Tag: Natalie Cana

Checked In: A Davenport Public Library Podcast May Episode Breakdown

- Brittany Leave a comment

Each month, we release a new episode of Checked In: A Davenport Public Library Podcast. In this blog post, I will give you helpful links to area resources, Library resources, and links to the books discussed in our episode!

AAPI Heritage Month Reads

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Below are some of our favorite titles written by AAPI authors!  

Learning and Literacy Collection

All three Davenport Public Library branches have a Learning & Literacy Collection. These collections contain materials that are not easily confined in either the adult, young adult, or juvenile collections. Patrons can find guidance on many topics that can be difficult to talk about such as abuse, death, mental health, sex education, as well as books about homeschooling, engaging reluctant readers, job searching, and so much more! Because the Learning & Literacy Collection covers such a rich array of topics, we have a helpful LibGuide to help those interested to better navigate the collection.

Mystery Reads with Merideth

Stephanie and Michelle met with Merideth, Technical Services Supervisor to discuss some of her favorite mysteries that she has read recently. Below are the titles if you would like to place a hold!

Tourist Appreciation Month

May 7th is National Tourism Day. Did you know that with your Davenport Public Library card, you can tour local institutions for free? Davenport Public Library as well as other RiverShare Libraries have community experience passes for various local sites available for checkout. Visit the Figge, Putnam, Quad City Botanical Center, Quad City Symphony Orchestra, German American Heritage Center, and Common Chord by checking out one of our passes! To learn more about what is available for checkout, click here!

If you are looking for something fun finding hidden gems throughout the Quad Cities, we recommend checking out 100 Things to do in the Quad Cities Before You Die by Jonathan Turner. Be sure to place a hold today and create the perfect QC bucket list!  

Older Americans Month Reads

To celebrate Older Americans Month, Brittany and Stephanie discussed some of their favorite reads showcasing characters belonging to the aging population. Below are a few of the titles discussed during our segment.

Brittany’s Titles:
The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean
A Man Called Ove by Frederick Bachman

Stephanie’s Titles:
Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge by Spencer Quinn
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Britt-Marie was Here by Fredrik Backman 
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain
An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Turste 

Catch Us OWLT and About This Summer!

It is officially OWL season! For those of you unfamiliar with the Outreach Wheeled Library (OWL), it is a sprinter van equipped with carts full of books! The Community Outreach Team visits, parks, community events, and so much more throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall! If you see the OWL, be sure to stop by and say hello, check out items, get a Library Card, and leave with some Library swag and information!

To catch us OWLT and About, visit our calendar of events!

What Our Hosts Read In April

Michelle’s Reads:
Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien
Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien

Stephanie’s Reads:

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
She Kills Me: The True Stories of History’s Deadliest Women by Jennifer Wright, illustrations by Eva Bee
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge by Spencer Quinn (First in the Mrs. Plansky series)
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty
Parachute Kids by Betty Tang
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano (Fourth in the Finlay Donovan series)
Murder Before Evensong by the Revered Richard Coles (First in the Canon Clement series)
Cyclopedia Exotica by Aminder Dhaliwal
Transitions: A Mother’s Journey by Elodie Durand
Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline (Second in the Marrow Thieves series) 

Brittany’s Reads:
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña (First in the Vega Family Love Stories Series)
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Long Game by Elena Armas (First in The Long Game Series)

 

TV6 Book Club February Read Wrap-Up and Introduction to March Reads!

- Brittany Leave a comment
red cover silhouette of a woman and a man

In February, Morgan and I read The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory to celebrate Wedding Month. Below is a short synopsis and what I thought of the book! 

Alexa is trapped in an elevator with a sexy stranger who charms his way into her purse (by eating her snacks) and into attending a wedding with him that weekend as his fake girlfriend. When the two attend the wedding, they find that there is nothing fake about the way they feel about one another.

Both Alexa and Drew are afraid to admit their true feelings but still try long distance dating and find it hard to juggle work and their complicated pasts.

I really liked this book; it tackled real issues in a respectful way, and I look forward to reading more in the series! 

After loving our February read, I am so excited to get started with our March TV6 Book Club Pick! Below are our 4 options for March including our winning title! Feel free to check them out from Davenport Public Library! 

woman with pearls with a salmon background***TV6 Book Club Winner!
The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict (In Honor of Women’s History Month)
Hedy Kiesler is lucky. Her beauty leads to a starring role in a controversial film and marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer, allowing her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. But Hedy is also intelligent. At lavish Vienna dinner parties, she overhears the Third Reich’s plans. One night in 1937, desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazis, she disguises herself and flees her husband’s castle.

She lands in Hollywood, where she becomes Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But Hedy is keeping a secret even more shocking than her Jewish heritage: she is a scientist. She has an idea that might help the country and that might ease her guilt for escaping alone—if anyone will listen to her. (Synopsis by Goodreads)

Easy chair with ottoman with a book on it.Sew Deadly by Elizabeth Lynn Casey (In Honor of National Quilting Day on March 16th)
Ever since she moved to Sweet Briar, South Carolina, Yankee librarian Tori Sinclair has been the talk of the tiny town. But she’s been so busy at work, winning over the sewing circle, and trying to forget her cheating ex that she hasn’t even had time to baste together a pillow, let alone mind local gossip. Then she finds the hometown sweetheart dead at her back door…

Everyone believes the police investigator, who’s just fixin’ to link Tori to the murder in a love triangle gone bad. To clear her name, Tori will have to rely on her new sewing sisters and stitch together the truth- or be darned. (Synopsis by Goodreads)

Color block text Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (In Honor of Let’s Laugh Day on March 19th)
A comedy writer thinks she’s sworn off love, until a dreamily handsome pop star flips the script on all her assumptions. Romantic Comedy is a hilarious, observant and deeply tender novel from New York Times–bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld. (Synopsis by Goodreads)

Two people leaning in with a town in the background.A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña (In Honor of National Proposal Day on March 20th)
Natalie Caña turns up the heat, humor and heart in this debut rom-com about a Puerto Rican chef and an Irish American whiskey distiller forced into a fake engagement by their scheming octogenarian grandfathers.