We are excited to announce that pre-registration for the 2019 Summer Reading Program will kick off this Wednesday, May 1st! The program is open to all ages–kids, teen and adults. New this year is HCPL’s Beanstack app, through which you can easily register for the program & track your reading progress and prizes earned.
More details will follow in the coming days, so stay tuned!
The End[Game] is nigh!
Last week, we shared some book recommendations for our favorite Game of Thrones characters, which worked out well since they spent a nice quiet evening around the hearth on Sunday. This week, not only will we likely say goodbye to just, like, so many of them, but we’ll also be treated to the wrapping up of the current phase of the MCU. Avengers Endgame arrives this weekend and it will make all the money revealing how Earth’s Mightiest Heroes most likely defeat Thanos, the Mad Titan/extremely buff California Raisin.
Whether they were snapped out of existence or not, our favorite team members have had plenty of time to sit back and ponder this since last spring. We’re hoping they spent that time reading these books.
Captain Marvel
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
You know who rules? Carol Danvers. You know who else rules? Beryl Markham. The British-born aviator was raised in Kenya, became one of the first bush pilots, raced and trained horses, and also was an author. This book is teeming with Beryl’s fiery determination, interesting characters and, of course, flying.
The Hulk
This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero
Too on the green nose? This story about two private eye detectives who share a body is flawless from start to finish and loaded with pop culture references and humor. This is what you’d get if you took Roger Rabbit and mashed him together with Eddie Valiant AND Jessica Rabbit. The only negative is that the story has to end.
Iron Man
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Imagine an insanely rich, insanely successful entrepreneur who becomes reclusive attempting to create something entirely new and innovative that he thinks can change the world. The happy imagination would conjure thoughts of Tony Stark, our first Avenger. Some might think of Elon Musk (or Howard Hughes)…
The Winter Soldier
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The internet’s favorite Avenger shares something in common with Thomas. Neither of them can remember much of their questionable past. The Maze Runner opens up an incredible series about intrigue, mystery, and government conspiracy. Something ol’ shiny arm can relate to.
Star-Lord
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Classic rock is a staple of the lead Guardian’s whole shtick so what better book for him to check out then the new oral history of a world-famous 1970s rock group and the secrets behind their dramatic break-up. Wouldn’t it be fun to poke fun at Star-Lord by explaining to him that this is a fictional band. He deserves it for blowing the original plan to stop Thanos, anyway.
Thor
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Admit it. You want to see Thor yell, “That’s not how it happened!” while angrily throwing the book across the room.
Over the past seven seasons of “Game of Thrones” we’ve had to say goodbye to a lot of characters. A LOT of characters (thanks, George). Yet, here we are at the beginning of Season 8 and we still have several contenders for the Iron Throne, along with other beloved (and not-so-beloved) characters hanging around Westeros.
Shouldn’t we wonder about what the characters will do after this is all over (presuming, of course, they make it through). How are they going to fill all that time once they no longer have to worry about White Walkers and waging war? Here are books that we would recommend to some of our favorite characters from “Game of Thrones.”
Cersei Lannister
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
We almost suggested Flowers in the Attic, but that felt a little too obvious. Instead, we’ve selected Gregory Maguire’s inventive narrative that explores the rise and fall of Elphaba, the green-skinned witch we commonly know as the Wicked Witch of the West. From the beginning, it is made clear to the audience that we are supposed to view Cersei as a villain. Likewise, the Wicked Witch of the West was originally only ever seen through the eyes of Dorothy Gale. But what if both are merely victims of bad editing? In his book, Maguire gives us a different perspective on a character always seen as a “bad guy” and makes us question everything we thought we knew about good versus evil.
Jaime Lannister
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Winner of the Man Booker Prize, The God of Small Things is a multi-generational novel that explores twins, family tragedy, politics and forbidden love. Is there really anything else I need to say?
Tyrion Lannister
The Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones
When writing his series, George R. R. Martin took inspiration from England’s historical Wars of the Roses. Royal families! Feuding for the throne! The name for the wars comes from the fact that the two rivals each had a rose as their sigil: a red rose for the House of Lancaster (sounds an awful lot like Lannister, doesn’t it?) and a white rose for the House of York (oh, kind of like Stark, huh?). At the of the violent and bloody civil wars, England was left with the House of Tudor, which had a red and a white rose as its emblem. Red and white. Fire and ice. For Tyrion, we would advise he brush up with some nonfiction if he hopes to survive and make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.
Jon Snow
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro
In 2016, novelist Dani Shapiro submitted her DNA to a genealogy website for analysis. Done on a lark, she wasn’t expecting much to come of it, so when the results came back and Shapiro discovered her father was not her biological father, her entire world was turned upside down. Jon has spent his entire life in the dark about his mother — his father Ned Stark refused to tell him anything about her. But as longtime readers of the books have suspected, the truth about Jon’s heritage is far more complicated and earth-shattering than anyone truly realizes.
Arya Stark
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Legrand’s first book in her Empirium Trilogy tells the story of two fiercely independent women 1,000 years apart who together have the power to either save the world or destroy it. In particular, it is Eliana’s story that would most likely appeal to Arya. A bounty hunter, Eliana considers herself unstoppable. But then her mother vanishes and Eliana is forced to join a rebel faction in order to find her. Arya is a fighter who never fit in with the grandeur and glitter of court, and she is separated from her home and her mother very early in the series. So much of her story is about finding her way back home by any means necessary, even if it means aligning herself with figures she never expected.
Daenerys Targaryen
Circe by Madeline Miller
For the Mother of Dragons, we’ve selected Madeline Miller’s retelling of Circe. In Greek mythology, Circe is a sorceress briefly seen on the journey of Odysseus where she turns men into swine. Daughter of the sun god Helios, Circe is banished to a remote island where it was rumored that she was surrounded by beasts unseen anywhere else (does that include dragons?). Ultimately, Circe is the story of one woman’s rise from the ashes of exile who refuses to back down when men and gods stand in her way. Surely that’s something Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons can appreciate.
We are excited to announce that Harrison County Public Library now offers wireless printing! Send prints from home or work to print at any HCPL branch AND print wirelessly at all branches!
To send a wireless print job, visit https://tbs.eprintit.com/portal/#/ppl/upload/HCPL
To print an email message or attachment, simply forward your email to:
Black and white printer: tbs-HCPL-bw@eprintitservice.com
Color printer: tbs-HCPL-color@eprintitservice.com
You will receive a confirmation email that contains instructions on how to retrieve your printouts.
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
When Dr. Louis Creed decides to move his family to the quaint, idyllic town of Ludlow, Maine, it seems like the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. But as the family settles in, they start to notice things in Ludlow seem a little off, starting with the odd little makeshift graveyard where generations of local children have buried their beloved pets. The new adaptation of King’s iconic tale will make you hesitant to give your cat a hug next time you see him. (In theaters April 5)
Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes
The film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote starring Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce, isn’t a true adaptation of Don Quixote but instead takes inspiration from the classic tale of romance and adventure. With the bonus of Terry Gilliam at the helm, it’s sure to be a zany look at a book known as one of the best literary works ever written. (Limited release, April 10)
After by Anna Todd
Teenage Tessa is the good girl back home, with a loyal boyfriend waiting for her. And then she goes to college and meets Hardin, the quintessential bad boy. That meeting changes everything, and soon Tessa views life as Before Hardin and After Hardin. (In theaters April 12)
Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
Ok…so this is actually a television show, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the final season of HBO’s sweeping saga premieres this month. A mere six episodes stand between us and finding out who will sit on the Iron Throne. Of course, we don’t yet know when the next book in George R. R. Martin’s longstanding series will be out, but check out this list of readalikes to hold you over while you wait. (HBO, April 14)
