On the Shelf

Header Right Social

FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog

Header Right Search

The Eyre Affair

by Leave a Comment

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Format: Book, eBook
Who it’s for: Adults

The Eyre Affair introduces Thursday Next, a literary detective living in a parallel universe with a time traveling father and an uncle experimenting with literal bookworms. Thursday works for SpecOps 27, the division that investigates manuscript forgeries and other literary crimes. The Eyre Affair sees Thursday battling with literary villain Acheron Hades. Hades has stolen the Prose Portal, allowing him to enter manuscripts and kidnap characters for ransom. He starts with Martin Chuzzelwit, but his ultimate goal is to remove Jane Eyre from the pages of Jane Eyre. If he succeeds, Jane will be removed from all copies of the novel. It’s up to Thursday to stop him and save Jane Eyre. 

The first book in the Thursday Next series (there are seven in total), The Eyre Affair immerses the reader in Thursday’s alternate universe. The Crimean War never ended, Russia still has a tsar, and cloning animals is widespread (Thursday’s pet is a dodo v1.2 named Pickwick). This sets the stage for the rest of the series – we learn in the second book about the BookWorld, occupied by literary characters with its own police force (Jurisfiction). 

For readers with an interest in classic literature (Fforde constantly drops in references to classic novels and poems) and inventive, sometimes absurd alternate realities, The Eyre Affair is a fun and exciting introduction to a great series.

Find The Eyre Affair in the catalog.

The Island of the Sea Women

by Leave a Comment

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

This book is a One Maryland One Book selection for 2020.

This historical fiction novel is set on the island of Jeju in Korea. Over many decades, beginning with the Japanese occupation during the 1930 – 1940’s and during World War II and the Korean War.
During this turbulent time in history, two young girls Young-sook and Mi-ja, both from different backgrounds bond. Their close friendship begins over their love of the sea and working in their villages’ all-female diving collective. The haenyeo woman are trained from a young age to expand their lungs and go diving on the ocean floor to harvest food. Their livelihood and traditions are intertwined. Their diving skills are handed down for generations.
Mi-ja, a city born orphan living nearby with a neglectful aunt and uncle is caught stealing food in the fields of Jeju by Young-sook and her mother. Her mother as head of the collective, decides to take Mi-ja on and teaches her alongside Young-sook to dive. The girls become lifelong friends enduring many life altering events that impact their lives growing up.
The political unrest and unspeakable tragedies inflicted upon the villagers are part of the horrors of war. The impact on their island from famine, to extreme punishment, and demands of the opposing government regimes are inflicted upon the villagers who struggle to comply.

Young-sook and Mi-ja endure impossible choices that tear their friendship apart causing disappointment, anger and judgement that take generations to understand and forgive.

Find it in the catalog

 

 

Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome

by Leave a Comment

Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome by Clarabelle van Niekerk & Liezl Venter, MA CCC-SLP
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Children ages 5-7

When kids start school they will be encountering all sorts of different people and new situations.  Books like this one are great conversation starters for you and your child to talk through how you may best respect and appreciate a new friend who happens to be on the autism spectrum.

In this story, you’ll meet Sam who loves to put puzzles together and to play the cello but who also doesn’t like the feel of his new coat and sometimes can’t stop crying when he’s frustrated. After Sam and his dog leave home one night to walk to the fair alone, his family and teachers discover that Sam has Asperger Syndrome.  Once everyone understands what is going on they are able to start making things better for everybody.

At the end of the book there are 10 Helpful Tips from the author, who is a certified specialist in autism spectrum disorders, that offer practical advice in simple to understand language.

Find it in the catalog

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

by Leave a Comment

 Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
Format: DVD, Digital TV Show
Who it’s for: Adults

Set in glittering 1920s Australia, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries stars Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher—a strong, smart, and sexy woman who is decades ahead of her time. Often accompanied by her timid and soft-spoken companion Dot, Phryne solves a different mystery in each episode. This predilection for sleuthing frequently puts her in the path of Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, who is both frustrated by and attracted to Miss Fisher and her endless interference. With only three seasons and a recently released movie finale, this series makes for the perfect binge watch. As an added bonus, Phryne wears some of the most eye-catchingly gorgeous costumes seen on the small screen!

Find the first season in the catalog or dive in with the complete collection.
Also on hoopla digital.

Hearts Beat Loud

by Leave a Comment

Hearts Beat Loud
Format: Digital Movie, DVD, Blu-ray
Who it’s for: Adults, Teens

If you like feel-good movies, about fathers and daughters, with great soundtracks, well, I’ve got a film for you:

Hearts Beat Loud stars Nick Offerman as Frank, and Kiersey Clemons as his daughter Sam. Frank and Sam’s mother were musicians. She died when Sam was little, and Frank never re-married. He’s been running a record shop for 17 years, but things are going to have to change. Sam is heading across the country soon, to pursue her dream of studying to become a doctor, and the record shop won’t support her out-of-state pre-med tuition.

Frank and Sam have regular jam sessions, and one night they play a song Sam has written, about her budding summer romance, which Frank records, and uploads to Spotify on a whim. To their surprise, the song becomes a hit, and the opportunity to pursue a career in music opens up to Sam and Frank. Frank has fantasies of their daddy-daughter-duo sweeping the indie rock scene, while Sam is firm about going to school, despite developing strong feelings for her new love. What will they do?

I thought Hearts Beat Loud was really sweet, and just what I needed to escape the complicated world we find ourselves in, just for a few hours. Offerman and Clemons have great chemistry, and the movie also features entertaining performances from Toni Collette as Frank’s landlady, and Ted Danson as his bar-owning best friend. This intergenerational story may also be a good movie for parents to share with their older children (it’s rated PG-13). Put the DVD or Blu-ray on hold, or stream it via Hoopla today!

New Year’s Celebrations for Kids

by Leave a Comment

The New Year, a time to reflect on what has passed and to celebrate new beginnings, is just around the corner! How do you celebrate? These vibrant and lively stories offer a doorway inside two young girls’ celebration of family culture and tradition.  

 

Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport
Format: Book
Who it’s For: Kids

We set out with Shante on her quest to find the missing ingredient for her family’s New Year tradition.  Told in rhyme, this mission unfolds on the streets of Shante’s neighborhood but ultimately becomes a journey through the cultures and traditions of her neighbors too. By the end of the story,  it’s clear she can experience the beauty of the wide world just by looking at what makes the people she sees everyday unique.  What I love about this story are the underlying messages of diversity, community, teamwork and sharing! Also, included at the back of the book are a fun recipe to try at home and a resource for the cultures of other countries, their traditions and celebrations.

Find it in the catalog.

 

Freedom Soup by Tami Charles
Format: Book, DVD, Digital Audiobook, Digital Movie
Who it’s For: Kids

In this story, we meet Belle and her Ti Gran as we are dropped into their gloriously delicious adventure in cooking set against a backdrop of their Haitian history.  The dynamic and bright pictures dance off the page taking us with them. You can almost feel and taste the freedom Ti Gran talks about while she cooks.  Luckily for us, the recipe for Freedom Soup is in the back of the book!   And as an extra tidbit, the author offers up a little information about the real Ti Gran as well!

Find it in the catalog and on Hoopla as an audiobook or streaming video.