Monday, August 26, 2024

TBR: What's On Our To-Read Piles

 


We asked our library staff and volunteers which books on their TBR piles they are most excited to pick up next.  Here are their responses:

 

Bronna:

Mind Games by Norah Roberts

Her books are my equivalent of comfort food.  Something that I know I will enjoy reading after a very busy week.  


Crystal:

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

She’s my favorite author and all her books are amazing!  I have a lot on my TBR list, but this is at the top.

 

Zoe

Tidal Creatures by Seanen McGuire

I love everything Seanen writes. The world she created for the Alchemical Journeys series is so fascinating and bizaare.  I just want to jump right into it! 


Rebecca:

Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson: a mystery thriller about a teen girl who has lived her life in the shadow of her mother’s disappearance.  When her family agrees to be part of a true crime documentary, her mother suddenly reappears.  But what really happened? Is her mother telling the truth? 

This book has had such rave reviews, I can’t wait to dive in!

Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle   Dark magic, rival assassins, monsters… Sera’s mother was murdered, and she is set on revenge.  Sera joins the Cloaks and fights the Daggers to control the City’s underworld, a city that resembles Paris with underground catacombs and cobblestone streets.

 Rumored to have a lot of unpredictable plot twists… (They had me with a description of “witty, snarky romantic tension” between Sera and the rival she plans to kill.)


JoJo:

Geopedia by Marcia Bjornerud

I saw this while shelving, and wanted to know more! (Non-fiction book on geodes)


Stephanie:

Weyward by Amelia Hart : Such a beautiful cover and the Bookaholics book club always chooses such great titles!

Looking for salvation at the Dairy Queen : a novel / Gilmore, Susan Gregg.
Here's another book on my list I'm looking forward to reading. Because who doesn't love a good old-fashioned DQ? And I love stories with characters who long to escape their life and are drawn back to their roots, discovering that's where they belong after all.

 

Olivia

All Quiet on the Western Front

I’ve seen both movie versions, I’d like to see the original text and source material for the adaptations.

 

Anonymous

Dirty Laundry: Why Adults with ADHD are so ashamed and what we can do to help

I’m not exactly excited to read it, but I feel we should all be more aware.

Monday, August 19, 2024

Finding Meaning: Books that have impacted us


Have you read any books that helped you find yourself?  Everyone seems to go through a period in their life where they are looking for meaning, where they feel lost and unsure how to move forward.  Here are some titles that we’ve heard about from others, who felt they helped them find meaning, motivation, or offered an insight that impacted their life.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

True story of a computer science professor who was diagnosed with cancer and the last lecture he gave his students, relating to how they could help others realize their dreams and overcoming obstacles

Reader response: The whole story was impactful. I still think about it a year later.

Hiding in the Bathroom: an Introvert’s Roadmap to Getting Out There (When You’d Rather Stay Home) by Morra Aarons-Mele

Wisdom and practical tips for introverts on building relationships and dealing with challenges at work.

Reader response: This book really enabled me to find ways to get around challenges.

House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Linus has a solitary life as a case worker for a governmental department that oversees orphaned children with magical abilities.  Called out to an island to look into a group of magical misfits there, Linus feels like he has found family, but has a difficult choice to make.

Reader response: “I loved these characters so much I would fight to the death for them. This book just really restored my faith in humanity and helped my anxiety to know that level of love, kindness, and acceptance.”

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

A labor and delivery nurse is prohibited by a father for caring for a newborn because she is black, but when the baby goes into cardiac arrest, she intervenes and is later sued.

Reader response: “This book made me realize that I was not as aware about racial inequalities as much as I thought I was. It really educated me and changed my perspective.”

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff and E. H. Shepard

Reader response: “It’s an introduction to Taoism through how Winnie the Pooh reacts to things. Simple, but deep, and helped put into words how I wanted to live my life mindfully and with less stress.”

Man’s search for meaning by Frankl

A psychiatrist who survived the Nazi concentration camps reflects on his experiences and how to live a better life.

Reader response:  There’s a quote in the book, "He who has a why can survive any how,” that made me think very critically about how I wanted to live my life. The author talks about visualization and using his imagination as coping tools to move you to a better space, and I think about that a lot.

Cosmos by Carl Sagan

Reader response: Learning how everything is connected on an atomic level was astonishing and actually changed some of my views on spirituality and life.

10 Shades Of Personality: Understanding and Thriving amidst Personality Disorders by Queeneth Agu

Reader response: I had been talking to someone about my ex-wife and she gave me a copy of this book. It helped me better understand my ex’s behavior and work toward healing. It was amazing to read a list of behaviors that described her so perfectly and understand that I was not the crazy one.  It was mind-blowing, honestly. I feel like they should teach this in schools, so people are aware of and can recognize personality disorders in themselves and others.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Reader response: I read this in 2017 when it first came out and it really opened my eyes. I remember hearing in the news when I was fairly young about black men being arrested/killed unfairly and asking about it.  I was told that they had done something to deserve it—they had been dealing drugs or looked suspicious when they ran away… I’m ashamed to admit how long I believed that. This book offered a look into that world through the eyes of a very intelligent, honest teen girl who was doing her best to understand what happened with her friend.  Her courage and willingness to tackle giant systemic issues not only impressed me, it inspired me to continue educating myself to become anti-racist and to educate my friends and family when they were perpetuating racist behavior. There are other non-fiction books that opened my eyes even further, but this was the first to jolt me awake, with a main character so likeable, it feels like a conversation with a close friend.

The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

Reader response: This book let me know that it’s OK to step outside of our comfort zones, enjoy the little things in life, and do our best not to let our anxieties get the better of us.

Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey

Reader response: This made me realize how much I internalized that one's worth is tied to production.  Our society is brainwashing us into being machines, working an an unrealistic pace and this book shows how rest can be radical resistance.

Monday, August 12, 2024

Libros Nuevos en Español / New Spanish Books

 

Do you like to read books in Spanish?  The Eager Free Library was recently awarded an Adult Literacy grant from The Dollar General Literacy Foundation to be able to purchase adult titles in Spanish and we’d love to hear your suggestions for purchase!  Check out our survey in the Adult Fiction section—you can suggest specific titles or check off the types of books you like to read.  We’d love to see you at our monthly Spanish-English Conversation Group, too!  Join us on the first Friday of the month at 6 pm at El Vallarta restaurant.  Here is a peek at some of our new Spanish titles:


The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo=Los Siete Maridos de Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

When Monique, a relatively unknown author, is chosen to write a biography for famous movie star Evelyn Hugo, she is thrilled. As Evelyn tells her story, Monique finds herself growing closer to her, but is surprised to learn their paths cross in unexpected ways.


Until August=En Agosto Nos Vemos by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Every year, Ana travels to an island to lay flowers on her mother’s grave. Although married, she takes a lover for this one night a year. (Published posthumously.)


The Woman with Jade Eyes=La Mujer de los Ojos de Jade by Marta Camara

Set in Shanghai, China, in 1924 as the Communist Party starts to expel foreigners.


The Color of Invisible Things=Color de las Cosas invisibles by Andrea Longarela

Rain and Jack hate each other, but fate seems to keep throwing them together.


A Perfect Story=Un cuento Perfecto by Elisabet Benavent

(Made into a Netflix series) Margot is an heiress fleeing on the day of her wedding, David works multiple jobs to make ends meet and is dealing with heartbreak. When they meet, however, they realize they can help each other win back the love of their lives.

Monday, August 5, 2024

Summer Reading Finale Week!

 




If library programs were fireworks, this week would be our Grand Finale!  The Summer Reading Program ends this Saturday, Aug. 10, so be sure to turn in your bingo sheets and Adventure maps before then to be entered in our Grand Prize Drawings. We hope you've had (and read) some great adventures this summer!

We have some great programs lined up this week as well: on Tuesday, kids are invited to make a Galaxy Jar, on Wednesday, adults are invited to make a Mini Adventure Sign Post, on Saturday the 10th, teens are invited for a Mockingjay Scavenger Hunt, and then also on Saturday, Aug 10th, bring chairs or a blanket to picnic on the Library’s front lawn!  We’ll have live band karaoke and food trucks to celebrate your reading accomplishments! (Rain alternative: Library’s lower level Multipurpose Room)

To register for Galaxy Jars:  https://events.getlocalhop.com/galaxy-jars/event/mAF04fkNBq/

To register for DIY Mini Adventure Sign Posts: https://events.getlocalhop.com/diy-mini-adventure-signpost/event/3GjuQkhvAM/

We’re proud of all your reading accomplishments this summer and hope to see you back at the library soon!

Monday, July 29, 2024

Author Spotlight: Kathleen Grissom

Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom is the next book that our Antemeridians book club will be reading. They will discuss it on Thursday, August 15 at 10:30am in the Library's Multipurpose Room. We have copies of the book available in regular print, large print, audiobook, and Playaway. Stop at the upstairs desk to check out your copy today!

Here's a summary of Crow Mary: In 1872, sixteen-year-old Goes First, a Crow Native Woman, marries Abe Farwell, a white fur trader. He gives her the name Mary, and they set off on the long trip to his trading post in Saskatchewan, Canada. Along the way, she finds a fast friend in a Metis named Jeannie; makes a lifelong enemy in a wolfer named Stiller; and despite learning a dark secret of Farwell's past, falls in love with her husband. The winter trading season passes peacefully. Then, on the eve of their return to Montana, a group of drunken whisky traders slaughters forty Nakota - despite Farwell's efforts to stop them. Mary, hiding from the hail of bullets, sees the murderers, including Stiller, take five Nakota women back to their fort. She begs Farwell to save them, and when he refuses, Mary takes two guns, creeps into the fort, and saves the women from certain death. Thus, She sets off a whirlwind of colliding cultures that brings out the worst and best in the cast of unforgettable characters and pushes the love between Farwell and Crow Mary to the breaking point.

Kathleen Grissom has also written two other historical fiction books called The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything.

Monday, July 22, 2024

Friends Summer Used Book Sale & Donation Days

Is it time to purge some  of your personal book collection? Looking to find some great deals on used books? The Friends of the Eager Free Public Library will be having their Summer Used Book Sale and Donation Days on: 
- Thursday, August 1 
  from 12:00pm to 5:00pm
- Friday, August 2
  from 9:00am to 5:00pm
- Saturday, August 3
  from 9:00am to 12:00pm

The sale will be located in the lower level on the Grange Building at 19 W. Main Street. All donations should also be taken to the Grange Building. We will not accept donations at the Library. The Friends will not accept reference or textbooks, magazines (except for quilting ones), damaged books, DVDs and CDs.
 
If you have any questions about the sale or donations, please contact the Friends at friendsefpl@gmail.com

Monday, July 15, 2024

New Adult Graphic Novels











We've been working on adding new books to our Adult Graphic Novel collection! If you need to check off that box on your Adult BINGO sheet for Summer Reading, maybe one of these will appeal to you. Also, if you are someone who is really into graphic novels, please let us know some of  your favorites. We are always open to suggestions and want to have books that our patrons want to read! We recently relocated our Adult Graphic Novel collection, so if you're unable to find them, please ask library staff where their new home is.

The Dead Boy Detectives: Volume One by Toby Litt

Dune: The Graphic Novel: Book One by Brian Herbert

My Favorite Thing is Monsters: Book One by Emil Ferris

The Umbrella Academy: Volume One by Gerard Way

How to Baby by Lana Finck

Victory Parade by Leela Corman

The Asiri: Volume One by Roye Okupe

Evil Eyes Sea by Ozge Samanci