Pioneer Library System

Mark Twain once declared,

October is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. Others are July, January, April, September, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.

Given that and the current economic climate - perhaps you would prefer to read a good book. The staff of hometown libraries of the Pioneer Library System recommend the following reads for this month of Independence.

 And if you really want to talk finances this time of year, you can always make arrangements to visit one of our money management events listed on the calendar!

Sleepwalking in Daylight, by Elizabeth Flock

Genre: Adult Fiction
Reviewer: Julie Kreft, Moore Public Library

Samantha Friedman is the mom that other moms admire.  She always seems so "put together" with great hair, a hard-working husband, and three mostly well-groomed children.  But peeking behind the curtains of Sam's suburban Chicago house reveals a much different picture: a Goth daughter experimenting with drugs and promiscuity, an emotionally absent husband, and an increasingly intense "friendship" with a handsome man who is also on the brink of family crisis.  As Sam struggles to reconnect with herself and her family, she wonders where she went wrong and how she can find happiness in a life that is rapidly slipping out of her control.  This is a wonderfully poignant and tragic novel about the choices we make and the truth behind so many carefully placed lies.

The Yankee Years, by Joe Torre and Tome Verducci

Genre: Adult Biography
   Available as downloadable audio or ebook
Reviewer: Aaron Pence, Moore Public Library

For fans of the sport - even exceedingly casual fans like me - The Yankee Years is a gripping story about baseball's most storied franchise, told through a solid duo of one of baseball's most successful and insightful men, and one of its most successful and insightful chroniclers.
Beginning with the hiring of Torre following the 1995 season, the book sweeps across the whole recent Yankee landscape, from their initial, wondrous success, to the fairly bitter losses in the 2001-2007 playoffs.  Along the way, we get - as only a manager can give us - an insight into the spirit of each of the teams, from the hardworking beehive or 1998 to the fragile egotism of 2006.  We get a good, fair look at all of the players, from the beloved (Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera) to the belittled (Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez).  The book has a marvelous behind-th-scenes appeal, an athletes-beyond-the-diamond feel to it that lets you get enveloped in the stories without even needing to know a score.

According Dr. Emyll Chynn, of the American Council on Science and Health, Americans spend 100 million dollars a year treating firework-related injuries. Over 10,000 people seek emergency room treatment and approximately a dozen people died from fireworks-related injuries.  Half of these injuries occur during the 4th of July weekend. Fireworks-related injuries often involve the eyes (33% of ER cases). Of those cases, 33% of ocular fireworks injuries result in a permanently blind eye, acccording to U.S. Eye Injury Registry Data. Since children make up approximately 50% of these injuries, that means that 75 children lose an eye each 4th of July weekend.

Many of these injuries are easily preventable by utilizing just a few common sense measures recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology:

1. Always have adult supervision
2. Wear protective eyewear
3. Do not light fireworks with matches, use a "punk" (a specially designed lighting stick)
4. Have a bucket of water ready.
5. Follow manufacturers' directions and dispose of used fireworks properly
6. Never give a firecracker or sparkler to a child
7. Never use a bottle rocket.
8. Do not light firecrackers bigger than your pinkie, do not light them indoors, and avoid relighting duds.
9. Never put fireworks in your pocket, throw them while lit, or make homemade firecrackers.
10. In case of eye injury, do not touch the eye.  Tape a clean paper cup over the eye to prevent contamination or further injury.  Immediately seek medical attention.

Following these 10 easy steps will help you to stay Fit for Life in July!

Whether you are staying close to home this summer or traveling long distances, one of our brand new audiobooks, ebooks, or videos can offer great entertainment. 

If this is your first time or it has been awhile since you last use, be sure to download the newest Overdive Console v3.2 . For more information on transferring WMA Audiobooks to your iPod, click here.

After scanning the radio and listening to all your CDs, nothing makes a long hot car trip go faster than an audiobook.  Or maybe the children can enjoy an ebook or video on the laptop in the backseat.  Enjoy a great story as you cruise the highway.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett