Alyssa Larue – Page 12 – Derby Public Library's Blog

Book Review: The Edge of Lost

Note: This review is from Linda, a member of the library staff.

“The Edge of Lost” by Kristina McMorris

First line: Alcatraz Island, October 1937 Fog encircled the island, a strangling grip, as search efforts mounted.

Staff member Linda sits in the break room and reads “The Edge of Lost.”

Summary: Shanley Keagen is a 10-year-old orphan in Ireland in the 1920’s. He lives with his drunken and abusive uncle in a run-down slum in Dublin. His uncle takes advantage of Shanley’s skills, pushing him into performing in low-class pubs and then taking what small wages Shanley earns.

Shanley convinces his uncle to migrate to America where they can make more money from Shanley’s entertaining. They make their way to America, but his uncle dies during the voyage. Alone at only 12, Shanley must figure out how to get through Ellis Island with no family contacts in his new country. He befriends a young Italian boy, Nick Capello, whose family has been visiting Italy and are on their way home to the U.S. The boys convince Nick’s parents to accept Shanley as their long deceased son Tommy, so Shanley now has a new family. So begins his new life in America as Tommy Capello.

The book details Tommy’s life growing up in an Italian family, his relationships with his siblings and the Italian mob during the 1930’s. After trying to save his brother Nick in a supposed bank robbery, Tommy is sent to Leavenworth Penitentiary.

Linda recommends “The Edge of Lost” to patrons who like historic fiction, or fiction with unexpected plot twists.

While there, he once again begins entertaining, this time his fellow inmates, with his jokes, stories and voice imitations. Tommy is then transferred to Alcatraz to serve the remaining time on his 20-year sentence. While there he becomes the model prisoner and eventually finds a way to escape with help from some unusual contacts.

Linda’s thoughts: I chose this book because of a post on Pinterest I saw that someone had shared. I found the very beginning of the book to be somewhat slow, but after about 25 pages I became interested in the plot. The story has a twist I never expected and it was difficult to stop reading! I highly recommend this book with its action, surprise situations, and plot-twisting end.

Book Review: The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

First Line: “When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen.”

Summary: After the loss of her neglectful parents in India, young Mary Lennox is sent to live with her widowed uncle in a Manor on the English moor. Bitter and angry, Mary is forced to play by herself among the gardens of the manor, but when a lovely robin shows her the way into a hidden garden, Mary’s world and heart are changed. As she delights in the flowers and creatures of the moor, she discovers that gardens aren’t the only secrets at Misselthwaite.

Highlights: The Secret Garden is the perfect story to read in spring as it vividly details the magic of growth. Burnett makes the reader feel the warm moor winds and the lush green of the gardens, encouraging the reader to step outside and reach down into the earth. This book is a healer, and if readers are looking for a gentle yet magical read, Burnett’s characters, writing style, and timeless story will take hold of your heart.

Lowlights: This book was published in 1911 around the time the Yorkshire dialect was popular. Burnett has many characters who speak this way and it can be both challenging and frustrating, especially for younger readers, to understand what’s being said. Our library, however, has an annotated edition of the book that may help to understand the dialogue.

FYI: This book has inspired a number of film adaptations, but my personal favorite is the 1993 version with Maggie Smith. It is a great family film and a perfect end to reading this book. I would also recommend this book as a read-aloud or continuous bed time story for families with young children, especially around this blooming spring season.

The library — a place for art!

When you think of libraries, you likely think of books, movies, and maybe even a children’s area. All could be considered a form of art. But did you know here at the Derby Public Library, our collections of art also include, well, art.

“Strawberry Fizz” was featured in an exhibit of macro photography recently in the Gathering Space Gallery.

The library has two galleries in which different forms of visual art are regularly displayed. The Gathering Space Gallery, which includes the Community Room and main entry of the library, shows several exhibitions a year, including one every spring that features students from Derby schools.

The High Wall Gallery is inside the library, in the business and genealogy area. Smaller exhibitions are displayed in this gallery, often including works from library patrons and Derby community members. Since it is a smaller space, artists with a smaller body of work also get the opportunity to exhibit.

Library records show that the Derby Arts Council was officially organized in 2010. The Arts Council is a volunteer group made up of community members who have an interest in art.

“Touching the Clouds” by Steve Marler is a quintessential Kansas photograph.

The board seeks out local artists, bringing their work into our community, allowing members of the community to expand their experience with art. The goal of the library is to encourage appreciation of and participation in the visual arts.

If you visit the library regularly, you have probably noticed the many types of artwork that have been on display. The Arts Council is pleased to be able to bring various forms of art and different mediums to the public.

One of the artists whose work has been featured is cut paper art by Angie Pickman. This piece is titled Prairie Rows.

Past exhibitions have included sculpture, abstract art on plywood, along with traditional oil paintings and photographs.

However, the Arts Council doesn’t just share the art with the community, it makes every effort to bring the artist to the community as well. Artists are encouraged to host a reception, allowing members of the community to meet the artist and learn about the art, directly from the person who created it.

I Dream of Dragons

So I’ve got a little confession to make…I am so obsessed with dragons right now. To be fair, I think everyone is a little obsessed with dragons what with Game of Thrones and this new Starbucks “secret menu” Dragon Frappuccino that’s riding on the coattails of the Unicorn Frap. Even though I get that it’s a mythological being, I totally want to own (or be) a dragon.

The infamous “secret menu” dragon frappuccino from Starbucks!

It all started innocently enough. I binge watched Game of Thrones to catch up for the upcoming season, and I was on the hunt for a fun and easy IOS game that had a similar fantasy feel. Then I stumbled upon DragonVale, this adorable game that lets you collect and hatch all kinds of dragons, and I was hooked! I mean, I get to literally be a Mother of Dragons!! The game has been around for a few years, and the design, the animation, and the little story lines are so cool!

Now if you’re like me, when you get into something, you REALLY get into it. It’s like finding an awesome song and playing it on repeat for three days until you start hallucinating a little. So, naturally, if I was watching shows with dragons and playing a game with dragons, I had to start reading a book with dragons too, and I found the Wings of Fire series by Tui Sutherland!

If you know a reluctant reader, young or old, or someone who loves adventure, fight scenes, and mysterious prophecies, these books are the perfect fit. The series begins in the wake of this terrible war between three Sand Dragon sisters who are battling for the throne. A prophecy appears promising five dragonets of destiny who will choose the right leader and save the world, but Clay, Tsunami, Sunny, Glory, and Starflight aren’t sure if they can save anyone, even themselves.

If you are a dragon lover like me, throw on your Mother of Dragons t-shirt, cozy up with a Dragon Frappuccino, and be it with a show, a game, or a book, dive into a dragon’s world of flight, fire, and fantasy!

Early May new release titles

Isn’t it fun that new books just keep coming and coming? However, it means that my to-read list is always getting longer, no matter how fast I finish books! How do you decide what book you should read next? Do you keep a stack of books on your nightstand and read them top to bottom? Do you have a “hopeful” stack that you think you’ll pull your next book from? I am so easily distracted by the new, shiny titles, that some of my to-reads have been in the stack for years!

So, let’s add to those piles or throw something shiny and new into the mix with these books that are being released in early May.

May 2: A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas
My heart is beating so fast just thinking about getting my hands on the third installment in Maas’ Court of Thorns and Roses series. I’m dying to see what Feyre has planned in the Spring Court, and where things are going on the other side of the wall in Prythian. War is looming and one slip by Feyre could bring not only Prythian down, but could cost Feyre everything she loves.

May 2: The Boy on the Bridge (The Girl With All the Gifts #2) by M.R. Carey
From Goodreads: “Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy.
The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world.
To where the monsters lived.”

“Into the Water” is a new thriller by Paula Hawkins, author of “The Girl on the Train.

May 2: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
A single mother is found dead in the river, in the same place a teenage girls was found just a little earlier that summer. Are the two deaths related? A lonely 15-year-old girl is left behind in the care of an aunt she doesn’t know, a woman who vowed never to return to the place she left. And the river is disturbed and secrets are beginning to emerge.

May 9: Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan
Nora and Theresa Flynn leave their small village in Ireland and travel to America, to a new home in Boston. Decisions are made by both sisters that will have long-term repercussions, as 50 years later, when Nora is the matriarch of a large family and Theresa is in a convent in rural Vermont, a sudden death forces them to face choices they made long ago.

May 9: The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick
It’s California in the 1930s, and reporter Irene Glasson finds a beautiful actress staring up at her from the bottom of the pool in an exclusive little town where Hollywood’s elite go for privacy. The dead woman was the keeper of a secret about one of Hollywood’s leading men, a scoop that Irene was hoping to land. Now the rookie reporter is investigating murder.

May 11: New Boy (Othello) by Tracy Chevalier
This is the fifth installment in the Hogarth Shakespeare series (which also includes titles from Margaret Atwood and Anne Tyler). From Goodreads: “The tragedy of Othello is transposed to a 1970’s suburban Washington schoolyard, where kids fall in and out of love with each other before lunchtime, and practice a casual racism picked up from their parents and teachers. Peeking over the shoulders of four 11 year olds Osei, Dee, Ian, and his reluctant girlfriend Mimi, Tracy Chevalier’s powerful drama of friends torn apart by jealousy, bullying and betrayal will leave you reeling.”

The Magic of Movie Making

The library’s Moviecraft program started with a simple idea. Besides a degree in English, I have a degree in film production and screenwriting and a degree in social work. I knew how to film, and I knew how to work with young people. One of our staff members recommended that I could lead some kind of filming workshop with the teens if I wanted to. From that tiny suggestion, the fire was ignited and lightning struck. Moviecraft was born.

I’ve been hosting the Moviecraft program since the summer of 2014 with this season’s Diamond Starlight Productions project marking the sixth time we’ve dived into the impossible, and Moviecraft, on the surface, seems impossible. We bring 30 teens (6th-12th grade) or tweens (3rd – 8th grade) together, and in seven weeks, twelve weeks, 14 hours, or 24 hours, we produce from the very beginning, a short film.

We start with what our team name should be. We’ve had so many incredible (and incredibly crazy) production teams; Sock Studios, Imagination Pictures, Golden Pancake Productions, Fingerprint Films, and our most recent, Diamond Starlight Productions. The name is their first act of compromise, of collaboration, and Moviecraft, at it’s core, is all about collaboration. From writing the script to working in their specific jobs that mirror a Hollywood crew, our community’s young people learn how to talk to each other, how to work through big challenges, and how to tell a good story.

Diamond Starlight Productions was one of our most challenging sessions. With a demanding script, a grueling schedule, and a lot of energetic kids, we had so much to overcome, but oh how they did. They shared their work, dared to step out of their comfort zone, and when the sound on the audio cut out or set pieces fell a part, they tried and tried again. It’s remarkable to see our teens and tweens in action and even more remarkable to see the proud faces of their friends and family at the Red Carpet Premiere. We’ve seen that it’s not the awesome explosions or cool visual effects that make our movies magical. It’s our team, our young people, who are the real magic makers.

We’ve got so much in store for Moviecraft this summer and another huge challenge ahead of us; animation! If you or someone you know is going into 6th grade or higher next year, we’d love to have them join us on this magical ride that is movie making. Registration opens up on May 30th at 9AM!

Late April new releases

The sun is shining a little bit more lately and the temperatures are warming up as well. We are getting those April showers that are supposed to bring us flowers in May. And April is giving us a great shower of new books to read as well. Here are some of the most anticipated titles that will be released in the second half of April.

“The Stars are Fire” by Anita Shreve will be released April 18, 2017.

April 18: The Stars are Fire by Anita Shreve
The latest novel by acclaimed author Anita Shreve is based on the true story of the largest fire in Maine’s history. It’s October 1947 and fires break out along the Maine coast. Before long, the fires are burning from village to village. Grace and Rosie are left to care for their small children when their husbands join the volunteer to fight the fires. As fire sweeps through their village, burning their homes to the ground, the women retreat to the sea, their only refuge, watching as their homes are burned to the ground and frantically protecting their children. As morning dawns, they are penniless, homeless and left to await news of their husbands’ fate.

April 18: The Fix (Amos Decker #3) by David Baldacci
Amos Decker watches as a man kills a woman, then turns the gun on himself, right outside FBI headquarters. Despite Decker’s powers of observation, he is baffled by the murder. He and his team can find no connection between the man and woman whatsoever. Then Decker is ordered off the case by an agent from the Defense Intelligence Agency.

“Blade Bound” is the final installment in the Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill.

April 25: Blade Bound (Chicagoland
Vampires #13) by Chloe Neill
This is the final installment in the Chicagoland Vampires series (cue my tears here). Cadogan House is infiltrated and Merritt is attacked by a vampire apparently under the power of dark magic. Chicago is again under supernatural attack as a wicked sorcery spreads through the city. It’s up to Merritt, with her Liege, love and master of Cadogan House — Ethan, at her side to save her city and all those she loves.

April 25: Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
From Pulitzer Prize winner Strout comes a piece of fiction that is reminiscent of Olive Kitteridge in its complexity and richness. During the writing of My Name is Lucy Barton, Strout realized that the characters that Lucy and her mother talked about had their own stories. You’ll learn more about the “Pretty Nicely Girls,” Tommy, and Lucy Barton’s sister Vicky.

Lisa Unger’s latest novel, “The Red Hunter,” puts two wronged women on a collision course.

April 25: The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger
Two wronged women on wildly different paths are on a collision course that ends at one old house. Zoey Drake’s parents were murdered in a home invasion when she was a child. Claudia Bishop is trying to put her shattered life back together after a brutal assault. Claudia hopes to find a fresh start in restoring an old house. Zoey has embraced the rage within her and excels in martial arts. Zoey seeks justice and Claudia seeks peace, in the one place they have in common.

April 25: Burntown by Jennifer McMahon
Eva’s father is an inventor, and has possession of blueprints for a fantastic invention by Thomas Edison, one that will allow people to speak with those who have passed. Her father builds the machine and one night it whirrs to life on its own with a warning of danger. Eva wakes, and her father and brother are dead, and she and her mother need to hide from an evil man who is searching from them. Eva changes her name to her Necco—her favorite candy, but as she searches for the truth, she meets two more women who are on journeys of their own.

“The Girl Who was Taken” is the latest from Charlie Donlea.

April 25: The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea
Megan and Nicole are high school seniors in Emerson Bay, North Carolina. One summer night, they disappear from a beach party, and the police can’t find a single clue. Everyone has nearly lost hope when Megan suddenly reappears, having escaped from a bunker in the woods. Fast forward a year and Megan is a national celebrity after writing a bestselling book about her ordeal, but Nicole is still missing. Megan knows more than she shared in her book, but where will that knowledge get her?

Click on the title of any book to find it in our catalog.

Early April new book releases

How big is your to-read stack? However big it is, here are some great new books coming out the first two weeks of April that would be great additions to that stack of books on your nightstand. Click on the title of the book to find it in our catalog.

April 4: The Chosen by J. R. Ward
The 15th installment is the Black Dagger Brotherhood series finds Xcor facing a brutal interrogation after he is convicted of treason. Layla knows the truth that will free him, but the cost could be everything she holds dear.

Book 2 in the Broken Realms series is “Shadowcaster” by Cinda Williams Chima.

April 4: Shadowcaster by Cinda Williams Chima
Book 2 in the Shattered Realms series. Lyss, the reluctant heir to the Gray Wolf throne goes on the offensive to try to put a stop to the war that has raged her whole life. Hal, who lives on the other side of enemy lines, finds himself in more and more dangerous situations, and caught in a game of life and death. This series is set in the world of the Seven Realms series.

April 11: The Shadow Land: A Novel by Elizabeth Kostova
Alexandra Boyd, a young American, travels to Bulgaria, and through a series of events finds herself in possession of an ornately designed box containing an urn filled with human boxes. The ornate box has a name carved on the lid, which compels Alexandra to seek out the family to return the ashes. Her journey takes through the horrors of a century and throughout the country’s landscapes, both cultural and geographical.

“Alex and Eliza” by Melissa de la Cruz, tells the love story between Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler.

April 11: Alex and Eliza: A Love Story by Melissa de la CruzMeet a young Alexander Hamilton. And meet Eliza Schuyler, one of three daughters of fledgling United States’ founding families. It’s 1777 in Albany, New York, where people are bustling about preparing for one of New York society’s biggest events: the Schuyler’s grand ball. Eliza would rather be helping the colonists’ cause than attending a ball, but she can barely contain her excitement when she learns that Alexander Hamilton will be in attendance.

“Given to the Sea” by Mindy McGinnis is a young adult novel that will be released April 11.

April 11: Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis
This young adult novel is the story of Khosa, a girl born to be given to the sea to prevent a wave that would destroy the Kingdom of Stille; Vincent, third in line to hold the throne of the kingdom; Dara and Donil, twins who are the last of the Indiri, a race whose magic is fading; and Witt, who leads the army of Pietra. Enter the world of Stille and experience a world where armies march, royals scheme and the sea wants its offering.

Book Clubs at the library

Did you know that we have three book clubs at the library? Each of the book clubs has its own focus, and each one works just a little differently from the others. However, all adults are welcome at every book club. Here’s a little information about each book club, including when they meet.

Joyful Page Turners

This was the first book club at the library, and started almost 17 years ago.

It was originally planned to be a 4-month summer program, meeting in May, June, July and August of 2000. The members of the club enjoyed it so much that they decided to continue and are still meeting today. The club doesn’t limit itself to any specific genre of literature, having read non-fiction, children’s literature and more along with its more usual fare of general adult fiction. Linda Voth manages this book club.

Joyful Page Turners meets at 6:45 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month, except in November, when it meets on the third Thursday. The club does take June, July and December off. The members of the book club take turns leading the discussions, and the member who is leading that month also chooses the book that will be read and discussed. They try to have the year’s titles chosen by February or March.

Bemused Bibliophiles

Bemused Bibliophiles is the one book club that meets during the day at the library. Dawn Best, adult programming coordinator, leads this book group. Reading choices for this group tend to literary fiction, especially the hot and popular titles that generate a lot of buzz in the literary community.

Bemused Bibliophiles meets at 1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month. Titles for this book club are chosen 4 months at a time, and discussions are lead by Dawn.

Hauntingly Good Reads
Hauntingly Good Reads is for anyone who likes a touch of the paranormal, supernatural or just a little twist of the unusual in their reading. You may run across zombies, or witches, or vampires in the books for this book club, or there may just be hints that something is not quite what you might expect it to be.

“Stoker’s Manuscript” by Royce Prouty was enjoyed by the members of Hauntingly Good Reads.

Hauntingly Good Reads meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. This book club is the most loosely structured of the book clubs with the selections coming from suggestions of the members of the club, and discussions are lively and organic.

If you are interested in attending any of the book clubs at the library, you can learn what books they’re reading in several ways: check the online events calendar at our website, pick up the monthly brochure for adult programming, or follow our events on Facebook. You can also ask at the front desk. We hope to see you soon!

Late March new book releases

I don’t know about you, but I wish that time would slow down when I was reading so I could get more reading done. And with the number of new books that look like they just must be read, my to-be-read list grows much longer and less likely to ever be finished. I’m sure I am not alone in this dilemma, am I? Here are several more new releases that will be released March 21 and 28 and that could end up on your to-be-read list.

March 21: “The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane” by Lisa See —
As she has done so beautifully in her previous novels, See introduces readers to the customs of another ethnic minority in China, in this case, the Akha. In a remote Yunnan village, a young woman, one of the few educated women on the mountain, has a baby out of wedlock, and abandons her in the nearest city. The infant is adopted and raised in California. Mother and daughter search for answers and find them in the tea that has shaped their family for generations. 4.22 stars on Goodreads

“Girl in Disguise” by Greer Macallister will be released March 21.

March 21: “Girl in Disguise” by Greer Macallister —
Kate Warne is the first female Pinkerton detective on the streets of Chicago during the Civil War. Kate is able to infiltrate the seedy side of the city in ways her fellow male detectives are not. A “desperate widow with a knack for manipulation,” Kate has a hard time earning respect, but danger is always nearby. This novel is inspired by the real story of Kate Warne, who helped sway the fate of the country. 3.93 stars on Goodreads

“The Hope Chest” by Viola Shipman will be released March 21.

March 21: “The Hope Chest” by Viola Shipman —Mattie, who is fiercely independent, is diagnosed with ALS, and Don, her husband of nearly 50 years is having a hard time imagining life without Mattie. When Rose, Mattie’s new caretaker, and Rose’s daughter, Jeri, enter Mattie and Don’s life, some happiness returns. Mattie is able to share the memories she has stored in the hope chest from her mother. This story reminds us that love and hope may be found where we least expect. 4.43 stars on Goodreads

March 28: “The Women in the Castle” by Jessica Shattuck —
Marianne von Lingenfels is the widow of a resistor who is murdered in the 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler. Marianne creates a makeshift family of the widows and family members of two of her husband’s co-conspirators. As the group assembles at the once-grand castle of Marianne’s husband’s ancestors, the women each have to come to terms with the choices they’ve made and face their own sets of unique challenges. For readers of “The Nightingale” and “The Light Between Oceans.” 4.23 on Goodreads

March 28: “It Happens All the Time” by Amy Hatvany —

“It Happens All the Time” by Amy Hatvany addresses timely topics such as sexual consent.

What happens when best friends Amber and Tyler share a drunken kiss? Find out in this provocative new novel. Amber and Tyler have been best friends since they were in high school. To Amber their relationship has always been platonic, while Tyler has held out hop that it might become something more. Amber is home for the summer after college graduation and is engaged to her college sweetheart. After a flirtation develops between Amber and Tyler, on a night fueled by alcohol, Amber kisses Tyler and what happens next changes everything. 4.12 stars on Goodreads

March 28: “The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley” by Hannah Tinti —
Samuel Hawley moves with his daughter Loo to his late wife’s hometown, after spending years on the run. He bears twelve bullet scars from a criminal past that comes back to haunt them both in this thrilling story that travels through time and place until they two of them are forced to face a reckoning. 4.13 stars on Goodreads