Keep Your Hands Inside the Vehicle and Quit Poking Your Fingers Through the Fence!

There have been a lot of young adult books published lately about the undead. I think these two books about stand out from the rest. These zombies don't put on cheerleading uniforms or attend school. Not that there is anything wrong with that but would you go to school if you turned into a zombie?

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan is a haunting tale. Mary has never known a world that exists without the undead that lurk outside the village walls. Mary has a hard time finding her place in the world. The undead, an unknown future in the village, and a love triangle don't help much. Every sense of security she knows is destroyed and there is only thing left for her to do...run...

In Soulless by Christopher Golden the zombie threat is new. Things get way out of hand when three powerful mediums get together to perform a seance on live television. Soulless reads like a movie screenplay. There is a ton of action and a lot of players get into the game. Not all of them get out.

How much green will you save?

Right now I have 2 movies, 4 hardcover books, and 3 paperback books checked out on my library card. If I bring those items back 3 days late it will cost me $7.20. Ouch! But if I went to the bookstore and bought the same items it would cost $172. At least that $7.20 will go towards operating the library and I can come back and check out even more books and movies. Want to know how much money you could save by using your local library? Visit the Library Use calculator, http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/library-use-calculator/, on the South Carolina State Library website.

Ultimate Eragon Playlist

Nominate a song for the Ultimate Eragon Playlist by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. We'll post the playlist after March 15th.

Movies Based on Books

January and February will be fantastic months for book to movie adaptations!



On January 23rd Cornelia Funke's Inkheart makes it to the big screen! Brendan Fraser stars as Mo (also known as Silvertongue), a man who can read books to life. Literally! The words he reads have the power to jump off of the page and into the real world! Unfortunately, that isn't always a good thing as he accidentally reads a villain out of the book, Inkheart, into the real world. The previews look absolutely stunning. I am glad they were able to get Brendan Fraser to star as Mo as Ms. Funke had stated many times that he was her model for the character! On Friday, February 6th at 4 p.m. The Nancy Carson Library will be having a program to celebrate the movie's release and to talk a little about the trilogy. Don't miss it!



Also coming is the animated version of Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Now, Coraline is marketed as a kid's book, but let me tell you - this is not just a kid's book. This has some serious scares! Coraline is a normal curious girl. She tends to get bored a lot and so spends a lot of time exploring her house and the yard beyond. One day she finds that a door in her house leads to another world! This world is a lot like ours at first but then Coraline begins to notice very strange things that happen in this new world. This movie looks creepy and fun, just like the book. I'll be there opening night for this one! Maybe I'll see you there.

During the month of February the Nancy Carson Library will be showing the following movies:

The Secret Life of Bees, Madagascar Escape 2 Africa, and High School Musical 3. Check our website for dates and times! ABBE Regional Library System

Against Medical Advice

I don't usually like to read books by popular authors. I prefer the treasures that no one else is interested in reading. However, when I saw James Patterson's new subject material, I couldn't say no. I am a sucker for real stories. Against Medical Advice is an amazing true story that tells the struggles of a young man who is struck with a severe case of Tourette's Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders. Tourette's Syndrome can be very debilitating, causing involuntary body movements and a number of other "tics". This young man would "tic" so severely at times that he would physically injure himself, often tearing muscles and biting down so hard that he would crack his teeth. This book is a must read for those who are looking for something to be thankful for.

Be an Angel and Donate a Book!

Do you need a special holiday gift for the person who has everything? Donate a book in honor of or in memory of a loved one for $15.00 at one of these libraries: Aiken County Public Library, Nancy Carson Public Library, Barnwell Public Library, Bamberg Public Library and the Edgefield Public Library. A bookplate with your message will be placed in the book you donate.

Now more than ever we need money for books. State budget cuts have virtually wiped out our book budgets this year. Contact aikenlibspace@abbe-lib.org if you are interested in donating but can't stop by one of these libraries.
Thanks!

Harry Potter Withdrawals?

So, it's been over a year since the last Harry Potter book and this week SHOULD have been the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to theaters. Unfortunately it's been pushed back and the release of the short story collection, Beedle the Bard won't be released until December 4th. What to do?!?!? If you're like this library staff member, you'll be trying to find something to help fill that void in your reading life. Well, I have a suggestion for you. Start with this book

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Here's a little synopsis of the book from Publisher's Weekly (Via Amazon.com): Twin 15-year-old siblings Sophie and Josh Newman take summer jobs in San Francisco across the street from one another: she at a coffee shop, he at a bookstore owned by Nick and Perry Fleming. In the vey first chapter, armed goons garbed in black with "dead-looking skin and... marble eyes" (actually Golems) storm the bookshop, take Perry hostage and swipe a rare Book (but not before Josh snatches its two most important pages). The stolen volume is the Codex, an ancient text of magical wisdom. Nick Fleming is really Nicholas Flamel, the 14th-century alchemist who could turn base metal into gold, and make a potion that ensures immortality. Sophie and Josh learn that they are mentioned in the Codex's prophecies: "The two that are one will come either to save or to destroy the world." Mayhem ensues, as Irish author Scott draws on a wide knowledge of world mythology to stage a battle between the Dark Elders and their hired gun—Dr. John Dee—against the forces of good, led by Flamel and the twins (Sophie's powers are "awakened" by the goddess Hekate, who'd been living in an elaborate treehouse north of San Francisco). Not only do they need the Codex back to stop Dee and company, but the immortality potion must be brewed afresh every month. Time is running out, literally, for the Flamels. Proceeding at a breakneck pace, and populated by the likes of werewolves and vampires, the novel ends on a precipice, presumably to be picked up in volume two.

I LOVE that Mr. Scott has used actual characters from Mythology and History to punctuate his magical stories. You'll be clamboring to learn which characters were real and which characters are from Mythology! I know I was intrigued by Dr. John Dee and looked up his history numerous times while reading this story! Nicholas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, are characters that you will love and root for. I love the twins as well, though I do find myself growing aggravated with Josh at times, much as I did with Harry in Order of the Phoenix!

The sequel, The Magician, is already available on our shelves! Mr. Scott has planned for there to be six volumes in the series. The first book has already been optioned to be made into a movie! The third book, The Sorceress, will be released in May 2009. Keep an eye on this series. If Mr. Scott keeps writing such wonderful books, he's sure to be on everyone's To-Read list!

To find out more about this series, visit the ABBE Libraries! You can also find more information at Mr. Scott's website as well as the Official Random House Site: The Alchemyst.

I hope you enjoy Mr. Scott's work as much as I have!