Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Downloadable e-Books From the Library

Downloadable e-Books From the Library

There Are A Ton of Them. You have access to 2,459 e-Books through your library card. The titles are downloadable through the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium's contract with Overdrive. Just log-in with your library card, select titles, check-out and then download. Be patient, Overdrive's search feature is not very good; try the advanced search or use the browse feature.

Today's press release from Amazon and Overdrive touting their new partnership should mean all the PDF and EPUB files available through Overdrive will soon be available for loan on Kindles. Kindles currently do NOT work work with Overdrive.

If Overdrive and Amazon work together library users will have much wider access to the self-published work offered for sale on Amazon. Yes, much self-published work is crud. But, many authors are now able to make old, out-of-print titles available again. Authors are also able to publish good novels that print publishers have passed on.

Anyway, electronic publishing and self-publishing is a changing landscape but libraries - and this library - are working to collect and make available e-Books for you, the user.

An Aside: 42 of the 100 most popular e-Books for Wisconsin libraries are romances.

Neat Idea and then, "What the heck!?"

Neat Idea

Our colleagues down in New Zealand put on a fashion show and posted event photos on their Flickr page. They had a local vintage clothing shop dress the staff.


Geek/Chic Fashion Show

Geek/Chic Fashion Show

Geek/Chic Fashion Show

What the heck!?

Geek/Chic Fashion Show

Edit:

That poor man. Now his shame is saved forever.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Beagles, Bones, Bread

Fiction

Beaglemania: a Pet Rescue mystery by Linda O. Johnston. According to the cover four Beagle puppies get lost in a storm sewer and climb atop one another to look out a storm drain. According to the author bio Johnston owns two spaniels. I own a big, hairy beast masquerading as a dog.

A Creed in Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller. Another McKettrick romance set in Arizona. According to the cover illustrations Arizona is populated with lanky male models wearing cowboy hats.

World's Greatest Sleuth by Steve Hockensmith. Big Red and Old Red leave the range for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago to compete in a mystery solving contest.

Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker. According to the author photo the author needs a haircut. Oh, he lives in Austin. Well, that's okay then.

Rise of the Iron Moon by Stephen Hunt. Hunt not Hunter. No rifle shooting. A steampunk novel.

Quicksilver by Amanda Quick. Psychic monsters or something.

Sixth Man by David Baldacci. Two lawyers called to assist with a serial killer's defense find the lead attorney murdered.

Eve by Iris Johansen. A thriller.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I don't know what this is about but since it is very popular already I don't have to.

Field Gray by Philip Kerr. "Meet one of the great protagonists in thriller literature."

Sweet Valley Confidential: ten years later by Francine Pascal. The Wakefield twins have a big falling out.

Friendship Bread by Darien Gee. One of those novels where women bake something, solve all their personal problems, and make friends.

Gideon's Sword by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Revenge.

Red on Red by Edward Conlon. Detective for NYPD that writes for New Yorker.

As the Crow Flies by Maris Soul. "Another P.J. Benson Mystery." Mix those initials and you get a peanut butter and jelly mystery.

Home to Woefield by Susan Juby. Urban New Yorker inherits 30 acre farm. Makes friends.

Altar of Bones by Philip Carter. My guess based off the cover illustration is that this novel is a Da Vinci Code style mystery.

Heartbeat Away by Michael Palmer. President and Cabinet are stuck in Capitol Building due to quarantine.

NonFiction

Uncle Al Capone by Deirdre Marie Capone. She never knew her kind uncle in Florida was a gangster.

Hair, Airplanes, Chickens, Jobs, Jewelry, Sewing

NonFiction

Chick Days: raising chickens from hatchlings to laying hens by Jenna Woginrich. All about chickens and raising them. Many color photos.

Get the Most From Your Sewing Machine: smart tips, funky ideas and original projects for any machine by Marion Elliot. All about sewing machines and using them. Many color photos.

Find a Job Through Social Networking: use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, blogs and more to advance your career by Dinae Crompton and Ellen Sautter. All about social networking and getting a job. Many words.

Tatting Jewelry by Lyn Morton. All about tatting jewelry and making it. Many color photos.

Cleaner Plate Club: more than 100 recipes for real food your kids will love by Beth Bader and Ali Benjamin. All about cooking fresh food for kids and making them eat it. Many color illustrations and photos.

Expert Resumes for Career Changers, 2nd Edition by Wndy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark. All about improving your resume and using it to change jobs. No color photos.

Spectacular Hair: a step-by-step guide to 46 gorgeous styles by Eric Mayost. All about different hair styles and hair to style them. Many color photos.

50 Aircraft That Changed the World by Ron Dick and Dan Patterson. All the aircraft that changed the world and what they are called. Many color photos.