Gardiner Public Library

New Books in the Library

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FICTION:
Almost famous women by Megan Bergman.  Here are stories that explore the lives of unforgettable women in history such as Beryl Markham and Edna St. Vincent Millay’s talented sister, Norma.
The alphabet house by Jussi Adler-Olsen.  A psychological thriller set in World War II Nazi Germany mental hospital and in 1970s London.
Black River by S.M. Hulse.  A tense Western that tells the story of a man marked by a prison riot as he returns to the town – and the convict – who shaped him.
Crash and burn by Lisa Gardner.  The investigation of an accident in New Hampshire leads to the discovery of a string of crimes.
Dreaming spies by Laurie King.  Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, are trying to take some time for themselves – only to be swept up in a baffling case that will lead them from the idyllic panoramas of Japan to the depths of Oxford’s most revered institution.

Endangered by C.J. Box.  When his 18 year old ward is found beaten in a ditch, the Montana game warden Joe Pickett suspects her boyfriend, a rodeo star.
February fever by Jess Lourey.  “Murder on the Orient Express” reconfigured as murder on a “Romantic Love Train” that gets stranded in the Rockies.
Funny girl by Nick Hornby.  A beauty queen who idolizes Lucille Ball becomes the star of a hit BBC program in this novel about television in the 1960s.
Heartbreak Hotel by Deborah Moggach.  A hilarious and romantic novel set in a crumbling bed and breakfast that attracts the aged and charming.
Hush hush by Laura Lippman.  The Baltimore private eye Tess Monaghan, a new mother, is asked to provide protection for a woman who killed her own child and is back in town.
Impasse by Royce Scott Buckingham.  A man is left to die in Alaska while on an “adventure vacation” and must somehow survive to get his revenge on those who betrayed him.
In some other world, maybe by Shari Goldhagen.  An engaging story of four young people whose lives continue to intersect at pivotal moments in history.
A little life by Hanya Yanagihara.  Four classmates from a small New England college move to New York to make their way.  Over the decades that follow, their relationships deepen and darken.
Mightier than the sword by Jeffrey Archer.  This opens with an IRA bomb exploding during the MV Buckingham’s maiden voyage across the Atlantic – but how many passengers lose their lives?
Motive by Jonathan Kellerman.  The Los Angeles psychologist-detective Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, a homicide cop, realize that the murder they’re investigating was committed by a serial killer.
Obsession in death by J.D. Robb.  A murderer is obsessed with Lt. Eve Dallas.
Old Venus by George R.R.Martin.  These sci-fi short stories by some of the genre’s best writers are set on the planet Venus – all with a tip of the hat to Edgar Rice Burroughs and Ray Bradbury.
Plague land by S.D. Sykes.  In this chilling historical mystery, young girls go missing from a medieval English village, and Lord Oswald must find the killer before tragedy strikes again.
Prodigal son by Danielle Steel. Twins, one good and one bad, reunite after 20 years when one of them returns to their hometown.  But it is no longer clear who the good and who the bad one is.
Shame and the captives by Thomas Keneally.  This explores a World War II prison camp where Japanese prisoners resolve to take drastic action to wipe away their shame of being captured.
Turtleface and beyond by Arthur Bradford.  Darkly funny stories by the man David Sedaris calls “the most outlandish and energetic writer I can think of.”
World gone by by Dennis Lehane.  In 1943, the gangster Joe Coughlin, a rising power in the Tampa underworld, discovers that there is a contract out on his life.
NONFICTION:
Alphabetical by Michael Rosen.  How on Earth did we fix upon our 26 letters, what do they really mean, and how did we come to write them down in the first place?
American ghost by Hannah Nordhaus.  The author attempts to uncover the truth about her great-great-grandmother whose ghost is said to haunt an elegant hotel in Santa Fe.
The best place to be today by Sarah Baxter.  365 things to do and the perfect place to do them.
Dead wake by Erik Larson.  An intriguing and entirely engrossing investigation into a legendary disaster of the luxury ocean liner, The Lusitania, that sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool and carrying a record number of children and infants.
Displacement by Lucy Knisley.  The author volunteers to watch over her ailing grandparents on a cruise.  This book is part memoir, part travelogue, and part family history as she not only tries to connect with her grandparents but to reconcile their younger and older selves.
The furniture bible by Christophe Pourny.  Everything you need to know to identify, restore, and care for furniture.
H is for hawk by Helen Macdonald.  Overwhelmed by her father’s death, a British woman decides to raise a goshawk, a bird that is fierce and notoriously difficult to tame.
Homegrown berries.  Successfully grow your own strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and more.
I am not a slut by Leora Tanenbaum.  This gives a generation of tweeting young women some thoughtful and well-researched advice about how to conduct their digital lives. Feminists young and old – this book is for you.
It’s what I do by Lynsey Addario.  This is a heart-pounding and inspirational memoir of a photographer’s life in wartime.
Leaving before the rains come by Alexandra Fuller.  A memoir of a marriage’s collapse by the author of “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight.”
The life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kond.  The Japanese art of decluttering and organizing is shown step by step in a revolutionary method for simplifying, organizing, and storing.
Looking at mindfulness by Christopher Andre.  25 ways to live in the moment through art.
Performing under pressure by Hendrie Weisinger.  Managing the pressure that infects our lives.
Sally Ride: America’s first woman in space by Lynn Sherr.  Here is the definitive biography of Sally Ride with exclusive insights from her family and partner.
Sapiens by Yuval Harari.  How Homo Sapiens became Earth’s dominant species.
Ten million aliens by Simon Barnes.  This fascinating scientific foray into the animal kingdom examines how the world’s creatures – weird, wonderful, and everything in between – are inextricably linked.
Notes from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, and New York Times Book Review.

New Books in the Library

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FICTION:
The assassination of Margaret Thatcherand other stories by Hilary Mantel.  The author turns to contemporary England as the setting for a collection of short stories.
Bitter crossing by D.A. Keeley.  A border agent in Aroostook County tries to break up a smuggling ring.
The city of palaces by Michael Nava.  It begins as a love story of two good people – a Catholic and an atheist – who find each other in the corrupt world of belle epoch Mexico City.
Day of atonement by David Liss.  A historical thriller, this portrays 18thcentury Lisbon in vivid detail, leading up to the great earthquake of 1755.  It paints a vivid picture of the waning days of the Spanish Inquisition and of the truly evil religious leaders who led it.
Deadline by John Sandford.  Dognappers and a murdered reporter draw the attention of the Minnesota investigator Virgil Flowers.
Fives and twenty-fives by Michael Pitre.  A war novel with a voice all its own, this will stand as one of the definite renderings of the Iraq experience.
Florence Gordon by Brian Morton.  A wise novel about a woman who has lived life on her own terms for 75 defiant and determined years, only to find herself suddenly thrust to the center of her family’s various catastrophes.
Gray Mountain by John Grisham.  A downsized Wall Street lawyer joins a legal clinic in a small Virginia town, and becomes involved both in real people’s lives and in litigation against the coal mining industry.
Ice shear by M.P. Cooley.  A small town cop’s murder investigation turns deadly when she uncovers a web of politics and drugs linked to an outlaw motorcycle gang.
Motherless child by Glen Hirshberg.  No fangs, no pretty shirtless vampires, and no romance here – this is fine, old-school horror which will delight fans disgusted with the overabundance of vampire lit now dominating the genre.
The paying guests by Sarah Waters.  An enthralling novel about a widow and her daughter who take a young couple into their home in 1920s London.
Prince Lestat by Anne Rice.  The Vampire Chronicles continue after a long hiatus with the reappearance of Lestat de Lioncourt.
Road ends by Mary Lawson.  A woman finally escapes the responsibility of caring for her parent’s dysfunctional family by moving from Canada to London.  Until, that is, the family starts unraveling and her brother calls her back.
Ruth’s journey by Donald McCaig.  Authorized by the Margaret Mitchell Estate, this is the first-ever prequel to Gone With The Wind.  It recounts the life of Mammy, one of literature’s greatest supporting characters, from her days as a slave girl to the outbreak of the Civil War.
The ship of brides by Jojo Moyes.  Australian brides form friendships as they make their way to England after World War II aboard an aircraft carrier.

 

Treat us like dogs and we will become wolves by Carolyn Chute.  When a journalist sets out to investigate the mysterious leader of the nearby homeschool known as “The Prophet”, she is drawn into the life of his self-sufficient counterculture community called The Settlement.
The visitors by Sally Beauman.  A tale of love and loss, this tells of the hunt for King Tut’s tomb and the historic discovery as witnessed through the eyes of a vulnerable child whose fate becomes entangled in the dramatic quest.
The witch: and other tales re-told by Jean Thompson.  Classic fairy tales are brought into the modern age with stories that capture the magic and horror in everyday life.
The wolf in winter by John Connolly.  Carlie Parker is in Prosperous, Maine investigating the death of a homeless man…and the disappearance of his daughter.
NONFICTION:
Artful Christmas by Susan Wasinger.  30 elegant craft projects for those with Neiman Marcus tastes and Target budgets.
Destination unknown by Gay Grant.  Sent away to live with strangers to escape Nazi bombs during the Second World War in England, Patricia Phillips North kept her experiences as a child evacuee secret until another war and an unlikely friendship helped her heal from long-repressed traumas.
Fields of blood: religion and the history of violence by Karen Armstrong.  A sweeping exploration of religion’s connection to violence.
Ghosts, a natural history by Roger Clarke.  This is replete with apparitions, poltergeists, séances and the human longing to believe.
Hate crimes in cyberspace by Danielle Citron.  Frightening and infuriating, this is a demand for legal accountability for Internet barbarism and deserves widespread exposure and serious consideration.
The homeschooling handbook by Lorilee Lippincott.  How to make homeschooling simple, affordable, fun, and effective.
How to be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman.  A delightful tour through the intimate details of life in Victorian England, told by a historian who has cheerfully endured them all by living in re-created Victorian conditions.
Living hell: the dark side of the Civil Warby Michael Adams.  Mutilation, madness, chronic disease, and advanced physical decay.  Adams clusters the voices of actual soldiers on the firing line or in the hospital ward to create a virtual historical reenactment.
The Nazis next door by Eric Lichtblau.  A Times reporter tracks the disturbingly large post war influx and shows how America became a safe haven for thousands of Nazis after World War II.
On immunity by Eula Biss.  Why do we fear vaccines?  This is a provocative examination by an author who has won the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Only in Spain by Nellie Bennett.  In search of herself, the author fell passionately in love…with the land of flamenco.  This is a foot-stomping, firecracker of a memoir about food, flamenco, and falling in love.
Raw color: the circles of David Smith by David Breslin.  This addresses the relationships between landscape, industry, and the works David Smith realized between the years of 1961-63.  The Circle series was his most ambitious attempt to pair painting and sculpture.
Smoke gets in your eyes by Caitlin Doughty.  A young mortician goes behind the scenes, unafraid of the details of her curious profession.
Some desperate glory by Max Egremont.  The story of World War I through the lives and words of its poets, most of whom during that conflict.
The Swift diet by Kathie Swift.  Devised by a holistic nutritionist, this 4 week plan will be especially useful to readers suffering from Crohn’s and IBS.
The 3 promises by David Pollay.  The author explains how making 3 simple promises to yourself  – “ to find joy every day, do what you love, and to make a difference” – will make your life more positive.
Unbored games by Joshua Glenn.  Compilation of games galore from the indoors to the outdoors, from computer to traditional board games.
The VB6 cookbook by Mark Mittman.  Easy vegan cookbook for healthy vegan meals all day and flexitarian dinners at night.
Notes from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, and New York Times Book Review.

Gay Grant Publication Launch Party!

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Please plan on joining the staff of the Gardiner Public Library as they celebrate the publication of a new book by Gardiner author Gay Grant on Tuesday, October 28that 7PM at the Gardiner Public Library. 

 

Destination Unknown: An Evacuee’s Story is the story of a young girl just coming of age when war breaks out.  The Second World War was declared on the day Patricia Phillips turned seven years old. A year later she and her older brother John became “evacuees” when their parents made a life or death choice to send them to live with strangers in order to escape the Nazi bombs. Like millions of other British children, the government’s wartime evacuation scheme helped ensure Pat’s safety, but left deep emotional scars. It took an unlikely friendship with an American writer a generation her junior for Pat to bring back the traumatic memories and heal the wounds of a life forever changed by war. This inspiring memoir is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of friendship.
Join Ms. Grant as she explains the process of writing this story and the inspiration behind this unique perspective of the bombing of England during World War II.  Copies of the book will be for sale and all proceeds from the event will be used towards the renovation of the library’s Community Archives Room.  Refreshments catered by students of the Capital Area Technical Center Culinary Arts program lead by Chef Charles Izzy.
Gay M. Grant owns and operates The Write Way consulting service, through which she has secured millions of dollars in grants for Maine non-profits, and helped clients tell their own stories. She is the author of Along the Kennebec: The Herman Bryant Collection (Arcadia Publishers) and her articles have appeared in local newspapers and historical publications. Inspired by her participation in the University of Southern Maine’s exchange program with King Alfred’s College in England in 1979, she has travelled frequently to that country to visit friends and to research this book. Grant is serving her first term in the Maine House of Representatives and lives with her husband Ron in South Gardiner, Maine.
The Gardiner Public Library is located at 152 Water Street, Gardiner.  This event is free and opened to the public and for more information call 207-582-3312.

What Are We Reading?

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In 1983 I started reading a series of books which became known as a group from the title of the first book, “Tales of the City”.  The series follows a disparate group who rent rooms from the mysterious, yet motherly, Anna Madrigal, at 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco.  The first book was published in 1978; the last book was just published this year.  There have been a lot of social changes in America since 1978, and the lives of these characters reflect those changes throughout the decades.  As I was reading this series, there were only 6 novels in the series.  The author, Armistead Maupin, eventually wrote 3 more to complete the cycle but there was an 18 year gap between novel #6 and the subsequent three.  I enjoyed this series and the characters so much that when I finished novel #5 and knew (at the time) that novel #6 was the end that I didn’t read it. I didn’t want it to end. I did not want to leave the characters.  By not finishing the series I thought I would always have that one final book to look forward; I would have in the future my one final adventure with these characters.  And so for 18 years, the book Sure of You sat on the library’s shelf – unread by me, yet there when I felt I could put closure to my fascination with these characters.

In 2007 Maupin published a new novel in the series – Michael Tolliver Lives.  Imagine my relief and excitement; I could finally go and read novel #6, Sure of You, since I would not be saying goodbye to the series after finishing it anymore.  Michael Tolliver Lives was soon followed by Mary Ann in Autumn and now The Days of Anna Madrigal.  After having read this last novel, I know the series is probably 99.99% done.  It ended well.  But I shall still miss them all and their adventures in San Francisco as they went from their youth and innocence onto middle age and beyond, changing and growing just as the country did in that span of 36 years.
Amazon.com’s blurb for the first novel says: “For almost four decades Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City has blazed its own trail through popular culture—from a groundbreaking newspaper serial to a classic novel, to a television event that entranced millions around the world.  The first of nine novels about the denizens of the mythic apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane, Tales is both a sparkling comedy of manners and an indelible portrait of an era that changed forever the way we live.”  I agree totally.
Scott Handville, Assistant Library Director
“Uncertain Glory” is the newest YA book by Maine author Lea Wait. This novel takes place in Wiscasset in the months prior to the Civil War.  An extensive bibliography accounts for the thorough research Ms. Wait conducted on this period.  Racial tension between the black and white citizens, & a certainty that a war with the South would be won within a few months add to an interesting story.  The plot is further enhanced by the entrepreneurship of a young newspaper editor and the community’s belief in a young visiting spiritualist.
An interesting historical novel set close to home.
Charlene Wagner, Children’s Librarian
What am I reading?  Always an interesting question . . .
Currently I am listening to the fifth installment of Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series.  These books generally take place in the small town of Three Pines, outside of Montreal Canada.  I know, I know, how can so many murders take place in one small town?!?!  I guess if Jessica Fletcher can do it in Cabot Cove, Maine, why not in a small Canadian town?  The stories are well written, but I think the narrator – Ralph Cosham – adds significantly to my listening enjoyment.
I just finished tentative exploration of H. P. Lovecraft.  I borrowed 2 graphic novels, and a book of short stories.  In particular, I was looking to compare the same short story in different formats.  I read the book first (no pictures), than read the graphic novel (comic book style).  The story was the same, of course, but the artists depiction of the “monster” in The Dunwich Horror, was not mine.  Lovecraft’s description is ambiguous enough, that what the reader envisions is personal to him or her.  
Next up on my list is a romance.  I’m not sure which one, though.  I have four in my “to be read” pile.  RWA (Romance Writers of America) announced their 2014 winners, so I have borrowed several from other libraries.  I’m looking forward to finding a new author, or two.
Ann Russell, Technology Librarian

Summer Teen Events at the Library

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Travel Back in Time at the Gardiner Public Library’s
Historic Gardiner Scavenger Hunt!
Throwback Thursday, July 10th, from 4-5 pm
Students in Middle School and up come learn and see what Gardiner look liked in the 1800’s compared to today.
Have fun learning & winning prizes! Snacks provided
Hope to see you there!
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“Soft monsters” for teens
On Wednesday, July 23rd from 10am-2pm, the staff of the Gardiner Public Library is calling all little Frankensteins!  In this creature-creation workshop young adults are invited to bring their imaginary monsters out into the world.  Friendly, scary, or strange, workshop-goers will begin by developing a character through drawings, paintings, and short stories.  They will then be guided through the process of turning their newly created personalities into sewn, stuffed monsters.  Students will learn basic sewing skills, as well as how to construct very simple patterns. Feel free to bring your own sewing notions!  This program will be facilitated by Adrienne Beacham.
Adrienne Beacham stitches together distinct media into strange creations. A fusion of painting, printmaking, drawing, collage, and fiber arts, her work often features monsters and other ridiculous personalities. She is currently working on obtaining her K-12 art ed. certification, and eventually hopes to pursue a career as an elementary art teacher. This event is free and opened to the public.  Space is limited, so pre-registration is mandatory.  Call 582-3312 for more information.  The library is located at 152 Water St, Gardiner.
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 “Books to Movies”
A book discussion book club will start its day view with its 1stbook on Tuesday, August 12th, from 6-7 pm on the book “If I Stay” by Gale Foreman.
Copies of the book are available at the library and anyone is welcome.

FIZZ BOOM READ

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The Gardiner Public Library summer reading program for 2014 is off to a great start!

 

Summer is the perfect time for kids to read books just for fun.  No tests, book reports or pressure involved.

Our first story hour/craft day involved making markers to identify plants that were acquired to go into our library garden as well as the actual planting of flowers, herbs & vegetables.

 

Unlike past years, the sun shone on our endeavor and the children worked hard to get everything planted.

 

Check out our calendar for future events.
Everyone welcome!  

Book Sale – June 21st

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All are welcome to come and browse and get some great deals on Saturday, June 21st (9:00am-4:00PM):   Most hardcover books – $1.00, children’s books – 50 cents and most paperbacks – 50 cents.  Videos and audio books will be priced as marked.  This book sale is part of Gardiner’s River Festival and there are activities all day long!

Monday, June 23rd (10:30am-5:00pm) is sale day…buy a bag of books for a buck (a bag may hold up to 20 items).
The book sale will be held in our Hazzard Reading Room on the main floor.
The Gardiner Public Library is located at 152 Water Street, Gardiner, Maine.  Come support the library and get some great books!  Some of the proceeds will be used towards the renovation of our Community Archives Room.  Please call (207)582-3312 for more information.

From the Archives

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For a change, I thought I would showcase some postcards that are in the Archives Room. 

 

 

These postcards, from around 1906, show some of the ships that went up and down the Kennebec River with supplies and people.  
 
If you have old postcards of the Gardiner area that you are willing to donate, the Gardiner Public Library would love to have them.  These postcards are just one of the things that the Archives Room at the library has to show our customers.  
 

 

 
 
 
Archive Hours – 
Tuesday – 10:30 – 7:30
Wednesday – 10:30 – 1:30
Thursday – 10:30 – 5:30
Friday – 9:30 – 5:00
 
Please call first, as these hours are subject to change.
 

Ginni Nichols, Young Adult Librarian

Dawn Thistle, Archives Librarian

ADOPT A SHELF!

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Mr. Dewey likes books kept in an orderly fashion!
Sign up to be a weekly or bi-weekly volunteer “shelf reader” in the Children’s Room.
Parents and kids welcome – We’ll assign you a section to claim as your very own responsibility.
Time – June to August
Training – Free
Time commitment – 1 hour or less per week
Reward – Personal satisfaction in fulfilling a commitment and maybe stumbling on a book to read that will become a “favorite”
Call 582-6894 for more information.
Charlene Wagner, Children’s Librarian