Growing up in USSR, our kitchen was wallpapered with newspaper – a sign of poverty. Cocking my six-year-old head, I would pick out the prettiest shapes, asking, "What is this letter?" I learned how to read from the writing on the wall. Picture books were a luxury, so when I finally went to school, I "swallowed" my school books. Then, I discovered a town library – a musty dark room, crowded with old books, which could be checked for a week – a far cry from the library today.
Hello, Readers, and happy May to you. Late one recent evening, I laid in bed with the window open wide and inhaled the familiar, indefinable scent that one instantly recognizes as belonging solely to summer. A warm breeze brushed my face, and insects buzzed and bumped the screen. I breathed deeply and slowly.
I was first introduced to the magnificent artwork of Graeme Base years ago when I brought his book, The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery, home to share with my children. In fact, I was so enthralled with the book, I purchased it. The artwork alone is enough to keep me interested, but his storyline is fascinating too. I love mysteries, and trying to solve this one is just plain fun.
On a recent visit to Spain, I found living proof that the Mediterranean diet works. Walking through the streets and people-watching, I couldn’t help noticing that the population, as a whole, is incredibly fit and active. There are very few overweight people. For years, scientists have noticed that Mediterranean countries have less obesity and the related health problems: hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. The key seems to be the diet.
On a recent visit to see my grandkids, I learned that my oldest granddaughter was reading The Hunger Games series. She explained that the school librarian had given her the 3-book boxed set. After a little prompting from her mom, I learned that the set was an award for being the only student in her school building to have read all of the Mark Twain Award nominee books. Of course, this former teacher—turned—librarian grandmother was thrilled to hear that news. She was excited to have been able to vote for her favorite.
In the spring of every year, my Dad would plant a garden. Dad always used heirloom seeds. He would save the seeds from the vegetables every summer. He would spread them out on a wire screen and let them dry. He would then put them in small jars to use the next spring. About 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected frost date in our area, Dad would get his seeds out and get them started in tin cans indoors. By the time the weather was just right, he would transplant them into the garden. He always had a beautiful garden!
As I was searching for books to use in the Genre Display for April (Humorous Fiction), I found myself thinking why, where, and when did April Fool’s Day come about, and what are some fun ways we observe the day today. So I did a little online research. According tonews.nationalgeographic.com, "Experts say the origins of April Fools' Day are shrouded in mystery.
In a week and a half, I’ll be traveling to Spain to visit my daughter, who is studying abroad. The town in which she is living and studying is Alcala de Henares, the birthplace of Cervantes, author of the classic Don Quixote.
As an avid reader, I enjoy a variety of books. Many are light reading and are forgotten soon after I turn the last page. Only rarely does a book stay with me long after I have finished it.
Hello, Dear Readers! It’s nearly here: March 23rd, the long-awaited release date of The Hunger Games movie! In honor of this event, my March book display in the Lone Jack Branch is entitled Dystopia, and naturally, it features a great selection of young adult and adult novels specifically selected to meet your dystopian needs. I won’t bother to review each book, as many of the titles are surely familiar to most of you, and you can guess just by their genre that these novels aren’t going to be light and jolly tales.
