Hot town, summer reading in the city

Grab your sunscreen and sweet iced tea, because these sizzling reads are fresh off the press! Whether it’s a psychological thriller, action-adventure, or a compelling love story, the Richland College Library is your place to grab this summer’s hottest reads.

The Trials of Apollo: the Dark Prophesy. Let the sun shine on this brand new series from Rick Riordan! Apollo, god of the sun and music, is cast down to Earth as an awkward teenage boy, charged with the task of restoring the Oracles that have gone dark. He’ll have to enlist the help of a dragon, a sorceress, and the son of Hephaestus to defeat the evil Triumvirate. With a marvelous mix of action, pop culture, and droll humor, the Dark Prophesy expands Riordan’s singular twist on classic mythology.

Dragon Teeth. While you’re waiting in mild agony for the new season of Westworld, check out this new novel by its creator, Michael Crichton. Nothing gets as hot as Texas in the summer…unless it’s the Wild West during the days of the gold rush. Two paleontologists pillage, deceive, and sabotage each other in the hunt for dinosaur fossils. Filled with Old West villains, lost treasure, and historic discoveries, this adventure will leave you wanting to pick up a fossil hunter’s hammer and sieve.

Into the Water. Cool down by going Into the Water. Paula Hawkins, whose debut The Girl on the Train exploded onto the literary scene, delivers another captivating thriller. When two women are found dead in the river that runs through the sleepy English town, the water isn’t the only thing that is disturbed by their deaths. Secrets, suspense, and darkness drip down into the reader’s imagination as only Hawkins can eerily achieve.

Crazy is My Superpower. AJ Mendez Brooks didn’t become a WWE superstar overnight. Labeled a “nerdy, loud, crazy, freak,” this unconventional girl with unconventional heart and drive pushed through labels and expectations of what a girl wrestler “should” be. With humor and wit, AJ opens up in this inspiring autobiography about embracing her weaknesses and transforming them into her greatest strengths.

The Sun is Also a Star. A dazzling story of love, the universe, and fate that brings people together. Set in New York, two teens fall in love amidst familial expectations, the looming threat of deportation, and the illogical nature of life. Bittersweet, yet hopeful, Nicola Yoon’s new novel will have you believe in the power of possibility.

Those with current DCCCD employee and student I.D. numbers may link through the titles above and log in to request items be taken to their favorite college libraries for pick up. Ask at the reference desk.

-Ariel Slick

Carnegie Medal book nominees at your library

 

The shortlisted books for the recently-established Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction have been announced, and you can check them all out at the Richland College Library.

The awards - one for fiction, one for nonfiction - will be announced at this month's American Library Association conference. They are a joint effort from the ALA and the Carnegie Institute in New York.

In fiction:
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat (also available as an ebook)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

In nonfiction:
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink (also available as an ebook)
On Paper: The Everything of Its Two-Thousand Year History by Nicholas A. Basbanes

All but On Paper were also listed in The New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2013.

If you'd like to read a review of any of these books, you may click on the linked title above, then click on the book cover image in the description page. The library website offers this feature for most newer titles in the district.

Focus Friday: Gale Virtual Reference Library

The Gale Virtual Reference Library is one of the most convenient and comprehensive databases that Richland Library offers, and DCCCD students can access it from anywhere there is an Internet connection.

The GVRL contains hundreds of full-text eBooks covering art, biography, business, education, environment, history, law, literature, medicine, multicultural studies, nation and world topics, religion, science, social science and technology.

My love for this database comes from its simplicity in browsing and retrieval. Use the search box located at the top of the home page or browse a particular eBook by clicking on the book itself, which will then display the table of contents.

The GVRL has many features, and allows students to save articles as they browse. By simply clicking the “Save Article” button located below each search result citation, the article is added to the “Saved Articles” list. Users can add up to 50 articles, which is great for writing in-depth research papers. From there, users can email saved articles to themselves or other users.

Create a Gale Bookmark in order to access saved articles after you have logged out.

Other features include the “Translate Article,” “Listen,” and “Download MP3” buttons. The “Translate Article” button includes a drop down list of 12 languages including Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), and French. Once the language is selected, a new window pops up with the translated article.

The “Listen” tool is also very impressive as the accent of the program reading the words sounds like a native speaker is reading. Users can even download articles and listen a later time. This is quite an amazing tool, and I think it is very good for people who are trying to improve in any language.

One of the most useful features I found was the citation tool, which will generate a citation of the article for you. Use this tool with discretion as some of the citations may have errors.

Working with this database is a great experience when used to its full potential. Check it out and see what you think.

Access it by going to the Richland College Library webpage, clicking on the green "Databases" tab, clicking on the “G” on the A-Z list, and clicking on the link to Gale Virtual Reference Library. (A log on is required outside of the library.)

C. Haynes