Thomas Jefferson lives!

What would Thomas Jefferson think about the United States of today?


Author Peter Boody gives us a chance to find out in his recent novel, Thomas Jefferson, Rachel & Me.


Retired history teacher Jack Arrowsmith meets Mr. Jefferson at Monticello one twilight while touring the estate. Jack's recently lost both his wife and son--one to illness, the other to accident--and is seeking solace in a place where the family had vacationed in happier times. At first Jack thinks he's encountered a fantastic historical re-enactor, but soon realizes that spirit of Thomas Jefferson himself has appeared.

Jack realizes that the only person he can tell about his discovery is his son's ex-girlfriend Rachel, a master's student in history at Columbia. Rachel is beautiful, with auburn hair, green eyes, pale mocha skin--and perhaps, Jack discovers later--is a direct descendant of Jefferson's slave Sally Hemmings.

Jack and Rachel return to Monticello and find Jefferson waiting for them. "Pray tell me, Mr Arrowsmith," he said, "these marvelous conveyances I've seen here on my hilltop, these painted coaches with the heavy material enclosing their spokeless wheels... To you travel in one yourself? They are magically self-propelled. Perhaps you can explain their operation to me."  So begins the ultimate roadtrip, as Rachel and Jack take Mr. Jefferson across America, filling him in on the history of the past 200 years, and winding up in New York.

Can Jefferson cope with the 21st century? More importantly, can Jack cope with Jefferson? What will be the outcome of the growing attraction between Jefferson and Rachel? Will Jack find closure from the loss of his family?

Author Boody has written a very clever book, providing Jefferson with a believable and authentic-sounding voice. Jefferson ponders technology and politics, while Jack and Rachel cope with the real difficulties of creating an identify for a ghost in corporeal form.

If you enjoy the unusual, with a blend of paranormal, time-travel, historical fiction, and literary quality, try Thomas Jefferson, Rachel & Me, by Peter Boody.

Interested in looking back at American History and times through Jefferson's eyes? Place a hold online, call The Urbana Free Library at 217-367-4405, or email your request to reference@tufl.info.

Wonderland Creek

We librarians love to read novels about other librarians! My latest find is the enjoyable, charming Wonderland Creek.


The story and the characters are what attracted me to this title. It's inspired by the real life experiences of the packhorse librarians, who during the depression were subsidized by President Roosevelt's WPA (Work Projects Administration) to deliver books to schoolhouses and residents of rural Kentucky.

Alice Grace Ripley, a sheltered young librarian from Blue Island, Illinois, is in a pickle. Her long-time beau, an up-and-comer at his funeral home, dumps her. She always has her nose in a book, and just had to finish that last chapter during the rather boring funeral she attended. How could this be considered disrespectful to poor Mr. Watson? He would have understood--he was a reader and regular library patron. Alice's bad luck continues the next day. Even though she's a dedicated employee, she was the last hired. So, when her library is forced to cut hours, budget and staff, Alice is let go.

What to do? Blue Island is a small town and everyone is surely talking about her two misfortunes. Her father, the local minister, tries to enlist her in one of his projects. There are many in their community needing help during the depression, but Alice is appalled. Unfortunate people make her feel uncomfortable. Instead, Alice plans an alternative task. Inspired by a recent Life magazine article, she's collected 5 boxes of books and 3 bags of magazines for a needy library in the backwoods of Kentucky, and has been in correspondence with Leslie the librarian about them. She'll just deliver the books in person and help catalog them as a volunteer. She can continue with her career, read, and escape a while from the gossip and humiliation she's just faced. Then she'll come home.

But Alice's plans don't occur as expected once she's dropped off in Kentucky by her vacationing aunt and uncle. You'll have to read Wonderland Creek to find out what happens. But rest assured, the book is full of quirky & realistic characters, American history, family feuds, suspense, romance, personal growth & belief, and love for libraries & reading. Alice tells her story in first person, and it's fun to hear this tale through her voice.

Wonderland Creek by Illinois author Lynn Austin was published in 2011 by the well-known Christian publishing firm Bethany House. The author has won a number of Christy Awards, which are presented for excellence in Christian fiction. There is a Christian message in this title, but I feel it is integrated very well and naturally into the plot and personalities of the main characters. This is also a good choice for you if you prefer gentle reads. Discussion questions are included at the end, for book groups.

Wonderland Creek and other books by Lynn Austin are available for you to enjoy at The Urbana Free Library. Place a hold online or contact us librarians at Urbana Free Adult Services.  217-367-4405; reference@tufl.info.

Yoga Meets Science

Speaking as yogini, yoga teacher and librarian, I relish when new books are published on the subject of yoga. The Science of Yoga, which was five years in the making by New York Times science writer, William J. Broad, offers a collection of “scientific evidence” regarding yoga.

In yoga’s social media scene, (facebook and twitter) this book has gotten a lot of attention. Most of the book’s buzz relates to the portion of the book dedicated to “risks.” For dedicated yoga practitioners and teachers this "risks" perspective can be alarming.

I once had a yoga teacher say, “all feedback is neutral, it’s how we respond to the information that makes it positive or negative.” I’m taking that approach to Broad’s book. Sure, there’s plenty of content that makes me scowl a little. I feel skeptical regarding the methods of certain cited scientific studies. Although, ultimately, this book gets more information out there on the topic of yoga and science. As a librarian, I think more information is always a good thing. Access to information is how we make graceful, educated decisions about many things in life including the bigger stuff like how to live each day. I especially like Mr. Broad’s plea, near the end of the book, for more scientific research on the effects of yoga.

Several of the book’s most potent bits of information come right at the beginning. There’s a useful yoga history timeline and a list of yoga “characters” with brief summaries. Both of these tools are detailed and in alignment with what I’ve studied, without being too complex, esoteric or inaccessible to yoga novices. The book’s reporting is delivered through endearing stories of how the author came to discover it, which makes it easy to relate to and conversational. Broad concentrates on the topic of the physical poses (asana) and their effects, while avoiding the more veiled and complex subject of yoga philosophy and its effects.

Although much of the book’s media hype is a result of the controversial image of yoga portrayed by Mr. Broad, it’s worthwhile to know that Broad has been practicing yoga since the early 1970s and continues today. He read, studied and collected all this scientific information, thought it over, incorporated it into his personal practice and decided to share the information with others, (meanwhile making some extra bucks selling a book). The fact that he keeps on doing yoga after learning all that he did, is testament enough to me that the rewards far outweigh the risks. And what’s the risk of getting more information anyway? That you might make an educated choice about how you do your yoga. I think that’s pretty positive!

For this book and other books on the topic of yoga please see this month’s 2nd floor book display.

Cooking = Fun!

Cooking can be a lot of fun! I bet you've never heard recipes SUNG to you before. The Recipe Project: A Delectable Extravaganza of Food and Music, with songs by the group One Ring Zero, began as a simple idea: take the recipes of today's top chefs, set them to music, and sing them word for word. The result? A quirky cookbook/CD combo you can dance and shimmy to while cooking. A different mood for each recipe is guaranteed.
 


However much folks may enjoy singing along as they cook, many feel that eating the food is more fun.  And to get to the eating part, a bit of guidance is extremely helpful. How do we make that tasty food so we can enjoy it? One way is to discover yummy recipes in cookbooks.

The Urbana Free Library loves cookbooks and we have a vast collection. Here's a sampling of some of the best and brightest we've gotten lately.


If you're a fan of the cooking competition reality show Top Chef/Top Chef Texas, you may have been intrigued by this culinary marvel, which was a highly-desired prize for one of the recent quick fires. Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Baking by Nathan Myhrvold is a "six-volume, 2,438-page set that is des­tined to rein­vent cook­ing." Yep, it's an elegant whopper of a cookbook that has already found devotees here at Urbana Free. The photographs are amazing and the text clearly expresses the joys of molecular gastronomy .


Modernist Cuisine Trailer from Modernist Cuisine on Vimeo.


Food Network TV chef Ree Drummond presents simple but extremely tasty recipes in her latest cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks Food From My Frontier. She's posted a full color preview of the mouthwatering results on her blog.










And finally, for the purists among you, we have Pam Anderson's How to Cook Without a Book: Recipes and Techniques Every Cook Should Know by Heart. Anderson has sympathy for all those who come home from work tired and have to fix a meal. They have to page through a cookbook and scramble to make sure they have all the ingredients before they can even start dinner. Anderson believes all recipes are "variations on a theme",  so she stresses technique. You can pull together a meal easily, recognizing what you can prepare from the ingredients you have on hand, eliminating a cookbook as the middleman. (Of course, you DO need Anderson's cookbook to attain this goal. We're happy to have it in our collection so you can check it out.)



Urbana Free is the place to be for cookbooks! Come in and browse the 641.5's. Give us a call at 217-367-4405 to place any requests, or email us reference@tufl.info

Are you Good to Go?

We don't like to think about it, but we're all going to "go" some day. Good to Go: a Guide to Preparing for the End of Life, by Jo Myers, is a frank but humorous look at many issues you need to consider when planning for death.

Using personal experiences and anecdotes, Myers presents helpful hints plus information from funeral directors, veterinarians, jewelers, hospice workers and others who might be involved with the end of someone's life. You don't always think about or are aware of problems which might arise when a family member or friend passes away. This book will help you prepare, so what should occur actually does. As Myers says: "Death happens. A good plan helps it happen with fairness, dignity, and integrity."




Realistic and practical, Good to Go is available at The Urbana Free Library. Place a hold or contact us at Adult Services to reserve it for you. 217-367-4405.

Where Children Sleep reflects their worlds

In discussing his photo essay, Where Children Sleep, photographer James Mollison says "I found myself thinking about my bedroom: how significant it was during my childhood, and how it reflected what I had and who I was. It occurred to me that a way to address some of the complex situations and social issues affecting children would be to look at the bedrooms of children in all kinds of different circumstances."

Mollison combined compelling portraits with bedroom photos and stark, matter-of-fact bios. The contrast is immense. This is serious social controversy that not only explores worldwide lifestyle divides but combines them with detailed graphics which are fascinating and haunting at the same time.

Preview portraits from the book. And, if it intrigues you, borrow the book from The Urbana Free Library and spend time exploring how differently children live around the world. Where Children Sleep is a book you won't forget.

Questions or need help placing your hold? Call us at Adult Services, 217-367-4405, or email.

Champaign Urbana Color

I became a fan of Dan O'Brien's gorgeous local shots when I followed his daily photoblog on the gct13.com website a few years ago. Dan went out into Champaign-Urbana, UIUC and the surrounding countryside and posted the most colorful photos celebrating our communities.

The photoblog is discontinued now, so I was delighted to discover O'Brien has published a book inspired by the spirit of his blog. Some shots are new, but I was thrilled to view some of my personal favorites. While O'Brien's shots of UIUC buildings bring out their iconic flavor, I particularly love his images of the fields and ever-changing Illinois skies.

Preview Champaign Urbana Color online, or request our Urbana Free Library copy.

High Line--hidden in Manhattan

The High Line is a unique urban garden, created in the heart of New York City from an old, abandoned, elevated freight line. What was an eyesore is now a vital community space.

I've been fascinated by the High Line ever since I viewed this brief CBS Early Show feature. So I was thrilled when I heard on NPR that a new book detailing the inside story of the project was on the way.

Now, you too can find out all about the creation of this popular public park by reading High Line: the Inside Story of New York City's Park in the Sky, by Joshua David and Robin Hammond.

Place a hold online, or contact us at the library & we'll be happy to reserve a copy for you. (217) 367-4405/reference@tufl.info

Cold, Yummy and Healthy

Just when you think summer is over, along comes another spell of intense and cloying warmth. It's the perfect time for refreshing ice pops!

Ice Pop Joy: Organic, Healthy, Fresh, Delicious, by Anni Daulter, is a great alternative for those looking for cool but healthy treats. Don't depend on those refined sugar popsicles you get at the store. Why not make your own, nutritious versions? And these aren't just pops for kids--these have great appeal for adults, too.

Check out the book's website for more pictures and some free recipes. But check the book itself out from the Urbana Free Library, and create all sorts of scrumptious icy taste treats yourself. Bet you'll want a supply to enjoy all year round--not just in the heat of summer.

Broetry

Broetry? What is it besides the title of a newly published book of poems? The poet, Brian McGackin, says it best in his blog post:  "...Broetry is poetry for dudes; it's poetry for people who don't normally like poetry. Are you the type of person that scoffs at Shelley, laughs at Lord Byron, and wouldn't be caught dead reading Whitman? Then I am quite pleased to inform you that there is finally a manly alternative."

And he's right. Where else can you find poems that start out:

"I have finished

the beer

that was in

the icebox"

or

"So, we're probably going to break up, right?

I think we should, although I'm terrible

at making decisions, so would you mind

just taking care of that for me?"

So check out this new addition to our collection and enjoy the manly--and sometimes rather explicit--musings of a totally male poet.

Remember, it's Broetry: Poetry for Dudes. Follow the link and place a hold or give us librarians a call, so we can reserve it for you.

CBCOTW

Or, Creepy Book Cover of the Week:





Kids scare me. Not all kids--really, it's only when creators intend for them to be slightly off, like in The Orphanage. I suppose I do tend to find the suspiciously overjoyed children hanging out with Barney to be a tad frightening, too.

This girl on the cover of Jennifer McMahon's Don't Breathe a Word gets to me, which is the point as the story is, according to Publisher's Weekly, an "affecting portrait of family dysfunction overlaid with the eeriness of the supernatural." A 12-year-old Lisa tells everyone that she'll be departing for the fairy world, where she'll be happier away from her drugged out father. And, 15 years ago, she disappeared. Younger brother, Sam, believes she was abducted, and then gets a call from someone claiming to be Lisa, which sets him and his girlfriend on the case of finding out who the caller really was.

I haven't read it. My prediction: the girl obviously turned evil and is luring her brother and his girlfriend to the land of the fae to be brutally sacrificed in order to become evil queen. Or, she's a ghost, vengefully haunting Sam from beyond for some reason we don't know. In a shattering twist at the end, we learn that child-Sam killed his sister when they were kids, and that he's been the evil one all along, not Lisa/her ghost. Okay, one more...um, amnesia. Lisa was abducted or ran off on her own and somehow bonked her noggin, rendering her amnesiac for 15 years, at which time things clear up (maybe a second bonk, maybe she found herself back at home, whatever), but she loses the last 15 years of her memory. So of course she calls Sam and is scared, because she's mentally 12-year-old Lisa again.

I'm sure the book is much better than anything I could come up with--it would have to be in order to live up to that spooky child cover.

Would you like to read it? Check our catalog for availability.
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