What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?

     It's Wednesday again my reading friends and it's time for What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?? This week, I actually want to talk about someone I think you should know: author, Zachary Michael Jack and coincidentally what I am reading right now. Zachary Michael Jack is an Iowa author. He writes fiction and nonfiction and edits others' works, too. His website, www.zacharyjack.org says this about him....ZACHARY MICHAEL JACK has authored or edited more than fifteen award-winning books in a variety of genres, including fiction, poetry, essay, literary journalism, and creative nonfiction. His work has earned the Prentice Hall Prize, two nominations for a Pushcart Prize (Best of the Small Presses), two nominations for the Theodore Saloutos Award, and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, among others. In sum, Zachary’s work has earned him listing in Who’s Who in America.

An associate professor of English, Jack teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in writing, rural and urban studies, and sports and leadership studies at North Central College. He is the great-grandson of pioneering conservation writer Walter Thomas Jack and a seventh generation resident of Iowa, where he continues to steward a family farm. 

     I personally have read his book entitled What Cheer about finding love in a small town in Iowa, named What Cheer. It's a fun, light read that makes you feel like you've been there and experienced something just like that. Jack's writing makes small town Iowa feel like a gem and makes you realize that there is nothing wrong with being happy right where you are. His newest novel is Native Soulmate,  a creative nonfiction sequel to What Cheer. It's on my bedside as we speak.
     I just thought you should know about one of our famous Iowa authors and maybe give him a try....The library has What Cheer available for check out and soon Native Soulmate will be gracing our shelves, too. As soon as I am finished reading it that is...:)

Book Trailer Monday.

Here's one that I've  neglected. The very popular The Help. by Kathryn Stockett..

and the movie trailer...in theaters now...


Even though everyone's saying this is an awesome movie and the trailer makes you want to run out and watch it, I still think you should read the book first!I'm a librarian after all...it's what I do!

From Our Recipe Box to Yours...

Brrrrr! It is cold outside today! What does cold weather make you think of? One of the things it makes me think about is soup. A hot bowl of yummy soup on a cold fall day = yummy!! I thought I'd share a favorite here with you since it was so chilly today...

Wild Rice Soup

2 boxes Uncle Ben's original rice, or 1 C. wild rice

2 C. water

2 T. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cans cream of potato soup

1 qt. milk

1 lb. Velveeta, cubed

1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled

Prepare rice as directed. Saute onion in butter. Add water, milk, and soup. Increase heat to medium. When hot, add Velveeta. Don't boil the milk! When creamy, add rice and bacon. Serve.

Coming in October, we are hosting a Cereal Snack Mix Contest complete with prizes and celebrity judges!!  Start looking for the perfect recipe now...it can be either salty or sweet, just bring us your best!! More details to follow as the time draws near!

What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday?

     Well, it's back around to Wednesday again and I just have to ask, "What's in Your Library Bag?" I bet you didn't see that one coming did you? LOL.
     If you noticed the book trailer last week, it was on a new book called, "No Rest For The Dead " by Sandra Brown and 25 other mystery authors who got together to create a book for the purpose of donating the proceeds to Lymphoma and Leukemia research. What an amazing feat!! One story, 26 authors! Each author has a chapter or two and they are labeled accordingly, so you know that you are changing authors and conceivably writing styles as you go into it. First impressions may be that this could  never work. 26 different authors with different voices and writing styles could never come together and create one solid story. But, it does work; it really does. Reading along, the story flows seamlessly, moving from one chapter and author to the next. If it weren't for the titles and headings at each chapter, you'd never know that the voice was essentially changing. They are that good! The idea of a novel written in this way by so many different authors is what drew me to it in the first place. I didn't believe that 26 authors all writing could create one story. But they have and you should read it.
     The beginning of the book describes the the trying, convicting and executing of a relatively important character. What follows is a story about a 10 year anniversary memorial service held in honor of the executed person, Rosemary, a wealthy art curator. This party becomes a last chance for the chief detective, Jon Nunn to redeem himself and prove that Rosemary was wrongly put to death. This possible mistake has drained the detective of all life, but this case. As each of the other possible killers in this past crime are invited to the "party" we see glimpses of the past and what really happened. I am not finished reading the novel yet, but it is all leading to this party and whether or not the detective on the case can finally prove whether or not Rosemary really did kill her husband or if she was wrongly executed and someone else did it. Then the real question is, Who did kill Christopher Thomas?
     So, to figure out this beautifully written mystery, you must come to the library and check it out, cause I'm not going to tell. Besides, I'm not even finished yet, so I don't know. But, I will soon and then you'll need to check it out, because I know you're dying to find out...
   

From Our Recipe Box to Yours...

S’more Rice Krispie Squares

Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time Servings 16 Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
3 cups Marshmallows
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Butter
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup Graham Crackers, Broken Into Coarse Pieces
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips


Preparation Instructions
Butter an 8 x 8 inch square pan.
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, place the marshmallows, butter and vanilla in the microwave until the marshmallows begin to soften, about a minute. Mix with a spatula and microwave for another minute until the marshmallows are fully melted. Add the rice krispies until just mixed together. Add the graham cracker chunks and chocolate chips to combine.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Allow to cool and devour.
Just a warning: these 16 squares are on the smaller side—so you can eat more.

Do you love your library?? Do you enjoy all that we have to offer from movies, to books, to programming for children and adults? Want to show your support and don't know what to do?? Become a Friend of the Waverly Public Library. It only costs $10 for an Individual and $20 for a family. Friends money provides much of what you love here at the library...So, what are you waiting for?? JOIN TODAY!

What's In Your Library Bag Wednesday?...

     So, reading friends, what's in your library bag this fine Wednesday?? I'm going to talk a bit about a book in my bag that I showed you a book trailer on a while back. I try  not to talk about books twice, but this one warrants a little more. The book is The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. I've mentioned to you a time or two how much I enjoy historical fiction, Scotland, and time travel, right? Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series being one of my all time favorites...Well, Susanna Kearsley is a very similar author.
     The story of The Winter Sea incorporates Scotland in the 1700s and modern day with a" time travelesque" feel. The main charactes, Carrie McClelland, is a modern day author who is writing a novel set in the 1700s. She is living in France in the beginning where her novel is set. On a visit to Scotland and her agent/best friend's house, she passes the castle Slains. She is drawn to the castle in unexplainable ways. Her characters really "come alive" for her in her head and writing. So, Carrie rents a cottage by the sea and next to the castle, moving her setting, to write her novel.
     The novel kind of flips; one chapter will be modern day with the author, Carrie,  meeting people and doing research with the next chapter being the characters in her book following that story. It's not exactly time travel because the author never goes back in time, but the 1700s are as real to her as if she is there and she can feel what the characters feel. What Carrie figures out is that she actually has the genetic memory of one of her ancestors, the main character in her novel. Hence, the reason that she feels everything as if she were really there and why it feels like time travel. As the story moves along, Carrie's life starts to somewhat mirror her ancestor's life. She meets a man who has a very strong resemblance to the hero in her novel/ancestor's life. Is it just coincidence?? Those lines become very blurred and as a reader you wonder what was "real" and what wasn't.
     Obviously, if I read this novel and enjoyed it, there was a romance in both the modern day story and the 1700s story. It was so good, it made me laugh; it made me cry; and it made me smile...The surprise at the end made it all worth it. I give this book a three thumbs up; a definite good read!! Stop in and check it out!

It's Tuesday...How about a book trailer today instead of Monday??

Since Monday was Labor Day and I was enjoying my day off and hopefully you were too, I thought I'd include a book trailer here today...This one is a little long, but quite intriguing. It is on my bedside table to start tonight...