Staff Picks

The Martian by Andy Weir

Outstanding. I loved the audio version of this book. The narrator's performance was spot-on. I loved the dry, sarcastic humor throughout the novel. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat. It does contain strong language, but it isn't gratuitous.



Meredith Bowermeister
Information Services Supervisor
Sharon Forks Library

Staff Picks

Since I’ve gotten hooked on three action-packed television series this summer I'll highlight the books that inspired them.  

Lions, tigers and bears attack in the most unexpected ways in Zoo.   The novel by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge is as exhilarating as the show and there aren't any commercials.

Black Crouch’s Wayward Pines series, (The Pines, Wayward, and The Last Town) caught the attention of M. Night Shymamalan who directed one of this summer’s most mind-bending shows.   Dark twists and conspiracies abound!

Those who can’t get enough of the saga in Chester’s Mill should check out Under the Dome by Stephen King.  Learn the backstories on all your favorite characters and get King’s version of what’s responsible for that crazy dome.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Staff Picks

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

I really loved the audio version of this book. The plot was very emotional and I was always thinking about the characters and the situation they each faced. This would be an excellent book club choice for those of you looking for new selections. FCPL has already lead a book club on this one.   Be warned - you will need lots of tissues.


Meredith Bowermeister
Information Services Supervisor
Sharon Forks Library

Library Limelight: Janice Anderson, Materials Selector

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!

Janice Anderson
Materials Selector
Headquarters

Where is your hometown?

Richton, Mississippi

How long have you been at FCPL?

Almost 8 years

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

CSA, Materials Processor, Selection Assistant

Why did you choose to work in a library?

When I started, my youngest child was soon graduate from high school. I love the library and love to read; I enjoy people, so why not work there?

Describe your job in five words or less.

Selecting and maintaining children’s materials

What is unique about your job?

The wonderful people I work with are what makes it unique.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love associating with all the good people at the library. I love going to the branches and working with the Youth Services Supervisors. I love reviewing all the great children’s books coming out!

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

My husband took me to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary.  We’ve been five times since then; we love it.

What are your hobbies?

Reading, snorkeling, and aerobics

What are you reading right now?

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Paper books or eBooks?

I like both.

Back to School: New Science Resources for K-12

Just in time for the start of the new school year, Forsyth County Public Library will launch two new online science databases today to help students in elementary, middle, and high school.

Youth services staff from the Cumming Library
 talk about science and reading
 with students at Chattahoochee Elementary.

Today’s Science, provided by Infobase Learning for students in middle school and high school, is a complementary database to Science Online, which the Library already offers to patrons. Science Online offers a broad range of traditional science content such as definitions, biographies, diagrams and experiments. Today’s Science intended to bridge the gap between science taught in class and science in the news.

Today’s Science delivers in-depth coverage of important advances in biology, chemistry, environmental science, space, physics, and technology. It also illustrates how one scientific advance leads to another. Content in Today’s Science has the added benefit of correlating to state, national, Common Core, International Baccalaureate, and national STEM standards.

The second new database, World Almanac for Kids, is designed for elementary and middle school students. It is an excellent all-in-one resource for science and social science topics, including animals, plants, famous people, sports, career ideas, countries, states, maps and flags, space and astronomy, and holidays and celebrations.

World Almanac for Kids allows the Library’s young patrons to explore age-appropriate topics while developing online research skills with a trusted source of content. This kid-friendly database includes up-to-date articles, homework help tools, fun facts, hot topic articles, images, videos, maps, and interactive games and quizzes. World Almanac for Kids is an award-winning database that supports state, national, and Common Core standards.

To learn more about Today’s Science and World Almanac for Kids, or to use other research databases, visit your local library branch or go to www.forsythpl.org.

Staff Picks

The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud

If you enjoyed The Stranger by Albert Camus, you might want to consider picking up The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud.  

Given the anonymity of the Arab victim from The Stranger, this book is narrated from the brother of the victim and provides a description of the person and a grieving family behind the story.  Throughout the book, the brother refers to the fame of the book (The Stranger) and how no one cared enough to even give him a name. 

If the last time you read The Stranger was back in high school, you might want to read it again first to refresh your memory.

Joan Dudzinski
Collect Support Supervisor
Cumming Library

Author of the Year to Teach at Sharon Forks Library

Local writers aspiring to make their book a “page-turner,”  “a gripping story,” or “a must read,” have an opportunity to learn from David Darracott, author of Wasted and Internal Security, in a 2-hour writing seminar at the Sharon Forks Library on Sunday, August 16 at 2:00 p.m.

Darracott, who was recently honored by the Georgia Writers Association as the 2015 Author of the Year for his latest novel, Wasted, in the detective/mystery category, will teach seminar participants how to structure and plot their novels for readability, velocity, and professionalism.

“These are the qualities that make it impossible for readers to put your book down,” says Darracott.

“In this introductory discussion, we’ll cover basic structure and plotting techniques that are sure-fire methods you can employ to improve your story and make the writing process go easier,” Darracott explained

And with his experience, he definitely knows the trick to making the writing process more productive. In addition to his novels Wasted and Internal Security, Darracott has written short stories and nonfiction for magazines, television, and film. He holds a Masters degree in English, received a Hambidge Fellowship in 2009-2010, and is a graduate of Emory University.

In addition to teaching several seminars on novel writing at the library, Darracott has also served as a guest moderator for the FCPL Writing Group. The group is open to all adults with an interest in writing and meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Post Road Library.

To register for the seminar or for more information on the FCPL Writing Group, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Magic Shows & Finale Parties Celebrate End of Superhero Summer

Greater Atlanta’s Entertainer of the Year Ken Scott is back by popular demand to give a series of superhero magic shows at all four library locations. He will perform tricks to amaze and astound audiences of all ages. No registration is required to attend these performances:

Cumming Library
Thursday, July 30 at 3:00 p.m.
Friday, July 31 at 7:00 p.m. 

Hampton Park Library
Thursday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 31 at 3:00 p.m. 

Post Road Library
Monday, July 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 30 at 11:00 a.m. 

Sharon Forks Library
Wednesday, July 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 31 at 11:00 a.m.

Patrons of all ages can celebrate the end of super summer of reading fun with an out-of-this-world Superhero Finale Party. Patrons do not need to register to attend and they are invited to wear their own superhero costumes and join in games and crafts.

Batman, Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man will also visit the parties. Make note of the times and locations below so you can meet your favorite superhero:

Cumming Library 
Tuesday, July 28
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Meet Batman and Iron Man between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 

Hampton Park Library
Wednesday, July 29
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Meet Iron Man and Captain America between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 

Post Road Library
Sunday, July 26
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Meet Iron Man and Captain America between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Sharon Forks Library
Monday, July 27
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Meet Spider-Man and Batman between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Patrons may register for Summer Reading Fun through July 31. Participants that reach their reading goal will be entered in raffle drawings for a Superhero Kit with Cape, a $25 Lego gift card, an Apple iPad Mini, and an Amazon Kindle Fire HDX. Winners will be drawn and notified in early August.

Children and teens that participated in Summer Reading Fun and met their reading goals may pick up a free paperback book, donated by the FCPL Friends & Advocates, through Thursday, August 6.

Staff Picks

I created a Goodreads account for myself about three months ago, right before the library went live with its Goodreads group for patrons.  During that time I’ve read 20 books, giving the highest rating of 5 stars to 9 of them.  I expected to love some of them (new novels by Toni Morrison and Kate Atkinson, the first volume of Bob Dylan’s autobiography), but several of them were completely new and unexpected.  Here are my favorite books of the past few months:

Boo by Neil Smith

Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison

A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

The Life and Death of Sophie Stark by Anna North

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Man at the Helm by Nina Stibbe

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Stephen Kight

Assistant Director for Public Services

Staff Picks

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

Jeff VanderMeer’s spooky Southern Reach Trilogy imitates life in all of its imperfections -- and far supersedes it on the weirdness scale.

A poorly managed agency staffed by competitive and neurotic government researchers oversees the marginally effective border between a small coastal community in Florida and a mysterious wilderness called Area X.

Got that?

Slightly more simply stated, Area X is an ecological anomaly that sprung dramatically into existence off the Florida coast decades ago and has been covered up by the government ever since.

Modern technology fails inside borders that must be unconsciously traversed. Doomed expedition members record sightings of extinct species and other mysteries in handwritten journals that are rarely recovered. Descriptions of things as basic as the terrain and simple structures vary wildly in their reports.

Despite the dangers, the Southern Reach Project that oversees the expeditions finds no shortage of volunteers for ventures into the unknown.  (It’s a well guarded secret that scouting parties rarely return. The few who do are in no condition for explanations.)

Fans of ABC’s Lost will appreciate the complexity of this story and the illuminating flashbacks that provide rival viewpoints.  

The Southern Reach Trilogy can be read in a single edition under the title Area X or a three-volume set:  Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance.  In any sequence every chapter poses tantalizing questions and offers wild revelations. It's a perfect summer read for immersing yourself in a very weird new world.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist