Thursday, May 27, 2010

A Reader Reviews... He Loves Me He Loves Me Not

Annie G., a patron at our Southwest Branch, recently had rave reviews about this book:

I recently read He Loves Me He Loves Me Not by Trish Ryan. When I first saw this book, I didn't care for it because of the title. But after reading the preview, I decided to give it a shot.

Ms Ryan is not only funny but truthful. She thought a lot and spoke her mind. She wrote like she thought. This could also be considered as a self-help book for some females.
Thank you for having this book in our library.

And thank you Annie for letting us know about this book. During our Summer Reading Club we will be posting reviews throughout the summer of books that have "made the grade" in our readers eyes. Check back then!

Monday, May 24, 2010

2010 Adult Summer Reading Club- It's not just for kids





Starting June 4th, Arlington Public Library will kick off the summer reading club for kids AND adults. The adult club is new and improved. Be sure to pay attention to the changes in rules because now it is easier to join and receive additional chances to win prizes. Adults who read three books can enter the reading club and they can receive an addional drawing for each additional book they read. On top of that, adults can also receive additonal chances to win by following the library on Twitter, becoming a fan of our facebook page, attending a program, writing a book review, or using one of the library's many great databases. You can turn in entries from June 4th-July 31st, so there is plenty of time to turn in lots of entries. I have already picked out some of the books I plan to read!





by Sarah Silverman


by Jen Lancaster




by Tucker Max

Monday, May 17, 2010

I Wish I Could Quit You

When you start reading a book, do you HAVE to finish it even if you don’t like it? Or will you gladly cast it aside if the author has failed to engage you?

I used to be the former, and perhaps one day I will be again. But for the past decade I have been the latter. There are just too many books that I want to read. Working at a library, obviously, I’m surrounded by the possibility of the next great read. But there are only 24 hours in a day, and precious few can be spared for reading. Ergo, I’ve become choosier.

I know many people who can’t quit a book once they start it, and I used to be just like them. But I think it was more about leaving something unfinished than it was about my love of reading. I don’t think I’ve beat the habit entirely, though. I still have a problem with books in a series. Even if I didn’t like the last book, I feel compelled to read the next one.

Nancy Pearl, the librarian author who penned Book Lust as well as other tomes on recommended reading, has stated that readers should follow “the rule of 50:” if you’re under 50-years-old, you should give a book 50 pages before you decide to keep reading or to give it up. If you’re over 50, subtract your age from 100 and that is how many pages to read before deciding. I don’t follow a rule, per se, but about 50 pages seems like a reasonable time for an audition.

Pearl also argues, and I agree, that you have to be in the right mood for some books, because of their subject matter, the language used, or any other factor. For instance, when I’m really stressed out, a dense literary work is too much strain on my brain. That’s when I turn to young adult books and romance novels: still enjoyable, but ultimately less mentally taxing.

All that being said, there are times when it’s worth slogging through a book that hasn’t won me over after 50 pages. Anything the book club is reading I try to complete, as well as highly-regarded or classic literature. Sometimes the only satisfaction I get from finishing is the ability to talk intelligently about the book. (That’s the best thing I can say about Atlas Shrugged.) Other times I reach a point in a book where I’m no longer forcing myself to read and actually enjoying it. The example I always refer to is The World According to Garp. I was halfway through it before it really kicked in for me. I ended up loving it.

So every few years I crack open Anna Karenina and try again to read that Russian behemoth. Haven’t made it past 50 pages, but I’ll try again. Eventually it will take.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Charlaine Harris is coming to a town near us

I know its not really near us, but I got an email that Charlaine Harris is going to be in Dallas this weekend at the Borders on the corner of Preston and Royal. Make sure to get a hold on her newest that was just released last weekend, Dead in the Family. I'm in line and pretty close to being able to read the next installment. And of course, the third season of True Blood is just a couple of weeks away!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Passage by Justin Cronin

I went to the Texas Library Association convention a couple of weeks ago and received an advance copy of one of the best books I have ever read. The Passage (a link to the audiobook, the book comes out in June) starts off as an almost character piece about a small girl named Amy. Then enters the FBI man, Brad Wolgast, and a number of death row convicts, combined with secret government experiments, to culminate in the ultimate post apocalyptic book. It has been understandably likened to Stephen King's The Stand, but I believe that Cronin's writing is more akin to Cormac McCarthy in the way he weaves people and scenery together, or even Bram Stoker in the way he uses first person, third person and diary writing. Whatever people decide they want to compare him to, I will be waiting breathlessly for more Justin Cronin!

Link: About The Book « The Passage by Justin Cronin

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Library Ninja goes home with a trophy!

For the past 21 years, River Legacy Park has hosted the Cardboard Boat Regatta as a fundraising event for the park, River Legacy Foundation, and educational programs offered by River Legacy. This year’s event, held at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, boasted over 150 boats! Included in that great turnout was Arlington Public Library’s very own Library Ninja. Library staff members Jenny Ethington, Erin Spicer, and Amy Stafford operated the Library Ninja boat, but boat construction included the help of multiple staff members and even a few volunteers.

The Library Ninja made good enough time in the first race to compete in the Semi-Finals, but did not quite finish in time to make it to the Finals. However, Library Ninja did earn the Admiral’s Pride First Place trophy for overall boat design and decoration. All the hard work, persistence, and dedication paid off! The Arlington Public Library should be proud of a job well done.

A very special thanks to Jenny Ethington for the many hours of hard work she put into this endeavor, to Pete Jacobs for helping with the intial boat design, and to Amanda Zayas for her inspiration toward final decoration of the Library Ninja boat. And a super-special thank you goes to the City of Arlington Parks and Recreation Department for providing life vests and oars to make the Library Ninja boat truly sea-worthy.

2010 Cardboard Boat Regatta winners
Photos of Library Ninja in action!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Doctor Who: you never forget your first doctor

Dr. Who started in 1963 as an educational series on various times in world history. It soon became much more and has lasted for more than 40 years in various incarnations. The newest incarnation is back on BBC America (the third new episde appears today!), but you can check out earlier doctors here at the library! And for even more Dr. Who fun, check out the episode guide to the original series on BBC's website. My favorite part of the website is the photonovels, that are "recreations of the classic 'missing' Doctor Who adventures, using images, sounds and video clips."

New Doctor Who:
complete specials