Look Alive Twenty Five

Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter with attitude. In Stephanie’s opinion, toxic waste, rabid drivers, armed schizophrenics, and August heat, humidity, and hydrocarbons are all part of the great adventure of living in Jersey. She’s a product of blue-collar Trenton, where “houses and minds are proud to be narrow”, cars are American, windows are clean, and dinner is served at six.

Out of work and out of money, with her Miata repossessed and her refrigerator empty, Stephanie blackmails her bail bondsman cousin, Vinnie, into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. And that’s only the beginning of a series that will set her on the trail of fugitives. Stephanie will have to sharpen her sleuthing skills, because she’s got many a mystery to solve.

Just to complicate things, poor Stephanie has a bad case of the hots for handsome vice cop Joe Morelli, also from the “burg.” As Stephanie puts it, “There are some men who enter a woman’s life and screw it up forever. Joseph Morelli did this to me — not forever, but periodically.”And somehow, Morelli always seems to be involved in Stephanie’s cases. He may be all wrong for her, but what’s a girl to do?

Aiding and abetting Stephanie in her quest to track down and bring back those who have jumped the bond so generously put up by her cousin Vinnie is Ranger, the know-it-all, done-it-all hardcore, hardcase Cuban-American bounty hunter, dangerous dude and love interest #2.

Each book in this series is a whole story with a beginning and an ending, however there may be minor references to events that occurred earlier in the series. Therefore, with respect to the mystery alone, the books can be read out of order, if desired. However, like any long series that focuses on a core group of characters, there are various relationship changes that develop more naturally when the full length novels are read in the order in which they were published.

 

  • Stephanie Plum series in order by Janet Evanovich
  • One for the Money
  • Two for the Dough
  • Three to Get Deadly
  • Four to Score
  • High Five
  • Hot Six
  • Seven Up
  • Hard Eight
  • Visions of Sugar Plums (between-the-numbers holiday novella)
  • To the Nines
  • Ten Big Ones
  • Eleven on Top
  • Twelve Sharp
  • Plum Lovin’ (between-the-numbers holiday novella)
  • Lean Mean Thirteen
  • Plum Lucky (between-the-numbers holiday novella)
  • Fearless Fourteen
  • Plum Spooky (between-the-numbers novel)
  • Finger Lickin’ Fifteen
  • Sizzling Sixteen
  • Smokin’ Seventeen
  • Explosive Eighteen
  • Notorious Nineteen
  • Takedown Twenty
  • Top Secret Twenty-One
  • Tricky Twenty-Two
  • Turbo Twenty-Three
  • Hardcore Twenty-Four (November 14, 2017)

9/11 Fiction, Nonfiction, & Movies

To some, it feels like the events of September 11, 2001 happened only moments ago; many of us can still remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we found out that we had been attacked. But all the younger generation knows about the events is what they’ve been taught in school, or read in books, or watched on movies and documentaries. It is important to keep any historical event relevant, especially one of this magnitude. One of the most popular ways to do so is to offer historical fiction.

With the anniversary of 9/11 fast approaching, here are some fiction, nonfiction, and movie titles for teen and young adult readers to help them have a feel for what it was like to be alive from various walks of life during the September 11 terrorist attacks:

Fiction

Falling Man by Don DeLillo

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

Tuesday Morning series by Karen Kingsbury

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

All We Have Left by Wendy Mills

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Zero Day by Mark Russinovich

Nonfiction

9/11 The World Speaks

Let’s Roll by Lisa Beamer

The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer

Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive by Joel Meyerowitz

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

Last Man Down by Richard Picciotto

World Trade Center by Peter Skinner

Report from Ground Zero by Dennis Smith

Movies

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Man on Wire

Remember Me

United 93

World Trade Center

Here are some other titles you could ask for through Interlibrary Loan:

Nine, Ten by Nora Raleigh Baskin

The Man with the Red Bandana by Richard Lawson

Eleven by David Llewellyn

The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard

Eleven by Tom Rogers

Portraits: 9/11/01 by The New York Times

Tower Stories by Damon DiMarco

In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman

With Their Eyes by Annie Thomas

Tiger Cruise

Do you have any other recommendations?

Classics Characters’ Guess Who Answers

Let’s see how your answers stacked up with the correct ones from the previous blog. Ready?

How many of these did you get right? On to the next section!

What about the next section? Did you guess the owners of the quotes?

How did you do? How many of these classics have you read? I’d love to know!

Happy Reading!

Classics Characters’ Guess Who

This could be fun! Here are some clues about several characters from classic works of fiction.

Can you guess who they are?

Let’s start off with some easy ones:

  • A fiery redhead with a temper and a penchant for daydreaming and romance. She resides on Prince Edward Island.
  • A “counseling detective” residing at 221B Baker Street, London. He is most often accompanied by his biographer and friend, Dr. Watson.
  • A character first appearing in another work of his titular best friend, he was among the poorest of the poor in town before being adopted by a wealthy widow. After faking his own death, he sailed down the Mississippi River with a fugitive slave on a raft.
  • The second eldest of five sisters, this character is intelligent and witty, with a desire to marry for love rather than convenience. She is her father’s favorite.

Did you guess any of these? Let’s try a few more:

  • One of two migrant ranch workers searching for work during the Great Depression, this character loves petting soft animals — especially rabbits. However, he does not know his own strength.
  • An anthropomorphic character who is bounced around from owner to owner, he learns all sorts of trades, from sledding, to mining, to panning for gold. He learns how to work with others and eventually becomes the leader of a pack.
  • This character is caught up in the middle of a pirate adventure while working at his family’s inn. Deciding to hunt for coveted buried treasure, he sets off on the adventure of a lifetime, filled with pirates, murder, intrigue, violence, and treasure.
  • This character was only six years old when her story began during the Great Depression in the South. Fascinated with her recluse neighbor, she lives with her brother and their widowed, lawyer father who takes on an extremely controversial case.

Do you think you could guess the character based only on one of their quotes? Test your knowledge!

  • “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everyone.” 
  • “Reader, I married him.” 
  • “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 
  • “I don’t understand it. What can there be in a simple story like that to make people praise it so?”

Let us know what you guessed! Look for a subsequent blog post with the answers!

Happy Reading!

Reading Slumps

I totally just made those definitions up. But I think every reader has been stuck in a reading slump before! I know I’ve had my fair share. What can we do to get out of one?

First, you can go to the Online Resources tab on our website and scroll down until you see Novelist. From there you can search your favorite book, author, or series and come up with lists of title-, author-, and series-read-a-likes you might enjoy. You can even search by genre and age. You can also check out Select Reads under the same tab on the website that is similar.

If you don’t have an account with Goodreads, I definitely recommend that you make one! It’s kind of like Facebook for book lovers. You can read synopses of books, add them to various lists, and get recommendations based on the ratings you give books you’ve read. There are also blogs, author interviews, and trivia you can browse through to find your next great read.

Try rereading your most favorite books; you can’t go wrong there because you already know you’ll love it! Maybe it will spark your interest in something new!

Try short story collections, poetry, novellas, or graphic novels. These are quick reads that you can breeze through just to keep you reading. Plus, if you’re on Goodreads and participate in the yearly reading challenge, these reads are a great way to boost your numbers!

Take a list of books you’ve been meaning to read, write down each title on a slip of paper, and put those papers in a hat or a jar. Draw one at random and force yourself to read it. Even if you wind up not liking the book and quitting halfway through, you’ll be ready to either draw another title or pick another title for yourself.

Browse most popular books, get recommendations from your friends, or start reading reviews online. The Library also has magazines that you can check out dedicated to popular book and new release reviews. You could also check out what the Library book clubs are reading for the month; if you sign up and come to a discussion, you’ll be able to be around book-minded people like yourself who will be able to point you in the right direction.

Still having trouble? Ask us for help! We LOVE recommending books to patrons! It’s our job to know all kinds of books, and we handle tons of books on a daily basis. Chances are we’ll be able to find something for you!

Good luck and Happy Reading!

Show Us Where You Read!

Calling all readers! Let’s have some fun!

Show us where you read!

Share a picture of where you read to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages and be sure to tag us! They can be pictures of you reading, or the view from your favorite reading spot… the possibilities are endless! Let us know what your favorite books are, what you’re currently reading, who your favorite author is, and more! Tag us in your recent library haul; what awesome books, audiobooks, and movies did you find? We can’t wait to interact with you!

If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us!

Search Aurora Public Library District on Facebook!

Our handle is @auroralibrary on Twitter!

Look for @auroralibrary on Instagram!

Keep up-to-date on all things library-related, interact with like-minded library lovers, comment, retweet, and like posts, and even ask questions. We would love to hear from you!

Happy Reading!

Hold your horses…today is National Relaxation day!

What?? Who knew.

Anyway, on this National Relaxation day, I’m going to curl up with a good book and enjoy some quiet relaxation time. I might also enjoy a bubble bath and some John Legend.

I also think I’ll throw in some yoga because it always helps me relax.

But you I’d love to hear from you what your favorite relaxing activities are in the comments!

And if you want to get your relaxation on and need some ideas…

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big book of relaxation: simple techniques to control the excess stress in your life

Only have 5 minutes?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five good minutes: 100-morning practices to help you stay calm and focused all day long

 

Quantum Leap Shelfie Challenge

Explore the spirit of possibility and problem-solving with the Quantum Leap Shelfie Challenge, a program sponsored by Indiana Humanities. The goal is to bridge the humanities with science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine, which we can do simply by reading! Below are ten books about women and girls in science. If you read five books and tell Indiana Humanities what you thought, they will send you a $10 Amazon gift card to buy your next great read! For more information, follow the link to the Indiana Humanities website.

The Aurora Public Library District owns copies of:

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

You could also request copies of the next books through Interlibrary Loan:

Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science by Jeannine Atkins

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks

Radioactive! How Irene Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World by Winifred Conkling

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer by Sydney Padua

Wonder at the Edge of the World by Nicole Helgut

Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs

Happy Reading! Good luck!

5 Children’s books for the beginning of the school year!

School started…. it happened. It’s a crazy time of the year.

Everyone settling in, getting to know their new teacher.

Getting to know the new classrooms, rules, and daily routine is on top of everyone’s mind.

Here are 5 books we LOVE for reading during the first few weeks of school with your little ones.

Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill

Conflict resolution and handling bullying are great topics to cover with your kids as they start the new year.

The Teacher from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler

Our imaginations while awesome can get the best of us, especially when it comes to our new teachers.

 

The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola

School is full of new experiences and obstacles, this book offers you and your little one a great conversation starter to discuss problem-solving and overcoming these obstacles they will face throughout the school year.

If You Take a Mouse to School by  Laura Joffe Numeroff

The always funny and true experiences of how a small request can quickly snowball into something bigger, these books are always a great read.

This Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

And one for those of us who struggle with letting them go in the first place.

Classic Series Starters: The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis recently came back into the spotlight after the release of the movies a few years ago. Many adults have grown up reading the series, and younger adults might have even grown up watching the movies, but this is the series that made me fall in love with reading when I was a kid. I don’t know how many times I’ve reread this series; the spines of my old boxed set of books are all cracked and some pages are dog-eared. The Chronicles of Narnia might not be the first books kids pull off the shelves (I feel so old), but the series is a classic that somehow manages to be relevant almost seventy years after they were first published.

I recommend reading in publication order rather than chronological order, so start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Even if you haven’t read the book, you most likely know the story anyway. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are sent away to the country from London to live in safety during the Blitz and World War II. The children arrive at the Professor’s house and begin exploring the expansive grounds and rooms, filled with antiques and treasures. During one of these explorations, the youngest, Lucy Pevensie, finds a wardrobe. Instead of finding the back of the wardrobe, however, she stumbles into Narnia, a magical land filled with ice and snow, where the White Witch has ruled for a hundred years in cruelty. Now it’s up to Lucy to convince the rest of her siblings that Narnia is real and that they must save it.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was first published in 1950 but were not immediately popular due to the fact that other children’s novels were written in a way to be more realistic so as not to frighten children or give them a false sense of reality. However, it has been widely accepted that C.S. Lewis was one of the pioneers in the genre of fantasy. The series also has strong parallels with stories and images in Christianity.

The original reading order of the series is:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Prince Caspian

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Silver Chair

The Horse and His Boy

The Magician’s Nephew

The Last Battle

The chronological order of the series is:

The Magician’s Nephew

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Horse and His Boy

Prince Caspian

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Silver Chair

The Last Battle

When I was younger, I always read the series in chronological order because that’s how my boxed set came. I think that it would be interesting to reread the series how it was supposed to be read, which is the original publication order. The Aurora Public Library District has the series both available as physical copies or digital downloads (audio books or digital books) from the Indiana Digital Download Center. We also have copies of all three movies available for check out. Either way you read it, the series will take you right back to being a child again. I can’t wait to read it again!

Happy Reading!