Different things work for different people. Explore the options and decide what way is most likely to help you get smoke free. Put out that cigarette or pipe for the last time with these titles from our digital collections.

Review provided by Hoopla
Did you know that smoking is the most common drug addiction in the United States? Or that it can take only a single cigarette to become addicted? Packed with information on how smoking and second-hand smoke affect the human body, the debate over the right to smoke, the status of lawsuits against tobacco companies, and much more, this in-depth resource concludes with a detailed section on how to quit the deadly habit.

Review provided by OverDrive
Is a smoking, alcohol, food, gambling, Internet, drug, or sex addiction holding you back from getting what you want most? Over the past twenty-five years, renowned addiction therapist Dr. Frederick Woolverton has used his dynamic, empathetic approach to help thousands of addicts achieve long-term recovery—including himself. He sees the specific habit as less important than the underlying chaos and fear that motivate the urge to soothe ourselves with bad habits. The solution, he has found, requires only a better understanding of yourself and a change in attitude.

Review provided by Hoopla
At the end of the Second World War, Britain had the highest incidence of lung cancer in the world. For the first time lung cancer deaths exceeded those from tuberculosis - and no one knew why. On 30 September 1950, a young physician named Richard Doll concluded in a research paper that smoking cigarettes was 'a cause and an important cause' of the rapidly increasing epidemic of lung cancer. His historic and contentious finding marked the beginning of a life-long crusade against premature death and the forces of 'Big Tobacco'. Born in 1912, Doll, a natural patrician, jettisoned his Establishment background and joined the Communist Party as a reaction to the 'anarchy and waste' of capitalism in the 1930's. He treated the blistered feet of the Jarrow Marchers, served as a medical officer at the retreat to Dunkirk, and became a true hero of the NHS. A political revolutionary and an epidemiologist with a Darwinian heart-of-stone, Doll fulfilled his early ambition to be 'a valuable member of society'. Doll steered a course through a minefield of medical and political controversy. Opponents from the tobacco industry questioned his science, while later critics from the environmental lobby attacked his alleged connections to the chemical industry. An enigmatic individual, Doll was feared and respected throughout a long and wide-ranging scientific career which ended only with his death in 2005.

Review provided by OverDrive
Behaviors that pose risks for an individual's health and that also represent important threats for public health, such as drug use, smoking, alcohol, unhealthy eating causing obesity, and unsafe sex, are highly prevalent in low income countries, even though they are traditionally associated with richer countries. Individual choices are an important part of the risky behaviors. Risking Your Health: Causes, Consequences, and Interventions to Prevent Risky Behaviors explore how those choices are formed and what are their consequences. Why do people engage in risky behaviors?

Mastering the art of baking a pie is the desire of today's home bakers. A slice of pie with a flaky crust that is filled with a wide range of luscious fillings is the favorite dessert of many. Achieve success in your pie baking with these titles from our digital collections.

Review provided by Hoopla
Since 1995, amateur, commercial, and professional bakers have competed in the National Pie Championships to determine who makes the best pies in America. America's Best Pies 2016-2017 is a collection of nearly two hundred delicious recipes that have won awards at the National Pie Championships. From the unusual--deep-dish deluxe banana split pie--to the traditional, such as apple pie, every recipe has been reviewed by judges and determined to be an award-winning pie. These selections are considered some of the best of the best from across the country. When you start making these pies at home, you'll see why! America's Best Pies 2016-2017 is packed with color photographs of the pies you'll learn to make and love. As a special treat to give you a taste of what the championships are like, many of the photographs are of the actual pies entered in the competition. The recipes inside are clearly explained so that the expert and the future expert pie-maker can enjoy alike. Whether it's apple, custard, strawberry, or raisin that captures your taste buds, you're sure to find a recipe that you can't wait to try. Just be sure to share your tantalizing creations with friends and family, and get ready to serve seconds!

Review provided by Hoopla
Nothing says home sweet home like the aroma of a freshly baked pie. And with the voice of an old friend, author John Phillip Carroll teaches foolproof methods for making the delicious tried-and-true favorites that top every pie lover's list, plus some exciting new flavor sensations. The buttery golden streusel on the Apricot Crumble Pie will give Grandma's a run for her money. For a new twist on an old classic, drop a fork in a chilled slice of Butterscotch Cream Quince Pie with its spicy gingersnap crust. Fudge Brownie Pie takes the cake as a hip new treat for a kid's birthday party. Recipes for seven different types of crust ('cause one just isnt enough) plus simple toppings like meringue and chocolate fudge sauce ensure that each pie is perfect, from bottom to top. Apple or Key Lime, Caramel Custard or Mile-High Strawberry-they're all as easy as Pie Pie Pie.

Review provided by OverDrive
A cozy collection of heirloom-quality recipes for pies, cakes, tarts, ice cream, preserves, and other sweet treats that cherishes the fruit of every season. Celebrate the luscious fruits of every season with this stunning collection of heirloom-quality recipes for pies, cakes, tarts, ice cream, preserves, and other sweet treats. Summer's wild raspberries become Raspberry Pink Peppercorn Sorbet, ruby red rhubarb is roasted to adorn a pavlova, juicy apricots and berries are baked into galettes with saffron sugar, and winter's bright citrus fruits shine in Blood Orange Donuts and Tangerine Cream Pie. Yossy Arefi's recipes showcase what's fresh and vibrant any time of year by enhancing the enticing sweetness of fruits with bold flavors like rose and orange flower water inspired by her Iranian heritage, bittersweet chocolate and cacao nibs, and whole-grain flours like rye and spelt. Accompanied by gorgeous, evocative photography, Sweeter off the Vine is a must-have for aspiring bakers and home cooks of all abilities.

Review provided by OverDrive
Are you ready to take your baking over the top? Here are sixty decadent and delightful ice creams and the sixty desserts that are their vehicles. A la Mode offers not just solid dessert recipes, from raspberry oat bars to bear claws, from chocolate pecan pie to a white chocolate pavlova, but also gives you the unforgettable pairings that make these desserts smash hits: apple cranberry pie with Camembert ice cream, chocolate sheet cake with salt caramel frozen custard, and espresso cream jelly roll with mascarpone ice cream.

More Slice of Pie

Find out more about the Native American heritage with these titles from our digital collections.

Review provided by OverDrive
Unpacks the twenty-one most common myths and misconceptions about Native Americans
In this enlightening book, scholars and activists Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and Dina Gilio-Whitaker tackle a wide range of myths about Native American culture and history that have misinformed generations. Tracing how these ideas evolved, and drawing from history, the authors disrupt long-held and enduring myths such as: "Columbus Discovered America"; "Thanksgiving Proves the Indians Welcomed Pilgrims"; "Indians Were Savage and Warlike"; "Europeans Brought Civilization to Backward Indians"; "The United States Did Not Have a Policy of Genocide"; "Sports Mascots Honor Native Americans"; "Most Indians Are on Government Welfare"; "Indian Casinos Make Them All Rich"; "Indians Are Naturally Predisposed to Alcohol." Each chapter deftly shows how these myths are rooted in the fears and prejudice of European settlers and in the larger political agendas of a settler state aimed at acquiring Indigenous land and tied to narratives of erasure and disappearance.

Review provided by Hoopla
Native American spirituality is as rich and varied as the cultures wherein it is practiced. Unlike the ancient Greeks and Romans, who worshipped divine gods and goddesses, the indigenous people of North America revere a variety of non-deity spirit beings, which are entities with mystical powers. The crux of Native American spirituality and detailed entries regarding some of the most intriguing spirit beings are discussed in this book. Detailed material on Native American religious traditions, beliefs by culture area, and a complete chapter on nature worship are included in this informative package.

Review provided by OverDrive
Become a pro at living and thriving off the land. Survival Skills of the Native Americans is a fascinating, practical guide to the techniques that have made the indigenous people of North America revered for their mastery of the wilderness. Readers can replicate outdoor living by trying a hand at making rafts and canoes, constructing tools, and living off the land.

Review provided by Hoopla
Native American artists are among the craft's most skilled practitioners, and this study, offers a well-illustrated look at baskets and bowls, necklaces, robes, cradles, and other objects, all richly embellished in beads made from gold and precious stones, shells, bone, and other materials. Introduction. 31 halftones. 136 figures.

The word origami comes from the Japanese oru (to fold) and kami (paper). The basic technique of origami is folding. You can create forms from the simplest fold to the most complex folds with these titles from our digital collections.

Review provided by OverDrive
These three-dimensional models are created from a number of small pieces of paper that are easily folded and then cleverly fit together to form a spectacular shape. They range from paper polyhedra to bristling buckyballs that are reminiscent of sea urchins—to ornate flower-like spheres. Each piece of paper is held by the tension of the other papers—demonstrating the remarkable hidden properties of paper, which is at the same time flexible but also strong!

Review provided by Hoopla
Make impressive airplane models of military aircraft with this easy origami book. Paper folders and military airplane enthusiasts can now create amazingly detailed model airplanes using basic origami techniques! Popular origami designer Patrick Wang introduces his paper craft book Origami Model Airplanes, where he has devised a unique system for making origami airplane models using familiar origami folding techniques that is less time consuming and frustrating, even for absolute beginning origami folders. The folds are so easy it could even be considered an origami-for-kids book. Folding paper models of airplanes is a great way to learn origami or improve one's paper folding techniques. This paper airplane model book contains: • Fully-colored instructional origami book • Step-by-step instructions • Folding techniques and tips • 23 origami airplane models • Airplane history and background… Anyone with an interest in the Air Force, fighter planes, or military history will especially love folding these paper models that look like the real thing! Once folded, these planes look great in any bedroom or study. Origami airplane models include: • F-117 Nighthawk • F-14 • Tomcat fighter jet • F-18 Hornet Typhoon • And many more...

Review provided by OverDrive
Transform beautiful origami paper into covetable party accents! With a booklet featuring step-by-step folding diagrams, eye-catching party props are just a few folds away. Origami enthusiasts and fans of pretty paper accents will enjoy folding chopstick rests, napkin rings, place settings, invitations, and more, in a range of colors and patterns.

Review provided by Hoopla
Make your own origami jewelry! In this new paper craft book from world renowned origami artists, Michael G. LaFosse and Richard L. Alexander, you'll be delighted to discover how quick, fun and inexpensive it is to make durable DIY jewelry that you'll actually be able to wear! LaFosse & Alexander's Origami Jewelry will show you how to create 3D designs to go with your hair, skin, and wardrobe by customizing the components to your own personal fashion. A full-color easy-to-follow book, clear diagrams and the downloadable step-by-step instructions to create lovely pendants, medallions, charms, bracelets, necklaces and earrings in minutes. The origami paper and other materials needed are inexpensive and available in any craft store and a simple starch-based paste will provide your jewelry with remarkable strength to last for years.

It's Friday, and It's time to kick off your weekend with some new music releases! These brand new records can be downloaded now, for FREE, with your St. Louis Public Library card. The Library's subscriptions to Freegal Music and Hoopla Digital give you 24/7 access to free music and music videos for download to your computer or mobile device.

With Freegal you receive five hours of streaming music per day, and in addition to having streaming access, you can also download up to five songs per week. Songs are downloaded at the cost of one credit, and music videos for one additional credit. Hoopla offers full music albums available for download. Albums are available for instantaneous download; there are no hold lists, which means no waiting for your favorite tunes. You’ll receive ten Hoopla checkouts per month.

Van Morrison - Versatile

U2 - Songs Of Experience

Miguel - War & Leisure

Danielle Bradbery - I Don't Believe We've Met

More Freegal New Releases
More Hoopla New Music

Show your support in the fight against HIV with these titles from our digital collections.

Review provided by OverDrive
Novelist and critic Dale Peck's latest work—part memoir, part extended essay—is a foray into what the author calls "the second half of the first half of the AIDS epidemic," i.e., the period between 1987, when the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) was founded, and 1996, when the advent of combination therapy transformed AIDS from a virtual death sentence into a chronic manageable illness.

Review provided by Hoopla
In the United States and around the world, AIDS remains a critical health issue. Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and an additional 56,000 are infected each year. In July 2010, President Barack Obama's administration launched a new U.S. government initiative to stop the spread of HIV. It was the first national strategy designed to cut new infections, boost the number of people who get tested and treated, and reduce disparities in access to care," explains USA TODAY, the Nation's No. 1 Newspaper. According to the government's report, many people do not believe that HIV is an urgent health problem. Yet without action, the nation is likely to see an increase in the number of infections, a lack of services for people living with HIV, and a rise in health care costs. In this book, you'll learn more about the U.S. government initiative, read stories of people living with HIV and AIDS, and learn important information on how people cope with and live with this illness. You'll discover the causes, symptoms, treatment, and ways to stop the spread of HIV and get the facts you need to protect yourself, your friends, and your family from this serious disease.

Review provided by OverDrive
In 1999, investigators announced that a single dose of nevirapine, a new antiviral drug, could stop the spread of the AIDS virus from infected mothers to their newborn babies. It was a discovery that "changed the face of AIDS globally" but it came at a high price, after years of scientific research, political conflict, social unrest and the loss of many thousands of lives. This book is the historical account of pediatric AIDS from the first reported cases in the early 1980s to the first effective treatments in the 1990s and then to the prevention of HIV infections altogether. It tells the story through the experiences of individual children infected with HIV, their families and the physicians who treated them, as well as the scientists who sought to understand the virus, discovered nevirapine's unique properties, and worked tirelessly to get it to the patients who needed it.

Review provided by Hoopla
I AM BECAUSE WE ARE is a film describing the journey that Madonna embarks on, exploring the lives of the children who have been orphaned by AIDS, and have suffered more than one can sometimes imagine. Set in Malawi, Africa, Madonna leads us through many heart-wrenching stories that ultimately remind us how interconnected we are. We are introduced to a culture that at times will feel disturbing, but ultimately it will challenge us and call us to action. trying to find out as much as possible about the children of one of the poorest countries on the planet, our narrator goes in and out of giving her perspective of what she witnesses and also describes her own personal discoveries.

Can't get a ticket to a sold out show or you went to the show and can't get the song out of your head?! Here are some bands and performers that are playing around the St. Louis area during the month of September, whose albums you can download for FREE with your St. Louis Public Library card. Downloads are available through both the Library's Hoopla and Freegal music services. Enjoy the tunes, and we hope to see you out at a show!

12/3 - Evanescence - Evanescence - Peabody Opera House - St. Louis, MO

12/8 - Freddy Cole - Jazz at the Bistro, St. Louis, MO

SZA  - Ctrl

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve

Remember the servicemen who were killed in the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor with these titles from our digital collections.

Review provided by OverDrive
The America we live in today was born, not on July 4, 1776, but on December 7, 1941, when an armada of 354 Japanese warplanes supported by aircraft carriers, destroyers, and midget submarines suddenly and savagely attacked the United States, killing 2,403 men—and forced America's entry into World War II. Pearl Harbor: From Infamy to Greatness follows the sailors, soldiers, pilots, diplomats, admirals, generals, emperor, and president as they engineer, fight, and react to this stunningly dramatic moment in world history.

Review provided by Hoopla
The year 2001 marks the 60th anniversary of the United States' entry into World War IIan event precipitated by Japan's devastating surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. At Dawn We Slept is a masterful work, 37 years in the making, that tells the story of Pearl Harbor from both the American and Japanese perspectives. It's a crucial piece of history - and a gripping, richly textured human drama as well. Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History places the attack in a larger context via a close and compelling examination of its precursors and consequences. Dec.7, 1941 is the culmination of Prange's brilliant study of Pearl Harbor: a riveting, moment-by-moment account that captures the diplomatic intrigue, the brutal combat, and the human beings - on both sides of the battle - whose lives were irrevocably altered on that fateful morning. Absorbing, enlightening, and unstintingly dramatic, this commemorative boxed set is as relevant to those who remember what FDR called "a day that will live in infamy" as it is to younger people just learning about this vital chapter in American history.

Preview provided by OverDrive
In December 1941, as American forces tallied the dead at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt gathered with his senior military counselors to plan an ambitious counterstrike against the heart of the Japanese Empire: Tokyo. Four months later, on April 18, 1942, sixteen U.S. Army bombers under the command of daredevil pilot Jimmy Doolittle lifted off from the deck of the USS Hornet on a one-way mission to pummel the enemy's factories, refineries, and dockyards and then escape to Free China. For Roosevelt, the raid was a propaganda victory, a potent salve to heal a wounded nation. In Japan, outraged over the deaths of innocent civilians—including children—military leaders launched an ill-fated attempt to seize Midway that would turn the tide of the war. But it was the Chinese who suffered the worst, victims of a retaliatory campaign by the Japanese Army that claimed an estimated 250,000 lives and saw families drowned in wells, entire towns burned, and communities devastated by bacteriological warfare.

Review provided by Hoopla
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Imperial Japanese forces made a surprise attack on the American forces based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In an instant, war began for America. In exclusive interviews, survivors of the battle share their memories, recalling the terror, confusion and bravery of those who suddenly found the peaceful Hawaiian paradise shattered by bombs and bullets wreaking death and devastation all around them. Soldiers, sailors, pilots and civilians give their riveting personal eyewitness testimony recounting the heroism and tragedy of that fateful day. Historic archival films, including recently discovered color footage, plus dramatic recreations highlight this presentation, which also deals with some of the controversial questions surrounding the attack. This is a tale of shock, the outrage and the bitter resolution of those who lived through the raid. Relive that incredible day through the memories of those who survived and whose experiences put you there in the midst of the catastrophic attack.

St. Louis Public Library is offering “drop-in” training sessions where technology staff will be available to provide you with one-on-one assistance accessing the library’s excellent collection of downloadable materials. With a valid library card, you have the option to download eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, movies, comics and even music…all for free. No need for registration – you are welcome any time between the hours listed. We look forward to seeing you at these sessions so we can get you started using these fun and exciting resources!

• December 7 Julia Davis 10a.m. - Noon
• December 12 Kingshighway 2-4 p.m.
• December 19 Divoll 2-4 p.m.

Holiday time means more ads for today's toys. Reminisce about the toys from the past with these titles from our digital collections.

Review provided by Hoopla
Toys from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s capture the joy of play and the pure fun of being a kid. But beneath those iconic names are rich veins of nostalgia, memory, and history. These toys-and the stories of the kids, parents, child-rearing experts, inventors, manufacturers, and advertisers they affected-reflect the dynamism of American life. Senior exhibit developer and best-selling author Kate Roberts, along with senior curator Adam Scher, spotlight forty-five memorable toys, placing them in historical context and examining their development and launch, their impact on kids and the larger community, and their reflection of the social and cultural shifts of each decade. The book, developed in conjunction with the national traveling exhibit of the same name, will include firsthand stories shared by adults who revered these toys as kids as well as research gleaned from primary sources and toy experts and collectors.

Review provided by OverDrive
This book tells the story of toys based on TV programs (both from the US and Britain), and how these much-loved objects evolved over the years since the 1930s, through the 'golden age' of children's TV in the 1960s and 1970s, and then onto the 1980s until now, including Pinky & Perky, Magic Roundabout, The Man from UNCLE, Batman, Thunderbirds, The A-Team, Doctor Who, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Review provided by OverDrive
What was your favorite childhood toy? Do you have fond memories of fighting unseen enemies with your G.I. Joe action figures, demolishing fleets of vehicles with your Tonka Toy Trucks, or Karate-chopping imaginary street thugs with your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? What about carefree summer afternoons counting ticks on your Skip-It, scooting around the neighborhood on your Big Wheel, or soaring down your backyard Slip 'n Slide? Still a little bitter that your parents never let you have a Nerf Super Soaker, or a Barbie Dream House?

Review provided by Hoopla
Have you ever wondered what's inside of your favorite electronic toys? Through simple text written to foster creativity and problem solving, students will the art of innovation. Large, colorful images show students how to complete activities. Additional tools, including a glossary and an index, help students learn new vocabulary and locate information.

The Bill of Rights are the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Read what powers it prohibits on the government with these titles from our digital collections.

Review provided by OverDrive
The debate over the Bill of Rights still continues through many Supreme Court decisions. By pulling back the curtain on the short-sighted and self-interested intentions of the founding fathers, Berkin reveals the anxiety many felt that the new federal government might not survive—and shows that the true “original intent” of the Bill of Rights was simply to oppose the Antifederalists who hoped to diminish the government’s powers. This book is “a highly readable American history lesson that provides a deeper understanding of the Bill of Rights, the fears that generated it, and the miracle of the amendments” (Kirkus Reviews).

Review provided by Hoopla
A discussion of the historical influences on the creation of the Bill of Rights and the 17 next amendments to the Constitution as well as their influences on American life.

Review provided by OverDrive
In the earliest days of our nation, a handful of unsung heroes—including women, slaves, and an Iroquois chief—made crucial contributions to our republic. They pioneered the ideas that led to the Bill of Rights, the separation of powers, and the abolition of slavery. Yet, their faces haven't been printed on our currency or carved into any cliffs. Instead, they were marginalized, silenced, or forgotten—sometimes by an accident of history, sometimes by design.

Review provided by Hoopla
Our Founding Fathers created the Bill of Rights to document our unalienable rights and to strictly limit the government's power. These 10 amendments are central to what makes our great nation unique; the foundation of American exceptionalism. Yet, that foundation is quickly eroding. With every new sweeping regulation and invasive policy, the Obama administration is twisting the Bill of Rights and corrupting its true purpose. Here to rescue this sacred document from the leftist politicians and activist liberal judges is bestselling author Frank Miniter with his new book, Saving the Bill of Rights: Exposing the Left's Campaign to Destroy American Exceptionalism. In Saving the Bill of Rights, Miniter examines and explains the Bill of Rights amendment by amendment, reminding us exactly what we can do "and more importantly, what the federal government can't do. "The Left has hijacked The Bill of Rights," says Miniter, "and it's up to us to take it back." In Saving the Bill of Rights, Miniter reveals exactly how we can reassert the power of the Bill of Rights to its proper role in government and reestablish our Founding Fathers' vision for America.

Even those who’ve never heard Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony are familiar with its “da-da-da-DA!” opening. Download Beethoven’s music, in which he fused the discipline of the 18th century’s “classical” period with the passion of the 19th century’s “romantic” era, with these titles from our digital collections.

Ludwig van Beethoven - 40 Beethoven Playlist

Barbara Hendricks - Ludwig Van Beethoven: Lieder & Volkslieder

Balashov CSN Orchestra - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Stewart Goodyear - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Crossword puzzles are the most popular word game in the world. These titles from our digital collections can help you solve the clues.

Review provided by OverDrive
'Tis the season to be jolly, but Cora Felton, shanghaied into "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as a most reluctant maid-a-milking, has every right to feel like a grinch. When someone steals the partridge from the pear tree and replaces it with a cryptic puzzle she has no hope of solving, it's almost more than the Puzzle Lady can bear. But then smug crossword creator Harvey Beerbaum solves the acrostic, and it turns out to be a poem promising the death of an actress. This is more like it! Could the threat be aimed at Cora and her thespian debut? Or at Sherry, one of the ladies-dancing? Or at Sherry's nemesis, the pageant's predatory lead, Becky Baldwin?

Review provided by Hoopla
So, you're "crossword curious." You've wanted to know more about crossword puzzles but were afraid to ask. Maybe you've tried one or two, then threw them across the room in disgust when you were stumped. Or maybe you've come close but never actually finished one. Well, fear no more. This little booklet is just for you. With this guide, you will learn the basics of crossword puzzling. The first part of the booklet is a collection of tips on how to decipher the clues. They can be quite confusing. It's all in the way the clues are worded. The second part contains a glossary of those three and four letter words that are always found in crossword puzzles. Many of these words are obscure and seldom used, except in typical crossword puzzles. (Honey, pass the "etui.") So, enjoy this booklet. Read it, and you will be on our way to becoming a brilliant cruciverbalist. (Look it up)

Review provided by Hoopla
The solving of crossword puzzles is a kind of aerobics for the little grey cells. It puts one's mental suppleness to the test, it taxes the staying power of one's vocabulary, it usually produces no immediate reward, but completing the exercise gives a satisfying feeling of achievement. A fascination with words – their multiplicity, variety, oddity, their slippery ambiguity and their often chameleon-like ability to change – lurks within many people even if they have no reason to use words other than straightforwardly in their ordinary lives. It provides guidance on: Quick crosswords Cryptic crosswords Clues and cues Anagrams Anagram cues Other cryptic devices This book is intended to provide basic assistance to anyone who needs help in solving a crossword clue. In the first instance it offers a range of words of equivalent meaning, synonyms, for many common terms.

Review provided by Hoopla
THIS BOOK IS A PREVIEW – The sole purpose of this preview is to show examples of the puzzles that are available in the physical copy of the book. The contents of this puzzle book are reserved for the more serious cruciverbalists. Made up of a few puzzles that contain hundreds of clues to boggle your brain. Test your trivia knowledge. Doing Crossword Puzzles helps relieve you from stress; Go through this PREVIEW. No lazy day should deter you from still exercising that big brain. Unlike physical exercises, you won't need to sweat out when finding words. Instead, you'll be burrowing your brows as you strain your eyes to see beyond the jungle of letters. The beauty of word search is that there is no limit to it. As long as you still want to, go ahead and search!

Happy Holidays! Enjoy the holidays with these albums from our digital collections.

The Klezmer Conservatory Band - Oy Chanukah!

Andy Williams - Merry Christmas

Various Artists - Kwanzaa

Various Artists - All Time New Year's Eve Party Songs

Enjoy watching the animation of these favorite picture books with these titles from our digital collections.

Review by Hoopla
A tall tale sets off a comic chain of mishaps from Mosquito to Iguana to Python to Rabbit to Owl, but all is wisely resolved by King Lion at the jungle council meeting. Narrated by James Earl Jones.

Review by Hoopla
Everyone at the Horace B. Smedley School is down in the dumps - until the arrival of the notorious Viola Swamp who takes it upon herself to whip the football team into shape for the big Thanksgiving Day game. Narrated by Diana Canova.

Review by Hoopla
Max is the hero of this beloved children's classic in which he makes mischief, sails away, tames the wild things and returns home for supper. Video features music and narration by Peter Schickele.

Review by Hoopla
One hundred and one numbers race up the apple tree. As the numerals pile up, suddenly bad bumblebees come buzzing - what is the number that will save the day?

More Picture Books on Video from Hoopla

Eaten in  moderation, bacon is good for you. Add some bacon to any dish and taste the flavors come alive. Try these recipes from our digital collections.

Review provided by Hoopla
Between Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl, it's party season in America. During these months, many of us invite friends and family into our homes to celebrate with foods that entertain, satisfy, and impress. Great appetizers can help break the ice and jumpstart a party. In The Party Begins with Bacon, bacon masters Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama have selected fifteen fabulous party recipes from Bacon Nation to kick off your next great gathering. Because, honestly, who doesn't love party starters that rely on the tantalizing sweet, salty, meaty, smoky tastes of bacon?

Review provided by Hoopla
From the earliest days of European settlement in the South, as in many rural economies around the globe, cured pork became a main source of sustenance, and the cheaper, lower-on-the-hog cuts--notably, bacon--became some of the most important traditional southern foodstuffs. In this cookbook, Fred Thompson captures a humble ingredient's regional culinary history and outsized contributions to the table. Delicious, of course, straight out of the skillet, bacon is also special in its ability to lend a unique savory smokiness to an enormous range of other foods. Today, for regular eaters and high-flying southern chefs alike, bacon has achieved a culinary profile so popular as to approach baconmania. But Thompson sagely notes that bacon will survive the silliness. Describing the many kinds of bacon that are available, Thompson provides key choices for cooking and seasoning appropriately. The book's fifty-six recipes invariably highlight and maximize that beloved bacon factor, so appreciated throughout the South and beyond (by Thompson's count, fifty different styles of bacon exist worldwide). Dishes range from southern regional to international, from appetizers to main courses, and even to a very southern beverage. Also included are Thompson's do-it-yourself recipes for making bacon from fresh pork belly in five different styles.

Review provided by Hoopla
Everything tastes better with bacon. One of those flavor-packed, umami-rich, secret-weapon ingredients, it has the power to elevate just about any dish, from soups to souffle´s, braises to bread pudding. Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama know just how to employ it. Peter is the author of both Pig Perfect-a paean to the noble swine-and, most recently, Culinary Intelligence, which argues that the healthiest way to eat is to eat less but really well. He and Marie know that adding irresistible bacon transforms an ordinary dish into an extraordinary one. Bacon Nation is a bacon-lover's dream, a collection of 125 smoky, savory, crispy, meaty, salty, and sweetly sensuous recipes that go right through the menu. Starters like Spiced Nuts with Bacon; Bacon and Butternut Squash Galette; Bacon, Pear, and Humboldt Fog Salad. Main courses featuring meats-Brawny Bacon Beef Bourguignon, Saltimbacon; poultry-Paella with Chicken and Bacon; fish-Flaky Cod Fillets with Bacon and Wine-Braised Fennel; and pasta, including an update of the classic Roman dish Bucatini all'Amatriciana. Even dessert: Rum Ice Cream with Candied Bacon Chips and Chocolate-Peanut-Bacon Toffee. Or, as Homer Simpson would say, Mmmm, bacon.

Review provided by Hoopla
Bacon has long been one of the most popular and prominent components of American table fare." Bacon and eggs" just rolls off your tongue long before the waitress at your local diner can get your cup of coffee set before you. The BLT celebrates all that's right with one of the summer's simplest sandwiches. And burgers? Well, why have a cheeseburger when you can have a bacon cheeseburger? Building on those red-white-and-blue foundations, author Jennifer L. S. Pearsall has taken all the savory, smoky-sweet goodness that is bacon and elevated its status. Working this succulent cured meat into dishes ranging from comfort to extraordinary, basic to complex, and across the spectrum of breakfast, lunch, appetizers, dinners, and desserts - yes, desserts! - Pearsall has taken the uses of bacon to new heights. As she puts it, "I can't think of anything bacon doesn't work with." There's just something about it that seems to complement every other food it comes in contact with and across the range of sensations we normally associate with taste - salty, sweet, sour, and bitter.

St. Louis Public Library is offering “drop-in” training sessions where technology staff will be available to provide you with one-on-one assistance accessing the library’s excellent collection of downloadable materials. With a valid library card, you have the option to download eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, movies, comics and even music…all for free. No need for registration – you are welcome any time between the hours listed. We look forward to seeing you at these sessions so we can get you started using these fun and exciting resources!

• January 4 Schlafly 10-Noon
• January 10 Cabanne 4:30-6:30 p.m.
• January 16 Baden 2-4 p.m.
• January 24 Carondelet 2-4 p.m.

Can't get a ticket to a sold out show or you went to the show and can't get the song out of your head?! Here are some bands and performers that are playing around the St. Louis area during the month of September, whose albums you can download for FREE with your St. Louis Public Library card. Downloads are available through both the Library's Hoopla and Freegal music services. Enjoy the tunes, and we hope to see you out at a show!

1/12 - Brian Regan - Peabody Opera House - St. Louis, MO

1/19 Jim Norton - The Pageant- St. Louis, MO

1/21 – Margo Price - The Ready Room – St. Louis, MO

1/29 - 2Cellos - The Fabulos Fox Theatre - St. Louis, MO

When a book is made into a major motion picture, it is said to read the book first. Download these titles from our digital collections that are coming to a theater near you.

Review provided by OverDrive
Book three in the blockbuster Maze Runner series that spawned a movie franchise and ushered in a worldwide phenomenon! And don't miss The Fever Code, the highly-anticipated series conclusion that finally reveals the story of how the maze was built! It's the end of the line. WICKED has taken everything from Thomas: his life, his memories, and now his only friends—the Gladers. But it's finally over. The trials are complete, after one final test. Will anyone survive? What WICKED doesn't know is that Thomas remembers far more than they think. And it's enough to prove that he can't believe a word of what they say. The truth will be terrifying. Thomas beat the Maze. He survived the Scorch. He'll risk anything to save his friends. But the truth might be what ends it all. The time for lies is over. The Maze Runner and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials are now major motion pictures featuring the star of MTV's Teen Wolf, Dylan O'Brien; Kaya Scodelario; Aml Ameen; Will Poulter; and Thomas Brodie-Sangster. The third movie, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, will hit screens in 2018.

Review provided by OverDrive
MORE THAN 100 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY IS SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE When unworldly student Anastasia Steele first encountered the driven and dazzling young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both of their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and, ultimately, repelled by Christian's singular erotic tastes, Ana demands a deeper commitment. Determined to keep her, Christian agrees. Now, Ana and Christian have it all--love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian's opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own identity. And Christian must overcome his compulsion to control as he wrestles with the demons of a tormented past.

Review provided by OverDrive
Madeleine L'Engle's ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic, soon to be a major motion picture. It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger. "Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract." A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book. A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem.

Review provided by Hoopla
One night a stranger wrapped in bandages and eccentric clothing arrives in an English village. That stranger, Griffin, is a brilliant and obsessed scientist who has discovered how to turn his entire body invisible. Although he initially feels joy at his newfound freedom and abilities, that joy quickly turns to despair when he struggles to discover a way to reverse the process. As Griffin gradually loses his sanity, his initial, almost-comedic adventures as an invisible man become overshadowed by a streak of more terrifying acts...First published in 1897, The Invisible Man ranks as one of the most famous scientific fantasies ever written. Part of a series of pseudoscientific romances written by Wells early in his career, the novel helped establish the British author as one of the first and best writers of science fiction, and it continues to enthrall science-fiction fans today as much as it did its first readers nearly one hundred years ago.

Have you ever wondered why you had that weird dream last night or how you can remember them? These digital titles can give you answers to all your dreams.

Review provided by Hoopla
"Are you one of those people who claim that they rarely or even never dream?" Dreams: Mirrors of Your Soul begins with this intriguing question and challenges this erroneous thought throughout the entirety of the book. The truth is that you dream almost every night, and this book will show you how to awaken the part of the brain that comes alive when the body is sleeping. According to author Marie Friend, "your dreaming brain is often working harder than you do during your eight hour work day."Dreams shows not only how you can remember your dreams, but will also teach you the language of the Dream-World, so that you can become fluent in interpreting the messages you are presented with nightly.

Review provided by OverDrive
What does it mean to dream of tunnels, rainbows, alarm bells, travelling, swimming or embarrassment? Here are 10,000 answers! Nobody knows for sure how to value dream interpretation in a modern world. It is a very individual process. However, the dreaming mind is a kaleidoscope of different images, which are thought to reveal important signals from your sub-conscious. In this mammoth book you will find no less than 10,000 of these dream images. They have been passed down by generations of dreamers and represent a fascinating study of both folk lore and the history of popular psychology.

Review provided by Hoopla
Lucid Dreaming is an exciting new book that explores the 'Why? How? Wow!' of waking up to life by becoming conscious in your dreams. This book contains:• A host of tips and techniques for becoming lucid in your dreams• Holistic and spiritual benefits of living a more awakened life amazing, real-life case studies• Contributions from the world's leading lucid dreaming experts learning modules designed to help you wake up to your full potential!Hay House Basics is a new series that features world-class experts sharing their knowledge on the topics that matter most for improving your life. If you want to learn a new skill that will enhance your wellbeing, Hay House Basics guarantees practical, targeted wisdom that will give you results!

Review provided by OverDrive
The first sleep book by a leading scientific expert—Professor Matthew Walker, Director of UC Berkeley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab—reveals his groundbreaking exploration of sleep, explaining how we can harness its transformative power to change our lives for the better. Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we don't sleep. Compared to the other basic drives in life—eating, drinking, and reproducing—the purpose of sleep remained elusive.