying Life of Evel Knievel : American Showman, Daredevil, and Legend.

If you're a baseball fan family, try Baseball in the Garden of Eden : the Secret History of the Early Game by noted baseball historian John Thorn.

Ben Thompson's two Bada** titles are available; the latest title includes more than a few bada** women, too.

Thanks to Library Journal's BookSmack! and Books for Dudes

For Parents

MCSAAC and the East Hampton LPC
On the alphabet soup front, MCSAAC stands for Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council, a prevention organization that works to reduce substance abuse in Middlesex County.  The East Hampton LPC (Local Prevention Council) is an offshoot of MCSAAC; the LPC is made up of volunteers and sponsors prevention programs in our community.

Upcoming LPC Program: Bath Salt Drug Trend
On Monday, May 16, the LPC will sponsor an informational forum about bath salts, one of the emerging drugs of choice among young people.  The program begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Goff House and is open to the public.  Featured speakers include:

Betsey Chadwick, Director, MCSAAC, will present on a comprehensive drug survey taken in East Hampton.

Robert Powers, Ph.D, Director of our state's Controlled Substances/Toxicology Laboratory, will discuss the latest drug trends and what they can do to the body.

Erica Zup, Marriage & Family Therapist, will be on hand to answer questions regarding how to open family discussions about drug use.

Surf's Up
National Institute on Drug Abuse
The Huffington Post (same content on Fox News)
WebMD

Keep Your Wallets Light and Your Light Bulbs Bright!

Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge
Did you know that by switching from incandescent to compact florescent bulbs (CFLs), you generate far less pollution and save valuable household dollars over the lifetime of the bulb?

One easy way to ditch those energy inefficient bulbs and put money back into your wallet is to join the Neighbor to Neighbor Lighting Program.  Sign up and trained Clean Energy Corps team members will replace select incandescent bulbs with CFLs (insert drum roll) for free!  Click here to join the lighting challenge and for detailed information about the replacement program.

Upcoming Events
If you would like to learn more about the lighting program initiative, join us at the library on Saturday, June 11 for a free workshop.  Bring your questions about lighting and other sponsored energy savings plans that may work for you.

About Neighbor to Neighbor
The Town of East Hampton is one of 14 communities in the state that has been selected to participate in the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge.  This challenge is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.  The goal is to help reduce conventional energy usage by promoting energy efficiency measures and encouraging the use of clean energy options on a local level.

For each energy saving step we take as residents of East Hampton, our Town and participating community groups earn reward points that may be applied to clean energy related products and services to benefit our community as a whole. When you participate, everyone wins!

Adventures and Adventurers

To Boldly Go...

Books about explorers and adventurers are certainly about discoveries but most include sub-plots featuring intrigue, lessons on leadership, or unimaginable hardship.  Here's a few recommended reads for history and travel enthusiasts.

Fatal Journey : the Final Expedition of Henry Hudson by Peter C. Mancall

Henry Hudson's final expedition in the winter of 1610 ended with mutiny, resulting in Hudson, his son, and other crew members being forced off the boat and set adrift in the frigid Hudson Bay.

Sea of Dangers : Captain Cook and His Rivals in the South Pacific by Geoffrey Blainey

You have no doubt heard of the British Captain Cook; perhaps not the French Captain, Jean de Surville.  In 1769, both captains set out in search of a missing continent.  Pair this one with Joan Druett's book about Cook's Polynesian navigator, Tupaia.

The Man Who Ate His Boots by Anthony Brandt

Recounts the 19th century British Navy's many futile attempts to find the fabled Northwest Passage.

Irresistible North : From Venice to Greenland on the Trail of the Zen Brothers by Andrea Di Robilant

The Zen brothers explored parts of the New World a century before Columbus and centuries later, ended up at the center of a fraud controversy. The book is due for release in May.

The Lost City of Z : a Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

A major bestseller in 2010, Grann's book takes on the story of what happened to British explorer Percy Fawcett in his 1925 quest to find an ancient civilization known as El Dorado.  Reads like a thriller.

Champlain's Dream by David Hackett Fischer

If you have vacationed along the lake in Vermont, New York, or Quebec, you know his name.  But who, exactly, was Champlain?  A soldier, spy, master mariner, explorer, cartographer, artist and all around influential man...

Race to the End : Amundsen, Scott, and the Attainment of the South Pole by Ross D.E. MacPhee

Norway's Roald Amundsen and England's Robert Scott made simultaneous attempts to be the first to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912.  You may know their stories but MacPhee's book, complete with diary reproductions and a wealth of photographic detail, adds dimension to their place in history.

Owner-Managed Businesses

Start-Up Guides

The library holds a number of guidebooks useful to people exploring the idea of channelling their talents into starting a business.  Here's a few of the most recently requested titles, by topic.

Lawn Care or Landscaping -- Pet-Sitting & Dog Walking -- Tutoring -- Consulting -- Gift Baskets -- Food -- Clothing Store/Consignment -- Home Cleaning.

For general information on starting a small business, try the latest edition of the Small Business Start-up Kit, published by Nolo Press.  As always, if you are looking for a guide book on how to start a business of another type, please do pass on your recommendations for purchase. 

Last Call : Composter and Rain Barrel Campaign Ends April 30th

Easy Ways to "Go Green"
The East Hampton Public Library is collaborating with East Hampton Public Works and the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) to make Earth Machine backyard compost bins available to the public at an affordable price. In this year's campaign, you can also purchase an affordably priced systern rain barrel. (Today's Hartford Courant features an informative article about rain barrels.)

Click here to read about the products and their respective features and functions. Click here to download an order form. Price include cost of the composter or rain barrel plus CT state sales tax.

After taxes, the library will 'make' about $2 for every unit sold. Of note, 2010's compost bin campaign netted the library $108 which we used to buy books about eco-friendly topics. We'll do the same this year.

Orders must be received by the library by April 30, 2011.

Spring Cleaning

Add a Sheen to Your Homestead

Spring cleaning may not be a favorite job but who doesn't enjoy the outcome?  Here's a few new titles that may help guide your efforts, each with a different viewpoint.

Planet Home by Jeffrey Hollender and Alexandra Zissu

This one walks the reader through the how-to's of cleaning room-to-room and offers easy 'recipes' for making your own cleaning products. Hollender's the founder of eco-friendly household cleaner and personal care company Seventh Generation.

Just Clean Enough by I.B. Caruso and Jenny Schroedel

Just because you're busy doesn't mean you have to lower your standards.  In 5-20 minutes a day, the authors suggest you can cut the clutter, clean and freshen your space, and give yourself permission to be ever so slightly imperfect.

The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly House Cleaning by Anne B. Kocsis

One in a series of eco-friendly titles from Atlantic Publishing Group.

House of Havoc by Marni Jameson

Another fun and reasonable take on keeping it clean by the author of 2009's The House Always Wins.

Cleaning Magic by Joey Green

A book about offbeat ways to use brand-name products to solve problems the products were not designed to solve?  Couldn't help but think of the old SNL routine (floor wax AND a dessert topping!")  Have fun. 

Upcoming Events

Look ahead to June 9th when the library will be offering a free workshop about how to make your own eco-friendly, low-impact cleaning solutions.  Click here for info.

Cute Pooches

Fun Dog Stories
For kids who like dogs, and who are learning to enjoy beginning chapter books, say hello to Lucy, a beagle puppy, and Bobby, his shy 8 year-old owner.  This series, written by Ilene Cooper, includes the following titles :

Absolutely Lucy -- Lucy on the Loose -- Look at Lucy -- Lucy on the Ball.

For the picture book crowd, try any of the following; the list includes recent and classic titles :

Dogs by Emily Gravett
Bulldog's Big Day by Kate McMullan
How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills
Sally's Great Balloon Adventure by Stephen Huneck
Widget books by Lyn Rossiter McFarland
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
Nobody's Diggier than a Dog by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

... and let's not forget the Clifford books by Norman Bridwell.

For Inspiration...

Here's a short list of new books that tell inspirational stories from different perspectives.  A few recommended titles with complementary themes are included.

Heaven Is for Real : a Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

Also try :

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven by Kevin & Alex Malarkey

Soul Survivor by Bruce & Andrea Leininger

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Also try :

Strong at the Broken Places by Richard M. Cohen

Still Alice or Left Neglected by Lisa Genova (Fiction)

The Seven by Glenn Beck & Keith Ablow

Also try :

When Fears Fall Away by Jan Frazier

God Never Blinks by Regina Brett

Real Happiness : the Power of Meditation by Sharon Salzberg

Bottom of the 33rd by Dan Barry

Also try :

Branch Rickey by Jimmy Breslin

The House that Ruth Built by Robert Weintraub

Kiss It Good-bye by John Moody

Cycling Home from Siberia by Rob Lilwall

Also try :

The Woman Who Walked to Russia by Cassandra Pybus

Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson (sound recording)

Field Guides

From Backyard to the Sea

If you don't always know the difference between one tree or another; which tweet is serenading you from a backyard nest; or what creature called your latest beachcombed shell home, you may enjoy any of the following generously illustrated field guides.

The Book of Leaves by Allen J. Coombes

This five pound wonder includes actual size photos of 600 leaves from around the world. New England's trees are not short-shrifted.

The Books of Shells by M. G. Harasewych & Fabio Moretzsohn

You'll find another 600 entries here, most about familiar mollusks and the geographical regions in which they live.  Among others, DK's Shell, a kid's title by Alex Arthur, may serve as useful companion.

A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes by Valerie A. Kells & Kent Carpenter

If you fish marine waters, this guide may be for you.  The guide will also appeal to rod and reel lovers who are looking to plan a fishing vacation trip to an east or gulf coast locale.

The Book of Fungi by Peter Roberts and Shelley Evans

Due out next week, this guide showcases both the beauty and role of fungi in the natural world. Location maps show each species’ known global distribution.

Birds of North America [American Museum of Natural History]

Any novice or avid birder is likely to enjoy this armchair reference book.  Also try the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America or Bird Songs Bible.

Field Guides and Your Family

Field guides can offer a useful way to plan and forward exploratory outings with your kids.  Pair any of the above guides with how-to books by Richard Louv, who also hosts a website about keeping not just city kids in touch with the natural world.

The library also offers money saving passes to CT's state parks, as part of the statewide No Child Left Inside initiative.

State Reports Anyone?

Our online service portfolio includes AtoZ on our country's states; great for students and/or domestic vacation planners or business travelers looking for credible info.

The AtoZtheUSA database features resources on every state in the union plus coverage on five U.S. territories. It includes not only the standard inventory of facts about each state but also information ranging from interesting to obscure; e.g., brief bios of past governors, tourist attractions, images of baseball cards and license plates, state crossword puzzles and more.

Whether you are researching a state for a school project, upcoming vacation or business trip, this site is worth a visit. The site is regularly populated with historical and latest credibly-sourced information.

How to Access the Service

Take hold of your East Hampton Public Library Card then click here to access the service. Type your local barcode number in the box labeled Library Card, no spaces between digits.

Dinosaurs!

Dinomania!
Itching to learn more about dinosaurs and other animals that lived in their time period?  The library has plenty of the books, DVD's, and information about dinosaur events and destinations.  Here are a few of our favorites.

Books and Reading
Dinosaurs in Your Backyard by Hugh Brewster
Giant Sea Reptiles of the Dinosaur Age by Caroline Arnold
Dizzy Dinosaurs : Silly Dinosaur Poems
How Do Dinosaurs.....? series by Jane Yolen
Dinosaur Cove Series by Rex Stone
Window into the Jurassic World : Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Dinosaurs : the Most Complete, Up-to-date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

Also try sports-friendly, tongue-twisting, but still easy-reading titles by Lisa Wheeler : we've got basketball and hockey, plus the soccer title is on its way.

On DVD
Dinosaurs Alive
National Geographic Society: Dinosaurs and Other Creature Features
Ice Age
Sesame Street Dinosaurs
Land Before Time Series

Places to Go, Things to Do
Sea Rex, a 3-D film about marine life alive during the age of the dinosaur, is now playing at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. Click here to learn more about the film or read a review of the film courtesy of the Smithsonian.  Keep in mind that the library offers coupons worth 20% off the price of general admission to the Science Center for up to four (4) people.

Also consider a day trip to Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Connecticut and see real fossilized dinosaur footprints as well as participate in a variety of interactive exhibits.  Borrow a library pass and save some money!

As the Saying Goes...

Gardener Support
Next time you stop by the library, check out the center island in our main reading room and browse a collection of gardening books recommended by the members of the East Hampton Belltown Garden Club.  The display includes a range of titles about preparing your garden, designing your garden, choosing plants, organic and eco-friendly approaches, landscaping, and more.

Gardening Books On the Way

The American Woodland Garden : Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest by Rick Darke

The Artful Garden : Creative Inspiration for Landscape Design by James Van Sweden

Gaia's Garden : a Guide to Home-scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway

Great Flowering Landscape Shrubs by Vincent A. Simeone

Inside Out : the Art and Craft of Home Landscaping by Jeff Hutton

The Nonstop Garden : Easy Designs and Smart Plant Choices for Four-season Landscapes by Stephanie Cohen and Jennifer Benner

The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer by Stephanie Cohen and Nancy J. Ondra

More on Gardening Book Choices
Click here for a previous post on club and community recommended books, many of them about growing your own food.

About the East Hampton Belltown Garden Club
If you are interested in meeting with other local gardeners, the Belltown Garden Club generally meets in the library community room at 7 p.m. on the 4th Monday of each month.  You can also pick up a club flyer at the library, which includes email and phone contact information.

Connecticut Commemorates the American Civil War

Sesquicentennial Commemoration
April 12, 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War. Organizations and institutions around our state will be offering forums, events, and programs to help remind us of the toll the war took on our nation and our state, as brother was pitted against brother.

Click here to visit our state's Civil War Commemoration site for information about statewide events.  Locally, the library will host several events with a Civil War theme; click here to visit our online events calendar.

Recommended Reading

Following is a short list of Civil War titles recently added to our collection; we've included several classic and related titles that may also be of interest.

For Us the Living : the Civil War in Paintings and Eyewitness Accounts by Mort Künstler

Brady's Civil War : a Collection of Memorable Civil War Images Photographed by Matthew Brady and His Assistants by Webb Garrison

Lincoln on War, edited and with an introduction by Harold Holzer

Lincoln at Gettysburg by Garry Wills

Battle Cry of Freedom : the Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Generals South, Generals North : the Commanders of the Civil War Reconsidered by Alan Axelrod

Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles, edited and with an introduction by Walton Rawls

America Aflame : How the Civil War Created a Nation by David Goldfield

Guns of the Civil War by David Adler

Stealing Secrets : How a Few Daring Women Changed the Fate of the Civil War by H. Donald Winkler

Civil War Films

The Civil War Series by Ken Burns (documentary)

North and South

Gettysburg

Glory

Gone With the Wind

The Red Badge of Courage

Food, Conversation, Comfort

In the Kitchen

Though many of us probably spend most of our time in our living rooms, a kitchen that's designed for easy food preparation is probably high on our hit parade, too.  If you are looking for remodeling ideas to keep your kitchen cozy, comfortable, and easy to use, browse any of the following recent titles.

Small Kitchen Solutions (Better Homes and Gardens)

DIYers will enjoy this book about making the best use of small kitchen space while adding a tasteful dash of style.

Kitchens : a Sunset Design Guide by Karen Templer

This one comes with ideas from professional designers and easy to use design software that runs on a PC or Mac.

Kitchen Makeovers for Any Budget by Chris Gleason

Redo or new?  Find out how to make useful decisions on the size of the project you would like to undertake.  Four projects are featured; mix and match their components depending on your objectives and budget. 

Barbecues and Outdoor Kitchens by Bridget Biscotti Bradley

The outdoor entertaining season will soon be here.  The nice mix of extravagant and more practical plans are fun to browse; followed up with DIY information and advice on how to work with contractors.

Transforming Your Kitchen With Stock Cabinetry by Jonathan and Sherry Benson

Professional furniture maker Jonathan Benson and his wife offer tips on modifying and installing cabinetry.

Common Sense Storage : Clever Solutions for an Organized Life

Less about remodeling than how to clutter-bust and get the most out of the space you have in the kitchen, as well as other rooms in your home.   

Locavore Delights

Eat Local

Here's four "for the beginner" books by Ashley English; English is a member of Slow Food USA and writes a regular column for the blog Design*Sponge.

Keeping Chickens with Ashley English : All You Need to Know to Care for a Happy, Healthy Flock 

Home Dairy with Ashley English : All You Need to Know to Make Cheese, Yogurt, Butter & More

Keeping Bees with Ashley English : All You need to Know to Tend Hives, Harvest Honey & More

Canning & Preserving with Ashley English : All you Need to Know to Make Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Chutneys & More

For companion titles to the above works try fair poultry, cooking (dairy products), bee culture, or canning & preserving.

Surf's Up

Informational and point of view web resources for foodies, foragers, and backyard farmers include :

Local Harvest -- Sustainable Table -- Pick Your Own (CT DOAG) -- Farmers' Markets (CT DOAG) --  Simple Steps (Natural Resources Defense Council)

Books In Bloom

Spring Reads

Here's a quick list of our hot picks for early April.  Most of the above are due for release next Tuesday.  Happy reading!

Bossypants by Tina Fey
One of America's favorite funny people reveals all.

We All Fall Down by Nic Sheff
Sheff offers his not always pretty follow-up memoir to 2007's Tweak.  The related title is Beautiful Boy : a Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction (2006) by Nic's father, David.

The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
Probably the final in the thriller series featuring Swedish cop, Kurt Wallander.

The Love of My Youth by Mary Gordon
High school sweethearts meet 30 years after their relationship ended in betrayal. Miranda and Adam find they still much to say to each other...

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
Lutz (The Spellman Files series) writes the odd-numbered chapters and her coauthor and ex-boyfriend, poet Hayward, writes the even-numbered chapters in an oddly structured tale about a brother and sister running a pot business.

Bent Road by Lori Roy
A debut novel about dark secrets hidden in mid-1960's rural Kansas.

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly
The author's fourth legal thriller featuring Mickey Haller (after Reversal).

The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer
What happens when contemporary characters are mysteriously changed by Lysistrata, Aristophanes's biting anti-war comedy?