Bookmarked: Book Recommendations & News from Forsyth County Public Library

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Staff Picks - Children

Oh So Brave Dragon by David Kirk

This is my new favorite picture book for children!  The colorfully vibrant pictures are beautiful, and the story about the little dragon expressing his bravery, yet still needing his friends, is so adorable!  From the creator of the Miss Spider books, this title is sure to become most popular!

Julie Boyd
Youth Services Supervisor
Cumming Library

Monday, December 29, 2014

Patron Favorites of 2014 by Tori C.

The best book I read in 2014 was Sisters by Raina Telgemeier.  It is a book about a girl named Raina.  She goes on a road trip with her annoying sister named Amara.  Amara had a pet snake that crawled into the front seat of the car so Raina was scared to sit in the front seat.

In the book before, called Smile, Raina got braces, head gear, etc.  She hated it every month she had to get them tightened.

They go on a road trip and everyone has a row.  Amara’s is called “Amara’s Wild Kingdom”.   Raina’s is called “Raina’s Radical Zone.”  Will’s is called “Little Brother Section”.  Mom’s is called “Mom’s Corner.”  In the end after all the craziness they get to their grandparent’s house.  Then Raina gets there and their cousins are all grown up and are boring so she has nothing to do.

Tori C.
FCPL Patron

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Patron Favorites of 2014 by Angie Platten

Sycamore Row by John Grisham






Labor Day by Joyce Maynard






Hidden by Catherine McKenzie






The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls






Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
(Book 1, Outlander series)





Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed





This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper







Angie Platten
FCPL Patron


Tuesday, December 23, 2014

New Library Hours Effective January 4

Thanks to new funding from Forsyth County, all four library branches will be open 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, beginning the week of January 4, 2015.

All branches will be open 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays as well as 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays.

This change will mark the return to FCPL’s full open hours pre-recession. We had to shorten hours beginning in January 2010 and over time we have been able to add some of the hours back. We are very grateful to see our hours expand, and we know that our patrons will be excited to see all four branches open four evenings every week.


Sunday, December 21, 2014

Beginner Computer Classes for Adults

Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) is pleased to welcome Elizabeth Ortiz of Lanier Technical College to teach an 8-week series of computer literacy classes for adults. Beginner Computer Classes for Adults will begin on January 9 and meet each Friday from 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. through February 27. All classes will be held in the computer lab in the FCPL Administration Building, adjacent to the Cumming Library. The classes are sponsored by the FCPL Friends and Advocates.

“The first session will focus on helping students become more comfortable handling each component of the computer and learning about the different software they can use to do the things they want to do on their computer and the Internet,” says Ortiz.

The second and third sessions will be devoted to the Internet. Students will learn how to access the Internet with a web browser like Internet Explorer or Firefox, how to use search engines like Google or Bing, how to navigate web pages, and how to bookmark the sites they need to visit most frequently. Students will also learn the basics of using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, using web-based communication software like Gmail and Skype, as well as online shopping and couponing sites.

“Students get really excited about the Internet sessions,” says Ortiz. “For people that aren’t familiar with computers, these sessions offer a completely new way to communicate with their friends and families, to shop, and to research any questions they might have about technology, education, health, and so much more.”

The fourth and fifth sessions will focus on word processing and using Microsoft Word. Students will learn to create and save documents, format special documents such as a business letter or professional resume, insert images, and format text and lists.

Weeks six and seven will be devoted to studying Microsoft Excel, a popular spreadsheet software. Skills learned in these two sessions will help students create a personal or family budget by inserting data, formatting numbers, and applying formulas. Students will also learn to create charts from the data in their spreadsheets.

The final session will focus on the use of Microsoft PowerPoint to create business presentations and photo slideshows. Students will insert and move slides, add images and text, format slide designs, as well as set slide transitions and animations.

Each session is limited to 12 participants and advance registration is required. Participants may choose to register for as few or as many classes as they like, but when a topic is covered over multiple sessions, students should register for all sessions covering that topic.

For more information, or to register for a class, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Adult Fiction and Music Picks

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

This winner of the 2014 Edgar Award for Best Novel will appeal to fans of Dennis Lehane and Tom Franklin.


The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
(Last Policeman trilogy, Book 1)

A unique and compelling pre-apocalyptic murder mystery series.  The first in the series, The Last Policeman, won the 2013 Edgar Award for Best Paperback original.

Countdown City by Ben H. Winters
(Last Policeman trilogy, Book 2)





World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters
(Last Policeman trilogy, Book 3)






Foreverly by Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones

An unlikely pairing of Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones. The duo wonderfully performs versions of traditional Americana songs released by The Everly Brothers in 1958.







Can't Get Enough by The Rides

A Blues-Rock collaboration between the legendary Stephen Stills, guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and veteran keyboardist Barry Goldberg.



Lea Keller
Information Specialist
Hampton Park Library




















Thursday, December 11, 2014

Staff Picks - Adult Fiction

In the Blood by Lisa Unger

Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger

Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger

Unseen by Karin Slaughter 

The Kept by James Scott







I've been on a Lisa Unger kick. It started with In The Blood, which kept me reading with all the suspense and twists and mystery.

Karin Slaughter's Unseen was my first foray into audiobooks. It was really a treat to listen to a book while driving or cleaning or sitting at my kids' swim practice. Slaughter's rich characters, which have a long history with each other in several novels written prior to Unseen, and action packed murder/crime stories, set in Georgia, made me want to listen long after I'd arrived at my destination, or finished vacuuming and needed to shut the audio book off!

I'm currently reading The Kept as recommended by this blog. It is set in 1897, in wintry upstate NY. A midwife comes home to find her husband and 4 of her 5 children brutally murdered. She and her surviving son leave to find the people who committed this horrible crime.

Jill Wagner
Information Specialist

Monday, December 8, 2014

Staff Picks - Children

Whittington by Alan Armstrong

This delightful tale about a sophisticated tomcat begins when Whittington (the cat) seeks a new home on the farm belonging to the animal lover, Bernie, and his grandchildren, Ben and Abby.  After making a deal with, the duck, known as The Lady, – who is in charge of the barn – Whittington moves in and proceeds to entertain the animal residents by telling stories.  Thus the book becomes a story within a story, as Whittington shares the remarkable tale about his famous ancestor, after whom he is named, who lived in 18th century England.   Whittington is also instrumental in helping one of the farm’s human children, Ben, who is struggling learning to read. Newbery Honor book of 2006, this delightful tale is sure to please readers who love animals and a good story.

Julie Boyd
Youth Services Supervisor
Cumming Library

Saturday, December 6, 2014

FCPL to Host Winter Family Carnival in January

All the joy and excitement of the holidays will soon be over and the fun of spring and summer will seem so very far away. 

But don’t be sad!

Forsyth County Public Library invites you to shake off the winter blues at its indoor Winter Family Carnival on Saturday, January 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Forsyth Conference Center, 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd.

“The Winter Family Carnival offers our community a chance to have a little fun with our staff and volunteers, while also learning more about the services the Library offers, particularly our eLibrary services,” says Laura Bradley, Program Manager.

 “We’re offering the Winter Family Carnival both as a fun way to pull our community together, and also to educate citizens about all the services they can access without ever setting foot inside a library branch. All they need is a library card, a computer or mobile device, and an Internet connection.”  Attend our Winter Family Carnival and visit our eLibrary booths to be entered to win a Kindle Fire HD 7 Tablet, provided by the Forsyth Public Library Friends & Advocates.

Representatives from several eLibrary services, such as Hoopla, Flipster, and Infobase, will be demonstrating how to use their online services and apps. Library staff and tech-savvy volunteers will demonstrate other services for kids, teens, and adults and will also be available in the Technology Open House section of the Carnival.  Patrons are encouraged to drop in and bring their technology-related questions and devices—iPads, smart phones, tablets, etc.  We'll answer your questions and teach you about your new technology!

Kids and families can enjoy concessions and carnival games, such as Giant Bowling, Giant Jenga, and Plinko, or put on a mask and cape to take a selfie in the Superhero Photo Booth. 

But the biggest excitement for young readers will come when Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty takes the stage for a “purr-fect” storytime featuring a reading from a Bad Kitty eBook, a puppet show, parachute games, music, and funky feline dancing. When storytime is over, kids of all ages are invited to participate in a meet-and-greet session with Bad Kitty.

Teens can dress up as their favorite book characters and compete in “What’s Your Fandom?”  We’ll have a costume contest and the winners will be rewarded with iTunes gift cards. The Winter Family Carnival will also include a fandom trivia contest.  

“And, for those aspiring writers who resolve to have their work published in the coming year,” says Bradley, “BookLogix will be hosting a workshop entitled Publishing in the Digital Age: eBooks and More! that covers the basics of preparing a book for self-publishing, as well as tips on promoting it.”

The Winter Family Carnival is sponsored by the Forsyth County Public Library Friends and Advocates and is free to the public. No registration is required. For more information, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Coffee Talk Book Club - January 13th at 1:30 p.m. - Cumming Library

Love and Treasure by Ayelet Waldman is an enticing novel that details the entangled lives of those who are linked by a gold chain and locket.  The background is of the Hungarian Gold Train that was loaded with the gold and treasures of Hungarian victims of the Holocaust.  Before Hitler’s troops invaded Hungary, the Jewish citizens were forced to give up their gold, jewels, and anything of worth.  As the Allied forces made progress, a train was loaded with all of these treasures and headed to Berlin.

This title is our featured book discussion title January’s Coffee Talk Book Club on January 13th, at 1:30 p.m. at the Cumming branch. No Registration Required.

Ayalet Waldman is married to author Michael Chabon.

The following are other titles from Ayelet Waldman:

Red Hook Road           







Love and Other Impossible Pursuits







The Big Nap
(Mommy-track Mystery)






Death Gets a Time-Out
(Mommy-track Mystery)






Murder Plays House
(Mommy-track Mystery)






Bye Bye, Black Sheep
(Mommy-track Mystery)






Joan Dudzinski
Collection Support Supervisor
Cumming Library

Library Limelight: Nishreen Akolawala, Public Services

Library Limelight is intended to be a quick read to help FCPL patrons get to know our librarians and staff.  We hope you enjoy learning about the people who make our libraries great!

Nishreen Akolawala
Collection Support Aide
Cumming Library

Where is your hometown?

Mumbai, India

How long have you been at FCPL?

One year and five months

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

This is my first.

Why did you choose to work in a library?

When I moved from Mumbai to Maryland in 1994, the local library was so important to me. I have always loved to read and I was amazed at the facilities and materials offered for free in so many languages, since that part of Maryland was so diverse. The library offered programs for my son, and that helped me meet other parents and make new friends.

Describe your job in five words or less.

Enjoyable, flexible, part-time, detailed, physical, and organized

What is unique about your job?

I’m always on the move. This is not a sitting type of job.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Getting to see all the books and resources that are available. And I absolutely enjoy the camaraderie that I share with my co -workers.

What’s the most interesting place you’ve lived or traveled?

I think the US is the most interesting place. People from all over the world come here to visit or to live. If we choose to, we can sample cuisine and learn about other cultures from around the world in our own city.

What are your hobbies?

Crafting. I love making things – stamping, bow making, Zentangle.

What are you reading right now?

When Red is Black by Xiaolong Qiu. It’s a murder mystery set in Shanghai, but the book also describes what it’s like to live in modern Chinese society.

Paper books or eBooks?

Paper. I find it hard to focus on an eBook and that I easily forget what I’ve read when it’s in a digital form.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

We moved to Georgia four years ago and it’s been reassuring to find a community that is friendly, polite, accepting, and open-minded. It’s been a good experience and I really like it here.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Juvenile Series Worth Reading!

We have all been disappointed by a sequel or series title. They just never seem to live up to the magic of that first book! Here are a few exceptions to the rule if you’re looking to get hooked on a new series. If you're an audio book fan, all of these titles also come in very well done audio versions.

Spirit Animals by Brandon Mull
 Book 1: Wild Born 

This is a great series written by some amazing kids and teen authors. Set in a world where at the age of 11 some children begin to form a special bond with magically conjured animals, called Spirit Animals, the books follow the story of four such children who must band together to stop a growing evil.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud 
Book 1: The Screaming Staircase 

The world is overrun by ghosts and it’s up to child agents with psychic powers to stop them. The perfect mix of great characters, spooky chills, adventure, and mystery.


The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
Book 1: The Raven Boys

Magic reigns in this atmospheric teen series about a group of friends trying to find the mythical grave of an ancient, sleeping Welsh king. This series has the perfect mix of romance, humor, danger, beautiful writing, and fantastic characters. Each book is better than the last as the mystery and characters                          continue to grow and unfold.


Cleo Slaughter
Youth Services Supervisor
Sharon Forks Library

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

FCPL Launches The New York Times Online

Do you like reading The New York Times? Now you can read your favorite news, business, and lifestyle columns online at any FCPL location.

Forsyth County Public Library is pleased to announce the launch of The New York Times Online, a service that will allow our patrons to view the newspaper online with a library computer or tablet, or by connecting their own device to the FCPL Unplugged wireless network.

Rather than waiting for the print version of The New York Times to arrive at a library branch, patrons can now view not only Today’s Headlines, but breaking news, videos, archives, and other features, as listed below:

  • Easy to use, browsable international news, including breaking news that won’t be printed in the paper 
  • Access to exclusive interactive videos, slideshows, and photos
  • Ability to search and browse thousands of “Times Topics”
  • Access to the past seven days of NYTimes print via “Today’s Paper”
  • Access to New York Times articles published between 1851 through 1922, and between 1981 through current day 
  • Full access to International New York Times to serve patrons the most relevant international content 
  • Access to book reviews, including a full archive dating back to 1981 
  • Market Data charts, indexes and interactive tools 
  • Ability to create and manage personalized stock portfolios  
  • Ability to share favorite articles with friends and family via Facebook, Twitter, and email

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Visit any library branch and log onto a library computer or connect your own mobile device to the FCPL Unplugged wireless network
  2. Create a user account and log in at nytimes.com/register
  3. Enjoy complimentary unlimited access as long as you are in the library

If you have any questions about using FCPL’s new The New York Times Online service,  please visit the Information Desk.