This Should Be More Interesting Than That Previous Post

One Novel

Under the Dome by Stephen King. Boy, oh boy is this book bloated. 1072 pages. No description on the flyleaf, I suppose people are just supposed to buy his book no matter what.

AudioBooks on CD

The Amateurs by Marcus Sakey. 8 CDs at 9 Hours 45 minutes. I read a Sakey book and liked it. I even spoke about it on camera. Four friends commit a victimless crime but screw up and leave a victim. For four people pushed to the ragged edge, the only thing more dangerous than the men chasing them might be their best friends.

Nobody Move by Denis Johnson. 4 CDs at 4.5 hours. The back cover has little story description. Embezzlement and lowlifes. Read by Will Patton who does real good narration for the Dave Robicheaux series.

Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. 9 CDs at 10.5 hours. "Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse...full of humor and heart-pounding action." Shelved in the YA section.

Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. 9 CDs, 11 hours. Same as above.

Razor Sharp by Fern Michaels. 6 CDs at 7 hours. Something about the Sisterhood and politicians screwing hookers.

Skin Trade by Laurell Hamilton. 15 Cds at 18.5 hours worth of vampires and werewolves having sex or something. I guess they kill each other too. This is set in Las Vegas so maybe they screw and kill showgirls or vacationers. Let me know.

Musical Interlude




Large Print

Lakeshore Christmas by Susan Wiggs. Prim Librarian Maureen Davenport is finally getting her chance to direct Avalon's annual holiday pageant...former child star Eddie Haven can't stand Christmas, but a court order from a judge has landed him right in the middle of the merrymaking as Maureen's co-director....spar over every detail...troubled kids...distinctly untraditional...sabotage...trying too hard...to...the...the...of...and..love.
Prim librarian? Great. Just great.

13 1/2 by Nevada Barr. A new character by Barr. Polly lives in New Orleans and is hot for an architect while a recently released murderer does something and a tarot card reader spells doom.

Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls. This hit the bestseller list. Maybe not that list.

No Time to Wave Goodbye by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Mitchard was in the Madison paper a few weeks ago for an article about cosmetic surgery. I was going to post a link and found this instead: ARTICLE: A phrase in last week's cover story on cosmetic treatments incorrectly identified Jackie Mitchard as a "fan of cosmetic surgery." She is a fan of cosmetic treatments, including Botox injectables.

Rough Country by John Sandford. My wife tells me that whenever the main character, Virgil Flowers, is mentioned by a character in Sandford's Prey books he is always called, "that fucking Flowers."

Unhallowed Ground by Heather Graham. Boy that actress with the same name sure is a hot looking broad, huh? The character Graham played in Bowfinger was supposed to be a take-off on Anne Heche who was supposedly screwing her way up the Hollywood ladder. Steve Martin used to date Heche until Heche came out of the closet as a crazy person.

Santa in a Stetson by Janet Dailey. Sing with me again, I don't care, I don't care, I don't care.

What I Sent in for the Lake Mills Main Street Newsletter.

I'm not sure when the newsletter comes out. I need to send over some photos to go with this.

Lake Mills Main Street has worked hard to bring new businesses and visitors downtown. New and old businesses have drawn together to encourage more people to visit downtown Lake Mills. But, among all the current businesses is one you may often overlook.

The L.D. Fargo Public Library has been a downtown fixture in Lake Mills since its grand opening in October, 1902. Except for a major fire in the winter of 1980, the Library has been in continuous operation for 107 years. Through the years the Library’s popularity has weathered multiple challenges, including motion pictures, radio, mail-order book clubs, television and – yes – the internet.

In fact, the Library’s popularity and usage increases every year. In 2008, more than 1000,000 items were checked out or renewed. The library hosted almost 200 programs for children and adults with a total attendance of 5,525 people. Attendance for the Summer Reading Program events has outgrown the Library’s meeting room, and are now held in the City Hall’s Community Room.

Over the Library’s 107 years of business our customers’ interests and service demands have constantly changed. Twenty years ago, libraries focused mainly on books and magazines, with an increasing range of VHS titles. Today, DVD titles and public internet access are a big draw. (Not to mention the over 1200 VHS tapes that still – still! – circulate.) However, contrary to some popular misconceptions, the printed page is alive and well. Book borrowing is still the leading reason people use the Library. Circulation is strong and children’s books and adult fiction dominate the list of check-outs.

Electronic gadgets such as cell phones, video games, and the internet may get more attention than books, but do not forget the importance of literacy. Learning many new skills is still dependent on reading. Pleasure reading is the surest way to encourage more reading. More reading leads to stronger literacy skills and better reading comprehension and communication skills. Better reading comprehension and communication skills lead to greater success in school and work.

The link between reading and school success highlights the vital importance of LD Fargo’s children’s collection and children’s services. The Library’s weekly story times, Summer Reading Program, and various after school and special event programs bring everyone from infants to teenagers into the Library. The Children’s Librarian regularly visits local 4K, pre-school, and daycare facilities for story times, and organizes and collects “book boxes” to help support and advance their curriculums by putting books directly into the hands of kids.

Need more incentive to come to the library? Look at the numbers: the average price of a pre-school picture book is $18.97. Consider that families will check-out anywhere from one to 20+ picture books at a time. How about adult fiction? If you’re buying new books every month then STOP! An adult novel goes for about $22 on average. Yeah you’ll find heavy discounts on books by popular novelists, but checkouts are free at LD Fargo.

“But, I don’t want to get on a waiting list for that book.” Okay, but do you realize the Library gives you access to about 1 million books? Yes, really. LD Fargo’s membership in the three county Mid Wisconsin Federated Library System (MWFLS) gives you access to the SHARE online catalog. SHARE allows access to all 27 libraries in MWFLS, plus the 26 member libraries in the Lakeshores Library System in Racine and Walworth counties. That’s 53 different libraries sharing resources of almost a million items. Place a hold online through the Library’s webpage or with the help of library staff, and you will almost always have your item in a couple days.

How is all this paid for? Okay, it’s not really free. The cost for Library services is carried by you and me, of course. The Library receives funding from two main sources: the city of Lake Mills and Jefferson County. The city collects local taxes and the county provides reimbursement for services to rural residents. Smaller amounts of funding come from MWFLS (including some state and federal funds) and various fines and fees charged by the Library.

Don’t use the excuse, “I’m too busy” to cheat yourself from enjoying a good book. Reading is an escape from the hectic pace of daily life. Skip a night of boring channel flipping on television shows, pick up a book. Re-read a favorite author, or share one of your childhood favorites with your own children. Pick up a short stack of novels and try each one out. If a book does not click with you, then set it aside and start another. If that fails, get a DVD.

LD Fargo is open from 9 AM to 9 PM Monday through Thursday and 9 AM to 5 PM on Friday and Saturday. If can make a virtual trip to the Library too. Visit our webpage at www.lakemills.lib.wi.us. See the list of all the new adult books and DVDs at lakemillslibrary.blogspot.com. Hear about some recommended books on our award winning YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/ldfargolibrary.

Morning Photo

Copying Jeff Lawson at Lester Public Library in Two Rivers, WI.