Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
Every summer Jersey readers are anxious to get their hands on the new release of Janet Evanovich’s latest release to follow the outrageous stunts of Stephanie Plum, the bounty hunter Jersey girl who can’t make up her mind whether to spend her nights with handsome Italian cop Joe Morelli or the more mysterious but still very sexy Ranger. The latest in this series, Smokin’ Seventeen, does deliver some very funny moments—the senior citizen who thinks he’s a vampire and a new curse from Grandma Bella. But after 17 books, the story line is getting a bit old and most readers I’ve spoken to are anxious to see some sort of resolution with Stephanie and her two men. It’s time to pick a guy already and get a life! Her later novels definitely aren’t as outrageously fun as her earlier novels. If you have never read her novels, definitely grab a copy of One For the Money or Two for the Dough and enjoy a great beach read. If you have read her other sixteen novels, not much new here except a few chuckles.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Read Magazines & News For Free
South Brunswick Public Library’s website lets you read magazines and news for free.
Consumer Reports, Popular Mechanics, Electronics and Science are just some of the magazine titles available. Newspapers include New York Time, Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the AP Regional State Report for New Jersey.
Go to our web site www.sbpl.info. Click on Databases. Scroll down to EbscoHost and click on the link. Put in your library card number. No spaces. No Letters.
Click on the EbscoHost Web link, or on Ebsco Mobile after you have logged in.
Click on ‘MasterFile Premier’ if you want to see magazines, or, ‘Newspaper Source Plus’ if you want to read Newspapers. Now you can search by keywords for articles, or, you can browse magazine issues by title by clicking on the publications link at the top of the page.
iPod, iPhone and iPad users can download the EbscoHost app. for easy searching, reading and downloading . After you have downloaded the app you need to login from a browser using the directions given above. Choose the Ebsco Mobile link and click on ‘MasterFile Premier’. Then, click on the ‘New Ebschohost iPhone/iPod Application’ link. Fill in your email and you will be sent instructions on how to activate your EbscoHost app.
We hope you enjoy this library gem. If you need help using it please call the Information Desk at 732-329-4000 extension 7286.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Plan a Dream Vacation or Just Daydream Vacation
We are offering some travel related programs this summer in keeping with the adult summer reading travel theme, “Novel Destinations.” Several of these programs are travel showcases that feature local travel agents who present vacation suggestions for cruises, family travel, adventure travel and romantic getaways.
The very informative Family Travel program was given on July 20 by Kuller Class A Travel in Princeton. They brought plenty of brochures on the tours and destinations they presented. Copies of the brochures are in a file at the Information Desk for browsing.
I case you don’t realize how a travel agent works; it costs you nothing as the traveler to get assistance from an agent. The agents’ fee is paid by the tour company, airline or hotel. If you book through the Internet without the use of a travel agent, the provider gets to keep the fee that they would have had to give to the agent and you are left with no one to contact in case of an emergency or a problem while you are away on your trip. Working through an agent gives you someone who will be on your side should you need to settle a dispute or take care of some special need.
I was very surprised at the wide variety of options there were for family travel and all of them are designed to make the most of your vacation time while saving you the hassle of worrying about all of the details. There are basically two different family vacation formats you can consider – there are packages where the whole family participates in the activities together with other families and packages where there are activities for the kids to do with other kids while the parents have time alone together to do what they want to do. The former are mostly travel to destinations where the family can learn about other cultures and experience new wonders while the later is usually on a cruise or at a resort where fun is the agenda for the kids and relaxation is what the adults are seeking. The first decision you should make is which type of vacation your family is up for at this time- in other words, do you want togetherness experience or is a little distance in order?
The family tours include destinations in China, Europe, North, Central and South America, and Africa. Imagine an African Safari with the family which includes visits to animal conservation laboratories and time with local children and their families; or a castle tour of Germany where you get to stay in an actual castle and the kids can dress up as Princesses or Knights. The tours to Italy include dining experiences including 'a make your own pizza' night and the Amazon tour includes riding a zip line through the canopy of a rain forest. There are all different levels of activity and experiences and several classes of travel which you can select which often determines the size of your group and the variety of excursions, but the thing that is true of all of these kinds of vacations is that all of the reservations, luggage handling, tipping, transportation, etc. is handled by someone else so you can just spend your time enjoying the sights with your family.
The all inclusive aspect to these vacations is true of the cruises and resorts as well, but the emphasis for the kids is not about learning something about the destination and its culture but rather about having fun. Many cruises now specialize in sports including climbing on rock walls, learning to surf in a wave pool, and there is even a ship that has a deck called ‘The Boardwalk’ that includes arcades and a carousel. And the resorts usually take advantage of the proximity of the ocean and offer water sports like wind sailing, parasailing, surfing and snorkeling. The programs for the kids are usually broken into age-appropriate groups with separate activities for the little ones, tweens and teens with separate playrooms, game rooms, recreation areas and even separate dance clubs for teens and tweens for hanging out and dancing in the evenings. One cruise line has developed a child’s playroom in conjunction with Fischer-Price and individual babysitters are often available for hire so that parents can enjoy dinner at one of the upscale restaurants that ships are now providing.
The selections are as varied as your imagination and working with a travel agent, you will be able to make sure that all of your dietary needs (even if your children are picky eaters) are met and all of your physical needs are accommodated particularly if you have anyone traveling with a disability. There is the right vacation solution for everyone just waiting for you to make a reservation. Our next travelogue is tomorrow - Wednesday, August 3 at 1:30 p.m. in the large Meeting Room. This week’s topic is Romantic Getaways – don’t miss it!
The very informative Family Travel program was given on July 20 by Kuller Class A Travel in Princeton. They brought plenty of brochures on the tours and destinations they presented. Copies of the brochures are in a file at the Information Desk for browsing.
I case you don’t realize how a travel agent works; it costs you nothing as the traveler to get assistance from an agent. The agents’ fee is paid by the tour company, airline or hotel. If you book through the Internet without the use of a travel agent, the provider gets to keep the fee that they would have had to give to the agent and you are left with no one to contact in case of an emergency or a problem while you are away on your trip. Working through an agent gives you someone who will be on your side should you need to settle a dispute or take care of some special need.
I was very surprised at the wide variety of options there were for family travel and all of them are designed to make the most of your vacation time while saving you the hassle of worrying about all of the details. There are basically two different family vacation formats you can consider – there are packages where the whole family participates in the activities together with other families and packages where there are activities for the kids to do with other kids while the parents have time alone together to do what they want to do. The former are mostly travel to destinations where the family can learn about other cultures and experience new wonders while the later is usually on a cruise or at a resort where fun is the agenda for the kids and relaxation is what the adults are seeking. The first decision you should make is which type of vacation your family is up for at this time- in other words, do you want togetherness experience or is a little distance in order?
The family tours include destinations in China, Europe, North, Central and South America, and Africa. Imagine an African Safari with the family which includes visits to animal conservation laboratories and time with local children and their families; or a castle tour of Germany where you get to stay in an actual castle and the kids can dress up as Princesses or Knights. The tours to Italy include dining experiences including 'a make your own pizza' night and the Amazon tour includes riding a zip line through the canopy of a rain forest. There are all different levels of activity and experiences and several classes of travel which you can select which often determines the size of your group and the variety of excursions, but the thing that is true of all of these kinds of vacations is that all of the reservations, luggage handling, tipping, transportation, etc. is handled by someone else so you can just spend your time enjoying the sights with your family.
The all inclusive aspect to these vacations is true of the cruises and resorts as well, but the emphasis for the kids is not about learning something about the destination and its culture but rather about having fun. Many cruises now specialize in sports including climbing on rock walls, learning to surf in a wave pool, and there is even a ship that has a deck called ‘The Boardwalk’ that includes arcades and a carousel. And the resorts usually take advantage of the proximity of the ocean and offer water sports like wind sailing, parasailing, surfing and snorkeling. The programs for the kids are usually broken into age-appropriate groups with separate activities for the little ones, tweens and teens with separate playrooms, game rooms, recreation areas and even separate dance clubs for teens and tweens for hanging out and dancing in the evenings. One cruise line has developed a child’s playroom in conjunction with Fischer-Price and individual babysitters are often available for hire so that parents can enjoy dinner at one of the upscale restaurants that ships are now providing.
The selections are as varied as your imagination and working with a travel agent, you will be able to make sure that all of your dietary needs (even if your children are picky eaters) are met and all of your physical needs are accommodated particularly if you have anyone traveling with a disability. There is the right vacation solution for everyone just waiting for you to make a reservation. Our next travelogue is tomorrow - Wednesday, August 3 at 1:30 p.m. in the large Meeting Room. This week’s topic is Romantic Getaways – don’t miss it!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Grownups Get Special Attention Too!
With all of the programs the Library offers for children, teens, and tweens a person might not notice that right there in the middle of the day in the middle of the week are 90 minutes just for grownups. It's called Wednesday Wisdom. Every Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. is "a program of interest just for adults."
It may be a lecture, a documentary film, a discussion about a play or book, or something completely different. Some programs are educational and informative and some are just for fun such as the sudoku class I recently attended on my lunch hour. The tips I learned were so simple and yet helped me to be much more successful than before. Thanks Barb!
During this summer the weekly Wisdom programs all complement the adults' Summer Reading Novel Destinations theme. One week I learned about the benefits of guided tours from a local travel agent. I am (thinking of ) planning a trip for my mother and I to Ireland in the near future. She is older and not very mobile. While I know I can get plenty of facts from the Internet, it was much more helpful and fun for me to actually meet and talk directly with an expert. I was able to explain my plan's particular challenges and get quick, to-the-point-of-the-matter answers on the spot from a friendly face.
In July Wisdom presented programs on digital photography, cruises, and vacation journaling and sketching. In August I'm hoping to use my lunch hour to hear from local vacation experts about romantic vacations and adventure vacations.
If you are able to attend one of these fun and informative travel-related programs, please do! It is time well spent. You are welcome to bring your lunch with you! If you can't make it we do have brochures and information from these travel programs available to peruse at the Information Desk. While visiting the Desk you will also notice the Book Review entry forms. Fill one out and submit it for a chance at our weekly prize drawing! Also, while at the Desk you can register for our International Food Tasting = the Wisdom program on Aug. 24. To register for the Tasting by phone, call 732-329-4000,ext. 7286.
Wednesday Wisdom will host this "Summer Slammer" and Open House (Grownups Only!) on Aug. 24 to mark the end of this year's Summer Reading for Adults. The Party will include food, fun and games, plus the International Food Tasting. Stop by the party and talk about what you read this summer. Participation in the Food Tasting does requires registration, but the party does not. See you there!
Remember, Summer Reading programs may be coming to a close but Wednesday Wisdom happens every week throughout the year. Every Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. To find out what's ahead, just check our bi-monthly Compass newsletter available in the Library and online at http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/sbpl/mweb/path202-1.html. Also, check the newsletter for other programs the Library offers for adults that might interest you. We have a variety of ongoing and changing new programs for adults at different days and times each week.
All Wednesday Wisdom programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Thanks Friends for making this and many other programs at the SBPL possible!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Cookbooks for Cheaters
Ok, I admit it - I'm not that great a cook. I still need cookbooks! I'm not on Top Chef where they make everything off the top of their heads - how do they DO that? (Many hours in the kitchen, encyclopedic memory, experience tasting all kinds of cuisines, ability to think creatively under pressure, no problem!)
So how do we amateurs decide which cookbook to use?
You can buy one on impulse and perhaps suffer buyer's remorse or, how about this? Borrow it from our Library.
It's kind of like speed dating: you flip through the book quickly at the store and are smitten with a few eyecatching recipes, so you want to take it out for a first date. (This is where the Library comes in.) Check it out here (or place a hold on it,) take it home and cook a few recipes from it. If you absolutely love it and can't bear to give it up, then commit and buy it. Happily ever after!
If the book's not all you hoped, just know that it will be available from the Library if you ever want to take it out again.
For example, here are some cookbooks I love but don't want to buy (and that our Library owns):
All books by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa:
the original Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and the others -
BC Parties, BC Family Style, BC in Paris, BC at Home, BC Back to Basics, BC How Easy is That?
Each cookbook is lovely, but to me doesn't have enough recipes to justify the price of the book.
Ina's latest book, How Easy is That, aptly titled, has some recipes that are so simple they almost don't qualify as recipes. For example, Roasted Figs - Wrap halved figs with prosciutto, brush with olive oil, and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Friends tried it this past weekend: warm, sweet/salty and delicious, but do you really need a recipe for that, or is it just directions?
My daughter and I also made the Crostini with Tuna Tapenade, this one was outstanding, with the whole being more than the sum of the parts - lemony and flavorful with kalamata olives. (Note - you could sub out the mascarpone cheese with either cream cheese or sour cream so you don't have to purchase 1/3 cup of expensive mascarpone.) Tuna and Hummus Sandwiches - also good, but just use good Italian tuna and a mustard vinaigrette with purchased hummus, serve them open faced on a toasted baguette and you're done. Don't need the cookbook.
A few weeks back, we tried the Watermelon and Arugula Salad. Savory watermelon salads are all the rage right now, and this one was good, not great. The best one I've made is a watermelon, tomato and kalamata olive salad but not sure where that recipe is right now. (I'll look it up! - said the Reference Librarian)
Also tried the Roasted Eggplant Caponata, which was very good, but I actually like Roasted Eggplant Spread from the Barefoot Contessa Family Style better and it was easier too - just roast everything in the oven and process.
These books are certainly attractive, photos styled simply but beautifully, and the recipes are really very good and perfect for summer entertaining and enjoying. Hope you come to our Library and take out these or other cookbooks, and let me know what you've made, good, bad or indifferent!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Musings on Maine
Maine: a Novel by J. Courtney Sullivan
Picture yourself sitting on the porch of your family’s ocean side cottage, no neighbors in sight, enjoying the tranquility of Maine in the summer. Sounds perfect, right? Add in an extended Irish Catholic family with a domineering matriarch and before you know it perhaps those family trips to Maine aren’t quite as perfect as you imagined. This excellent novel follows the Kelleher family on its annual trips to Maine complete with all the family baggage, secrets, and drama. Chapters are told from the perspective of four complex women encompassing three generations and all very different. Highly recommended — I didn’t want this book to end!
Picture yourself sitting on the porch of your family’s ocean side cottage, no neighbors in sight, enjoying the tranquility of Maine in the summer. Sounds perfect, right? Add in an extended Irish Catholic family with a domineering matriarch and before you know it perhaps those family trips to Maine aren’t quite as perfect as you imagined. This excellent novel follows the Kelleher family on its annual trips to Maine complete with all the family baggage, secrets, and drama. Chapters are told from the perspective of four complex women encompassing three generations and all very different. Highly recommended — I didn’t want this book to end!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Bookmyne
If you are among the 59% of adults who now access the Internet wirelessly using a laptop or cell phone (“Mobile Access 2010” Pew Research Center) library apps should be on your desktop.
Today’s featured app is Bookmyne. This app lets you search for books, get book suggestions and check your account. You can also place holds on books that are checked out or renew the books that you have.
Once you download this from the App Store you need to pick South Brunswick Public Library as your library. You may have to do this more than once before the app will save your library. Your username and password will be the same one you currently use to login to your library account.
For answers to frequently asked questions and for links to Bookmyne tutorials go to http://www.sirsidynix.com/products/bookmyne/support .
For non-iPhone and iPad users, you can search for books and access your account from the library’s web page www.sbpl.info . Just click inside the Search the Catalog box and type in the title of the book you want to find, then; click on the Search button. When you have your book results you can login in the upper right-hand corner of the page. This way you can check your account, place holds and renew books.
Check Our Library Blog every Wednesday for more suggestions for online library gems. Future postings will talk about free e-books and audio books, free access to magazines and newspapers and more.
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