LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 1

- Jill Leave a comment

Happy New Year!
¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!
Alles Gute Zum Neuen Jahr!
Bonne Année!
新年快乐! (xīnniánkuàilè!)

Did you know that there are over 41 different languages spoken by students in Scott County, Iowa?  The top 6 languages are represented above: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, German, French, and Chinese. Across the state, over 177 languages are spoken (according to the 2022 report by the Iowa Department of Human Rights and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach). This is a nearly 60% increase in the foreign language speaking population since the last report in 2010. All languages (other than English) spoken in Scott County account for over 9,200 speakers – which is more than 6%. Spanish speakers account for greater than 3% of that. And combined, Vietnamese, German, French, and Chinese, add up to another 1.68% of speakers, leaving 1.44% to account for another 35 languages. These are roughly the same numbers when you compare Scott County with the State of Iowa as a whole.

While English is the most commonly spoken language in the United States, according to a 2019 U.S. Census Bureau Report about 22 percent of the US population (308.8 million at the time) speaks a language other than English when at home. Roughly 62% of these individuals speaks English “very well” such that they can be identified as fluently bilingual. According to the Journal of Neurolinguistics, 43% of the world’s population is bilingual, using two languages daily. 40% is monolingual, and the remaining 17% are multilingual.

Among U.S. students studying a foreign language, roughly 72% are studying Spanish, 14% French, 4.5% German, 2.5% Latin, and almost 1% Japanese. And, according to a 2021 report from the language learning app, Duolingo, the top 6 most popular languages to learn around the world (after English, which ranks #1) are: Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Korean. The 5 most commonly spoken languages in the world in order are English, Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish and French.

Would you like to learn a foreign language to communicate better with others in our diverse community?  Perhaps you have always wanted to learn a specific language of your family heritage or to prepare for a long-awaited bucket list trip? The Library has an array of language learning resources. From complete courses (including an online program), to phrasebooks for travelers, visual dictionaries, and bilingual short stories, we have what you need to get started on your foreign language learning or ESL path. We even have Sign Language learning resources!

Over the next months, we will highlight resources for each of the top 6 most popular languages to learn: *Spanish, *French, *German, Japanese, Italian, and Korean. And, we will also include the most commonly spoken foreign languages in the Quad Cities Region: *Spanish, Vietnamese, *German, *French, and Chinese. ESL and Sign Language will also be included.
*We’ll only cover Spanish, German, and French once as they appear on both lists.

First, we’d like to point you to resources that will assist you in any language you want to learn. You can browse the online catalog for a specific language:  Davenport Public Library Catalog.  If you don’t see what you’re looking for there, reach out and let us know what language you’d like to learn or what resources you need.

As a Davenport Library card holder, you have FREE access to the language learning program Mango Languages found on our Online Resources page. Mango offers instructional courses for over 70 languages and ESL (English as a Second Language) courses for over 20 languages.

We also have these books that would be helpful no matter which language you choose to learn:

Fluent forever : how to learn any language fast and never forget it by Gabriel Wyner

Fluent in 3 months : how anyone at any age can learn to speak any language from anywhere in the world by Benny Lewis

How to speak any language fluently by Alex Rawlings

Bilingual families : a practical language planning guide by Eowyn Crisfield

 

Finally, you might find these two books useful as you begin planning your language learning adventure:

 

The first 20 hours : how to learn anything … fast by Josh Kaufman

Limitless : upgrade your brain, learn anything faster, and unlock your exceptional life by Jim Kwik

Stay tuned over the next months for language learning resources for specific languages!  First up, next month:  LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 2 — SPANISH.

Online Reading Challenge – January

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Welcome Readers!

New year means new reading challenge! I’m so excited to tell you that the theme for the 2025 Online Reading Challenge is … GENRES! Each month we will be reading a different genre. I will pick a main title for us to read together if you would like, but feel free to read anything set in that genre for the month! I can’t wait to start reading with you all.

This month the online reading challenge genre is literary fiction. What is literary fiction? According to NoveList, a readers’ advisory resource that you can access through the Davenport Public Library, literary fiction is character-driven, usually involves social commentary, uses stylish writing language, and can sometimes have ambiguous endings. The plot is not the main focus in literary fiction, which allows writers to instead place their energies on the language used and character development.

Our main title for January is On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. Here’s a quick summary from the publisher:

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family’s history that began before he was born — a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam — and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Asking questions central to our American moment, immersed as we are in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one’s own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard.

With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years. – Penguin Books

Looking for some other books that are literary fiction? Try any of the following.

As always, check each of our locations for displays with lots more titles to choose from!

Coming Soon! Online Reading Challenge 2025

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Welcome to the 2025 Online Reading Challenge!

Get ready for our tenth year of reading recommendations with our super-casual, low-stress reading club! For anyone who doesn’t know (or remember!) the Online Reading Challenge is run online through the Davenport Library’s reference blog Info Café and through the Beanstack app!

Each month we read books centered around a theme. Each year is a little different, but the unchanging main principle of this book club is: No Pressure! There is no sign-up, no meetings to attend (although you’re welcome to add any comments to the blog posts), no shame in not finishing a book, or skipping a month (or two). You can read one of the suggested titles or something different or none at all! Read at your own pace, read what interests you, try something out of your usual reading zone or stick with what you like best. In other words, create a personalized book club with a bit of encouragement from the Reading Challenge!

Our theme for 2025 is Genres!

Each month we will read a different genre and highlight a main title that takes place in that genre. Besides the main title, we’ll have suggestions for books from the same genre as well as many more on display at each of our buildings. You can choose to read the main book or alternate titles or even something else completely! As always, we’ll have an introductory blog post at the beginning of the month and a wrap-up blog post at the end. At the end of the month, I’ll write about the main title, pose some questions, and invite you to comment your observations about the title you read.

Of course, as always, you may do as you please – there are no Library Police! If you wish to skip a month or read more than one book in that month or read a book from a different month, go for it! No one will drag you off to Library Jail if you choose your own path!

The 2025 Online Reading Challenge begins on Thursday, January 2nd. Be sure to follow the Info Café reference blog or Beanstack for more information and updates!

Online Reading Challenge – December Wrap-Up

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Hello Fellow Challenge Readers!

It’s the final month of the 2024 Online Reading Challenge! How did your reading go this month? Did you read something that was dual timelines that you enjoyed? Share in the comments!

I read our main title: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai. Without meaning to, I also read a couple other dual timeline books, but The Great Believers was the best of those recent reads.

Splitting between 1985 Chicago and 2015 Paris, Rebecca Makkai weaves these two timelines into a cohesive story that pulls at the lives of many individuals across time and space. Yale Tishman is working as the developmental director for an art gallery in 1985 Chicago. He is working hard to bring a collection of 1920s paintings in as a gift to the gallery, but egos both inside the gallery and outside the gallery are affecting his ability to secure this gift. As Yale’s professional life takes off, his personal life is fracturing. The AIDS epidemic is destroying the lives of people around him. His friends are dying one by one, and after the funeral of his friend Nico, the virus starts to come closer to Yale than ever before. Yale turns to Nico’s little sister, Fiona, for help, guidance, and solidarity.

Flash forward to 2015 and Fiona is a wreck. She lost contact with her daughter Claire years ago, but a friend recently sent her a video of who she thinks is Claire on a bridge in Pairs. Determined to rescue Claire from the cult she disappeared into, Fiona heads to Paris. Once arrived, she stays with an old friend who documented the Chicago AIDS crisis, forcing Fiona to reckon with the feelings, emotions, and actions that the crisis thrust onto her life all those years ago. Her time spent in Paris is time spent examining her past and all the ways AIDS changed her life and her relationship with those around her, specifically her daughter.

Makkai expertly weaves Yale’s life from 1985 with Fiona in 2015, diving back and forth between the two, teasing just enough information from one to help inform the other and vice versa. What set this book apart for me was the narrator and his ability to pull me into the story from the start. While the timelines were inextricably linked together, the author still gave equal importance to both places in time, while also acknowledging how the past impacts the present both directly and indirectly.

In January, we’ll be starting the 2025 Online Reading Challenge with a brand new theme! I can’t wait to share this with you.

2024 Decade Challenge – That’s a Wrap!

- Brittany Leave a comment

In 2022 I was listening to an episode of the podcast, What Should I Read Next? with Anne Bogel – if you have not listened to this podcast, you should! So much content to add to your TBR! Anne was interviewing a guest about setting reading goals. The guest shared that her goal was to read 100 books that year – each title belonging to a year in the past century. Knowing that I could not commit to 100 books, I did want to give this goal a try in my own way! Thus began my commitment to reach 100 years of books by decade – 11 books each year! Below are the titles that I chose and the years that they were released! This has been such a fun goal and I am really getting the opportunity to read books that have broadened my horizons!

Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (audiobook through Audible)
Poirot and Hastings set out and solve 14 crimes in this compilation of short stories. Among the crimes solved include: missing pearls, dead counterparts, and a mother trying to do the right thing.

I always enjoy a good Christie novel!

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (audiobook through Libby)
Join the Banks children as they go on many adventures with a nanny like no other! The Banks children have recently run their Katie Nana away and are in need of a new nanny. In blows Mary Poppins to turn their world upside down.

As a little girl, I watched Julie Andrews bring to life the delightful and eccentric Mary Poppins. As an adult, it was an absolute joy to listen to the audio on Libby and compare the differences between the book and the movie adaptation.

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes (hard copy)
Wanda has an interesting name and lives in Boggins Hollow where the poorest families live. One day on the playground, Wanda whispers that she has 100 dresses in her closet all lined up. The children laugh at her because there is no way her family could afford that many dresses. Now, it has been a few days since Wanda has been seen at school. One of the girls, Maddie is worried and begins to feel remorse for not standing up for Wanda.

This classic tale teaches such a great lesson to young people, first, never judge a book by its cover and second, always be kind.

Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss (hard copy)
One day while cooling off in the pool, Horton hears a noise coming from a speck of dust leading to an unexpected friendship. Led by a mother kangaroo, the jungle animals begin mocking Horton and threaten the safety of the people on the tiny speck.

I loved sharing this classic tale with my kids! Horton is such a sweet and gentle character, it was fun to see how much my kids got into it!

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (hard copy)
A tree and a little boy love each other. As the little boy grows, the tree does everything within her power to help him.

Such a powerful message on love and the effects of one-sided relationships. My kids loved this book and it was nice to have a discussion on what it means to be a good friend!

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (hard copy)
Tish has loved Fonny for most of her life. Just as they are beginning to start a life together, Fonny is accused of a crime that he did not commit. Baldwin created complex characters navigating very real and unimaginable horrors. If Beale Street Could Talk is about the power of love and its ability to conquer all.

This was a beautifully heartbreaking story with an ending that I had hoped for!

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (hard copy)
Happy 40th Birthday to “The House on Mango Street”!! What a beautiful book that was completely unputdownable. Loosely related to the life of the author, this beautiful work of art follows the young Esperanza as she grows up on Mango Street. Told is short stories, that somehow speak beyond their words, I feel as if I have an intimate relationship with each character especially Esperanza.

Loved, loved, loved this so much and am so glad that I chose this as my 1984 read!!

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, Illustrated by Anita Jeram (hard copy)
This beauty that was on personal bookshelf as a child turns 30 this year! My 40th read is #guesshowmuchiloveyoubook and it is my 1994 read for my year decade challenge. Truth be told, I had intended to read a different title and it was just too dry and heavy for me!

Follow 2 rabbits (father and child) as they proclaim their love for one another. If you have little ones or just want a little nostalgia, consider picking this book up!

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (hard copy)
This book was recommended to me in 2006. Now, I finally finished this title for my 2024 decade challenge and completely understand why it was recommended to me!

Macy has to say goodbye to her boyfriend Jason, her lifeline after the passing of her father, for the summer. Stuck filling in for Jason at the library with girls that she is pretty sure hate her, Macy is dreading her summer. All of this changes when her workaholic mom hires a caterer for a party and Macy steps in to help. Finding new friends and herself along the way, Macy struggles with being true to herself and what forever really means.

This book was so cute! Each supporting character had depth and were integral to the structure of the story. There were so many times that I was rooting for Macy and was so excited when she found her footing and stood up for herself!

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler (audiobook through Audible)
Dive into the world of 1920’s glam and elaborate parties with this title. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald is a fictionalized account told in Zelda’s point of view.

As a fan of F. Scott’s works, I was excited and nervous to pick up this title but can say that it was so totally worth it! What a remarkably heartbreaking life of the life of one of the most famous writers.

Brought to life by one of the best audio narrators yet, this title made me cry and wish that I could have known Ms. Fitzgerald, she was truly a remarkable woman in a time where women were beginning to make names for themselves!

Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello (hard copy)
Holy buckets!!! My heart is so unbelievably sad that I have finished this book. As many do, I put my hat in the ring for all of the giveaways on my TBR. Who doesn’t love a FREE BOOK? Somehow, I was lucky enough to be a winner of this charming and heartbreakingly funny title by Betty Corrello.

Delfina is about to have the chance of a lifetime, she has been selected for a coveted spot in Brainwave, the most prestigious event for aspiring comedians. When she is on the cusp of greatness, Del finds herself homeless and driving her friend’s car home to Evergreen, NJ. Del’s whimsical grandmother Nan welcomes her home with a surprise: she is buddies with someone from her past that she has tried very hard to forget.

What an honor it was to read this title and I thank Avon Books for the opportunity to read it and offer a review. I very much look forward to more reads by Corrello!

I’m excited to share what I am planning to read next year!

The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“What didn’t kill me didn’t make me stronger; what didn’t kill me made me into a victim. But I made me stronger. I made me into a survivor.”
― Tess Sharpe, The Girls I’ve Been

Nora is in a bit of a mess. First off, her ex-boyfriend and best friend Wes walked in on Nora and her current girlfriend Iris making out. Wes knew they were friends, but not that they were dating. To make matters more awkward, the three have to meet up the next morning to deposit money at the bank that they earned as the result of a fundraiser. Nora just wants to get in and out of the bank as quickly as possible to minimize the awkwardness. The day has other plans, because as soon as the trio walks into the back, two bank robbers walk in and take everyone hostage.

This situation is concerning to Nora, but for different reasons than it is for the others. Nora is the daughter of a con artist. Her mother has moved her around the country, targeting criminal man. Nora grew up as a lot of different girls, becoming whomever her mother needed her to be for the con she was running. Nora’s life changed when her mom ended up falling for her mark. She knew she needed to escape, which resulted in the ultimate con and eventually landed Nora where she currently lives.

It’s been five years since Nora escaped, but these two bank robbers have the ability to destroy what little stability she has managed to grab for herself. If she isn’t careful, the robbers could learn Nora’s secrets and upend her life. Nora has plans though. They have no idea all that she is capable of.

I listened to the audiobook version of The Girls I’ve Been and loved it. This book is intricately plotted, yet quickly paced. The characters are strong, opinionated, and sassy. Heads up that this book does alternate between different timelines, so you need to pay attention! This book is definitely set up as the first book in a series as not everything is solved in the end and readers are left wanting to know more about the characters and their backgrounds. I have high hopes that my questions will be answered in book 2!

Girls I’ve Been series

  1. The Girls I’ve Been (2021)
  2. The Girl in Question (2024)

“There is no normal. There is just a bunch of people pretending there is. There’s just different levels of pain. Different stages of safe. The biggest con of all is that there’s a normal.”
― Tess Sharpe, The Girls I’ve Been

December 2024 Children’s Books Spotlight: Cookies!

- Brittany Leave a comment

Happy December! This month, I have been making young readers crave cookie books! Below are the titles that I have been reading during my outreach storytimes!

Who Ate all the Cookie Dough?
by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

Kangaroo is whipping up a batch of cookies to discover that the cookie dough has been eaten? Who did it? On a mission to find the culprit, Kanga visits her animal friends.

I had so much fun with this book! Many children claimed that they were the ones to have eaten the cookie dough. So cute!

 

The Cookie Book of Colors
by Holly Fox

Dive into a world of color with this gorgeously, delicious board book. Each spread in this book showcases a different color with corresponding cookies decorated in that color!

This was fun to share with my younger groups. The content was engaging and allowed the children to shout colors as they saw them. It was fun to ask them what shapes they saw on each page.

Cookies! : An Interactive Recipe Book
by Lotta Nieminen

Learn how to bake cookies from scratch in this interactive and engaging board book. Children will have the ability to sift in flour, crack eggs, mix together ingredients, and so much more while learning about how to make a beloved chocolate chip cookie.

Be prepared to make cookies after reading this. Your little and you may have a sudden craving!

The Best Mouse Cookie
by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

Mouse is having a craving for cookies and has gathered all of the ingredients! Baking seems pretty easy, if you don’t drop your eggs on the floor and accidentally take a mouse nap while they bake!

This adorable classic tale still measures up with young audiences and adds an element of suspense to your storytime!

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

Mouse is given a chocolate chip cookie by a young boy leading into a series of requests leaving the young boy exhausted. Who would have thought that giving a mouse a cookie could lead to so many consequences and such a large mess?

If You Give A Mouse a Cookie is a classic tale that has stood up to the test of time. Definitely an oldie but a cookie – I mean goodie. Who wants a cookie?

The Duckling Gets a Cookie
by Mo Willems

Oh no, the adorable duckling has politely asked for a cookie and was rewarded for the use of excellent manners. In comes pigeon who is not at all pleased that the duckling received a cookie just by asking. The pigeon asks for things all of the time and never gets what he wants! WHY?!

Our cantankerous protagonist is at it again and is sure to make young readers giggle with glee.

The Cow Loves Cookies
by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Marcellus Hall

The farmer feeds the horse his hay, he feeds the chickens chicken feed each day. He gives the pigs their slop each morn, the geese enjoy sweet cracked corn. The cow, however, won’t eat that stuff, she prefers cookies!

This story, written in rhyme, is engaging and adorable for all young readers!

Cookie Truck: a Sugar Cookie Shapes Book
by Caroline Wright, illustrated by Alison Oliver

Gather your ingredients for the perfect sugar cookie. Roll out your dough and then cut out the shapes necessary for the perfect truck!

This adorable book introduces shapes and how they can be placed together to create objects!

Have you read any of these titles? I would love to hear about what you thought of them in the comments!

Brothers

- Bill Leave a comment

Entertain the Nazis, join them, or die.  Those were the options presented to professional clarinet and saxophone player Jan Van Halen during the German occupation of Holland. If he hadn’t opted for oom pa pa, his genetics tragically wouldn’t have propagated.  Post war, the Dutchman moved to colonial Indonesia for greener musical pastures.  His nascent family began with Eugenia before the two trekked to California with a shred of English and two grade school boys in tow.

America was not the touted land of plenty for Alex and little Edward. The patriarch perpetually struggled to make ends meet outside of the occasional gig. Decades before becoming gazillionaires, the family subsisted on his dishwashing and janitor shifts.  Eddie was initially the drummer of the duo while Alex opted for guitar in their hardscrabble Pasadena upbringing. The two found their musical grounding in the form of an exacting four-foot-tall piano instructor called “mom.” Listen to their biggest hit, “Jump” and you’ll see it paid off. The immigrants couldn’t afford cool effects pedals, so Eddie had to engineer sounds the old fashioned way…with his fingers and thousands of hours of practice. A few short months into budget guitars, Dave was already sanding down six-strings – mixing and matching components on the way to his first Frankenstrat.

So which version of the band is your poison? Dave or Sammy? Both? Does it even matter? Van Halen’s meteoric rise to stardom was strapped on the back of Eddie’s blinding speed and virtuoso innovation. Sorry, Dave.  This trajectory was accompanied by the usual occupational hazards – alcoholism, addiction, relapses, divorces, and death. Alex walks us through all 65 years’ worth.  Brothers had the proper amount of tawdry rock and roll tell-all without cheapening the work. The title says it all. The only lasting component of the forty-plus year musical ensemble was the nucleus of namesake Dutch-Indonesian immigrant boys, 6 and 8.  Alex and Ed were thick as thieves, around the world, from the cradle to the grave.  Or, as Ed said, they “fight more than anyone I know, but also get along better than anyone I know.”  Even their former lead singers would agree we’re better for it.

Checked In: A Davenport Public Library Podcast December 2024 Wrap

- Brittany Leave a comment

All three Davenport Public Library locations are closed today and tomorrow in observance of Christmas, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not here for you! In addition to using our online digital resources while we’re closed, you can listen to Checked In: A Davenport Public Library Podcast online. In this blog post, I will give you helpful links to area resources, Library resources, and links to the books discussed in our December episode!

Celebrate Humbug Day on December 21st

Humbug Day is a day to vent stress before Christmas by channeling your inner Ebenezer Scrooge. The hosts compiled a list of some of their favorite curmudgeons!

Beth’s Favorites:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Brittany’s Favorites:
The Long Game by Elena Armas
Bruce Series by Ryan T. Higgins
Crankenstein Series by Samantha Berger and Dan Santat
Goodnight Already by Jory John

Stephanie’s Favorites:
Assistant to the Villain & Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Family Search

The Library is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, which means The Library has access to more genealogy resources to help make more family discoveries. There are only a few hundred affiliate libraries in the country. This designation means our community has greater and more convenient access to the wealth of genealogical resources through FamilySearch. This popular web service has over 6 billion searchable names and 2 billion images of historical genealogical records, plus the helpful assistance of knowledgeable employees.

Festivus: An Airing of Grievances – 2024 Reads Edition

In honor of Festivus on December 23rd, Beth, Brittany, and Stephanie aired their grievances book style for a second year! Below are titles that frustrated them the most! Feel free to hate read with them in the coming year! Or, simply love them! We won’t judge!

Beth’s Grievances:
The Black Belt Librarian by Warren Graham
Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver

Brittany’s Grievances: 
One Hundred Moments of Us by Jon Rance
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica

Stephanie’s Grievances:
The Aurora Teagarden Series by Charlaine Harris

Ancestry Library Edition

Ancestry Library has over 1.2 billion records in over 3,000 databases. Ancestry Library is a must-have resource for anyone doing genealogical research. Ancestry Library is an in-house only resource, so you do need to be in one of our buildings to access the databases and records. Another thing to keep in mind is that Ancestry Library does not let you build your own family tree and save it. If you find a record that is important to you, you can email it to yourself.

The Gift of a Reading Recommendation!

To celebrate the holidays, your Checked In hosts exchanged the gift of a reading recommendation. We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well while working together here at The Library, so we’re going to make personalized recommendations to each other! The titles are below!

 Beth’s Recommendations:
To Stephanie: Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster
To Brittany: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Brittany’s Recommendations:
To Beth: The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
To Stephanie: The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

Stephanie’s Recommendations:
To Brittany: The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
To Beth: The Less People Know About Us by Axton Beth-Hamilton

Looking for Your Next Read?

Library patrons can get reading recommendations from library staff any time of the year! There are options for everyone to help discover your next great read!

 

Wintry Romances

Beth and Stephanie welcomed our amazing editor, Claire onto the pod to talk about favorite wintry romances! Below are the titles discussed in the segment.

Stephanie’s List:
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Beth’s List:
Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

Brittany’s List:
Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot

Claire’s List:
Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison

What Our Hosts Read In November

Beth’s Reads:
Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Stephanie’s Reads:
All the Little Liars by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Therese Plummer
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Under the Oak Tree: The Comic adapted by namu, illustrated by P., and original story by Suji Kim
The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, narrated by Allison Hirato
Cover Story by Susan Rigetti, narrated by Carlotta Brentan
Sleep Like a Baby by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Therese Plummer
The Last to Pie by Misha Popp
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Hometown Betrayal: A Tragic Story of Secrecy and Sexual Abuse in Mormon Country by Emily Benedek
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, narrated by Emilia Fox

Brittany’s Reads:
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter, narrated by Angel Pean
Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot

If you would like to listen to our episode, it can be found wherever you get your podcasts. If you prefer listening on the web, it can be found here!

We love hearing from our listeners, please feel free to comment on this blog post, on our socials, or email us at checked.in@davenportlibrary.com.

Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While Also in an Actual Cult)

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“In a cult, safety means agreement. The irony, of course, is that while you are not allowed to have your own opinion about my beliefs, I am allowed to have an opinion about yours.”
― Bethany Joy Lenz, Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show

What television show influenced you as a teenager? For me, it was One Tree Hill. Running for nine seasons from 2003 to 2012, this teen drama follows the lives of half-brother Lucas and Nathan Scott as they grow up in Tree Hill, North Carolina. They switch between rivals, friends, and family as they compete on the basketball court and amongst their friends. Bethany Joy Lenz, the author of Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult), plays Haley James on the show, best friend to Lucas Scott. Haley was portrayed as the nerdy, mousey friend, the one who would rather read and stay home than hang out with the loud crowd. To say I related to Haley as a teenager would be a massive understatement, so when she announced her book, Dinner for Vampires, I knew I needed to give it a read.

Dinner for Vampires begins with Lenz’s childhood. Growing up as an only child, Lenz searches for a place to belong. She often had to fend for herself, living with parents who were less than happy with each other. Her family frequently moved, following her dad across the country as he switched jobs. As a young adult, Lenz found the family she was looking for when she joins a Bible study filled with other Hollywood types. Relieved to have found people with similar beliefs, she relaxes. The group isn’t as nice as they seem though. Soon they change into something more dangerous, although it takes Lenz years to realize this. Under the pretense of love in The Big House Family, they weave a web of lies, abuse, fear, and manipulation, lulling their members into complacency and lives of docility to never want to leave. Lenz slowly starts giving away pieces of herself: her autonomy, her belongings, and millions of her TV income.

“I found out that when the numbness lasts for long enough it bears a striking resemblance to peace.”
― Bethany Joy Lenz, Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show

Lenz is filming One Tree Hill during her time in The Big House Family, eventually splitting her time between filming in North Carolina and the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound. She is eventually compelled to marry one of the minister’s sons and her life only continues to spiral from there. Once Lenz becomes a mother, she realizes that she has to escape to save her daughter from a similar fate. Escaping is only the beginning. She has to start to heal from her trauma and reevaluate her relationship with God, religion, and faith.

Dinner for Vampires is heartbreaking and profound. I listened to the audiobook, where the author narrates as herself, as well as some guest voice appearances from other actors. Her insights into her acting experiences were eye-opening, watching her grow from a child actor to an adult actor. Her secret life while filming One Tree Hill was interesting as it shed some light onto some of the producing decisions during the show. Reading about the financial crimes and abuse that happened to Lenz and others was infuriating, but her intense desire to speak out and fight helped her to start healing from the trauma.

“I think we’re all little cathedrals of contradiction. Terrifying darkness and shocking beauty coexist in everyone, and God doesn’t wait for us to clean out all the bad before celebrating the good. It’s scandalous, really—that kind of love.”
― Bethany Joy Lenz, Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show

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