Helen Plum Library

"Thirty-something veterinarian Ally Winter has found a new "leash" on life since she moved back to her hometown of Willow Bluff, Wisconsin. But when she takes Domino, the black standard poodle she's boarding for the weekend, for a sunny September stroll along the shore of Lake Michigan, the diminutive dog dashes off, only to return with a single, polka-dotted, high-heeled shoe. Retracing Domino's paw prints back to a weeping willow tree, they find...

"Human beings are full of contradictions." Twenty-five-year-old Takako takes up residence for a few months in her uncle Satoru's second-hand bookshop in Jimbicho, Tokyo in the wake of her breakup with her cad of a boyfriend/ coworker and her subsequent resignation. Depressed and unemployed, Takako is glad for the room above the Morisaki Bookshop to hide from the rest of the world even though she doesn't quite enjoy reading. Surrounded by towering...

In 1977, twenty-seven-year-old Robyn Davidson set off with a dog and four camels to cross 1,700 miles of Australian desert to the sea. A life of almost constant traveling followed. From the deserts of Australia, to Sydney's underworld; from Sixties street life, to the London literary scene; from migrating with nomads in Tibet, to 'marrying' an Indian prince, Davidson's quest was motivated by an unquenchable curiosity about other ways of seeing and...

Known for her carefully crafted sewing patterns that stitch up into dressy-casual garments, Rae Hoekstra of the Made By Rae pattern line brings us a gorgeous sewing class based on her Isla pattern. This playful design for knit fabrics works just as easily as a top as it does a mid-length dress, and both variations feature simply shaped cap sleeves. Rae shares special techniques that make working with knits a breeze, such as using knit clips and shirring...

Overview: T'ai Chi - a martial art used for health, meditation, and self-defense - and QiGong - a large variety of physical and mental training methods based on Chinese philosophy - are widely recognized to heal physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. T'ai Chi has demonstrated its health benefits by being linked with everything from slowing the aging process and increasing balance and flexibility to lowering stress levels and enhancing...