Upcoming Events – Page 14 – Derby Public Library's Blog

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!

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!

For the love of Victoria!

I don’t know about you, but I’m obsessed with the PBS series “Victoria”!
I’m experiencing some SERIOUS withdrawal after the season finale! So, I’m really looking forward to the presentation, “Dressing for Success, Victorian Style” on March, 18 at 11:00 a.m. with Kansas Humanities Speaker, Sara Jane Richter. Hopefully this will help get me through what is sure to be a rough time until another one of my other favorite PBS shows comes along.

Here is a little bit about the presentation:

“Dressing for Success, Victorian Style”

Victorian women in the United States and Britain took upward of
4 hours to dress themselves per day, and they usually had a maid to help them dress. Layer upon layer of prim and proper clothing was worn, from bare necessities to gloves, hair pins, umbrellas, shoes, and brooches. There were outfits to be worn in the morning after rising, at mid-morning, at early afternoon, and in the evening. This presentation explores why these women endured such restrictive and sometimes deadly clothing, as well as the elements, purpose, and the proper way to put it all on.

Presented by Sara Jane Richter.
Sara teaches English and is Dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell.

Interview with Local Teen Author

Kristen Bradshaw wears a lot of superhero shirts. Though in the two years I’ve known her, I’ve seen her don the occasional skirt with leggings or laced blouse, Ms. Bradshaw’s uniform of choice is usually a Deadpool or Captain America shirt to pair with her streaks of electric blue hair. The attire is fitting for a superhero such as herself who wields a power so strong that it has built monuments and changed history. Kristen Bradshaw is a writer.

Kristen has been writing consistently for four years, but was born a reader. The nineteen year old devours stories, soaking up their richness and seeking out new works to consume. Upon a suggestion from her older brother, Kristen tried telling a story of her own. It was a decision that led to a life-changing addiction. She now presents the self-publication of her first novel, The Guardians of the Cross, bound by The Book Patch. I took some time to talk with this young author about her writing process, the themes of the book, and her upcoming meet and greet at the library.

Where did you get the idea for The Guardians of the Cross?

My high school graduation was superhero themed, and I was interested in telling a story about a group of kids who discovered these special powers. I wanted to tell a story with a lot of characters and a lot of action.

What was it like writing this novel? You are a self-taught writer, correct?

Yeah, I’ve never had any training or anything. I just started. It was rocky at first, but after working at it for a while, it got a lot easier. It still took about two and half years to finish the book.

What is your writing process like? Do you write every day or only when inspiration strikes? Do you have a certain ritual when writing?

I try to write every day, usually in afternoon. I like to work on a computer and have music playing. It’s usually Disney songs or some other random music that I’m into at the time. My sister, Carolynn, sometimes hovers over my shoulder trying to read what I’m working on.

Is that okay with you or do you prefer to keep your work private until it’s finished?

It’s a bit of both. If I’m stuck on something, I’ll have her [sister, Carolynn] read it and help me out, but most of the time I like to get it all done first. I usually have my Dad read through it after I’m done to give me feedback, and my sisters have helped me with how the characters sound and talk.

Were there any books or stories that inspired The Guardians of the Cross?

I love the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and borrowed a few names from his books. I love the action sequences and the relationships between the characters. One of my author role models is Christopher Paolini. He wrote the Inheritance Trilogy when he was young, and I relate a lot to his reasons for writing and his style.

Which characters do you relate to the most? Are any of your characters inspired by people in your life?

I relate a lot to Jinx because he’s so crazy and fun. I also relate to Brad and Phoebe. It was really fun to write Brad and Echo’s characters because they kind of took on a life of their own. They blossomed into the characters that they are and I was just kind of pulled along. Ella Grace is based off of my sister, Carolynn, and Jason is a bit of my brother, Jamey.

The Guardians of the Cross tends to blend between the Young Adult, Christian Fiction, and Science Fiction genres. Was that intentional?

I relate to young adult fiction since I’m still in that age group, and I love stories with a supernatural or magical twist. I want to write stories that show that being a Christian isn’t boring and reading the Bible isn’t boring. I wanted to write a story with Christian ideas that was interesting and exciting.

What are you working on now?

I’m finishing up the sequel to The Guardians of the Cross. It will be a trilogy so I’ll start the third book next. I also have eight other ideas that I’ve been playing around with so who knows what I’ll write after that!

Your meet and greet at the library is coming up. Is there anything you would like your readers to know?

Thank you so much for reading my book, and I hope you like it!

To find out more about The Guardians of the Cross, take a look at its Goodreads profile and add it to your to-read list!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34372562-guardians-of-the-cross

Community members can meet Kristen Bradshaw at her Author Meet-Up on Saturday, March 18 at 10AM in the library. Her novel, The Guardians of the Cross, is available for check out in our library collection.

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!

New book releases late February

Where has February gone? It can’t possibly be the last day of February already. But it is a Tuesday, and that means there are new book releases today. Here are some books released in the second half of February that are getting quite a bit of buzz in the reading community.

Let’s start with titles that were released last Tuesday, Feb. 21:

“The Orphan’s Tale” by Pam Jenoff — World War II, a 16-year-old girl forced to give her baby up after getting pregnant by a Nazi soldier, a circus, and secrets. This novel explores how two women, Noa and Astrid, form a powerful bond, but is it strong enough to protect them or will it destroy everything? With a rating of 4.2 stars on Goodreads, this book will especially appeal to historical fiction readers.

“Dreamland Burning” by Jennifer Latham — Do I need to add more than this tagline from the book’s description on Goodreads? “Some bodies won’t stay buried. Some stories need to be told.” The investigation of a century-old murder begins when 17-year-old Rowan unearths a skeleton on her family’s property. Goodreads readers have rated this book for young adults 4.4 stars.

“A Piece of the World” by Christina Baker Kline — In this novel from the author of the No. 1 novel “Orphan Train,” Kline skillfully weaves fact and fiction as she illuminates a little-known part of America’s history. Christina Olson was host and inspiration for American artist Andrew Wyeth and this novel brings to life the relationship of the two. It is rated 4.2 stars on Goodreads.

Here are the titles we’ve been waiting for that are out today (Feb. 28):

“Daughter of the Pirate King” by Tricia Levenseller — a 17-year-old pirate captain, searching for an ancient hidden map, allows herself to be captured by her enemies so she can search their ship. This book is rated 4.3 stars on Goodreads.

“Banana Cream Pie Murder” by Joanne Fluke — Read the latest installment in Fluke’s Hannah Swenson series. This mystery finds Hannah investigating the death of her mother’s neighbor, meaning Hannah’s return to Lake Eden won’t be as peaceful as she’d hoped. Rated 3.8 on Goodreads.

“Waking Lions” by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen —A translation from the original Hebrew, “Waking Lions” is the story of how a decision made at the scene of a tragic event can change a whole life. This gripping novel follows Dr. Eitan Green after he hits a man while speeding along a moonlit road. It has a 3.8 rating on Goodreads.

All of the above titles are available on our catalog, so come in and check one out today.

Oscar nominees — short films, part 2

We are so proud to participate in the screening of the Oscar-nominated short films each year. Last night (Friday, Feb. 24), the live-action and animated short film nominees were shown. For most people, these screenings may be the only opportunity they have to watch the films. They are not generally available in wide release.

Each year, we ask the people who come to watch the short-film nominees to vote for their favorite film in each category. (If you missed the announcement of our viewers’ pick for the short documentaries, you can read it here.) Here are their choices for the live-action and animated categories:

“Timecode” is a live-action short film out of Spain.

Live-action — “Timecode”

This short film from Spain is about a young, female security guard (Luna) who is bored by her daily routine in the parking lot. But when a call about a customer complaint comes in, she learns how the nighttime guard (Diego) avoids boredom. The two develop a relationship as they communicate through the parking garage’s CCTV system.

Animated — “Piper”

“Piper” is an animated short film about a sandpiper hatchling who is afraid of the surf.

When Piper, a young hatchling, leaves her nest for the first time, she is afraid of the surf where she is supposed to find her food. An unexpected ally helps her overcome her fears to find her confidence.

Oscar nominees, short films

Last night (Thursday, Feb. 23) we aired the documentaries that are nominated for Academy Awards in the short films category. We had a great showing, and the stories were powerful. We ask those who attend to vote for the film they think should win the Oscar, and the documentary they chose was “The White Helmets.” This 41-minute movie tells the

“The White Helmets” is one of five short documentaries nominated for an Oscar. It was our viewers’ pick to win.

story of the rescue crews, known as the White Helmets, who work in war-torn Syria.

These brave, unarmed and neutral civilians dig through the rubble after bombings, sometime dozens or more a day, to find survivors and recover the dead. They place themselves at risk, willingly, and while constantly in danger and even targeted themselves, they have saved more than 60,000 people.

This film is available to watch on Netflix.

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.

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!