Adult Services Newsletter
Vol. 22 4/1/2024
Adventure Begins At Your Library
Have you joined us for our summer reading program "Adventure Begins At Your Library"! Experience all the thrills available through books, movies, audiobooks, games, and programs here at your Danville-Center Township Public Library. Summer reading isn't just for the kids. Earn prizes, have fun, expand your horizons. Register today at https://www.dplindiana.org/summer-reading!
Beth, Melody, Jonathon, and Olivia
Adult Services & Indiana Room Staff
Last House by Jessica Shattuck
Goodreads rating: 3.77
"An ambitious historical epic that doubles as an intimate family saga. Jessica Shattuck captures and connects it all—the imperial ambitions of the postwar generation, the rebellion of their offspring in the Sixties, and the fallout we’re still sifting through today. . . . This is a wide-ranging novel to savor.” — TOM PERROTTA
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Women in the Castle comes a sweeping story of a nation on the rise, and one family’s deeply complicated relationship to the resource that built their fortune and fueled their greatest tragedy, perfect for fans of The Dutch House and Great Circle.
It’s 1953, and for Nick Taylor, WWII veteran turned company lawyer, oil is the key to the future. He takes the train into the city for work and returns to the peaceful streets of the suburbs and to his wife, Bet, former codebreaker now housewife, and their two children, Katherine and Harry. Nick comes from humble origins but thanks to his work for American Oil, he can provide every comfort for his family, including Last House, a secluded country escape. Deep in the Vermont mountains, the Taylors are free from the stresses of modern life. Bet doesn’t have to worry about the Russian H-bombs that haunt her dreams, and the children roam free in the woods. Last House is a place that could survive the end of the world.
It’s 1968, and America is on the brink of change. Protestors fill the streets to challenge everything from the Vietnam War to racism in the wake of MLK’s shooting—to the country's reliance on Big Oil. As Katherine makes her first forays into adult life, she’s caught up in the current of the time and struggles to reconcile her ideals with the stable and privileged childhood her Greatest Generation parents worked so hard to provide. But when the Movement shifts in a more radical direction, each member of the Taylor family will be forced to reckon with the consequences of the choices they’ve made for the causes they believed in.
Spanning multiple generations and nearly eighty years, Last House tells the story of one American family during an age of grand ideals and even greater downfalls. Set against the backdrop of our nation’s history, this is an emotional tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance and what we owe each other—and captures to stunning effect the gravity of time, the double edge of progress, and the hubris of empire.
A Lonesome Place for Dying by Nolan Chase
Goodreads rating: 4.01
Blaine, Washington is a seaside town where on an average day, the most serious police work involves dealing with stray coyotes or ticketing speeders along the I-5. Ethan Brand is reporting for his first day on the job as Blaine, Washington’s newest Chief of Police. Before Ethan can start his first shift, he finds a threat on his porch, along with a gruesome souvenir, a bloody heart.
There are plenty of people who are upset about Ethan stepping into the shoes of the last Chief, but when a body shows up on the railroad tracks, he’s got to focus on the task at hand. With a population of only five thousand, Blaine sees eight million vehicles pass through its Peace Arch crossing every year. It’s the perfect site for drug smuggling, human trafficking, larceny, and murder.
Ethan begins to realize that the sleepy town has a lot more secrets than he originally thought. With no one to trust, his job already on the line, and the threats getting bolder and more reckless, Ethan Brand must find the killers and bring them to justice.
Between Two Trail;ers by J. Dana Trent
Goodreads rating: 3.79
An unforgettable memoir about a girl who escapes her childhood as a preschool drug dealer to earn a divinity degree from Duke University—and then realizes she must confront her past to truly find her way home
“Home, it turns out, is where the war is. It’s also where the healing begins.”
Born to drug-dealing parents in rural Indiana, Dana Trent is a preschooler the first time she uses a razor blade to cut up weed and fill dime bags for her schizophrenic father, King. While King struggles with his unmedicated psychosis, Dana’s mother, the Lady, a cold and self-absorbed woman whose personality disorders rule the home, guards large bricks of drugs from the safety of their squalid trailer, where she watches TV evangelist Tammy Faye on repeat. Growing up, Dana tries to be the daughter each of her parents wanted: a drug lord’s heir and a debutante minister. But when the Lady impulsively plucks Dana from the Midwest and moves the two of them south, their fresh start results in homelessness and bankruptcy. In North Carolina, Dana becomes torn between her gritty midwestern past and her desire to be a polite southern girl, hiding her homelife of drugs and parents whose severe mental illnesses have left them debilitated.
Dana imagines that her hidden Indiana life is finally behind her after she graduates from Duke University and becomes a professor and an ambivalent female Southern Baptist minister. But Dana was a child of the drug trade. Though she escapes flyover country, she realizes that she will never be able to escape her father’s legacy, and that her childhood secrets have kept her from making peace with the people and places that shaped her. Ultimately, Dana finds that no one can really “make it” until they return to where their story home.
Hawaiian Steak Fajitas with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
Prepeeled pineapple, presliced peppers and onions and fresh pico de gallo help this quick, healthy dinner recipe come together in a flash. Chicken tenders are a good substitute for the steak if you prefer. Blend up some margaritas and call it a party.
Updated on April 18, 2024
Tested by EatingWell Test Kitchen
Reviewed by Dietitian Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrition Profile:
Diabetes-Friendly Nut-Free Dairy-Free Healthy Aging Healthy Immunity Low-Sodium Low Added Sugar Soy-Free Heart-Healthy High-Protein Egg-Free Gluten-Free Low-Calorie
Ingredients
1 pound strip steak, trimmed
4 cups presliced fresh pepper-and- onion mix (about 12 ounces)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2 ounces prepeeled fresh pineapple (3/4 inch thick; about 4 ounces)
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce
¼ cup pico de gallo or other fresh tomato salsa
8 corn tortillas, warmed
Directions
Place a grill basket on one half of grill; preheat the grill to high.
Cut steak crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Toss in a medium bowl with peppers and onions, oil, salt and pepper.
Place the steak and vegetables in the grill basket; grill, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are soft and charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Oil the other side of the grill rack; place pineapple on the rack and grill, turning once, until slightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer the steak and vegetables to a large bowl and toss with teriyaki sauce. Dice the pineapple and combine in a small bowl with pico de gallo (or salsa).
Serve the steak and vegetables on tortillas with the salsa.
Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2016
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2 tortillas, 1 cup fajita mix & 3 Tbsp. pineapple salsa
calories 378 total fat 14g saturated fat 3g cholesterol 61mg sodium 532mg
total carbohydrate 37g dietary fiber 5g total sugars 10g added sugars 2g protein 27g
vitamin c 77mg calcium 77mg iron 3mg potassium 612mg
Friends of the Library
All of our events are made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Library. The Friends of the Library was founded to support the Danville Public Library in various ways. They sponsor all library programs as well as help buy the supplies/equipment needed for programs through membership dues and fundraising activities. We are always looking for more members! If you are interested in becoming a member of the Friends of the Library, please visit our website here for more information. You may also click here to download a printable brochure and membership form.
