Cartoons with Math Crossover Appeal

I bought a ukulele after a week of watching Adventure Time videos with my son. Such is the power of kids' cartoons. SOME kids' cartoons, I hasten to add. Many are terrible. Caillou, I'm looking at you here.

I have a friend who managed to get through his kids' younger years while imposing a strict 30-minute daily diet of children's television viewing. I used to admire his discipline but now that my son is 6 years old I regard this as an excessively rigorous rule. For parents.

This is especially true since there are so many math cartoons these days! Creative musical scores, delightfully twisted plots, dark humour, clever pop culture references: these cartoons will have you laughing out loud whatever your age. Here are a few animated TV shows that are a hit with both me and my son:

Clarence chronicles the misadventures of the 4th-grade title character and his friends, Jeff and Sumo. Spoiler Alert! The mystery piñata from the pilot episode is actually filled with bees! Fun fact! IMDb tells me that Jeff's appearance was inspired by Steve of Minecraft fame.

I've loved Gravity Falls from that very first scene in season 2 when the main characters pretend to hork (as my son would say) on each other with silly string.

A big part of the appeal of The Amazing World of Gumball is the choice to have actual kids voice the main characters, Gumball, Darwin, and Anais.

Uncle Grandpa is pleasantly bizarre. Good mornin'!

Samurai Jack is back! New episodes of this smartly animated cartoon are due to air in 2016, though without the talents of Mako Iwamatsu, the original voice for the evil antagonist, Aku. Even so, exciting!

Finally, Adventure Time has the best words. And ukulele songs.

Staff Pick: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Early on in Nguyen’s debut novel, The Sympathizer, our conflicted protagonist recalls himself as a teenager, masturbating with the aid of a dead squid. It is a visceral scene, the kind read through parted fingers, equally disgusting and fascinating. Relayed in the rational but detached style that characterizes the book, Nguyen’s narrator confesses fully and frankly, without shame.

Immediately following the masturbation scene, is an equally robust description of an elaborate dinner featuring that very same squid. Too precious to throw away, our narrator describes the process of marking, cooking, and (with no small pleasure) eating the squid he has gleefully violated only hours earlier. It sounded so delicious that I was compelled to set down the book and Google ingredients until I had found something approximating the recipe.

This juxtaposition of pleasure and disgust, running the gamut of uncomfortable emotional reactions, perfectly characterizes The Sympathizer’s brilliance. Our narrator, a South Vietnamese Communist mole at the tail end of the Vietnam War, frames his story as a confession, but while description of his crimes is thorough and unflinching, his confessors and the nature of his arrest remain in shadow until near the book’s end.

Nguyen is a Vietnamese American who has previously published academic and historical books and articles in the field of Asian-American Studies. His narrator’s ambiguous cynicism exposes equally the particular atrocities of both nations. While much has been written and filmed in America about Vietnam, The Sympathizer reveals how very little of this literature has been from the view of those most intimately involved in the conflict, namely the Vietnamese people. Nguyen’s novel is both a step to correct that imbalance, and a skewering satire of American popular culture.

If you’d like to read more ideologically-driven, intricately plotted novels about East Asian Communism, try The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson. Set in contemporary North Korea, Johnson’s protagonist tries creative, audacious ways to evade government interference. On the other hand, if you’d like to read more books featuring protagonists who attempt to return home after a sojourn in America, I highly recommend Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah. Though Americanah and The Sympathizer are very different novels plot-wise, both examine the themes of racism and culture shock in America through the eyes of immigrants.

Judge a book by its format

If you wander the shelves in the library you can come across so many unique books. I wanted to share some of the really interesting formats and styles that I have found along the way.

S by J.J. Abrams

S is a fun mystery that looks like a library book covered in notes between two students. Tucked inside are 22 pieces of ephemera including postcards, letters, newsletters, and more. Everything combines beautifully to create a story within a story:you are reading a novel and at the same time you are reading the conversation between two readers that is written in the margins.

John Wayne : the genuine article : the unseen archive of an American legend by Michael Goldman

This is a non-fiction book full of good information and glossy photos. The best part is that this book goes a step further and has actual replicas of memorabilia tucked throughout. You can open up envelopes and pull out movie posters and letters. Fans can read everything from telegrams wishing John Wayne happy birthday to letters from the United States Senate.

Neil Patrick Harris : choose your own autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

This is the most unique autobiography that I have ever come across. I don’t know about you, but I used to love reading choose your own adventure books. I eventually had to stop reading them because I had a tendency to always pick the story line that ended in death. Then I felt compelled to backtrack and try again - it got very confusing after a while. There is a risk of piranhas in Neil Patrick Harris’s book, but it is a fun enough idea to be worth the risk.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

This book glows in the dark! “The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco web-design drone, and serendipity, sheer curiosity and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey have landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead ' checking out' impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he has embarked on a complex analysis of the customers' behaviour and roped his friends into helping him figure out just what's going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr.Penumbra, they discover the secrets extend far beyond the walls of the bookstore.”

Knit Socks! : 15 cool patterns for toasty feet by Betsy Lee McCarthy

This book is interesting because the cover is actually shaped like a sock. A fun preview for some of the unique pairs of socks this book will teach you to make. “With a little help from nationally renowned knitting teacher Betsy McCarthy, you can produce a pair of beautiful socks on your first try. These 15 unique, easy-to-follow patterns will give you the confidence to get started and the skills you need to tackle more challenging projects. Down-to-earth advice about choosing yarns and needles will make your very special handknit socks last for years.”- Back cover

Cookbooks for Those Who Can’t Cook

The culinary arts have never been my forte. I consider putting together a basic casserole to be a great personal achievement. In an effort to improve my beginner-level cooking skills, I have assembled a list of cookbooks that are great for a beginner or someone who struggles to find the time to cook.

The Can’t Cook Book by Jessica Seinfeld is definitely aimed at beginners, but it still manages to offer a wide range of recipes. Along the way, the author includes some great resources to help support the reader as they attempt to cook. One of my favourites is a “how-to” section which offers tips and instructions for doing things like chopping and storing herbs. There is also a “quickies” section at the back with some fun, quick and healthy snack ideas. This book would be great for someone who is a beginner in the kitchen and is interested in learning to cook healthy meals.

Weeknight Easy: 185 really quick, simply delicious recipes, is a recent Good Housekeeping publication. This book is aimed at those who struggle to put a meal together at the end of a busy day. Most meals are ready to eat in 30 minutes or less. My favourite sections include “Fix it and Forget it,” an entire chapter filled with slow cooker recipes, and “Wrap it Up,” which includes a variety of wrap recipes using tortillas or pitas, as well as great sandwich and taco ideas. This book is perfect for someone who doesn’t have much time or energy to prepare a meal, and would like some quick, delicious recipes.

Mug Meals, by Dina Cheney, only includes recipes that you make in a mug using a microwave. This is my kind of cooking! I was happy with how simple and easy the recipes were, and surprised by the wide variety of meal options the author can make in a mug. This book includes recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. All you need is a microwave and a good sized, microwavable mug!

Michael Smith’s Family Meals, is a great cookbook aimed at helping families plan healthy meals with very little time. Throughout the book you can find tips and tricks for planning ahead, keeping your kitchen clean and packing lunches. One of Smith’s great suggestions is to create a large batch of “house red sauce,” or a basic homemade tomato sauce. By preparing it ahead of time, you would then have it ready to make a quick pasta dish on a busy night. Recipes are quite basic and designed to be easy to put together.

Steampunk

Love steampunk? Love making things yourself? Check out these great DIY steampunk books.

Needles and Artifice : a refined adventure story with ingenious knitting patterns edited by Shannon Okey.

I love the idea of this book. Not only does it teach you some great patterns but you get a story too!

"Gentle ladies and kind sirs: welcome to the world of Needles and Artifice, where corseted Victorian fashion gets an energized infusion of punk. In this fantastically playful take on steampunk knitwear design, the Ladies of Mischief offer not only 23 original patterns, but also a high-flying, busk-snapping adventure that plays out across each chapter. Pull on your goggles and spats, knitters: you're in for a wild ride" back cover.

Steampunk Accessories : 20 projects to help you nail the style, from goggles to cell phone cases, pocket gauntlets, and jewelry by Nicola Tedman

This book is a great starting place for that perfect steampunk outfit. My favorite project in this book is “the adventurer’s belt” which looks and sounds fabulous.

“Steampunk enthusiasts are imaginative dressers. But when it comes to accessorizing the perfect steampunk costume, it can be hard to find what you’re looking for in stores or online. So here’s a complete guide to making your own distinct accessories with ease!”  back cover

Steampunk Softies : scientifically minded dolls from a past that never was by Sarah Skeate

This book will teach you how to make some truly unique dolls. I like that they all have a small backstory and fantastical names.

“Meet the Steampunk Softies, a charmingly raffish cast of characters for you to make, each with his or her own unique personality. From Charity Storm, the aviatrix who sports a set of built-in wings, to Tompion Zeitgeist, the sinister illusionist with mesmerizing eyes, each of the eight softies has a story to tell and all are firmly rooted in a past that never quite existed.”  back cover

Steampunk Tea Party: from cakes & toffees to jams & teas : 30 Neo-Victorian steampunk recipes from far-flung galaxies, underwater worlds & airborne excursions by Jema Emilly Ladybird Hewitt.

Yum is all I can say about this book. I love the idea of a tea party, especially the sweets! This book will help you throw the perfect steampunk tea party. It teaches you to make everything from “Gingerbread Woppits” to “Lunar Regimental Chutney”.

"Join Miss Emilly Ladybird on a delicious adventure as she travels to fascinating destinations--just in time for tea! Whether enjoying a relaxing tea ceremony in Shangri-La or protecting Her Majesty's tea and cake against Martians, her exploits will be both tantalizing and tasty!"--From publisher.

Planning a Wedding

If you are in the process of planning a wedding, you probably know that costs can add up very quickly. For those that are taking a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach, there are a lot of great resources at the library that can help guide you through the wedding planning process. The selection of books listed below are filled with creative, DIY ideas to help you put together a beautiful, fun and affordable celebration. Keep in mind, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Visit your local library to find more titles on wedding etiquette, flowers, cakes, making your own wedding dress, speeches or toasts, destination weddings, etc. Don’t forget that we also have wedding magazines available for you to borrow!

The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings, by Carley Roney and the editors of TheKnot.com is a fantastic resource, filled with pretty much everything you need to consider while planning a wedding. This is a great book to keep you on track and ensure you don’t forget anything. Included is a section to help you manage your budget, tips for determining your wedding day timeline, and inspiration and ideas for choosing your wedding colours.

Another great wedding planning resource is, A Priceless Wedding: crafting a meaningful, memorable, and affordable celebration, by Sara Cotner. This book has more of an emphasis on tips and tricks for keeping costs low and includes lots of DIY ideas. Includes very practical advice on how to deejay your own wedding and ideas for creating low-cost save-the-dates and invitations. This book is also filled with stories and advice from couples who planned their own wedding and can share their own experiences.

I am always impressed with the creative projects I see in Mollie Makes magazines and book series. Mollie Makes Weddings: projects & ideas as unique as you are, edited by Lara Watson, is no exception. This book includes 20 different projects that you can adapt and customize for your own wedding. Highlights include napkin rings that can also be used as place cards, adorable cake toppers, and handmade corsages and boutonnieres. Templates for each of the projects are included at the back of the book.

DIY Wedding Manual: the step-by-step guide to creating your perfect wedding day on a budget, by Laura Strutt is another book filled with specific project ideas. This book seems to go beyond the projects you commonly see in similar titles and includes a section on making your own wedding cake, cupcakes, or cookies, guest book ideas, and 4 different designs for order of service or wedding day schedule cards or booklets.

One Book Nova Scotia 2016 - Have your say!

One Book Nova Scotia is seeking public input selecting the 2016 One Book! You can vote for your pick from our long list of 10 titles and be a part of this year's program!

When? Voting runs from January 25th to February 3rd!

Where? www.facebook.com/OneBookNovaScotia

What? Voters enter a random draw for prizes!

Big White Knuckles by Brian Tucker

As a boy Dagan Cadden knows what “Cadden men” do – they grow strong, enjoy a few pints at the local pub after hard days of toiling in the coal mines of Cape Breton. But as Dagan grows to manhood he realizes his life must follow a different path; one not fully appreciated or understood by his family and extended community. Originally from New Waterford Nova Scotia, author Brian Tucker now makes his home in Trout Brook New Brunswick.

Published by: Nimbus (2010)

The Deception of Livvy Higgs by Donna Morrissey

Family secrets are uncovered and ancient promises broken as ailing 80 year old Livvy Higgs travels back through her past to Halifax of the 1930s and 1940s. Guided by the ghost of her younger self, Livvy must acknowledge the deceits of loved ones as well as her own. Originally from Newfoundland Award winning author Donna Morrissey now makes her home in Halifax.

Published by: Penguin Canada (2013)

Every Little Thing by Chad Pelley

From an idyllic lakeside vacation to a desolate prison cell the dramatic tale of Cohen Davies explores how lives are shaped and misshapen by the networking of poor decisions, hasty alliances and family tragedy. “Every little” love can harbor a destructive dark secret…Chad Pelley is an award-winning author, songwriter, and photographer from St. John’s, Newfoundland. Pelley’s first novel, Away from Everywhere, won NLAC's CBC Emerging Artist of the Year Award.

Published by: Breakwater Books (2013)

My Leaky Body: Tales from the Gurney by Julie Devaney

As she is successfully treated for colitis Julie Devaney takes the reader on a journey through the Canadian medical system that is amusing, poignant, straightforward and empowering. Advocating for repairs to hospital logistics and bedside manners promotes healing at all levels. Julie Devaney lives in Ontario where she provides workshops on patient care and patient rights.

Published by: Goose Lane (2012)

Revenge of the Lobster Lover by Hilary MacLeod

A cast of quirky characters join forces to rescue lobsters from their traps in a community dependent upon the lobster industry. Hilary MacLeod resides in Prince Edward Island and is the author of a mystery series set in a small fishing village known as The Shores. She explores the darker side of village life in what she has dubbed “Village Noir”. Suspenseful and fun.

Published by: Acorn Press (2010)

Sweetland by Michael Crummey

A moving literary novel featuring Moses Sweetland and his refusal to leave his island in the face of a resettlement program. Sweetland is stubborn and crusty, and is determined to hold onto his way of life. Sweetland is told in a series of flashbacks to an earlier time combined with realities of present day life. Michael Crummey is a Newfoundland writer who was awarded the Thomas H. Raddall Award for his novel River Thieves.

Published by: Doubleday Canada (2015)

Us Conductors by Sean Michaels

A richly detailed work of historical fiction which features the life of Russian scientist and spy Lev Termen, inventor of the Theremin. Us Conductors is a sweeping look at Russian and American relations in the early part of the 20th century. Sean Michaels was born in Scotland and currently lives in Montreal. Us Conductors was his debut novel and won the 2014 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Published by: Random House Canada (2014)

Walt by Russell Wangersky

Psychological thriller set in St. John’s. It is a dark story featuring a grocery store janitor who collects and analyzes discarded grocery lists, and is of interest to the police due to the disappearance of his wife. Russell Wangersky grew up in Nova Scotia and presently lives in St. John’s. In 2012 his short story collection Whirl Away was nominated for the Scotiabank Giller.

Published by: House of Anansi Press (2014)

Wicked and Weird: The Amazing Tales of Buck 65 by Rich Terfry

Fiction based on the truly “amazing” life of radical author Rick Trefry follows his early life from a modest home in Mt. Uniacke Nova Scotia, where he discovered baseball and began his love affair with hip hop, to Halifax, where he studied biology at Dalhousie University, hosted a popular campus radio show and birthed his rap doppelganger, Buck 65. Rich Trefry is originally from rural Nova Scotia.

Published by: Doubleday Canada (2015)

When the Saints by Sarah Mian

The Saints are a poverty-stricken rural Nova Scotia family caught in a cycle of abuse and unhappiness. The story is lifted from despair by Mian’s tone of sarcastic humour and by a resilient protagonist Tabby Saint who returns home with bravery and strength. Sarah Mian hails from Dartmouth Nova Scotia, and When the Saints is her first novel.

Published by Harper Collins (2015)

 The 2016 1BNS featured title will be ultimately selected by the 1BNS
Selection Committee, who will utilize established 1BNS selection criteria,
while considering other accompanying factors such as author
availability, budget, etc.

Crossover Fantasy for the ‘Kid at Heart’

Crossover Fantasy for the ‘Kid at Heart’: Titles new, old and a little in-between 

Where my fantasy lovers at? Here’s a question, have you ever considered reading titles targeted at children or young adult audiences?  You might be thinking that these books are only for kids, but don’t judge a book by its cover (Yeah… I went there). If you’re looking for books with fantastical elements like magical powers, supernatural creatures and remarkable worlds, try one of the suggestions listed below. 

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan 

 Riordan is definitely not new to the youth fiction fantasy scene. In his newest book, The Sword of Summer, Magnus Chase discovers he is the son of the Norse Viking God and must prepare for battle. In is this fast-paced and action packed story I’m reminded of the Percy Jackson (also by Riordan) or Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling) as the characters always find themselves in trouble (troll in the dungeon, anyone?) The Sword of Summer was also a Good Reads Choice 2015 winner for best middle grade children’s fiction.

 
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray 

One of my favorite young adult books! Here’s the plot: It’s Victorian times and Gemma Doyle is sent to boarding school in the English countryside. Struggling with her mother’s death, Gemma also has the challenge of making new friends and succeeding in her studies; not to mention her discovering she has magical powers. Similar to A Great and Terrible Beauty, try Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle


The Newberry Medal winner, A Wrinkle in Time (ARIT), is a contemporary classic if you ask me. Meg, her brother Charles and their friend Calvin are on a mission is to save their father who is lost in a parallel universe. Will they conquer the evil force that awaits them? If you’ve already experienced ARIT, try something newish like Colin Meloy's Wildwood. This book is similar to ARIT because the protagonist, Prue, is on a mission to save her baby brother that has been kidnapped by crows.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman’s Newbery medal winner is a must-read!  After the murder and loss his parents, a young toddler named Nobody (AKA Bod) ends up being raised in a graveyard by supernatural creatures. Jack, the man that murdered Bod’s family is also after him (DUN, DUN, DUNNNN!) Read to find out what happens next! 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 

I read this book last month and quite enjoyed it. Why, you may ask? It has it all: Magic, battles and maybe a little bit of romance (wink-wink). The main character Alina, discovers she has magical powers and joins the almighty Grisha, where she is trained as a fighter. Although I found this story got off to a slow start, there is a twist in the middle of the book that I didn’t see coming. The book’s themes of self-discovery and perseverance definitely shine through (you’ll get this reference once you’ve read it!).

Although this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of children and young adult fantasy fiction, I hope it peaks your interest and inspires you to read one of the titles suggested.

2016 Edgar Nominees

Mystery Writers of America is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. They are the sponsors of the prestigious.

First awarded in 1955, and named after Edgar Allan Poe, these awards are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America to honour the best in mystery fiction published in the past year.

Here is a selection of this year's nominees. Check out the website for the full list.

Best Novel

The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter
The Lady from Zagreb by Philip Kerr
Life or Death by Michael Robotham
Let Me Die in his Footsteps by Lori Roy
Canary by Duane Swierczynski





Best First Novel

Past Crimes by Glen Erik Hamilton
Where All the Light Tends to Go by David Joy
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm





Best Fact Crime

Operation Nemesis: the assassination plot that avenged the Armenian Genocide by Eric Bogosian
Where the Bodies Were Buried: Whitey Bulger and the world that made him by T.J. English
Whipping Boy: the forty year search for my twelve year old bully by Allen Kurzweil
Forensics: what bugs, burns, prints, DNA, and more tell us about crime by Val McDermid
American Pain: how a young felon and his ring of doctors unleashed America's deadliest drug epidemic by John Temple