I would like to recommend the book Still Alice.  It is written by a local author named Lisa Genova who grew up in Waltham and is a graduate of Waltham High School.

Still Alice is about a 50-year-old Harvard professor who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  The story follows Alice for two years as she copes with changes to her professional and personal life.  Although Alzheimer’s Disease is difficult to read about, you can’t help but fall in love with Alice and the challenges she faces.  Reading the novel was like looking at Alzheimer’s from the inside out, or in other words, from the perspective of the person with the disease. This is Lisa Genova’s first work of fiction. She originally self published the book, but the rights were recently purchased by Simon and Schuster.

I hope you will take the time to read this book.

*Posted by Gerry

Much has been made recently about the Governor Patrick’s budget recommendations for the upcoming fiscal year.  Today, the governor’s office made his recommendations accesible to the public at the following website:

http://www.mass.gov/bb/h1/fy10h1/

And speaking of the government, we do have tax forms at the library, including, as of this posting, state tax forms.  The reference staff is also happy to print out any forms for you that we may not have.  There will be another post with more information regarding this subject.

scene from Monsoon Wedding

Monday, I had the day off. The perfect opportunity to do all my favorite things.
I started the day off with an ear-freezing walk on the beach with my faithful canine companion
Jumpin’ Jack Flash. The with the help of Betty D, my faithful GPS device, I explored all the great shopping in the Plymouth area (love that Ulta) while munching on Pop Tarts and Starbucks coffee.
Just when you think it couldn’t possibly get any better I navigated my way to the movies and saw “Slumdog Millionaire”. In a word “wow”. After spending the night sleepless in Marshfield,
I got to thinking about Indian films I have enjoyed, although Slumdog Millionaire is technically not an Indian film as it is directed by Brit Danny Boyle–of Trainspotting and 28 Days Later fame.
Some good Indian films that we have here in the Waltham Public Library are:

• Asoka
• Darjeeling Limited
• Lagaan
• Love Guru
• Mississippi Marsala
• Monsoon Wedding
• Salaam Bombay
• Sholay

This is just a few of many great Indian movies to get you started if you are unfamiliar with the
genre.

Happy viewing.
posted by Marialice

Despite your political beliefs, there is no denying that welcoming a new President is always interesting and exciting.  What will the speech be like?  How will the outgoing President react, especially if he is welcoming a political opponent?  What will the next four years bring?   What will the new First Lady wear to the Inaugural Ball (face it, you care more about that than you’re willing to let on)?  And, most importantly, how will Barack Obama deal with living with his mother-in-law?  Regardless, again, of who you voted for, this Inauguration is one for the History Books.  The United States will not only be welcoming its first African-American President, but its first President of any minority group.  We can only hope that someday this is something the younger generation won’t even think twice about, but for adults like myself, it is something very historic and noteworthy.

For those of you wanting to watch the Inauguartion, but won’t have access to a tv, check out CNN’s live web coverage.  Those of you with Facebook accounts can “RSVP” to the event. Come do this using one of our computers in the reference area or check out one of our laptops to watch anywhere in the library. Read past Inaugural Speeches, take a quiz on who wore what ball gown, and learn about the evolution of the Inauguration.  The Library of Congress also has a great section on Presidential Inagurations including video, photos,  and full text of the speeches.  And don’t forget to check out our display of Presidential Biographies, from George Washington to George W. Bush, and even Barack Obama.

Enjoy some of the photographs below from the Library of Congress and the audio of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration speech from  John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.

From Left to Right: Dwight D. Eisenhower at his first Inauguration, January 20, 1953. President-Elect Woodrow Wilson and President William Howard Taft leaving for Wilson’s Inauguration March 4, 1913.

posted by Laura

Deciding the Best Books of 2008 isn’t an easy chore.  That’s why I’m not going to take it on.  However, there are many people and organizations that did create such a list.  While some readers might agree with these lists, others might completely disagree with them.  Either way, for me (and maybe for you), it’s a great way to add a few books to my reading list.

The Boston Globe Fiction

The Boston Globe Nonfiction

Washington Post Book World Top 10

National Public Radio Best Books of 2008

Salon Book Awards 2008

NPR’s On Point

ALA’s Top Ten Reads for Teens

Paste Magazine’s Best of 2008

Best Translated Books of 2008

(A few links on this list were taken from Boston Book Buzz and Newton Reads)

posted by Todd

Marialice can’t get enough of Don Draper

Now that the cold weather is coming, its a good time to catch up on some serious television watching in the confines of your nice warm house.

Do you have a DVR or a TIVO?  Personally I am addicted to my TIVO, not unlike Miranda on Sex and the City (remember that show?–no, not the movie).

No matter, we have lots of DVD’s of televion shows here in the AV Annex.   And that means no commercial interruptions     I will share a few of my favorites with you, lucky readers.

Friday Night Lights— my personal favorite, even though I’m too old

The Closer–six degrees of Kevin Bacon’s wife–whatever that means

My Name is Earl

Pushing Daisies

Dexter

Mad Men–I can’t get enough of Don Draper

Nip/Tuck–for future reference

Big Love

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman–enough said

Project Runway–for the fashionista in me

Entourage–Adrienne’s great eyes

Rescue Me –love that Dennis Leary

Now that television is better than movies, I hope you enjoy some of these suggestions.

Happy viewing!
posted by Marialice

Now that it’s Winter, it’s time to start thinking about projects for the snowy days. At the library, we have tons of books that will help you learn anything from home repairs to building your own beam-bot!

Here are some Winter project ideas (each word is clickable and will bring you to a book or video in our catalog):

–Paint or redecorate a room

–Build robots

–Make a workbench

–Fix your bike

–Fix your car

–Make a wooden toy

–Learn how to knit

–Design a web page

–Organize your house

–Bake bread

posted by Todd

posted by Jeanette

No matter how old you are, doing some crafts is a great way to spend your holiday.  You can make something simple like the classic hand turkeys:

Or, you can be a little more creative and make a paper turkey dinner like this.

We have a lot of holiday craft books at the library.

Some favorites include:

My very own Thanksgiving : a book of cooking and crafts by Robin West

The dragon Thanksgiving feast : things to make and do by Loreen Leedy

posted by Todd

From Nestle’s Very Best Baking
Remember if you’re looking for that perfect recipe (or looking for a place to hide from the relatives, this week), the library is the perfect place to go.  We have cookbooks for every taste bud as well as computers where you can access recipes online.  My favorite recipe site is allrecipes.com, but usually if you type in the recipe name in Google, you’ll also receive some hits.  If you’re in a huge rush, you can even call us at the reference desk (781-314-3425 X3) and we’ll look up the recipe for you.  Unfortunately, we won’t be here tomorrow, but you still have time to do that, today.

In fact a patron calling for a recipe a few years ago led me to my favorite Thanksgiving recipe — pumpkin cheesecake from EmerilLagasse.  While perusing on the Good Morning America website trying to find the patron’s recipe, I stumbled across this.  Loving pumpkin and pretty much anything that’s unhealthy, I made it and it’s become a Thanksgiving tradition with my family.  Here is the recipe, taken from the Good Morning America website:

Pumpkin Cheesecake

• 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs • 1/4 cup finely ground pecans • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted • Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature • 1 ½ cups sugar • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg • 2 large eggs • 2 large egg yolks • One 15-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin purée • ¼ cup heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Combine the cracker crumbs, pecans, brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix in the melted butter. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan.

3. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, the remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and the nutmeg in the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and yolks and beat just until blended. Mix in the pumpkin and cream. Spread the batter in the pan, and place it on a baking sheet.

4. Bake until the center is nearly set, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

5. Carefully run a sharp knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Remove the sides of the pan. Cool completely on the rack before covering tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well chilled before serving, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Note: I usually ground the pecans in a food processor and buy those graham cracker crumbs in a box. In the past when I haven’t had either of those things, I’ve put both the pecans and the graham crackers in several plastic bags and hammered them. Make sure you do that where no-one can hear you! I also don’t recommend taking a cholesterol test after eating this!
(Recipe from Good Morning America website.  Recipe excerpted from Prime Time Emeril by Emeril Lagasse, c. 2001, William Morrow).

Have a great Thanksgiving!  Todd will be posting some more Thanksgiving fun.
posted by Laura