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Elizabeth's Archive
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Archive
March
2007
June
2007
September
2007
December
2007
March
2008
June 2008
September 2008
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| The three things in my life that matter the most to me all start with B; books, bikes, and third is just for me. |
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Buzzard: Inside WMMS and the glory days of FM rock radio by John Gorman with Tom Ferran
A rock and roll memoir of how jock radio used to be before the big station formats came in and took over. John Gorman tells how Cleveland WMMS remade rock radio during the 70’s while Cleveland stacked its claim as the “Rock and Roll Capital”! This story reads just like “WKRP in Cincinnati” except in book form! |
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The year my sister got lucky by Aimee Friedman
It’s a disaster of epical proportions to be moved from New York City (which Katie knows to be the center of the universe) to the backwoods town of Fir Lake. All her life she and her older sister have trained to be classical ballerinas, but the first day of ballet class in the boondocks consists of “shape and movement”, gentle jogging and three older women in sweatpants and white socks. Katie can’t believe how awful things have become, and what’s more puzzling is why her older sister doesn’t care. |
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Sarah’s Daughter by Ruth Bass
This is an old fashioned read when you’re in the mood for something between Little House on the Prairie and Christie. After Abby’s mother dies, she is left to raise her younger brother and sisters the best she can. She finds it an overwhelming task to keep house in the 19th century New England. When her father tells Abby she must give up school, she struggles to find a way to have both a family and a future. |
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Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert
Many people embrace a simpler lifestyle and talk of the virtue of getting back to nature, but Eustace Conway takes this idea to the extreme. He lives simply off the land in a teepee in the Appalachian Mountains, making fire from sticks, hunting for his food, and wearing only clothes made from the skins of the animals he hunts. From childhood Conway has taught himself everything he needs to survive on his own without any modern convenience. He has tested his strength, and survival skills with a 2,000 mile hike down the Appalachian Trail, and a journey across America on horseback. All this because he feels his destiny is to convince Americans to give up their materialistic lifestyles and return with him back to nature. |
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Starbucked: A double tall tale of caffeine, commerce and culture by Taylor Clark
What to know why you have such a love affair with Starbucks? You’re not drinking out of those green and white cups purely by chance. Read and find out why it’s not just the caffeine that is addictive at everyone’s favorite coffee shop. |
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The weather's warm, and the days are long. This month’s books are summer junk food for the brain - enjoy! |
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Meet the Annas: A musical novel by Robert Dunn
Melody, romance and perhaps a little murder (gasp!) are thrown in the mix as the beautiful sultry Annas hit the big time in the sixties. Put on the shades, turn on the Supremes. This one is for the lazy days poolside. |
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PS, I love you by Cecelia Ahern
Book, Audiobook
cassette, Large
Type
Holly receives one note a month for a full year sent from her husband after his death. Newly widowed, Holly anxiously awaits these letters, her only connection now to the man who was the love of her life. Each one contains either a task or a treat, guiding Holly through the empty months until she feels she can live again. Pop some corn, and watch the movie when you finish the book. Have tissues handy. |
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Boy meets girl by Meg Cabot
Set in the human resources department of the New York Journal, we’ve got the ex-sorority girl turned into evil, pompous boss; our lovable Kate, fair of heart, directed to commit the unthinkable act of firing the dessert lady from the company cafeteria, and the exasperating, yet handsome lawyer Mitchell, there to complicate Kate’s life even while saving the day. For anybody who has wasted away a Friday afternoon at work PM’ing friends, this book is for you. Read it under your desk in lieu of the vacation time you deserved, but didn’t get. |
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Alphabet sisters: a novel by Monica McInerney
Growing up you couldn’t keep the Quinlan sisters apart. Annie, Bett and Carrie were as close as close can be, until Carrie ran off with Bett’s fiancé. Grandmother Lola feels that three years is long enough to hold a grudge and she devises a plot to bring the sisters together again. But the girls have another thought; sometimes forgiveness is not as easy as ABC. Pack it in your carry on, this will get you through two airport layovers and the kid behind you kicking your seat. |
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Second coming of Lucy Hatch: A novel by Marsha Moyer
Lucy Hatch is 33 and moving back to her hometown of Mooney Texas because her husband of 14 years has just died in a freak accident. Lucy wants to grieve like a good wife should, but she’s not as broken up by her husband’s death as she is relieved. Relieved to start a new life, fresh, with no mistakes. Summer is for sleeping in, good thing, because you’ll stay up late with this one! |
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You buy the plant. You
buy the pot. You buy the soil and the special food and the
organic bug spray.
You buy the cage to keep the squirrel away and the fence to discourage
the rabbits. You buy the fertilizer, the super extra fertilizer,
the bigger pot, the bigger cage . . . when will it ever end?!
There comes a time in every gardener's life when they grow
the 64 dollar tomato. Join author William Alexander and his search
for "The $64 tomato: How one man nearly lost his sanity,
spent a fortune, and endured an existential crisis in the quest
for the perfect garden."
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Getting air by Dan Gutman
The haps? A hijacked plane crashes in the jungle. The players?
Jimmy: hotshot teen skateboarder and Mrs. Herschel: 80 year
old "extreme knitter." Survival skills? None. Chances
of rescue? Thank god for the Girl Scouts.
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Heart
in the right place: A memoir by Carolyn Jourdan
When Carolyn's mama had a heart attack, she left behind
her glamorous, important life on Capital Hill and came home to
help her father with his rural medical practice in Tennessee.
Frustrated by undecipherable Medicare forms, and daily medical
dramas that left her feeling helpless and queasy, she counted
the seconds before she could return to her old life. But as she
watched her father doctor the people of the small town where
she was raised, she began to learn what it meant to really make
a difference. From the U.S. Senate to scrubs, Carolyn's
life changed in an instant, but more importantly, so did her
heart.
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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Book, Audiobook
cassette, Audiobook
CD
I was standing in the romance aisle of Barnes and Noble looking
at the back cover of this book when a women comes out of nowhere
shrieking "Oh my gosh! You have to buy that book! That
is the BEST book EVER!" I bought the book, took it home
and started to read. I went back to Barnes and Noble later
that day and bought the sequel. You have to read this book.
It is the best book ever. Seriously. Read it.
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Carpe demon: Adventures of a demon-hunting
soccer mom by Julie Kenner
I guess if I can admit to being a Meg Cabot fan, I can also own
up to my love of all things "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
If you are like me, and still mourn the demise of the perky Buffy
and the Scoobies, then be comforted in this series by Julie Kenner.
Retired demon hunter now suburban mom gets pulled back into world
of demon butt kicking when one of the underworld nasties crashes
her dinner party. Carpools. Crabgrass. Creatures from the depths
of hell. Surburbia has its problems too . . .
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Leaving
Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepeneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s
Children by John Wood Hiking through Nepal, John Wood visited a small village school.
There locked away in a cabinet was the one book the whole
class shared. This was unimaginable to the successful software
executive
from Microsoft; only one book for a whole school. He knew
he had to do something to make a difference. With a thousand
books
bundled on the back of a yak, John Wood returned to the school
and the “Room to Read” organization was born.
Since then more than 1.2 million books have been donated.
Thousands
of libraries have been built, and 200 schools have been established.
In the library world, surrounded by books, newspapers and
magazines, with information easily accessed with a punch
of a key, it
is easy to forget how a simple book can change a life. The
story of John Wood is a wonderful reminder.
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A Leaky Tent is a Piece of Paradise:
20 young writers on finding a place in the natural world. Edited
by Bonnie Tsui
From pitching a tent to live in his parents back yard after
a devastating high school breakup, to learning how to survive
the wilderness, and the drag queens, at the Radical Faeiries
campsite in Tennessee this is not your usual collection of
nature stories. Original essays by twenty writers all thirty
and under share their experiences with, in and sometimes against
nature.
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Slow Loris by Alex Deacon Sloths are slow and boring. Everyone knows that. Except
for Loris; Loris has a secret and that makes all the difference.
Slow Loris. You’ll never look at a sloth the same way
again.
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Bitsy’s
Bait and BBQ by Pamela Morsi Buying a Bed and Breakfast is just what Katy needs to get
her life back in order after her divorce. The beautiful Ozark
setting will be the perfect place to live out her dreams of
being an innkeeper. Unfortunately, B and B stands for bait
and bar-b-que, two things Katy knows nothing about.
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Two for the Summit: my daughter, the
mountains and me by Geoffrey Norman Summiting the Grand Tetons in Wyoming for his 50th birthday
would be the ultimate experience for Geoffrey Norman. With
no previous climbing experience his solo expedition was a chance
to prove to himself that he could still conquer mountains,
literally and figuratively. Then his 15 year old daughter decided
she wanted to come along. The story of how father and daughter
climbed the Grand Tetons together shows a different kind of
courage than your usual climbing adventure. Summiting the mountain
took great physical and mental strength for Norman, but he
also faced the challenge of letting his daughter conquer her
own fears, allowing her to grow up, and eventually away.
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Breaking
trail: A climbing life by Arlene Blum
Arlene Blum falls in love with the male dominated sport of mountain
climbing in a time when it was not socially acceptable for women
to climb mountains. But not only does she conquer some of the
worlds highest peaks, she leads an all women expedition up one
of the worlds tallest mountains shattering the misconception
forever that women are too weak for mountaineering and not suited
for high altitude climbing. Her story is an inspiration for any
woman who has gone against the norm to achieve her goals.
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A
boat in our baggage: Around the world with a kayak by Maria
Coffey
Maria Coffey and her husband Dag paddled a thousand miles
by kayak into the remotest corners of the world. They navigated
through shark infested waters, and bathed with hippos. They
traversed the Ganges, avoiding both floating bodies and bandits.
Their journey is amazing, the storytelling superb.
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Flipped
by Wendelin Van Draanen
Book, Audiobook
cassette, Large
Type
The first time Juli saw Bryce in second grade she flipped over
him! The first time he saw her, he ran! Six years later however
and their feelings have flipped again. The more Bryce finds
out about Juli and her odd family the more enthralled he becomes
with her. Unfortunately, Juli is beginning to see him for the
shallow boy everyone says he is! Is it a case of too little,
too late for Bryce? Or can he convince Juli he really has changed
and get her to flip one more time?
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All-American
girl by Meg Cabot
Book, Audiobook
CD, Large
Type
Samantha knows she shouldn't be skipping school. If her
parents ever found out, she would be in HUGE trouble. But there
is no way they would ever know. Unless of course, one afternoon,
when she was suppose to be in art class, she accidentally saves
the President of the United States from an attempted assassination.
Her parents are going to kill her, for sure!
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What
can I say? I'm a total Meg Cabot fan girl.
Shadowland
by Meg Cabot, first in the mediator series
Book, Audio
Ebook
Suze finds it very inconvenient when the dead do not stay
dead. Her job as Mediator requires her to help send these
ghostly "hanger
ons" into their next life. That would be great if
she was dealing with the friendly Casper. Unfortunately
most
of her afterlife clients come with issues, and boy are
they belligerent. Luckily, Suze is pretty good at kicking
some
ghostly butt into the beyond. The only exception she is
making is for the ghostly Jesse. As far as Suze is concerned,
this
total hottie can haunt her room until hell freezes over.
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Sally
Jean and the Bicycle Queen by Cari Best
Sally Jean and her bike, Flash are inseparable. Calamity strikes
however when she finally becomes too big to ride. She tries walking,
she tries skipping, she tries jumping. But as all of us Bicycle
Queens out there know, nothing feels as good as riding. With
Flash gone, will Sally Jean ever ride again?
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But
enough about me: A Jersey girl's unlikely adventure among the
absurdly famous by Jancee Dunn
Her second day of work she ditched the power suit borrowed from
her mother, and combed back her big hair. She was working for
Rolling Stone Magazine now; from here on out it was Doc Martens,
booze-soaked nights, and rock and roll. A dream come true for
a Jersey girl who has a passion for music and a talent for schmoozing
with the stars.
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National
Treasure
DVD, VIDEO
A secret map located on the back of one of the most historical
documents ever could lead to riches beyond imagining. Benjamin
Franklin Gates is determined to guard that treasure from thieves,
but first he has to commit the ultimate crime himself; stealing
the Declaration of Independence.
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Why did the chicken cross the road?
This age old philosophical question is answered by fourteen of
the funniest and most talented children's illustrators. How
did they get so many egg-cellent artists in one book? Read
it and see!
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Slow, fat triathlete: live your dreams
in the body you have now by Jayne Williams
Be very careful reading this book. It's true that Jane went from
couch potato to triathlete, but this process did not turn her
into a buff, kick ass Amazon woman. She really is a slow, fat
triathlete. And once you realize what Jane can do, you begin
to think that you too can be a triathlete. Soon you'll be buying
a road bike, and a wet suit, and signing up for Wildflower. It
might change your life, best not to risk it.
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Swimming
to Antarctica: Tales of a long-distance swimmer by Lynne
Cox
Book, Large
Type
Shark infested oceans. Water so chilling, sudden immersion
will stop your heart. A river filled with rats and broken
glass. Lynne
Cox, the worlds leading long distance swimmer has conquered them
all. “Swimming to Antarctica” is Cox’s detailed
account of her major swims, and all that went right and wrong
with them.
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Cloud
Boy by Rhode Montijo
He made little things, he made big things. The sky was filled
with all kinds of his wonderful creations, and the little cloud
boy was never lonely again.
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Downhill;
the life cycle of a gravity goddess by Marla Streb
Marla Streb left her career as a biomedical researcher to climb
onto a bicycle and hurl herself down the side of a mountain at
speeds topping fifty miles an hour. Today she competes as a world
class downhill mountain bike racer, reinforcing for all her readers
the need to abandon everything to pursue what you love, and to
live passionately.
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Akeelah
and the Bee DVD
Word nerds will love this movie about a spelling bee showdown.
Even if you think spelling went out of fashion with the spell
check, you can’t help but be charmed by Akeelah and her
determination to make something of herself when she heads to
Washington to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
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Hawk:
Occupation, Skateboarder by Tony Hawk
For Tony Hawk, it wasn't enough to skate for two decades, to
invent more than eighty tricks, and to win more than twice as
many professional contests as any other skater. It wasn't enough
to knock himself unconscious more than ten times, fracture several
ribs, break his elbow, knock out his teeth twice, compress the
vertebrae in his back, pop his bursa sack, get more than fifty
stitches laced into his shins, rip apart the cartilage in his
knee, bruise his tailbone, sprain his ankles, and tear his ligaments
too many times to count. No. He had to land the 900. And after
thirteen years of failed attempts, he nailed it. It had never
been done before.
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