July 2021 Reading Challenge - Adult Fiction

So many books fit the criteria for FCPL’s July Reading Challenge-Read a Book by or About Someone With a Different Background From Your Own-that it’s hard to choose just one.  Here are two more recommendations for patrons seeking diverse books. 

When We Were Vikings by Andrew MacDonald

When We Were Vikings is a coming-of-age story about a young woman with fetal alcohol syndrome who sees herself as a modern Viking, loving fiercely and on a personal quest to become legendary.  While Zelda finds herself in tough situations and crosses paths with some unsavory characters in the course of the story, she never betrays her Viking code or loses sight of her North Star.  Fans of quirky protagonists with hearts of gold will love this novel. 

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar

You may be familiar with comedian Amber Ruffin from her show The Amber Ruffin Show or her regular appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers. If so, you’ll recognize Ruffin’s down-to-earth humor in her new book You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey in which she describes a few of her own experiences as a Black woman in the United States. 

While the book’s tone is light, its topic is heavy.  Yet as Ruffin herself notes, her own struggles with racial bias pale in comparison to the encounters her sister Lacey has experienced. From childhood on, Lacey seems targeted in unusual ways at school, the workplace, and even shopping. But Lacey is nobody’s victim and her insightful anecdotes paint a vivid, even at times humorous picture of someone dealing with personal obstacles in present-day America. 

If you’re looking for a book about real-life race relations from a Black woman's point of view, You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey is a great introduction. Check out the audio version to hear the sisters banter in their own voices, or read the print version to see photographs. In one of Lacey’s most memorable stories, a clerk mistakes a photo of abolitionist Harriet Tubman for a picture of Lacey. Viewing both images side by side, it's pretty hard to spot any resemblance. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

#WeKnowBooks

 

July 2021 Reading Challenge - Adult Fiction

 I really enjoyed taking part in FCPL’s July Reading Challenge – Read a Book by or About Someone With a Different Background From Your Own. Here are two of my favorite recent reads with compelling characters whose backgrounds are different from my own.   

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez is the story of a recently widowed woman from the Dominican Republic living in Vermont. In the months following her husband’s unexpected passing, Antonia Vega’s life becomes intertwined with a pregnant undocumented teenager. Antonia’s relationships with her three sisters bring added drama and heart to this thoughtful story.  Actress Alma Cuervo delivers an incredible performance on the audio version.  

How Lucky by Will Leitch

How Lucky describes the complexities of life for a young man living with spinal muscular atrophy in Athens, Georgia who holds an important clue to the disappearance of an international college student. Twenty-six-year-old Daniel lives independently with assistance from a caring healthcare worker and visits from his best friend, Travis. Though he’s an unlikely rescuer, Daniel rises to the challenge, even putting his own safety at risk. I really enjoyed this unique novel. Georgia author Will Leitch perfectly captures the nuances of college town life. How Lucky is a captivating story that will have extra appeal for fans of Georgia Bulldogs football.

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

#WeKnowBooks

FCPL's World Languages Collection

 

Did you know that Forsyth County Public Library offers a World Languages Collection with both fiction and non-fiction books? The collection offers seven different languages in print: Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Marathi, Spanish, Tamil, and Telugu. In addition, French and German are available in eBook format on OverDrive. 

As a native speaker of Tamil, my family and I enjoy the Tamil collection at FCPL. Tamil is a classical language and one of the oldest surviving languages of the world. The Tamil collection includes books from acclaimed authors like Kalki Krishnamurthy, Balakumaran, Jayakantan, Indira Parthasarathy, Vairamuthu, and many more. The library’s impressive collection extends to other languages for patrons to explore. 

FCPL is proud to serve Forsyth County’s diverse community through the World Languages Collection. Come and experience the diversity at FCPL and browse the World Languages Collection at https://catalog.forsythpl.org.

Vaidhegi Vijayakumar

Information Specialist

#WeKnowBooks

OverBOOKed to Read: The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

August 10, 1865

"... what I cannot excise from my mind is the conviction that I am guided by Destiny - or, what you would call Providence - at the most harrowing intersections of my life. What I can state without prevarication is that my current destiny was charted over the course of two short days in April '63."

Placidia is seventeen years old when she meets Major Gryffth Hockaday. Inexplicably drawn to each other in spite of their age difference, they marry the next day. Two days after that, the major is called back to duty with the Confederate army and Placidia, still more a child than an adult, is left to run a farm and mother her husband's young son. Two years later, the major returns to find that rumors about his wife have spread throughout the town, gossip that claims she bore a child and buried it on the land. Placidia does not deny the accusations, but she won't talk, bound to protect some nameless individual even as she is imprisoned and brought to trial.

Told through letters, court documents, and journal entries, this story spans two generations as characters and reader alike try to piece together what really happened while Major Hockaday was away at war.

Join the overBOOKed book club for a discussion of this title on Thursday, August 19 at 10:00 a.m. at the Cumming library. OverBOOKed meets at 10:00 a.m. every third Thursday of the month.

The eBook and eAudiobook versions of The Second Mrs. Hockaday are available through OverDrive. Anyone with a Forsyth County Library card can sign up for a free OverDrive account. Sign up for a free card today to start enjoying FCPL's digital catalog from wherever you are!

Melissa

Information Specialist

Cumming Library

#WeKnowBooks 

FCPL 2021 July Reading Challenge Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

 

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Jude, who is sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her hometown in the Middle Eastern country of Syria is overshadowed by violence, worries for the family members and friends who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises. 

Although my childhood in many ways was very different from Jude’s, I found her very relatable as she dealt with many things that all young people deal with -- feeling different and left out, navigating new friendships, and just wanting to be heard and understood. Jude, who loves '80s American pop music and movies and wants to be an actress, has a very likable, open, and welcoming personality. I felt as if I were experiencing her disappointments and triumphs right along with her, and I couldn’t help but root for her!

I would recommend this book to kids in grades 4 and up, including teens and adults who want an enjoyable read and to learn about people from other backgrounds and cultures. But again, I would recommend it to any young reader looking for a book about friendships and the struggles of being a tween, regardless of culture.

Jeanne McMahan
Information Specialist
Sharon Forks Library
#WeKnowBooks

July 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Teen Collection

FCPL's July Reading Challenge is to "Read a Book By or About Someone with a Different Background from Your Own". 

The Read Your World challenges include a diverse range of characters! Reading diverse books allows readers of all ages to see themselves in a story. Diverse books also help you learn about different cultures and backgrounds by being a window into the lives of other people.

Here are some diverse books from our Teen collections to get you started!

Teen Middle (Grades 6-8)

Taking Up Space

by Alyson Gerber

Twelve-year-old Sarah is used to being the star on her basketball team, playing with her best friends, but suddenly she finds that her body is changing and she does not understand why she cannot keep up on the court, plus she does not understand why her mother has gotten so weird about food, binging on candy while forgetting about dinner, and she really does not understand why she told Benny, her crush, about her mother--but when Benny offers to teach her how to cook and suggests she partner with him in a cooking competition she starts to find a way to stand up for herself and change her life for the better.

How to Become a Planet

by Nicole Melleby

After an entire summer trying to figure out how to go back to being the person she was before her depression and anxiety diagnosis, twelve-year-old Pluto finds out--with the help of the Hayden Planetarium hotline, a new tutor, and a new friend--that there is no old or new Pluto, there's just Pluto, growing up.

The Good War

by Todd Strasser

There's a new after school club at Ironville Middle School. Ms. Peterson is starting a video game club where the students will be playing The Good War, a new game based on World War II. They are divided into two teams: Axis and Allies, and they will be simulating a war they know nothing about yet. Only one team will win. But what starts out as friendly competition, takes an unexpected turn for the worst when one player takes the game too far. Can an after school club change the way the students see each other...and how they see the world?

Teen High (Grades 9-12)

American Betiya

by Anuradha D. Rajurkar

Eighteen-year-old Rani, a budding photographer, grapples with first love, family boundaries, and the complications of a cross-cultural relationship.

Enduring Freedom

by Jawad Arash

In this dual-narrative tale, a teenage American army private and an Afghan boy living under the horrors of the Taliban, caught on separate sides of the world during the tumultuous times leading up to and following 9/11, come to discover how much more they have in common than they ever could have imagined.

And don't forget Summer Reading Fun! July is the last month to earn points and you can use this challenge to help you reach your goal!

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

July 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Juvenile Collection

FCPL's July Reading Challenge is to "Read a Book By or About Someone with a Different Background from Your Own". 

The Read Your World challenges include a diverse range of characters! Reading diverse books allows readers of all ages to see themselves in a story. Diverse books also help children learn about different cultures and backgrounds by being a window into the lives of other people.

Here are some diverse books from our Juvenile collection to get you started!

Beginning Chapter Books (Grades 1-3)

Captain Dom's Treasure

by Terry Catasús Jennings 

When Dominguita finds an old map in the back of an even older book in her beloved library, she is excited to see a telltale X marking an unknown place. Everyone knows that X marks the spot for treasure--and Dom knows that means a new adventure for her, Pancho, and Steph! But everyone seems to think that the map, while fun, probably isn't real. Dom is determined to prove them wrong. And as the trio starts to uncover the mystery of the map, they realize that it has closer ties to the community they love than they could have imagined.

The Middle Kid

by Steven Weinberg

With equal parts humor and sincerity, Weinberg draws a picture of the fun and the fray of life as a middle kid struggles to hold his own in the family. Never the first or the last, tallest or smallest, but always in between. Is there anything good about being in the middle?

Aven Green Sleuthing Machine

by Dusti Bowling

Third-grader Aven Green has been solving mysteries for a whole month, cracking such cases as The Mystery of the Cranky Mom. But can this perceptive detective solve two cases at the same time? First her teacher's lunch bag disappears. Then Aven's great-grandma's dog goes missing. Fortunately, since Aven was born without arms, all the "arm" cells went to her super-powered brain instead. (That's her theory.)

Chapter Books (Grades 3-5)

The Magical Reality of Nadia

by Bassem Youssef and Catherine R. Daly

Nadia loves fun facts. Here are a few about her: she collects bobbleheads--she has 77 so far; she moved from Egypt to America when she was six years old; the hippo amulet she wears is ancient--as in it's literally from ancient Egypt; and she's going to win the contest to design a new exhibit at the local museum. Because how cool would that be?! (Okay, so that last one isn't a fact just yet, but Nadia has plans to make it one.) But then a new kid shows up and teases Nadia about her Egyptian heritage. It's totally unexpected, and totally throws her off her game. And something else happens that Nadia can't explain: Her amulet starts glowing! She soon discovers that the hippo is holding a helpful--and hilarious--secret. Can she use it to confront the new kid and win the contest?

Ancestor Approved

by Cynthia Leitich Smith

A collection of intersecting stories set at a powwow that bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride. In a high school gym full of color and song, Native families from Nations within the borders of the U.S. and Canada dance, sell beadwork and books, and celebrate friendship and heritage. They are the heroes of their own stories.

Take Back the Block

by Chrystal D. Giles

Sixth-grader Wes Henderson sets out to save the Oaks, the neighborhood where he's lived his whole life, from being sold to a real estate developer. 

And don't forget Summer Reading Fun! July is the last month to earn points and you can use this challenge to help you reach your goal!

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

July 2021 Reading Challenge - Kids' Book Spotlight - Easy Collection

FCPL's July Reading Challenge is to "Read a Book By or About Someone with a Different Background from Your Own". 

The Read Your World challenges include a diverse range of characters! Reading diverse books allows readers of all ages to see themselves in a story. Diverse books also help children learn about different cultures and backgrounds by being a window into the lives of other people.

Here are some diverse books from our Easy and Early Reader collections to get you started!

Picture Books

Milo Imagines the World

by Matt de la Peña

While Milo and his sister travel to a detention center to visit their incarcerated mother, he observes strangers on the subway and draws what he imagines their lives to be.

Home Is in Between

by Mitali Perkins

Immigrating to America, a young girl navigates between her family's Bengali traditions and her new country's culture.

Big Feelings

by Alexandra Penfold

A group of kids express a multitude of feelings and discover they are not alone.







Early Readers

Ferry Boat

by Michael Garland

A child describes each moment of the ferry boat ride from Manhattan to Staten Island and back, including seeing the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano Bridge.

I Want to Be a Doctor

by Laura Driscoll

Explains what a doctor is and what their responsibilities are, including helping people who are sick or hurt.

How to Start First Grade

by Cathy Hapka

Steve is excited and happy to be starting "real school" until Hannah, who just moved from Alaska, captures everyone's attention and his response lands him in the principal's office.

And don't forget Summer Reading Fun! July is the last month to earn points and you can use this challenge to help you reach your goal!

Stephani Lindsey

Youth Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks

Staff Picks: Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn - Adult Fiction

Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn

Heir to the Empire is first in Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy. It’s set five years after Return of the Jedi where Han and Leia are married and expecting twins, while Luke is a Jedi Knight. The New Republic is struggling to fill the power vacuum that the Empire left behind and its forces are spread too thin to combat a rising threat: Grand Admiral Thrawn who decides to strike against the floundering government. 

Thrawn proves to be the greatest threat that the Alliance has faced since Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, and he is not alone in causing this new Chaos. Mara Jade sees this as her chance to exact vengeance against Luke Skywalker for destroying her life and the Emperor. The war between the Republic and the Empire resumes with the odds ever against our intrepid heroes. 

Zahn develops not just our protagonists but our antagonists, particularly Thrawn and Mara Jade, and adds much needed depth to the characters in the process. He also adds to the Jedi mythos and offers a glimpse into a forgotten part of the galaxy: The Unknown Regions. There are two main drawbacks to this novel. The first being it belongs to the Expanded Universe/Legends, which was the Star Wars canon until the Disney merger, and thus has no bearing in present Star Wars except for the character of Thrawn. In addition, Zahn introduces many new characters in Heir to the Empire, which makes it difficult to remember them at first. However, the next two novels progress smoothly and end in a quite satisfying manner.   

If you’re a Star Wars fan, young or old, then this is the perfect novel to start exploring beyond the movies. If you’re a sci-fi fan, then this is for you since Zahn explores the universe that Star Wars has to offer. If you’re just looking for a solid trilogy with intriguing characters and settings, you will be satisfied. Heir to the Empire is a great entry point for those wanting to start an enjoyable journey. 

Ashley
Collection Support Aide
Post Road Library
#WeKnowBooks

Books About Fathers

Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces by Michael Chabon

A well-known author once told Pulitzer Prize-winner Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay; Telegraph Avenue), "You can write books or you can have kids…you lose a book for every child." Yet Chabon, father of four, argues that books, unlike children, don't love you back. So begins this literary ode to parenting in which the author admires his son Abe's rare gift for doing things with panache but struggles to understand his love for fashion, stumbles over bedtime reading, and ponders how to teach his son how to treat the women in his life even as he explores his own foibles and failures in this regard. As parenting is likely to lead to self-reflection, Chabon further examines his own childhood through the looking glass, contemplating his decision not to follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor. In the last section, Chabon writes about visiting his father, who is hospitalized for a possibly fatal infection, meditating on his own relationship with Dad. (From Publishers Weekly Reviews)

Raising Cubby: A Father and Son's Adventures with Asperger's, Trains, Tractors, and High Explosives by John Elder Robison

In his memoir Look Me in the Eye (2007), Robison wrote about his own Asperger's syndrome—he was diagnosed with the form of autism when he was 40 years old. Here he asks the question: How does a man who lacks a sense of empathy and an ability to read nonverbal cues learn to be a father? And how does a man with Asperger's learn to recognize the same symptoms in his own child? (A key element in the book is Robison's son's own diagnosis, and Robison's reaction to his having missed seeing the signs for as long as he had.) In many ways, this is a traditional father-and-son memoir, but the added element of Asperger's gives the story a stronger emotional core: when Robison and his wife separated, for example, he realized he had been misreading a lot of what had been going on between them. It's a story of a man learning to be a parent, yes, but it's also—and perhaps more importantly—the story of a man discovering, as an adult, who he really is. (From Booklist Reviews)

These two books explore the complex and widely varying relationships shared between a father and child.  Pops reflects on the author's relationship with his father and his own four children. Raising Cubby describes the challenges and wild adventures this father and son shared.

#WeKnowBooks

Library Limelight: Melissa Gunter, Information Specialist, Cumming Library

Melissa Gunter

Information Specialist

Cumming Library

 

Where is your hometown?

            I was born in Stone Mountain, but grew up in Auburn, Georgia, a small town in Barrow County.  

How long have you been at FCPL?

            Just over two years, since March 2019. 

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

            I started as a part-time Information Specialist and was promoted to a full-time Information Specialist position last August.

Why did you choose to work in a library?

I’ve always known that I wanted to work with books in some capacity, but I realized I wanted to be a librarian after taking an Information Organization class as an elective my second year of college.

Describe your job in five words or less.

            Dewey love books?  We due!

What is unique about your job?

My job description can change every single day.  What I do depends on the patron who walks up to the desk with a question.

What is your favorite part of your job?

            I really enjoy the creative aspects of my job – planning fun programs and designing book displays – but the most rewarding part is when I am able to provide a resource, an answer to a question, or the perfect book recommendation that exactly fits a patron’s needs.

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

            I am very much a homebody and moving to Forsyth County has proved a very big adventure for me.  Other than that, visiting historic Williamsburg, Virginia, with my family when I was in high school was a dream come true for this history buff.

What are your hobbies?

            Watercolor painting, crochet, taking care of my potted plants, attending three book clubs, and hiking the Indian Seats Trail at Sawnee Mountain Preserve. 

What are you reading right now?

            I just finished The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and am currently reading Red War, by Kyle Mills, and listening to North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell, for two different book clubs. 

Paper books, eBooks, or audiobooks?

            I will always prefer paper books, but last year I started listening to eAudiobooks through the OverDrive app, which makes doing the dishes a lot more fun.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

            My amazing and talented coworkers are a joy to work with and are one of the main reasons I enjoy my job so much!

FCPL Reading Challenge: July 2021

July Reading Challenge

This month we challenge our staff and our patrons to read a book by or about someone with a different background from your own.

We'd love to hear about the books you chose and how they resonated with you! Still catching up on previous challenges? We want to hear about those books too! 

Leave a comment on this blog post, join our conversation on Facebook, or tag us in a photo of what you're reading on Instagram. 

#WeKnowBooks

If you need help selecting a book for any Reading Challenge in 2021, please Email a Librarian, use our book lists for kids, teens, and adults, or visit the Ask Us desk of any Forsyth County Public Library branch.

June Reading Recap

We read books by or about someone with a similar background to our own. 

• Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh
• Running by Natalia Sylvester
• Worse Than Weird by Jody J. Little

We're so glad to have you reading along with us and crushing your reading goals for 2021. You're doing great!