Director's Review- "All the Missing Girls" by Megan Miranda

This book was excellent; I love a good thriller and this did not disappoint. What I thought was interesting and kept me on my toes while reading is that the story is told in reverse. I really had to stop and think about certain scenes and various flashbacks to keep the story straight, but I never thought that it made the plot hard to follow.
The story starts with Nicolette reluctantly heading home to see her sick father and to help her brother prepare to sell their childhood home. Returning to Cooley Ridge brings back all the painful memories of the disappearance of her best friend, Corinne, who vanished without a trace 10 years ago. However, shortly after she returns home, another local girl, Annaleise Carter, goes missing, and Nicolette discovers that Annaleise had been asking questions about Corinne's case shortly before she disappeared, as well.
If you're in the mood for a good thriller or mystery, you can't go wrong with this one!

"All the Missing Girls" is available at the SCCC Library.

Patrons can now submit interlibrary loan requests on the library's webpage! Visit http://www.sccc.edu/web/academic/library to find the submission form. Contact the library at 620-417-1160 if you have any questions.

Director's Review: "Sent" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

What if we had the ability to go back in time and save all the children who disappeared from history? Virginia Dare, Edward V of England, Prince Richard of York, John Hudson? In this 2nd installment of Haddix's "The Missing" series, Jonah, Chip, Katherine, and Alex are sent back to 15th century England, where they discover that Chip and Alex are actually Edward V and Richard of York, respectively, known to history as the "Princes in the Tower." They have to determine what really happened to Chip and Alex in the original version of history and save them from their fate, then safely get everyone back to the 21st century before it's too late. It's a fun read with an interesting concept that readers will enjoy.

"Sent" is available via inter-library loan from the SCCC Library.

Summer hours have ended and beginning Monday, July 30th, the library will be open 7:45AM-4:45PM, Monday- Friday. We are still closed Saturday and Sunday.

The library will be closed tomorrow, July 4th. Have a safe and happy 4th of July, everyone!

The library will be closed Monday, July 2nd, until 3:00PM. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Check out the library's new materials!

Stop in and reserve a new book or DVD today!

Director's Review- The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

I love this series; it has action, adventure, and magic, which remind me of Harry Potter- what's not to love? The Bronze Key is the third installment of this tween series and seems to pick up right where "The Copper Gauntlet" ends. Call, Aaron, and Tamara have to balance perfecting their magic with Master Rufus, solving a murder, and saving the chaos-ridden animals, including Call's pet wolf, Havoc, from the Assembly. The story is full of the twists and turns you come to expect after reading the first two books in the series, and ends on a tragic note that left me ready for book 4.

"The Bronze Key" is available through inter-library loan. 

Director's Review- Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

This book really made me stop and think about how unfair life can be. Sometimes, you have control over your circumstances, and sometimes, you don't. I immediately felt sympathy for both Niamh and Molly; they had both experienced such trauma at early ages, and both essentially lost their families when they were far too young.
Before picking this book up, I didn't know much about the orphan trains, and it's difficult to imagine what many of these children endured. While it's nice to picture these orphans who were taken in by new families had positive experiences similar to Anne Shirley's life with the Cuthberts in "Anne of Green Gables," unfortunately, I believe Niamh and Dutchy's situations were the reality more often than not.
Though the flashbacks of Niamh's life were difficult to read, especially her time with the Grotes, watching the relationship between Molly and her grow into such a unique friendship was one of the best parts of this book, and overall, it was hard to put down. It's an interesting look at history, how much an impact our childhoods have in shaping us, and how some friendships are found at the most opportune times.

"Orphan Train" is available at the SCCC Library.

Director's Review- The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

I love a good thriller and "The Couple Next Door" did not disappoint. You find out who is involved in the disappearance of the main characters' daughter earlier than I anticipated, but there's so much more to the story. You quickly learn that Anne and Marco don't live up to the perfect facade they present to the rest of the world. Marco seemed very slimy from the start; there just seemed to be something untrustworthy about him, and as the story progressed, his overall weakness becomes very apparent. From the beginning, it's obvious that Anne is stuck in a seemingly downward spiral of depression and envy towards anyone she thinks might steal her husband's attentions. A combination of self-pity and self-loathing seems to consume her, in addition to an understandably crippling fear that something horrible has happened to her daughter. It's not until halfway into the story you see Anne and Marco's lives and marriage really begin to unravel, as you learn more about the secrets both are desperately trying to keep and the unsavory parts of their pasts they're trying to keep hidden.

"The Couple Next Door" is available at the SCCC Library.

Director's Review- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I feel as though I was on a roller coaster of reactions with this book. I'd had it on my To-Read list for years, then decided this fall I needed to tackle it in honor of Halloween. I was happy with how it started, then somewhat annoyed at how quickly the romance between Diana and Matthew picked up, and once that seemed to be the focus of the story, I contemplated leaving it and moving on to something else- I could do without 600 pages of star-crossed lovers' angst. But, I continued, and was happy I did so; the story really picks up, and I loved the glimpses of Matthew's past, and I'm intrigued to learn more about Diana's powers as she discovers them. This installment ends with Diana and Matthew "time walking" back to Elizabethan England to hide from the Counsel in what promises to be an exciting sequel.

"A Discovery of Witches" is available through the State Library of Kansas's audiobook collection.