A Vacay from our Staycay and ALWAYS, ALWAYS book shopping!, by Lisa Lawrence

My daughter, Emily and I took a couple of days away from our staycation last week and went to the Dallas Arboretum. If you haven’t been GO!  Go while the fall displays and the pumpkin village are up.  IT’S AMAZING. Anyway, of course, we had to visit the giftshop. Me being... me, I found the books right away and took pictures of ones I thought we could use in the library. Yes, I am that person! (I know I should buy them from the Arboretum! Sorry! They are cheaper elsewhere!) So, they came in today from “Elsewhere.”

Hydrangeas: Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden by author Naomi Slade and photographer Georgianna Lane. Lane’s photos speak volumes alone but Slade’s information on the cultivation, design, use as houseplants and gifts of these beautiful garden gems is incredible.  Hydrangeas are one of my favorites and I will definitely be using this as a resource. It would make a beautiful coffee table book also.

Taming the Potted Beast: The Strange and Sensational History of the Not-So-Humble Houseplant by Molly Williams.  The title caught my attention first. I thumbed through the interesting history of ancient houseplants to find advise and tips on growing my own indoor plants.  I have a slight addiction (the husband calls it an obsession) with houseplants so I know this will be on my list to read and reference.

I’m also a sucker for children’s books. I have to really watch that I don’t fill the library with picture books.  I found three children’s picture books in the giftshop but again they came from “Elsewhere.”

The Bug on the Rug by Sophia Gholz and illustrated by Susan Batori is one of the cutest picture books I have seen in a long while.  The pug, bug, and slug all learn to share the rug.  This will definitely be on my list for Story Time!

F is for Feather: A Bird Alphabet (Science Alphabet) by Helen Wilbur and illustrated by Andy Atkins is a wonderful book for children, as well, as adults. The information on birds and the aspects of their lives from feeding to migration and beyond is a must for anyone interested in nature.

And last but certainly not least, A Parliament of Owls by author Devin Scillian and illustrator Sam Caldwell.  This beautifully written book cleverly dives into the plural of animals.  This is a fun, informative book that old and young will enjoy.    A shiver of sharks, a tower of giraffes, and a Parliament of Owls led to a discussion among library staff about the unusual plurals of other creatures.  Here is a link for other animal plurals you might not know.

https://arapahoelibraries.org/blogs/post/names-for-groups-of-animals/

I hope you enjoy these books from our vacay from our staycay, delivered from “Elsewhere”.

Julie's Journal : Catching Up!

Since I haven't posted anything in awhile, I thought I'd do a catch up with a few pictures from some events and activities this spring.  

Our kid's crochet group has continued all spring.  Several of the girls are finishing up projects.  Here, Addison has a completed scarf and Gianna has finished a tie for her hair.  We also have Octopus toys in progress, as well as scrunchies, scarves, and bags.  

Marvelous Mondays has been going strong.  We just have a few sessions left before the end of the school year.  Here we have learned a trick for balancing 11 nails on the head of just one nail.  I also showed the kids this tilting maze.  They had to manipulate a metal ball through the maze without falling in a hole.  It is very tricky!

Lisa has refreshed the front of the building for spring.  Doesn't it look nice?  The hydrangeas have really bloomed out beautifully this week.

We've also been having fun this spring with a new-to-us event... Storytime!  Once a month Lisa is reading books to kids ages 2-5 and following them with a craft.  Next Tuesday, May 10, at 10:00 is the next session, so be sure to bring your pre-school aged kiddos.

This week, we have been working on putting new books on the shelves.  Getting new books is quite an involved process.  We have to enter the books into our system, then print and apply stickers with both the barcode and spine information.  We have to stamp each book with our identifying information and then if the book is a hardcover with a dust jacket, we have to wrap the dust jacket in plastic for protection.  Learning to wrap books is one of the first things I teach new hires to do!  Here Jeltje is wrapping new non-fiction books.  See the cart behind her full of new books to be processed?

The Community Tiny Art Project has been a big success.  We will have all the submissions displayed through the month of May.  The projects are quite diverse and we have enjoyed seeing how creative our community is.

We have also had good turn-outs all spring at Creative Hands - our craft group for adults, Movies with Friends, and the Circle of Friends book club.  We are gearing up now for Summer Reading and other summer activities.  Be sure and look for our Calendar of Events at the front desk.  We have something for everyone!

Staff Picks : Julie

 Julie's February Picks

The Speckled Beauty, by Rick Bragg  Speck is a very bad dog who comes into the author's life at just the right time.  Rick is dealing with a cancer diagnosis and failing health and is living with his mother.  Speck is a rescue dog who has been on his own for a long time.  He has to learn how to live with people again, and doesn't necessarily do a good job of it.  I always enjoy this author's books.  His short, southern writings have the perfect mix of humor and heart.

The Ride of Her Life, by Elizabeth Letts  This is the true story of Annie Wilkins.  It is 1954 and Annie is 63 years old, alone and flat broke.  She has been told she doesn't have a lot of time left to live and she decides that she wants to fulfill a dream of both herself and her late mother.  She wants to see California and the Pacific Ocean.  The problem is that she is in Maine, where she has lived her entire life.  To the surprise of everyone she has ever known, she takes what little money she has and buys a horse.  After packing up supplies for the journey, she sets off with only her little dog for company.  It takes more than a year, but Annie finally reaches her destination.  Along the way she meets a host of hospitable people who help her and in the process she becomes a little bit famous.    

Oona Out of Order, by Margarita Montimore  I like stories that explore the concept of time.  Oona is 18 in 1982.  It is New Year's Eve and she is on the cusp of some big decisions about her future.  When the clock strikes midnight she faints, and when she wakes up it is New Year's Day - her birthday.  But it is not 1983.  It is 2015 and she is in her 51 year old body, but her mind is still 19.  She discovers that every year as the year turns she travels to a different time.  While her mind ages normally, she never knows what year she will end up in. She experiences her life completely out of order.  One year she is already married, the next year she experiences meeting her husband for the first time.  It sounds confusing, but I was quickly able to jump into the story.  I enjoyed it.  

Staff Picks : Lisa

Lisa’s Lists

Children’s Books

 

I have a confession. 

Picture books and children’s books are my favorite.  When I go book shopping I have to limit my time in the children’s section or I tend to get into trouble. I have SO many favorite authors it’s impossible to list them all. Of course, Jan Brett, Shel Silverstein, Beatrix Potter, Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, John R. Erickson, Bill Martin, Jr., Maurice Sendak, E.B. White, Kate DiCamillo, and A.A. Milne are forever on my list of recommended reads.

Others that I have added to that list are:

 

 

Ryan T. Higgins - Mother Bruce series. Bruce is a grumpy bear who finds himself in all sorts of unwelcome situations, mostly of his own making.   These laugh-out-loud stories come to life with the rich illustrations. FC Library has the following books in the Mother Bruce Series: The Bruce Swap, Bruce’s Big Move, Bruce’s Big Storm, Hotel Bruce, Mother Bruce, and Santa Bruce.

 

The Fan Brothers (Terry and Eric) - It Fell from the Sky. Something fell from the sky but none of the insects know what it is or where it came from. Spider, convinced it belongs to him, puts it on display for all the insect world to see. Things don’t turn out how he planned, as things rarely do, but lessons are learned and the insect community is stronger in the end because of the thing that fell from the sky.  Other books by the Fan Brothers available at FC Library: The Barnabus Project, The Night Gardener, and Ocean Meets Sky.  

 David Ezra Stein - Interrupting Chicken. Papa attempts to read Chicken a bedtime story but Chicken keeps interrupting. Over and over. Then Papa asks Chicken to read him a story instead. It doesn’t take long before someone is sound asleep.   Also enjoy, Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by Stein at FC Library. 

Audrey Wood - The Napping House. A cozy bed, a granny, a child, and a menagerie of other sleepy critters all pile up to take a nap.  This is a fun story with a seek-and-find for the tiny culprit that causes the whole bunch to topple to the floor. The illustrations are amazingly created by Don Wood.  The Full Moon at the Napping House is also available at FC Library.

I hope you check out some of my favorite books from our children’s collection. Who knows maybe they will become your favorites too.

Julie's Journal : Naomi Novik

It's been awhile, but sometimes I like to profile an author whose books I've really enjoyed.  This one may be a little out there for those of you who read this blog regularly.  Naomi Novik is a fantasy writer whose stories are rooted in fairy tales and magical myths.  I first discovered her several years ago when I read her stand-alone novel Uprooted, and it remains my favorite of her work.  

Uprooted is the story of Agnieszka.  She lives in a small village in a valley next to a malevolent Wood.  She is chosen to live with the Dragon, the wizard who keeps the Wood at bay.  He discovers in her an affinity for magic, although they clash regularly about the different methods they use to wield their power.  Eventually the Wood must be dealt with permanently if the valley and the entire kingdom are to survive.  I love the feel of this book.  Agnieszka is untidy and clumsy and practical and her magic is similar.  The Dragon is precise and ordered and wants his magic to work the same way.  Reading about them figuring each other out and how to work together is fun.     

More recently, I have been reading Novik's dark Scholomance
series.  I wasn't familiar with the legend of Romania's school of black magic called Scholomance, but Novik takes a few elements of her story from it.  In the first book, A Deadly Education, El is in her junior year.  In this world, young wizards are constantly being attacked by malefeceria, monsters that want to eat them for their mana.  Mana is the magical energy that all sorcerers use.  The school gives the students a 1 in 4 chance of surviving to adulthood (much improved over the odds outside the school) where they are much better prepared to protect themselves.  El's great-grandmother prophesied that she would become a great dark wizard and destroy the world and El is determined not to fulfill the prophecy.  I like El because she is grumpy and surly and unfriendly, but still determined to do the right thing, even to her own detriment.  I finished the second book, The Last Graduate, this week and the ending was SHOCKING!  Now I have to wait an eternity for the last book in the series to be released.  

Novik's older series, Temeraire, is an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars.  Now, to be honest, I didn't read this series for a long time even though I had enjoyed her other work because I just wasn't really interested in the Napoleonic Wars.  I still have only read the first two in the series, but I enjoyed them very much.  The story follows a British ship captain, William Laurence.  When he captures another ship, he finds on board a dragon's egg very close to hatching.  When a dragon hatches, whoever it accepts a harness from becomes its handler.  Of course, to his dismay, Captain Laurence is chosen. He names the dragon Temeraire and must leave his ship and report to a training camp to learn how to become a handler.  The first book, His Majesty's Dragon, follows their training and their first battle.  After the battle, it is revealed that Temeraire is in fact a Celestial dragon.  His egg was a gift from China to France and China is not very happy that he was intercepted.  The second book, Throne of Jade, follows them as they travel to China and learn about Temeraire's origins.  

Novik's other stand-alone novel, Spinning Silver, is not my favorite, although from the reviews on Goodreads, I am in the minority.  It is a loose play on the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin.  When Miryem has some success in business she brags that she can turn silver into gold.  Unfortunately her boast is overheard by fae and she is forced to marry their king.  As I said, I didn't particularly enjoy this book so my memory on the details is fuzzy.  Since I have enjoyed all of Novik's other work, I may need to revisit it soon and see if it improves for me on a second reading.  

Julie's Journal : Franklin County Library Patron Favorites 2021

2021 has proven to be another eventful year.  From Snowmageddon in February to extended electrical work on the library in November and December, the year has been full of disruptions and disarray.  We are beginning to work on our calendar of events for 2022 and are hoping for a fun, but more predictable year.

I always enjoy looking back at the past year to see what items have been most popular with our patrons.  I like to look at several areas of the library.  Here's what I found for 2021.

New Releases:

1.  Sooley, by John Grisham

2.  The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah

3.  A Time For Mercy, by John Grisham

4.  The Coast-to-Coast Murders, by James Patterson

5.  Win, by Harlan Coben

DVD's:

1.  News of the World

2.  Wonder Woman 1984

3.  Wild Mountain Thyme

4.  The Croods : A New Age

5.  Barbie and Her Sisters in a Pony Tale

Early Readers:

1.  An Elephant & Piggie Biggie, by Mo Willems

2.  Twinkle, by Katherine Holabird

3.  Pete the Cat Storybook Favorites, by James Dean

4.  Waiting is Not Easy : Elephant & Piggie, by Mo Willems

5.  Please, Mr. Panda, by Steve Antony

Juvenile and Youth:

1.  Eva at the Beach : Owl Diaries, by Rebecca Elliott

2.  The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party, by Shannon Hale

3.  Judy Moody Was in a Mood, by Megan McDonald

4.  Eva's Treetop Festival : Owl Diaries, by Rebecca Elliott

5.  The Deep End : Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney

Young Adult

1.  The Selection, by Kiera Cass

2.  The Gender Game, by Bella Forrest

3.  We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart

4.  Slammed, by Colleen Hoover

5.  Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo

Non-Fiction

1.  Til Murder Do Us Part, by James Patterson

2.  The New Frontier : The Pioneer Woman Cooks, by Ree Drummond

3.  Killing the Mob, by Bill O'Reilly

4.  Herb Gardening in Texas, by Sol Meltzer

5.  What's Your Story, by Brandon Doman

Biography

1.  Greenlights, by Matthew McConaughey

2.  Just As I Am, by Cicely Tyson

3.  Everything is Fine, by Vince Granata

4.  My Southern Journey, by Rick Bragg

5.  Where I Come From, by Rick Bragg

Patron Picks : Ellen Eggleston

In addition to Staff Picks, I have asked a few patrons to let us feature their recommendations.  If you would like your picks featured, contact Julie at jbaxter@co.franklin.tx.us or 903-537-4916. 

Ellen's November Picks

From Julie : Ellen is my mom and she recommends books to me all the time.  Sometimes she recommends them because she enjoyed them and other times, just because she found a situation or character in a book unbelievable.  I never go wrong when I read something she recommends!

The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher

This book is a thriller with many unexpected twists.  I enjoyed the way the author gradually revealed Juno's situation.  It gave me many things to think about such as, "Do past mistakes haunt us the rest of our lives? Can a person who hasn't been homeless really understand the difficulties?"

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

All of Benedict's books have been very interesting.  I've gained insight into the historical women she writes about and the mores of the time period in which they lived.

Game On : Tempting Twenty-Eight by Janet Evanovich

Game on is a fun and fast read if you are looking for something light.  Stephanie Plum is a bail bonds enforcement agent.  She and her sidekick, Lula, have all kinds of mishaps trying to apprehend fugitives who are FTA - Failure to Appear.  In this latest Stephanie Plum book, a group of small-time hackers known as the Baked Potatoes are turning up dead.  She is after the dangerous criminal believed to be responsible.  Evanovich has a new series coming out next spring that looks interesting too.  It will feature Gabriella Rose as a recovery agent looking for lost treasures.

Staff Picks : Jeltje

 Jeltje's November Picks

Switch by A.S. King

This book was a difficult read to get started into, but just make it through the first few chapters and I feel like you will get used to the train-of-thought writing style. You follow the thoughts and feelings of Truda Becker, a teenager in high school with a strange home life and in a world where time has stopped since June 23, 2020. The world is trying to cope with the time standing still and they add finding solutions to that issue to the school curriculum. Besides that, life does go on. At home, her mother has left the family, a sister who is never named is off to college but she apparently has made a very negative impact on the whole family, the brother is unable to work through his emotions related to the trauma done by their sister, Truda shows signs of anxiety and depression and their dad constructs larger and larger boxes around a switch that is in the middle of the house which no one knows what it does. The book is strange, but I think the underlying messages have to do with getting through emotional trauma, loving family, trusting people and living your own life as a teenager or even as an adult instead of accepting what other people expect of you or try to make you believe.

 

The Unkindness of Ravens by M.E. Hilliard

Apparently, a group of Ravens is called an Unkindness. In “The Unkindness of Ravens,” we follow the lead character, Greer Hogan, who is a librarian and it starts with her discovering the body of her only friend in the town of Raven Hill on the roof of the library. Not long ago, she also discovered the dead body of her husband, so she keeps this in mind and tries to solve the murder and other mysteries connected to the library so she isn’t considered a suspect and also justice for her friend. Most characters may just wait for the police to investigate, but she does her own investigating which also puts in her danger. As she is trying to piece together the mystery and the town’s inhabitants’ histories, she is still wrestling with her husband’s death, being an outsider, small town politics, and her own secrets.

 

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay

Madeline Cullen’s aunt, whom she was named after, was a free-spirited and caring woman who had a bookshop in a small town that she left to her niece. This is a surprise to everyone since, even though they are family, they hadn’t seen each other for years. Yes, this is another case of assuming something about a person and then losing the opportunity to spend time with them because you think they did something negative. Besides the bookshop, Aunt Maddie also left a note with a booklist which guides Madeline during this time, but the relationships she has with the two people left working at the bookstore (seemingly opposite women who we also get perspectives from), a new unexpected mentor, a man also in a crossroads situation like her, and the people in the small town of Winsome change her outlook on life and her relationships with the people she cares about. There is strife and bad things happen, but this book makes you feel good when you finish!

Staff Picks : Christian

 Christian's October Picks

Blind Tiger, by Sandra Brown—This book takes place in during the Prohibition in a small Texas town, rife with moonshiners and bootlegging.  Enter Thatcher Hutton whose amble into town seems to be the catalyst for dramatic changes to this “quiet” little berg.  Murder. Liquor wars. Suspense. It’s a good read!

 

Home, by Ellen DeGeneres – Join Ellen on a funny and enlightening tour of several of the homes she has lived in over her career.  Funny. Beautifully photographed.  Well thought out.

 

Forgotten in Death: In Death #53, by J.D. Robb –The latest in Robb’s Eve Dallas series.  It has the usual “can’t put it down” quality of this series.  Murders to be solved.  Tough choices to make.  Unbreakable bonds of “family” both at work and at home.  Love these books!  For fans of this series, this one does not disappoint.  For those who are new to it, “try it you’ll like it!’

Staff Picks : Julie

 Julie's October Picks

The Girls in the Stilt House, by Kelly Mustian - Ada is white and Matilda is black living in Mississippi during the 1920's. Both are living very harsh lives, but for different reasons. They come together when Matilda saves Ada's life by killing Ada's father. The book has been advertised as being similar to Where the Crawdad's Sing and I agree that it has some of the same feel. My only issue with the book is it seems like everything that could possibly go wrong does, especially for Matilda. Realistically, maybe only a few of those bad things would happen at one time. I enjoyed the story, though, and was happy with the resolution.

The Madness of Crowds, by Louise Penny - I read this on the recommendation of my mom - she's pretty reliable in giving good recommendations! A speaker with controversial ideas about eugenics is speaking at a small university. When an attempt is made on her life, Inspector Gamache must try to figure out the ins and outs of what happened while putting aside his own disgust with her ideas. While this is the most recent book in the Inspector Gamache series, it is the first I have read. I have the first one on hold now on Libby so I can go back and read the series from the beginning.

The Lights of Sugarberry Cove, by Heather Webber - Sadie, her sister Leala, and their mother are struggling with their relationships with each other and with their significant others. They live around a lake and the festival of lanterns where everyone in town makes a wish is soon. I have enjoyed all of Heather Webber's books. They all have fun small town settings and a hint of magic.

Patron Picks : Donna Hill

*In addition to Staff Picks, I have asked a few patrons to let us feature their recommendations. If you would like your picks featured, contact Julie at jbaxter@co.franklin.tx.us or 903-537-4916

Donna's October Picks

Still Life by Louise Penny is the first in a series of mysteries involving Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec.  Ms. Penny has created an engaging set of characters, starting with Inspector Gamache.  Each book has a different, unique murder mystery to be solved by Gamache and his underlings and friends.  The books definitely should be read in order because the characters develop and change over the course of the series.  I believe there are currently 17 books featuring Inspector Gamache.

 

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear is also the first in a series of British mysteries.  The heroine, Maisie Dobbs, "psychologist and investigator", is the daughter of a common laborer who rises above her humble beginnings.  Another series that needs to be read in order, the Maisie Dobbs books feature an engaging young woman who goes about solving mysteries and achieving success unusual to her time and place in society.  Ms. Winspear does an excellent job of conveying time and place, the England of post WWI and later.

 

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown is a non-fiction novel that relates the story of the eight-oar rowing crew from the University of Washington who managed to win the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics.  The story of the young men on the crew is inspiring, to say the least.  These were hard working, tough young men who grew up in families working to survive.  In a sport that was dominated by elite athletes from schools in the New England, they fought to become a skilled team that could win the Olympics.  While the author includes a lot of technical details about boat building, the real story is the grit and determination exhibited by the young men on the team.

 

The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar is an inspiring novel of the young women who joined the Women’s Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) organization during WWII.  At a time when few women worked outside the home, these intrepid women came from all over the United States to train at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, TX.  Having been to Sweetwater, TX I can only imagine what culture shock these women faced when they arrived from places like New York and California.  These female pilots tested aircraft, ferried aircraft, and trained other pilots.  The novel does have a love story and it’s a good one. 

Patron Picks : Kate Dennis

In addition to Staff Picks, I have asked a few patrons to let us feature their recommendations.  If you would like your picks featured, contact Julie at jbaxter@co.franklin.tx.us or 903-537-4916.   

Kate's September Picks

Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess by Dr. Caroline Leaf is a self-help book that is well worth the time to read.  The book begins with an explanation of  the physical repercussions of  "toxic" thoughts that made total sense to this novice.   Dr. Leaf has formulated a 5 step process to enable one to thwart the mental takeover by these toxic thoughts and thus live a healthier life.  This is not a quick fix.  It is a daily exercise in mindfulness, patience, and self-control, (and a lot of chocolate).

Billy Summers by Stephen King is a fictional account of the life of a paid assassin.  King deftly weaves the story with glimpses of the assassin's character.  The assassin definitely operates on the dark side but he also plays monopoly with the neighborhood kids.  You can't help but root for him.

Every Thing Is Fine by Vince Granata is a powerful memoir about a family dealing with the mental illness of one of their own.  The book chronicles the evolution of the disease and the tragedy that eventually befalls the family.   The author poignantly relates how he and his family have been affected by the manifestation of the disease. 

Staff Picks : Jeltje

We are launching a new feature on this blog in which every week or so a different staff member will feature a few books or movies that they have enjoyed recently.  The selections may not all be brand new, but we hope it will help you find something you like.  

Jeltje's September Picks

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

I am not a fan of slasher movies, but if you like the slasher movies from the 80’s and 90’s (Halloween through Scream) you would appreciate the references to those kinds of movies. There is a support group for “Final Girls,” or the girls who survived bloody and gruesome attacks like in those movies mentioned and they are now in their late thirties to forties, but someone seems to be trying to kill them off. Throughout the book, you will follow one of the Final Girls and her attempts to figure out who is trying to kill them and stay alive at the same time.

 

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

The story is in the point of view of a woman who is agoraphobic and watches her neighbors to pass her time, but she witnesses a murder through the window of one of her neighbor’s houses. As you read the book, you will wonder if she really did see someone killed and also, why is she so afraid to leave the house over the last several months? This book was interesting enough for it to be made into a movie as well.

 

The French Girl by Lexie Elliot 

In the point of view of Kate, she remembers when 10 years ago, she and a group of friends went to France for a vacation and met a young French girl who disappears. Now, the body of the French girl has been found and there are questions as well as tensions within their friend group with new information coming up that also upsets her personal and professional life.