Library to be open this Wednesday 10/24

The Library will be opening around 6:15 this Wednesday, 10/24. It will remain open during the administrative council meeting and for approximately 10 minutes after. Hope you can drop by!

Watch our cataloging progress!

The bulletin board outside the library has been updated (finally!) for the first time in about a year. The most exciting new addition is a notice about our online card catalog. It features the number of titles currently in the catalog, a number which will be updated periodically so you can watch our progress. The current number is 288... watch it grow!

Coming soon: The Good Heart by H.H. The Dalai Lama

Discovery Class will be studying this book, and Dan Browning has been kind enough to provide the library with both a copy and synopsis of it.

The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus.

This book is a collection of lectures given by the Dalai Lama on various familiar Gospel passages. Noted author and scholar of world religions Huston Smith described this as "arguably the best book on interreligious dialogue published to date". According to the Publishers Weekly review:

It is refreshing to read the Dalai Lama's meditations on the New Testament selections, many of which he had never read before this seminar but which are among the most familiar for Christians. As His Holiness thinks about famous passages like the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-10) and Jesus' resurrection appearance to Mary (John 20:10-18), we see them from the entirely new perspective of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual knowledge and understanding. Consequently, familiar passages are renewed and opened to unexpected insights.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Announcing a new arrival in Adult Fiction: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.

From the back cover, and quoting the Los Angeles Times Book Review: "Twenty-four years after her first novel, Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson returns with a story about fathers and sons and the spiritual battles that still rage in America's heart. In the luminous and unforgettable voice of Congregationalist minister John Ames, Gilead reveals the human condition and 'manages to convey the miracle of existence itself.'"
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Adult Fiction call number: Robinson Gilead
Library catalog record
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Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice

Announcing a new arrival in Adult Fiction: Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice.

From the book jacket: "Having completed the two cycles of legend to which she has devoted her career so far, Anne Rice gives us now her most ambitious, and courageous book, a novel about the early years of CHRIST THE LORD, based on the gospels and on the most respected New Testament scholarship. The book's power derives from the passion its author brings to the writing and the way in which she summons up the voice, the presence, the words of Jesus who tells the story."
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Adult Fiction call number: Rice Christ
Library catalog record
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House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker

Announcing a new arrival in Adult Fiction: House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker.

From the book jacket: "On a deserted back road in Alabama, Jack and Stephanie find themselves driving fast and running late. Their world suddenly changes when a strange accident leaves them stranded with no car, no cell phone coverage, and no help in sight. They have no choice except to continue on foot. As darkness approaches, they round a bend and see a small sign at the top of a long gravel driveway: THE WAYSIDE INN.

"The exhausted couple stands in front of an inviting house, complete with gated stone wall, ancient oak trees, and a note welcoming weary travelers. Inside they find another couple with an equally troubling story about a similar accident. It seems that backwoods pranksters have made their day miserable. Still they are safe... Or so they think.

"So begins a story that will keep you guessing and short of breath until the very last page. As the house slowly reveals its secrets, you'll come face-to-face with the sin that haunts us all and a game that can be won by very few. Think you can win? Go ahead, walk through the door, play the game."
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Adult Fiction call number: Peretti House
Library catalog record
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The Messenger of Magnolia Street by River Jordan

Announcing a new arrival in Adult Fiction: The Messenger of Magnolia Street by River Jordan.

From the book jacket: "The Messenger of Magnolia Street tells the haunting story of three childhood friends who reunite to fight the unnamed presence that is slowly draining their beloved town of goodness and light. Nehemiah Trust fled his home town of Shibboleth twelve years ago, after the death of his mother. Now chief of staff for a powerful senator, Nehemiah has washed his hands of Shibboleth. But one night his older brother Billy and childhood friend Trice appear at his front door. Something is wrong, they tell him. Nehemiah is needed back home.

"This mesmerizing novel of love awakened, purpose abandoned, and legacy reclaimed begins as slow and easy as a southern Sunday, but as the town of Shibboleth begins to sense the approaching darkness, the three friends must race against time to save the lifeblood of the place they call home. The solution requires a willingness to sacrifice everything."
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Adult Fiction call number: Jordan Messenger
Library catalog record
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The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Announcing a new arrival in Adult Fiction: The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

From the book jacket: "Sue Monk Kidd's stunning Debut, The Secret Life of Bees, became a bestselling phenomenon and a modern classic. Now, in her luminous new novel, Kidd has woven a transcendent tale that will thrill her ligion of fans and cement her reputation as one of the most remarkable writers at work today.

"Inside the church of a Benedictine monastery on Egret Island, just off the coast of South Carolina, resides a beautiful and mysterious chair ornately carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion.

"When Jessie is summoned home to the island to cope with her eccentric mother's seemingly inexplicable act of violence, she is living a conventional life with her husband, Hugh, a life 'molded to the smallest space possible.' Jessie loves Hugh, but once there, she finds herself drawn to Brother Thomas, a monk who is soon to take his final vows. Amid a rich community of unforgettable island women and the exotic beauty of marshlands, tidal creeks, and majestic egrets, Jessie grapples with the tension of desire and the struggle to deny it, with a freedom that feels overwhelmingly right and the immutable force of home and marriage.

"Is the power of the mermaid chair only a myth? Or will it alter the course of Jessie's life? What transpires will unlock the roots of her mother's tormented past, but most of all, it will allow Jessie to make a marriage unto herself.

"Few novels have explored, as this one does, the lush, unknown region of the feminine soul where the thin line between the spiritual and the erotic exists. Where does the yearning for soul-mated love come from? When it comes to love, what are the pulls inside a woman between the ordinary and the sublime? How does a woman find the place of self-belonging in herself?

"The Mermaid Chair is a vividly imagined novel about mermaids and saints, about the passions of the spirit and the ecstasies of the body. It illuminates the awakening of a woman to her own deepest self with a brilliance and power that only a writer of Kidd's ability could conjure."
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Adult Fiction call number: Kidd Mermaid
Library catalog record
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A Common Life by Jan Karon

Announcing a new arrival in Adult Fiction: A Common Life: The Wedding Story by Jan Karon, the sixth novel in the beloved Mitford series.

From the back cover: "Mitford's Lord's Chapel seats barely two hundred souls, yet millions of Jan Karon's fans can attend the most joyous event in years: the wedding of Father Tim Kavanagh and Cynthia Coppersmith. Will Father Tim fall apart when he takes his vows? Will Cynthia make it to the church on time? Who'll arrange the flowers and bake the wedding cake? And will Uncle Billy's prayers for a great joke be answered in time for the reception? All the beloved Mitford characters will be in the pews: Dooley Barlowe, Mss Sadie and Louella, Emma Newland, the mayor; in short, everybody who's anybody in the little town with a big heart. So welcome—there's a special seat waiting, just for you."
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Adult Fiction call number: Karon Mitford 6
Library catalog record
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My Happy Heart by Melody Carlson

Announcing a new arrival in Juvenile Fiction: My Happy Heart by Melody Carlson, illustrations by Jim Osborn

Recommended for ages 4-10.

From book jacket: "With a heart so full of love and joy, a little boy makes an 'I Love You' card. But now comes the hard part. Who does he give it to? There are so many people who are dear to him—his sister, his mother, his father, his best friends, teacher, aunt, neighbors, grandparents—he loves them all. At the end of the day, he still has his card—although it is now a little worn, a little wrinkled, and crumpled. He decides to give it to the one he loves most..."
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Juvenile Fiction Call Number: J Carlson My
Library catalog record
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New in Adult Non-Fiction for October 2007

We've added some new titles to Adult Non-Fiction. They're listed below with links to the catalog records. Come check them out!

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God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible by Adam Nicolson. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
Subject headings: Bible. English. Authorized—History; Bible. English. Authorized—Influence; Great Britain—History—James I, 1603-1625; Great Britain—Religion—17th century; James I, King of England, 1566-1625
Adult Non-Fiction call number: BS186 .N53 2003
Library catalog record

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The Historical Books by Richard D. Nelson. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998.
Subject headings: Bible. O.T. Historical books—Criticism, interpretation, etc; Bible. O.T. Historical books—Introductions
Adult Non-fiction call number: BS1205.2 .N45 1998
Library catalog record

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Respectful Kids: The Complete Guide to Bringing Out the Best in Your Child by Dr. Todd Cartmell. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2006.
Subject headings: Child rearing—Religious aspects—Christianity; Parenting—Religious aspects—Christianity
Adult Non-fiction call number: BV4529 .C427 2006
Library catalog record

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Organic God: Lenten Meditations on the Words of Jesus by Kate Moorehead. Cambridge, MA: Cowley, 2006.
Subject headings: Jesus Christ—Words—Meditations; Lent—Meditations
Adult Non-fiction call number: BV85 .M59 2006
Library catalog record

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A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent by Sarah Parsons. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2005.
Subject headings: Lent—Meditations
Adult Non-fiction call number: BV85 .P323 2005
Library catalog record

West of the Jordan by Laila Halaby

Announcing a new arrival in Adult Fiction: West of the Jordan: a novel by Laila Halaby.
*Note: This book is also on the UMW 2005 Reading List*

From the back cover: "This is a brilliant and revelatory first novel by a woman who is both an Arab and an American, who speaks with both voices and understands both worlds. Through the narratives of four cousins at the brink of maturity, Laila Halaby immerses her readers in the lives, friendships, and loves of girls struggling with national, ethnic, and sexual identities. Mawal is the stable one, living steeped in the security of Palestinian traditions in the West Bank. Hala is torn between two worlds—in love in Jordan, drawn back to the world she has come to love in Arizona. Khadija is terrified by the sexual freedom of her American friends, but scarred, both literally and figuratively, by her father's abusive behavior. Soraya is lost in trying to forge an acceptable life in a foreign yet familiar land, in love with her own uncle, and unable to navigate the fast culture of California youth. Interweaving their stories, allowing us to see each cousin from multiple points of view, Halaby creates a compelling and entirely original story, a window into the rich and complicated Arab world."
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Adult Fiction call number: Halaby West
Library catalog record
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My Bible Storybook by Mindy MacDonald

Announcing a new arrival in Juvenile Non-Fiction: My Bible Storybook by Mindy MacDonald.

Recommended for ages 2-6.

From the back cover: "Beginning to end with rhyme as our friend. In no time at all, learning's a ball. With colors so bright, just look at the sight: The Bible's made fun for your little ones!

"From 'The Very Beginning' (the creation of the world) to 'The King in the Barn' (the birth of Jesus), these short stories bring the Scriptures to life! Kids will love learning today what God's people experienced long ago."
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Juvenile Non-Fiction call number: J BS551.3 .M24 2005
Library catalog record
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Joshua in a Troubled World by Joseph F. Girzone

Announcing a new arrival in Adult Fiction:
Joshua in a Troubled World by Joseph F. Girzone
*Note: This book is also on the UMW 2007 Reading List*

From the book jacket: "Joseph Girzone possesses a unique ability to make Jesus' words and actions come to life for contemporary audiences. His fictional depictions of Jesus' return to the present-day world—the Joshua series—have inspired millions of readers. Joshua in a Troubled World is at once a magnificent continuation of his perennially popular series and an enlightening perspective on the political paranoia and destructive acts of vengeance that fill the front pages of our daily newspapers.

"Arriving in Washington, D.C., Joshua walks along Pennsylvania Avenue with a cool detachment and determination that set him apart from the bustling crowds. Under ordinary circumstances, he would no doubt be seen simply as a man wrapped in his own thoughts. But in these security-obsessed times, his Middle Eastern appearance and his spontaneous stops at various churches, temples, and mosques inevitably arouse suspicions. Taken into custody by two government agents, Joshua challenges the legal and moral justness of their actions, and they reluctantly release him to continue his mission. It is the most difficult and controversial mission he has ever undertaken—a plan to reunite Arab- and Jewish-Americans and to work with them to resolve the bitter wars and religious animosities in the Middle East.

"Peopled with prominent figures such as Ariel Sharon, and moving from Washington to Beirut and then to Oslo while the peace accords are being hammered out, Joshua in a Troubled World explores the most explosive issues of our day and offers a realistic, compassionate assessment of the things that divide us and the beliefs that can serve as a foundation for a new, more peaceful world."
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Adult Fiction call number: Girzone Joshua
Library catalog record
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Holy Bible, Human Bible by Gordon Oliver

Announcing a new arrival: Holy Bible, Human Bible: Questions Pastoral Practice Must Ask by Gordon Oliver.

The following review was written by Myka Kennedy Stephens for Congregational Libraries Today, the bimonthly publication of the Church & Synagogue Library Association. Used with permission. Copyright 2007 by the Church and Synagogue Library Association (www.cslainfo.org).

Second in the Using the Bible in Pastoral Practice series, Anglican priest Gordon Oliver examines eight different questions about the Bible and its relation to the Christian community. It is an attempt to engage pastors and church leaders in thoughtful reflection on the nature of the Bible as it is actually used by congregations and in individual practice. Lay people often pose questions to pastors such as, “What is the Bible?” Instead of trying to have the answers, Oliver offers the pastor an opportunity to ask and contemplate the same questions. The core of his argument lies in an examination of what it means to be biblical, or live according to the teachings of the Bible, and what it means to be human. Are these two natures at odds in Christian life?

The conclusions he draws about the Bible and its place in Christianity are helpful and provide a good starting point for further discussion. While many of the examples come from Oliver’s context as a priest in the Church of England, this book can also resonate with American and Canadian audiences. Written with pastors and other church leaders in mind, educated and interested lay people will also find it easy to read and engaging.
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Call number: BS538.3 .O45 2006
Library catalog record
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Book Marks - November 2007

Summer Book Sale Success: Thank you to everyone that supported our summer used book sale. We raised more than enough money to install a mail slot in the library door. This will function as a book drop for when the library is locked. The hardware has been ordered and will be installed within the next month.

Join the Library Interest Group: Interested in library ministries? Our new Library Interest Group, hosted by Google Groups, is an online forum for discussing issues related to our library ministry at Druid Hills UMC. For more information please visit the library’s website or ask Myka.

Library Site Online: The library now has an updated page on the new DruidHillsUMC.org website. A special thanks to Peter Kinnaird for helping me set it up. To access the new site, please go to http://www.druidhillsumc.org/ and click on “William D. Thomson Library” in the list of Site Areas.

New Acquisitions: Don’t forget to check our blog for reviews of our newest acquisitions! http://dhumclibrary.blogspot.com/