TAG: books

Q&A with romance novelists: Asa Maria Bradley, Katee Robert, and Rebecca Zanetti

Posted in Explore and Discover on January 24, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge My inner fangirl starts jumping up and down every time I find out that an author is coming to the library to give a reading or discuss writing. So you can imagine the backflips (my inner fangirl is much more flexible than I am) when I heard that three amazing authors are […]

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New year, new stitch: cross-stitching with attitude

Posted in Explore and Discover on January 17, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Stefani Miller Looking for something new try in 2017? Consider cross-stitch. Cross-stitch—a once neglected art form (some may argue)—is making a serious comeback with new patterns and a healthy dose of attitude. Out with the elaborate garden scenes. In with sugar skulls and humorous, snarky sayings. In other words, this is definitely not yo […]

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Cult films and why we love, hate them

Posted in Explore and Discover on January 10, 2017 at 6:00 am

  By Melanie Boerner You know you have one—the movie you can quote on the fly (and for some of us, from beginning to end). Or you may have one movie that, when mentioned, you cringe because you loathe it. These are the movies we’ve watched dozens (100s?) of times—whether we like them or not. […]

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Reluctant readers, the right books, and Minecraft

Posted in Explore and Discover, kids, Parents and Teachers on January 3, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Do you have a kid who is a reluctant reader? When kids complain that reading is boring, they are probably just reading the wrong book. . . for them. Reluctant readers often will try books about things that they already love. If you have a Minecrafter in your house, you may have checked […]

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Broadway Court Estates Book Club (when the library comes to you)

Posted in Explore and Discover, For You on December 27, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge Meet Charline and Margy (standing) and Suzanne, Jean, and Winnie (seated)—about half of the Broadway Court Estates Book Club (busy schedules and winter colds prevented others from making it). I was invited come along to their December meeting by Margy, Public Services Specialist at Spokane Valley Library and facilitator of the group […]

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Romance families and their sagas

Posted in Explore and Discover on December 13, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Stefani Miller Have you ever really loved a character and wished there were 10 more just like him or her? Behold! I bring you the family saga romance. In this romance sub-genre, not only do you get to follow the story of the character you love but also the stories of that character’s brothers, […]

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Gift guide: kids books perfect for giving (and reading)

Posted in Explore and Discover on November 22, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs In looking over the thousands of books published in 2016, I have found that there’s no shortage of great gift ideas for the children and teens on your holiday list. A few high profile releases come out before or around Thanksgiving: Diary of a Wimpy Kid #11: Double Down and the newest […]

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them… in the library

Posted in Explore and Discover on November 15, 2016 at 6:00 am

By David Wyatt In just a few days, movie-goers will be returning to J. K. Rowling’s wizarding world on screen when Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters. It’s been a pretty good year for Potter and company: the new play in London Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and a little closer […]

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Scary books worth losing sleep over

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 25, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Kathryn Illback Curling up with a good book and something warm to drink is a favorite pastime of mine all through the year, but there’s something particularly wonderful about it in October. The changing leaves, the shorter days, the crisp air, and the all-encompassing miasma of pumpkin spice everything make me want to hunker […]

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Bringing family together: picture books for older kids

Posted in Explore and Discover, kids on October 11, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Melanie Boerner Picture books are known for their 40 pages (or less) of illustrations and text that tell a story for young children. And most kids leave picture books behind when they enter higher elementary grades. But wait, don’t disregard picture book reads entirely for these grades! Authors and illustrators are penning picture books […]

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