November 2011

  • Science Insight – Pacific Northwest “Adapter” Author

    Rebecca Stefoff is referred to as an “adapter” author who writes nonfiction for young adults, with an emphasis on science and history. Her gift is interpreting complex subjects and writings to make them understandable to the average reader. Thus, her focus is the young audience. Through her books, readers can explore topics as varied as… Continue reading

  • A Month of Uncomfortable Cinema: 31 Disturbing Films

    It is the season of good cheer, so why am I posting a list of 31 of the creepiest, most unsettling movies ever made? Well as we tucked into our turkey this Thanksgiving, my mom mentions that she’s been reading my posts here at Shelf Talk. Aw, thanks Mom. “Do you really like all those dark, disturbing books? Don’t you read anything… Continue reading

  • If you like Jeffrey Eugenides …

    Jeffrey Eugenides has become an author that readers tell one another about. His first two books, The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex, showcase his unique style and talent with language and storytelling. Eugenides’ new novel, The Marriage Plot, which was just named one of the top ten books of the year by Publishers Weekly as well… Continue reading

  • Thanksgiving’s savory fiction: more bitter than sweet

    Thanksgiving is here: are you ready? Feeling thankful, or harried and freaked out? You’re probably far too busy to read anything from our new list of great fiction set on and around Thanksgiving, but maybe in a few days when things have calmed down a bit, as you begin to lose your taste for turkey and family, you can put your… Continue reading

  • 10 American classics to add to your to-read list

    You think you’ve read all of the American classics? Or perhaps you hide from them because they seem a little too close to required reading? Take a look at the 10 listed here, and then at our complete 30-novel Seattle Picks: American Classics list hand-picked by our librarians. Sure, you’ll find Fitzgerald and Faulkner on… Continue reading

  • Finding a Hit Man at your Public Library

    The seasoned professionals at your library pride ourselves on helping our patrons with their every need. We are highly skilled at cleaning up messes and tying up loose ends, at rubbing out your troublesome irritations, and making problems go away. So we have a certain grudging admiration for the skilled operators seen plying their deadly… Continue reading

  • Question of the Month: Baroque music notations

    I have two music questions, both having to do with 18th century music notation: 1. Quantz used two slash marks, or something like quotation marks, over some notes. It looks like some kind of accent. What is the name of this mark and what does it mean? 2. in Telemann’s engravings he used a mark like… Continue reading

  • Science Insight – Quest to find Consciousness

    For a long time, consciousness has been the subject of neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, cognitive science and other disciplines in the natural and social sciences and the humanities. What is the nature of consciousness? Asking the question is simple, but determining the answer is not. Consciousness can seem utterly familiar, even mundane. People excuse themselves for… Continue reading

  • A Cat-alog of mysteries

    Mysteries that feature cats are pure catnip to cat lovers. Here are some favorite authors. Marian Babson always includes a cat that is central to the plot. Sally, the little stray cat in The Company of Cats, was rescued by Arthur Arbuthnot, but after Arthur is murdered, Sally finds herself in grave danger from his greedy relatives as she has inherited… Continue reading

  • Make Learning Fun and Keep the Mind Young

    “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” ~Henry Ford With school in full swing, maybe your child is having difficulty with a subject, or perhaps you want to explore an interesting topic together. The… Continue reading

  • Library Book Leads to “Antiques Roadshow” Moment!

    About 15 years ago I bought a motorcycle jacket from a local thrift shop. I was intrigued by its padded elbows and shoulders, which sported a marvelous scuffed-and-buffed patina. I figured the jacket had seen better days, but I never gave a second thought to its age—or value. Until recently, that is, when I chanced… Continue reading

  • Who’s you mama? Who’s your daddy?

    by Jen Baker and John LaMont Most of us at one time or another wonder about our ancestors: where they came from, how they got here and why they came. My family came from Germany, Wales and England and I’ve traveled to all three. Curiously, I made an emotional discovery in Wales – I felt… Continue reading

  • Let’s talk about “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter”

    Beginning December 1, Book Chat (the Library’s virtual book discussion group) will discuss Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin, the story of a childhood friendship marred by misunderstanding and suspicion. Silas, the African-American child of a single mother barely making it, and Larry, the white son of a coarse, loud braggart, were close friends despite living… Continue reading

  • Nightstand Reads: Turning the Pages with Kathy Casey

    by Kathy Casey Time-worn. Yellowed. Dog-eared. Marked-up. To some, these words might describe relics to be brushed aside as part of the past. To me, they are the qualities I love most about my cookbook collection. I’m not a “cookbook preserver”; the more splatters and spills and notes left in the margins, the more loved… Continue reading

  • Autumn splendors

    The fall foliage season is a thing of beauty. Of the many colors of autumn, my favorite is soft orange. Having hints of yellow and pink, it appears to glow from within. I spotted these leaves recently on the redbud hazel in my yard. This shrub has produced outstanding shows every fall. Yellow, orange, red,… Continue reading

  • Voice on the Radio: Fictional DJs

    On the radio we heard November Rain                   That solo’s really long but it’s a pretty song                                      We listened to it twice cause the DJ was asleep –Regina Spektor Radio DJ Berry Lambert  lives her life shrouded with superstition in the novel With A Little Luck by Caprice Crane. She avoids black cats and… Continue reading

  • And here are the 10 children’s books selected for Global Reading Challenge!

    Lookee! Five of our librarians give the inside scoop on the 10 titles included in this school year’s Global Reading Challenge.     And here are the same 2012 Global Reading Challenge titles with links to our Library catalog: Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banerjee Extra Credit by Andrew Clements The Magician’s Assistant by Kate DiCamillo Jackie… Continue reading