Category Classes & Events

Library employee sits on a sofa with an open book in her hands, smiling at the camera. Other books are piles around her.

Let’s Talk Books!

madammommy 2 Comments

I think most of my colleagues would agree that suggesting books to our customers is one of the best parts of our job. The benefit is two-fold. First, we recognize a fellow bibliophile when someone comes to the desk and asks, “Can you suggest a good book?” The person offers us an opportunity to talk about something that we love to talk about – books. Second, the customer, in turn, tells us about the books that they loved, and we reach for pen and paper to note the title and add to our ‘to read’ list. Many customers simply go to the Staff Picks shelf which the library staff keep filled with their favorite books and other materials. More often than not, our Staff Picks are cleaned out by our customers, giving us the opportunity to browse the stacks and find more treasures to fill our shelves.

When the library closed due to the pandemic, we quickly pivoted to virtual classes and online book clubs, yet we missed those customers who came to the library in search of a good read. They browsed our stacks, they asked us for suggestions, and they picked up books from our staff picks. We felt, they are, most likely, missing that personal touch as well.

To bridge the gap between librarians and the book lovers in the community, we came up with a solution which was only second best to meeting in person. Those of us who did reader’s advisory at the library and also gained from the knowledge of books from our community members came together to create a class called Staff Picks and Book Chat.

This is the plan we envisioned. A couple of HCLS staff members will briefly talk about a few books of their choice, then open the floor to the community members who register to attend the class to talk about the books that they loved. Everyone attending will get book suggestions from each other in the process. At this time of physical distancing, it is important we connect, albeit virtually, over something that we love, in this case, our collective love for books. We want to see you regularly, so we decided to hold the sessions every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month from 11 – 11:45 am.

If you would like to join us this Friday, July 10, register here.

The staff of Howard County Library System cannot wait to hear about all the books that you have read and loved.

Piyali is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch, where she co-facilitates both Global Reads and Strictly Historical Fiction.

4/5 of a black star against a parchment background, with Hamilton standing on the "platform" with his arm raised. Text reads, "Hamilton the Revolution."

Everything Hamilton

chtasker Leave a comment
Antique paper background with black image of heroic figure pointing to the sky from on top of a star.

Review by Cherise T.

Alexander Hamilton.

My name is Alexander Hamilton.

And there’s a million things I haven’t done

But just you wait, just you wait…

If this stanza makes your heart beat faster or maybe even brings tears to your eyes, then Hamilton: The Revolution, by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, is the book for you. “Splurge” and download the audiobook as well since Mariska Hargitay’s narration is outstanding. Like the musical itself, words come at the reader fast, and it’s an adventure deciding where to plunge in first. The text, the personal side notations, the primary source materials, and the graphics are a treasure and a joy. The libretto alone would fill a Hamilton fan’s heart, but the book also includes an abundance of stories about the creation of all aspects of the musical. We see the development of the show from the perspectives of creatives and cast members. The vintage-style photographs of the cast taken by Josh Lehrer using a camera lens from the mid-1800s are gorgeous. The book is a celebration of the full arc of the production’s evolution, from Lin’s first rap for the Obamas in 2009 at the White House, through the off-Broadway production, and all the way to opening night on Broadway in 2015. There’s nothing like being in the room where it happens.

On July 13 at 7 pm, author Richard Bell is going to discuss some of the history surrounding Alexander Hamilton. Register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. If you prefer to call in by phone, please register for the class online, then email askhcls@hclibrary.org to request the dial-in information at least 1 business day in advance.

With Disney+ streaming Hamilton this July, University of Maryland Associate Professor of History Dr. Bell explores this musical phenomenon. He discusses what this amazing musical gets right and gets wrong about Hamilton, the American Revolution, the birth of the United Sates, and about why all that matters. It includes an examination of the choices Hamilton’s creators made to simplify, dramatize, and humanize the complicated historical events and stories. We will also talk about Hamilton’s cultural impact: what does its runaway success reveal about the stories we tell each other about who we are and about the nation we made?

Dr. Bell is the author of Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped Into Slavery and their Astonishing Odyssey Home. The book tells the gripping and true story about five boys who were kidnapped in the North and smuggled into slavery in the Deep South – and their daring attempt to escape and bring their captors to justice. The book is available to borrow as a physical book and as an eAudiobook via Overdrive/Libby.

Cherise T. is an Adult Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch. When not immersed in literary fiction, Cherise can be found singing along to musical theater soundtracks.

A beige background with blood red off-kilter font that reads Midnight Riot with the author's name in black sans serif above it. A red splatter colors the top portion of a black line drawing of a map of London, and turns the Thames River red too.

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

Kristen B. Leave a comment
A beige background with blood red off-kilter font that reads Midnight Riot with the author's name in black sans serif above it. A red splatter colors the top portion of a black line drawing of a map of London, and turns the Thames River red too.

Reviewed by Kristen B.

This fast paced police procedural, set in modern London, comes with a twist. Peter Grant’s only goal in life is to be promoted from probationary constable to detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. His plans seem to be thwarted at every turn, and he is sure he will be marking time in a records unit when he gets his first big break: an eyewitness to a murder. The big problem occurs when Peter realizes that said witness is a ghost. Grant then learns about an entire other kind of investigating as he becomes the apprentice to DCI Thomas Nightingale, who investigates uncanny and potentially magical crimes.

Midnight Riot takes you on a fantastic wild ride through London’s neighborhoods and immediate countryside, with Peter Grant as your point of view both to familiar London and to unfamiliar magic. I love Peter to pieces, with his modern take on life, an old-fashioned wish to serve, and perhaps even a mild case of ADD. I learned a bit of modern British slang (some of which I had to look up) and some ancient history about the geography of the River Thames.

If you love to watch Supernatural or enjoy any sort of magical realism, this is the first installment in an established series of books. If you happen to see it listed as Rivers of London, that’s how it was originally published in England. No matter how you find it, it’s a terrific, fun read. You can find it as an eAudiobook via RB Digital.

Books on Tap will be discussing Midnight Riot on Wednesday, June 3 at 6 pm via an online meeting. If you’d like to join us, please register and a WebEx invitation will be sent to you. Many other book discussion groups are also offering online discussions, please join one that suits your reading tastes and schedule!

Kristen B. has worked for HCLS for more than 15 years, and currently hosts Books on Tap discussion group at Hysteria Brewing Company. She loves reading, Orioles baseball, and baking.