Posts filed under ‘books’
Such a Sad Week So Far…
The last four days have been kind of bummer…one of my all-time favorite children’s book author/illustrator and one of my favorite musicians have died. Thankfully, their talents live on through their books and music:
and
-Dana
The Hero of a Hundred Fights
Join us at the South Branch Library for a fascinating discussion and book signing. Western novelist and literary critic Clay Reynolds will speak about his recent book, The Hero of a Hundred Fights, a collection of dime novels by Ned Buntline. Dr. Reynolds will also discuss Buntline’s life, which was every bit as fascinating (and, at times, fabricated) as the characters he wrote about. At a time when the West was still being won, when the living legends had not yet assumed the stature of folk heroes, Edward Zane Carroll Judson, better known to the world as Ned Buntline, not only wrote about these heroes – he was one of them. Assuming the role of a sailor, soldier, duelist, showman, gambler, bigamist, and rabble rouser, Buntline was above all a writer – and arguably the most successful dime novelist of his day, and an inspiration to later western authors such as Zane Grey and Charles Portis. When: Saturday, April 21 at 2 p. m. Where: South Branch Library 3228 Teasley Lane in Denton Copies of the book will be available for purchase. For more, please call 940-349-8752 or email Fred.Kamman@cityofdenton.com. ### For other news items on the City of Denton, visit our website at www.cityofdenton.com, go to Quick Links and click on Press Releases.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Everyone seems to be in love with Daughter of Smoke and Bone, the new book by Laini Taylor, and I have to say it’s with good reason. It’s been on my list for awhile, namely because of all of the great reviews, but once I actually started to read it, I couldn’t put it down.
The story centers around Karou, a seventeen year old art student who lives in Prague. Karou is a little strange and mysterious. Her hair grows blue, she’s covered with tattoos, and she fills dozens of sketchbooks with creatures that could surely only exist in the imagination. Karou never talks about herself and deflects all questions from friends so that they don’t find out the truth. See, Karou isn’t really from Prague. She’s not from anywhere, actually. She’s from Elsewhere. Karou grew up in a shop with four chimaera and was raised by the Wishmonger, Brimstone. Brimstone, like all of the chimaera, is part animal, part human with the head and horns of a ram, eyes of a crocodile, torso of a human, legs of a lion, and feet of a dragon. Brimstone sells wishes to any who can pay the price, but instead of cash and coins, Brimstone’s currency is teeth, and only the best teeth will do. He gives Karou small wishes and provides her with money and a place to live in the outside world, and even a fake grandmother to enroll her in school. In return, Karou runs errands for Brimstone, errands that are often very dangerous and even life-threatening, but Brimstone is the only family she’s ever known. Karou doesn’t even know who she really is, but a chain of events that starts with handprints scorched into the doors to Elsewhere leads her to find that the chimaera are not the only ones in Elsewhere, and her family is under attack by beautiful, winged creatures.
Laini Taylor creates a world – two worlds, really – that is complex and rich in detail. Karou is the perfect, fierce heroine, good enough to rival Katniss of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Katsa of Graceling by Kristin Cashore.
Here’s an insider tip for all of you: Read the book now before it starts getting a huge hold list! The movie rights have been acquired by Universal Pictures, and the second book is due out September 2012. I predict that this book is only going to get even more popular.
- Heather Botelho, South Branch Library
Could Monsters Be Real?
The central question, the thing that woke me in the dead of night shivering in a cold sweat, the notion which haunted me as I fought to go back to sleep . . . could monsters be real?
This is the question posed in the preface of Curse of the Wendigo, the sequel to The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey. Just what if creatures more terrifying than your most horrific nightmares actually existed? In the first book, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop and his young assistant, Will Henry, encounter a pack of Anthropophagi, a headless monster whose eyes are located on its shoulders and its mouth of sharp teeth where its stomach should be, and oh yeah, it likes the taste of human flesh. Of course, the people-eating monsters don’t end there. In Curse of the Wendigo, Dr. Warthrop is not convinced there is a monster at all. Rather, there is a madness affecting people, including one of his oldest friends, that turns them into cannibals. Bodies keep piling up, and Dr. Warthrop and Will Henry must either save the wendigo or save themselves.
These are not books for the faint of heart. Yancey’s descriptions are detailed and graphic, but they make the horror come alive. Yancey’s books are reminiscent of classic horror, such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Bram Stoker’s Dracula, as they are set in the late 19th century and are written as if they actually originated in that era. Yancey elevates the horror genre, such as it is now in young adult fiction, far above sparkly vampires.
Be on the lookout for the next in the series, The Isle of Blood, coming soon to a branch near you.
-Heather Botelho, South Branch Library
Embrace your inner nerd at the Denton Public Library
Science Ink, Tattoos of the Science Obsessed
World of Geekcraft: Step by Step instructions for Super Cool Craft Projects
THE NERDIST WAY : how to reach the next level
We also have it on the Playaway!
Geek Wisdom: the sacred teachings of nerd culture
We also have an electronic version
Read Like a Zombie
The living dead will rise tonight at 6 p.m. at the South Branch Library to put on their faces (zombie makeup), practice their pageant walk (walk and dance like zombies), and throw brains around (zombies obviously don’t have very good manners).
If you really want to join the ranks of the reanimated, here are some last-minute reads to help you become the best zombie you can be:
Fiction:
Zombie Queen of Newbury High – Amanda Ashby
Zombies vs. Unicorns - Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier
The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks - Max Brooks
Play Dead - Ryan Brown
The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses - Ty Drago
Zombies Don’t Cry - Rusty Fischer
The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology - Christopher Golden
The Smoky Corridor - Chris Grabenstein
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Seth Grahame-Smith
Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Zombies - Brent Hartinger
Dawn of the Dreadfuls - Steve Hockensmith
You are So Undead to Me - Stacy Jay
Undead Much - Stacy Jay
Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead - Scott Kenemore
Infinity – Sherrilyn Kenyon
Gil’s All Fright Diner - A. Lee Martinez
Strange Angels - Lili St. Crow
Zombies: The Recent Dead - edited by Paula Guran
Non-Fiction:
Real Zombies, the Living Dead, and Creatures of the Apocalypse - Brad Steiger
How to be a Zombie: The essential guide for anyone who craves brains - Serena Valentino
The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime - Michael Spradlin
It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Zombies - Michael Spradlin
New Board Books Galore!
We just got a ton of new board books in…get your little one’s hands on them before all the other babies do!
You are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis, Ill. by Caroline Jayne Church
How Do Dinosaurs Go Up and Down? by Jane Yolen
Uncommon Criminals
Are you tired of books where the girl dies, and it’s all oh-so-tragic? Are you tired of the high drama of yay-you’re-my-bf-and-now-you’re-not books? Are you looking for a book where the girl seriously kicks butt and takes names?
Okay, that’s not exactly how it goes down in Uncommon Criminals, Ally Carter’s sequel to Heist Society. In fact Katarina Bishop gets completely double-crossed within the first couple of chapters, and then she has to travel all over the world to try to rectify her mistake. Of course, when you’re dealing with a cursed Egyptian gem, there’s no telling what else will go wrong. I will say, though, the twist at the end is so extremely clever, that it will fool you too, and Kat’s reputation as a thief is redeemed. As usual, Carter proves herself to be witty author who sucks you in and doesn’t let go. Uncommon Criminals is a light, fast-paced, and completely engrossing read — perfect for summer.
And, BTW, more exciting Ally Carter news: her Web site, allycarter.com, has listed March 20, 2012 as the release date for the fifth installment of the Gallagher Girls series! I know, still over six months away, but don’t forget to keep checking the catalog so you can place your hold.
If you’ve already read everything by Ally Carter, and you’re looking for more female detectives, try The Agency series by Y.S. Lee that starts with A Spy in the House, or the Forensic Mysteries series by Alane Ferguson, starting with The Christopher Killer.
Facts From Fiction: Science From Stories
Denton, TX – Tweens and teens interested in hands-on science fun look no further! The North Branch Library, 3020 N. Locust, has a program for you, Facts from Fiction: Science from Stories. Investigate the natural world with hands-on activities that combine science and literature. The following programs are scheduled for the next three Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and are offered at no cost to the public.
On June 16, Ingrid Law’s Savvy, will be used to investigate solar energy, much like the Beaumont’s “Savvy” or supernatural power, through the use of a solar kit to convert heat into mechanical energy.
On June 23, Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, will be used to demonstrate chemistry through a non-toxic, sodium acetate crystallization demo and take home rock candy kits.
On June 30, Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, will be analyzed for its use of puzzles and logic.
All programs combine science and literature and are great for parents and teachers interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
For more information, contact Juli Gonzalez, Public Services Librarian at 940.349.8741 or at juli.gonzalez@cityofdenton.com.
For other news items on the City of Denton, visit our website at www.cityofdenton.com, go to Quick Information and click on Press Releases.
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