#ShelfLife - September 30, 2016

It's finally starting to feel like fall! You know what that means, right?

#PumpkinSpiceEverything

It's a running joke around the stacks that as soon as the first leaf falls, we've all got to put on a scarf and drink a pumpkin spice latte.

At least this week we had an excuse to drink coffee: Thursday was National Coffee Day! Check out the photo below for a book dedicated to your favorite drink. We're pretty "perked" up about reading A History of the World in 6 Glasses (in print or hoopla eAudiobook).

On Tuesday, we took our Instagram feed behind-the-scenes at An Evening with Dennis Lehane. We had a great time listening to him explain how he learned to tell a good story (from his father's lying friends, down at the corner bar) and watching our patrons meet Mr. Lehane to have their copies of Mystic River signed. More photos from the event are on Facebook.

Visit our online catalog at www.forsythpl.org and be among the first to place a request for the materials featured in #ShelfLife this week. When you pick up your book, we hope you'll join the conversation by posting a picture of your own #ShelfLife on Instagram.

It's a lovely fall day in Georgia and we're celebrating #nationalcoffeeday with a #pumpkinspicelatte and a stack of books about the elixir of life...well, at least the elixir of better mornings...COFFEE! #librariesofinstagram #forsythreads #shelflife

A photo posted by Forsyth County Public Library (@forsythpubliclibrary) on Sep 29, 2016 at 11:30am PDT

Behind the scenes at An Evening with Dennis Lehane. He's here! We're so excited to hear his talk! Seats are still available and doors open at 6:00 p.m. #librariesofinstagram #dennislehane #forsythreads

A photo posted by Forsyth County Public Library (@forsythpubliclibrary) on Sep 27, 2016 at 2:23pm PDT

Be among the first to check out THE LOST AND FOUND by Katrina Leno. Forging a friendship through an online support group, Frannie and Louis, teens whose losses are tied to mysterious disappearances, search for answers during a road trip to Austin, where they find magical things that the other has lost. #yabooks #ShelfLife #teenreads #fridayreads

A photo posted by Forsyth County Public Library (@forsythpubliclibrary) on Sep 30, 2016 at 8:20am PDT

We're just over here enjoying #MagazineMonday with @womansdaymag on @zinio and thinking about all things pumpkin. #libraryinmyhand #zinio #pumpkinspiceeverything #librariesofinstagram

A photo posted by Forsyth County Public Library (@forsythpubliclibrary) on Sep 26, 2016 at 11:48am PDT

Louis Braille was just five years old when he lost his sight. He was a clever boy, determined to live like everyone else, and what he wanted more than anything was to be able to read. See how helped others read with their fingers in SIX DOTS by Jen Bryant. #nonfiction #ShelfLife #braille

A photo posted by Forsyth County Public Library (@forsythpubliclibrary) on Sep 26, 2016 at 5:29am PDT

Staff Picks

The Girl Before by Rena Olsen

In therapist Rena Olsen's first novel, the story toggles between the past and the present as protagonist Clara decides what to do. Armed men raided the compound where Clara lived with her husband Glen and their daughters, and they arrested Glen. His last words to her were, "Say nothing." Clara's loyalty lies with her husband but she begins to question everything she's known as she slowly starts to piece together her past.

Why do the agents think Clara's name is Diana? Is Clara another victim of or an accomplice to the crimes of which Glen is accused? The Girl Before is a compelling story of love and compassion combined with a large dose of cruelty and guilt.

Trina Schlecht
Library Trianer

Staff Picks

Smoke by Dan Vyleta

It’s rare to find a fictional environment as mesmerizing and evocative as the one Dan Vyelta creates in his novel Smoke. This exquisitely constructed story blurs the lines between fantasy and historical fiction with a whole cast of rich and endearing--though not always sympathetic--characters.

The novel takes place in a quasi-familiar Victorian Age where the upper and lower classes are starkly divided by class.  Those at the top reap the benefits of a sophisticated conspiracy to maintain the status quo while members of the lower classes perform the thankless and dirty jobs required to keep their betters in top shape.

What makes the novel a fantasy is Vyleta’s conception of a tangible byproduct of sin – smoke. Human bodies produce smoke (fiercely, uncontrollable, subtly, even tenderly at times) in response to sin in its many forms. Only saints (seen in paintings) and monsters (savages who live in the most remote places on earth) emit no smoke.

Young English gentlemen are educated on the art of controlling their smoke. Results of the teachings vary. The laundry is examined daily for telltale stains of smoke and punishments are delivered accordingly.

I’m fascinated by the premise of Smoke. What does smoke represent? Does it have a purpose? Is it man-made? Is it, as the pious and proper young Lady Livia Naylor believes, heaven sent? Might it be curable? Should it be cured? What does it symbolize? Is the entire novel a metaphor?

An orphan with a tragic history finds himself asking some of the same questions when he notices that the most vicious bully at school never appears to smoke. Adventure, mystery, danger and romance abound in this incredible coming-of-age story.  

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist