Month: April 2017

A NEW Resource for our patrons!

Posted on by Michaela

The Library is excited to bring to you this new resource! BrainHQ is a resource that lets you exercise your brain. Memory loss, slowed reactions and trouble with information recall does not have to be a fact of life that we accept.

By using BrainHQ to exercise your brain you can fight back! BrainHQ was built by a team of neuroscientists, with proven exercises to make real lasting improvements in brain function.

BrainHQ is built to adapt to your unique performance so you know that your brain is getting exactly what it needs to stay strong.

To get access to BrainHQ all you need to do is click here and create your account using your library card.

You will then be able to access:

  • – brain teasers
  • – brain facts & myths
  • – tips for supplementing your training through everyday habits
  • – & 29 online exercises

 

Little Golden Books 75th Anniversary

Posted on by Shelby

Who didn’t grow up with the books The Poky Little Puppy, The Saggy Baggy Elephant, and Four Little Kittens from Little Golden Books? This year, Little Golden Books will celebrate its 75th anniversary. Little Golden Books launched in 1942 and sold for $.25 each. At the time, children’s books typically sold for $2-$3 apiece and were considered a luxury for many families. Little Golden Books wanted to make books affordable for families with young children and promote reading.

Little Golden Books published twelve original titles in October 1942, and in only five months, the twelve books were in their third printing at 1.5 million copies. Little Golden Books were introduced to supermarkets in 1947 for an average cost of $.25 until the 1960s, when the cost went up to a whopping $.29 apiece. Aside from the original twelve Little Golden Books titles, other titles included characters from popular children’s television shows and Westerns, like Howdy Doody, Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, and Sesame Street, as well as characters from Walt Disney movies. Richard Scarry began writing and illustrating Little Golden Books titles in the 1970’s, and Sesame Street and Barbie characters began making appearances, as well.By its 40th anniversary in 1982, 800 million Little Golden Books have been sold worldwide. In 1986, The Poky Little Puppy became the one billionth title printed.

Artwork from Little Golden Books has been featured at the Smithsonian Institution, the New York Public Library, and the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, and the writing and artwork have won numerous awards. By January 2002, the Little Golden Books library boasted 1,200 titles. Today, the average cost of a Little Golden Book is $4.99, with several classics back in print to celebrate the 75th anniversary.

Now it’s time to introduce a new generation of readers to Little Golden Books; you can still purchase titles at several grocery stores, like Kroger. For more information, please visit the Little Golden Books website.

Happy Reading!

Liane Moriarty

Posted on by Ashton

I’ve recently discovered a new author and she’s drawn me in from page one. Liane Moriarty writes about the normal every day secrets in what seems like perfect families. Whether you’re into romance, chick lit, or even mysteries, she’s the gal for you!

The first book I’ve read by her is Big Little Lies and it’s such a great and easy read it’s no wonder that it’s a television show on HBO starring Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley.

Big Little Lies tells the stories of Madeline, Celeste, and Jane. Madeline’s life is in turmoil, her ex-husband and the father of her oldest daughter enrolled his new daughter into the same school Madeline’s youngest daughter goes to. Her oldest daughter is pulling away towards her father’s new wife, Bonnie. Celeste has two twin boys in the same class as Madeline’s daughter and her ex-husband’s daughter. She and her husband Perry, seemingly have the perfect life, but what meets the eye isn’t all there is. Then there’s Jane. She’s a young mother who just moved to the beach with her son, Ziggy. Jane is literally a ‘Plain Jane’ and is secretive. At the orientation, her son is accused of choking a little girl. From there, we learn how Celeste’s, Madeline’s and Jane’s lives intertwine without their knowledge and the big blowout at the end will have us all gasping for breath!

After finishing this book, I fell in love with the way Liane’s writing made me feel. So I picked up another one of her books and checked it out!

Liane is an Australian author of six internationally best-selling novels with two number 1 New York Times bestsellers.

Her fifth novel, ‘The Husband’s Secret’, sold over three million copies throughout the world and was the number one UK bestseller, an Amazon best book of 2013, and has been translated into over 40 languages. It’s spent over a year on the NYT bestseller list, and CBS currently holds film rights.

She’s also written a children’s book series under the pseudonym L.M. Moriarty.

Liane currently lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband, son and daughter. She has two younger sisters, award winning author Jaclyn Moriarty and Nicola Moriarty.

Liane has sold over six million copies of her novels worldwide.

 

 

Series Selection

Posted on by Ashton

trylle-trilogy

Need a new series to read? Something to dig your nails into and absorb?

The Trylle Trilogy (By: Amanda Hocking)

She must dare to be different to unlock the key to her past.

When Wendy Everly was six, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, she discovers her mother was almost right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel – all because of Finn Holmes. Finn is a darkly handsome newcomer and every encounter with him leaves Wendy deeply shaken… Though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she will ever admit.

He’s also here to tell her the shocking truth: Wendy is a fae child who is switched with a human child and raised in the human world – and he’s come to take her home. Now Wendy is about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that is both beautiful and frightening. And she must leave her old life behind to discover who she is meant to become…

Ready to learn more? You can find all three novels in the Young Adult area at both the Aurora and Dillsboro libraries.

 

On the island in the kitchen, a massive chocolate cake covered in pink flowers sat in the middle. My mother stood on the other side, holding a gigantic knife she was using to cut the cake to serve on tiny saucers. Her hair was coming loose from its bobby pins.

“Chocolate?” I wrinkled my nose as she tried to set perfect pieces onto the saucers.

“Yes, Wendy, you like chocolate,” my mother informed me.

“No, I don’t!” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I hate chocolate! I’m not going to eat it, and you can’t make me!”

“Wendy!”

The knife happened to point in my direction, some frosting stuck to the tip, but I wasn’t afraid. If I had been, everything might’ve turned out different. Instead, I wanted to have another one of my tantrums.

“No, no, no! It’s my birthday, and I don’t want chocolate!” I shouted and stomped my foot on the floor as hard as I could.

“You don’t want chocolate?” My mother looked at me, her blue eyes wide and incredulous.

A whole new type of crazy glinted in them, and that’s when my fear started to kick in.

“What kind of child are you, Wendy?” She slowly walked around the island, coming toward me. The knife in her hand looked far more menacing than it had a few seconds ago.

“You’re certainly not my child. What are you, Wendy?”

Staring at her, I took several steps back. My mother looked maniacal. Her robe had fallen open, revealing her thin collarbones and the black slip she wore underneath. She took a step forward, this time with the knife pointed right at me. I should’ve screamed or run away, but I felt frozen in place.

“I was pregnant, Wendy! But you’re not the child I gave birth to! Where is my child?” Tears formed in her eyes, and I just shook my head. “You probably killed him, didn’t you?”

She lunged at me, screaming at me to tell her what I had done with her real baby. I darted out of the way just in time, but she backed me into a corner. I pressed up against the kitchen cupboards with nowhere to go, but she wasn’t about to give up.

 

 

A Monster Calls

Posted on by Shelby

“The monster showed up at midnight. As they do.”

There are some books that stick with you long after you close the back cover. For me, one of those books was A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, inspired by Siobhan Dowd, and illustrated by Jim Kay.

Through context clues, the reader realizes that thirteen-year-old Conor O’Malley is struggling with his mother’s deteriorating health and has alienated himself from his friends, family, teachers, and other classmates. Throughout the book, it becomes clear that Conor feels a tremendous amount of guilt and believes he deserves to be punished, but the reader does not find out “the truth” until the last few pages of the book. We are lead to believe that the monster has “come walking” in order to heal Conor’s mother, as the monster takes the form of a yew tree, which has incredible healing properties. However, to the reader it becomes clear that the monster has come to help Conor.

Conor’s mother has a form of cancer, and treatments just aren’t working anymore. She keeps a brave face for Conor, who is in denial and believes that she will get better, even as he notices her getting much worse. Ness’s story is about a boy who is forced to grow up a lot faster than other children his age. Conor is handling a grown-up situation as well as he knows how; he has been strong and holding on tightly to his mother and his belief that she will bounce back that it is so hard for him to realize that he has to let her go.

Ness’s book is an important read for any tween, teen, or young adult who is going through any kind of tough circumstance. And even if you aren’t going through a tough situation at the moment, this is an important book to read for everyone. Ness creates an intense, meaningful story complete with illustrations in 216 pages that can be read in one sitting. This book is incredibly significant and one that I would recommend to everyone.

Mixed Media

Posted on by Ashton

Mixed Media in the art term refers to artwork that has more than one product used to create that piece of artwork.

(Picture Courtesy of Mixed Media May)

There is a distinction between ‘mixed media’ and ‘multimedia art’. Mixed media refers to visual art that combines different products. For example, a piece of artwork that would have paint, ink, and forms of paper stuck to it would be considered a mixed media. The term ‘multimedia art’ refers to a broad scope that combines visual art and non-visual art elements (for example: recorded sound), or with elements of the other arts (literature, drama, dance and/or motion graphics).

 

(Picture courtesy of Alexi Francis illustrations)

There are several different forms of mixed media art, but the best one in my opinion would have to be the altered book. An altered book is a form of mixed media art that changes a book from its original form into another form changing its appearance or meaning. Altered books may be as simple as adding a drawing or text to a page or even as intricate as creating a folded book sculpture.

Another form of an altered book is known as an art journal. An art journal is simply a book. Art just refers to the decoration and items used within the book to decorate. You can use anything to decorate the book both inside and out. The limit? Your imagination!

 

 

LGBTQ+ Community Within Our Shelves

Posted on by Ashton

It’s a thing of controversy in today’s world. The LGBTQ+ community is a strong and withstanding part of our society. Authors are taking it upon themselves to intertwine this community within their own lives by writing their own stories with this community included. It’s a big jump in society for books to include this community and what they represent. Some authors get hate and some authors get love.

The point most authors see as they write their LGBTQ+ stories is to empower their readers to accept themselves for who they are and even to empower them not to be afraid to ‘come out of the closet.’

The Aurora Public Library has several fantastic LGBTQ+ stories within their shelves, one amazing book that I’ve recently read was ‘Of Fire and Stars’, by Audrey Coulthurst.

“Of Fire and Stars” is an enchanting story of a princess with a touch of fire and another princess who has a unique relationship with horses. Princess Dennaleia has been betrothed to Prince Thandi since childhood. As she arrives at his kingdom, she meets his sister, Princess Amaranthine. Princess Amaranthine isn’t your typical Princess who does princess-y things. She prefers to be called ‘Mare’, she walks around in breeches, is outspoken, and prefers to work with horses than to work with people. Princess Dennaleia is drawn to Mare, wanting…no, needing to make an ally in a different kingdom away from her family. While struggling with trying to make Mare like her, Princess Dennaleia also struggles with controlling her affinity for fire. After all, magic is outlawed in this kingdom. With turmoil threatening and mysterious deaths, Princess Dennaleia and Mare must find out who’s behind it all and not let their kingdoms’ alliance be threatened anymore than it already has. In doing so, they must fight with the feelings that are growing between them. Will they choose duty or will they choose their hearts?

 

 

 

Just a few great LGBTQ+ stories our shelves house….

 

 

15 Problems Only A Bibliophile Would Understand

Posted on by Ashton

Some people just don’t understand the problems us, bibliophiles, face every day of our reading lives. So below I’ve listed fifteen problems only us bibliophiles would know and would understand.

1. When you are laying in bed and the only part of you that’s cold is the arm that is currently holding the book.

2. When someone interrupts you just as you get to the good part of the book.

3. When you’ve waited on a sequel to a novel for so long you’ve forgotten what happened in the book before.

4.When you forget the book at your house or in your car and you can’t stop thinking about it.

5. When the knowledge that you could be reading instead of spending time with your family crosses your mind and then you feel guilty about it.

6. When a movie based on a book that you’ve read comes out and it’s completely different.

7. When you get to a good part in a book that you weren’t expecting and gasp or cry out loud.

8. When you fall in love with characters and wish that they were your friends.

9. When you want to buy books but you can’t because either A) you’re broke, B) you have no shelf space, or C) both.

10. When you spend all your money on books instead of things you actually need.

11. Deciding between a paperback book and a hardcover book.

12. Reading one of your own books and worrying you’ll get it creased.

13. Wanting to read so many books but never having enough time.

14. Wanting to read all the books on your to-read list but finding it never-ending.

15. When someone says something bad about your book and you get mad.

Author Biographies: Rita Mae Brown

Posted on by Shelby

rita-mae-brown

Rita Mae Brown was born on November 28, 1944 in Hanover, Pennsylvania to an unwed, teenage mother and her married boyfriend. Brown was left at an orphanage by her mother before she was rescued and adopted by a cousin of her mother’s and her husband.

In 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville, but in 1964 she was expelled from the university for participating the the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the ’60’s, Brown was involved in a number of movements, such as the Feminist, Anti-War, and the Gay Liberation movements.

six-of-one

Between 1964 and 1969, Brown lived (sometimes homeless) in New York City as she attended New York University. She received a degree in Classics and English. She also received a certificate in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts. Brown also went on to achieve a doctorate in Literature from Union Institute and University as well as a doctorate in Political Science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.

Brown has written poetry, novels, nonfiction, fiction, and screenplays. In 1982, Brown wrote a parody screenplay poking fun at horror films, but producers took the film seriously and released a movie into theaters for a limited time. She has been nominated for an Emmy and has won other awards regarding her screenplays. Brown writes in a variety of genres, but one of her most well-known works is the Mrs. Murphy mystery series, which she co-authors with her tiger cat, Sneaky Pie. Start with Wish You Were Here.

Hate List

Posted on by Ashton

Jennifer Brown filled every single page of this 405 page novel with such a beautiful story. Never before have I read a story that made me think differently about certain people and those who loved them. Hate List is a wonderful story and in today’s world, it fits perfectly within.

Hate List tells us the story of Valerie Leftman’s recovery after her boyfriend of three years, Nick Levil, shot and killed several people in their high school, including her and himself. The beginning of the story introduces us to Valerie and her first day back to her school after the shooting occurred. It shows us her pain and confusion that Nick killed himself and others. We watch as she struggles between hating Nick and forgiving him as well as herself. This book gives us some type of inside pain to those who loved the people we call, ‘monsters’, in today’s world. Though we don’t know why the character Nick did what he did, we do know that Valerie continued to struggle with his decision and the all the pain he caused afterward.

This story captivated me and tore my heart out with every word and punctuation mark. It made my heart ache for every character within, including Nick. The sadness the author included within these pages just enveloped me and hugged me until the hope finally won over.