Librarians Working for a Living

Many people believe that librarians don’t work for a living. We are either volunteers (don’t get paid) or that we spend our days reading; I hate to dispel those rumors but they are untrue.  We do work for a living. To prove this or unprove this please check out our youtube channel. To give you a little taste of what you would see here is our current upload:

New Blog Authors!

If you follow the Rice Lake Public blog, you might have noticed some new and more frequent entries lately. We have two new authors contributing to the Adult Blog!

Let’s welcome angiekat and saturdaycinema. Both are employees of the Rice Lake Public Library. Angiekat is our resident expert in social media, and saturdaycinema loves films. They will each post at least once a month.

Where Do You Go When You Read?

I have my warm cup of tea, cozy blanket, and new friends via a great book now to find a cozy place to curl up and read.  The living room where my favorite reading chair is located also holds a few laundry baskets of wrinkled clothes waiting for the iron.  I, however, am waiting for the latest audio book I’ve requested to arrive.  My two, least favorite chores (cleaning the bathroom and ironing) have become something I look forward to at the end of long day.   What better way to end the day than to get lost in another world, say Ireland, which was where I was while listening to Patrick Taylor’s an Irish Country Doctor series.   
 I’ve also met some great people telling me about their lives as in the book I am currently listening to James McBride’s The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to his White Mother.  When several requested audio books arrive on the hold shelf at once my family is thrilled as not only is the house clean, they find their chores complete with fresh baked goodies to boot!  With the living room occupied with the beginnings of new adventure I wander off to the den, place a music cd in the computer and settle myself on the couch as soft Celtic music floated out of the computer speakers.  Wrapped in my cozy blanket, hot cup of tea in hand and my little dog cuddled in my lap I catch up with my new friends embarking on yet another mystery this time in India.  I know it’s a good day when I actually debate over housework or cuddling up on the couch as my book selections both printed and audio have created two getaways for me to escape and rejuvenate for a spell!

Halloween Films

Want to watch a Halloween film this year? Here is a sample of what’s available at your local library.

Casper (1995) Rated PG

Determined to get her hands on her father’s hidden fortune, Carrigan is forced to hire an afterlife therapist to exercise the ghosts that keep frightening her away. Dr. Harvey and his daughter, Kat, move in and soon Kat meets Casper, the friendliest ghost. But Casper’s uncles are still determined to drive all the “fleshies” away.

Hocus Pocus (1993) Rated PG

When three outlandishly wild witches are accidentally conjured up by pranksters, they return from 17th century Salem and set out to cast a spell on the town, but first they must outwit three kids and a talking cat.

Poltergeist (1982) Rated PG

The Freeling family is a typical middle class family living in the peaceful Cuesta Verde Estates. Steve, his wife Diane, 16-year-old daughter Dana, 8-year-old Robbie, and 5-year-old Carol Ann live in a track house. Soon strange things begin to happen around the house; the pet canary dies, mysterious storms occur, and Carol Ann is summoned to the TV set, where a strange shaft of green light hits her and causes the room to shake. As the curious events continue, Carol Ann is repeatedly drawn to the television, where she begins to talk to “the TV people.” Soon Carol Ann is sucked into a closet, disappearing from this reality plane. Unable to find his daughter, Steve consults Dr. Lesh, a para-psychologist from a nearby college. Lesh finds that the paranormal phenomena is so strong in the Freelong household she is unable to deal with it and sends for clairvoyant and professional exorcist Tangina to examine the house in hopes of finding Carol Ann. Tangina makes a horrifying discovery: Carol Ann is alive and in the house, but is being held on another spectral plane.

Psycho (1960) Rated R

Horror melodrama in which a woman disappears after spending the night in an isolated motel which adjoins an eerie Victorian mansion, inhabited by a disturbed young man and his mother.

Witches (1989) Rated PG

Nine-year-old Luke finds that saving the world from witches is a tall order for a boy who has been turned into a mouse.

Wicked Celebrity Biographies

Celebrities are everywhere these days: in the tabloids, on reality shows, and in jail. And people love to read about these famous people through all the success and failures of living a public life. Perhaps it’s to live vicariously through someone else or maybe it’s a chance to escape from daily life. Whatever the reason behind our nation’s fascination with the bold and the beautiful, it began a long time ago and doesn’t show any sign of letting up.

The celebrities may not actually be wicked, but any of their mistakes or misdeeds are brought to light. Whether it’s one of the Kardashians or Lindsey Lohan, Mick Jagger or Princess Di, Freddy Mercury or Brooke Shields, Marilyn Monroe or Errol Flynn – each one of them had or will have a scandal to their name. Popularity is a double edged sword that drives increased scrutiny as well as success.

Whether you enjoy learning more about your favorite celebrities, or just want to hear the dishiest gossip in Hollywood, here are some books about celebrities with their fair share of scandals, new and old.

Keith Richards is one of the original bad boys of rock n’roll. He formed the band The Rolling Stones with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, evaded taxes by living in France, and survived numerous drug busts. He shares the details of his love life with Anita Pallenberg and Patti Hansen. Life by Keith Richards with James Fox is an honest look at the roller coaster life of a rock n’roll legend.

 

Judy Garland may have starred in the movie that inspired the Broadway play, Wicked, but Garland’s life was actually full of wicked people and events. Get Happy: the Life of Judy Garland by Gerald Clarke is an unflinching look at her life and times. It details the pressure, secual and otherwise, she underwent as a teen actress, her multiple husbands, her drug addictions, and the many betrayals she suffered. Garland’s life is the thing soap operas are made of … and it’s all true!

 

One of the forerunners of the celebutants parading across our tvs now, like the Kardashian sisters, Paris Hilton, and Kristen Stewart, Marilyn Monroe set the bar high for all those who followed her. She is a silver screen goddess remembered long after her early death. The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J. Randy Taraborrelli is a complex and sympathetic examination of this famous woman. Taraborrelli reveals family secrets, the full extent of her mental illness, and new information about her relationship with the Kennedys.

Classic Reads Now on Audiobooks

Classic stories have withstood time and changing cultural mores. These books have enduring interest, quality, and style which attract new readers with each generation. Examples of classic novels include books by Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and many more.

Sometimes, reading classic novels fall into the uncomfortable, guilty category of that thing we know we OUGHT to do but don’t because … the book is too thick, or there’s not enough time, or the language is confusing, etc. The Rice Lake Public Library has an answer to all those concerns: audiobooks on CD. Rediscover old classics with new audio recordings!

Audiobooks on CD are a great way to enjoy books. They can be listened to in a variety of places and activities. Do you have a long commute? Listen to an audiobook. Do you enjoy handicrafts like crochet, knitting, or puzzles? Listen to an audiobook. Do you work out? Listen to an audiobook.

Benefits of Audiobooks:

1. Avoid eye strain.
2. Read anywhere.
3. Add a new depth of understanding of a book through the narrator’s acting.
4. Share the reading experience with friends or family.

 Here are some classic novels available on CD Audiobooks at

the Rice Lake Public Library:

 

New Books of October

Are you wondering what to read next? The following five books are published this month.

These books were discussed on WJMC 1240 AM with Sally B. on Wednesday, October 6 at 8:30 am.

Rose in a Storm
by Jon Katz
Rose is a loyal and determined farm dog. She is also the narrator of the new novel by columnist and avowed dog lover, Jon Katz. While staying true to the perspective and limitations of a dog, the story follows Rose and her owner, Sam’s, preparation for a major snow storm. When an epic blizzard hits the region, it will take all of Rose’s resolve, resourcefulness, and courage to help Sam save the farm and the creatures who live there. But when Sam is injured and must be airlifted to a hospital, Rose stays behind at the farm. How Rose deals with problems and solves them completes the rest of this intriguing novel.

Great House
by Nicole Krauss
This novel revolves around a massive writing desk and the role it plays in the lives of the diverse characters who house it for brief times. The major themes of the story are loss and recovery. The characters include a poet who tragically disappeared in Pinochet-era Chile, a lonely novelist, an old man faced with the prospect of his wife, of 51 years, dying, and an antique dealer trying to recreate his father’s study before all its contents were stolen by Nazis.

Driving on the Rim
by Thomas McGuane
Berl Pickett is a small town doctor who makes a very poor decision. After his clinic privileges are revoked, and  facing criminal negligence charges, he goes back to his former profession of house painting. This job allows him plenty of time to contemplate his life and contend with a couple of women. This eccentric character struggles to figure out his life while acknowledging that he has a “gruesome immaturity” that keeps him from connecting with his community.

The Distant Hours
by Kate Morton
This gothic mystery is just right for Halloween time! Edie Burchill receives a long lost letter in the mail. The letter prompts her to visit the moldering old house, Milderhurst Castle,  where her mother had stayed during WWII. The Blythe sisters live at Milderhurst Castle and look after their younger sister, Juniper, who never recovered after her fiancé jilted her in 1941. Secrets are uncovered and Edie may learn more than she anticipated as she unravels her mother’s past.

Our Kind of Traitor
by John le Carre
Perry Makepiece and his lawyer girlfriend, Gail Perkins, are on vacation in Antigua when they become friends with an older Russian businessman. At the Russian businessman’s request, Perry carries the message to the MI6 that the businessman would like to defect to England. However, like all le Carre novels, there’s a twist! It turns out that the Russian is also one of the world’s biggest money launderers. Perry and Gail become hapless pawns in a political battle over the secrets the businessman knows.