#libraries rock

[shannoneichorn]

Pardon my silence. I'm binge reading Vorkosigan, because my library has the audiobooks and DragonCon was A LOT.

[grungeouttakesabstracts]

Little Free Library

(Shout-out to everyone who puts one of these up!)

Cambridge, Massachusetts -- 4/21/20

[always-coffee]

I Love Libraries: Cat Month!

This made me smile!

[goodwomanbadlady]

I started watching NYE on YouTube to try and escape everything and stop doom scrolling. I am sitting here absolutely sobbing over the library scene.

I grew up very much in a library. My aunt was head librarian for 40 years. We had family dinners in the meeting room. We were allowed to check out books when the library technically wasn't open. I knew then how lucky we were. Not lucky in many other respects, but in that I knew we were.

I'm seriously trying not to imagine my country without that. I know that what we are facing is so much more than that. It's people's lives. It's a possible dictator regime. The people that chose that potential future weren't the ones taking advantage of libraries. They couldn't have been. A library opens your eyes not just to the endless other worlds out there, both fictional and not. It opens your eyes to your community. To the people who are different from you but share commonalities like where you call home. I can't imagine someone actually going to our local library regularly and seeing all the people who live here and hating them.

But I know they do. I've seen the unhoused around our library and the ugliness they received both from the public and our pigs. I've seen the looks people give to those with a different melanin or culture. Never a word spoken but the resentment of people for just existing. And I think to myself, how? How do you share a community and read/watch/learn about other people's lives and not recognize the same in your neighbors?

Recently, I was considering downsizing my personal library to spread for others. Now, I have to protect them for our future. I have an entire fiction collection written to address how to cope with grief. I thought I didn't need them anymore. Now I think they'll be needed by many.

Y'all, I'm sorry this post is so hard. I live in a red state. I live in a college town with so many different people. We've already lost people to this. Please please please don't give up. Hell, reach out and we can commiserate and then build each other back up.

Gonna go try to watch some more now. If you got this far, thanks for listening/reading. 🫂 📙📘📗📓📕📔📖

[noahhawthorneauthor]

Did you know you can request Phantom and Rook at your local library, or through Hoopla and Libby? Requesting titles in person or online is a great way to support your favorite indie authors, and your library by showing them what patrons are interested in. (Hint, it's queer books)

And if you want a copy for yourself, I have signed copies in my bookstore!

🌻📚🌈🎧

Arlo Rook has decided it’s time to move out of Garren Castle, home for orphans of all races, magical or not, at 100 years old.

It’s not the first time he’s left home, but a setback landed the Hedge Witch in the hospital a year ago, and subsequently back to square one. Now he's ready to strike out on his own, despite his friend’s worries he's not ready.

Thatch Phantom is an immortal, the last of his kind and perpetually bored. When he’s not closing interdimensional rifts and corralling trouble in the universe, he’s visiting his favorite city of all, Levena. No one remembers him, but he's made an everlasting impact on the city nonetheless.

Long ago, he set up an anonymous scavenger hunt for the starving village, providing them with a year’s worth of supplies. He upped the ante each year, providing less practical things, as the village had become a city and was wealthy beyond belief. Festivals are thrown in his honor to this day, or a version of him, that is.

Thatch has decided to throw a wild card into this year’s Game. Whoever discovers his true identity will win one wish of their choice, no restrictions. Aside from the obvious, such as no falling in love, murder or resurrection.

Arlo crashes into the mess of copper curls and bright eyes, who throws apothecary goods and his life into a chaotic mess. It certainly wasn’t the first they met, but Arlo doesn’t remember him. Thatch, however, never forgot the Witch with a familiar soulmark on his face.

What follows is a hilarious and wholesome series of events that teases the immortal with the one thing he wants most.

Someone to call home.

[dont-read-this-im-dead]

Sitting in the library, reading The Library Book. 😆

[avikats66]

Just a library worker here reminding everyone to check out whatever online resources and e-library systems are available at your local library. From streaming services to databases to learning programs, you may very well be quite surprised by all the things a library card (or just using a library computer/wifi network) can give you access to!

[somedayourocean]

I love my local library!!!! Picked up these babies from the freebies shelf and I'm gonna gut them and fill them with filthy, filthy fanfic. They're already looking better without the dust jackets. (Garbage humans go in the garbage can!)

[tiger-in-the-flightdeck]

The library has a few other cool looking clubs I might take part in. There's a general crafting circle, a comic book club, and a bookbinding club.

It tells you a heck of a lot about me, seeing the list of things I consider Cool...

[raspberryconverse]

He says that like it's not something that happens at least once a week 😆

[cheshirelibrary]

Do love learning? Do you dream of taking college classes, but the cost and the time is too much? Are you taking a high school or college class and struggling to understand the material?  Did you cut your cable, and can’t find anything decent to watch anymore?

Fear not! The Great Courses are here!

Cheshire Public Library has always had a handful of these delightful media, but through a generous donation, we’ve been able to greatly expand our holdings to more than 70 titles.

What are the Great Courses?  Professional college-level lectures on audiobook or DVD on a variety of topics, given by actual college professors and experts (like Neil DeGrasse Tyson!), that will give you the equivalent of an entire college class in the comfort of your car or living room. Some come with study guides and questions to think about, but you will never have a test or a grade at the end!

...

Read more on The Cheshire Library Blog.

[b-oredzoi]

some choice bookmarks donated to our library by elementary schoolers

[always-coffee]

This morning’s mug (waiting for the coffee to finish brewing). It’s obviously a @neil-gaiman quote, and you can snag one of your very own from the NYPL.

It makes a lovely gift!

[catboynutsack]

i heard you like bad boys..............well I have 48 overdue library books and $40 in late fines ;)

[goodwomanbadlady]

Just stopped by my local library and I am a sucker for short stories so I picked it up to check it out and lo and behold! Look at that cover! So I kinda smirked and then my eyes Fell on the book on the shelf directly below it and my dears, I took it as a sign. The brainrot is definitely real, but that's not a bad thing.

[noahhawthorneauthor]

Did you know you can listen to Phantom and Rook thru your library? 🎧🏳️‍🌈🍁📚

Libby is an app where you can check out audiobooks and ebooks using your library card. Even if a book isn't available, you can request it which let's the librarians know there is a demand for it.

Phantom and Rook is available in a few libraries, and today it was added to the New York Public Library. (NYC) No matter where in NY you live, you can get an online card there. I think a few US states have this option with big city libraries, but I only know of NY for sure.

I love Libby, and a great way to support indie authors is simply by getting them added to a libraries catalog. Did you know they get paid each time their book is checked out?

Anyways, enjoy!

Phantom and Rook on Libby

Blurb:

Arlo Rook has decided it’s time to move out of Garren Castle, home for orphans of all races, magical or not, at 100 years old.

It’s not the first time he’s left home, but after a setback that landed the Hedge Witch in the hospital a year ago, he ended up right back at square one. But now he’s ready to strike out on his own, despite his friend’s worries that he’s not ready for the ‘real world.'

Then, he crashes into a mess of copper curls and bright eyes, sending apothecary goods and his life into a chaotic mess. Thatch is a mysterious and incredibly wealthy benefactor of Levena, only spoken of but never seen. He requests a night of Arlo’s company and a tour of the city, which Arlo immediately declines.

But that’s not the last time they see each other, and it certainly wasn’t the first. Arlo doesn’t remember him, no one remembers Thatch after he visits, but Thatch never forgot the Witch with a familiar soulmark on his face.

Thatch Phantom is an immortal, the last of his kind and perpetually bored. When he’s not closing inter-dimensional rifts and corralling demons, he’s visiting his favorite city of all, Levena. Centuries ago, when life was particularly dull, he set up a scavenger hunt for a starving village, providing them with a year’s worth of supplies.

He anonymously returned year after year, upping the ante and providing less practical things, as the village had become a city and was wealthy beyond belief. Festivals were thrown in his honor, and have continued every year since. Hundreds of years later, The Game is still put on by the fabled ‘Scarlet Illusionist’, but no one has figured out who blesses them with the puzzles.

Once again, Thatch is listless and has decided to throw a wild card into this year’s Game. Whoever discovers him will win one wish of their choice, no restrictions. Aside from the obvious, such as no falling in love, murder or resurrection.

What he didn’t anticipate was crashing into the one person whose soul mark flares like a beacon when Thatch is around, teasing the immortal with the one thing he wants most.

Someone to call home.

What follows is a wild chain of events filled with magical coffee shops, villains with vendettas against cheese makers, moving tattoos, grand puzzles, and second chances at love, and life.