SUMMER VACATIONS

It won't be long until school is out for the summer, and it's time to plan for vacations.  Whether you're planning a grand European tour or staying close to home, there are plenty of travel books and DVDs to help make your vacation more enjoyable.  Some advance planning can make the difference between a wonderful, memorable vacation and a miserable time that you'd like to forget.

Do you enjoy camping and hiking, or would you rather lie under palm trees on a tropical beach with a cool drink and a good book?  Maybe you enjoy sightseeing and visiting historical sights and museums.  Do you prefer big cities or quiet times in the country?

Is a trip to Walt Disney World in your future?  Please join us for a program given by Susan Sloate, "Maximum Magic at Walt Disney World."  Susan is a local author and has been to Walt Disney World numerous times and would like to share what she has learned about hotels, dining, best times to visit, and how to avoid long lines. She will give many special tips to help make your visit a trip to remember. The program will be held in the auditorium on Saturday, May 11, at 1:00 p.m.  Registration is not required, but if you have any questions, please contact us at 843-849-6161. 

Here are just a few of the travel books in our collection:

Guide to National Parks in the United States published by National Geographic Society is a very detailed book that has very useful information about camping, hiking, lodging, restaurants, wildlife, and just about anything else you could possibly imagine.  There are many maps and color photos.

If you dislike riding for hours on Interstate Highways, a book by Jamie Jensen is for you.  Road trip USA: Cross-country adventures on America's two-lane highways will show you multiple vacations choices while avoiding the Interstate.

       We have a wonderful series DK Eyewitness Travel.  This is one of the best series I've seen. It includes color photos, detailed maps, and information on sights, lodging, and dining.  Some of the titles in the series are Southwest USA and Las Vegas, New England, New Orleans, Singapore, Italy, Egypt and Back Roads Ireland. 




We also have Frommer's and Fodor's guides and books and DVDs by Rick Steves, the very popular PBS host. 

Don't forget to check our website to find travel books and DVDs for your vacation or call us at 843-849-6161.

Thanks for reading!

 

OUT OF WORK? NEED A JOB?

If you pick up any newspaper these days, you'll read about the unemployment rate.  If you've lost your job, or would like to find a better job, it can be discouraging to read these articles.

Have you been out of the workforce for some time?  Things have changed over the past ten years or so in the method of searching for a job.  Many businesses no longer accept paper resumes or applications.  Job hunters must submit everything online.

Many people are using public libraries as a free resource for job-hunting.  Our Internet computers are here for you to begin your job search.  If you have a laptop, you may access our wireless network.

There are many books in our library system to help you improve your job-searching skills, and right now we have a display with some of these books. Learn how to write a resume and cover letter that will get the attention of an employer.  Get ready for your interview by learning how to present yourself in a positive and confident way. Learn to be the best candidate for the job you want.

Do you need help finding websites that list jobs?  We have a list on our display of local and national job search websites.

If you would like to improve your computer skills, our Technology Learning Center at the Main Library, 68 Calhoun St., Charleston, offers free classes.  To register, please call 843-805-6885.  We have a schedule at the Reference desk at Mt. Pleasant.

Many employers require that applicants have an email address. We can help you get started in setting up an email address.  Unfortunately we do no have enough staff to sit with you, but the Otranto Regional Library, 2261 Otranto Rd., has a job search center. If you would like more information, please call 843-572-4094.

Please come in and check out our display to help you get started on your job search.

We are always glad to help with your questions at the Reference desk.

Thanks for reading.

CHECK OUT OUR MAGAZINES

Did you know that you may now check out back issues of our collection of magazines? 
Magazine subscriptions can be expensive, so why not come to the library to read current issues and take home back issues.  You may check out up to five magazines for a two-week checkout period.

We have a wide variety of titles for every interest. Here are some of our titles:

Business and Current Events                                      

• Time                                                                        
• The Economist
• The Nation
• Forbes
• Black Enterprise

Fashion and Women's Interests 

• Cosmopolitan
• Redbook
• Ladies Home Journal

Interior and Home Decorating

• Architectural Digest
• Better Homes and Gardens
• House Beautiful
• This Old House
• Southern Living

Cooking

• Every Day with Rachel Ray
• Cooking Light
• Vegetarian Times
• Bon Appetit
• Food and Wine

Travel

• Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel
• National Geographic

Crafts

• Crafts N' Things
• Knit N' Style

Outdoors and Fitness

• Runner's World
• Yoga Journal
• Field and Stream
• Salt Water Fishing
• South Carolina Wildlife

Men's Issues

• Men's Health
• GQ

This is certainly not all of our titles.  Come in and relax for awhile in our magazine section, and then check out the back issues of your favorites.

Please contact us at 843-849-6161 if you have any questions. 
Thanks for reading.

Are you a Downton Abbey fan?

Beautiful costumes, scandal, tradgedy, war, love and hate- you can watch it all in the wildly popular PBS series Downton Abbey.  Come to Mt. Pleasant Regional Library this Saturday, March 23, as we continue showing the first season of  Downton Abbey in our auditorium.  This Saturday will begin with episode 4 of Season 1.  On the following 3 Saturdays, March 30, April 6 and 13 will show to the end of Season 2.
Season 3 will be shown in the summer. The show begins at 2:00 p.m. and lasts until about 5:00 p.m. Feel free to bring your own snack, but we will serve popcorn and soft drinks. 

Want to see other similar DVD's that the library has?  Try the original "Upstairs Downstairs" or the new series of Upstairs Downstairs, the tales of the servants and the residents of a house in London.

If you enjoy PBSor BBC  DVDs, here are several others you might like to try:

Wives and Daughters
Middlemarch
Forsyte Saga
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Cranford
Return to Cranford
Duchess of Duke Street
Pallisers

Please visit our website to find out more about these DVDs and to place holds, or stop by the Reference desk where we're always glad to help you find what you want.

Thanks for reading and we hope to see you this Saturday.

March is National Crafts Month

Did you know that March is National Craft Month?  Come in and see our book display with all sorts of craft books.  As always, our display books are available for check-out.

If you prefer a little mystery with your crafts, try some of our crafty mysteries.  In our previous two posts we looked at knitting and quilting mysteries.  We'll include hobby mysteries, too.

Are you a golfer?  Maggie Toussaint writes the Cleopatra Jones Mystery series featuring a golfer who's also a sleuth. 









For the gardeners there are several mystery series featuring herbalists and gardening enthusiasts:  Kate Collins, Anthony Eglin, Kathy Lynn Emerson, Rosemary Harrier and Ellis Peters (Cadfael Mystery Series). 
There is also a TV mysteries, Rosemary and Thyme, featuring two gardeners who always find a dead body wherever they are digging.

Is Antiquing your hobby?  These authors are interested in antiques or own shops:  Madelyn Alt, Mary Kay Andrews and Jane K. Cleland. 

Torrie O'Shea is a genealogist who also solves myteries.  This series is written Rett MacPherson.

For Puzzle lovers Nero Blanc and Parnell Hall write mysteries around puzzles.  Nero Blanc is a husband/wife writing team who features a crossword editor in their series, and Parnell Hall features a the Puzzle Lady, the creator of a crossword puzzle column.

Call  (843) 849-6161 to reserve your favorite crafty mystery, or visit our website to reserve your book.  We are always happy to help you use our catalog.
Thanks for reading.

Sewing a Murder Mystery

In the previous post we focused on mysteries dealing with quilting. Now lets look at some of the mysteries based on knitting, crocheting, needlepoint and embroidery.

 

If Hooks Could Kill by Betty Hechtman

 

Betty Hechtman started crocheting after she found a kit for children in a toy store.  She thought if a child could learn to crochet, so could she.
So far there are seven books in The Crochet Mysteries, which are set in Tarzana, California.  Molly Pink works at at bookstore and belongs to a crochet group called the Tarzana Hookers. The books contain patterns and recipes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unraveled by Maggie Sefton

 

In the first mystery in this series, Knit One, Kill Two, Kelly Flynn travels to Colorado to unravel the murder of her aunt.  There she learns to knit and makes friends at the House of Lambspun.  The 10th in the series has just been released.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Then You Dye by Monica Ferris

 

Betsy Devonshire owns the needlework shop Crewel World in Minnesota.
And Then You Dye is the16th book in this mystery series. On Monica Ferris's website you can download needlepoint patterns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some other mystery series with sewing themes:

• Blacksheep Knitting Mysteries by Anne Canadeo
• Seaside Knitter's Mysteries by Sally Goldenbaum
• Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries by Molly Macrae
• Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries by Elizabeth Lynn Casey (set in SC)

Most of these authors have websites, and some of them include patterns.  Don't forget probably the most famous woman detective of all time, Miss Marple, is a knitter!

Please visit our website to find a crafty mystery for yourself, or visit or call (843-849-6161) us to place your selection on hold.

Thanks for reading.

CRAFTING CAN BE DANGEROUS!

There are so many genres or types of mysteries being published these days, and there's something for everyone.  One popular type of mystery is the crafty mystery.  No matter what type of craft you enjoy, there's bound to be a mystery with a theme about your favorite craft or hobby. 

When I first started looking for crafty mysteries, I really didn't realize there were quite so many. This post will focus on quilting-themed mysteries. Other types of crafty mysteries will be featured in future posts.

Earlene Fowler writes the Benni Harper series featuring quilts and cowboys.  This series is set in a town on the central coast of California.  She has written 15 books in this series, of which Spider Web is the latest. Some of the titles in the series are Fool's Puzzle, Irish Chain, Tumbling Blocks, and Mariner's Compass.

 

Terri Thayer is a quilter who loves to write mysteries.  Like Earlene Fowler, Thayer books have titles named after quilt blocks.  Visit her website to find out more about this series set in California.

                                      

A Chicago native, Clare O'Donohue, worked as a producer on the HGTV show, Simply Quilts.   This series is set in Archer's Rest, New York.

                                                            

            

                                         

This post would not be complete without including the popular series by Jennifer Chiaviarini.  The Elm Creek Novels are not mysteries, but historical novels.  Chiaviarini also writes instructional quilting books to go along with the novels.  She even has a fabric line with the collections named after her novels




Please visit the Mt. Pleasant Regional to check out these crafty quilting novels and books, or visit out website to place your books on hold.  Thanks for reading.