Sunday, July 31, 2016

Book Display Ideas: August

Summer is starting to wind down, even though there's a month left to go. Already I'm seeing back to school items in the stores. And I cringe a little - but I can't lie - it also makes me want to be notebooks and fancy pens. If you're not quite ready to let go of summer, here are a few display ideas for your library. As always, the display pictures are from Pinterest unless otherwise stated. 

 August is:

Romance Awareness Month
Display Idea: Summer Romances or any romances.
I wrote up this blog post about Romance Awareness Month last year from the Hub blog
Book List: Here's one list and another list, plus one from the Hub blog

3rd Week: Friendship Week
Display Idea: BFFs
Book List: Best friends - supportive friends
 Display
Best Friend Necklace.... had this too....:
Paper Necklace
Summer Olympics 
Book List: Sports books or books about the Olympics
Display: Change up your reading display with book cover rings!
"Get in the Game  READ!"  Summer Reading Bulletin Board with Olympic rings:
LA-DE-da Library 

Dates:
August 7th: Sister Day
Book List: A older list
Display: Sister quotes or famous sister pictures
16 Quotes About Sisters That Celebrate 'Last One Home':
Sister Quote 
August 9: Book Lover's Day
Book List: Books within Books (A post I wrote up a few years ago about a few favorites, and here for the Hub blog) Or Favorite books or books your patrons love
August 26th: National Dog Day
Book Lists: Happy dog stories
Display: Pictures of dogs

Here's mine dressed up Harry Potter Style

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Mysterious Saturday Review: Premonition of Murder

 * Book 3 in the Dream Club Mystery series *
When Taylor and Ali are invited to lunch at the famous Beaux Reeves mansion, they couldn't be happier. Unfortunately, they're only shown the outside of the house. It's reclusive heiress wants to pick their brains.

She's had a premonition of her death. The sister reassure her that dream interpretation can take on many forms. Relief eases the heiress's mind.

However, her dream becomes reality. Ali and Taylor are heartbroken and determined to discover the culprit. Could this death be connected to the past?
My Thoughts: I really love this series - for the Southern mentions, the candy shop, the sisters, and the dream club. I love that differences between the Dream Club members. I adored learning more about the displays in the candy story. Dana is amazing! I loved learning more about the mansion and items inside. I enjoyed the moments with Noah. Of course the food mentioned at the dream club meeting make my mouth water. Looking forward to the next addition in the series.

Cover Thoughts: Charming
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: Recommended for your cozy section

Friday, July 29, 2016

Teen Book Recommendations for Bourne Fans


Welcome to a new series on the blog of book recommendations for pop culture fans! I'm excited to kick things off!

I'm a HUGE fan of the Bourne movies and I couldn't be happier with another movie out today.



Crossing the Line (The Raven Files, #1)Zero DayThe Fixer (The Fixer, #1)Powerless (The Hero Agenda, #1)

Crossing the Line: An agent stolen returns home to become a double agent - but for which side?
Zero Day: A girl is kidnapped when her father is a Senator, but gets free when he's President. Could she be a traitor?
Fixer: Tess becomes involved in the political landscape of Washington D.C. where she uncovers a conspiracy involving the deaths of her classmates' family members.
Powerless: Kenna's tired of being normal, but when a boy saves her life, she's forced to rethink everything that she knows and everyone in her life.

Killer InstinctI Become ShadowI Am the Weapon (The Unknown Assassin, #1)The Living (The Living, #1)
Killer Instinct: Lane's mother works hunting down serial killers. Lane's gotten a taste of this work and attempts to hider her obsession, but the newest killer finds out and starts communicating with her.
I Become ShadowRen Sharpe was having an average day until she was kidnapped.She trained with weapons, survival tactics, and more to  be good enough. Finally she passed the training session and got her first assignment.
I am the Weapon: Boy Nobody shows up, attaches himself, kills someone to make it look natural, and leaves without anyone being the wiser. Except this time.
The Living: A mysterious disease, a sinking cruise ship, and a boy determined to live.


Mind Games (Mind Games, #1)Two Lies and a Spy (Two Lies and a Spy, #1)Spies and PrejudiceAlso Known As (Also Known As, #1)I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls, #1)
Mind Games: Sisters Fia and Annie do what they must to survive in the hands of the company that uses them as weapons. 
Two Lies and a Spy: When Kari's dad sends the worst text imaginable, she grabs her brother and goes into hiding - like her spy parents taught her. 
Spies and Prejudice: Berry and her BFF are on a stakeout when they meet two boys, one charming and one proud. A picture she snaps on a whim leads her down a path she shouldn't follow.
Also Known As: Maggie's never had a normal life. She travels with her spy parents - helping them break into safes all over the world. On her first solo mission, she must befriend a boy, infiltrate his house, and steal a computer file. 
I'd Tell You I Love You, But then I'd Have to Kill You: Cammie's an awesome spy, but not so awesome when it comes to acting natural around boys. Will she blow her cover in just one night?
.
Cold Fury (Cold Fury, #1)The Night She DisappearedHeist Society (Heist Society, #1)Model Spy (The Specialists, #1)Perfect Cover (The Squad, #1)
Cold Fury: When her family's kidnapped, Sara Jane must use her family traits to keep the mob in line.
The Night She DisappearedGabie switched shifts at the pizza joint with Kayla. When a mysterious call requests a pizza delivery, Drew doesn't think twice about it. Kayla goes to deliver the pizza and never returns. Gabie realizes that it was supposed to be her.
Heist SocietyKat used to lead a life of danger before she pulled her biggest con ever and walked away from a life of thievery to attend boarding school. Her enrollment last a few months before her old life comes crashing over her plans. Her master thief father needs her help. She makes a deal with the devil, but it will take all her skills to pull of this heist.
Model Spy: After getting caught hacking in to a secure government site, Kelly has a choice - go to juvie or be recruited for a secret government program called the Specialists.
Perfect Cover: Toby Klein would never in a million years be a cheerleader - until they want her. And tell her that one little secret. Cheerleaders are just a cover for spies at Bayport High.

Sure Fire (Rich and Jade, #1)The Devil's Breath (Danger Zone, #1)Traitor (Boy Soldier, #1)Stormbreaker (Alex Rider, #1)
Sure Fire: When their mother dies, Jade and Rich must live with their father - whom they don't know because he's a spy.
Devil's Breath: After he narrowly escapes an assassin at his school, Max learns that his father is missing. He left his son clues and now Max will follow them - no matter the cost.
Traitor: Danny's grandfather was betrayed and deemed a traitor. Now Danny and his grandfather are on the run to clear their family name.
Stormbreaker: When his uncle dies, Alex doesn't believe the reason for his death. In setting out to prove it, he becomes recruited to finish the spy job is uncle died trying to achieve.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Upcoming Review: Girl on a Plane

After spending the summer of 1970 with her parents, Anna's flying back to England for fall term at boarding school. There's been some talk of hijacking planes, but Anna never imagines it would happen to her.

But it does.

The terrorists land the plan in a dessert in Jordan. It's really hot during the days and cold at nights. They run out of food and clean water. The bathroom situation is a nightmare.

There are kids on the plane.

The terrorists threaten to blow up the plane if their person is not released form a British prison. Fifteen is too young to die. Anna hasn't begun to live. But as each hour passes, she's knows it could be her last.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I liked the moments on the plane with Anna. I loved Tim and David. Tim added some much needed comic relief. Although we know how the story's outcome, it's still a wild ride. I liked learning more about the terrorists themselves and their reasoning for committing such an act. I really liked the emotions of the story and how they changed over the days. I enjoyed the author's note that detailed how the fictional account was different from her real life experience.

Cover Thoughts: Great
Source: ARC sent for review
Release Date: September 13, 2016
Library Recommendation: Recommended for YA collections

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Harry Potter Love in the Library

I've talked about my love for Harry Potter a few times on the blog already.  Here's probably the biggest post: Dear Mr. Potter.

But I'm also excited because of all the new Harry Potter announcements - the new movie, the play, and the new book. It's giving libraries a chance to host Potter events again.

Tonight my library is hosting a Harry Potter Birthday Bash. We have an awesome Platform 9 and 3/4 built for taking photos. We have a wizard rocker. We having cake and butterbeer. And a coloring station. And my co-worker reconfigured the game Are you a Werewolf into Are you a Death Eater.

This is our blueprint for the platform. We had a whole team of people working on it. And it looks awesome!
http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/Harry-Potter-Platform-9-3-4-kings-cross.jpg
And she came up with a plan for us to celebrate Harry Potter all year round at the library (more on that later). We do have an awesome event coming up in November right before the movie release with Draco and the Malfoys. It's going to be another EPIC event.

All week long, we've posted a flyer about our birthday bash in the Children's Room. And it's gotten lots of comments. Some wonder what we're doing, some express their love for Harry Potter, and some are so excited to come.

I love that Harry Potter is making the rounds still (and I suspect the books will for years to come), but it's great to have everyone talking about my favorite wizards again.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Learning

This week's topic is Things Books Have Made Me Want To Do or Learn About After Reading Them. I love reading books that make me want to look things up or figure out long after I've put down the novel. 
meme from The Broke and the Bookish 


Learn more about Dreams
A Premonition of Murder by Mary Kennedy

Go back to learning Welsh. I'm 25% Welsh and when I was in high school, I started learning the language. I'd love to be fluent one day - but that's going to take a whole lot of time
Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

Take a Sound of Music tour
Wanderlost by Jen Malone

Go on a bike tour:
Eleven Things I Promised by Catherine Clark

Get a camera and start taking photographs - I love taking photos on my phone, but it's just not the same.
Two Summers by Aimee Friedman

Take a baking class and learn how to make pastries and other goodies I haven't made before
Kitchen Chaos by Deborah A. Levine

How to make more candy items
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

Much more about computers - coding/hacking
Zero Day by Jan Gangsei

How to bake an amazing pie - crusts are tricky
Honey by Sarah Weeks

How to paint - better. I dabble somewhat, but I'm not that good.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Tween Tuesday Review: VIP Battle of the Bands

 * Book 2 in the VIP series *
Mac is still living her dream and touring with her favorite band. Perfect Storm is on the rise and loving their time. They're recording some new music, including a song about Mac.

That is until a new up and coming band steals the song and records it first. Now the boys of Perfect Storm are angry and want revenge.

Because both bands are with the same studio, they're sent out on tour together. Of course this starts an all out war between the two bands. And it looks like perfect storm is going down from their behavior and all their most private secrets share with the public. Someone is clearly sabotaging them. Can Mac figure it out before the band breaks up?
My Thoughts: I loved the sequel. I loved getting to know the guys more. I loved the comics. Again the art was cool and Mac became more confidence on page. I felt bad for the guys as their world came apart and their secrets were shared. I can't imagine the pressure these guys must be under and how awful it would be to have your secrets spilled out into the world. No one made great choices here. I liked the vlogger angle and how the played out. A fantastically fun sequel and I can't wait to read more about Mac and her friends and the guys.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: Sent for Review
Release Date: Out Today
Library Recommendation:  Highly recommended for tween collections, this one will fly off the shelves.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Review: Long Shot

A story from Chris Paul's childhood about working on his skills to make the team, despite his shortness.
My Thoughts: I really loved this book. I'm a big basketball fan, so it was super fun to read about an NBA player's childhood. It reminded me of the story about Michael Jordan in Salt in His Shoes.

I love how Chris went after his dream. He practiced and practiced. He worried. He talked to his friends and family about it. But he never gave up, not even when people thought he couldn't make it.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: While it's perfect for summer reading this year, it's also a great book about going after your dreams and not settling because people think you might not make it. Highly recommended for Children's collections.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Fall Programs for Teens (7)


I know Summer Reading is starting to wind down. But my head is filled with ideas for fall programs. Fall for my library runs from September thru December. This is my first fall for teen programs at the library, so I'll be doing a mix of old ideas that worked well and new ideas. 


Here's my series from last year in case you missed it and want more ideas. 

Back to school crafts (aka playing with Washi Tape)
Washi Tape Pencils, Giveaway at Kids Party, use tape within the Birthdays colourscheme:
Boatload of ideas on this pin

Can you survive the zombie apocalypse?
zombie scabs -        Mix together:      1/2 TBS corn starch      1 tsp water      1/4 tsp corn syrup      3/4 tsp onion flakes (1 tsp corn flakes or bran flakes will work, too)      1 drop red food coloring      1 drop yellow food coloring:
Make yourself a zombie bite

National Brownie Day is December 8th
Perfectly rich, dense, fudgy brownies every time. They are so easy and come together with just a bowl and a whisk. This is the only brownie recipe I use!:
We'll be taste testing a few kinds