The Davenport Public will be closed on Monday March 2nd for a Staff In-Service day. All buildings will re-open for their regular business hours on Tuesday March 3 – 9am to 5:30pm at Main and Eastern and noon to 8pm at Fairmount.
Remember, you can access our catalog and numerous reference databases through our website, davenportlibrary.com all day any day!
Two dozen new titles have been added to our Zinio magazine offerings. That brings this year’s total to over 90 great periodicals that you can download with your Davenport Public Library account.
Unfamiliar with Zinio? Now is a great time to take a look at downloading full issues of great titles. Interested? Then be certain to create a new account and check out a magazine during your visit.
Heads up, even after creating an account, during your first checkout you’ll be asked to create an account for your downloads. Tip: Use the same username and passwords for both logins.
These issues are always available; no need for reserves. Once checked out, they stay on your account indefinitely, meaning you can go on a wild checkout spree, then read them at your convenience. Once finished, simply remove the issues from your account.
You’ll find both current and past issues are available. That is, back issue availability is based upon when our subscription began. You’ll even find older issues for magazines to which we no longer subscribe still available to you.
Current titles:
For people who both love and hate cats comes the tale of Alec Charlesworth, a librarian who finds himself suddenly alone: he’s lost his job, his beloved wife has just died, and to top it all off, his sister has disappeared. Overcome by grief, he stands in his sister’s kitchen staring at the only witness to what’s happened to her – her cat, Roger. Who then speaks to him.
It takes a while for Alec to realize he’s not gone mad from grief, that the cat is actually speaking . . . and that much of what we fear about cats is true. They do think they’re smarter than humans, for one thing. And, well, it seems they are! What’s more, they do have nine lives. Or at least this one does – Roger’s older than Methuselah, and his unblinking stare comes from the fact that he’s seen it all.
And in Cat Out of Hell he’s got a tale to tell, a tale of shocking local history and dark forces that may link not only the death of Alec’s wife, but also several other local deaths. But will the cat help Alec, or is he one of the dark forces? (description from publisher)
Dana Catrell’s life is in chaos. She’s married to a lawyer who makes her feel trivial, as if stuck inside his pocket like loose change. She’s also sliding toward the brink of insanity. Devastated by mania, part of her bipolar disorder, Dana finds that there are troubling holes in her memory, including what happened on the afternoon of her friend Celia’s death. She’s horrified to learn she’s the only other person with a key to Celia’s house – and the last person to see her alive. She and Celia had shared recipes and gossip. But not secrets – until that final afternoon. Closing her eyes, Dana can see images, loose pieces of a hazy puzzle. Sangria in a glass, a tiny rip in Celia’s screen door, Celia lying in a pool of blood, the broken vase beside her head, the kitchen knife just so above her hand. But there are infuriating, terrifying gaps. Is murder on her mind–or is it all in her head?
As evidence starts to point in her direction, Dana will use the clarity her mania brings her to fill in the blanks and clear her name before her demons win out. But her husband’s odd behavior and the persistent probing of Detective Jack Moss complicate Dana’s search for answers. The closer she comes to piecing together shards of her broken memory, the closer Dana comes to falling apart. Is there a killer lurking inside her . . . or is there one out there in the shadows of reality, waiting to strike again?
A story of marriage, murder, and madness, The Pocket Wife is a sophisticated, gripping tale of psychological suspense that explores the world through the foggy lens of a woman on the edge. (description from publisher)
The corner bistro offers all the highlights of French cuisine: crepes, bouillabaisse, ratatouille, and beef bourguignonne – all with rustic flair, simple ingredients, and impeccable flavors. Now, with Maria Zihammou’s French Bistro, you can cook up the authentic tastes of France in your own kitchen.
Each recipe shows how intricate meals steeped in culinary tradition can be re-created with simple techniques using modern ingredients and equipment. This is a tribute to proper French cuisine, featuring bistro takes on such classics as: Marinated olives, Croque-monsieur and croque-madame: open sandwich with ham and cheese, Pan-bagnat: picnic sandwich with tuna and veggies, Quiche Lorraine, Soupe à l’oignon: French onion soup, Entrecôte with béarnaise and many more mouthwatering dishes. In addition, a chapter on cheese shows the proper making of a cheese course, a French tradition.
French Bistro takes you into the world of cozy French neighborhoods and cuisine with a charming design and gorgeous, photographs. Discover the joys of French cooking and be inspired by passionate food! (description from publisher)
As the movie American Sniper sets its sights on box office records and Oscar wins, did you know the story of Navy Seal marksman Chris Kyle was a book first? Clearly a master of his craft, Kyle was also the author of a book about the most important U.S. firearms. Get them at the Davenport Public Library.
American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms
Drawing on his unmatched firearms knowledge and combat experience, Kyle carefully chose ten guns to help tell his story. Through them, he revisits thrilling turning points in American history, including the single sniper shot that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War, the firearms designs that proved decisive at Gettysburg, the “gun that won the West,” and the weapons that gave U.S. soldiers an edge in the world wars and beyond. This is also the story of how firearms innovation, creativity, and industrial genius has constantly pushed American history–and power–forward. Filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, Chris Kyle’s American Gun is a sweeping epic of bravery, adventure, invention, and sacrifice. (description from publisher)
American Sniper: the Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History
He is the deadliest American sniper ever, called “the devil” by the enemies he hunted and “the legend” by his Navy SEAL brothers . . . From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyle’s kills (the previous American record was 109), but it has declined to verify the astonishing total number for this book. Iraqi insurgents feared him so much they placed a bounty on his head. Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow U.S. warriors, whom he protected with deadly accuracy from rooftops and stealth positions. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle’s masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the great war memoirs of all time. (description from publisher)
When I was a child, I learned in school that President’s Day was the Monday in between President Lincoln’s birthday and President Washington’s birthday. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12 and George Washington was born on February 22 which usually meant that my sister got a three day weekend for her birthday (which is the 18th).
But according to the Federal Government, the official name of the holiday is George Washington’s Birthday. On January 31, 1879, Congress declared February 22nd a holiday observed by federal employees in the District of Columbia. In 1885, the holiday was expanded to the whole country. For close to one hundred years, the nation celebrated Washington’s Birthday on the actual day of his birth. This changed after the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971 which moved federal holidays to Mondays in an effort to provide people with three day weekends. George Washington’s Birthday was declared to be the third Monday in the month of February. Since it fell between Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays, some states started calling the day President’s Day.
If you ask most Americans what they know about George Washington they will tell you three things:
From what I recall in history class, Washington became President and that was the end of the discussion on him. Of course, there was more to 
the story. Recently I came across the book The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America’s Newfound Sovereignty by William Hogeland. When the new Federal Government needed revenue, Congress decided that they needed to tax domestic products. Whiskey was the first American made product to be taxed. People on the western frontier were outraged and they attacked a tax collector. The new nation was already facing a rebellion. President Washington and Congress had to decide how to react. How much power did this new government have? William Hogeland’s book provides insight to the President that we think we all know and details a forgotten chapter of American history.
Davenport Public Library offers a variety of sources about George Washington. Visit the library today to learn more about our First President.
The Davenport Library will be closed Monday February 16 in observance of President’s Day. All three buildings will reopen on Tuesday with their regular hours: Main and the Eastern Branch 9am to 5:30pm and the Fairmount Branch noon to 8pm.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
What, you’ve never heard of Galentine’s Day?! Why, it’s just the most wonderful holiday of the year! In the words of the infamous Leslie Knope:
“What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas. — Leslie Knope”
In case you’re still befuddled, check out the delightfully off-center comedy Parks and Recreation, led by the amazing Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks department of fictional Pawnee, Indiana. A great ensemble cast, sharp and witty writing and characters that are both funny and real, this is a laugh-out-loud comedy with a big heart. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of watching Parks and Recreation, you’re in luck – the Davenport Library has all six seasons available on DVD (the seventh and final season of the series is running now with the final episode scheduled for February 24th – we’ll be getting that season on DVD as soon as it’s available) And the episode that introduces Galentine’s Day? Season 2, episode 16.
In case you’re wondering, Galentine’s Day has become real – you can buy Galentine’s Day cards for your BFFs and the internet and Pinterest are full of ideas for gifts and parties for your gal pals. And don’t worry guys – the celebrations are appropriate for you too! Friends are important no matter your gender.
Now go out there and celebrate your friends (preferably over breakfast)!
It appears that Sam Smith (or Tom Petty, depending how you look at it) was the big winner at the 2015 Grammy awards, which were awarded this past Sunday. To hear all the winners and runner-ups, get your hold on the 2015 Grammy Nominees at the Davenport Library.
And be sure to check out the winning albums. Here’s just a sampling:
Album of the Year –Morning Phase, Beck
Best New Artist – Sam Smith
Best Country Album – Platinum, Miranda Lambert
Best Dance/Electronic Album – Syro, Aphex Twin
See the full list of nominees here.
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