Today’s Hallsville bookmobile stop is canceled due to a mechanical issue. All library locations will be closed Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 for Thanksgiving.
Let me introduce a sweet little book titled “The Box that Watch Found,” created by Gertrude Chandler Warner. As the story opens, the Boxcar Children are playing Frisbee. It flies into the woods! While searching they find a treasure box with the note “Official Geocache. Congratulations! You found it!” but having never heard of geocaching they decide to take the box home to investigate. Fortunately, Ned Robertson and his son Andy were looking for that particular box and were able to introduce the Aldens to the activity. The rest of the book is an interaction between the children and other geocachers (plus TWO mysteries) as well as an introduction to how to do this and why you should and what to expect. This book was written in 2007 and everyone used a GPS device, yet much is the same now. In 2023, you can use a GPS device or an app on your smartphone. There are still geocaching groups and clubs and events. I believe the types of caches have expanded into educational caches and more but all-in-all, it’s the same game. Continue reading “Explore Your World With Geocaching”
Posted on Monday, March 13, 2023 by patron reviewer
Dare I call “A Wizard of Earthsea” the original young adult fantasy book? Like many other classics from decades ago, there are story elements that may strike the reader as simplistic or cliched when viewed through the lens of decades of literary progress. However, a careful review will reveal that the elements only appear that way because those decades of progress were built on the foundation of this story; is the origin of a cliché also cliché? A true coming-of-age tale, balanced by an imaginative world and dark enemy, with a surprisingly introspective moral, this is a must-read for any fans of the fantasy genre, no matter the age.
Three words that describe this book: Introspective, Inspiring, Archetypical
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re interested in seeing the basis of so many fantasy tropes that we take for granted.
-Joshua
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
We spend plenty of time learning how to talk. It’s how you get the job; how you win people over; how you lead someone where you want them to go. But what about the other side of communication — the rich, endless, less popular art of listening?
Life often demands that we view conversations as opportunities to impress or unload. But what happens if we approach every conversation as a shared adventure — a chance to go somewhere new, together? Here are some books to get you thinking about your relationships as plants and your conversations as water. Continue reading “March Literary Links: Nurturing Your Relationships”
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“The Fabelmans” Website / Reviews A deeply personal portrait of a 20th century American childhood, this Steven Spielberg drama is a cinematic memory of the forces, and family, that shaped the filmmaker’s life and career. A universal coming-of-age story about an isolated young man’s pursuit of his dreams, the film is an exploration of love, artistic ambition, sacrifice and the moments of discovery that allow us to see the truth with clarity and compassion.Continue reading “New DVD List: The Fabelmans, The Staircase, & More”
“Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” is the theme for Women’s History Month this year, and I don’t think they could have picked a better theme.
At our core, humans are creatures of stories. Long before the written word, we used oral storytelling to convey important information and ideas and most importantly, meaning. Whether you write advertising copy, political speeches, novels or text books, effective communicators know that people learn best through stories. To resonate with people you have to have a compelling narrative. This is why it is vital to have women’s voices in all corners of our society. This includes, but isn’t limited to, books. So let’s start with women authors. Continue reading “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories”
Below I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in March. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and downloadable audiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this month, check our online catalog.
Top Picks
“Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult: A Memoir” by Michelle Dowd (Mar 7)
As a child, Michelle Dowd grew up on a mountain in the Angeles National Forest. She was born into an ultra-religious cult — or the Field as they called it — started in the 1930s by her grandfather, a mercurial, domineering, and charismatic man who convinced generations of young male followers that he would live 500 years and ascend to the heavens when doomsday came. Comfort and care are sins, Michelle is told. As a result, she was forced to learn the skills necessary to battle hunger, thirst, and cold; she learned to trust animals more than humans; and most importantly, she learned how to survive in the natural world. At the Field, a young Michelle lives a life of abuse, poverty, and isolation, as she obeys her family’s rigorous religious and patriarchal rules — which are so extreme that Michelle is convinced her mother would sacrifice her, like Abraham and Isaac, if instructed by God. She often wears the same clothes for months at a time; she is often ill and always hungry for both love and food. She is taught not to trust Outsiders, and especially not Quitters, nor her own body and its warnings. But as Michelle gets older, she realizes she has the strength to break free. Focus on what will sustain, not satiate you, she tells herself. Use everything. Waste nothing. Get to know the intricacies of the land, like the intricacies of your body. And so she does. Using stories of individual edible plants and their uses to anchor each chapter, “Forager” is both a searing coming-of-age story and a meditation on the ways in which understanding nature can lead to freedom, even joy. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: March 2023”
Posted on Monday, March 6, 2023 by patron reviewer
“The Sweeney Sisters” is the story of three sisters navigating the loss of their father, who was a famous author. After his passing, they discover a fourth sister born out of an affair and have to come to terms with how this blemishes their father’s legacy and form a relationship with their new sister. It was a very light-hearted take on a heavy topic. The relationship between the sisters is funny, sweet and complicated, much like real life. It was a quick fun read.
Three words that describe this book: Family, Funny, Sweet
You might want to pick this book up if: Want an entertaining quick read.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Here are just a select few of the many promising debut titles coming out in March 2023. These have all received multiple positive reviews from library journals. If you’re interested in seeing a longer list of titles, please visit our catalog.
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great-aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch hunts of the 17th century.
1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.
1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family’s grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives — and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word “weyward” scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart’s “Weyward“ is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world. Continue reading “Debut Author Spotlight: March 2023”
When the first Kentucky Derby ran in May of 1875, 13 of the 15 jockeys were Black Americans. Oliver Lewis, a 19-year-old Black man rode the winning horse. The horse’s trainer Ansel Williamson had been born into slavery in the mid-19th century. In 1864, Williamson had been purchased by Robert Alexander, owner of Woodburn Stud in Kentucky, where he worked as a trainer for the Woodburn horses. After emancipation, Williamson continued training horses. After his win at the first Kentucky Derby Williamson trained many more stakes winners.
Let me introduce a sweet little book titled “The Box that Watch Found,” created by Gertrude Chandler Warner. As the story opens, the Boxcar Children are playing Frisbee. It flies into the woods! While searching they find a treasure box with the note “Official Geocache. Congratulations! You found it!” but having never heard of geocaching they decide to take the box home to investigate. Fortunately, Ned Robertson and his son Andy were looking for that particular box and were able to introduce the Aldens to the activity. The rest of the book is an interaction between the children and other geocachers (plus TWO mysteries) as well as an introduction to how to do this and why you should and what to expect. This book was written in 2007 and everyone used a GPS device, yet much is the same now. In 2023, you can use a GPS device or an app on your smartphone. There are still geocaching groups and clubs and events. I believe the types of caches have expanded into educational caches and more but all-in-all, it’s the same game. Continue reading “Explore Your World With Geocaching”
When the first Kentucky Derby ran in May of 1875, 13 of the 15 jockeys were Black Americans. Oliver Lewis, a 19-year-old Black man rode the winning horse. The horse’s trainer Ansel Williamson had been born into slavery in the mid-19th century. In 1864, Williamson had been purchased by Robert Alexander, owner of Woodburn Stud in Kentucky, where he worked as a trainer for the Woodburn horses. After emancipation, Williamson continued training horses. After his win at the first Kentucky Derby Williamson trained many more stakes winners.