February Magazines of the Month

Chicago magazine is a publication of the Chicago Tribune Media Group and offers news, reviews, and all things Chicago. Whether you're a transplant who misses home, or you're planning a weekend getaway, it's worth checking out! More information and features are available on their website: www.chicagomag.com

Dwell is a magazine for edgy, contemporary home architecture and interior design. You can check out a print copy from the library or borrow a digital copy through Zinio. More information and features are available on their website: http://www.dwell.com

FY16 Library Budget Presentation Video

Carnegie-Stout Public Library Director Susan Henricks gave a presentation to the Dubuque City Council this week about the Library's Fiscal Year 2016 budget recommendations. Here's the video:

For more information, see the City of Dubuque's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget.

Copies of Carnegie-Stout Public Library's Annual Report are available for free at the library. This year's report is in the form of an attractive calendar with historical photos, facts and figures, and upcoming library events.

Staff Review: The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister

Imagine yourself at the local theater, highly anticipating what should be an amazing performance by a famous magician. Now imagine yourself in Waterloo, Iowa, at the turn of the 20th century, and the magician you came to see is The Amazing Arden with her act of the Halved Man. When her husband changes into the real Halved Man at the end of the show, Arden becomes the alleged murderer. Now did she really commit the murder she’s accused of, or is it another one of her spectacular illusions?

To explain herself to her captor, the officer of the local Janesville, Iowa police, Arden must start from the beginning. She tells her life story in order to assert her innocence throughout the course of the night, so her past is mixed in with the present. He becomes more entranced by her as night goes on, but he tries to remember that she fools people on a nightly basis. Should he set her free, or is the magician telling a lie? It’s up to you to find out the truth about The Amazing Arden.

Check out The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

~Andrea, Circulation

January Magazines of the Month

It's a new year, a new month, and time for new magazines of the month! Our first feature magazines for 2015 are Trailer Life and Where to Retire.

 Trailer Life magazine is a monthly publication devoted to recreational vehicles providing reviews, tips, and travel information. The magazine began publication in 1941. There is more information, including videos, on their website: www.trailerlife.com

Where to Retire magazine is a monthly publication aimed at older adults preparing for retirement. More information can be found on their website: www.wheretoretire.com

Books for a Blizzard

We've pulled together a few favorites for you to check out before the first real winter storm of the season hits. Stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor to grab one from the display.

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Also available as an OverDrive eBook.

Kitty Cornered by Bob Tarte

Marley and Me by John Grogan
Also available as an OverDrive eBook.

Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
Also available as an OverDrive eBook.

Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Staff Review: City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

Robert Jackson Bennett’s earlier books combined elements from the horror, fantasy, and mystery genres to create a creepy, bleak alternate early 20th century small town America. In City of Stairs, he presents a more straightforward fantasy novel, complete with imaginative world-building, while still incorporating elements from the pages of spy thrillers and mysteries. The use of a suspenseful mystery plot and a cast of very colorful characters makes this book a great choice for readers who are relatively new to fantasy.

The story is set in a world dominated by the island nation of Saypur, whose technological advancements (on par with the early 20th century) have completely upended the former world order. Saypur used their science to overthrow their former conquerors, the Continentals. The Continent was once gifted with divine magic, until those gods were killed by the Saypuri. Bennett explores the lasting impacts of colonialism and the ways that we define our cultural identities, while still maintaining an action-packed plot.

Shara has spent most of her adult life in exile on the Continent as an employee of the Saypuri Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specifically, as a spy for the Ministry. She is accompanied by Sigrud, her imposing and violent “secretary” with a mysterious past. Shara and Sigrud come to city of Bulikov to solve the murder of Effrem Pangyui, a Saypuri historian whose controversial research earned him no shortage of enemies. Bulikov was once a city of wonders, the cultural and religious center of the Continent, but now wallows in poverty and disease.

At 450 pages, this is not a short book, though the plot moves along so quickly I found it difficult to put down. Another point in City of Stairs’s favor is that it is not part of a larger series, so readers aren’t being asked to commit to three or more books that may or may not have been written yet. By the last pages, most of the plot threads are wrapped up more or less neatly, but between the imaginative setting and the interesting characters (the foul-mouthed female military commander, Mulaghesh, was probably my favorite), I would be perfectly happy if Bennett did write a sequel some day.

If this sounds like your cup of tea, you might also enjoy:

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone: Gladstone’s debut is a mix of fantasy and steampunk with a fast-paced mystery plot. Tara, a first-year necromancer, is assigned to revive a dead god, but discovers a murder.




The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg: First in a series set around the Collegia Magica, the last college of magic in a world where science has gradually gained supremacy. Portier de Savin-Duplais, a Collegia librarian, is asked to investigate an attempted murder that quickly becomes more complicated.



Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara: A gritty work of fantasy, and the first in a series of mysteries. Hawks are the equivalent to police in the City of Elantra, and Kaylin is a new patrol officer out to find a serial murderer of children.