Category Archives: Books

Books

Book Suggestion Series: Joe Tesla series

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

This week I read an an exciting series about a character named Joe Tesla. He ran a technology startup, and made millions of dollars. But just as he was about to have a major triumph, he was suddenly stricken with severe agoraphobia  and is not able to go outside. He now lives in an amazing house underground in the tunnels running beneath New York City.  He and his service dog, Edison, have adventures and solve mysteries, along with a few of their friends and colleagues. These are not entirely believable in the details, but are fun adventures! There are only four so far, and hopefully there will be many more

The World Beneath, by Rebecca Cantrell “Under New York is a vast, dark world: a hundred miles of living, breathing, tunnels. This subterranean labyrinth inhales three million bustling commuters every day. And every day, it breathes them all out again… except for one.

Software multi-millionaire Joe Tesla is trapped in those tunnels by his agoraphobia. One by one, he is uncovering their secrets. First, he discovers a bricked-up presidential train car and its deadly cargo–a contagious madness he must contain before it escapes to…The World Beneath.”

 

Check out the rest of the series:

Books

Book Suggestion Series: Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear

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Books are just great, aren’t they? At CMLE Headquarters, we love books!

On our weekly podcast, Linking Our Libraries, we always have a book segment so we can share some of the books we read. This is always popular with our listeners, so we are expanding that into other formats including a second podcast, Books and Beverages, coming out this fall (in just a few weeks, to be exact!)

We are also building this series of Book Suggestions. You can submit books that you like! Just write up a few reasons you liked a book and send it in to us; we will edit and add links – and we can all enjoy it! Don’t be shy, share your favorites!

 Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Instead of sharing a book I’m currently reading or recently finished (they are all good books but a little on the sad side) I’d like to suggest a great series I am excited to continue reading! This series is about a young woman named Maisie Dobbs who is a private investigator in London after the first World War. The first book tells the story of Maisie’s early life as a maid who managed to attend Cambridge, and then became a nurse during the war. Maisie is easy to root for because she’s intelligent, hardworking, and brave, especially when she becomes a nurse in the field during the war. Through flashbacks we learn about her lost love and how she was trained to become a private investigator. I really enjoy historical fiction because you get to experience life in a different time and place from what you are used to. Plus, there’s mystery and a little romance involved, which is always welcome! Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the fourteen book series, and I am excited to read more of them!

Check out the next several books in the series:

 

Books

CMLE Reads Across MN: Glensheen’s Daughter

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!

 

Glensheen’s Daughter: The Marjorie Congdon Story, by Sharon Darby Hendry.

 

 

Have you been to the Glensheen Mansion in Duluth? It’s lovely! During the MLA Annual Conference last October, we had a special event there, touring the building, enjoying dinner in the basement, and a bonfire on the beach. (Go to conferences! There will always be something fun! Listen to our Linking Our Libraries podcast on Conferences.)

“Come see why Glensheen Mansion, perched on the shore of Lake Superior, is the most visited historic home in Minnesota. Our 12-acre estate features gardens, bridges, and the famous 39-room mansion built with remarkable 20th century craftsmanship, telling the story of the Duluth region.”

It is lovely, and a treat for those of us who like historical settings! And for people interested in salacious true crime mysteries – that is also a part of the experience.

From this book: “Two horrific murders shocked the state of Minnesota as the bodies of heiress Elisabeth Congdon and her night nurse, Velma Pietila, were discovered in Glensheen Mansion. Suspicions soon turned to Elisabeth’s beloved adopted daughter, Marjorie, and her insatiable desire for wealth.”

I finished this book the afternoon before our MLA event – just in time! When we went to the mansion that evening, I was able to pass on all sorts of interesting trivia to those walking around with me. (Yes, it’s always fun to be with library people – we all hang out and chat about pop culture and other bits of information. It’s fun!)

This will not be the most intellectual book you have read, but if you want a slightly tabloid true-crime mystery – this is the book for you! (And, if you are headed to Duluth – check it out to be sure you get the backstory!)

Books

New month, new books! Read with us in October!

It’s always exciting to pick up a new book to read and we are always happy to provide you with suggestions! Our online book groups are a great place to find ideas. Join us this month in our CMLE Librarian Professionals and CMLE Librarians Enjoying Books groups on Goodreads and let’s read together!

For our Librarian Professionals group we will be reading Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

“Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized? Are you often busy but not productive? Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas?

If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.

The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done.  It is not  a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.”

For our Librarians Enjoying Books group, we will be reading The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom.

“Israel Armstrong is a passionate soul, lured to Ireland by the promise of an exciting new career. Alas, the job that awaits him is not quite what he has in mind. Still, Israel is not one to dwell on disappointment, as he prepares to drive a mobile library around a small, damp Irish town. After all, the scenery is lovely, the people are charming–but where are the books? The rolling library’s 15,000 volumes have mysteriously gone missing, and it’s up to Israel to discover who would steal them…and why.”

Happy reading! 🙂

Books, Communication, Tech

Stay tuned for our upcoming podcast series: Books and Beverages!

As you probably know, CMLE has a library training podcast called Linking Our Libraries. We have so enjoyed chatting with our member Guest Hosts and discussing library topics. When people talk with us about this podcast, they mention that one of their favorite segments in each episode is when we talk about the books we are reading.

That’s understandable, because we are book-loving library people!

So we decided to add a second podcast, this one all about books! It will be called Books and Beverages. The idea is two-fold.

Continue reading Stay tuned for our upcoming podcast series: Books and Beverages! →