Fantastic Fiction Round Up

by Abby Hardison Rowan Public Library
  

          All summer long and into the fall we, here at Rowan Public Library, are celebrating PBS’s The Great American Read, and encouraging everyone to come by and vote for your favorite book. PBS has compiled a list of one hundred books, included for their literary, commercial, or educational impact on our culture, and one of those books will be considered “America’s Favorite” this fall after all the votes are tallied. Besides the voting, we will host several sessions for folks to come and record testimonials where they can explain why they love a book and why it should be chosen. These testimonials will be featured on the social media for Rowan Public Library and PBS Charlotte, and if they are REALLY great, they might even make it into the national PBS special this fall. 

In addition to The Great American Read titles, we also have lots of new fiction recently added to our collection. A standout for those who like multi-book series in the mystery genre, we have recently added the entire Sebastian St. Cyr series by C. S. Harris, which currently has thirteen books. This Regency era sleuth uses his espionage skills gained on the battlefields against Napoleon to solve mysteries when he returns home to England. Take Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy, and then add a twist of James Bond and a splash of Sherlock Holmes and you’ve got a fascinating series to sink your teeth into!

Another interesting take on the mystery genre is Cobra Clutch: A Hammerhead Jed Mystery by A. J. Devlin. It’s the first in a planned series and is generating some buzz. Former pro wrestler and current bar bouncer Jed finds himself dealing with the Vancouver criminal underworld when he was just trying to help his friend get his kidnapped pet snake back. Fans of Jack Reacher and 1980’s action movies will happily add Hammerhead Jed to their list of favorite heroes.

For the Western fans, we’ve got Thomas Clagett’s Line of Glory: A Novel of the Alamo which delves in to both sides of the famous battle from the perspectives of ordinary people who found themselves on the stage of history. For the traditionalist, we’ve got the latest title from Western favorite William W. Johnstone. The Stalking Death is a classic tale of big-league Wyoming ranchers trying to squeeze out the small family farmers. Johnstone’s hero Duff MacCallister is “madder than a wet hen” and plans to show them the meaning of prairie justice. Rounding out our newly arrived Westerns, we have Matthew Mayo’s Timberline that has a train robbery, a blizzard, a ghost town called Sapphire City, and a tough-as-nails hero ready to right the wrongs. Giddy up!

We’ve got lots more books newly arrived here this spring, and we can’t wait to show them to you. Swing by and take a look! We bet you’ll find a story that piques your interest.

 

New Biographies

by Paul Birkhead  Rowan Public Library


      Did you know that one of the fastest growing book categories in the United States happens to be biographies/memoirs?  I tend to believe that because from what I see being checked out at the library, biographies are pretty popular right now in Rowan County.  Why are biographies so popular?  The simple answer would be because they give us insight into the mind of a person we don’t know personally and who we might admire or just be curious about.  Another reason could be that biographies give us a wider view on the world.  It helps to see things through the actions and experiences of another person, especially if that person was a witness to history, a celebrity, or simply someone who lived in another culture or time period.
      There is quite a mixture of new biographies/memoirs on the shelves at Rowan Public Library.  One book cover that will surely catch your eye is Perfect is Boring: Tyra and her Mama.  Tyra Banks wrote this book with her mother, Carolyn London.  In it, they talk about what it was like to experience Tyra’s journey from ordinary to extraordinary.  In between the witty back-and-forth are life lessons for succeeding in whatever you put your mind to.
        Another American celebrity with a new memoir is Nick Nolte.  In Rebel: My Life Outside the Lines, Nolte tells the story of how his life changed when he left the Midwest as a shy athlete and discovered acting.  During his decades-long career, Nolte has played many roles and not all were on film.  His string of marriages and relationships, as well as his infamous mugshot, have made his life interesting to read about.
      The American prairie spawned these next two biographies.  In A Prairie Girl’s Faith, author Stephen Hines writes about the Christian life of Laura Ingalls Wilder.  The Little House on the Prairie series is beloved by many and this book explores the deep spirituality found in those books and in anecdotes about Laura Ingalls’ real life.  Fans of Little House or pioneer life in general are sure to enjoy this book.  They may even wish to try their hand at several recipes found inside.
      The Man Who Caught the Storm: The Life of Legendary Tornado Chaser Tim Samaras is a new biography and the debut of author Brantley Hargrove.  This book chronicles the life of storm chaser Tim Samaras, and how his obsession with twisters led him to cross paths with a monster storm. 
      When you see an actor on television week after week, they begin to feel like family.  That’s why biographies of television personalities can be so interesting.  If you’re of a certain age, you will remember the TV sitcom, “Happy Days.”  The show centered on the lives of the Cunningham family, particularly son Richie (played by Ron Howard) and family friend, Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli.  Well, the woman who played Richie’s mother, “Mrs. C.”, was Marion Ross.  In her book, My Days: Happy and Otherwise, Marion tells about her experiences on the show and in real life.
      A very popular television show today is NBC’s “This Is Us”, and one of its stars is Chrissy Metz.  Chrissy’s character, Kate Pearson, continually struggles with her weight on the show.  In her book, This is Me, Chrissy talks candidly about personal weight struggles and how pain from the past has made her the person she is today. 
    Come by Rowan Public Library and check out some of our new biographies.  Going on a trip and want to listen in the car or on your phone?  Some biographies are available as audiobooks in CD form or digital downloads. 

Genealogy Gems

by Gretchen Witt  Rowan Public Library

            Interested in tracing your family heritage?  The History Room at the Rowan Public Library has just the resources.  A few new books that will help the novice and the experienced researcher find the answers to the mysteries of family history.  Many have turned to “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to …” in any number of topics from computer use to car repair.  Genealogy too has its own “Idiot’s Guide” by Christine Rose and Kay Germain Ingalls.  With explanations about what to search, how to search for it and ways to explore many other topics, it’s the perfect place to start.  With chapters on “Starting with Mom and Dad” and “Picnic in the Cemetery”, to “Resolving Discrepancies”, this book covers it all.  The newspaper section declares there is more to find in newspapers than obituaries and wedding announcements; traffic accidents, scouting awards, church functions, school projects, trials, scandals and good deeds are also reported in the local news sheets and can be invaluable for filling in the history of a family between censuses.   Although much information can be found on the internet these days occasionally an old-fashioned letter is the way to contact a second cousin thrice removed to find out more information about a common ancestor.   Have you ever wondered if you were eligible to belong to a lineage society - Sons of the American Revolution or Colonial Dames?   All these subjects and more are covered in Rose & Ingalls “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Genealogy.”

            If one is a complete rookie when it comes to genealogical research and time is limited take a look at “Genealogy Basics in 30 minutes” by Shannon Combs-Bennett.  A Silver Winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award of the Independent Book Publishers Association, this slim volume is part of the “Quick Guides for a Complex World” series.   An experienced researcher Combs-Bennett points out the five most common mistakes a new researcher might make:  researching the wrong family, trusting “published” trees,   matching dates, repeated first names, and spelling variations.  Spelling variations can be frustrating to any researcher but earlier generations did not employ standard spelling and many were spelled phonetically.  The researcher needs to expand the search to include similar names as well as spelling variations to cover all the bases.   Many books and much information on the net are not verifiable.  Folks sometimes republish family trees without confirming the information is true.  Some published book on family lines or names contain mistakes or connect families that are not in fact related.  These and other tips for successful researching are all neatly and succinctly presented. 

            FamilySearch.org is the largest free genealogical website with myriad documents that are useful for ancestral research.  Dana McCullough has published the “Unofficial Gide to FamilySearch.org” that can help navigate the ins and outs of the documents held by Family Search.  Not only does the site have United States census, vital, immigration, military, probate and court records, Family search also has European, Canadian, Mexican and Latin American records.  The book also includes specific searching techniques, worksheets to aid in analyzing and a whole host of suggestions on how to find that elusive connection.  These newly acquired books and many others are available in the History Room to assist in unearthing family stories.

 

Time for a Movie Night

by Amanda Bosch  Rowan Public Library

                Imagine yourself on a Friday afternoon wondering what to do for the weekend. You know you want to relax and enjoy yourself with time away from the grueling weekday demands of work or school but movie tickets are expensive and you want to save your cash for a vacation, college or even an amazon shopping spree!  A movie night is a great way to have a low cost fun evening in whether alone or with family and friends. Did you know you can check out movies from your local branch of the Rowan Public Library for free?  There are a wide variety of DVDs available at your local branch.

                You can search for new DVD titles in the library catalog from your smart phone, tablet or computer or if you prefer the personal experience, stop by and browse the shelves.  Your friendly librarian will be happy to point you in the direction of the movie titles.  There are plenty of titles that will appeal to all ages.  Whether you like adventures like Jumanji or superhero flicks such as Justice League, you are sure to find a DVD that will appeal to your tastes.  Add some buttered popcorn and a Cheerwine and enjoy hosting your very own movie night without forking over your hard earned dollars!

                But wait …. I don’t have a DVD player anymore! What do I do? Never fear, you can still check out movies for free from the North Carolina Digital Library. You can browse titles and download available titles using your Rowan County Public Library card and PIN.  If you don’t have a PIN, just stop by Circulation desk at your local branch and they can set one up for you. Your library card is the passport to all the resources available at the North Carolina Digital Library and they have a variety of movie titles to peruse. Once you make your selection, it’s a simple download to begin streaming the movie you check out to your laptop, tablet or even your smartphone. If the title you want is already checked out, you can put it on hold and receive an email when it is available and checked out to you.

                There’s no excuse not to enjoy movies at home now!  Hmmm,  “The Rock” stars in Jumanji, I know what my weekend plans are ….can somebody pass the popcorn?