Danbury Library Blog

If you are an inveterate reader like myself you will thoroughly enjoy the works of Alberto Manguel. He is a Renaissance man of letters who is a translator, editor and author of numerous books. I have just finished A History of Reading which answers the question of why we are obsessed with books & reading in a most enjoyable way. He also delves into the question of the process of learning how to read and what a crucial process this is for us. He wtites in a scholarly style but it is never ponderous or burdensome. He has also written A Reading Diary which I will soon read. He has a library of 30,000 volumes in a separate building on his farm but it is already starting to encroach on his main living quarters!

Posted by John O'Donnell at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With gasoline prices reaching stratospheric heights, now might be a good time to explore your transportation options. The greater Danbury area is served by the Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART) bus system. Route maps, schedule and fare information are available on the HART website. Information about Metro North trains is also available online. Going to try carpooling or sharing a ride? Check out Craigslist and look under "rideshare" in the Community section. Or help to form a local rideshare group on MeetUp. Still gotta drive? Look for the cheapest gas at GasBuddy.

Posted by Andrea at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The CT Film Festival is in full swing here at Danbury Library!

The CT Film Festival is bringing fresh, cutting-edge independent and international cinema to Danbury this week, May 20th through the 25th! Soak up indie cinema without the trek to Manhattan or Boston! The CT Film Festival brings a non-stop calendar of screenings, events and workshops. Have an early look at the best and most interesting new independent films and shorts, and meet the filmmakers too. Danbury Library is proud to be a part of the Film Festival. Below are the films that we'll be showing here in the library, down in the Farioly Program Room:

Wednesday, May 21:
2:30 The Bet Collector
4:30 All For Free
6:30 Opera Jawa

Thursday, May 22:
1:15 Split
3:30 Your Future in Animation (Workshop)
5:30 Blinders
7:00 Shorts IV

Friday, May 23:
11:00 Post Production: Making your Film Look-And Sound-Professional (workshop)
1:00 Shorts III
7:00 Shorts V

Saturday, May 24:
11:00 Creative Aspects to Working in HD (Workshop)
1:00 Red One Camera Workshop
3:30 Shorts American Stories
5:30 Shorts American Stories II
7:30 Shorts Animation

Tickets cannot be purchased at the door for any showings throughout Danbury. For ticket info, and the full and complete list of all films and activities, head to www.ctfilmfest.com!

Posted by Merry at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Next month James Patterson"s Sail appears. Joan Collins' Married Lovers is sure to heat up the summer. The much awaited return of Stepanie Plum in Janet Evanovich's Fearless Fourteen will delight a legion of fans. Those hankering for a tale of the Old West have Robert Parker's Resolution to look forward to. These and many more are listed in Coming Soon in June.

Posted by Mary at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lately there has been a spate of books with dogs as their central focus from authors like Jon Katz, Cesar Millan, John Grogan and Donald McCaig. Now we have a new addition to this genre with a different twist. Garth Stein has written The Art of Racing in the Rain

His novel concerns the Swift family. The husband Denny wants to pursue a career as a race car driver while trying to keep his wife Eve and daughter Zoe happy at the same time. The novel is narrated by the family dog, Enzo, who is a canine of many talents and opinions. Enzo hopes that when he dies he will be reborn as a man. He is quite a philosophical character. The author of this novel is coming to the Danbury Library on June 6 from 7 to 8:30 PM. Read this charming novel and come out and meet the author, Garth Stein.

Posted by John O'Donnell at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fareed Zakaria’s new book on the economic and social aspects of globalization, The Post-American World, has received excellent reviews and lots of publicity. (There’s a lengthy excerpt in Newsweek, where Zakaria is a columnist.) It has been praised for Zakaria’s intelligent and nuanced analysis and examination of the “rise of the rest,” specifically China and India. The Post-American World is just the latest in a growing list of books examining all sides of the globalization phenomenon. The first title to really take off was New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman’s The World is Flat, first published in 2005, which has been updated twice (most recently for the paperback edition).

Posted by Andrea at 01:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week I moved into a new place with my fiance, away from the ease and comforts of both our moms’ delicious home-cooked meals. While the entire process of packing, moving, and un-packing brings many interesting adventures of its own, I am quickly finding that being in the kitchen is proving to be the most intriguing of all. Thankfully, with the help of some great books from the library, I am no longer afraid to navigate through my very own kitchen. Over the weekend I unpacked a box of handy kitchen gadgets and utensils, and if it wasn’t for the book Anyone Can Cook, I still wouldn’t know what a garlic press is or what I was supposed to do with it!

Last night I also cooked (without a microwave!) for the first time ever, which was quite exciting. While I had a most basic and general idea of what I needed to cook, I had no idea how to actually get started. Oil? Water? High heat? Medium heat? Is it veggies first or meat first? The Elephant Walk Cookbook, a wonderful cookbook dedicated to Cambodian cuisine, helped me through the rest of my stovetop exploration. Whether you're a brand-new, first-time newbie in the kitchen or a seasoned culinary expert looking to add some fresh, unique Asian flair for your cooking, this cookbook is a must-have.

Even though I missed some ingredients and my noodles turned out a little soggy, dinner was still an overall success (and deliciously edible!). I still had a lot of fun in the kitchen and my experience made me appreciate even more the amazing cooking powers of Mom, among the many other things she can do. I'll be sure to thank my mom especially on this Mother's Day coming up on Sunday, May 11th, and don't you forget to do the same!

Posted by Merry at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Author Alexandra Fuller set out to write about Wyoming's oil rigs and came across young Colton Bryant resulting in The Legend of Colton H. Bryant. It is a touching, true story of a young man's love of his country--especially his native Wyoming, his cowboy existence which changed when he decided to work on the oil rigs to support his young family-- as his father and grandfather had.

Twenty-seven year old Colton Bryant fell to his death on the job in Feburary 2006. According to the author, if the company, Ultra Petroleum, which had record revenues of $592.7 million, had invested two thousand dollars for railings, Colton Bryant would be alive today. Accidents like Colton's are not unusual--more than 80 have died since 2000 working in the oil industry in the western U.S.

Posted by Mary at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)