LOCAL HISTORY

 Interested in doing some local history research, or maybe some genealogy work?  Your local library has many resources that may be of use to you.  Not only do we have books that you may find useful, but we also provide access to internet resources.  And, we have a History Room in which we keep historical documents relating to the community.  You can find items such as photographs, old yearbooks, birth and death records, as well as old Evansville Review articles.





Not sure where to start?  Check out some of these resources:







Local History:

Evansville by Ruth Ann Montgomery
Images of America: Evansville by Ruth Ann Montgomery
Guide to Evansville
Evansville: Glimpses of the Grove by Ruth Ann Montgomery
An Analysis of the Evansville Review by William Bowes Antes
Pioneer Days of Evansville and Vicinity by Byron Campbell

Genealogy:

The Online Genealogy Handbook by Brad Schepp
Genealogy for the First Time: Research Your Family History by Laura Best
Long-Distance Genealogy by Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer
House Histories: A Guide to Tracing the Genealogy of Your Home by Sally Light


Don't forget to check out these websites:

http://uwdc.library.wisc.edu/collections/WI/ArrowheadLocHist
http://www.als.lib.wi.us/EFPL/
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/
http://www.ci.evansville.wi.gov/visitors/history.htm
http://www.grovesociety.org/home.html
http://www.genealoger.com/wisconsin/Counties/rock%20county.htm

From our website, you can access Ancestry.com, historic photos of Evansville, and BadgerLink.

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THANKSGIVING

In the 1600s, the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared a feast that we now cite as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the American colonies.  For years after, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual states, but it was not until the 1860s that a national day of thanksgiving was declared.  During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated every year in November.

For more information on the history of Thanksgiving visit the following websites:

http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving-facts
http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving-quiz
http://www.history.com/topics/mayflower-compact
http://www.history.com/topics/plymouth
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/history/first-thanksgiving/
http://www.plimoth.org/learn/MRL/read/thanksgiving-history

For more information on Thanksgiving, check out these books:

Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
Pilgrims by Garrison Keiller
Pilgrims by Mary Pope Osborne
1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace
Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas

For some fun, holiday reading, take a look at these titles:

The Triplets First Thanksgiving by Cathy Gillen Thacker
The Cat Who Talked Turkey by Lilian Jackson Braun

Children's Fiction:

Thanksgiving Mice! by Bethany Roberts
This Is Thanksgiving by Harriet Ziefert
Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne
An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott
The Littlest Pilgrim by Brandi Doherty

Thanksgiving Movies:

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
William Bradford
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles


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COOKING

It's that time of year again, time for holiday cooking and family get togethers.  And, what do all the family gatherings revolve around?  Food!  Food brings people together around the table where they can share stories and laughs.  Cooking is more than creating something edible.  It is about creating a meal to be shared and enjoyed by your loved ones.





Whether you have staples that you make every time your family gets together, or if you like trying something new, the library has plenty of cookbooks to help you out.





Cookbooks:

Taste of Home 2012 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes
Cooking with Italian Grandmothers by Jessica Theroux
Great Gluten Free Baking by Louise Blair
Taste of Home Annual Recipes 2013
365 Foods Kids Love to Eat by Sheila Ellison and Judith Gray
Taste of Home Holiday and Celebrations 2012
An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler
The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman
Eat Fresh Food by Rozanne Gold
The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook by Elizabeth Gordon
Deliciously G-Free by Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Everyday Food Light by Martha Stewart
Gluten-Free and Vegan Holidays by Jennifer Katzinger
Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito
Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook by Martha Stewart
The Disney Bakery by Adrienne Berofsky
Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger


We also have fiction and movies!

Fiction:

The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel tells the story of Lilly and Val, two friends united by their differences as much as their similarities.  As children, the two write letters in which they share their hopes, fears, secrets, and recipes.  This Recipe Club sustains their bond across the decades as they face many challenges such as love, family relationships, personal identity, and more.

Chopping Spree by Diane Mott Davidson follows caterer Goldy Schulz when a luncheon at the mall turns into fight.  It is Goldy who finds the body of Barry Dean, the man who set up the event.  Barry left behind a trail of odd clues for Goldy to follow as she tries to find his murderer.

In Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews, the Cooking Channel is seeking its next big star, and Gina thinks she would be a perfect fit.  However, the executives have their sights set on Tate Moody. 

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis: Sophie Winston's search for the perfect turkey is put on the back burner when she comes across a dead body.  The police find her name and picture inside the victims care, forcing Sophie to set aside her cooking in order to solve the murder.

Dying for Dinner by Miranda Bliss follows Annie as she leaves her job to become the manager at her boyfriend's restaurant.  What is meant to be the first day of her new career may be the last day of someone else's life.

In The Quilter's Kitchen by Jennifer Chiaverini, Anna explores the kitchens of Elm Creek Manor, past and present.  As she explores, she records recipes and creates original dishes as she rediscovers how food can gather friends and family closer.

The Pumpkin Muffin Murder by L.J. Washburn takes place during Thanksgiving.  Phyllis takes her grandson to the Harvest Festival in hopes of winning the baking contest, but when a decorative scarecrow turns out to be a corpse in disguise, Phyllis must change her course in order to solve the mystery.

The Rule of Three by Megan McDonald is a children's book in which three sisters - Alex, Stevie, and Joey - take turns telling about their lives including auditioning for the school musical, baking cupcakes, and Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.

In Small Damages by Beth Kephart, eighteen year old Kenzie is sent to Spain to deliver her baby and put the baby up for adoption.  While away, she discovers a new kind of family with the rancher who takes her in, his cook, and the man they have raised together.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel tells the story of Tita, the youngest of three daughters.  Tita falls in love with Pedro, but her mother will not allow them to marry as it is family tradition for the youngest daughter to remain at home to care for her mother.  Instead, Mama Elena sets up the marriage of Pedro to her oldest daughter, Rosaura, and forces Tita to prepare the wedding dinner.  This is a funny story of love, life, and food.

Movies:
Julie and Julia
Paula's Home Cooking. BBQ
Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller. Make Ahead Meals
Like Water for Chocolate
Ratatouille

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: KEN FOLLETT

I just finished reading Ken Follett's newest book Winter of the World, and I loved it!  I am really enjoying his Century Trilogy, and I can't wait to see what he does for the final book in the series.  Now, I have to find something else to read while I wait. 

The Century Trilogy spans the Twentieth century, and is seen through the eyes of five different families (American, English, German, Russian, and Welsh).  The first book, Fall of Giants, covered World War I and the Russian Revolution.  Winter of the World picks up where Fall of Giants ends, and takes the reader through the Spanish Civil War and World War II.  The third novel is set to be published in 2014 and will cover the Cold War and the end of the century.

Luckily for me, Follett has written many books that I have not yet read.  Here is a list of all of his works:

Century Trilogy:
1. Fall of Giants
2. Winter of the World

Whiteout
Hornet Flight
Jackdaws
Code to Zero
The Hammer of Eden
The Third Twin
A Place Called Freedom
A Dangerous Fortune
Night Over Water
The Pillars of the Earth
World Without End
Lie Down with Lions
On Wings of Eagles
The Man from St. Petersburg
The Key to Rebecca
Triple
Eye of the Needle
Paper Money
The Modigliani Scandal


Read everything by Ken Follett?  Or, looking for something similar to his works?  Check out some of these titles:

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian follows a Prussian woman and her child as they flee away from the approaching Russian army during World War II.  On their way, they form an alliance with a Jewish man escaping from the concentration camps.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines is the story of a black woman who started life as a slave and lived to take part in the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje tells the story of four intersected lives in an Italian village at the end of World War II.  Three different people are haunted by the English patient, a nameless and injured man who rests in an upstairs room.

The Final Solution by Michael Chabon is a mystery that takes place in the English countryside during World War II.  The reader follows a detective on what will become his final case.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a story that takes the reader from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the present day.  It is a story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant.  A story of betrayal, redemption, family relationships.

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb tells the story of a family moving to Connecticut after surviving the Columbine school shootings.  Caelum and Maureen discover family artifacts dating back five generations as well as unexpected truths about the past.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough is a tale of dreams, struggles, passions, and love in the Australian Outback.  The novel follows three generations of Clearys as they deal with bitterness, frailty, and secrets.

Mission to Paris by Alan Furst: Upon arriving in Paris, Frederic Stahl becomes entangled in the region's shifting politics when he discovers that his newest film is tied to the fate of fascists, German Nazis, and Hollywood publicists.

Enigma by Robert Harris: At the center of Britain's most sacred World War II secret, breaking the Germans' codes, lays a spy who could be tipping off the enemy.

In Night of the Fox by Jack Higgins, Colonel Hugh Kelso goes down in the English Channel while on a secret mission before D-Day.  He washes ashore in German-occupied territory, and panic spreads through the Allied forces as Kelso knows the time and place of the invasion.  He must be rescued...or silenced.

Up in Honey's Room by Elmore Leonard tells the story of Walter Schoen, born in Germany, but now living in Detroit.  He looks just like Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS and the Gestapo, and they even have the same birthday.  Honey Deal, Walter's wife, does not know that Walter is a part of a spy ring that gives shelter to escaped German prisoners of war...

The Jester by James Patterson: When Hugh returns from the Crusades, he finds that his wife has been taken by relic-seeking knights.  He must pose as a court jester in order to enter the castle in which his wife is being held prisoner.

The Ravenscar Dynasty by Barbara Taylor Bradford tells the story of a young man who fights his cousin for control of a business empire that was taken from his branch of the family years earlier.

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell is a work of fiction that brings together suspense and scholarship, art and treachery.  This novel takes you from the streets of 15th century Rome to the realm of the Ivy League.  It is a tour of history that builds up to an almost unbearable suspense.

Garden of Beasts by Jeffrey Deaver follows Paul Schuman, a professional hit man, who is arrested by the U.S. government.  He is told that he can go to prison, or he can assassinate the man in control of Hitler's rearmament.  The story leads to an end filled with surprises.



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DYSTOPIAN READS

With the success of The Hunger Games Trilogy, dystopian novels are more popular than ever!

A dystopia is characterized as a hypothetical or imaginary society.  It is often a place where people live, often in fear, and are dehumanized.  Common aspects of dystopias include environmental, political, and/or social issues. 

Fictional dystopias often take place in a future that is not accessible in today's reality.  Therefore, dystopian fiction is often classified as science fiction or speculative fiction.  Many dystopian works exist, and it is not a new writing strategy.  Below you fill find a list of dystopian novels that you may be interested in reading.







Series:

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins:
1. The Hunger Games
2. Catching Fire
3. Mockingjay

Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness:
1. The Knife of Never Letting Go
2. The Ask and the Answer
3. Monsters of Men

The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld:
1. Uglies
2. Pretties
3. Specials
4. Extras

Books of Ember Series by Jeanne DuPrau
1. The City of Ember
2. The People of Sparks
3. The Prophet of Yonwood
4. The Diamond of Darkhold

Stand-Alone Novels:

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
Matched by Allyson Condie
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
1984 by George Orwell
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

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HALLOWEEN

Halloween is just around the corner, so I thought it would be fun to list some popular horror films as well as books to help you get in the spooky mood of Halloween.

Halloween falls on October 31st every year, but depending on where you live you may celebrate on that day, the weekend before, or the weekend after.  Or, if Halloween is your favorite holiday, then you may celebrate all month long!

Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition.  It is believed to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain in which people would light bonfires and wear costumes in order to protect themselves against ghosts.  In the 8th century Pope Gregory III named November 1st as All Saints' Day.  The night before was called All Hallow's Eve which has become Halloween.  Over time, Halloween has turned into a secular event in which children go trick-or-treating and dress up in costumes.  Halloween is a great time to get together with friends and celebrate the fall season.

To learn more about Halloween visit the following links:

http://www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-history
http://www.history.com/topics/pumpkin-facts
http://www.history.com/topics/historical-ghost-stories
http://www.history.com/topics/halloween-around-the-world

Looking for some scary reading suggestions?  Check out the books below!

Children's Books:

Hailey's Halloween by Lisa Bullard
Halloween Night by Marjorie Dennis Murray
The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson
Bunnicula by Deborah Howe
Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schultz

Fiction:

Carrie by Stephen King
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Cujo by Stephen King
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
It by Stephen King
Hannibal by Thomas Harris
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
World War Z by Max Brooks
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Watchers by Dean Koontz
Secrets in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
The Ruins by Scott Smith
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Nonfiction:

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
Haunt Your House for Halloween by Cindy Fuller
Halloween Through Twenty Centuries by Ralph Linton

Want to spice up your Halloween night by watching scary movies?  Check out some of the titles listed here:

Halloween
The Shining
Shutter Island
Dracula
The Woman in Black
Sleepy Hollow
The Exorcist: the Beginning
American Horror Story
The Orphanage
The Sixth Sense
Poltergeist
The Descent
The Blair Witch Project
Frankenstein
The Birds
Alien

Children's Movies:

Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie
Goosebumps. Scary House
Casper Meets Wendy
Monster House
The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow
It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: PHILIPPA GREGORY

I just finished reading Philippa Gregory's latest work: The Kingmaker's Daughter.  I loved it!  Then again, I have loved everything I've read by Gregory. 

Historical fiction has always been a favorite of mine, and Philippa Gregory was one of the first authors that hooked me.  It's just so fascinating to read about another time and to imagine what life was like.

I highly recommend reading any of Gregory's work. 







Here is a list of all of her other historical fiction works:

The Cousins' War Series:
1. The White Queen
2. The Red Queen
3. The Lady of the Rivers
4. The Kingmaker's Daughter

Wideacre Trilogy:
1. Wideacre
2. The Favoured Child
3. Meridon

Tudor Court Novels:
The Constant Princess
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Boleyn Inheritance
The Queen's Fool
The Virgin's Lover
The Other Queen

Other Novels:
Fallen Skies
A Respectable Trade
The Wise Woman
Earthly Joys
Virgin Earth
Changeling


For more information about Philippa Gregory, her books, and her charity, check out her website:
http://www.philippagregory.com/

Have you ever read everything by an author, and then had to wait for the next book to be written?  Well I have, and while I wait for the next novel from Philippa Gregory, I will check out some of these titles.

Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George is about Queen Mary who became queen regent of Scotland as a child and queen of France as a teenager.  She is an interesting counterpoint to her cousin, and ultimate executioner, Queen Elizabeth I of England. 

Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund tells the story of Marie Antoinette.  It begins with the ceremony that turns her from a duchess into the dauphine.  The reader follows Marie as she struggles to be diplomatic with her family and subjects while she becomes the product of her circumstances.  You will follow her from her childhood all the way through to the French Revolution.

Captive Queen by Alison Weir is a tale that brings to life Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II.  Eleanor spends a few years as consort to King LouisVII of France, but is unhappy and unable to produce a male heir.  When Henry of Anjou arrives in France, Eleanor begins to see a way out of her sorrows.  After the annulment of her marriage to King Louis, Eleanor marries Henry, the future King of England.  The marriage creates an empire that marks the beginning of the Plantagenet dynasty.
However, Henry and Eleanor's marriage begins a downward spiral fueled by power struggles, betrayals, rivalries, and young Plantagenets. 

Rival to the Queen by Carolly Erickson is a novel about the rivalry between Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin Lettice Knollys.  Lettice Knollys wins the attention of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.  Meanwhile, Elizabeth had allowed Dudley into her own heart and relied on his service, but she was not interested in marriage.  When Elizabeth finds out that Robert Dudley has married her cousin in secret, Lettice must pay the price. 

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner takes place in France and Italy.  This is the story of Catherine de Medici, one of history's most powerful and controversial women.  Catherine suffers the expulsion of her family from Florence and is betrothed to Henri, son of Francois I of France.  Once in France, Catherine creates a role for herself through her patronage of Nostradamus and through her own role as a seer.  Then, she is widowed and left to rule a kingdom torn apart by religious disagreements and overly ambitious nobility.  This tells the story of one of the most hated and misunderstood women ever to be queen.

The Queen's Governess by Karen Harper: Katherine Ashley is the daughter of a poor squire who manages to find a place for herself in the Tudor court of Henry VIII.  Katherine becomes the governess to the young Elizabeth and ultimately becomes the lifelong confidante to Queen Elizabeth I.

The King's Mistress by Emma Campion follows Alice Salisbury.  As a young woman she marries Janyn Perrers.  Her married happiness is short lived, as Janyn suddenly disappears.  Alice soon learns that her husband had dangerous secrets, secrets that put herself and their daughter in danger.  She enters the protection of King Edward III and Queen Philippa, and the King soon singles her out for more than just royal patronage.  She must use her intellect to ensure her family's survival.

Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King takes place in Scotland.  A young Saxon princess and her family (including Edgar of England) survive a shipwreck and ask for help from King Canmore.  King Canmore promises to help Edgar and the Saxons if he can marry Edgar's sister, Margaret.  This is a story of shifting alliances and tension between fear and trust.

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran spans five years, from the start of the French Revolution to the Reign of Terror.  The reader is introduced to a heroine whose talent for modeling wax saves her life.  Marie's museum provides the Parisians with the latest news on fashion, gossip, and politics.  Will Marie be able to balance the love of her life with her friendship with the royal family as France gets closer and closer to war?

The Scarlet Contessa by Jeanne Kalogridis follows Caterina Sforzak.  Caterina is the daughter of the Duke of Milan and the wife of Count Girolamo Riario, but she is considered the bravest warrior of Renaissance Italy.  Caterina was able to rule her own lands, fight her own battles, and took lovers when she pleased.  Her story is told by her lady-in-waiting, and the reader learns of Caterina's past while she struggles to fight off Borgia's army.

At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill is a tale of seduction and intrigue at King Henry VIII's court.  This story is about Margaret Shelton, the cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.  In order to hold onto the king's waning affection, Anne tries to have him take her cousin as his mistress, believing that Margaret will owe her loyalty.  However, Margaret has fallen in love with a young courtier.  She must choose between betraying the love of her life or refusing to become King Henry's mistress and jeopardizing the life of her cousin, Queen Anne.

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