Scare Yourself Silly @ Your Library

Looking for something spooky?

Want to lose yourself in a story that makes your skin crawl?

You've come to the right place!

Take a look at our new display case in front of the dvd section. Each month we will be featuring a new display of materials.

In October, the shelves are full of fright!

The classic Hitchcock film, The Birds, may have dated special effects but is still plenty unsettling. Why are birds attacking Bodega Bay?

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Can't get enough of vampires? Try Dracula: The Undead, sequel to the original novel. Written by the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, Dacre Stoker, along with Ian Holt, Dracula documentarian, this story is sure to chill you to the bone.

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Visit a remote island along with sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau, as she tries to discover the truth about her father's dangerous experiments on animals. The Madman's Daughter is a Gothic thriller by Megan Shepherd that was inspired by the H.G. Well's classic, The Island of Dr. Moreau.

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When the snow started, the group of teenagers stuck at school never could have imagined the blizzard that would keep them isolated for days. After the power goes out, a seemingly innocent snowfall turns into a battle for survival. Trapped by Michael Northrop.

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June 26, 1997: A Magical Day

The summer is an excellent time to get a lot of reading done.

I always love to do a lot of reading. But I find that, especially in the summer, I love to reread some old favorites. And my absolute favorite is Harry Potter.



On this day in 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published in the UK. J.K. Rowling would go on to write six more books in the Harry Potter series, each one more popular than the last.

Why not try out Harry Potter this summer? For the first time, or for the second time, or for the seventh time? Read the books, watch the movies, listen to the audio books on long car trips. Go on a fantastical adventure to Hogwarts with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Immerse yourself in the excellent writing, fascinating characters, and pure magic of the series.

And best of all, you can check everything out from your local library! Here's a list of the seven Harry Potter books (and movies!):

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (or Philosopher's, if you're in the UK!)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (movies include Part 1 and Part 2)

Happy reading!

Laura
On behalf of the ACL

Guest Post: 22 Britannia Road

Recently, I climbed into my mother’s silver Ford mini-van and embarked on a road-trip of sorts.  Really anything that is over twenty miles constitutes a road-trip to me, but that is beside the point. The looming three and a half hour drive seemed utterly daunting. Would I really be alone with only my thoughts and two yellow lines for that long? Horrors. Thankfully, the library provided some welcomed relief and distraction.

Roaming the colorful stacks proved a comforting and welcomed task as I put the drive out of my mind and concentrated on choosing the perfect book on CD to accompany me on my trip. As the only other voice in the van with me, it was vital that I chose wisely. Finally, I found it: 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson. I, as an Anglofile, tend to gravitate towards anything that will let me walk the streets of my lovely London again, even if only in my head, and this book promised to let me do just that.

The premise of the plot centers on a family during World War II torn apart and later reunited, trying to repair the fragments of time and distance and reacquaint themselves with each other. Both husband and wife have wartime secrets hidden from each other, and a son loyal to his mother and wary of his father. The story unfolds from each of their perspectives and during multiple time periods—before the war, during, and the rocky after-years.

As I drove through Pennsylvania and into the familiarity of New York, I found myself equally transported to Poland and England, 1940. My heart was in my throat as the family awkwardly met up in Victoria Station, and later as their son ran truant from school. I clenched my jaw as husband and wife tried to establish a new routine, and as foreign life overwhelmed the family.

The arrival at my destination left me halfway through the story and wanting more. As I climbed out of my van and stretched my legs, I almost wanted to get back in so I could finish the story of Janusz, his wife Silvana, and their shifty child Oreck.  Almost.

So, final word: check out 22 Britannia Road and see if this family can reconcile themselves and start afresh in England.

Cheers, readers!

Renee

On behalf of the ACL