READ @ MPL

The Everything Managing People Book by Gary McClain, Ph.D., and Deborah S. Romaine

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:01:50 -0600

The Everything Managing People Book: Quick and Easy Ways to Build, Motivate, and Nurture a First-rate Team is an excellent book for first time mangers or anyone who may need to refresh their management skills: Life as a Manager -As a manager one must be aware of personal limitations and must be able to set realistic goals for themselves and their employees. Managers are expected to "walk on water" when it comes to knowing their jobs, the jobs of their employees and their individual needs. Managers are required to wear various hats and must hold down the front lines when needed. -Office friendships and socializing outside of the office is rare between managers and employees. Many employees (speaking honestly from experience) are hesitant to form any type of friendship with managers. For some managers it can be pretty lonely at the top. Check your Baggage at the Door -Personal situations always seem to sneak their way into the workforce, and no matter how much we try to forget about the argument we had the night before with our spouse or children it can sometimes show in our job performance. Managers must be focused regardless of what may be happening outside of work. -Managers are human with human emotions just like everyone else. We all have certain things that rub us the wrong way, and the key to keeping our personal feelings to a minimum is by knowing exactly what those things are. Managers must understand that personalities are different and that some may collide and some may crash and burn. Guiding your Career -Becoming a manager is at times the final career goal for some individuals. All of their hard work, diligence, and patience have paid off. But for some the road to management does not stop once they land the corner office. Achieving management status is just the beginning. By keeping ones skills sharp, staying up-to-date and setting goals, a manager can easily find their way on a road to upward success. Submitted by: Sha'Nese

Thirteen Reasons Why : A Novel by Jay Asher.

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:19:32 -0600

Narrated by high school student Clay Jenkins, this story is disturbing, haunting and full of regret. It all starts when Clay mysteriously receives thirteen cassette tapes in the mail recorded by a girl, Hannah, who recently committed suicide. Readers will find this story gripping as it races toward Hannah's unfortunate demise. Author Jay Asher leaves us in deep thought about our own past interactions with acquaintances, friends and family and how actions, perhaps unknowingly, cause intense reactions for better or worse. I listened to the audio book, read by both a female and male, which makes you feel like you are listening to Hannah's tapes too as an eerie participant of the story. Check catalog for availability. Submitted by Paula @ MPL Central

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:44:44 -0600

In Rachman's debut, The Imperfectionists, his experience as a foreign correspondent and editor aptly shape the jaded lives of his characters. Each chapter is a different person's tale; a few of my favortites: • The reader who scans every word of every paper, but slowly, so she is more than a decade behind. In her home it is merely April, 1994 and she knows nothing of history beyond that point. • Obit writer, Arthur Gopal, is sent to Switzerland to interview Gerda Erzberger, an Austrian intellectual. "Claw your way to the bottom, did you?" she asks, but he doesn't mind because this is all he aspires to. • The Paris correspondent who doesn't realize he's past his prime. • The female chief financial officer who ends up on a transatlantic flight sitting next to a man she fired. • A naïve fellow competing for a stringer's job in Cairo who is completely taken for a ride by an older and wiser cohort. The chapters read like short stories, but intertwine the origins and development of a newspaper in Rome. This dysfunctional group shows a picture of the imperfection that dogs and yet upholds people. Also of interest is the recently published The Room and the Chair by Lorraine Adams; it has a newsroom similar to Rachman's. And, The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault, which is about lexicographers rather than newspeople, but has melancholy characters. Submitted by Jacki @ MPL Central

Teen Books Adults Won't Be Embarrassed to Read in Public

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:00:00 -0600

As the TwilightMoms and hordes of grown-up Harry Potter aficionados can tell you, young adult lit isn't just for teens anymore. Thrilling plots, compelling characters, and plain old good writing transcend the little "YA" stuck on the spine label. Here's how to find teen books just too good to miss - whether you're 16 or 60. Check out the Printz Award , given annually for excellence in young adult literature. These books tend to be exceptionally well-written. This year's winner, Libba Bray's Going Bovine , manages to be both wacky and profound at the same time. Think Douglass Adams, but with fewer aliens and more smoothies. There are also some great lists available online - apparently, I'm not the only one harboring an obsession with great teen lit! Try this article from Library Journal, this list on Amazon, or these suggestions on GoodReads. And, of course, you can ask your friendly neighborhood librarian. We love to talk about fantastic books for any age! Case in point - even with all these fabulous resources to help you find a teen book you'll love, I can't help mentioning one of my all-time favorite series. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins contains some of the most gripping, absorbing books I've read in ages. (The final installment, Mockingjay, was just released on August 24th. Place your holds now!) So if you've never ventured into the YA area of your library, or if you're a closeted YA fan afraid to whip out the newest Laurie Halse Anderson on the bus, be liberated! No matter what your age, there's a whole world of riveting, poignant, funny, creative teen lit for you to explore. Submitted by Audrey @ Central

Chick Ink : 40 Stories Of Tattoos -- And The Women Who Wear Them.

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:51:59 -0600

Chick Ink : 40 Stories Of Tattoos -- And The Women Who Wear Them. Edited by Karen L. Hudson. No longer are tattoos just for rebels and soldiers. More and more men and women are getting them and society is slowly starting to accept this art form. Perhaps? I found the stories in Chick Ink unique and fascinating. Each chapter focuses on a different woman who speaks about her reasons for permanently adorning her skin with images and words. At the end of the book I had one lingering question. How was the author able to limit the book to only 40 stories? Submitted by Paula @ Central

Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States That Never Made It by Michael J. Trinklein

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:07:45 -0600
Here's a book that makes geography fun. Cedarburg resident and PBS documentary producer Michael J. Trinklein lists dozens of serious and wacky state proposals in alphabetical order with maps superimposing planned borders over current states. While some proposed states never stood a chance for statehood, others made geographical, economic or cultural sense. Chuckle over the stories behind Assenisipia, Half-Breed Tracts, Yazoo and many more, and the movers and shakers, and charlatans behind them. Check catalog for availability. Submitted by Van Lingle Mungo

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:45:24 -0600
After fifteen year old Liz takes a journey on the SS Nile she arrives at Elsewhere, the "place" where people go after they die. Her first task while in Elsewhere is to go to Binoculars #219 and watch her own funeral as it takes place down on Earth. She absolutely hates her new "life" and cannot let go of her former life, so she goes to the Binoculars everyday to watch her family and friends as they live out their daily lives. However, Liz has new responsibilities now that she is dead. Even though she is only teenager, she needs to get a job, earn money, learn to drive a car, and make new friends. Full of happiness and sadness, Zevin writes a sweet story about accepting the lot you are given and truly loving those around you. Check catalog for availability. Submitted by Paula @ Central

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:04:22 -0600
In this, one of the latest biographies of the Sixteenth President of the United States, by the author of the literary exposition, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Mr. Lincoln's secret (until now) avocation as vampire slayer is detailed. When Lincoln's mother becomes a victim of a vampire and passes away, he resolves to free the world of the vampire menace. It becomes a lifelong quest, as he soon learns that there is more at stake than a personal vendetta; the very freedom of every living man, woman and child in America is at risk. With help from a shadowy group of "good" vampires calling themselves "the Union," Lincoln learns that vampires have become entrenched in the economic, social and governmental affairs of the South, their plan being to eventually make the whole United States a vampire nation in which all the living are enslaved. The plans are thwarted when as President, Mr. Lincoln leads the North to defeat the vampire plotters and their Southern puppets. Taken from Lincoln's (until now) secret diaries, Mr. Grahame-Smith has written a worthy historical exposition of events in, and leading up to, the Civil War, and a fascinating biography of our Sixteenth President and lifelong vampire vanquisher Abraham Lincoln. Check catalog availability. Submitted by Mary @ Central

Waiting for The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake? Read These!

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:45:00 -0600
As number 54 on the hold list for Aimee Bender's bestselling The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, I'm getting a little antsy. If, like me, you're looking for something to tide you over until your copy is available, try these similar reads. Savvy, by Ingrid Law Like Rose Edelstein in Lemon Cake, members of the Beaumont family have unusual talents, or "savvies." Just days before Mibs' 13th birthday, when her savvy will awaken, her father is terribly injured. Believing her savvy will be able to save him, Mibs and her quirky, heartwarming companions set off on a journey to reach him. As they cross the country, they struggle with the magical and real aspects of growing up and finding your own voice - at any age. The thick dialect of Savvy is well-crafted, and should appeal to readers who enjoy Aimee Bender's lyrical style. Though technically a children's book, I highly recommend this bittersweet adventure for adult readers.
Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel Craving a sensual foodie read? Tita de la Garza's cooking in Like Water for Chocolate is inseparable from the heated passion between her and her lover, Pedro. The magical realism that pervades Lemon Cake has strong roots in Hispanic literature; in that tradition, Like Water for Chocolate expertly blends the real and the fantastical to create an atmosphere in which love, loss, desire, and the power of food are heightened to the boiling point. If you haven't read Like Water for Chocolate since high school, now may just be the time to pick it up again.
The Other Family, by Joanna Trollope While Trollope's firmly realistic characters have no supernatural gifts, their deep emotional struggles will resonate with readers who were moved by Rose Edelstein's haunting sadness. Most of Trollope's books focus on the pains, joys, and complexities of family relationships, another similarity to Lemon Cake. She employs impeccable prose to draw you intimately into the worlds of struggling families and soul-searching characters. The Other Family is her newest novel, but you'll want to explore her earlier books as well. Submitted by Audrey @ Central

Joy of Geocaching by Paul & Dana Gillin

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:36:03 -0600
According to an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, people, including some from as far away as Denmark and South Africa, showed up at Regner Park in West Bend for the third annual $1,000 Cache Ba$h Geocaching Mega Event, held the previous day. Geocaching is a new emerging sport that has been labeled as a high tech version of hide-and-seek. You use a GPS receiver to locate containers of various shapes and sizes called geocaches. These geocaches are hidden in a particular area in waterproof containers. Using your computer, the location is uploaded on a geocaching website, and the game begins, www.geocaching.com. This book by the Gillins is an excellent introduction to this new sport. Everything you need to know to get started, and how to play the game, is found in this new book. The Joy of Geocaching: How to Find Health, Happiness and Creative Energy Through a Worldwide Treasure Hunt is filled with interesting and funny anecdotes that reveal the reason this sport is exploding in popularity. Submitted by Marion Kusnick, Sports Librarian for Read @ MPL.

Elementary, My Dear Readers!

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:31:41 -0600
Late 19th century English literature supplied the world with iconic literary characters such as Dracula and Alice (of Alice in Wonderland fame), but few have had such a huge impact on popular culture over the past one hundred years than "consulting detective" Sherlock Holmes. Introduced in the 1887 novel A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes went on to appear in 60 short stories and novels. Created by Scottish physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes has become forever associated with deductive reasoning, forensic science, a large pipe, a Deerstalker hat and spectacular disguises. Along with his physician sidekick (and exploit chronicler) Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes became that generation's version of CSI. From his rooms at 221B Baker Street in London to the desolate moors of the south of England, Sherlock Holmes always nabbed the bad guys with a flair that may have made him the most popular fitional detective in literature. In addition to the sixty wonderful Sherlock Holmes stories, the famous detective appears in numerous stage, film and television adaptations. The most famous of these is the fourteen film series starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. Made between 1939 and 1946, these films are fun, witty and exciting. Sherlock received a film update in 2009 in a Guy Ritchie film starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes. PBS aired a spectacular series of Sherlock Holmes television features in the 1980s and recently, PBS has begun developing a new television series starring the pipe smoking detective. Sherlock Holmes films available through the library. Submitted by Dan@Central

Furious Love by Sam Kashner

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:32:18 -0600
Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century is the account of the tumultuous love affair between actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The Taylor-Burton affair began on the set of the film Cleopatra, in 1960 and ended in 1976, after two marriages and two divorces. Author Kashner vividly chronicles the couples' relationship, which was fueled by passionate love, raging arguments and excessive drinking. Burton and Taylor lived an unapologetic life of excess that held the public mesmerized throughout their relationship. Although the love affair between Burton and Taylor is the heart of the book, Furious Love also serves as an excellent dual biography of two complicated individuals. Insights from Taylor and Burton's childhoods often foreshadow events in their later lives. I found Furious Love to be a fascinating look into the lives of Hollywood's most infamous couple. Submitted by Gabriel @ MPL Central

Packing for Mars by Mary Roach

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:08:23 -0600
Mary Roach makes the morbid fun. Her quirky, conversational tone makes any subject, however strange - from cadavers to orgasm in paraplegics - a light, enjoyable read. Yet she's never disrespectful of the objects of her scrutiny. Roach's wit is always grounded in scientific study, expert opinion, and acute observation. Unlike the stereotypical scientist, Roach doesn't shy away from her own reactions to what she sees. Her personal involvement with the subject is what makes her writing so honest and intimate, appealing even to those who don't normally read non-fiction. I got a huge kick out of her debut novel, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, and I can't wait to read her newest book, Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. Want to get an advance taste of its subject matter and idiosyncratic humor? Watch this preview-esque video, created by Roach's publisher W.W. Norton. Submitted by Audrey @ MPL Central

In Cheap We Trust by Lauren Weber

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:49:22 -0600
Timely and very entertaining overview of the history of frugality in America; to some it might seem more of a lost art than a misunderstood virtue. Sage advice from Ben Franklin about a penny saved is a penny earned to our parent's lectures at the dinner table that money does not grow on trees, can be easily drowned out by the incessant marketing of the consumer culture that we live in. Plain living and high thinking are no more was the lament of William Wordsworth over 160 years ago and still seems applicable today. The author certainly recommends a return to frugality for the sake of our planet and our personal and financial well being. Rather than a lecture about the evils of overspending, the book offers a wry look at the cyclical popularity of living within or below our means throughout the course of American History. From the puritanical view that linked saving money to saving your soul to the time of the Depression when cutting back was not a choice but an absolute necessity for survival. In a nod to the "going green movement" of today her advice is simple: if you want to save the planet, the most effective thing that you can do is stop buying so much stuff. Check catalog availability. Submitted by Tom O. @ MPL Central

Green Barbarians: Live Bravely on Your Home Planet By Ellen Sandbeck

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:24:11 -0600
In this book Sandbeck provides an engaging explanation of why many cleaning products pollute instead of clean and why some microbes are necessary to keep us healthy. She provides concrete examples of how to simplify the way you run your home by using fewer chemical contaminants and enlisting the helpful agents that mother nature provides to keep us healthy. She asserts that the companies who market household products have been selectively using scientific data to make us afraid of our own natural environment and encourage a consumer culture that is making us sicker. Some of her suggestions would be hard for the average person to adopt but many of her suggestions are practical and less expensive than the products being marketed to us. Interesting scientific facts were delivered in an upbeat tone that is designed for the layperson. Check catalog for availability. Submitted by Anna @ Central