A Legacy for Manchester

If you lived in Manchester during the early 1960s you probably remember the free newspaper called the Manchester Free Press. Then came Wednesday, The Wednesday Journal, The Journal, Manchester Journal and Southern New Hampshire Journal.
Most recently published were the Manchester Daily Express and the Manchester Express. All were published in Manchester, contained feature articles about the city and were FREE. Due in part to a grant from the Cogswell Benevolent Trust, the library has been able to microfilm the surviving issues of these titles. Once they are processed these microfilmed newspapers should be available for public use in the New Hampshire Room sometime after Columbus Day. Watch for the announcement on our website at www.manchesterlibrary.org, on our online catalog, or call the N. H. Room at 624-6550×306 for more information.

The following new books are just a few in the Manchester City Library collection that can help you get through these tough times.

The book of U.S. Government Jobs: Where They Are, What’s Available and How to Get One by Dennis V. Damp.
Recent news reports have stated that one area (maybe the only) that has shown hiring increasing is the federal job sector. The 2008 edition of The Book of U.S. Government Jobs makes it easy to find out about these jobs and includes tips on application preparation. With the many internet sites for government jobs that are thinly disguised scams, this book is a reliable source of information about how to get a high-paying government job.

Fix, Freeze, Feast: More Than 125 Recipes to Prepare in Bulk and by the Serving by Katie Neville and Lindsay Tkasek.
One way to fight the rising cost of food is to buy in bulk at warehouse stores. But how do you keep all that food from just spoiling in your refrigerator? Fix, Feed & Feast is a cookbook that shows how to divide, prepare and store raw ingredients bought in bulk and includes recipes for delicious meals, with instructions for freezing and defrosting. This is a great way for busy families to save money by buying in bulk and by avoiding costly fast food restaurants by always having a home-cooked meal in the freezer.

DIY Guide to Appliances: Installing and Maintaining Your Major Appliances by Steve Wilson.
Nowadays getting the cheapest price on a new appliance like a stove or a refrigerator means installing it yourself. This Do-It-Yourself guide shows how to install and service your own appliances, with clear color photos and diagrams. With this book you can learn how to repair and maintain major appliances and save thousands of dollars.

The Budget Kit: The Common Cents Money Management Workbook by Judy Lawrence.
As food and gas prices continue to rise, families and finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. The fully updated and revised edition of The Budget Kit will help you develop an effective budget to meet your financial goals and avoid crippling debt. The easy to follow worksheets in this book make it easy to set up a workable budget.

** From the Manchester Express May 8-14. By Sarah Basbas, West Community Library Branch Manager

The May 1 issue of Bottom Line Magazine contains an article on simple ways people can save money. It suggests that people can save $300 a year checking out one hardcover book a month rather than spending $25 for a new book. Checking out library movies once a week rather than subscribing to Netflix (the most popular plan is $14.99 a month) saves $200 a year. The Manchester Library is the best bargain in the City.

Events At The Library

Storytimes
For storytimes requiring it, register online or contact Children’s Dept., 624-6550, ext. 314.

Friday, April 25
Lapsit Storytime-Ages to 23 months. 9:30-10:45 Winchell Room

Saturday, April 26
Family Storytime—All Ages 10:30-11:30 Winchell Room

Tuesday, April 29
Preschool Storytime Ages 4-5. 9:30-10:45 Winchell Room

Wednesday, April 30
Toddler Storytime Ages 2-3 years. 9:30-10:45 Winchell Room

Children’s Programs
For programs requiring it, register online or contact Karyn at 624-6550, ext. 335.

Friday, April 25
Dance, Dance Revolution –Test your dancing skills during this tournament-style play. For students grades K-5. Registration is required as space is limited. 3:00 Winchell Room

Movies
Due to licensing restrictions we can’t give the movie titles. See our website at www.manchester.lib.nh.us

Friday, April 25
Movie recently released on DVD 3:00 West Branch Library

Wednesday, April 30
Classic Movie 1:00 Auditorium

Adult Programs
Tuesday, April 29
Brown Bag Book Club 12:15-1:30 Hunt Room
The Awakening by Kate Chopin will be discussed.

Guitar Hero Tournament that will take place at West on Wednesday, April 9 at 3:30. Due to space limitations, registration is required. Call West at 624-6560, stop in at West Manchester Community Library, 76 North Main St., or register online.

GED Mathematics DVD 371.26 GED
This 3-disc mathematics DVD by Video Aided Instruction helps refine skills for taking the GED mathematics test, including arithmetic, charts and graphs, probability, statistics, algebra and geometry. The Library also has the following instructional DVDs: GED Language Arts, Reading; GED Language Arts, Writing; GED Science; and GED Social Studies.

Living Better With Arthritis DVD 616.722 LIV
This DVD presentation by Stanford Hospital focuses on some of the skills developed by Stanford Arthritis Center that arthritis sufferers can use to remain active and reduce pain.

The Lost Book of Nostradamus DVD 133.3 LOS
This A & E presentation examines an unusual manuscript dating to 1629 discovered in Rome containing cryptic and bizarre images along with over 80 watercolor painting by Nostradamus himself.

Retire Smart, Retire Happy: Plan A Fulfilling Retirement DVD 646.79 RET
In this PBS presentation, author and counseling psychologist Nancy K. Schlossberg shows how to prepare for a successful and fulfilling retirement, addressing the common problems and emotional challenges that can occur, such as loss of purpose and changing relationships.

At The Library

Storytimes
For storytimes requiring registration contact Children’s Dept., 624-6550, ext. 314.

Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2008
9:30-10:45 Winchell Room
Preschool Storytime–ages 4-5. No registration required

Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2008
9:30-10:45 Winchell Room
Toddler Storytime – Ages 2-3
Registration required

Friday, Mar. 21, 2008
9:30-10:45 Winchell Room
Lapsit Storytime –Ages 0-23 months
Registration required

Saturday, Mar. 22, 2008
10:30-11:30 Winchell Room
Family Storytime – All Ages
No Registration required

Children’s Programs
For programs requiring registration contact Karyn at 624-6550, ext. 335.

Camera Club
Tuesday, Mar. 18
4-5:00 Winchell Room
Grades 3-5. Registration required. Each month ideas for a new project will be
Given and we will discuss your work. For more information call Karyn at 624-6550, ext. 335.

Movies

Afternoon at the Movies
Wednesday, Mar. 19
1:00 Auditorium

West Branch
Friday, Mar. 21
3:00

Computer Classes

Monday, Mar. 17
10:00 AM Winchell Room
Introduction to the Internet

Registration required. Contact Lichen, 624-6550 ext. 324

Adult Programs
Stix & flix
Tuesday Mar. 18
6-8:00 PM Hunt Room
Come knit and chat with like-minded staff and patrons with a film (DVD)
in the background.

Family Program

Family Game Afternoon
Saturday, Mar 22 2-4:00 Winchell Room
All Ages Welcome. Bring your favorite board game to the library for our family game
Afternoon. Registration not required.

Sister of My Heart by Chitra Divakaruni
Sudha and Anju are two cousins being brought up in India in a very traditional household. When their fathers die under strange circumstances the two girls bond together as sisters. When both are forced into arranged marriages, they learn a secret that threatens to tear them apart. This is one of my favorite books and my sister loved it too. This is a beautiful story about the power of love that is timeless and cross-cultural. Divakaruni wrote a sequel to this novel called The Vine of Desire.

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
When Paul Iverson’s wife dies under very strange circumstances, he turns to the only witness to the event to find out what really happened –his dog Lorelei. He decides he’ll teach Lorelei to talk so she can tell him what occurred that awful day. It sounds like a very silly book but it is actually about how Iverson deals with the possibility that there was something missing in his marriage that could have made his wife take her own life.

Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
When devoted couple Jack and Laurel Cooper die the same night, their three children come home for the funeral. As they prepare for the services, they find boxes of letters written every Wednesday by their father to their mother. As they read through the letters they discover a shocking secret about their parents and learn the power of love and forgiveness. Wednesday Letters is for people who loved Bridges of Madison County and want a little romance in their lives.

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute, author of On The Beach, wrote this novel in 1950, and it is one I read over and over. It’s a story about an English woman and an Australian soldier who meet in Japanese-occupied Malaysia during World War II. When Jean is taken prisoner by the Japanese in Malaysia, she must use all her intelligence and ingenuity to ensure the survival of her weary group of women prisoners. After the war, she reconnects with the Australian soldier who was also imprisoned by the Japanese and who risked his life to help her. This is a beautiful story of romance and courage, set in Malaysia and the Australian Outback.

Diet Books

Now that Christmas and the Super Bowl (sob) are over, there can be no more excuses. It’s time to start that diet. The Library has the diet books that are the old standbys – Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach and the Zone. You can also try these diet/fitness books that may help get you get started on the road to losing weight.

Picture Perfect Weight Loss by Howard M. Shapiro

Dr. Shapiro uses pictures to show it’s not necessary to diet to lose weight –you just have to choose the right foods. Picture Perfect Weight Loss uses side-by-side pictures to show how you can consume the same number of calories by eating a scone for breakfast as you would by eating oatmeal with peaches, an English muffin with jam, cherries, corn flakes with banana, 2 slices light toast with marmalade, AND orange and pineapple pieces. Shapiro does the same thing with lunch and dinner, takeout food, snacks and desserts. The Library also has Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss 30 Day Plan and Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss Cookbook.

The 12 Second Sequence by Jorge Cruise

With Cruise’s method of resistance training, you can burn fat and shrink your waistline and all it takes is two twenty-minute workouts each week. The 12-Second Sequence claims to shrink your waist in 2 weeks with a resistance exercises that are slowed down to a 10-second motion and 2-second motionless hold, which act to increase metabolism. This book also includes diet recommendations.

The G.I. Handbook: How the Glycemic Index Works by Barbara Ravage

This book ranks foods according to the effect they have on blood sugar, which is the basis of the South Beach and the Atkins Diet. The G.I. Handbook does a good job of explaining in plain language the science behind low-carb diets and helps construct a diet that is not as extreme as some low-carb fads.

Ultrametabolism by Mark Hyman

Dr. Mark Hyman based the weight loss plan he calls Ultrametabolism on nutrigenomics –the science of how food talks to our genes. Food contains information and instructions for our bodies –eat the right foods and send instructions of weight loss and health; eat the wrong foods and send messages of weight gain and disease. Dr. Hyman suggests that we should eat omega-3 fatty acids, avoid gluten to boos thyroid production and detoxify the body so that the liver can work properly. Ultrametabolism includes a six week plan with menus and recipes that includes phase 1 that detoxifies the body and phase 2 that rebalances the metabolism.

Don’t forget that the libraries are closed on Monday, February 18th for President’s Day.

New Hampshire author Kathy Brodsky will read, sign and discuss her newest book “My Bent Tree” at the West Manchester Community Library, 76 North Main Street, on Wednesday January 30 at 6:30 PM. Brodsky, a psychotherapist, life coach and poet, has written a warm, sensitive children’s book that will appeal to readers of all ages. “My Bent Tree” is a story about overcoming disabilities, protecting the environment, and the power of friendship. The story is followed by two pages of questions that spark discussion on the topics of people with challenges and the environment. Local artist Cameron Bennett, who contributed beautiful illustrations to the book, will also attend this event.

New Fiction Coming to the Library
Get your holds in now on upcoming fiction! You can place your holds online with a PIN number (obtainable at the Circulation Desk) or call 624-6550.

Stranger In Paradise by Robert B. Parker
Ten years after hit man Crow Comartie escapes with the spoils of a lucrative heist, Massachusetts police officer Jesse Stone is astonished when the fugitive enlists his cooperation with a job gone bad involving a young woman whose father wants her killed. This book is due out Feb. 5.

Firefly Lane by Hannah Kristin
Kate and Tully are inseparable best friends who, despite their very different lives, have vowed to be there for each other forever. They’ve kept that promise for thirty years until an act of betrayal threatens to tear them apart. Hannah Kristin is a great author that will appeal to readers who like Barbara Delinsky, Barbara Taylor Bradford, and Janet Dailey. This book is due out Feb. 5.

The First Patient by Michael Palmer
Bestselling author Palmer mixes political intrigue with his usual medical suspense in his latest novel. The disappearance of the President’s personal physician reunites country doctor Gabe Singleton with his former Annapolis roommate, Andrew Stoddard, now President of the United States. When acting as the President’s physician, Gabe finds evidence that Andrew is going insane and that the condition may not be the result of natural causes. Gabe must find the culprit before the President’s life and the future of the country is jeopardized. This book is due out Feb. 19.

Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline
Scottoline returns with her lawyer character Mary DiNunzio in her latest legal thriller. When an old high school rival asks Mary for protection from a violent drug-dealer boyfriend, Mary finds her family, her career, and eventually her life placed on the line when she investigates the woman’s subsequent disappearance. This book is due out Feb. 19.

Betty and Barney Hill’s UFO experience was also described in “The Interrupted Journey: Two Lost Hours Aboard a Flying Saucer” written by John G. Fuller in 1966. Fuller also wrote “Incident At Exeter: The Story of Unidentified Flying Objects Over America” about another New Hampshire UFO incident. Both books are available at the Manchester City Library in one volume entitled “Incident at Exeter; The Interrupted Journey: Two Landmark Investigations of UFO Encounters Together in One Volume” by John G. Fuller.

For another view on alien abduction, take a look at “Abducted: How People Come To Believe They Were Kidnapped by Aliens” by Susan A. Clancy. The author, a post-doctoral fellow in psychology at Harvard reports on the 50 purported alien abductees she interviewed and explains the “sleep paralysis” that she believes is behind most of her subjects’ UFO reports. She takes a respectful view toward the people she interviewed and is very insightful about why they persist in their beliefs about alien abduction.

People who want to do research about UFOs might also want to look at the Air Force report issued in 1995 about the UFO incident in Roswell entitled “Roswell Report: Fact Versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert“. This report is kept in the Library’s Government Document Section and may be obtained by going to the Information Desk.

Atonement by Ian McEwan –This book has recently been made into a critically acclaimed movie starring Keira Knightly and James McAvoy. In Atonement a young girl makes a false accusation of rape, destroying the lives of several people. Nominated for Britain’s Booker Prize, this book has received varying reviews—from the best to the worst book ever written. Reading the book can add to understanding the characters and the plot depicted in the movie.

I am Legend by Richard Matheson – People are saying the movie based on this book that stars Will Smith is in the running for an Oscar. The book was written in 1954 and is actually a novella and ten short stories. Ray Bradbury called Matheson one of the most important writers of the twentieth century and Stephen King says the book I Am Legend was an inspiration to him. This is the story of the last man on earth – the only one who hasn’t succumbed to a virus that has transformed other humans into vampires.

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern – Holly Kennedy, played by Hilary Swank in the movie, is a young Irish girl whose world collapses when her husband Gerry dies from a brain tumor. Gerry left Holly a series of letters –one to be opened every month—that guide Holly in her attempts to rebuild her life. Gerry gets Holly involved in some very funny schemes with her Irish friends and family. People who like Maeve Binchy and Marian Keyes will like this book.

Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane — Ben Affleck directed this movie starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Monoghan. It’s set in Boston and is the story of local private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angie Genarro working on a missing child case. Lehane’s book Mystic River was also made into a critically acclaimed movie.