OSCAR GRADY PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE LIBRARIANS’
BEDSIDE TABLE What your friendly librarians have been listening, reading, watching & MUCH MORE!
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 titles:
In Sunlight or in Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper / Edited by Lawrence Block A truly unprecedented literary achievement by author and editor Lawrence Block, a newly-commissioned anthology of seventeen superbly-crafted stories inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, including Jeffery Deaver, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Lee Child, and Robert Olen Butler, among many others. Provided by publisher.
The Public (DVD) Directed by Emilio Estevez An act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold. Provided by publisher.
Debra Jo, Library Assistant and ILL Specialist would like to recommend the following titles:
“I wouldn't say I enjoy death and dying. However, I do believe that this inevitable transition isn't automatically, always, and only a sad and mournful time. Both of my book selections bring light to how we can walk through the pain and grief of death in a celebratory and healing fashion. Given the amount of death we've all seen over the past year I thought these picks might be helpful reads because they nudge folks to rewrite negative thoughts on death/grief into more positive, healing ones.”
Caring for the Dying by Henry Fersko-Weiss Caring for the Dying describes a whole new way to approach death and dying. It explores how the dying and their families can bring deep meaning and great comfort to the care given at the end of a life. Created by Henry Fersko-Weiss, the end-of-life doula model is adapted from the work of birth doulas and helps the dying to find meaning in their life, express that meaning in powerful and beautiful legacies, and plan for the final days. Provided by publisher.
Birdsong by Julie Flett When a young girl moves from the country to a small town, she feels lonely and out of place. But soon she meets an elderly woman next door, who shares her love of nature and art. As the seasons change, can the girl navigate the failing health of her new friend? Acclaimed author and artist Julie Flett's textured images of birds, flowers, art, and landscapes bring vibrancy and warmth to this powerful story, which highlights the fulfillment of intergenerational relationships and shared passions. Provided by publisher.
“For those lovers of vinyl records looking to travel back in time, have a few hearty giggles, yodel along with, and maybe sway side to side I recommend listening to The Girls of the Golden West, Selected Recordings 1933-1938. Included on the backside of the album sleeve is a brief yet informative discussion on women's role in early country music.”
GROOVY! NOW PLAYING!
More and more albums are being added to our collection of vinyls for you to check out. Artists in a great variety of genres await for you and your needle to enjoy music at 33 1⁄3 rpm!
Hope, our Collection Developer would like to recommend these titles:
The Survivors by Jen Harper Coming home dredges up deeply buried secrets in The Survivors, a thrilling mystery by New York Times bestselling author Jane Harper Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home. Kieran's parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn. When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away.."-- Provided by publisher.
All Creatures Great & Small (Sea. 1) TV on DVD James Herriot’s adventures as a veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire get a glorious new adaptation in All Creatures Great and Small, a seven-part series based on his beloved books. Exciting newcomer Nicholas Ralph will make his television debut as the iconic vet who became renowned for his inspiring humor, compassion and love of life. Samuel West (Mr. Selfridge, On Chesil Beach) plays Siegfried Farnon, the wonderfully eccentric veterinary surgeon and proprietor of Skeldale House, who reluctantly hires the recently qualified Herriot into his rural practice. Mrs. Hall, the resident housekeeper and matriarch of Skeldale House, is played by Anna Madeley (The Child in Time, Patrick Melrose). Siegfried’s errant and charismatic younger brother, Tristan, is played by Callum Woodhouse (The Durrells in Corfu). Rachel Shenton (Switched at Birth, White Gold) takes the role of Helen Alderson, an independent local farmer’s daughter who helps her father manage the family farm and care for her younger sister. Diana Rigg (Victoria, Game of Thrones) plays Mrs. Pumphrey, the delightfully eccentric owner of the overly indulged Pekingese Tricki Woo, while Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter, Ripper Street) plays Hugh Hulton, a wealthy landowner and rival to James for Helen’s affections. Provided by publisher.
Hope, our newest member of the family, would like to recommend this titles
“A Woman of Substance” by Barbara Taylor Bradford This was my all-time favorite book. It was un-putdownable. This poor young woman worked her way up from a servant to the richest level of society. She never let up on hard work and determination to be better than her current position. Even though others might betray her, she always remembered those who deserved her help. I am thrilled to learn that on the 30th anniversary of this book, Barbara Taylor Bradford wrote a sequel to “A Woman of Substance” picking up with Emma Harte’s life. Even though I see mixed reviews of this book, it is my next read. Watch for the next edition of the Librarian’s Bedside Table for my thoughts on the book.
Lynn, our Cataloging and Circulation Services Specialist, would like to recommend these titles:
Plant Partners by Jessica Walliser Plant Partners delivers a research-based rationale for companion planting, offering gardeners dozens of ways they can use scientifically tested plant partnerships to benefit the garden as a whole"-- Provided by publisher.
Cooking Step by Step Perfect for budding young chefs looking to cook with confidence, this book will help make sure all your meals hit the spot. Cooking Step by Step is packed with 50 mouthwatering recipes that are easy to make and tasty enough for the whole family to enjoy .Provided by publisher.
Some of the titles listed in these pages are available in electronic format through the Libby & RBDigital apps.
Check it out!
Martin, our Collection Developing and Adult Services Coordinator would like to recommend these titles:
Last Days of Ellis Island by Gaelle Josse "New York, November 3, 1954. In a few days, the immigration inspection station on Ellis Island will close its doors forever. John Mitchell, an officer of the Bureau of Immigration, is the guardian and last resident of the island. As Mitchell looks back over forty-five years as gatekeeper to America and its promise of a better life, he recalls his brief marriage to his beloved wife Liz, and is haunted by memories of a transgression involving Nella, an immigrant from Sardinia. Told is a series of poignant diary entries, this is a story of responsibility, love, fidelity, and remorse."-Provided by publisher.
Strange harvests : the hidden histories of seven natural objects. by Edward Posnett. In this beguiling work Posnett journeys to some of the most far-flung locales on the planet to bring seven wonders of the natural world--eiderdown, vicuña fiber, sea silk, vegetable ivory, civet coffee, guano, and edible birds' nests--that promise ways of using nature without damaging it. Provided by publisher.
Rita would like to recommend these titles:
Hold On, But Don’t Hold Still (2020)by Kristina Kuzmic is the book I wish I would have owned when I became a parent. It is a book I enjoyed reading now, even though my active parenting days have long passed. Kuzmic addresses the challenges posed by parenthood and life itself. Using insight, empathy, and humor, Kuzmic offers affirming advice, focused on kindness and hope. Kuzmic implores, “Please choose to give yourself more credit than criticism and more grace than judgment. You deserve it. And it will change you.”
Kuzmic is a well-known vlogger and author now, but she has experienced serious difficulties in her life. She immigrated to the U.S. from Croatia during the war in her homeland. Later, Kuzmic faced additional challenges: divorce, single parenting, poverty, and depression. Through it all, she has maintained a goal of acting to make the world a kinder place. Kuzmic keeps it real by acknowledging her failures and telling readers of the changes she made and how she moved forward again. Some of my favorite parts of Hold On, But Don’t Hold Still are Kuzmic’s humorous parenthetical remarks and pithy insights. In her introduction, Kuzmic reminds readers, “There’s a name for when things don’t work out the way you thought they would. It’s called ‘life.’” Regarding communicating with her children, Kuzmic writes, “…I gave myself a new challenge: Can I make sure that my children walk away from every conversation they have with me feeling that they were truly heard and that what they have to say genuinely matters to me? I’m not always successful at this, but—like I always say—every day is a second chance to suck at life a little less.” Kuzmic acknowledges the learning curve for parents. She writes, “Parenting is about raising myself as much as it is about raising my kids.” Additionally, “You don’t expect a seven-year-old to know how to do certain things the very first time around. If it’s your first time parenting in a certain situation, give yourself the same grace you’re giving your child. Let yourself mess up without beating yourself up for it.” Also, “If I want to raise kids who can deal with mistakes in a healthy way, I have to lead by example.”
Kuzmic is a cheerleader for parents, while acknowledges parenting’s (and life’s!) challenges. “Parenting is insane. Even without any added financial burdens or depression, parenting is a circus. It’s every extreme emotion all bottled up, shaken together like a strong cocktail, and then chugged by our brain cells. Parenthood is happy and sad, fulfilling and draining. It makes us feel like a superhero one second and a total failure the next. Parenting is complicated. Very, very complicated.”
Hold On, But Don’t Hold Still may be a Covid-era substitute for a compassionate, wise friend. At least it can come into your home without bringing a virus! This book is available through Monarch and Libby.
Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle (2012) by Mary J. MacLeod is a memoir of MacLeod’s experiences in the 1970s, living on a small Hebridean island and working as a district nurse. The book is chatty and folksy, but MacLeod does show a marked affinity for adjectives and flowery language. Call the Nurse is interesting not only as an insight to another culture, but also because MacLeod was witness to the waning traditional Scottish island life. Populations on the Scottish isles were declining, technology was being introduced, and the major means of making a living had transitioned from whaling to tourism. If you enjoy James Herriott’s memoirs of his time as a veterinarian in the Yorkshire dales, you may also enjoy Call the Nurse. Tired of the pace and noise of life near London, and longing for a better place to raise their young sons, Mary J. MacLeod and her husband were inspired while vacationing on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides. Enthralled by the island’s windswept beauty, they soon purchased a croft house (a farmer’s stone cottage) on “a small acre” of land, and MacLeod assumed duties as the island’s district nurse. Call the Nurse is her account of the first year she and her family lived on the island, coming to know its people as both patients and friends. MacLeod relays anecdotes that are by turns funny, sad, moving, and tragic. She recalls the kind islanders, the crofters and their laird, the boatmen and tradesmen, young lovers and forbidding churchmen. Against the old-fashioned island culture and the grandeur of mountain and sea unfold the stories: a young woman carried through the snow for airlift to the hospital; a rescue by boat; the marriage of a gentle giant and the island beauty; a ghostly encounter; the shocking discovery of a woman in chains; the flames of a heather fire at night; an unexploded bomb from World War II; and the joyful, tipsy celebrations of a ceilidh or Hogmanay. Gaelic fortitude meets a nurse’s compassion in these true stories from rural Scotland.
Call the Nurse ends a bit abruptly, and readers do not learn when or why MacLeod and her family left the island. However, it is an interesting window into another time and place. Call the Nurse is available on Libby.
The benefits of having a library card keep getting bigger and greater! Now you can access over 3,000 magazine titles from your Libby app, including top titles like: US Weekly National Geographic Good Housekeeping Vanity Fair Rolling Stones
For a full listing of all the magazines you can access now through the Libby App, please visit the following link: OverDrive_Magazine_Title_List_11.16.2020Download
Tyler, our Library Services Assistant would like to recommend these titles:
Escape from the Antartic by Ernest Shackleton Although Shackleton's (1874-1922) epic expedition to reach the South Pole was a complete disaster, it was rescued from absurdity by his heroic, terrifying crossing of the Southern Ocean in a small boat to a whaling station on South Georgia. Through one of the greatest recorded feats of navigation and of leadership, he overcame almost impossible odds and rescued every one of his men from otherwise certain death. Provided by publisher.
D-DAY’S SUNKEN SECRETS (DVD) On June 6, 1944, the Allies launched the biggest armada in history to invade the Normandy beaches and liberate Europe from the Nazis. Now, NOVA has exclusive access to the first complete survey of the seabed bordering the legendary beachheads. D-Day's Sunken Secrets unfolds an account of the tumultuous events and reveals how the Allies' intricate planning and advanced technology was vital to the ambitious and risky military operation. Provided by publisher.
“It's St. Paddy's Day, everyone's Irish tonight .” proclaims Norman Reedus’ character in the cult classic Boondock Saints.
If you feel the same way, the following titles may be for you!
DVD Los. Lost & Found. 2019
Seven interconnected stories set at Train station in a small Irish town.
DVD Sec. The Secret of Roan Inish. 1994. & DVD Son. The Song of The Sea. 2015.
These are two family films that explore the mythological selkies of Irish folklore through searches for long lost family members.
TV ON DVD Dea Sea. 1. Dead Still. 2020.—
Imagine an 1880s, Irish Sherlock Holmes who is drawn away from his day job photographing the recently deceased into trying to solve a series of murders.
DVD Onc. Once. 2007.
A modern day romantic musical set in the heart of Dublin.
DVD Wil. Wild Mountain Thyme. 2021.
A romantic drama starring the award-winning Emily Blunt that is pure escapism.
New To View Each month, a number of movies and television programs are added to the Oscar Grady collection. New To View aims to highlight a few from different genres worth considering for your next checkout!
Belushi. DVD 792.702 B4197 This documentary dives into the legacy of the late, great comedian John Belushi. Known primarily for his time on SNL and in movies such as Animal House and The Blues Brothers this sheds light on his life in & out of the spotlight, with exclusive archival footage, interviews with his wife, and glimpses at personal letters written Belushi.
Betty White’s PET SET. TV ON DVD BET Beloved icon Betty White stars in this delightful series from the 1970s (recently released on dvd for the first time) celebrating animals of all sorts– from domestic dogs and cats, to tigers, lions, and bears! Often joined by celebrity guests of the era, this is a nostalgic, bingeable series, guaranteed to make you smile.
Bluey: The First Half. J DVD Blu Sea.1 Vol.1 For our younger patrons, an Australian import about a six-yearold puppy, Bluey who lives with her mom Chilli, dad Bandit, and little sister Bingo. The show celebrates family, play, and imagination in a truly endearing way.
The Kid Detective. DVD Kid As a child, Abe Applebaum solved minor mysteries around his town, propelling him to local celebrity . His acclaim as a detective vanished however, when he failed to solve the disappearance of his best friend. Now washed out in his thirties, he is convinced to take on the his first murder case by the victim’s girlfriend.
The Very, Very Far North: A Story for Gentle Readers and Listeners—Author: Bar-el, Dan Series: Very, Very Far North, 1
Description: As Duane, a polar bear, explores his new home he makes friends with the wide variety of creatures he encounters, despite their varied personalities.
A True Home — Author: George, Kallie Illustrator: Graegin, Stephanie Series: Heartwood Hotel, 1
Description: Stumbling across the wondrous world of the Heartwood Hotel during a storm, Mona the mouse desperately hopes that she will be allowed to stay and happily accepts a maid's job attending a range of animal visitors who find safety, luxury and comfort at the grandest hotel in Fernwood Forest.
The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island Author: Levy, Dana Alison Series: Family Fletcher novels, 2 Description: Summertime brings the Fletcher Family back to Rock Island where the good times never end, but this summer the boys' favorite lighthouse is all boarded up and with the help from their new neighbors, the Garcia girls, the boys are determined to find out what is really happening with their lighthouse and saving it, no matter what the cost.
Nim's Island — Author: Orr, Wendy Illustrator: Millard, Kerry Series: Nim series, 1 Description: Nim lives on the most beautiful island in the world (its location is a closely guarded secret) with a marine iguana, a sea lion, and her scientist dad, Jack. When he goes off to explore the world of plankton, the child occupies herself with typical Swiss Family Robinson-like chores and keeping her dad's batteries charged so she can check his e-mail on the laptop computer. When his boat becomes disabled, Nim's link to humanity becomes Alex Rover, the author of the novel she's reading, who has e-mailed Jack with some scientific questions. They correspond frequently, Nim giving Alex advice on building a raft out of coconuts, and Alex uncannily picturing spots on the island in her current book. A violent storm and volcanic eruption toward the end result in Nim saving the day, and the three characters set up life together on their paradise. And all of this occurs amid a clever plan to divert evil tourists from ever finding the island.
Gooseberry Park Author: Rylant, Cynthia /Illustrator: Howard, Arthur Series: Gooseberry Park, 1 Description: When a storm separates Stumpy the squirrel from her newborn babies, her animal friends come to the rescue.
The First Case . Author: Nilsson, Ulf. / Illustrator: Spee, Gitte
Series: Detective Gordon, 1 Description: When Vladimir the squirrel's stockpile of nuts disappears, the portly Detective Gordon deputizes his young, enthusiastic friend Buffy the mouse to help him discover the identity of the thieves.
New shoes . Author: Varon, Sara Description: Francis the donkey is the best shoemaker in the village. He uses only the finest materials: coconut wood for the soles, goat’s wool for the insoles, and wild tiger grass for the uppers.
Information gathered using NoveList
NoveList is a fun database for readers who are looking for book suggestions and discussion ideas. It includes fiction books all the way from children’s picture books to young adult novels and genre literature for adults. It even includes graphic novels and series–as well as book discussion guides and picture book “extenders”.
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