September is Library Card Sign-Up Month

In honor of September being Library Card Signup Month, see these titles that are about books and libraries!

For example...Simon, a young librarian on the verge of losing his job, lives alone on the Long Island Sound in his family home, a house perched on the edge of a bluff that is slowly crumbling toward the sea. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. On a day in late June, Simon receives a mysterious package from an antiquarian bookseller. The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler tells the story of Amos and Evangeline, doomed lovers who lived and worked in a traveling circus more than two hundred years ago.Why does his grandmother's name, Verona Bonn, appear in this book? Why do so many women in his family drown on July 24? Could there possibly be some kind of curse on his family? Simon must try to decode his family history while moving on from the past...a wondrous novel about the power of books and family and magic.

And if you agree with Margaret Atwood's famous quote “I believe that everyone else my age is an adult whereas I am merely in disguise," you might like these titles in which children are the main characters. Like Eggshells by Catriona Lally: Odd and lonely Vivian puts out an ad for a friend—specifically one named Penelope—in a local Dublin paper, and when someone fitting that description finally answers, Vivian's life begins to change.

Build a Better World: Coming to America - A Place to Put Down Roots

We have all come to America for similar reasons which can be summed up in one phrase: build a better world for your family.

In an effort to highlight these similarities, we are asking patrons participating in our Summer Reading program to tell us about how their families came to America. Below are a few Coming to America stories. Despite the fact that each patron's background differs from the next, there is one theme that resonates strongly throughout each story: America, a place to put down roots. 

I met my husband two years ago. He is from Jamaica. We got engaged in St Catherine, Jamaica in front of his children and grandchildren. He migrated to USA this past May; with his two younger children. We got married a month ago and it has been a great journey to learn more about his Jamaican culture. He is learning a lot about living in USA. There are a lot of challenges when joining two cultures together. We would not change it for the world. Loving every moment of my new husband and his daughters coming to America.
~ Mona R. 

My family came to America because of their parents and for work and opportunity in America.
~Citizenship student

 They came during the potato famine in Ireland and settled in northern N.J.
~Maureen K.

My family on my mom's side came over on the Mayflower, my family on my dad's side came over in the early 1900's.
~Jessie C.

My family came to the United States to live near my mother's family. I was 8 months old when we came over from France. My brother was 2. He left his Nunu (teddy bear) on the plane. When my parents reported this the plane had already left for Germany. They found Nunu and made sure he arrived safely in Boston so that they could be reunited.
~Katherine R.

I came to the United States in order to join my daughter.
~Citizenship Student

Not sure of your families origins? We have plenty of resources at Worcester Public Library to help you get started, including a subscription to Ancestry!

Build a Better World: End of Summer Reading Book Reviews

Thank you to all who contributed their book reviews as part of our Summer Reading Program. Here are a few more for you to peruse!

Don't forget to check out our upcoming events and book talks coming fall 2017!

Letters from Paris

by Juliet Blackwell

This book review is about "Letters from Paris," a historical/mystery fiction novel by Juliet Blackwell and a book from the recommended reading list. Besides being well written, the book is a wonderful mixture of history, art, love, culture, and mystery. The real-life and famous "L'Inconnue de la Seine," a death mask of a young girl from the late 1800's, is the driving force in Claire Broussard's adventures in Paris. The author writes her own fascinating interpretation of what happened to the young girl from the death mask while Claire, from the present era, learns about buried secrets from her past and where her future life begins. The chapters often change voices and time periods but in a very fluid, natural way. Paris comes to life within these pages, through the eyes of many of the characters. French words are sprinkled throughout the novel as a gentle reminder to the reader that you are still in France despite the novel being written in English. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical fiction, mystery, and Paris life.
~ Lex P.

Being Mortal 

by Atul Gawande 

The book brings to light what end of life discussions could look like. Being mortal means that we will inevitably die, and when we look to medicine and technology to extend our lives, we have to ask what makes life worth living for the few extra months or years. Sometimes having these conversations in a graceful way by asking what's most important to us (e.g. being able to watch football and eat ice cream) will make decisions down the road much easier both for the family and for the people administering treatment or procedures. It's a worthy read to start considering items we put off simply because we can. ~Anita Y.

John Quincy Adams: A Militant Spirit

by James Traub 

I have a project to read a biography of each president. This one is especially good as it is well written and covers a wide span of history and places. JQA led an interesting and long life and kept a detailed diary, all of which makes for a fascinating book. He wasn't a happy person, his parents were so hard on him (as he was on his own children), he had an unhappy marriage, but he ends up gaining my respect by the end. This book provides a lot of perspective on the root causes of the Civil War and the current political situation. Highly recommended!
~Jeanne G.

Inside the Clinton White House: an Oral History

by Russell L. Riley

I read Inside the Clinton White House - and found the beginning and the ending absolutely fascinating. The middle was boring and I mostly skimmed it - but it was a great book overall.
~Melissa C.

Build a Better World: Coming to America - The Land of Opportunity

We have all come to America for similar reasons which can be summed up in one phrase: build a better world for your family.

In an effort to highlight these similarities, we are asking patrons participating in our Summer Reading program to tell us about how their families came to America. Below are a few Coming to America stories. Despite the fact that each patron's background differs from the next, there is one theme that resonates strongly throughout each story: America, the land of opportunity! 

My mom came to America 50 years ago from Norway ... to work at the Worcester Public Library! She lived next door at the YWCA and worked at the downtown branch! She was initially just here for 1 year but ... has now been in Worcester for 50 years. She worked at multiple library branches and then ultimately left the library system not long after my brother was born (then came me!) She later returned to work for CW Mars!
~ Margaret K. 

I came to America to further my education.
~Khym D.

My great grandfather immigrated to the United States from Sicily, Italy in 1912 at only 11 years old with his younger brother who was 8 years old. I don’t know why his family left Sicily. His father, my great-great grandfather had arrived in the United States before them. My great-great grandfather worked as a laborer at a dye company, and my great grandfather followed his footsteps to become the superintendent at that same company. In 1919, he married my great-grandmother who was a U.S. born citizen, and he was naturalized in 1928.
~Lex P.

I came to America 15 years ago, for a job opportunity. It was a one year contract, renewable for up to three years. I came, as you can guess, on a regular commercial flight! Early on in my stay, I met my husband, who grew up in the United States (his great grand-parents emigrated here). We met in North Carolina, got engaged and married there, moved to Colorado, then Maryland, and finally moved here to Worcester, 9 years ago. I did not think that I would emigrate to America, but here I am to stay. My parents and siblings are overseas and thankfully I can visit them often. I have been welcome in America, and I am lucky that I feel at home here too.
~Natalie H.

Want to share your family's Coming to America story? Go to our Summer Reading site and complete the challenge today. 

Not sure of your families origins? We have plenty of resources at Worcester Public Library to help you get started, including a subscription to Ancestry!

Build a Better World: Summer Reads Book Reviews

Our Summer Reading Program ends August 19th. There is still time to sign up for our Adult Summer Reading Program and share your book reviews on our Summer Reading site. Submit 3 book reviews and be entered into a random drawing to win a fun prize. We might even post your book reviews here. Keep those book reviews coming!

The Inheritance

by Louisa May Alcott

This book review is about “The Inheritance” by Louisa May Alcott, author of “Little Women.” This short novel was Alcott’s first, written at 17 years old and truly is a juvenilia work. This book was never published during her lifetime and was found in old records in the 1990s. Sadly, the story is very predictable, and the characters are fairly flat. Edith is an orphan from Italy who’s taken to England by a kind man who takes pity on her and becomes a companion and governess for the Englishman’s daughter. Her saintliness, kindness, and selflessness is spoken of ad nauseam from all the characters around her. I would only recommend this book to people who are big fans of Alcott’s work in general. If not, definitely stick to “Little Women,” which is her masterpiece.
~Lex P.

Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro

I could not get into this book. I have heard that it is interesting and worth reading. I spent about 2 hours listening to the audio book and deleted it. Could not keep my attention.

~Jean P.

113 Minutes

by James Patterson 

This is a fast paced book that you can read in a few hours. A book of sorrow, suspense and revenge. Read it in one sitting. I highly recommend this book.
~Jean P.











Thank you for your wonderful book reviews!

Build a Better World: Share your Book Reviews!

Sharing is caring! Share your book reviews with us on our Summer Reading Site and we will share them here!

Secrets in Summer 
by Nancy Thayer

This book review is about Secrets In Summer by Nancy Thayer. The setting is Nantucket in the summer. The protagonist, Darcy Cotterill, is a librarian which is a bit rare to find in novels and extremely refreshing. Her ex-husband moves in next door for the summer with his new family and naturally turns her life upside-down. If you are looking for a book about relationships, life on Nantucket, or a great beach read, I highly recommend this book. Nancy Thayer's writing of the every-day life is like a very modernized version of Jane Austen.

~ Lex P. 

Wicked

by Gregory Maguire

Wicked gave an interesting view of how the witches of Wizard of Oz got to Oz. The fact they were friends at school before going to Oz was interesting. It explained what happened before Dorothy got there. I loved it.

~Barbara G.

Dazzling 
By Elizabeth Hayley

This was fast-paced and quite enjoyable but I just wanted some closure and a sense of a journey, of both Derrick and Siobhan accepting one another. Overall a good short novel.

~ Viryuana M.

Build a Better World: Coming to America

Chances are your family, like many other families, immigrated to America from another country. Americans hail from a wide variety of countries, cultures, and experiences but our reason for coming to America reveal that despite our differences we are very much alike. Whether your family arrived in America hundreds of years ago or a hundred days ago, the reason to come to America is strikingly similar: build a better world for your family.

In an effort to highlight these similarities, we are asking patrons participating in our Summer Reading program to tell us about how their families came to America. Below are three Coming to America stories. Despite the fact that each patron's background differs from the next, there is one theme that resonates strongly throughout each story: America, a place of refuge. 

My family came over by plane due to the Cultural Revolution, a harrowing time when cultural relics were destroyed, music and literature were banned, re-education took place, and countless people were imprisoned and killed. My parents don't speak much of it, and perhaps it's because it's prohibited in China.
~ Anonymous

My grandparents came to America from Germany in the late 1920's. My grandfather had fought for Germany in the first world war; he could see the writing on the wall, and did not want to fight for Germany again.
~ Sharon B.

My fraternal grandfather came to America during the Armenian Genocide as a child.
~ Danielle T.

Want to share your family's Coming to America story? Go to our Summer Reading site and complete the challenge today. 

Not sure of your families origins? We have plenty of resources at Worcester Public Library to help you get started, including a subscription to Ancestry!