Wallkill Public Library
Best books of spring 2013

It may be hard to believe as you're defrosting your windows in the morning, but spring is here, and with it a new list of current and upcoming new releases perfect for cracking open on the front porch during the lengthening evenings. Here are a few of this season's most anticipated works of fiction:

 

 Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson - Already generating much buzz, this just-released novel features a literally born again (and again...and again) woman whose fate may ultimately change the course of history. Words like "genius" and "masterpiece" have been bandied about to describe Atkinson's manipulation of domestic drama and 20th-century history in this experimental novel.

  
 Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris - From the king of the humorous essay comes this, Sedaris' observations as a world traveller. Those familiar with his chronicles of childhood and beyond and Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk (featuring Aesop-like fables such as the tale of the pot-bellied pig who, no matter how hard he diets, can't seem to lose those stubborn pounds around his middle) know to expect observations sharp and hysterical.
  
And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini - The long-awaited new novel by the author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another. For followers of Hosseini, the plot is probably irrelevant - if he wrote it, it's a guaranteed blockbuster. 
  
NOS4A2, by Joe Hill - Having cut his teeth with Heart-Shaped Box and Horns, Stephen King's son has proven to horror fans he's got the chops to do without the nom de plume. NOS4A2 promises to be another scary, supernatural ride. 
  
Inferno, by Dan Brown - Robert Langdon is back, and this time the impossible-for-the-average-genius-to-solve mystery he's thrust into makes use of clues lifted from Dante's Inferno.
  
Tapestry of Fortunes, by Elizabeth Berg - In this new novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Open House, Home Safe, and The Last Time I Saw You, four women venture into their pasts in order to shape their futures, fates, and fortunes.

  Big Brother, by Lionel Shriver - Pandora's stuck between a rock and a soft place - the latter being her brother Edison, who's gained hundreds of pounds since last she saw him. Once Edison overstays his welcome, Pandora's husband, who cycles manically for hours and spurns the "toxic" dishes he once savored during their courtship, gives her an ultimatum: It's him or me. 
  
  Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, by Therese Anne Fowler - Anyone who knows anything about Zelda Fitzgerald knows that the legendary wife of F. Scott was a book waiting to be written. It just isn't enough that Zelda's rebellious nature, fiery temper, and sharp wit inspired her husband to base so many of his famous female characters on her....we wanted a book about her. And we got one. And it's good.
  
The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer - This novel follows a group of teenagers who meet at a summer camp for artsy teens in 1974 and survive as friends through the competitions and realities of growing up. 
  
A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki - In Tokyo, 16-year-old Nao has decided there's only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates' bullying. But before she ends it all, Nao first plans to document the life of her great grandmother, a Buddhist nun who's lived more than a century. A diary is Nao's only solace - and will touch lives in ways she can scarcely imagine.
Across the Pacific, we meet Ruth, a novelist living on a remote island who discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox -possibly debris from the devastating 2011 tsunami. As the mystery of its contents unfolds, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao's drama and her unknown fate, and forward into her own future.
  
That should keep you busy until summer. Keep a lookout for these and other bestsellers throughout the season on our New Release shelves!
Coming up at the Wallkill Public Library 
   Monday: The Mini Art Club meets at 10:30 a.m. The Library Board of Trustees meet at 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Textile Tuesdays take place in the Town Hall's community room between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Book Buddies meet at 10:30 a.m.  Gnome and Gardening Family Story Time is offered at 4 p.m. The Nonfiction Book Club meets at 6:30 p.m. to discuss At Home: A Short History of Private Life, by Bill Bryson.
Wednesday: Mommy and Me meets at 10 a.m., followed by Toddler Story Time at 11 a.m. The Art Club meets at 4 p.m.
Thursday: Dominick Colandrea will give a demo to preview the upcoming Guitar Lessons he's offering at 6:30 p.m. The Knit and Crochet Club meets at 6:30 p.m.  
WPL helps you prep for Authors' Day  
  Loree Burns, a popular children's author whose focus is science, will be the special guest during this year's Authors' Day celebration at Ostrander Elementary School May 2.
For those wishing to acquaint themselves with Burns' work beforehand, the Wallkill Public Library will have some of the authors' books on display.
Some of Burns' books include Tracking Trash, Citizen Scientists, and The Hive Detectives.
Authors' Day is hosted by Ostrander's PTO.
You can ready yourself for Ostrander's upcoming Science Fair, as well, by browsing through a few of the science books that will be on display throughout the children's room as the date of the May event approaches.
Get your ticket for Lion Brand Yarn trip! 
   There are only a few spots left for the April 21 Lion Brand Yarn bus trip!
Those interested in traveling first to the New York City Lion Brand Yarn Studio and then on to the Lion Brand Yarn Outlet Store in Carlstadt, New Jersey, should secure their seats soon! The bus will be leaving the library at 9:30 a.m.that Sunday and returning at about 6:30 p.m. Cost for the whole trip is $25.
For more information or to reserve a seat, contact the library at 895-3707.  
Guitar demo on for upcoming lessons
   Instructor Dominick Colandrea will be at the library at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to give a sampling of the acoustic guitar lessons he's offering beginning April 25.
The six-week class will be a small one consisting of only six students ages 11 and up, so those interested in reserving a spot should do so soon. Cost of the entire program is $60 per student. Classes will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. each week.
Advance registration and pre-payment are required. Call the library at 895-3707 for more information. 
Register now for LEGO engineering 
   Play-Well TEKnologies will be once again offering classes in LEGO construction for grades K-5 this summer.
Engineering FUNdamentals teaches the principles of engineering, architecture, and science with the use of LEGOs. While participants have a blast building fantastic creations, they're also learning problem-solving skills, as well as developing a greater sense of self-reliance and self-confidence.
You can register online now - the class fee is $130 for the week of July 15-19. Grades K-2 will meet from 9 a.m. to noon those days; grades 3-5 will meet from 1-4 p.m.  
Third annual Clean Sweep coming up
    Volunteers are needed for this year's April 20 Clean Sweep, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Those interested in participating in the third annual event can meet at the library that day. Pick up some orange bags and set to work cleaning up the streets around the area.
Kayakers and boaters are also needed.
Lunch and raffle prizes will be offered at 12:15 p.m. at Popp's Pavilion.
For more information, call 256-0446.   
iPad Mini being raffled off for student's trip

 A raffle is being held to raise money for student Leanna McCord's trip to Australia as a People to People student ambassador.

An iPad Mini is being raffled off for $5 per ticket or $10 for three to help fund the trip.

Tickets are available at the Wallkill Clam Bar and, from April 8 through the 12th, in the lobby of Wallkill High School during lunch hours. The drawing will be held May 1.

For more information, call 914-805-1383.  

Good news for kids, bad news for parents
  The aptly titled Annoying Orange, that YouTube-turned-Cartoon Network sensation that sends anyone over the age of 10 fleeing from whatever room it's broadcasting in, will soon be hitting your local bookshelves!
HarperCollins Children's Books has secured the rights to Annoying Orange for a series of joke and storybooks, beginning with Annoying Orange: How to Be Annoying this fall. If kids ages 6-10 need advice in that subject area, they'll have found the perfect reference material! 
Hillary Clinton to come out with 2014 book
   Hillary Clinton's new book will focus on her years in office as secretary of state, according to Simon & Schuster.
The yet-to-be-titled memoir and policy book is tentatively scheduled for release in June of 2014.
The timing of the release would work in Clinton's favor should she decide to pursue a presidential bid.
But whether the book becomes part of a campaign or not, its subject matter is sure to appeal to a large audience. Clinton will reportedly chronicle the many historic experiences of her time in office, including the killing of Osama Bin Laden, China's rise to power, and the overthrow of Libya's Gaddafi regime.    
Ready for another Bible story? Read on

  Sinners and the Sea, by Rebecca Kanner

 

If Mark Burnett's The Bible has you jonesing for more religiosity, Sinners and the Sea may help you stay in your saintly mood.

The tale of Noah's wife describes her as an outcast struggling to make a life for herself with a righteous husband who speaks more to God than to her. Little does she know that her trials have only begun. A flood is coming, and God has told her husband he must build an ark...
   As the floodwaters draw near, Noah's wife grows in courage and honor, and when the water finally recedes, she emerges whole, displaying once and for all her own indomitable strength.
Break out the gardening gloves (and iPad)
   Those with thumbs of green (and the rest who long for them) will dig You Grow Girl, a gardening website for both pros and novices alike.
Whether you're longing to learn about a nice-looking echeveria or just want to grow a tomato that doesn't taste like it was improperly canned last year, you'll find what you need on this site.
The site also offers recipes to make use of what you wind up growing, books and other resources where you can find more tips, shopping links, and more.
How can we help our businesses? 
When the Chocolate Dreams Coffee Bar opened in Wallkill at the end of Park Avenue, it was a breath of fresh coffee and chocolate-scented air.The whipped cream on the latte has been the shops' co-owners, Brenda and Donna, and the way they make you feel so welcome in their kitchen.  
So when I received word this week that Ch ocolate Dreams will soon close its doors, I was heartbroken. Everyone who has heard this feels the same way.
It is difficult to run a small business, and especially so when the economy is tough.
But there is a greater issue here. How can we Wallkillians continue to allow this to happen? Good stores and restaurants seem to come and go so quickly, here. Shop owners have expressed their frustrations at not receiving a great deal of local support. Given the choice, many will still head to Newburgh or Middletown to shop and dine when we have good places right here in town. When was the last time you bought your coffee at Chocolate Dreams? Your paint at Weber's? Your sandwiches at Chela's? Your dinner at Elsie's or Pudgy's? Your pizza at Rob's or Tosco's? Your gifts at the Wallkill River House? Your iced cream at Heavenly Creations? We have a barber shop, a Chinese restaurant, a liquor store, a used book shop, a thrift shop, great hair salons, and a farmer's market, too - have you frequented them?
 
   The truth is there will never be a thriving downtown shopping and dining area if we do not support the businesses we have now. They will continue to come and go. Most importantly, we need strong vision and leadership from our community leaders - both business and town leaders - to create a downtown revitalization plan and strategize how to attract and keep good businesses and to actively and enthusiastically promote our town and to market what we have to offer. The sad thing is Brenda from Chocolate Dreams is a master at this. Now her doors are closing, too. She can't do community development alone and continue to run a business.
 Let her story serve as a wakeup call to our community leaders - the time is now! We need vision now. We need to strategize now. We need to step up to the plate and support our local businesses and create an economic development plan that serves our entire community, creates a strong tax base and attracts visitors to our hamlet. We also need YOU to think local and to shop local. Change and growth begins with each one of us and our firm commitment to growing our community.
 If you want to take part in future discussions on this issue and be a part of the change that can happen if we all work together, send me an email: [email protected]. I will keep you posted of upcoming strategy sessions.
 
  
Mary Lou Carolan
Director
  
  
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