Fishbowl
by Bradley Somer
Ian the goldfish is falling from the twenty seventh floor balcony. He has longed for adventure, so when the opportunity arises, he escapes from his bowl, clears the balcony railing and finds himself airborne. As he plummets toward the sidewalk below, Ian catches glimpses of the various occupants in the apartment building. Ian’s passing glances of the residents are shortly forgotten, since goldfish don’t have the best memories, but readers of the novel Fishbowl by Bradley Somer are treated to a deeper look at the lives of the tenants. There’s the handsome grad student, his girlfriend, and his mistress; the construction worker who feels trapped by a secret; the building’s super who feels invisible and alone; the shut-in for whom dirty talk, and quiche, are a way of life; and home-schooled Herman, a boy who thinks he can travel through time. Though they share time and space, the residents have something even more important in common: each faces a choice that will affect the course of their lives. Within the walls of the apartment building are stories of love, new life, and death. Fishbowl may appeal to fans of Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain. Both can be requested through the Haliburton County Public Library.
Appleblossom the Possum
written by Holly Goldberg Sloan and illustrated by Gary A. Rosen
“The babies of a first time possum mother must have names that begin with the letter A.” writes Holly Goldberg Sloan in her book Appleblossom the Possum. Second batch babies get named B names, and a few possum mothers even get to G. There’s a possum family with Z names, but most think they skipped some letters. The letters explain to the other half brothers and half sisters and uncles and aunts and cousins and grandparents how they all fit into their possum family. There’s Antonio, Alisa, Abdul, Alberta, Atticus, Alphonse, Amlet (who wanted to be Hamlet), and the littlest, Appleblossom. Even though Appleblossom is the littlest, she is in for an awfully big adventure – first learning the ways of being a possum, then accidently falling down a chimney and encountering the monsters her mother has described… dogs and people!
Appleblossom the Possum written by Holly Goldberg Sloan and illustrated by Gary A. Rosen is a junior chapter book that can be enjoyed by children and their parents as they follow the daring and clever Appleblossom. It is available to reserve at the Haliburton County Public Library.
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
by Daniel J. Levitin
Researchers have recently discovered that patients who listened to music before, during or after surgery had less pain, less anxiety and took less pain medication. This would come as no surprise to rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession. In this groundbreaking union of art and science the connection between music and the human brain are revealed. Taking on prominent thinkers who argue that music is nothing more than an evolutionary accident, Levitin poses that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language. A recent addition to Haliburton County Public Library’s collection, Your Playlist Can Change Your Life: 10 Proven Ways Your Favorite Music Can Revolutionize Your Health, Memory, Organization, Alertness and More by Galina Mindlin explains how to customize playlists to optimize daily performance, improve your mood, sharpen your memory and live creatively. Both titles can be requested through any of the eight library branches in the county. And while you are enjoying the variety of music that 100.9 Canoe FM offers, listen carefully and see which songs resonate with you!
You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost): a memoir
by Felicia Day
If you are a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the World of Warcraft, or The Internet, you may have heard about Felicia Day. Actress, writer, director and producer, reared during the formative days of the Internet and World Wide Web, and most importantly an unapologetic geek, Day rose to fame as a gamer and creator of the web series The Guild. In her memoir You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost): a memoir, Felicia Day talks about growing up weird (homeschooled for hippie reasons the weird never got bullied out of her), her social networks during the earliest days of the internet before social networks were even a thing, finding her way in Hollywood, battling crippling anxiety and depression, and fighting the trolls both online and offline. Deserving of her position of the Queen of Geeks, Felicia Day is a self made woman who was a nerd before nerds were cool, and who helped elevate the quirky and odd to trendy and hip. For all the nerds out there trying to survive, to paraphrase Joss Whedon, follow the redhead, she knows the way.
You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost): a memoir by Felicia Day is available to reserve in all its meme loaded goodness at the Haliburton County Public Library.
*Originally aired on 100.9 CANOE FM, August 23rd – September 5th, 2015.
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