I Want to Ride My Bicycle

Time to dig around in the garage for your bicycle, dust off the frame, and pump up the tires for your first ride of the year. We're lucky to have so many great roads and trails in Lake Forest for spring, summer, and fall riding. But what happens when your start rolling out of your driveway and your tires pop (maybe you overinflated)? Or maybe your brakes screech (could they be unaligned with the wheels)?

You could wait for a shop to do repairs, and for some big jobs you may want to. But, you could also stop by the library, pick up one of our great books, and fix it yourself! Chances are, you probably have most of the essential tools around and fixing your own bicycle is extremely satisfying.

Bicycle Repair Manual, Call # 629.227 SID: Full of color photos for reference and easy-to-follow steps, this guide is perfect for getting the basic info for common maintenance tasks.

Essential Bicycle Maintenance & Repair, 629.227 SHA: If you are riding a road bicycle, this is the book for you. Includes reference photographs, and repair instructions geared towards road bicycle riders.

Bicycle! A Repair & Maintenance Manifesto, 629.227 TRA: Want a repair manual with a bit of character? Sam Tracy's manifesto provides a bit more color and a deeper explanation. Highly recommended if you want to dive right on in and learn as much as possible.

Just Ride, 796.6 PET: Grant Petersen, bike mechanic and designer, answers a myriad of questions from technique and safety to nutrition and health. If you have a worry or curiosity about casual riding, chances are your answer can be found here.

Questions? Email us at reference@lfl.alibrary.com
There are plenty more books about cycling, explore these call number ranges: 629.227 and 796.6
Also available is Bicycling Magazine in print and online through Zinio.

New Titles in Playaway!

If you have not tried the Playaway digital audio books, stop by the Lake Forest Library and check them out!   Playaway  is a pre-loaded audio book in a single, easy-to-use unit that's the size of a playing card. The Library owns more than 730 adult, teen, and children's titles in Playaway format.  They can be checked out for two weeks.  Here are just some of our new arrivals:

Argo:how the CIA and Hollywood pulled off the most audacious rescue in history by Antonio Mendez  

A top CIA officer devised an ingenious yet incredibly risky plan to rescue 6 American hostages out of Tehran in 1979.

Art Forger by Barbara Shapiro 

On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art worth over $500 million were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that there's more to this crime than meets the eye.

Guilt by Jonathan Kellerman 

When he is consulted on a cold case involving the discovery of infant remains at a neglected Tudor mansion, psychologist Alex Delaware, tracing the long history of past residents, is led down a bloody path littered with unspeakable cruelty.

Husband List by Janet Evanovich

When her mother sets her sights on the questionable Lord Bremerton as a possible suitor, Caroline struggles with her instincts and the true nature of her heart. She longs for adventure, passion, love, and most of all, Jack Culhane--a completely unacceptable suitor in the eyes of Caroline's mother.

Private Berlin by James Patterson         

The Berlin office of the world's most renowned investigation firm looks into the disappearance of an agent, whose last case involved an unfaithful billionaire, a cheating soccer player and a seedy nightclub owner.

Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner

When the Denbes disappear, investigator Tessa Leone must race against time to expose the Denbes' darkest secrets, discover who would want to kidnap such a perfect family, and just how far they are willing to go.

Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

The new Oprah's Book Club title.  It is a story of the children of the Great Migration in the 1920s through the trials of one unforgettable family.

Withdrawal from Downton Abbey? We have the Cure

Are you missing Downton Abbey?  These book and movies can help you through until Fall of 2013 in the U.K. and January 2014 in the U.S. when season 4 is released.


Below Stairs: The classic kitchen maid's memoir that inspired Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey by Margaret Powell  Biography Powell
The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: a New Era by Jessica Fellowes  701.45 FEL

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey :The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle                         942.08 COU The Countess of Carnarvon
Audiobook CD 942.08 COU
Digital Player 942.08 COU
Also available to download through MyMediaMall

Downton Abbey: The Essential Collection     The Soundtrack to this memorable series.   CD Soundtrack D


The World of Downton Abbey The Rivals and Romance revealed, the Secrets and History Unlocked by Jessica Fellowes. This companion book to the series provides background and history and best of all beautiful photographs.  791.45 Downton  Fell

Gosford Park  Director Robert Altman's drama,shows the lives of upstairs guests and downstairs servants. It takes place during a at a hunting party weekend when one of the group is murdered. Julian Fellowes won best screenplay award for this movie.  DVD  G

The House of Eliot  Based on characters developed by Jean Marsh, this book and BBC DVD series depicts the life of two sisters, born to privilege, suddenly penniless.  Through hard work, connections and wile they struggle their way to succeed in the world of couture fashion.
Fiction Marsh
DVD  H set

The Forsyte Saga  This period drama is based on the trilogy written by John Galsworthy 1870's to 1920's.  It follows the fortunes and misfortunes of The Forsyte family.
Fic G
DVD F set    Starring Damian Lewis, star of current series Homeland. 10 episodes, 2 seasons.

Upstairs-Downstairs  Downloadable audiobook
Jean Marsh reads John Hawkesworth's novel which follows the Bellamy family living in London's Belgravia. The Bellamy's and their loyal servant,s stories are woven into real historic events in this epic series.
MyMediaMall
DVD U set  This original series follows the Bellamy family and their staff  through 1903 - 1930. 68 episodes, 5 seasons.
DVD U set  This "new" Upstairs Downstairs is set in 1936 and picks up six years after the original series ended.

Children's Fiction Series

Zig Zag Kids (8) 
Grades 2-4

“I’ve just finished …  and loved it! Is there another one in the series?”  Children’s fiction contains a lot of series: continuing adventures of the popular characters originally envisioned by the author.  In a series such as the Rainbow Fairies, the books become very formulaic, with interchangeable characters and settings.   Girls read basically the same story over and over again, the only difference being  the type of fairy.  This kind of plot repetition can be helpful to new readers to gain an understanding of standard plot structuring.  One of the best in this type is the Magic Tree House, which serves up a different time and place for Jack and Annie to experience with each story.  More complex series, such as Redwall  (an animal world reminiscent of that in Game of Thrones), develop a narrative which can come to an end or be ongoing.  We all like to read “the further adventures of …”   Following are some newer series for elementary and middle school readers, including the number of books in the series:

Critter Club (3)
Grades K-2

Milo & Jazz (8)
Grades 1-4

Ready Freddy (8)
Grades 1-2

  

Daisy Dawson (4)
Grades 2-4 

Agent Amelia (4)
Grades 2-4

Beast Quest (26)
 Grades 2-4

  

Underworlds (4)
 Grades 2-5

Fashion Kitty (4)
 Grades 4-7

Sleuth or Dare (3)
 Grades 4-7

  

Cupcake Diaries (12)
 Grades 4-7

Chronicles of Avantia (4)
 Grades 4-7

Inuk Quartet (3)
 Grades 4-6

Canterwood Crest (18)
 Grades 5-9