The Lineup: Anni

Anni’s Lineup

Hobby: Playing piano

Playing piano is one of my favorite hobbies. I have played on and off for about 7 years. I love playing Disney songs like The Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas. I also enjoy playing classical music and one of my favorites is the Moonlight Sonata. I have performed in several places and was part of my former schools’ piano club, serving as vice president.

Television: Psych

The TV show Psych is about 2 best friends who run a psych business. It is a comedy mystery and will make you laugh out loud. I enjoy watching it because it makes me laugh, but also allows for my brain to work by trying to solve the mystery before the actors on screen do.

Available in the KanShare catalog.

Movie: The Princess Bride

My favorite movie is The Princess Bride. I have watched this movie over and over again and memorized half the lines and it never gets old. I love the whole movie, but I like some parts more than others. This movie takes us on an adventure of love, mystery, wonder, and action. Westley, the main character, is off on an adventure to save his beloved from an evil prince. Despite it sounding like an all-around Disney fairy tale it is anything but that. It has blood, sabotage, backstabbing and peoples’ worst fears tied up into one amazing and thrilling movie.

Available in the KanShare catalog.

Book: The False Prince

My favorite book is The False Prince, written by Jennifer A. Neilson. This book is an action packed, thrill giving, hilarious, and mysterious book. It is about several young boys who are being tested to become a false prince. The story goes into depth on how they were trained and life before being kidnapped and forced to train with other boys who all look somewhat similar to each other. We follow the boy who gets picked to be the false prince and see the struggles he faces. This book is fun for any age and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is stuck on what to read next.

Available in the KanShare catalog and as an ebook or audiobook through the Sunflower eLibrary or Libby app.

Music Genre: Country

I love listening to country because the tune can get stuck in your head but when you need it to go away it does. A few of my favorite country artists are Gabby Barrett, Luke Combs and George Strait. A few of my favorite songs are, I Cross My Heart by George Strait and One of the Good Ones by Gabby Barrett.

Music CDs by George Strait, Gabby Barrett and Luke Combs available in the KanShare catalog. Digital music by George Strait and Gabby Barrett available through Hoopla.

The Lineup: Maycie

Maycie’s Lineup

TV Show: American Horror Story

I know I know, everyone else already knew how amazing American Horror Story was but for some reason it had never crossed my mind to watch it.  Then about a few months ago my husband and I were looking for something a little spooky to watch that we had never seen before and Netflix presented us with the holy grail of televised anthologies. So we might be ten years late to the game, but we are obsessed, and I can’t wait to watch the rest of it. 

Video Game: Animal Crossing New Horizons

I’m a huge fan of cozy gaming; Stardew Valley, Pikmin, the Sims you can toss them all my way. Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time on my Island of Alderaan bonding with my villagers, catching bugs, fishing and discovering that I owe a lifetime’s worth of bells to Tom Nook. 

  • Available for Nintendo Switch

Hobbies: Fantasy Football

Do I know anything about football? No. Do I know what I’m doing with my lineup each week? Also no. “Hey Maycie do you at least come close to winning your league every year?” I absolutely do not. But as the full-time general manager of Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood my fall schedule is booked with strategy meetings, game tape reviews and injury reports. Whether you’re an avid fan of football or being roped into a league I find it’s a fun way to engage with your family and friends. 

Goals: Bread Making

“2021 is the year I make breads from scratch” -Maycie at the end of 2020.  Armed with a stand-mixer and a jar of yeast I spent my year learning to bake all things bread. So far I’ve mastered biscuits, pizza dough and pasta but I have to say that my favorite creation was a beautiful blueberry babka.  

On My Radar: Here’s what I’m looking forward to in the next few months

To Read: Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Water of the World. I’m so excited for this sequel to come out and I can’t wait to join Ari and Dante’s world again.

At the Movies: West Side Story. I’m not always a huge fan of movie remakes but the new West Side Story looks so good and has some of my favorite Broadway actors in it.

TV Shows: One of Us is Lying. One of my favorite YA thrillers that is being adapted and will be streaming on Peacock later this fall. 

Holidays: CHRISTMAS

The Lineup: Monica

Monica’s Lineup

Audiobook: The Duke and I (Bridgerton #1) by Julia Quinn

After seeing this series become popular on Netflix, I decided to give a shot at listening to the books. I am currently enjoying listening to the first book of the Bridgerton series on Libby. Although regency/romance isn’t typically my top choice for books, I find that Julia Quinn has done a great job at adding humor and suspense to the story. Despite the melodrama undertone of the whole thing, I find myself absorbed in the fictional world of 1800s high class.

Book: Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette by Anna & Lizzie Post

As my October wedding approaches, I have found myself studying how a wedding should be conducted. On top of everything else to buy, send, or make, there are also certain behaviors expected at a wedding ceremony and reception. Honestly, I have never been married before, so this whole wedding planning business is all new to me. I found this book extremely helpful in deciding how to plan my reception and have an easy flow to the evening!

Album: Battle at Garden’s Gate by Greta Van Fleet

Recently, the up-and-coming rock band, Greta Van Fleet, has been all over my social media. This album has been on repeat for me for at least a week now. My favorite song, which constantly gets stuck in my head, is “Heat Above”. They are a group whose sound is reminiscent of the 1970s band Led Zeppelin. Battle at Garden’s Gate is their most recent album and is available here at the DPL!

Television: Manifest

My fiancé and I are not avid TV watchers, so to have a show we both enjoy is rare. This week we started watching the series Manifest on Netflix. From the start, it had us both a little mind blown and confused. Essentially, it is about a group of people on a plane that supposedly had been missing for five years. However, for the passengers, it was only a few hours. I am excited to see where the plot goes and to see if it keeps both of us entertained.

  • Available on Netflix.

The Lineup: Ashley

Ashley’s Lineup

Podcast: Not Just the Tudors with Suzannah Lipscomb

I am a huge history nerd.  I love to read, see, watch and listen to anything historical especially if it pertains to the Tudors.  Recently one of my favorite historians started her own podcast called, Not Just the Tudors, which covers all sorts of history during the sixteenth century.  I have learned a lot while listening, such as about the teenage werewolf, the story of beards, and the witches of Lorraine.  Most episodes are 30-60 minutes which make for a quick little dip into the sixteenth century from the comfort of your home.

Find it here or where you normally download your podcasts.

2. Television show: Expedition Unknown with Josh Gates

As I said above, I love to learn about history.  This adventure show looks into some of the world’s most fascinating and enduring legends and mysteries.  The host, Josh Gates, travels the world meeting with experts and locals to uncover why these legends still fascinate people today.  His corny “dad jokes” and willingness to do just about anything makes for a fun watch.  I recently binge watched it while babysitting my nephew.  And now my parents and I are addicted to the show and watch it together every week.

Find it on Discovery Channel or the Discovery+ app.

3. Magazine: Discover Britain

I have been to England 3 times (in 2006, 2007 and 2011).  Each time has been wonderful!  I love the country, the history and even the food.  Even with all three trips there is still so much I have not seen in this gorgeous country.  My cousin and I have been planning to travel to London and Edinburgh but it had to be pushed back due to COVID.  But we are hopeful that this next spring we will finally be able to travel.  This magazine has been helping feed my wanderlust.  It features different sites to see, events to attend and some of the history around Britain.  If you miss traveling as much as I do then I would recommend you check it out plus many other travel magazines available on Libby.

Find it on Sunflower eLibrary or on the Libby app.

4. Class: Petco dog training with Riley H.

This summer I was able to have my dachshund puppy, Dudley, come live with me.  As with many dachshunds they are stubborn little barkers.  And Dudley is no different.  But in the future I would like to be able to take him on road trips or visit friends without having to deal with too many behavioral problems.  Thus, I signed him up for training classes at Derby Petco with Riley H.  The first class was very scary for him but he has already made tons of progress.  He has learned lot of new tricks like sit, lay down, stay and leave it.  Riley has been very patient with him.  I would highly recommend her and the classes.  There are different levels.  Dudley is nearly done with session one and will start session two this fall!

Find out more about their classes at Petco.com.

5. Planning Tools: Microsoft OneNote

Recently I found a new tool to help organize and plan my trip to the UK.  It is called OneNote.  It is a Microsoft program that allows a person to divide up things into different sections and pages.  I have broken my trip into different categories like location, flights, hotels, and budgets.  But then under each category I can have more pages with more individualized information.  I put links, photos, and charts that give me a more detailed view of my trip.  I like to show people that this is my “beautiful mind”.  I have several itineraries, places we should visit, and restaurants to try.  Plus, it has been a life saver during COVID.  I have felt like I am doing something to plan my trip even though I cannot plan my trip yet.  If you have access to OneNote I would recommend checking it out.  It seems like a very useful tool for many different things. 

Find out more about OneNote by checking out our database, Learning Express, where you can watch tutorials on using the application.

Book Review: Unqualified

Unqualified by Anna Faris

First line: I’m not qualified to write a book.

Summary: Anna Faris, actress and the host of a podcast, is writing her first book. She details her life, career and advice she has for her podcast listeners. Written in an informal style, as if she is talking to the reader. Her wit and sense of humor comes through in her writing.

Highlights: I have been a fan of Anna Faris for many years. I have seen most of her movies and always make time to watch her TV show, Mom. She is funny and heartfelt. However, she is very truthful about the struggles of life in Hollywood and in the public view. I like her even more after reading this. She may be unqualified but she does a great job!

Lowlights: It was a little hard to read after the recent announcement of her separation with her husband, Chris Pratt. I also felt like some of the conversations from the podcast seemed a little out of place. I understand that it makes it easier to fill some pages and cover topics that she has already covered on the show.

FYI: Good for a chuckle. Very honest.