News and Blog for Niles Public Library
The Scar Boys is currently one of my favorite books I have read in the past few years. Myself being a musician playing guitar, I could connect to this story on a personal level. You do not have to be a musician to enjoy this book though. The Scar Boys exemplifies what is like to be in a band, why you form one, and sometimes how they sometimes break up on a first hand account from the author.
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Well, we’ve arrived at the very darkest time of the year, literally. With just 9 hours, 7 minutes and 43 seconds of daylight, December 21 is the darkest day of our year. The one positive about this day is that we’ve finally hit bottom, and our days will grow gradually brighter and brighter for the next six months.
Aside from eating massive amounts of carbs (mmm … potato pancakes) during the winter months, I’ve found that listening to music — with the volume turned up LOUD — makes a huge impact on my mood when the sun is missing. Music also makes the time I spend in the gym working off those carbs bearable.
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Once again, Kinsella brings her brand of fluff to fiction.
Straying once again from her mainstay Shopaholic series, this stand-alone story revolves around Lottie and Ben, a couple who reunite after years and rekindle their love affair. Soon they are getting married. Lottie’s family thinks this is a drastic mistake, so they do everything in their power to stop the quickie marriage from being consummated. Sound silly? I will not lie: It is. However, it would not be Kinsella if it was not knee-deep in silly. That is part of the appeal here; you do not read this in place of Tolstoy. You read this at a beach or on vacation when you are trying to escape from reality.
When you want something meaty and in-depth to read, please do not seek out Kinsella. If you do not want to think and you want to escape into a fun, light story, Sophie Kinsella is for you!
Wedding Night is available for check out at the Niles Public Library!
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Nothing brings people holiday cheer quite like turning on the radio and listening to holiday classics sung by various artists throughout the ages. But what happens when you have a particular song you want to hear that isn’t playing on the radio, or you want to listen to holiday music on your own time? This season the Niles Library is bringing you the gift of music, so stop in to pick up a CD (or six) of your favorite holiday tunes.
Here’s a small sample of the vast collection of holiday albums we have to offer:
2) The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album
3) Christmas Portrait (The Carpenters)
5) Merry Christmas (Mariah Carey)
6) A Motown Christmas (Jackson 5)
7) The Very Best of Bing Crosby Christmas
8) A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra
9) The Lost Christmas Eve (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
10) Cole, Christmas, & Kids (Nat King Cole)
And as always, you can check out dozens of other music genres in our catalog here. Or you can download up to ten of your favorite Christmas carols this month onto your tablet, iPhone, or other mobile device using Hoopla, a new service that lets you instantly borrow movies, music and more 24/7 with your Niles Public Library card. Check it out at hoopladigital.com/home.
Have fun jamming out to your favorite hits!
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Spy thriller author John le Carre writes complicated, twisted tales of suspense and covert ops. In the 60s he wrote about the Cold War – now it’s the Middle East. First let’s go over some of le Carre’s past film adaptations: most recently Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011), The Constant Gardener (2005), The Tailor of Panama (2001) and The Spy Who Came In From the Cold (1965). All of these films have one thing in common: they are dry and very confusing, at least to me.
Now let’s look at A Most Wanted Man, also based on a le Carre book. This film is fast-paced and filled with intensity and action, but easy to follow. Is it le Carre’s novel writing that has gotten less muddled and involved? Well, maybe. Is it because we, as an audience, are more prepared for convoluted plots, with more and more spy action thrillers being made (The Bourne series, the recent Bond movies, etc.)? Could be, but I think it has more to do with how the book is adapted…how expert the screenwriter is at adapting the twists and turns on the screen.
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The holidays wouldn’t be complete without a few classic holiday movies – and here at the Niles Public Library, we’ve got a plethora of tinsel-wrapped flicks to choose from. Stop in to pick up one of these DVDs and then hurry home, wrap yourself in a warm blanket, and sip hot cocoa as you enjoy some family entertainment.
1) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
2) A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
3) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
5) Elf (2003)
8) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
9) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1965 & 2000)
12) Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
This is just a taste of what the Library has to offer, so if your favorite isn’t on this list, browse through our catalog! Or you can download up to ten holiday music and movie favorites this month onto your iPhone, tablet, or other mobile device using hoopla, a new service that lets you instantly borrow movies, music and more 24/7 with your Niles Public Library card. Visit hoopladigital.com/home to sign up for this FREE service!
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Never heard of it? Well, it got a VERY small theatrical release (I’m not sure if it ever even got released on the Chicagoland area). And with stars like Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson, that is surprising and sad. But, alas, that’s the business of Hollywood for you.
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It’s officially the holiday season, which means kids will be out of school and the department store lines will be winding out the door as the holidays are fast-approaching. This also means that it’s the perfect time to stay in during the cold weather and get lost in a good book (or two, or twenty). Now you can put that reading to good use by joining the Niles Public Library’s Winter Reading Club!
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Joining in the fun of the Holiday Season, fifteen Niles teens decorated the Niles Library Tree for the 5th Annual Festival of Trees in the Center Court of Golf Mill Shopping Center.
The theme for the 2014 library tree, Fandoms Unite, was chosen by the Niles Teen Advisory Board. The teens decked the tree with characters from Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek, Frozen, Hunger Games, Dr. Who and Divergent. Yoda, the winner of the 2013 Teen Read Month Heroes vs. Villains Sci-Fi Tournament, is the star of the tree. To vote for the Niles Library Tree please bring canned goods to the Customer Service office across from the Golf Mill Professional Building elevators. Each donated food item counts as one vote. Voting ends on Sunday, December 14, 2014.
If you’re a teenager interested in joining the Niles Teen Advisory Board, click here!
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Are you a fan of the Hobbit movies? Here are some of my favorites that might hold you over until the Battle of the Five Armies is released (Dec. 17, but who’s counting?). These are my picks for live action fantasy/fairy tale/adventure/romance movies that are pure escapism. And don’t forget, you can catch up on the first two movies on the big screen here at the Niles Library over Winter Break: An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug.
Alice in Wonderland (2010, PG)
The Chronicles of Narnia series: Lion, Witch and Wardrobe (2005, PG), Prince Caspian (2008, PG), Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2011, PG)
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