Thursday, March 11, 2021

March 11, 2021 - BCPL Resume Tips


Welcome to this month's edition of Brooke County Libraries Resume Tips! 

Tip #5 - Don't be afraid to brag!

Your resume is going to be one of many, remember that. And in this increasing digital age, you may look like just another attachment on an email. So it's important to make yourself stand out.

It's easier that we think to give ourselves a subtle shoutout. Include your accomplishments and awards, certificate completions, and projects assisting your former boss! 

Did you help your coworkers? Maybe trained newbies?
Did you review data or actions and make recommendations?
What would you have included in your spoken interview or even in your last yearly evaluation?

As long as you don't bog down your one page document with extra details like it's a storybook. Don't hold back on your triumphs. They may be what sets you apart from other candidates!



 

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

March 10, 2021 - Staff Reviews


 

Dead Watch
By John Sandford
Release Date: April 24, 2007
Audiobook Available from WV Reads!


3 Stars - My interest clicking on with this book took awhile, possibly in part because of the narration and/or the writing style of Sandford. This was a fast, fairly short political thriller set in the dark pool of Washington D.C scandals and murders. The good news, bad news situation with this story is that it has everything you're expecting from it. An everyday hero gets swept into a shady cover up, sorta saves damsels in distress, and sounds cool doing it all.

Sandford is a staple in the thriller and mystery reader community but this odd standalone was my first of his. His main character here is Jake Winter who has a vague yet specialized background. He was special forces, now is sort of a fixer/investigator. He ends up on the casing of a missing senator in an election year. Also the senator happens to have a hot wife in name only who is also brilliant. I liked Maddie well enough but their relationship was a bit unoriginal. I should mention I like Ferrone as a narrator, but I'm just not sure he fit well here. His voice is a bit monotone and Sandford's writing is simplistic and at times redundant.

This is a better murder mystery than political thriller in my opinion. It reminded me a lot of Josepher Finder's Guilty Minds that I read not long ago. But I liked the political and journalism sides of that one more, less the mystery. As I said, you probably get exactly what you expect here. Our hero is a smart, stable, and skilled "anti" politician. He deals with the gory-ish, violent crimes, beautiful and mysterious women, sex scandals, possible anagrams, secret suicides, and the ill behaved media. The statement dropped about the news media's perchant for speculation over facts (from 2006!) was hilarious. The plot rolls along with anyone crossing the mysterious bad guys getting hurt as they search for the truth. The Watchmen concept was creepy too! They were probably one of the more memorable aspects. The last two hours or so were the highlight for me. Overall, it's fun and quick audiobook when looking for a mystery of medium intensity.

(NS)


Tuesday, March 9, 2021

March 9, 2021 - Book Club Preview

Brooke County Libraries are excited to feature our March Book Club Pick for 2021. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman. 


Our meeting will be held and available virtually Thursday March 25th. We welcome our your ideas and remarks on the book in our comment section below as well as our social media pages. 

Over five years in the writing, The Dovekeepers is Alice Hoffman's most ambitious and mesmerizing novel, a tour de force of imagination and research, set in ancient Israel.

 

In 70 C.E., nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic and iconic event, Hoffman's novel is a spellbinding tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to Masada by a different path. Yael's mother died in childbirth, and her father, an expert assassin, never forgave her for that death. Revka, a village baker's wife, watched the horrifically brutal murder of her daughter by Roman soldiers; she brings to Masada her young grandsons, rendered mute by what they have witnessed. Aziza is a warrior's daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and an expert marksman who finds passion with a fellow soldier. Shirah, born in Alexandria, is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine, a woman with uncanny insight and power. 

 

The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets - about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love


Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew, The Rules of Magic, The Marriage of Opposites, Practical Magic, The Red Garden, the Oprah’s Book Club selection Here on Earth, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, and The Dovekeepers. Her most recent novel is Magic Lessons. She lives near Boston. 

Images and info courtesy of Google, Goodreads.

 

Monday, March 8, 2021

March 8, 2021 - New Arrivals

March 8, 2021

Adult Fiction

Bloodline by Jess Lourey.

In a tale inspired by real events, pregnant journalist Joan Harken is cautiously excited to follow her fiancĂ© back to his Minnesota hometown. After spending a childhood on the move and chasing the screams and swirls of news-rich city life, she's eager to settle down. Lilydale's motto, "Come Home Forever," couldn't be more inviting. And yet, something is off in the picture-perfect village. The friendliness borders on intrusive. Joan can't shake the feeling that every move she makes is being tracked. An archaic organization still seems to hold the town in thrall. So does the sinister secret of a little boy who vanished decades ago. And unless Joan is imagining things, a frighteningly familiar figure from her past is on watch in the shadows. Her fiancĂ© tells her she's being paranoid. He might be right. Then again, she might have moved to the deadliest small town on earth.

 

Have You Seen Me? by Kate White.

The key to her missing memories could bring relief--or unlock her worst nightmares. On a cold, rainy morning, finance journalist Ally Linden arrives soaked to the bone at her Manhattan office, only to find that she's forgotten her keycard. When her boss shows, he's shocked to see her--because, he explains, she hasn't worked there in five years. Ally knows her name, but is having trouble coming up with much beyond that, though after a trip to the psychiatric ER, she begins to piece together important facts: she lives on the Upper West Side; she's now a freelance journalist; she's married to a terrific man named Hugh. More memories materialize and yet she still can't recall anything about the previous two days. Diagnosed as having experienced a dissociative state, she starts to wonder if it may have been triggered by something she saw--an accident, or worse--or if a trauma from her childhood has risen to the surface. Desperate for answers, Ally tries to track where she spent the missing days, but every detail she unearths points to an explanation that's increasingly ominous, and it's clear someone wants to prevent her from learning where those forty-eight hours went. In order to uncover the truth, Ally must dig deep into the secrets of her past--and outsmart the person who seems determined to silence her.

 

Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh.

For more than 25 years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents' murder-suicide ... Until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night - innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There's just one chilling difference. Erin's husband, Justin, has vanished. Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law isn't adding up. Teaming up with Justin's old friend, former sheriff's investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, Bree vows to uncover the secrets of her sister's life and death, as she promised Erin's children. But as her investigation unfolds, the danger hits close to home. Once again, Bree's family is caught in a death grip. And this time, it could be fatal for her.

 

Adult Non-Fiction

Keep Sharp by Sanjay Gupta, MD.

Throughout our life, we look for ways to keep our mind sharp and effortlessly productive. Now, globetrotting neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta offers insights from top scientists all over the world, whose cutting-edge research can help you heighten and protect brain function and maintain cognitive health at any age. Keep Sharp debunks common myths about aging and cognitive decline, explores whether there's a "best" diet or exercise regimen for the brain, and explains whether it's healthier to play video games that test memory and processing speed, or to engage in more social interaction. Discover what we can learn from "super-brained" people who are in their eighties and nineties with no signs of slowing down--and whether there are truly any benefits to drugs, supplements, and vitamins. Dr. Gupta also addresses brain disease, particularly Alzheimer's, answers all your questions about the signs and symptoms, and shows how to ward against it and stay healthy while caring for a partner in cognitive decline. He likewise provides you with a personalized twelve-week program featuring practical strategies to strengthen your brain every day.

 

Take Heart by Grace P. Cho & Anna E. Rendell.

"In this world you will have trouble," Jesus said. "But take heart, I have overcome the world." If life hasn't turned out the way you planned, you're not alone. Cancer comes. Loved ones die. Spouses leave. Dreams slip through our fingers. Anxiety and depression steal precious seasons. But what if you knew you weren't alone in your pain, and sorrow isn't in the end of the story? In this 100-day devotional, the (in)courage community comes alongside you when your heart is grieving, your faith is shaking, or it's just one of those mundane hard days. In these vulnerable stories, you won't find tidy bows or trite quick fixes, but you will find arrows pointing you straight to Jesus. Each day includes a key Scripture, a heartening devotion, and a prayer to remind you that God is near and hope is possible. Let this book be like a trusted friend, wrapping your heart with comfort and assurance that you are seen. Together we can find ourselves and God again in one another's stories. Together we can take heart!

 

Easy/Juvenile/Young Adult/Graphic Novel

The Little Red Hen by Lucinda McQueen. E

The little red hen finds none of her lazy friends willing to help her plant, harvest, or grind wheat into flour, but all are eager to eat the bread she makes from it.

 

Fossils Tell of Long Ago by Aliki. J NF

What is a fossil? Sometimes it's the imprint of an ancient leaf in a rock. Or it could be the skeleton of a dinosaur that has turned to stone. With clear prose and lovely, full-color illustrations, award-winning author and illustrator Aliki describes the different ways fossils are formed and what they tell us about life on Earth long ago. This book also includes an activity guide so kids can create their own fossils for someone to find a million years from now.

Brooke County Public Libraries    Wellsburg (304) 737-1551    Follansbee (304) 527-0860

Thursday, March 4, 2021

March 4, 2021 - Staff Reviews


The Hook Up
By Kristen Ashley
Release Date: December 19, 2017
Ebook Available from WV Reads!


3 Stars - Wordy but heartfelt first in a series featuring two quirky sisters. Ashley's rambling prose is here as always but doesn't flow as well as other novels. Izzy was a cute heroine but not the easiest to connect with, in my opinion. Johnny's a hero trying to turn around his love life. Great for insta-love romance fans but a bit much for those who want more.

I think this book fell short of my expectations because Ashley has done all the things here better in other books. Izzy is an enjoyable heroine but her personality and lifestyle was a bit all over the place. She was a girly girl but she was also a farm girl and a working girl with an impressive office job. Johnny was a great hero of course, perhaps his best moments were telling Izzy about the kind of guy he was. I definitely could have done without his backstory heartbreak. That's just me but I didn't need the ex-girlfriend, father, and dog drama to make him sensitive.

Also Izzy's Kentucky home didn't feel all that different than say the Colorado home in "Play It Safe". No one really spoke with an accent, mentioned weather, or even had moonshine around. Something to distinguish this series more would have added a lot for relatively little. The messy scene with Addie and her ex and Toby also rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like such an obvious string of plugs for the next book. And almost overshadowed Johnny and Izzy at moments. I did like the sister relationship of quiet support. Deanna and Charlie were cool side characters, along with Izzy's menagerie of pets. A little excitement and suspense toward the end was a nice touch but might have been a little too late. Plenty of Ashley trademarks for long time fans and a satisfying story. While it's the first in a series, I wouldn't recommend trying this novel of hers first.

(NS)

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021 - Do You Feel Lucky?


Some books have all the luck!

Brooke County Libraries are excited to share a list of "luckiest" books for the month of March 2021. 

Also feel free to check some out and let us know what you think! We love to hear your thoughts in our comment section or on one of our social media pages. All titles are available either as Ebooks or at one of our locations.


McKettrick's Luck by Linda Lael Miller

A new generation of McKettrick men stake claim to their land -- and the women they love . . . Like his celebrated ancestors who tamed the wilds of Arizona, Jesse McKettrick's Indian Rock ties run deep. The triple M Ranch is in his blood, along with the thrill of risk. But with his land at stake, Jesse won't get involved in Cheyenne Bridge's scheme -- despite the temptation she brings.



So Damn Lucky by Deborah Coonts

Lucky O’Toole—Head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, premier mega-resort on the Vegas Strip—thinks it’s just another night in Las Vegas. But then a magician pulls a disappearing act, right under Lucky’s nose. Is it a stunt? Or something worse?



Lucky Shot by BJ Daniels

When hotshot reporter Max Malone gets a rare shot of Buckmaster Hamilton with a blonde woman near Beartooth, Montana, he chases down one of the senator's daughters to verify that the woman is his supposedly long-dead first wife. But Kat Hamilton won't give him the time of day, let alone any information about her mother.



Somewhere Between Luck and Trust by Emilie Richards

Cristy Haviland served eight months in prison, giving birth behind bars to the child of the man who put her there and might yet destroy her. Now she's free again, but what does that mean? As smart as she is, a learning disability has kept her from learning to read. And that's the least of her hurdles. Georgia Ferguson, talented educator, receives a mysterious charm bracelet that may help her find the mother who abandoned her at birth. Does she want to follow the clues, and if she does, can reticent Georgia reach out for help along the way? Both women are standing at a crossroads, a place where unlikely unions can be formed.



The Cavendon Luck by Barbara Taylor Bradford

It is 1938 in England, and Miles and Cecily Ingham have lead the family in bringing the Cavendon estate back from the brink of disaster. But now, with the arrival of World War II, Cavendon Hall will face its biggest challenge yet. It is a challenge that will push the Inghams and Swanns to protect each other and the villagers, and reveal their true capacity for survival and rebirth.



Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins

Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults. For each of them, that means something different.



Lucky Penny by Catherine Anderson
To support her orphaned niece, impoverished Brianna O'Keefe accepts work with a Colorado rancher. To guard herself from the unwanted attention, she resorts to a harmless little lie: that she's married to a Denver gold miner named David Paxton. When her boss forces her to write her "husband," hoping he'll take Brianna off his hands, she can only pray that there is no real David Paxton who can expose her.


Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen

Virtually unnoticed, JoLayne Lucks stops by the Grab'n'Go to play the same numbers she's played every week for five years. Each lotto number marking the age at which she dumped a tiresome lover. She doesn't know it yet, but the discarded men in JoLayne's life have finally amounted to something.

 



Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child

From a helicopter high above the empty California desert, a man is sent free-falling into the night…. In Chicago, a woman learns that an elite team of ex–army investigators is being hunted down one by one.... And on the streets of Portland, Jack Reacher—soldier, cop, hero—is pulled out of his wandering life by a code that few other people could understand. From the first shocking scenes in Lee Child’s explosive new novel, Jack Reacher is plunged like a knife into the heart of a conspiracy that is killing old friends…and is on its way to something even worse.



The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm.



Lucky Us by Amy Bloom
Brilliantly written, deeply moving, fantastically funny, Lucky Us introduces us to Eva and Iris. Disappointed by their families, Iris, the hopeful star, and Eva, the sidekick, journey across 1940s America in search of fame and fortune. Iris's ambitions take them from small-town Ohio to an unexpected and sensuous Hollywood, across the America of Reinvention in a stolen station wagon, to the jazz clubs and golden mansions of Long Island.


The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick

A funny and tender story about family, friendship, grief, acceptance, and Richard Gere—an entertaining and inspiring tale that will leave you pondering the rhythms of the universe and marveling at the power of kindness and love. For thirty-eight years, Bartholomew Neil has lived with his mother. When she gets sick and dies, he has no idea how to be on his own. His redheaded grief counselor, Wendy, says he needs to find his flock and leave the nest.


 

Monday, March 1, 2021

March 1, 2021 - New Arrivals

March 1, 2021

Adult Fiction

Sweet Tea at Sunrise by Sherryl Woods.

After her disastrous marriage ended in divorce, Sarah Price has come home to Serenity, South Carolina, for a fresh start. With support from her two best friends--the newest generation of the Sweet Magnolias--the emotionally wounded single mom knows she can face any crisis. When Sarah meets handsome stranger Travis McDonald on one of her shifts at Wharton's Diner, she's intrigued by his flattering words. But her battered self-confidence makes it hard for her to take him at face value, and she isn't certain if she's ready to trust again. Travis is intent on getting Sarah to work at his fledgling radio station...and on giving their relationship a chance. Sarah has learned she can't trust sweet words alone. Starting a new relationship may be just what she needs, but first she must decide if she's ready to risk her heart again.

 

The Perfect Neighbors by Sarah Pekkanen.

Bucolic Newport Cove, where spontaneous block parties occur on balmy nights and all of the streets are named for flowers, is proud of its distinction of being named one of the top twenty safest neighborhoods in the US. It's also one of the most secret-filled. Kellie Scott has just returned to work after a decade of being a stay-at-home mom. She's adjusting to high heels, scrambling to cook dinner for her family after a day at the office--and soaking in the dangerous attention of a very handsome, very married male colleague. Kellie's neighbor Susan Barrett begins every day with fresh resolutions: she won't eat any carbs, she'll go to bed at a reasonable hour, and she'll stop stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi Kennedy seems to have it all together--except her teenage daughter has turned into a hostile stranger and her husband is running for Congress, which means her old skeletons are in danger of being brought into the light. Then a new family moves to this quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac. Tessa Campbell seems friendly enough to the other mothers, if a bit reserved. Then the neighbors notice that no one is ever invited to Tessa's house. And soon, it becomes clear that Tessa is hiding the biggest secret of all.

 

The Secret by Beverly Lewis.

In the seemingly ordinary Amish home of Grace Byler, secrets abound. Why does her mother weep in the night? Why does her father refuse to admit something is dreadfully wrong? Then, in one startling moment, everything Grace assumed she knew is shattered. Her mother's disappearance leaves Grace reeling and unable to keep her betrothal promise to her long-time beau. Left to pick up the pieces of her life, Grace questions all she has been taught about love, family, and commitment. Heather Nelson is an English grad student, stunned by a doctor's diagnosis. Surely fate would not allow her father to lose his only daughter after the death of his wife a few years before. In denial and telling no one she is terminally ill, Heather travels to Lancaster County--the last place she and her mother had visited together. Will Heather find healing for body and spirit? As the lives of four wounded souls begin to weave together like an Amish patchwork quilt, they each discover missing pieces of their life puzzles--and glimpse the merciful and loving hand of God.

 

Adult Non-Fiction

Master Your Emotions by Charles Wallace.

"Master Your Emotions is the 'how-to' manual your parents should have given you at birth. By reading it, you will learn a step-by-step process to deal with negative emotions so you can live a happier, more fulfilling life. With pragmatic exercises and personal examples, you will explore techniques that counteract draining spirals of negativity and provide immediate relief."-- From Amazon.com.

 

On the Plains in ‘65 by George H. Holliday.

This annotated edition of Holliday's recollections--known primarily among historians of the American West--re-contextualizes his memoir to include his boyhood in southern Ohio and the largely untold story of the hundreds of Buckeyes who crossed the Ohio River to serve their country in Virginia (later West Virginia) regiments, ultimately traveling across Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming to safeguard mail and stage routes along the celebrated Oregon Trail during a pivotal time in American history. Glenn Longacre's extensive research in federal, state, and local archives, manuscript collections, and period newspapers complements his correspondence with the living descendants of Holliday and other soldiers. His research integrates this story deservedly as part of Appalachian history before, during, and after the Civil War. From this perspective it addresses an entirely new audience of Appalachian studies scholars, Civil War and frontier history enthusiasts, students, and general readers.

 

Easy/Juvenile/Young Adult/Graphic Novel

Pig Latin is Not Dead! by Christa Davis. J

Pig Latin is Not Dead! is a new, inventive way to learn Pig Latin. For young readers, it is a new adventure, and for the older crowd it's a pleasant reminder of simpler, playful times of a "secret" language shared with friends. The story follows a young, sixth-grade girl who lives an ordinary life with a few twists and some great friends. Her way of communicating with Pig Latin makes her life more interesting and offers the reader an entertaining peek into the ways of modern-day teenagers and how they act in this society.

 

Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan. YA

Naomi and Ely are best friends. Naomi loves and is in love with Ely, and Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with boys. So they create their "No Kiss List" of people neither of them is allowed to kiss. And this works fine...until Bruce. Bruce is Naomi's boyfriend, so there's no reason to put him on the List. But when Ely kisses Bruce, the result is a rift of universal proportions. Can these best friends come back together again? Or will this be the end of Naomi and Ely: the institution?

Brooke County Public Libraries    Wellsburg (304) 737-1551    Follansbee (304) 527-0860