Friday Ramble

Happy Friday, Reader! It's been a while since our last Friday Ramble, and somehow the first Friday of June (aka: the unofficial first weekend of Summer) feels like the appropriate time to chat. Grab a cool drink to sip, and let's see where the rambling takes us, shall we?

SUMMER READING
Of course this has to top the list today - Summer Reading is back! Wednesday was our official first day to register, and our first program will be a virtual visit to the sea turtle hospital in Marathon, Florida on Wednesday June 15th - a fascinating start to an exciting line-up of programs! This year, most programs will be in person at the Library, with a few special virtual events as well. Swing by our Summer Reading page for all the details and to register if you're a Teen and/or Adult.

Nostalgia Reading
Also known as "rereading classic children's books," but doesn't nostalgia reading sound better somehow? This idea is not a new one for me - I've been revisiting classics via audiobook off and on for a couple years now (highly recommend!), and sometimes there's a children's book in that mix. Most recently, I stumbled upon an audio version of Charlotte's Web narrated by Meryl Streep and a full cast. I love the depth a full cast gives an audiobook: completely unique voices for each character brings the story alive, and this was an excellent casting.
While listening however, I realized something: I'm not sure I'd ever actually read the book. We had a VHS copy of the {original} animated movie that I watched hundreds of times growing up, so I'm very familiar with the story. But I don't know that I ever read the words for myself; so that was fun, catching up on a missed classic. 
Of course, now I'm wondering what other books I didn't actually read and should revisit ...

Summer Plans: Bookish Version
While there are no thrilling vacation destinations on my horizon, I have some pretty exciting plans for the summer: to travel extensively, through space, time, and around the globe, through books. I have added many books to my personal library the last few months, and my goal for the summer is to read many of them {to "catch up" to my TBR would be nearly impossible, ha}. Stay tuned for updates on my progress, as I travel vicariously via pages. I may catch up on movies and series I've missed, also based on books {of course!}!

What are your plans for the summer? Exciting reading lists? Movies or documentaries set in exotic lands - or the reaches of space? Will you be one of the lucky ones traveling? 

No matter your plans, don't forget to register for Summer Reading!

Book Bites Recommends

If you are unfamiliar with Book Bites, it's the "un-book club" offered by the Library. How does it work? Well, on the second Tuesday of every month, a group of avid readers meet at 2pm and discuss the book they've read and loved most since the last meeting. It's always a varied and wide-ranging list of titles discussed, and all come highly recommended by one reader or another (or several!)

Here's the lists of recommended titles from our first three meetings so far this month (and our first meetings after a 2 year hiatus because of the pandemic!):

Another new feature being introduced today: Bookish Delights! Somewhat different from a Friday Ramble, this will be for spotlighting cover reveals and upcoming releases; mini reviews of books I've read and loved and various fun things I'd like to share with y'all.

Today, I've got a few mini reviews to share, but who knows what will be in the next post ...

Love & Saffron (Kim Fay)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a lovely read: decadent and comforting and wholesome and so very like a hearty, rustic country dinner. It's not as "light and fluffy" as you might think, but it is infused with hope and heart and flavor. It feels both cozy and somehow true - I savored it, but read it in a day. It is, quite simply, a lovely treat of a read.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Taylor Jenkins Reid) 
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Whenever a book has so much buzz surrounding it, I'm always a bit skeptical. But I finally gave in and read this one - to see what the fuss was about - and I can understand why people are talking. It's a quick read: I could barely put it down when real life interrupted my reading time! It is also ... Unusual. Engrossing. Salacious. Riveting. And a bit more complex than anticipated. Evelyn's story is messy and convoluted, and completely Hollywood-dazzle. She made decisions that make me cringe and shake me head, but I had to know what she would do next. It reads like a tell-all, but also a late night sleepover gossip session. It may not be for everyone, but I can definitely understand the buzz.

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen (Annabel Abbs)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was an intriguing read. There's secrets and hints of things lurking in the shadows. There's struggle and quiet joy in the simple things. There's friendship - unexpected but real. It's a quiet, comfort-sort of read, with a true homage to the act of cooking and the delight of eating good food.

The Siren of Sussex (Mimi Matthews)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I can't help but fangirl a bit over this one. A gorgeous cover? ✔ An equally gorgeous story? ✔ Victorian fashion? ✔ Horses? ✔ Social drama? ✔ Brainy women who don't wish to be pigeonholed? ✔ A dazzling love story with a kind and respectful hero? ✔ This one checked all the boxes for me, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series to be released (in October).

Once Upon a Fairytale

I'm introducing a new post series today: Once Upon a Fairytale! As a huge fan of fairy tales, I'm always on the look-out for new variations and retellings - and perhaps you are too. Or maybe you've never read one, and would like to try. That's where this series will come into play: each post will feature variations, novelizations, and/or retellings of a particular fairy tale. My hope is that you discover something wonderful, whether you've explored fairy tales in depth or are diving in for the first time.

The first fairy tale feature is The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
All of the books in this list are adaptations, expansions, novelizations, variations or reimaginings of the original tale, and there's a wide variety so hopefully everyone can find their perfect match.
Note: The "target audience" for these also range from elementary to adult. Brief summaries from Goodreads/Amazon/Publishers.

Entwined (Heather Dixon) 

In this retelling of the classic tale, the eldest princess must fight to save her family - and her heart - from an ancient dark magic within the palace walls.

Wildwood Dancing (Juliet Marillier)

This detailed and mood-rich story covers much territory, both mundane and magical. Adult fantasy writer Marillier has uniquely reimagined and blended an assortment of well-known tales and characters -- including fairies, dwarves, witches, vampires, and a frog who is more than he seems -- into a compelling whole in her first book for teens. By the end, all are cleverly bound together, and a mystery is solved. With much to say about human nature and choice, not unlike the moral in fairy tales of old...

the Girls at the Kingfisher Club (Genevieve Valentine)

This reimagining of "the Twelve Dancing Princesses" traces the story of a family of flappers who work in a 1920s speakeasy until their suspicious father decides to marry them off, prompting a confrontation with a bootlegger from the eldest sister's past.

the Thirteenth Princess (Diane Zahler)

A classic fairy tale with a bold twist, The Thirteenth Princess tells the unforgettable story of a magical castle, true love, spellbound princesses -- and the young girl determined to save them all.

Princess of the Midnight Ball (Jessica Day George)

Captivating from start to finish, George's take on the Grimms' tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.

the Restless Girls (Jessie Burton)

A sparkling whirl of a fairy tale -- one that doesn't need a prince to save the day, and instead is full of brave, resourceful, clever young women.

the Princess Curse (Marie Haskell)

An imaginative retelling of the fairy tales The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Beauty and the Beast [...] The Princess Curse combines magic, suspense, humor, and adventure into a story perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine.

the Midnight Dance (Nikki Katz)

Set against the fascinating and moody backdrop of a mysterious boarding school, this intricately crafted novel is filled with magical realism, gothic settings, and the perfect hint of romance.

Friday Ramble

Oh what a whirlwind is March ... but it is, officially, Spring now! There's tiny green leaves on trees and cheerful early blooms spreading their cheer, the days stretching longer with the hope of a new season. And the weather is as wacky as only a Carolina March can be. Some things never change, eh? 

#LucyMaudMarch Update
I'm a little behind on what I planned to read, mostly because I got sidetracked by a few other really good books, including Love & Saffron (Fay) and Run, Rose, Run (Parton + Patterson). Finding out the print in my copy of Pat of Silver Bush was much smaller than remembered slowed things down a bit too, ha ... It was delightful to revisit Silver Bush after many, many years however. I'd like to read one or two more before the end of the month - optimistic, I know. But maybe, just maybe ... I'll keep you posted. 

Have you done any Lucy Maud reading?

Tolkien Reading Day
Today is a glorious day for fans of hobbits and elves and dwarves! On this day, in the Lord of the Rings, the Ring was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. You can find out more from the Tolkien Society here, and if you want to find a Middle Earth-related (or Tolkien-related!) read for the weekend, here's a quick link to a broad library search.

Audiobooks
Over the last several years, I've really fallen in love with audiobooks ... the make me feel like my driving time is somewhat productive, and it's fun to mix things up a bit. Typically, I've listened to the more traditional books on CD/MP3, but recently I discovered how to connect my phone to the car audio, and can now play digital audiobooks in my car! It's glorious, ha. My favorite part is being able to pick up the story again easily if I switch cars, or if the urge to take a nice spring walk arrives - just switch to earbuds and I can listen and walk.

Have you explored our collection of e-audiobooks in the Digital Depot? There's over 400 to listen to! And you can search, download, check out (and return), and listen all within the Libby app! So easy!

And for even more, you can swing by the NCKids collection (just add NCKids as another library in Libby, pick Randolph County, and sign in with your library card & PIN numbers). NCKids is a great resource for elementary and middle grade books - although they have some YA fiction as well.

Read Together

As I'm playing catch-up with my TBR {To Be Read} list, trying to balance backlist titles and new releases, I recently stumbled my way into reading two novelized accounts of Agatha Christie's disappearance back-to-back. Each novel was unique in their approach, perspective, and theory as to "why" and "how" Agatha vanished - so much so that reading them back-to-back gave an added dimension to each.

Obviously, I'd recommend reading The Mystery of Mrs. Christie (Marie Benedict) and The Christie Affair (Nina De Gramont) together, but might I also suggest the following, to further round out the experience?

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Agatha Christie)
Agatha's first Hercule Poirot book, and the namesake of the house/estate she and her husband purchase (the one she runs away from).

The Grand Tour: Letters and Photographs from the British Empire Expedition 1922 (Agatha Christie)
Agatha spent a year abroad with her husband, where the things she saw (and the people she met) inspired characters and events to occur in her novels to come.

The 8:55 to Baghdad (Andrew Eames)
After divorcing Archie Christie (after her mysterious disappearance), Agatha traveled some on her own.

Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life (Laura Thomspon)
A recent-ish biography of Agatha, for those who'd like to know more facts.

#LucyMaudMarch

I recently joined a readalong on Instagram for L.M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle (also available as an ebook through NCKids digital). It ended up being a reread for me - Goodreads informed me I first read it back in 2014 - but there is something about Montgomery's writing that begs to be revisited again and again. I couldn't tell you how many times I've read the Anne of Green Gables series, and even though I know exactly what is going to happen - have some passages practically memorized - it always feels like going home, opening the pages and getting lost in that familiar and cozy world. Rereading The Blue Castle, and seeing plans on Instagram for a few other specific Montgomery readalongs, got me thinking ... and what started as an off-hand comment to a friend began to take root. 

I'd like to officially invite you to join me for #LucyMaudMarch - a relaxed and informal reading of L.M. Montgomery (aka: Lucy Maud). There is no required reading - I won't ask you to read a particular book on a particular week - and there are no group discussions. This is merely a chance to revisit - or perhaps discover for the first time! - a simpler time.

While most famous for the much beloved Anne Shirley, Montgomery wrote many more books about other fascinating and enchanting heroines. There's Emily of New Moon, and Jane of Lantern Hill. Kilmeny of the Orchard, Pat of Silver Bush, and The Story Girl. And let's not forget Anne's youngest daughter, Rilla of Ingleside, coming of age during WWI.

Perhaps you'd like to learn more about Montgomery herself, either in a biography (House of Dreams) or a novelization (Maud). 

Maybe you want to introduce a young reader to Anne, in which case I highly recommend the work of Kallie George. With dreamy illustrated books like Goodnight, Anne and If I Couldn't be Anne and a first-chapter series that begins with Anne Arrives, you can tell George is a kindred spirit. 

Another kindred spirit is Winston-Salem author Sarah McCoy - Marilla of Green Gables is an imagining of Marilla's life in the before times, and is an engrossing story on its own, as well as a loving homage to the original.

There are so very many options, more even than mentioned here, and I invite you to read any that catch your fancy, at any point during the month of March. All I ask if that if you do, let us know. I'd love to know what you read and what you think. Comment on any of the posts I make during the month, or tag us in your posts (and please, use the #LucyMaudMarch hashtag too!).