REVIEWS New Books Favorite Authors General Topics Most items can be requested. If an item you are interested in is not available at your branch ask your librarian to request it or click on the book spine above labeled "CATALOG" to search the catalog and place your own request.

Submitted by: Carol Petrowski, La Crosse County Library, Onalaska April 25, 2008 MEMOIRS UNDER THE INFLUENCE Due to a recent series of unfortunate events, I have discovered some quite pleasant side effects of pain control medication. Reading and watching movies, as I have for the past few weeks, always provide a breathtaking array of possibilities for learning new words and concepts.  While soaking in the bath of pain modulators, however, one’s brain (at least mine) relaxes enough to REALLY appreciate certain words, concepts and nuances.  Some words are so glorious that I produce mental images of them flowing smoothly on my tongue, reminding me of egg whites slipping through my fingers as I separate the yolks.  If you haven’t already suspected, this is being written under the influence of a superior pain reliever, Tramadol.  Legal  Department, please note that I  am NOT, in any way, suggesting that ANY drug, even aspirin, be used to enhance creativity. I do, however, want to point out that I have just had what I can only describe as an epiphany regarding the word MEMOIR.  It sounds so, so…French, so elegant, so delicate.  While processing the gamut of emotions that range from utter despair to giddy nonchalance prompted by the word-that-shall-not-be-spoken which caused me to take the pain meds in the first place, I was suddenly and almost religiously struck by the beauty of the word itself and by the personal realization that a memoir is the most truthful and beautiful of all written art forms.  I have read and loved many memoirs.  Granted, the true story of your grandmother’s arduous trip here from whatever old country she left may not make the best seller list, even if assisted by a highly paid ghost writer, but it will be a genuine story.  And I like genuine stories.   I like to know that people are telling the truth, even as they entertain; that life itself can be as interesting, moving and riveting as a John Grisham novel.  There are many memoirs in the library.  One of my favorites, “A Million Little Pieces,” turned out not to be a memoir after all, but a true story  “enhanced” with falsehoods.  And there is another category of literature which is not quite original and true, but has an interesting excuse.   It is (and here is another lovely word) cryptomnesia which basically means that the writer or performer believes that the work is his, but actually it is based on “forgotten” memories and, according to that pervasive know-it-all Wikipedia, the person is not engaging in plagiarism, but is rather experiencing a memory as if it were inspiration.  But don’t let these imposters ruin the beautiful world of memoirs awaiting you.  Would you rather spend time with someone you regard as the most interesting person in the world? Or with someone who makes you feel like YOU are the most interesting person in the world?  That’s rather how I feel about reading a memoir. Pleased to have someone’s life revealed so intimately to me.  Touched by confidences I read as revealed only to me.  If they’re well written, memoirs can uplift, inspire, entertain or just make you feel better for having known this person, this “memoirist.”  Anyway, as I said, there are many memoirs in the library. Let us help you find one. Here are a few of my favorites you might consider: “First You Cry,” by Betty Rollin “Glass Castle,” by Jeannette Walls “‘Tis,” by Frank McCourt “Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked,” by David Benjamin “Drinking: a Love Story,” by Caroline Knapp “Kick me: Adventures in Adolescence,” by Paul Feig Now I’m going to go think of some more lovely words. All media are available through any branch with the exception of reference material, which must be used in the library.  If any item(s) you want are not at your favorite branch they can be requested from another. Ask at the check-out desk, or go online to the WRLSWeb catalog, in the library or from your own computer, to place your own request on this or any other item.  On the La Crosse County Library web site, www.lacrossecountylibrary.com, click on the book spine at the top of any page.  You are invited to visit any of our five branches at any time. Submitted by: Katewin Peterson, La Crosse County Library, Onalaska April 18, 2008 The first day of spring was March 20, 2008 this year.  It sure didn’t seem like it when you looked outside or listened to the weatherman.  In fact this month didn’t seem much like spring until just lately.  But finally it looks like we’re going to get some nice weather and we can think about things like going for walks, riding bikes, eating ice cream cones and, I’m sorry, spring cleaning.  Spring cleaning crossed my mind a couple of times a few weeks ago but I quickly forgot about it because, doggone it, it didn’t feel like spring.  But since its gotten nicer a book caught my eye titled “How to Cheat at Cleaning” by Jeff Bredenberg.  Actually page eight is titled “Spring Cleaning: Don’t be an April Fool” where the author explains that spring cleaning is a throwback to olden days when people shuttered their houses all winter and burned wood or coal for heat, spreading soot to every nook and cranny of their home so come spring those unfortunate souls had to start beating their rugs, fling open their windows and sweep their floors.  But if you’re still one of those people who thinks you should do a once or twice a year, thorough, stem to stern deep clean then this is the book for you. At the beginning of the book Jeff claims to be the kind of person who’s dying to dust his house with a leaf blower but actually if you read a little further you realize he wants an orderly, presentable and sanitary environment but he’s willing to cut corners and let technology help to attain his goal.  Martha Stewart might not approve but some of his ideas are worth trying especially for people who hate to clean. The book is divided into eleven chapters and you’ll find everything discussed from laundry to clutter to outdoor things like decks, siding and gutters to sanitation in kitchens and bathrooms.  In each chapter in the corners of the pages there are fast formulas for “homemade” cleaning products, sleight of hand which is quick ways of doing something, great gear which talks about products that can help you save some elbow grease, and a dirty story which tells about things that could go wrong in the cleaning world and how to avoid it. Mr. Bredenberg quotes the late Erma Bombeck in his book when she said “housework, if you do it right, it will kill you”.  He says he had fun writing this book and his sense of humor does show through his practical hints.  Page 132 is one he gives you permission to photocopy and place prominently in the area of your washer and dryer.  It’s called “A Note from Your Laundry Fairy”.  Among other things it tells the reader that the Laundry Fairy does not pick up or deliver.  The Laundry Fairy does not iron but will give lessons.  And my personal favorite is number five stating that the Laundry Fairy assumes you intend for her/him to wash any items left in pockets, including wallets, candy, homework, frogs, video games and love notes.  You are responsible for the results. You might not agree with everything Jeff Bredenberg advocates but some of his stories about people who used their robotic vacuum cleaners to serve beer to guests, or the junk removal company who had to dispose of thirteen enormous Buddha statues, or the guy who washed his socks in the dishwasher are bound to make you laugh.  And who knows, you might just come away with a few helpful hints from “How to Cheat at Cleaning”. All media are available through any branch with the exception of reference material, which must be used in the library.  If any item(s) you want are not at your favorite branch they can be requested from another. Ask at the check-out desk, or go online to the WRLSWeb catalog, in the library or from your own computer, to place your own request on this or any other item.  On the La Crosse County Library web site, www.lacrossecountylibrary.com, click on the book spine at the top of any page.  You are invited to visit any of our five branches at any time. Submitted by: Judy Taylor, La Crosse County Library, Holmen April 11, 2008 Recently, I read an article in the La Crosse Tribune by John Hibshman from Onalaska.  The article was about giving youth sports back to the kids.  I liked his view and understood exactly what he was talking about.  The best part for me was his mention of a book by Bob Bigelow called “Just Let the Kids Play.”   It is truly a fantastic book, I would agree and would also like to challenge any and all adults that are in any way involved in youth sports to read this book.  Bob Bigelow, the author, is a former National Basketball Association player who lectures around the country.  He has given more than 400 speeches regarding youth sports.  Bigelow has spent years researching the sociological, psychological and physiological impact of youth sports systems. “Just Let the Kids Play” is not a new book, and although the copyright is 2001 the information is up-to-the-minute, happening right now.  The subtitle on the front reads “How to Stop Other Adults from Ruining Your Child’s Fun and Success in Youth Sports.”  After checking the titles of the ten very easy to read chapters, you will probably opt to skim through the whole book first and then go back and read it cover to cover.  Perhaps you would want to dive right into Chapter 2 “Elite Teams:  The Unkindest Cuts of All,” or Chapter 4 “Injuries:  A Toll on Body and Soul,” or even Chapter 8 “The Politics of Youth Sports:  Fighting for Change.”  There is even a chapter on the steps one would take to change the system and what kinds of resistance you would probably encounter.  Bigelow follows up his last chapter with some frequently asked questions and proceeds to give an e-mail address where he and other members of an expert panel will address issues including injuries, difficult parents/coaches, athletic development or any other questions you may have.  The book is quite credible with its list of references and resource information wrap-up at the end. People are constantly connecting with youth sports systems all year long and there are lots of great informative books on this subject.  If you are interested in making a positive change to youth sports, read Bob Bigelow's book “Just Let the Kids Play” and call John Hibshman in Onalaska at 781-6418.  Here are some other related titles you may be interested in checking out:  “Kidsports, A Survival Guide for Parents,” by Nathan J. Smith; “Parenting, sportsMom style: real-life solutions for surviving the youth sports scene,” by Laurel Phillips; “Coaching Kids for Dummies,” by Rick Wolff; “Will you still love me if I don’t win?: a guide for parents of young athletes,” by Christopher Andersonn; “Parenting young athletes the Ripken Way: ensuring the best experience for your kids in any sport,” by Cal Ripken; or “Whose Game is it anyway?: a guide to helping your child get the most from sports, organized by age and stage,” by Richard Ginsburg. The Winding Rivers Library System has a couple of copies of “Just Let the Kids Play” in our catalog.  If you would like to request a copy, call me today or any La Crosse County Library and you can pick it up at the location most convenient for you.  Kids grow up so fast these days, we all need to get informed, get involved and get it right. All media are available through any branch with the exception of reference material, which must be used in the library.  If any item(s) you want are not at your favorite branch they can be requested from another. Ask at the check-out desk, or go online to the WRLSWeb catalog, in the library or from your own computer, to place your own request on this or any other item.  On the La Crosse County Library web site, www.lacrossecountylibrary.com, click on the book spine at the top of any page.  You are invited to visit any of our five branches at any time. Submitted by: Judy Mulroy, La Crosse County Library, Onalaska March 28, 2008 The phrase “Go Green” has become the mantra of the Twenty-First Century.  You hear and see this phrase in newspapers, magazines, television, radio, at home show expos and even from own your children. Let’s face it; the Traditional or Mature generation, the Baby Boomer generation and Generation X have not used many Green Methods to care for the environment.  When you stand back and look at planet Earth, our efforts to “Go Green” have been rather lackluster and hit-and-miss.  We have wanted more and more, bigger and better, easier and readily obtainable from all of our industries.  The industrial sectors are more than willing to create these new and improved products; it is their business and we cannot assume that industry has our best interests at heart.  Now we are paying the price of demand! Before the Twentieth Century, spring cleaning chores included removing the soot and smoke created by wood and coal fires and the oil burned in lamps.  Water had to be carried in.  Soap had to be made.  There was an extensive amount of time spent doing spring house cleaning; it was exhaustive and there were no quick-fix chemicals to use.  Elbow grease and lye soap were the cleaning “supplies.” The Twentieth Century brought the dawn of sewing a shirt in a matter of hours on a sewing machine; something that once took months to finish by hand.  Houses were eventually heated with a central system; no longer using wood that required days and sometimes months to cut and pile by the house.  Clothes could now be washed and dried with automatic machines; the wash board and the wringer washer and the heavy lifting of soaking-wet clothes to dry wherever there was room came to an end.  As time progressed, in the Twentieth Century, we saw electric lights, running water, indoor plumbing, dishwashers, a gas or electric range, vacuum cleaners and garbage disposals to name a few “modern” conveniences.  Sanitation systems for clean water were developed.  Vaccines were found for diseases that once were impossible to cure and medicines for chronic conditions were developed; life expectancy increased from 47 years to 74.8 years. The chemical industry gives us so many types of household cleaners it is difficult to decide what works best.  Many of the household chores are now done daily or weekly.  Spring cleaning is a breeze compared to the nineteen hundreds.  Starting in 1970, the United States Government established the Environmental Protection Agency and charged the EPA with the daunting task of repairing the damage already done to the environment.   Their job was to offer federal funding to each state so it could set standards to regulate pollution and clean up that which we had already created.  Some states have refused to comply or have set such minimal standards that there is little progress to control the pollution in their area. Government cannot do it all.  The big question is how can YOU help clean up the environment?  Environmental help does and can be done on an individual basis. As always, the biggest challenge we all must work on is changing our habits.  How and what we use when we clean the house; how and with what do we take care of the lawn; how we plant and tend that garden;  what we use to control pesky mosquitoes.  Changing our individual habits can and will improve the world for our children and children’s children! You might take some of the ideas from this book, “Green Housekeeping” by Ellen Sandbeck.  It has a Table of Contents that lists many ways to do things the Green Way.  After paging through this book, I have found a number of things that I can quickly change.  By changing just three of the cleaning products I normally use, I feel that I will be doing the earth a favor. There are other eco-friendly books available through the Bangor, Campbell, Holmen, Onalaska and West Salem facilities of the La Crosse County Library.  You can even go on-line to request “Go Green” books from these and other Winding Rivers Libraries.  Go to www.lacrossecountylibrary.com and click on the book spine at the top of the page.  That will take you into the WRLSWeb catalog where you can search by title, author or subject matter and request any title you find.

Submitted by: Deen Layland, La Crosse County Library, Holmen March 14, 2008 The appearance of seed catalogs, tax forms and robins are sure signs of spring. Another sign that spring is around the corner can be found in the new arrival section of the library: namely new garden and landscape books, home improvement manuals and income tax guides. Flowers, shrubs, pruning, hardscape and lawns are just a few of the topics covered in these new full-color books: “The Homeowner’s Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook” by Penelope O’Sullivan, “The Wisconsin Lawn Guide” by Melinda Myers, “The Pocket Guide to Hostas” by Diana Grenfell and “The Plant Finder” by Tony Rodd and Geoff Bryant.  “Designing and Renovating Larger Gardens” by Douglas Coltart is full of suggestions for curving a pathway, a garden bed layout according to the positions of the sun and the focal point of a garden space. Did you know: A path with shorter, more frequent curves encourages walkers to move faster along the path than if the curves were longer and shallower?  Taking a “short cut” off the path is a sign that the path was laid out incorrectly. Reed Construction Data has published a fascinating book titled “How Your House Works.” Do-it-yourselfers will love the simple diagrams of what may be perceived as the more complicated devices in your home such as: the water softener, a jet pump, traps & vents, a gas warm air furnace or even a dimmer switch. Included with each of the 100+ devices or systems, author Charlie Wing tells the reader what the trouble signs are and when to call for professional help. Remember to utilize your library for tax help including forms and instructions, free access to online websites with a library card as well as book publications to check out from H&R Block, Ernst & Young, the Dummies series and Nolo. All media are available through any branch with the exception of reference material, which must be used in the library.  If any item(s) you want are not at your favorite branch they can be requested from another. Ask at the check-out desk, or go online to the WRLSWeb catalog, in the library or from your own computer, to place your own request on this or any other item.  On the La Crosse County Library web site, www.lacrossecountylibrary.com, click on the book spine at the top of any page.  You are invited to visit any of our five branches at any time.

Submitted by: Dee Ehrsam, La Crosse County Library, West Salem February 28, 2008 If you haven’t yet discovered “listening” as a way of reading, now is a good time to do so.  A new collection of audio books, called playaways, are in the Holmen and Onalaska libraries, and has recently been expanded to the shelves of the West Salem branch of the La Crosse County Libraries. Playaways are fully loaded digital audio books.  Playaways don’t use cassette tapes or CDs, nor do they require players.  They are about the size of a deck of playing cards.  All that is required to use a playaway is a set of personal headphones, and to help to get you started listening to playaways, you may purchase inexpensive headphones at a La Crosse County Library for $2. Playaways are simple and convenient to use.  Plug in the headphones and push the buttons.  The control buttons allow listeners to adjust the volume and speed of the narration, and a pause feature makes it easy for a listener to stop and restart at the same place. Patrons at the La Crosse County Libraries may choose playaways from fiction and nonfiction titles and many more titles may be requested from other area libraries.  Please ask us if you need assistance in placing any requests.  Currently the selection at West Salem includes titles such as:       “All the King’s Men,” by Robert Penn Warren       “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” by Tracy Chevalier       “Marley & Me,” by John Grogan       “Tishomingo Blues,” by Elmore Leonard       “1776,” by David McCullough I recently listened to the playaway, “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid,” by Bill Bryson.  This memoir highlights the childhood life of Bryson, growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, during the 50’s.  “What a wonderful world it was”, he says.  Babyboomers may recall descriptions similar to Bryson’s of people, events, and landmarks:  castle-like movie theatres, home radiators, crew cuts, the atomic era, Zorro, dime stores, electric streetcars, and old department stores.  I highly recommend this very funny story with all the nostalgia it captures for the listener. All media are available through any branch with the exception of reference material, which must be used in the library.  If any item(s) you want are not at your favorite branch they can be requested from another. Ask at the check-out desk, or go online to the WRLSWeb catalog, in the library or from your own computer, to place your own request on this or any other item.  On the La Crosse County Library web site, www.lacrossecountylibrary.com, click on the book spine at the top of any page.  You are invited to visit any of our five branches at any time.

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