Literature – Island Librarian

Podcast Recommended List!

I only recently got into the activity of listening to podcasts on my daily commute to and from work. It is definitely different from reading a book or watching television so it took quite a while for me to adjust to. I know I need to get into audiobooks sooner than later when it comes to reading my book backlog however I feel positive and accomplished I got out of my shell to listen to podcasts. I’m all about visuals!

Speaking of podcasts, I’m excited to say I was invited and recorded an episode of Read ‘Em & Weep, talking about one of my favorite literature topics ever: Graphic Novels. It was a very invigorating experience to speak clearly with a consistent speed without going off the rails within a time limit. It was tough to talk about graphic novels without graphics because, that’s one of the best visually appealing characteristics about graphic novels! A challenge? Yes! Was it fun? YES! Read ‘Em & Weep host Kimberly has done it again! For information, look under “Ep 3 – Illustrated History”.

Read 'Em & Weep Graphic — Credit: Kimberly Jackson of *Read ‘Em & Weep*

Recommended podcast list:

Stuff You Missed in History Class. Holly and Tracy are excellent researchers, hosting an engaging podcast that feels as if you’re sitting at the table with them. History has never sounded so awesome!
The Classic Tales Podcast. Award-winning narrator B.J. Harrison reads classics, ranging from novels to short stories.
Binge Mode. I love listening to hosts Mallory and Jason talk shop on pop culture topics such as “Harry Potter” or “Game of Thrones”. They take information from both media and books so be wary of spoilers. (Warning: Features adult content)
Welcome to Night Vale. A story of magical realism and paranormal horror, enjoy the soothing voice of Cecil Baldwin as you attempt to determine what is real and what is imaginary.

Dungeons and Dragons “Don’t Split the Party!” List

Planning my fall programs and I’m super excited to say we’ll be hosting a Dungeons and Dragons program! I collaborated with my friend and this was the result, a resource list for both new and seasoned players ages 10 and up who are interested in Dungeons and Dragons.

konosuba — “Bwhahaha” Best pose! I’m ready for this! via giphy

I’m grateful that a local group of friends came together and created the Aloha Adventurer’s Guild. Their aim is to teach and guide players in creativity, communication and teamwork by playing tabletop gaming!

To note, the listing of stores are located on Oahu only. I hope one day to visit all game-related stores through the islands!

What is Dungeons and Dragons?
DnD, for short, is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game set in an imaginary world loosely based on medieval myth.

Why 5^th Edition?
The 5^th Edition of DnD gives flexibility and functionality to players while making room for more creativity. The aim is to create a unified edition that both seasoned and new players can enjoy.

Browse these non-fiction sections for more at the library:
Indoor Amusements: 793
Adventure Games: 793.932

Authors of Dungeons and Dragons Novels:

Norton Andre
Richard Baker
Bruce Robert Cordell
Troy Denning
Erin M. Evans
Tracy Hickman
Paul S. Kemp
A. Salvatore
Robert J. Schwalb
Lisa Smedman
Margaret Weis

Online Resources:
Wizards of the Coast – https://bit.ly/1CM4pXY
Introduces DnD to new players. Official resource and website related to DnD.

Dungeon Masters Guild – http://www.dmsguild.com/
Official source for Dungeon Masters.

DnD Adventurers League – https://bit.ly/2AXMWqR
Official DnD league offering materials and support running games.

DnD Beyond – https://www.dndbeyond.com/
Includes useful tools such as character generators.

RPG Tool – https://roll20.net/
Easy-to-use digital tool that can evolved from pen and paper.

5^th Edition Rules/Reference – https://5thsrd.org/
Open rules related to 5^th edition. Players are suggested to refer to start with Player’s Handbook.

Local Stores on Oahu:
Check out these stores to get your Dungeons and Dragons adventure started!

Armchair Adventurer
Dole Cannery, 650 Iwilei Road #160
Honolulu, HI 96817 Phone: (808) 843-1250
Carries everything from Warhammer 40k model kits to pop culture-inspired tabletop games. Book a separate room or join a game and meet new adventurers!

Dragon’s Lair
Space E-10, 95-1840 Meheula Parkway
Mililani, HI 96789 Phone: (808) 597-6981
Comic book store carrying Dungeons and Dragons manuals, dice, and kits. Check out their large comic book selection to get you inspired!

Other Realms
1130 North Nimitz Highway C-140
Honolulu, HI 96817 Phone: (808) 596-8236
From private rooms to comics and collectibles, Other Realms has a large stock to get your adventure started!

Westside Comics
590 Farrington Highway #538
Kapolei, HI 96707 Phone: (808) 674-2866
It isn’t just comics this shop sells on the west side, check out their Elite Membership program to earn points to grab special deals!

Hearts for All – A Romance Booklist

Love is in the air!

kagomexinuyasha — Kagome and Inuyasha denying the attraction via giphy

A booklist on romance, relationships, and friendship! Recommended for 6th – 12th graders.

Non-Fiction:
155.519 Ch
Chapman, Gary. Teen’s Guide to the 5 Love Languages. Includes a straightforward guide on the 5 love languages and practical tips for how to apply each language in a teen’s context.

306.73 Ea
Eastham, Chad. The Truth about Breaking Up, Making Up, & Moving On. Explains why some people find happiness and others heartache, when to break up and when to make up. A Christian faith-based relationship guide.

Fiction:

Albertalli, Becky. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical but when his secret is at risk of being exposed, Simon must decide what to do about a cute guy and his friends.

Cass, Kiera. The Siren. Forced to work as a Siren and lure strangers to their deaths after being rescued from drowning by the Ocean, Kahlen falls in love with a human and defies the rules of her service in order to follow her heart.

Nakano, Hitori. Train Man: The Novel or Densha Otoko. An instant bestseller when it was first published in Japan, Train Man became a multimedia sensation, generating a smash-hit TV series, a blockbuster film, and multiple manga series. Now here’s the novel that started it all.

Niven, Jennifer. Holding Up the Universe. A boy with face blindness and a girl who struggles with weight fall in love.

Silvera, Adam. History Is All You Left Me. Secrets are revealed as OCD-afflicted Griffin grieves for his first love, Theo, who died in a drowning accident.

Yoon, Nicola. Everything Everything. A girl confined to her house by rare and profound allergies falls hopelessly in love with her new neighbor, in a story told through vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists and illustrations.

Popular YA Romance Series:

Anna and the French Kiss series by Stephanie Perkins
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han
A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori (Graphic Novel)
The Glittering Court series by Richelle Mead
Honey So Sweet series by Amu Meguro (Graphic Novel)
If I Stay series by Gayle Forman
Kamisama Kiss by Julietta Suzuki (Graphic Novel)
The Selection series by Kiera Cass
The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han

Popular YA Romance Authors:

Jenny Han
Rachel Cohn
Maurene Goo
Rainbow Rowell
Sarah Dessen
Kami Garcia
Deb Caletti
Kiera Cass
Aylson Noel
Stephanie Perkins
David Leviathan
Richelle Mead
Nicola Yoon

Compiled from Novelist and Amazon.

Every Dog Has Its Day – A Dog Booklist

I made a dog-theme booklist for work and want to share!

A booklist on everything dogs! Recommended for 6th – 12th graders.

Browse these non-fiction sections for more:
Dog Breeds: 636.7 or 636.71

Non-Fiction:
636.71 Kr
Krämer, Eva-Maria. Get to Know Dog Breeds: The 200 Most Popular Breeds. Discusses the appearance, origin, and temperament of more than two hundred dog breeds categorized into groups according to the tasks they were original bred for, including herding dogs, hunting dogs, sled dogs, lap dogs, and more.

636.70887 Da
Dainty, Suellen. 50 Games to Play with your Dog. Discover games that are both easy to teach and fun for your canine pal. The book includes challenging mental games for indoors as well as stimulating physical games for outside the home. Learn ideas for group games that are ideal for multi-dog households and doggy play dates.

Dogs in Fiction:
Ando, Yuma. Sherlock Bones. After adopting a dog, Takeru discovers that his new pet is the reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes, and that he himself must act as Dr. Watson and help his canine solve crimes.

Cameron, W. Bruce. A Dog’s Journey. Believing that he has achieved his purpose throughout several eventful lives, Buddy the dog is drawn to a vibrant but troubled teen who he struggles to help when they are separated.

London, Jack. Call of the Wild. The adventures of an unusual dog, part St. Bernard, part Scotch Shepherd, that was kidnapped and shipped off to Alaska to work on the Klondike Gold Rush. Buck the dog quickly learns how to survive in the wild and also learns the call of the wolf.

London, Jack. White Fang. The adventures in the northern wilderness of a dog who is part wolf and how he comes to make his peace with man.

King, Stephen. Cujo. A family’s two-hundred-pound Saint Bernard is transformed by rabies and the insidious guidance of demonic forces into a terrifying monster.

Murakami, Takashi. Stargazing Dog. Fed up with his down-and-out life, Daddy sets out in his car to just get away from it all to nowhere in particular. His family and friends have abandoned him. The one companion he can count on completely, his dog, follows him blindly and faithfully to the end.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. A satire on totalitarianism in which farm animals overthrow their human owner and set up their own government.

Reichs, Kathy. Virals. Tory Brennan is the leader of a band of teenage ‘sci-philes’ who live on an island off the coast of South Carolina and when the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

Sakuragi, Yukiya. Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs. When eighteen-year-old Suguri moves from the countryside to the big city to find a career and a new life, she lands her first job at a pet store and meets an assortment of quirky dogs and even stranger owners.

(GN for Graphic Novel) Compiled from Novelist and Amazon.

Book Club Ideas?

Ideas! I’ve been brainstorming ideas to hopefully build a book club for the library. Been meaning to have one but I admit, I feel like I’m trying to put all these ideas into play in so little amount of time. It’s time to sit down, focus, and breathe. Make a 5 year plan. Not a 1 year “do all the things” plan!

Continue reading Book Club Ideas?