There's nothing better on cold, snowy days than curling up under a blanket with a mug of hot cocoa and a good book. If you're in need of any good reads to curl up with, keep in mind that Saturday, December 12, is National Day of the Horse. There's no shortage of horse books available at the library.

 Just where did those puppet kits go? They are having their tags replaced but will be back out soon, and ready for checkout. Keep your eyes peeled and enjoy!

New York lawyer-turned-novelist Joseph Teller has won the 2009 Nero Award for his novel The Tenth Case (Mira). That announcement came during the annual Black Orchid Weekend, hosted in New York City by the Nero Wolfe fan organization, The Wolfe Pack. The other two crime novels in contention were The Dark Tide, by Andrew Gross (HarperCollins), and The Fault Tree, by Louise Ure (Minotaur Books).

If you like to listen to an audio book and quilt at the same time then Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek quilt novels is your answer. The series has 14 books and in all the books the story and the art of quilting are neatly stiched. You can learn more about the quilts discussed in those stories by going into Jennifer Chiaverini's web site at http://elmcreek.net. The Winding Ways quilt pattern is easily explained in Nancy Elliott MacDonald's book Winding Ways Quilts A practically Pinless Approach.

Busy Moms Book Club has been canceled for the December 17th meeting. Please join us on Thursday, January 21st at 11:00AM in the Children's Library Purple Room for friendship and a fun discussion! Our selection is Dewey: the Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. A film adaptation of this best-seller starring Meryl Streep is heading to the big screen around Christmas 2010.

Fans of Denise Mina or Minette Walters should try:

• Mallory's Oracle by Carol O'Connell
• A Perfect Evil by Alex Kava
• Judgment Calls by Alafair Burke
• Detective Inspector Huss by Helen Tursten
• Echoes of Lies by Jo Bannister
• Dead Wrong by Mariah Stewart
• Death's Autograph by Marianne MacDonald
• Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman

Follett writes on a wide range of subjects, from espionage suspense stories to chronicling the building of a medieval church. There are a assortment of appealing aspects to choose from with Follett's books:

• For a spy thriller try Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
• The Eagle has Landed by Jack Higgins is a fast-paced, espionage story set in World War II
• For an elegant historical, try the Robert Harris Roman series that begins with Imperium
• For fans of Follett's medieval-period books, try The Heaven Tree Trilogy by Edith Pargeter

Every year, hundreds of people and organizations put together lists of picks for the most notable happenings of the year. One man, Rex Sorgatz, has assembled a "meta-list," or list of lists, for the last 8 years. 2009 is no exception.

Aside from Rex's list, you may also be interested in Eat Me Daily's Best Cookbooks of 2009 Roundup. The "Best Horizon-Expander," Vefa's Kitchen, is available here at CPL.

Lastly, the history community lost a great cultural scholar, Ronald T. Takaki. Harry Allen has written a heartfelt obituary that mentions Dr. Takaki's book, A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America.

This book may be one of the craziest, most inventive things I've seen lately. Chris Wooding, author of Storm Thief, breaks some new gound with his book Malice. Half of the story is fiction and half is graphic novel, and the main characters travel between the two in a weird, fascinating mix. A few have tried this risky move and failed, but Wooding pulls it off with a story revolving around a comic book that you can go inside if you know the right ritual. Menacing things happen there, of course, once you do... This book is unique, and even has an eye-popping, raised cover image. Just, cool.

Benny and Shrimp by Kate Mazetti. Can two lonely middle-aged misfits, a widowed librarian and a bachelor milk farmer, find love in such a complicated relationship? Find out in this refreshingly fun and quirky Swedish bestseller.

Blindman's Bluff by Faye Kellerman

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberry

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Pearl Diver by Jeff Talarigo is the Canton Seniors Book Group final selection for this year. Copies of the book will be distributed at the May 26, 2010 meeting. After May 26  copies ask for a copy at the Canton Public Library's Adult Reference Desk. Participants must register with the Senior Adult Department at the Summit by calling (734) 394-5485. If you have questions, contact Joyce Simowski or Elaine Skrzynski at the Canton Public Library (734) 397-0999.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver is the selected book in March. Copies of the book will be distributed at the February 24, 2010 meeting or can be picked up at the Canton Public Library's Adult Reference Desk after February. Participants must register with the Senior Adult Department at the Summit by calling (734) 394-5485. If you have questions, contact Joyce Simowski or Elaine Skrzynski at the Canton Public Library (734) 397-0999.

Here is where the landscape, the country, and the people all play a part in forming life-changing experiences in the real and fictional worlds of Africa!

• The challenge for Africa by Wangari Maathai
• A beautiful place to die by Malla Nunn
• Ivory's ghosts: the white gold of history and the fate of elephants by John F. Walker
• Playing the enemy: Nelson Mandela and the game that made a nation by John Carlin
• Cry, the beloved country by Alan Paton
• A change of altitude by Anita Shreve
• Tea time for the traditionally built by Alexander McCall Smith
• The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips
• The laughter of dead kings by Elizabeth Peters
• Heart of darkness by Joseph Conrad

Want books with plenty of romance, but no hanky-panky? Try the Regency romances of Georgette Heyer, Shirley Marks or Barbara Metzger. If you like historicals set in America, check out Carolyn Brown or Nancy J. Parra. Hate historicals, but love contemporaries? Take a look at Holly Jacobs or Elisabeth Rose.

There's still plenty of time to register for the Tween Book Discussion on December 5. We're meeting over a pizza lunch from 2-3pm to discuss From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a fun story about a brother and sister who run away to live in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Make sure you pick up a copy of the book at the children's reference desk once you've signed up! Looking forward to hearing what you think!

Technology can be a writer's best friend. More and more authors are establishing their presence beyond their websites on Twitter, Facebook, etc. In a recent article by Rege Behe of the TRIBUNE-REVIEW interviewed Ann Rice, Gregg Hurwitz, Alafair Burke and others about their decision to blog.

Looking for ways to unwind and enjoy a fun filled special evening? Why not reminience over some of your favorite childhood Christmas movies. We have a large selection that is sure to spark some joyous memories. My all time favorite is "A Christmas Carol"; any version and any kind I just love the story! So curl up with a hot cup of cocoa & popcorn and let the classics take you away...you deserve it!

Recently, I had the awesome opportunity to hear a lecture by world famous reading guru Nancy Pearl. Nancy expresses her love for reading in such a way you can't wait to discover your next book. Nancy has won numerous awards for her uncanny insight into books and the celebration of reading. If you're stumped on what to read next check out her books (ex. Book lust, More book lust, Book crush for kids and teens). You can also check out Pearl's picks on our website. They are witty lists that help you find the right book for the mood. You can learn more about Nancy and her books at www.nancypearl.com

Tough Chicks is a highly enjoyable tale of 3 baby chicks, Penny, Polly and Molly, who aren't like the other chicks in the farmyard. These 3 energetic gals are into everything and do a lot of things the other animals don't think chicks should do. "Make them be good!" the animals demand of Mama Hen. "They ARE good." she asserts. By the end of the book, the farmyard is in trouble when the Farmer's tractor goes haywire and ends up roaring straight for the hen house. While all the other animals run away in fear, the tough chicks quickly hatch a plan. Will the other animals realize that different isn't necessarily bad? You'll have to read this fun book to find out for yourself!

Following her successful memoir-in-essays, Stealing Buddha's Dinner, Bich Minh Nguyen's first novel, Short Girls, explores the relationship of two Vietnamese American sisters, Van and Linny. Straight-laced Van, an Immigrant lawyer, lives with her husband in Ann Arbor and college dropout Linny is a free-spirited cook in Chicago. The two estranged and strikingly different sisters return home when their inventor father announces his intentions to become an American citizen and forge a new relationship. Place a hold on it today.