Busy, Busy, Busy!

December is probably the busiest month of the year for many people.  There are school activities, parties, cards to address, travel plans to make, out of town guests, extra cooking and cleaning, and shopping.  It sometimes can be overwhelming.  Here are a couple of books that help you relieve some of the stress that comes with the month of December.

Manage Your Stress: Overcoming Stress in the Modern World

by Joseph A. Shrand

Learn how to recognize and manage your stress.                                       

Fried: Why You Burn Out and How to Survive

by Joan Borysenko

Read personal accounts of burnout and recovery.

Don't forget to try to make some time for yourself and have some fun.  Read a funny book, work a jigsaw puzzle with your family, watch a good movie, or go for a hike in the woods or on a walk on the beach.  Remember the holidays are supposed to be fun!

Have you dreamed of publishing your own book someday?  Come to our workshop for writers next month to learn the secrets of self-publishing.  The program will be presented by Susan Sloate, a local author. She will be presenting her program twice:  Saturday, January 12 from 1-2 p.m. and Wednesday, January 16 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Following her program on Saturday there will be an informational session for our Library Critique Group at 2:30 to discuss group structure, expectations, and scheduling.  For additional information, please contact us at 843-849-6161.

To place holds on items, please visit our website, call 843-849-6161, or stop by the Reference Desk where we're always glad to help you find what you need.

Enjoy your Holidays, and thanks for reading.

THANKSGIVING

We have a lot to be thankful for this year.  One thing I'm thankful for is that the election is over and the signs will be taken down, and political commercials will disappear from TV for awhile!
If you are ready to prepare for the Thanksgiving season, check out some of these books to help you.

Betty Crocker's Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook
by Betty Crocker

If you need a cookbook that includes everything from the turkey to the pumpkin pie, you'll find what you need in this book.

Cooking Light Cooking through the Seasons
by Cooking Light Magazine

If you'd like to find reduced-calorie recipes to avoid those extra pounds that seem to pile on through the holiday season, try this book.







Celebrations: Original ideas for celebrating the seasons
by Sharon Amos

If you're familiar with Country Living Magazine publications, you'll know this book has beautiful illustrations, decorating ideas and delicious recipes.

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving (DVD)
This is based on a short story by Louisa May Alcott. A widowed mother is about to lose her farm when her well-to-do mother arrives. The mother-daughter relationship is strained and Mary does not want her mother's financial help.

Manage your Stress: Overcoming Stress in the Modern World
by Joe Shrand

Some people don't enjoy holidays because of the stress involved.  Learn how to recognize the symptoms of stress and manage the stress in your life. 

Please visit our website or visit the Mt. Pleasant branch to find these and other books about the holidays.  We are always happy to recommend books for you.

Thanks for reading!

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Are you reading something really wonderful?  Have you found a book that you just can't put down? Is there a book that you love so much that you've read it more than once? We'd like to hear about your favorites so we can share them with other library patrons on this blog. 

Our patrons frequently ask us at the Reference desk for recommendations. Do you like scary or cozy mysteries?  Perhaps you like historical fiction of science fiction. Would you like to read something that makes you laugh out loud?  Maybe you prefer non-fiiction.  If you tell us what type of books and authors you like, we can find other titles that might interest you.

Using the library's database NoveList Plus is a great way to find read-alikes and book reviews.  Go to our website and click on "resources", then "research tools."  There is an A-Z list of databases. Select NoveList Plus and search by genre, author, title or series.  There are book reviews and summaries.  This is a very useful database, especially for book clubs.  If you're using this at home, you will be asked for your library card number.  We'll be glad to help you learn to use NoveList Plus.  You can also create lists of what you've read or what you'd like to read.

If  you'd rather not use our database, we'll be happy to help you find some great books to read.

Please tell us about your favorite books.

Thanks for reading!

SCARY TALES

It's Halloween time, so how about some scary stories.  Edgar Allan Poe is the first author that comes to my mind when I think of horror stories. The Pit and the Pendulum and The Black Cat are two stories you might enjoy.

Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie so he has a connection to this area. Check out this website to see more information about Poe and to read some of his stories.  The library also has selections of Poe's works.

Some modern authors of the horror genre are Stephen King, Peter Straub, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, Graham Masterson, F. Paul Wilson, and John Saul.

Perhaps you'd like to have some fun on Halloween.  Your library has books on Halloween decorations and treats. 

Halloween Treats: recipes and crafts for the whole family
by Donata Maggipinto

Pumpkin carving has become an art form, and the library has several instructional books on pumpkin carving.  One of the is How to Carve Freakishly Cool Pumpkins by Sarah L. Schuette.

Visit the Mt. Pleasant Library or our website to find these and other books to make your Halloween a fun and scary time.

Thanks for reading.

FALL INTO SOME NEW BOOKS

It was a hot summer and a very busy time for the Mt. Pleasant Library. We had a great response to our Adult Summer Reading Program with 172 entrants and 798 entries, and our patrons really enjoyed the prizes that they won.  If you didn't enter this year, we hope you will next year. 

Now that school has started maybe there will be some time to check out our newest books.  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn has by far been the most popular book with several hundred people on the waiting list.  If you'd like something to read right away without waiting, try some of these very new titles:

Peaches for Father Francis
by Joanne Harris

Revisit the village where Vianne Rocher opened her famous shop and worked magic in the book Chocolat.  She returns to find many changes in the beautiful village.

Spy in a Little Black Dress

by Maxine Kenneth

Jackie Bouvier, the wife of the future president, is a spy for the CIA. She travels to Havana to spy on Fidel Castro. Follow her on some exciting adventures as she meets some real characters.

The Book of Mormon Girl
by Joanna Brooks

Joanna tells about growing up Mormon and her journey of faith living as a Mormon.  She strives to live in a modern world and keep the tenets of the Mormon religion.

Thomas Jefferso's Crème Brulée

by Thomas J. Craughwell

Thomas Jefferson offered freedom to his slave James Hemings for travelling to France with him to learn the art of French cooking.  Once back at Monticello James Hemings became the chef and also taught his brother what he had learned.

                                 

Please visit our library or the website to place your hold.

The Reference Department at Mt. Pleasant has been planning some interesting programming for 2013.  We hope that you will find something that will be of interest to you. Watch for details coming in the future.

Get to know your librarians through our column Between the Stacks in the Moultrie News.  Mirjam Veldkamp is featuring Mt. Pleasant librarians in her columns.  We thought you'd like to know us better.

Please let us know what you'd like to see in our blog and what programs you are interested in seeing at Mt. Pleasant.  Thanks for reading!                                                                                                    

PLEASE BEAR WITH US!

Have you been having a problem accessing our catalog?  We are upgrading our catalog, and we hope you'll be pleased when it is up and running.  Because all of the customizing is not finished yet, you may experience some difficuly accessing it in the next few days. 

Please call us at 843-849-6161 if we can be of assistance.

Remember that we'll be closed for the July 4th Holiday. We will close at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening.
Our bookdrops will be closed also, so that staff may enjoy the holiday. No items will be due on the 4th.  

Happy 4th of July!!

WHAT'S ON ORDER?

To see what the library has ordered, go to our catalog and click on "precision searching." In the drop down menu for type, select "book"(the 2nd "book"). In the drop down menu for location, select "on order." You may see some items that have already arrived, but if there is an "xx..." that means the item is on order. There are thousands of items on order, and they are not in listed alphabetically.
Under "item catagory 2" you may select adult, children's or young adult collections.
Once an item is in the catalog, you may reserve your copy. There is no way to determine when an item will be at the library, but you may put your name in the queue.
If this seems a little complicated, please come in and we'll be happy to show you how to use our catalog to find the materials you want.
Here are some items that are on order:

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
by Deborah Moggach





Words Can Change Your Brain
by Andrew B. Newberg



Wheat Belly: lose the wheat, lose the weight, and find your path back to health
by William Davis, M.D.





Trapeze
by Simon Mawer



MAKE TIME FOR READING!

Our Summer Reading Programs for all ages are as popular as ever!  Make sure to get your entry forms in for the Adult Summer Reading.  The more often you enter, the greater your chance of winning.  You may enter online at http://www.ccpl.org/, or at the library.

Are there books that you've always wanted to read, but never found the time?  Maybe this summer you'll find time.  Check out the list of 100 Best Novels by Modern Library for some suggestions.  There are many familiar titles on the list, but some you may never have heard of. Here are a couple of titles from that list.

TO THE LIGHTHOUSE
by Virginia Woolf
This is the story of a family on holiday on the Isle of Skye. It is considered one of the most influential novels of the 20th century.

A TOWN LIKE ALICE   

 by Nevil Shute

                                          

                                                       Set in Australia, this is about a town called Alice and a woman who survives a death march during World War II.    

Visit Mt. Pleasant Regional Library and let us help you find the perfect book for your summer reading pleasure.

          

WHERE IS...?

Have you noticed that there are some empty shelves at the Mt. Pleasant Library?  We are in the process of shifting our collection to make it more accessible and less crowded for our patrons.  We have already moved the books on CD, so if you don't see them in their regular space, please ask at the Reference desk for directions.  The Biograpy collection will have a new home in the next  few weeks, and there is shifting in the non-fiction area. 

We've all gotten used to going to a certain spot to find our favorite author or subject, so it will take some getting used to.  When everything is finished we hope it will be easier to find items.  In the meantime the numbers on the end of the non-fiction shelves will not be very accurate, so please ask for assistance.

Be sure to register your children and teens for the Summer Reading Programs, and don't forget the Adult Summer Reading Wave.  There are great prizes such as gift cards and a grand prize of a culinary basket from Maverick Southern Kitchens and a $50. gas card.  You may enter online  at http://www.ccpl.org/ or fill out an entry form at the Summer Reading Wave display near the Reference desk. 

Would you like some suggestions on what to read?  Find out what Mt. Pleasant Staff like to read.  Our favorites are on the display, so feel free to check them out.  We're always happy to help you with suggestions, recommend read-alikes, or to help you find the next book in your favorite series. We look forward to seeing you at the library this summer!

TIME FOR SUMMER READING

It's time for those lazy Southern summer days spent on the front porch with a glass of iced tea and a good book. Or do you you enjoy stretching out on a beach blanket with a good mystery?  That sounds nice, doesn't it?  But maybe it's not realistic for your family.  For a lot of us summer is a busy time with regular jobs, sports activities, summer camps, working in the yard, and vacations. It is a great opportunity, though, to try to make time to read some new books.

The Charleston County Public Library has summer reading programs for all ages- children, young adults (grades 6-12), and adults.  These programs for young readers are a great way to encourage an enthusiastic love of reading for our children.   Weekly prize drawings are held at each branch. Submit your entries beginning June 1.

For full details, visit the Mt. Pleasant Regional Branch or visit our website.  Teens and adults will be able to submit their entries at the branch or online.

Have you looked at our paperback exchange cart? These books don't have to be checked out, so there's no worry about overdue fines. They're perfect for tucking into a beach bag or suitcase

Check out some of our new Fiction titles.  Call or visit the library website to place a hold on these titles. 

THE AFFAIR
by Lee Child

This is the 16th Jack Reacher thriller by best-selling author Lee Child.  Flash back to when Jack Reacher was a military cop.  He is ordered undercover to solve a mystery, however plenty of obstacles are put in his way to deter him.  You may not be able to put this book down once you start it.

THE EXPATS
by Chris Pavone

A seemingly innocent housewife and her financial security expert husband pack up their belongings and move to Luxembourg with their two young children. Kate has lived a secret life as a CIA operative and leaves her job when they move, planning to become a devoted housewife and mother.  Dexter has his own secrets, and Kate discovers that he may be a thief being investigated by the FBI and Interpol.  Pavone's debut novel is a fast-paced thriller with a surprise ending.

THE 11TH HOUR (WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB)
by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Lindsay Boxer returns to investigate four grisly murders.  James Patterson won't let his fans down in this latest novel of the Women's Murder Club Series.

BEYOND MOLASSES CREEK
By Nicole Seitz

For something uplifting, try this novel by local author Nicole Seitz. Flight attendant Ally Green has returned to the Lowcountry after the death of her father. Her one time best friend Vesey Washington still lives across the creek, and Ally wants to flee again.  She becomes involved with a young woman from Nepal who is trying to escape. This is a novel of love, hope and loss.




Here are some other new fiction titles you might enjoy:

ROBERT B. PARKER'S LULLABY                                     
by Ace Atkins                                                                        

THE SHOEMAKER'S WIFE                                             
by Adrianna Trigiani                                                                

THE WITNESS                                                                    
by Nora Roberts                                                                     

BURIED IN BUTTERCREAM
by G. A. McKevitt

                                                                                                         

eBOOKS

eBooks have arrived at the Charleston County Public Library!! Wondering what to do with that Nook, Kindle or iPad that you received as a gift?  Or perhaps you're hoping that someone will give you a reading device.  Whatever your situation and whatever your device, it's time to learn how to download ebooks. 

We have a brochure with step-by-step instructions to help you get started.  There is also a guide on our website.  Click on Downloadable Media, then click on Click here, read getting started.

You will need a computer with Internet access, an email address and an eReader. The library's Internet connection is disabled for downloading ebooks, so library patrons are not able to download inside the library.

Patrons may check out two items at once and be added to the queue for an unavailable eBook.  Items will automatically be returned when the two week lending period expires, or an item may be returned early.

eBooks are listed in the CCPL catalog, but may not be placed on hold or downloaded from the catalog. You may, however, click on the little chain for a link to the Overdrive page.

For additional assistance, please call the Main Library Reference Department (843) 805-6930. 

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!

Have you noticed that the music CD collection is not as large as it used to be?  We no longer order music CD's, but we do have another option for our library patrons.

We now have "Freegal" (rhymes with  legal).  You may download up to three songs per week from the Sony music catalog, and they are yours to keep.

The music includes selections from pop, country, rock, hip hop, classical, reggae, jazz, blues, Latin and more. 

Visit this link freegal music and log in with your library card number. Listen to samples before you download. Search by song, artist, composer, or just browse.  Whether you're searching for songs by the Rolling Stones or J. S. Bach, this is an exciting addition to the services of the Charleston County Public Library. Remember, the limit is three songs per week- but they are yours to keep. 


UPCOMING EVENTS

Join us Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. for a free legal class with Even Guthrie.  Learn the basics of wills, trusts, estate planning, taxes and probate. 

Our Reel Club will be viewing the film, Bridget Jones's Diary, June 6, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.  We'll discuss the book by Helen Fielding after the movie.  We think you'll enjoy this hilarious book and movie.  Even if you haven't read the book, please feel free to attend.

NEW DVD RELEASES

We are often asked if it's possible to look up a DVD in our library catalog.  You may look up a DVD by title, just as you would a book.  If you can't remember the title, you can put an actor in the author field.  At the Mt. Pleasant Library DVD's are shelved in three catagories- feature films, television series and non-fiction.  Non-fiction DVD's have the same call numbers as books. Blu-rays are shelved separately.
To place a hold on a DVD log in to our library website or call the Reference Desk at (843) 849-6161

Here are some of our newest DVD's:

50/50
Rated R
starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen

Twenty-seven year old Adam (Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with cancer and given a 50/50 chance of survival.  His girlfriend, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, swears she'll stand by him, but can't deal with being a caregiver.  His doctor suggests counseling to deal with his emotional problems.  The counselor is compassionate, but inexperienced.  There are some comical moments and emotional scenes in this film.  It is based on the experiences Will Reiser who wrote the script.

  THE DESCENDANTS
  RATED R
  starring George Clooney

Set in beautiful Hawaii this movie is based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.  George Clooney plays Matt, a real-estate attorney whose wife is in a coma from a boat accident. Matt is trying to deal with his two moody, dysfunctional daughters and a land deal with his cousins.  In the middle of all of the chaos, he discovers that his wife has been having an affair.  This bittersweet drama received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

WAR HORSE

RATED PG-13

directed by Steven Spielberg

This is the story of a devoted friendship between a young man named Albert and his horse Joey.  Forced by his father to sell Joey to an army officer, Albert never stops longing for his horse.  Joey is sent to war on the battlefields of World War I and suffers horrific injuries, as does Albert. 

DOWNTON ABBEY
Seasons 1 and 2

The incredibly popular PBS series has arrived at the Charleston County Public Library.  Be warned, there are a lot of patrons waiting to see this.  This lavish historical drama set in a beautiful house during World War I has viewers intrigued with the upstairs and downstairs characters.  Put your copy on hold, and maybe the wait won't be terribly long.

New Blog Name

 

You may have noticed that we have changed the name of this blog to MTP Library Matters. Our column in the "Moultrie News" is named "Between the Stacks", so we thought we'd give our blog a different name. We hope you enjoy it.  Please visit our library website to reserve items. 

National Barbecue Month

It already feels like summer in Mt. Pleasant. Did you know that May is National Barbecue Month? Come to the Mt. Pleasant Regional Library to check out some of our books on grilling and barbecuing. Find some great recipes for the grilling season.
Here are some titles to help you get started:

Big Book of BBQ: Recipes and Revelations from the Barbecue Belt
by the editors of Southern Living Magazine

This book focuses on smoky Southern recipes to prepare for your friends and family.  There's also a list of weekend festivals and cook-offs.







Barbecue Nation: 350 hot-off-the-grill,  tried-and-true recipes from America's

backyard

by Fred Thompson

These recipes are not from fancy chefs, but from backyard cooks.  Celebrate America's rich cultural and culinary diversity by sampling chicken, seafood, pork and beef dishes with the side-dishes to go with them.

BBQ 25: the World's Most Flavorful Recipes now made Foolproof

by Adam Perry Lang

This easy to follow cookbook will guide the cook from the grocery store to the serving plate.  Ingredients are reasonably priced and easy to find.

Roadfood: the Coast-to Coast Guide to 800 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and much much more

by Jane and Michael Stern

Don't feel like standing over a hot grill?  Check out this book by husband and wife team Jane and Michael Stern, who visit and critique restaurants around the country.