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First Thursday Book Discussion: “Hello Stranger”

Posted on Friday, December 13, 2024 by MaggieM

When I heard that “Hello Stranger” by Katherine Center was going to be the next First Thursday book, I had my doubts about how much there would be to discuss. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good romance novel, but it’s not what I usually expect to read for a book club. If that’s your concern too, you can stop worrying.

Center is a smart and thoughtful writer, and while her books pivot around a central theme of love, there are more layers to be found — and discussed.

Among the layers in this particular book, are the ideas of cognitive bias and confirmation bias. If you don’t know what these are are, read “Hello Stranger.” I can’t imagine a more enjoyable introduction to the concepts. If you’re already familiar with them, read “Hello Stranger” and enjoy watching the concepts in action.

Other themes include living with an invisible disability, surviving grief and loss, and a dash of neuropsychology.

Perhaps the biggest source of discussion could be the confirmation bias (or pre-judgements) about the romance genre. Take a moment to check the bias you may be bringing to this book and this genre before you read it. Join us Thursday, January 2nd at noon to share your thoughts.

Q&A With Mollie Jackman, Author of “Ornithomancy”

Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 by Decimal Diver

Mollie Jackman is a Columbia, MO author whose debut book is “Ornithomancy.” The book offers poetry and illustrations that explore loss and how we get through it. Jackman is a graduate of Lindenwood University with an MFA in writing who runs a freelance business as a writer/editor and has a job as a full-time copywriter. She was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email. Continue reading “Q&A With Mollie Jackman, Author of “Ornithomancy””

Reading Harder in 2024: The Finale!

Posted on Monday, December 9, 2024 by Michael M

2024, what a year, huh? It feels both like forever ago and just last week when I started the Read Harder Challenge. For anyone following along, or anyone who read the blog title, you might think, “this is it! Michael is going to share their last four books of the challenge!”, and dear reader, I failed. I came very close to finishing the challenge, and I stumbled at the very end, which I knew was going to be the most difficult part.

From the Book Riot website, “the challenge is made up of 24 tasks (an average of two per month) that invite readers to explore formats, genres, and perspectives that might go beyond their reading comfort zones. How you approach Read Harder is up to you: you can read one book per task or count one book for multiple tasks. The point of the challenge isn’t to do the thing one particular way but to push yourself to diversify your TBR.” My goal was to read 24 different books that met the tasks, and review them, sharing my first attempt at reading harder, and I managed to read and review 21 books! As it turns out though, starting the challenge a full month into the year, and then plotting out what to read when and leaving two 500+ page books for the last two months of the year, while also taking multiple graduate school classes is uhhhh, not a good idea! And we find ourselves thus. Continue reading “Reading Harder in 2024: The Finale!”

Literary Links: Thinking About Endings

Posted on Sunday, December 8, 2024 by Anne

December is a busy time, filled with lots of get togethers and sharing and celebration. But it can also serve as a time for reflection as we face the reality of another year come and just about gone. For some, it’s ending on a high note, while others find themselves in a season of despair. Let’s check out some books on endings as we bring another year to a close.

“The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On” by Franny Choi is a collection of poetry that presents a sharp, but often tender look at the multiple ways the world has ended and yet manages to continue on. Her writing delves into the challenges humanity, particularly those on the margins, has faced. This includes living (and dying) through a global pandemic, the painful legacy of racism in this country, which the Black Lives Matter movement has illuminated and the far-ranging horrors of the atomic bomb dropped long ago in Hiroshima. Though heavy with the despairs we face, Choi’s poems help lighten the emotional load with glimpses of hope: the life that emerges from a landscape decimated by an atomic bomb and the powerful legacies left by those taking collective action. Continue reading “Literary Links: Thinking About Endings”

Good Neighbors

Posted on Friday, December 6, 2024 by The Biblio-Buckaroo

What does it mean to be a good neighbor? In a literal sense, it could mean checking in on a person who lives near you. You might offer to bring them some soup if they are feeling poorly, or you might mow their lawn if they are not able. In a community sense, it could mean that you help at a school bake sale or join a local organization like City of Refuge, CoMo Preservation or Room at the Inn CoMo. On a bigger scale, you can be a good neighbor by voting, practicing environmental stewardship, using good manners online (and in person) or sharing a talent or skill with the world. The library has a wide range of books to inspire you to be the best neighbor you can be.

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General put out an advisory on the healing effects of social connection and connectivity, saying, “Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling — it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.” The following books offer helpful advice for increasing social connectivity and decreasing loneliness. Being a good neighbor can actually save your life! Continue reading “Good Neighbors”

Staff Review: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Posted on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 by Karena

If Sally Rooney has a million readers, then I am one of them. If Sally Rooney has one reader, then I am that one. If Sally Rooney has no readers, then I do not exist. If Sally Rooney… you get it.

What I’m trying to say is, I am honored to present you with my review of “Intermezzo”—Sally Rooney’s recent, gorgeous offering to the world of contemporary fiction, in which her celebrity already looms large. (I am honored, really, to have read it at all.)

Returning Rooney readers will find familiarity here: Elegant, intelligent characters, thrillingly plain conversation, sudden tenderness at every turn, bonds that seem to originate from the soul. A woman who is very ill, vulnerable always to pain; a man tortured by the movements of his heart, acting with both extreme sensitivity and destructive force. A wealth of worthy quotes:

Nights he no longer has to spend trapped in claustrophobic solitude, self-medicated, panic attack or am I dying how to tell. Instead the deep replenishing reservoir of her presence.

Continue reading “Staff Review: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney”

Nonfiction Roundup: December 2024

Posted on Monday, December 2, 2024 by Liz

Below I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in December. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and downloadable audiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this month, check our online catalog.

Top Picks

“Agent Zo: The Untold Story of a Fearless World War II Resistance Fighter” by Clare Mulley (Dec 3)
During World War II, Elzbieta Zawacka — the WWII female resistance fighter known as Agent Zo — was the only woman to reach London as an emissary of the Polish Home Army command. In Britain, she became the only woman to join the Polish elite Special Forces, known as the “Silent Unseen.” She was secretly trained in the British countryside, and then she was the only female member of these forces to be parachuted back behind enemy lines to Nazi-occupied Poland. There, while being hunted by the Gestapo (who arrested her entire family), she took a leading role in the Warsaw Uprising and the liberation of Poland. After the war, she was discharged as one of the most highly decorated women in Polish history. Yet the Soviet-backed post-war Communist regime not only imprisoned (and tortured) her, but also ensured that her remarkable story remained hidden for over 40 years. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: December 2024”

Thankful for the Many Native American Contributions to Our Country

Posted on Monday, November 25, 2024 by MaggieM

The convergence of Native American Heritage Month and Thanksgiving brings up troubling historical contradictions. We hear the narratives of a wholesome shared feast to celebrate a successful harvest, but these contrast with darker stories of betrayal and loss. The reality of our country’s Native American Heritage is much more tangled and rich than the simple dichotomy of these two stories, and there has been a surge of newer titles taking a more comprehensive look at this shared history.

For those interested in exploring the history of Thanksgiving, “This Land is Their Land,” by David Silverman delves deeper into the history of Thanksgiving, the Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag Indians. Continue reading “Thankful for the Many Native American Contributions to Our Country”

Appy Hour: News Apps

Posted on Friday, November 22, 2024 by Jonya

Earlier this year, we held a series of classes introducing free and useful applications for your phone or tablets. Enjoy this review of the news applications we found — some supported by our local news stations while others offer you search functions to find what you are interested in. Each allows you to create a personal account and you may be able to have links emailed to you regarding stories you are following.

KOMU 8 offers both Android and IOS apps. Once it is on your device and your account is created, you find a mix of local, national and international news. There’s an option to stream video although it was a bit clunky for us this winter. Or if you would rather, many of the articles have the option to listen, sometimes by an AI voice. There is a separate app for weather services.

ABC 17 News also has Android and IOS apps. It emphasizes local news and offers a good mix of national news. This winter the live stream only seemed to work for us during the scheduled broadcasts. Using the available predetermined topics makes it easier to navigate through the app but there is a search function to follow through the timeline of a particular event’s stories. ABC 17 has a separate weather app.

The Associated Press provides text, video and audio articles on a wide variety of topics from national and international sources. Often seen as having the finger on the pulse of the world, APNews collects latest news in a series of topics to help you navigate but the front page always has what is considered latest and breaking. You can subscribe in the app to any number of newsletters that aggregate everything happening in the newsletter’s topic, providing regular updates in your email. Their AP Fact Check debunks claims and rumors from some stories running on their front page.

BBC News offers international news with a focus on the UK and Europe, organized by world region. You can use the search function to find closer-to-home articles but will not find many particular to our state; I could find nothing about Columbia, MO or Mizzou, for example. You will find lot of video and live international feeds. The Earth section contains some great, timely articles relating to sustainability, climate science and business practices.

Reuters brings us primarily international news with sections including news, video and various markets, including foreign markets and a currency converter. There is a video section that auto plays through important headlines and breaking news. Like most news apps, they are ad supported but they are non-intrusive.

National Public Radio (NPR) provides listeners with live radio, so you can stay connected with your favorite shows. They offer text as well as audio articles. Heavy on podcasts, some of which are exclusive to the app itself so that’s worth checking out if you are a fan. It uses location services to bring up local stories and stations, so that live radio will always be pertinent to you.

Google News is a news aggregation service, pulling stories on the same subjects from a variety of sources. Click on Full Coverage or scroll right to see all of the aggregated news. As with many of these apps, Google News will customize what you see based on what you’ve viewed in the past but the Full Coverage options will continue to present you the same variety of sources. You can customize what you see, let Google’s algorithm select or you can view just the headlines.

Apple News is another news aggregation service that reviews many sources, but the one presented on the Today page is selected by the Apple News editors. They offer News+, paid-for access to articles from 400+ publications. You can also follow your favorite sports teams. More useful for someone looking for free, customize the Following section to add channels of information that fit your interest. Swipe to indicate you like or dislike articles, and easily share or save them. There is not a web-based portal into Apple News and it is not available to Android users.

News companies continue to review our needs and rework their mobile apps to try to build brand loyalty, but the trend is to offer more, not to reduce what you will find. Take opportunities to poke around any app and see what might have been added. You can’t break anything and you will develop your own rhythm of digesting news content.

Reader Review: The Dinner List

Posted on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 by patron reviewer

A girl goes to meet her friend for a birthday dinner and realizes upon entering the restaurant that she has been gifted with the chance to play out the classic question, “If you could have a dinner people with five people, alive or dead, who would you choose?” She and her motley crew of guests have a night to remember full of love, heartbreak, the reopening of barely closed wounds, and philosophy. I LOVED “The Dinner List,” and am not one to give five star ratings easily. I can see myself re-reading this for ages, recommending it to anyone who asks, and this book having a lasting impact on the world around me.

Three words that describe this book: Heartbreak, Complex, Reconciliation

You might want to pick this book up if: You want something that will pack a big punch emotionally in a small amount of time (It is an under-six-hour audiobook).

-Molly

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.

Hoopla

Freegal

Kanopy

Overdrive /Libby

Flipster