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'autobiographies'

Apr 03

Book Notes 10/3/2022

Posted to Book Notes on April 3, 2023 at 10:32 AM by Robyn Benda

Blog Book Notes

10/3/2022


Our October Book Club pick is Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. Check it out and then join us on October 25 at 6 pm to discuss. More information...


War and Me by Faleeha Hassan

war and me

A Memoir // A young woman's coming of age in a tight-knit working-class family during Iraq's seemingly endless series of wars.

956.7 HASSAN


Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks

From Nicholas Sparks comes a poignant love story about risking everything for a dream--and whether it's possible to leave the past behind.

SPARKS


What If? 2 by Randall Munroe

Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions // Unfazed by absurdity, Munroe consults the latest research on everything from swing-set physics to airplane-catapult design to clearly and concisely answer his readers' questions. As he consistently demonstrates, you can learn a lot from examining how the world might work in very specific extreme circumstances.

500 MUNROE


The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

A Thursday Murder Club Mystery // It is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal. Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A decade-old cold case--their favorite kind--leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers.

Mystery OSMAN Thursday v.3


If you need help accessing any of these titles or using front door pickup, email or call us and we will be happy to assist you!

View Book Notes PDF archive

Apr 03

Book Notes 11/7/2022

Posted to Book Notes on April 3, 2023 at 10:32 AM by Robyn Benda

Blog Book Notes

11/7/2022


Art in Memoriam: Join artist Kim Forness Wilson Tuesday, November 15 @5:30 pm to create an art collage in memory of a loved one More information...


Ready for Launch  by Scott Kelly

An Astronaut's Lessons for Success on Earth // Using ten life-changing moments from his path to space, Astronaut Scott Kelly shares his advice for mastering fear and failure, and turning our daily struggles into rocket fuel for success.

629.450 KELLY


A Poison like No Other by Matt Simon

How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies // Matt Simon follows the intrepid scientists who travel to the ends of the earth and the bottom of the ocean to understand the consequences of our dependence on plastic.

Coming soon!


Solito by Javier Zamora

A Memoir // As gripping as it is moving, this book not only provides an immediate and intimate account of a treacherous and near-impossible journey of his migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine, but also the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments.

305.9069 ZAMORA


Bravo Company by Ben Kesling

An Afghanistan Deployment and Its Aftermath // Journalist and combat veteran Ben Kesling tells the story of the war in Afghanistan through the eyes of the men of one unit, part of a combat-hardened parachute infantry regiment in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Coming soon!


If you need help accessing any of these titles or using front door pickup, email or call us and we will be happy to assist you!

Mar 17

Get to Know Each Other by Charlotte Helgeson

Posted to Campbell Unclassified on March 17, 2022 at 3:16 PM by Genesis Gaule

Curiosity is probably my strongest characteristic. It shows up most strongly when I meet new people. Sometimes, I meet them in person at the library or when I’m traveling. Even more often, I meet new people in books.

There is never the awkward stumbling through an initial conversation. No wondering if I’m saying something offensive or confusing while reading. The author introduces me to someone new and away I go into finding out all about them.

warriorsMy curiosity leads me to ask questions, even when reading. “Why would he do that?,” will send me back through the pages to catch what I must have missed. Fictional characters’ actions are often well explained in a book. Then there are the historical books which sometimes give one view of a moment in our past. I especially enjoy histories of groups of people like Warriors in Uniform: the Legacy of American Indian Heroism by Herman Viola. It had personal stories and the history that put their stories into context. I enjoyed a lot of the pictures also.

Memoirs are a real person’s retelling of an event or life experience through an emotional lens. Will I learn about the person? Absolutely. Some personal stories are told through important messages they want to share as in Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley.

How many times have you asked a question like “Is Sam your oldest brother or cousin?” That’s done when in the presence of another person. No matter how many times we visit with that individual, we can’t keep those details straight. A good amount of credit needs to go to people who can remember all the details about a person they meet like Sherlock Holmes does or Detective Vale in The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. Yes, that one’s fiction but I’m connected to all the characters. I also ask why about actions or viewpoints and sometimes get answers from living and breathing people though this can be much easier in a book. When searching for an answer in a book, there is no consequence for rereading a page to find the answer like there might be by asking, “What’s your name again?”.

noorAnother way to get to know people who I can’t find in our community is to read their folklore or stories based on them. The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri includes the epics of India as the background. Stories set in a real location in a different time, brings the people of those parts of the world to life. Noor by Nnedi Okorafor is another science fiction novel that uses African culture as a backdrop. In it, I met Fulani herdsman which I knew nothing about before reading this fictional story.

Our Library also has some great children’s biographical picture books. The stories are true but placed in a story format. We even have graphical biographies which are wonderful fun to read.

black leapardWith so many options, you could make new acquaintances every day at the library. It’s OK if you don’t remember the title or the author or the name of the character. Ask one of us and we’ll help you locate it. We love to be asked, “What is the name of the book that has the colorful cover with eyes looking out at me?” We’ll start asking you questions and very likely find your book. “Is it about a tracker?”

“Yes,” you say and we answer with the title or walk you over to find the book. By the way, that is Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James which gives us a look into African history and mythology through a fictional tale.

Curiosity is great. Keep asking questions and discovering who else is out there.