Six Picks : Historical Fiction for Teens

August 13, 2013September 18, 2013 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

There have been some real stand-outs in Historical Fiction this year, here are six of our favorites:

Code Name Verity. In 1943, a British fighter plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France and the survivor tells a tale of friendship, war, espionage, and great courage as she relates what she must to survive while keeping secret all that she can. This Michael L. Printz Award Honor book was called “a fiendishly-plotted mind game of a novel” in The New York Times.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners. In Book 1 of this new series by Libba Bray, seventeen-year-old Evie O’Neill is thrilled when she is exiled from small-town Ohio to New York City in 1926, even when a rash of occult-based murders thrusts Evie and her uncle, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, into the thick of the investigation.

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Dodger. In an alternative version of Victorian London, a seventeen-year-old Dodger, a cunning and cheeky street urchin, unexpectedly rises in life when he saves a mysterious girl, meets Charles Dickens, and unintentionally puts a stop to the murders of Sweeney Todd. Kirkus Reviews called it, “Masterful. Unexpected, drily funny and full of the pathos and wonder of life: Don’t miss it.”

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl

Keeping the Castle. A tale of romance, riches, and real estate. In order to support her family and maintain their ancient castle in Lesser Hoo, 17-year-old Althea bears the burden of finding a wealthy suitor who can remedy their financial problems. When the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. The problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way.

Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

Scarlet. Will Scarlet shadows Robin Hood, with an unerring eye for finding treasures to steal and throwing daggers with deadly accuracy, but when Gisbourne, a ruthless bounty hunter, is hired by the sheriff to capture Robin and his band of thieves, Robin must become Will’s protector risking his own life in the process. The twist to this story is that “Will” is actually “Scarlet”, a girl disguising herself as a boy – a girl with many secrets…

Sophia’s War by Avi

Sophia’s War. In this Revolutionary War tale, the year is 1776. After witnessing the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, newly occupied by the British army, young Sophia Calderwood resolves to do all she can to help the American cause, including becoming a spy.

From the Reference Desk: Want to find a really good book? Try NoveList!

August 7, 2013August 7, 2013 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Find your next read by searching the NoveList database on the CPL website. On our front page, Just mouse over Research, click on Reading Resources, and then select NoveList. After you enter your Cheshire Library card number you will be at a screen that features ‘Recommended Reads Lists’ in the left hand column.

You can choose from: Best of 2012 Fiction, Canadian Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction A to Z, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mysteries, Romance, Science Fiction, Thrillers and Suspense, and Westerns.

Each category is then broken down into subtopics. For example, Mysteries had 15 subtopic lists, from Classic Mysteries to Police Procedurals to Paranormal Mysteries and more; and Historical Fiction has 24 subtopic lists. NoveList provides a short description and book reviews for each title.

When you find a title that interests you, you can click on ‘Check the Library Catalog’ to find out if the library owns it, and if it is available. If the book is checked out you can place a hold on it and we will contact you via email or telephone when it’s your turn to borrow the book.

You can also create your own account on NoveList, where you can keep track of books you have read, books you’d like to read, and other notes pertaining to your reading experience.

Reading lists are also available for younger age groups: teen, age 9-12, and age 0-8.

What is Zinio?

July 31, 2013July 25, 2013 / Louise / Leave a comment

If you’re a regular visitor to our website, you may have noticed a new service we started offering recently – digital magazines! Cheshire Library has partnered with Zinio to bring you digital versions of some of your favorite magazines, available free with your Cheshire Library card.

Flip through vivid, full-color magazine pages identical to the print version–only better. Unlike the library’s paper copies, digital magazines can be viewed by many people at the same time and include links, audio/video features, and a clickable index. Back issues of the same magazine will be available.

Zinio is the ultimate app for magazine lovers, with digital magazines that can be read on an iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC. Anyone with a computer or mobile device can use Zinio as a paid service, but as a Cheshire Library card-holder, you receive the additional benefit of having free access to over 60 popular magazine titles. The interface was updated in June to make it easier than ever to use!

Give Zinio a try and let us know what you think!

10 Tasty Zombie Novels

July 28, 2013July 15, 2013 / Louise / Leave a comment

Developing a taste for zombies after World War Z? Here are 10 more zombie novels to whet your appetite.

1. Feed by Mira Grant. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives–the dark conspiracy behind the infected.

2. The End Games by T. Michael Martin. In the rural mountains of West Virginia, seventeen-year-old Michael Faris tries to protect his fragile younger brother from the horrors of the zombie apocalypse.

3. Z by Thomas Michael Ford. In the year 2032, after a virus that turned people into zombies has been eradicated, Josh is invited to join an underground gaming society, where the gamers hunt zombies and the action is more dangerous than it seems.

4. The Walking Dead : The Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga. The zombie plague unleashes its horrors on the suburbs of Atlanta without warning, pitting the living against the dead. At first, Woodbury seems like a perfect sanctuary. A mysterious self-proclaimed leader named Philip Blake keeps the citizens safe. But all is not as it seems. . . . Blake, who has recently begun to call himself The Governor, has disturbing ideas about law and order.

5. Zone One by Colson Whitehead. A plague has sorted humanity into two types: the uninfected and the infected, the living and the living dead. The novel unfolds over three surreal days, as it depicts the impossible job of coming to grips with the fallen world. And then things start to go wrong.

6. Zom-B by Darren Shan. When news reports start appearing of a zombie outbreak in Ireland, B’s racist father thinks it’s a joke– but even if it isn’t, he figures, it’s ok to lose a few Irish. That is, until zombies attack the school. B is forced on a mad dash through the serpentine corridors of high school, making allegiances with anyone with enough gall to fight off their pursuers.

7. Paul is Undead: the British Zombie Invasion by Alan Goldsher. Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four “are” zombies, and zombies live forever …

8. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken civilization, fifteen-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in his older brother’s footsteps and become a bounty hunter.

9. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead.

10. The New Dead : a Zombie Anthology. 19 provocative, haunting, and genuinely unsettling original stories in this zombie anthology move the genre beyond its usual apocalyptic wastelands. Includes stories by Kelley Armstrong, Max Brooks, Joe Hill, and David Liss.

Linda reads : Wind Chime Point and Sea Glass Island by Sherryl Woods

July 27, 2013August 27, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

Wind Chime Point is book two of the Ocean Breeze Trilogy. It would be helpful to read the first book, Sand Castle Bay, although the author does a wonderful job of tying in book one’s story.

Hardworking, ambitious, and independent Gabriella Castle is facing personal and professional challenges that prove too daunting for her to handle alone. She retreats to her grandmother’s home in Sand Castle Bay, NC. and the welcoming arms of her family.

Wade Johnson is a cabinet-maker and wood-carver with a tragic and secret past. He’s been intrigued by Gabriella whenever she’s visited and is happy when she returns to town. He’s also a friend of Emily’s finance, Boone.

Gabi is having a lot of trouble deciding what to do about her future. For the first time in her life, she is plagued with doubts and uncertainty. She finds a friend in Wade and his easy-going style and good listening skills are both helpful and comforting. She didn’t expect or plan for her feelings for Wade to blossom into love. Wade knew he had strong feelings for Gabi, but he is unsure if he’s ready to take the next step.

Although this book focuses mainly on Gabi and Wade, the secondary characters play an important part in the story. Gabi’s sister Emily is busy planning her wedding and her other sister, Samantha is facing her own crisis about her career. Grandmother Cora Jane is still playing matchmaker and the sister’s father, Sam, has an expanded role in this book.

Sea Glass Island is the third and final book of the trilogy. Samantha has been living in New York City pursuing her dream of being an actress. But lately, the parts she auditions for are all going to younger actresses. She goes home to North Carolina for her sister’s wedding and to reflect on what to do with her life.

Ethan Cole is a doctor at the local clinic in town. He lost a leg while serving in Afghanistan, and his fiance dumped him shortly thereafter. He’s having a hard time overcoming the hurt caused by his finance. He doesn’t know that Samantha has had a crush on him since high school, or that her family is relentless on their determination to get them together.

There are several interesting subplots in this book and plot lines from the previous two books are tied up quite nicely.

These are captivating, realistic, heartwarming romances. The setting is a place you want to visit and the characters are people you want to know. This is a character-driven trilogy with witty dialogue, beautifully descriptive scenes, warm and loving family interactions, and sweet love stories. This trilogy is Ms. Woods best work yet.