Holiday Movies

In addition to a plate of warm cookies, there is nothing that gets me more in the holiday spirit than a great holiday movie. I have some personal favorites, most of which date back to my childhood.

If you and your family are in the mood for a festive film, why not come to the library to see what we have? Below are some of the titles we carry. What are some of your favorites?

If you have any questions please contact us at (317) 852-3167 ext.128 or askus@brownsburg.lib.in.us!

All I want for Christmas - Request this item
All mine to give - Request this item
A Christmas carol: the musical - Request this item
Christmas in Connecticut - Request this item
Holiday affair - Request this item
Holiday inn - Request this item
How the grinch stole Christmas - Request this item
It's a wonderful life - Request this item
The polar express - Request this item
White Christmas - Request this item

Christmas Cookies!!

This past Tuesday night we had a Cookie Exchange program at the library. It was a lot of fun! If you have never been to one, here's how it works:

• each person chooses a cookie recipe and brings a few (or more) dozen of that cookie to the exchange party (depending on how many people are going)
• at the party, all of the cookies are set out on a table, where everyone can go around and grab 1 of each cookie, to taste!
• then, you'll often have a contest for best tasting or most unique cookie
• sometimes the host will present fun baking facts or trivia
• finally, everyone goes around and takes an equal amount of everyone else's cookies, along with a copy of the recipe-that's a lot of cookies!

So if you have never experienced one, why not plan one yourself? And it doesn't have to be at Christmastime-do one in July! Here are some helpful websites if you ever decide to tackle one yourself:

• RobinsWeb
• Good Housekeeping
• About.com
• Betty Crocker
• Rachael Ray
• I heart naptime (cute printables!)
• How to nest for less (cute printables!)

Below are some pictures of my favorite holiday cookies-what are yours? Comment below!

Fall Reads 2012

When Fall weather arrives, with its crisp winds and chilly days, one thing I can't get enough of is curling up on the couch with a good book and some hot cider. One of the (many) benefits of working in a library is getting to see which books have or are yet to come out that I want to read. Though my list is much much longer than this, here are just a few that are on my radar...and if I don't get to them this Fall, there's always Winter!

The Lighthouse Road by Peter Geye
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"Against the wilds of sea and wood, a young immigrant woman settles into life outside Duluth in the 1890s, still shocked at finding herself alone in a new country, abandoned and adrift; in the early 1920s, her orphan son, now grown, falls in love with the one woman he shouldn’t and uses his best skills to build them their own small ark to escape. But their pasts travel with them, threatening to capsize even their fragile hope. In this triumphant new novel, Peter Geye has crafted another deeply moving tale of a misbegotten family shaped by the rough landscape in which they live--often at the mercy of wildlife and weather--and by the rough edges of their own breaking hearts." (Description from IndieBound)








Sutton by J.R. Moehringer


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A fictionalized account of Willie Sutton, one of the most notorious criminals in American history, traces his life, his doomed romance with his first love, and his surprise pardon on Christmas Eve in 1969.

Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon
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In this novel the author takes us to Telegraph Avenue. It is a story that explores the profoundly intertwined lives of two Oakland, California families, one black and one white. Here he creates a world grounded in pop culture: Kung Fu, 1970s Blaxploitation films, vinyl LPs, jazz and soul music, and an epic of friendship, race, and secret histories.

A Culinary Traveller in Tuscany by Beth Elon

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Just when we thought we knew everything there was to know about Tuscany, along comes Beth Elon-cookbook writer and 30 year resident of a small village at the foot of the Appenines-who takes us along the back roads and through the ancient hill towns to remote restaurants that are for the most part overlooked by tourists and known only to the locals. At each restaurant the cooks share their highly personal recipes for regional dishes made with local ingredients. With this guide in hand, you'll not only know where to dine, but what to order when you get there. Each regional section begins with illuminating and absorbing explanations of what makes Tuscan cooking so unique: location, location, location. You'll read about a bean so beloved by a village that it's been elevated to cult status-but that is totally unheard of a few kilometers down the road; the specialty of the Zeri Valley, a milk-fed aboriginal baby lamb, that is almost unknown elsewhere in Italy; the endless array of vegetable tarts found only in Lunigiana and Garfagnana. (from Random House)

October is National Reading Group Month

October is National Reading Group Month, a time for people to salute the reading groups they belong to, or to join one! National Reading Group Month, or NRGM, was launched in October 2007 by sisters Martha Burns and Alice Dillon, members of the Women's National Book Association (WNBA). Their mission:

"The mission of National Reading Group Month is to:

• Increase public awareness of the joy and value of shared reading

• Provide a time for reading groups to celebrate their accomplishments and plan for the future

• Provide opportunities for individuals to join an existing reading group or start a new one

• Encourage libraries, bookstores, and organizations to host special reading group events"

Here is a link to a list of NRGM's 2012 Great Group Reads. These would make great titles to read on your own or as a group...and if you are not yet part of a book group, here at the library we have four different ones for you to choose from!

Round Table Readers Book Group: Join us for some lively discussions on a wide range of both fiction and nonfiction titles. If you haven't read the book, feel free to drop in and discover if you'd like to. This group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm. If interested, contact group host Laurie Watson at lwatson@brownsburg.lib.in.us

Tuesday Evening Book Group: A book discussion group for people who like to read and discuss classic books and important ideas. All are welcome! This group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm. If interested contact group host Larry Whitmore at lwhitmore@brownsburg.lib.in.us

Tuesday Afternoon Book Group: Do you like reading, great conversation, and making new friends? Then join this genial group to discuss a variety of fiction and nonfiction titles. This group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 1 pm. If interested, contact group host Patti Kovach at pkovach@brownsburg.lib.in.us

Life and Times Book Group: A book club without the time commitment! We'll meet once every three months to discuss biographies, memoirs and other true accounts of the lives of intriguing people. Real people, real lives, real good reading. This group meets on the 3rd Sunday of every 3rd month at 3:30 pm. If interested, contact group host Jesse Lewis at jlewis@brownsburg.lib.in.us

Teen Book Club: Discuss a fun teen book, do activities, and have a snack. Each month we will focus on a new genre, such as dystopian, fantasy, or realistic fiction. There will be booktalks and lists with suggestions for each genre, but you will choose the book you want to read for the month. Open to teens in grades 6-12. Registration is optional but appreciated. This group meets on the 4th Thursday of each month September through May at 6 pm. If interested, contact group host Faythe Metzger at fmetzger@brownsburg.lib.in.us

If you want to instead start your own book group, perhaps one that meets in your home or at a neighbor's house, there are plenty of helpful websites out there that not only recommend titles, but guide you in leading your discussions. Reading Group Guides has tips on starting and running a group, and tons of reading group guides that you can search or browse for by author or title, or even most requested (if you just want to see what is popular amongst other groups). These guides include a summary of the book, reviews, author bios, and most importantly, discussion questions. Reading Group Choices is similar in that it provides guides for books with questions, author bio, summary and reviews. It's also a great places to go for titles that you might not see elsewhere - they have a nice combination of bestsellers and some lesser known books. Another great feature of this website is that it includes ideas for pairing music and wine with your book discussions! Lastly, I would recommend LitLovers. It features hundreds of guides with questions, bios and reviews, as well as book club tips and ideas. My favorite section of the site is their recipe collection - food and book groups make a great match.

If you have questions about this information, or about any of our book groups, please give us a call at (317) 852-3167 option 2. Do you currently belong to a book group? If so, what are some good books that your group has read? Comment below!

Baking and Cake Decorating

Growing up, I used to watch my mom bake and decorate wedding and birthday cakes on a weekly basis. She ran her own cake baking business out of the home, so in addition to constantly coming home to the sweet scent of cake (mmmm!!), I remember our kitchen being full of flours, food colorings, icing tips, and a fantastic selection of books filled with recipes and cake decorating tips. She has tried to pass along some of her wisdom to me...but whatever doesn't stick, I can hopefully pick up in our library's selection of cake decorating and cookbooks.

Check out what we have below, and call or e-mail us if you have any questions : (317) 852-3167, askus@brownsburg.lib.in.us

The busy girl's guide to cake decorating

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Vintage cakes

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Wedding cupcakes

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Fondant modeling for cake decorators

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Cake decorating skills

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Baking with the Cake Boss

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Favorite Banned Books

Check out this video of several famous authors who name their favorite banned book, in honor of Banned Books Week 2012. What is your favorite banned book? Comment below!

Banned Books Week 2012

This week, September 30th through October 6th, libraries and bookstores across the country will celebrate Banned Books Week. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 as a response to the mass number of challenges to books in schools and libraries. Books are still challenged, banned, and removed from shelves today - here is a list of the most challenged titles from 2011. Check out this page with top ten lists from several years, and a list of banned and challenged classics.

During this week librarians take the time to, through book displays and information, remind people of the freedom to read what they want - and to allow others to do the same.

For more information, visit the American Library Association Banned Books Week site, or the Banned Books Week site. If you have any questions, contact us at (317) 852-3167 option 2 or askus@brownsburg.lib.in.us.