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.

Book Review: Glitter

Glitter by Aprilynne Pike

First Line: I rush through the catacombs, my face shrouded beneath the brim of a cap, skimming by the empty eyes of ancient skulls.

Summary: Danica lives in Versailles; the palace built by Louis XIV, wearing gowns and waited on by servants. The twist is the story takes place in the near future. As Danica tries to escape life at the palace and an engagement to the King of Versailles-Sonoma she has to go to drastic measures to buy her freedom. Glitter, a new drug, is going to be the key. Selling it to the other inhabitants of the palace seems harmless enough until she starts seeing the consequences of her actions on her friends and family.

Highlights: The cover is beautiful. This is what drew me to the book initially but I was shocked by how much I liked this book. The story is consuming. I read this in a few days because I had to know if Danica was going to be able to escape. It felt like a mix of historical fiction and Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

Lowlights: The reviews on Goodreads are not very favorable but I think if you give this book a chance and remember it is YA you will enjoy it. The plot is a little farfetched but I think that is the appeal.

FYI: Drug use and a little sexual content.

Shifting Party!

What happens after hours at the library? Shifting parties of course!

Several of our staff worked after hours on two Saturdays to move the entire adult fiction section. There were 124 new shelves added to this area of the library and the books needed to be spread out. The project took 8 hours with 6 staff members, food and LOTS of 80s music! We felt like we were living in the Breakfast Club.

We all had a great time but were exhausted afterwards. Take a look at more photos and a video on our Facebook page from our shifting party!

Book Review: Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners by Therese Oneill

First Line: Thank you for coming.

Summary: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a woman in Victorian England? Therese Oneill brings the clothes, lifestyle and manners of the 1800s to us in an easy and funny guide of the day to day lives of women in one of the most romanticized times in history. Pictures of the time are combined with tidbits of information about fashion, married life and medical knowledge. This is a laugh out loud book that will make you want to reread your favorite Jane Austen with a new understanding.

Highlights: The cover! It is beautiful and draws the eye. The humor is undeniable. I laughed very hard throughout the book. The little captions of the photos would leave tears in my eyes. Very serious subjects were made much more enjoyable by the added humor comparing the 1800s to now. But it was still informative and gave a look into a time that has continued to be popular among authors and movie makers alike.

Lowlights: The only complaint I would have is that some sections were a little longer than were needed.

FYI: There is a little language and crude humor.

Patient Zero

As with the rest of the Wichita area our staff has been hit with the sickness bug. Several staff are home with colds so we decided to quarantine Patient Zero.

Our local staff penguin has been a valued member for many years. He is a way for our staff to have a few laughs as well as let our creative sides come alive. Check out our past Penguin War album on Facebook.

Let the Penguin Wars commence!

 

Bookmarks!

Bookmarks come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it the closest thing at hand that gets stuffed into a book. As librarians we see all sorts of things returned in our books…

  • Toilet paper
  • Kleenex
  • Screws
  • Paper clips
  • Photos
  • Birthday cards
  • Money

But one of the newest and strangest things we have found is tire marks. Luckily the book survived the ordeal but it left its mark. 😉

What is your favorite go to bookmark? Post a photo in the comments.

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.