Staff Favorites of 2015 - 30th in a Series

Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight 

This book kept me intrigued the entire time! The multiple character perspectives also allows you to see the story unfold from all different angles. There are so many surprises that you never see coming!


Gabi Santangelo
Information Specialist

Staff Favorites of 2015 - 29th in Series

As the year comes to a close, library staff members and volunteers reflect on the best books they've read in 2015. Here are a few recommendations from one Lorraine Lane, one of our Information Specialists - Youth Services at the Cumming Library.

The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa Terkeurst

How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck

The Mind Connection: How the Thoughts You Choose Affect Your Mood, Behavior and Decisions by Joyce Meyer

Sabatoged by Dani Pettrey

The Wishing Season by Denise Hunter

Junior Beta Club Volunteers Provide Free Homework Help

Students in second through sixth grades can get a little free help with their homework thanks to a partnership between the South Forsyth Middle School Junior Beta Club and the Sharon Forks Library.

On Tuesday afternoons, February 9 and 23, students can bring in their homework and receive free tutoring from a Junior Beta Club member between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library, 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming. No registration is required. Just bring your homework assignments.

“The mission of the SFMS Junior Beta Club is to help seventh and eighth graders build character and leadership skills while making a positive impact on the community,” says Mendy Gunter, Branch Manager at the Sharon Forks Library.

The Club is a chapter of the National Beta Club, a non-profit organization that promotes academic achievement, character and leadership development, and volunteer service in educational institutions. Students are selected to participate in the Club based on academic success and their ability to serve as a positive role model for other students.

Math teacher Kimberly Schreier sponsors the Junior Beta Club at SFMS and works diligently to make sure Club members have multiple opportunities to serve others. Recent projects included writing thank you letters to veterans and organizing a game day for elderly residents at Noble Village Senior Living. Next month, Club members will help with the International Festival at Sharon Elementary School.

“Students are already coming to the library after school, so our partnership with the Junior Beta Club makes it convenient for those kids to get free homework help,” says Gunter. “Ms. Schreier and the Club volunteers take this opportunity to help other students seriously. We hope more parents will bring their children in for help at the February sessions, even if it’s just to have an assignment checked over to catch any mistakes.”

For more information on the Homework Help program, or other library events, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Staff Favorites of 2015 - 28th in a Series

As the year comes to a close, library staff members and volunteers reflect on the best books they've read in 2015. Here are a few recommendations from one of our staff members.

Playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear

Staff Favorites of 2015 - 27th in a Series

As the year comes to a close, library staff members and volunteers reflect on the best books they've read in 2015. Here are a few more recommendations from Amy Weiler, Information Specialist  at the Sharon Forks Library:

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a Small Town by Jon Krakauer is a must-read for parents of college students. It chronicles the details of two rape cases involving female students and football players at the University of Montana.   It was eye-opening to begin to understand the trauma experienced by women who are the victims of acquaintance rape and how they were treated by the justice system.

Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg is a beautifully-written book that centers around the character of June who loses her entire family in a fire on the night before her daughter’s wedding.  Although the book focuses on how June deals with her grief, it also describes the stories of other people in the town affected by the tragedy.  Many truths are revealed throughout the book as the reader learns how the lives of the characters are intertwined and discovers what really caused the horrific fire.

The Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino is the second Detective Galileo book. Detective Galileo is a brilliant physics professor who occasionally helps the police piece together puzzles.  In this book, a man about to leave his wife, is mysteriously poisoned and dies.  Although she was hundreds of miles away at the time of the murder, one of the police detectives is convinced that the wife is guilty.  Detective Galileo is called upon to try to determine how this seemingly impossible murder occurred.  The Detective Galileo books are very cerebral, puzzle-based mysteries.

Police by Jo Nesbo is the 10th book in the Harry Hole series (my favorite mystery series).  Harry Hole is an extremely-flawed, yet brilliant detective in Norway.  The books are atmospheric, police procedurals in which the readers are taken to some dark places. In Police, the killer is targeting police officers involved in unsolved cases and killing them in the manner of the original case.

Released in 2013, The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence is a hidden gem that I discovered on an end-cap display at Sharon Forks.  It was just a delightful book of two very different people who ended being the exact person that the other needed in their life.  Alex Woods is a bookish, bullied,  introverted child who has a hard time making friends.  He then meets and forms a friendship with the  curmudgeonly, widowed Mr. Petersen.  Among their many adventures, the two of them lead a book club dedicated to reading all of the books by Kurt Vonnegut.   I laughed throughout this book and cried at the end.

Library's One World Forsyth Program to Host Japanese and Chinese Events

Experience the culture and traditions of Asia with two special One World Forsyth events sponsored by the Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) and the FCPL Friends and Advocates.

First, visit the Sharon Forks Library at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 30 for One World Forsyth Celebrates Japan. Next, visit the Post Road Library for a One World Forsyth Chinese New Year Celebration beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 7.

Both events are free and open to children and adults of all ages, with no advance registration required.

The Japan-America Society of Georgia (JASG) will share a hands-on presentation about Japanese culture, customers, language, and current events at the Sharon Forks Library.

“JASG serves as the bridge between Georgia and Japan in terms of tourism and business. This short presentation will give participants an overview of Japan’s rich history and vibrant culture,” says Laura Bradley, Program Manager for the Library.

Image Credit: Atlanta Contemporary Chinese Academy

Families are invited to ring in the Year of the Monkey during the Chinese New Year Celebration at the Post Road Library. The event will begin with an interactive lion dance and kung fu performance from the Atlanta Contemporary Chinese Academy.

“We think children will especially enjoy the lion dance. After the Academy’s performance, patrons of all ages can stay to create a craft, sample Chinese candy, and enjoy a fortune cookie,” says Bradley.

For more information on these One World Forsyth event, or to find books, videos, and other materials on Japanese and Chinese history and culture, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Staff Favorites of 2015 - 26th in a Series

As the year comes to a close, library staff members and volunteers reflect on the best books they've read in 2015. Here are a few recommendations from Amy Weiler, Information Specialist  at the Sharon Forks Library:

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

This was my favorite suspense book of the past year.  A man meets a woman on a plane and blithely mentions that he would like to kill his wife.  To his surprise, the mysterious woman said that she would be happy to help him.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

This was my second favorite suspense book of the past year.  A woman is stalked and terrorized by her ex-partner, a good-looking and very charismatic man.  No one, not even  her best friend or the police truly believes that she is in any danger.  It’s a very dark, riveting, and  spine-tingling book.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This historical fiction novel, set during World War II, follows the life of a blind girl in occupied France and a German boy who joins the Hitler Youth.  I loved the characters in this novel, and when I was done reading it, could not stop thinking about them.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

A.J. Fikry is a cantankerous, recently widowed owner of a struggling book store.  His life is forever changed when he decides to adopt a baby abandoned at his door.  If you are a book lover, this book is chock-full of literary references.

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant

The Boston Girl is the coming-of-age story of  Addie, a girl born in 1900 to immigrant parents.  The story touches on family values, friendship, and feminism as a young Jewish woman tries to make her way in an evolving world. The novel begins with 85 year-old Addie telling the story of her life to her granddaughter.  

More favorite books from Amy are coming soon!

STEAM Rollers: A Book Club for Grades 3-6

STEAM Rollers: A Book Club for Grades 3-6 featuring discussion with STEAM crafts, experiments and activities based around the book.

Cumming Library–January 28, at 4:00 p.m.  Registration is recommended.    

The featured book selection for this month is The Mystery Across the Secret Bridge from the Greetings from Somewhere series. While in Machu Picchu, Peru, with their parents, eight-year-old twins Ethan and Ella cross a secret bridge and discover a mysterious stone sculpture as they learn about Incan Culture.    

Try your hand at being an archeologist as you work to free an artifact fossil from a mini glacier and learn how ancient civilizations may have moved immense building materials without advanced technology or equipment.

Holly Raus
Information Specialist - Youth Services

Chatterbooks: A Book Club for Grades K-2

Chatterbooks: A Book Club for Grades K-2 – Cumming Library – January 28, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.

Chatterbooks is a book club designed for children in grades K-2 that incorporates a story, book discussion and a craft. This month’s book is Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.  Our selection this month is about a young man with a vivid imagination and impeccable patience. William Bentley often misunderstood in his time, made discoveries about snowflakes through photography that we still appreciate today.

Lorraine Lane
Information Specialist - Youth Services

Staff Favorites of 2015 - 25th in a Series

As the year comes to a close, library staff members and volunteers reflect on the best books they've read in 2015. Here are a few recommendations from Andrea DelValle, one of our Youth Services Information Specialists:

Ready Player one by Ernest Cline was one of the only books that I seriously couldn’t stop reading! I wish I could erase my memory and read it again. I may just read it again anyway, even though re-reading books is not something I tend to do. This book takes place in the year 2044 and follows the story of a virtual-reality game creator who offers up his entire company to the best player who can find an Easter egg in one of his many virtual worlds via a game called OASIS. A teenager named Wade Watts decides to take it on after millions have failed over many years. The key to winning the game is a plethora of pop culture clues from the 1980s. Whomever figures it out and wins the game — without having their avatars killed in the process — takes over the entire OASIS Empire. I do not consider myself a “gamer,” however, I did grow up in the late 80’s-early 90’s and really enjoyed all of the pop culture references. The story is fast paced and interesting. I really found myself rooting for Wade and his friends and could not wait to find out how it all ended. Oh, and a little someone named Steven Spielberg will direct the upcoming movie adaptation!

I didn't know what to expect from The Martian by Andy Weir.  A friend recommended this to me, otherwise I never would have read it. Basically, astronaut Mark Watney is left behind and presumed dead on the planet Mars. But guess what? He is alive! The only problem is how to keep him that way until NASA can send a crew to rescue him. I loved the “MacGyver in space” theme. The author really seems knowledgeable about NASA, Mars and outer space, but doesn’t get too wrapped up in tech talk. (There are many math equations and math is not my favorite). The main character is well developed and very likable. I found myself laughing out loud several times. This book was a joy to read.

Set in the present day, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy follows Cassie (Cassiopeia) Sullivan as she navigates a world devastated by aliens on a mission to rescue her little brother. It is similar to The Hunger Games and the Divergent series. The pacing is fast and entertaining with well fleshed characters throughout. Incidentally, this book will also be released as a movie in Jan. 2016, and I only hope it is half as good as the book.

HGTV Star Chip Wade to Present Seminar with Library

Local home improvement and do-it-yourself enthusiasts will soon have a chance to meet HGTV star Chip Wade when the Forsyth County Public Library presents “Home Improvement on a Budget” on Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the Forsyth Conference Center, 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Cumming.

The event is free, but seating is limited and advance registration is required. After the presentation, Wade will stay for a meet-and-greet with participants and give brief consultations to homeowners that bring a few photos of their living space or home improvement project.

Image Credit: GreinTime Productions

“Presenting a workshop with the library is a natural extension of Chip’s desire to educate homeowners,” says Laura Bradley, Program Manager. “He’s the owner and lead designer of the Atlanta-based real estate and design firm Wade Works, LLC, so his career is devoted to helping people make the most of their living spaces and their budgets.”

As the host, designer and executive producer on his Emmy Award-winning series, Elbow Room, Wade is there from concept through construction to show homeowners how to customize their spaces and transform houses into homes that perfectly suit their lifestyle.

Wade is currently filming two new shows for HGTV and DIY and will appear for a second season on Ellen’s Design Challenge when the show premieres on January 18.

Wade gave fans a glimpse of his own redesigned living space with a photo tour in the September 2015 issue of HGTV Magazine. While the pictures show Wade and his family enjoying their home, the photos also highlight several affordable DIY pieces, such as iron garden ornaments wired to serve as light fixtures and sheet music printed on canvases to hang over a piano.

Similarly, the “Home Improvement on a Budget” presentation will focus on the art of creating amazing living spaces with highlights from some of Wade’s favorite makeovers. He’ll also talk about his company, Wade Works, and the future of design.

“Before homeowners head out to hardware stores and home décor outlets this spring, we hope they’ll listen to Chip’s talk and remember that the library is a free resource for project ideas and how-to advice,” says Bradley.

A selection of home improvement and décor books, magazines, and electronic media will be on display at the event. Library patrons and event participants will even be able to access some of those materials, such as HGTV Magazine, from home using the library’s web-based Flipster and OverDrive services.

For more information, or to register for the event, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Bookmarks: A Book Club for Grades 7 & up - Cumming Library - Thursday, January 28th at 1:00 p.m.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

This classic sea faring novel is filled with suspense as the young cabin boy, Jim Hawkins, accompanies a group looking for treasure.  The swashbuckling crew presents Jim with more than he bargained for when he is forced to deal with pirates - discovering a bravery in himself.  First publish in 1883, this book set the tone for pirate tales with treasure maps, a one-legged man, parrots on sailors' shoulders, and the tropics.  Adventure abounds in Stevenson's Treasure Island, and the story is fun to read over and over.  This book is the selection for the Bookmarks book club for teens in grades 7 and up.  The book club will meet at the Cumming Library on Thursday, January 28th at 1:00 p.m. and is designed for the schedule of homeschoolers, but all teens available at this time are welcome to attend. Registration is recommended.

Staff Favorites of 2015 - 24th in a Series

As we reflect on the start of a new year, library staff members and volunteers look back on the best books they read in 2015. Here are a few recommendations from one of our staff members:

Tempting Fate by Jane Green

And then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

Three eResources Get a Makeover for 2016

Films on Demand

On January 5, 2016 Films On Demand, including World Cinema, relaunched their user platform with several enhanced features and improved speed and performance. The site now has a more powerful search engine that includes “Did You Mean?” suggestions and offers additional advanced search options.

With the upgraded technical infrastructure, users will experience improved overall performance and faster page load speeds. Browsing the collection is much easier with the improved display for subject areas, monthly featured collections, most popular, recently added, and producer pages. There is also a browsable calendar of key events that will be a great resource for educators.

Science Online

Science Online, also from InfoBase, got a new look and enhancements for 2016 as well. Features include:

• Dynamic design that facilitates STEM research and learning
• Editorially curated Topic Centers on the most studied science disciplines to help users find a starting point for their research
• Focused eLearning Modules—the full, updated content of nine science eLearning Modules that provides targeted coverage of a variety of core curriculum topics along with important educator resources
• Interactive experiments that replicate the in-class laboratory experience in a safe and user-friendly environment

TumbleBookLibrary

TumbleBookLibrary also got a new look this year, along with improved content and user features. Now when you choose a book you will see "You may also like" suggestions on the bottom of the page. Also, while there has always been a quiz to accompany every book, audio quizzes for each title are being uploaded within the next week.

The TumbleSearch feature now has 8 fields to choose from including Title, Author, and Reading Levels (like AR and Lexile), Subject, Genre, Language, and TumbleTime. Click here to view the updated user guide.

Check out Morningstar Investment Research Center

Did you know that the library offers patrons access to the Morningstar Investment Research Center?

This premium database provides data on over 14,500 stocks, 24,800 mutual funds, 1,500 exchange traded funds, and 700 closed end funds.  Also provided are analyst reports on over 3,500 securities.

Components of the database include:

• Screeners – sort through thousands of stocks and funds by using your own criteria to create short lists of stocks, funds, and ETFs for further research
  
• Stock and Fund Favorites – lists of Morningstar’s top selections for companies and mutual funds
  
• Stocks, Funds, and ETF Reports – Morningstar’s proprietary analysis on thousands of stocks, funds, and ETFs
  
• Markets – highlights index, sector, industry, and fund category returns and includes downloadable market outlook reports written by Morningstar’s team of analysts
  
• Portfolio – provides access to a comprehensive suite of portfolio-planning tools and guidance, such as Portfolio X-Ray which interprets your asset allocation and compares your holdings to industry standards
  
• Articles & Videos – articles and videos on investing and daily market commentary, written and recorded by Morningstar’s analysts and editors, as well as outside market leaders
  
• Help & Education – information about navigating the database, smart investing, and staying ahead of the market
  
• Newsletters – an archive of Morningstar Mutual Funds, Morningstar FundInvestor, Morningstar StockInvestor, and Morningstar ETFInvestor
  
• Ticker Lookup – allows you to enter a ticker or name and go directly to Morningstar’s detailed quote page

Morningstar Investment Research Center is suitable for individual investors interesting in researching on their own, business users following industries and markets, and students learning about the markets and investment.

Staff Favorites of 2015 - 23rd in a Series

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

 I enjoyed listening to Wil Wheaton narrate the audiobook version. Wade and gang are a likable group of ultra-geeks, immersed in virtual reality to escape the gloom and doom of real life, competing against "The Man" to inherit the Oasis creator's fortune and ownership of the Oasis. By the end, Wade has grown up some and sees the error of his ways of spending too much time online.  This book is being made into a movie, and I'm sure it will be the next hottest book for teens.

Meredith Causey

Information Services Supervisor 

Staff Favorites of 2015: 22nd in a Series

As we reflect on the start of a new year, library staff members and volunteers look back on the best books they read in 2015. Here are a few recommendations from Jennifer Kovac, Information Services Supervisor at the Cumming Library:

Pretending to Dance by Diane Chamberlain

The Idea of Love by Patti Callahan Henry

Woman with a Gun by Phillip Margolin

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica (Several staff members have recommended this book.)

Time Flies by Claire Cook

Library Limelight: Anna Lyle, Library Director

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!

Anna Lyle, Library Director

Anna Lyle
Library Director
Headquarters

Where is your hometown?

I grew up in the part of North Fulton known as Shakerag.  It’s now an affluent, developed area, but it was rural when I was a child.

How long have you been at FCPL?

16 years

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

HR Generalist, HR Manager, Assistant Director for Support Services (Finance and HR)

Why did you choose to work in a library?

I had been a regular library user since I was a small child, so it was an obvious place for me to seek part-time work as a teen.  In college and graduate school, I gravitated to art museums and slide libraries, but later returned to public libraries.

Describe your job in five words or less.

Community, people, funding, service, communication

What is unique about your job?

I wear many hats and must be able to quickly switch from one role to another. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love knowing that our staff, materials, services, and facilities have a positive impact on individuals and the quality of life in Forsyth County.  

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

Paris. I enjoy the city’s walkability, the museums, and being greeted by history at every turn.

What are your hobbies?

The arts (e.g., museums, theater), antiquing, hiking, spending time with my family (including my dog), and, of course, reading as time allows.

What are you reading right now?

Habsburg Splendor: Masterpieces from Vienna's Imperial Collections at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which accompanies an exhibition currently at the High Museum of Art.  Next will be Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth in preparation for this month’s Read to Lead program.   

Paper books or eBooks?

Paper.  I’ve had several long car trips this year, so I’m also a fan of audiobooks.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I am honored that the Library Board has entrusted me with the Director position.  I am looking forward to working with our Board, staff, patrons, volunteers, Friends and Advocates, funding agencies, and community leaders to provide outstanding library services to Forsyth County.

Staff Favorites of 2015: 21st in a Series

As we reflect on the start of a new year, library staff members and volunteers look back on the best books they read in 2015. Read on for a few recommendations from Holly Raus, Information Specialist - Youth Services at the Cumming Library.

Of the 85 books I read this year, these were the standouts:

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (Fiction)
Monsieur Perdue is a “Literary Apothecary” who prescribes the perfect book that each reader who visits his floating book barge needs to read at that point in their lives. But Perdue needs to work through his own grief and self-imposed isolation and goes on a journey of healing. I found myself reading this book very slowly, savoring the journey of Perdue as he confronts the past and finds a way to return to life.

The Lake House by Kate Morton (Fiction)
Kate Morton is a master storyteller and what I consider the premier author of Contemporary Gothic Romance. If you like history, mystery, buried family secrets, distinctive old family manor houses, and compelling characters, then you will devour this book and be running to the library shelves for her other titles.

The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg (Read by Rick Bragg on audiobook. Memoir.)
I became enamored with Rick Bragg after meeting him as the featured author of Forsyth Reads Together a few years back. This particular memoir is the third in his family trilogy and focuses on his father and Rick’s own experiences in becoming a stepfather. Listening to Rick Bragg’s own voice describe his family members and interviews with friends and neighbors as he seeks to paint a picture of his father made it more real. What I love most about his writing is the everyman appeal he brings to it. Even though he is writing about his Southern family, I can draw so many parallels between his family and my Northern family. I think most listeners will recognize something of their own people as Rick calls his family and maybe even be inspired to go looking for their own family stories.

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Fiction)
This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. The language and prose just flow and pull you right into the story, setting and characters. We meet two very different characters, a German boy and a French girl whose destinies are shaped by the invasion of Paris by the Germans during World War II.

Wildflower by Drew Barrymore  (Memoir)
If you think you are already a fan of Drew Barrymore, you will absolutely adore her and admire the woman she has become as you read these honestly written excerpts about her life and how she grew into the actress, entrepreneur, and mother she is today.

Dead Wake by Erik Larson (Nonfiction)
This is a fascinating depiction of the sinking of the passenger ship Lusitania by a German submarine during World War II. Fans of Titanic will be able to relate to the surviving passenger accounts of the tragedy and its aftermath. If you have ever wondered what it was like to live and serve on a German submarine and how they pursued their missions, then you will come away with a clear understanding. The response of Woodrow Wilson as a President and the depiction of him as a grieving widower give interesting insight.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz (Fiction. Thriller.)
Fans of computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist from Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy will enjoy reading this political thriller about murder and cover ups. David Lagercrantz was granted permission by Larsson’s estate to continue the series and he remains true to the characters and delivers a fast paced story.

Picnic in Provence by Elizabeth Bard (Memoir)
Following her first memoir, Lunch in Paris, American Elizabeth Bard picks up with the birth of her first child and her subsequent decision to move with her French husband from Paris to Provence. Their immersion into village life and the delectable recipes of Provencal cooking that she shares will tempt you to contemplate making a big change in your own life perhaps to a small French village.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (Teen High Fiction)
Were you the weird one in high school who totally went their own way with joy and complete disregard for fitting in with the popular crowd? Or did you just admire that person’s courage and individuality? Stargirl is that delightfully strange, ukulele playing girl dancing around in prairie skirts with a pet rat in her pocket. After she and Leo fall in love, will Leo accept her for who she is or pressure her to conform to the rules of popularity?

The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming (Teen High Nonfiction)
A compelling portrait of the insular lives of Czar Nicholas and his family as World War I rages and the Russian Revolution explodes. Photographs of the Royal Romanov family bring them to life and this account offers one of the best explanations of how and why WWI began.