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.

Fall Break Library Hours

The library will be closed Sunday, Oct. 8th and Monday, Oct. 9th for Fall Break and will reopen from 7:45AM-4:45PM on Tuesday, Oct. 10th. Have a safe and relaxing break!

Fall 2017 Newsletter

Check out what's going on in the SCCC Library this fall!

Director's Review- The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

It's always a pleasure to read a Kate Morton book. I try to space them out to "make them last," rather than reading one right after the other, as she's a relatively new author with just 5 books to her name. That being said, her stories have never read as though they're written by a "new" author, in my opinion, and the same holds true for "The House at Riverton," which was her debut novel.
Certain elements of the plot are reminiscent of Downton Abbey: the British aristocracy at the dawn of WWI through the 1920s, the details of and differences between the lives of the wealthy and pampered peerage versus the lower-class servants who kept the estates running smoothly. Being a Downton Abbey fan, I loved this part of the story.
A "whodunit" of sorts is at the heart of the plot. For decades, the world has believed that a famous poet and friend of the Hartfords committed suicide during a party at Riverton in the midst of the Roaring 20s, but Grace, the narrator and a former servant at Riverton has been keeping the family's secrets for over 70 years. She's flooded with a rush of memories when contacted by an American producer who is planning to turn the Riverton tragedy into a film, and the story alternates between Grace's flashbacks and the present day. While the characters experience heartache and loss throughout the story, it's still a great read and one that left me guessing what had really happened at the Riverton party until the end.
"The House at Riverton" is available from Cloud Library through the State Library of Kansas.

We are adding to our collection! Stop in to reserve any of our new books and we'll contact you as soon as they're ready for checkout!

Director's Review- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Who doesn't love Harry Potter? Every few years, I get the itch to reread the series, and usually, I only get the first book read before I feel the need to get back to my reading list of new books. However, this time, I've made further progress with book #2. No matter how many times I read a book, I'm always surprised at what I either hadn't picked up on the first time I read it, or what I had forgotten. Though I'm probably in the minority, the character of Dobby annoys me at times, but I'd forgotten how much I love the utter absurdity of Gilderoy Lockheart, as well as the plot line of Tom Riddle's diary. The intricacy of the story lines that Rowling creates, especially when you see everything begin to fit together by the end of the series, is nothing short of impressive.

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is available at the SCCC Library.

Summer classes are in full swing! Stop in the library to get your library account set up so you are able to check out materials whenever you need them!

Director's Review- City of Thieves by David Benioff

The siege of Leningrad; I knew before starting this book that it was going to upset me, and it did. I don't know why this period in history fascinates me, but I keep coming back for more. This was a great story, but if you're looking for something with a happy ending, this isn't the book for you. However, in stories such as this, you look for and learn to appreciate the few happy and upbeat moments when you encounter them. The suffering and the heartache of the characters were expected, but I didn't expect the humor from the character of Kolya. He was the bright spot in the midst of what was ultimately, an extremely depressing story. He was realistic, yet almost optimistic in his outlook of the war and life in general.
While this book didn't quite measure up to "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah, or "All the Light We Cannot See," by Anthony Doerr, it is still well worth reading. Though heavy on content, it is a quick read, and once the action starts, it doesn't let up until the end.

City of Thieves is available through Inter-Library Loan at the SCCC Library.

Library closed Monday, May 29th!

The library will be closed on Monday, May 29th, in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen at 7:00AM on Tuesday, the 30th. Have a safe weekend, everyone!

Lunch in the Library on Wednesday!

Join us tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon for Lunch in the Library, as we welcome Kansas Poet Laureate, Eric McHenry!