Each month, we host Facebook Friday Recommendations online. You can get personalized recommendations — all you need to do is find our Facebook Friday post and comment with two or three books or authors you like, and we’ll help you find your next great read! Here are the recommendations from April 2017.
Request: I’ll go first! The last three books I read that I LOVED were “Americanah” by Chimamanda Adichie, “The Mothers” by Brit Bennett and “Commonwealth” by Ann Patchett. I really like fiction that tells a complex story. I love to learn something new even when I read fiction. I’m trying to read lot of immigrant and refugee books right now. I just finished “Exit West” and loved the premise but the style wasn’t my favorite. Any good recommendations for me?
Recommendation: For books that focus on the immigrant experience, you might try “The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears” by Dinaw Mengestu, or the illustrated memoir “The Best We Could Do” by Thi Bui. And, since dynamic, multi-layered stories are your jam, be sure to check out “Swing Time” by Zadie Smith, “Another Brooklyn” by Jacqueline Woodson and “The Nix” by Nathan Hill. Continue reading “Facebook Friday Archives- April 7, 2017”
Here’s a look at some of the most exciting books being published by first-time authors in April.
“The Witchfinder’s Sister
” by Beth Underdown
50 years before the Salem Witch Trials, there was “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins, responsible for the deaths of over 300 women who were hanged as witches. This is his sister’s story.
1645: when Alice Hopkins returns to the small town of Essex, England where she grew up, she discovers a town cowering in fear. Her brother, Matthew Hopkins, has made it his mission to hunt down and hang suspected witches. Horrified by the man her beloved brother has become, Alice digs deep into the dark secrets of her family’s past, searching for answers and a way to prevent her brother from killing more innocent women.
Continue reading “Debut Author Spotlight: April”
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” – Carl Sagan
Let me take this opportunity to express appreciation for science writers who open the universe of incredible discoveries to the rest of us. For those of us who are fascinated by scientific discoveries, but have neither the training nor desire to get information from academic journals, popular science books fill a need. Several outstanding titles have been published in the last year. Here are a few:
“Mask of the Sun: The Science, History and Forgotten Lore of Eclipses” is a timely work for Mid-Missourians who reside in this year’s total solar eclipse zone. The book opens, in fact, with a page showing the coverage of upcoming August 21 eclipse. Author John Dvorak provides explanations of the science aspects of eclipses and delves into the human history and beliefs surrounding these celestial events. This includes some significant changes in religious doctrine over the years. Continue reading “Popular Science Reads”
This quote by Jorge Luis Borges is rather perfect for this week: National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association, and it is April 9-15 this year. The theme is “Libraries Transform.” Libraries have gone through their own transformation in the digital age — it’s 
not just books anymore. Libraries provide everything from internet access and computer classes to film screenings and classes on cooking and exercise.
Just seeing a library is enough to inspire me, whether it is one of the creative Little Free Libraries or the Library of Congress. Libraries have always been magical places that make me want to be better and know more, and I feel so lucky to be a part of one. But you are a part of one, too, even if you didn’t know it! This library belongs to all of us! Continue reading ““I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.””
Not so many years ago, before the internet became ubiquitous, people often found passing amusement in something commonly known as “coffee table” books. These picture books for adults featured the best and rarest photographic images from all over the world, so eye-catching and interesting, they were like miniature museums. Coffee table books may not be as common today, but they can still be found at the library, often featured in the new books area on the first floor. I recently took a look at some of these dazzling volumes.
“Jungle: A Photicular Book” by Dan Kainen and Kathy Wollard is the latest in a series of nature books featuring photicular, a holograph-like technology created by artist and designer Kainen. As you turn the pages of “Jungle,” a leaf frog winks its huge eyes at you, a Bengal tiger runs straight at you through the marsh and a tarantula skitters over the forest floor. In a world overloaded with video images, it’s a delight to sit with a book that seems to come alive in your hands.
Continue reading “Literary Links: Picture This”
Last month, our book club read “The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio,” a memoir about a struggling family in the 1950s and a mother who enters contests to augment the family’s income. Our conversation about the book morphed into a discussion of what those times were like. It was a time when “housewives” were courted to submit jingles for popular products, when radio broadcasts and newspapers were still the main source of information about the world and traveling salesmen were regular visitors to households around America. Salesmen went door to door selling everything from “Fuller Brushes” to encyclopedias.
I didn’t anticipate how animated the discussion would become around our memories of using encyclopedias — for doing homework, looking at the sometimes exotic pictures and just the sense of pride over a family owning their own set. Encyclopedia sets were displayed proudly, and usually in a prominent place, in the home. I can remember how fascinating it was to turn each page and see information and beautiful pictures on a variety of subjects. It probably wasn’t that dissimilar to the feeling one has when accessing the internet for the first time and realizing you could instantly receive information on almost anything with the touch of your fingertips. Yet, the information on the internet can come from a variety of sources, some trusted, some not so much. Continue reading “Knowledge at Your Fingertips: Encyclopedias Offered at Your Library”
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“Planet Earth II”
TV miniseries
Website / Reviews
This 2016 follow-up to the 2006 documentary mini-series “Planet Earth” examines the natural features and wildlife found in various parts of the world. Each of the six episodes correspond to a different category of natural or man-made terrain (e.g., islands, mountains, jungles, desserts, grasslands, cities, etc.).
“Best of Enemies”
Website / Reviews / Trailer
Presented at the True/False Film Fest in 2015, this film highlights the 1968 debates between William F. Buckley Jr. and Gore Vidal. Armed with deep-seated distrust and enmity, Vidal and Buckley believed each other’s political ideologies were dangerous for America. Live and unscripted, they kept viewers riveted. Ratings for ABC News skyrocketed, and a new era in public discourse was born. Continue reading “New DVD List: Planet Earth II, Best of Enemies & More”
Here is a quick look at the most noteworthy nonfiction titles being released in April. Visit our catalog for a more extensive list.
TOP PICKS
“Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann
An account of the shocking 1920s conspiracy in which oil-rich members of the Osage Indian nation were murdered for their lands, the sinister efforts to cover it up and the undercover investigation by the nascent FBI that finally began to bring those responsible to justice.
“Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy” by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
Drawing on lessons from new social science research and true stories of people who have bounced back after life altering setbacks, the two best-selling authors present strategies for recovering from personal and professional hardships.
Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: April 2017”
Having lived in college towns for much of my adult life, I have come to recognize a feeling of anticipation during the spring semester. It seems to be connected to the reality of students graduating and moving on to the next phase of their lives. For some it is graduate school, for others perhaps travel, but for many (and to the relief of their parents) they are beginning to work on obtaining employment. There are newly retired individuals looking for part-time jobs to augment their income and stay involved in the community. Spring also seems to be a time to job hunt for a better salary or to increase job satisfaction. Continue reading “Job Searching Tips for Everyone”
