Tag: memories

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME… WITH A GOOD BOOK!

- Jill Leave a comment

Time travel tales have been captivating readers for generations. Ever since the first publishing of the classic H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, in 1895, the genre has gained in popularity. Wells’ book has since been made into two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions and many comic book adaptations. More recent time travel themed novels have also been widely enjoyed. Diana Gabaldon’s book Outlander, first published in 1991, has now become an entire series of books as well as a TV series (2014) that has sparked a super fandom following. The more recent Time Traveler’s Wife (2003), by Audrey Niffenegger, was made into a movie in 2009 and a TV series in 2022. While these latter two focus on romance, as many time travel themes do, there are a variety of storylines – including mysteries and thrillers – to interest most any reader, provided you allow yourself to suspend reality and accept the time-bending premise. During the month of December, both the Fairmount and Eastern branch libraries will feature book displays with an assortment of time travel themed titles for you to consider for your next read. I’d like to share two with you here: Myriad by Joshua David Bellin and The Night Shift by Natalka Burian.

********************************

Joshua David Bellin has published numerous science fiction and adventure novels. His latest is Myriad, a science-fiction thriller set in his native Pittsburgh in the year 2037. The main character, Miriam Randle, works for a private law enforcement firm, whose employees utilize short-term time travel to go back in time to prevent crimes from happening. While competent in her work at the firm, her personal life is haunted by the decades-old unsolved murder of her twin brother by a school shooter. When a routine assignment goes awry ending in tragedy because of her, Miriam finds herself involved in a conspiracy. She escapes to the past to investigate her own firm, and the people she works for, in order to uncover the truth before it’s too late. But, her brother’s murderer isn’t the only thing in Miriam’s past that she would prefer to forget. There are so many twists and turns in this book that you never know quite where it is going. With perfectly flawed characters in a very realistic world, this novel is compelling and you won’t want to stop reading until you find out what happens to Miriam.

“Minority Report meets The Fugitive in this breakneck thriller that kept me guessing—and madly flipping pages—until the bitter end. The devious plot zips nimbly through wormhole after wormhole, but Bellin shines brightest in his nuanced exploration of the light and dark in all of us. Myriad is an antihero for the ages.” – Kat Ross, author of the Gaslamp Gothic Victorian Paranormal Mystery series

“Exciting and thought-provoking, Myriad posits a truly original twist on time-travel. Joshua Bellin’s first adult novel hits all the right notes from its conflicted main character trying to undo a tragic, life-changing past event to multiple twists, turns, and surprises the reader won’t see coming.” – Larry Ivkovich, author of The Sixth Precept and Magus Star Rising

“Joshua David Bellin is a master craftsman. In Myriad, he’s reached an all-time high for plot twists that rock your understanding of what has come before… and after. Enjoy the fast-paced action that will leave you dazzled.” – Diane Turnshek, Carnegie Mellon University astronomer and science fiction author

********************************

In Natalka Burian’s book Night Shift, there are secret passageways all over New York City that allow you to go through space and time to emerge in one of the other locations. These are well-hidden shortcuts. They might be found at the back door of a shop, bar or restaurant, or theater. Nobody knows how they originated and there are rules you must follow. You can only go one direction through them and you can only travel the passageways at night.

The story follows Jean, who is introduced to the passageways by her work friend, Iggy. She decides to use them to shorten her work commute between her night shift bartending and her day shift at an upscale bakery. She notices that the shortcut has side effects that make her more talkative and more open to discussing her past. She starts recalling memories that she’s worked hard to forget. When Iggy, goes missing, Jean believes it’s related to the secret passageways. Jean starts searching for answers and finds more and more connections between these shortcuts and herself. Will she ever find out what happened to Iggy? What do the passageways have to do with her? With her past? What about her future?

“The Night Shift is an engrossing and vibrant novel, and I loved watching my fair city shine in these pages. This is a great book for readers who love New York City after dark, and who see mysterious possibilities around every corner.” — Emma Straub, New York Times Bestselling Author of All Adults Here

********************************

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

- Ann 1 Comment

What if you could take a vacation to your past, without the filter of memory? What would you give to go back in time and relive your youth, in person, with the people who shared it? These are the questions Alice faces in This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub.

On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice’s life isn’t terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn’t exactly the one she expected. She’s happy with her apartment, her romantic status, her independence, and she adores her lifelong best friend. But something is missing. Her father, the single parent who raised her, is ailing and out of reach. How did they get here so fast? Did she take too much for granted along the way?

When Alice wakes up the next morning somehow back in 1996, it isn’t her 16-year-old body that is the biggest shock, or the possibility of romance with her adolescent crush, it’s her dad: the vital, charming, 49-year-old version of her father with whom she is reunited. Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and his, is there anything that she should do differently this time around? What would she change, given the chance? (from the publisher)

I’ve always loved time-travel/live-your-life-differently/second-chance stories. It’s so intriguing – if impossible – to try a different choice and speculate if the outcome would have been better, or worse. Sadly, this title fell a little flat for me although the ending was satisfying. I found it difficult to connect with the main character, especially when she was in the past as a teenager. However, the writing is skillful and, as expected, returning to the past as an adult with greater understanding of the world, was endlessly intriguing.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

- Ann Leave a comment

Anthony Doerr, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his previous book, All the Light We Cannot See (one of my all-time favorite books), has written a new book and while it is vastly different from the previous one, it has many of the same threads running through it – parallel lives converging, stories passed down through time and lessons to learn from history. It also shares beautiful writing and compelling characters

Cloud Cuckoo Land follows the lives of five people – Konstance, a young girl who is the only survivor on a spaceship bound for a distant planet; Seymour, a troubled teen in Idaho who is devastated by the ecological destruction he sees; Zeno, who lost his father to World War II, endured time as a POW in the Korean War then spent a quiet life working for the county; Anna, a young girl apprenticed to nunnery in a Constantinople about to fall to invading forces in 1453; and Omeir, born with a cleft palate and considered a demon, but saved by his grandfather.  All of these lives have a connection to an ancient Greek text, a comic story that was told to a child. How this story reaches each person, how it influences and changes their lives, how their lives intersect even across centuries makes an engaging story. In Doerr’s hands it becomes a masterpiece.

I will warn you though – there are a lot of moving pieces in this book. I’ve always enjoyed books that jump around in time and show different perspectives, but not everyone does. I found the start a little confusing, simply because I didn’t have a handle on the time jumps. However, it quickly became a can’t-put-down, what-happens-next kind of book for me. The writing style is beautiful with descriptions that transport you to each location and to each character’s point-of-view simply and quickly – you can almost feel the growing fear in Constantinople as the city is laid to siege, the cold and snow of an Idaho winter, the impersonal and metallic isolation of Konstance’s room.

This is a beautiful tribute to the enduring power of stories and books and the people that create them. Highly recommended.

 

Library Memories? #YesPlease

- Ann Leave a comment

Amber meeting Harry Potter of Harry and the Potters during the Eastern Ave Branch Library Opening DaySit back, curl up with a blanket, and hug a book–It’s time to reminisce about the library:

Five years ago, did you take a selfie with your favorite band, Harry and the Potters, at the Eastern Ave. Branch Library Opening Day celebration? Yup, that’s me!

Twenty years ago, did the children’s librarian know you by name and always have the newest Garfield book ready for you? I loved those books. Hmmm maybe I should check one out again…

Fifty years ago, how did you feel when you learned Davenport’s Carnegie Library would be torn down? I imagine that the Carnegie’s Reading Room was both glam and cozy.

We absolutely love when people share their favorite memories of the Davenport Public Library with us, and this week we hope you will share your favorite memory with everyone! This week is National Library Week and Davenport Public Library asks you to help us celebrate by sharing your favorite moment, photo, quote, feeling, book that reminds you of the awesomeness of your local library.

Hands holding up copies of aYes Please by Amy Poehler book and audiobookWe will be choosing two of our favorite memories posted between April 12-18, 2015 to win an autographed audiobook or book of Amy Poehler’s Yes, Please (provided by @harperaudio) and one kid’s memory to win a Jelly Belly Bean Machine. Post your memory and use the hashtags #DavenportReads #YesPlease so we can collect it (If you notice that we have not liked or favorited your post, it may not have appeared in our feed. You can always message us or email us directly at marketing@davenportlibrary.com)

Follow us all week (and all the time) on:

 

BetterPhoto Basics by Jim Miotke

- Ann Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again – great weather and important events have arrived! Graduations, weddings, reunions, holidays, vacations – they’re just around the corner.  Time to brush up on your photography skills so you can capture all those special moments.

There’s no better place to start than BetterPhoto Basics by Jim Miotke – whether you’re an enthusiastic amateur or an absolute beginner you’ll find lots of inspiration. The great thing about this book is that the majority of tips and ideas work with virtually any camera – Miotke even talks about using the camera on your iPhone! (proving once again that the best camera is the one you have with you) Tips are simple but effective – making the best use of available light, fill your frame with your subject, using the rule of thirds to compose a shot, checking the background. Throughout Miotke encourages creativity and experimenting – often simply looking at your world from a different angle can produce amazing shots. A series of simple photo assignments will help you apply these ideas. There’s even a chapter on easy fixes you can do with your photos on your computer.

Now there’s no more excuses for blurry, uninteresting photos – this book will fix those problems and make capturing memories fun!

Favorite Books, Part 2

- Ann 2 Comments

More favorite books from 2009 from our Blogging Librarians.

Lynn: Home Safe was my favorite book of the year because, once again, Elizabeth Berg writes so beautifully about the small moments of daily life. I loved the writing group that the main character teaches and was intrigued with her dilemma – to stay in Oak Park or move to a perfect house in California that her late husband built for her. Lynn blogged about Elizabeth Berg speaking at the Moline Library here.

Tana: My favorite book this year was The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeannette Walls. I couldn’t put it down – I found it incredible that she not only survived her childhood, but that she was able to become a very successful adult who still obviously loved her parents. I can’t wait to read her new book about her grandmother, Half-Broke Horses.

Ann: My choice is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Narrated by Enzo the dog, it is about a family that is torn apart by tragedy and betrayal, then slowly brought together again by love.  It is by turns heartfelt and heartbreaking and it’s a book that I still think about often, months after reading it. It made me cry, but it also made me laugh and it made me hopeful. You can read more about it here.

Now it’s your turn. What was your favorite book that you read in 2009? Don’t be shy – we’re always eager to hear about good books! AND, one lucky commenter will win two tickets to the Figge Art Museum! Leave a comment with your favorite 2009 book and why it was your favorite by midnight January 3. We’ll draw a random number and announce the winner on January 5. (Sorry, Davenport Library employees and their families are not eligible!)

Good Reading for the Holidays

- Ann 1 Comment

Once all the presents are bought and candies and cookies have been made, it’ll be time to relax with a good holiday book to keep you in the spirit.

The Christmas Train – David Baldacci

Tom Langdon is a former war reporter who now writes feature articles for various magazines. Banned from flying on airplanes, Langdon is forced to take a cross-country train from Washington, D.C., to L.A., where his girlfriend is waiting to spend Christmas with him. To Tom’s shock, the former love of his life, Eleanor, is also aboard the train. Sparks fly between them, bringing up old feelings along with the unresolved issues from their relationship. Tom realizes this might be his second chance with Eleanor, but a series of unexpected events may derail his plans.

A Christmas Memory – Truman Capote

A Christmas Memory is the classic memoir of Truman Capote’s childhood in rural Alabama. Until he was ten years old, Capote lived with distant relatives. This book is an autobiographical story of those years and his frank and fond memories of one of his cousins, Miss Sook Faulk.

A Redbird Christmas – Fannie Flagg

Lured by a brochure his doctor gives him after informing him that his emphysema has left him with scarcely a year to live, 52-year-old Oswald T. Campbell abandons wintry Chicago for Lost River, Ala., where he believes he’ll be spending his last Christmas. Befriended by Frances Cleverdon, this quirky story takes a heartwarming turn when Frances and Oswald become involved in the life of Patsy Casey, an abandoned young girl with a crippled leg. As Christmas approaches, the townspeople and neighboring communities rally round shy, sweet Patsy. Flagg is a gifted storyteller who knows how to tug at readers’ heartstrings, winding up her satisfying holiday tale with the requisite Christmas miracle.

Christmas at Fontaine’s – William Kotzwinkle

Tis the night before Christmas and all through Fontaine’s department store something mysterious and magical is happening. For into the lives of the department store Santa, the harried employees and the worried owner has come a mysterious presence, a silver streak, hiding in the darkened stockrooms and empty stairwells, appearing for an instant – now in the Toy Department, now in an unfinished window display – turning the chaos of a department store on Christmas Eve into a wonderland of miracles.

Tidings – William Wharton

This intimate family novel by takes place during a few days around Christmas. At an old mill in rural France, philosophy teacher Will, wife Lor, and four nearly grown children reunite for the holidays. The scene and the season are so lovingly detailed that the novel’s atmosphere is almost palpable, yet each family member brings to the festivities some personal trouble that he or she will try to resolve. As they struggle to make this a Christmas to remember, the people and their celebration come alive in an unusual, entertaining, heartwarming evocation of the magic, warmth, and underlying strains of family Christmas.

The Great Santa Search – Jeff Guinn

When TV producer Bobbo Butler tries to save his ailing TV station, FUN-TV, with an American Idol-inspired talent contest intended to find the real Santa, the man himself throws his hat into the ring. Guinn’s clever premise draws on the historical roots of the commercialization of Christmas, and his Santa, who narrates, is sanguine when faced with the prospect of facing off against street corner Santas.

Stitched in Time by Alicia Paulson

- Ann Leave a comment

Still looking for the perfect gift? Try making something handmade – it doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming, it simply needs to come from the heart.

You’ll find lots of inspiration in Stitches in Time by Alicia Paulson. Alicia gently encourages you to keep memories alive and part of everyday life through your own handcrafts. For instance, after going to see The Nutcracker ballet with her niece, she created a Clara doll (seen on the cover of the book) Other ideas include taking a child’s artwork and creating a stuffed toy (such as the adorable Molly the horse), making a pillow using family photos or creating a baby’s mobile using cards given at the baby shower. Alicia encourages you to take her ideas and projects and inject your own special touches; for instance, she shows several versions of the Clara doll and suggests that you create your own doll to look like a favorite book character or family member.

Alicia celebrates the domestic and the homemade, urging you to look for alternatives to manufactured perfection. Basic sewing and embroidery skills are all that’s required and clear and detailed instructions are included. The writing in this book is fun too – Alicia writes with a warm and personal voice and you’ll soon feel like she’s a close friend.

Be sure to check Alicia’s popular blog at Posie Gets Cozy where you can follow her ongoing stories of her family and crafts.