God Bless You, Mr. Vonnegut

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/06/2012 - 10:29am

This Sunday, November 11th, formerly known in the U.S. as Armistice Day, would have been my favorite writer, Kurt Vonnegut’s 90th birthday.  In Charles J. Shields’ 2011 biography of Vonnegut, And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life, he wrote that Vonnegut “was quite proud of being born on a day associated with peace.”  A noted and well-known Humanist, that’s the kind of fellow that Kurt Vonnegut struck me as: a peacekeeper. 

Vonnegut is best known for his novel Slaughterhouse-Five, the semi-autobiographical story of Billy Pilgrim, who becomes “unstuck in time”, and which reflects the post-traumatic stress of Vonnegut’s personal experience of the bombing of Dresden.  But Vonnegut did not just write novels: he was also an essayist, a playwright, and a writer of short stories.  His bibliography is quite extensive, and still expanding, and well worth your time, though some works are perhaps more worthwhile than others.  

As someone who has made his way through the majority (though not all) of Vonnegut’s work, I have taken it upon myself to curate a list of some of my favorite Vonnegut books that we have here at HCPL in hopes that it will serve as something of a primer and inspiration for those interested in diving deeper into the Vonneverse.

Novels:

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater: or, Pearls Before Swine
Cat’s Cradle
Slaughterhouse-Five: or, The Children’s Crusade, a Duty-Dance with Death
Timequake
Bluebeard
Jailbird

Short Stories & Essays:

Welcome to the Monkey House
Look at the Birdie
While Mortals Sleep
A Man Without a Country
Armageddon in Retrospect
We Are What We Pretend to Be: First and Last Works (Released 10/9)

Miscellany:

Kurt Vonnegut: Letters edited by Dan Wakefield (Released 10/30)
And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life by Charles Shields

Are you a wimpy kid fan?

Submitted by Alma C on Thu, 11/01/2012 - 12:28pm

In book one of this series, Greg has Rowley, his best friend, along for the ride. But when Rowley starts to become popular, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, making things go every which way testing their friendship. These are funny books that most middle schoolers can relate to.  Get yourself to the library to pick up one of these books and follow along as Greg gets himself into trouble, out of trouble and away from the tortures of his older brother Rodrick.

The 7th book of the Wimpy Kid series is coming out November 13, 2012. Yes there are 7 books already. Put yourself on the hold list for it but hurry up because there are already 218 requests.

If you haven't read them you have a chance to get with it.

Book 1 or red book Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Book 2 or blue book  Rodrick Rules

Book 3 or green book  The Last Straw

Book 4 or yellow book  Dog Days

Book 5 or purple book The Ugly Truth

Book 6 or light blue book Cabin Fever

Book 7 or brown book The Third Wheel

Diary of a Wimpy KidRodrick RulesThe Last StrawDog DaysThe Ugly TruthCabin FeverThe Third Wheel

 

 

 

 

 

ALL ABOUT SECRETS

Submitted by Gwendolyn M on Mon, 10/29/2012 - 3:23pm

Secrets are one of the things that make life a little mysterious. Reading about secrets and whom they involve can cause things to become a little bit crazy. Inspirational Book Club at Northwest will be reading, The Secret of Us. I found this book to be very interesting, especially when it comes to marriage. I have given you a little hint. If you want to know more come and join our book club on November 5, 2012 at 2:00 PM. Even if you haven’t had a chance to read it, your attendance is welcomed.

 

Do Teens Know About Teens Know?

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 10/27/2012 - 8:42am

Hey teens!  Have you checked out HCPL's new Teens Know website?  It's a great resource for all types of things, inside the library and out. 

Want to know what you can do to help out at your local branch?  Check out the Volunteer page.  Interested to see what types of teen programs are going on?  Try the Events page.  Curious to know which YA titles have recently been added to our collection?  It's got you covered there too.

There are also great lists of databases and websites to help you with your homework and prepare you for careers, college, and life after high school, as well as several Health, Wellness & Safety links and some useful information on internet safety.

So if you're looking for something to do today, or just trying to get your homework done, spend some time on the new Teens Know website.  You will almost certainly find something worth your while.

Halloween Hoopla

Submitted by April Z on Thu, 10/25/2012 - 3:37pm

Are you ready for Halloween this year? We sure are here at the Northwest Library. Make plans and save the date for our Halloween Hoopla this Saturday October 27th from 2:00p.m-4:00p.m. All ages are welcome so come in costume and enjoy the special treats we have in store for you. We will have fun games such as Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin, Swamp Fishing, Graveyard Golf, Spider Ring Toss, Monster Photo Area, Crafts, and of course Trick or Treating!  Bring the whole family and enjoy a safe and fun filled afternoon. See ya there!

 

more