OSCAR GRADY PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE LIBRARIANS’
BEDSIDE TABLE What your friendly librarians have been listening, reading, watching & MUCH MORE!
FEBRUARY IS LIBRARY LOVERS MONTH!
Oscar Grady Public Library Mission Statement:
The mission of the Oscar Grady Public Library is to provide high interest, high demand materials and make them readily available from the Library’s collection or through interlibrary loan. The Library supports lifelong learning, information and recreational needs for people of all ages and abilities. Special emphasis is placed on stimulating children’s interests and appreciation for reading and learning. The integration of new technology with traditional library resources is used to expand service beyond the Library’s physical walls.
On this new issue of our “Librarians’ Bedside Table”, we compiled a list of really good titles recommended by your library friends. Each title can be accessed in electronic format for your convenience. Click or tap in the hyperlinks attached to each title that will take you right to them in the Monarch Catalog. We hope you enjoy this selection of books from your
librarians at the Oscar Grady Public Library!
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Jen Gerber, our Library Director, would like to recommend the following title:
WINTERSET HOLLOW: A Novel By Jonathan Edward Durham Winterset Hollow follows a group of friends to the place that inspired their favorite book-a timeless tale about a tribe of animals preparing for their yearly end-ofsummer festival. But after a series of shocking discoveries, they find that much of what the world believes to be fiction is actually fact, and that the truth behind their beloved story is darker and more dangerous than they ever imagined. It's Barley Day . . . and you're invited to the hunt. Winterset Hollow is as thrilling as it is terrifying and as smart as it is surprising. A uniquely original story filled with properly unexpected twists and turns, Winterset Hollow delivers complex, indelible characters and pulse- pounding action as it storms toward an unforgettable climax that will leave you reeling. How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run. " -- Description from publisher.
Debra Jo, Library Assistant and ILL Specialist would like to recommend the following title:
WILLODEEN by Katherine Applegate When the annual migration of hummingbears, a source of local pride and income, dwindles and no one knows why, Willodeen, armed with a magical birthday gift, speaks up for the animals she loves and vows to uncover this mystery. Description from publisher.
THE HIDDEN BEAUTY OF SEEDS & FRUITS by Levon Biss The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruit is a unique photographic study of seeds and fruit in mindblowing magnification that celebrates the wonders of nature and science. Each picture in this book is created from approximately 8,000 individual photographs. The samples come from the carpological collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. After searching through thousands of specimens, Biss has selected the 60 most striking samples to be featured in this book. As with Microsculpture, each image will be captioned with scientific information and it will be on exhibition for the first time at the Royal Botanic Garden in Spring 2021. Description from publisher
Hope would like to recommend this title:
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer The Untethered Soul about exploring one's self. The author discusses the voice that is constantly being heard in one's head. This voice belongs to the person. There is a constant inner dialogue going on. The question is asked, "Who are you?" If you answer your name, that is really a label. If you answer you are the spouse of so-and-so, that is also a label. Your past history telling what you have done is a record, but not who you are. So the question remains, "Who are you?" The author then deals with the inner energy that is in all of us. He says that it is an unlimited amount of energy has nothing to do with food, sleep, or age. You can decide whether to open or close your heart and mind which are the energy centers. Our amount of being open open or closed is affected by all our past experiences. He gives several examples that show how this energy comes and goes. Two categories of events can block the flow of energy. The first are negative events that we tried to push away and the second are positive events which we tried to cling to or hang on to. Toward the end of the book, the author deals with a person's relationship with God and the universe. There were times I did not think I would finish this book, because it was requiring deeper thinking that I wanted to do at the time. However, when the book was finished, I found that I had enjoyed it and probably looked at my life with a different perspective.
I Am Not a Fish by Peter Raymundo “I Am Not a Fish” is a child's version of "The Untethered Soul". Edgar, a jellyfish, is venting to an "underwater support group". He is trying to say he is not a fish, but actually resembles more a plastic bag. As he continues to try to say who he is, he finally decides humans have just put two unrelated words together to describe him. The support group is very welcoming and willing to listen to Edgar. At the very end of the book, a seahorse approaches and very quietly says," I am seahorse. Perhaps we all need to try to figure out "Who am I?".
Some of the titles listed in these pages are available in electronic format through the Libby app.
Hope, our Collection Developer would like to recommend this title:
Jeeves in the Morning (originally published as Joy in the Morning) by P.G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse became one of the most successful English comic writers of the 20th century. Literary genius and a light approach to life allowed him to play with language in a unique fashion, giving an individual spark to every novel through vivid descriptions, sharp wit, outrageous pomposity, running themes and ridiculous but lovable characters. Once you have read one, it is impossible not to fall in love with the rest of Wodehouse’s masterpieces. Written during the Second World War in Germany itself, Wodehouse’s escapist work leaves behind the horrors and bitterness of life, bringing brightness and laughter with it instead. Recalling the old days of balls and butlers, this novel is a nostalgic memory of a world which was lost to war forever, yet immortalized within its pages. Wodehouse’s best characters are back in this story, which promises hilarious scenes when Bertie is forced to visit his terrible Aunt Agatha at the picturesque Steeple Bumpleigh. Love, jealousy, mésalliances, mistaken identities, and plans which go awry can mean only one thing: Jeeves will be back to set things right once again. From: ( https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/ articles/the-best-books-by-p-g-wodehouse-you-should-read/ )
Lynn, our Cataloging and Circulation Services Specialist, would like to recommend this title:
Hamilton , Audio CD (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 2015 The original Broadway cast album of Hamilton, a fusion of hip-hop and pop-driven musical theater, is now available from Atlantic Records. Cast members from the blockbuster new musical Hamilton, which recently opened to widespread critical acclaim at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, began recording their parts for this release in August of this year. This two-disc album was produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, founding members of the Grammy-winning hip-hop band, The Roots. Description from publisher.
Martin, our Collection Developing and Adult Services Coordinator would like to recommend this title:
TIDES: a novel by Sara Freeman True to its title, in this debut by novel by author Sara Freeman, we the readers are pulled into an up and down of emotions following the tides in which Mara, the main character in this book, finds herself swirling. TIDES is raw look into the nature of grief, love, memory and self re-invention (or deconstruction, depending what your feelings are at the end of the book) as well as our need to find a sense of belonging. With a fast paced narrative structure, while small in its page count and composed of very short paragraphs, this books really packs a BIG PUNCH.
All Creatures Great & Small Television show, Season 1 DVD, 2021 A fun and warm show, ideal for this wintery months. The show is based loosely on the novels of Mr. James Herriot, which portray the adventurous comings and goings of his experiences as a country doctor in rural England. A must for anyone who appreciates lighthearted television series full of humor, good natured people and the beauty of the English rural landscape. Another hit by PBS!
Rita would like to recommend these titles:
The Man Who Died Twice (2021), by Richard Osment, is the second novel in his Thursday Murder Club Mystery series. The Thursday Murder Club is a group of four goldens (seniors) who live at Cooper’s Chase, a swanky British retirement village, and use the skills they have acquired over a lifetime to solve murders. Elizabeth, a retired MI5 agent, receives a message from a deceased person in her past, and things around Cooper’s Chase start to get interesting. Soon after, her former husband, who also happens to be a former MI5 agent, shows up needing protection. Elizabeth enlists the aid of the rest of the Thursday Murder Club: Joyce, a former nurse; Ibrahim, a psychiatrist; and Ron, a former trade union representative. When bodies start to pile up, it becomes clear the Thursday Murder Club is also in danger. Will they all survive this latest mystery? Readers who want to learn more about the backgrounds of the main characters might want to read Osment’s The Thursday Murder Club (2020) before this novel. Watch for the film adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club by Stephen Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment.
The Man Who Died Twice and The Thursday Murder Club are available through Monarch in regular, large-print and audio books and through Libby in book and audio formats.
Lisa Jewell’s The Night She Disappeared (2021) is a suspenseful novel about a nightmarish scenario. Kim lives in a small English town and is watching her year-old grandson while his parents, Tallulah and Zach, go out for a date. When Kim wakes up the next morning and discovers Tallulah and Zach Home→Kids→1000 Books Before Kindergarten
never returned home, she does everything in her power to discover what happened to them, but to no avail. About a year after the couple has gone missing without a trace, someone starts to leave clues about that fateful night. Did the young couple decide the responsibilities of parenthood were too Jewell’s novel is suspenseful from the start, although some readers might find the very ending a bit contrived. The Night She Disappeared is available through Monarch in regular, large-print, and audio books and through Libby in book and audio formats.
Sharyn would like to recommend this title:
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris "She Vanished He Lied Their Secrets Won't Stay Buried" This can't-put-down twisted, chilling, psychological thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the shocking conclusion on the very last pageliterally! Finn and Layla are a young couple in love with a bright future ahead- until the unthinkable. When Lalya disappears without a trace, Finn's grief is overwhelming. He partners with Ellen, Layla's sister and best friend, in the search for answers; which are not to be found...UNTIL, years later, Finn's past reaches out to threaten his future- and everything he holds dear. Written by the best selling author of powerful fiction titles "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Breakdown", B.A. Paris, excels in writing suspenseful works that take any number of random events experienced every day and connects them together into intricate story lines that are ultimately anything but. Within this engrossing narrative, every character is a suspect and no relationship is sacred. Truly a skillfully plotted, fast-paced thriller.
Steven would like to recommend this title:
Overcomer, 2019 Directed by the Kendrick Brothers, Blu-Ray & DVD. I don’t know about you, but I recently have been feeling the blues, especially the winter and Covid blues. When I feel down, I usually like to sit down in front of the TV and watch a good movie. Recently, I sat down and watched Overcomer, which is produced by the Kendrick Brothers. This movie has a way of reminding me that even when I don’t think I can power through the dark times, as long as I don’t give up and keep pushing myself, I can overcome anything life throws at my way.
My Side Of The Mountain by Jean Craighead George We all have that one book, from our youth, that we just enjoyed reading, especially on those days we were stuck inside with nothing to do. For me that book was My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. It’s full of survival, adventure, and the outdoors. As a youth, I found this book to be the adventure that I was needing on those days I was stuck inside. Even though I am no longer that young boy, I still pull out my copy of this book and start reading it because it is timeless and, as I found, you’re never too old to enjoy a good book, no matter who the books intended audience may be.
February 11 is INVENTOR’S DAY & Miss Julie is celebrating this day with a selection of books about inventors & their inventions. To see them and request them, click on the following:
Miss Julie’s BOOKSHELF and click/tap on each title to learn more about them. Check it out!
Now around town! Books for everyone. The Oscar Grady Library with the support of The Friends of the Oscar Grady Library has purchased three Little Free Libraries, which have been installed at three convenient locations: Quade Park, The Oscar Grady Library, and Village Hall. Check them out! Love them, enjoy them, treasure them.
www.oscargradylibrary.org