Nick Hornby's Funny Girl

Well, we seem to have settled into the new year. I think I'm used to writing "2015" on things now, anyway. How are your new year's resolutions coming along? Have you registered for winter reading yet? (You really should, you know.)

So far this January I'm off to a slow reading start. But I will tell you that I just read an advanced reader copy of Nick Hornby's new book Funny Girl, coming out next month. I LOVED it!! The main character is a young British woman in the 1960s who wants to be like her idol Lucille Ball, and takes herself to London to achieve her dream. Hornby is one of my favorite authors, because his writing is so humorous and his characters are so quirky and real. Funny Girl gives you not only an entertaining story, but glimpses of life in transitioning 1960s British pop culture, BBC politics, and British comedy in general. It's on order at the library, so be sure to put your name on the hold list when it comes in!

In the meantime, if you're like me and you really like British comedy, why not read something by one of the greats? John Cleese recently published a memoir, So, Anyway..., and we have it on ebook for you to check out! Or maybe watch Peter Sellers at his comedic best in Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Or, perhaps you'd rather read a little Hornby while you wait. His book High Fidelity is a modern classic, and was then turned into a lovely film starring John Cusack. If you love music, and are currently in or have been in a quarter-life (or even mid-life!) crisis, it's definitely worth picking up. Or, if you're into more dark, absurdist-like humor, his book A Long Way Down (recently released as a feature film starring Pierce Brosnan) is a story of four people who decide not to commit suicide and instead form a weird friendship together.

Or maybe you just wanna read up on Lucille Ball. What a character.

Serial Read-Alikes

Serial is a true crime podcast that investigates the 1999 Baltimore murder of Hae Min Lee. Creator Sarah Koenig unfolds new pieces of the story in a weekly serialized narrative. The podcast has acquired many fans over the last few months. Unfortnately, this season and story has come to an end. If you are lamenting the end of season 1, or are just a true crime fan, try these other chillingly true stories.

The Devil in the White City intertwines the stories of Daniel H. Burnham, the architect of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and H. H. Holmes, who used the cover of his hotel to lure victims. Or read about registered nurse Charlie Cullen in The Good Nurse, who used his profession to carry out his murderous intentions in nine hospitals. For a true crime classic, try Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me. She tells the story of Ted Bundy, a man with whom she was friends and coworkers before he was a known serial killer. For more suggestions come in to the Cartersville Public Library to see our Serial read-alikes display and bookmark. Ask our Readers Advisory twitter @BartowLibRA for more recommendations! Let's talk about books!

eReaders and eBooks

Did you get a new eReading device for the holidays? Did you know you can get FREE ebooks and eaudiobooks from the library? YES! All you need is you library card and an internet connection. 

Depending on the device you have, you can either go to our main library website and click on "E-Library Downloadables" to access the Georgia Download Destination website, or download the OverDrive app to your device from your app store. Sign up for an OverDrive account, and then sign in with your Bartow County Library card number. Then find a great book to read! We have cheat sheets at the library, you can check with OverDrive for help, and as always, your friendly neighborhood librarians can help you out if you need some more assistance. :)

We have THOUSANDS of books ready to checkout! Is there a book you want digitally that we don't have? Let us know! We'll see if we can get it for you. And there are NO LATE FEES with ebooks! Perfect for a cold winter day when you just want to stay in and enjoy a good read.

And while you're at it, why don't you sign up for adult winter reading? Read three books, attend a program, and get a limited-edition Bartow County Library System mug!

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!

Christmas Fiction Books

The Nightingale Before Christmas  Some people can take Christmas decorating to the extreme. When twelve designers are asked to decorate a room in a Christmas-themed show house, overly competitive designers start sabotaging other rooms. When one designer turns up dead, tempers flare and the Christmas season is thrown into chaos. This is a good read for someone who likes Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow Christmas Mystery series, or anyone who is looking for a murder mystery with a Christmas flavor.

A Christmas Promise This is a great read for anyone who likes Thomas Kinkade and the Cape Light series. James Cameron, a minister visiting Cape Light for the holidays, has acar accident. No one is hurt, but this event changes the plans and lives ofJames and Leigh Baxter, another visitor in Cape Light who is hiding from herown past. When these two make a connection, their lives are changed in unexpected ways.

1225 Christmas Tree Lane Beth Morehouse, Cedar Cove resident, is anticipating a wonderful Christmas when an unexpected complication arises. Some drops off a basket of puppies at her door. A second unexpected complication comes up when Beth’s daughters invite Beth’s ex-husband for Christmas.  Debbie Macomber is a best-selling author of romance and women’s fiction and a must-try if you’re in a holiday mood.

The Christmas Secret Waitress and single mother Christine Eisley saves the life of a Wilson’s Department Store employee. When the owner sets out to find her and thank her,he can’t find her. Christine who is behind on the rent and loses her job as a waitress, is nowhere to be found.  James Wilson, grandson of Wilson’s Department store owner, Marshall, is given the unwelcome task of finding her. His reluctant pursuit to find Christine will lead readers to the idea that faith, hope and love can be found even when you really don’t want to look for them.

The Christmas Quilt Sylvia Compson, Master Quilter, prefers a quiet, low key Christmas. Her friendSarah McClure wants a big, traditional Christmas. When Sarah decides todecorate, she discovers an unfinished Christmas quilt stored in an old trunk.Sylvia’s examination of the quilt reveals stories of her mother, aunt, sisterand herself. These stories took place during the Great Depression and World War II and help Sylvia with reconcile her past with her present.

Mr.Miracle Angel in disguise Harry Mills is sent to help twenty-something year old Addie Folson set a new course in life and, for added measure, help her find true love. The only trouble is the match for Addie is a neighbor and former classmate who tormented Addie when they were children. Harry has his hands full completing his mission, while trying to avoid the pitfalls of being an angel in a human body. This is story about the miracle of love happening even with the unlikeliest couples.

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!

Victorian England

This fall I've found myself turning to books set in Victorian England. But just because they have similar settings doesn't mean these stories are all the same!

  

The Quick by Lauren Owen might be my favorite adult fiction of the year so far. Most of the publicity for the book has kept major information about the plot a secret, but here’s what I can tell you without spoiling anything (although  for me, that information was what made me pick the book up in the first place). In London in 1892, the young poet James Norbury is befriended by Christopher, a young aristocrat who introduces him to high society. When James vanishes, his older sister Charlotte searches for him, a quest which takes her among both the wealthiest and poorest parts of the city. Part historical literary novel and part genre novel, The Quick examines power and class structure of Victorian London, but doesn't skimp on terror or adventure.

The Asylum by John Harwood is a straight up novel of suspense. A young woman, Georgina Ferrars, wakes up in a private asylum with no memory of the past few weeks, and is told that she arrived there the day before under the name Lucy Ashton, then suffered a seizure. When he doctor telegrams her uncle back in London, the reply is that Georgina Ferrars is in London, so the woman must be an imposter. True to gothic storytelling, we get a glimpse into Georgina’s diary and letters as she struggles to find out what led her to the asylum—and what will lead her out of it. This book is ideal for fans of The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

The Illusionists by Rosie Thomas takes us into the strange and compelling world of theatrical performers. The charismatic and ambitious stage magician Devil Wix partners with a dwarf named Carlo to create an illusion called The Execution of the Philosopher at a newly reopened theater called the Palmyra. As their illusion increases in popularity, the two men align themselves with others such as Heinrich Bayer and his disturbingly lifelike automata, waxworker and artist Jasper Button, and the beautiful Eliza Dunlop. As the motley group struggles to make their shows at the Palmyra more and more successful, they face jealousies, romances, and even physical danger.

Do you have any favorite books set in Victorian England? Or does a different historical setting call out to you?