End of Year Reading Review for 2011

If you've been following this blog for sometime, you might remember that last January I posed a challenge to myself and all followers to read one book beginning of each letter of the alphabet. I forgot about this challenge mid-year, and upon compiling a rough list of the books I read this year, I can say I was unsuccessful in completing the challenge. I did read many notable books this year though -- see some highlights below!
 
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert -- This book took me on a journey. I re-read several pages and passages from the book because I found Gilbert's thoughts and perspectives so inspiring. I'll probably read this book again in 2012 when I need some motivation or a change in perspective.
 
Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs -- I'm not entirely sure why I chose to read this book, but I'm glad I did. I loved all the characters in this book, and their relationships were extremely entertaining. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the other books in this series.
 
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -- The Hunger Games series was so good. If you haven't read the series yet, make sure it's the first thing you read in 2012. Seriously.
 
Other books I read (and remembered):

Chosen - P.C. and Kristin Cast
No Roads to Follow - Michael Herman
Betrayed - P.C. and Kristin Cast
The Best of Me - Nicholas Sparks
Marked - P.C. and Kristin Cast
Knit the Season - Kate Jacobs
Mocking Jay - Suzanne Collins
Along for the Ride - Sarah Dessen
Knit Two - Kate Jacobs
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Keeping Faith - Jodi Picoult
The Undomestic Goddess - Sophie Kinsella
Unbearable Lightness - Portia de Rossi
House Rules - Jodi Picoult
Sing You Home - Jodi Picoult
Bossypants - Tina Fey
Living Dead in Dallas - Charlaine Harris
Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs
Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
Save Me - Lisa Scottoline
Sizzle - Julie Garwood
Fire and Ice - Julie Garwood
Mommywood - Tori Spelling
Mini-Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella
The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
The Shack - William P. Young
Sundays at Tiffany's - James Patterson
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas - James Patterson
Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay

Instead of creating another Reading Challenge in 2012, I'm just going to try and read as often as possible and add a little more diversity into my reading list by exploring new authors and new genres. I'm also going to blog about each book I read... which will hopefully make it easier to review the books I've read this time next year.

Happy New Year!

Patron Appreciation Post

You know you're a patron at the Powassan Library when...
1) You don't have to tell the staff your name when you check out your books. We already know who you are.
2) You find yourself among a group of other patrons outside the front door at 10:15 am. We don't open until 10:30.
3) You race to the computer lab because you want to use Ahab. That computer is already in use.
4) You receive a call from the library saying you have a book in, and you can't remember reserving it. You take it anyway, and you love it. The truth is that you didn't reserve it. we knew you would love it, and took the liberty of reserving it for you. You're welcome.
5) You hear of a book being made into a movie and vow to read the book before seeing the movie. It turns out the rest of the community had the same idea, and you find yourself at the bottom of the list. (See #6)
6) You want to read a book and the library a) doesn't have the book or b) has it but the reserve list is quite long. Instead of making you wait for the title, a staff member lends you his or her own personal copy.
7) You've found yourself driving to the library on a Wednesday only to get there and remember we're closed on Wednesdays. Don't be embarrassed. I work here, and I've done it too.
8) You own and/or have bought someone else a pair of slippers from the library and you absolutely love them.
9) You've shown up at the library with a stash of toonies to pay off some of your fines. You're grateful that the maximum fine is $2.00.
10) You bring your children to the library and they protest that they really don't want to leave because they're having so much fun playing with the touch-screen computer and animals.
11) You receive a call that a book you were waiting for has finally arrived!... ten minutes after you've left the library.


All jokes aside, thank you for being a valued patron of the Powassan Library! We enjoy seeing each and every one of you during your library visits.

Christmas Gift Ideas!

Christmas Gift list for the Book Lover

Ah, yes. It’s November 26th. That means only 29 days left until Christmas, and even fewer days to shop for the people on my Christmas list. I know a lot of people find Christmas shopping to be quite stressful, myself included. As your friendly neighbourhood library blogger, I’ve decided to give you, my reader, a special Christmas gift. You even get it early! My gift to you: a list of gift suggestions for the book lover on your list.


1) An eReader -
This is the top item on my Christmas list. (Hint, hint! ... - just kidding) I would recommend reading reviews online to see which device would be the best gift for the intended recipient. If the recipient is not so tech savvy, you'll probably want to select a more simplistic model, but if you feel they'd really take advantage of all the available features, something in colour with Wi-Fi might be best. If you're feeling quite generous, I'm almost positive that anyone would enjoy an Apple iPad!
View eReaders


2) Giftcard -
If you know that they love to read, but you're not positive what exactly they like to read, you absolutely can't go wrong with a gift card. Consider purchasing a gift card for your local gift store, or even get one for an online store such as Amazon or Chapters. This way, you you're giving the book lover in your life something they'll surely enjoy.
Amazon Website
Chapters Website

3) Something You Recommend -
Some of the best books I've read have been recommended to me from my friends and family. If you've read something and loved it, pick up a new copy and pass it on to the intended recipient. Make sure to mention that you've already read it, and loved it. This makes the gift a lot more personal. I'm actually planning on giving the first book in the Hunger Games series to my best friend, as I loved the series and I think she will too! Eat, Pray, Love is another book I have in mind for a close friend. I know she watched the movie multiple times, but I found the book was way better than the movie and I think she'll agree!

4) Bookmark
This gift sounds kind of obvious and simplistic, but I've discovered some bookmarks that are really cool. They're made from metal, and shaped like a hook. The hook end hangs out of the book with some kind of bead or charm at the end. You can make this gift personal too by picking a charm that you feel the recipient will enjoy. You can find these in stores, or on craft sites such as Etsy. The link below will direct you to Etsy.
Etsy Hook Bookmarks

5) Bookends
If your beloved reader has a large book collection, bookends would likely be a greatly appreciated. If you're handly with tools and a paintbrush, you might be able to create your own bookends. If you're not (like me!), these can also be ordered online. Again, you can customize them to fit the interests of the recipient! Below is another link to Etsy, this time I've searched for Bookends.
Etsy Bookends

Hopefully this list of items takes some of the stress out of your Christmas shopping!
Happy Holidays from the Powassan Library

House of Night Series

Recently one of my co-workers here at the library recommended that I check out the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. I’d heard her suggest this Young Adult series to many of our young patrons, so I decided to give it a shot. I’m now on the second book in the series and I’m incredibly anxious to read the rest. If you enjoy Young Adult books or know someone who does, the House of Night series is a must read.
The series opens up with the book Marked in which high school student, Zoey Redbird, is selected to become the latest vampyre fledgling to attend the local vampyre academy, the House of Night. The authors manage to put their own unique twist on what life of a vampire (or in this case vampyre) entails. From what I can tell so far, the series will follow Zoey as she learns more about vampyre life, tries to resist her growing lust for blood, and develops into an adult vampyre.
This book is written from Zoey’s perspective in the typical language a sixteen-year-old girl would use. While this might not be enjoyable for everyone, this was one aspect of the book that actually drew me in, as it makes the series so easy to follow. As I said earlier, I'm really anxious to see which direction this series will take!


Happy Reading! :)

Back to School!

Today marks the second last day of August, signifying that the summer months are regrettably behind us. The nights are getting cooler, and the days are getting shorter (although the library will be open longer hours). Soon enough, the library will be vacant of children, teens, and students during the daytime hours as they spend their days in class. If you are a parent or friend of a student heading back to school, or if you, like me, are a student yourself, make sure to keep some of the following library services in mind as you take on another year of school.




The CAP Centre – It is nearly impossible to succeed in school without access to a computer. Instructors expect papers to be typed submissions, and ask for research to be completed online. We know that some people don’t have access to computers, or don’t have the privilege of access to high-speed Internet, and so we provide public access computers equipped with the net and recent versions Microsoft Word. Although there is a cost for prints, accessing the computers is free.


Wireless Internet -- If you prefer to use your own computer or device to access the Internet, you can connect to our Hotspot at a cost of $2.00/hr or $10.00/8hrs. The library is generally a quiet place to study and the environment is perfect for getting work done!


Databases – The library subscribes to numerous databases that will prove useful to any student over the course of the school year. Check out the databases that are currently featured on the home page of our website to see just how easy it is to complete research quickly and easily. If your school does has no access or limited access to databases, these sources of information would be highly beneficial to you. Databases can be accessed free of cost by anyone with a library card. Some of these databases can even be used from your home computer. I know I will personally be using these databases in the upcoming school year!


Borrowing/Inter-library Loans/PALS – If you are required to read a certain text and don't wish to purchase it, have a look around our shelves to see if it's available here for borrowing. Books are loaned for three weeks and may be renewed depending if the book is in high demand. If we do not have the book on our own shelves, we can attempt to order it from a different library.


Another service that might be useful, especially for those studying by correspondence, is the PALS partnership that the Powassan & District Library shares with the Nipissing/Canadore's Learning Library. If you have a library card here, you can get a card for the Learning Library free of cost and borrow any of their plentiful materials.


 
These are just a few of our resources that are beneficial to students. To see what else is available, visit the library and have a look around!

Expand Your Library, Expand Your World

Last fall, the library board announced their plans to expand the library. At that time, many residents of the area and library patrons visited the library asking staff questions about the project, expressing their opinions, and making donations. As the population of Powassan and area tends to expand during the summer months, with cottagers and summer residents, questions regarding the project are being raised once again.

If you're not a library regular, you might question the need of an expansion. Yes, the library seems like it is an appropriate size for a small community. However, the Powassan & District Union Public Library serves more than just the Municipality of Powassan. It is also the library for residents of Chisholm,  Laurier, Restoule, and Nipissing.

If you take a closer look around the premises, you'll begin to notice how materials are cramped together on the shelves making it quite difficult to remove books and put them back. Take into account that we're constantly expanding our collection, and the shelf space seems even more limited.

 If you're here on a busier day, especially during the summer months, you'll notice that the library lacks room for people to sit and read, whether it be a newspaper or a novel. You'll see that patrons with laptops who wish to use our wireless Internet with their laptops often have nowhere to sit. And during the school year, students seeking a quiet place to tackle assignments and finish homework have few places to sit and do so.

I haven't even mentioned the staff work space yet. Imagine three people trying to complete seperate tasks in that area. We practically have to dance around each other trying to get things done.

Ah, yes, spend some time in the library and you'll definitely see an expansion is needed. As soon as possible.

With that being said, another question comes to mind -- When is this all happening?! Well, obviously, we need the money to make it happen first. We've done some fundraising with proceeds going to the addition, and a fundraising blitz is expected to take place this fall. We've received donations (and for that, we're so grateful) that will help speed up the process a little bit. Once we've raised a portion of the money needed, we'll begin applying for grants to assist us with the project. And once that giant step has been completed, the planning and building stages will commence. It's safe to say that completion is years away, however the sooner we garner the funds, the better.

The library has changed so much since its last major structural change in 1982. We now offer services that would have seemed impossible for a library to offer at that time, and I believe our building should change based on the fact that we do have so many things to offer. Statistics will easily demonstrate that membership is constantly increasing, and so we're serving a growing number of people. Circulation of the large (and increasing) number of materials we do have is growing as well, and we're busier than ever! The library plays a vital role in the community, and an expansion will only acknowledge this.

Reading Challenge Update E,

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Recently, I read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I'd already seen the movie, and to be honest, I thought it was just okay. Definitely a good story, but the movie proceeded much too slowly to hold my interest. I saw that Eat, Pray, Love was back on the shelves, finally. (Books made into movies tend to have tons of reserves on them, before and after the movie comes out) I thought I'd check it out, and see if I liked it...

I absolutely loved it, and I found that it was ten times better than the movie! The book delivered the emotions felt by Gilbert more effectively. I really felt like I could understand what exactly she was going through. I was definitely inspired by the guts Gilbert displayed traveling alone to Italy, India and Indonesia. It was inspiring to see how she was able to build a new life for herself and find enlightenment.

I've recommended this book to many of my friends! This is book is now on my "read again" list.

Bossypants by Tina Fey
I've already covered the B for my challenge... But I just finished this book, so I feel the need to blog about it as well!

Tina Fey is a comedian from Saturday Night Live, who also is a producer of 30 Rock. Bossypants is her autobiography. As you can probaby guess from her credentials, this book was hilarious. However, as I was not all that familiar with Fey's career, it didn't do much for me, besides a few laughs.

If you are familiar with Tina Fey, I'd recommend reading this as it gives insight to her career decisions and life stories. If not, I'd probably pass... There was a lot of things I couldn't grasp just because I haven't followed Fey's career.

Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi
This is another autobiography, by another actress, this time the author is Portia de Rossi. In this book, de Rossi wrote about her career and it's implications on her personal life. Though I had no idea who Portia de Rossi was, other than knowing she is Ellen DeGeneres' wife, I was still able to enjoy this book.

The main reason why this different from Bossypants, in the sense that I didn't have to know de Rossi's entire career was because this book explored how her eating disorder and sexuality influenced her career. It was super interesting to see how she dealt with everyday life as a result of this eating disorder. Someone without an eating disorder can't really understand it's implications, yet this book opened that door for me.

Though this book isn't at the top of my "read again" list, I did somewhat enjoy it. I'd give this one a 6/10.

That's it for my Reading Challenge Updates for now. I've read a lot of books in the last little while (a result of the sunny weather!) so expect some updates soon! Hope everyone is having a safe and happy summer!