Get up to Speed on Graphic Novels

April 13, 2016 / Sharon Tyler / 1 Comment

Graphic novels are often put down or considered less than traditional books. However, the artistry and creative storytelling that is included in quality graphic novels is simply amazing.

I have to say that I have always loved graphic novels, and both the quality and quantity of available works seems to be increasing. Classic works, popular fiction, and new ideas are all being made into graphic novels at a pace I simply cannot keep up with. Here are some of the best, new, graphic novels available in our adult and young adult collections that I would recommend. Keep in mind that if you do not see the titles you are hoping for in our physical collection we have even more available digitally. You could join my husband in reading through a variety of great graphic novels available through Hoopla!

Ms. Marvel. 1, No Normal by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona
Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American girl from Jersey City who lives a conservative Muslim lifestyle with her family, suddenly acquires superhuman powers and, despite the pressures of school and home, tries to use her abilities to help her community.

March. Book One and March. Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
A first-hand account of the author’s lifelong struggle for civil and human rights spans his youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., and the birth of the Nashville Student Movement.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Lord Blackheart, a villain with a vendetta, and his sidekick, Nimona, an impulsive young shapeshifter, must prove to the kingdom that Sir Goldenloin and the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

Lumberjanes. Volume one, Beware the Kitten Holy written by Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis
Best friends Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley spend a fun summer at Lumberjane scout camp where they encounter yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons while solving a mystery that holds the fate of the world in the balance.

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua
Presents an alternate history in which Charles Babbage and Ada, Countess of Lovelace, build the “Difference Engine” and use it to explore the wilder realms of mathematics and fight crime for the sake of both London and science.

More graphic novels that are must reads for anyone remotely interested include: The Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman, J.H. Williams III, Dave Stewart, Todd Klein, The Sculptor by Scott McCloud, Rat Queens. Volume One, Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebet, Roc Upchurch, Black Science. Volume 1, How to Fall Forever by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, Pretty Deadly. Volume One, The Shrike by Kelly Sue Deconnick, Emma Rios, The Wake by Scott Snyder, Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky, Becka Kinzie, Christopher Sebela, Attack on Titan. 1, The Desperate battle Begins! by Hajime Isayama, translated and adapted by Sheldon Drzka, and Saga. Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples.

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in April

March 30, 2016March 15, 2016 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Spring has sprung and we’re growing a garden of programs for you this month at CPL, including our semi-annual book sale!

Where to Hike in Cheshire

Monday Apr 4, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Suzanne Simone, the town environmental planner, will introduce hiking opportunities located in Cheshire. From meadows to Connecticut’s second largest waterfall, Cheshire has over 1,500 acres ready for exploration. Free hiking maps, property descriptions and directions will be available. Seating for this event is limited. Please register online or call 203-272-2245, ext. 4. This program is co-sponsored by the Cheshire Planning Department and Cheshire Public Library.

How to Grow Ground Covers

Tuesday Apr 5, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Grassy lawns are the single most popular groundcover, but they are not always the best choice for a location or the easiest to maintain. Landscape designer Kathy Connolly will offer alternative strategies for covering ground and discuss ‘5 Ways to Cover Ground and Give the Lawn a Rest’. Seating for this event is limited. Please register online or call 203-272-2245, ext. 4. This program is co-sponsored by the Cheshire Planning Department and Cheshire Public Library.

Safely Surf the Internet

Thursday Apr 7, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Everyone is fearful of security breaches and identity theft. Best-selling author Abby Stokes, will help you learn how to Safely Surf the Internet and find (Almost) anything online. Copies of her book, Is This Thing On? will be available for purchase.
Please register online or call 203-272-2245 ext. 4.

Fab Film – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Monday Apr 11, 2016, 2:00 – 4:30 PM

Come enjoy some great box office kids’ movies with Fab Films at The Cheshire Public Library! Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rated PG-13 | Runtime 2 hours and 16 minutes. No registration required.

LEGO® Junior Maker

Tuesday Apr 12, 2016, 10:00 AM

We will start with a short storytime focused around building. Kids will then have an opportunity to use their best creativity to design buildings, creatures, and more using LEGO® bricks . No registration required.

Naked Retirement

Tuesday Apr 12, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Join Michael Argiro, Financial Advisor at 4 T Financial, for this workshop on retirement. Too many people start their first day of retirement with only a financial plan and nothing else. Learn a fun and creative approach to retirement that strips away the numbers and addresses everyday life in retirement. Create a Naked Retirement Plan, build a retirement curious list, and change your retirement life forever by answering three revealing questions. Please register online or call 203-272-2245, ext. 4.

Adult Knitting Night

Come socialize, learn, and share your techniques with other knitters. Experience the relaxing and calming effect of knitting. We will meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. Adult knitters welcome, no supplies or instruction will be given, please bring your own supplies and talent! Please register online or call 203-272-2245, ext. 4.

Touch a Truck @ Bartlem Park

Thursday Apr 14, 2016, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Have you ever wanted to board one of those huge trucks? Your chance has arrived! This event is made possible due to the generosity of local companies and Cheshire Town Agencies. You may see fire trucks, garbage trucks, dump trucks, pay loader, rescue trucks, law enforcement vehicles and more. Come visit the children’s librarians at Bartlem Park (520 S Main St., Cheshire) for Touch a Truck. We’ll be present with our book cart for kids to touch and have special prizes to give out. Please bring a nonperishable food item to be donated to the Cheshire Food Pantry.

Parent Workshop: How Temperament Shapes your Child

Tuesday Apr 19, 2016, 6:30 PM

Learning more about children’s temperaments and how they can best mesh with yours leads to smoother parenting experiences. Participants will work to understand their child’s temperament and their own and learn to work effectively with differences.
This parent workshop is presented by Christine Foster, Director of Community Relations from The Independent Day School, and will meet on the library’s UPPER LEVEL. Register online, beginning March 28th.

Friends of Cheshire Public Library BOOK SALE

Thursday Apr 21, 9 AM – 8 PM

Friday Apr 22, 9 AM – 4:30 PM

Saturday Apr 23, 9 AM – 4:30 PM

Sunday Apr 24 “Bag of Books” sale 12 PM – 3 PM

Endangered Species & the Sixth Extinction

Tuesday Apr 26, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Dr. Isaac M. (Morty) Ortega, Wildlife Ecologist and UCONN Associate Professor, will explore the question: “The sixth extinction, are we there yet?” Dr. Ortega has traveled the world exploring and researching endangered animals. Join us to learn what is going on with endangered animals around the globe. Please register online or call 203-272-2245, ext. 4. This program is co-sponsored by the Cheshire Planning Department and Cheshire Public Library.

Butterflies and Their Gardens

Wednesday Apr 27, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Naturalist John Himmelman answers many of the questions asked about the lives, and preferences, of this fascinating group of insects. Some topics covered are: butterfly families and species, life cycles, finding (and taming) butterflies, and creating butterfly habitats. There will also be a fun section on moths, the under-appreciated cousins of the butterflies. Please register online or call 203-272-2245, ext. 4. This program is co-sponsored by the Cheshire Planning Department and Cheshire Public Library.

Author Talk: Kara Sundlun ~ Finding Dad: From “Love Child” to Daughter

Emmy-award winning journalist, news anchor, and co-host of Better Connecticut, Kara Sundlun, will discuss her book Finding Dad: From “Love Child” to Daughter. Sundlun’s book chronicles her life growing up without a father present, the struggle to force her biological father, World War II hero and two-term Rhode Island Governor Bruce Sundlun, to accept her as his daughter, and the development of the bond the two would eventually share. Copies of her book will be available after the talk for purchase and signing. Please register online or call 203-272-2245 ext. 4

Don’t Want To Ask? A Quick Guide to Tough Topics!

March 28, 2016March 7, 2016 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

The Dewey Decimal System is a mystery to many outside the world of libraries and publishing. When you need information on something you might not want everyone to know about, sometimes it can be hard to ask for help. I saw that a Sacramento library had created a bookmarks with the Dewey Decimal numbers for some hard to ask about topics for teens, and I thought it was brilliant. It inspired me to do my part to help people find the books they need on topics they might not want everyone to know they were looking for.

Legal difficulties, mental or physical health problems, bullying, relationship issues, and so on are things that you might want to research but might not want to stop and ask a librarian about, or know how to find via the digital catalog. So, I have looked at some of the tough topics, and some happy ones that people might not want to go public with quite yet, to help you find the books that you need. I have linked each of the listings below to the relevant search in the catalog to make placing holds or checking availability even easier.

All of these nonfiction materials are on the lower level, and if you are looking for books on these topics for teens or children they will be shelved in the children’s room with the same call numbers. If you cannot find it, don’t be afraid to ask or to place a hold for the materials with staff, or by yourself via the catalog. We have seen it all. Seriously, we do not judge you by the books you check out and are more than happy to help you find the resources you need.

If you really don’t want anyone to know what you are checking out, there are a few additional assurances I can offer you. If you use the self check out machines, we will have no idea what you have checked out. Also, we won’t tell anyone what you have checked out unless you give them your card. Anything that you check out and return with no fines leaves your record completely. There is no way for us to see, or tell anyone else, your borrowing history. Don’t be afraid to research and find the answers you need!

More importantly, if you need help more urgently than research can offer, please take a moment and reach out for it. Some important help can be found over the internet or via the phone. There are help hotlines for just about everything, when you do not know who to talk to for help, dialing 211 can connect you to local services you might need. This includes utility assistance, food, housing, child care, after school programs, elder care, crisis intervention (including suicide and abuse) and much more. The related 211 website also offers an eLibrary with specific information on a variety of topics.

Abortion ~ 363.46

Alzheimer’s ~ 616.831

Cancer ~ 616.994

Hair Loss ~ 616.546

HIV / AIDS ~ 616.9792

Infertility – 616.692 or 618.39

Miscarriage ~ 618.392

Pregnancy ~ 618.2

Puberty ~ 613.043 or 612.66

Sexual Health ~ 613 or 306.7

Bipolar Disorder ~ 616.895

Bullying ~ 303.69

Child Abuse ~ 362.76

Depression ~ 616.8527

Domestic Violence ~ 362.82

Loss of a Child ~ 155.9

Loss of a Parent ~ 306.874 or 155.9

Mental Illness ~ 616.89

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ~ 616.8521

Sexual Abuse ~ 362.7

Substance Abuse ~ 362.29 or 616.86

Suicide ~ 362.28

Adoption ~ 362.734

Bankruptcy ~ 346.7307

Child Custody ~ 343.7301

Divorce ~ 306.89 or 346.7

Estate Planning and Living Will ~ 346.7305

Foreclosure ~ 346.73

Hospice Care ~ 362.1

Personal Finance ~ 332

Wedding Planning ~ 395.22

Exploring The Science of Science Fiction

March 25, 2016February 5, 2016 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Are you a science fiction fan curious to see how close scientists have come to understanding or recreating the theories or gadgets of your favorite book or movie? Do you think much of the gadgetry and action of science fiction stories are completely impossible and want to see what we really can do, and what we might be able to do in the future? Here are some books that will help you understand how realistic some ideas like time travel really are, and how theories and realities surrounding our universe and the possibilities have changed in recent years.

Time Travel and Warp Drives: a Scientific Guide to Shortcuts Through Time and Space by Allen Everett and Thomas Roman
Lays out what humans really know about time and space and how to bend it to our will, and explains just how close we are to some of the ideas of science fiction novels.

Physics of the Impossible: a Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel by Michio Kaku
Looks at the scientific principles behind the technology of the future, examining the theoretical basis, as well as limitations, of the laws of physics to discuss how seemingly impossible devices could become commonplace in the future.

Spooky Action at a Distance: the Phenomenon that Reimagines Space and Time and What it Means for Black Holes, the Big Bang, and Theories of Everything by George Musser
Presents a tour of modern physics that examines the new understanding of nonlocality–the ability of particles to affect each other across the vastness of space.

Walking Zero: Discovering Cosmic Space and time Along the Prime Meridian by Chet Raymo
A noted science writer and author of The Path offers an illuminating study of the interconnections among science, faith, psychology, and the arts in terms of the evolution of the human understanding of space and time as he walks along the Prime Meridian, the line of zero longitude and the standard for world maps and clocks, from Brighton to the North Sea.

What is Relativity?: an Intuitive Introduction to Einstein’s Ideas, and Why They Matter by Jeffrey Bennett
An astrophysicist offers an entertaining introduction to Einstein’s theories, explaining how well they have held up to rigorous testing over the years, and even describing the amazing phenomena readers would actually experience if they took a trip through a black hole.

Once you figure out hoe time travel works, or somehow or other gain a little extra time, you might want to explore further with: The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene, A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes by Stephen W. Hawking, Endless Universe: Beyond the Big Bang by Paul J. Steinhardt and Neil Turok, Cosmos by Carl Sagan, The Science of Star Wars by Jeanne Cavelos, The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss, or Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 by Michio Kaku.

Time Travel Stories, That are NOT Science Fiction

March 15, 2016February 5, 2016 / Sharon Tyler / 1 Comment

Ever wish you could slip away to another time or place? Want to see how things really were during your favorite era of history or perhaps take a peek at a future that might not yet be written in stone?

I have always been intrigued by the notion, but no matter how much I enjoy science fiction I have never been a fan of books that paired the two. You might think that any book that has time travel is automatically science fiction, but this is far from the truth. While the two often overlap, there are many other kinds of books that feature time travel. There is a genre of time travel romance, sometimes magic or other aspects of the story trigger the travel, and sometimes in fiction it just happens.

Here are some of the best books I have seen that feature time travel, but are not science fiction.

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer
To alleviate her suffocating depression after the death of her twin brother and the break-up with her long-time lover, Greta Wells embarks on a radical psychiatric treatment that has an unexpected side effect, which transports her to the lives she might have had if she had been born in a different era.

Night Watch: a Novel of Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Flung back in time by a mysterious accident, Sam Vimes has to start all over again. He must get a new name and a job, and there’s only one job he’s good at: cop in the Watch. He must track down a brutal murderer. He must find his younger self and teach him everything he knows. He must whip the cowardly, despised Night Watch into a crack fighting force – fast. Because Sam Vimes knows what’s going to happen. He remembers it. He was there. It’s part of history. And you can’t change history…

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Hurtled back through time more than two hundred years to Scotland in 1743, Claire Randall finds herself caught in the midst of an unfamiliar world torn apart by violence, pestilence, and revolution and haunted by her growing feelings for James Fraser, a young soldier.

11/22/63 by Stephen King
Receiving a horrific essay from a GED student with a traumatic past, high-school English teacher Jake Epping is enlisted by a friend to travel back in time to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a mission for which he must befriend troubled loner Lee Harvey Oswald.

Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan
Her life spinning out of control to the point that she wakes up one day among her Irish ancestors in 1844, Anna struggles to find her way home while navigating a time and culture completely foreign to her, a situation that is further complicated by her troubled teenage nephew.

More books that include time travel without being science fiction, but I did not have room for above, include: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Orfeo by Richard Powers, The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes, The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier, Replay by Ken Grimwood, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, Timebound by Rysa Walker, Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts, and 1632 by Eric Flint.