Tag Archives: Book Club

#BookFaceFriday “The Woman in the Window”

I always feel like somebody’s watching me! "The Woman in the Window" Book Face image

It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .

In honor of Friday the 13th, check out “The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn (William Morrow, 2018) in the NLC Book Club collection. The ups and downs of an agoraphobic woman and what she thinks she’s witnessed will have you on the edge of your seat. A perfect fit for any Rear Window fans, or lovers of Tana French and Gillian Flynn. Browse this title or our entire collection at nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub today!

The Woman in the Window is a tour de force. A twisting, twisted odyssey inside one woman’s mind, her illusions, delusions, reality. It left my own mind reeling and my heart pounding. An absolutely gripping thriller.” (Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author)

This week’s #BookFace model is our staff break room, more commonly known as the Crows Nest. No blinds were harmed in the making of the #BookFace.

Love this #BookFace & reading?  Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday – The Dewey Decimal System of Love

This #BookFaceFriday has love down to a (library) science…

“For questions about love, and more particularly, inappropriate love, go the 306.7s.” If you’re searching your library’s catalog for a quick, funny, and perhaps slightly naughty, summer beach read, look no further than Josephine Carr’s “The Dewey Decimal System of Love” (New American Library, 2003).

“…a most bizarre, unpredictable and thoroughly delightful mess that keeps the pages turning and the laughs coming.” — Tampa Tribune

This week’s #BookFace model is Mary Sauers, our Government Information Services Librarian. Mary knows all about love in the library – she married another librarian, former NLC Technology Librarian, and current Director of Technology at Do Space, Michael Sauers.

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Under the Harrow”

New Books = New #BookFaceFridays!

"Under the Harrow" by Flynn Berry BookFace PhotoHas your book club been on the hunt for new reads? The NLC Book Club Kit collection is here to help! We’ve recently added several new titles to the collection, one of which is   “Under the Harrow” by Flynn Berry (Penguin Books, 2016). For those of you who devoured “Gone Girl” and “Girl on a Train,” this psychological thriller is sure to get your blood pumping. Browse all the new additions at nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub today!

“A thrilling novel of psychological suspense…Under the Harrow contains similarities [to The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl]that will undoubtedly attract readers – but underneath its hard-driving, page-turning, compulsively readable narrative is a striking, original voice all Berry’s own…[Her] precise sentences call to mind Hitchcock’s meticulous storyboards and enrich the work with a cinematic scope.”—Elizabeth Brundage, The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

This week’s #BookFace photo is Cathy Hatterman, our Acquisitions Librarian! We added a large number of titles to our book club kit collection in the past 2 months! Cathy has been hard at work tracking down all our requests, as well as adding quite a few books to our library science collection.

Love this #BookFace & reading?  Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Wired”

This week’s #BookFace is practically electric!

"Wired" by Julie Garwood BookFaceWired” by Julie Garwood (Berkley, 2017) is this week’s #BookFaceFriday and seemed like the perfect way to kick off the next round of our Nebraska Library Innovation Studios (LIS) project! NLC staff members will be traveling around Nebraska over the next few months, maybe even visiting your library. They will be installing makerspaces, training librarians/community members in the different types of technology, and showing them how to share it with their communities. This week’s #BookFaceFriday model is Max Wheeler, Instructional Designer on the LIS project! He may not be an FBI agent or a model/hacker but he sure knows a lot about all of the different machines in our makerspaces.

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “The Singing and Dancing Daughters of God”

This week’s #BookFace had us at “seriocomic love story,” and yes, seriocomic is a real word."The Singing and Dancing Daughters of God" BookFace Image

The Singing and Dancing Daughters of God” by Timothy Schaffert (Unbridled Books, 2005) is this week’s #BookFaceFriday selection. Written by a Nebraska author, and set in our very own state, this novel is all about the twisting turns of the “Good Life.”  This novel a part of our NLC Book Club Kit collection, and it’s the perfect choice for your next book club read!

“Laced with hope and an aching sweetness, it is as whimsical and smile-inducing as its title. Readers will fall for Hud, his family, and the one-off inhabitants of the quirky little town from page one owing to Schaffert’s homey yet elegant and precise prose. The only reason to put the book down is to make it last.” —Library Journal, starred

This week’s #BookFaceFriday model is our Information Services Librarian, Aimee Owen!

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Harry Potter” 20th Anniversary

You’re a #BookFaceFriday Harry!Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since I first started reading Harry Potter! We’re celebrating the iconic series with this week’s #BookFace! Featuring two of the series novels, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009) and “Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix” (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2003). As an added bonus July 31st is both J. K. Rowling and Harry’s birthday! It also marks the day Harry found out he was a wizard. NLC has the entire series in our Book Club Kit collection, and they can all be reserved for your book club to read today!

This week’s #BookFaceFriday models are some very special magicians we’ve had at the Commission lately, NLC has been getting a bit of a facelift with new paint and carpeting! It’s like having our very own house elves. We asked a few of the Brown Brothers Construction crew to step in as this week’s models!

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “A Lost Lady”

It’s the end of an era with this week’s #BookFace!

"A Lost Lady" by Willa Cather BookFaceWe chose, renowned Nebraska author, Willa Cather’s novel “A Lost Lady” (Virago UK, 2006) as this week’s #BookFaceFriday selection. Published in 1923 and set against the background of the west, it’s a third person account of a small town aristocrat’s social decline, and the symbolic end of the idealized pioneer and old west. The heroine, Marian Forrester, has been coined a “symbolic flower of the Old American West,” and is rumored to have been an inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Daisy Buchanan. This short novel is a quick and engaging read for any book club!

Her finest novel… Unforgettable…This wonderful performance displays Cather’s narrative technique at its sharpest, as well as her understanding of the eloquence of the slightest gesture, the simplest statement … A masterpiece.” –Irish Times

This week’s #BookFaceFriday model is our Cataloging Librarian, Allison Badger! If you get a chance, wish her a happy birthday, because it’s today!

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Unbridled Dreams”

This #BookFace isn’t our first rodeo!

Unbridled Dreams BookFaceFridaySet in Nebraska against the background of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Exhibition, and written by a Nebraska author “Unbridled Dreams” by Stephanie Grace Whitson (Bethany House, 2008) is one of our most popular book club kits. We’ve been wanting to use this book for a while now, but it is almost always checked out. Take a wild west adventure with seventeen year old Irma, as she pursues her dreams even if they go against her mother’s wishes. If I were you, I’d add this Nebraska title to your book club list today!

Set against the backdrop of the Wild West Exhibition, Unbridled Dreams is an unusual novel whose characters stayed with me long after I closed the book.” –Historical Novel Society

This week’s #BookFaceFriday model is our Library Technology Specialist, Holly Woldt!

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter”

“Deep in the heart of Summer, sweet is life to me still,
But my heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill.”

"The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

I just love the title of this week’s #BookFace! Before I had even known what it was about, that title made me want to read it. It shouldn’t surprise you that it was taken from a poem: “The Lonely Hunter” by William Sharp. “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” by Carson McCullers (Demco Media, 2004) First published in 1940, McCullers loosely based the young heroine, “Mick”, off of herself and her childhood in the south. With descriptions like “Wonderfully attuned to the spiritual isolation that underlies the human condition,” and “spins a haunting, unforgettable story that gives voice to the rejected, the forgotten, and the mistreated… to the quiet, intensely personal search for beauty ” how can you not want to read it? As a part of our NLC Book Club Kit collection this is a must read for any book club!

When one puts [this book] down, it is with . . . a feeling of having been nourished by the truth.” –May Sarton

This week’s #BookFaceFriday model is our new Government Information Services intern, Samantha Alvarez. She’s a recent graduate from Lincoln Southeast High School with plans to attend Hastings College this fall. Samantha’s choice to major in Library Science is based on her love of reading and desire to be surrounded by books. Here at the Commission she’ll be scanning and shelving our collection of federal and state documents.

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “The Miniaturist”

Happy #BookFaceFriday everyone!

"The Miniaturist" BookFace

This week we took a little trip to seventeenth century Amsterdam with our #BookFace post. “The Miniaturist” by Jessie Burton (Ecco, 2015) follows eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman as she begins a life in Amsterdam. Take a little adventure yourself and request this kit for your next book club read! “Burton’s writing is expressive and descriptive. While her prose is rich, it does not overwhelm the story…This historical novel with its strong female characters will appeal to those who enjoy the haunting undercurrents of Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind.” (Library Journal)

This week’s #BookFace model is Devra Dragos, NLC’s Technology & Access Services Director.

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Looking for Alaska” & “Reconsidering Happiness”

We’ve got a double #BookFace for you today book lovers!

#BookFace Holly Woldt

I know the new year is supposed to be all about starting new goals and breaking bad habits, but we decided to put that off for one more week. Besides, my New Year’s resolution is always to read more books, and I was probably going to do that anyway.  This #BookFaceFriday we decided to indulge in a bad habit instead with John Green’s “Looking for Alaska” (Speak, 2006) and “Reconsidering Happiness” by Sherrie Flick (Bison Books, 2009). Both novels have 4.5 – 5 star ratings on Amazon and are available to borrow as book club kits through your library!

This week’s #BookFace model is Holly Woldt, NLC’s Library Technology Support Specialist. (P.S. we did not actually light up in the Library Commission, that would be against the rules.)

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Holidays on Ice”

Happy #BookFaceFriday from the Nebraska Library Commission & have a Happy New Years!

#Bookface "Holidays On Ice"

When a novel just sounds like too much commitment, the perfect solution is David Sedaris’s collection of short stories! “Holidays on Ice” (Back Bay Books, 2010) covers all our favorite holidays with this great collection of witty stories. Check it out for your book club today!

This week’s #BookFace took a trip to Omaha to visit Aimee Owen’s Christmas Village!

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “The Myth of You & Me”

It’s #BookFaceFriday at the Nebraska Library Commission!

#BookFace "The Myth of You and Me"

We’re feeling all the warm-and-fuzzies with this week’s #BookFace. Settle in and get comfy with this book club selection. A story about friendship, loss, and love, with a little mystery thrown in, “The Myth of You & Me” by Leah Stewart (Three Rivers Press, 2006) has it all. “The novel unfolds at an unhurried, graceful pace, moving through flashbacks and memories.” – School Library Journal.

This week’s #BookFace models are NLC’s Government Information Services Librarian, Mary Sauers and her hubby Michael Sauers (Michael used to be NLC’s Technology Librarian, and is now Director of Technology at Do Space!) Talk about a library power couple!

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Re-Gifters”

Happy #BookFaceFriday from the Nebraska Library Commission!

"Re-Gifters" by Mike Carey BookFaceI love this week’s #BookFace. It’s fun and festive, and since we don’t have a pile of presents here at the office, Aimee Owen volunteered the use of the pile under her tree. I also love that we get to highlight our amazing collection of Young Adult Book Club Kits. “Re-Gifters” written by Mike Carey,‎  and illustrated by Marc Hempel ‎ and Sonny Liew (Minx Books, 2007) is a great example! This graphic novel follows Korean American teenager Dixie through LA’s Koreatown. It’s a well-developed characters, plot, and setting make it perfect for dedicated comic readers and those new to the genre.

Love this #bookface & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub.

Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances”

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Nebraska Library Commission!

"Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances" BookFaceGet your book club in the holiday spirit with this fun #BookFaceFriday read! Join three bestselling authors: John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle, as they weave an interconnected holiday story in “Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances” (Speak, 2008.) “Tender without being mushy, these carefully crafted stories of believable teen love will leave readers warm inside for the holidays.”—School Library Journal

Love this #bookface & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub.

This week’s #BookFace model is Janet Greser, NLC’s Computer Help Desk Support. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

P.S. Aimee Owen is a top notch paper snowflake maker!

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#BookFaceFriday “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver

Happy #BookFaceFriday from the Nebraska Library Commission!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Thanksgiving is officially over for another year. We’ve put on our stretchy pants, relaxed to watch some football, and are eyeing the leftover pumpkin pie. Maybe it’s time to indulge in something other than carbs. Get back to the basics with bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” (Harper, 2007). Join Barbra and her family on this food themed adventure as they “vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it”. Reserve this nonfiction narrative for your book club today!

Love this #bookface & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub.

This week’s #BookFace model is Nebraska Library Innovation Studio’s Staff Assistant, Cynthia Nigh, who also happens to be an avid cook and gardener. Check out our past #BookFace photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “The Dive From Clausen’s Pier” by Ann Packer

It’s #BookFaceFriday at the Nebraska Library Commission!

"The Dive From Clausen's Pier" BookFace PhotoHave you ever just packed a bag, and left? For a vacation? A road trip? What about to start a whole new life? In Ann Packer’s debut novel, “The Dive From Clausen’s Pier” (Vintage, 2003), main character, Carrie Bell, does just that. Reserve this intimate and emotionally thrilling novel for your book club today!

Love this #bookface & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub.

This week’s #BookFace model is Nebraska Library Innovation Studio’s Project Manager, JoAnn McManus. Check out our past #BookFace photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld

Happy #BookFaceFriday from the Nebraska Library Commission!

BookFace: Uglies by Scott WesterfeldDid you know we offer YA titles in our Book Club Kits? Don’t miss out on Scott Westerfeld’s teen novel “Uglies” (Simon Pulse, 2011)! “Uglies” is the first novel in a three-part series that has more than 3 million books in print, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and spent more than fifty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

Love this #bookface & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub.

You’ve seen this week’s #BookFace model before, you just might not know it. Information Services Librarian, Aimee Owen, is also our weekly hand model holding up all the books we feature. Check out our past #BookFace photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Broken For You” by Stephanie Kallos

Happy #BookFaceFriday from the Nebraska Library Commission!

Broken For You #BookFaceWe love highlighting Nebraska authors, especially those we offer in our Book Club Kits, like Stephanie Kallos’s “Broken For You” (Grove Press, 2004)! This national bestseller was a 2006 One Book One Lincoln finalist and a Today Show Book Club selection.

Love this #bookface & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub.

Our #BookFaceFriday model is Nebraska Library Commission’s Accountant, Tan Ngo. Check out our past #BookFace photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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