Jack doesn’t have the blackmail information or know what it is about, but the blackmail victim knows about Jack and thinks he might have the information. It’s a world of the mob and crooked politicians, and someone’s connections can keep them safe or get them killed, and Jack has lost his connections. Until Jack discovers the truth behind the blackmail, Jack must rely on his instincts and what few “friends” he has to stay alive. Hard Knocks is by Howie Carr who has also written the true accounts of The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter of a Centuryand Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey Bulger’s Enforcer and The Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld.

Kevin was so engrossed in carrying out his reading of the initial grant proposal that just relieved of her duties Evelyn Blackmon had left behind for any unwilling, unenthusiastic, bored-to-death beneficiary such as himself that he hadn’t noticed Kate entering his office. Kate chucked the morning classified section of the Topeka Capitol-Journal on top of Kevin’s desk. Underneath the folded newspaper was her completed first draft of what she had assembled together as “ghost stories”; one which was chronicled to her by a woman and many of her family members who had numerous experiences with ghosts throughout their lives.

With the expression on his face, he successfully communicated to Kate that he was highly annoyed by her aggressive personality as he gazed up at her over the top rims of his Buddy Holly frames. Releasing a deep sigh Kevin set free the words from his lips, “Good morning to you too, Miss Sanchez. And what is this, may I ask?” He lifted both items off his desk to take a closer look.

“Those are the tasks that I have completed on my list of to-do’s.” Kate plopped her body down into the squeaky office chair across from Kevin; taking a few spins gleefully.

Looking up from the documents in his hand, “And when did we assign you a to-do list, Miss Sanchez?”

She stopped her spinning and looked at Kevin as if he was the most depleting supervisor she had ever known. She continued, “Since you have not said much to me since I’ve gotten here nor given me one assignment since I’ve been here, I am bored out of my mind.” Both hands slapped against her thighs as she begin pacing the room back and forth in front of Kevin’s desk. “How am I supposed to work with someone like you?”

Kevin watched her until he felt dizzy then dropped his head into his hand.

Kate used her hands to express herself, “I mean…I come here to Topeka to get away from “Crazy Town” Florida only to drop into the hands of “Craziness”. She continued, “I mean…it was great to get away from all those Mickey Mousers to come to the Land of Oz. But when I finally get here, all that I have noticed are snooping co-workers whispering behind my back who sneak a quick look out of their tiny little cubicles looking for the next big interesting office story while my so-called “superior” sits here holding his head in his hands as if he has absolutely no clue as to what to do.”

And with that she had the audacity to ask one or two particularly don’t-go-there questions, “By the way, I have been very curious to know whatever happened to Ms. Blackmon…the woman I was very proud to soon one day call my boss…Ms. Evelyn Blackmon? What did you all do to make her leave? Because quite frankly I’m beginning to wonder why I ever wanted to choose Kansas to do my internship?” With her one hand on her hip, she stopped just short of sitting in Kevin’s lap as she waited for his lips to move.

Jerking his head up, Kevin responded with a surprisingly deeper than usual yet stern voice, “Miss Sanchez!”

Startled Kate jumped back from his gangly presence which now hung high over her as he stood. His gaze implied to her that he was no longer the pushover type. He sighed deeply before speaking realizing he had lost control of his character for a moment. “Miss Sanchez, I have listened to you banter from the moment you arrived. I have patiently waited for you to realize that you are in Topeka and not Florida. I have also allowed you to come up with the ideas for this project; ideas which in fact are totally meaningless and have no magnitude of affect to topic of the project at hand…which by the way if you recall at all is, “Topeka is Awesome. I have not been unable to understand why ‘ghost’ would make Topeka so awesome. Ghosts are everywhere! Anywhere you look just about!”

Kate’s mouth closed and opened again as Kevin turned his back. He was not really looking for an answer or allowing her to speak.

“They say that I can find ghosts all over the East coast. Even in places in the South like Louisiana or Georgia. But you Kate, you think the ghosts in Topeka make Topeka awesome. Like the ghosts here are so much more special than anywhere else but I don’t think so. As a matter of fact, I don’t even think Topeka is awesome if you haven’t noticed through all of your witty chitchat.” He now paced back and forth across the office floor. “Oh and also in all of my haste Miss Sanchez you obviously do not realize that you are the intern here and …” He turned abruptly in her direction as she stood unmoving, “I AM your superior!” Now Kevin stopped in his tracks squeezing the area between his eyes above the bridge of his nose for a moment. Then he raised his head continuing with, “Please step out of my office and return when you have a more dignified way of speaking to me.”

The room was so quiet that you could hear the sweat drop to the floor from the tip of the chin of someone participating in yoga class in the fitness room on the lower level of the company building. Kate was beginning to think that maybe she should have signed up to be included in the yoga class instead of here in Kevin’s office. She was speechless for once. And in spite of all that was just said and heard between her and Kevin, she wasn’t quite sure if she was turned on by Kevin’s aggressive behavior or if she was more willing to slap him for insulting her avant-garde style and level of intellect. After all she had planned to be a professional hair stylist before becoming an intern..

When he realized Kate hadn’t moved from where she stood, he took the initiative, slowly walking around his desk to the office door as his desk phone begins to ring. He opened the door politely for Kate indicating to her that he was done with his speech and expected her to leave without any response.

Unfortunately when he opened his office door Nora was leaning on the wall nearby Kevin’s office pretending to be paying close attention to Vicki, her partner in crime. They both were taking mental notes on more to add to the office gossip of course. “May I help you ladies? Don’t you have some type of work to do at all around here? I do wish you’d go and take care of it instead of standing around eavesdropping.” Kevin took another deep long breathe and let it out at a snail’s pace. Nora and Vicki scurried away.

Turning his attention to Kate once more while standing holding the door handle he used his other hand to direct her out with a gentleman’s gesture. His desk phone still ringing, Kevin prayed his voicemail would pick up because he was not in the mood for any conversation at the moment; but it continued to ring loudly.

Kate quickly blurted out, “May I say something?”

“Miss Sanchez. Please come back when you are more well-mannered and respectable with your words. Please???” Sarcastically he added, “And may I ask when you return please find another way to inspire others to love Topeka as much as you do.”

The phone on Kevin’s desk continues to ring. He inhales then exhales. It stops.

Now on the other side of the threshold Kate stands with a strange smile. Remembering… when a woman smiled, pain usually followed gave Kevin the sudden urge to either protect his lower extremities or close his office door quickly. But instead he asked, “Would there be anything else I can do for you? I must get back to my work…” He pointed blindly towards the two-inch three ring stuffed binder. Continually smiling, Kate took another step backwards away from his office threshold and watched as Kevin nervously waved his hand. After closing the door he turned his back and pressed against it while he listened for activity stirring outside but there was none.

The phone rings again disturbing Kevin’s peace. He leans over to glance at the caller ID…so much for crawling under his desk and hiding for the rest of the day. He shakes his head back and forth as he answers regrettably, “Hello Dad.”

“Hello to you my young man. How’s it going over there in City Hall?” He chuckled questionably, “I heard something about that…that young lady Evelyn…Evelyn Blackmon got the boot.”

Kevin eyes rolled to the ceiling as he thought this may be a good time to start making something up right now, “Yeah dad but I promise you I know nothing about it,” came out instead. Kevin loved and respected his father. He could never find himself purposely watching his father’s head explode over what he could possibly turn into one of the best ever lies he ever told his dad.

“Come on now. You always were zipping up your lip just when I needed you the most, son.”

Kevin nonchalantly nods without answering back.

“I betcha if your sister had the opportunity to work over there where you are I would know what type of pajamas Topeka’s mayor wore before he’d be gone off to bed. Hell, I’d even know just how many of his teeth are really his and what his grades were like in high school.”Still nodding Kevin walks over to his window to watch the cars roll by on I-70 as he listens now to his father poke fun at the comparison he often makes between him and his older sister.

“You know that your mother worked with Evelyn a few years back at Shawnee County Courthouse in Register of Deeds before she retired and Evelyn got that promotion to over there in City Hall where you are now.”

Continuing to nod and roll his eyes, “Yes, I know dad but what does that have to do with me right now?”

His dad coughs chronically, “Well you know your mother didn’t much like her and I know she’d love to hear the juicy on an old co-worker like Evelyn.”

“I know, I know dad but how are you getting along? That cough of yours doesn’t seem to be getting any better.” Kevin sits in his old tattered chair, “Have you been to the doctor like I asked you to a thousand times.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine, I just think I was laughing too hard and sucked in too much air. Don’t be worried about me. I’m fine. Your mother’s fine too.”

Looking over at the computer monitor, Kevin realizes it’s about lunch time. “Hey dad have you had lunch yet?”

Coughing, “Well, no I haven’t. But your mom made me some of that bland old chicken she baked last night for dinner. I don’t know how other men function when their wives start worrying about their health and start treating them like one of the children ‘round the house.”

Kevin smiled. Reminiscing. His mother and father had one of the best marriages he’s ever seen. He has seen many of his family members divorce within one year of marriage and sometimes less. He has also been a witness at many marriages of his friends and none of them last very long. Marriage just isn’t sacred anymore. That’s exactly why he hasn’t taken that step toward it because he has not found anyone who was willing to hang in there; to see marriage through the hard times and good times; to not give up on marriage as easily as others.

After all, he had heard his mom and dad arguing oftentimes. He had seen where they wouldn’t even talk to one another for a few days. But he also witnessed them coming together in prayer and asking to be forgiven by one another. Then they would even ask him and his siblings to forgive them for misbehaving. Mom loved his father so much. Kevin saw his mother’s love toward his father and vice versa daily as he grew up. Kevin knows that it is that love that makes his mother care enough to prepare that bland chicken for her husband so that she can have him around much longer to keep her company.

“Well dad, listen up. Can you be ready in about 20 minutes?”

“Yes, I think I can son,” he coughs.

Kevin begin checking his pockets to ensure he has his car keys and wallet, “I’ll pick you up in 20. Then together we will head over to Brad’s in North Topeka for the best home cooking and the most amazing pie ever for lunch.” Kevin was feeling like his joy was coming back.

“That sounds good but don’t tell your mom we don’t love her home cooking and pies.”

Kevin laughed along with his father’s coughing laugh, “I won’t. Anyway she still makes the best pecan pie I ever tasted.”

They both laughed, “See you soon son.”

“See you soon dad.” As Kevin was putting on his sport jacket he interjected before hanging up, “Hey dad…do me a favor and don’t tell momma I treated you to lunch. She’ll kill me.”

Kevin’s dad chuckled, “I won’t. If you don’t tell her I didn’t eat that chicken she sent me for lunch.”

“I won’t.” Laughing with a pleasurable smile on his handsome face, his eyes sparkling through his black frames, “I Love you dad.”

“Same here son. Same here.”

Download and print Chapter 4 by Antonette Coffee (5 page .pdf)
Watch for Chapter 4 next week at http://tscpl.org/community-novel/

Author bio:

Antonette Coffee, formerly from Chicago, has resided in Topeka now for 22 years where she met her husband of 17 years—Don. Together they have six children and four grandchildren. Antonette received her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems at Friend’s University in Kansas and an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Allen County Community College where she was first informed by her college professor that she had amazing writing ability.

She first began writing at the age of 14, inspired by life experiences and faith. After winning a poetry contest for “Heartbroken” her motivation grew. Antonette loves to write in her spare time and has led teenage book reads at her local library. Loving the opportunity to mentor to young people–she volunteers at local community centers coaching volleyball; teaches youth Sunday School at the church she attends; along with all of the various other duties keeping her occupied in her young girl’s school sports and activities. She keeps smiling wherever you see her.

The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library has a new and improved ereader display where you can test some of the newest ereaders and tablets.

The ereader display is located in the Reference Room towards the back of the Library. Staff are nearby to help answer your questions or give you a demonstration on the devices.

You can use any of these devices, and more, to check out ebooks from the Library!

New and popular ebooks and digital audiobooks are available for your smart phone or ereader right now, free from your Library, using our OverDrive ebook service.

Go here for more information about getting ebooks from the Library.

Devices to try include:

• Amazon Kindle Fire™
• Amazon Kindle Keyboard
• Barnes & Noble Nook Color™
• Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet™
• Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch™
• iPad
• Sony eReader

Current studies show that most people actually use their cellphones to read ebooks! What device do you use to read ebooks?

Both books are organized in a similar manner and reflect DK’s talent at using graphics and organization to explain a variety of concepts like Konrad Lorenz’s imprinting to David McClelland’s three key motivations. The ideas are in chronological order in The Philosophy Book, but in the The Psychology Book the ideas are grouped by larger concepts. In both books each idea is given up to six pages of explanation with graphics that summarize the concept, sidebars that relate the context of the idea to other ideas and diagrams that follow basic statements of the concept.

Though these books are not in a narrative style they are still a fascinating overview of philosophy and psychology. Each provides a starting point for ideas that could be explored further and begin a journey into concepts that have influenced our world. It is discovery made simple.

“You have got to be kidding me.” Kate’s eyes were wide as she looked at the chair Kevin had pulled up to his desk. He shrugged, not sure what comfort he could offer her. He opted for a joke instead.

“Just wait until you see your paycheck. Interns make the big bucks. You know?” The glare she sent his way made him question the wisdom of joking around when she was already unhappy. But what was done was done. She sighed and blew up at her bangs, crossing her arms.

“Do you at least have a plan, or am I going to be spinning around in this stupid chair all day long for the next year.”

“Uh.” It was a good question. Even more, it was an appropriate question. But being good or appropriate didn’t give him an answer. “I just got this thing dropped on me this morning.”

“Great excuse,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“I was told that you had ideas. That’s why Miss Blackmon picked you. So what’s your plan?” He felt a little good that he’d turned it around on her, but she just smiled. That was never good. When a woman smiled, pain usually followed.

“Oh, I have tons of ideas. But I don’t think you’re going to like them.” He frowned at her. How bad could they possibly be?

“Our job is to make Topeka seem awesome. I’m not sure what ideas you could have that wouldn’t at least be worth pursuing.”

“Ghosts,” she said simply. The smile on her face told him that he hadn’t hidden his distaste well.

“What do you mean, ghosts?” he asked slowly. Maybe if he took longer to speak, he could fix whatever his face was doing to make her look so smug.

“I mean ghosts. Think about it. What’s popular these days? Look at movies. Look at books. Look at television. People want to be spooked. They want a thrill. What could be more awesome than living in a town right out of a movie? And I don’t think I’ve heard of a place yet that didn’t have at least one ghost story that they could scare their kids with. What’s Topeka’s ghost story?”

He had to count. To twenty. But he was finally able to speak, letting out a long sigh.

“We’re trying to make Topeka seem awesome. Not frightening. We’re not focusing on ghosts.”

She shook her head and plopped down into her chair.

“Not like I was saying to only look at ghosts. But I knew you wouldn’t like it. I don’t know why you couldn’t just trust my judgment of what you’d be okay with doing.”

“I don’t know you well enough to trust you with a pencil sharpener,” he stated, earning another eye roll from her. “And you don’t know me well enough to know what I’d be interested in hearing. You only said I wouldn’t like it because no one would. Except weirdos. And I don’t think Topeka Is Awesome is about attracting weirdos to our town.”

“No,” she said, leaning across his desk to stare at him. “Topeka Is Awesome is about making people who already live here give a damn.”

“Are you saying Topeka is full of weirdos?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I’ve only been here about an hour. But I think that teenage girls live here. And young guys. And what could be either more romantic or more adventurous than a ghost story and a tale of a haunting?” She leaned back in her chair and he tried not to be obvious about letting out the breath he’d held in when she got closer.

“There are no romantic or adventurous ghost stories in Topeka. And I’m thinking we should focus on something a little more timeless. I’m not trying to cater to the whims of teenage girls. So let’s try to class things up a bit, hmm?”

The problem was, two hours later, he hadn’t like any of her other ideas, either. Kate was starting to wonder if the guy actually liked the town at all. A presentation focusing on the parades, carnivals, and tourist spots in town got a no (too normal). A presentation on the historical sites around town got a no (too boring). A presentation focusing on things to do with kids got a no (too niche). She was ready to bang her head against a wall. Or his.

“What?”

She looked up at him, her mind ceasing its wanderings.

“What?” she asked. He shook his head.

“That’s what I asked you,” he said. “You were smiling. What are you thinking?” She blew on her bangs while she thought of a nice way to say that she was dreaming of bashing his head in.

“Are you sure you don’t want to do ghosts?” she asked. “You haven’t really liked anything else I suggested. It might be worth it to go back to the first suggestion and give it another look.”

He leaned his elbows on the desk and rubbed at his eyes. He was clearly not a people-person, and she was a normal kind of person. It was obvious that she was irritating him, though she wasn’t doing it on purpose. Or at least, she wasn’t doing all of it on purpose.

“What is your fascination?” he asked. She shrugged.

“I’m just trying to cater to all ages and demographics. People are into the paranormal. If you could make a claim for a vampire living here, that would be awesome too, but I doubt it. Ghosts are more common. And you can always find people that will claim to have seen one. Then you throw in a few historical sites to go with it and you get the paranormal freaks and the history buffs all in one neat little package. Then you just need something for families, something for singles, and something for old people.”

He looked less than convinced. Maybe she shouldn’t have called them old people. What was the PC term these days? The elderly? The youth-challenged?

“I really don’t like this idea,” he said, shaking his head.

“What other idea have you got?”

“None, really.”

“So. . . ” she led, hoping he’d cave. She could get excited about interviewing people about ghost stories.

“So you can work on the ghost angle. But only until I finish reading Evelyn’s notebook and come up with a better idea.”

She grinned, triumphant. He wouldn’t come up with a better idea. She was sure of it. After all, this was Topeka, Kansas, they were talking about. From what she saw on the internet, they barely had a zoo. Or at least, the one they had was at risk. Kevin Emile would have his work cut out for him trying to best her at this one.

“I’ll get started tomorrow,” she said, standing up.

“Tomorrow?” he asked.

“Sure,” she said, smiling at him over her shoulder as she headed for the door. “I have to give you time to at least find me a cubicle or something. And I came straight here after getting off the plane. So I need to unpack and get in a shower before I start interviewing people.” She shrugged and waved.

“See you tomorrow, boss.”

Download and print Chapter 3 by D.L. Rose (3 page .pdf)
Watch for Chapter 4 next week at http://tscpl.org/community-novel/

Author bio:

D.L.Rose has been writing stories since she first learned to scribble on a piece of paper. When she’s not creating tales of the fantastic and unusual, she’s a homeschooling mother to two beautiful creatures. She can often be found blogging about the balancing act of life at her blog, Finding Mommy, Finding God (www.maidenfine.com/wordpress).

	1  DEADLOCKED, by Charlaine Harris. The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse investigates a murder that has more to do with her than she imagines.
	2  THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE, by Stephen King. A new entry in the Dark Tower epic western-fantasy series; this novel, King says, is “Dark Tower 4.5.”
	3  THE INNOCENT, by David Baldacci. A hitman who has become a target of the government rescues a teenage girl whose parents have been murdered and who may be at the center of a dangerous conspiracy.
	4  CALICO JOE, by John Grisham. A pitcher beans a promising rookie, ending both their careers; years later, the pitcher’s son brings them together.
	5  THE WITNESS, by Nora Roberts. A programmer hides from the Russian mob in the Ozarks.
	6  ROBERT B. PARKER’S LULLABY, by Ace Atkins. Spenser helps a girl investigate her mother’s murder; a continuation of the series by Parker, who died in 2010.
	7  GUILTY WIVES, by James Patterson and David Ellis. Four friends in Monte Carlo for a luxurious girls’ vacation find themselves in prison, accused of a crime.
	8  THE LOST YEARS, by Mary Higgins Clark. When a biblical scholar who made an amazing discovery is murdered, his daughter hunts for the killer (and a missing document).
	9  UNNATURAL ACTS, by Stuart Woods. The New York lawyer Stone Barrington becomes involved in the family problems of a billionaire hedge fund manager.
	10   THE SHOEMAKER’S WIFE, by Adriana Trigiani. Childhood sweethearts in turn-of-the-20th-century Italy meet again in America.

NonFiction

	1  THE PASSAGE OF POWER, by Robert A. Caro. From 1958 through the Kennedy assassination; the fourth volume of “The Years of Lyndon Johnson.”
	2  MY CROSS TO BEAR, by Gregg Allman with Alan Light. The musician’s memoir.
	3  LOTS OF CANDLES, PLENTY OF CAKE, by Anna Quindlen. The journalist and novelist, now nearly 60, looks back at her experiences and those of her generation.
	4  PRAGUE WINTER, by Madeleine Albright with Bill Woodward. The former secretary of state describes her family’s life in Czechoslovakia, where she was born; their exile in London during World War II; their return to their homeland after the war and their final move to the United States in 1948.
	5  THE POWER OF HABIT, by Charles Duhigg. A Times reporter’s account of the science behind how we form, and break, habits.
	6  DRIFT, by Rachel Maddow. America’s path to war has become too easy, with excessive power ceded to the executive branch, the MSNBC host argues.
	7  IMAGINE, by Jonah Lehrer. An account of the science of creativity argues that it is not a gift but a thought process that can be learned.
	8  THE PRESIDENTS CLUB, by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy. Two journalists examine the relationships between sitting presidents and their predecessors.
	9  KILLING LINCOLN, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. The host of “The O’Reilly Factor” recounts the heart-stopping events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
	10  MANHUNT, by Peter L. Bergen. The 10-year search for Osama bin Laden.

Nate:  Exactly. A way to determine latitude had been devised much earlier, but if you didn’t know longitude, it was possible you could be 100 miles further east or west than you thought you were, making navigation extremely difficult and hazardous. Countless ships were lost at sea, shipwrecked, delayed, or had crews that died of scurvy due to depleted rations from the 15^th through the 18^th centuries – and much of this was a direct result of not knowing exactly where you were on the ocean.

Dave:  There were essentially two methods for determining longitude that came to the forefront during the 18^th century when this problem was being tackled. One was the astronomical method, which consisted of determining longitude by looking at objects such as stars, planets, and moons to figure out your position, and the other was the mechanical method, which entailed building a clock which could keep track of the time back at your home port. Because if you knew what time it was there, and you knew what time it was where you were on the ocean, you could figure out your position.

Nate:  Both of these methods had issues that had to be resolved, however. On the mechanical side, there had never been a clock built that could keep time at sea. Conditions at sea, such as moisture, changing temperatures, and rolling waves had always interfered with its functions, not allowing it to be exact enough. To be useful, a timepiece could not lose more than three seconds in twenty four hours – any more than that and a ship would not be able to determine its position accurately enough. And on the astronomical side, complete maps of the stars had not been done up to this point in history, so that solution seemed far off as well.

Dave:  And while the astronomers of the day scrambled to complete maps of the stars, a little known English clockmaker took up the challenge of determining longitude, and solved it with relative ease.

Nate:  And that clockmaker, John Harrison, was an interesting guy, as he was totally self made. He had never really had any formal training in building clocks, yet the pieces he made were remarkable. He built a clock tower in Brocklesby Park in England that has run continuously since 1722 – the only time it stopped was when it was refurbished in 1884. He applied this genius to building a longitude clock, or chronometer, and like you said, built one without too much trouble.

Dave:  Building one wasn’t too much trouble, but receiving recognition for it became a struggle he would endure for decades. He actually ended up building four chronometers, each one being an improvement over the last. I have to say, after reading this book, I was taken back to another book we reviewed some time ago about the journey of the Apollo astronauts to the moon. It seemed like we’d kind of come full circle. It’s amazing to think that the astronauts who went to the moon were able to land within a few hundred feet of where they were supposed to. And the solution to determining longitude was the beginning of mankind’s ability to figure out exact location. How many doors did that open up? It’s almost impossible to say.

Nate:  I agree. You really take for granted things that have always been there, and are always there for you. We just have to look at a watch, cell phone, clock on the wall, or any other device that says the time, no matter where we are, and we know it will be correct. We don’t have to do any calculations, or wonder how we’re going to figure it out. The same goes for knowing our position in the world. From maps, to GPS, determining location is something that is so easy and readily available that we don’t even think about it.

Dave:  But in the old days of sea exploration that knowledge wasn’t “just there”, and it was a real problem. After reading this book, it’s obvious why the routes the early explorers took seemed to zig zag all over the place.

Nate:  I find it amazing they ever found their way, to be totally honest. And it wasn’t just an issue with exploring. It was a commerce problem as well.

Dave:  Absolutely. You had ships going down at sea with hulls full of valuable cargo. So it wasn’t just loss of life, it was also the loss of profits.

Nate:  Another thing I found interesting in this book were the discoveries made while trying to find a solution to longitude. Like we said, a complete map of the stars had not been made up this point in history. Well, by the time the problem had been solved, star maps were more complete than they had ever been. And astronomers had also learned a lot more about the sun and moon, as far as their cycles, and the effects both have on the earth.

Dave:  It’s always interesting to see what discoveries are made when people are trying to find the answer to something else. The way map making changed after the introduction of chronometers is interesting as well. The quality and accuracy of maps improved immensely during this time, and the view of the world began to take more of a modern feel. I have to say, I found John Harrison to be an interesting character. There wasn’t a lot of “character development” in this book, and with Harrison largely because not much is known about his early years. But his dedication to building the perfect chronometer, and the struggle he had trying to earn recognition, and the monetary reward that was due to him is interesting. People always like stories about underdogs, and this is an underdog story.

Nate:  It’s also a story about a mechanical genius. Like we said, this was someone who was totally self-made and yet his devices were absolutely revolutionary, and worked better than any devices previously made. When he showed his chronometer to others within the clock making fraternity, they were fascinated and awed by his work.

Dave:  After reading the book, I also thought about how this continued to give England a leg up in naval supremacy. They had already been the premier naval power in the world for a couple of centuries, but this helped allow them to maintain that dominance of the seas for a lot longer.

Nate:  It was also fun to read about Rupert T. Gould, who restored Harrison’s clocks in the 20^th century. He was not happy that these historically significant pieces had been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. Although they had been kept over the years, they had not been cared for.

Dave:  That’s right. So he went about restoring them, even though he had no experience or knowledge of working with clocks. In that respect he was in the same boat Harrison was when he started out.

Nate:  And interestingly enough, he spent the most time restoring Harrison’s third clock, which is the one Harrison took the most time to build. It seems they had many of the same issues with that one, even though their work was almost two centuries apart. So, who would you recommend this book to?

Dave:  I think anyone who has an interest in history, science, or astronomy would enjoy it.

Nate:  I agree. I would also include those who are interested in maps or map making, as well as anyone interested in clocks or clock making. The book is less than 200 pages, so it’s short, and not a huge time commitment. So if you have even a small interest in any of these areas I’d recommend giving it a shot. I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Dave:  And once you’ve read it, you might check out the made for TV movie based on the story, also called “Longitude”. It came out several years ago and stars Jeremy Irons and Michael Gambon. It’s an excellent two part mini-series/movie, and we have it here at the library as well.

Children’s author Jon Scieszka (Stinky Cheese Man, Time Warp Trio) saw that boys were reading less, but he also saw that teachers and librarians weren’t doing a good job finding books boys would want to read. So he started Guys Read, a national web-based organization to get more boys reading by showing them that there’s plenty of fun, awesome stuff to read.

The library is getting in on the act as well. I’m starting a Guys Read field office. What’s a field office? I’m glad you asked! It’s kinda like a local chapter of the Guys Read organization. Here’s the official description:

Hang out, snarf snacks and meet new characters – real and fictional – at our book club just for gents age 8- to 12-years-old. No parents, no girls allowed…
JUST GUYS.

Read awesome books dudes will dig – explosive action and farts! Then talk ’em over with the guys, play games, wolf down some food and meet new friends. Score a members-only bookbag and receive books on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up with secret password: GUYS READ.

How cool does that sound?!

Here’s how it’ll work: Meet up on the second Saturday of the month, 2-3 p.m., in Youth Services. We’ll have snacks and get to know each other with an ice breaker. Next we’ll talk about the book we read together and any other books we might have read separately. Then we’ll do some kind of activity, like making something we can use or whatever — but it’ll be somehow related to our book.

Books will be signed out to boys, but don’t worry, the boys’ library cards do not have to be in good standing. All that we ask is they return books to the Youth Services desk as soon as they’re done reading it so other boys can have have fun too.

Oh, and we have a limited number of bookbags, so boys should be at the first meeting if they want to score one.

Speaking of the first meeting, it’s important! We’ll be picking a name for our little field office and signing a charter for the club. And if boys can’t make it, they can sign the charter next time.

For more information, surf over to these sites:

• XYZ Magazine’s article about our new field office: Boys Will Be Boys
• Guys Read’s official website

It will take more than leg work to solve the case and even though forensic pathology was just beginning Inspector Day hopes Dr. Kingsley can bring some understanding to the obscure clues left behind. Time is of the essence as the pressure builds to find the killer, but unknown to the inspector and the doctor is that the murderer is watching them and is prepared to kill again. The Yard is the first novel in a new series by Alex Grecian who is the author of the graphic novel series Proof.

Whether you are thrifty or not it’s a wise move to use the library’s Book Group in a Bag service, which provides 10 copies of the same book at no expense to you or your club members.

“It’s so nice having multiple copies available for our book club. The staff who helped me get the books and answered questions were very patient and helpful,” said Mary Napier, book club member.

Bags are stocked with titles ranging from the classics like Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury to best-selling current books like Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Our nonfiction bags include The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

View our 125 different titles at bgib.tscpl.org. While you’re there, create an account to log in and get started reserving bags of books for your group.

“I recommend Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks because it is based on a true story from history. Your group can delve into the historical facts behind the story while also enjoying the fictional story that gets you emotionally involved with the characters,” said Librarian Deb Bryan.

Many book clubs want to distribute copies well in advance of their meetings. Good news: the Book Group in a Bag kits check out for six weeks, which allows you to hand out books at one monthly meeting and collect them the next. Bags can be reserved in advance, making planning what to read next a snap. Lissa Staley, librarian and resident expert on leading book discussions, recommends reserving your titles early because this service is popular.

“We have a variety of titles to choose from. Most of the books that we select are character-driven, which aids in the discussion and gives members something to relate or react to,” Lissa said.

In the bag you will receive notebooks with the author’s background and book discussion questions to help if discussion gets off topic or you don’t have time or know-how to come up with your own. If you want more information on leading a book group, meet with our book group experts, Deb and Lissa. Your request can be made via our Speaker’s Bureau at http://tscpl.org/speakers-bureau.

“We can provide ideas and inspiration for your group, and you can adapt it to your group’s needs,” Lissa said.

If you would like to recommend a book title be added to our Book Group in a Bag service, call 580-4555 and talk to a librarian or log on to our Digital Branch at http://tscpl.org/catalog/purchase-suggestion.