Reading a big, thick book is great... except when the book weighs so much that your wrists are aching or you want to carry your book with you without pulling a shoulder muscle or you keep getting sleepy and don't want to risk a broken nose when that huge tome falls on your face. Luckily, [...]
You remember Beowulf, right? It’s that poem you had to read about in English class about a guy who fights monsters and then (spoiler alert for a thousand year old work of literature) gets killed by a dragon. You may have also seen one of the handful of Beowulf movie adaptations, although the poem usually [...]
City directories are one of the Indiana Room's most frequently used resources. They contain information on residences and businesses within the city limits for the given year. This can be a great way to find out when a business operated here. It can also be used as an alternative to a census. Our earliest city [...]
The days are hot; this engrossing fantasy novel will cool you off. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (2018; 448 pages). You know the story of Rumpelstiltskin? They got it wrong. It's really just a story about paying back a debt. So begins Miryem's story. In Litvas, a land with a constantly encroaching winter, Miryem's family [...]
Read this book if: You've read the science fiction classic Frankenstein and you want to know more about its creator Mary Shelley You love books with ALL THE DRAMA (Mary Shelley had a serious amount of drama in her teen years as she was imagining and creating Frankenstein) You love books with brooding, atmospheric art [...]
July 4th, the United State's Independence Day, is right around the corner! If you're in the mood for some patriotic picture books, here are some great ones to try: Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong; pictures by Margaret Chodos-Irvine (2002) Chinese-American Maddie is afraid that no one will want her parents' Chinese [...]
If a fun, steamy romance is what you're looking for this summer, here's a great one! Stella, a thirty-something economist in California, is feeling pressure from her mom to be in a relationship and maybe get married and have babies. Kinda typical, right? But for Stella, a woman on the autism spectrum, having a relationship [...]
Over the last few weeks we've been telling everyone about our new branch coming to 6956 U.S. 150 (the corner of 150 and Edwardsville-Galena road), in Galena. Having the opportunity to open a digital branch is amazing; having the opportunity to open a digital branch in a historical home is one of the coolest things ever! [...]
If you're looking for some great family audiobooks for a road trip or just driving around town this summer, I can't recommend the Track series by Jason Reynolds enough. They have great, animated narration, and wonderful characters who will stick with you long after your listen is over. Each book in the series features a [...]
This Month’s Follow Up: I was listening and here is what I heard! Our guests at the Floyd County Library search for their wish list in many different ways! “Whatever floats your boat!” was the trend I was hearing from you, from the good old-fashioned way of searching the stacks to listening to downloadable audiobooks [...]
