Spineless, Brainless, Beautiful, and Deadly: The World of the Jellyfish
If you ask me, the jellyfish is one of the most beautiful animals in nature. These gorgeous creatures, which do not possess brains, spines, or even eyes or ears, come…
Ten 1950s Sci-Fi Films for World UFO Day
World UFO Day is today (July 2nd) and as a librarian with a passion for classic horror films, I though it would be fun to celebrate the occasion with some…
Classic of the Month: Captain Blood
Welcome to our latest installment of The Classic of the Month. This month, we're looking at one of my all-time favorite tales of swashbuckling adventure, romance, and revenge. This book…
When Life Gives You Lemons…
Or perhaps this should read "When a Librarian Gives You Lemon Books..." Regardless, the answer is very similar. In the first, you make lemonade. In the second, you make lemonade…
Ligeia, Morella, and Annabel Lee: The Women of Poe
Reading Edgar Allan Poe is like a fever dream. And the more that I read from the Master of the Macabre, the more I realize that he had a very…
I Want My Mummy: Tales of Reanimation, Reincarnation, and Revenge
I enjoy a good horror story, and there's something genuinely chilling about a mummy story. The idea of a being that has survived for hundreds, if nothing thousands of years,…
The Classic of the Month: Silas Marner
Welcome to our second installment of The Classic of the Month! Last month, we looked at the perennially popular Pride and Prejudice. This month, we'll be exploring a slightly less…
Sherlock Holmes: A Study in…
it's only logical that when someone is trying to write a parody or adaptation of a classic story, they will often try to write a title that is similar to…
The Sherlock Holmes Canon: A Celebration for Sherlock Holmes Day (May 22, 2022)
For the longest time, I've considered myself a Sherlock Holmes fan. But, until very recently (within the last two years or so) I would be forced to admit that I…
Fun and Ridiculous Adventures at Wayside School
Summer is almost here, and the last thing anyone wants to talk about is school. Summer is a time for relaxing, having fun, and forgetting all about getting up for…
Beyond Sherlock Holmes: The Other Writings of Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes is easily the most famous detective of all time. And I absolutely love a good Holmes mystery. A couple of years ago, I decided to read all the…
The Classic of the Month: Pride and Prejudice
Welcome to our new series: The Classic of the Month! I love reading the classics! These are a diverse collection of books written by a wide array of authors, but…
Terror in the Snow
There is something beautiful and haunting and even a little scary about the cold. The silent isolation of a snow-covered mountain, the rising unease that comes with being "snowed in,"…
Introducing Large Print Classics!
I'm very excited to introduce a new addition to our collection! Patrons have been asking and we've answered with a new selection of Large Print classics for your reading enjoyment!…
Beautiful Portraits of Our Animal Friends
Whether they're our companions or something we watch in awe from afar, animals are such an important part of our lives (and such a fascinating topic of interest). The books…
A Small List of Giant Books
What is it about giants that capture our imaginations? Perhaps it's just that they're so big. There's something awe-inspiring, frightening, and exciting about a creature that is so much bigger…
A Case of Mistaken Identity
At the end of 2021, I shared my yearly Reading Challenge. Throughout the year, I'm going to share some lists that might help with some of the prompts provided. Of…
Five Fabulous Films to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
I come from a proud family of Cleveland Irish Catholics, and of course St. Patrick's Day is always a time of celebration. Ever since I was a kid, one of…
Author Spotlight: Lewis Carroll
I still remember the illustrations from when I first read Alice in Wonderland. They were done in beautiful gouache, and the book was so big that I had to prop…
Using the NoveList Appeal Mixer
Today, let's talk about NoveList! This is one of my favorite databases offered at the library. It's a great resource for finding your next favorite read. From author, title, and…
Follow the Yellow Brick Road: The Complete Series of The Wizard of Oz books
I was a very avid reader as a child, and my grade school library had a lot of old books. So, I very quickly developed a passion for reading older…
What I’m Reading: March 2022
I don't know about you, but when it comes to books, it appears that my eyes are bigger than my stomach (or rather, my library bag is bigger than my…
Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Adaptations
If you've been reading my blog posts long enough, you'll know that I enjoy a good scary story, a good folktale, and a good classic. So, I guess it's a…
Author Spotlight: John Steinbeck
When I was in high school, if you were to ask me who my favorite author was, hands down I would have told you John Steinbeck. It was no question.…