Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Around the World in 80 Murders: Middle East and Arab Countries
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Staff Picks for June
At our staff meetings we take a few minutes to talk about the books we are reading. This is a list of recent favorites.
| Beach Reading |
| | This Is a Book By Martin, Demetri 2011-04 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446539708 Check Our Catalog
From the renowned comedian, creator, star and executive producer/multiple title-holder of Comedy Central's "Important Things with Demetri Martin" comes a bold, original, and rectangular kind of humor book. …More |
| | Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me By Handler, Chelsea Author Chelsea's Family, Friends 2011-05 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446584715 Check Our Catalog
Friends, family, and co-workers who have all been tricked by Handler into believing stories of total foolishness and into behaving like total fools write about them for the first time. …More |
| | 1st to Die By Patterson, James 2001-03 - Twtp Assorted 9780759544307 Check Our Catalog
Imagine a killer who thinks, "What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?"--and then goes far beyond it. Now imagine four women --a police detective, an assistant DA, a reporter, and a medical examiner --who join forces as they sidestep their bosses to track down criminals. Known as the Women's Murder Club, they are pursuing a murderer whose twisted imagination has stunned an entire city. Their chief suspect is a socially prominent writer, but the men in charge won't touch him. On the trail of the most terrifying and unexpected killer ever, they discover a shocking surprise that turns everything about the case upside down. …More |
| | The White Queen By Gregory, Philippa 2010-04 - Touchstone Books 9781416563693 Check Our Catalog
The #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author of "The Other Boleyn Girl" presents the first book in a new series set amidst the tumult and intrigue of England's passionate family feud, The War of the Roses. …More |
| | The Sky Is Everywhere By Nelson, Jandy 2011-03 - Speak 9780142417805 Check Our Catalog
Lennie Walker, a 17-year-old bookworm and band geek, spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But after Bailey suddenly dies, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life. …More |
| | Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion By Barton, David 2004-03 - Wallbuilders Press 9781932225266 Check Our Catalog
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| | Cutting for Stone By Verghese, Abraham 2009-02 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780375414497 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title
A stunning debut novel from the author of "My Own Country": an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, fathers and sons, doctors and patients, exile and home. …More |
| | Death of the Liberal Class By Hedges, Chris 2010-10 - Nation Books 9781568586441 Check Our Catalog
The liberal class is facing an untimely demise of its own making. In this provocative new work Chris Hedges explains how liberals sold us out, bankrupted the country and now face a crisis of their own. |
| | God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--And Why Their Differences Matter By Prothero, Stephen 2010-05 - HarperOne 9780061571275 Check Our Catalog
The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Religious Literacy" makes the provocative argument that the differences between the world's religions are far greater than we have acknowledged--and that we ignore this at our own peril. …More |
| | Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self By Evans, Danielle 2010-09 - Riverhead Books 9781594487699 Check Our Catalog
This electric debut story collection focuses on African-American and mixed-race teens, women, and men struggling to find their place. Striking in their emotional immediacy, the tales are based in a world where insecurities of adolescence and young adulthood, and the tensions within family are the biggest complicating forces in one's sense of identity and the choices one makes. …More |
| | Around the World in 100 Days By Blackwood, Gary 2010-11 - Dutton Children's Books 9780525422952 Check Our Catalog
Picking up where "Around the World in Eighty Days" leaves off, Harry Fogg, the son of Phileas Fogg, has just made a wager of his own. Harry bets that he can drive a steam-powered motorcar all the way around the world in only 100 days. …More |
| | Ice Haven By Clowes, Daniel 2005-06 - Pantheon Books 9780375423321 Check Our Catalog
BookPage Notable Title |
| | The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture By Kendall, Joshua C. 2011-04 - Putnam Adult 9780399156991 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title
From the author of "The Man Who Made Lists" comes an absorbing biography of Noah Webster, whose name is synonymous with the dictionary he created, but whose life story is not nearly so ubiquitous. …More |
| | The Horse That Leaps Through Clouds: A Tale of Espionage, the Silk Road, and the Rise of Modern China By Tamm, Eric Enno 2011-04 - Counterpoint LLC 9781582437347 Check Our Catalog
Chronicling his retracing of the route taken through China in 1906 by Baron Gustaf Mannerhein, who was charged by Czar Nicholas II to secretly collect intelligence on China's Qing Dynasty, Tamm delivers a tale of espionage, the Silk Road, and the rise of modern China. …More |
| | Before I Fall By Oliver, Lauren 2010-03 - Harper 9780061726804 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title
A terrible accident takes Samantha Kingston's life. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she relives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined. …More |
| | Exley By Clarke, Brock 2010-10 - Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill 9781565126084 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title
The bestselling author of "An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England" returns with another wry and insightful novel about truth and reality, this time featuring the alternating voices of a confused young boy and his slightly unstable therapist. …More |
| | Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life By Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly 1998-04 - Basic Books 9780465024117 Check Our Catalog
From the author of "Flow" comes an illuminating guide to improving the quality of our lives through stimulating challenges. Though they appear simple on the surface, the lessons in "Finding Flow" are life-altering. …More |
| | Finding Nouf By Ferraris, Zoe 2008-06 - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) 9780618873883 Check Our Catalog 2009 Alex Award
A finely detailed literary mystery set in contemporary Saudi Arabia, Ferraris's debut centers on Nouf ash-Shrawi, a 16-year-old girl who disappears into the desert three days before her marriage and is later found dead and several weeks pregnant. …More |
How to Avoid Mistakes When Applying for Citizenship
But getting there is not easy. There are appointments to keep and tests to take. The process can be long and it’s easy to forget a document or signature, which can lead to delays. Some mistakes might even cost the applicant hundreds of dollars in lost costs.
The following tips will guide you through the application process so that you can become a citizen as quickly and easily as possible.
Double check the application
One of the most common mistakes when applying for citizenship is filing the N-400 application with omissions or mistakes, according to Nancy Guerrero, an immigration officer with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS.
“A lot of people focus too much on studying the 100 questions on the citizenship test, but they sometimes forget to double check the application before filing it,” she said.
To avoid mistakes, she recommends applicants:
- Go over the application in detail to make sure it was filled out correctly and truthfully, especially if someone else helped complete the form
- Make sure to include all documents pertinent to the N-400 application such as copies of both sides of the legal residency card and two identical color photographs
- Include the correct application fee in a check or money order
Send additional documents
Once the application has been sent and accepted by USCIS, the applicant needs to interview with an immigration official where he or she will take a test about US civic life, as well as a basic English competency test.
Guerrero says the immigration officer will give the applicant a letter at the end of the interview and might request additional documents. If that’s the case, the person needs to comply with the request within the specified time and include the letter he or she received. Otherwise, the application might be delayed.
“This will help the paperwork move a lot quicker,” said Guerrero.
Make sure you meet special requirements
Some immigrants are exempt from taking the English test and might even take the civic test in their native language. These exceptions are given to people who:
- Are 50 years or older when applying for citizenship and have lived in the United States as legal permanent residents for more than 20 years
- Are 55 years or older when applying for citizenship and have lived in the United States as legal permanent residents for more than 15 years
“This happens quite frequently,” said Guerrero.
You can learn more about how to prepare for the application process by watching this video that outlines the five most common mistakes people make.
If you are ready to apply for citizenship visit USCIS.gov or call 1-800-375-5283.
Summer Is an Ideal Time for Community Service
There’s no shortage of opportunities nationwide to do charitable work, from food banks and clothing drives, to community emergency preparedness and health events. No matter what you choose, it’s relatively easy to join a group of people working for a good cause.
Below you’ll find some of the resources available, whether you are looking to join a charitable group, create your own volunteer project or participate in long-term volunteer work.
How to Become a Volunteer
There are plenty of opportunities to do volunteer work, and Serve.gov is a great place to start your search. This is a website created by the federal government as part of a nationwide initiative that seeks to promote community service.
Serve.gov can help you:
- Search for volunteer opportunities by topic of interest and geographical area
- Learn about volunteer work available in your community
- Get contact information for organizations seeking volunteers
- Share your experience with others
How to Create Your Own Volunteer Project
You can also create your own volunteer project tailored to the needs of your community. This might be a good opportunity for parents and children to share a positive and stimulating activity.
Serve.gov has several toolkits to help you create a community campaign such as a food bank. The guides offer step-by-step instructions on how to build your own community project.
These toolkits can teach you how to:
- Organize a book drive for low-income students who lack age-appropriate books
- Start a walking team for senior citizens
- Make your home energy efficient and get your neighbors to do the same
Long-Term Volunteer Work
For some, volunteering is a commitment that goes beyond the summer. There are federal programs that offer volunteer work both in the United States as well as in foreign countries:
- AmeriCorps is a network of domestic volunteer programs that features full time volunteer work in different parts of the country. Here you’ll find opportunities in the areas of urban and rural development, infrastructure improvement and emergency assistance
- Peace Corps offers full-time volunteer work in other countries for periods of about 27 months. Volunteers get to work in different areas of interest and in several parts of the world
Monday, June 6, 2011
Around the World in 80 Murders: Eastern US and Canda
Our goal is to literally take you around the world beginning on the Eastern shores of North America and traveling west. Enjoy.