Author: Ashley Pohlenz

I am the Interlibrary Loan & Cataloging Coordinator at Derby Public Library. I am in charge of library items, creating the library newsletter and writing book reviews for our blog and newsletter. Being able to work around books is a dream! I read anything but my favorite genres are historical fiction and YA. Give me anything set in Tudor England or teenage fantasy novel and I am set.

Holiday Holds

It is always a great feeling to have an extra day off work. A day to enjoy with family, read a book or even sleep in. Our staff was able to observe President’s Day in just this fashion. We all basked in the 60 degree weather of February? That is correct. February. We definitely know we are still in Kansas with its crazy weather patterns.

But Tuesday it was back to work. After a day off we always expect to have a full book drop and lots of holds. Our staff was ready and we worked through 3 carts full of books and media followed by a list of 86 holds! Challenge accepted. We searched and found. It is great to see how many people use our hold service and how valuable it is our patrons.

86 holds!

At 4:00 p.m. we had overflowing carts with items to be shelved. We are very thankful for our wonderful pages!

Happy Tuesday all!

 

Childhood Memories

I remember as a child being read to before bedtime. My father worked early (driving 45 minutes to work at 4 a.m.) but he still made time to read to my sister and I before we went to sleep. He read us books that he loved from his childhood and hoped that we would enjoy as well. The two books that I remember the most are The Hobbit and Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby.

When this book showed up in a box of donations I was suddenly taken back to my childhood. The story follows Brer Rabbit being captured by Brer Fox and Brer Bear using a tar baby as a decoy. But the smart Brer Rabbit uses his wit to get away from his captors by convincing them to throw him into the briar patch.

I remember laughing at this funny story and how smart the rabbit was. When our family took a trip to Disney World several years later I was excited to see that there was a ride centered around the story of Brer Rabbit and his fall into the briar patch. This has continued to be one of my favorite rides at the Disney parks because of the nostalgia. Thanks to whomever donated this book to us and to my father for making time to read to my sister and I as children and instilling in me the love of reading!

Do you have any books that you remember loving as a child? Did one of your parents read to you before bed? Let us know!

 

Treasures found in donation boxes

We love to accept donations of fiction and nonfiction books, DVDs and books on CD. But every so often we find a real treasure in the bottom of boxes…and we thank you! Our staff really enjoys finding little surprises in donations (but not the creepy crawly type). Recently, buried under a stack of classics, we found one such treasure.

I am sure this will get a lot of use for either work or fun! Thank you to the patron who brightened our winter days. 🙂

Review: Mata Hari’s Last Dance

Mata Hari’s Last Dance by Michelle Moran

I had never heard of Mata Hari until reading this novel, so it was fascinating to learn about this woman who took Europe by storm in the early 20th century. She built her life from nothing but her imagination. She was beautiful and talented and she traded on that to become an icon. The author describes her beautifully, which led me to search for pictures of her.

Mata Hari

I really loved this book. It was hard to put down. (I actually read it in two days!) This book was beautiful and over too soon. It has average reviews on Goodreads but I highly recommend this! Another great novel by Michelle Moran.

Place a copy on hold today.

 

The Bear and the Nightingale

Katherine Arden’s debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale, is like living in a Russian fairy tale. The language was beautiful and it filled you with images of magic, hardships, cold and beauty. I read this covered in blankets and felt the cold creep off the pages. There is a lot of build up to the end but each piece of the story plays an important part. All the characters are complex and wonderfully written. You understand people even as you hate them. This book was amazing! Highly recommend but don’t expect a fast easy read because this has so much detail and beauty it is meant to be savored.

Reserve a copy of The Bear and the Nightingale today!

Star Wars!

I was really excited to read The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher. I grew up with Star Wars thanks to my dad and am really excited for the upcoming movies! I have never read any of Carrie Fisher’s other books but I think I will now. She is witty and smart and likes to ramble which is great for a laugh. Reading about her time on the set of Star Wars was fascinating. Seeing the making of such an iconic movie through the eyes of one its stars is wonderful. I cannot imagine being 19, starring in a movie and becoming an instant star. She describes the 3-month time on set through her poetry and journal entries. It was fun to get some insight into who she is, was and what it’s like to be a celebrity in a world that is once again obsessed with Star Wars. I like that she has insecurities like most people and seems down to earth. I am looking forward to seeing where she and her alter ego, Princess Leia, go in episodes VIII and IX. Thanks for the entertaining read Carrie!

Reserve a copy of The Princess Diarist today!