The Librarians' Bedside Table

OSCAR GRADY PUBLIC LIBRARY

THE LIBRARIANS’

BEDSIDE TABLE What your friendly librarians have been listening, reading, watching & MUCH MORE!

GREAT NEWS! STARTING JULY 24TH, WE ARE BACK

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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:

TINY NIGHTMARES : Very Short Stories of Horror.

Various authors (Edited by Lincoln Michel) "A collection of horror-inspired flash fiction, featuring over 40 new stories from literary, horror, and emerging writers—edited by Lincoln Michel and Nadxieli Nieto, the twisted minds behind Tiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery and Murder (Black Balloon, 2018). In this playful, spine-tingling collection, leading literary and horror writers spin unforgettably chilling tales in only a few pages. Tiny Nightmares brings to life broken-hearted vampires, Uber-taking serial killers, mind-reading witches, and monsters of all imaging, as well as stories that tackle the horrors of our modern world from global warming and racism to social media addiction and online radicalization.

Writers such as Samantha Hunt, Brian Evenson, Jac Jemc, Stephen Graham Jones, Kevin Brockmeier, and Rion Amilcar Scott expand our understanding of horror fiction with inventive and blood-curdling new tales. We suggest reading with the hall light on and the bedroom door open just a crack."-Provided by publisher.

Debra Jo, Library Assistant and ILL Specialist would like to recommend the following title:

Featherhood by Charlie Samson Gilmour "One spring day, a baby magpie falls out of its nest and into Charlie Gilmour’s hands. Magpies, he soon discovers, are as clever and mischievous as monkeys. They are also notorious thieves, and this one quickly steals his heart. By the time the creature develops shiny black feathers that inspire the name Benzene, Charlie and the bird have forged an unbreakable bond. While caring for Benzene, Charlie learns his biological father, an eccentric British poet named Heathcote Williams who vanished when Charlie was six months old, is ill. As he grapples with Heathcote’s abandonment, Charlie comes across one of his poems, in which Heathcote describes how an impish young jackdaw fell from its nest and captured his affection. Over time, Benzene helps Charlie unravel his fears about repeating the past and embrace the role of father himself. A bird falls, a father dies, a child is born. Featherhood is the unforgettable story of a love affair between a man and a bird. It is also a beautiful and affecting memoir about childhood and parenthood, captivity and freedom, grief and love"--from publisher's website.

Some of the titles listed in these pages are available in electronic format through the Libby app.

Check it out!

Hope, our Collection Developer would like to recommend these titles:

ANANSI BOYS

by Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman gives us a mythology for a modern age -- complete with dark prophecy, family dysfunction, mystical deceptions, and killer birds.

Not to mention a lime.

GOD IS DEAD. MEET THE KIDS.

When Fat Charlie's dad named something, it stuck. Like calling Fat Charlie "Fat Charlie." Even now, twenty years later, Charlie Nancy can't shake that name, one of the many embarrassing "gifts" his father bestowed -- before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie's life.

Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall, good-looking stranger who appears on Charlie's doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is from day, a brother who's going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a little fun ... just like Dear Old Dad. And all of a sudden, life starts getting very interesting for Fat Charlie.

Because, you see, Charlie's dad wasn't just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spider-god.

Anansi is the spirit of rebellion, able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, and baffle the devil. Some said he could cheat even Death himself.

Returning to the territory he so brilliantly explored in his masterful New York Times bestseller, American Gods, the incomparable Neil Gaiman offers up a work of dazzling ingenuity, a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth that is at once startling, terrifying, exhilarating, and fiercely funny -- a true wonder of a novel that confirms Stephen King's glowing assessment of the author as "a treasure-house of story, and we are lucky to have him." Provided by publisher.

My Dinosaur Life (Music CD)

by Motion City Soundtrack "Worker Bee" "A Lifeless Ordinary (Need a Little Help)" "Her Words Destroyed My Planet" "Disappear" "Delirium" "History Lesson" "Stand Too Close" "Pulp Fiction" "@!#?@!"

"Hysteria" "Skin and Bones" "The Weakends"

"Motion City Soundtrack have made the best album of their career and easily one of the best albums of 2010 or any other year." [Alternative Press, Feb 2010, p.91] "On My Dinosaur Life, the Minneapolis quintet's winning fourth album (ably produced by blink182's Mark Hoppus), frontguy Justin Pierre lets his geek flag fly, likening a breakup to the destruction of Superman's home world and puzzling over ephemera ranging from acid rain to Busta Rhymes, all backed by soaring choruses guaranteed to fossilize themselves into your brain." [Entertainment Weekly, Jan 2010]

Hope would like to recommend these titles:

Ghost Blows A Kiss

By Carolyn Hart It took a chapter or two to get into this book; however, by chapter 3 I was hooked. A murder occurs in a wealthy family that lives high on a hill. A person of poorer status who lives at the bottom of the hill is blamed. Does status affect the way we look at crimes and criminals?

Bailey Ruth Raeburn is an emissary from Heaven’s Department of Good Intentions. We may consider her to be a ghost. As an emissary, she is to help protect the innocent, but must follow 7 Precepts for Earthly Visitations. When she breaks or comes close to breaking of precept, her boss appears to reprimand her. Occasionally, she can explain her way out of the reprimand.

Bailey loves fashion and takes great care to be wearing the appropriate outfit for her current location. She seems able to switch fashions in a flash. Even though several people suspect or feel her presence, she only reveals her true self to two people. On a couple of occasions, she cannot be seen, but the articles she is holding can be seen. You can imagine seeing objects floating in space would be quite unsettling. To help solve the mystery, she allows herself to be seen by several people.

I must admit that this is not one of my favorite books even though Carolyn Hart does a fine job of not revealing the murderer until the very end.

Miss Julie, our Children Librarian would like to recommend this title:

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (DVD & Blu-Ray) The show takes audiences inside the hearts and minds of the Sesame Street creators, artists, and educators who established one of the most influential and enduring children's programs in television history. With exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and over 20 original interviews, it introduces audiences to the people who entertained and educated children like never before. Provided by publisher.

Lynn, our Cataloging and Circulation Services Specialist, would like to recommend these title:

NATIVE PLANTS OF THE MIDWEST

by Alan Branhagen Create a garden that reflects the unique beauty of the Midwest.

Native Plants of the Midwest shows you the best native plants and how to use them in your garden. This invaluable resource includes: 

500 species of trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, groundcovers, bulbs, and annuals  Plants that attract native bees, butterflies, birds, and other beneficial wildlife Practical cultivation tips for adding natives to your garden.

Provided by publisher.

Maggie B. , our YA Program Coordinator, would like to recommend the following titles:

Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card. 2017

by CLAMP (Mangaka Group) Sakura Kinomoto's about to start middle school, and everything's coming up cherry blossoms. Not only has she managed to recapture the scattered Clow Cards and make them her own Sakura Cards, but her sweetheart Syaoran Li has moved from Hong Kong to Tokyo and is going to be attending her school! But her joy is interrupted by a troubling dream in which the cards turn transparent, and when Sakura awakens to discover her dream has become reality, it's clear that her magical adventures are far from over." Provided by publisher.

Fruits Basket Another by Natsuki Takaya "Sawa Mitoma, a nervous, skittish girl who prefers minimal human interaction, has just started high school, and it's already not going well... until she meets the "it" boys--the "prince-like" Mutsuki and the sharp-tongued Hajime. But little does she know, they're Sohmas?! It's Fruits Basket... again!" Provided by publisher.

Martin, our Collection Developing and Adult Services Coordinator would like to recommend these titles:

OBJECTS OF DESIRE by Clare Sestanovich "A debut collection of witty, elegant short stories that follow women from the brink of adulthood, to the labyrinthine gap between twenty and thirty, to middle age and the quiet instants in which certain possibilities disappear -- exploring themes of identity, yearning, aspiration, and family"-Provided by publisher.

The Boy in the Field:

A Novel by Margot Livesey One September afternoon, teenagers Matthew, Zoe, and Duncan Lang are walking home from school when they discover a boy lying in a field, bloody and unconscious. Thanks to their intervention, the boy's life is saved, but all three siblings are irrevocably changed. As each confronts the complications of their approaching adulthood, they find themselves both drawn together and driven apart. Provided by publisher.

Rita would like to recommend these titles:

Those who have experienced loss and grief, reading Beloved

on

the earth: 150 poems of grief and gratitude (2009), edited by Jim Perlman, may bring a bit of solace. Poets from a variety of cultures are represented in this book, bringing different viewpoints on the weight of loss, the process of grief, and pain and balm of memory.

Poems addressing the loss of a loved one to Alzheimer’s and dementia are included.

“Potatoes,” by Ethna McKiernan compares Alzheimer’s to a suitor, “who has never lost a single lover’s hand he’s played,” and “His Funeral,” by Jeff Worley compares Alzheimer’s to a noose. “Memory Care Unit,” by Mark Vinz, is a portrait of a caring son visiting his mother in such a unit.

Everyone experiences loss differently, and every loss is a different experience, due to the unique relationships we build with the people in our lives. Reading the beautiful poetry in Beloved on earth, may provide a small balm while navigating the pain of mourning. “The Swan,” by Rainer Maria Rilke and “Bear Butte Passage,” by Eric Lochridge, for example, offer an unusual perspective on death, and “After,” by Linda Glaser and “Se Me Olvidó Otra Vez,” by Eduardo C. Corral, for example, are poignant descriptions of the bereavement process.

Beloved on earth is available through Monarch..

Poems for Life: A Special Collection of Poetry (1995, 2011) is the result of a project by two 5 grade classes in a New York th

school. The students in those classes wrote famous people and asked them, “What is your favorite poem?” Some of the poems submitted are well-known favorites (“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” by William Wordsworth, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” by Robert Frost, for example), but other favorites are not as well known and may become new favorites for readers.

“In Black Earth, Wisconsin,” by Anna Musher, is a vivid,

heartbreaking poem about a family mourning one of its children.

In a different tone, “The Low Road,” by Marge Piercy is a motivational poem on how to enact change. Take a trip to the Ireland of yore by reading Moira O’Neill’s “Cuttin’ Rushes.” To restore one’s spirit, follow the advice in William Cullen Bryant’s, “From ‘Inscription for the Entrance to a Wood,” and seek nature.

This small book contains many gems, although it tends to be focused on Western poets. That said, readers will enjoy the beautiful poetry as well as the response letters, which are included..

Poems for Life is available through Monarch.

Tyler, our Library Services Assistant would like to recommend these titles:

ARTIC GHOST SHIP, A NOVA program.

DVD, 2015 Chronicles the efforts by a Canadian team to salvage the recently discovered Erberus, lost during the ill-fated 1845 Franklin Expedition, whose mission was to chart the Northwest Passage. Sheds new light on the expedition's demise.

Other titles you may be interested if you enjoy similar stories to All Creatures Great & Small by James Herriot: The Rhino with Glue-on Shoes by Lucy H. Spelman Here pioneering zoological veterinarians—men and women on the cutting edge of a new medical frontier—tell real-life tales of daring procedures for patients weighing tons or ounces, treating symptoms ranging from broken bones to a broken heart, and life-and-death dramas that will forever change the way you think about wild animals and the bonds we share with them. chronicle of discovery, compassion, and cutting-edge medicine, The Rhino with Glue-on Shoes is must reading for animal lovers, science buffs, and anyone who loves a well-told tale. Provided by publisher.

Never Turn Your Back on an Angus Cow

by Dr. Jan Pol "Dr. Pol shares his amusing and often poignant tales from his four decades as a vet in rural Michigan. [He's] not your typical veterinarian: born and raised [in the] Netherlands on a dairy farm, he is the star of Nat Geo Wild's hit show The Incredible Dr. Pol and has been treating animals in rural Michigan since the 1970s. Dr. Pol's more than 20,000 patients have ranged from white mice to 2600pound horses and everything in between"--Provided by publisher.

Tell Me Where It Hurts by Dr. Nick Trout From the frontlines of modern medicine, this is an insider portrait of a veterinarian, his furry patients, and the blend of old-fashioned instincts and cutting-edge technology that defines pet care in the 21st century. Dr. Trout, an Englishman who is a staff surgeon at Boston's Angell Animal Medical Center, takes the reader on a vicarious journey through 24 intimate, heartrending hours in his life; his wry, companionable voice offers enlightening anecdotes about cuddly (or not-so-cuddly) pets and their variously zany, desperate, and demanding owners --From publisher description.

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