Game of Thrones - Toss on Some Chain-Mail and Grab Your Sword! Book Review

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

                For those who enjoy a good epic storyline filled with murder, revenge, kings, noblemen, fantastic beasts (both of the animal variety and human), and a fantasy world at the brink of war; this book is for you! This first book in the series A Song of Ice and Fire will spark your imagination and keep you entertained for hours.

                Published in 1996, this book has received much critical acclaim including number one on the New York Times Bestseller’s list in July of 2011. For those who may have already enjoyed reading this series or who perhaps aren’t interested in embarking on a lengthy reading mission; HBO has made a television series based on this book and subsequent books from the series. Season one is available for purchase now (or to borrow through the Okanagan Regional Library system) and Season two is set to be released for purchase later this month.

                This book is told in the third person limited point of view (geek-speak for: this story is told by an invisible person who cannot access all of the thoughts and feelings of each character) with a good balance of dialogue and description. The layout and style is easy to navigate and after a few pages and a bit of imagination you fall easily into the book’s clever plotlines. Though the book is entertaining and accessible, I would not recommend it to all persons. Many of the situations in which the characters are thrust can be a bit disturbing for those seeking a more genteel read. It is a work of fiction so if you can keep this in mind it will help smooth over some of those rougher spots.

                So toss on some chain-mail, grab your sword, and head to the library to take a peek at this popular title. This title is available in the following formats through the public library: Book, Audiobook, DVD, and E-book.

 

Review by Diana McCarthy, Community Librarian for Falkland Branch

Try a New Author - Donna Andrews

Donna Andrews: 

Meg Langslow is a blacksmith. Yes that is what I said; a blacksmith. Poor Meg is always a bridesmaid and never a bride until she meets the dressmaker’s son. Then all bets are off. This is another of those series that are funny and edge of your seat suspenseful and not to be missed. Start with the first book Murder With Peacocks.

Mystery

Recommendation by Annette at the Mission Branch

Try a New Author - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child:

Agent Pendergast is a mystery wrapped in an enigma surrounded by questions. He seems like a modern day Sherlock Holmes but what exactly is he? He is very rich, very reserved and very very good at solving mysteries as an FBI Special Agent. The series begins with Relic.

Mystery – Action – Adventure.

Recommendation by Annette at the Mission Branch

Beach Reads - Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World

The number of books that may be suitable for nonfiction aficionados to read on a beach is not extensive compared to works of fiction material. But Cod: A Biography of the Fish ThatChanged the World (1997) is certainly an exception. The work, by Canadian author Mark Kurlansky, is an engaging, vivid volume that chronicles the immense impact and influence the cod fishing industry has had on the human race.

 Kurlansky masterfully traces the relationship of the cod industry to such historical eras and events as medieval Christianity, international conflicts between England and Germany, slavery, the molasses trade and even the dismantling of the British Empire. It is not a lengthy read and the accurate scientific information is conveyed in a highly entertaining style.

Review by Peter at the Vernon Branch

Beach Reads - Azincourt

Azincourt (2008) is a remarkable and action-packed depiction of the legendary battle of Agincourt in 1415 by Bernard Cornwell, acclaimed author and master historical novelist. The battle, fought on St. Crispin’s Day and immortalized in Shakespeare’s Henry V, is the first major battle ever won by the use of the longbow--a weapon developed by the English. The longbow enabled the English to win a brilliant and unexpected victory at Agincourt and dominate the European battlefield for the rest of the century. 

 It is  breathtaking, finely researched tale told from the various viewpoints of nobles, peasants, archers and horsemen. Cornwell breathes life into the relentless fighting, the anguish of an army crippled by disease and the incomparable bravery of the English soldiers. No other historical novelist has so mastered the details of warfare in centuries past.

Review by Peter at the Vernon Branch

Beach Reads - The Cold Dish

The Cold Dish (2004), the first novel in the Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson, is a breezy and stylish mystery. The series, recently popularized by an award-winning A&E television series, begins with the discovery of a corpse of Cody Pritchard, a much-disliked young man. The title, of course, refers to revenge, and Longmire, the veteran sheriff of Absaroka County in the Bighorn Mountain Country in Wyoming, would rather drink beer than investigate. But he is far from the usual loner cop and

 He dispatches Deputy Victoria Moretti, a brittle and profane cop transplanted from Philadelphia, to the scene. They soon discover someone killed the young victim with a .45-70 buffalo rifle–an unusual weapon that unfortunately is fairly common in rural Absaroka County. Soon another corpse turns up and Longmire, with the help of Moretti and his best friend Henry Standing Bear, doggedly solves the crime.

Review by Peter at the Vernon Branch

Beach Reads - Silver Girl

SilverGirl (2011) a novel by Elin Hilderbrand, is beach reading at its best–a moving story of loss, friendship, love and forgiveness. When the Feds nab Meredith Delinn’s husband Freddy for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, she finds herself under investigation. She flees New York for Nantucket and the comfort of her closest friend, Connie, now profoundly lonely after the death of her husband and the estrangement of her daughter.

 The lifelong friendship of the two women fell apart three years earlier and their grief brings them back together. Much of the novel is told in flashback as Connie and Meredith work through their crisis. But the talent of the author keeps these memories resonant and alive as the present day.

review by Peter at the Vernon Branch

Database of the Month: Small Engine Repair Reference Center

Summer brings the sounds of boats, lawnmowers, motorbikes and more. So what better way to celebrate this symphony of small engines than August’s database of the month: Small Engine Repair Reference Center.

This database is accessible from home or in the branch, with library barcode and PIN.

Small Engine Repair Reference Center provides detailed repair guides for routine engine maintenance and for more extensive repairs, with full-text in PDF from hundreds of reference books and manuals, many containing photos and illustrations for step-by-step help.

You can browse the content by category, and drill-down by product type, manufacturer, and model numbers to find their relevant repair guide, or they can search by keyword.

Check out this short three minute video overview of this database that EBSCO has posted on YouTube

Then check out the database by visiting our home page, clicking on "View All Digital Resources" and then scrolling down to Small Engine Repair Reference Center. Remember to have your library card and PIN ready!

Each month, the ORL will be featuring one of its eResources. Library membership gives ORL patrons access to a wide range of eResources that can be accessed from home and in the library. These eResources can be used for reading and enjoyment, to help you with your research needs, or to learn new things.

 Bring the library to your home today!