Adventure: the pursuit of life -- Daniel Roy

Now that summer is here, bring on the adventures. Explore the Lagoons, learn how to canoe, play tennis, volleyball, digital art, or Scuba! Yes, all of these adventures and more can be found at the City of Mentor Parks and Recreation. So go and get your adventure on. But if you think it’s just too hot outside to do anything other than sweat perhaps you would like to cool down with one of these adventurous books?

Novels:
Artemis Fowl
Percy Jackson
Alex Rider Series
Graveyard Book
39 clues series
Princess Ben
Hunger Games

How about some books to cause some adventure? Here two great how to books.

The Dangerous Book for Boys
The Daring Book for Girls

It’s a Classic!

What makes a Classic? A book that is totally unforgettable. Some that has enough substance to be more than the latest great book.

Something like these titles:

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwieiler By E.L. Konigsburg
The Bridge to Terabthia by Katherine Paterson
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black


You know one more thing these books have in common?

All made into Movies.

Divine iPod Intervention

Day 12 of BEDA

Sometimes you just know there's a greater power out there, and today it was ruling my iPod. Have you ever had one of those days where every song you listened to was part of a personal soundtrack?

Here are the songs and the quotes that mysteriously made it's way to my ears when I had my iPod set to random. Just in case you're building a soundtrack for yourself right now, check out these tunes:

No Doubt's "Hey Baby" from Rock Steady -

"With a stranger in my face who says he knows my mom. And went to my high school."

The Killers "All These Thing's That I've Done" from Hot Fuss -

"I've got soul but I'm not a soldier"

Chiodos "Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money" from Bone Palace Ballet -

"Your wearing your skin like its too tight"

T.I and Justin Timberlake "Dead and Gone" -

"That part of me left yesterday, the heart of me is strong today. No regrets, I'm blessed to say"

Red Hot Chili Peppers "Love Rollercoaster" from the Beavis and Butt-head do America Soundtrack -

"One, two. One, two, three. I've got a ticket so ride with me"

Trapt "Head Strong" from Trapt -

"Conclusions manifest, your first impression's got to be your very best."

It’s History, only not…..

April brings rain and history. Well, history in story form. It’s Historical fiction month here at MPL and of course we have suggestions for you. Did you really need to ask?


Novels:
Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbel Bartoletti
Miss Spitfire by Sarah Elizabeth Miller
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Al Capone Does my Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
In darkness, Death by Dorothy Hoobler
My brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier

Graphic Novels:

Maus : A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman
Peace Maker by Nanae Chrono
Laika by Mick Abadzis
300 by Frank Miller
Ruse by Mark Waid
Samurai Champloo by Masaru Gotsubo

Aliens Attack At Mentor Public Library!

Do I have your attention now? Bad news, my friend. The Aliens aren’t attacking us. We are attacking them. Well, the books they are in. It’s Science Fiction Month at good old MPL.
Have you said hello to an alien lately? Or maybe you are more of a “What if computers were fused with our brains?” kind of Reader. Or maybe “Deadly Virus sweeps through the world!” is your cup of tea. Any Way you like your sci-fi is fine with us.

Here some of our suggestion for you:

Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Saga By Conor Kostick
Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
H.I.V.E. by Mark Walden
Maximum Ride by James Patterson
Dragon and the Thief by Timothy Zahn
Feed by M.T. Anderson
House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer


Graphic Novels
Any and Every Super hero novel done by Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc….
Neon Genesis Evanglion by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Dragon Drive by Ken-ichi Sakura
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki
Full Metal Panic by Tomohiro Nagai
GetBackers by Yuya Aoki
Serenity by Joss Whedon


For more Info about Sci-fi check out the display in the Teen area and pick up a book mark or two.

Take home a Grammy

I got so lost in my disgust for Chris Brown's actions before the Grammy's that I completely forgot to talk about the Grammy's themselves! Ugh, I need to get him out of my head! Talk about a waste of energy.

I was really glad to see Jennifer Hudson rock the house with her performance, and even more happy to see her take home a Grammy. Take that Simon! But the thing I was the most happy for was to see Adele win Best New Artist of the Year. I love her sound. It is classic but still really fresh. I am crazy for her song, "Right as Rain" and I don't know about you, but I need to be refreshed. This song is uber refreshing. It's just as Fleetwood Mac says "when the rain washes you clean then you'll know". The line may be dated, but it is so true.

So get your vibe washed clean, and if afterwords if you feel nostalgic about this year's Grammy's, check out these other 2009 winners:

Album of the Year: Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Kraus

Best Rap Album: The Carter III by Lil Wayne

Best Rock Album: Viva la Vida by Coldplay

Best Country Performance by Duo or Group: "Stay" by Sugarland

Best R&B Album: Jennifer Hudson by Jennifer Hudson

Best Instrumental Performance: "Peaches En Regalia" by Frank Zappa

Best Metal Performance: "My Apacolypse" by Metalica

Best Solo Rock Performance: "Gravity" by John Mayer

Best Alternative Music Album: In Rainbows by Radiohead

Best Pop Vocal Album: Rockferry by Duffy

Best Pop Instrumental Performance: "I dreamed there was no war" by the Eagles

Best Contemporary R&B Album: Growing Pains by Mary J. Blige

Best R&B Song: "Miss Independent" by Ne-Yo

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Superwoman" by Alicia Keyes

Best Compilation Album from a Motion Picture: Juno

Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: The Dark Knight by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer

Best Electronic Dance Album: Alive 2007 by Daft Punk

Best Long Form Music Video: "Runnin Down a Dream" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Best Short Form Music Video: "Pork and Beans" by Weezer

Best Female Country Vocal Performance: "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood

Flavor Challenge

Any one else want to take the Flavor Challenge?


Read at least two books that are the flavor of the month.


What is the Flavor of the month?!


Well… MPL is picking a different genre of books each month to highlight in displays in the main lobby and in the Teen area. February’s Flavor is of course Romance. Lucky for us Teen books have quite the variety of flavors with the flavor of the month. So I can read a great funny book like Son of the Mob, or paranormal Vampire Kisses, or even pick up the beautiful art in Nana and still be reading within the Flavor of the Month.

Here are some other suggested titles to try this month:
Fiction:
Nick and Nora’s Infinite Play List by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Graphic Novels:
Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa
Kare Kano by Masami Tsuda
Tail of the Moon by Rinko Ueda

2009 is the Year of Science

Everyone likes to celebrate accomplishments, and 2009 is the year to do it.

Our ever so informative friend from circulation, Eric, has told me that 2009 marks the anniversary of some really cool accomplishments of the science world. I knew that February 12 will mark the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, but I did not know it marked the 200th anniversary Charles Darwin's birth. In fact, this is just the beginning of awesome anniversaries of science. 2009 also shows us, among other things, the 400th anniversary of the first time Galileo used his telescope.

So in celebration of the amazing achievements we will be celebrating in science this year, here are a list of some books that may help get you in the mood.

Simon Bloom, the Gravity Keeper by Michael Reisman

Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Footprints in Time by Petru Popescu

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

Shift by Charlotte Agell

Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

Lost Time by Susan Schmid

Stellar Science Projects about Earth's Sky by Robert Gardner
Galileo Galilei and the Science of Motion by William Boerst

A frog Walked into a library

A frog walked into a library and asked the librarian what she would recommend." How about this sir?" asked the librarian, showing him Toad of Toad Hall. " Reddit, reddit," said the frog.
{{Chuckle}}

So in these dark at noon winter days of hum-drumness, here’s a nice little list of funny books to perk you wallflowers right up.

Books:
Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins
Hoot By Carl Hiassan
Girl, 15, Charming but insane by Sue Limb
Angus, Thongs, & Full-frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
I am the messenger by Markus Zusak

Manga/comics:
Inubaka by Yukiya Sakuragi
Dramacon by Svetlana Chmakova
Case Closed by Gōshō Aoyama
Hayate the Combat Butler by Kenjiro Hata
Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Under the Rug

It’s pretty rug but still it’s a rug. And fairly dusty for that matter.
Oh yeah. Let’s get everyone on the same page.
Other vampire series lost in the Twilight shuffle.
Yes, they do exist! Like most books some are good some are bad. Some just are. You can sort through the plot lines and writing styles to find ones that you like. Note: not all of these are romances. But they would all be shelved in the YA room if there wasn’t a waiting list…..

(Vampire Kitty Says "READ")

Book Series
Vampire kisses By Ellen Schreiber
Peeps By Scott Westerfeld
Blue Bloods By Melissa De LA Cruz
Vampire academy By Rachel Mead
Chronicles of Vladimir Todd By Heather Brewer
Morganville Vampire series By Rachel Caine
House of Night By PC Cast
Bloodline by Kate Cary
Atwater-Rhodes series.
Cirque De freak By Darren Shan
Vampirates by Justin Somper

Graphic Novel/ Comic book style
Trinity Blood By Sunao Yoshida
Chibi Vampire By Yuna Kagesaki
Vampire Knight By Matsuri Hino
Vampire kisses By Ellen Schreiber (No, I didn’t make a mistake. It comes in both formats. Each one gets a different sub title though.)