OverDrive for Your Chromebook!

IT’S FINALLY HERE!

Using OverDrive for Chromebook, you can borrow and download EPUB eBooks and MP3 audiobooks!

Your OverDrive account login is your student ID number. It’s all ready to go!

The Chromebook app is super easy to use, and LFHS’s digital library puts tons of books at your fingertips.  You can search our OverDrive catalog here!

Books that you check out through the Chromebook app are also available on your smartphone with the Overdrive app! You can sync across all your devices.

Your Chromebook’s large screen and ability to fold into a tablet makes it a great eReader. As you go through the Chromebook OverDrive opening tutorial, it’ll tell you how to change your font and reading style to fit you.

Download the app at the Chrome Web Store or by visiting the OverDrive app website.

Help is available at OverDrive Help on the Chromebooks device page, or at the circulation desk!

The Mob, Mafia, and Other Organized Crime Novels

Thieves. Mafia bosses. Drug lords. Outlaws. Mob lawyers.

All the way back to the tales of Robin Hood, we’ve loved stories about thieves and the criminal underworld–whether the characters have a heart of gold or not. Here are the best books from our collection that fit the bill!

SON OF THE MOB (Son of the Mob, #1) by Gordon Korman

Vince Luca is just like any other high school guy. His best friend, Alex, is trying to score vicariously through him; his brother is a giant pain; and his father keeps bugging him to get motivated. There is just one thing that really sets him apart for other kidshis father happens to be the head of a powerful crime organization. Needless to say, while Vince’s family’s connections can be handy for certain things-like when teachers are afraid to give him a bad grade as they can put a serious crimp in his dating life. How is he supposed to explain to a girl what his father does for a living? But when Vince finally meets one who seems to be worth the trouble, her family turns out to be the biggest problem of all. Because her father is an FBI agent-the one who wants to put his father away for good.

THE GODFATHER by Mario Puzo

More than thirty years ago, a classic was born. A searing novel of the Mafia underworld, The Godfather introduced readers to the first family of American crime fiction, the Corleones, and the powerful legacy of tradition, blood, and honor that was passed on from father to son. With its themes of the seduction of power, the pitfalls of greed, and family allegiance, it resonated with millions of readers across the world—and became the definitive novel of the virile, violent subculture that remains steeped in intrigue, in controversy, and in our collective consciousness.

ARTEMIS FOWL (Artemis Fowl, #1) by Eoin Colfer

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories; these fairies are armed and dangerous. Artemis thinks he has them right where he wants them…but then they stop playing by the rules.

We Need Diverse Books

When was the last time you read a book where the main character wasn’t white?

Having a hard time coming up with a title? That’s because diverse novels make up less than a quarter of today’s market–and even less make it to the bestseller’s lists. There is an expectation that white kids won’t pick up a book with a colored protagonist.

Prove them wrong.

No one purposely thinks, “I’m only going to read books about straight, white people,” but that’s often what happens simply because those are the books featured on bestsellers lists and in bookstores.It’s important that we read a diverse cast of characters–ethnicities, disabilities, sexualities–and open our eyes to other lifestyles. It’s an obvious statement, but one that bears repeating often.

We’re collected the titles of some amazing books with diverse protags you’ll love. Our list crosses all genres, so you’re sure to find something you’ll like. And don’t forget we’re always in the library with more recommendations!

Interview with S.J. Kincaid

We’re so excited to welcome S.J. Kincaid to the blog! She’s just wrapped up her amazing INSIGNIA trilogy, which absolutely sucked us in from start to finish.

S.J. was born in Alabama, grew up in California, and attended high school in New Hampshire, but it was while living beside a haunted graveyard in Scotland, that she realized that she wanted to be a writer.

 

 Insignia (Insignia, #1)

The earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia, the first entry in S. J. Kincaid’s fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy perfect for fans of Ender’s Game.

The planet’s natural resources are almost gone, and war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning. The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn’t seem like a hero. He’s a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones.

As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom’s life completely changes. Suddenly, he’s someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there’s a price to pay. . . .

So the Insignia Trilogy has finally come to an end!  Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re working on right now?

SJ: I’m working on a few YA ideas and a middle grade. I’m not sure what will come next, though!

Describe Insignia’s hero Tom–using only nouns.

SJ: Determination. Stubbornness. Integrity.

What We’re Reading

We aren’t just talk–all the library staff are voracious readers! Here’s some books we’re reading or have just put down.

Ms. Neal’s reading…

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

Ms. Neal says, “An unflinchingly violent novel–our heroine prefers throwing knives to wearing dresses–about self-worth and kicking ass, in a world where countries are actual seasons.”

Ms. Mobile is reading….

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media–as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents–the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter–but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

Ms. Mobile says, “I have just started reading the book Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I have committed to not seeing the movie before I finish the book, which has proven hard to hold to. I hope to love the book as much as others. I will keep you posted as I read through the pages.”

Hidden Gems: Science Fiction

Time for more Hidden Gems! We’re featuring science fiction this week. Video games, outer space, parallel universes–they’re all in this list!

READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline

It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune — and remarkable power — to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved — that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt — among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life — and love — in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?

A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU (Firebird, #1) by Claudia Gray

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

CINDER (Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

If You Like City of Bones, Try…Why?

If you haven’t read the international blockbuster series The Mortal Instruments or it’s Victorian Era spin-off Infernal Devices, you’re missing out on some seriously snarky adventures.

These series all have something in common with City of Bones–whether it’s adventure, humor, or romance–and are brilliant page-turners in their own right!

IMMORTAL BELOVED (Immortal Beloved, #1) by Cate Tiernan

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something’s got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe–until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

Why? Sassy and sarcastic, Nastasya will appeal to those who loved the humor of the TMI series.

BORN AT MIDNIGHT (Shadow Falls,#1) by C. C. Hunter

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Why? The paranormal underworld has the same vibe as the TMI series, with the danger and adventure that comes from having all these different creatures in the same place.

ANGEL FALL (Penryn and the End of Days, #1) by Susan Ee

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Why? Well, angelic plotline similarities aside, Penryn and Raffe’s country crossing adventure and romantic tension will appeal to everyone who rooted for Jace and Clary in TMI.

Interview with Cate Tiernan

Happy Wednesday, Scouts!

We hope you enjoyed today’s late start. We’ve got a special treat today–Cate Tiernan, the NYT Bestselling author of Immortal Beloved trilogy, has stopped by our blog for a one-on-one interview!  Cate is just as fun as her heroine Nastasya, and we had so much fun coming up with questions for her.

I was born in New Orleans, LA, in 1961. New Orleans is one of the most interesting American cities, and it has an incredibly rich and exotic culture that had a profound influence on me. Kids in other cities have lemonade stands; we sold voodoo gris-gris and made wax dolls in the likenesses of our enemies.

The first book in the series, Immortal Beloved, is the best paranormal we’ve read in a long time, with a sarcastic heroine who’s too jaded for happiness and her struggle wit hlearning to live with everything she’s done in her long, long life–but we won’t spoil the adventure for you. You’ll have to pick up the book!

IMMORTAL BELOVED (Immortal Beloved, #1) by Cate Tiernan

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something’s got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe–until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

We want to thank Cate so much for taking the time to chat with us! With the Immortal Beloved Trilogy over, can you tell us a little bit about what you’re working on now?

Cate: I’m in the middle of a new trilogy called Birthright. The first book, Darkest Fear, came out last January. It explores a new world for me–the world of shapeshifters! And of course it’s about a girl learning how to accept all the facets of her persona.

Describe Immortal Beloved’s main characters–using only nouns.

Cate: This is hard! I kept using adjectives and gerunds. Okay. Nastasya: train wreck. Reyn: fortress. River: willow. Incy: obsidian.

Haha, those are perfect! Nastasya is a train wreck, poor thing. You’ve got an amazing worldbuilding in Immortal Beloved–with organic homesteading and magick and Nasty’s flashbacks into her long life globe-trotting. What kind of research did you have to do for this series?

Cate: Oh my gosh. So much research. Massachusetts weather at all times of the year. What trees are there. Lots and lots and lots of history–Icelandic history, Mongol history,. The geological makeup of the Russian steppes, medieval buildings and roads, means of transport through the ages, how castles are made, French fashion of the 1700s, the oil boom in Texas in the 1950’s, slang through the ages, what kind of cars would be in France in the 1930’s, what kind of fabric was available in Sweden in the 1700s, various disasters and other pertinent cultural references, how weapons are made. And a lot of other topics also. So. Much. Research.

Book Spine Poetry

We had a blast during Teen Read Week making book spine poetry! It was so fun watching everyone stacking books and trying to make sense–or nonsense–out of them.

Our categories were Truly Terrible, Most Profound, and Most Hilarious–and the winners are….

Awesome, right? It was hard to choose between all the entries emailed in. We’ve compiled all the submissions here as a gallery, so just click the image for a closer look!

 

Kate’s poem won Most Profound!

Kelsey’s poem won Most Hilarious!

Erin’s won Truly Terrible!

An Author is Coming!!!

We’re so excited to let you know that an author visit has been arranged for February 4th!

So you’ve got plenty of time to read all her books–and buy them if you want to get them signed.

We’ll give you some hints.