April 19, 2016 • Page 10 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com The Bookworm New At The Library ‘Junk’ Is A Real Treasure “Junk” by Alison Stewart© 2016, Chicago Review Press. 284 pages ——— BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER You know exactly where you put your glasses. Well, kind of. You remember that you put them down in the kitchen, but then you piled mail, a plastic fork, a magazine, and a pair of gloves on them. Your glasses are right where you left them: under other things. And once you read “Junk” by Alison Stewart, you’ll see those things differently. Five decades of stuff. That’s what Alison Stewart and her sister faced when it came time to clear their parents’ home — a mess, the result of “fifty years of life” that filled the entire basement, packed to the ceiling. Why, she wondered, do we hang on to the things we keep? How come we collect some items and toss away others? Why do folks often happily accept other people’s cast-offs? Stewart decided to find out. To begin, she defines junk as “worthlessness.” Stuff is something you don’t want anymore but that someone else might find useful, and treasures “are any stuff or junk that appeals to you.” A third of us collect something, Stewart says, though professionals “make a distinction between collectors and clutterers.” Then there are packrats, while hoarders fall under a newly-created psychiatric category all their own. At “a giant 250-mile-long junk-a-palooza” rummage sale in the South, Stewart promised herself that she wasn’t going to buy anything but, of course, she couldn’t resist. In Austin, Texas, she visited The Cathedral of Junk and spoke with the man who created the “creative, chaotic colossus.” She learned that humans weren’t the only creatures to be inveterate collectors. In several different cities, Stewart rode shotgun with junk collectors, clean-up crews, and haulers, to get a feel for the kind of things people throw out and what’s done with it. She met the World’s First Official Spammer, she learned why we get so much “junk mail,” she asked about space junk, spoke with professional clutter-fighters and “freecyclers,” talked with TV producers about pawn stores and picking, and she learned some good news: if you have just too much stuff, there’s plenty of help available. When it comes to possessions, are you downsizing… or oversized? Whichever direction you’re heading, “Junk” can help you spot the bigger picture. It’s hard not to look around with a critical eye when you see what author Alison Stewart discovered; why you’ve saved tchotchkes from high school, broken tools, plastic silverware, and unfinished projects will never seem so puzzling. And then, turning things around, we get a serious (yet light-hearted) look at other people’s junk, how it’s tossed, and where it goes once it’s gone. In that, Stewart is respectful and doesn’t pick on anyone, but who can resist peeking? Who doesn’t want to see a happy ending to still-useful things? Yes, this is interesting … um, stuff. This is not a self-help book. It won’t tell you how to empty your crammed closets, busting basements, glutted garages, or stuffed sheds. But it’s engaging and plenty fun to read — which makes “Junk” a great book to put in your hands. RBD Board To Hold Public Meeting The Yankton Riverboat Days Board of Directors will hold its annual public meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, at Yesterday’s Café. The public is invited to attend, and directors will address and answer any questions you may have. “WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR A JOB, I PUT THE CLASSIFIEDS TO WORK!” Wilson To Speak At Vermillion Library Our Help Wanted Listings Have Hundreds Of Opportunities For You... VERMILLION — Local author Jerry Wilson will read from his new novel, “Across the Cimarron” at the Edith B. Siegrist Vermillion Public Library at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, as part of the library’s Long Overdue Series. For more information, call (605) 677-7060 or visit vermillionpubliclibrary.org. • Full-Time • Part-Time • Permanent • Temporary Arbor Day Activities In Yankton April 29 The public is invited to the Arbor Day Festivities and the celebration of Yankton’s 32nd year as a Tree City USA. The festivities will be held at Riverside Park, softball area, along the Missouri River, on Friday, April 29, beginning at 10:30 a.m. A tree will be planted as part of the Arbor Day celebration. The event will include participation by Keep Yankton Beautiful and the Yankton Parks Department. If you have questions, contact the Department of Parks and Recreation Office at 668-5231. 319 Walnut • Yankton, SD 605.665.5884 Here’s what’s new at the Yankton Community Library this week: Adult Books • After the Crash by Michel Bussi; Fiction • The Beast by J. R. Ward; Fiction • Blood Orange by Susan Wittig Albert; Fiction • The 8th Circle by Sarah Cain; Fiction • Family Jewels by Stuart Woods; Fiction • The 14th Colony by Steve Berry; Fiction • Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly; Fiction • Mightier Than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer; Fiction • Miller’s Valley by Anna Quindlen; Fiction • Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline; Fiction • Passenger 19 by Ward Larsen; Fiction • The Taxidermist’s Daughter by Kate Mosse; Fiction • Thursday’s Children by Nicci French; Fiction • Time and Time Again by Ben Elton; Fiction • Treachery at Lancaster Gate by Anne Perry; Fiction • Before I Forget by Smith & Gasby; Nonfiction • Classic Whittling by Rick Wiebe; Nonfiction • Dimestore by Lee Smith; Nonficton • DIY Succulents by Tawni Daigle; Nonfiction • The Gluten-Free Slow Cooker by Hope Comerford; Nonfiction • Lust & Wonder by Augusten burroughs; Nonfiction • My Windows 10 Computer for Seniors by Michael Miller; Nonfiction • Proof of Angels by Tompkins & Beddoes; Nonfiction Adult Audio Books • Clawback by J. A. Jance; Fiction • Private Paris by Patterson & Sullivan; Fiction • The Steel Kiss by Jeffery Deaver; Fiction • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson; Fiction Adult DVDs • Concussion • Daddy’s Home • Grease Live • The Hateful Eight • Star Wars: The Force Awakens Young Adult Books • Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit; Fiction • The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman; Fiction • The Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis; Fiction • The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle; Fiction • The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos; Fiction • This Is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang; Fiction • The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith; Fiction Junior Books • Jonny Jakes: The Hamburgers of Doom by Malcolm Judge; Fiction • Waylon! One Awesome Thing by Sara Pennypacker; Fiction • The Wild Robot by Peter Brown; Fiction Easy Books • Bears Make the Best Reading Buddies by Carmen Oliver; Fiction • Have You Seen Elephant? by David Barrow; Fiction ——— Did you know that you can reserve an item from home? Staff will then notify you as soon as the item is available. 7 Participating Businesses Are… Change What You Eat Change How You Feel Prices Good April 19 - May 2 6¢ P N E R OFF G A L LO 1 $ 3 48 4 $ 59 Original or Cheddar 6 Count Packs 00 12 Oz. Original or ginger cola “Made with premium Kola extract, real sugar and sparkling water.” Peony or Lilac “Made with natural ingredients and essential oils.” Skinny Pop Snack Packs Victoria’s Kitchen Almond Waters 1 $ 19 12 Oz. Ginger, Coconut and Original “European inspired drinks that are gluten free, Gmo free, dairy free and Vegan” **** Seen on Shark Tank **** 10% Off Bulk Weekends April 23rd and 24th and then again April 30th and May 1st Personal Nutrition Counseling Come to Hy-Vee for individual nutrition counseling when you need a special diet or your physician recommends you make diet changes. EARN 2 ¢ Kenny Tomek Hy-Vee Dietitian Purse–o–Nalities 1893 Boldly Blended Colas Mrs. Meyers Hand Soap $ Rita’s ON ANY ITEM IN THE GLUTEN FREE AISLE IN THE HEALTH MARKET EARN • Weight Loss • Heart Disease • Diabetes • Gluten-free and other food intolerances • Other Nutrition concerns Charity Schantz Hy-Vee Health Market Manager J&H Cleaning Services YANKTON WORKS Want your REAL-TIME MESSAGE on the most visited media website in the Yankton area? Join our ‘Friends2Follow’ program! Contact your Yankton Media Representative today! EARN 2 ¢ 605-665-7811