#queue-y decimal

Assistant Librarian Kelley Recommends:

Books by Black Authors to Read Because Black Lives Matter

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

March by John Lewis

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

For LCPL cardholders: All of these are available in our collection either in Overdrive/Libby or Hoopla for immediate download, or in physical format for curbside pickup (sometimes both!)

Welcome back to Fact Check Friday, our series of bite-sized media literacy tips.

These are simple, quick tips that, added one at a time to your browsing habits, will help you become a master disinformation spotter. Be patient with yourself and others - building these skills takes time!

Here’s tip #3 (repeated in the text below if reading images is not your thing.)

...and how does that make you feel?

News outlets (and “news outlets”) are not above manipulating your emotions for clicks.

We all know about clickbait headlines. They might represent the situation as worse or better than it actually is, because strong emotions = more reach.

People are more likely to share or repeat something that provokes a reaction in them - and when we experience heightened emotions, we’re more likely to share and react without thinking.

If you read a headline, or a tweet, or a post that gives you an immediate visceral reaction - anger, despair, joy - take a moment to pause and analyze before sharing.

More Info:

This tip is a little tricky because it requires a good sense of self-awareness, which can take some time to build. 

Start by familiarizing yourself with the physical reactions associated with your emotions. Does your face heat up when you’re angry? Does your stomach clench when you’re nervous? Often it’s easier to recognize a physical reaction and trace the emotion from there.

Once you’ve identified that someone may be attempting to manipulate your emotions, you can ask yourself some other questions:

If what you’re reading is a post from an unofficial blog, a tweet from someone you don’t know, or some unverified resource, do they cite their sources? Use tips 1 and 2 to evaluate those sources.

Analyze the language used. Is it deliberately polarizing or inflammatory? Are they using a lot of capitalization and exclamation points?

If it’s an image or quote, has it been taken out of context?

What does this source gain by making you feel what you’re feeling?

There is plenty of news out there that does deserve a strong reaction - but if you make sure of the facts you can make a deliberate decision about where to invest your emotional energy, rather than letting strangers on the internet do it for you.

Genre: ???

Notes: Humor & Zombies

Buxton's first novel is the funniest and most unique title I read this year.

Set against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse, Hollow Kingdom celebrates the creativity and wonder of the natural world while poking reverent fun at the human world as seen from the perspective of a TV-watching, CHEETOS®-loving pet crow (S.T., which stands for a name I can't put in print) who realizes something is very, very wrong with his owner and best friend, Big Jim. 

S.T. sets out with Dennis, Big Jim's lovable (but mostly useless, as far as S.T. is concerned) bloodhound, to see if he can set things right. 

Buxton's sense of humor is clever and never becomes tiresome (though it is rife with profanity!) but this story also touches on deeper themes about the environment, the natural world, courage, and friendship.

1/15/2020

Reblog if the phrases “Parental Oversight of Public Libraries” and “parental library review boards” immediately made you break out in hives.

And if that didn’t do it, maybe these will:

"Public librarians are explicitly barred by the statute from serving on such review boards, even if they are from the community.”

“Any public library who allows minors access to such “age-inappropriate materials” would have their funding stripped, and librarians who refuse to comply with the act can be fined and imprisoned for up to one year.”

Here’s the full text of the bill

Reader’s advisor Ian has picked out a few of his spooky favs depending on the level of scare you’re looking for!

The Thing (1982, rated R, adults)

John Carpenter's inimitable masterpiece of dread and suspense. A chilling (pun intended) alien horror adventure packed with blood-curdling special effects and legendary one-liners from Kurt Russell. Remember: it's not a dog!

Gravity Falls (2012-2016, rated TV-Y7, all ages)

A loving ode to Lovecraftian horror and a remarkably clever comedy all at once, this mystery series will delight and terrify kids and adults alike. Simply incredible.

Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated (2010-2013, rated TV-Y7-FV, kids)

A deeper, darker take on the classic Hanna-Barbara cartoon, Mystery Incorporated adds layers to these previously one-note characters while hilariously lampooning horror classics, old and new alike.

Reader’s advisor Susan C recommends some light reading to lighten your mood!

[ID: Several book covers as listed below on a light background with some confetti. Text reads Don’t Worry Be Happy! Light reading recommendations /ID]

Aunt Erma's Cope Book: How to Get from Monday to Friday in 12 Days by Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck's hilarious guide to using self help books to prosper or, more likely, to perish.

Furiously Happy: a Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

The author explores her lifelong battle with mental illness with humor and honesty finding joy in fantastic and outrageous ways.

Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

Timeless stories about everyday miracles that illuminate the best of the human spirit.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

Back in the United States from England, Bryson decides to walk the trail reveling in the beauty of nature and witnessing the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

The author, an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor writes about his move to Paris and his experiences living there.

The All-Girl Filling Station 's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

A comic mystery novel. Newly empty nester Mrs. Rookie Poole of Point Clear, Alabama sets off to find the truth about a secret about her mother:a past that takes her around the country and back to the 1940's.

Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons by Lorna Landvik

Laughter is the glue that holds together the AHEB book club. The women of Freesia Court support each other through life's ups and downs through the decades.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

It looks like Becky Bloomwood has everything: a trendy flat, glamorous friends, and the latest fashions. The problem is she can't afford it, and the bank has come calling. How does she cope? Shopping! Then she writes a front page article that changes her life...

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Beckman

In this feel-good story, a grumpy older man's life is changes when a chatty family moved in next door.

One For the Money by Janet Evanovich

Introducing Stephanie Plum, a New Jersey bounty hunter with an attitude. Out of work, her adventures begin when she blackmails her bail bondsman cousin into giving her a try as an apprehension agent.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsiom

Genetics professor Don Tillman sets out on a quest to find the perfect wife. Then he meets Rosie who does not meet any of his criteria, but who changes his life in ways he doesn't expect.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

In the summer of 1950, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison is mystified by a series of events at the once grand mansion of Buckshaw. When she sees a man die in the cucumber patch she is determined to find out what happened.

Walking Across Egypt by Clyde Edgerton

Mattie Rigsbee age 78 is strong minded and independent. What will happen when young delinquent Wesley Benfield comes into her life?