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.