Closed May 28 - Get ready for Summer Reading

All four branches of the Chandler Public Library will be closed Monday, May 28 for Memorial Day. Starting May 29, you can join the Summer Reading Programs for kids, teens, and adults. Wondering what to read? Try these sources for suggestions!

NoveList helps you find books by a favorite author, "read-alikes" that are similar to favorite authors or books, award winners, and more. You can also find recommended reading lists by subject for adults, teens, and kids.

Books and Authors offers book suggestions and the "Who What Where When" feature, which lets you browse by Character, Subject, Location and Time Period.

Find interactive books for kids using TumbleBooks! Read story books, fact books, read-along books, and more in a fun format with text, sounds, and animation. No ebook reader required - just access them on your computer. Some titles are also available for iPad.

Use your library card and PIN numbers to access these resources, and come in starting May 29 for more information and to sign up for Summer Reading!

Book Review: The Book of Madness and Cures

"Melancholia seeps into one's life like the metallic sand of an hourglass... My friend Messalina grew so disconsolate that no one could find a cure, not even my father... It is said that the black bile of melancholia devours even stone with its terrible acid."

Such descriptions made up the understanding of medicine in Renaissance Italy, and they punctuate Regina O'Melveny's debut novel The Book of Madness and Cures. Gabriella Mondini, the only female doctor in Venice, leaves home to find her father after receiving a puzzling letter from him. Following the trail of the letters he sent over the years, Gabriella visits cities all over Europe and the Mediterranean, as far north as Scotland and as far south as Morocco. Meanwhile she tries to complete the book she began working on with him, a compendium of medical conditions and their cures, from the souls of the dead that infect the living to the blue earworms that absorb words spoken to women. The novel is not only a fascinating tour through the Renaissance world but a glimpse into the near-magical attitude medical practitioners had about illness and its treatment, all related in gorgeous writing.

Historical fiction is an ever-popular genre. Other recent historical fiction titles include The Divining, a similar story featuring a woman traveling throughout the ancient Roman Empire; Four Sisters, All Queens, about four 13th-century monarchs; and The Rebel Wife, set in the years after the American Civil War. - Michelle (Sunset)

Happy Birthday Chandler!

Chandler celebrates its 100th birthday on May 17th. Join the party during this weekend's Centennial Celebration! Visit www.chandler100th.com for complete information.

Thursday, May 17, 2012
Happy 100th Birthday Chandler! Celebration 
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
City Hall Plaza

Check out the new 50-year time Capsule and plaque dedication; hear local entertainment and special speakers; see our community Birthday Cards and try a piece of the winning Centennial Birthday Cakes!

Friday, May 18, 2012
100 Artists Celebrating 100 Years 
4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Historic Downtown Chandler

Enjoy a relaxed evening in downtown Chandler, where our city’s history began, with artists, music, food, history and more.

Saturday, May 19, 2012
Chandler Bash of the Century 
4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Tumbleweed Park

Bring the family to Tumbleweed Park for classic games with prizes, entertainment from local talent, history exhibits, special speakers, flyovers, and a fireworks display!

Sunset Library Grand Reopening

Renovations are complete at the Sunset Library. Join us for a Rededication Ceremony on Saturday, May 12 at 10am.

There will be a special event for kids - Celebrate Sunset - at 10:30 in our renovated meeting room. Join us for stories, fingerplays, songs and a craft for ages 5 and under.

Get an inside look at the renovation process: find our pictures on the library's Facebook page!

Retro Reads: A Study in Scarlet

After discovering the fantastic new BBC series Sherlock, I wanted to go back and read Arthur Conan Doyle's original. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson made their first appearance in A Study in Scarlet, available as a free ebook from our Digital Library's "Always Available" collection.

Many screen portrayals have captured Holmes' eccentricities, but none can match the quirks, difficult personality, and brilliance of Doyle's creation. A Study in Scarlet details the first meeting between Watson and the world's only consulting detective, as Holmes helps Scotland Yard solve a series of murders involving poison and revenge.

You can download this title and hundreds of other classic books to your home computer, or transfer them to an EPUB-compatible reader. You will need to download Adobe Digital Editions to access the ebooks. For the Always Available books, you will need to click the Download button, then save the file to your computer (make note of its location). Open Adobe Digital Editions, then choose Library -> Add item to library. The Always Available classic ebooks do not expire and do not count against your checkout limit, so you can check out as many as you want and keep them for as long as you want.
-Michelle (Sunset)

New Nonfiction

New nonfiction books in various categories arrived at the library last week.

New Travel Books

Frommer's Prague

Frommer's Honolulu, Waikiki & Oahu

Find hotels, dining options, walking tours, and more travel tips from these classic guides. Notes on history and culture are also added.

New Cookbooks

The Quintessential Quinoa Cookbook

Lushy illustrated and full of breakfast, entree, side dish, and dessert recipes using this South American grain. Tips are included for lower-fat, vegan, and gluten-free variations.

Simply Gluten-free Quick Meals

For people on special diets who don't have a lot of time, this cookbook offers easy recipes and quick-cooking strategies.

New Children's Nonfiction

Citizen Scientists

Inspiring kids to go outside and discover the world around them, this book offers practical tips and background information about butterflying, birding, frogging, and ladybugging.

Armed Services

An overview of the military for young readers, including history, global combat, weapons and aircraft, and more.

Book Review: Monday Mornings

What happens when doctors make mistakes? Who is punished, and which doctors lose their jobs? What happens to the patients, or to their surviving family? And how do doctors learn from tragedy?

Practicing neurosurgeon and media correspondent Sanjay Gupta brings these issues to life in his novel Monday Mornings. At the fictional Chelsea General Hospital, surgeons are summoned to a six-a.m. Monday conference to analyze their own mistakes - the neurosurgeon who failed to screen for a deadly bleeding condition before operating, the triage doctor who declared a neo-Nazi accident victim dead before examining him, even the director of the surgery department who made a basic and careless error. The professional and personal lives of these characters are explored in a compelling and fascinating read, opening the door on the difficult choices and very human mistakes that surround doctors every day. - Michelle (Sunset)