The Magazine Shuffle at the Lane Memorial Library

HEY! Where has my favorite magazine gone?

When you come in looking for your favorites, you’ll notice we’ve changed
things around a bit. Instead of a strict alphabetical arrangement, we’ve
put the magazines in groups according to subjects. Confused? Don’t be.
It’s how you look for magazines in your favorite news store. Or Barnes &
Noble. We’re confident that you’ll like this better, because you’ll find
not only your favorites, but maybe you’ll discover some new favorites
that you didn’t know we carried.

Doubt it?

Let’s take a look. Do you like Cooking Light, or Cook’s Illustrated? How
about Chili Pepper? Or Saveur? You may not have heard of these
magazines, let alone realized we have them here for you to check out.
Why limit yourself to just one or two cooking magazines when you can
glance at a bunch all at once? And speaking of cooking magazines, this
is straight from Chili Pepper’s website:

“Welcome to Chile Pepper magazine, the hottest magazine around for those
who love bold, flavorful food. We are your destination for recipes,
travel ideas, news on hot sauces, the scoop on salsas and the zesty
lifestyle. In each issue, you’ll find over 50 full-flavored recipes, as
well as restaurant coverage from chili cook-offs and barbecue to
southwestern and international fine dining.

Chile Pepper has been the spicy food-lover’s publication of choice for
over 20 years. Our readers turn to us for everything from spicing up the
holiday turkey, discovering new cooking gadgets, planning zesty
vacations and learning how to grow chiles in the garden. With special
issues on Latin, Caribbean, Cajun and Creole, Mediterranean and
barbecue, there’s something for everyone—even healthy, low-fat recipes.
You’ll find all that and more in Chile Pepper. As fiery foods from
around the world become more popular, things can only get hotter!”

Now, what adventurous cook can resist that?

So, cooking isn't your thing? No problem. Let’s look at a couple of
other magazines we have that you may not know about. How about a
magazine called The Sun? The library just started subscribing to this
little-known gem. This is what their website has to say:

“If you haven't heard of The Sun, you're not alone. Readers who think
they've discovered a remarkable new publication are often surprised to
find out we've been in existence more than thirty years. Unfortunately,
you're not likely to find The Sun at your regular newsstand. Many
distributors won't carry it because it's not "commercial" enough: we
don't carry advertising, and we regularly print pieces that are too
risky, too personal, too sad, too something. Yet somehow the magazine
finds its way into the right hands; readers who appreciate writing that
doesn't talk down to them or up to them, but meets their level gaze.

The Sun isn't "literary" or "political" or "spiritual" in the usual
sense. It begins where those labels end, which is where life gets
interesting. Each month, in essays, stories, interviews, and poetry,
people write in The Sun of their struggle to understand their lives,
often baring themselves with surprising intimacy. Our writers aren't
afraid to take risks, to look at something ugly -- or beautiful -- and
describe it honestly.”

And how about the Registry Review, found in our business and consumer
section next to New Hampshire Business Review, Forbes, Fortune, and
Money? The Registry Review lists all real estate transactions in New
Hampshire each week.

The new arrangement of magazines will take some getting used to, but you
might be pleasantly surprised at what you’ll discover in “new” titles
that may not be so new. Come to the library and check it out!