Archive for February, 2008
Need a Good Book to Read?
A lot of people think nothing of asking library staff for help when they need to find facts. But what do you do when you “just” want a good read? You can read the same authors you’ve been reading, read the authors on the various Best Seller lists, ask your friends and neighbors – all of which could satisfy you, but what if the author you’ve been enjoying for so long only produces a new title every year or so? What if the best-selling authors just don’t seem to write what you’re in the mood for? How do you tell a friend that the book they so enthusiastically recommended just didn’t hold your interest? What do you do?
Well, you can come to the library and ask for help. Yes, the staff there can help you find a book to suit your mood or to tide you over until your favorite author’s next book is available. Maybe even find you a new favorite. And no, we won’t get our feelings hurt if you don’t fall in love with something we suggest. What our staff will do is ask you some questions about what you like to read and what you’re in the mood for – Western? Romance? Science fiction? Fantasy? Literary fiction? Do you want more of the same, or would you like to try something different? If you can tell us what it is that you like in a book, what made the last book you read enjoyable for you, we can find some other authors and titles that you can take a look at. We don’t have any emotional investment in the authors we suggest — we just want you to find something to enjoy — we will try our best to give you several authors and titles to choose from.
If you enjoy a particular author’s work, we can check for what are called Read-Alikes. These are authors whose content and/or style are similar to those of other authors. We also have reading lists so that if you have read everything by one author in a genre and don’t know which other authors to try, we can give you a starting point.
For example, the Romance basic formula is boy meets girl, obstacles arise, obstacles are overcome, boy and girl have happy ending. But these days, there are a lot of different treatments for so such a simple-sounding plot. There are contemporary romances, in which the focus is on the woman’s attempts to find success and happiness in both her personal and professional life. There are paranormal romances, in which there is a heavy presence of the supernatural or unexplained phenomena. Time travel romances are very popular today, with the displaced person finding love in a new time (past or future). And there are many more romance subgenres than these – including western and suspense stories. There’s a romance story to fit almost any reader’s taste, so you might want to experiment a little and see if one might just give you some reading pleasure.
Come on in to the Emily Fowler branch and check out the Readers’ Advisory service there. The staff will be glad to suggest some titles or authors you haven’t tried before, or even help you find a new genre you might like to explore.
Then, when you’ve read the book, we would really like for you to come back and tell us what you think – Did you enjoy it? Has it gotten you started on a new author or series? Were we just a little off in our suggestions? Either way, we ask that you be completely honest – we enjoy reading and want everyone else to have a good time, too.
And if you have a book club or other group that would be interested in learning more about Readers’ Advisory, just contact Mary Cresson at Mary.Cresson@cityofdenton.com or 940-349-8753 to arrange a date for a program about the services available.
Add comment February 25, 2008
New “on order” movies you can put a hold on:
1. Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem
2. Alvin and the Chipmunks 3. Atonement
5. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8. National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
9. P2
Add comment February 21, 2008
Get Ready For Spring!
It’s not too early to start thinking about getting your hands dirty! Check out DPL’s latest gardening books:
Down and Dirty: 43 Fun and Funky First-Time Projects and Activities to Get You Gardening by Adam Mastoon
Some Like It Hot: Flowers That Thrive in Hot, Humid Weather by P.J. Gartin
The Complete Practical Guide to Small Gardens: A Complete Step-By-Step Guide to Successful Gardening in Small Spaces by Peter McHoy
How Does Your Garden Grow?: Understand Your Plants and Get the Most Out of Your Garden by Chris BeardshawSee more gardening books here.
Add comment February 16, 2008
New Movies
Did you know that you can put holds on DVDs before they’ve even gotten to the Library… well you can. Most people have to go through a huge list by searching the call # for DVD on order, but since we love our Blog readers we’re going to give you a heads up right when the newest blockbusters are available to put on hold.
Add comment February 8, 2008
Cool Music For Your Kids
Are you sick of listening to the CDs that your kids love, but you loathe? If so, you should give the Jellydots a listen. They prove that kids music doesn’t have to be pedestrian and annoying. Their music is hard to categorize; if the Foo Fighters spent a week with Jack Johnson and Ben Harper, I think they would sound a lot like the Jellydots. The Jellydots also prove that Queen is not the only band that can write a rockin’ song about a bicycle. I’m not ashamed to say that I’m putting their album “Hey You Kids!” on my ipod, and I don’t have any children. I’m also very excited for their next album, Changing Skies, that comes out in March.
-Dana
Add comment February 2, 2008
The Library of Congress on Flickr
Recently, the Library of Congress has posted historical photos on social photo-sharing site, Flickr. At the moment, they have more than 2,000 photos posted. Click here to view the collection. Click here to see how you can become involved.
Add comment February 2, 2008
Read a Good Teen Book
Hey grown-ups, don’t be embarressed to venture into the library’s teen area! There are some great novels located in this section…read one today, or grab one for your kids:
Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
The daily class discussions about the nature of man, the existence of God, abortion, organized religion, suicide and other contemporary issues serve as a backdrop for a high-school senior’s attempt to answer a friend’s dramatic cry for help.
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
After the suspicious death of her mother in 1895, sixteen-year-old Gemma returns to England, after many years in India, to attend finishing school where she becomes aware of her magical powers and ability to see into the spirit world.
P.S. This is the first book in a just-completed trilogy, so also check out the second book, Rebel Angels and the third book, A Sweet Far Thing as well!
P.P.S. Bray grew up in Denton and still has family in the area, so show some love by reading her fantastic trilogy!
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
A series of letters to an unknown correspondent reveals the coming-of-age trials of a high-schooler named Charlie, a high school freshman in Pennsylvania. The novel follows Charlie as he is introduced to love, literature and drugs while mourning the loss of his best friend to suicide.
Keep checking back, there will be more to come!
-Dana
Add comment February 2, 2008
