Blizzard of Glass

On December 6, 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax Harbor creating the largest man-made explosion to occur until the atomic bomb detonation in 1945.  Large areas of both Halifax and Dartmouth were leveled and nearly two thousand people were killed.  To add to the tragedy, a blizzard struck the next day stalling relief efforts.  The book details how the day began in an ordinary fashion and quickly turned into a nightmare for families.  Although, this is technically a young adult book, I enjoyed reading about this event in Canada's history and would recommend it to anyone.

Blizzard of Glass: the Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally Walker.
F1039.5.H17W35 2011



TEDTalks in Films on Demand

New content available in Films on Demand

TEDTalks are widely respected for bringing together some of the most fascinating and forward-thinking minds in areas from technology, science, and global issues to entertainment, design, and business. More than 360 titles* are available through Films On Demand in a variety of subject areas, from anthropology to technical education.

Highlights among the TEDTalks titles include architect Daniel Libeskind; filmmaker Morgan Spurlock; religious scholar Karen Armstrong; inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil; physician and author Dean Ornish; theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking; climate change prophet Al Gore; behavioral economics founder Daniel Kahneman; writer Elizabeth Gilbert; positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; tech visionary Nicholas Negroponte; singer-songwriter Andrew Bird; and ecology, biology, and history scholar Jared Diamond, to name just a few of the distinguished speakers. TEDTalks titles are easily accessible via the Special Collections tab on the top navigation bar.

Mrs. Kennedy and me

He called her Mrs. Kennedy and she called him Mr. Hill.  For four years, Clint Hill (originally from Washburn, ND) of the Secret Service was assigned to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.  This is a fascinating account of the "inner world" of presidential families and Mrs. Kennedy's wish to live a private life...something nearly impossible for a president's wife.  The account begins with the election of John Kennedy and continues until a year after his death.  During those four years, Clint Hill travels the world with Mrs. Kennedy and develops a close relationship with her. 

Summer reading/film challenge

There is still time to pick up the information for the summer reading/film challenge.  Stop by the main circulation desk at the library.

Summer reading/film challenge

We’ve provided the categories, you just need to read and/or watch, fill out the reading/film log(s) and return to the library by August 24, 2012 to receive a prize and be entered into the drawings.

Prize drawings will be held, with special drawings for most pages read and trying something from each of the suggested categories.

Pick up your packet today at the Main Circulation Desk at Stoxen Library.

Grasshopper Tales: Stories from North Dakota

This book is a collection of short stories all based in North Dakota and some with overlapping characters. The author was Margaret Lamb (known as Mimi) who lived most of her life in New York, but who never forgot her North Dakota upbringing. She was known as the storyteller in her family and that is apparent from this collection of stories. The one thing I can definitely say is that most of the stories left me wanting more...what happened next to these individuals? The topics vary from blizzards, droughts, grasshoppers, romance and homesteading.

The Legend of the Wandering King - book review

Laura Gallego Garcia's The Legend of the Wandering King is a wonderful mix of Arabic legend and fantasy with a sci-fi twist. Inspired in part by an actual prince from pre-Islamic Arabia, the book offers a fascinating glimpse of early Arabian life as well as an exciting modern take on one of their myths. Complete with a magic carpet, djinns and a journey across the desert, Walid, the wandering king, must find the carpet and make amends for the wrong done to it's maker. The author also includes a few translations of early Arabic poetry that add flavor to the story.

Find the book here: PZ7 .G155625 Le 2005

My Life, Deleted

Scott Bolzan slipped and fell in his office bathroom on Dec. 17, 2008 and suffered one of the worst cases of permanent retrograde amnesia on record. He had no memory of anything before his fall...no memory of his family (a wife, daughter and son), no memory of being a pilot or his aviation business and in some cases, no memory of the meaning of words. Scott and Joan (his wife) share their journey with honesty and humor. One of the ways that Scott "relearns" things is by watching TV...in particular, The Sopranos. He suffers from debilitating headaches. She has to adjust to the role reversal when she must find a job to support the family. She also must reintroduce herself to him as he has no memory of their 24 years of marriage.

My Life, Deleted: a Memoir. By Scott and Joan Bolzan. c 2011

RC394.A5 B65 2011 (currently shelved in New Books)