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New books in late January!

We’re well into January, and there are still some exciting new releases to look forward to this month.

“The Wicked City” by Beatriz Williams was released Jan. 17.

Here are a few of the titles we are most looking forward to (or glad they came out on Tuesday!) at the end of this month:

Jan. 17: The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams — Love the 1920s, speakeasies, and flappers? This might be just the book for you. Williams, who wrote A Certain Age, re-creates the Jazz Age in New York City in this novel that mixes past and present. The story centers on a “love triangle involving a rugged Prohibition agent, a saucy redheaded flapper, and a debonair Princetonian from a wealthy family.” Its rating on Goodreads is 4.06 stars.

Jan. 24: Eleventh Grave in Moonlight by Darynda Jones — Book 11 in the Charley Davidson series promises to be another excellent installment in the tales of the part-time private investigator, who is also the full-time Grim Reaper. It’s just another day in the life . . . filled with hell hounds,

“The Girl Before” by J.P. Delaney releases on Jan. 24.

evil gods and lots of dead people. If you love urban paranormal that is also laugh-out-loud funny, this series is a must-read. Goodreads readers give it 4.5 stars.

Jan. 24: The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney — Here is a story of two women who move into the same house, years apart. A psychological thriller that is already slated to be adapted to the big screen, reviews promise a suspenseful read with plenty of surprises. It rates 3.9 stars on Goodreads.

the cover of Caraval by Stephanie Garber
“Caraval” by Stephanie Garber

Jan. 31: Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber — This first title in a new young adult series is currently atop the list of most popular books published in January 2017 on Goodreads. A good match for readers who loved The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, this is a tale of two sisters who enter a legendary game of intrigue to escape their ruthless father. Advance readers have rated it 4.3 stars on Goodreads.

Overheard in the Library #3

Over the years, we’ve had conversations and interactions with patrons that, let’s just say are interesting. We’ve also overheard things that make us laugh out loud as well. So we thought we’d share some of those ‘interesting’ interactions with you guys. Here’s a third set of “things overheard in the library.”

Welcome to the “Book Factory”!

-A parent told me her son used to call the Library “The Book Factory”

-Mom to her little boy:
Mom-What happens when we run in the library?
Boy- *silence*
Mom- The floor opens up and it eats you!

-Talking with a regular patron, he was trying to describe an actor to me, and some of the movies he’s been in and he says “You know, the good looking one?” I say “Bradley Cooper” he says “YES!”

-A lady just asked where the card catalogs are! That is still one of my favorite questions. She was holding an iPhone in her hand too.

-A teen hands me his library card to check a video game controller out and says “Don’t mind if that’s sticky.”

-Patron: I looked up the book in some website amazon.com or something like that.

Hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

New books in early January!

It’s almost a new year, and that means another whole year of new books to look forward to. Here are some of the books our staff is most looking forward to that will be released in the first two weeks of January.

Jan. 3: Unf*ck Your Habitat: You’re Better Than Your Mess by Rachel Hoffman — Hoffman takes and fresh and irreverent look at the organizing/decluttering/neatening movement that seems to be everywhere these days. This is a practical guide for the rest of us, based on a 20/10 system, 20 minutes of cleaning followed by a 10-minute break. It has a 3.71 rating on Goodreads.

Jan 10: A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell #2) — the intrepid Miss Speedwell finds herself in a new adventure following an invitation from the mysterious Lady Sundridge. Her task? Save a prominent patron of the arts, who has been accused of murdering his mistress, from hanging. Veronica and Stoker find themselves in a grotto, Bohemian art colony and a royal palace as they race the clock to find the true killer. It has a 4.08 rating on Goodreads.

Jan. 10: The Bear & the Nightingale by Katherine Arden — A debut novel described as magical, this book tells the story of Vasilia, who lives at the edge of the Russian wilderness. Vasilia’s father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife after Vasilia’s mother dies. When Vasilia’s stepmother forbids the family from honoring the household spirits, danger begins to circle and Vasilia calls on gifts she has long concealed. 4.32 stars (out of 5) on Goodreads

Jan. 10: A List of Cages by Robin Roe — Another debut novel, this one for young adults, follows Adam Blake during his senior year, when he lands his dream class-serving as an aide to the school psychologist. When a request from the doctor to find a troubled freshman leads him to his former foster brother, life gets crazy. Robin Roe drew on her own life experiences in writing her first novel. A List of Cages has a 4.48 rating on Goodreads.

What new releases are you looking forward to?

Overheard in the Library #2

Over the years, we’ve had conversations and interactions with patrons that, let’s just say are interesting. We’ve also overheard things that make us laugh out loud as well. So we thought we’d share some of those ‘interesting’ interactions with you guys. Here’s another set of “things overheard in the library.”

-Patron: I looked up the book in some website amazon.com or something like that.

-4 year old to mom after putting a few books in the book drop, “I need to go relax a few minutes.”

main door into the library
“Open sesame! No? OK, then.”

-Patron to the door as he was leaving “Open Sesame! No? OK, then.”

-Patron came up to me and asks “Is the checkout limit 4?” Yes. “Is there anyway we can stretch that to 5?”

-A little boy was running and his mom said “Stop, I told you not to run!’ his response “Mom, my feet are out of control!”

Hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Print at the library — from anywhere

You’re at home and you have a document that you need to print. You don’t have a printer. Or you realize that your printer is broken. Or out of ink or toner.

You are on your phone or tablet, and someone sent you a file that you don’t want to read on that little screen. You don’t have a printer connected to your mobile device, or don’t have a printer at home.

Or you are out running errands when that file or document comes to your email and you don’t want to have to go back home to print it. Maybe you are already in the library and just need to print from your laptop, phone or tablet.

Did you know that you can use printing services at the library from anywhere? You can even print from your phone or other mobile device.

Derby Public Library has the solution for every one of these situations. You can print your documents on the go with our mobile printing service. If you have an Internet connected device (computer, smartphone or tablet), you can submit documents or photos for printing at the library no matter where you are. Print jobs will be held for two hours and can be released by staff members at the circulation desk. Printing costs 25 cents a page.

If you are already in the library, just connect your laptop or mobile device to the DPL_GUEST network. If you are printing from another location, make sure your laptop or mobile device is connected to the Internet.

Go to the mobile printing page on the library website. That page contains detailed instructions on how to print from different types of devices.

From a home computer or a laptop, no matter where you are printing from, you will click on the link to the printer support site. Then, follow the steps as outlined, being prepared to provide your email address. Staff will identify your print jobs by your email address.

Choose the file you wish to print (from your computer or the URL of a Web page if that’s what you need to print). Click the print icon and you will see the status of your print job.

If printing from a mobile device, you will need to download the PrinterOn app from your device’s app store.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, follow the printing instructions on the library website.

Overheard in the Library

Over the years, we’ve had conversations and interactions with patrons that, let’s just say are interesting. We’ve also overheard things that make us laugh out loud as well. So we thought we’d share some of those ‘interesting’ interactions with you guys.

-While helping a patron in the computer lab, he wanted to save his documents to a ‘slash drive.’

-A patron called in to see when his items were due back. He was afraid they were due today…nope, you just checked them out today.

-A little boy is in the computer lab playing a game. He brought a ziplock bag with a slice of pizza, and a snack cake for his lunch.

refrigerator
“Is your refrigerator running?” “Why, yes, yes it is.”

-The library was pranked by some kids. They asked me, while giggling uncontrollably, if our refrigerator was running, and then after a brief pause hung up. I didn’t even get to tell them we had two refrigerators running!

-An older patron came in wanting some advice (not a book), on how to get rid of rodents in his garden, After Googling some DIY’s, I told the patron I had a groundhog in my backyard, and he said “You should catch it, they are good eating.”

Hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Review: “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles

You *must* read this book.

Deep characters, an amazing (single) setting, gorgeous writing, a lavishly constructed story with a most satisfying ending, this book has it all. I was so happy to hear that Amor Towles had a new book on the way, and I was eagerly awaiting it. This book absolutely exceeded all my expectations, and I had high expectations after Rules of Civility.

Cover of the book on CD of Amor Towles' "A Gentleman in Moscow"
Amor Towles’ “A Gentleman in Moscow” book on CD is available at the Derby Public Library, as is the book.

Setting: The book takes place almost exclusively in the grand Metropol Hotel, which sits across the street from the Kremlin. I love books in which the setting is more than the just the location of the story, but this setting becomes such an integral part of the story but in such a way that it never gets in the way of the story. The hotel comes to life under the pen of Amor Towles, in such a gratifying way. It ages over the course of the story (which takes place over a little more than 30 years beginning shortly after the Bolshevik revolution), gracefully and wonderfully. And the beauty of Towles’ writing is that the reader is never burdened by excessive descriptions, just spare, lilting writing that transports to you to the Metropol and its lobby, ballroom, restaurants and most of all the belfry.

Characters: Count Rostov nearly jumped off the pages into my imagination and in the best way possible. The other inhabitants of this confined, yet limitless setting, are each so clearly painted that I felt like I was walking alongside them, or joining them in a meal, or eavesdropping on their conversations. The Count, Andrey, Emile, Anna, Nina and Sofia, and even the more minor characters are so alive.

Writing: Stunningly gorgeous. I’m not exaggerating. If I could even dream to put together words and phrases and sentences the way Towles does I would be deliriously happy. I highlighted sentences in my Kindle. I almost never do that. I have this as an e-book, but I went out and bought it in hardcover, because this is most definitely a book I will read again and again.

I took a few weeks to read this book. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I wanted to make the pleasure of reading last as long as possible. I savored every minute of reading. I didn’t want it to end, but I wanted to know how it ended. And the ending was so satisfactory.

I’ve waited a few days to write this review, because I can’t get this book off my mind, and I want to write a review that will do this book justice. I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley.

Miss Hannah: The Underwear Librarian

Oversize white cotton underwear can hold seven children. This is what Hannah Adamson discovered when she presented an underwear-themed story time to the Derby community. Adamson has been a member of the Derby Public Library Youth Services staff for over five years and has led the Preschool Storytime program for a year. By incorporating books, songs, flannel stories, and interactive iPad games into her program, Adamson has increased attendance and inspired young children to think, create, and explore.

Her story time reached a new creative level when she thought of the underwear. Having discovered numerous pictures books with an underwear theme, Adamson decided to try something different. The response to this idea was unprecedented.

What was the underwear-themed story time like?

We read books related to underwear, danced to a song about getting dressed, and watched an adaptation of The Emperor’s New Clothes. The best part of the story time was using a giant, novelty pair of underwear. We read a book called One Big Pair of Underwear by Laura Gehl and had the kids step into the underwear together. We talked about colors, sharing, taking turns, and counting.

How did you become the “underwear librarian”?

Miss Hannah leads a story time with children’s books that feature underwear, and sees how many children can fit in the giant pair of underwear.

I presented at the Kansas Librarian Association conference in Wichita and briefly mentioned the story time to the audience. Librarians were thrilled to hear this idea. Later when I went to the Scholastic books table, the representative said they had sold out of Laura Gehl’s book. People were calling me the underwear librarian! It was great. Sometimes I worry that my ideas are too silly, but I think story time should be fun and conceal the fact that we’re teaching early literacy skills.

What would you recommend to parents who are trying to engage their children in reading? How would reading about underwear be helpful?

Children’s librarian Hannah Adamson holds up the giant pair of underpants that can hold seven children.

Reading a picture book takes five to ten minutes. You can use something as silly as underwear to show your children how fun reading can be. Reading interactive books like the ones about underwear can start a conversation with your child. Ask about the colors of the underwear they have. Use the books to talk about potty training.  It’s okay if they don’t sit still. Just keep at it. You’ll be building skills and creating lasting memories.

Miss Hannah recommends:

  • One Big Pair of Underwear by Laura Gehl
  • Vegetables in Underwear by Jared Chapman
  • Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera
  • No! That’s Wrong! by Zhaohua Ji and Cui Xu
  • Toca Tailor Dress-Up App

Preschool Story Time is on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10 AM.

Welcome to Derby Library’s new blog!

Welcome to the official blog of the Derby Public Library in Derby, Kansas. We’re excited to begin sharing great information about the library, books, reading, and more with you through this blog. We hope you’ll engage with us by leaving comments and sharing your thoughts on our posts.

Visit us here often for reviews of books, newly released or out for a while. Find out what’s happening with library programs. Read about the books that our book clubs have selected each month.

Thanks for joining us and we look forward to hearing from you!