We're not just reading, we're listening to audiobooks and watching videos.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society [sound recording] by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

The lost art of mixing by Erica Bauermeister

Peyton Place [videodisc] by Twentieth Century Fox presents a CinemaScope picture ; Jerry Wald's production

A wrinkle in time: the graphic novel by [Madeleine L'Engle] ; adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson ; [colored by Jenn Manley Lee]

Putumayo presents Jazz around the world [sound recording]

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will induct its new members for 2013 on April 18. The inductees are Rush, Heart, Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Donna Summer, and Albert King. Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Lou Adler and Quincy Jones. The ceremony will take place at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Ordinary girl: the journey by Donna Summer ; with Marc Eliot

The Library of Congress has recently announced the selection of 25 new titles to be added to the National Recording Registry. Included in this year's selections are two historic broadcasts - George Hicks' 1944 radio reports during the D-Day invasion of Europe, and Dwight Eisenhower's prerecorded presidential message relayed from an Atlas satellite in 1958.

British rock guitarist Alvin Lee, founder of the band Ten Years After who burst to stardom with his memorable Woodstock performance of I'm Going Home, has died. He was 68.  Detroiters will remember his electrifying guitar solo at the Grande Ballroom in the late 60s. 



(Photo: AP Images)

Looking for songs in other languages?  We have many scattered through out the children's CD collection

Beth Manners' playtime Spanish for kids [sound recording] by Manners, Beth

Universe of song [sound recording] Spanish by featuring Maria Del Rey

La vida es un carnaval [sound recording] by Las Ardillitas

Fleetwood Mac's timeless album "Rumors" was released on February 4, 1977.  Considered   to be the best selling pop album to date, this release catapulted Fleetwood Mac into instant stardom and has been influential ever since. Our copy here at the library has circulated over 175 times in nine years.  

Give a sunshiney, warm welcome to Gustafer Yellowgold! A friendly creature who came to Earth from the sun, Gustafer is living out an explorer’s life in a slightly psychedelic version of the Minnesota woods with a sensitive Dragon, fashionista Pterodactyl, his best friend the Eel, among many others.  The Rock Melon Tour is a multi-media performance of live music, animated illustrations and storytelling presented by its creator, Morgan Taylor.

Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. He would have turned 78 this year. A multi-dimensional performer, Elvis' diverse talents are on display in the many recordings and movies that he left behind:

Careless love: the unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick

The Colonel: the extraordinary story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley by Alanna Nash

I love Christmas music, but this year it's the melodies I want to hear. If you need more, CPL's Jazz Music Library database has over 200 Christmas albums available to CPL cardholders. Some of my favorite CDs are:

Peace by Jim Brickman

Homecoming by Jim Brickman

December by George Winston

A Winter's solstice

Celtic Christmas II: a Windham Hill collection

Nominees for the 2013 Grammy Awards were announced recently. The winners will be revealed February 10, 2013 at the 55th Grammy Award Show. In the meantime you can find the nominees for the major categories in the Library's collection:

Channel orange [sound recording] by Frank Ocean — Album of the Year

El Camino [sound recording] by the Black Keys — Album of the Year

Babel [sound recording] by Mumford & Sons — Album of the Year

Blunderbuss [sound recording] by Jack White — Album of the Year

The month of December is filled with many different holiday celebrations — Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa are just some of the special observances this month. Learn more about all these holidays through the many resources at the Canton Public Library. This Special Collection can help get you started!

General

The American book of days by Christianson, Stephen G — A day-by-day record of American history from January 1 through December 31. For each of the 366 days of the year (including February 29), several substantial essays explore significant events of military, scientific, ethnic, or cultural significance.

The book of the year : a brief history of our seasonal holidays by Anthony F. Aveni — Discusses the origins and modern development of our holidays and provides an entertainng glimpse into their evolution.

What can be more befitting the Christmas season than Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker ballet! This week we offer free download of "Shchelkunchik [The Nutcracker], Op. 71" from our Classical Music Library. Based on a Christmas story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, the ballet was first produced on December 18, 1892, and has since become a traditional Christmas favorite for the whole family.

Every two weeks, you can download a free piece of music, courtesy of Alexander Street Press. Find the link from our Databases page and you can sign up for future notices.

Who made the first Nativity scene? What is the symbolic meaning of the candy cane, the holly leaf or the Christmas tree? How did the legend of Santa Claus begin and why is kissing associated with mistletoe? Answers to these questions and the origins of other traditions can be found at this page about Christmas Legends.

To check out information on Christmas customs, crafts, recipes, movies, music, stories, legends, and more, check out these sources in the library to enhance your enjoyment of this holiday season.

Thanksgiving Day kicks off a month of celebrations. May we suggest a movie, tips from Martha Stewart on Thanksgiving prepartions, a history, music to sooth, and a story about family.

Planes, trains and automobiles [videodisc] by Paramount Pictures

Martha's classic Thanksgiving [videodisc] by [presented by] Marth Stewart Living Omnimedia

Mayflower: a story of courage, community, and war by Nathaniel Philbrick

If you just can't take one more rendition of The Monster Mash or The Purple People Eater at your next Halloween party, then try some of our suggestions below:

• Alison Gross
• Bad moon rising
• The battle of evermore
• Black magic woman
• Boris the spider
• The creature from the black lagoon
• Dead man's party
• Dream on
• Graveyard train
• The green manalishi (with the two-pronged crown)
• Hell hound on my trail
• Human fly
• I put a spell on you
• Love potion number nine
• Moon over Bourbon Street
• Pet sematary
• Season of the witch
• Spooky
• Vampire blues
• Voodoo child
• Werewolves of London
• Wicked Annabella
• Witch's promise
• Witchy woman
• Zombie boy
• Zombie zoo

If you are looking for a witch's cackle, a ghost's boo, or howling wolves, then check out some of these scary music cds. If want to Monster Mash, call the Ghostbusters, or tell the scariest stories, these cds will get you in the Halloween mood!

 

Halloween fun by Lois Skiera-Zucek

Casper's spookiest songs and sounds: 10 spooky songs plus creepy sound effects

Classical music speaks both to the mind and to the heart, giving us something to think about as well as to experience.

—William J. Clinton, President of the United States, 1993-2001

Celebrate opening night at one of the many concerts offered throughout the month of September.

• Detroit Metropolitan Youth Symphony
• Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra
• Michigan Philharmonic
• Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra

The painting, featured above, is Attributes of Music by Anne Vallayer-Coster (1770)

Just got home from the movie theater? Want to hear that great theme song again? Here are some soundtracks from the lastest and greatest family movies for you to enjoy:

Brave [sound recording]: original soundtrack by original score composed by Patrick Doyle

Hugo [sound recording]: original score by [music by] Howard Shore

Cars [sound recording]: original soundtrack

Enchanted [sound recording]: an original Walt Disney Records soundtrack by songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; score by Alan Menken

Marvin Hamlisch, award winning film and broadway composer has died at the age of 68. Best known for his broadway hit A Chorus Line, Hamlish also wrote the scores for many famous films including The Way We Were, Ordinary People and Sophie's Choice. His adaptation of Scott Joplin's music for the movie The Sting earned him an Oscar in 1973.