Library Click Bait 1-29

Bringing literacy to laundromats with Libraries Without Borders 
By Kim Doleatto 

Millennials rely on the Free Library for more than books
By TyLisa C. Johnson

Want to start a business? The library may be able to help
By Algernon D'Ammassa

New York Times Best Sellers Thru 2-3

https://nyti.ms/1oYsB9h

Anonymous Reviewer: The Devil's Rose by BROM

Let the cover sell you the book. This story is fair to middling, but the artwork is the real draw. Short and to the point, Brom doesn’t take time dawdling with minor details. As compact as it is, there is little room for peripheral details. My only complaint would be why the main character is Hell. Not the strongest of reasons, and it makes me think if that’s all it takes, we’re all doomed. Saving the plot and the book entirely is the artwork. Gritty and real are the two words that come to mind. My imagination cranked up to 10 the second I saw this on the shelf and didn’t slow down until the end. This would be a good anchor for further stories too!

Anonymous Reviewer: Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly

Bios are tough. As a kid, this AR loved to get to the nitty gritty of someone’s life. Spare no detail. As I get older, I’m more about driving a story. Getting stuck is for Jeeps. This biography was up to the doorjamb in no time. Best read by someone who knows about Bruce Lee already, this one is just a tad too much for the novice looking to get excited about Bruce Lee, or martial arts. Thankfully Polly doesn’t try to put Lee in some form of academic importance as a revolutionary in film or martial arts. That would be a bridge too far. Instead we often get a literal blow by blow depiction of Lee from start to finish. For someone who knows VERY little about martial arts, this can get too bogged down for full enjoyment. If you’re looking for a book to get you psyched up to try kung-fu, you might try something else, or watch a Bruce Lee movie.

New York Times Bests Seller Thru 1-27

https://nyti.ms/1oYsB9h

Library Click Bait 1-22

The Hunt for the Nazi Loot Still Sitting on Library Shelves
By Milton Esterow

Bibliotheque de Moorea, French Polynesia – a little library can make a big difference
By Françoise Quaire

The Secret Power of the Children’s Picture Book
By Meghan Cox Gurdon

Library Click Bait 1-16

NO, MARIE KONDO DOESN’T WANT YOU TO THROW AWAY ALL YOUR BOOKS
By Kathleen Keenan 

NC’s ‘Read to Achieve’ program failed. Let’s turn the page
By Ginger Young 

Where the Thirst for Literature Meets the Thirst for Beer
By J. D. Biersdorfer

Anonymous Reviewer: A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah Maas

This is the second book in Maas' series about the magical world of Prythian and its unlikely savior, Feyre, who has now been transformed into one of the High Fae as thanks for her actions.

New York Times Best Sellers Thru 1-20

https://nyti.ms/1oYsB9h

Anonymous Reviewer: One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke

One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke

If you’re looking for a plot-driven novel, One Whole and Perfect Day isn’t it. However, if you love stories about people and what makes them who they are—especially what makes them a family—you just might love this story. There are too many coincidences for the ending to be a surprise but it’s so satisfying you don’t mind. There’s Lilly, who craves a normal life. Her brother is in and out of schools, driving their grumpy, possibly racist, grandfather to near madness. Her dad left before Lilly was born and her mum, well, she has a good heart even if she does bring home the occasional lame duck. Toss in her grandmother who has an invisible friend and you have just about half the characters in this book. I loved it but if you need the excitement of a murder mystery, pass this one by.

Library Click Bait 1-11-19

A Philly miracle: Amid closures, this elementary school is re-opening its library
by Kristen A. Graham

These Heroes Are Saving Black Feminist Classics by Putting Them on Wheels
by Eris Ginsburg

Your Library Card Can Get You So Much More Than Books
by Melissa Locker

Anonymous Reviewer: My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

I have been seeing this book EVERYWHERE, and was so excited to read it! However, for me it just did not live up to the hype.

My biggest problem was that I couldn't sympathize with any of the characters. Korende felt less like a good sister and more like an enabler, and I'm not sure what we're supposed to think about Ayoola. Is she mentally ill, or just selfish? Throughout the book I was frustrated with them more often than not.

Lastly, I was disappointed by the ending. I'm not a person who needs a happy ending, but an actual resolution would have been nice. It ended up feeling like Korende just gave in and decided to accept more of the same, which is not what I wanted for either of them.

All in all, I think this was an interesting concept, but due to these deficiencies, I can only give this book 2/5 stars.

Library Click Bait 1-8-19

Here are some articles from around the internet on libraries.

New York Times Best Sellers Thru 1-13

https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/

19 FEARLESS BOOKS TO GIVE THE GIFT OF INSPIRATION By Jean Case

Full Text Link

Perhaps like many of you, books have always played a powerful role in my life. Some books comfort, others inspire and others can at times feel like they are speaking directly to me. Great books can sometimes take on the virtual role of mentor, teacher and friend. I’m always so grateful for the gift of authors and the stories, lessons and inspiration they share.

WHAT DOES IMMERSING YOURSELF IN A BOOK DO TO YOUR BRAIN? By Maryanne Wolf

Full Article 

The act of taking on the perspective and feelings of others is one of the most profound, insufficiently heralded contributions of the deep-reading processes. Proust’s description of “that fertile miracle of communication effected in solitude” depicts an intimate emotional dimension within the reading experience: the capacity to communicate and to feel with another without moving an inch out of our private worlds. This capacity imparted by reading—to leave and yet not leave one’s sphere—is what gave the reclusive Emily Dickinson what she called her personal “frigate” to other lives and lands outside her perch above Main Street in Amherst, Massachusetts.

New York Times Best Sellers Thru 1-6

https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/