Beatles Fever

On this day in 1969 the Beatles gave their last live performance on the rooftop of Apple Studios in London. The band played 5 songs (some songs multiple times) for a total of 42 minutes. The police were called, but they couldn't bring themselves to shut the whole thing down. You can read more about the rooftop concert here. You can also view TIME's photo gallery of the event here. Less than a year after the performance, Paul McCartney acknowledged that the band was headed for a breakup.

We've got just the thing if you'd like to read more about the Beatles! Below are a few of the books we have about them. Feel free to drop by and check them out for yourself.

Every Little Thing: The Definitive Guide to Beatles Recording Variations, Rare Mixes and Other Musical Oddities, 1958-1986 by William McCoy and Mitchell McGeary

Paul McCartney: A Life by Peter Ames Carlin

The Beatles Come to America by Martin Goldsmith

Days That I'll Remember: Spending Time with John Lennon and Yoko Ono by Jonathan Cott

National Pie Day

Today is National Pie Day.  This is not to be confused with Pi Day, which is held on March 14^th.  National Pie Day was first recognized by Charlie Papzaian of Boulder, Colorado when he declared his birthday as National Pie Day.  National Pie Day has now been sponsored by the American Pie Council (APC) for almost 30 years and is held annually on January 23^rd. 

In celebration of National Pie Day we have highlighted some great pie books from our collection.

As American as Apple Pie
By Phillip Stephen Schulz

What is more American than apple pie?  Phillip Schulz’s As American as Apple Pie includes some great recipes from across the country and several recipes for homemade apple pie.

 

Never Say Pie: A Pie Shop Mystery
By Carol Culver

Hanna Denton, a pie maker, is suspected of murdering former food critic, Heath Barr.  Hanna must now find the real killer or she will be left to do all her baking behind bars.  Carol Culver also includes yummy recipes for double chocolate cream pie and butterscotch pecan pie.

The Pie and Pastry Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum

Rose Beranbaum’s The Pie and Pastry Bible includes recipes for every pie and pie crust imaginable.  Need a recipe for a flaky cream cheese pie crust?  This book has you covered!

Pie Town
By Lynne Hinton

Pie Town, New Mexico, a real town in New Mexico that you can read about in one of our previous blog post, has two newcomers.  Father George Morris, a new priest, and Trina, a young hitchhiker, will transform this once legendary town giving its citizens a new outlook on life.  Lynne Hinton has not forgotten to include recipes for Francine’s Banana Cream Pie and Pie-O-Near Pecan Oat Pie.

Piggie Pie
By Margie Palatini and illustrated by Howard Fine

Gritch the Witch wakes up with her tummy grumbling and decides to make piggy pie.  All she needs is 1 eye of a fly, 2 shakes of a rattlesnake's rattle, 3 belly hairs of a possum, and 8 plump piggies.  But Gritch doesn’t have 8 plump piggies.  What is a witch to do?  Go to Old MacDonald’s farm of course!

Welcome Back to Pie Town
By Lynne Hinton

Back in Pie Town, New Mexico, life should be sweet.  Trina has finally found a home for her and her daughter.  She has also found love!  Raymond Twinhorse has just come back from serving a tour in Afghanistan; however, Pie Town is a totally different place to Raymond.  When an accident befalls Trina, Raymond is charged with the crime.  The entire community must come together to clear his name.  Several recipes from Welcome Back to Pie Town can be found in the final pages.  

Look for these books and many more at the Mississippi Library Commission.

National Pie Day is Dean Winchester's favorite day!

http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_24976278/national-pie-day-colorado-born-holiday 
http://www.piecouncil.org/pdf/Pie_Fun_Facts.pdf  
http://www.piecouncil.org/

Magnolia Award: Children's Choice for Mississippi

Have you heard about the Magnolia Award? It is the children's choice award for the state of Mississippi. Each February, students across the state vote on their favorite book of the year. The list of nominations for 2015 is here. I've been reading the nominees and let me tell you--I can't wait until the winners are announced at the Fay B.Kaigler Children's Book Festival in April! You can peruse the previous winners below to see what a great job the kids have done choosing:

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Kate DiCamillo, author
2010

Knucklehead
Jon Scieszka, author
2011

43 Cemetery Road:  Dying to Meet You
Kate Klise, author
Sara Klise, illustrator
2012

Hot Rod Hamster
Cynthia Lord, author
Derek Anderson, illustrator
grades K-2, 2013

Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to NOT Reading
Tommy Greenwald, author
grades 3-5, 2013

Countdown
Deborah Wiles, author
grades 6-8, 2013

Big Mean Mike
Michelle Knudsen, author
Scott Magoon, illustrator
grades K-2, 2014

The Book of Blood:
From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins
H. P. Newquist, author
grades 3-5, 2014

Divergent
Veronica Roth, author
grades 6-8, 2014

By the way, you can keep up with news about the Magnolia Award on their Facebook page. Happy reading!

MLC Magazines

The Mississippi Library Commission is a great place to study, read, or do research. It's also a great place to enjoy some of our latest magazine additions while on your lunch break! We now have Oprah, Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker, Better Homes and Gardens, and Newsweek.

In addition to these and other professional library magazines in our collection, we also have Southern Living magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, and several Mississippi-specific publications.

Bring your lunch, grab a magazine, and relax in one of our several comfy chairs or out on the screened-in patio. We hope to see you soon!