Author Archives: Julie Humphrey

What We’re Reading: Take Out

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Take Out book cover

Available on the New Book Shelf at the Durham Tech Main Campus Library

Title: Take Out: A Mystery

Author: Margaret Maron

Read by: Mary Kennery, Library Technician

Genre: Mystery

Why did you choose to read this book?
 I read all of the Deborah Knott character series of books. This is the first Sigrid Harald, a  NYPD homicide detective, book that I tried.

What did you like about it?
 I like to read a mystery. I enjoyed learning about the new character (for me). The neighborhood residents each had a rich history.

Did it remind you of any other book, or a movie?
Margaret Maron concluded the Deborah Knott series 2015 with Long Upon the Land. Now she has returned years later to Sigrid Harald.

Was there anything noteworthy about the book?
This is a take out (murder) with take out (food.) It was quite an interesting case! Many colorful suspects had motive and opportunity.

What feeling did the book leave you with?
A need to read the other books in the series! One Coffee With (first in series) was published in 1981 and Fugitive Colors (last in series until now) in 1995, so there is a big gap until Take Out was released in 2017.

Whom would you recommend the book to?
Margaret Maron fans. Sigrid has a Southern grandmother with family ties to Deborah.

What would you pair this book with?
New York diner food – not usually poisonous!

This book is available now on the New Book Shelf at the Durham Tech Main Campus Library!

Ada Lovelace Day Celebrates Women in Science

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The second Tuesday of October is Ada Lovelace Day and celebrates women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with the hope of inspiring future generations of young women to study and work in STEM fields.

Image of Ada Lovelace

Image from http://www.rejectedprincesses.com

Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer who created the first program for Charles Babbage‘s analytical engine. She is known as the first computer programmer and has a computer programming language from the Department of Defense named after her. (From The Hutchinson Dictionary of Scientific Biography)

Read more about Ada Lovelace and ways to support women in STEM fields here:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/sifting-the-evidence/2015/oct/13/why-ada-lovelace-day-matters?CMP=share_btn_fb

You can also explore these books in the library’s collection which feature Ada Lovelace and other important women in science, mathematics, and history:

Lab Girl cover

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

Rejected Princess book cover

Rejected princesses : tales of history’s boldest heroines, hellions, and heretics by Jason Porath

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hidden Figures

Headstrong: 52 Women who Changed Science – and the World by Rachel Swaby

Headstrong: 52 Women who Changed Science – and the World by Rachel Swaby

Celebrate Banned Books Week Sept. 24-30

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Banned Books Week is an annual event which celebrates the freedom to read and highlights the importance of open access to information for all. Banned Books Week brings awareness to issues of censorship in libraries and schools.

Banned Books Week poster

Image from ALA: American Library Association

According to the American Library Association, “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice.”

To see a list of the most frequently challenged, books visit: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks

Visit our banned books display on the lower level of the library and pick up a bookmark at the library’s desk to celebrate the power of words and the freedom to read.

banned books display

Constitution Day and Durham Reads Together

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The Library and Student Government Association are pleased to host a Constitution Day event on Monday as part of Durham Reads Together.

Durham Reads Together logoEvent Details:
Mon. Sept. 18, 2017  10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Constitution Day Read-in with students, faculty, administration, and staff.

US Constitution book coverPick up a free copy of the US Constitution, register to vote, color at the craft table, win cupcakes at our trivia contest, and learn about the Constitution on the Main Campus plaza.  Our rain location is the ERC Auditorium in Building 5.

Durham Reads Together is a biennial celebration of reading. The Durham community reads the same book, attends programs around its theme, and discusses important issues together.

For more information, videos of community members talking about the US Constitution, and a list of all Durham Reads Together community events, visit:

https://durhamreadstogether.org/

Also of note, is an exciting free event with Sarah Vowell, the New York Times’ bestselling author of six nonfiction books on American history and culture: Monday, October 9, 2017, 7:00 pm Carolina Theatre, Durham.  The library has copies of some of Sarah’s Vowell’s books available for checkout.

 

Lafayette book coverWordy shipmates book cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit our display window outside the library for books, DVDs, and other materials related to the Constitution.

What We’re Reading: The Lying Game

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The Lying Game book coverTitle: The Lying Game

Read by: Mary Kennery

Author: Ruth Ware

Genre: thriller/suspense/female friendships

Why did you choose to read this book?  I love mysteries.  I have read the other books by Ruth Ware – In a Dark, Dark Wood (a favorite!) and The Woman in Cabin 10.  I was waiting to read her latest one.

What did you like about it?  How the plot begins:  a text of three words: I need you.  Then three texts in reply:  I’m coming.  I’m coming. I’m coming.  Fatima, Thea, Isa and Kate were best friends in boarding school in England.  They were inseparable and known for their little game – the Lying Game.  The rules were simple:  1. Tell a lie.  2. Stick to your story.  3. Don’t get caught.  4. Never lie to each other.  5.  Know when to stop lying.  Oh the consequences that would have seventeen years later!

Did it remind you of any other book, or a movie?  Other mystery authors and the foreboding elements of Ruth Ware’s other books.

Was there anything noteworthy about the book? The scenery I imagined – Salten, the English coastal village; the remote tidal marsh, the Reach; the crumbling, sinking Tide Mill with its rickety planks and flooded bridge; and narrator Isa’s sweet infant, Freya, in her pram.

What feeling did the book leave you with?  Whom do you hurt?  Be careful if you lie. Lies always catch up to you.  Once you begin, can you ever stop?

Whom would you recommend the book to? A mystery lover, a Ruth Ware fan

What would you pair this book with?  A pub brew, battered haddock, a portion of chips with salt and vinegar and a side portion of mushy peas.  Plus a flashlight for the darkness.

The library has In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware in our collection and we plan to order The Lying Game soon. This book can also be requested through Interlibrary loan.

Crafternoon: Make your own academic planner or notebook

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Durham Tech Library and Student Government Association are excited to host fun craft events for students!  This will be an ongoing event series in Fall and Spring semesters. We will host this first event at both Orange County Campus and Main Campus Library.

crafternoon imagePROJECT: Make & decorate your own academic planner or notebook

LOCATION: Orange County Campus, room 104

PRESENTER: Meredith Lewis, OCC Librarian

WHEN: Thursday, August 24, 11:30-1:00 pm

&

PROJECT: Make & decorate your own academic planner or notebook

LOCATION: Main Campus Library; room 5-105A (Group study area)

PRESENTER: Meredith Lewis, OCC Librarian

WHEN: Friday, August 25, 1:00-3:00 pm

We hope to see you there!  All students, staff, and faculty are welcome to attend our workshops.

Solar Eclipse Viewing Party Mon. August 21

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The Library and Durham Tech’s Student Government Association are excited to host a Solar Eclipse viewing party on the Main campus plaza next Monday, Aug. 21 from 2:00-3:00 pm.

solar eclipse images

The total solar eclipse of November 14, 2012, as seen in the South Pacific. Photo by Rick Fienberg / TravelQuest International / Wilderness Travel

For the first time in nearly 40 years, a total eclipse of the sun will be visible in the continental United States, which makes this a special and rare phenomenon for us to witness.  A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon covers the face of the sun as seen from earth.  It’s extremely important to view the eclipse safely.  The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through solar filters, such as eclipse glasses.  Eclipse glasses will be provided at our event as well as refreshments. Glasses will also be available at the Orange County Campus.  Please join us for this fun celestial celebration!  Also visit our display in the library window for books and materials related to astronomy and space.

Durham Tech Solar Eclipse Event Poster

To learn more about the eclipse visit these sites:

NASA
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/faq

American Astronomical Society
https://eclipse.aas.org/

The “All-American” Eclipse guide for libraries:
http://www.starnetlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017-Eclipe-Guide-WEB-033117.pdf

Sky and Telescope magazine
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/total-solar-eclipse-august-2017/#observe

 

What We’re Reading: The Lightkeepers

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The LightkeepersTitle: The Lightkeepers

Read by: Julie Humphrey

Author: Abby Geni

Genre: literary fiction, mystery

Why did you choose to read this book? 
The main character is a nature photographer who travels to live on a remote island off the California coast with a few biologists who study animals there. I’m interested in travel, photography, and wildlife so it sounded like a good fit for me. It was also described as “part mystery and part ghost story” which intrigued me.

What did you like about it?
It’s beautifully written and I really loved the descriptions of sea creatures, wildlife, and the harsh realities of the natural world.  I liked the mysterious elements and learning about the narrator’s family and her past.

Was there anything noteworthy about the book?
It is very engaging, suspenseful, ominous, and dark. Violent, unsettling tragedies occur which mirror the cruel landscape and setting of the book.  I’ll also never think about seagulls in quite the same way again. 

Who would you recommend the book to?
Fans of nature writing, literary fiction, mystery, and suspense.  I look forward to following this author and reading her collection of short stories as well.

What would you pair this book with?
A hot cup of tea! It was always windy, cold, and damp on the island. The cabin where they lived didn’t have proper heating so they were always bundled in layers to stay warm.

Want to read this book? Find it here in our library.

Celebrating LGBT authors and experiences

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LGBT Book Month image

Image from ALA, American Library Association

This month the library has been celebrating the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.  We have a display of books on the lower level of the library that we will keep up through the end of July.

Explore the library’s guide to LGBTQ resources for books, ebooks, DVDs, streaming video, and recommended websites: http://durhamtech.libguides.com/LGBTQ

Pick up a bookmark at the reference desk to join the celebration!

What We’re Reading: Camino Island

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Title: Camino Island

Camino Island book cover

Camino Island by John Grisham

Read by: Mary Kennery

Author: John Grisham

 Genre: thriller/suspense

Why did you choose to read this book?  I love mysteries and I have read other books by the author. This 30th novel written by John Grisham published in June 2017 is a different style for the author.  There is no young lawyer this time, but a young soon-to-be unemployed UNC-Chapel Hill English instructor/ struggling novelist Mercer who is pegged to infiltrate a rare book dealer Bruce’s bookstore with a black market connection after F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts are stolen from Princeton and find their way to Camino Island, Florida.

What did you like about it?  How the plot unfolds between Mercer and Bruce and the islanders and all gets resolved.  The island’s inhabitants are certainly characters!  The many fond memories that Mercer has of spending summers with her grandmother on the island are endearing.  You can imagine the author tours, rare book collecting and preservation and storage of prized books.

Did it remind you of any other book, or a movie?  Other mystery authors/ missing artifacts, but this one has a rare book angle.

Was there anything noteworthy about the book? References to UNC-Chapel Hill, Franklin St., and The Lantern Restaurant made it especially appealing.  These are places that Grisham likes to visit.

What feeling did the book leave you with?  Resolution plus wanting to know what future blockbuster novel will be next on the horizon for Mercer when she gets over her writer’s block.  Will Camino Island be made into a movie?  Plus another Grisham book is due out later this year.  I will add that one to my must read list.

Who would you recommend the book to? A mystery lover, a John Grisham fan, a bookstore afficionado.

What would you pair this book with?  Even though Camino Island mainly takes place in Florida, I enjoyed reading it on my front porch under a Carolina blue sky with a sweet tea while dog sitting.  I guess I should have read it on a favorite beach.

Were you one of the lucky ones to meet John Grisham at his first book tour in over 25 years?  One was held at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh in June.  Sorry to say, but I was not there.

John Grisham was interviewed recently in The News & Observer:
http://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/books/article155357904.html

The library plans to purchase a copy of this book for our collection in July.  In the meantime, we have most of Grisham’s other novels available.