Pianist extraordinaire! Come join us Wednesday, Nov. 29, at noon in the Cumberland Room to listen to the keyboard magic of Annetta Deck as she provides you with an afternoon to remember.
Great New Books
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
Three years after a previous encounter with murder, Molly Gray is head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, a five-star boutique hostelry. She’s trained her new maid, Lily, to handle the tea cart for the inn’s guest speaker, J.D. Grimthorpe, the best-selling author of over 20 mysteries, a recluse who seldom appears in public. The media and his rabid fans have gathered at the inn to catch a glimpse. Grimthorpe surprises everyone, first by coming down from the stage to doctor his own tea, and then by dropping dead just before he can finish his speech. Molly has the presence of mind to remove Lily from the scene, but she can’t prevent her old nemesis, Detective Stark, from investigating Grimthorpe’s death. When it’s revealed he was poisoned, Molly realizes she may hold the key to the case; as a young girl, she visited the Grimthorpe mansion, and Molly’s past encounters with the author may hold the truth to his death years later.
We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein
The latest novel from Grodstein tells the story of Adam Paskow and the efforts of the historical Oneg Shabbat group to keep a record of those living in occupied Warsaw’s Jewish ghetto. Adam is a Jewish educator with relentless optimism in spite of the Nazi invasion. Having been swindled by his father-in-law, he finds himself living in a small apartment with nine other people, all of whom have been relocated to Poland’s old Jewish district and locked in. Emanuel Ringelblum, the real-life archivist behind Oneg Shabbat, finds Adam teaching children English in secret and recruits him to start documenting his life and the lives of those around him. Grodstein brings to life a critical piece of history with her strong sense of place and complex characters who are determined to live their lives despite daily threats of violence and dehumanization. The Oneg Shabbat archive contains vital first-hand accounts of Jewish subjugation, and it is represented beautifully in Grodstein’s first historical novel, supported by her intensive research and the book’s dynamic relationships that show the value of everyday intimacies.
The Watchmaker’s Hand by Jeffery Deaver
Quadriplegic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme returns in this top-shelf thriller. Political terrorists claim responsibility for a New York City construction crane’s collapse and then make a series of demands in exchange for staving off further destruction. Lincoln gets on the case and while investigating uncovers evidence to suggest that the Watchmaker, a brilliant psychopath determined to kill Lincoln in previous series titles, might be behind the plot, putting into action his most brilliantly convoluted plan yet. With New Yorkers on high alert, the clock is ticking for Lincoln to solve this one with his longtime partner, Amelia Sachs. The Rhyme novels are remarkably consistent: the writing is superb, the characters intriguing, the stories spellbinding, and the plot twists shocking.
Library Laugh I
Why was the cell phone wearing glasses?
It had lost its contacts!
Stingy Schobel Says
Icicles on the side of your home may look pretty, but they really can cause significant water damage when things begin to thaw out. The main culprits of the “ice dams” on the edges of your house are clogged gutters, so make sure your gutters are clear before winter precipitation arrives. This ensures that water can freely flow and won’t freeze up during the cold months. This one thing can help you save thousands of dollars in repairs.
Library Laugh II
What spice do chickens like to put on their food?
Poultry seasoning!
Libraries=Information
Reliable water sources for wildlife can suddenly become unavailable if you live in a climate with harsh, freezing temperatures. While an electrified birdbath is one way to help, it can be difficult and expensive to maintain, and also poses the risk of shorting out (which can hurt birds and small animals). The simplest idea: just place a water source on the south side of your property, where the sun’s rays will be strongest during the day. It should help thaw just enough to be a source of much-needed water.
If there’s a lot of sautéing, frying and cooking going on in your kitchen, do just one thing: Make sure your stove is working and venting properly. A gas range gives off a small amount of carbon monoxide (CO), which is perfectly normal and won’t make you sick. But too much CO is trouble. Take a look at the flames on your cooktop: Are they yellow-tipped? That means the CO levels are too high and the burners need to be fixed. And if you have an exhaust fan, use it: It removes excess CO, particulates and smoke. Be sure the exhaust fan filters are clean and properly installed.
Falling Leaves Extra
What’s the most popular hairdo on a farm?
Pigtails!