HCPL Happenings: November 2010

Saturday, November 27, 2010

New Books we ordered Nov. 24, 2010

Below is a list of the books recently ordered by the library. They are grouped by Adult and Children. Click on the title to see more and request a copy!

Books for Adults (Fiction and Nonfiction)
We have met the enemy : self-control in an age of excess by Akst, Daniel
Family storms by Andrews, V. C. (Virginia C.)
Fullmetal alchemist #19 by Arakawa, Hiromu
Fullmetal alchemist #20 by Arakawa, Hiromu
Fullmetal alchemist #21 by Arakawa, Hiromu
Fullmetal alchemist #22 by Arakawa, Hiromu
Fullmetal alchemist #23 by Arakawa, Hiromu
Fullmetal alchemist #24 by Arakawa, Hiromu
The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation : stories of my family's journey to freedom by Baker, John F., Jr.
Slaves in the family by Ball, Edward
A nation in crisis : the meltdown of money, government, and religion by Bates, Larry
Cryptum by Bear, Greg
Secret soldier (LT) by Berenson, Alex
Lydia's charm (LT) by Brunstetter, Wanda
The Cole Protocol by Buckell, Tobias
Wild Man Creek (LT) by Carr, Robyn
Promise Canyon (LT) by Carr, Robyn
The Gipper : George Gipp, Knute Rockne, and the dramatic rise of Notre Dame football by Cavanaugh, Jack
Talk show : confrontations, pointed commentary, and off-screen secrets by Cavett, Dick
Music of the distant stars by Clare, Alys
Chasing the sun : the epic story of the star that gives us life by Cohen, Richard
Sentry (LT) by Crais, Robert
The lost saint by Despain, Bree
Avatar : the last airbender by DiMartino, Michael Dante
Caveat emptor : a novel of the Roman Empire by Downie, Ruth
Lake of dreams (LT) by Edwards, Kim
Thanks! : how practicing gratitude can make you happier by Emmons, Robert
Smokin' seventeen (LT) by Evanovich, Janet
Troublemaker : a Barnaby and Hooker Graphic Novel : Book 2 by Evanovich, Janet
A stranger in Mayfair by Finch, Charles
Z by Ford, Michael
Bite me! by Francis, Melissa
Alexander the Great by Freeman, Philip
Andrew Johnson by Gordon-Reed, Annette
The Janus stone by Griffiths, Elly
One night in Scotland by Hawkins, Karen
Gaia's garden : a guide to home-scale permaculture by Hemenway, Toby
Lords of passion by Henley, Virginia
Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, and the politics of hope by Henry, Richard
Judas gate (LT) by Higgins, Jack
Silver girl (LT) by Hilderbrand, Elin
World's greatest sleuth! : a Holmes on the range mystery by Hockensmith, Steve.
Fatal error (LT) by Jance, Judith
Wicked nights with a lover by Jordan, Sophie
Digging up the dead : a history of notable American reburials by Kammen, Michael
Monsoon : the Indian Ocean and the future of American power by Kaplan, Robert
Kardashian konfidential by Kardashian, Kourtney
Mass effect : revelation by Karpyshyn, Drew
Kingdom under glass : a tale of obsession, adventure, and one man's quest to preserve the world's great animals by Kirk, Jay
Hero : the life and legend of Lawrence of Arabia by Korda, Michael
When Harry met Molly by Kramer, Kieran
The power of an open question : the Buddha's path to freedom by Mattis-Namgyel, Elizabeth
Devoured by Meredith, D. E.
How to wed a baron by Michaels, Kasey
More than words (LT) by Miller, Judith
Colonel Roosevelt by Morris, Edmund
Final crisis by Morrison, Grant
Hard bitten : a Chicagoland vampires novel by Neill, Chloe
30-minute yoga : for better balance and strength in your life by Nygren, Viveka
Ghosts of Onyx by Nylund, Eric
The adventures of unemployed man by Origen, Erich
Foreign bodies by Ozick, Cynthia
The Masuda affair by Parker, I. J.
The Attenbury emeralds : a new Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane mystery by Paton Walsh, Jill
Bird cloud : a memoir by Proulx, Annie
My father at 100 by Reagan, Ron
Portrait of Camelot : a thousand days in the Kennedy White House by Reeves, Richard
Oreo by Ross, Fran
Heartstone : a Matthew Shardlake Tudor mystery by Sansom, C. J.
In every heartbeat (LT) by Sawyer, Kim
Simple times by Sedaris, Amy
Ocean of Blood by Shan, Darren
The eyes of Kid Midas by Shusterman, Neal
Speeding bullet by Shusterman, Neal
Prey in Patmos : an Inspector Kaldis mystery by Siger, Jeffrey
Sword and song by Southey, Roz
Contact Harvest by Staten, Joseph
Naomi by Tanizaki, Junʼichirō
Somewhere along the way by Thomas, Jodi
Strife by Tiernan, Cate
Seeker by Tiernan, Cate
The calling by Tiernan, Cate
Changeling by Tiernan, Cate
Growing a farmer : how I learned to live off the land by Timmermeister, Kurt
A lonely death by Todd, Charles
The weight by Vachss, Andrew
The fashion hound murders / Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper by Viets, Elaine
An uplifting murder by Viets, Elaine
Assassination vacation by Vowell, Sarah
Strategic moves (LT) by Woods, Stuart

Books for Children (Fiction and Nonfiction)
The princess and the kiss : the three gifts of Christmas by Bishop, Jennie
Going to the dentist by Civardi, Anne
The Library Gingerbread Man by Enderle, Dotti
One hand, two hands by Lucado, Max
If you love a magical tale : Aladdin and the Wizard of Oz by Pirotta, Saviour
The spirit of Christmas by Tillman, Nancy
Wherever you are : my love will find you by Tillman, Nancy
Children of God storybook Bible by Tutu, Desmond

DVDs, Books on CD, & Music we ordered Nov. 24, 2010

Below is a list of the DVDs, Books on CD, and Music recently ordered by the library. Click on the titles to see more and request a copy!

DVDs
Black knight
Blue Hill Avenue
The devil's rejects
Ernest goes to jail
Madea's big happy family: the play
Rust
The kids are all right
Sherlock: Season One
Vampires suck
Visions of Israel
Mirrors 2
Secretariat
Wall Street: Money never sleeps
The happiest toddler on the block
Megafault
Meteor
Meet the colors
Meet the numbers
Meet the shapes
Meet the sight words 1
Meet the sight words 2
Meet the sight words 3
Princess of Mars
16 wishes
Supernova

Books on CD
Talk show by Cavett, Dick
Live wire by Coben, Harlan
The kingdom by Cussler, Clive
Keep a little secret by Garlock, Dorothy
Silver girl by Hilderbrand, Elin
Home free by Michaels, Fern
Briar's book by Pierce, Tamora
Daja's book by Pierce, Tamora
Sandry's Book by Pierce, Tamora
Tris's Book by Pierce, Tamora
My father at 100 by Reagan, Ron
Possession in death by Robb, J. D.
Buried prey by Sandford, John
Bel-air dead by Woods, Stuart

Music CDs
Scorpions: Bad for good
Black Eyed Peas: The beginning
Glee: The Music, Volume 4

Saturday, November 20, 2010

New Books we ordered Nov. 17, 2010

Below is a list of the books recently ordered by the library. They are grouped by Adult and Children. Click on the title to see more and request a copy!

Books for Adults (Fiction and Nonfiction)
A prairie Christmas collection : 9 historical Christmas romances from America's Great Plains
The Granta book of the Irish short story
The parents' guide to psychological first aid : helping children and adolescents cope with predictable life crises
Tablet & pen : literary landscapes from the modern Middle East : a Words without borders anthology
Getting started
Spell bound by Armstrong, Kelley
Counterfeit magic by Armstrong, Kelley
A voice from old New York : a memoir of my youth by Auchincloss, Louis
Precious Lord, take my hand : meditations for caregivers by Beach, Shelly
The rise and fall of the Bible : the unexpected history of an accidental book by Beal, Timothy
The knitter's year : 52 make-in-a-week projects-quick gifts and seasonal knits by Bliss, Debbie
The demon's covenant by Brennan, Sarah
Wolfsbane by Briggs, Patricia
Winter shadows : a novel by Buffie, Margaret
The elephant to Hollywood by Caine, Michael
A time to love by Cameron, Barbara
Pathfinder by Card, Orson Scott
The war for late night : when Leno went early and television went crazy by Carter, Bill
Compass rose : a novel by Casey, John
Kisses from hell by Cast, Kristin
A simple Amish Christmas by Chapman, Vannetta
Recipes from the root cellar : 250 fresh ways to enjoy winter vegetables by Chesman, Andrea
Nancy Clark's food guide for new runners : getting it right the first time. by Clark, Nancy
Love brought me back : a journey of loss and gain by Cole, Natalie
Chances by Collins, Jackie
The watchman's rattle : thinking our way out of extinction by Costa, Rebecca
The trials of Zion : a novel by Dershowitz, Alan
Return to Paradise by Elkeles, Simone
I remember nothing (LT) by Ephron, Nora
Amish peace : simple wisdom for a complicated world by Fisher, Suzanne
Amish proverbs : words of wisdom from the simple life by Fisher, Suzanne
World royal families by Forty, Sandra
Bone magic by Galenorn, Yasmine
Blood Wyne by Galenorn, Yasmine
Changeling by Galenorn, Yasmine
Darkling by Galenorn, Yasmine
Dragon wytch by Galenorn, Yasmine
Harvest hunting by Galenorn, Yasmine
Witchling by Galenorn, Yasmine
Beautiful darkness by Garcia, Kami
Churchill Downs : America's most historic racetrack by Gatto, Kimberly
My sweet Mexico : recipes for authentic pastries, breads, candies, beverages, and frozen treats by Gerson, Fany
A tale dark & Grimm by Gidwitz, Adam
American Veda : from Emerson and the Beatles to yoga and meditation--how Indian spirituality changed the West by Goldberg, Philip
Lord of misrule : a novel by Gordon, Jaimy
Detox for weight loss & health : over 50 healthy and delicious recipes to cleanse your system by Graimes, Nicola
The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Green, Risa
The moral landscape : how science can determine human values by Harris, Sam
Pleasures of a notorious gentleman by Heath, Lorraine
Final exit : the practicalities of self-deliverance and assisted suicide for the dying by Humphry, Derek
Detox for the rest of us : safe and easy plans to cleanse your body, boost your metabolism, lose weight, and feel great by Jacobs, Carole
World and town : a novel by Jen, Gish
Between friends by Kiernan, Kristy
Christmas with Tucker (LT) by Kincaid, Gregory
Please ignore Vera Dietz by King, A. S.
Love drugged by Klise, James
The rich part of life by Kokoris, Jim
Random family : love, drugs, trouble, and coming of age in the Bronx by LeBlanc, Adrian Nicole
Semi-homemade : the complete cookbook by Lee, Sandra
Official Lamaze guide : giving birth with confidence by Lothian, Judith
The beginning runner's handbook : the proven 13-week walk/run program by MacNeill, Ian
Trader of secrets : a Paul Madriani novel by Martini, Steve
Trader of secrets (LT) by Martini, Steve
Hold me closer, necromancer by McBride, Lish
All the devils are here : the hidden history of the financial crisis by McLean, Bethany
Bloodthirsty by Meaney, Flynn
Oldman's brave new world of wine : pleasure, value, and adventure beyond wine's usual suspects by Oldman, Mark
Will of steel by Palmer, Diana
My name is Red by Pamuk, Orhan
Living jewels : masterpieces from nature : coral, pearls, horn, shell, wood & other exotica by Peltason, Ruth
May days by Pickering, Samuel
Katherine the queen : the remarkable life of Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII by Porter, Linda
Deadly spin : an insurance company insider speaks out on how corporate PR is killing health care and deceiving Americans by Potter, Wendell
The killing of Crazy Horse by Powers, Thomas
To fetch a thief (LT) by Quinn, Spencer
Half empty by Rakoff, David
The things a brother knows by Reinhardt, Dana
The little prince by Sfar, Joann
The secret's in the sauce : a novel by Shepherd, Linda
A taste of fame : a novel by Shepherd, Linda
The Potluck Club cookbook : easy recipes to enjoy with family and friends by Shepherd, Linda
Bake until golden : a novel by Shepherd, Linda
The Marbury lens by Smith, Andrew
Now you die by St. Claire, Roxanne
City on our knees : two worlds collide in a beautiful display by Tobymac
Blood of a werewolf by Tolles, T. Lynne
Overdiagnosed : making people sick in the pursuit of health by Welch, H. Gilbert
Written in blood by Wilson, John
The curse of the Wendigo by Yancey, Richard

Books for Children (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Miss Brooks loves books (and I don't) by Bottner, Barbara
The Usborne complete book of the human body / Internet Linked by Claybourne, Anna
Eight days : a story of Haiti by Danticat, Edwidge
Fire world by D'Lacey, Chris
Sleepy, oh so sleepy by Fleming, Denise
Nini lost and found by Lobel, Anita
Airplane adventure by Meister, Cari
Ruby electric : a novel by Nelson, Theresa
Of thee I sing : a letter to my daughters by Obama, Barack
The power of a praying kid by Omartian, Stormie
A crazy day with cobras by Osborne, Mary Pope
Vespers Rising by Riordan, Rick
It's Christmas, David! by Shannon, David
Frankly, Frannie by Stern, A. J.
President of the whole fifth grade by Winston, Sherri

DVDs, Books on cds, & Music we ordered Nov. 17, 2010

Below is a list of the DVDs, Books on CD, and Music recently ordered by the library. Click on the titles to see more and request a copy!

DVDs
Accidents happen
The adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The bodyguard
The Brothel
Farce of the penguins
Highlander
Highlander: endgame
Highlander: the final dimension
Highlander 2
Hunt to kill
Last of the summer wine: Vintage 1979
Last of the summer wine: Christmas specials 1978-1982
The life aquatic with Steve Zissou
Like water for chocolate
The loss of a teardrop diamond
Not the Messiah
Ong-Bak
Ong bak 2
Santa baby
Santa baby 2: Christmas maybe
Strangers with candy
Trois 2
Uncle Nino
The most wonderful time of the year
Alpha and Omega
Dinner for Schmucks
Nowhere boy
You again

Books on CD
Stonewall Jackson by Davis, Don
A spy at the heart of the Third Reich by Delattre, Lucas
Cultures of war by Dower, John
1864 by Flood, Charles Bracelen
General Lee's army by Glatthaar, Joseph
War beneath the waves by Keith, Don
Cry havoc! by Lankford, Nelson
Easy Company soldier by Malarkey, Don
American Inquisition by Muller, Eric
Mutiny at Fort Jackson by Pierson, Michael
The killing of Crazy Horse by Powers, Thomas
Hellcats by Sasgen, Peter
Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney by Simon, James
World War II by Stromberg, Joseph
From midnight to dawn by Tobin, Jacqueline
General Sherman's Christmas by Weintraub, Stanley
Raising the flag on Iwo Jima by Williams, Roy
The Millionaires' Unit by Wortman, Marc

Music CDs
Altan: 25th anniversary celebration
Johan Sebastian Bach: Flute sonatas
Charles Lloyd Quartet: Mirror
12 preludes & fugues
Soulja Boy: The DeAndre way
Rod Stewart: Fly me to the moon?
Huey Lewis: Soulsville
T. I.: No Mercy
The best of the Laurie Berkner Band
Aaron Nigel Smith: Everyone loves to dance!
Justin Roberts: Jungle gym
Recess Monkey: The final funktier
Putumayo Kids: Reggae playground
Sesame Street: Old School #1
Sesame Street old school #2
We did it!: Dora's greatest hits
Plain White T's: Wonders of the younger
Yo Gabba Gabba!: Music is-- awesome!
Yo Goabba Gabba!: Music-- is awesome #2

Friday, November 19, 2010

Consider These Year-End Tax Maneuvers

Investing tip of the month from Morningstar Investment Research Center, by Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance

For the past few years, my main tax advice during the fourth quarter has been pretty straightforward: Sell your losers and move on.

That's because after the 2008-early 2009 bear market, most investors' portfolios were replete with holdings whose prices were lower than what they had paid for them. By selling those losers out of their taxable portfolios, investors could realize tax losses that they could then use to offset capital gains and, if they had none of those, ordinary income. Doing so is one of a handful of ways to find a silver lining in a tough market environment.

But as we wind down 2010, the calculus for the tax-conscious is far from clear-cut. For one thing, both stocks and bonds have enjoyed robust gains during the past year, improving the odds that you'll be holding securities at a gain, not a loss. In addition, tax laws are set to change in a big way in 2011, and these changes have significant implications for investors. Although it's never a good idea to let tax considerations trump investment considerations--and Congress may still take action to alter the tax changes that are set to go into effect next year--it's still worth bearing taxes in mind if adjusting your portfolio is on your fourth-quarter to-do list.

What's Changing
So what's on tap, with regard to taxes, for 2011? For starters, the current 15% capital gains tax rate will jump to 20%. And things are poised to get even uglier for dividend taxation. Most investors currently enjoy a very low 15% tax rate on dividends, and those in the lowest tax brackets currently pay no dividend taxes at all. But unless Congress takes action, investors will owe ordinary income taxes on their dividends beginning in 2011. In essence, dividend income will be treated exactly as bond income currently is from a tax standpoint. There's widespread speculation that Congress will cap the dividend tax rate at 20% before the onerous new rate goes into effect--thereby once again putting dividends on an equal footing with capital gains from a tax standpoint--but that's not a done deal.

Additionally, income tax rates are also set to head up next year for higher earners. Those who are currently paying taxes at a rate of 33% will owe ordinary income taxes at a 36% rate, while those in the 35% tax bracket will owe taxes at a 39.6% rate come next year.

If those changes do go into effect, investors might question what kinds of strategies will make the most sense. Consider the following, while bearing in mind that a lot can change between now and year-end.

Strategy 1: Take a Close Look at Big Winners
Tax-loss selling has been a no-brainer for investors' taxable accounts for the past few years. But this year, another strategy makes even more sense: selling securities that have gone up a lot since you bought them, particularly if you were considering lightening up on them anyway. Say, for example, you put $10,000 into an emerging-markets fund in 2003, and your position is now worth about $38,000. If you rebalanced back to your original position size in 2010 (that is, you sold $28,000 worth of your holdings), you'd owe taxes of about $4,200. But if you waited until next year, your tax hit would jump to $5,600.

Of course, taxes aren't the only factor to consider in a decision like this. You'll also want to consider the holding's individual investment merits, its role in your portfolio's asset allocation, as well as the potential (however slender) that capital gains taxes won't in fact revert to 20% next year before pulling the trigger on a winning holding. But if you conduct a portfolio review and determine that some rebalancing is in order, better to sell now than wait until next year.

Strategy 2: Rethink Your Tax-Loss Strategy
While you're evaluating your cost basis in various securities in your taxable portfolio, bear in mind that tax losses may be more valuable to you in the years ahead, under a higher-tax regime, than they are right now. Of course, if you're realizing a lot of capital gains this year or triggering a large income-tax bill via an IRA conversion or some other activity, it's probably worth scrounging up any offsetting losses you can find--regardless of tax rates. It's also worth bearing in mind that your tax position in a holding is fluid--what's a loss today may not be tomorrow if the security appreciates. So if you have a losing position you'd like to unload no matter what, you're probably better off getting rid of it sooner rather than later, even if that loss may carry a greater tax advantage next year.

Strategy 3: Pay Conversion Taxes Now Rather Than Later
For those who are concerned about higher taxes--not just next year but in the many years ahead--converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA looks like one of the biggest layups out there. You'll owe taxes on the taxable portion of your balance when you convert, but you won't owe any taxes when you withdraw the money. Moreover, in 2010 the tax code eliminates the income limits for higher-income investors to convert in 2010, and it further sweetens the pot for all investors by allowing them to defer taxes due on 2010 conversions into 2011 and 2012.

Converting can make a lot of sense, but conduct a thorough analysis before taking advantage of the government's offer to push your conversion-related tax burden into 2011 and 2012--especially if you're a higher-income earner who will be in a higher tax bracket in those years. A tax advisor can help you weigh whether taking advantage of today's lower tax rates helps offset the opportunity cost of forking over a large sum of money this year (thereby forgoing any gains you'd earn if you hung onto that money and paid the taxes in 2011 and 2012).

Strategy 4: Start Rethinking Asset Location
As I noted above, the taxation of dividends at ordinary-income tax rates beginning in 2011 is far from a done deal. And until there's more clarity, I'd advise not making radical changes to the dividend component of your portfolio based on prospective tax changes alone. But if you've held dividend-paying stocks and funds in your taxable account because of favorable tax treatment, it's not too soon to think about the implications a dividend-tax increase would have for your asset location--what types of assets you hold in which accounts. Prior to the dividend tax cut in 2003, the classic strategy was to hold non-dividend-paying equities and municipal bonds in taxable accounts while reserving dividend payers and taxable bonds for tax-sheltered accounts. Under a higher dividend-tax regime, that framework would make sense again.

Strategy 5: Revisit Municipal Bonds
Last but not least, impending changes in income-tax rates should prompt higher-income earners to revisit whether municipals aren't a better deal than taxable bonds. The 36% marginal income tax rate will kick in for single folks with income between $192,000 and $375,700; married couples filing jointly with incomes between $232,950 and $375,700 will also be taxed at that rate, according to the Tax Policy Center. Meanwhile, the 39.6% rate will apply to individuals and couples with incomes of more than $375,700. Municipal bonds were probably a good bet for those individuals and couples even before the tax hike, but they'll be an even surer thing under a higher-tax regime. And while I generally prefer national muni funds versus ones that stick with a single state because of the former's diversification benefits, the fact that tax rates in many states are apt to creep up may mean that single-state munis' tax benefits outweigh the forgone diversification benefit.

Morningstar Investment Research Center is great tool for new and veteran investors. It's chock full of unbiased analyst reports, tools for evaluating your portfolio, and lessons on how to invest. The best part is that it's free to all valid library cardholders! Begin now or learn more.