Adult, Biography & Memoir, Fantasy, Fiction, History, Nonfiction

While You Wait July 2023: Fourth Wing and The Book of Charlie

Posted on July 14, 2023July 11, 2023 by Anneliese

Another couple of unique picks this month – seems like people are branching out in the summer, or publishers are branching out in the summer! The top fiction book looks to be an action-packed fantasy complete with war, dragons, and political intrigue. Then, on the non-fiction side, we have a book about the life-lived wisdom of 109-year-old Charlie: both the stories of his life and what he’s learned from those experiences.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

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Adult, Film

Introducing: Your Next Five Movies

Posted on June 30, 2023June 29, 2023 by Molly

In 2019 Mead debuted a book recommendation tool named Your Next Five Books. You tell us your favorite books, authors, and genres, we give you a list of five books that might float your boat. Take a look HERE if you are curious. Give it a try while you’re at it!

Four years later and we have done it again. I would like to draw everyone’s attention to our newest service: Your Next Five Movies. This is the brainchild of our fabulous library assistant, Aubrey, and here’s how it works: you tell us your favorite films, actors, directors, and genres and within a few days you will receive a list of five movies via email we hope you will love. Recommendations will include DVDs and BluRay available in the Monarch catalog. If you are lucky enough to be a City of Sheboygan resident, we will also include films available for streaming on Hoopla and Kanopy.

Below, I have listed some popular favorites and what we might recommend in each case:

Favorite movie: Star Wars
What we might recommend:
Moon (2009) starring Sam Rockwell
The Last Starfighter (1984) starring Lance Guest
Alien (1979) starring Sigourney Weaver

Favorite director: Kathryn Bigelow
What we might recommend:
Baby Driver (2017) directed by Edgar Wright
Three Kings (1999) directed by David O. Russell
Munich (2005) directed by Steven Spielberg

Favorite genre: documentary
What we might recommend:
Grizzly Man (2005) directed by Werner Herzog
Grey Gardens (1975) directed by David Maysles
Hoop Dreams (1994) directed by Steve James

The examples I provided are only to give everyone an idea of what we’re trying to do with Your Next Five Movies. If your tastes run a little more on the esoteric side, we still have you covered, and happily so.

This is a service for our patrons aged 18 and up, and it is up to the recipient to check suitability of media for a younger audience, not to mention personal comfort levels. Part of the joy of cinema is experiencing the unfolding of an unfamiliar narrative, but I know for me, there are certain themes that ensure I will be skipping a particular film, such as depictions of child or animal abuse. We recommend the following tools to evaluate film media for yourself:

These are not the only resources of this nature around, but between the three of them, we feel confident anyone can check to make sure the media they are consuming will not offend or traumatize.

Call us at 920-459-3400 option 4 or email us at publicservices@meadpl.org with any lingering questions. We are always happy to help request materials or troubleshoot tech stuff, as well. In the meantime, I will wait with great anticipation to receive and answer everyone’s Your Next Five Movies queries.

Uncategorized

Bitty Book Club Grows Young Readers

Posted on June 16, 2023June 16, 2023 by Alison

Are you looking for more opportunities for your children ages 2-5 to socialize and play with others this summer? Join us at Bitty Book Club, the third Tuesday of each month! We read, play, and learn together through books and hands-on activities that support the social, motor, and language development. Every month we feature a new story, and a variety of activities that are designed to extend what we read about. Free copies of the book are available for families, first come-first served.

Join us on June 19th for a story about gardens and what we find there when we look closely. The Sheboygan Community Gardeners Association will be present to help children add native plants to our Library Gardens. For more information about the program, check out this blog post, and visit our calendar of events. To learn more about the Sheboygan Community Gardeners, visit their Facebook page.

These are a few of our favorite stories featured over the past six months during Bitty Book Club:

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

By Michael Rosen

Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

No matter how many times you go on a bear hunt, chances are your child will want to go on another! This book is a staple on any bookshelf, as it encourages storytelling through repetition of patterns, creative movement, and song.

This is the perfect story for retelling in imaginative ways. Countless books have been written in it’s style- go on a lion hunt, an alien hunt, a bug hunt- whatever you can imagine with your child! Using simple clip art images, or cutouts from a magazine, or simply using your imagination and body – you and your child can create your own adventure of obstacles and the words and motions of how to move through them.

Dazzling Diggers

By Tony Mitton and Ant Parker

Dig, Scoop and Lift through this board book all about construction vehicles. Can you act the part of the steam roller, or the excavator? A fun read aloud with opportunity for movement, and playing with sounds (onomatopoeia).

We explored construction inspired activities during this month’s program, moving big blocks in trucks and building towers. Sensory bins filled with black beans and small construction vehicles were also a hit. This is a great theme for both large gross and fine motor skill development.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

By Skye Silver

Illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson

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Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Historical, Mystery, Nonfiction, Romance, Thrillers

While You Wait June 2023: The Covenant of Water and Small-Town Wisconsin

Posted on June 9, 2023June 8, 2023 by Anneliese

It’s no surprise to find a novel that’s been chosen for Oprah’s Book Club at the top of our most-requested books, and that’s the case with The Covenant of Water. I was pretty surprised at our top nonfiction book, however – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a travel book so high up on the list before! It does make sense, however, given the time of year – this might be the perfect season to get out for some Wisconsin road trip fun.

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.

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Adult, Award Winners, Fiction, New & Upcoming

June 2023 Library Reads

Posted on June 5, 2023June 4, 2023 by Carol

Every month, library workers from across the country vote on their favorite upcoming books. This month’s selections include a time travel romance, a historical novel about Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune’s friendships, and a recently elected sheriff trying to track down a killer in rural Virginia.

Top Pick: The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon

The entire town feels sorry for Aidan Thomas when his wife dies. But the mysterious woman staying in the house Aidan shares with his teenage daughter has seen a very different side of him … and knows her every move has life-or-death stakes. A great pick for thriller fans looking for a page-turner with a strong female protagonist. —Mara Bandy Fass, Champaign Public Library

While you wait: The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

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Adult, Fiction, Film, New & Upcoming, Nonfiction

Read Now, Watch Later

Posted on May 26, 2023May 26, 2023 by Aubrey

As always, Hollywood is taking from the pages for inspiration! See below for a list of books that are being adapted for the screen.

**Click the book title to be brought directly to our online catalog’s listing to place the title on hold or learn more.

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

This book’s adaption will be released under a shorter name: Oppenheimer. Both mediums are about Physicist J Robert Oppenheimer as he works with a team of scientists during the Manhattan Project, leading to the development of the atomic bomb. The film, directed by Christopher Nolan, has a runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes. It will explode into theaters on July 21, 2023.

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

This year marks the release of the third Hercule Poirot movie staring Kenneth Branagh as the brainy detective. The movie will be called A Haunting in Venice. The story follows Poirot investigating a murder that happens during a Halloween seance at a haunted palazzo in Venice, Italy. Spooky! The film is set to release September 15, 2023, right before your own Halloween party.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry is a bestseller that has been impossible to keep on our shelves. It follows female chemist Elizabeth Zott in the 1950’s and 60’s. Elizabeth loves science but, when life happens, ends up on a cooking show. On the show, Elizabeth teaches women not just how to cook but to change their lives. This novel is being adapted into a mini-series on Apple-TV staring Captain Marvel‘s Brie Larson. The series is expected to be out in 2023.

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Another story inspired by real life! Killers of the Flower Moon is about the murders of 24 members of oil-rich Osage tribe in 1920s Oklahoma, all for gold. The film directed by the renowned Martin Scorsese and is set to release on October 6, 2023. While you can take a break between reading chapters, note that the film has announced it has a runtime of 3 hours and 26 minutes. With its star studded cast, subject matter, and big budget, the film is rumored to be expected to win many awards.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

My Lovely Wife is a psychological thriller that hooks readers in. The story is a mixture of Gone Girl meets American Psycho as it follows a couple who, to keep their marriage alive, find murderous ways to spice things up. Of course, things don’t always go as planned. Netflix has the rights and the director lined up, so hopefully more updates will come soon!

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover’s hit book It Ends with Us is in production. Behind the scenes set photos featuring Blake Lively have been popping up online. Some fans are excited while others say that 23 year old main character isn’t perfectly cast. Only time will tell! While there is no release date for the film yet, readers have time to read both the novel and its sequel It Starts With Us. Fun fact: Collen Hoover has sold more books than James Patterson in 2022!

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Set to premiere on Amazon Prime in August 2023, Red, White &Royal Blue is a enemies to lovers rom com. The story centers on the romance between Alex Claremont-Diaz, a first son of the United States, and Prince Henry, a British prince.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Color Purple is slated to get its second movie adaption. Currently, the film is expected to premiere on December 25, 2023 in theaters. The film is produced by Oprah Winfrey and stars Fantasia Barrino, Halle Bailey, Danielle Brooks, and Taraji P. Henson. Rumors have already begun that this classic book’s adaptation will be up for numerous Oscars.

Do you think the books will be better than the adaptions? Only one way to find out!

Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, History, Nonfiction, Romance

While You Wait May 2023: The Five-Star Weekend and The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

Posted on May 19, 2023May 8, 2023 by Anneliese

Elin Hilderbrand has a new novel out, and that’s topping our fiction holds right now – not too surprising as she’s a very popular author! And on the non-fiction side, we have the dramatic story of an 18th-century shipwreck and the chaos that ensued after one group of survivors washed ashore… only to be followed six months later by a second group accusing them of murder!

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.

So when Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie.

The husband of Hollis’s childhood friend Tatum arranges for Hollis’s first love, Jack Finigan, to spend time with them, stirring up old feelings. Meanwhile, Tatum is forced to play nice with abrasive and elitist Dru-Ann, Hollis’s best friend from UNC Chapel Hill. Dru-Ann’s career as a prominent Chicago sports agent is on the line after her comments about a client’s mental health issues are misconstrued online. Brooke, Hollis’s friend from their thirties, has just discovered that her husband is having an inappropriate relationship with a woman at work. Again! And then there’s Gigi, a stranger to everyone (including Hollis) who reached out to Hollis through her blog. Gigi embodies an unusual grace and, as it happens, has many secrets.

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Fantasy, Film, LGBTQI+, Science Fiction

I Sense a Disturbance in the Force

Posted on May 5, 2023May 4, 2023 by Zachary

May the 4th has come and gone. You’ve marathoned the movies. Maybe you’ve read the comics or one of the novels. Perhaps you’re still working through Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. But you’ve still got a hankering for even more content like Star Wars. Don’t worry! I have a few suggestions.

Spaceballs (DVD/Blu-ray)

Spaceballs is a comedy classic. Arguably, it’s my favorite of Mel Brooks’ films. It hits just the right blend of slapstick and satire. There’s a great merchandizing joke in the film that feels so appropriate with just how much Star Wars merch there is these days.

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Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Staff Picks, Uncategorized

A Series of Love Affairs

Posted on April 28, 2023April 25, 2023 by Corrina

Dear reader, I have a confession. Until several months ago I have never read a romance book. But then, I bought this magical thing called a Kindle and ever since then I’ve been reading books I never would have before…like romance! This is my first Kindle so I don’t know if this phenomenon has happened to other people, or is it just me? Something about reading books on that little screen has opened up a portal into new authors and genres.

The romance series I’m going to be talking about today popped up in the Kindle store. It includes a strong female heroine raised by mercenaries, a handsome and chivalrous male lead, dragons, magic, swords, and sarcasm! What more could you want, right? Immediately hooked, I downloaded it and have now devoured three books in the 12 book series. It is definitely one of those series where the romance bits give you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. ‘Twas perfect reading for our extended winter!

What series is this? Well, I’m glad you asked! It is The Nine Kingdoms series by Lynn Kurland. It follows Morgan as she rises from an orphan trained as a lethal wielder of a sword to a woman who just might contain the only power needed to save the nine kingdoms! Along the way she discovers startling revelations about her family, the man she slowly falls in love with, and herself.

Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland

Darkness covers the north, since the black mage has begun his assault on the kingdom of Neroche. Legend has it that only the two magical swords held by Neroche’s king can defeat the mage. Now the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests in the hands of a woman destined to wield one of those blades…

In this land of dragons and mages, warrior maids and magical swords, nothing is as it seems. And Morgan will find that the magic in her blood brings her troubles she cannot face with a sword-and a love more powerful than she has ever imagined.

If you love slow-burn romances, then this book – and series – is for you! Are you ready to fall in love with the characters of the nine kingdoms?

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Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Nonfiction

While You Wait April 2023: Pineapple Street and Poverty, By America

Posted on April 21, 2023April 20, 2023 by Anneliese

I was not familiar with the author of this month’s top fiction book, Jenny Jackson, and taking a look, it looks like this is her debut novel! It’s pretty impressive to end up at the top of the most-requested list with your first book. And in non-fiction, we have a followup book to the popular Evicted by Matthew Desmond.

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected old money Stockton family, followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood but giving up far too much in the process; Sasha, a middle-class New England girl, has married into the Brooklyn Heights family, and finds herself cast as the arriviste outsider; and Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can’t have, and must decide what kind of person she wants to be.

Rife with the indulgent pleasures of life among New York’s one-percenters, Pineapple Street is a smart, escapist novel that sparkles with wit. Full of recognizable, loveable—if fallible—characters, it’s about the peculiar unknowability of someone else’s family, the miles between the haves and have-nots, and the insanity of first love—all wrapped in a story that is a sheer delight.

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