Published: August 28, 2008 04:15 am         

Library Corner

Superstitions

Are you superstitious? In one way or another, all of us are. The "Little Giant Encyclopedia: Superstitions" is a handy little book explaining thousands of beliefs, signs, spells, rituals, and more. Here are some interesting superstitions from the book:

If you see a grasshopper, you can expect good news.

If you put your left stocking on first, you will have good luck.

If you put your arms into a sweater before you pull it over your head, you will never die from drowning.

If a ladybug lands on you, you will be very lucky.

If you find bubbles on the surface of your tea or coffee, you will have good financial fortune.

If you look at someone through a piece of broken glass, you will have a quarrel with them.

Women who bite their nails will have a difficult time during childbirth.

If you look into an owl's nest, you'll be unhappy for the rest of your life.

New Books

We've received a wealth of new nonfiction books this week on a variety of topics. These are just a few of our new offerings.

The library has received two books from the Oneonta Photo Forum in memory of Joan Vedy and Virginia Chittenden. The first is "Digital Photography Master Class" by Tom Ang, which contains advanced photographic techniques and instructions on how to manipulate images to create perfect pictures. You'll be able to develop your skills, enhance your pictures and start to specialize in areas that really interest you. The second book, by Chris George, is "Mastering Digital Flash Photography." In this book, you'll learn which flash features are important, how your camera works with flash and how it can be best used in different situations.

"What Your Explosive Child Is Trying to Tell You" by Dr. Douglas Reilly helps explain the explosive behavior in your child. Dr. Riley identifies the 11 most common causes of disruptive behavior and gives you strategies to address these difficult behaviors. If your child's behavior troubles you, this book can help you overcome these problems.

Before you know it, fall be here, along with cooler days and nights. It will be time to get out the slow cooker for your family's meals. "Dinner a Day: Slow Cooker" by Margaret Kaeter contains 365 meals you can make with little effort on your part. Soups and stews, meat and vegetarian entrees, international flavors and holiday recipes are just a few of the possibilities you can make in your slow cooker.

"How to Build Your Dream Garage" by Lee Klancher goes from the planning process to design, to outfitting the interior, all with tips to help you tackle your project and complete it in style. Many different types of garages are illustrated with color photographs and sketches. Whether you want to build a garage from scratch, or remodel an existing one, the step-by-step tutorial helps you achieve a workable space.

Craft-lovers will want to choose one of these three new books:

"One-Block Wonders Encore!" by Maxine Rosenthal contains six quilt projects and numerous techniques for creating one-block variations. You'll learn how to choose the right fabric and combine fabrics for your quilt. The projects feature straight-line piecing, to make it easier.

Nancy Queen's "The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting" is a beginner's guide to knitting. Learn the basic stitches, how to read a pattern, and choose from one of more than 30 simple patterns to make something for yourself. Illustrations and color photographs make this book easy to use.

Crocheters will enjoy "300 Classic Blocks for Crochet Projects" by Linda Schapper. These patterns range in size from small to large and are accompanied by line drawings and color photographs of the finished block. All types of crochet stitches are included.

Just about every product we use contains some sort of chemical. Nena Baker has written "The Body Toxic" to show how many of the health problems we have today can be traced to the toxic substances encountered in our lives. Clothing, soap, canned goods, computers, cosmetics and even fresh foods that have been treated with pesticides can all harm us in one way or another.

Library Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Marie Bruni is director of Huntington Memorial Library in Oneonta. Her column appears in the community section of The Daily Star every Thursday.