Category Archives: Books

Books

Book Suggestion: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

We love to read books, and to talk about books. Check out our entire series here!

I had been itching to read this book for awhile and I was not disappointed. I like to read YA books, plus I heard lots of discussion and praise regarding the way this book handles issues like racism, police violence, and the Black Lives Matter movement. The book brings you into Starr’s world and even though her experiences are very different than my own, it was easy to relate to her. While  dealing with pretty heavy issues, the book also manages to include some humor. Definitely recommended reading!

“Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.”

Check out the author’s website, or listen to her discuss the book in this interview on NPR.

Books

Episode 102: Science Fiction

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Science fiction

Ready to win?? Leave a comment below; one person will be randomly chosen. You can win a copy of The Cocktail Guide to the Galaxy: A Universe of Unique Cocktails from the Celebrated Doctor Who Bar, by Andy Heidel! “For the first time ever comes a book that unites two of the best things in the world: nerd culture, and booze. Because if anything is true, it’s that nerds are awesome, and many of us like to throw back an adult beverage or two while re-watching Firefly for the seventeenth time.”

Bonus announcement: If you are in the St. Cloud or Collegeville, MN area on November 7 at 7pm – you could meet award-winning author John Scalzi! He be at the Pellegrene Auditorium to talk about what science fiction can teach us about the role of technology in human experience. A book signing will follow the talk. (Mary will definitely be attending, as she adores Scalzi’s books; you can contact us if you want to meet up!)

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Welcome, everyone, to Books and Beverages! This is our book group podcast, where we discuss different genres of books each week, while we sit in our comfy chairs and drink our beverages. And you are, of course, an important part of this book group. So if you do not already have a nice beverage please go get one, so you can join the experience of our book group.

Who is joining us this week? Our regular hosts Angie and Mary are here. This week our guest host is Kathy Parker, director of libraries at St. John’s and St. Ben’s.

Books, CMLE

Read-A-Thon Report!

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Librería de lance en México DFHave you ever wanted to read books all day and all night? Me too!! Saturday, Oct 21 I took part in the annual Dewey’s Read-A-Thon – the chance to read books for 24 straight hours! It was fun, there were snacks, I read lots of books, chatted with people on Twitter, and got to really enjoy wallowing in having tons of books around me to read!

 

This was my first #readathon experience, so I was a little nervous. I had a ton of books in paper format from the library, downloaded a few audio and eBooks from Overdrive, and even had two books sent to me through the ILL system to be sure I was really, really prepared. I was ready to read, no matter what genre or format I would decide I needed to read!

I had also read that snacks were an integral part of the reading experience, so was stocked up with a variety of things. (At one point I took an audio book out to the kitchen as I made my “famous” blueberry/dark chocolate chip pancakes for brunch. It seemed like a great time to splurge on fun foods!)

Everyone asked me what I would do when I needed to get up off the couch to do other things – and of course the answer was easy: Audio books can go anywhere with you! I had to go hiking on Saturday, and John Sandford’s newest book about Virgil Flowers went with me. (It seemed right, as Virgil also spends a lot of time trudging around Minnesota, and enjoying outdoor adventures.)

The event is flexible around your own schedule – so you can start and stop as you see fit. The idea for me was to know that I had a day I could really devote to reading, which was so fun. Everyone around the world read during the same 24 hour period, so you needed to know when it started in your own time zone. Our start time in Minnesota was 7am, and I was up and listening to an audio book right away. I shifted over to a paper book, after I got myself assembled on the couch with my breakfast and my tea. I read all day, and wrapped it up about 12:30am when I finished another book.

One of the first things I realized was that I was way overstocked on books! Of course, it seems obvious that even a full 24 hours will only allow so many books to be read – but I had (unrealistic) visions of flying through tons of reading. This was not actually a problem, and my book binging continued on Sunday as I wrapped up some more hours of reading!

What was my output?

Sunday I kept moving with the reading binging:

It was – clearly – lots of fun!!

And I really enjoyed following along on social media to see what other readathon people were reading (and eating!), as well as getting pictures of their pets! You can follow the #readathon hashtag to see comments and pictures for yourself.

Do you need reading suggestions? Wish you had a few more books in your life? Or would you just like to be part of a no-stress book group? Be sure to join us in our Books And Beverages Podcast! New episodes drop each Tuesday! And you will want to tune in for our guest hosts, who come from public, academic, special, and school libraries. We even have a few non-library people! Join us by either downloading the episodes or streaming the on your computer or tablet.

Last week we looked at the genre of Romance, this week we explore Science Fiction, next week – for Halloween!  – we look at some Horror material. You won’t want to miss an episode!!

Books

CMLE Reads Across MN: Undead and Unwed

Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, but it also has many interesting books. In this series, we are sharing some of the books we like from Minnesota, or Minnesota authors.

We are mapping our literary journey around Minnesota, so you can see all the interesting places where our books are set. Follow our progress on our Google Map, accessible by clicking that link or searching for the title CMLE Reads Across Minnesota!

Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, Book 1), by MaryJanice Davidson “It’s been a helluva week for Betsy Taylor. First, she loses her job. Then, to top things off, she’s killed in a car accident. But what really bites (besides waking up in the morgue dressed in a pink suit and cheap shoes courtesy of her stepmother) is that she can’t seem to stay dead. Every night she rises with a horrible craving for blood. She’s not taking too well to a liquid diet.

Worst of all, her new friends have the ridiculous idea that Betsy is the prophesied vampire queen, and they want her help in overthrowing the most obnoxious, power-hungry vampire in five centuries – a badly dressed Bela Lugosi wannabe, natch. Frankly, Betsy couldn’t care less about vamp politics, but they have a powerful weapon of persuasion: designer shoes. How can any self-respecting girl say no? But a collection of Ferragamos isn’t the only temptation for Betsy. It’s just a lot safer than the scrumptious Sinclair – a seductive bloodsucker whose sexy gaze seems as dangerous as a stake through the heart…”

I really like MaryJanice Davidson’s books! This series is fluffy fun, in the best way. Betsy is a reluctant, but incredibly powerful, vampire. She surrounds herself with really fun characters – all of whom are smarter and more talented than she is. And despite her ditzy actions, and obsession with expensive shoes, she is ready to defeat bad guys and save the day when the situation arises! And yes: it arises pretty often in these books. Thank goodness Betsy is on the scene and ready to kick butt!

This series takes place in Minneapolis and St. Paul. She has another series, starring Fred the Mermaid, set in Boston; and yet another one with werewolves that is set in Cape Cod. All the series are fun, and they intersect with each other – which is always fun to read!

If you need a happy, funny book – with vampires – to help you through the week, I suggest you check out any of these books. You may not experience much intellectual stimulation, but you will laugh and have a good time with your new vampire friends!

 

Books, CMLE

Book Suggestion Series: The Little Book of Hygge

We love to read books, and to talk about books. Check out our entire series here!

This week I read a really fun book: The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking

The Little Book of Hygge “The Danish word hygge is one of those beautiful words that doesn’t directly translate into English, but it more or less means comfort, warmth or togetherness. Hygge is the feeling you get when you are cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, in warm knitted socks, in front of the fire, when it is dark, cold and stormy outside. It that feeling when you are sharing good, comfort food with your closest friends, by candle light and exchanging easy conversation. It is those cold, crisp blue sky mornings when the light through your window is just right. Denmark is the happiest nation in the world and Meik puts this largely down to them living the hygge way. They focus on the small things that really matter, spend more quality time with friends and family and enjoy the good things in life. The Little Book of Hygge will give you practical steps and tips to become more hygge: how to pick the right lighting, organise a dinner party and even how to dress hygge, all backed up by Meik’s years of research at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. This year live more like a Dane, embrace hygge and become happier.”

I listened to this book with an audiobook from Overdrive, and that was really a great way to do it! This was one of my first exposures to this word, and hearing it in the author’s Danish accent definitely made me understand everything better.

In Minnesota, we have really cold winters and the idea of embracing hygge is very appealing. I love to go outside and do stuff in the snow – shoveling, hiking, making snow people. But I love coming back inside and drinking hot chocolate (with Fluff!), and snuggled into my couch surrounded by library books! So I was all ready to learn about hygge.

You might not want to listen to it as you are out shopping – as I did. I ended up coming home with a bunch of pillar candles (candles are very important in hygge) and a few other comforts. I bought an aromatherapy oil diffuser I’ve had my eye on for a while; and I really do love having the peppermint smell all through the house.  This book also pushed me to get more pictures put up on my walls, which is a good thing. And my bed is now so comfy and cozy, with extra pillows and soft blankets, that I’m struggling to get the motivation to leave it in the mornings. (I’m not counting that as a problem, you understand!)

If you want to explore this trend that is new to the US, but part of everyday life in the Scandinavian countries, I suggest you check out this book!

Oh – and you can increase the hygge of your office by bringing in cake! If any CMLE members out there want to bring cake by the Headquarters – know that we are open to this idea!! We can all have a slice, sip some tea/coffee, and chat about libraries.

Ahhhh….hygge. I feel cozier and happier already.