Gary Eclebarger's incisive book about the 1864 Battle of Atlanta provides a comprehensive look at one of the Civil War's most decisive-- but less heralded-- battles. Read this book, then check out the movie "Gone with the Wind" to see another rendition of war-time Atlanta. 

The book discusses President Lincoln's multi-faceted dilemma of appointing disastrous generals, thus incurring horrendous numbers of casualties (1,500 per day) yet having few definitive victories to show for it all. This lack of victories put Lincoln's viability as president in question. Atlanta, as the iconic symbol of the South, became the linchpin for his re-election. 

On July 22, 1864, opposing commanders McPherson (Union) and Hood (Confederate) managed an eight-hour blood bath that decimated both sides. One out of every five soldiers involved would not answer roll call the next morning. Chief among the Union's shocking losses was the death of McPherson, while the Confederates lost 60 field officers, something from which the South would not recover. The Union was labeled the victor only because the siege held and Atlanta was taken by federal "survivors". 

Family Skeletons by Bobbie O'Keefe is an almost cozy-type mystery novel set on the northern California coast that includes a missing dad, an old Victorian home and the heroine who has survived two marriages and an addiction problem. 

The heroine's problems are used to develop/explain her personality traits and not long scenes of being high or family fights. The characters are easy to relate to and care about. There is suspense, humor, and romance; but all done with a light hand. "Family Skeletons" makes a good quick read and can be found in mystery section.

-- review by Barb Read, Library Director

Mango Languages is an instructional database that can be used both inside the library and from home. Forty-four languages are available, with twenty-nine offered as Mango Passport, a conversational format especially for travelers.

Mango, which has received several awards for its user friendliness and has been adopted by numerous government agencies and educational institutions both here and abroad, has audio and colorful visual elements to guide users through lessons. Users can move at their own pace, jumping ahead to future lessons if they are ready for them.

Once you create a profile on the database, the service will track your progress as you learn. To try it out, click on the "Learn a Language" link to the left or follow this link. You will need a valid library card number to get started.

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