tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26250946061636901302012-01-29T04:53:43.109-05:00What are you reading/listening to? <BR>Tell us, and share the goodness, or help us avoid the pitfalls...J Auclairnoreply@blogger.comBlogger681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-81748830621134884332011-12-12T13:20:00.005-05:002011-12-12T13:47:38.254-05:00

If you are still looking for a few good books to buy as gifts for the holidays, there are plenty of "Best of 2011" lists out there and newly named award-winning books. For Junior Readers - ages 8-12 the Connecticut Library Consortium has published a list that has been recommended by CT librarians. A few titles are: The Lone Wolf by Kathryn Lasky, Lunch Lady by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Stuff That

Elainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212912115973000541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-26230878986276308792011-10-03T18:48:00.004-05:002011-10-23T14:19:06.235-05:00

September flew by, but I managed to get some books read in spite of that. I did finish Train Dreams by Denis Johnson, the National Book Award Winner. The Hartford Courant called it right on Sunday when they wrote, "Train Dreams" is a nuanced portrait of a day laborer in an earlier America and the quiet stoicisim that becomes his code." Don't look for a lot of plot or action, but the language

Elainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212912115973000541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-61653353049768929042011-09-06T12:47:00.003-05:002011-09-07T10:29:08.282-05:00

Sorry that I seemed to have let August come and go without an update.... and someone even sent a wonderful comment in - Thanks, Paul. The selection for September's morning book group is City of Thieves by David Benioff. It is about two men caught in the Nazi siege of Leningrad during WWII. Coincidentally, a new book has been published entitled Leningrad: The Epic Sage of World War II 1941-1944

Elainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212912115973000541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-28843873137988340562011-07-10T19:31:00.003-05:002011-07-18T09:56:21.922-05:00

A few new books from the best seller lists are on order for the library and may already be in..........give Julie a call to check on their availability. The fiction titles are Against All Enemies by Tom Clancy and Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews. Summer Rental is the story of three friends in their mid-30s who spend a month on North Carolina's Outer Banks. The nonfiction books are In the

Elainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212912115973000541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-11829242882255411162011-06-07T07:57:00.002-05:002011-06-15T15:06:53.113-05:00

Here are some new suggestions for summer reading............. The Snowman, by Jo Nesbo. If you liked The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, you will like this book. It is set in Oslo, Norway and the mystery will keep you guessing about "whodunit" right until the end. Very suspenseful. The Warmth of Other Suns is an excellent nonfiction choice for the summer. It details the cultural revolution in

Elainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212912115973000541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-4540104783730671412011-05-10T08:43:00.006-05:002011-05-10T09:01:17.330-05:00

If you are looking for some of the newest fiction and nonfiction to hit the best seller lists, the library has some good ones for you. Recently acquired titles include the thrillers The Sixth Man by David Baldacci, The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly, I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark, Save Me by Lisa Scottoline, and Toys by James Patterson. Also, we have the much-awaited sequel to the Jean

Elainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212912115973000541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-52076885961364630842011-04-30T15:19:00.004-05:002011-04-30T15:28:58.782-05:00

What are you reading now? Can you recommend it on the "Bakerville Reads" blog?I am reading Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver for the second time in order to prepare for the May 12th morning book group, and I am remembering why I liked it so much the first time.I also just finished Elizabeth STreet by Laurie Fabiano. It is a novel about Italian immigrants in New York City at the turn of the 20th

Elainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212912115973000541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-52142067234902838622011-04-21T09:14:00.002-05:002011-04-21T09:23:15.229-05:00

Good Morning..... Our Bakerville Library blog has not been updated in some time. We hope to change all of that, and keep you current on new programs, new books, and new opportunities to volunteer in the "Best Little Library" in Connecticut.Our programming committee has been hard at work this year, sponsoring a Pumpkin Painting event, a historic walk through Bakerville, a Winter Reading Program, a

Elainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212912115973000541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-46346908893602386112011-04-21T09:00:00.000-05:002011-04-21T09:33:21.532-05:00

We raised $2900 to help support the Bakerville Library.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-47369542523781227332009-12-03T18:54:00.043-05:002009-12-04T18:37:17.835-05:00

Last I looked, we have about 85 auction items. Thank you to everyone who has donated, both the reliable givers whose donations we can look forward to every year, and donors who are just joining us for the first time. We all appreciate everyone who participates!It’s coming up tonight, December 4th. Since there’s hardly any time (okay, no time) left, I’ll cut to the chase and give you the auction

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-71135853624284131922009-05-12T14:22:00.004-05:002009-05-12T14:28:49.938-05:00

Well, no.I recently listened to the Arkangel Romeo & Juliet performance on CD, from the Bakerville Library, without high hopes. I can happily say that I recommend it. If you’re reading it for school, or read it a long time ago in school, and want a refresher (that is, if you’re basically familiar with the plot), this is just the ticket.The acting is quite good (Joseph Fiennes is Romeo), and the

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-58694939818658065482009-02-27T15:25:00.003-05:002009-02-27T15:31:54.410-05:00

The third of Julia’s book reviews.Acts of Faith by Philip CaputoCaputo’s novel delves into the soul of Africa as his characters seek to know their inner selves and find their way in the turmoil of Sudan and the upheaval of civil war.Ethics, faith, friendship, and humanity are tested time and time again as Caputo’s fast-paced novel traverses the continent and characters seek means to sustain

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-37725628880089859772008-12-09T13:58:00.003-05:002008-12-09T14:02:20.790-05:00

The Book Club’s holiday party will be a brunch this year, coming up this Sunday (Dec. 14th) at noon. Call the library, 482-8806, for more information.The next book, which we will discuss sometime in January, is Old School by Tobias Wolff. Copies are in at the library. I am listening to it now, and can recommend it.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-7120431439005352702008-12-09T13:54:00.002-05:002008-12-09T13:57:08.656-05:00

Photos from the 2008 Bakerville Holiday Festival are up at the library’s website. If you were able to attend, thank you! If you were not able to, we missed you, but don’t worry—we still had a good time. And we raised almost $2900 for the library.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-85694100306335700612008-08-19T10:11:00.003-05:002008-08-19T10:15:52.953-05:00

Since I have not gathered all the Marketplace photos yet, I’m taking the lazy woman’s route and posting the second of Julia’s book reviews (see the first review in the post below). Thanks, Julia!Same Kind of Different as MeThe amazing true story Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore tells of their unusual friendship as a result of Deborah Hall’s grace and vision. This memoir

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-81018889183887079762008-08-12T15:50:00.002-05:002008-08-12T16:00:40.980-05:00

While I go through more photos of the Bakerville Marketplace and Used Book Sale, and collect lists of people to thank, let’s enjoy the first of many book reviews sent in by book club member Julia Cowans-Wilhelm. She has graciously shared her thoughts on, count ’em, seven of her recent reads. Good job, Julia! (Both the reading and the writing.) I’ve chosen the following to begin with because we

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-86566566686622487032008-08-05T15:57:00.009-05:002008-08-06T13:43:50.616-05:00

Thanks to everyone who participated, the Bakerville Marketplace and Used Book Sale raised upwards of $3500.Here are some preliminary pictures (more to come, as well as a long list of people we are thankful to have on our side).On Friday evening, we put up the auction tent (thanks to the Grange for lending it out to us again). While the guys worked,the girls plotted.Jumping ahead to the

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-58583098361646673942008-07-28T09:55:00.003-05:002008-07-28T10:01:55.113-05:00

Bring your used books to the Bakerville Library this week!Bring your auction donations this week!Bring your baked goods this Friday or very early Saturday!Bring yourself to the library at 8:30 am this Saturday for the early bird opening of the Used Book Sale ($7).Or wait until 9:00 for everything else—Used Book Sale (free admission), Teacup Auction, Bake Sale (all those benefit the library), and

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-30046140613833835112008-06-27T11:04:00.005-05:002008-06-27T13:01:21.902-05:00

From book club member extraordinaire,Mary Lee Dunn:The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, 2006 ATRIA BooksThe trick to enjoying a good read is in finding the right book. How lucky we are to have Julie LaSata as our shepherd to guide us to a book that will make you put everything else on hold until the book is finished. Once you become a Bakerville Library regular, and you let her know what you’re

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-11866044966962004192008-06-25T14:14:00.005-05:002008-07-01T08:41:26.366-05:00

This is one of those obituaries that’s interesting not only because I didn’t realize she was still alive until now, but also because she had a very unusual life. To say the least. A link to the New York Times article:Tasha Tudor, Children’s Book Illustrator, Dies at 92And a link to the Concord Monitor, in New Hampshire:Illustrator Tudor dies at age 92

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-33709549492832058932008-06-20T14:59:00.005-05:002008-06-25T14:19:05.540-05:00

Friday, August 8th.NOTE: We will be meeting early, starting at 6:30 pm, to enjoy the summer evening. Call the library at 482-8806 for more information.We will be discussing The Memory of Running, by Ron McLarty.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-3997292405038337582008-05-29T15:54:00.010-05:002008-06-25T14:19:54.877-05:00

Another good friend of the Bakerville Library has passed away. Bud Sedgwick (right), who with Bill Stafford made it an annual event to tell second graders what it was like when the library building was a schoolhouse, died on Thursday, May 22nd. He will be missed at the library and around Bakerville. Following is his obituary from the Register Citizen.Posted on Fri, May 23, 2008Malcolm Sedgwick,

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-58211255102952102932008-05-19T13:44:00.008-05:002008-06-20T15:13:06.343-05:00

June’s book club meeting will be about The Pickwick Papers, by Charles Dickens. I was one who voted for it, and some people are blaming me. Okay, I stand by my vote. It’s a very funny book.Also, I have to present Dickens’s bio. (As part of my punishment.) So come back and visit this post in the next few days—I’ll try out some ideas here.First, the basic facts.Born: 1812.Died: 1870._______________

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-26919836487538020092008-05-16T15:38:00.005-05:002008-05-16T16:06:25.767-05:00

A while ago, I was in the library looking to feed my audio addiction. My eyes lit on this attractive cover of Robinson Crusoe, and I grabbed it, since I’d never read it.It felt strangely light; judging from the shape, it should have contained a bunch of tapes.I opened it up, after some struggle, and saw that it contained a little calculator-shaped gadget, and a battery in a separate foam slot.I

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-15440009144341322762008-04-21T15:08:00.004-05:002008-04-21T15:12:56.822-05:00

I don’t know how long this link will last, but here is a video clip from the Waterbury Republican-American, today’s edition (April 21st) of CDN singing at the library’s benefit concert this past Sunday, April 20th. http://www.rep-am.com/multimedia/videos/doc480bfa4a3a6bd188445878.txt

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-45036200042766056262008-01-17T11:07:00.004-05:002008-04-24T09:31:53.768-05:00

So this Friday evening, April 25th, we will be discussing The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-75148874693468943422008-01-15T11:59:00.001-05:002008-01-15T12:04:05.572-05:00

On Friday, February 29th, we will be discussing Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera (see post below). And we did decide what we’d be discussing in March, but do you think I remember?

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-64223183199369264212008-01-10T14:55:00.000-05:002008-01-10T15:42:35.967-05:00

I’m listening to an audiobook of Gregory Maguire’s Son of a Witch, sort of a sequel to Wicked (which I haven’t read yet), on which the musical is based. He himself narrates it. I can’t recommend him as a narrator, but I’ll excuse him because I love his writing.This starts where Wicked ends, apparently—when the witch dies. (In case you haven’t read or seen Wicked, it’s a riff on The Wizard of Oz.)

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-72751257074054128072008-01-10T10:11:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:21:42.399-05:00

I keep forgetting to post the book club meetings here. Well, the next one is tomorrow night (Friday, January 11). We’ll be discussing The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a book that makes me feel as if I were in school again—in a good way.In case you’ve forgotten how it works (if you’re like me), we alternate every month between classics* and current books. We decide two months ahead of

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-89015988054410600142008-01-03T10:57:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:07:29.743-05:00

I thought I’d made a new discovery in The Boleyn Inheritance, Philippa Gregory’s historical fiction about Henry VIII’s fourth and fifth wives. Unlike some other efforts I can think of, this is not just a costumed veneer to disguise steamy sex (or a jockstrap ripper, as my mother said once), but what seems like an honest attempt to make history come alive (okay, with some incidental steamy sex).Of

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-6071242635396677892007-12-27T10:57:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:07:53.592-05:00

I’m reading a relatively new Leslie Glass. I have fond memories of her books about April Woo and Mike Sanchez, police procedurals with heavy doses of humor, mostly about April’s Chinese parents and their extreme behavior. Her mother, Skinny Dragon, calls her Worm Daughter, just the tip of the iceberg of verbal abuse.This one, A Clean Kill (2005), was only available in paperback; I’m not sure it

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-8555820306373423822007-12-03T11:15:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:05:15.601-05:00

We had a good crowd on Friday night, with perfect weather, and we raised almost $2500 for the library. A few pictures are below; more are at the library website.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-79126333199476578332007-11-27T12:53:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:05:51.287-05:00

It’s that time of year again, no matter how hard you try to ignore it. And we haven’t even hit December yet.The Bakerville Library’s big winter fundraiser is this Friday evening. The fun starts at 7 pm. Bring your mittens and your flashlights to the bonfire, carol sing, and tree lighting across the street from the library, in Neal Yates’s yard. Refreshments will be available.Also starting at 7,

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-36417710714870496862007-10-18T10:27:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:08:29.173-05:00

The “friend” concept (see yesterday’s post, below) gets a little stretched, here. This is Nora Ephron, after all. She writes (and does other things for) movies. She’s friends with Rosie O’Donnell and knew Craig Claiborne. She lived in a much tonier section of the Upper West Side of Manhattan than I did.Until I realized how much out of my league she was, though, I listened with a “time to tell my

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-48026712065999131612007-10-17T11:09:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:08:54.404-05:00

I’m listening to I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron. I was pre-primed to enjoy this one.She wrote “When Harry Met Sally,” for one thing. And another movie I saw a long time ago and enjoyed.*For another, she correctly titled it I Feel Bad..., not I Feel Badly..., which would have disqualified it immediately for my listening.For yet another, Ms. Ephron herself narrates it, and has a great New

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-45609919358265716412007-10-03T14:57:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:07:15.730-05:00

I was at the library yesterday and noticed that they have a copy of Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. I don't remember who the narrator was, but it looks like the same version I listened to several years ago, and you should run right into the library and borrow it. The text, as I'm sure you all know by now, is compelling (Arthur Golden must have been a woman in a previous life), and the

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-65739167960388809212007-10-01T11:03:00.000-05:002007-10-01T11:22:04.007-05:00

I'm happy to report that at the next book club meeting (Friday, October 19) we'll be discussing Copies in Seconds. As you know, I'm always eager to recommend this book, and the book club members finally took the bait.We've heard from one member who has already finished the book that she enjoyed it. I'm re-reading it now, and luckily it lives up to my memory.In other news, some of you may know

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-17654645243982186852007-07-30T09:17:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:09:30.758-05:00

This Saturday, August 4th, come to the Bakerville Library’s annual summer fundraiser, the Bakerville Marketplace and Used Book Sale.The Marketplace runs from 9 am to 2 pm. Community members of all ages are welcome to participate. Attractions include plants & herbs, crafts, face painting, booths of all kinds. A teacup auction benefits the library.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-63082627521983175032007-07-30T09:12:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:10:00.886-05:00

Here’s a pdf of the newsletter that just came in your mail last week (if you live in New Hartford), and that’s available now at the Bakerville Library.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-84601179221916530462007-07-30T09:07:00.000-05:002008-01-10T10:10:46.591-05:00

Friday, September 14. We will be discussing Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen.From readinggroupguides.com: Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-37189160140074190002007-06-28T14:57:00.001-05:002008-01-10T10:11:27.969-05:00

Plum Seriesby Janet EvanovichMilissa Woodward (Friend of the Bakerville Library par excellence) writes:I started reading about Stephanie Plum, the bounty hunter from New Jersey, on a recommendation from a fellow Friend of the Bakerville Library. She told me the author always made her laugh. The series is now 13 books and the latest one was just released in mid-June. Since I don’t get too caught

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-25061947752541722422007-06-14T09:30:00.000-05:002007-06-14T09:57:48.557-05:00

Knowledge doesn't always make you happy.I read Swiss Family Robinson several times when I was a kid. The version was from the '50s, I think, illustrated by Lynd Ward (not the version pictured). The most striking thing about his pictures is that all the people's faces are skewed; I read much later that toward the end of his career he developed a condition that affected his eyesight, which in turn

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-89345100677963784812007-06-13T12:13:00.000-05:002007-06-13T12:25:39.476-05:00

As it turns out, I have a limited tolerance for P.G. Wodehouse.I picked up an audio copy of The Inimitable Jeeves only to feed my addiction to listening in the car. The version available at the library is the Audio Adventures one, narrated by Jonathan Cecil (not the cover shown).I've seen the BBC Jeeves, featuring Stephen Fry as the butler, which I enjoyed tremendously, but never read any of the

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-10629168181913489322007-06-07T15:38:00.001-05:002007-06-08T14:40:46.981-05:00

I had a great time reading this book. Look at that cover—isn’t it appealing?A blast from just the past would have been for me to re-read the ’60s editions (and even the older ones of my mother’s) of the Nancy Drews I used to love. But Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women who Created Her starts way back with Edward Stratemeyer, who started the publishing company that created not only the Nancy

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-42544062392912581082007-06-04T10:14:00.000-05:002007-06-04T10:18:02.492-05:00

Book Club will meet next on Friday, July 20th, at 7 pm. We will be reading Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, to mark his recent passing.Here are the publisher notes on the book:Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes 'unstuck in time' after he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. In a plot-scrambling display of

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-17389497317238894512007-05-21T14:44:00.000-05:002007-05-23T09:32:29.359-05:00

Well, another Alexander McCall Smith bites the dust.Hope springs eternal, because the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series continues to appeal--I just listened to the first one and read the latest one.So of course I couldn't resist trying the second one in his Professor Dr. Von Igelfeld series, The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs. This one, it turns out, leans more toward slapstick, which McCall

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-65557980635503952122007-05-02T08:19:00.000-05:002007-05-02T08:23:53.336-05:00

On Friday, June 1st, we will be discussing In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien. Here's Publishers Weekly's synopsis of the book:A politician's career is ruined overnight by revelations of his wartime participation in a village massacre in Vietnam while his personal life is undone by the sudden disappearance of his wife.Call the library at 482-8806 for more information.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-80045399380535590602007-04-30T08:26:00.000-05:002007-05-04T11:03:43.557-05:00

Did you catch it? Sunday's concert was a hoot.Upwards of 120 people attended, listened and laughed as these talented young men from UConn sang and entertained.After expenses, almost $1200 went to benefit the library.The Friends of the Bakerville Library would like to thank Sharon Mitchell and the Bakerville Methodist Church for all their help, both with this event and with many other past ones.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-55568883194846041652007-04-25T10:18:00.000-05:002007-04-29T11:18:04.180-05:00

There's still time to get your tickets for Another Completely Different Afternoon with A Completely Different Note. In fact, you can get them at the door this Sunday, April 29th, at 3 pm at the Bakerville Methodist Church.Tickets are $10 (12 and under free). All proceeds benefit the Bakerville Library.Refreshments will be served after the concert.If at all possible, don't miss this very

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-48737376103776864972007-04-20T15:16:00.000-05:002007-04-20T15:46:29.609-05:00

It's been a week since my last post, and I've made no progress on The Devil in the White City. So just to have a blog entry, and because it's one of my favorite subjects, here are some of the children's books I like best, and am willing to re-read either to myself or to anyone else. (When my kids were little, sometimes it was hard to find a balance between those books they wanted me to read over

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-55477257333760969362007-04-13T21:14:00.000-05:002007-04-13T21:20:11.143-05:00

I am enjoying the hard copy version of The Devil in the White City. I haven't yet gone past the part that I listened to, but the text without any tone of voice is much more authoritative and interesting.I did speak with someone else who is listening to the (abridged! but I'm not telling) version by the same narrator, and she doesn't mind it, which is why people really should be commenting, so

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-11663233621107655622007-04-10T08:54:00.000-05:002007-04-11T08:27:56.816-05:00

You can find a pdf of the Bakerville Library's Spring 2007 newsletter here.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-2189662402629214072007-04-05T10:49:00.000-05:002007-04-05T12:23:44.247-05:00

This is an interim post. I'm on the first CD of the audio version of The Devil in the White City. The information is interesting, and details are plentiful. But the narrator (Scott Brick) seems to imply that everything is really important--especially numbers. Any time he says, for instance, "seven million," he pauses first and then says the number as if he were Ryan Seacrest announcing the bottom

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-47851318535904142202007-04-01T02:26:00.000-05:002007-04-05T10:58:30.138-05:00

The next book club meeting will be Friday, April 27th, when we will discuss The Devil in the White City, about a serial killer at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair (nonfiction).

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-41882113663229450882007-03-30T13:50:00.000-05:002007-03-30T14:02:54.091-05:00

To remind you:Coming Sunday,April 29th, 2007at 3 pmA concert featuring CDN(A Completely Different Note) at the Bakerville Methodist Church. Remember what a good time you had last May, when they sang at the firehouse? Here's more information about this premier all-male a cappella group from UConn, which includes Bakerville's own Patrick Reardon, last year's Northwest Idol winner!On

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-51497797687124843242007-03-29T15:37:00.000-05:002007-03-29T15:38:45.693-05:00

As you can tell, nonfiction mostly isn't my thing, but I am a sucker for a good biography.A few years ago, my brother got me hooked on Julia Child with a copy of her French omelette show and a good omelette pan. Now my favorite way to distract myself while folding laundry is to do it while watching Julia roast a chicken or make mayonnaise or whip up some egg whites for a Queen of Sheba cake.So

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-58709432811952302712007-03-23T13:38:00.000-05:002007-04-30T13:39:39.216-05:00

What could be more sure than this: an Alexander McCall Smith novel, read by Davina Porter? I hyperventilated as I picked The Sunday Philosophy Club, blurbed as a mystery, off the library shelf.Davina Porter, as you know, is my all-time favorite narrator, complete with various British accents and a generally good grasp of what's going on in a story and who should sound like what.Alexander McCall

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-50212049699117192592007-03-12T13:24:00.000-05:002007-03-12T13:27:37.731-05:00

Warning: Spoiler details ahead. Don't read if you care about being surprised.I've read a few of Lawrence Block's books about Bernie Rhodenbarr, the burglar who also runs a book shop, and they're pretty entertaining. Block's writing doesn't captivate me the way, say, Leslie Glass's does, and his books don't read as literature the way someone like Elizabeth George's do, but his situations merit a

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-43999077246962552007-03-06T09:35:00.000-05:002007-03-06T21:41:05.527-05:00

We pause to mark the passing of a good friend of the library. William Stafford, shown above talking to second graders about his early school days in the Bakerville two-room school house (now the library), died on Sunday, February 25, 2007. His family and friends and all of Bakerville will miss him. His obituary, from the Register Citizen, follows.William StaffordOct. 19, 1926 - Feb. 25, 2007NEW

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-59308145186763696492007-03-05T12:35:00.000-05:002007-03-05T16:20:23.788-05:00

Well, I finished it. (See the "My Man Godfrey" post below.) For a while it was a little deeper (a very little) and more complex than the movie. Then the end is pretty silly, just as silly as, say, the end of "North by Northwest" where Cary Grant pulls Eva Marie Saint into the upper berth on the train. But it's interesting to read in the context of the movie, and entertaining along the way. So if

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-76115334909580123982007-02-28T14:57:00.000-05:002007-03-02T14:47:46.221-05:00

Here's another book I recommend every chance I get: The 101 Dalmatians. I didn't read it as a kid. I didn't realize until sometime in the '90s that it even existed. I was watching the Disney movie with my kids for the 25th time, scouring the credits for familiar names, and I saw the sentence: "Based on the novel by Dodie Smith." Who knew it hadn't sprung full-blown from the Disney machine?Written

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-60128651519401356862007-02-26T11:38:00.000-05:002007-02-26T23:29:24.599-05:00

What I'm reading now I didn't get from the Bakerville Library, but if anyone wants to borrow it, just e-mail me (the link is over in the column on the right). I was browsing Powells.com, a west-coast bookstore that has become an alternative to Amazon, and I noticed a service that they offer--type in the book (new or used) that you're looking for, and they'll notify you when it becomes available.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-9902319976661867572007-02-25T13:30:00.000-05:002007-02-26T23:31:50.690-05:00

So what have you been reading? Have you liked it? I'm thinking this could be an online equivalent of running into your friends at the library. I sure would like to hear from you, even if you comment anonymously.Click COMMENTS just below this post.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-13200474655146985502007-02-23T23:16:00.000-05:002007-04-01T10:03:48.330-05:00

We'll meet on Friday, March 30th, and discuss A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George.

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-67437730720505318612007-02-23T10:23:00.000-05:002007-02-23T13:32:40.522-05:00

I recommend this book every chance I get: Copies in Seconds, by David Owen. It's about Chester Carlson, who was instrumental in inventing the Xerox copier.At a glance, not my typical kind of book. I got it for my father, who eats nonfiction for breakfast. But he talked about it so much that I had to read it.David Owen does a masterful job of weaving Chester Carlson's life story with history's

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-9229372244670028102007-02-22T11:59:00.000-05:002007-02-23T23:16:35.556-05:00

When I learned that book club was discussing Madame Bovary this time, my heart sank. I had already read it--when? high school? college? back when dinosaurs roamed the earth?--and who needed to revisit that old chestnut?But then two things happened. I picked up the book from the library and discovered that I remembered absolutely nothing from the first chapter. It was all news to me. Then the CD

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-83971661331205208692007-02-21T16:09:00.000-05:002007-02-23T12:28:23.693-05:00

The book on CD that I mentioned in the first post was Bram Stoker's Dracula, narrated by Alexander Spencer and Susan Adams. I was looking forward to it, since I'd never read it before.Alexander Spencer's narration starts out all right--a little affected, but listenable. But by the middle of the second CD, when protagonist Jonathan Harker fully realizes his danger, Spencer gets hysterical and

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2625094606163690130.post-89581410905146812302007-02-21T14:51:00.000-05:002007-02-23T12:29:06.358-05:00

I thought this was worth a try.Probably just like you, I read a lot, and listen to many books on tape and CD. And I really hate wasting time (unless I choose to). Just today I got through the second CD of an audiobook, and I realized that I was not going to be able to stand that narrator. (More on that in a separate post.)Luckily, the lovely staff at the Bakerville Library keeps a steady stream

J Auclairnoreply@blogger.com0