10 Books We’re Looking Forward to in April

April 3, 2015March 23, 2015 / Louise / Leave a comment

April is typically a month of new beginnings. The snow is gone (we hope), the grass, leaves, and flowers are starting to grow, and plenty of new books are hitting the shelves. Who knows, it may even get warm enough to read outside!

Every month, librarians from around the country pick the top ten new books they’d most like to share with readers. The results are published on LibraryReads.org. One of the goals of LibraryReads is to highlight the important role public libraries play in building buzz for new books and new authors. Click through to read more about what new and upcoming books librarians consider buzzworthy this month. The top ten titles for April are:

At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen
The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley
The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg
Still the One by Jill Shalvis
Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova
House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy
The Precious One by Marisa de los Santos
The Bone Tree by Greg Iles
Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight

Another Literary Loss; Saying Goodbye to Terry Pratchett

March 13, 2015March 14, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Fantasy writer Terry Pratchett, creator of the Discworld series and author of more than 70 books, died on March 12 2015. He was 66 and suffered from a rare form of early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Pratchett was best known for Discworld, a series of more than 40 comic novels set in a teeming fantasy world. He has sold more than 65 million books worldwide, and his novels have pratchettcolorof been translated into several dozen languages. Pratchett was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours.

Lets remember this wonderful author by reading (or rereading) some of our favorite books from Terry Pratchett. Here is a list of some of my favorite titles to get your started.

The Color of Magic: the First Discworld Novel
A slightly disorganized and somewhat naive interplanetary tourist named Twosome joins up with a bumbling wizard and embarks on a chaotic voyage through a world filled withmonsters and dragons, heroes and knaves.

Dodger
In an alternative version of Victorian London, a seventeen-year-old Dodger, a street urchin, rises in life when he saves a mysterious girl, meets Charles Dickens, and unintentionally puts a stop to the murders of Sweeny Todd.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
The world is going to end next Saturday, but there are a few problems–the Antichrist has been misplaced, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride motorcycles, and the representatives from heaven and hell decide that they like the human race.

Snuff: a Novel of Discworld
Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch attempts to take a vacation, but, as usual, nothing goes as planned.

Nation
After a tsunami destroys all that they have ever known, Mau, an island boy, and Daphne, an aristocratic English girl, together with a small band of refugees, set about rebuilding their community and the things that matter to them.

The Science of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart, and Jack Cohen
The wizards of Discworld accidentally create a new universe, the one which houses Earth, and proceed to explain the science of this place, interweaving fantasy chapters with those that explain actual scientific principles.

More great books include: I Shall Wear Midnight, Only You Can save Mankind, The Carpet People, The long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, Thud!: a Novel of Discworld, The Wee Free Men, Wintersmith, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, Thief of Time: a Novel of Discworld, The Carpet People, A Hat Full of Sky, The Fifth Elephant, and Going Postal: a Novel of Discworld.

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10 Books We’re Looking Forward to in February

February 8, 2015January 16, 2015 / Louise / Leave a comment

February. This quote from the Old Farmer’s Almanac pretty much sums it up:

“Groundhog found fog. New snows and blue toes. Fine and dandy for Valentine candy. Snow spittin’; if you’re not mitten-smitten, you’ll be frostbitten!”

We recommend curling up with a good book. Getting swept up in a good story can make the days fly by!

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott
My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh
The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn
Half the World by Joe Abercrombie
Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders
The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin and Samantha Norman
Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King

Goodreads Best Book Award Winners Announced!

December 28, 2014December 30, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Every year Goodreads allows its registered members to vote on the best books of the year in a variety of genres and categories. The votes are done in three rounds, each round lasting about a week. This years voting for the final round ended on November 24th. The winners in each category are:

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Fiction: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Mystery & Thriller: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Historical Fiction: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Fantasy: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Romance: Written Down in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon

Science Fiction: The Martian by Andy Weir

Horror: Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

Humor: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Nonfiction: The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

Memoir & Autobiography: This Star Won’t Go Out by Esther Earl

History & Biography: The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport

Business Books:#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso

Food & Cookbooks: Make it Ahead by Ina Garten

Graphic Novels & Comics: Serenity: Leaves on the Wind by Zack Whedon

Poetry: Lullabies by Lang Leav

Debut Goodreads Author: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Young Adult Fiction: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Young Adult Fantasy: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Middle Grade & Children’s: The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Picturebooks: The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems

Why I Like to Reread Books

December 4, 2014December 4, 2014 / Mary / 2 Comments

I overheard someone say recently that they never reread any books. They felt that since they already know the outcome of a story, there is nothing to be gained by reading the tale again.

I have to disagree.

I am reminded of a professor I had in college. He always had us read our assignments twice. “The first time, read fast and for fun,” he said. “The second time, look for nuance and subtlety.”

I have found his suggestion works great for me. When I have a new book in my hands, I read fast and furiously, eager to see how the story unfolds, in a hurry to get to the end and discover the resolution.

Then, if I liked the book, I will go back and read it again. Not right away, but a few months later, possibly on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I will grab the book and settle in to discover the nuances. I will read more slowly the second time, savoring the descriptions and looking forward to my favorite sections, enjoying the anticipation. Knowing those favorite passages are coming does not spoil anything. I am looking forward to revisiting those treasured places in the book. Knowing they are coming heightens my enjoyment.

Rereading a book gives me a chance to appreciate the subtle things an author weaves into her story. A turn of a character’s head, a thought in the night, a sigh, these are the things that lend dimension to a book and give insight to the characters. I love dissecting a story the second time around, looking for these clues that give the tale a deeper meaning.

Rereading is like revisiting a friend, familiar, and yet there may always be something more inside.

What have I been rereading lately? The Merlin trilogy by Mary Stewart. These books rank among my all-time favorite re-reads. If you are unfamiliar with them, I highly recommend all three books, especially if you love fantasy and historical fiction.