What's TwitterLit?
So, what’s TwitterLit? If you’d asked me that yesterday, I would have said, “No idea.” Being familiar with Twitter (a cross between blogging and instant messaging), I would have guessed that it could be some sort of writing project that comes to you one line at a time. I would have been in the right ballpark.TwitterLit.com is a site the serves up “literary teasers,” twice a day, in the form of first lines from books—without the author’s name or book title. Curiosity will compel you click on the accompanying link (to Amazon.com) so you can find out where the line came from.
Site creator Debra Hamel chooses which first lines to “tweet” for any number of reasons including those that rouse a reader’s curiosity; are funny intriguingly brief, or just plain odd; or come from an unsuspected source. Take, for example, this first line: “My mother didn’t try to stab my father until I was six, but she must have shown signs of oddness before that.” Ring any bells? Try Never Have Your Dog Stuffed and Other Things I’ve Learned, an autobiography by Alan Alda. (If you’re now interested in reading this book, reserve it now.)
“An intriguingly random way to discover new reads…” (The Guardian Arts Blog), TwitterLit can be read via email, RSS reader, your Google home page, your Twitter reader, on their website, or by mobile phone. Give it a try, and let me know if you become addicted.
Labels: ReaDiNG RooM News, reading suggestions, ReC RooM News, TeeN RooM News
White Ghost Girls is Book of the Month for September
September's Book of the Month Club selection is White Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway. Summer 1967. The turmoil of the Maoist revolution is spilling over into Hong Kong and causing unrest as war rages in neighboring Vietnam. White Ghost Girls is the story of Frankie and Kate, two American sisters living in a foreign land in a chaotic time. With their war-photographer father off in Vietnam, Marianne, their beautiful but remote mother, keeps the family close by. Although bound by a closeness of living overseas, the sisters could not be more different — Frankie pulses with curiosity and risk, while Kate is all eyes and ears. Marianne spends her days painting watercolors of the lush surroundings, leaving the girls largely unsupervised, while their Chinese nanny, Ah Bing, does her best to look after them. One day in a village market, they decide to explore — with tragic results. In Alice Greenway’s exquisite gem of a novel, two girls tumble into their teenage years against an extraordinary backdrop both sensuous and dangerous. This astonishing literary debut is a tale of sacrifice and solidarity that gleams with the kind of intense, complicated love that only exists between sisters. (from the publisher)
Copies of White Ghost Girls are available at the circulation desk.
Labels: book discussion for adults, book of the month club, ReaDiNG RooM News
The Big Read: New Hampshire Reads Fahrenheit 451 in October
Aaron Cutler Memorial Library is taking part in The Big Read: New Hampshire Reads Fahrenheit 451 in the month of October. Fahrenheit 451, a classic written by author Ray Bradbury, is a frightening vision of the future, where firemen don’t put out fires—they start them in order to burn books. Bradbury's vividly painted society holds up the appearance of happiness as the highest goal—a place where trivial information is good, and knowledge and ideas are bad. (…read more) Libraries, bookstores, community centers, and schools, across New Hampshire will host book discussions and other events during October as part of The Big Read project. Here in Litchfield, All Booked Up will meet on Wednesday, October 3rd at 6:30 pm to discuss this dystopian tale. A limited number of books should be available at the circulation desk beginning September 5th, or you can download the novel for free through the New Hampshire Downloadable Audio Book website.
Meanwhile, the burning question on the New Hampshire Reads website is, “Which book would you save from the flames?” In the novel, the main character, Guy Montag, joins a rebel group to save books. Their plan is to “keep the knowledge we think we will need,” by saving “bits and pieces of history and literature and international law. Each man had a book he wanted to remember, and did.” We encourage you to give this some thought, and respond to this question using the site’s online form. At least 33 readers have already submitted their answer—we hope to see yours there soon.
The Big Read: New Hampshire Reads Fahrenheit 451, a project of the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library in partnership with the New Hampshire Humanities Council. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.
Labels: all booked up, book discussion for adults, book discussion for teens, ReaDiNG RooM News, TeeN RooM News
Thanks to Our Summer Reading Sponsors!
McDonald's of Hudson
Bugaboo Creek of Bedford
DLB Paving
Apple Tree Cinema 12
Friends of the Library
Water Country
New England Small Tube
Pantry Pride
Professor's Sports Pub
Wal-Mart
Wilson Farms
Tim's Turf & Landscaping
Canobie Lake Park
Greenfields Restaurant
Hannaford Supermarkets
T-Bones/Cactus Jack's
Christmas Tree Shops
Flowers on the Hill
Rodolpho's Pizzaria
Romano's Pizza
Shaw's Supermarkets
Shorty's
Build-a-Bear Workshop
McQuesten Farm
NH State Library
NH State Council on the Arts
Byrne Foundation
CHILIS
Cogswell Benevolent Trust
Labels: summer reading club for adults, summer reading club for kids, summer reading club for teens
More New Downloadable Audio Books @ Your Library!
The following titles have recently been added to the New Hampshire Downloadable Audio Book collection: Away by Amy Bloom
Bloody Mary by J. A. Konrath
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
Dirty Martini by J. A. Konrath
Force fo Nature by Suzanne Brockmann
Here If You Need Me by Kate Baestrup
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Mad Dash by Patricia Gaffney
The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Teen)
The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin (Teen)
Spook County by William Gibson
Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
Whiskey Sour by J. A. Konrath
Download these books for free via New Hampshire Downloadable Audio Books. For more information, read Downloadable Audio Books are Here!
Labels: new downloadable audiobooks
Which Book to Read Next
Sometimes I know exactly which book I want to read next. Sometimes I just know I want to read a mystery, and sometimes I just want something easy. Sometimes I don’t really know what I want. For days like these, there’s whichbook.net.Whichbook gives you an unorthodox way to find your next read based on your mood. Giving you 12 pairs of words representing extremes, e.g. happy – sad, expected – unpredictable, whichbook let’s you choose up to four pairings to suit your mood. Simply move an arrow along the sliding scale to choose the level of, say, happiness or sadness you desire. Once your selections are made, click on “Go”, and a reading suggestion is generated.
Using an imaginary scale of 1 to 5, I choose about a 4 for funny, a 2 for unusual, and a 3 for optimistic. The resultant suggestion was The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin. I have never read anything by Robert Rankin, but the comments I was given were intriguing. (Reminds me a little of the Nursery Crime series by Jasper Fforde.)
Unfortunately, the “borrow” function of the website is of little use to us “Yanks,” as whichbook is a UK website, but a quick look at NHU-PAC, our statewide catalog, showed this title is available in 6 NH libraries. Next, I will fill out a request form, Borrow From Another Library (under Library Services in the sidebar of READ 4 THe FuN oF iT), and give it a try.
For those of you who aren’t in the mood to select a mood, you may be interested in whichbook’s alternate selection scheme, which uses the more traditional approach of character, plot, and setting.
Whichever selection method you choose, whichbook is worth a try. With a database of titles that includes “all fiction and poetry in paperback written in or translated into English and published since 1995,” you’re bound to find something interesting to read.
Labels: ReaDiNG RooM News, reading suggestions
New Downloadable Audio Books @ Your Library!
The following titles have been added to the New Hampshire Downloadable Audio Book collection: 1st to Die by James Patterson
2nd Chance by James Patterson
3rd Degree by James Patterson
4th of July by James Patterson
Breaking Point by Suzanne Brockmann
Cave of the Dark Wind by Dave Barry (children's)
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
Dead Connection by Alafair Burke
Dead Irish by John Lescroart
The Dead Room by Heather Graham
The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
Eventide by Kent Haruf
The Fourth Hand by John Irving
Gunman's Rhapsody by Robert Parker
Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar
Harmless by Dana Reinhardt (Teen)
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Betrayal by Eric Van Lustbader
Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card (Teen)
Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan (Children's)
Woman in Charge by Carl Bernstein
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (Children's)
Download these books for free via New Hampshire Downloadable Audio Books. For more information, read Downloadable Audio Books are Here!
Labels: new downloadable audiobooks
All Booked Up to Discuss A Town Like Alice in September
There is still time to pick up a copy of A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute for the September 5th discussion! Meet the group at 6:30 pm in the library.Labels: all booked up, book discussion for adults, events/activities for adults, ReaDiNG RooM News
Board Meeting Minutes
The approved minutes from the July 9, 2007 Board of Trustees Meeting are now available for viewing. If you are interested in reading these minutes, please click here.Labels: BoaRD RooM News, minutes
Read 4 Kicks Top Reader
Congratulations to Doreen Harvey! Doreen was the only Read 4 Kicks participant to read a book in each of the 8 Route 66 states. She also read the most books (23), wrote the most book reviews (23), and read books from the most states (16). Doreen was rewarded for her reading prowess with a $25 gift card to Borders Books. See you next summer, Doreen!
Labels: summer reading club for adults
Read 4 Kicks Raffle Winners
Read 4 Kicks on Route 66 came to an end last Friday. Raffle tickets were tumbled over and over and 14 winners were drawn: Kelly Bois (2 movie tickets to Appletree Cinemas), Cheryl Brigham ($25 Hannaford), Scott Cavanaugh ($20 Shorty's Mexican Restaurant), Lynne Clifford ($50 Wal-Mart), Leslie Crete ($20 Christmas Tree Shops), Amy Goldstein (cut flowers from McQuesten), Doreen Harvey ($25 T-Bones), Lynn Harvey (2 movie tickets to Appletree Cinemas), Sheila Huston ($20 Shaw's), Bethellen Ledoux (Large Cheese Pizza from Rodolpho's Pizzaria), Anne Morais ($25 Greenfield's Restaurant), Gail Musco ($25 Professor's Sports Pub), Carrie-Anne Pace (Large Cheese Pizza from Rodolpho's Pizzaria), and Diane Wirbal ($25 Professor's Sports Pub).
Labels: events/activities for adults, summer reading club for adults
Souvenir Shop is Closed
Thanks to Tina Phillips, the Souvenir Shop is now closed. Tina dazzled us with her Route 66 Trivia knowledge and took home Haunted Hikes: Spine-Tingling Tales and Trails from North America's National Parks, the last remaining book.Labels: events/activities for adults, summer reading club for adults
New Children's Non-Fiction @ Your Library!
New children's information books recently added to the library collection:America Votes by Linda Granfield
Created Equal by Ann Rossi
Look What Whiskers Can Do by D. M. Souza
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Weatherford
Our 50 States by Lynne V. Cheney
Tales of the Cryptids by Kelly Milner Halls
Why Do Families Break Up? by Jane Bingham
These books are available for check-out now. If the book you want has already been checked-out, place it on reserve at the Circulation Desk.
Labels: KiDS' RooM News, new stuff for kids
New Children's Fiction @ Your Library!
New children's fiction recently added to the library collection: Picture Books
Dog and Bear by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Duck, Duck, Goose by Tad Hills
The Twin Princes by Tedd Arnold
Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee
Chapter Books
Patches and Scratches by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Return of Death Eric by Sam Llewellyn
Stink City by Richard Jennings
Summer Ball by Mike Lupica
These books are available for check-out now. If the book you want has already been checked-out, place it on reserve at the Circulation Desk.
Labels: KiDS' RooM News, new stuff for kids
New Teen Fiction @ Your Library!
New teen fiction added to the library collection last week: The Never War by D. J. MacHale
Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
These books are available for check-out now. If the book you want has already been checked-out, place it on reserve at the Circulation Desk.
New Non-Fiction @ Your Library!
New non-fiction recently added to the library collection: At the Center of the Storm by George Tenet
Candyfreak by Steve Almond
God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens
The Not So Big Life by Sarah Susanka
Presidential Courage by Michael Beschloss
Reposition Yourself by T. D. Jakes
Stealing Your Life by Frank Abagnale
The Wild Trees by Richard Preston
These books are available for check-out now. If the book you want has already been checked-out, place it on reserve at the Circulation Desk.
Labels: new stuff for adults, ReaDiNG RooM News, ReFeReNCe RooM News
New Fiction @ Your Library!
New fiction recently added to the collection: The Harlequin by Laurell Hamilton
Justice Denied by Judith Jance
The Lost Constitution by William Martin
The Maytrees by Annie Dillard
These books are available for check-out now. If the book you want has already been checked-out, place it on reserve at the Circulation Desk.
Labels: new stuff for adults, ReaDiNG RooM News
Teen Raffle Winners
Reading Can Take You Anywhere has come to a close. 17 Tweens & Teens took home raffle prizes ranging from Water Country & Canobie Lake passes, to pizza & DVD gift cards, to craft kits and door beads. Winners include Michael Devereaux, Sam Harvey, Lauren Lantagne, Hannah Rousseau, Markus Rothacker, Catrina Ledoux, Hannah Gomez, Matt Lantagne, Jackson Musco, Alex Trevains, Connor Robinson, Tim Ledoux, Amy Bois, Vinny Pace, Katie Soraghan, Renatta Landrau, and Karissa Prue.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
The Frozen South Journey Contest Winner
Want to know something about the explorers of Antarctica? Ask contest Alexandra Trevains, winner of the final Journey Contest.Photo courtesy of Efrat Nakash.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Souvenir Shop: And Then There Was One
Kathy Devereaux found her way out of the Arizona desert, and took home 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up from our summer reading Souvenir Shop. There is one book remaining, Haunted Hikes, so take a shot at our Route 66 Trivia this week, and you just might take it home!Labels: events/activities for adults, summer reading club for adults
This Week in Summer Reading...
Read 4 Kicks on Route 66 (adults)Weekly Roadside Attraction...Route 66 Trivia
Try your luck with a bit of Route 66 trivia. Earn 150 miles and a chance to win the last travel book from the Souvenir Shop. Stop in anytime this week.
RRR Book Reviews
Great? Good? Stinko? Let us know what you think. Fill out a book review form to earn 150 miles and a chance to win a travel book from the Souvenir Shop. Submit online or at the Circulation Desk.
Travel Logs Due Friday
Make sure you fill out your Travel Logs and bring them to the library by Friday so you'll be included in the final raffle prize drawing.
Labels: summer reading club for adults, this week
Fair Dinkum Journey Contest Winner
Congratulations to Sam Harvey, winner of the Australian slang Journey Contest. Sam took home a prize package and a few Australian phrases to use on his family and friends!Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
New Downloadable Audio Book Titles
The following titles have been added to the New Hampshire Downloadable Audio Book collection: Angels Flight by Michael Connelly
Atherton by Patrick Carman (children's)
Beyond Reach by Karin Slaughter
Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning
Blessings by Anna Quindlen
The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
Breach of Promise by Perri O'Shaughnessy
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson (Teen)
China Road by Rob Gifford
Cold Service by Robert B. Parker
Faking It by Jennifer Cruise
Legacy of Ashes by Tim Weiner
The Lost Constitution by William Martin
The Maytrees by Annie Dillard
Meet Me in Venice by Elizabeth Adler
The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick
Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot (Teen)
The Quickie by James Patterson
School Days by Robert B. Parker
Secret Asset by Stella Rimington
Still Life With Elephant by Judy Reene Singer
Trunk Music by Michael Connelly
Up Close and Dangerous by Linda Howard
Variable Star by Robert A. Heinlein
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
Download these books for free via New Hampshire Downloadable Audio Books. For more information, read Downloadable Audio Books are Here!
Labels: new downloadable audiobooks, ReaDiNG RooM News
Destination USA Contest Winners
Children in the Reading Road Trip club were asked to compose a short description of their idea of a dream vacation. Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Souvenir Shop Looted Again
Congratulations to Debbie Bois, the latest winner in our Roadside Attraction drawings. Debbie chose Road Trip USA from the Souvenir Shop, leaving 2 books on the shelf. Try your luck at this week's Roadside Attraction and you, too, could be a winner.Remaining Souvenir Shop Travel Books:
500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up
Labels: events/activities for adults, summer reading club for adults
Pedro Pig's Reading Road Trip
This summer, the children joining the Reading Road Trip summer reading club, followed our friend Pedro Pig as he traveled around the USA. Pedro was kind enough to send weekly photos of himself from his various vacation spots, and our young patrons guessed where he had been. Pedro was a big hit with the kids, and one of our summer readers, Tommy Devereaux, not only identified where Pedro was, but wrote about him as well. Tommy's account of Pedro's Reading Road Trip is below:The Adventures of Pedro Pig
by Tommy Devereaux
Week 1:
Once, Pedro Pig went to New York. His cousin, Patarvi Pig, accompanied him. They both wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. Once at New York, they settled down at the Critter Crossing Hotel. After unpacking, they went to sleep. In the morning they went to the Statue of Liberty and gasped when they saw it! The trip took up most of their day. The next day, they went out for dinner and heard Green Day in concert. In the morning, it was time to go home.
Week 2:
A week after he went to New York, Pedro Pig got tickets to the AL Championship, Red Sox vs. Yankees, on July 1st at Fenway Park. He decided to fly there instead of driving. Once he got there, he went straight to Fenway Park. The manager of the Sox told him that Manny wasn’t there and asked if he would play. Pedro agreed and the Sox shut out the Yankees 12-0. Pedro was homesick by then, so he went home.
Week 3:
After a day at home, Pedro flew to the Grand Canyon (he brought his dirt bike). Once there, he found out that a motor cross race was that day. Pedro decided to enter in the race. The day of the race, Pedro met his friend, Max. He started to say hi, but the whistle blew. The race had started! Pedro came neck and neck with Max, who was in first. At the last moment, Pedro pulled ahead. He won! Pedro returned home with a big, shiny trophy.
Week 4:
A week after he went to the Grand Canyon, Pedro Pig went to Storyland. Once he saw a barn, mistaking it for his cousin’s house, and went in. But it started to go up and down and around! It was the Crazy Barn! Feeling dizzy, he accidentally sat on the roller coaster, which made him barf. He went for another round after that and THEN he went home.
Week 5:
A day after he went to Storyland, Pedro Pig and his friend, Max, went to see Niagara Falls. While they were waiting for their boat, they played hide-and-seek. Max was it, so Pedro hid in a barrel. The water took the barrel over the waterfall soon, and when Pedro looked up he saw Max. "Found you!" he said. They both caught their boat and went home.
Week 6:
A day after he went to Niagara Falls, Pedro went to the Space Needle. He booked a jet so he could parachute off it. This was the day the pig flew! After he "flew," he dined at the top of the Space Needle. The view was awesome, and when you have high class slop, you’re in heaven! A plane picked him up, and he looked forward to a weekend of rest!
Labels: KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
This Week in Summer Reading
Reading Can Take You Anywhere (grades 6 - 12) The Frozen South Weekly Journey Contest
Discover the hardships of Antarctica's explorers to earn 1 stamp in your Passport, and the chance to win the weekly prize. Stop in anytime this week.
Penguin Craft-to-Go
Pick up kit to make a pom-pom penguin and earn 1 stamp in your Passport. Stop in anytime this week.
Reading Passports Due
Bring in your completed passport by 12 noon on Friday to be eligible for the afternoon prize raffle. Passports may be returned later for final prizes.
Pizza Party and Raffle
Sign up for Friday's party at 3:00 pm. Have a little pizza, win a raffle prize, get your final prize and have a good time. Registration requested.
Read 4 Kicks on Route 66 (adults)
Weekly Roadside Attraction...California: Delirious with Thirst
Dehydration causes delirium. Unscramble these jumbled words to find your way out of the desert. Earn 150 miles and a chance to win a travel book from the Souvenir Shop. Stop in anytime this week.
Pick up The Secret Life of Bees
"Bee" one of the cool kids--get this month's Book of the Month Club selection at the Circulation Desk.
RRR Book Reviews
Keep them coming--the bulletin board is filling up. Fill out a book review form to earn 150 miles and a chance to win a travel book from the Souvenir Shop. Submit online or at the Circulation Desk.
Labels: summer reading club for adults, summer reading club for teens, this week
A Great Ending to Our Reading Road Trip
On Friday afternoon, the library hosted a yummy ice cream party to finish off the Reading Road Trip summer reading club. Fill 'er Up was attended by over 100 people who love ice cream, reading, and the library. Children and adults were served ice cream sundaes, complete with whipped cream and sprinkles. Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, scrapbooks, summer reading club for kids
Souvenir Shop Raided Again
Congratulations to Roadside Attraction winner Amy Goldstein. Amy took home Weird USA, leaving 3 books in the Souvenir Shop. Check out the next Roadside Attraction and you, too, could be a winner.Remaining Souvenir Shop Travel Books:
500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up
Haunted Hikes
Road Trip USA
Labels: events/activities for adults, summer reading club for adults
An Elephant Never Forgets Journey Contest Winner
Jackson Musco knows his animals. Winning the Elephant Never Forgets Journey Contest, he was charged with matching African animals with their family groups. For his efforts, Jackson took home a prize package full of goodies.Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Remember to READ 4 THe FuN oF iT @ Aaron Cutler Memorial Library!
