Books I *should* be reading

Everyone has that list of books you are going to get around to when you have the time and feel ambitious. Here are mine. 

• Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• The Golden Bough, by George Frazer James
• Ulysses, by James Joyce
• Anything by Dave Eggers
• The Complete Works of Shakespeare
• Foucault’s pendulum, by Umberto Eco
• Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte
• Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid 1st Editionby Douglas R. Hofstadter 

Reminder: Open Enrollment for Health Insurance Ends January 31st

Open Enrollment for Health Insurance 

Ends January 31, 2017 

• Visit the Health Connector website to buy a commercial health plan and receive financial assistance if you qualify
• Information you will need before you start your application:
• Social Security numbers for all people who are applying (if they have one).
• Immigration documents for all non-U.S. citizens who are applying (if they have one).
• A copy of your federal tax return from last year. If you did not file taxes last year, or your income has changed since last year, have information about your current income ready (such as recent pay stubs or an unemployment award letter).
• Home address or mailing address (if applicable) for everyone in your household who needs insurance, unless they are homeless.
• If you are found eligible for coverage through the Health Connector and you plan to make a payment online, you will need your banking institution routing number and account number for either your checking or savings account (if you have a premium).
• If you are found eligible for coverage through the Health Connector and you plan to make a payment by mail or in-person, you will need a personal check or money order to make a payment for your first month’s premium (if you have one).
• If your employer offers health insurance, ask your employer these questions:
• Do any of the health plans that the employer offers meet the “minimum value” standard?
• What is the employee contribution to the lowest-cost health plan offered by your employer for an individual?
• How often?
• Weekly
• Every 2 weeks
• Twice a month
• Monthly

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Below is a list of trained and certified Enrollment Assisters in Worcester who can help you from the application through the enrollment into a new health insurance plan. Call ahead to make an appointment.

Health Connector Walk-in Center 146 Main Street Worcester, MA 01608 Family Health Center of Worcester 26 Queens Street Worcester, MA 01610 508-860-7700 Spectrum Health Systems 10 Mechanic Street, Suite 302 Worcester, MA 01608 Margaret Milani 508-752-2590 ext. 5341 Rebecca B. Asare, Independent Broker 340 Main Street Suite 511-512 Worcester, MA 01608 508-981-3318 Saint Vincent Hospital 123 Summer Street Worcester, MA 01608 508-363-5000 Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center 631 Lincoln Street Worcester, MA 01605 508-854-3260 Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center 19 Tacoma Street Worcester, MA 01605 1-800-853-2288 Trang Pharmacy Inc. 456 Park Avenue Worcester, MA 01610 508-799-7979

Community Healthlink 72 Jacques Avenue Worcester, MA 01610 508-373-7818 Community Healthlink Outpatient Clinic Thayer Building 12 Queen Street Worcester, MA 01610 508-860-1260 Community Healthlink 162 Chandler Street Worcester, MA 016107 74-312-2727 UMass Memorial Medical Center Memorial Campus 119 Belmont Street Worcester, MA 01605 508-334-1000 UMass Memorial Medical Center Hahnemann Campus 281 Lincoln Street Worcester, MA 01605 508-334-1000 UMass Memorial Medical Center 55 Lake Avenue North Worcester, MA 01605 508-334-1000

* information adapted from https://www.mahealthconnector.org/

January 2017 Staff Book Recommendations

American Girls
By Alison Umminger

Alison Umminger’s debut YA novel American Girls, begins with a fantasy of many 15-year-olds: stealing your stepmother’s credit card. Anna is fed up with her self-centered, borderline insane mother, who recently left her dad for another woman (a woman whose snobby attitude and insistence on organic-only products eases any guilt about “borrowing” her credit card). Anna joins her older sister Delia in L.A., who begrudgingly puts her up in her lavish apartment that she can’t afford as a beautiful but struggling actress. Anna splits her time between mildly flirting with teen heartthrobs (if she can’t be as beautiful as her sister, she can make up for it with banter and brains) on the set of a ridiculously unfunny kid’s sitcom, and working for Delia’s ex-boyfriend Roger. 

To put it bluntly, Roger’s a real weirdo. He’s clearly still infatuated with Delia (and may very well be stalking her) and his obsession with the Manson murders is disconcerting, even if he claims he’s doing it all for a film. At least it’s lucrative for Anna – by researching the Manson girls, she’s able to reimburse her stepmom for the flight. But she gets more than she bargains for when she realizes she’s got more in common with Manson girls than she once thought… 

Emma Cline’s recent NYT bestseller The Girls was released during the same week as Umminger’s American Girls. Both forgo analyzing Charles Manson, whose manipulative tactics, “charming” personality (*eye roll*), misinterpretations of Beatles lyrics, and unconventional ideas (read: entirely racist rhetoric disguised as soulful musings) have always given him more credit than he truly deserved. What’s more fascinating is understanding why adolescent girls would succumb to actually murdering innocent (and pregnant!) victims. And why would they gravitate toward a cult like the Manson family ranch in the first place? Were they brainwashed? Totally smitten? Or simply confused, lost, trying to escape their realities…? 

These are the questions Anna tries to answer for herself – at first, just to pass the time in a long, sticky, grimy L.A. summer with tantalizing narratives of the twisted and the macabre. But eventually it's because she sees a little bit of herself in those girls. And who wouldn’t lean toward an opportunity to feel beautiful, loved, or just noticed? The difference between Anna and The Girls protagonist Evie is that Anna’s snarky, deadpan sense of humor makes her a lot more likeable. The following excerpt is somewhat of a non-sequitur, but it had your reader actually laugh out loud (and as a fellow former snarky teenager, this is definitely an accomplishment):

Trying to assassinate the president should not be funny. It really shouldn’t. It’s not like I was cracking up when we read about Lincoln or JFK. But let’s face it, they were real presidents. Gerald Ford ranks right up there with Millard Fillmore and Bush the First on the list of unexciting white men who have run this country, made their way into history books, and otherwise been human sleeping pills. If all the presidents had been television shows, Gerald Ford would probably have been a PBS fund drive. So I’d bet the fact that anyone would try to kill Gerald Ford, Gerald Rudolph Ford, was kind of hard to get excited about, even back in the day. And Fromme sounded like something out of Monty Python, dressed all in red with a sawed-off shotgun under her sister-wife dress and fake-nun robe, muttering “He is not a public servant” before not firing her gigantic gun at the president. “It didn’t go off” was her great defense as the Secret Service took her out of commission in Sacramento. Sic semper tyrannis it was not. 

Umminger doesn’t disappoint. If you were captivated by Emma Cline’s The Girls, this is certainly also worth your time. But at its core, American Girls is a reflection on the delectable travesty of being young, American, and female. Highly recommended for ages 13+.

--Helen

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Circling the Sun
By Paula McLain

“I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills.”—Isak Dinesen, Out of Africa 

This first line of Karen Blixen’s memoir of colonial life in Kenya near the end of the British Empire could also begin Circling the Sun, a fictionalized account of the childhood and early adulthood of Beryl Markham neé Clutterbuck, the famed female aviator and author of West With the Night. 

Like Blixen, Markham was born into an upper-middle class European family, but when her family of origin fulfills her father’s dream of owning and training horses on a farm in Kenya, the trajectory of her life is changed irrevocably. It doesn’t take too long before Beryl’s mother abandons her and her father on the farm to return to a more sedate life in England, and henceforth Beryl is more or less raised by the neighboring Kipsigis tribe, resulting in a free-spirited, precocious child who loves animals, nature and all things wild. What she doesn’t love is conformity, which becomes problematic as she matures and is expected to enter into “society,” such as it is, in 1920s Kenya Colony. After a few bumps in the road, including a disastrous first marriage and a couple of other scandalous relationships, Markham emerges as an esteemed horse trainer in her own right. Eventually, her love of adventure leads her to embrace flying and she becomes one of the first women to make a living as a professional pilot. 

McLain’s prose is eminently readable and she is expert at describing the emotional timbre that Markham was likely experiencing at a time and place in history in which her progressive choices were almost uniformly discouraged. Also, for those of us familiar with love affair of Karen Blixen and fellow expatriate Denys Finch-Hatton, let’s just say there’s a lot more to the story than was portrayed either on film or in Blixen’s memoir. 

A must-read for Out of Africa fans, and a solid choice for readers who enjoy historical novels with strong characters. Armchair travelers, buckle up, you’re going to Kenya in a biplane! 

--Christina

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The Paper Magician
By Charlie N. Holmberg

The Paper Magician is a spell-binding, quirky, and beautifully written genre bender that includes elements of fantasy and mystery with a touch of romance. In The Paper Magician, author Charlie Holmberg creates a world in which select humans (magicians) can learn how to master man-made materials such as metal, glass, paper, or rubber, and, with them, create extraordinary magic.

Apprentice and magician-in-training Ceony Twill has long coveted the opportunity to become a Smelter Magician in which she would be able to bend and manipulate metal to her will. All students, especially those who graduate at the top of their class can choose any material they want to master, so Ceony is convinced she will get her first choice. However, instead of continuing her daydreams to fashion guns with the flick of her finger, Ceony is blindsided by the news that she has to be a Folder where she will be bonded for life to the most lackluster, uninspiring, “How in the world can this even have magical properties?” material: paper.

Throughout the story we meet a charming cast of characters, including Ceony’s kind and mysterious teacher Folder Magician Emery Thane, Jonto, the skeleton butler, and Fennel, the paper dog who helps to teach Ceony all about the beauty of paper. When an evil Magician threatens to destroy Ceony and her loved ones, Ceony discovers that paper is not only way cooler than metal, but it is also more powerful than she could have ever imagined. In this turning point of the story, Ceony must gather all of her courage to face her own self-doubt, and recognize that within the layers of humanity’s darkness resides points of light are as numerous as the stars. 

Check out the Paper Magician trilogy at WPL today!

Book 1: The Paper Magician

Book 2: The Glass Magician

Book 3: The Master Magician

--Cara

Madame X

This painting, Madame X, has always appealed to me. John Singer Sargent has simultaneously captured studied elegance and privileged disdain. The model, Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, was a notorious socialite, known for her indiscretions. She was part of a new generation of sophisticates. Her beauty was intense, and there were many artists wanting to paint her. She and Sargent had a bond, both ex-patriots looking to augment their reputations by painting and posing.  

Sargent captured her singularity by contrasting her stunning alabaster skin against a dark background and black dress. He was able to articulate her hourglass figure. The essence of her snobisme is the tip of her perfectly pointed nose. 

While French society was shocked at the married woman who encouraged the gaze of men, I find her bold, unapologetic; an "in your face" beauty. The poor girl married into the French upper class by wedding a man twice her age. She managed to keep her independence and even her bravado in a claustrophobic situation.

Madame X elicits debate and heated argument to this day. Sargent found the image he knew was in her and that image made his reputation.

Strapless : John Singer Sargent and the fall of Madame X

Davis, Deborah, 1952-

759.1 SARGENT DAVIS 2004

Icons of beauty : art, culture, and the image of women

Mancoff, Debra N., 1950-

704.942409 MANCOFF V.1

John Singer Sargent

Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925.

759.1 SARGENT, J.

John Singer Sargent: paintings, drawings, watercolors.

Ormond, Richard. 

759.1 S245o

John Singer Sargent and his muse: painting love and loss

Corsano, Karen.

759.1 SARGENT, J. CORSANO

Rothko Forever

Collage of works by Mark Rothko

As a kid, I spent long hours in the museum of the Harry Ransom Center staring at their Rothko; part of their permanent collection. My mom worked as a librarian at the University of Texas, and I often roamed the 40 acres, finding myself drawn to the Rothko over and over. I found peace there; and transcendence.

Many years later, as an Art History student, I participated in a field trip: we were off to see the holdings of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. As  part of our journey, we were shown the Rothko Chapel. The architecture is  based on a church, and there are fourteen floor to ceiling dark to black Rothko paintings. The space is open to worship of any denominations, or just to peaceful contemplation. You can definitely feel the spiritual charge by entering the place.  

Mark Rothko's designs are deceptively simple, but convey a depth of emotion and philosophical thought behind his rich colors. If you have the opportunity, take the time to get lost in a painting. It will change your life forever. 

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Visit the works of Mark Rothko on the third floor of the library by enjoying these books: 

Ashton, D. (2003). About Rothko. Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo.

759.1 ROTHKO, M. ASHTON 2003

Baal-Teshuva, J. (2015). Mark Rothko, 1903-1970: Pictures as drama. Koln: Taschen

709.0404 BAAL-TESHUVA

Breslin, J. E. (1993). Mark Rothko: a biography. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

759.1 R846b

Treasures from the Worcester Room: A Historical Feud!

Some of my favorite books in our Worcester Room collection are books that have to do with Worcester's most influential citizens throughout its long, proud history.  Unquestionably, any list of famous Worcesterites would have to include renowned historian and politician George Bancroft. Bancroft is the namesake of both the prestigious Bancroft Prize for history, as well as Worcester's Bancroft Tower.  However, you don't get to that level of influence without making a few enemies along the way, which is why our Worcester Room collection includes the 1867 title Correspondence and Remarks Upon Bancroft's History of the Northern Campaign of 1777, and the Character of Major-Gen. Philip Schuyler by George L Schuyler.

For fans of Hamilton, yes this is the same Philip Schuyler who was Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law.  The book features George Schuyler’s long and increasingly angry letters to George Bancroft regarding what he felt were slanderous criticisms of General Schuyler’s commanding ability in Bancroft’s account of the Revolutionary War.  A descendant of Philip, George also considered himself a historian, and wrote the book to feature a point-by-point defense of  Philip Schuyler’s conduct during the war, also including all of George and Bancroft's testy correspondence with each other.

In one exchange, George Schuyler writes that “I have no alternative but to deny publicly the correctness of your account of General Schuyler’s character for courage, which I can view in no other light than a gratuitous insult,” whereby Bancroft responds with “the tone of your note today shows conclusively how proper it was for me to decline entering into a correspondence with you, on a subject which you can hardly be expected to consider with the critical calmness of a disinterested inquirer.” I can’t help but feel that if this dialogue were to take place today, it would be delivered through a series of angry tweets.

While most of the books regarding influential Worcester residents tend to be respectful biographies, it is occasionally refreshing to read about a historical argument like this.  It is nice to know that those from the 1800's could be just as preoccupied with petty feuds as we can be today.  Just another example of the fascinating items that can be found in the library's Worcester Room collection.

December 2016 Staff Book Recommendations

Under the Udala Trees
By Chinelo Okparanta

Under the Udala Trees is a coming-of age tale about an eleven year-old Nigerian girl named Ijeoma. Her story begins on June 23, 1968, on the day of her beloved father’s death. His untimely passing occurs during and as a result of the Biafran War, a civil war in which the Igbo people attempted secession from Nigeria and lost to disastrous effect. Although Ijeoma’s mother lives on, grief has rendered her incapable of parenting Ijeoma and protecting her from imminent danger. She sends her to live with a local teacher’s family and there, she befriends Amina. Because Amina is not Igbo but instead Hausa, few approve. When it is discovered that the two girls’ friendship has evolved into a romantic relationship, Ijeoma is abruptly packed up and sent back to her mother. 

What proceeds is a story of hidden love and attempting to bridge the gap between the expectations of the family one is born into and the possibilities of the family one desires to manifest. Believing she can cure Ijeoma of homosexuality through biblical force, Ijeoma’s mother sets out to eradicate her daughter’s most tender feelings order to meet the socio-politico-religious beliefs of Igbo life in the 1970s. 

Okparanta excels at evoking empathy from the reader through her lyrical language, imagery and detail. As Edwidge Danticat says, this is a book “that demands not just to be read, but felt.” If you like the work of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ishmael Beah, or Edwidge Danticat herself, put this on your list. 

--Christina

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Before Jamaica Lane
By Samantha Lane

There are some books you read that just fit you. You find them at the right time in your life and they fill up a need you didn’t know you had. In contrast, there are books that emotionally drain you and make you feel things you don’t want to feel…Samantha Young’s Before Jamaica Lane was one of these books for me. 

Before Jamaica Lane takes place in Scotland where we meet best friends Olivia and Nate who bond over their shared love of geek culture, “Would You Rather?” questions, and the hardship of losing a loved one to cancer. Even though Olivia and Nate share many things in common with each other, their love lives are drastically different. Nate brings home a different woman every night without ever returning her phone calls, while Olivia can barely speak with a man she finds attractive without stuttering or turning bright red. Furthermore, in addition to Olivia’s shyness, she loathes her body and thinks that no “hot” guy will ever find her attractive. 

One night after striking out one too many times with her crush Benjamin, Olivia drunkenly and tearfully confesses to Nate that she hates her body. Nate, being her friend, as well as confident in his own experience with other women, offers to help boost Olivia’s confidence and brings Olivia to a mirror in her bedroom. Nate instantly refutes every criticism Olivia has about her body (such as her belief that she has: flabby thighs, a huge butt, and average looking features), and assures her that he, as well as any man would want to sleep with her (actual language more colorful) because she essentially has the body of a Kardashian and “great hair”. The story of course goes on to track the complexities of Nate and Olivia’s relationship (from friends to friends with benefits) and is chock full of all kinds of emotional upheaval. 

I’m no stranger to romance books and I count myself a big fan of the genre because I adore love stories and happy endings. However, part of the fantasy in reading a romance novel is that you can put yourself in the story-warts and all. Yet, the constant focus on the characters’ level of attractiveness (both with main and secondary characters) puts this story in a completely different category. Instead of escaping into a fun story I noticed myself judging what I saw when I looked in the mirror a little more harshly than usual. 

It’s important to note that I’m in the minority in terms of my review (Before Jamaica Lane received a 4.5 out of 5 on Goodreads because of its friends-to-lovers theme, emotional depth, and heaps of sexytime scenes), but in my opinion, when only certain types of physical appearances overtly meet the criteria for what is considered beautiful (whether in fiction or in real life), this is never something to ignore. 

Before Jamaica Lane is #3 in the On Dublin Street series:

1. On Dublin Street
2. Down London Road
3. Before Jamaica Lane
4. Fall From India Place
5. Echoes of Scotland Street
6. Moonlight on Nightingale Way

--Cara

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American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804
By Alan Taylor 

When someone mentions the American Revolution, most people probably get a few well-known images in their heads. They might think of George Washington crossing the Delaware, or Minutemen fighting Redcoats, or the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The book American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804 by Alan Taylor argues that the truth is quite a bit more complicated and interesting. In fact, Taylor makes a compelling argument that the American Revolution could easily be referred to as the 1st American Civil War. 

What Taylor does amazingly is really drive home the idea that there were a large number of loyalists who did not favor independence. Taylor points out that the tactics used by the pro-independence groups included the wholesale destruction of homes and property, and tarring and feathering anyone who was considered a collaborator. Taylor also describes how many Native Americans and African Americans resisted independence, believing that continued rule by the Crown offered them the best chances for survival and freedom. Moreover, Taylor makes a compelling argument that much of the American Revolution was caused by the colonists’ fears that England would abolish slavery and prevent the westward expansion that worsened conflict with the French and Natives and sparked the costly French and Indian War. These arguments aren’t all new; however, Taylor collates the arguments in a very convincing manner and makes the case to think of the Revolution as a civil war. 

Taylor, a historian who has twice won the Pulitzer Prize, has a great writing style. American Revolutions is written in a compelling fashion, and is not dryly written as you might expect from a book of its size and scope. A basic knowledge of American history would be helpful to readers, as the book is not really written for the layperson. However, I found Taylor’s writing and arguments to be highly accessible and easy to follow. You don’t need to be an expert in history to appreciate Taylor’s book. I would highly recommend this one.

--Alex

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Loving What Is : Four Questions that Can Change Your Life

By Byron Katie

“I am an old man who has known many troubles, but most of them never happened.”  This quote, often attributed to Mark Twain, tells a simple truth: most of our troubles are in our heads. These words also hint at a path to freedom from those very same troubles, a freedom Bryon Katie aims to help you find. 

In Loving What Is, Byron Katie details this path to freedom in what she calls “The Work,” a method of self-inquiry which centers on asking simple questions about the thoughts we have regarding difficult people, events, and life circumstances.  The method itself is simple and to the point – simple to the point that it may be difficult to swallow. 

While Katie does explain her method, much of “The Work” is illustrated by dialogues between Katie and a series of participants.  The themes of the dialogues vary, ranging from common issues such as shyness and infidelity to difficult topics like rape and death of loved ones.  The plausibility of the transformation found in the dialogues varies, but more than anything, the dialogues show that “The Work” can be done on anything, even the most difficult people and circumstances. 

Katie’s self-inquiry work consists of asking half a dozen questions which always have similar answers.  The uniformity of the answers may be off-putting for some, but the questions are not about getting into the details of our anxious narratives.  Indeed, the point of the questions is to break through the details, to drive home the understanding that most of our pain is caused by thought. This lesson is easily lost when we get caught up in the details of the stories we tell ourselves, but the plot-holes in our narratives are easily torn apart by the inquiries Katie provides.

Loving What Is is a beguilingly easy read with a simple teaching that is more than meets the eye.  This is a book of tough love which is not for everyone, but the opportunity for radical transformation awaits anyone willing to undertake this difficult Work.  

--Ben 

Treasures from the Worcester Room: Books of Appreciation from England

One of the great things about Worcester is what a welcoming city it is. You can see this today in how Worcester has embraced the refugee community.  One of the best examples of Worcester's welcoming attitude is the case of the schoolchildren from England who lived in Worcester during the Second World War in order to be safe from the Nazi bombing campaign against England.  While not widely known today, this act of kindness by the people of Worcester inspired a generous donation that still benefits our library.

Recently, when going through books in our Closed Stacks collection in the basement, we came across a book with a bookplate saying "Presented to the Worcester Free Public Library by parents of children from Sherrardswood School, Welwyn Garden City in the County of Hertford, England, in token of their gratitude to those in Worcester who cared for their children during the War of 1939-1945." Obviously we were intrigued by this and decided to further investigate the story.

Looking through our records and papers in the Worcester Room, I found a binder with a number of papers documenting both the children's stay in Worcester, and the donation of books by grateful families in the aftermath of the war.  I was able to find newspaper clippings, correspondence between the Library Director during that time and the parents of the children, and a list of all of the books that were donated.  Over one hundred books were donated in 1948 to our library, most having to do with British history or culture.  Many of these books are still in our collection, available for library users to borrow, and, according to their website, the Sherrardswood School is still in existence today. Just one more example of a connection that the city has made with communities across the globe.

--Alex

November 2016 Staff Book Recommendations

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
By Bejamin Alire Sáenz

Another gem from a Renaissance man: poet/author/curator Bejamin Alire Sáenz has recently introduced his latest quirk of a YA novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Aristotle has a lot to be bitter about. His dad barely talks, let alone answers any questions about his time in Vietnam. His own mother has more friends than him. His sisters are all grown up and never around. His brother is in prison, but he might as well be dead because nobody even mentions his name anymore. It’s the late ‘80s and school’s out for the summer, but Aristotle doesn’t really have anything to look forward to other than swimming (or attempting to, anyways). He’s pretty much accepted the fact that he’ll walk through the rest of his high school career a loser (and he’ll fight anyone who gives him crap about it.) But one day at the pool, a guy named Dante gives him some swimming tips. From there, everything changes. 

At first glance, Dante’s personality is the polar opposite of Ari’s. He’s crazy about his parents, he’s confident, secure in his loner-dom, he’s emotionally expressive, he’s a brilliant poet — he’s everything Ari’s not. But they have an unmistakable bond, and it’s not just because they both have weird, philosophical names. They share a poignant sense of being “othered” due to their Mexican identities, and a profound, wholly unique view on their world. Throughout the story Ari softens his rough edges, finding new ways to open up to Dante more and more. Perhaps he’s inspired by Dante’s poetic expression and flattered by his attention, or perhaps he simply cares so much about him that he wants to let him in his world. Ari learns to see himself the way Dante does… At the risk of revealing spoilers, I’ll stop here. 

Though the plot moves fairly slowly at first, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is generally a quick read; the chapters are short and it’s heavy in dialogue. And the storyline really picks up toward the end, as more “secrets of the universe” are revealed. It’s a tad on the angsty side, even for a young adult novel, but Ari and Dante ultimately became my heroes by the end. Recommended for ages 13+.

--Helen

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Cry Wolf
By Patricia Briggs
I’ve never been a big fan of monsters. As a little girl I had nightmares about them crawling through my window, vampires scare me to death (I mean who really wants to be forcefully bitten on the neck with cold, sharp fangs? Ouch!), and if I ever saw a zombie, my blood-curdling screams would probably make the zombie run the other way. In spite of all this, I recently found myself choosing, reading, and thoroughly enjoying a paranormal romance book. Patricia Briggs’ Cry Wolf, the first book in her Alpha and Omega series, is an entertaining, suspenseful, and gripping story about a completely different kind of creature that goes bump in the night: the werewolf, i.e., Jacob, Professor Remus, and other misunderstood four-legged furballs. 

In Cry Wolf, we meet Anna who was turned into a werewolf against her will, and Charlie, a powerful, politically savvy werewolf who is determined to protect Anna at any cost. The action is non-stop and includes multiple fight scenes. Briggs has painstakingly created a detailed world and culture centered around the werewolves’ ability to survive the bone-chilling mountains in winter. However, characters’ depth, shown, for example, when Charles’ unshakeable belief in himself and others faltered, was what really made Cry Wolf a special read for me. Perhaps I’m no closer than before to reading stories about vampires and zombies, but if I find a book featuring one that’s as well written as one of Patricia Briggs stories, I may just be converted. 

Check out more of Patricia Brigg’s stories conveniently located in the Sci-Fi section at WPL’s Main Branch!

Alpha and Omega series:
1. Cry Wolf (includes prequel Alpha and Omega)
2. Hunting Ground 
3. Fair Game
4. Dead Heat

Also if you prefer a different kind of canine in your stories, try Briggs’ coyote shape shifter paranormal romance series: Mercy Thompson. The first book in this series is titled Moon Called.

--Cara

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The Circle
By Dave Eggers 

Google employment benefits are the stuff of fairy tales for most American workers: free onsite daycare, five-star cafeteria food, office cots for power naps, massage credits for work well done. If for no other reason than sheer entertainment, read this exaggerated, fictional account of Google life; you can tell author Dave Eggers really had fun creating his made-up company The Circle. 

But there’s a darker theme spinning in the background…the plot of The Circle centers around recent college graduate Mae Holland, feeling unfulfilled by a monotonous job at a utility company until she swallows her pride and asks ex-college roomie and corporate superstar Annie to help get her hired at The Circle, the most influential Internet company in the world. Once there a few weeks, Mae’s dream job full of incredible opportunities to affect positive societal change while enjoying outrageous perks turns more sinister as her on-campus popularity skyrockets when she unwittingly volunteers for a human “connection” experiment. 

Mae agrees to wear a camera around her neck and subject herself to the world’s commentary 24/7, and while she does succeed at increasing her accessibility with the world at large, her non-Circle relationships completely unravel. Nonetheless, believing her own hype (and much to her bosses’ delight), Mae floats the progressive idea of voting, paying bills, and streamlining all social media interactions through one mandatory Circle account. Public opinion grows divisive; on the one hand, eliminating the need for many accounts and many passwords appeals to many, but wouldn’t that result in a government-sanctioned corporate monopoly? Suddenly, the best of intentions has morphed into a looming threat of totalitarianism through technology. 

What will happen once “the circle” is complete? A cautionary tale about the potential dangers of excessive social media proliferation and surveillance of the citizenry, read The Circle and reflect on your own beliefs on where modern technology is leading the world. 

--Christina

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Start Where You Are
By Pema Chödrön

Don’t read this book if you want to change. Pema Chödrön will not only tell you that you’re already okay, and all the things you probably don’t like about yourself are actually useful.  

Self-help books usually start with the premise that something is wrong and needs fixing, but in Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living, the emphasis is not on solving problems, but rather on self-acceptance.  Self-acceptance is not an easy lesson, but the humor and humility Pema weaves into her teachings make them easier to receive.  She even includes stories of her own blunders, making Pema feel relatable and her teachings achievable.

Chödrön, an ordained Buddhist nun, bases Start Where You Are on Buddhist teachings, focusing specifically on what are known as traditional slogans.  The slogans, along with some foreign vocabulary, add an element of difficulty to the reading, but the unfamiliarity makes for a good starting point.  Chödrön uses these unfamiliar bits as opportunities to shed light on difficult concepts, turning seemingly abstract ideas into something clear and within reach.  

What I love about this book is that it reads like Pema is speaking to you, as though you went on a meditation retreat and were presented with these lessons.  Pema acknowledges the real emotional difficulties that arise from the diversity of experiences life brings, asking you to work with the emotions instead of sweeping them under the rug and telling you to think happy thoughts. 

If you have never read a book by Pema Chödrön, are interested in learning about self-acceptance, facing the difficulties of your life head-on, or Buddhism generally, then this book is for you.  

--Ben

Health Goings On at the Worcester Public Library

November is National Diabetes Month:

In order to bring attention and awareness to diabetes, a disease that affects over 9 million Americans, there is a display on the 2nd floor of the Main Library with diabetes related titles including cookbooks. For further information on managing diabetes, support networks, and other resources, check out the American Diabetes Association and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month:

More than 5 million Americans are affected by Alzheimer’s disease. In an effort to highlight this disease there is a display on the 2nd floor of the Main Library with related titles as well as information from the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. For more information, visit the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimers.gov. For an overview of the kind of support and research the government is pursuing with regard to Alzheimer’s prevention, read the Presidential Proclamation by President Barack Obama.

Resources in the Health Reference Center:

The 2nd floor Health Reference Center at the Main Library is a great place to find reliable information. We have many useful and reliable health reference titles which are always available for our patrons. Also in the Health Reference Center is an abundance of health-related newsletters, brochures and pamphlets focused on chronic diseases, substance abuse, healthcare, and local health information for patrons to take home.

Health recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute are also available for patrons to take home. Our health recipes table has yummy and healthy recipes from the Keep the Beat recipes book like "Good for you Cornbread" and "Baked Pork chops with Apple Cranberry Sauce." Recipes are changed out every few months so keep your eye out for new ones!

Treasures from the Worcester Room: A Bookmark to the Past

It’s certainly amazing what can be found inside a book.  You can find not only the knowledge and writing that they contain, but sometimes what readers will use as a bookmark.  While the library always has bookmarks available for readers, occasionally library users will use any number of papers or household objects as a bookmark.  Our librarians have found ticket stubs, take-out menus, and even cash between the pages of books.  It’s not every day though that we find a postcard from 1895, addressed to one of our Head Librarians.

Samuel Swett Green was the second Head Librarian of the Worcester Public Library and the nephew of Dr. John Green, whose donated personal collection served as the beginnings of the library back in 1859.  Samuel served as Head Librarian from 1867-1909 and is widely considered to be incredibly influential in the development of the modern public library.  Green was also one of the founders of the American Library Association.  This postcard was sent to him in 1895 from Berlin, Germany and appears to be regarding the invoice for a book.

The postcard was found inside a book from that era, and may very well have been placed there by Samuel Green himself in 1895.  If that is the case, it is good to know that one of the major contributors to public librarianship didn’t dog-ear his pages!