Author: BexBlog

2023 Video Game Roundup

Post author By BexBlog
Post date 25 December 2023

By Public Service Associate Paul

2023 was a remarkable year for gaming and as we come to a conclusion on this 3rd year in the 9th generation of home video game consoles let’s take a look back at some of the best this year had to offer. In no particular order, I would like to highlight some of the games this year that, when faced with the challenge of launching in a window of time that was surrounded by so many other hotly anticipated games, rose to the occasion and left an indelible impression on myself and so many others that I would be remiss to not include them today to share with you all.

Tags gaming, Paul, roundup, staff favorites, video games

staff favorites

Staff Favorites 2023!

Post author By BexBlog
Post date 11 December 2023

Revel in the beauty of the All Staff “Reply All” email! I started an email thread asking for lists of favorite materials published in 2023. Collected below you will find a selection of standouts. There is so much variety here, truly something for everyone. Maybe you’ll feel inspired to try a new title or new author. Maybe this is the encouragement you need to read outside your typical genre! Have fun:) Read something you’ve heard lots about or nothing about. As a staff, we read a lot of fiction — psychological, gothic, horror, historical, romance, thriller. We read a lot in general — memoir, essays, picture books, and manga. You’ll also find our favorite movies, television, and music.

Tags All Staff, books, movies, music, picture books, staff favorites, YA

Recommendations staff favorites

Festive Reads to Help You Enjoy the Holidays!

Post author By BexBlog
Post date 27 November 2023

by Public Service Associate Juliana

Shorter days make me nostalgic for the winter evenings I sat on a low stool, my back warm in front of a fire that my mother built with logs my father stacked all summer. We’d decorate the tree after Thanksgiving with multicolored lights, salt dough angels and crocheted snowflakes.

Tags books, holidays, juliana, reading, traditions

Book Club

Delve into Yiddish Literature with the Library!

Post author By BexBlog
Post date 13 November 2023

By Associate Librarian – Readers’ Advisory Specialist Debbie

The Yiddish Book Center “Stories of Exile Reading Group” continues this Fall and Winter, offering readers a unique opportunity to delve into the rich literary heritage of Yiddish literature!

Tags debbie, reading group, translations, Yiddish, Yiddish Book Center

Booklists Recommendations

Hibernation

Post author By BexBlog
Post date 30 October 2023

by Public Service Associate Autumn

All living things adapt to the onset of winter.¹ Birds tend to migrate.² Foxes, hares, bison and plenty of other animals grow thicker, denser coats, often in cooler, more winter-camouflaged colors. Humans bundle up in thick winter coats and gloves and complain about having to preheat their cars in the morning. Some creatures like bears, however, hibernate.

Tags animals, Autumn, books, hibernation, long books, winter

Recommendations

Discover and Preserve Your Past at the Library!

Post author By BexBlog
Post date 2 October 2023

by Local History Librarian David

With holidays and family gatherings right around the corner, let Bexley Public Library be your place to discover family history and preserve your memories – for free! We have special genealogy programming this October in honor of Family History Month, and we invite you to explore the tools in our Memory Lab.

Tags David, Family History, genealogy, Local History

Booklists Recommendations

Don’t Panic!

Post author By BexBlog
Post date 18 September 2023

by Public Service Associate Hannah

September is National Preparedness Month — a time to prepare for natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. As a library user*, this PSA gets me thinking of all the thrilling apocalypse-type plot lines and thought-provoking stories on our shelves. But Hannah, you say, very real water, fire, and wind cause devastation every day. Where’s the entertainment in that?! Well, without making light of very real situations, think of these books and movies like you would visiting a haunted house or riding a roller coaster. A part of you is scared, and in my case screaming regret, while another part of you knows this is a manageable way to experience hardship and fear in a safe environment. Studies have even shown natural disaster films might teach us to take climate emergencies more seriously while providing tips for how to act in similar circumstances. Plus, it’s cathartic and rewarding to root for a protagonist as they seek shelter and find hope.

Now set your solar flashlight out to charge as we dive into my disaster book and movie recommendations.

Tags books, hannah, movies, recommendations

Recommendations staff favorites

Tolkien’s 50th Death-iversary and Hobbit Day Celebration

Post author By BexBlog
Post date 2 September 2023

by Public Service Associate Luke

September is an important month for Tolkien fans. On the 2nd, his loyal readers celebrate the 50th anniversary of the famed author’s death, both mourning the loss of the greatest fantasy writer to ever live and taking the opportunity to honor the greatest fantasy world to ever exist. Twenty days later, on the 22nd, Tolkien lovers observe the fictional birthdays of two of Tolkien’s central characters: Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins, a day known as Hobbit Day.

Tags books, Luke, recommendations, Tolkien

Book Spotlight Recommendations staff favorites

Book Spotlight: Aug 9–Fog

Post author By BexBlog
Post date 21 August 2023

by Public Service Associate Juliana

Aug 9–Fog by Kathryn Scanlan (2019) | print

Spare • Experimental fiction • Literary realism

Welcome to another Book Spotlight! Today’s feature, Aug 9–Fog, will appeal to those who gravitate toward literary realism.

Literary realism: a literary movement that represents reality by portraying mundane, everyday experiences as they are in real life. (Master Class)

All the books currently checked out on my library card contain the subject “everyday life”, books by Tove Jansson, Virginia Woolf, Kathryn Scanlan. These books highlight the beauty of the day-to-day, the minutiae of real life. This results in leisurely paced narratives that focus on character rather than plot; nothing much happens; characters talk about the weather, daily routines and what they’ll watch later on TV.

Tags book review, book spotlight, books, diaries, juliana, literary realism, recommendations