Book Year in Review: 2014

This year has seen so many wonderful books published, both fiction and non-fiction. So many, in fact, that you might need help finding the ones that are right for you! Now, I will always suggest that you stop by your local library branch and have a chat with your local librarian - we LOVE to talk about books! But here are some other suggestions of ways to find out about the best books of the year.



NPR Book Concierge
OH MY what a fantastic (and fun!) resource this is! Scroll down and look at the options of "what would you like to read" and let the book experts at NPR narrow down the list. Hover over a book cover and get a quick review, or click on it for the full review. Play around with it! And they've done it for a few years now, so take a look at their backlist for even more reading ideas.

Goodreads Choice Awards
If you're an avid reader, you should join Goodreads. Not only can you keep track of all the books you read and want to read in once convenient place, you can also found reviews and suggestions from other voracious readers! Every year Goodreads users vote on their favorite books of the year, so you can have a list of great books selected by readers like you.

LibraryReads Favorite of Favorites
LibraryReads puts out a monthly list of favorite books coming out that month as selected by public librarians across the country. (One of your BCLS librarians has gotten reviews published with them!) This is their first "best of the best" list since they've only been around for a little over a year. But you can rest assured that your library has these titles!

Buzzfeed Books We Loved
You might be aware of Buzzfeed as the website with the gif-heavy list articles, which they do oh-so-well, but they do have some bright book reviewers as well! Though definitely geared toward the Millennial generation, these edgy titles still make great reads for anyone looking for something a little outside the box.

Book Riot Best Books
Another website aimed at Millennials and Gen Xers, the reviewers at Book Riot take pride in finding the best books of all genres, and from writers of all backgrounds. Their list is very diverse, with a lot of books intended to give you pause to think. Book Riot contributors are frequently also librarians or booksellers, so they really know what the public is looking for!

Your Bartow County Library System Librarians
As mentioned before, your librarians LOVE to talk about books. We may not always feel the need to make up a list of our favorite books of the year (though this year we're asking you to help!), but if you are looking for suggestions for your "to be read" list, stop by and ask us. We will absolutely drop everything for the chance to talk books with our patrons! And while you're at it, follow us on Twitter to get updates on what we're reading, new books to check out, and other book buzz we find interesting. It will make our day for your to stop by!

Winter Reading has returned!

You may have noticed in the local paper already, but our adult winter reading program, "From Page to Screen," started this week! To participate, all you need to do is register for the program, read three books of your choosing, attend one adult program, and submit your completion! When you complete the program, stop by your local library branch and pick up your completion prize - a limited edition library mug! Each completion is an entry into our grand prize drawing after the program ends on February 28, 2015. 

As an added bonus, we're taking votes on our list of nominations for the best books of 2014 - these books were chosen based on how many times they were checked out by our patrons, and their popularity on Goodreads and LibraryReads. How many have you read? Get a few more titles read by the time votes are due on February 13th! We're having a "Read" Carpet Awards Night on February 20, 2015 to announce the winners, and we'd love to have you there!

Since the theme is Hollywood-related, we've got a few programs in store that fit the bill. We've got our usual Movie Nights on the first Tuesdays of the month. We've got movie-related Trivia Night on January 23rd. We've got a Gone with the Wind Book & Film Discussion on January 29th. And a staged reading on February 6th of Ron Hutchinson's play "Moonlight & Magnolias," a comedy about the writing of the script for Gone with the Wind. 

And while you can read whatever three books you choose to participate in the program, we'd love for you to check out the lists we made of books that went "from page to screen," and of novels about film or film stars, available in our Reader's Corner, with print copies available at the library. 

Stop by the library and see all the fun things we have to offer! We love seeing you!

Library Reads

Have you heard of Library Reads? It's a great program that's been around for just over a year -- librarians around the country vote on their favorite books being published every month! Certainly you can always rely on the best seller lists for new books to read, but wouldn't you trust a librarian, too? Lots of great title selections from all kinds of genres. Check out the November list today! We also try to keep the current list at the Reference Desk at the Cartersville branch, so stop by and ask us for a reading suggestion! Be "in the know" about great new books coming to the library!

October's list has some great suggestions, too. Definitely check out As You Wish by Cary Elwes, about the making of the film The Princess Bride! It's so delightful. And Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver is great for Agatha Christie fans.

We're BACK!

After a blogging hiatus, we are back! We are reading loads of great things, and we want to share them with you!! So bookmark this page, sign-up to get email updates, follow us on Twitter, add us to your RSS feed of choice - we want to talk about books!

And, of course, you are always welcome to stop by any of our locations and ask your friendly library staff for reading suggestions. :)