Happy (Anti) Valentine's Day!

Chocolates, roses, cards.  Romance books, romance movies, romance whatever.  Yup, Valentine's Day has come again.  Depending on how you're feeling in your relationship or lack thereof, you're either loving or hating Cupid's holiday.

In the past, I've written about library items to help all the lovebirds out there, but what about all the lonelyhearts?  Well, this post is written for all of you down on love.  If you're looking for something that won't have you gagging on lovey-dovey couples that can't stop smooching, here are some books and movies that might appeal to you:

Books

• 1984 (George Orwell)  You don't need an enemy when you have a partner who betrays you when imprisoned and begs for you to be tortured instead of them. Very romantic.
• Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)  Love?  What's love?  In this futuristic society, there's no love, sex is recreational, babies are grown inside bottles, and everybody takes happy drugs.
• The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)  Guy loves woman, woman marries someone else for money, guy gets rich and buys big house to lure woman away, and it's ends bad.  Really bad.

Movies

• Fatal Attraction  Don't cheat because the person you cheat with may be seriously psycho.  Poor bunny.
• Revolutionary Road  Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are definitely not feeling the love in this movie.  They're not crazy about each other and they both hate their lives.
• The War of the Roses  What can be more anti-romantic than a couple divorcing?  Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas fight to the end.  The very bitter end. 

To all you lonelyhearts out there, know that you're not alone.  Take comfort that Valentine's Day is almost over and you have 364 days to make the next one hopefully better.

Sending you good, positive vibes this Valentine's Day from the perch.

New Year's Resolutions for Book Nerds

We're about two weeks into the New Year.  Perhaps you've made some resolutions?  Maybe you're doing a good job keeping up with those resolutions, or have you already abandoned them?  Whether or not you're doing well on those promises you made to yourself, I'm not one to judge.  In the spirit of the New Year and resolutions, however, I thought it might be fun to share with you Barnes and Noble's list of New Year's Resolutions for Book Nerds (I especially like numbers 1, 5, and 19):

1. I will stop losing bookmarks.
2. I will keep my “all-nighters to read a book from cover to cover” down to once a week.
3. I will do things other than read on weekends. Things like interact with other humans, eat things other than cereal, absorb sunlight, and appreciate trees.
4. I will give people who don’t read a chance. Maybe.
5. I will conquer the 100 greatest novels of all time.
6. I will choose a literary prize and read every book that has ever won that prize.
7. I will be faithful to one book club, instead of joining five different ones and just reading whatever I want.
8. I will shed 20 pounds from my bookshelves so they’re not straining under a potentially hazardous amount of weight.
9. I will exercise more by walking around the bookstore five times before making my purchases.
10. Before passing judgment on a genre of books, I will read three books in that genre first.
11. I will read a book in another language, even if it’s The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss.
12. I will organize my book collection in a way that other sentient beings can understand.
13. I will diligently record every book I read this year and my thoughts on them.
14. I will stop being late to things because I got distracted by a book.
15. In fact, I will show up extra early to everything so I have time to read while waiting.
16. I will stop judging people who see the movie before reading the book.
17. I will stop recommending books with ultimatums like, “If you don’t love this book, we can’t be friends!”
18. I will finally finish that one book I’ve tried to start four times already.
19. I will keep one book on my nightstand instead of a tower of precariously piled hardcovers that could topple at any minute and crush me in my sleep.
20. When my significant other reads a book I love, I will not sit and stare at them while they read. Nor will I keep asking, “Are you at (my favorite part) yet?”

Don't forget--the library has plenty of materials for your enlightenment and entertainment...and they're all FREE!  And stop by the perch if you have any questions or just want to say hi to your friendly, neighborhood perch librarian.

Wishing you a good start to the year from the perch.

Are Holiday Cards Dead?

It's that most wonderful time of the year again.  That time when we go crazy buying gifts, baking cookies, and having cups of cheer.  It's also that time of year when we send holiday cards to each other.  Or is it?

I don't know about you, but I'm seeing fewer and fewer Christmas cards in my mailbox, and by mailbox I mean the snail mail box rather than my email inbox.  Sure, everything has become more electronic these days with email, texts, and various social media outlets, but Christmas tended to be the one time of the year when people actually bought paper cards, sat down to write them, and stick stamps on envelopes.  However, I'm seeing that changing.  It now seems that even once a year is too much trouble for some people to send cards.

In case you were wondering, the tradition of sending Christmas cards began in the UK in 1843 when Sir Henry Cole, who was working in what was the newly established Post Office, thought of a new way for more people to use the mail service.  He and an artist friend, John Horsley, came up with the idea of making and selling cards to be sent at Christmas with holiday wishes.

I have to admit that I always look forward to checking my mailbox this time of year and finding cards from people I haven't heard from in a while.  I love seeing the festive pictures on the cards and reading the few words that the sender has penned by hand.  The Christmas cards I receive each year become part of my holiday decor, adorning a shelf near the Christmas tree.

Personally, it would sadden me if Christmas cards were to completely disappear.  Although I have nothing against electronic means of communication, I feel something would be lost without paper cards wishing Season's Greetings.  In the meantime, I will continue to send Christmas cards until stores no longer sell them or I stop receiving them in the mail, whichever comes first.

Wishing you Happy Holidays from the perch.

Be Mindful, You Should

If you're a Star Wars fan like me, then it should be no surprise that the next movie, The Last Jedi, is just around the corner.  Since the first movie came out 40 years ago, people young and old continue to be captivated by events that happened "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away."

Sure, Star Wars is a great sci-fi story with the classic good versus evil theme, but it also has ideas rooted in various world belief systems that speak to everyone regardless of religion, ethnicity, and race.  Some of those ideas might be useful in getting through the holidays as well as other busy and stressful times.

"Meditate on this, I will." -Yoda
Meditation is a great way to take a moment, calm down, and find focus.  Set aside 5 minutes, find a quiet spot to sit down, close your eyes, and breathe. 

"Be mindful of your thoughts...they will betray you." -Obi-Wan Kenobi
Don't dwell on the negative, and don't make mountains out of mole hills. 

"Let go of your hate." -Luke Skywalker
Hating is destructive, and holding grudges don't do anyone good.  Forgiveness may be directed toward another, but it's also a gift you give yourself. 

"Do or do not.  There is no try." -Yoda 
Be confident and just do it, whatever it is.  You can handle things.
 
"Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs." -Qui-Gon Jinn
Yesterday is over, tomorrow hasn't come yet.  Focus on the present moment, because you can only do something about today.

As Yoda might say--stress over the holidays do not; be mindful of your feelings and clear your mind, you should.  And don't forget that the library has plenty of materials to further help you de-stress (and we got Star Wars books and DVDs, too!).

Wishing you a calm, peaceful, and mindful Holiday Season from the perch.

 

Harry Potter...20 Years Later

Is it really 20 years since the first Harry Potter book was published?

Somehow, it doesn't seem like so long ago when kids (and kids at heart) eagerly awaited the next book in the series to find out what happened to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the gang at Hogwarts.  Bookstores across the country had midnight parties with people of all ages dressed in wizarding robes waiting to buy the newest book.  I remember my mailman giddy with excitement when he rang my doorbell to personally deliver my copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix purchased from Amazon.

What is it about the Harry Potter series that continues to appeal to new generations as well as kids and adults alike?  It's always amazing when something like a book or a movie stands the test of time, resonating with people all over the world.

Maybe it's the fascinating world that author J. K. Rowling created?  A special train that takes students from Platform 9 3/4 to a special school of magic.  Classes from Potions to Transfiguration to Defense Against the Dark Arts.  Culinary delights such as butterbeer, pumpkin pasties, chocolate frogs, and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.  Extraordinary creatures including dragons, hippogriffs, centaurs, basilisks, and house elves.  Not to mention an evil wizard and his cohorts who want to kill the title character and terrorize everyone else.

Whatever it is, the Harry Potter series captures the imagination of both young and old.  It connects generations, giving kids, parents, and grandparents something they can enjoy together as a family.  Additionally, it transforms reluctant readers into book lovers and teaches that the power of love and friendship is the greatest magic of all.

If you've never read the books, perhaps now is the time to start; if you have read them, take the time to revisit.  Stop by the library to check out a Harry Potter book or movie and put yourself under its spell for the first time or once again.

Sending you magical greetings from the perch.

Teal Pumpkins!

They're coming.  Perhaps you've seen them.  Maybe even in your own neighborhood.  They're round.  They're teal.  They're...pumpkins!

Are teal pumpkins some strange mutation of the iconic Halloween squash?  The short answer is no.  The long answer is teal pumpkins are just regular pumpkins painted teal and placed outside of houses offering non-food trick-or-treat items on Halloween.

What?  No candy?  No chocolate?  No munchies of any kind?  Why???

Nowadays, it seems that more kids (and adults) have different kinds of food allergies.  There are people allergic to things like wheat, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, sesame, fish, and other items.

Imagine being a kid with a food allergy.  All your friends are out trick-or-treating but you can't go because you can't eat the treats.  Not much fun, is it?

However, kids with food allergies can take part in the fun if they can get treats other than food.  Glow sticks, pencils, erasers, coloring sheets, and stickers are popular with all kids.  Of course, you can still have candy on hand to pass out if you'd like, but just be sure to ask the little monsters coming to your door whether they would like candy or a non-food item.  And be careful of some non-food items, such as latex, because some people have allergies to those things as well.

If you'd like to put a teal pumpkin outside your door this year (or just print out a sheet with a teal pumpkin), take a look at the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) website for more information.  You may just make a lot of goblins happy this year and save your front yard from getting toilet papered.

Wishing you a fun and safe Halloween from the perch.

Polish Heritage Month

It seems like every month we're celebrating one thing or another at the library, and October is no different.  For the first time we're celebrating Polish Heritage Month with a big display by our front door.  Yay!

When you think of Polish things, what usually comes to mind?  Kiełbasy (a.k.a. Polish sausage)?  Pierogi?  Maybe even polkas and polka music?  (For the record, the polka actually originated as a Czech dance, but Polish-Americans have made it a part of their culture.)

Although it may not be obvious at first glance, Poles have made great contributions to the world.  Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus came up with the heliocentric theory which placed the sun rather than the earth in the center of the universe.  Composer Frédéric Chopin wrote all those beautiful piano concertos that we love so much.  Scientist Marie Curie (née Skłodowska) discovered the two elements of radium and polonium, naming the latter after her native country.  And let's not forget those Polish military commanders, Kazimierz Pułaski and Tadeusz Kościuszko, who fought in the American Revolution and helped the Colonies win their independence from Britain.  The list of names goes on and on.

In the United States, 3% of the population (that's over 9.5 million people, including yours truly) are of Polish descent.  Chicago has the largest number of Poles outside of Warsaw, Poland.  The first Poles in the country were in Jamestown in 1609, establishing glassmaking and woodworking industries.  Polish-Americans can be found in all fields, including sports, journalism, entertainment, science, politics, literature, and others.  Chances are good that some of your friends or co-workers are Polish.

So, put on your Polish this month!  Learn to dance the Polonaise, watch an Andrzej Wajda movie, read a book by Henryk Sienkiewicz, and bake an awesome babka.  Or just have some Polish candies at the perch until they're gone.

Wishing everyone a Happy Polish Heritage Month from the perch!  Wszystkiego najlepszego!  (All the best!)