Julie's Journal : Franklin County Library Patron Favorites for 2019

2019 is drawing to a close and I'm looking back at statistics for the year.  Our system allows me to see what books have been checked out the most at FCL over the last year.  Let's take a look at the top books regardless of genre or age group:

#1.  Where the Crawdad's Sing, by Delia Owens - Crawdad's was released in August of 2018, but has enjoyed continued popularity.  Both our copies, along with the audio, have stayed checked out most of the year.

#2.  The Dog-Man Series by Dav Pilkey - When I ran my report, the Dog-Man books took up four spots in the top ten, but I am consolidating the series into one item.  A graphic novel series, Dog-Man is particularly popular with pre-teen boys.

#3.  The Reckoning, by John Grisham

#4.  The Boy, by Tami Hoag

#5.  Long Road to Mercy, by David Baldacci

#6.  The Amulet Series, by Kazu Kibuishi - Also a graphic novel series popular with boys.  Young boys are some of the hardest of our patrons to recommend good books for, so it's encouraging to see two different series geared towards them on this list.

#7.  Every Breath, by Nicholas Sparks - I didn't care for this book as much as I have enjoyed others by Sparks.  However, there is always a waiting list for anything new by him.

#8.  Wolf Pack, by C.J. Box

#9.  No Exit, by Taylor Adams

#10.  The Lost Man, by Jane Harper - The Lost Man's popularity was partially due to the promotion of it by library staff.  We found the book very interesting and had several discussions about it.

Have you read any of these?  What was your favorite book of the year?

Julie's Journal : Christmas Movies at the Baxters'

If you have ever come in and asked me for a movie recommendation, you know that movies are not my area of expertise.  I can recommend books all day long, but I generally don't have the attention span to sit and watch an entire movie.  I get distracted by a book or my phone or something I need to do around the house.  However, since we put the Christmas decorations up the day after Thanksgiving, my husband and I have watched several of our old favorites.  Christmas seems to be a time of nostalgia and we have had a lot of fun re-watching things we loved as kids.  Now, we aren't particularly sentimental, so we lean more towards funny movies than emotional ones.  That being said, here's a few of the shows we've been watching lately.

1.  Home Alone 1 & 2. - The first Home Alone movie is our favorite, but the second one isn't bad, either.  Bumbling crooks Marv and Harry meet their match in 8 year old Kevin McAllister and the tricks he devises to protect his home, himself, and - in Home Alone 2 - a toy store from their thievery.  I finally had to buy us our own copy because we were keeping the library's copy checked out and no one else was getting to see it! 

2.  A Charlie Brown Christmas - Having aired every year since its creation in 1965, it's just not Christmas without Charlie Brown, his sad Christmas tree, and Linus telling us about the true meaning of Christmas!

3.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Based on the book by Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is another perennial classic.  The original television special first aired in 1966 with Boris Karloff as the voice of the Grinch.  We've enjoyed the live action remake with Jim Carey and the newest cartoon isn't bad either, but nothing beats the original half-hour show. 

4.  Die Hard - Die Hard isn't funny and it isn't particularly Christmas-y but it is set around an office Christmas party, so my husband says it counts as a Christmas movie.  Terrorists led by Hans Gruber (played by the incomparable Alan Rickman), seize a high rise and take the party goers hostage.  John McClain (Bruce Willis), a visiting NYC cop, must thwart them and figure out how to get himself and everyone else out alive.  Warning : Die Hard contains a lot of very rough language and is pretty bloody.

What movies are traditionally watched around the holidays at your house?  We might need to add something new to our traditions!

Julie's Journal : Bookish Christmas Gift Ideas

So I just realized that Christmas is exactly three weeks away!!  Eeek!  I am not ready, at all.  I still have several gifts to buy, but I am finding it difficult to think of unique ideas for my people.  If you're having the same quandry, let me give you a few small ideas for the bookish people in your life.

1.  If you can read this, bring me my book socks.  I bought these last year from Etsy and not only are they cute, they are comfortable too!

2.  First and last line bookmarks - Also from Etsy, these are high quality, but they come from England, so you'd probably need to order now to get them before Christmas.

3.  Library Tote Bag - Lisa brought these tote bags back from a conference and we love them.  They are super cute for carrying your library books!

4.  Reading T-shirt -

5.  Litographs - I have coveted something (anything) from Litographs for years but have never actually bought anything.  They have prints, t-shirts, tote bags, scarves, blankets, and pillows.  Each product has the entire text of a book printed on it around an image from the story.  There are lots of different books to choose from.

6.  Personalized Book Embosser - I still have a few books that my grandfather marked with his personalized embosser and I love running across them.  For the person who keeps books forever in their own personal library, this might be the perfect gift!  Etsy has several options.

7.  Books! - If you don't know what someone likes to read, give them a copy of your favorite book and make a date to discuss it when they have read it!  The most recent book I've read that I'd love to discuss with someone is The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.  It is a lovely fantasy book that is as much about the setting as it is the actual story. 

I hope I've given you a few ideas for gifts or splurges for yourself!  Let me know if anything on the list appeals to you!