December's Magazine of the Month is "Food Network Magazine"

December is a busy month for food, with holidays, parties, and gatherings galore! In addition to the Big Holidays, December has National Fruitcake Day (27th), Eat a red apple day (1st), National Cotton Candy Day (7th), National Brownie Day (8th), and best of all, National Chocolate Covered Anything Day (16th). To help you plan your celebrations we've selected Food Network Magazine as our magazine of the month for December.

Don't forget, Carnegie-Stout has cookbooks and more from many of your favorite Food Network Stars. Click the links below to be taken to our catalog!

Mario Batali
Anne Burrell
Alton Brown
Cat Cora
Paula Deen
Giada De Laurentiis
Guy Fieri
Bobby Flay
Tyler Florence
Ina Garten
Duff Goldman
Robert Irvine
Emeril Lagasse
Nigella Lawson
Sandra Lee
Jamie Oliver
Rachel Ray

13 Days of Scary Movies

Halloween is approaching, and what better time to curl up on the couch with some popcorn and scary movie? Check back here each day, or like us on Facebook, to read about 13 of the most horrifying movies available at Carnegie-Stout Public Library.

The Exorcist
This 1973 film, based on the novel by William Blatty, was nominated for ten Academy Awards (winning for Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay), and is consistently selected as one of the scariest movies of all time.

Shaun of the Dead

This 2004 British zombie comedy stars Simon Pegg and is directed by Edgar Wright. The two had previously worked together on the comedy series Spaced. This is the only zombie film I will ever be brave enough to watch.

Dawn of the Dead

This 1978 film is the follow up to George A. Romero's 1968 Night of the Living Dead, though the only characters they have in common are the zombies. For fans of the zombie genre, it's difficult to pick a favorite between the two, but there's no doubt that the zombies remain popular to this very day.

Alien
Ridley Scott's 1979 horror film set in deep space role has influenced science fiction and horror over the past three decades.The film stars Sigourney Weaver in her first film role. Alien continues to be influential today, with unforgettable special effects and scares like the chestburster. In addition to a number of Saturn awards, the film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Saw
This intensely violent 2004 film proved popular enough for six sequels, as well as a comic book. The Jigsaw Killer's twisted morality and gory torture has been compared to the earlier film Seven, though not always favorably. Despite the criticisms, the Saw franchise has been an undoubtedly popular addition to the horror genre.

Rosemary's Baby
Roman Polanski's 1968 film was based on the novel by Ira Levin, and started a trend of horror films about Satanism. Ruth Gordon won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the entirely too creepy neighbor.

Plan 9 From Outer Space
Ed Wood's 1959 film has zombies, aliens, terrible special effects, and Vampira. Both a cult classic and one of the worst films ever made, the library's copy includes commentary by Mike Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The Shining
Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's novel initially met with poor reviews due to its slow pacing, and was one of the first films to be nominated for a Razzie. However, opinion has shifted to the film's favor over the decades. The film is now considered to be an iconic source of pop culture imagery, but many still prefer the original novel.

Let the Right One In
This 2008 film combines two of the hottest trends of the 21st century: Swedish literature and vampires. Young Oskar is lonely, bullied, and not terribly happy but then a new little girl, Eli, moves in next door. There was an American remake in 2010, Let Me In, but the reviews weren't as favorable.

Psycho
It's difficult to select a single Hitchcock film, but Norman Bates, inspired by Ed Gein, is slightly more terrifying than a bird. Not only did Psycho (1960) receive four Academy Award nominations, it was so controversial at its release that it prompted the resignation of film critic C.A. Lejeune.



The Thing
The story of parasitic extraterrestrials that invade a remote Antarctic base started life as a story written by John W. Campbell, and was first adapted to the big screen in 1951 as "The Thing From Another World." The film was remade in 1982 by John Carpenter with Kurt Russell. This fall a prequel to the 1982 film was released to somewhat poor reviews.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
We start off our list of 13 scary movies with one of the earliest. This silent film from 1920 is a notable example of German Expressionist film making, and boasts one of the first twist endings.



Paranormal Activity
What started as an independent film written and directed by Oren Peli, and filmed in his own home became one of the biggest hits of 2007. The story of a young couple who suspect that all is not right in their home, the film packs big scares with minimal special effects. A third film in the series was released this October.

Dictionary Day

"And people laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas you have to use big words to express them, haven't you?"

-Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Dictionary Day is a celebration of words, language, and the birth of Noah Webster on October 16, 1758. Here are Carnegie-Stout we have a fine collection of dictionaries, thesauri, and books on the the wonders of language. You can stop in to see our display on the yellow cart near the Recommendations Desk.

Highlights from the display include:
The Professor and the Madman: a tale of murder, insanity, and the making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester (423 WIN)

Reading the OED: one man, one year, 21,730 pages by Ammon Shea (423.028 SHE)

Euphemania: our love affair with euphemisms by Ralphe Keyes (423.1 KEY)

The Man Who Made Lists: love, death, madness, and the creation of Roget's Thesaurus by Joshua Kendall (423.09 KEN)

The UnWord Dictionary: 1,000 words for things you didn't think had words! (428.1 KIE)

There are also many ways to celebrate Dictionary Day online!
The Oxford English Dictionary (www.oed.com) features a word of the day that you can sign up to follow by email or RSS.

Merriam-Webster Online (www.merriam-webster.com) has a selection of word games and vocabulary quizzes.

If you'd like to support charity while improving your vocabulary, try Free Rice (www.freerice.com). The game is run by the United Nations World Food Programme, is free to play, and all money raised through advertising goes to feeding the world's hungry. Be warned, it's easy to spend a lot of time playing!

If you need a bit of a break from the computer, PBS Kids Go has tips for playing The Dictionary Game, fun for all ages! PBS is also home to one of my favorite cartoons: WordGirl!

WordGirl and Huggy are property of PBS, Scholastic, and Soup 2 Nuts.

Happy Zomtober!

October is the perfect time of year to celebrate everyone's favorite undead monster: the zombie!* I learned of this celebration through the library grape vine, and you can read more about Zomtober and Zombie Fiction on this pathfinder created by an employee of the Rapid City Public Library. Beware! Catalog links will take you to Rapid City's catalog, and not Carnegie-Stout's, but these search terms will work right here in Dubuque!

Zombies and libraries are, of course, a great partnership, like peanut butter and jelly. Where better to find delicious brains than in an institution devoted to learning and literature? The zombie patrons of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library have created a website in support of their library (be sure to check out their videos).

University libraries have their own zombie infestations. This zombie comic guide to the library at McPherson College is particularly ambitious, and useful for Carnegie-Stout patrons too (McPherson uses Dewey). The University of Florida has put together a helpful survival guide in case of a zombie attack. In conclusion, I leave you with this video from the Allen County Public Library:



Be sure to check the blog and drop by the library to see our displays this October, as we highlight Carnegie-Stout's paranormal, supernatural, horror, and all topics designed to spook you.

*I suppose one could celebrate other undead fan favorites: vampire, mummy, poltergeist, or the wendigo.

Happy Hobbit Day!

Today, September 22nd, is the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, two of the most well-known and adventuresome Hobbits to ever venture forth from the Shire. You may be familiar with their adventures from J.R.R. Tolkien's books, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, or from their film adaptions.

To celebrate Hobbit Day, you could curl up with Tolkien's work, and probably a delicious snack or two (or three!). It's tradition in the Shire, to give gifts on your birthday, so you might consider surprising someone you know with a small gift or card. The truly ambitious might consider building their own Hobbit Hole, for guidance, take a look at this Welsh family's home.

You can read more about the origins of this holiday on Wikipedia.

You might also enjoy catching up with the developments of Peter Jackson's upcoming (2012) film adaption of The Hobbit. Check out the official blog (with video) here: www.thehobbitblog.com

For more online fun, try out the Hobbit Name Generator. In the Shire, I'm known as Prisca Foxburr of Loamsdown.

Ahoy! It be Talk Like a Pirate Day!

The wonders of the internet, and the influence of Dave Barry spread the joy of Talk Like a Pirate Day to scallywags around the world. The Miami Herald has Mr. Barry's original column online for your enjoyment.

To join in the fun, all that needs doing is to sprinkle in a mix of vocabulary aquatic each September 19th. If, like me, your piratical knowledge isn't up to snuff, I recommend the official Talk Like a Pirate Day translator: talklikeapirate.com/translator.html

As well, Mango Languages, Carnegie-Stout's most excellent online language course, offers lessons in Pirate for beginners: www.mangolanguages.com/try-it.php?course_id=224
Be sure to check out the 30+ languages available to learn from the comfort of your own home!

If you're looking for some reading of a seafaring nature, you might try the classic Treasure Island, the romantic A Pirate's Love, or the current The Pirates of Somalia. To find more books and movies, try an Exact Subject or Subject Keyword search for Pirates or Piracy in the library's catalog.

For a last bit of high seas fun, readers with a Facebook account can change settings to display Pirate-American. To do so, simply select the link at the bottom left of any page that says English (US) (or whichever language you currently have your account set to display). From the menu that pops up, select English (Pirate), and you'll have your sea legs in no time matey.

Remembering September 11th, 2001

Photo: Dov Harrington (http://www.flickr.com/photos/idovermani/3911596294)

As we approach the tenth anniversary of September 11th, I, like many people, find myself turning to memories of that day. In honor of this significant anniversary, we've gathered together a display of non-fiction titles, on display near the Recommendations Desk. The Youth Services Department will also be creating displays for younger readers. Parents who are looking to discuss this day with their children may find The Day Our World Changed: children's art of 9/11 helpful. Parents may also want to check out PBS's guide on how to discuss upsetting news events with your children.

Fiction Titles about the events of September 11th and its aftermath

Histories, Memoirs, Political examinations, Biographies, and other NonFiction titles about September 11th

The Internet Archive has a collection of television news coverage, domestic and international, from the week of September 11th, 2001 online. Along with 3000 hours of video, they include a selection of scholarly analysis of the events of that week.

International Beer Day

In 2007, a group of friends got together and decided to celebrate their friendship and their favorite beverage: beer. They created a website, and a new holiday was born. This year's celebration will be tomorrow, Friday, August 5th.

Their website suggests ways to celebrate the holiday, but the only requirement is to enjoy a beer with your friends. While drinking beer is not an option at Carnegie-Stout, we do have several books on the topic!

For a history of beer and brewing try:
Ambitious Brew: the story of American beer (663 OGL)

Brewmaster's Art: the history and science of beermaking (CD Audio Book 641.873 BAM)

Guinness: the 250-year quest for the perfect pint (338.766342)

You may also enjoy this online infographic: History Lesson: The Story of Beer


For guides on making your own beer try:
Beer Craft: a simple guide to making great beer (641.873 BOS)

Making Beer (641.873 MAR)

How to Brew: ingredients, methods, recipes, and equipment for brewing beer at home (641.873 PAL)

Homebrewing for Dummies (641.873 NAC)

You may want to stop by the Bluff St Brew Haus, which offers supplies and advice for homebrewing and wine making.


Cooking with Beer & More
Beer-can Chicken: and 74 other offbeat recipes for the grill (641.8784 RAI) From the master of grilling, Steve Raichlen.

Booze Cakes: confections spiked with spirits, wine, and beer (641.8653 CAS) These recipes come highly recommended by several staff members!

He Said Beer, She Said Wine (641.2 OLD) This book provides advice for pairing wine and beer with different meals.

All the Best From the German Beer Garden (CD World)


There are no official events occurring in the Dubuque area this Friday, but you could always head over to the former Dubuque Star Brewery or watch "Take This Job and Shove it" with friends. You might also consider taking a trip up to Potosi, Wisconsin to tour the Potosi Brewery and museum of brewing.

Top Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30928442@N08/3638173772

Hemingway Days

"It's enough for you to do it once for a few men to remember you. But if you do it year after year, then many people remember you and they tell it to their children, and their children and grandchildren remember and, if it concerns books, they can read them. And if it's good enough, it will last as long as there are human beings."

-Ernest Hemingway

Every July the Florida Keys celebrate the life and writings of the Nobel Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway. If you were to visit Key West, you could tour the Hemingway Home and Museum to see the famous polydactyl cats (cats with extra toes, not, unfortunately, cats crossed with flying dinosaurs). If you arrive in Florida for the official celebrations, be sure to catch the Hemingway look-alike contest.

We have multiple copies of Mr. Hemingway's books and short stories available at Carnegie-Stout, as well as biographies and histories about Hemingway and his works. Just in case you want to start planning for next year (or you can get away at a moment's notice), be sure to check out our Florida Travel Guides as well!

The Old Man and the Sea cover was illustrated by Katie Grip

Bloomsday

Every year on June 16, fans of James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses, commemorate the anniversary of Leopold Bloom’s ordinary day in Dublin. There are Bloomsday celebrations all over the world; the most famous of course, in Dublin, Ireland. It was first celebrated in 1954, on the 50^th anniversary of the events in the novel. The library has a selection of Joyce’s novels, as well as biographical information and critical works.

Novels by James Joyce

• Dubliners
• Finnegans wake
• Portrait of the artist as a young man
• Ulysses

Audio Books

• The dead
• Grace
• The sisters

Biographies and critical works

• Dubliners : authoritative text, contexts, criticism
  
• James Joyce / by Gibson, Andrew
  
• James Joyce / by O'Brien, Edna
• James Joyce A to Z : the essential reference to the life and work / by Fargnoli, A. Nicholas
• Nora : the real life of Molly Bloom / by Maddox, Brenda
• Ulysses and us : the art of everyday life in Joyce's masterpiece / by Kiberd, Declan