Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Ronald Reagan and the Cold War

One of the more memorable quotes by a president during my lifetime has been when Ronald Reagan spoke those words, "Mr. Gorbachov, tear down that wall." To see the Berlin Wall crumble is one of those memorable experiences that will linger with one throughout the rest of his life. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library has issued a publication entitled Ronald Reagan, Intelligence, and the End of the Cold War. It is also available in print at PREX 3.22:R 22.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Wind Through the Keyhole


King, Stephen. The Wind Through the Keyhole. New York: Scribner, 2012.

Location: Lease Books
Call Number: F KIN

Publisher's Description: In The Wind Through the Keyhole, Stephen King returns to the rich landscape of Mid-World, the spectacular territory of the Dark Tower fantasy saga that stands as his most beguiling achievement.
Roland Deschain and his ka-tetJake, Susannah, Eddie, and Oy, the billy-bumbler—encounter a ferocious storm just after crossing the River Whye on their way to the Outer Baronies. As they shelter from the howling gale, Roland tells his friends not just one strange story but two . . . and in so doing, casts new light on his own troubled past.
In his early days as a gunslinger, in the guilt-ridden year following his mother’s death, Roland is sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape-shifter, a “skin-man” preying upon the population around Debaria. Roland takes charge of Bill Streeter, the brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast’s most recent slaughter. Only a teenager himself, Roland calms the boy and prepares him for the following day’s trials by reciting a story from the Magic Tales of the Eld that his mother often read to him at bedtime. “A person’s never too old for stories,” Roland says to Bill. “Man and boy, girl and woman, never too old. We live for them.” And indeed, the tale that Roland unfolds, the legend of Tim Stoutheart, is a timeless treasure for all ages, a story that lives for us.
King began the Dark Tower series in 1974; it gained momentum in the 1980s; and he brought it to a thrilling conclusion when the last three novels were published in 2003 and 2004. The Wind Through the Keyhole is sure to fascinate avid fans of the Dark Tower epic. But this novel also stands on its own for all readers, an enchanting and haunting journey to Roland’s world and testimony to the power of Stephen King’s storytelling magic.


Talking About Naval History

My father served in the Navy during World War II, so I'm always looking for resources that will enlighten me about the time he served. The Naval War College has a monograph series that provides all sorts of useful resources. One recent arrival is Talking About Naval History: A Collection of Essays. You'll find our copy in government documents at D 208.210: 19.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Marines and Afghanistan

Would you like to know more about the U.S. Marine Corps' involvement in the War on Terror in Afghanistan? The library has U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, 2001-2002: From the Sea available online and in print. You'll find the print version at D 214.13:AF 3 in our government documents collection. It has many color illustrations.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Afraid to Die


Jackson, Lisa. Afraid to Die. New York: Kensington, 2012.

Location: Lease Books
Call Number: F JAC

Publisher's Description:
Afraid To Scream
Others may dread the chill of winter, but he relishes it. The way the frigid water preserves his victims, the feel of their icy skin beneath his fingers... And soon the world will see their beauty—and his vengeance.
Afraid To Run
The town of Grizzly Falls is on edge in the wake of a serial killer, and Detective Selena Alvarez is no exception. That case was solved, but a new nightmare is about to unfold. There are two victims so far—their bodies found frozen solid and deliberately displayed. Both are women she knew. And each wears a piece of Selena’s jewelry…
Afraid To Die
Selena’s partner, Detective Regan Pescoli, and the entire department are on the case, as is P.I. Dylan O’Keefe—a man Selena got too close to once before. But this killer already knows too much about Selena’s secret terror, her flaws, and the past she’s tried to outrun. And soon he’ll show her that she has every reason to be afraid…


Author's Web Site: http://www.lisajackson.com/

Federal Student Aid

Did you know that there are materials on federal student aid in our government documents collection? We have Funding Your Education: Audio Highlights available in ED 1.83:F 96/CD. This item is available to be checked out. The CD case even contains a braille title!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Need a map of a country of the world?

Why not take a look at the maps produced by the Central Intelligence Agency? They offer maps on the physiography of countries in plainmetric and relief versions as well as maps showing the country's administrative divisions. Some recent arrivals include the most recent editions of the maps for Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, and Ecuador. There are also regional maps for Africa and East Asia. You will find these maps in PREX 3.10/4: They are cuttered by country.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Porch Lights


Frank, Dorothea Benton. Porch Lights. New York: William Morrow, 2012.

Location: Lease Books
Call Number: F FRA

Publisher's Description: When Jimmy McMullen, a fireman with the NYFD, is killed in the line of duty, his wife, Jackie, and ten-year-old son, Charlie, are devastated. Charlie idolized his dad, and now the outgoing, curious boy has become quiet and reserved. Trusting in the healing power of family, Jackie decides to return to her childhood home on Sullivans Island.
Crossing the bridge from the mainland, Jackie and Charlie enter a world full of wonder and magic—lush green and chocolate grasslands and dazzling red, orange, and magenta evening skies; the heady pungency of Lowcountry Pluff mud and fresh seafood on the grill; bare toes snuggled in warm sand and palmetto fronds swaying in gentle ocean winds.
Awaiting them is Annie Britt, the family matriarch who has kept the porch lights on to welcome them home. Thrilled to have her family back again, Annie promises to make their visit perfect—even though relations between mother and daughter have never been what you'd call smooth. Over the years, Jackie and Annie, like all mothers and daughters, have been known to have frequent and notorious differences of opinion. But her estranged and wise husband, Buster, and her flamboyant and funny best friend Deb are sure to keep Annie in line. She's also got Steven Plofker, the flirtatious and devilishly tasty widowed physician next door, to keep her distracted as well.
Captivated by the island's alluring natural charms and inspired by colorful Lowcountry lore—lively stories of Blackbeard and his pirates who once sailed the waters surrounding the Carolinas and of former resident Edgar Allan Poe—mother, daughter, and grandson will share a memorable, illuminating summer. Told in Annie's and Jackie's alternating voices, and filled with Dorothea Benton Frank's charming wit, indelible poignancy, and hallmark themes—the bonds of family, the heart's resilience, and the strength of love—Porch Lights is a triumph from "the queen of Southern fiction" (Charlotte Observer).


Author's Web Site: http://www.dotfrank.com/

Attu Boy

Book description from cover: Nick Golodoff was six years old when the peaceful life of his remote Aleutian village was interrupted by an invasion by the Japanese army on May 7, 1942. As soldiers poured into Attu on foot, shooting, Nick his in his neighbors' barabara, or sod house. The Japanese occupied Attu for two months before taking the Unangan occupants of the village to Otaru, a city on Hokkaido. Over the next three years nearly half the Attuans died of disease and starvation, among them Nick's father, brother, and sister. Nick's memoir tells, through a child's eyes, the story of that extraordinary and tragic experience, and reflect on his life in Atka after World War II. This book is well-illustrated and can be found in government documents at I 29.2:AT 8/2.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Leaving Guantanamo

The debate over housing detainees at Guantanamo is one that continues to this date. Although its closing has been announced, it remains in operation. The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Armed Services has prepared a publication entitled Leaving Guantanamo: Policies, Pressures, and Detainees Returning to the Fight. You can find it online or in government documents at Y 4.AR 5/2:G 93.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Immobility


Evenson, Brian. Immobility. New York: Tor, 2012.

Location: Lease Books
Call Number: F EVE

Publisher's Description: When you open your eyes things already seem to be happening without you. You don't know who you are and you don't remember where you've been. You know the world has changed, that a catastrophe has destroyed what used to exist before, but you can't remember exactly what did exist before. And you're paralyzed from the waist down apparently, but you don't remember that either.
A man claiming to be your friend tells you your services are required. Something crucial has been stolen, but what he tells you about it doesn't quite add up. You've got to get it back or something bad is going to happen. And you've got to get it back fast, so they can freeze you again before your own time runs out.
Before you know it, you're being carried through a ruined landscape on the backs of two men in hazard suits who don't seem anything like you at all, heading toward something you don't understand that may well end up being the death of you.
Welcome to the life of Josef Horkai….
Author's Web Site: http://www.brianevenson.com/

South Carolina's National Forests

Are you planning a vacation in South Carolina and would like to take in some outdoor recreational activities? The library has maps along with information on things to do in a couple of South Carolina's national forests. The Francis Marion National Forest is near Charleston. You'll find the map at A 13.36/2-6:R 8-RG-52 in government documents. The Sumter National Forest is in the state's northwestern corner and is not all that far from East Tennessee. You'll find this one at A 13.36/2-6:R 8-RG-48. Check these out before you head to South Carolina for your summer vacation.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Stones River

Are you planning a trip to Middle Tennessee soon? Perhaps you want to visit the historic Stones River National Battlefield near Murfreesboro. This historic battle was fought December 31, 1862 through January 2, 1863. I don't think it was a very Happy New Year for those involved in the battle or for the nearby residents. You will find a brochure with information on the battle and maps detailing the battle and how it fit into the Civil War at I 29.21:ST 7/3/2012. It will give you enough of an overview to prepare you for your trip to take in this piece of U.S. history.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Wicked Business


Evanovich, Janet. Wicked Business. New York: Bantam, 2012.

Location: Lease Books
Call Number: F EVA

Publisher's Description: Lizzy Tucker’s once normal life as a pastry chef in Salem, Massachusetts, turns upside down as she battles both sinister forces and an inconvenient attraction to her unnaturally talented but off-limits partner, Diesel.
 
When Harvard University English professor and dyed-in-the-wool romantic Gilbert Reedy is mysteriously murdered and thrown off his fourth-floor balcony, Lizzy and Diesel take up his twenty-year quest for the Luxuria Stone, an ancient relic believed by some to be infused with the power of lust. Following clues contained in a cryptic nineteenth-century book of sonnets, Lizzy and Diesel tear through Boston catacombs, government buildings, and multimillion-dollar residences. On their way they’ll leave behind a trail of robbed graves, public disturbances, and general mayhem.
 
Diesel’s black sheep cousin, Gerwulf Grimoire, also wants the Stone. His motives are far from pure, and what he plans on doing with the treasure, no one knows . . . but Lizzy Tucker fears she’s in his crosshairs. Never far and always watching, Grimoire has a growing, vested interest in the cupcake-baker-turned-finder-of-lost-things. As does another dangerous and dark opponent in the hunt—a devotee of lawlessness and chaos, known only as Anarchy.
 
Treasures will be sought, and the power of lust will be unmistakable as Lizzy and Diesel attempt to stay ahead of Anarchy, Grimoire, and his medieval minion, Hatchet, in this ancient game of twisted riddles and high-stakes hide-and-seek.


Author's Web Site: http://www.evanovich.com/

HABS and HAER

The National Park Service has a couple of projects that document some of America's historic structures. One of these projects is HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey). This project's goal is to document America's architectural heritage. The other is HAER (Historic American Engineering Record). This project's goal is to document America's engineering legacy. You can find out more about both projects by visiting the Built in America project at the American Memory Project. The library also has folding brochures on both project in our Government Documents collection. You will find the HABS brochure at I 29.2:H 62/43 and the HAER brochure at I 29.2:H 62/42. You may also find a brochure on HALS (Historic American Landscapes Survey) at I 29.2:H 62/41 and a brochure on CRGIS (Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems) at I 29.2:C 89/15.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Underground Railroad for Children

This post is especially for all of you teacher education students out there. Did you know that there are some great government publications out there that can provide activities for your students? One such item is Discovering the Underground Railroad: Junior Ranger Activity Book. This item was designed for the National Park Service's Junior Ranger program. (You can find more information on this program under the "For Kids" link on any National Park Service site's web page. This publication is online, but we also have a print copy at I 29.2:R 13/2 in government documents. There's an interesting blog post about this item and a couple of others published for Black History month at http://govbooktalk.gpo.gov/2012/02/27/underground-railroad/.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

True Sisters


Dallas, Sandra. True Sisters. New York: St. Martin's, 2012.

Location: Lease Books
Call Number: F DAL

Publisher's Description: In a novel based on true events, New York Times bestselling author Sandra Dallas delivers the story of four women---seeking the promise of salvation and prosperity in a new land---who come together on a harrowing journey.
In 1856, Mormon converts, encouraged by Brigham Young himself, and outfitted with two-wheeled handcarts, set out on foot from Iowa City to Salt Lake City, thepromised land. The Martin Handcart Company, a ragtag group of weary families headed for Zion, is the last to leave on this 1,300-mile journey. Three companies that left earlier in the year have completed their trek successfully, but for the Martin Company the trip proves disastrous. True Sisters tells the story of four women from the British Isles traveling in this group. Four women whose lives will become inextricably linked as they endure unimaginable hardships, each one testing the boundaries of her faith and learning the true meaning of survival and friendship along the way. 
There’s Nannie, who is traveling with her sister and brother-in-law after being abandoned on her wedding day. 
There’s Louisa, who’s married to an overbearing church leader who she believes speaks for God.
There’s Jessie, who’s traveling with her brothers, each one of them dreaming of the farm they will have in Zion.
And finally, there’s Anne, who hasn’t converted to Mormonism but who has no choice but to follow her husband since he has sold everything to make the trek to Utah.
Sandra Dallas has once again written a moving portrait of women surviving the unimaginable through the ties of female friendship. Her rich storytelling will leave you breathless as you take this trip with Nannie, Louisa, Jessie, and Anne. This is Sandra Dallas at her absolute best.

Author's Web Site: http://www.sandradallas.com/

Coyote and the Turtle's Dream



Some of the more interesting government publications that have come across our desk recently have been some of those published for Native Americans. The Native Diabetes Wellness Program has created a book aimed at younger readers called Coyote and the Turtle's Dream. You'll find this publication in our government documents collection at HE 20.7002:D 54/9.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

The Limits of Literary Historicism


Dunn, Allen and Haddox, Thomas F., eds. The Limits of Literary Historicism. (Tennessee Studies in Literature ; vol. 45). Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2011.

Note: This item may be on the New Book Shelf.
Call Number: 801.95 L629d

Publisher's Description: The Limits of Literary Historicism is a collection of essays arguing that historicism, which has come to dominate the professional study of literature in recent decades, has become ossified. By drawing attention to the limits of historicism—its blind spots, overreach, and reluctance to acknowledge its commitments—this provocative new book seeks a clearer understanding of what historicism can and cannot teach us about literary narrative.


Editors Allen Dunn and Thomas F. Haddox have gathered contributions from leading scholars that challenge the dominance of contemporary historicism. These pieces critique historicism as it is generally practiced, propose alternative historicist models that transcend mere formula, and suggest alternatives to historicism altogether. The volume begins with the editors’ extended introduction, “The Enigma of Critical Distance; or, Why Historicists Need Convictions,” and then is divided into three sections: “The Limits of Historicism,” “Engagements with History,” and “Alternatives to History.”

Defying convention, The Limits of Literary Historicism shakes up established modes to move beyond the claustrophobic analyses of contemporary historicism and to ask larger questions that envision more fulfilling and more responsible possibilities in the practice of literary scholarship.

Contents:  Introduction: The enigma of critical distance; or, why historicists need convictions / Allen Dunn and Thomas F. Haddox -- Pt. 1. The limits of historicism -- The historicization of literary studies / Jane Gallop -- The children of New Historicism: literary scholarship, professionalization, and the will to publish / Rebecca Munson and Claude Willan -- Faithful historicism and philosophical semi-retirement / Amy J. Elias -- Pt. 2. Engagements with history -- Fiction as history: Chesnutt's The marrow of tradition as source material / Bruce Plourde -- Bayard Taylor and the limits of Orientalism / Christoph Irmscher -- The prehistory of posthistoricism / Jeffrey Insko -- Pt. 3. Alternatives to history -- Modernism and the aesthetics of cultural studies / R. M. Berry -- Why modernist claims for autonomy matter / Charles M. Altieri.



Stalingrad to Berlin

The Center of Military History for the United States Army is in the process of republishing its Army Historical Series. These publications are a wealth of information on military history. Those of you interested in the European Theater of World War II will find Stalingrad to Berlin: The German Defeat in the East of interest. The 2011 edition is in government documents at D 114.2:ST 1/2011. The 1968 edition is in circulation at 940.5421 Z63s.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Inquisitor's Key


Bass, Jefferson. The Inquisitor's Key. New York: William Morrow, 2012.

Location: Lease Books
Call Number: F BAS

Publisher's Description: Miranda Lovelady, Dr. Bill Brockton's protégé, is spending the summer helping excavate a newly discovered chamber beneath the spectacular Palace of the Popes in Avignon, France. There she discovers a stone chest inscribed with a stunning claim: inside lie the bones of none other than Jesus of Nazareth. Faced with a case of unimaginable proportions, Miranda summons Brockton for help proving or refuting the claim. Both scientists are skeptical—after all, fake relics abounded during the Middle Ages—but evidence for authenticity looks strong initially, and soon grows stronger.
Brockton and Miranda link the bones to the haunting image on the Shroud of Turin, revered by millions as the burial cloth of Christ, and then a laboratory test finds the bones to be two thousand years old. The finding triggers a deadly tug-of-war between the anthropologists, the Vatican, and a deadly zealot who hopes to use the bones to bring about the Second Coming—and trigger the end of time.
Set against an international landscape, and weaving a rich tapestry of religion, history, art, and science, The Inquisitor's Key takes Jefferson Bass to an exciting new level of suspense.


Author's Web Site: http://www.jeffersonbass.com/

Sun, Moon, and Stars (and Much More)

If you are interested in finding out more about the sun, moon, planets, satellites, stars, and other astronomical phenomena, you will want to check out The Astronomical Almanac. This annual publication comes out in advance of the coverage year. You will find the almanacs for 2011, 2012, and 2013 on our Reference shelves at R 528.1 Un3a.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Civil War in the Southeast

I love all of those folding maps and brochures that the National Park Service produces. They've just released a new one called Civil War in the Southeast that includes a map of sites in the National Park system in the Southeastern United States that played a role in the Civil War. It includes the brief narratives as well. You'll find it in the Department of the Interior's section of our Government Documents section at I 29.2:C 49/10.

Friday, July 13, 2012

The Cottage at Glass Beach


Barbieri, Heather. The Cottage at Glass Beach. New York: Harper, 2012.

Location: Lease Books
Call Number: F BAR

Publisher's Description: Married to the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts state history, Nora Cunningham is a picture-perfect political wife and a doting mother. But her carefully constructed life falls to pieces when she, along with the rest of the world, learns of the infidelity of her husband, Malcolm.
Humiliated and hounded by the press, Nora packs up her daughters—Annie, seven; and Ella, twelve—and takes refuge on Burke's Island, a craggy spit of land off the coast of Maine. Settled by Irish immigrants, the island is a place where superstition and magic are carried on the ocean winds, and wishes and dreams wash ashore with the changing tides.
Nora spent her first five years on the island but has not been back to the remote community for decades—not since that long ago summer when her mother disappeared at sea. One night while sitting alone on Glass Beach below the cottage where she spent her childhood, Nora succumbs to grief, her tears flowing into the ocean. Days later she finds an enigmatic fisherman named Owen Kavanagh shipwrecked on the rocks nearby. Is he, as her aunt's friend Polly suggests, a selkie—a mythical being of island legend—summoned by her heartbreak, or simply someone who, like Nora, is trying to find his way in the wake of his own personal struggles?
Just as she begins to regain her balance, her daughters embark on a reckless odyssey of their own—a journey that will force Nora to find the courage to chart her own course and finally face the truth about her marriage, her mother, and her long-buried past.


Quarters One

For an interesting look at the history of the home of the United States Army's Chief of Staff, take a look at Quarters One: The United States Chief of Staff's Residence. This 48 page publication provides background information on the home and its occupants from over the years. You'll find it in government documents at D 114.2:Q 2/2011. We also have a publication on the home of the vice chief of staff entitled Quarters Eight: The United States Army Vice Chief of Staff's Residence. It is shelved at D 114.2:Q 216.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Public Health Grants

The 2010 Public Health Grant Narrative Booklet has arrived. This publication tells of grants awarded for the study of public health and the nature of those grants for the 2010 year. It is found at VA 1.2:H 34/19 in government documents.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Alaska Pre-History

If you are interested in Alaskan archaeology, check out The Penguq Site in Alaska Peninsula Prehistory. This well-illustrated occasional paper was published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Alaska Region, Branch of Regional Archaeology. You'll find it in government documents at I 20.70:4

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Economic Report of the President

Each year the president is required to give an economic report to Congress. This year's report was delivered in February 2012. This year's Economic Report of the President can be found at Y 1.1/7:112-77 in government documents.

Monday, July 09, 2012

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Have you ever thought that America was fighting in the Middle East all alone? A new government publication, Allied Participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom, will show you the breadth of the effort to free Iraq of its dictator. You will find it in government documents at D 114.2:IR 1/2.

Saturday, July 07, 2012

World War II & the Aleutian Islands

When we think of World War II, we often think of the battles fought in Europe and in Japan, of Pearl Harbor, of the battles in the Philippines, and of the infamous picture of the flag raising. The library has received a book entitled The Cultural Landscape of the World War II Battlefield of Kiska, Aleutian Islands. It's a very detailed study of the war effort there and includes sections on Kiska itself and on the Japanese and American/Canadian bases. You'll find this study in government documets at I 29.2:K 64.

Friday, July 06, 2012

Reducing the Deficit

One of the publications of the Congressional Budget Office is a book entitled Reducing the Deficit: Spending and Revenue Options (March 2011). It can be found in our Government Documents collection at Y 10.32:2011.

Thursday, July 05, 2012

Saugus Iron Works

The Saugus Iron Works in Boston date back to the mid-17th century.  The library has received a copy of Saugus Iron Works: The Roland W. Robbins Excavations, 1948-1953 as part of our Federal Depository Library Program. The book details excavations in the area and their findings! It's a great tool to discover a bit about life for some of our nation's earliest European settlers.

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book

Are you interested in legal studies? Are you interested in intelligence?

The library has received a copy of the Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book, published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Office of General Counsel, as part of our participation in the Federal Depository Library Program.

It can be found at PREX 28.20:2012/WIN.