Library Notes


Rebecca Hyde  


What is “aging”? It is not a disease, but a developmental process that affects body and mind. In the “Art of Aging: A Doctor’s Prescription for Well-Being,” Dr. Sherwin Nuland, clinical professor of surgery at Yale University, describes the aging process and suggests ways we can “attune” ourselves to its progress. We can choose to take an active, creative part in cultivating our personal art of aging. According to the professional literature of geriatrics, the ability to adapt, to learn and then accept one’s limitations is a determinant of “successful aging.” Dr. Nuland prefers “attune” to “adapt”: attuning ourselves to the passage of years means being “newly receptive to signals welcome and unwelcome, to a variety of experiences not previously within our range, while achieving a kind of harmony with the real circumstances of our lives.”

For Dr. Nuland the “real circumstances of our lives” do not include a vision of an ageless future in which the responses of our bodies to the passage of time, heredity, and the biology of life can be rearranged to prevent or even reverse aging. His “prescription for well-being” is not a detailed list of rules to follow but rather a description of those people who have lived creative and productive lives, managing limitations and chronic illnesses. There is a remarkable portrait of Michael DeBakey, who lived a life of “vibrant longevity.” What goals did he have at the age of ninety-six? He just had a schedule of things that needed to be done, but didn’t dwell on whether he was going to be alive to do them. “I’m absolutely sure I”ll arrive to where I’m going” was DeBakey’s philosophy, which applied to getting on a plane or death.

Two other books examine aging with differing doses of inspiration and hard realism. In “The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully,” Joan Chittister, a Benedictine Sister, offers a collection of essays on the rewards of “mature life,” or aging well. It is time to let go of fantasies of eternal youth and fears of getting older, and engage in a new stage of life. And it has its own purpose, which is to give us time to assimilate and make new choices in the way we live.

Susan Jacoby wrote “Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age.” She is a critic of the “young old age” or “new old age” featured in American culture. This new norm presents “a formidable obstacle to any effort to deal pragmatically with the social, economic, and medical problems associated with real old age.” As for the individual, the right to feel rotten affords better preparation for suffering and loss than inflated expectations that lead to real despair: it’s energizing. Jacoby was amazed at the intensity (and poetry) of her grandmother’s awareness of death. The old woman mourned the end of her usefulness but looking at the river said, “It’s good to know that the beauty of the world will go on without me.”

Culinary Cozy Reads
Sara Grajek

These days, there are many styles of murder mysteries. Some are written to keep you guessing throughout the book, wondering ‘whodunit’. Some keep you jumping at every turn of the page, with plot twists and turns. Others can be defined as cozy mysteries. These usually feature an amateur detective, are set in a small town or village, and are gentle reads. The murder is not gruesome or graphic and may even take place out of sight with only a quick description. Most of the book takes place with the main character (who is usually very likeable) tracking down the killer, with the help of the local police (who is often very handsome). Sub-categories have even developed within cozy mysteries, with culinary, quilting, animals, and home repair themes. Culinary mysteries may be set in a restaurant or catering business and recipes are usually included for the dishes that are mentioned in the story.

In Jessica Beck’s, The Donut Shop Mysteries, Suzanne Hart is owner of the local donut shop. When she finds her friend and loyal customer dead in front of her shop she quickly takes on more than just baking. With the help of a hunky state police officer, she becomes an amateur investigator, determined to find out who killed her friend. A cast of characters including an ex-husband, a wacky best friend, and an ex-cop who gives inside information all add up to create a fun, light-hearted mystery. Start with Glazed Murder and work your way through to the most recently published Tragic Toppings. Pair with your own Krispy Kreme doughnut and a cup of coffee for extra fun.

While you are making your coffee, you can start Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery series. With titles such as Through the Grinder, Roast Mortem, and her newest, Murder by Mocha, Coyle serves up a shot of mystery and love in each offering. Set in New York City, the Coffeehouse Mysteries are written by a husband and wife team under the pseudonym of Cleo Coyle and each book is set in a popular NYC location. Tidbits about coffee and coffee making are interspersed with murder mystery as barista Claire Cosi tracks down murderers in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and sleuths with NYPD firemen.

Laura Childs has several popular mystery series, including one set in a Tea Shop. In Death by Darjeeling, the Indigo Tea Shop is a local Charleston favorite. At a catered event, one of the guests is found dead due to drinking tea. Naturally, the shop owner, Theodosia Browning, is the first suspect. She must take the investigation into her own hands in order to prove her innocence and save the tea shop. Look for other titles in the series such as Shades of Earl Gray and Scones and Bones. For light mysteries that will make you hungry for more, stop by Rowan Public Library for one of these delicious reads today!

Fall Into a Great Children’s Book
Dara L. Cain

Fall is the perfect time for outdoor family activities. What could be more enjoyable then spending time with your family bobbing for apples, pumpkin picking, attending festivals, and jumping into piles of fallen leaves! To get in the spirit of the Fall season be sure to get your hands on these great books to share with your child.

Who doesn’t think of Johnny Chapman, known best as Johnny Appleseed during this time of year. Jane Yolen’s biography Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth recounts both the facts and the legend of this historical figure. The text is fixed in rectangular boxes that give the appearance of frayed-edge leaf torn from an old book and the beautiful paintings are sure to captivate your child’s attention. The author in poetic stanza talks about the legends of Johnny and under the verses details about Chapman’s family, his growing desire to travel west, and the heritage he left behind are included.

It’s always fun to go to the pumpkin fields each year as a family to search among the many different sizes and shapes of pumpkins in hopes of finding the perfect one. Turn your pumpkin outing into a teachable moment by sharing with your child the story Life Cycle of a Pumpkin by Ron Fridell and Patricia Walsh. Your child will have a fun time learning about the life cycle of a pumpkin through simple text and full-color photographs. Discover how big pumpkins grow, why pumpkins have very big leaves, and what you can make with pumpkins.

It is so beautiful to witness the leaves on the trees change color from green to yellow, red, and orange during this wonderful time of year. In the book Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins explore with your child an album of life-size autumn leaves and their changing colors. The photographs realistically show the imperfections of the leaves found from various areas of the country and their intriguing shapes. Observe the leaves of the smoke tree and how they resemble paddles, how the linden tree consists of leaves that appear to be hearts, and many more. For the inquisitive child a one-page explanation as to why green leaves of summer change color is included at the end of the book.

Here are a few more noteworthy books you’ll definitely want to read with your child for enjoyment. The protagonist in the story Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert is cleverly made from an assortment of real autumn leaves to form his body and acorns for eyes. One day Leaf Man is carried away by the wind and it is up to the reader to follow his trail “past the chickens, towards the marsh, over the ducks and geese” which are all creatively arranged from leaf collages too. The characters Cat, Squirrel, and Duck each have their own assigned duties when it comes to cooking their famous pumpkin soup in the story Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper. When Duck decides one day that instead of pouring the salt he wants to be the stirrer all chaos breaks loose among the friends. Linda White tells the story of Rebecca Estelle, an old woman who has despised pumpkins ever since she was a girl. When an enormous pumpkin falls off a truck and crashes into her yard she covers the pumpkin with dirt. You must read the story Too Many Pumpkins to find out how one forgotten pumpkin turns into many. One of my personal favorites The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams is about a little old lady who is not afraid of anything. She encounters a pumpkin head, a tall black hat, and other spooky objects that follow her through the dark woods trying to scare her.

All of these wonderful Fall books are available at Rowan Public Library!

Library Notes November 4, 2011

Culinary Cozy Reads

Sara Grajek

These days, there are many styles of murder mysteries. Some are written to keep you guessing throughout the book, wondering ‘whodunit’. Some keep you jumping at every turn of the page, with plot twists and turns. Others can be defined as cozy mysteries. These usually feature an amateur detective, are set in a small town or village, and are gentle reads. The murder is not gruesome or graphic and may even take place out of sight with only a quick description. Most of the book takes place with the main character (who is usually very likeable) tracking down the killer, with the help of the local police (who is often very handsome). Sub-categories have even developed within cozy mysteries, with culinary, quilting, animals, and home repair themes. Culinary mysteries may be set in a restaurant or catering business and recipes are usually included for the dishes that are mentioned in the story.

In Jessica Beck’s, The Donut Shop Mysteries, Suzanne Hart is owner of the local donut shop. When she finds her friend and loyal customer dead in front of her shop she quickly takes on more than just baking. With the help of a hunky state police officer, she becomes an amateur investigator, determined to find out who killed her friend. A cast of characters including an ex-husband, a wacky best friend, and an ex-cop who gives inside information all add up to create a fun, light-hearted mystery. Start with Glazed Murder and work your way through to the most recently published Tragic Toppings. Pair with your own Krispy Kreme doughnut and a cup of coffee for extra fun.

While you are making your coffee, you can start Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery series. With titles such as Through the Grinder, Roast Mortem, and her newest, Murder by Mocha, Coyle serves up a shot of mystery and love in each offering. Set in New York City, the Coffeehouse Mysteries are written by a husband and wife team under the pseudonym of Cleo Coyle and each book is set in a popular NYC location. Tidbits about coffee and coffee making are interspersed with murder mystery as barista Claire Cosi tracks down murderers in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and sleuths with NYPD firemen.

Laura Childs has several popular mystery series, including one set in a Tea Shop. In Death by Darjeeling, the Indigo Tea Shop is a local Charleston favorite. At a catered event, one of the guests is found dead due to drinking tea. Naturally, the shop owner, Theodosia Browning, is the first suspect. She must take the investigation into her own hands in order to prove her innocence and save the tea shop. Look for other titles in the series such as Shades of Earl Gray and Scones and Bones. For light mysteries that will make you hungry for more, stop by Rowan Public Library for one of these delicious reads today!