Oscar Winning Books

And the winner is....

Here are the books that made it to the Academy Awards in 2015...check them out!

Best Picture 

Winner:

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, a short story by Raymond Carver became Birdman or (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).


Other Nominees

Still Alice by Lisa Genova.  Julia Moore won the award for Best Actress
Traveling to Infinity, My Life With Stephen by Jane Hawking  -- became The Theory of Everything.  Eddie Redmayne won the award for Best Actor.
Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges became The Imitation Game
The writings of Stefan Zweig became The Grand Budapest Hotel
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in the U.S. Military History by Chris Kyle & Scott McEwen became American Sniper

Books nominated other categories:

Foxcatcher: the True Story of My Brother's Murder, John du Pont's Madness & the Quest for Olympic Gold by Mark Schultz & David Thomas became Foxcatcher, starring Steven Carrell.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand
Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

Cookbook Club Favorites

The Cookbook Club has been meeting at Kirtland Public Library since June, 2012. We meet the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6 pm, except for November and December. (For these months, we meet once in early December.)

So far we've cooked from 25 books and one blog!

Our top three favorite cookbooks so far:

We follow the Cleveland food blogger at http://thisgirlsgottaeat.com/ and were lucky enough to have her as a guest at one of our meetings! Check out this girl's delicious recipes today.  

We've sampled at least 150 dishes and shared many recipes, laughs, and tips. Of the dishes, our favorites have been twice baked potatoes, turkey sandwiches, tomato crostini, and chicken pot pie casserole.

Our favorite ingredients to cook with are chocolate, olive oil, vegetables, and pasta.

Here is a list of our favorite kitchen tools:

immersion blender

Vitamix blender

Kitchen Aid mixer

crockpot liners

good knives

cutting board

wooden spoon

See all of the cookbooks we've used at the Library's website: 

http://kirtland.lib.oh.us/content/cookbook-club-7

Want to start your own cookbook club? Grab some friends and a cookbook. The Library has cookbooks of all kinds!

Local Haunts of Kirtland

We recently had the Ghost Lady of Willoughby, Cathi Weber, come by to give a talk about some of the local haunts here in northeast Ohio, and it proved to be a very entertaining evening. She gave us a rundown of some of the various haunted locales that she has visited such as the historic Willoughby Coal Co. haunted by the Ghost of Don Norris, one of the business owners who was found bloodied and broken outside the coal company. She discussed the Fairport lighthouse and ghastly mummified cat who's ghost still scampers around its grounds, and the Lake County Historical Society, who's long time superintendent Mrs. White still tries to enforce the rules to would be ghost hunters who visit.

But surprisingly, out of all the local haunts that she discussed that evening, not one mention of any of the hauntings in the Kirtland area.  Seeing as Ohio is notorious for its haunted locales I did a little digging to see what haunts we were most known for, and there was certainly no shortage of them.

One of the first thing I dug up in my search was the Witch's Grave. Located on Hart Rd. in Kirtland Hills, the Witch's grave has an urban legend which says that if you stand before the grave and turn your back to it, it will encroach upon you. The lore is that the grave belongs to a witch who was punished for her crimes and buried off in solitude because they did not want her in their cemeteries. The reality is a bit less exciting, as it is the grave of a pair of settlers who traveled from Connecticut to here and were more than likely buried on the family plot. Still, local paranormal investigators have felt energies and experiences here.

Our next famous Kirtland haunt is one that is certainly popular with local teens. On Wisner Rd., off of Kirtland-Chardon Rd., you'll find a bridge on a private drive. This is one of the nation's many famous "Crybaby bridges". But special mention goes to this one because of the frequency of events people have reported here.

Supposedly, should you park on half of the bridge and roll your windows down, the sound of water from the passing river will start to be accompanied by sound of a child crying. This is a heavily wooded area so its host to all manner of sounds, but its very hard to deny the sheer number of cases who claim to have heard crying. I mention this one because it ties to one of Kirtland's most well know hauntings.

You knew this one was coming, but when people go to check out the Crybaby Bridge, they are looking for Melon Heads. There are various tellings of the legend, that in the 1800's a doctor by the name of Crowe (or Crow, Crowely, or Crowstein). The stories are mixed in the details, but they typically are based around the good doctor adopting a series of children who suffered from Hydrocephalus (taking water on the brain). Dr. Crowe would often conduct experiments on the children. Some say in an attempt to cure them, others say they were for.... darker reasons.

Supposedly after the death of Mrs. Crowe, the mother figure to the children, they became unruly and violent, and the ensuing scuffle resulted in a fire of the orphanage that saw the demise of Crowe. The children were assumed to be lost, but numerous sightings of them have been reported near the Crybaby Bridge and King Memorial Cemetery. Nearly everyone knows about the legend and there was even a film produced about it.

This is just a snippet of the various haunts I was able to dig up about our little area. There are a number of other haunted places and many many more around the state of Ohio. Many of them have been written about and are available through our very own library system. Everyone is encouraged to form their own opinions about hauntings,but the exploration of it all is what makes it fun and interesting. What local haunts do you know about?

What We're Reading Now!

Jamie: Bundori by Laura Joh Rowland

Bundori is the second novel in Laura Joh Rowland's historical mystery series featuring samurai detective Sano Ichiro. In feudal Japan, Sano is the shogun's sosakan-sama: Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations, and People. In this book, he must find a serial killer who has been leaving clues in the form of an ancient war ritual: severed heads to nailed boards. The clues lead Sano to several suspects. The problem is, one suspect is the shogun's Chamberlain. The shogun himself has asked Sano to catch the murderer. Sano is torn between serving the shogun and serving justice. ​Sano's life is always in danger. Luckily, he has a loyal assistant helping him. A knowledgeable, scholarly elder, and deadly female ninja complete the cast. As Sano learns hidden secrets and narrows his list of suspects, suspense mounts.

This is only the second book about Sano but I enjoy reading about historical Japan and samurai culture and I love to see the character of Sano develop. His integrity and skills are admirable and I'm always cheering for him. Rowland's historical details are accurate and contribute to the story. The shogun of Sano's time is a real historical figure: Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. There are currently seventeen novels in the series, so there is still much to learn about Sano and historical Japan. (This series may not be for everyone due to graphic scenes and violence.)


Chris: Attack On Titan by Hajimie Isayama

I had a mystery lined up for my new post, but since this series is so hot right now and I'm apparently the sole anime/manga fan in Kirtland, I wanted to talk about this one.

Attack On Titan takes place in a Concentric city that is protected by three giant stone walls. For the past 100 years, these walls protected humans from monstrous humanoids called Titans. For youths such as protagonist Eren Yeager, his adopted sister Misaka, and their friend Armin, life within these walls are all they know and the peace from it. Until one day, a massive 50 meter tall skinless Titan appears above the wall and smashes a hole through it, allowing smaller yet incredibly deadly Titans to breach through. The ensuing chaos for escape is gruesome as the Titans begin to tear apart and devour humans. People are evacuated to the inner walls, but not without Eren losing his family in the most brutal of fashions. Swearing vengeance, Eren joins up with the Survey Corps to leave the walls and take the fight to the Titans.

When I tell another adult I watch anime or read manga, I will occasionally get a scoff, an eyeroll, or am told that cartoons are for kids. This series is decidedly not for kids, and I challenge readers to give it a try. It has drama, betrayal, mystery, gruesome combat, and for the most part moves at a fast pace. You could tear though 3 volumes of these graphic novels in less than an hour, so there is no reason not to give it a shot.


Maria: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never left her tiny village. Recently let go from her waitressing job at the Butter Bun Cafe, she finds she needs a job fast because her parents rely on her paychecks. So when the job center recommends Lou try for a job as a caretaker for a quadriplegic, she reluctantly goes for the interview. Lou's interview takes her to the affluent side of town, to the Traynor family mansion. They are moneyed and infamous in Lou's small town, but she never knew about the troubles they've had at home . . . the eldest Traynor child, Will, was in an accident two years ago that has left him a quadriplegic. He has movement of his neck, but minimal control of his hands and fingers. Everything else is paralyzed, and he is confined to a chair and needs 24/7 care, especially after a suicide attempt that put the family on high-alert. Mrs. Traynor is adamant that she does not want a nurse-maid for her son. She just wants him to spend time with someone who will entertain him and be companionable. Louisa is chatty and quirky, dressing in colorful tights and sparkly gumboots. She's just the sort of positive influence Will needs in his life right now.

But Will Traynor is not the easiest person to get along with. He's bitter and depressed - constantly reminiscing about his life `before' and `after' the accident. He used to ski, bungee jump, rock climb and just generally travel the globe looking for the next adrenalin-rush. Now he is chair-bound and suicidal. But Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living. Lou has six months to prove her worth to the Traynors and make a difference in Will's life. And what originally starts as an easy paycheck and cozy new job turns into a mission of hope. . .

Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—although heartbreaking, this book had me laughing out loud in many parts of the book. Great character development, great writing…what more can you ask for?

Artists in Novels

Since the publication of Girl in Hyacinth Blue and Girl with a Pearl Earring, historical fiction about art and artists has remained popular. The following titles are just a few examples of novels featuring artists.

Sunflowers, by Sheramy Bundrick is about the relationship between Vincent Van Gogh and a prostitute named Rachel, who becomes his model and his love during the final two years of his life.

The Passion of Artemisia, by Susan Vreeland features lesser-known 17^th –century artist Artemisia Gentileschi, the first woman elected to the Accademia dell’Arte in Florence. Vreeland’s other novels are also about artists and their work, including Girl in Hyacinth Blue (Vermeer) and Luncheon of the Boating Party (Renoir).

I Am Madame X, by Gioia Diliberto is a fictional memoir of Virginie Gautreau, the model for John Singer Sargent’s painting, Portrait of Madame X, which is featured on the book cover.

American 19^th-century painter Mary Cassatt’s work is the subject of Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper, by Harriet Scott Chessman. Lydia, Mary’s older sister who was dying of Bright's Disease, was the model for a series of paintings reproduced in this novel.

The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal imagines the background story of Rembrandt’s first masterpiece, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholaes Tulp.

These titles and many more, including novels about Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci, are available in our fiction collection. Please ask a reference librarian for more recommendations.

What we're reading now! {June}

In a new addition to our little blog here, we thought it would be fun if we shared with you what it is we are following from month to month. Could be books, could be movies, could be crafts or games. So as we roll through this hot summer, here's what we're read reading now!

Chris: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

As a child of the 80's and a guy who plays a lot of video games, I'm suggested this book often. It's 2044 and the world is basically falling apart. There are no jobs, less food, and even less space to live. The only solace many people have is in a virtual world called OASIS. Both the real and online worlds are sent into a frenzy when the game's creator James Halliday passes away and leaves his multibillion dollar estate and fortune to the one who can solve his game within OASIS by finding his three keys which open three gates. Five years pass with nobody finding a clue and people begin to question if there was really a contest at all.
 

Until an unassuming student named Wade finds the first clue and is ranked on the world leader board. Now it becomes a race as he's thrust into the limelight and now pitted against his friends, idols, and people very willing to kill to get ahead. So now, just to survive Wade needs to use his knowledge of Halliday's passion for 80's pop culture and video games to get the jump on the rest of the world to be the first to find Halliday's easter egg. The entire world is an MMO (massively multiplayer online game), everyone in it is a player, and the real world is the prize. But when push comes to shove, is it really what Wade wants?

This one can feel like fan-fiction at times but the story is fun and really starts to sprint to the finish as you read along. Its a little thick with references but ultimately it was very fun to read.

Gina: The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

Set in a small town in the Ozark Mountains, The Weight of Blood tells the story of Lucy Dane, a seventeen-year-old who is searching for the truth behind two mysteries: the brutal murder of her friend, Cheri, and the disappearance of her mother when Lucy was a baby.

The story is told from alternating points of view, including Lucy; her mother, Lila; and several other main characters. At first I found this confusing, since the chapters narrated by Lila are set in the time before Lucy was born, so that the plot is not chronological. But telling the story this way allows the reader to feel more involved and to better understand the characters. Since Lucy never really knew her mother, the author allows Lila to tell her own story, and we learn much more about Lucy’s father and uncle from her point of view. As Lucy’s investigation broadens, she learns that there may be a connection between the two cases, and those closest to her may not be who they seem.

This is a suspenseful debut novel with fascinating characters and a descriptive setting. I look forward to her next book.


Jane:  Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

There is an anonymous quote that says "when a butterfly flaps it's wings in one part of the world it can cause a hurricane in another part of the world."  This is what happens when Dellarobia Turnbow finds a mountaintop covered in monarch butterflies in rural Tennessee.  Somehow the butterflies have gotten off their natural course.  Is it an act of God or is it global warming?  Whatever the cause, it is bringing scientists, environmentalists and gawkers to Dellarobia's mountain and creating havoc with her family.   Dellarobia's father-in-law wants to clear cut the mountain, for much needed money.  Her mother-in-law, Hester, is sure it's a spiritual sign.  For Dellarobia, the butterflies signify her desire to get something more out of life.

Kingsolver is a wonderful writer.  She brings people and places to life and subtly educates the reader.  

Turhand Kirtland

Our city's namesake, Turhand Kirtland, was born in Wallingford, Connecticut in 1755 (the village of Kirtland Hills is named for Turhand's son, Jared Potter Kirtland). Turhand Kirtland was the resident general land agent for the Connecticut Land Company which sold parcels of land in the Western Reserve during the 1800s.

Turhand Kirtland

Turhand had nine siblings. His great-grandfather, Nathaniel Kyrtland, came to Massachusetts from England in 1635. Turhand began work by manufacturing carriages and stagecoaches, and acted in the provisional service of New York.

Turhand and other land agents formed the Connecticut Land Company and purchased the Western Reserve from the state of Ohio in 1795. In 1796, General Moses Cleaveland began a survey of this land. Two years later, the land was divided among the Connecticut Land Company stockholders by a draft. Turhand drew the township of Mecca, part of the township of Auburn, Poland, Burton, and 2,000 acres in Kirtland.

Turhand owned much of the township that was Kirtland but sold most of it and never lived there. He lived in Poland, Ohio with his wife, Mary Potter, and three children: Henry, Nancy, and Mary. (Son Jared remained in Connecticut to be educated. He gained fame as a physician, teacher, naturalist, horticulturalist, and ornithologist.) Turhand helped establish libraries and schools among the reserve, including Western Reserve College.

In 1798, Turhand, along with a group of surveyors and settlers, began surveying and laying out the townships. Turhand kept a diary of this time. You can read it here or you can follow us on Twitter as we tweet entries beginning May 12.

For more Kirtland history, check out A History of Kirtland by Anne B. Prusha or read 20th Century Memoirs of Kirtland, Ohio by Grace E. Parks which is available for purchase at the Library.