Category: Reference

Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge by Spencer Quinn

- Stephanie Leave a comment

If you don’t know what to read, what is your go-to? I gravitate towards cozy mysteries starring elderly people. My latest read was Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge, the first book in the new Mrs. Plansky series written by Spencer Quinn, a pseudonym used by author Peter Abrahams. Spencer Quinn is most known for his Chet and Bernie Mystery series that started in 2009, starring Chet the dog and his human partner PI Bernie Little.

Mrs. Loretta Plansky has been dealing with a lot lately: her husband has just died, her retirement in Florida is mired with dealing with her cantankerous 98-year-old father, and her children and grandchildren are constantly asking her for money. As a recent widow in her seventies, Loretta just wants to spend her day playing tennis and enjoying her new hip!

Mrs. Plansky receives a phone call in the middle of the night from her grandson, Will, saying that he has been arrested and needs ten thousand dollars. After asking some questions, she decides to give him the money. She sends him her bank details, delighted to receive another phone call a short while later saying that Will has the money and has been released. She heads back to sleep, happy that Will is safe.

Loretta wakes up the next morning and phone calls start pouring in. She is shocked to discover that she has lost everything. Her bank and her financial advisor call to say that she drew her accounts down to zero the night before, millions of dollars gone in the blink of an eye. Loretta soon finds herself in meetings with law enforcement who inform her that her life savings are gone and unfortunately there isn’t much they can do to help her. The scammers are gone, their heist complete, and Loretta is left with nothing. After processing her emotions, she decides to start investigating on her own, following the only clue that she has to a small village in Romania. Mrs. Plansky wants her money back. She isn’t a fool and won’t be taken advantage of anymore.

This was a good introduction to a new series, enough to have me hoping that the subsequent books in the series will be more entertaining. Typically cozy mysteries have a main character with a quirky sidekick, but this book popped back and forth between two view points: 1) Mrs. Plansky and 2) the scammers in Romania. Mrs. Plansky spend the majority of the book by herself with no relief or help. The story focused instead on her forgetfulness as a character, which was distracting. Thankfully about 80% of the way through, some helpers popped into Mrs. Plansky’s life, adding some comic relief to the story. Hopefully these characters are also present in the next books.

This title is also available in large print.

Anime Movies

- Elena Leave a comment

April 15th is National Anime Day. National Anime Day celebrates anime, a style of animation that originated in Japan and became popular with viewers worldwide. With its wide variety of animation styles and stories, anime has something to offer for everyone! Check out these award-winning anime films owned by Davenport Public Library. (Descriptions below provided by publishers.)

Ponyo: During a forbidden excursion to see the surface world, a goldfish princess encounters a human boy named Sosuke, who gives her the name Ponyo. Ponyo longs to become human, and as her friendship with Sosuke grows, she becomes more humanlike. Ponyo’s father brings her back to their ocean kingdom, but so strong is Ponyo’s wish to live on the surface that she breaks free, and in the process, spills a collection of magical elixirs that endanger Sosuke’s village.

 

Weathering With You: The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy every day, as if to suggest his future. He lives his days in isolation, but finally finds work as a writer for a mysterious occult magazine. Then one day, Hodaka meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky…

 

The Boy and the Beast: When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, Kyuta and Kumatetsu begin training together and slowly form a bond as surrogate father and son. But the unlikely pair will be put to the ultimate test; a final showdown.

 

Belle: Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters “U”, a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. As their hunt escalates, Suzu embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of this mysterious “beast” and to discover her true self in a world where you can be anyone.

 

The Night is Short, Walk On Girl: As a group of teens go out for a night on the town, a sophomore known only as ‘The Girl with Black Hair’ experiences a series of surreal encounters with the local nightlife, all the while unaware of the romantic longings of Senpai, a fellow student who has been creating increasingly fantastic and contrived reasons to run into her, in an effort to win her heart.

 

Miss Hokusai: As all of Edo flocks to see the work of the revered painter Hokusai, his daughter O-Ei toils diligently, creating the paintings sold under her father’s name. Shy in public, in the studio O-Ei is brash and uninhibited. Seeking to come into her own as an artist, O-Ei sets out into the bustling city of Edo (present-day Tokyo), where she encounters spirits, dragons, con-men and traders.

 

During the month of April, look for the “National Anime Month” display at the Fairmount branch for more anime film recommendations.

Librarians in Historical Fiction

- Beth Leave a comment

Celebrate National Library Week 2024 (April 7-13) by reading some of our favorite historical fiction novels about librarians and the libraries they serve.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel – As a graduate student in 1942, Eva was forced to flee Paris after the arrest of her father, a Polish Jew. Finding refuge in a small mountain town in the Free Zone, she begins forging identity documents for Jewish children fleeing to neutral Switzerland. But erasing people comes with a price, and Eva decides she must find a way to preserve the real names of the children who are too young to remember who they really are. Sixty-five years later, a book is discovered that appears to contain some sort of code, but researchers don’t know where it came from, or what the code means. Only Eva, now working as a semi-retired librarian, holds the answer, but will she have the strength to revisit old memories and help reunite those lost during the war?

Available in regular print, large print, and audio book on CD.

The Blackout Book Club by Amy Lynn Green – In 1942, an impulsive promise to her brother before he goes off to the European front puts Avis Montgomery in the unlikely position of head librarian in small-town Maine. Though she has never been much of a reader, when wartime needs threaten to close the library, she invents a book club to keep its doors open. The women she convinces to attend the first meeting couldn’t be more different — a wealthy spinster determined to aid the war effort, an exhausted mother looking for a fresh start, and a determined young war worker. The women face personal challenges and band together in the face of danger. But when their growing friendships are tested by secrets of the past and present, they must decide whether depending on each other is worth the cost.

Available in regular print and large print.

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe – Based on the experience of real-life Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus, this is the incredible story of a girl who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust. Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the librarian of Auschwitz.

Available in regular print and large print.

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson – London, 1944: Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While war ravages the city above her, Clara has risked everything she holds dear to turn the Bethnal Green tube station into the country’s only underground library. Down here, a secret community thrives with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café, and a theater–offering shelter, solace, and escape from the bombs that fall upon their city. Along with her glamorous best friend and assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women’s determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.

Available in regular print.

The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong – Two women. One secret. A truth worth fighting for.
1918. Timid and shy Emmaline Balakin lives more in books than her own life. That is, until an envelope crosses her desk at the Dead Letter Office bearing a name from her past, and Emmaline decides to finally embark on an adventure of her own–as a volunteer librarian on the frontlines in France. Then a romance blooms as she secretly participates in a book club for censored books.
1976. Kathleen Carre is eager to prove to herself and to her nana that she deserves her acceptance into the first coed class at the United States Naval Academy. But not everyone wants female midshipmen at the Academy, and after tragedy strikes close to home, Kathleen becomes a target.

Available in regular print and large print.

KWIBUKA 30

- Jill Leave a comment

KWIBUKA 30: April 7, 2024 – the 30th Anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide

April 7th 2024 marks the start of Kwibuka 30, the 30th commemoration of the Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi, which began on this date in 1994. There was extensive state control and forced citizen compliance before and during the genocide. It was one of the worst episodes of mass state violence in the last century. During the Kwibuka 30 commemoration ceremonies, the Flame of Remembrance will be lit at the Kigali Genocide Memorial and dignitaries will place wreaths at the mass grave sites.  In and around Kigali during the memorial week, many commemoration ceremonies will be taking place that will honor the memory of those affected and promote working towards building a more compassionate and inclusive society. And, around the world in Rwandan diaspora communities, including survivors and stakeholders of the Federation of Rwandan Communities in Australia, will hold events that will share stories of resilience and healing, and shed light on the impact of the Genocide and the journey towards healing.

If you’d like to learn more about the cause, events, and impact of the Rwandan Genocide, take a look at the nonfiction titles below. Or, check-out one of the fictional stories based on the events surrounding the genocide and the people who were affected by them.

NON-FICTION

No Greater Love : how my family survived the genocide in Rwanda by Tharcisse Seminega

The Girl Who Smiled Beads : a story of war and what comes after by Clemantine Wamariya

Those We Throw Away Are Diamonds : a refugee’s search for home by Mondiant Dogon

Left To Tell : discovering God amidst the Rwandan holocaust by Immaculée Ilibagiza

Forgiveness Makes You Free : a dramatic story of healing and reconciliation from the heart of Rwanda by Ubald Rugirangoga

FICTION

All Your Children, Scattered by Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse

Kennedy 35 by Charles Cumming

The Eternal Audience of One by Rémy Ngamije

 

Nonfiction Books about Libraries and Librarians

- Beth Leave a comment

In April, the American Library Association celebrates Library Appreciation Week (April 7-13). Books about libraries and told by librarians themselves hold a special place in the hearts of library staff everywhere.

Here are a few nonfiction items about librarians that you can find on the shelves of the Davenport Public Library. (Descriptions from the publisher)

The Library Book by Susan Orlean — On the morning of April 28, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not the usual false alarm. As one fireman recounted later, “Once that first stack got going, it was ‘Goodbye, Charlie.'” The fire was disastrous: it reached 2000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library — and, if so, who?

Available in regular print, large print, and audio book on CD

Reading behind bars : a true story of literature, law, and life as a prison librarian by Jill Grunenwald — In December 2008, Jill Grunenwald graduated with her master’s degree in library science, ready to start living her dream of becoming a librarian. But the economy had a different idea and jobs were scarce. After some searching, however, Jill was lucky enough to snag one of the few librarian gigs left in her home state of Ohio. The catch? The job was behind bars as the prison librarian at a men’s minimum-security prison. Jill was forced to adapt on the spot, speedily learning to take the metal detectors, hulking security guards, and colorful inmates in stride. Over the course of nearly two years, Jill came to see past the bleak surroundings and the orange jumpsuits and recognize the humanity of the men behind bars. They were just like every other library patron–persons who simply wanted to read, to be educated and entertained through the written word. By helping these inmates, Jill simultaneously began to recognize the humanity in everyone and to discover inner strength that she never knew she had.

Available in regular print.

Dear Fahrenheit 451 : love and heartbreak in the stacks by Annie Spence — If you love to read, you know that some books affect you so profoundly they forever change the way you think about the world. Some books, on the other hand, disappoint you so much you want to throw them against the wall. Either way, it’s clear that a book can be your new soul mate or the bad relationship you need to end. In Dear Fahrenheit 451, librarian Annie Spence has crafted love letters and breakup notes to the iconic and eclectic books she has encountered over the years. From breaking up with The Giving Tree (a dysfunctional relationship book if ever there was one), to her love letter to The Time Traveler’s Wife (a novel less about time travel and more about the life of a marriage, with all of its ups and downs), Spence will make you think of old favorites in a new way. Filled with suggested reading lists, Spence’s take on classic and contemporary books is very much like the best of literature sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes surprisingly poignant, and filled with universal truths.

Available in regular print.

The Best Train Journeys in the World by Franco Tanel

- Michelle Leave a comment

The Best Train Journeys in the World by Franco Tanel is a lush travel guide highlighting the unique experience of train travel accompanied with full color itineraries and logistics for those readers who are inspired to plan their next journey.  The book is organized by geographic location and offers the most historic and stunning train trips for each area of the world.  Author and photographer Tanel showcases 40 train adventures over 6 continents.  The trips represented are a variety of lengths, accommodations and terrain for those on a budget or those planning a once in a lifetime experience.

For each journey, Tanel provides historic information as to how each route was established and its historic significance.  Also included are little known facts about the train, route and economics that made the routes needed and enjoyable today.  Practical tips include maps of each route, the best scenery along the way, websites for reservations and more information, unique elements of the train and journey and the nuts and bolts of pricing and options.

Some highlighted trains and routes include :

Rocky Mountaineer  (Canada) – With a choice of four different itineraries, passengers travel for a total of 2-3 days per route in the Canadian Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer.  At the end of each day, passengers spend the night in luxury hotels along the way so the beauty of the terrain is not missed overnight.  The most popular route cuts through Banff National Park and Lake Louise on the way to Vancouver, where the journey completes.

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (Colorado) – The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad route was opened in 1882 to haul silver and gold ore and makes the 45 mile trek between Durango and Silverton (Colorado) roundtrip in 9 hours.  Never traveling faster than 18 miles per hour, the steam train tracks are at a high altitude and built along sheer cliffs above the river in which a slower pace is needed.

Madaraka Express (Kenya) – Making the trek between Nairobi and Mombasa, the Madaraka Express in Kenya completes the journey in approximately 5 hours.  Much of the scenic railway, which was developed in 2017, is built on viaducts above cities in order to allow the natural landscape to remain below.  Along the way travelers pass through both the Nairobi National Park followed by the famous Tsavo National Park so all the stunning wildlife can be seen from the train’s oversized picture windows.

The Jacobite (Scotland) – As part of the journey was made famous in the Harry Potter movies, The Jacobite steam train is a tourist service that begins in Glasgow passes through Fort William and finishes up in Mallaig and returns in 4-6 hours depending on the time of day.  Much of the terrain can only be viewed on this train line, especially  the long stretches between the small stations of Rannoch Moor and Corrour, making The Jacobite the best way to take in the breathtaking views of the Scottish Highlands.

The Orient Express (Italy and France) – Reimagined from its heyday in the 1920s, this new rendition of The Orient Express travels from Paris and makes it way to Venice over the course of two days.  The original Orient Express began in 1883 and continued running (with some breaks during wartime) until May of 1977.  The original route stretched from Paris to Istanbul.  The new Orient Express train has all the majesty of the 1920s – glass panels, intricate woodcarvings and rich fabrics.  Passengers have the option of three dining cars per meal and travelers follow a strict dress code while being served by international chefs.  The Orient Express is a luxurious step back in time!

If you are a adventurous armchair traveler or are planning the trip of a lifetime, The Best Train Journeys in the World will open up a world of train traveling possibilities!

Online Reading Challenge – April

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Welcome Readers!

This month the Online Reading Challenge travels back in time to the 1940s. Our Main title for April is The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman. Here’s a quick summary from the publisher:

Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita is one of the most beloved and notorious novels of all time. And yet, very few of its readers know that the subject of the novel was inspired by a real-life case: the 1948 abduction of eleven-year-old Sally Horner.

Weaving together suspenseful crime narrative, cultural and social history, and literary investigation, The Real Lolita tells Sally Horner’s full story for the very first time. Drawing upon extensive investigations, legal documents, public records, and interviews with remaining relatives, Sarah Weinman uncovers how much Nabokov knew of the Sally Horner case and the efforts he took to disguise that knowledge during the process of writing and publishing Lolita.

Sally Horner’s story echoes the stories of countless girls and women who never had the chance to speak for themselves. By diving deeper in the publication history of Lolita and restoring Sally to her rightful place in the lore of the novel’s creation, The Real Lolita casts a new light on the dark inspiration for a modern classic. – Ecco/Harper Luxe

Looking for some other books set in the 1940s? Try any of the following.

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

Online Reading Challenge – March Wrap-Up

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Hello Fellow Challenge Readers!

How did your reading go this month? Did you read something set in the 1920s & 1930s that you enjoyed? Share in the comments!

I read our main title: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. This is the author’s debut novel published in 2012.

Needing a change, Jack and Mabel move to Alaska in 1920. It’s a rough life, full of long days, loneliness, and despair. The move pushes the two further apart as Jack works long hours on the farm and Mabel is left alone in their cabin. Wanting some normalcy during the season’s first snowfall, the two craft a child out of snow, both adding bits of themselves to their creation. The next morning, they are shocked to see that their snow child has been destroyed with a trail of tiny footprints leading into the forest. They glimpse a young, blond-haired girl flitting through the trees, wearing the hat and mittens that they decorated their snow child with. The girl named Faina inserts herself more and more into Jack and Mabel’s life, becoming part of their family. She never seems to truly belong with them though, instead preferring the snow and woods and life beyond their homestead. She has survived alone all these years, but that doesn’t stop Jack and Mabel from worrying. The more comfortable the three become with each other, the more they realize just how much they don’t know about Faina. Alaska may be beautiful, but the land holds violence right alongside that beauty. Their peace could shatter at any moment, something they would be wise to remember.

I procrastinated starting this book and honestly, I’m not sure why. It was such an easy, beautiful read. The Snow Child is a love story to Alaska and to the people living there. It’s full of immense joy and devastating sorrow. Eowyn Ivey is a master storyteller, weaving magic and realism together in such a way that at times I couldn’t tell the difference between the two. I felt like I was in Alaska with Mabel and Jack, struggling alongside them as they worked to get their homestead functioning and sustainable. The winters were breathtakingly cold and sparkling while the summers were sticky, clouded with mosquitoes, and full of their desperate attempts to prepare enough for the coming winter. The mountains towered over all with lush trees and wildlife running through, full of danger and promise. Ivey doesn’t shy away from showing the cruelness of Alaska and the hardness of life for people who choose to live there. It’s important not to forget the pockets of beauty that can be found though. All in all, this was a magical read full of wonder – one I’m glad I chose to read for this month’s challenge.

Next month, we are traveling to the 1940s.

Library Closed for Good Friday

- Stephanie Leave a comment

All three Davenport Public Library locations will be closed Friday, March 29th in observance of Good Friday. All three buildings will reopen with regular business hours on Saturday, March 30th: Main (321 Main Street) 9am to 5:30pm, Eastern (6000 Eastern Avenue) 9am to 5:30pm, and Fairmount (3000 N Fairmount St) 9am to 5:30pm.

Even though our physical locations will be closed, you can still access free digital content for all ages. Your Davenport Public Library card gives you access to free eBooks, digital audiobooks, magazines, movies, and music through Libby, Freegal, TumbleBooks, QC Beats, and Kanopy!

Have a safe and happy holiday!

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“And before you accuse me of telling my story in a labyrinthine manner, let me remind you this is a true story—and in real life, that’s how we communicate, isn’t it? We’re all over the place: we jump back and forth in time; slow down and expand on some moments; fast-forward through others; editing as we go, minimizing flaws and maximizing assets. We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.”
― Alex Michaelides, The Fury

Alex Michaelides’ latest novel, The Fury, relies heavily on unreliable narrators, which given the plots of his previous two books, The Silent Patient and The Maidens, shouldn’t come as a surprise. Unreliable narrators are narrators who can’t be relied upon to provide a trustworthy or completely accurate story. They may mislead readers, sometimes accidentally or deliberately. In my opinion, all first person narrators (those who are telling the story from their own point of view within the book) are unreliable narrators until you get to the end. The narrator in The Fury, Elliot Chase, tells the story from his perspective, whether or not it’s the 100% truth is up for you, the reader, to decide once he’s finished his story.

Have you ever read a story about a murder in the news and been curious about what led up to the crime? Well, Elliot Chase has a story for you. His best friend, an incredibly famous reclusive ex-movie star named Lana, has invited himself and her other closest friends to her private Greek island for a getaway over the Easter weekend. This isn’t anything new. Lana frequently invites her friends to the island as a way to escape the dreary English weather. What’s out of the ordinary this time? Murder. One of them will be dead before the weekend is over. This should be pretty easy to figure out. Everyone is trapped on an island cut off from others due to whipping winds and weather – this is a finite pool of people to figure out who the murderer and victim is. The murder, what led up to it, and its consequences were splattered all over the tabloids, but Elliot is able to give readers an insight into the story that no one else has. After all, he was privy to the gossip, revenge, and pettiness within their friend group. Elliot has been silent long enough. He has his own story to tell.

The Fury is also available in large print, as a CD audiobook, and as a Playaway audiobook.

[Note: Even though Alex Michaelides’ books aren’t in a series, they are interconnected. Characters from certain books are mentioned in others. Parts of some books are also mentioned in others. (This is all incredibly vague, but I can’t talk specifics without spoiling some parts). While they all may not seem like plot spoilers at the time of reading, some are, so I would recommend that you read his books in the order of publication: The Silent Patient (2019), The Maidens (2021), and The Fury (2024). ]