Year: 2021

Listen On The Go!

October 14, 2021 Digital Resources

Listen On The Go!Turn commuting time into reading time, while still keeping your eyes on the road!

Downloadable e-audiobooks let you listen directly from your phone or mobile device. AAPLD offers three different apps that give you access to over 10,000 audiobooks!  Add the apps to your device, connect your device to your car's audio system, and enjoy a best-seller, a fascinating non-fiction, or an older release by your favorite author.

 

Libby

Libby offers some of today's newest and most popular titles. If it's a bestseller you're looking for, Libby's the app for you! Download the app, select your home library (where your card was issued), and enter your library card number to get started!  Here's a sample of what you'll find on Libby:

Hoopla

Don't want to wait for your audiobook? Try Hoopla. All Hoopla titles download instantly and you can borrow up to 15 titles per month. Download the app, enter an email, password and your library card number and you're good to go! Browse thousands of previously released titles, and be sure to check out Hoopla's collection of graphic novels, movies, TV series and more, for off-the-road enjoyment. Here's what you'll find on Hoopla:

Axis360

Looking for a book on Libby that's currently checked out? Give our newest digital collection, Axis360 a tray. Axis360 is a cooperative agreement that helps provide ebooks and eaudiobooks to residents throughout the state of Illinois. Some of today's most popular titles are available on Axis360, including:

October Reading Resolutions…Read A Scary Book

October 7, 2021 Book Lists, Reading Challenge, Reading Suggestions

October is here, and it's time to pair that Pumpkin Spice Latte with a tasty, and terrifying read.

October Reading Resolutions…Read A Scary BookWhile every Reading Resolution challenge encourages you to step out of your comfort zone, picking up a horror novel can really feel that way.  Of course, you're free to choose something a bit less scary. Cozy mysteries work just fine, as do thrillers, spooky classics, haunted histories, and true crime.

But if you're  in the mood for a good scare, the horror fans among the Adult Services staff are happy to offer suggestions. Read on, if you dare. You can also visit our special online catalog to place an item on hold, or browse more selections on the pop-up display at the Main Library.

Be sure to check off this badge in the Reading Resolutions challenge in Beanstack, to be entered into our monthly drawing.

Curiously Creepy

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage - Suzette loves her daughter Hanna, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband is both menacing and alluring.  Even of the house begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. As Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

Twisted Twists

Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay - The lives of the Barretts are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts' plight. With Marjorie's father out of work and bills looming, the family soon find themselves the unwitting stars a hit reality television show. When events explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend. A mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid - In this deeply suspenseful and irresistibly unnerving debut novel, a man and his girlfriend are on their way to a secluded farm. When the two take an unexpected detour, she is left stranded in a deserted high school, wondering if there is any escape at all. What follows is a twisted unraveling that will haunt you long after the last page is turned.

Horribly Humorous and Gloriously Gross

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend.

Clown In A Cornfield by Adam Cesare - Quinn and her father moved to Kettle Springs to find a fresh start. But Kettle Springs has cracked in half. On one side are the adults, who are desperate to make Kettle Springs great again, and on the other are the kids, who want to get out of Kettle Springs as quick as they can. It’s a fight that looks like it will destroy the town. Until a creepy clown in a pork-pie hat, goes homicidal and decides that the only way for Kettle Springs to grow back is to cull the rotten crop of kids who live there now.

The Gates by John Connolly - A boy and his dog are trick or treating and witness strange goings-on at 666 Crowley Road. The Abernathys don't mean any harm by their flirtation with the underworld, but when they unknowingly call forth Satan himself, they create a gap in the universe. A gap in which a pair of enormous gates is visible. The gates to Hell. And there are some pretty terrifying beings just itching to get out. Can one small boy defeat evil?

Don't Turn Off The Lights!

It by Stephen King -Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real. The seven friends were teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them back to Derry to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher - When Mouse’s dad asks her to clean out her dead grandmother's house, she says yes. After all, how bad could it be? Answer: pretty bad. Grandma was a hoarder, and her house is stuffed with useless rubbish. Mouse stumbles across a journal, which at first seems to be filled with nonsensical rants…until Mouse finds herself face to face with a series of impossible terrors—because sometimes the things that go bump in the night are real, and they’re looking for you.

Discover A New Author During Hispanic Heritage Month

September 27, 2021 Book Lists, Reading Suggestions

Discover A New Author During Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which recognizes the contributions and culture of Hispanic people. It's also a great opportunity to discover a new author. At AAPLD, we're proud to highlight the Latinx authors in our collections. You'll find their work in every genre, with books for every age group.  For adult readers, we suggest one of these books, or browse our special online catalog for more selections.

 

Historical Fiction

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende - The first book in the sweeping saga of the Del Valle family begins as Eliza, a young Chilean woman, arrives in 1840s California to search for her lover in the goldfields. Arriving as a stowaway, she finances her search with various jobs, including playing the piano in a brothel.

The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos - In 1949, two young Cuban musicians make their way up from Havana to the big arena of New York, where they are workers by day, stars of dance halls by night. Hijuelos's portrait of the Castillo brothers, re-creates the sights and sounds of an era in music and an unsung moment in American life.

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende - In the late 1930s, amid the Spanish civil war, a pregnant young widow flees the country in a treacherous journey over the mountains to France. Along the way, she meets and marries an army doctor, in order to emigrate with him to Canada. Over the course of their lives, the unlikely couple face test after test, as they search for a place to belong.

Romance

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa- A wedding planner left at the altar? Yeah, the irony isn't lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina's offered an opportunity that could change her life. There's just one hitch... she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials, her ex-fiance's whip-smart, stunning and absolutely off-limits brother.

A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria- Michelle Amato has built a thriving freelance business as a graphic designer. So what if her love life is nonexistent, as her marriage-minded family keeps pointing out. Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx to escape his parents' demanding expectations, and broke Michelle's heart. Now, he's the successful co-owner of LA's hottest celebrity gym, with an investor who insists on opening a New York City location. When Michelle is hired to spearhead the new marketing campaign, everything Gabe's been running from catches up with him. As old feelings resurface, and facing mounting pressure from their families--who think they're dating--can they resolve their past mistakes?

 

Thrillers

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia- A riveting noir set in 1970s Mexico City. Maite, a lonely secretary, envies the exciting life of her beautiful neighbor, Leonora. When Leonora disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for the missing woman. Elvis is an eccentric criminal who loathes violence and loves old movies and rock 'n' roll, and is searching for Leonora at the order of his boss. As Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the truth behind Leonora's disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that threatens to consume their lives.

 

Biography and Memoir

Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption and Hollywood by Danny Trejo - The full, fascinating, and inspirational true story of Danny Trejo's journey from crime, prison, addiction, and loss to unexpected fame as Hollywood's favorite bad guy with a heart of gold.

 

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado - An engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad, and a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing relationship with a charismatic but volatile woman, Machado struggles to make sense of how what happened to her shaped the person she was becoming.

Read an Ebook This Week!

September 15, 2021 Digital Resources

Read an Ebook This Week!Saturday September 18 is Read An Ebook Day, but any day is a great day to discover the ease and convenience of digital reading. No matter where you are, or what time it is, your library's digital collections are just a few taps away!

Algonquin Area Public Library's four digital collections are easy to access from our website. Simply select the Virtual Library tab on our home page and choose Digital Collections from the drop-down menu. Each digital borrowing platform has its own rules about borrowing periods, limits, and holds. Some allow you to place items on hold, others offer instant borrowing.

To access each collection, AAPLD cardholders can simply click the link on the Digital Collections page, or download free apps for your mobile device. Once you're in, enter your AAPLD library card number, select Algonquin Area Public Library as your home library. If your card was issued by a library other than AAPLD, select the correct library from the list in order to check out materials from your home library's collection.

If you're unsure how, the Digital Collections page contains links to video tutorials. You can also stop by the Adult Services desk for in-person help or a printed brochure.

Here's a sample of what you'll find in each of our digital collections.

Libby/Overdrive

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - In 1983, four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, the family drama that ensues will change their lives forever.

hoopla

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - The debut novel by the author of the best-selling Circe, The Song of Achilles retells Homer's classic epic The Illiad, as a page-turning tale of adventure, gods, and heroes, war and love.

Axis 360

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (audio) - When Fern decides to have a baby for her infertile sister Rose, it shakes the foundations of Fern's carefully structured life and routine, while bringing to light dark secrets from her family's past.

Biblioboard/Indie Author Project Select

Rock, Paper Scissors: Scenes from a Charmed Divorce by Cathia Leonard Friou - Friou's memoir of her marriage, separation, divorce and reentry into the dating world, is told through a series of vignettes that illustrate the sometimes painful, sometimes joyful moments of a family working toward healing and hope.

This month we’re celebrating the ’80s!

September 7, 2021 Book Lists

As part of the library’s Centennial Celebration, every month we have been celebrating a different decade. In September we are celebrating the totally tubular ’80s! Break out your leg warmers and your Aqua Net, it’s time to party like it’s 1985 by reading one of these books published in the ’80s.

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

Who is Jason Bourne? Is he an assassin, a terrorist, a thief? Why has he got four million dollars in a Swiss bank account? Why has someone tried to murder him?…

Jason Bourne does not know the answer to any of these questions. Suffering from amnesia, he does not even know that he is Jason Bourne. What manner of man is he? What are his secrets? Who has he killed? (from Goodreads)

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Four mothers, four daughters, four families, whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who’s telling the stories. In 1949, four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, meet weekly to play mahjong and tell stories of what they left behind in China. United in loss and new hope for their daughters’ futures, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Their daughters, who have never heard these stories, think their mothers’ advice is irrelevant to their modern American lives – until their own inner crises reveal how much they’ve unknowingly inherited of their mothers’ pasts. (from Goodreads)

Misery by Stephen King

Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader—she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.

Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to life—just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they don’t work, she can get really nasty. (from Goodreads)

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.

A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece. (from Goodreads)

 

 

September Reading Resolutions…Read A Literary Classic

August 31, 2021 Reading Challenge

It’s Back to School season, and no matter how long ago you graduated, this time of year beckons us to settle into a new routine, and create new habits.

Since Reading Resolutions is all about our reading habits, there’s no better time than September to tackle a literary classic. It might be a book you read in school and loved. It might be one you didn’t like as a student, but want to give another try. It might be a book first published hundreds of years ago– or twenty years ago. It might be a graphic novel, or even a childhood favorite.

You see, literary classics don’t have to be old, boring, or hard to read. They can be suspenseful, or scary. Some are even funny! Here are a few suggestions  from our online literary classics catalog that might surprise you. To place one on hold, give the title a click. Find more great reads by browsing the catalog, or come into the library and check out the new Reading Resolutions display in the Adult Services Department. Old favorite, or new discovery…the choice is yours.

Jurassic Park (1991) by Michael Crichton – What happens when an entrepreneur decides to create the world’s most astonishing theme park, full of genetically-cloned dinosaurs? If you’ve seen the movie, you already know things go horribly wrong. The novel packs all the action and thrills of the film, but is also full of fascinating scientific detail that make a Michael Crichton novel like no other.  The New York Times calls it “full of suspense.” Jurassic Park is a classic by a one-of-a-kind author at the top of his game.

 

 

The Dark Knight Returns (1986) by Frank Miller- Time Magazine calls The Dark Knight Returns one of the Top 10 Graphic Novels of All Time, in a reboot of one of the greatest comic book heroes ever created. Ten years after the Dark Knight’s retirement, Gotham City has gone to rot.  Mysterious millionaire Bruce Wayne must resurrect his crime-fighting alter ego Batman against a new generation of criminals. He’s joined by a new Robin, a young girl named Carrie Kelley, who is every bit the equal of her predecessor.

 

Ramona the Pest (1968) by Beverly Cleary- A childhood classic, this is the story of kindergartner Ramona Quimby, who is determined to make her mark. When her efforts to be the best kindergartner EVER backfire, she’ll do anything to salvage the school year.  Joined by her sister Beezus, her best friend/worst enemy Henry Huggins, her long-suffering parents, and a green-haired doll named Chevrolet, Ramona’s laugh out loud adventures make this a book a timeless favorite.

 

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1994) by John Berendt- A classic read for true-crime fans, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is more than the story of a murder; it’s a depiction of one of America’s most unique cities, Savannah, Georgia. The sprawling cast includes society ladies, drag queens, gigolos, debutantes, and a voodoo priestess, all offering their perspective on a mystery that gripped the city for a decade.

 

Psycho (1959) by Robert Bloch- From true crime, to fictional, this dark, creepy novel was inspired by legendary serial killer Ed Gein and became Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous film. Motel manager Norman Bates lives with his mother in an old house behind the Bates Motel. Too bad Mother has been dead for twenty years. When a beautiful, and desperate young woman checks into the Bates Motel, Norman’s tempted. Good thing Mother, and her butcher knife, are there to protect him.

 

 

Don’t forget to update your Reading Resolutions page in Beanstack by highlighting this month’s activity badge, to be entered into our end of the month drawing for a $10 gift card. Need help? Give us a call!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August Celebrity Book Club Round-up

August 25, 2021 Book Lists

In this new type of post, we take a look at the books chosen by celebrity book clubs for the current month. Each month some of your favorite public figures choose their favorite book being released that month. Every month we will be the first to let you know what they have picked so you can get your holds in right away! Keep reading to find out which books were picked by Reese Witherspoon, Jenna Bush-Hager, Good Morning America, and Oprah this month.

Reese’s Book Club

We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz

An annual backpacking trip has deadly consequences in a chilling new novel from the bestselling author of The Lost Night and The Herd.

As Emily feels the walls closing in on their coverups, she must reckon with the truth about her closest friend. Can she outrun the secrets she shares with Kristen, or will they destroy her relationship, her freedom–even her life? (from Goodreads)

Want to catch up on Reese’s picks from previous months? Click here to discover prior months’ selections.

Want to stay up-to-date with the latest news from Reese’s book club? Click here to visit the Reese’s Book Club website.

Read With Jenna

The Turnout by Megan Abbott

Bestselling and award-winning author Megan Abbott’s revelatory, mesmerizing, and game-changing new novel set against the hothouse of a family-run ballet studio, and an interloper who arrives to bring down the carefully crafted Eden-like facade.

Taut and unnerving, The Turnout is Megan Abbott at the height of her game. With uncanny insight and hypnotic writing, it is a sharp and strange dissection of family ties and sexuality, femininity and power, and a tale that is both alarming and irresistible. (from Goodreads)

Ready to read Jenna’s past picks? Click here to view the list. For more information on her book club, click here to visit the Read With Jenna site.

Good Morning America Book Club

The Husbands by Chandler Baker

Chandler Baker, the New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network, is back with The Husbands, a novel that asks: to what lengths will a woman go for a little more help from her husband?

Calling to mind a Stepford Wives gender-swap, The Husbands imagines a world where the burden of the “second shift” is equally shared–and what it may take to get there. (from Goodreads)

Looking for more Good Morning America picks? Visit their website here for more picks and news, as well as interviews with authors and more.

Oprah’s Book Club

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

In the spirit of The Known World and The Underground Railroad, a profound debut about the unlikely bond between two freedmen who are brothers and the Georgia farmer whose alliance will alter their lives, and his, forever.

With candor and sympathy, debut novelist Nathan Harris creates an unforgettable cast of characters, depicting Georgia in the violent crucible of Reconstruction. Equal parts beauty and terror, as gripping as it is moving, The Sweetness of Water is an epic whose grandeur locates humanity and love amid the most harrowing circumstances. (from Goodreads)

Need more of Oprah’s recommendations? Click here to visit her website.

Check back near the beginning of next month to discover September’s celeb book club picks!

Shop Smarter with Consumer Reports and AAPLD

August 18, 2021 Digital Resources

Covid-19 has changed many things, including the way we shop. Rather than go from store to store to look and compare, we now turn first to our computers. Sometimes, we complete the entire purchase without ever laying eyes on the item we’ve just bought.

While online shopping is great for many items, when it comes to major purchases like computers, appliances or cars, buying sight unseen is much more daunting. That’s where Consumer Reports can help.

A non-profit organization dedicated to educating and protecting consumers, as well as testing products for quality, CR’s monthly print magazine and subscriber website are trusted sources of accurate product information.

Algonquin Area Public Library District is proud to offer Consumer Reports’ online database to our card-holders. To find it, start at aapld.org and select the Virtual Library drop-down menu. Choose Online Resources. Here, you’ll find an alphabetical list of all the databases the Library offers. Scroll down to Consumer Reports Online, click the link and enter your AAPLD library card number. From here, you can search articles and ratings for thousands of products.

If you’re not an Algonquin library card holder, you can access Consumer Reports Online at our public computers at the Main Library on Harnish Drive, and at the Eastgate Branch.

Issues of the print magazine from the current year are kept with the periodicals at both the Main Library and Eastgate, and are available for check-out, except for the current month’s issue. You’ll also find print copies from the last two years and the current year behind the Adult Services Reference Desk at the Main Library. These are for in-library browsing only.

Want to know more? Give us a call or reach out on chat. An Adult Service staff member will be happy to help.