Rainy Day Reads

April showers brought the May flowers, but it’s been pretty rainy still. With the weather as fickle as it’s been, I don’t want to leave my driveway. With OverDrive, it’s possible to lounge around my house all day without ever running out of things to read, watch, or listen to.

Here are some just-added items from the Indiana Digital Download Center:

Compulsion by Martina Boone

The Dysasters by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Captive Heart by Glynnis Campbell

Rage Becomes Her by Soraya Chemaly

Boy Erased by Garrard Conley

The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Come Find Me by Megan Miranda

A Sucky Love Story by Brittani Louise Taylor

The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson

Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan

The Silent Invader by Thomas Wood

Place these upcoming releases on hold to read in your blanket fort!

Dead Man’s Mistress by David Housewright

Two Weeks by Karen Kingsbury

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

Murder in the City of Liberty by Rachel McMillan

The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes

Tightrope by Amanda Quick

The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

Neon Prey by John Sandford

Emily Eternal by M.G. Wheaton

So many books, so little time! Do you have a go-to rainy day read? My favorite might have to be Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë if only for the opening paragraphs:

“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further out-door exercise was now out of the question.

I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed.”

Happy Reading!

National Tartan Day!

April 6 is National Tartan Day! National Tartan Day is a US observance on April 6 each year. It commemorates the Scottish Declaration of Independence, from which the American Declaration of Independence was modeled on. It also recognizes achievements of Americans of Scottish descent. What do tartans (clothing worn by Scottish Highlanders with distinctive patterns determining specific clans) have to do with the Aurora Public Library District? Come check out the Scottish books display through the week of April 6 at the Aurora Public Library, where you’ll find books with Scottish heroes and lassies that take place on the moors and in the heather. Before you find your next great read, here are some common Scottish terms you should familiarize yourself with before you immerse yourself in the Scottish culture. (Please begin playing bagpipe music here.)

Before we get to the terms, it’s important to note how the words are pronounced. For instance, the ‘r’s’ are usually burred or rolled softly, sometimes the ‘th’ is dropped from the end of the word (with=wi’), or a ‘t’ is added instead of ‘-ed.’ Sometimes words can have different meanings, too, like ‘no’ can be ‘not’ or ‘no’ depending on the context of the sentence. I love reading books with Scottish characters and imagining their accents in my head as I read!

Aye = Yes                                                                                                            Ken = Know

Bairn = Baby or Child                                                                                      Kip = Nap

Bampot = Idiot                                                                                                  Kirk = Church

Bannock = Biscuit, Scone                                                                                Lad/Laddie = Boy

Besom = Difficult Woman                                                                               Laird = Lord

Bonnie = Pretty                                                                                                  Lass/Lassie = Girl

Breeks = Trousers                                                                                             Morn = Tomorrow

Cauld = Cold                                                                                                       No/Nae = Not

Claymore = Traditional Scottish Long Sword                                              Och = Well

Corbie = Crow or Raven                                                                                    Oxter = Armpit

Fae = From                                                                                  Sassenach = Someone from England, an Outlander

Fash = Fuss or Bother                                                                                      Sup = Small Amount of Liquid

Forby = Besides                                                                                                 Twa = Two

Heid = Head                                                                                                       Wean = Child

Hogmanay = New Year’s Eve                                                                           Wee = Small

Happy Reading!

National Days in April

April 1 is April Fool’s Day, and the Aurora Public Library District has plenty of books available to help you come up with jokes and pranks to play on your friends and coworkers. But did you know that there are a bunch of other national holidays in April that celebrate reading and writing, too?

April 4 is National School Librarian Day

I bet everyone of us can conjure an image of our old school librarian. School librarians play a huge part in a child’s literary life, whether we realized it at the time or not. Take the time to reach out and thank your old school librarian or your child’s school librarian. (I hear gift cards to bookstores and Amazon are completely acceptable.)

April 5 is National Read a Road Map Day

You might be thinking, “Does anyone even read road maps anymore with Google Maps and GPS?” Maybe not as many people do anymore, but it’s still important to instill a sense of direction in your life. And the Aurora Public Library District has plenty of road maps and atlases you can peruse at your leisure, plus all of the Online Resources we have for travel, as well. Maybe you’ll be inspired to take a road trip!

April 9-15 is National Library Week

Stop in and see us throughout the three branches in the Aurora Public Library District so we can celebrate our wonderful patrons who make our jobs worthwhile. The patron (That’s you!) is the most important person within the Aurora Public Library District, and we hope you feel that way every time you walk through our doors. Come celebrate with us this week by checking out books, audio books, and movies. Ask us all of your questions so we can research and find information for you. We love helping our patrons!

April 10 is National Encourage a Young Writer Day

Where would we be without the authors of our favorite books? But prominent writers all had to start somewhere! Encourage the young writers in your life (We have several on staff at the Aurora Public Library District!) now so that they will have the confidence and drive to pursue writing in the future.

April 11 is National Library Workers Day

The staff at the Aurora Public Library District LOVES being able to help you. Help us celebrate this day by stopping in the library and checking out your favorite book or movie! We would love to see you!

April 17 is National Poem in Your Pocket Day

Poetry can be a wonderful way to get you to think a little deeper without having to read so much. The Aurora Public Library District has dozens of books of poetry, whether you’re looking for an Easy picture book to read to your child or a book to read to yourself. You can use our public copy machines to copy your favorite poems for $.10 per copy to carry around with you.

April 23 is National Talk Like Shakespeare Day

If you need to brush up on your Elizabethan English, the Aurora Public Library District has plenty of William Shakespeare’s plays that you can read by yourself or with a group of friends. You can also check out biographies and other background materials on the famous playwright to completely immerse yourself in the period. You can be a real Shakespeare aficionado before the month is over!

Celebrate these April holidays with us at the Aurora Public Library District all month long! We can’t wait to see you!

Happy Reading!