A Perfect Plethora of Printed Books, Presented by JCPL

I hate making mistakes, and what I hate even more is having to admit to making them. “Nobody is perfect,” “To err is human,” and to quote the famous Benjamin Franklin, “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” Everyone has bad days, and makes boo boos from time to time. This correction in the Arizona Republican verifies that: “The Jumble puzzle which appeared on page D1 of Thursday’s edition actually was the puzzle scheduled to appear today. The Jumble originally scheduled to appear Thursday, as well as the answers to Wednesday’s puzzle are on page E1 today. The answers to the puzzle published today appeared Thursday and the answers to the puzzle published Thursday will appear Saturday.” Published puzzles seem to be puzzling even to the publishers of the printed puzzles, don’t you think? Maybe the puzzle publisher who printed the puzzles could have used a guardian angel to help them avoid such puzzlement. Don’t you wonder sometimes what a guardian angel would have to say if they recorded their thoughts in a journal every day? “The Guardian Angel’s Journal” by Carolyn Jess-Cooke tells the tale of a Margot Delacroix, a woman who has returned to earth as a guardian angel named Ruth. Sent back to life as her very own guardian angel, Ruth follows herself throughout her life, from birth through a troubled childhood, and all of the events of her adult life, as sort of a second chance to re-experience the biggest mistakes that led to her deepest regrets, eventually learning to love herself as unconditionally as she should have the first time around.

This new fiction title is just one in a long line of books, new to the Jasper County Public Library. Read on for more!

If you love Robin Cook, Michael Palmer and Patricia Cornwell and the pageturning medical drama that they bring to their novels, “Public Anatomy” by A. Scott Pearson, with its intriguing characters and high octane medical drama will be just what the doctor ordered. In this medical thriller, you’ll meet Doctor Eli Branch, a surgeon with a hand injury who is approached by two FBI agents investigating the subsequent deaths of two people who have undergone routine, but robotic, surgeries. Plot twist after plot twist lead Branch on a kaleidoscope of adventures as he seeks the truth, enlisting the help of forensic pathologist, Meg Daily in this thought-provoking novel.

Case closed turns out NOT to be the case for Nina Reilly in “Dreams of the Dead” by Perri O’Shaughnessy. The setting is South Lake Tahoe, California and the characters range from adventurers to criminals to lawyers. When disaster walks into a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort in the form of Jim Strong, a sociopath who Nina defended two years before against murder charges, Nina must expose the secrets of someone very close to her to prove that the dead cannot destroy the living. Written with a breakneck pace and plenty of twists and turns, this novel outlines human drama, establishing its right at the top of legal thriller genre.

Crime solving, 1970’s style, laced with a plucky police detective named Monika Paniatowski, offers readers pageturning police procedural drama when a murder case is reopened after the deathbed confession of the convicted killer of a thirteen year old girl becomes a declaration of his innocence for the crime. The last confession of accused rapist and killer, Fred Howard, is one that declares his innocence to the Priest performing the last rites for the convicted killer just before his death. Enter Detective Chief Inspector Tom Hall and Chief Constable George Baxter, along with Monika, the complex details begin to unravel as cobwebs of clue after clue build to a satisfying conclusion.

Are you puzzled? Well, from my “experience,” being puzzled is not so bad if you have a good distraction, so postpone your puzzle on purpose and pore over the plethora of pristine printed books in the Jasper County Public Library within your proximity; you’ll be pleased, we promise!

Come Into JCPL to Get Your New Fiction Before It's Going, Going, Gone!

Going, going, gone; that is the rule of thumb for our electricity this summer. The louder the thunder gets, the better the chances that the electricity will be "gone with the wind." I've got it down to a science by now. Candles and flashlights ready to pick up the slack for the lights we won't have for hours to come, and NIPSCO on speed dial, right up there with friends and family. A trusty oil lamp sits nearby, ready to light my way and maybe even help me to finish the book I'm reading. I'd just gotten to the good part; almost to the end of the story when the lights went out. It was one of those books that draws you in, with characters so real that you cheer them on in some parts, and try to talk them out of something they are about to do in others. "Night Road" by Krisin Hannah is the story of one family's struggle to find a new way to be "normal" after tragedy strikes. In it, you'll meet Jude and Miles Farraday, the parents of Mia and Zach, twins who have been inseparable from the time they were born. Zach is the "golden child" with looks, personality and popularity, while Mia is a beautiful but unique girl whose tastes in clothes are anything but trendy. When Mia meets Lexi, the new girl in school, they form a fast friendship and Lexi grows to love the Farraday family until she makes a mistake that changes all of their lives forever. "Night Road" is the first in a long line of new fiction just waiting to be checked out from the shelves of the Jasper County Public Library. Read on for more!

Living in an upscale apartment on the Upper West side, Emily and Sandy Portman are a busy, happily married couple who seem to have it all. When Sandy dies in a tragic accident one night, however, reality hits Emily squarely in the face, and she discovers that her whole marriage and life with Sandy was a sham. Before the funeral is even over, Emily finds that she is on the verge of being evicted from her home, and one after another, more unwelcome surprises await her. When a scruffy dog named Einstein enters her life, Emily finds his presence oddly comforting. But is Einstein's determination and good nature enough to help Emily move on in her future? Find out in "Emily and Einstein" by Linda Francis Lee.

The absence of the men in their lives and the constant fear that their husbands will be the next casualty of war is the focus of "You Know When the Men Are Gone" by Siobhan Fallon. This collection of stories begins with "You Know When the Men Are Gone," in which a war bride from Serbia decides that she just can't cope with the loneliness of being a military wife and finds her own way out. The collection continues with "Inside the Break," featuring a military wife who is confronted with the possibility that her husband is being unfaithful to her with a female soldier. "Remission" is the story of a cancer patient awaiting the results of a crucial test who becomes devastated by the behavior of her teenage daughter, depicting the sensitive nature of the relationship between military parents and their children. Each story in this collection is woven tightly together with the next, zeroing in on military families living in Fort Hood Texas, connecting each through the special bond shared by only those familiar with the military way of life.

Santa Claus is a magical character known to children far and wide. Adults, too, feel the magic of Christmas because of the inspiring story of Old Saint Nick and the memories of their own childhoods. "The Christmas Chronicles: The Legend of Santa Claus" by Tim Slover brings the story of Santa Claus to an adult level, weaving various popular Christmas tales together, entertaining the reader with a marvelous, magical novel about the Santa Claus that we all know and love and the magic that he brings to the holiday season for all of us.

Thinking of Christmas in these dog days of summer may cool you off a bit. Just think of it as "Christmas in July, JCPL style," so hitch up the sleigh, make a list, check it twice and visit your local branch of JCPL before all of these new books are "going, going, gone!"

Leaping Lizards! Check Out These New Non-fiction Titles From JCPL!

One of the biggest music hits of the 1970’s was a song by Jim Stafford called, “I Don’t Like Spiders and Snakes.” If I had written the lyrics, they would have included lizards. Creepy crawly creatures just aren’t my thing; they belong in the wild, like way OUT in the wild; the wild that is nowhere near my house. One wayward lizard mistakenly thought it was a good idea to hole up in my house, and with 3 cats and a dog with a sense of smell rivaling a blue ribbon winning bloodhound, this little creature did not stand a chance of fading into the woodwork. The only thing about relying on animals to exterminate the unwanted reptile (or whatever species a lizard is) is that they enjoy the thrill of the hunt more than actually catching the thing. I know how to get rid of a mouse that’s illegally entered my humble abode, but, besides a broom and some great timing, how can you send a lizard packing? Leaping Lizards! I may be stuck with the creature until it grew to Jurassic Park proportions! I should get in touch with the reptile smugglers in “Stolen World: A Tale of Reptiles, Smugglers, and Skullduggery” by Jennie Erin Smith; they’ll know what to do, because that is their specialty. These devious, dangerous and creepily charming humans deal strictly in the reptile business, illegally smuggling them into and out of the country, making trades with zoo keepers and collectors who pay top dollar for them, breaking the moral codes that make environmentalists and the law abiding animal lovers cringe.


This is not the only new non-fiction title that will keep you entertained and enlightened on some off the beaten path subjects. Read on!


“Australians: Origins to Eureka” by Thomas Keneally is volume 1 in a series of books that sheds light on the “land down under,” describing in detail the formation of the continent as it separated from the supercontinent of Pangaea 140 million years ago. Written by Booker-Prize winning novelist and non-fiction writer, Thomas Keneally, this first volume collectively informs the reader on Aborigines, transplanted convicts, settlers, soldiers and miners who all played a part in the early settlement of a new and harsh land.


When her olfactory nerve was damaged by the use of a common nasal spray that is used to combat the common cold, Bonnie Blodgett lost her sense of smell. Strangely enough, the loss of smell began with a stage called “phantosmia,” a constant stench of, as she puts it, “every disgusting thing you can think of tossed into a blender and pureed.” “Remembering Smell” by Bonnie Blodgett is a memoir recounting the author’s journey into the world of smell, and the unfortunate events that led her into the workings of the human body and its extraordinary power to heal itself.


Roles on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Golden Girls,” and other popular TV programs made Betty White an icon for TV viewers everywhere. Now 89 years old, Betty White is widely recognized for not only her television roles, but for her lifelong work for animal welfare. A force of nature and determined to continue in her celebrity successes as she still goes strong after seven decades in show business, Betty White shares anecdotes , wisdom and humor in “If You Ask Me: And of Course You Didn’t.”


I’ll bet you’re wondering how the lizard story turned out, aren’t you? Let’s just say that in one fell swoop, we “threw the book” at the little creature and he no longer has to worry about where he is going to live.

New Non-Fiction From Your Local Branch of JCPL Will Be Memorable!

Getting married is generally one of the most memorable occasions in your life. The birth of babies is next on the list for most folks. My niece got married last year, and had a baby just this past month, and as I related the news of the baby's birth to my 5 year old granddaughter, I tried to help her understand who my niece is by reminding her that she was the flower girl in her wedding last year, and that the little boy who stood up as ring bearer was my grand-nephew. After a bit of thought, she said that yes, she did remember the wedding, and she did remember little Clayton, who stood up in the wedding with her. Her recollection of her part in the wedding, however, went something like, "Oh yeah...wasn't Clayton the one I married that day? And you know what? I don't think I've seen him since!" Just goes to show that a five year old's memory of a special occasion is a far cry from the memory of someone my age. Speaking of age, as America grows older, it still focuses on its youth, but are we really "over the hill" at a certain age, or has our life just begun? "Lastingness: The Art of Old Age" delves into the idea of permanence, experience and duration, discussing the life-long habits of those who have thrived in old age, relinquishing the thought that younger is better. After all, in contest after contest, the elders of the tribe reign as the preferred, and are honored for their experience, training and life long achievements.

This title is just one in a long line of non-fiction books that are new to the Jasper County Public Libraries in Rensselaer, DeMotte and Wheatfield. Read on for more!

Living legend, Steven Tyler says, "I've been mythicized, Mick-icized, eulogized and fooligized," and that's just the beginning of his long list of "brain-jangling" tell all in "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?" In his own voice, Tyler recounts his rock 'n roll days as lead singer of Aerosmith, playfully and poetically weaving the money, notoriety, motels, hotels, romance and rehab of his past into this meaningful memoir.

At one time or another in our lives, we all feel as though we could use or we would NEED a miracle to change or improve our circumstances. In "Make Miracles in Forty Days: Turning What You Have Into What you Want," author Melanie Beattie shares her own stories of overcoming obstacles and facing tragedy, offering help in the form of gratitude, surrender, and connecting with our essential power by implementing a six-week action plan that will jump-start the transformation to better mental balance. In this Miracle Workshop guide, twenty five year veteran, Beattie, provides us with the tools to acknowledge the pain we're feeling and progress over a forty day period to feeling more in control, less confused and more vitally alive than ever.

At the age of 53, John Kralik found himself at a crossroads in his life. Everything seemed to be slipping out of control and his personal and professional life were both in danger of failing. On New Year's Day of that year, a walk in the hills brought John to the realization that something had to change, and he began to change his thought process and beliefs by focusing on being grateful for what he had instead of dwelling on what he didn't have. "365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life" by John Kralik is the inspiring story of the day after day journey of one man who found "thank you" to be the word that changed his life forever.

Asking a five year old a question or to recall a story can be an eye-opening experience. But whether you're five or fifty, a trip to your local branch of JCPL can be an eye-opener too, and when you check out books from Rensselaer, DeMotte, or Wheatfield, we want to make sure that you enjoy your visit enough to come back again so that we won't be saying, "We haven't seen you since!"

JCPL Invites Dads to Sit Back & Relax With These New Fiction Titles!

Fathers come in all shapes and sizes, and from all walks of life. In the old days of black and white TV, there were no blue collar worker dads. There were only dads dressed in suits, like Robert Young in Father Knows Best and Ward Cleaver in Leave it to Beaver. Those dads had wisdom seeping out of their pores, thanks to the clever script writers that kept them on the air. Ward Cleaver always knew just what to do when "The Beaver" got himself into a jam, or when Eddie Haskell tried to pull a fast one, or when Theodore (The Beave) had a run-in with one of his BFFs, Whitey or Larry Mondello. Words of wisdom come from all dads, and as they get older, the words of wisdom coined are priceless. In my family, we call them "dad-isms" or "grandpa-isms." One such "grandpa-ism" voices how we all feel when ordinary words are not enough to convey how we really feel; "Too bad, so sad" carries lots of weight, as does "You can't fit 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag." Both pearls of wisdom let you know you've either gone too far or are about to. A salute, then, to the dads of America, and the wisdom they impart to all of us on a daily basis. The Jasper County Public Library has just the thing for dads to relax with this Father's Day. Read on for some great, new fiction!

In World War II Germany, the Compound of Scribes is a multi-lingual group of intellects who have been selected to go underground and write letters to concentration camp detainees who have probably passed on to the netherworld. Meant to assuage the dead, the practice of this letter writing becomes dangerous when a letter from genius philosopher, Martin Heidegger to his friend, Asher Englehardt, is to be answered, setting in motion a chain of events that threatens the Auschwitz Compound in "Heidegger's Glasses: A Novel" by Thaisa Frank.

Luz Avila, abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandmother, finds herself facing many regrets when her beloved Abuela dies before making a trip to Mexico to see the monarch butterflies in their migration. In an effort to set things right, Luz drives from Milwaukee to Mexico, following the path of the butterflies in their migration and meeting one extraordinary woman after another, including the mother who abandoned her many years before in "The Butterfly's Daughter" by Mary Alice Monroe.

When the economic crisis in the United States of America goes from bad to worse and a recession threatens to cripple the nation, newly elected President Kenneth Phoenix must order a series of tax cuts, eliminate the positions of high profile cabinet members, and reduce government spending drastically. When bands of militiamen begin attacking various government agencies, Lieutenant-General Patrick McLanahan takes to the skies to fight the insurgency in "A Time for Patriots" by Dale Brown.

Death, betrayal, and the darkest magic have followed the alliance of rebels as led by tarboy, Pazel Pathkendle, and warrior, Thasha Isiq during their crossing into the southern empire of Bali Adro. Upon landfall, a battle ensues between the rebel forces and centuries-old sorcerer, Arunis; a battle that can bring only death to those who fail in "The River of Shadows," the gripping sequel to Robert V.S. Redick's "The Red Wolf Conspiracy" and "The Ruling Sea."

The life of the legendary Doc Holliday is recounted in "Doc" by Mary Doria Russell. Arriving in Tombstone in 1881, Doc Holliday is a legendary gambler and gunman, but the author begins with Doc's birth in 1851, when his mother, Alice, mourning the death of her firstborn daughter, goes to extreme lengths to keep her baby boy, born with a cleft palate, alive. Feeding him through an eyedropper for the first eight weeks of his life, John Henry Holliday was raised to be an intelligent, thoughtful gentleman who would earn the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery before the age of twenty-one.

So, for all of you Ward Cleaver's, Bill Cosby's, Robert Young's and other dads, the Jasper County Public Library has Father's Day wrapped up with gifts you can give yourself, because, dads of America, for all you do, these books are for you!

Do you Have Your Ears On? Check Out These New Fiction Titles at JCPL!

In the prehistoric days before cell phones came to be the #1 mode of communication, CB radios were all the rage. When learning to use a CB, the firt thing you had to do was come up with a "handle," or a nickname for other CB users to call you. Then, once you became familiar with other users, they got to be your "good buddy." Good Buddies liked to travel in convoys, so the leader of the pack was always at the "front door," and those bringing up the rear were at the "back door." When something important came up or you just wanted to get in your two-cents worth, all you had to do was yell, "Breaker, breaker, do you have your ears on?" If you have your ears on right now, you should "put the pedal to the metal" or "put the hammer down," grab your favorite "seat cover," start up the "four wheeler" in your garage and head straight for the Jasper County Public Library, where you'll be saying "ten four" to all the great, new fiction on the shelves. Check these out!

Working as an independent reporter, Annika Bengtzon is busy investigating stories with a terrorist theme when a fellow journalist dies in a hit and run accident. Suspicious that what happened to her colleague was no accident, Annika traces the slaying back to a Swedish military base, where the man behind the brutal crime plots to kill again in "Red Wolf" by Liza Marklund.

In "The Illumination" by Kevin Brockmeier, pain and loss make themselves evident in each character as their mortal wounds reveal themselves as a visible light after a mysterious event called The Illumination changes the characteristics of physical and emotional pain, revealing the depth of the human heart and mind.

The year is 1880, the town, Georgetown, Colorado. Seventeen year old Nealie Bent is the new girl in town, and marries Charlie Dumas. As the story unfolds, three generations of females that begin with Nealie go on to live their lives, experiencing love, loss, happiness and tragedy in "The Bride's House" by Sandra Dallas.

A skiing holiday nearly ends the lives of Zoe and Jake when a freak avalanche buries them, but they manage to dig themselves out only to discover that they are all alone in the Pyrenean resort town. When they exit their hotel and travel to the next town, they not only find themselves alone, but traveling in circles as well. When Zoe begins to hear bits and pieces of speech and catch glimpses of other figures around them, the pair find themselves caught up in strange, supernatural circumstances in "The Silent Land" by Graham Joyce.

The small, peaceful fishing community of Fjallbacka, Sweden is forever changed when a young boy discovers the remains of two holiday-makers who disappeared twenty years before, along with a fresh victim. When a second young girl goes missing, it is up to Patrik Hedstrom to unravel the mystery and focus on the true suspect as secrets are revealed in "Preacher" by Camilla Lackberg.

Breaker, breaker, do you have your ears on? If that's a big "ten four" "good buddy," put the "hammer down," don't let those big "eighteen wheelers" or "Smokey the Bear" slow you down, and find the "front door" of your local branch of JCPL, make that your "twenty," grab some of these new fiction titles, and say, "I'm gone!"

Directional Dyslexics Need Good Books Too!

The letters "DD" universally stand for "designated driver." It could also stand for "Directional Dyslexic," and I know this because I am one. Famous for losing my way, I have been known to take the scenic route as though I have all the time in the world, and that goes for finding my car in a parking lot, too. I recently purchased a new vehicle, and am still getting used to finding it when I shop. Most everything on it is power, including the doors and back hatch, so my keychain comes complete with keyless entry that is supposed to make things like grocery shopping easier, and it would, if I could ever find my vehicle in the parking lot. Coming out of the grocery store, I headed for a red van, pushing buttons all the way, trying to get the doors to open and be ready to load the groceries. Mumbling under my breath that the thing never works when you want it to, I happened to turn around and see that the van parked in the opposite lane was obeying the command of my keyless entry; probably because it WAS my van, and not the one I was facing at the time.

Could I use a book to "take me away?" You bet...and here are some new fiction titles that will do just that!

A twisted killer with a perverted sense of style is on the loose in "Fever to the Bone" by Val McDermid. Youth and innocence are the objects of his desire and it is up to investigator, Tony Hill to end the ruthless campaign of murder and brutality before more young lives are lost.

The death of Tim Overleigh's ex-wife threatens to send him over the edge. To combat his grief, he makes the life-altering decision to give up his career in the world of extreme sports and joins a team of mountain climbers in Nepal. The spiritual awakening of the mountain ascent is short lived for Overleigh, however, and turns deadly for he and the entire team of climbers when, one by one, they become the victims of murder in "The Ascent" by Ronald Malfi.

Music has marked each milestone in Zoe Baxter's life, and after suffering a series of personal tragedies, Zoe begins a career as a music therapist. As an unexpected romance buds for Zoe, she begins questioning the relationships she has with those closest to her as they voice their disapproval for the new love in her life in "Sing You Home" by Jodi Picoult.

Taking a break from her college studies, Ingrid Holburne meets and marries art dealer Gil Grey. Ingrid's cousin, Ralph, and her friend, Julia, however, do not see reason for celebration of the couple's happy news. When the tragedy of September 11 takes Ingrid's life, Ralph and Julia are sticken with grief, and find themselves retracing her steps of that day only to encounter one mystery and web of deceit after another in "The Legacy" by Kirsten Tranter.

We can all identify with the "Excedrin headache" commercial or the "Calgon Take Me Away" ad with the woman overwhelmed by screaming kids, barking dogs, and a ringing doorbell. Excedrin and Calgon are just the beginning for directional dyslexics like me, because pointing me in the direction of my local branch of JCPL is the best way to "get away from it all" that I can think of!