News and Information from Hackley Public Library

Friday, April 20, 2012

Staff Picks

Every month we take a few minutes to share the books we're reading. This is a list of recent favorites.

STAFF PICKS

100 years after the iceberg

With the approaching centennial of the sinking of the Titanic, many new books are hitting the shelves and shedding new light on the famous disaster. Kate Alcott's historical novel The Dressmaker takes inspiration from that tragic night. A love triangle unfolds aboard the doomed ship between Tess (maid to the very real Lady Duff Gordon) and two suitors (one a sailor, the other a wealthy tycoon). When the ocean liner meets the iceberg, Tess and Lady Duff Gordon survive while so many others perish. Much of the novel unfolds during the Titanic hearings in scenes incorporating Lady Duff Gordon's actual testimony. This is a completely new take on the tale, deeply rooted in history and awash with drama.

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Tales of the City
By Maupin, Armistead
2007-05 - Harper Perennial
9780061358302 Check Our Catalog

This internationally beloved modern classic, first published in 1978, will be reissued with a tie-in cover to coincide with the groundbreaking three-part PBS miniseries scheduled to air January 10, 11, and 12, 1994--a joint presentation of the prestigious American Playhouse and KQED San Francisco. …More

More Tales of the City TV Tie in
By Maupin, Armistead
1998-05 - Harper Perennial
9780060929381 Check Our Catalog

The internationally beloved classic comes to life in a Showtime miniseries.
Few works of fiction have blazed a trail through popular culture like Armistead Maupin's "Tales of the City" series. Since its publication as a daily newspaper serial in 1976, Maupin's incisive comedy of manners has expanded into six bestselling novels, the first of which became a highly acclaimed television miniseries starring Oscar-winner Olympia Dukakis as the irrepressible Anna Madgrigal, doyenne of 28 Barbary Lane.
Now "More Tales of the City" is becoming a Showtime miniseries, once again starring Olympia Dukakis, Laura Linney, and Thomas Gibson, as well as exciting new cast members, including Swoosie Kurtz and Ed Asner. It will be broadcast in June 1998.
The tenants of 28 Barbary Lane have fled their cozy nest for adventures for afield. Mary Ann Singleton finds love at sea with a forgetful stranger, Mona Ramsey discovers her doppleganger in a desert whore-house, and Michael Tolliver bumps into a certain gynecologist in a seedy Mexican Bar. Meanwhile, their venerable landlady takes the biggest journey of all'without ever leaving home. …More

America's Final Beginning
By Hewitt, Michael S.
2012-01 - Authorhouse
9781468530629 Check Our Catalog

…More

House of the Hunted
By Mills, Mark
2012-04 - Random House
9781400068197 Check Our Catalog

Set in 1935, Millsas genial suspense novel stars Tom Nash, a former SIS operative haunted by his past, particularly a tragic encounter involving his lover, Irina Bibikov, in Russia in 1919. …More

Mockingjay
By Collins, Suzanne
2010-08 - Scholastic Press
9780439023511 Check Our Catalog

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking "The Hunger Games" trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.
HPL patron: Great ending to anexciting trilogy. Really looking forward to seeing this made into a movie!
…More

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
By Franklin, Tom
2010-10 - William Morrow & Company
9780060594664 Check Our Catalog

In a small Mississippi town, two men are torn apart by circumstance and reunited by tragedy, in this resonant new novel from the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed "Hell at the Breech." …More

The Likeness
By French, Tana
2008-08 - Viking Books
9780670018864 Check Our Catalog

French presents the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the "New York Times"-bestselling psychological thriller "In the Woods." …More

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
By Bender, Aimee
2010-06 - Doubleday Books
9780385501125 Check Our Catalog 2011 Alex Award Winner BookPage Notable Title

The wondrous Bender conjures the lush and moving story of a girl whose magical gift is really a devastating curse. "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" is a luminous tale--heartbreaking and funny, wise and sad. …More

Upcoming Events at HPL

Earth Day Green Craft
2:00 pm, Saturday, April 21

Kids get information on what it means to be green and how to reduce the amount of trash you accumulate (shrink your carbon footprint) during Earth Day week. Bring in an interesting piece of trash and let’s see what treasure we can make out of it. Old t-shirts, bottles, milk jugs, cereal boxes, cans etc. are just a few items we can use to upcycle.
Youth Services

Winter evening storytimes
6:45 pm, Monday, April 23
Storytelling, picture books, finger plays, holidays tales and special fun. Each session ends with a craft.
Registration required. Please call 722-7276, x230
Youth Services

Preplanning a Funeral
6:00 PM, Monday, April 23
Carla Yerke from Sytsema Funeral Home will discuss how to pre-plan a funeral. Free and open to the public.

Winter morning storytimes
11:00 am, Tuesday, April 24
Storytelling, picture books, finger plays, holidays tales and special fun. Each session ends with a craft.
Registration required. Please call 722-7276, x230
Youth Services

Geocaching 101
6:00 PM Tuesday, April 24
Geocachingis a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online. Learn the ins and outs with Scott Miller of Whitehall, a Charter member of Groundspeak, the organization for Geocachers, and an EarthCache Master, Bronze Level. Scott has found over 1200 caches and has hidden 41. He has been Geocaching since 2001.
Meets in the Julia Hackley Room. Free and open to the public. For more information about Geocaching: http://www.geocaching.com/

Good Yarn Knitters
5:30 pm, Wednesday, April 25
Open to knitters of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced. Learn to knit, hone your skills, help other knitters! For more information call 231-722-7276 and ask for Jocelyn

Computer Class Internet and Email
10:00 am, Thursday, April 26
Computer classes are offered on Thursdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. We provide the computers. Attendees should already be comfortable using a mouse and with basic computer skills. Space is limited to 18 people, and you may have to share a computer. Call 231-722-7276 two weeks before the start of class to register.

Computer Class Internet and Email
1:00 pm, Thursday, April 26
Computer classes are offered on Thursdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. We provide the computers. Attendees should already be comfortable using a mouse and with basic computer skills. Space is limited to 18 people, and you may have to share a computer. Call 231-722-7276 two weeks before the start of class to register.

Investing
1:00 pm, Friday, April 27
Mike Hansen from Edward Jones Investments will talk about the importance of investing as part of Money Smart Week.

Muskegon County Genealogical Society
6:30 – 9:30 pm, Tuesday, May 1
Muskegon County Genealogical Society Board meeting at the Torrent House.

True Crime in the Civil War
6:00 PM, Tuesday May 1
Tobin Buhk returns to talk about his latest book, True Crime in the Civil War. Tobin is one speaker not to miss! His talks are always fascinating and full of information. Tobin T. Buhk is a Grand Rapids-based freelance writer and coauthor (with Dr. Stephen D. Cohle, Kent County Medical Examiner) of Cause of Death: Forensic Files of a Medical Examiner (2007) and Skeletons in the Closet: Tales from the County Morgue (2008). For more information : www.TobinBuhk.com

Tech Wednesday-Facebook
2:30 pm, Wednesday, May 2

Tech Wednesdays

Each class will cover a specific topic and run from 30 – 60 minutes. No registration is required, just show up! All classes will start at 2:30 pm in the Julia Hackley Room. If you have your own laptop feel free to bring it along, otherwise these are watch and learn classes.
May 2 Facebook

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

HPL's New Books

Below is a partial list of our new books. To see the full list, download the Excel file for: 2012. To see new books from other years try: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, or 2006.

To sign up for this, or any of our newsletters, check out our Newsletter sign up page.

Shaded Vision
By Galenorn, Yasmine
2012-02 - Jove Books
9780515150353 Check Our Catalog

It's Valentine's Day and the D'Artigo women are preparing for their friend Iris's wedding. But when Delilah and her sisters get word that the Super Community Center has been bombed, things get really ugly. The evil coyote shifters--the Koyami--are back, and Newkirk, their new leader, has joined forces with a group of rogue sorcerers. Original. …More

Last Man Standing
By Gerard, Cindy
2012-01 - Pocket Star Books
9781451606829 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title

Special operative Joe Green has gone vigilante. His mission: avenge his Black Ops, Inc., brother's death during a bloody ambush years ago in Sierra Leone. He refuses to drag the BOI team or his lover, Stephanie Tompkins, into the hunt for the man responsible so when he finds himself beaten, starving, and alone after being falsely imprisoned for the murder of a Freetown priest, he knows he's as good as dead. Original. …More

Blindside: A Dev Conrad Mystery
By Gorman, Edward
2012-01 - Severn House Publishers
9780727880253 Check Our Catalog

…More

Phantom Evil
By Graham, Heather
2011-03 - Mira Books
9780778329534 Check Our Catalog

Heading a group of paranormal investigators for the government, Jackson Crow--part English, part Cheyenne--uses his link to the realm of spirits to help solve the mysterious death of a senator's wife with the help of Angela Hawkins, a police officer with paranormal intuition. …More

Cooking the Books: A Corinna Chapman Mystery
By Greenwood, Kerry
2012-03 - Poisoned Pen Press
9781590589823 Check Our Catalog

Australian baker and amateur sleuth Corinna Chapman is on Christmas vacation. Her shop, Earthly Delights, is closed until the new year. She's supposed to be taking it easy, but regular readers of her series will know that ain't gonna happen. …More

Astride a Pink Horse
By Greer, Robert
2012-03 - North Atlantic Books
9781583943694 Check Our Catalog

This gripping thriller about deceit, revenge, and broken government promises starts with a veteran's murder and takes readers back to the horrors of World War II and the dawn of the atomic age. …More

Arcadia
By Groff, Lauren
2012-03 - Hyperion Books
9781401340872 Check Our Catalog

A mesmerizing second novel from the bestselling author of "The Monsters of Templeton, Arcadia" is the lyrical and haunting story of a great American dream--the progress of a utopian community and its lasting impact on a gifted young man. …More

Home Front
By Hannah, Kristin
2012-01 - St. Martin's Press
9780312577209 Check Our Catalog

The blockbuster bestselling author of "Night Road" and "Firefly Lane" delivers a masterful novel that explores the sacrifices of one American family and illuminates the true cost of honor, duty, and love, offering an intimate look at the inner landscape of a disintegrating marriage and a dramatic examination of the price of war. …More

Night Road
By Hannah, Kristin
2011-03 - St. Martin's Press
9780312364427 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title

"Night Road" is a vivid, emotionally complex novel that raises profound questions about motherhood, loss, identity, and forgiveness. It is an exquisite, heartbreaking novel that speaks to women everywhere about the things that matter most.
HPL patron: A story about how one bad decision can effect so many lives, and how forgiveness can ultimately bring peace and closure.
HPL patron: I liked this book. She did a very good job with the topic. So I have checked out 2 more of her books.
…More

Enchantments
By Harrison, Kathryn
2012-03 - Random House
9781400063475 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title

From one of America's most admired literary voices comes a gorgeously written, enthralling novel set in the final days of Russia's Romanov Empire. Mesmerizing, haunting, and told in Harrison's signature crystalline prose, "Enchantments" is a love story about two people who come together as everything around them is falling apart. …More

A Perfect Blood
By Harrison, Kim
2012-02 - Harper Voyager
9780061957895 Check Our Catalog

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled in to help investigate by the FBI, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth--a would-be creator is determined to make his (or her) own demons. But it can't be done without Rachel's blood, in this latest blockbuster by a "New York Times"-bestselling author. …More

Kill My Darling
By Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia
2012-02 - Severn House Publishers
9780727881373 Check Our Catalog

When Melanie Hunter goes missing, the men in her life come under suspicion. And there's plenty to suspect: lies, half-truths, deceptions. There are secrets in Melanie's past, and pain she tried to hide from the world. Slider and his team need to answer two questions: who loved Melanie . . . and who loved her too much? …More

Have a Little Faith
By Thomas, Jacquelin
Author Billingsley, ReShonda Tate
Author Mason, J. D.
2006-06 - Pocket Books
9781416516767 Check Our Catalog

Jacquelin Thomas, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, J.D. Mason, and Sandra Kitt present a heartwarming collection of four stories about faith, family and forgiveness. …More

Baltimore Chronicles
By Hernandez, Treasure
2012-01 - Urban Books
9781601624956 Check Our Catalog

From the author who brought readers the action-packed Flint series comes a powerful new street series chronicling both sides of Baltimore's black market. …More

Deader Homes and Gardens
By Hess, Joan
2012-02 - Minotaur Books
9780312363628 Check Our Catalog

Claire Malloy discovers that house-hunting can be murder--literally--in the latest entry in Joan Hess's wildly entertaining series."--"Mystery Scene." …More

America's Final Beginning
By Hewitt, Michael S.
2012-01 - Authorhouse
9781468530629 Check Our Catalog

…More

City of Dragons
By Hobb, Robin
2012-02 - Harper Voyager
9780061561634 Check Our Catalog

The third volume in the thrilling Rain Wilds series--"one of the most gripping settings in modern fantasy" ("Booklist")--from a "New York Times"-bestselling author. …More

The Surrender of Miss Fairbourne
By Hunter, Madeline
2012-03 - Jove Books
9780515150469 Check Our Catalog

As reluctant business partners, Florence Fairbourne's defiance and Darius Stainthorpe's demands make it difficult to manage one of London's most eminent auction houses. But their passionate personalities come to terms in an affair that leaves them both senseless--until the devastating truth behind their partnership comes to light. Original. …More

Paradise Falls
By Jacobs, Jonnie
2011-12 - Five Star (ME)
9781594153785 Check Our Catalog

…More

File M for Murder
By James, Miranda
2012-01 - Berkley
9780425246184 Check Our Catalog

Athena College's new writer in residence is native son and playwright Connor Lawton. After an unpleasant encounter, librarian Charlie Harris heads home to a nice surprise: his daughter Laura is subbing for another Athena professor. Unfortunately her old flame Connor got her the job. But before Connor finishes his newest play, he's murdered--and Laura is the prime suspect. Original. …More

A Lady Never Surrenders
By Jeffries, Sabrina
2012-01 - Pocket Books
9781451642452 Check Our Catalog

When the youngest Sharpe sister hatches a plan to gain marriage offers, the straight-laced Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter knows he'll do whatever it takes to ruin her scheme. Original. …More

Bonnie
By Johansen, Iris
2012-01 - St. Martin's Press
9780312651282 Check Our Catalog

First comes vengeance. Next comes justice. At last comes the truth. The #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author delivers the conclusion to the trilogy that began with "Eve" and was followed by "Quinn." Martin's Press. …More

Seduction
By Joyce, Brenda
2012-01 - Harlequin Books
9780373776559 Check Our Catalog

Renowned for her passionate and sensual historical romances, bestselling author Joyce returns with the first installment in a brand-new historical romance trilogy. Original. …More

Monday, April 16, 2012

5 Steps to Help You Improve Your Credit Score

From the USA.Gov blog:

5 Steps to Help You Improve Your Credit Score:
Having a good credit score can make your life easier. You could qualify for loans with better interest rates, rent a house or apartment, and get service from telephone and utility companies. On the other hand, having a bad credit score can make getting all of this much harder.
So what should you do if you want to improve or maintain a good credit score? The following tips might help.

1) Request a free credit report

You can request a free copy of your report every 12 months from each of the three main credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The official website to get your free credit report is www.annualcreditreport.com.

2) Understand Your Credit Report

Understanding your credit report will help you make better decisions when it comes to your finances, because your credit score is based on your credit report. It includes personal information about you such as:

Your payment history.
How many loans you have and how much you owe.
If you have ever filed for bankruptcy.

3) Check Your Credit Report

Sometimes information on your credit report might be incorrect or incomplete. That’s why you should check it periodically.
If you do find a mistake, these agencies must:

Investigate the discrepancy usually within 30 days and correct it if necessary.
Notify the company that provided the incorrect information.
Provide you with a free copy of your credit report if changes are made.

The Federal Trade Commission has more detailed information on how to access free credit reports.

4) Pay Your Bills on Time

Paying your bills on time is an important factor in determining your credit score and showing your creditors that you are a responsible consumer. But there are other factors that might impact your credit score:

Be selective when you apply for credit as too many applications may negatively affect your score.
Don’t go over your credit limits. In fact, it is better to stay well below them.
Pay down your debt with regular payments.

5) Get Professional Help

A budget might help you pay your bills on time. If you owe too much or are unable to pay your bills, you might want to consider a credit counseling agency. They can help you to manage your finances or figure out a plan to pay off your debt.
Be careful when seeking out these services, they might charge excessive fees and that can put you deeper in debt. The Federal Trade Commission has more information about credit counseling agencies and how they can help you improve your credit score.

Friday, April 13, 2012