Thursday, October 30, 2014

The November LibraryReads List!

The latest batch of librarian favorites are here! We've included descriptions* below and you can head to the LibraryReads website to see brief reviews submitted by librarians from across the country. We'd love to hear what you think about the titles, let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below!



Us: A Novel by David Nicholls
Published: October 28, 2014

Douglas Petersen understands his wife's need to 'rediscover herself' now that their son is leaving home. He just thought they'd be doing their rediscovering together. So when Connie announces that she will be leaving, too, he resolves to make their last family holiday into the trip of a lifetime: one that will draw the three of them closer, and win the respect of his son. One that will make Connie fall in love with him all over again. The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed. What could possibly go wrong?

Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover: The Fourth Rule of Scoundrels by Sarah MacLean
Published: November 25, 2014

By day, she is Lady Georgiana, sister to a Duke, ruined before her first season in the worst kind of scandal. But the truth is far more shocking—in London’s darkest corners, she is Chase, the mysterious, unknown founder of the city’s most legendary gaming hell. For years, her double identity has gone undiscovered . . . until now. Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful, ruined woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and sin. He knows she is more than she seems and he vows to uncover all of Georgiana’s secrets, laying bare her past, threatening her present, and risking all she holds dear . . . including her heart.

Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble by Marilyn Johnson Published: November 11, 2014

Pompeii, Machu Picchu, the Valley of the Kings, the Parthenon—the names of these legendary archaeological sites conjure up romance and mystery. The news is full of archaeology: treasures found (British king under parking lot) and treasures lost (looters, bulldozers, natural disaster, and war). Archaeological research tantalizes us with possibilities (are modern humans really part Neandertal?). Where are the archaeologists behind these stories? What kind of work do they actually do, and why does it matter? Marilyn Johnson’s Lives in Ruins is an absorbing and entertaining look at the lives of contemporary archaeologists as they sweat under the sun for clues to the puzzle of our past. Johnson digs and drinks alongside archaeologists, chases them through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and even Machu Picchu, and excavates their lives. Her subjects share stories we rarely read in history books, about slaves and Ice Age hunters, ordinary soldiers of the American Revolution, children of the first century, Chinese woman warriors, sunken fleets, mummies.

The Burning Room (Harry Bosch #19) by Michael Connelly
Published: November 3, 2014

In the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit, not many murder victims die almost a decade after the crime. So when a man succumbs to complications from being shot by a stray bullet nine years earlier, Bosch catches a case in which the body is still fresh, but any other evidence is virtually nonexistent. Now Bosch and his new partner, rookie Detective Lucia Soto, are tasked with solving what turns out to be a highly charged, politically sensitive case. Starting with the bullet that's been lodged for years in the victim's spine, they must pull new leads from years-old information, which soon reveals that this shooting may have been anything but random.

Mortal Heart: His Fair Assassin Trilogy Book 3 by Robin LaFevers
Published: November 4, 2014

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own. She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...

The Ship of Brides: A Novel by Jojo Moyes
Published: October 28, 2014

The year is 1946, and all over the world, young women are crossing the seas in the thousands en route to the men they married in wartime - and an unknown future. In Sydney, Australia, four women join 650 other brides on an extraordinary voyage to England, aboard the HMS Victoria, which also carries not just arms and aircraft but 1,000 naval officers and men. Rules of honour, duty, and separation are strictly enforced, from the aircraft carrier's captain down to the lowliest young stoker. But the men and the brides will find their lives intertwined in ways the Navy could never have imagined.

The Forgers by Bradford Morrow
Published: November 4, 2014

The rare book world is stunned when a reclusive collector, Adam Diehl, is found on the floor of his Montauk home: hands severed, surrounded by valuable inscribed books and original manuscripts that have been vandalized beyond repair. Adam's sister, Meghan, and her lover, Will-a convicted if unrepentant literary forger-struggle to come to terms with the seemingly incomprehensible murder. But when Will begins receiving threatening handwritten letters, seemingly penned by long-dead authors, but really from someone who knows secrets about Adam's death and Will's past, he understands his own life is also on the line-and attempts to forge a new beginning for himself and Meg.

In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon Edited by Leslie S. Klinger and Laurie R. King
Published: November 24, 2014

The Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were recently voted as the top mystery series of all time, and they have enthralled generations of readers and writers! Now, Laurie R. King, author of the New York Times-bestselling Mary Russell series (in which Holmes plays a co-starring role), and Leslie S. Klinger, editor of the New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, have assembled a stellar group of contemporary authors from a variety of genres and asked them to create new stories inspired by that canon. Inside you ll find Holmes in times and places previously unimagined, as well as characters who have themselves been affected by the tales of Sherlock Holmes. The game is afoot again!

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas: Being a Jane Austen Mystery (#12) by Stephanie Barron
Published: October 28, 2014

Christmas Eve, 1814: Jane Austen has been invited to spend the holiday with family and friends at The Vyne, the gorgeous ancestral home of the wealthy and politically prominent Chute family. As the year fades and friends begin to gather beneath the mistletoe for the twelve days of Christmas festivities, Jane and her circle are in a celebratory mood: Mansfield Park is selling nicely; Napoleon has been banished to Elba; British forces have seized Washington, DC; and on Christmas Eve, John Quincy Adams signs the Treaty of Ghent, which will end a war nobody in England really wanted. Jane, however, discovers holiday cheer is fleeting. One of the Yuletide revelers dies in a tragic accident, which Jane immediately views with suspicion. If the accident was in fact murder, the killer is one of Jane’s fellow snow-bound guests. With clues scattered amidst cleverly crafted charades, dark secrets coming to light during parlor games, and old friendships returning to haunt the Christmas parties, whom can Jane trust to help her discover the truth and stop the killer from striking again?

Mermaids in Paradise: A Novel by Lydia Millet
Published: November 3, 2014

On the grounds of a Caribbean island resort, newlyweds Deb and Chip—our opinionated, skeptical narrator and her cheerful jock husband who’s friendly to a fault—meet a marine biologist who says she’s sighted mermaids in a coral reef. As the resort’s “parent company” swoops in to corner the market on mythological creatures, the couple joins forces with other adventurous souls, including an ex–Navy SEAL with a love of explosives and a hipster Tokyo VJ, to save said mermaids from the “Venture of Marvels,” which wants to turn their reef into a theme park.

Which one will you read first?

If you need help placing a hold with your Chandler Public Library card, give us a call at 480-782-2800. 

If you'd like more book recommendations, browse our Book Lists page or check out the previous LibraryReads lists.

*Book descriptions from the publisher.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Book Review: Reunion

Sometimes in your reading life you just need first person narration. I needed all of Kate's "I's". Sometimes you also need a dysfunctional family... Reunion delivered that, too. And Pittard did a great job of pulling you in with the opening line:

"On June 16, at roughly eight thirty in the morning, I get the phone call that my father is dead."

Well, you have to keep reading after that. At least I did.

Kate's life is pretty well in shambles before she finds out about her father's suicide and before her siblings tell her she has to travel to Atlanta for the funeral -- which will also involve coming face-to-face with her four stepmothers and many half-siblings. As Kate haphazardly deals with her distastrous life, she also comes to terms with her relationship with her father.

This is a quick read and a good one for discussion. There's sibling relationships, adultery, childhood issues, and so much more. It's kind of the less-funny, more serious version of This is Where I Leave You. And check out Pittard's previous novel, The Fates Will Find Their Way. - Melissa (Downtown)


Thursday, October 23, 2014

Looking for... Book Group Resources

Do you belong to a book group? Looking to start one or join one? Chandler Public Library has resources for you!

Visit our Book Clubs page to see what book groups are currently going at our library branches. Locations, times, and book selections for the next two meetings are available at this page. (Check our events calendar to see if your book group has scheduled meetings and book selections past the next two months.)

Also on our Book Clubs page, you can find book suggestions for your own group to read, as well as resources to help with your discussion, such as ReadingGroupGuides. And you can sign up for our Online Book Club to get samples of books by email.

Need even more book suggestions? Check out our Book Lists page for books by genre or category: Popular Book Club Picks, Mystery, Award Winners, and more. Search our catalog for availability and place holds right from these lists.

Do you have a book club that might not be as exciting as it was when you first started? Here's some advice from NoveList (another great resource for reading suggestions) that could help:

Several years ago, I noticed that our discussions were becoming...difficult. There was no easy flow of conversation and ideas. One or two people dominated the conversation and participants were not open-minded to the opinions of others. We were having trouble getting deeper than comments such as, "I liked the book!" The lack of give and take in our discussions was upsetting to everyone. We wanted to get together to have fun and vibrant discussions, but somewhere between our desires and our reality we were missing a critical step.  Read more

Monday, October 20, 2014

Staff Picks: Children's Picture Books

Miss Trish at the Sunset Library has rounded up some of her favorite picture books!

Oh No, George!
George wants to be a good dog, but when faced with temptation, what will he do? This is an all-too-human dilemma.

Odd Duck
What if you really like someone but they're different? Even a little odd? Theodora and Chad have to figure it out.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild
Being prim and proper is so boring. Be who you are!

This Is Not My Hat
A little fish steals a big fish's hat. Consequences, anyone?

Cookie, the Walker
A dog gets famous walking on her hind legs. This book takes a jab at celebrity culture.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

@ Your Library: Dig Deeper on International Archaeology Day

On October 18th, Chandler Public Library joins archaeological organizations, museums and libraries around the world to celebrate International Archaeology Day. Join us at the Downtown Library on Saturday at 2:00 pm for a special program that will encourage you to excavate your inner Indiana Jones. Author Judith Starkston will discuss her debut novel Hand of Fire, as well as her travels to the archaeology sites of Troy (Turkey).

Hand of Fire tells the tale of Briseis, the captive woman Achilles and Agamemnon fought over in The Iliad. When Achilles, the half-immortal Greek warrior, takes Briseis captive in the midst of the Trojan War, he gets more than he bargained for: a healing priestess, a strong-willed princess - and a warrior. She raises a sword against Achilles and ignites a passion that seals his fate and changes her destiny.

To learn more, see what books and resources the library has to offer! Search the catalog for books on archaeology, both nonfiction and fiction, for adults and kids. Do even more research in Britannica Online, available for free through your library (with your library card number and PIN). Or, get back to basics and read Homer's Iliad.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Library Closed: Check our our ebooks!

All four Chandler Public Library locations will be closed on Monday, October 13 for system-wide staff training. The libraries will reopen on Tuesday at their regular times.

You can still check out books when the library's closed - with 3M ebooks! All you need to download books is the free 3M Cloud Library app, an internet connection, and your valid Chandler Library card and PIN numbers. There are apps for your PC or Mac, iOS device, Android device, Kindle Fire and Nook. Check out up to 10 items at a time for 2 weeks. Ebooks expire automatically on their due date, so there's nothing to return and no late fines! Take a look at this article to learn more!

Another great reason to get started with 3M Cloud Library now - our subscription to the OverDrive Greater Phoenix Digital Library expires on October 31. Please visit our Digital Media resources page to see how easy it is to use 3M Cloud Library!

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Star Wars Day! October 10-11

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”

It was with these opening lines that Star Wars stole our hearts and minds forever. While most people have heard of the two trilogies, there is a whole Star Wars Expanded Universe, composed of TV shows, computer and video games, comics, and books out there that many people don’t know about. Now, for the third year, Lucas Arts and Disney have worked with libraries and book stores across the nation to bring you Star Wars Reads Day! This Friday and Saturday, October 10-11, 2014, Jedi masters and Sith Lords everywhere will unite to spread their love of reading about all things Star Wars.

So grab a book and celebrate! Here are just a few of Star Wars titles you can find at your Chandler Public Library:

Vader’s Little Princess and its companion book, Darth Vader and Son, explore the trials and tribulations of juggling parenting and being a Sith Lord. Great for parents and their little padawans.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is the first in a fun new series about sixth grade, origami, pop quizzes, and Star Wars. In this first book, Tommy wonders whether his Origami Yoda really can predict the future…

For those of you eager for more on our intrepid heroes from the original trilogy, look no further than Timothy Zahn’s latest Star Wars: Scoundrels. Join Han, Lando, and Chewie as they work together to pay off Jabba the Hutt’s bounty on Han’s head.

Find these titles and more in our library catalog. Don’t forget to check out one of the Star Wars Reads Day events at your Chandler Library! May a love of reading be with you!

Monday, October 6, 2014

Book Review: Zac & Mia

Two teens find themselves in the hospital, on opposite sides of the same wall, communicating with knocks and taps. In the real world, they would never be friends - Zac is from a large farming family in rural Australia, and Mia is a popular city girl - but here they're the only people who understand what the other is going through. Both are in the hospital being treated for cancer.

 Zac & Mia tells the story of how young people face a terrible illness in different ways: optimistically or with embarrassment, hopefully or fearfully, with support from their families or with arguing and misunderstanding. An honest and unflinching novel about learning to accept and fight for life. - Michelle (Sunset)

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Looking for... Resources for Kids' School Reports?

Your child's school report is due, the teacher says you can't use Google, and the library's closed. What to do? Try our databases! These are collections of information, reprinted from books and magazines, available for free with your library card and PIN.

National Geographic Kids is full of articles that appeared in the National Geographic Kids magazine, easy to search by subject. Lots of books published by National Geographic are available, too. Search a book's contents or browse through, page by page.

Kids InfoBits gives you even more articles from a wider selection of magazines, chosen to be the right reading level for elementary-school readers. Searchasaurus offers additional magazine articles for younger grades.

To access all these databases, start at chandlerlibrary.org and hover your mouse over the purple RESEARCH tab. Then click Databases A-Z, and scroll down to choose Kids InfoBits, National Geographic Kids, Searchasaurus - and more! You’ll need your library card and PIN if you’re signing in from home. Then you can browse popular topics from the main page or use the search bar at the top to search for your own topic. Also - look for the citation information that goes with each book or article. It will tell you how to include the resource in a Works Cited page, just like a regular book or magazine.