Library Cards Required To Check Out Items at the Library

Library Cards will be required at Kasson Public Library after Monday, August 5, 2011.

Due to data privacy laws, family members must have the correct library card to check out or pick up items at the library as this insures accuracy of checked out items. Please make sure if you are asking other family member(s) or friends to pick up your requested items that they have the correct library card with them.

Left your card at home? Library cards are available for purchase for $2.00.

September New Books

Killing the Blues by Robert B. Parker 9/13
Paradise, Massachusetts, is preparing for the summer tourist season when a string of car thefts disturbs what is usually a quiet time in town. In a sudden escalation of violence, the thefts become murder, and chief of police Jesse Stone finds himself facing one of the toughest cases of his career. Pressure from the town politicians only increases when another crime wave puts residents on edge. Jesse confronts a personal dilemma as well: a burgeoning relationship with a young PR executive, whose plans to turn Paradise into a summertime concert destination may have her running afoul of the law.

When a mysterious figure from Jesse's past arrives in town, memories of his last troubled days as a cop in L.A. threaten his ability to keep order in Paradise-especially when it appears that the stranger is out for revenge.





Lethal by Sandra Brown 9/20
When her four year old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word.

But Honor soon discovers that even those close to her can't be trusted. Coburn claims that her beloved late husband possessed something extremely valuable that places Honor and her daughter in grave danger. Coburn is there to retrieve it -- at any cost. From FBI offices in Washington, D.C., to a rundown shrimp boat in coastal Louisiana, Coburn and Honor run for their lives from the very people sworn to protect them, and unravel a web of corruption and depravity that threatens not only them, but the fabric of our society


Feast Day of Fools by James Lee Burke 9/27
Sheriff Hackberry Holland patrols a small Southwest Texas border town with a deep and abiding respect for the citizens in his care. Still mourning the loss of his cherished wife and locked in a perilous almost-romance with his deputy, Pam Tibbs, a woman many decades his junior, Hackberry feeds off the deeds of evil men to keep his own demons at bay.
When alcoholic ex-boxer Danny Boy Lorca witnesses a man tortured to death in the desert and reports it, Hack’s investigation leads to the home of Anton Ling, a regal, mysterious Chinese woman whom the locals refer to as La Magdalena and who is known for sheltering illegals. Ling denies having seen the victim or the perpetrators, but there is something in her steely demeanor and aristocratic beauty that compels Hackberry to return to her home again and again as the investigation unfolds. Could it be that the sheriff is so taken in by this creature who reminds him of his deceased wife that he would ignore the possibility that she is just as dangerous as the men she harbors?


The Affair by Lee Child 9/27
Everything starts somewhere. . . .For elite military cop Jack Reacher, that somewhere was Carter Crossing, Mississippi, way back in 1997. A lonely railroad track. A crime scene. A coverup.

A young woman is dead, and solid evidence points to a soldier at a nearby military base. But that soldier has powerful friends in Washington.

Reacher is ordered undercover—to find out everything he can, to control the local police, and then to vanish. Reacher is a good soldier. But when he gets to Carter Crossing, he finds layers no one saw coming, and the investigation spins out of control.

Local sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux has a thirst for justice—and an appetite for secrets. Uncertain they can trust one another, Reacher and Deveraux reluctantly join forces. Reacher works to uncover the truth, while others try to bury it forever. The conspiracy threatens to shatter his faith in his mission, and turn him into a man to be feared.


The Race by Clive Cussler 9/27
It is 1910, the age of flying machines is still in its infancy, and newspaper publisher Preston Whiteway is offering $50,000 for the first daring aviator to cross America in less than fifty days. He is even sponsoring one of the prime candidates-an intrepid woman named Josephine Frost-and that's where Bell, chief investigator for the Van Dorn Detective Agency, comes in.
Frost's violent-tempered husband has just killed her lover and tried to kill her, and he is bound to make another attempt. Bell has tangled with Harry Frost before; he knows that the man has made his millions leading gangs of thieves, murderers, and thugs in every city across the country. He also knows that Frost won't be only after his wife, but after Whiteway as well. And if Bell takes the case . . . Frost will be after him, too.


An Angel for Christmas by Heather Graham 9/27
Christmas has never brought out the best in the MacDougal family. Still, year after year, they gather together in the Blue Ridge Mountains to try to make the season merry and bright. But this year is an especially strained one, with Shayne’s impending divorce, Morwenna’s slavish devotion to work and Bobby’s reluctance to face what life has to offer. They’ve never felt less like a family. Then, in the midst of a snowy sibling shouting match, a mysterious stranger appears. He could be a criminal, a madman — or something far more unexpected. Despite their fears and the growing danger in the dark woods around them, the MacDougals take a leap of faith. But when another stranger arrives on the mountainside, they don’t know which of them to believe. One of these men can’t be trusted.

Prey by Linda Howard 9/6
Thirty-two-year-old Angie Powell has always spoken her mind, but in the presence of Dare Callahan she nurses a simmering rage. After all, why give Dare the satisfaction of knowing he can push her buttons and push her to the edge?

Three years ago, Dare returned home to rural western Montana and opened a hunting business to rival Angie’s. Complicating matters is the fact that Dare has asked Angie out (not once but twice) and has given her a gift of butterflies in the process. Angie has no patience for butterflies. They only lead to foolish decisions. And now the infuriatingly handsome Iraq war vet has siphoned away Angie’s livelihood, forcing her to close up shop.

Before Angie is to leave town, she organizes one last trip into the wilderness with a client and his guest, who wants to bag a black bear. But the adrenaline-fueled adventure turns deadly when Angie witnesses a cold-blooded murder and finds herself on the wrong side of a loaded gun. Before the killer can tie up this attractive loose end, a bear comes crashing through the woods—changing the dark game completely.

The Pirate King by Laurie R. King 9/6
In England’s young silent-film industry, the megalomaniacal Randolph Fflytte is king. Nevertheless, at the request of Scotland Yard, Mary Russell is dispatched to investigate rumors of criminal activities that swirl around Fflytte’s popular movie studio. So Russell is traveling undercover to Portugal, along with the film crew that is gearing up to shoot a cinematic extravaganza, Pirate King. Based on Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, the project will either set the standard for moviemaking for a generation . . . or sink a boatload of careers.

Nothing seems amiss until the enormous company starts rehearsals in Lisbon, where the thirteen blond-haired, blue-eyed actresses whom Mary is bemusedly chaperoning meet the swarm of real buccaneers Fflytte has recruited to provide authenticity. But when the crew embarks for Morocco and the actual filming, Russell feels a building storm of trouble: a derelict boat, a film crew with secrets, ominous currents between the pirates, decks awash with budding romance—and now the pirates are ignoring Fflytte and answering only to their dangerous outlaw leader. Plus, there’s a spy on board. Where can Sherlock Holmes be? As movie make-believe becomes true terror, Russell and Holmes themselves may experience a final fadeout.

The Mercy by Beverly Lewis 9/6
Rose Kauffman pines for prodigal Nick Franco, the Bishop's foster son who left the Amish under a cloud of suspicion after his foster brother's death. His rebellion led to the "silencing" of their beloved Bishop. But is Nick really the rebel he appears to be? Rose's lingering feelings for her wayward friend refuse to fade, but she is frustrated that Nick won't return and make things right with the People. Nick avowed his love for Rose--but will he ever be willing to sacrifice modern life for her?Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, is living in her parents' Dawdi Haus. Her estranged "English" husband, injured and helpless after a car accident, has reluctantly come to live with her and their young daughter during his recovery. Can their marriage recover, as well? Is there any possible middle ground between a woman reclaiming her old-fashioned Amish lifestyle and thoroughly modern man?

1225 Christmas Tree Lane by Debbie Macomber 9/27
The people of Cedar Cove know how to celebrate Christmas. Like Grace and Olivia and everyone else, Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. Her small Christmas-tree farm is prospering, her daughters and her dogs are happy and well, and her new relationship with local vet Ted Reynolds is showing plenty of romantic promise. But...someone recently left a basket filled with puppies on her doorstep, puppies she’s determined to place in good homes. That’s complication number one. And number two is that her daughters Bailey and Sophie have invited their dad, Beth’s ex-husband, Kent, to Cedar Cove for Christmas. The girls have visions of a mom-and-dad reunion dancing in their heads. As always in life — and in Cedar Cove — there are surprises, too. More than one family’s going to have a puppy under the tree. More than one scheme will go awry. And more than one romance will have a happy ending!

New York to Dallas In Death by J.D. Robb 9/13
When a monster named Isaac McQueen-taken down by Eve back in her uniform days-escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

Son of Stone by Stuart Woods 9/30
After an eventful trip to Bel-Air and a reunion with his sophisticated (and very wealthy) former love, Arrington Calder, Stone Barrington is back in New York, and he's looking to stay closer to home and cash in on his partnership at Woodman & Weld.
But Arrington has other plans for Stone...including introducing him to the child he fathered many years ago.

Free and Bargain E-books

A friend told me of a great site that lets you download free and reduced books for your Nook or Kindle and it is called Pixil of Ink http://www.pixelofink.com/. It is great to find a bargain site for getting more books on eother your Kindle orNook. Enjoy!!

Here’s what you will find for both the Kindle and Nook:
Free eBooks – both the Limited Time Offers and often forgotten but Popular Classics Bargain eBooks that are highly rated (4-stars and up) yet a bargain at under $1, under $3, or under $5

Free Nook Books http://www.pixelofink.com/category/free-nook-books/
The section “Free Nook Books” on Pixel of Ink includes Limited Time Offers and often forgotten but Popular Classics. Grab these books while you can – most of these books are available for a Limited Time only!

Free Kindle Books http://www.pixelofink.com/category/free-kindle-books/
The section “Free Kindle Books” on Pixel of Ink includes Limited Time Offers and often forgotten but Popular Classics. Grab these books while you can – most of these books are available for a Limited Time only!

If you like to receive the Free & Bargain eBooks Newsletter every afternoon, direct to your inbox - Subscribe today

Italy Storytime WeeK of August 15th

This week theme for One World...Many Stories is Italy. To view the pictures go to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kassonlibrary/

Italy is famous worldwide for its delicious cuisine, its trendy fashions, luxury sports cars and motorcycles, diverse regional cultures and dialects, as well as for its many beautiful coasts, alpine lakes and mountains (the Alps and Apennines). There are also two independent mini-states are surrounded entirely by Italy: San Marino and Vatican City. No wonder it is often nicknamed Il Bel Paese (The Beautiful Country).

Pixlr-o-matic

Pixlr is a company that makes Flash-based photo editing services that are cloud based. Pixlr-o-matic is one of their services. It lets you add vintage touches to your photographs. The interface is easy and inviting. Just locate the picture you want to manipulate either from online or a local file.

Then the fun begins! You can select from several pre-set options that change the color, intensity and just add a vintage vibe to the photo. There are many to choose from and you can merrily click from one to the next to see the effects in action.

When you find your favorite, click on the arrows at the bottom of the screen. Heading to the right will take you to additional items for your photo. You can add glitter, burn, fog, scratches and much more to add an even more vintage feel.

Finally, you can click to the right again and change the edges of the photograph. They can be scrapbook style, flowery, or even grunge.

Then you have the option to save the image either up to imm.io where you can send it out via social media or to your local drive.

Beware, it’s addictive! If you are looking for a more robust photo editor, you will also want to check out Pixlr Editor which is a very nice cloud based editor with lots of features.

Russia Storytime week of August 8th

This weeks theme is all about Russia. We will talk about babuskkas,(grandmothers) or matroishka (nesting dolls) and turnips.Plan on attending one of our many storytimes and learn more about Russia and its heritage.
Additional pictures maybe found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kassonlibrary/

Russia is the largest country on earth and within this vast expanse lie the largest freshwater lake in the world, rivers and forests teeming with fish and wildlife, awe inspiring volcanos, and towering mountains. Russia covers more than 17 million square kilometres. It takes about a week to cross the country's two continents, eleven time zones by train, and ten hours by air and ends less than 50 miles from North America. Russia's population is about 150 million. The national language is Russian. Russia has the largest river in Europe, the Volga, the world's largest lake, the Caspian Sea, the world's deepest freshwater lake, the Baikal, and the Europe's highest peak, Elbrus.

Reading on the Rise

National Endowment for the Arts has a new report out about reading levels in the United States. And brace yourself, this one’s a doozy! Just look at the first paragraph of the preface, and you will be eager to read the rest:

Reading on the Rise, the National Endowment for the Arts’ new report, documents a significant turning point in recent American cultural history.

For the first time in over a quarter-century, our survey shows that literary reading has risen among adult Americans. After decades of declining trends, there has been a decisive and unambiguous increase among virtually every group measured in this comprehensive national survey.

Yippee! Reading levels have actually increased! Now, the data in here is from 2008, so it really doesn’t include the surge in ebooks that we have seen lately. Just think, the news about reading may get even better in years to come. Also, they look specifically at “literary reading” which includes novels, short stories, poetry, and plays in both print and online. And literary reading has increased with over half of American adults reading literary works in the previous 12 months.
If you are looking for a report filled with good news about the future of reading, look no further!

Germany Storytime Week of August 1

Germany is the theme country this week. Germany, one of the most visited countries in Europe, and is centrally located in the heart of Europe. Neuschwanstein, was a model for Disney's World's Cinderella Castle. Children also heard Fairytale by the Grimm's Brothers. Children enjoyed coloring Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.






Additional pictures may be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kassonlibrary/