Monday, October 31, 2016

Book Review-The Book of Speculation


photoI recently read The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler.  It had me at "Book." Simon, a librarian (!), receives a book in the mail from Martin, a used book dealer. The book is handwritten, the earliest entries are from the 1700's. Martin sent the book because one of the women mentioned in it is an ancestor of Simon. The women in Simon's family are "swimmers"-people who can hold their breath for up to 10 minutes-who perform at carnivals as mermaids. Most of them also read tarot cards. Simon's younger sister works as a tarot card reader, but not as a mermaid. Simon realizes that all these women drowned themselves on July 24 and starts to fear for his sister. She, on the other hand, is worried about Simon because of her readings. The book alternates with this story and the story of a menagerie (or carnival) from the 1700's, owned by Peabody. He takes in a "wild boy" who cannot speak. His tarot card reader, Madame Ryzhkova, takes the boy under her wing and names him Amos and teaches him to read the cards. When a young woman appears out of nowhere Amos is enchanted but Mme Ryzhkova is horrified.

I enjoyed following the two stories and wondering how they would intersect. Each story was interesting in its own right. Each had a point where I had to cover the page so I wouldn't read ahead!

There is a hint of the supernatural in this book, so people who only like realistic fiction probably would not be happy with it. If you liked The Night Circus you'd probably like this one as well.
The Book of Speculation
The Book of Speculation
By Swyler, Erika
2015-06 - St. Martin's Press
9781250054807 Check Our Catalog


One of BuzzFeed's 24 Best Fiction Books of 2015
"As Simon, a lonely research librarian, searches frantically for the key to a curse that might be killing the women in his family, he learns strange and fascinating secrets about their past. A tale full of magic and family mystery, "The Book of Speculation" will keep you up all night reading." Isaac Fitzgerald, BuzzFeed
Simon Watson, a young …More



Complimentary Reads

The Night Circus
The Night Circus
By Morgenstern, Erin
2011-09 - Doubleday Books
9780385534635 Check Our Catalog

Awards:
Alex Awards (2012), Locus Awards (2012), Nutmeg Book Award (2014)

To enter the black-and-white-striped tents of Le Cirque des Reves is to enter a world where objects really do turn into birds and people really do disappear. Even though visitors believe the performances are all illusion, they are obsessively drawn to this extraordinary night circus. Those who run and perform in the circus are its lifeblood. Marco Alisdair runs the operation from London as …More


Geek Love
Geek Love
By Dunn, Katherine
2002-06 - Vintage
9780375713347 Check Our Catalog

Geek Love is the story of the Binewskis, a carny family whose mater- and paterfamilias set out-with the help of amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopes-to breed their own exhibit of human oddities. There's Arturo the Aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of Genghis Khan . . . Iphy and Elly, the lissome Siamese twins . . . albino hunchback Oly, and the outwardly …More


The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
By Howe, Katherine
2009-10 - Thorndike Press
9781410418951 Check Our Catalog

Written by an author completing a Ph.D. in New England Studies, and whose ancestors had been accused witches in Salem, "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" travels seamlessly between the trials in the 1690s and a modern woman's story of mystery and discovery. …More


Want to see all the staff picks?  In Encore (our catalog) search for HPL Staff Picks.
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Saturday, October 29, 2016

Upcoming Events at HPL



WRITE FOR FRIGHT CONTEST--LAST DAY

5.00 MONDAY, OCTOBER 31

This is the last day to turn in stories for the Write for Fright scary story contest!

Be sure we have yours before 5 PM!

tabletsTablet Tips and Tricks

1:00 pm, Wednesday, November 2

Want to do more with your tablet? Bring it to HPL on Wednesdays at 1:00 to get tech help. Walk ins welcome.

MINECRAFT FOR KIDS

2:00 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5

Mine for resources, build with blocks and defend your territory. This is Minecraft. Play along with 19 other participants in a world of your own making.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

BEGINNING OCTOBER 17, CALL 231-722-8014 TO REGISTER.

tabletsTablet Tips and Tricks

1:00 pm, Wednesday, November 9

Want to do more with your tablet? Bring it to HPL on Wednesdays at 1:00 to get tech help. Walk ins welcome.

Muskegon County Genealogy SocietyGenealogy/Family History Workshop

10:30 am - 12:30 pm, Saturday, November 12

Presented by the Muskegon County Genealogy Society. For anyone who is excited about researching their family history. You must pre-register; limited to 6 individuals for each workshop. Held in the Local History & Genealogy Department at the Torrent House. Please call 722-7276 ext. 240 to register.

CHARLES HACKLEY & THE LUMBER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD PROGRAM FOR KIDS

2:00 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Who was Charles Hackley? Why was he important to Muskegon? What did he do?
Drop in between 2-4 pm, get answers, and have some fun at Hackley Library and Lakeshore Museum as we explore charles Hackley's life and contributions to the city of Muskegon. We'll make and take crafts, and there will be a drawing for a great prize just for participating. You'll leave knowing just what was so special about this man so many important places around town are named for.

Muskegon County Genealogy SocietyGenealogy/Family History Workshop

2:00 - 4:00 pm, Saturday November 12

Presented by the Muskegon County Genealogy Society. For anyone who is excited about researching their family history. You must pre-register; limited to 6 individuals for each workshop. Held in the Local History & Genealogy Department at the Torrent House. Please call 722-7276 ext. 240 to register.
 

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

What to Read While Waiting for...

.


Small Great Things
Small Great Things
By Picoult, Jodi
2016-10 - Ballantine Books
9780345544957 Check Our Catalog
With richly layered characters and a gripping moral dilemma that will lead readers to question everything they know about privilege, power, and race, Small Great Things is the stunning new page-turner from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult.

Picoult] offers a thought-provoking examination of racism in America today, both overt and subtle. Her
…More


Are you patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for that best seller?  Here are some suggestions.


A Mercy
A Mercy
By Morrison, Toni
2008-11 - Knopf Publishing Group
9780307264237 Check Our Catalog
Awards:
ALA Notable Books (2010)


A Mercy is a powerful tragedy distilled into a jewel of a masterpiece by the Nobel Prize-winning author of Beloved and is almost like a prelude to that story, set two centuries earlier.

HPL patron: This is the first Toni Morrison book I have read. While I listened to this through the audio book program of Overdrive, I enjoyed the …More


Glowing Embers
Glowing Embers
By Reece, Colleen L.
2009-03 - Thorndike Press
9781410411761 Check Our Catalog
…More



The Secret Life of Bees
The Secret Life of Bees
By Kidd, Sue Monk
2002-10 - Viking Books
9780670032372 Check Our Catalog
A stunning debut, "The Secret Life of Bees" follows a young girl who is taken in by three black, bee-keeping sisters. As she enters their mesmerizing secret world of bees and honey, she discovers a place where she can find the single thing her heart longs for most. …More

Friday, October 21, 2016

Upcoming events at HPL



LEGOs FAMILY FUN

2:00 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

Let's play with LEGOs and build something great! Compete for candy prizes and ahow off your LEGO-building skills.

FALL STORYTIME

FOR AGES 3-7

6:45 MONDAY, OCTOBER 24

Stories! Toys! Crafts! Songs! Learning is so much fun at Hackley Public Library.

tabletsTablet Tips and Tricks

1:00 pm, Wednesday, October 26

Want to do more with your tablet? Bring it to HPL on Wednesdays at 1:00 to get tech help. Walk ins welcome.

PUMPKIN CARVING DAY

2:00 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29

Adult accompaniment is recommended.

Bring your own pumpkins to this family event.

Create a pumpkin masterpiece using your own ideas, or our Super Stencil Spooky Faces. Safe carving tools are provided.

WRITE FOR FRIGHT CONTEST--LAST DAY

5.00 MONDAY, OCTOBER 31

This is the last day to turn in stories for the Write for Fright scary story contest!

Be sure we have yours before 5 PM!

MINECRAFT FOR KIDS

2:00 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5

Mine for resources, build with blocks and defend your territory. This is Minecraft. Play along with 19 other participants in a world of your own making.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

BEGINNING OCTOBER 17, CALL 231-722-8014 TO REGISTER.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Upcoming Events at HPL


MINECRAFT FOR KIDS

2:00 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

CALL 231-722-7276, EXTENTION 230.

Don't miss your opportunity to get in on the experience of surviving and building your own virtual world with a group of Minecraft players with different levels of expertise. You might learn something, teach something, or just have a great time!

FALL STORYTIME FOR AGES 3-7

6:45 MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

Playing creatively with stories, songs, and fingerplays is a great way to get ready to read. Come see Ms. Cassandra for storytime fun.

tabletsTablet Tips and Tricks

1:00 pm, Wednesday, October 19

Want to do more with your tablet? Bring it to HPL on Wednesdays at 1:00 to get tech help. Walk ins welcome.

LEGOs FAMILY FUN

2:00 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

Let's play with LEGOs and build something great! Compete for candy prizes and ahow off your LEGO-building skills.

FALL STORYTIME

FOR AGES 3-7

6:45 MONDAY, OCTOBER 24

Stories! Toys! Crafts! Songs! Learning is so much fun at Hackley Public Library.

tabletsTablet Tips and Tricks

1:00 pm, Wednesday, October 26

Want to do more with your tablet? Bring it to HPL on Wednesdays at 1:00 to get tech help. Walk ins welcome.

PUMPKIN CARVING DAY

2:00 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29

Adult accompaniment is recommended.

Bring your own pumpkins to this family event.

Create a pumpkin masterpiece using your own ideas, or our Super Stencil Spooky Faces. Safe carving tools are provided.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

What to read while waiting for...




Woman of God
Woman of God
By Patterson, James
Author Paetro, Maxine
2016-09 - Little Brown and Company
9780316274029 Check Our Catalog


St. Peter's Square, Rome.

White smoke signals that a new Pope has been chosen.

Is it possible that the new Pope...is a woman?


The world is watching as massive crowds gather in Rome, waiting for news of a new pope, one who promises to be unlike any other in history. It's a turning point that may change the Church forever. Some followers
…More


Are you patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for that best seller?  Here are some suggestions.


The Third Secret
The Third Secret
By Berry, Steve
2005-05 - Ballantine Books
9780345476135 Check Our Catalog
Explosive in both its pace and its revelations, The Third Secret is a remarkable international thriller. Bestselling author Steve Berry tackles some of the most controversial ideas of our time in a breakneck journey through the history of the Church and the future of religion.

Fatima, Portugal, 1917: The Virgin Mary appears to three peasant children, sharing with them three secrets,
…More


White Smoke: A Novel of Papal Election
White Smoke: A Novel of Papal Election
By Greeley, Andrew M.
2013-05 - St. Martins Press-3pl
9780765375506 Check Our Catalog

he cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church have gathered in Rome for the papal election following the death of the incumbent pope. Torn by internal conflict and with many of its members alienated, the Church faces one of the most serious crises in its history. A coalition of cardinals favors a more moderate and pluralistic style of papal governance, but must contend with shadowy Vatican forces …More



Angels & Demons
Angels & Demons
By Brown, Dan
2006-05 - Washington Square Press
9780743493468 Check Our Catalog
From the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Da Vinci Code" comes the explosive thriller that started it all. …More