For several hours a week, I work at the Huntley Library re-shelving items. During this process, opportunity presents itself for me to peruse materials Iād not see while looking on my own. Very often I say to myself, oh, that looks interesting … and then I keep it or jot down the info. Iāll share some with you that pique my interest.
Heās Gone
Deb Caletti
FIC CAL
My shelving cart had three books with ārainā in the title and/or pictured on the cover; reason enough to examine them more closely. I realized that Iād read one of them already and given it high marks for an intriguing plot with good writing. Author Deb Caletti says the idea came to her one morning when she overslept and woke to wonder if her husband was still home. She listened for water running, the toaster ticking, the downstairs TV, etc. Then her āwriter brainā kicked in and she began to conjure up a character who wakes similarly to find her husband has left the house already but then, he does not come home that eveningā¦or the next day, or the day after. What kind of story could she weave from that starting point? The answer is a good one! Heās Gone.
A Short Guide to a Long Life
David Agus
613.2 AGU
āA vigorous, lengthy lifeā¦ā it said on the inside flap of this non-fiction book. Yes, that sounds good. Oncologist David Agus has compiled what looks like a very readable, short (less than 200 pages), cleverly organized book with a compelling title: A Short guide to a Long Life. It has three parts: What to do, What to avoid, and Doctorās Orders. The first two parts consist of several dozen two-page āblurbsā on a concise action. For example: eat real food, inquire about statins, and avoid juicing. Simple line drawings underscore the fact that none of these is actually difficult or expensive.
Kiplingerās Retirement Report
Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.
Periodicals
On the bottom row of the magazine shelving (all in alphabetical order) I found an interesting, readable, monthly report called Kiplingerās Retirement Report. More like a booklet than a magazine, each copy-paper sized issue averages 16 pages with about 10 articles. The June 2015 feature article was about how to find a good hospital and mentioned whatās in the news right now: in-network hospitals using out-of-network staff like the anesthesiologist or the physician who reads the scan results. Rounding out this issue were short articles on credit unions open to anyone, travel with a culinary theme, managing finances if you retire abroad, and appraising items that have been in your family for generations. I skimmed the topics in other issues and found them varied, timely, and not laborious to read.
The Legend Of The Teddy Bear
Frank Murphy
973.911 MUR
Is there a young child in your life who owns, loves, or carries a teddy bear? If so, hereās a childrenās book you might want to share. The self-explanatory title is The Legend Of The Teddy Bear. Vey large, colorful, realistic drawings accompanied by short but captivating paragraphs reveal the factual connection between Teddy Roosevelt in Mississippi, a political cartoon in the Washington Post, and the owners of a candy shop in New York.