Jeannie Recommends Sarah McLachlan's "The Classic Christmas Album"

Classic Sarah McLachlan, track #9 is a sure hit, Room on the Couch for Two. Christmas songs mixed with original tunes, excellent holiday listening! Or try it on Freegal (minus a few tracks) streaming will put you in the holiday mood.

Annie recommends "Journeys Home"

26 authors relate heartwarming stories as they explore their family histories around the globe.  This National Geographic publication is accompanied by stunning photographs and tips on research and travel for exploring those old family homesteads.  Perfect for the amateur genealogist.  Available in print and audio.

Emily recommends "Over the Garden Wall"

This original animated miniseries from Cartoon Network tells the story of two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who find themselves lost in a strange forest. With the help of a bluebird named Beatrice, they travel across a strange land in hopes of finding their way home. Recommended for older children and adults who can appreciate well done animation and fairytale-esque stories.

Lisa recommends Biography in Context

We have been seeing a lot of biography reports at CMPL lately and this is a great resource to help.  You can search for anyone that may have had information written about them, from Albert Einstein to Taylor Swift.  When you search, you will get printable selections from books, magazine articles, pictures, and sometimes even videos.  These are all from reputable sources that teachers will respect-best of all you will even be able to print a citation with the article for your bibliography.  My favorite part is that you have access to this information 24/7 from an Internet connection so you still get information for your report at 10 p.m. on Sunday night.

This is the direct link:

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/?p=BIC1&u=lom_macombcmp

Kathy recommends "Cass County" CD by Don Henley

With “Cass County”, Don Henley has put together an outstanding album that stays with you long after the music is over.  Henley returns to his country/Americana roots.  It reminds me of early Eagles with an impressive set of guest stars:  Mick Jagger, Miranda Lambert, Merle Haggard, Jamey Johnson, Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton,  and Lucinda Williams.  Even if you don’t generally listen to country music, you will enjoy this CD.

Karen recommends "Data and Goliath"

"Data and Goliath" by privacy champion and security expert Bruce Schneier, who exposes the surveillance society created by the convenience of modern technology. Cell phone users give implied consent to their carrier to track them, wherever they go, how fast they drive, etc.  This data can then be used to predict where they will be in the next 24 hours. Data and metadata, which is data about data, are both used for intelligence and surveillance.   Author, Bruce Schneier, offers solutions which do not sacrifice privacy in favor of security.  "Data is the pollution problem of the information age, and protecting privacy is the environmental challenge."  Schneier recognizes that both government and business rely on the stream of data created by the digital age, and offers tips to protect privacy.  As a bonus, Schneier provides over 100 pages of annotated notes for further reading.

Jamie recommends "Mug Cakes: 100 speedy microwave treats to satisfy your sweet tooth"

Have you ever had a taste for cake, but don’t want to go to the trouble of baking and frosting the whole thing?  If so, Leslie Bilderback has come up with an amazing book to help you out.  I admit to being skeptical that I could make a cake in a coffee in the microwave when I checked this book out, but, amazingly, it worked!  That craving for a blondie on a Friday night was satisfied with a recipe that included chocolate chips.  You do need to mix the ingredients just as you would for a regular cake, but these smaller recipes accommodate two mugs, which make them great for sharing.  There are 100 recipes in this book and she even has recipes for those who need gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan options. I’d definitely recommend this book for whipping up a quick dessert right in the microwave!

For teens and adults.