Fun book; new author

I was browsing the shelves at Shorewood-Troy Public Library and saw a book with a fun title/cover. I know the old saying "never judge a book by its cover" but I went ahead and checked it out.

The book was called My heart may be broken but my hair still looks good by Dixie Cash. Fans of Janet Evanovich might enjoy this one. While it's not quite as laugh out loud funny as the Stephanie Plum novels but I still enjoyed the offbeat characters! This book is similiar to the Evanovich novels with crudeness so please be aware before you read it.

Mary S, Director

Hollywood Blvd Theater

Hollywood Blvd is a wonderful theater in Woodridge that serves food and drink (both alcoholic and non-) while you enjoy your movie. I was just there last weekend to see Slumdog Millionaire with my family. My dad especially enjoyed the high-backed leather desk chairs which you sit in (he's very tall and normal theater seats are awkward and uncomfortable for him). There is a wide variety of food on the menu, including appetizers, salads, burgers, and pizza. Last time I was there I had "Potato Munch Skins" and "Jake & Elwood's Beef & Cheddar" sandwich. If you're in for dessert, I recommend the "Bullwinkle J. Moosecake." Everything on the menu has a clever movie-related name, which greatly amuses me. You can also get popcorn and candy if you're a traditionalist.

Check out their website, http://www.atriptothemovies.com/, to view directions, movie times, and the menu. If you are planning to take your family, please make sure you note which showings allow minors with adults. Some shows in the evenings are adults-only.

-Miranda C.

New favorite Christian author....

I have recently discovered Melody Carlson. She writes what I term "light Christian" fiction. In other words, the book includes Christian language but doesn't hit you over the head with it. 

Melody's books are easy and quick to read. They are often lighthearted, although they might contain a serious note in the story.

I wholeheartedly recommend this author if you are a fan of Christian fiction or lighthearted reads.

Mary S.

Hulu

Hulu.com is a great website that has hundreds of television episodes and movies streaming for free. You can view content without an account, but the benefit to creating an account is that you can queue your favorite content. Once you have signed up for a free user account, you can add individual episodes and movies to your queue, and/or you can subscribe to series. Subscriptions will automatically add the newest episodes of your favorite shows to your queue as soon as they are added to the site. This is a handy tool if you're like me and always forget or don't have time to tune in to your favorite shows during the week, but don't have a TiVo. It has helped me stay up-to-date with some of my favorite shows like The Office, 30 Rock, and Bones.

Hulu has a wide variety of shows and movies from which to choose. I believe Hulu is owned by NBC Universal, so most NBC shows are available, but there are still many popular shows from all networks available for viewing. Shows like Bones, Battlestar Galactica, and The Colbert Report are all popular shows from other networks (Fox, SciFi, and Comedy Central respectively) that are available free on Hulu. Even if a show isn't available to view on Hulu, the website will provide links to episodes available elsewhere. For example, Gossip Girl isn't available through Hulu, but there are links to the current episodes on the CW's website. Not that I wanted to watch Gossip Girl or anything...


- Miranda C, Circ Assistant

New book

I was working the circ desk one day when a patron returned a book with a Christmas sticker. The title of the book is I Saw Mommy Kicking Santa Claus by Ann Hodgman. I thought the book was a humorous story, possible a romance, about Christmas so I checked it out.

Well it's actually a non-fiction book about surviving the holidays. I am so glad I checked this book out! It has some great ideas in it about ways to make the holidays easier, more meaningful and last longer. My favorite idea from the book is to "thin out Christmas" by spreading out your traditions. 

If you're looking for a helpful book on surviving the holidays, check it out. I think the ideas in it will actually be applicable to other situations, such as planning a family vacation or enjoying summer break. I enjoyed Ann's writing style and have placed holds for the other two books we have by her. 

Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did!

Mary S.