Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Librarian's Pick of the Week: Robinson's Crusoe


Title: Robinson Crusoe
Author: Daniel Defoe
Genre: Classic, Adventure
Published: 1719
Age: 12+

We're going old school this week!

Synopsis: "The solitary survivor on a deserted island, Robinson Crusoe gradually creates a life for himself, building a house and cultivating the land, and making a companion of the native whose life he saves. Daniel Defoe's enthralling story-telling and imaginatively detailed descriptions have ensured that his fiction masquerading as fact remains one of the most famous stories in English literature. On one level a simple adventure story, the novel also raises profound questions about moral and spiritual values, society, and man's abiding acquisitiveness."


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

How to Cope with Stress


With school ending and summer jobs looming, you might feel a tad more frazzled than usual right now. If so, try out some of these tried and true stress relievers. (Cleaning out my closet actually does me feel about 30% less stressed. I have no idea why.....)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Hanging Beds.





Awesome..

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Check Out Our New Arrivals!!

May 1st - May 15th

Monday, May 23, 2011

Parkour Flipbook



How cool. Parkour paper craft illustrated by Serene Teh. Check out some of her work on Vimeo and Tumblr.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Librarian's Pick of the Week: When You Reach Me


Title: When You Reach Me
Author: Rebecca Stead
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2009
Age: 12+

This one's for the ladies.

Synopsis: "Four mysterious letters change Miranda's world forever. By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own. I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late."

Review: "If this book makes your head hurt, you're not alone. Sixth-grader Miranda admits that the events she relates make her head hurt, too. Time travel will do that to you. The story takes place in 1979, though time frames, as readers learn, are relative. Miranda and Sal have been best friends since way before that. They both live in a tired Manhattan apartment building and walk home together from school. One day everything changes. Sal is kicked and punched by a schoolmate and afterward barely acknowledges Miranda. Which leaves her to make new friends, even as she continues to reread her ratty copy of A Wrinkle in Time and tutor her mother for a chance to compete on The $20,000 Pyramid. She also ponders a puzzling, even alarming series of events that begins with a note: I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own . . . you must write me a letter. Miranda's first-person narrative is the letter she is sending to the future. Or is it the past? It's hard to know if the key events ultimately make sense (head hurting!), and it seems the whys, if not the hows, of a pivotal character's actions are not truly explained. Yet everything else is quite wonderful. The '70s New York setting is an honest reverberation of the era; the mental gymnastics required of readers are invigorating; and the characters, children and adults, are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their souls rest. Just as Miranda rereads L'Engle, children will return to this." - Booklist


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Candy Flow Chart


As usual, I've got you covered! Never again do you have to laboriously decide in the movie theater line or in the 2 seconds before the cashier lady starts getting mad at you for holding up the line what candy you should buy. All you have to do is use this flowchart when in doubt and all will be well.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Book Trailer: Crescendo


I'm sure you've already read this one, but this is just a really nice book trailer. *le sigh*

Title: Crescendo
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Published: 2010
Age: 13+
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Nora Grey struggles to face the truth while coping with having a fallen angel boyfriend named Patch and unraveling the mystery surrounding her father's death.

If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

City of Bones Cast


So a few months ago, Cassandra Clare confirmed that the role of Clary Fray for the City of Bones movie “The Mortal Instruments” set to come out in 2012 had been cast. But I still can't decide how I feel about the decision. In case you didn't know, Clary will be played by actress Lily Collins.  There is still no news on any of the other characters, but I will keep an ear out.

What do you think about the role decision? Did you have someone else in mind when you read the books?

Monday, May 16, 2011

Book List: Horror


How fun! I stumbled across this book list entitled 100 Novels All Horror Fans Must Read. As stated by the website, "horror might be the oldest emotion known to mankind, which explains why it is such a prevalent genre of literature." The creator's of the website go on to warn the readers that "very little of this is … easy reading." Do you think that means because they are.. gruesome..?

1. The Monk – by Matthew Lewis
2. Dracula – by Bram Stoker
3. Frankenstein – by Mary Shelley
4. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – by Robert Louis Stevenson
5. The Castle of Otronto – by Horace Walpole
6. The Picture of Dorian Gray – by Oscar Wilde
7. Vathek – by William Beckford
8. The Italian – by Ann Radcliffe
9. The Missing – by Sarah Langan
10. Headstone City – by Tom Piccirilli
11. The Deceased – by Tom Piccirilli
12. Interview with the Vampire – by Anne Rice
13. The String of Pearls: A Romance – by multiple authors
14. The Stand – by Stephen King
15. Salem’s Lot – by Stephen King
16. The Shining – by Stephen King
17. It – by Stephen King
18. The Midwich Cuckoos – by John Wyndham
19. Ghost Story – by Peter Straub
20. Shadowland – by Peter Straub
21. Darkness, Tell Us – by Richard Laymon
22. Funland – by Richard Laymon
23. Blood of the Land – by Thomas F. Monteleone
24. They Thirst – by Robert R. McCammon
25. Swan’s Song – by Robert R. McCammon
26. Blue World – by Robert R. McCammon
27. The Hellbound Heart – by Clive Barker
28. American Psycho – by Bret Easton Ellis
29. The Keep – by F. Paul Wilson
30. Blood Dance – by Joe R. Lansdale
31. Monster Island – by David Wellington
32. The House of Seven Gables – by Nathaniel Hawthorne
33. Abandon – by Blake Crouch
34. Heart-Shaped Box – by Joe Hill
35. The Alienist – by Caleb Carr
36. Afraid – by Jack Kilborn
37. One Thousand and One Ghosts – by Alexandre Dumas
38. Darkly Dreaming Dexter – by Jeff Lindsay
39. Red Dragon – by Thomas Harris
40. The Silence of the Lambs – by Thomas Harris
41. The Ruins – by Scott Smith
42. Coma – by Robin Cook
43. Whispers – by Dean Koontz
44. Watchers – by Dean Koontz
45. Lightning – by Dean Koontz
46. The Stepford Wives – by Ira Levin
47. Rosemary’s Baby – by Ira Levin
48. The Phantom of the Opera – by Gaston Leroux
49. I Am Legend – by Richard Matheson
50. Hell House – by Richard Matheson
51. Creature – by John Saul
52. By Reason of Insanity – by Shane Stevens
53. The Book of Days – by Steve Rasnic Tem
54. Slob – by Rex Miller
55. Drawing Blood – by Poppy Z. Brite
56. The Girl Next Door – by Jack Ketchum
57. Ladies’ Night – by Jack Ketchum
58. The Shaft – by David Schow
59. The Light at the End – by John Skipp & Craig Spector
60. The End of Alice – by A. M. Homes
61. Conjure Wife – by Fritz Leiber
62. World War Z – by Max Brooks
63. Hollowland – by Amada Hocking
64. Ashes – by Scott Nicholson
65. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – by Seth Grahame-Smith
66. 33 A.D. – by David McAfee
67. Carrion Comfort – by Dan Simmons
68. Creepers – by David Morrell
69. Dead Until Dark – by Charlaine Harris
70. The Human Chord – by Algernon Blackwood
71. Twilight – by Stephenie Meyer
72. Psycho – by Robert Bloch
73. The Exorcist – by William Peter Blatty
74. The Wolfen – by Whitley Strieber
75. Lizzie Borden – by Elizabeth Engstrom
76. Midnight Sun – by Ramsey Campbell
77. The False House – by James Stoddard
78. Sex and Violence in Hollywood – by Ray Garton
79. The Haunting of Hill House – by Shirley Jackson
80. We Have Always Live in the Castle – by Shirley Jackson
81. The Rising – by Brian Keene
82. Face – by Tim Lebbon
83. Hotel Transylvania – by Chelsea Quinn Yarbor
84. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward – by H. P. Lovecraft
85. Necroscope – by Brian Lumley
86. The Tain – by China Mieville
87. Serenity Falls – by James A. Moore
88. Zombie – by Joyce Carol Oates
89. American Gods – by Neil Gaiman
90. Skeletons – by Al Sarrontonio
91. Live Girls – by Ray Garton
92. Geek Love – by Katherine Dunn
93. My Soul to Keep – by Tananarive Due
94. Wuthering Heights – by Emily Bronte
95. The Fog – by James Herbert
96. The Spear – by James Herbert
97. Audrey Rose – by Frank De Felitta
98. Ratman’s Notebooks – by Stephen Gilbert
99. Carmilla (novella) – by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
100. The Dark is Rising – by Susan Cooper

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Librarian's Pick of the Week: The Reformed Vampire Support Group


Title: The Reformed Vampire's Support Group
Author: Catherine Jinks
Genre: Paranormal
Published: 2003
Age: 12+

I figured I'd recommend something a little lighter. And what better than a vampire comedy?

Synopsis: "Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves. Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens. That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet. With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves. The perfect anecdote to slick vampire novels, this murder-mystery comedy of errors will thrill fans of Evil Genius."

Review: "It's hard to get too involved in a cast of barely likable whiners and pathetic hand-wringers, but somehow that isn't much of a problem in Jinks' droll vampire send-up. These bloodsuckers are anything but sexy and mysterious, as here vampirism is a cross between a defining addiction and communicable disease; those infected spend most of their time being seriously ill and attending AA-style meetings with fellow sufferers. Nina, permanently arrested at 15 years old, can't stand her fellow group members, but when one of them is found staked they all must work together to uncover the slayer before he can kill again. While readers might feel pushed rather than led through the plot, Jinks offers some wry vampire-centric twists on mystery conventions (having to repeatedly piece together what happened while literally dead to the world from sunup to sundown); and when the humor hits its mark, this can be laugh-out-loud funny. Most of the comedy, though, lies in the wide-angle skewering of support groups and fringe characters more suited to hemming and hawing than biting and sucking." - Booklist


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Potholes in Paris



Seriously. Is there anything worse than riding your bike down the road in the summer, wind in your hair, waving to the cute boy mowing the lawn, when WHAM! you hit the most awkward pothole ever. Well, artist Juliana Santacruz Herrera wanders around Paris and patches cracks and potholes in the street and on bike paths with lovely braids of colorful yarn. Now that's civic duty.

More pictures.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Just Another Cute Animal Video



I know it's spring, and NO ONE, including myself, wants to be thinking about winter, cold, and snow right now. But I couldn't resist sharing this with you. This little guy has to be the happiest penguin ever!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Reimagination of the Month


I have been thinking about doing this one for a while. Have any of you ever read the book? If you haven't, you really must. The 1000+ page length is a little daunting, but it reads so quickly. And despite the fact that a lot of people would disagree with me on this count, I think Gone with the Wind the movie did a lovely job of the book. Vivien Leigh was the perfect Scarlet. And Clark Gable really mastered the smirking, twinkling smile. So here's my reimagination for the month:




Bell of the Ball


For those of you who aren't familiar with the story, Scarlett O'Hara is a strong woman who has to learn how to deal with a nation at war, Atlanta burning to the ground, the Union Army pillaging her home, the carpetbaggers who arrive after the war, and a family to feed. Scarlett is beautiful and full of life and grit. But Ashley, the man she has wanted for so long, marries his meek cousin, Melanie. But another man falls in love with her, and though they are completely kindred spirits, Scarlet cannot seem to give up her girlish fantasies. If you haven't seen it, it really is a must.




Cotton Picking


Saturday, May 7, 2011

Librarian's Pick of the Week: The Invention of Hugo Cabret


Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2007
Age: 10+

Wonderful! If you like Charles Dickens, mysteries, and Kate Dicamillo, this one is for you!

Synopsis: "Orphan, clock keeper, thief: Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. Combining elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film, Caldecott Honor artist Selznick breaks open the novel form to create an entirely new reading experience in this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery."

Review: "Brian Selznick's atmospheric story is set in Paris in 1931. Hugo Cabret is an orphan; his father, a clockmaker, has recently died in a fire and the boy lives with his alcoholic Uncle Claude, working as his apprentice clock keeper in a bustling train station. When Hugo's uncle fails to return after a three-day absence, the boy decides it's his chance to escape the man's harsh treatment. But Hugo has nowhere to go and, after wandering the city, returns to his uncle's rooms determined to fix a mechanical figure-an automaton-that his father was restoring when he died. Hugo is convinced it will "save his life"-the figure holds a pen, and the boy believes that if he can get it working again, it will deliver a message from his father. This is just the bare outline of this multilayered story, inspired by and with references to early (French) cinema and filmmaker George Melies, magic and magicians, and mechanical objects. Jeff Woodman's reading of the descriptive passages effectively sets the story's suspenseful tone. " - School Library Journal


If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!

Friday, May 6, 2011

How Twilight Should Have Ended


Haha. Nice.
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