Skip the Long Winter's Nap; Read a Good Book!

The story of Rip Van Winkle is a short one, but a classic. As the story goes, Rip Van Winkle decided to take a short nap one day and woke up twenty years later to a whole new world. Imagine how much catching up you'd have to do if you fell asleep twenty years ago and were just waking up now. You'd go to watch TV, see a skinny, flat screen, and wonder where the rest of the TV set went. Conversation would be sort of confusing, too. If someone mentioned the "'Net," "phish," and "spam" all in one sentence, you'd pack a lunch and find the nearest fishing hole. If asked about what Antivirus works for you, or how to Debug your system, your answer would probably be penicillin. You'd wonder, too, how, or even WHY, you'd want to "surf the 'Web," when a web is really just a tangled mess of silk that spiders call their home. Taking a "long winter's nap" right now might sound good to you, but there are so many great, new fiction titles on the shelves of the Jasper County Public Library that you won't want to take the chance of oversleeping and missing these wonderful "texts." Read on!

The "what-ifs" of life sometimes haunt us all, especially when times get really tough. Annabelle and her husband, Grant, have been married for nearly three decades, and in that time, they raised two wonderful children and made many great memories as a family. Grant has stood by Annabelle's side, even in the early, tumultuous years of their marriage when Annabelle stepped out of the boundaries of their marriage, betraying her husband's faith with another man. Now, all these years later, Annabelle finds herself wondering if Grant is really the man for her, or if her true soul mate is the other man in "The Stuff That Never Happened" by Maddie Dawson.

Jill Murray has built a life for herself and her ten year old daughter, and because of past experience, has established a "no boys allowed" rule for herself. Meeting free-spirited, entrepreneur, Billy, Jill's "no boys allowed" rule begins to falter, and to make matters worse, her ex-husband has reentered her life, proving to Jill that he can't even run away reliably in "Seven Year Switch" by Claire Cook.

Faced with a terminal illness, Jenny Lucas journeys back to a place she swore she'd never revisit; her hometown in North Carolina and the family she left behind. Coming face to face with her distant father, her oxygen-toting grandmother, and David, the father of her five year old daughter, is a dose of reality for Jenny, but demonstrates how the power of love and family can heal old hurts, and open new doors in "Crossing Oceans" by Gina Holmes.

Scraping by and living paycheck to paycheck, Tina Finn's life takes a drastic turn when her mother passes away, leaving her a huge, luxury apartment and an inheritance that could solve all of her money troubles. Things are looking up for Tina, that is, until her two half-brothers, who have been left out of the inheritance surface, making Jenny stand up for what is rightfully hers in "Twelve Rooms With a View" by Theresa Rebeck.

When it comes to taking a long winter's nap, you'll want to "Wake up Little Suzy," "Sleep With One Eye Open," and you "Won't Want to Miss a Thing," because with these and other new fiction titles from JCPL, you'll be "Talking in Your Sleep" and singing the "No Sleep Blues!"

Give Yourself the Gift of Reading This Holiday Season!

What's on your gift list this holiday season? I don't have a long list, but I'm wondering if Santa could find it in his heart to drop a new clothes dryer down the chimney for me this year, along with some new socks. Nothing is really wrong with the old dryer, it still dries clothes okay, but it's getting really expensive to use because it only takes socks as payment. I know this, because every time I throw a load of clothes in the dryer, at least one or two socks out of a pair disappear into oblivion, never to be seen or heard from again. I have 3 grandchildren with wish lists too. Because I take my job playing Santa pretty seriously, I have pretty much fulfilled those lists, and just have stocking stuffers left to buy. They love gum, and finding gum in their stockings would be a great treat for them, although I fear they'll use it as adhesive for their hair, in which case, it may be wise to include a jar of peanut butter in each stocking as well, because peanut butter is known to be a great gum-buster for hair that sticks together. How do I know this? Why, because Wikipedia says so, and Wikipedia is only one way to find great tidbits of information. The Jasper County Public Library has LOADS of great, new nonfiction titles to help you find the answers to your everyday dilemmas. Check out these new titles!

If forgetting names and being on the lookout for your missing keys is a daily thing for you, you can put your mind at rest. "The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain" by Barbara Strauch offers reassuring evidence that the middle aged brain is in good shape, indeed. Through high tech brain scans and other psychological testing, Strauch finds that mental faculties such as cognitive expertise, problem solving skills and wisdom are at their peak at middle age. I don't know about you, but I could use this dose of optimism about my middle aged brain!

Take a step back in time before franchise restaurants and chain motels took up space along our country's highways and byways and explore historic Route 66 in all its glory by checking out "Route 66 Backroads: Your Guide to Scenic Side Trips" by Jim Hinckley. This book offers Route 66 lovers the "scenic route" featuring side trips through the 8 states, taking you off the beaten path of the Interstate and into the ultimate, scenic, cross country journey from Chicago to L.A., complete with color photographs that will make you want to jump into the car and take a road trip.

From beginner's techniques to more advanced treatments, "Simply Reflexology" by Sonia Jones explores this ancient practice, guiding the reader through the process of discovering the areas of the feet and hands that correspond to the body's system and tissues, offering detailed, step by step instructions for specialized treatments and additional insight.

Battling subzero temperatures and the threat of avalanches, hundred foot cliffs, and other dangers of the far north, Hugh Rowland delivers adventure supreme in "On Thin Ice: Breakdowns, Whiteouts, and Survival on the World's Deadliest Roads." Based on the hit reality TV series Ice Road Truckers, this inside look at one of the world's most dangerous jobs chronicles the infamous, treacherous journey of Rowland as he battles the odds, year after year.

What's on your Christmas list this year? How about a detour from the hustle and bustle, standing in line, and general brain-numbing shopping trips in your inevitable future? Take a trip, instead to the quiet sanctuary that is JCPL, and give yourself the gift of a relaxing, good book!