Month: May 2018

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The Book Block Cure – podcast 19

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Hello and welcome to the Falkirk Libraries podcast with Vikki and Gavin.
This episode we were discussing the issue of Book Block and coming clean about books we probably should love but didn’t.  All the books we mention are available to borrow and request from Falkirk Libraries

Vikki has been reading:
• Let Go My Hand  by Edward Docx
• Paper Girls Volume 4 by Brian K Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matthew Wilson

Gavin has been reading:
• The Magos by Dan Abnett
• The Russia Shift (The Fuse) by Anthony Johnston

New and forthcoming adult books:
• The Skaar Invasion (Fall of Shannara) by Terry Brookes
• Take Me In by Sabine Durrant
• Liar Liar by Lisa Jackson
• Tom Clancy’s Line of Sight by Mike Maden
• Love Will Tear Us Apart by Holly Seddon

New and forthcoming children’s titles:
• The Cook and the King by Julia Donaldson, Illustrator David Roberts (0-5)
• Zoe’s Rescue Zoo: The Super Sloth by Amelia Cobb, illustrator Sophy Williams (5-7)
• Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson (Reissue of the 70’s series (7-9)
• Agent Without Licence by Andy Lane (9-11)
• Plague Land by Alec Scarrow (Remade trilogy book 1) (Teen)

DVD recommendations:
• The Greatest Showman (PG)
• Molly’s Game (15)
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (15)

Our Reading Agony this week: ‘I’ve just moved into a house with a garden for the first time and need some advice and inspiration’.
The library has everything covered, apart from actually stocking compost and plants (though you could order them online using our free internet service).  We can help with books on designing your garden both big and small plots; deciding what you are going to plant, flowers, vegetables or both; recognising what plants are already in your garden; dealing with pests and diseases; building sheds, summer houses, decking and paving.

Staff quote of the day: “Crisp anyone?” From a colleague who has been asked by her brother to post several boxes of crisps to Australia…as apparently the Australians don’t have good snacks! They are obviously a very healthy nation!

We discussed the survey carried out recently by the Reading Agency looking at Book Block.  We confessed the books we’ve struggled to read, or never finished at all.  However there were some titles that we’ve read and enjoyed that were challenging to read but worth it. A selection of the books mentioned in our discussion included:
• Lanark by Alasdair Gray
• Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
• Harry Potter series by J K Rowling

Did you know? We stock lots of gaming guides for both adults and children.
Please check out our online catalogue for more information.

Thank you for listening to the Library Love podcast, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and if you did, then tell a friend or colleague about our podcast; or give us a review on iTunes so more people get to hear about us. We love to hear from you and if you’d like to get in touch with us, then go to then go to librarylovefalkirk.com, Falkirk Libraries on Facebook, or @LibFalkirk on Twitter.

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Summer books – Podcast 18

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Hello and welcome to the Falkirk Libraries podcast with Tanya and Vikki.
This episode we were chatting about summery reads.  Does the daylight and weather affect our reading choice?  All the books mentioned can be found and requested on the Falkirk Libraries page

What we have been reading and listening to:
Vikki has been reading:
• Black Wood by SJI Holliday
• Public Library and Other Stories by Ali Smith

Tanya has been reading:
• The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory
• Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different by Ben Brooks
• Seeds of Friendship (pic bk) by Michael Foreman favourite with the 5 – 7 yr olds

New and forthcoming adult books:
• The Wanted by Robert Crais
• This is What Happened by Mike Herron
• The Crooked Staircase by Dean Koontz (Jane Hawk thriller book 3)
• The Love of a Family by Rebecca Shaw
• Days of Wonder by Keith Stuart (author of A Boy made of blocks)

New and forthcoming children’s titles:
• Star Wars Maker Lab by Cole Horton (Non-fiction)
• British Insects and Other Minibeasts  by Clare Collinson
• Octopants by Suzy Senior (0-5)
• The Girl with the Lost Smile by Miranda Hart (9-11)
• Mirror Mirror by Cara Delevigne & Rowan Coleman (Teen)

DVD recommendations:
• All the money in the world (15)
• The Maze Runner Death Cure (12)
• Early Man (AArdman Animation) (PG)

Our Reading Agony this episode: “I’ve got to plan a child’s birthday party and don’t know where to start”  Here are some of our suggestions:

• Great British Bake Off Children’s Party Cakes and Bakes by Annie Rigg
• Kids Party Cakes Quick and Easy Recipes by Ann Nicol
• Party Animal Cakes by Lindy Smith
• Cute and Easy costumes for kids by Emma Hardy
• Quick Costumes for Kids by Deborah House
• Braids Bunches and Pigtails  50 Fun and Easy Hairdo’s for parties by Jenny Strebe
• Party Games by Lisa Reagan
• Party Games by Sean Callery
• Face Painting by Karen Harvey

Staff quote of the episode: “We’ve got a filing cabinet with no key – let’s jimmy it open and see what’s inside,”

Our discussion: We have talked about cosy reads but what about when the suns out and the nights are longer and Tanya doesn’t need a rug in her shed anymore. Does better weather affect our reading tastes? Well perhaps is the answer:  below are some of the books enjoyed in summers gone by as well as highly anticipated in summer 2018.
• Captain Correlli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres,
• The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop
• The Girl under the Olive Tree by Leah Fleming,
• The Tea Planters Wife by Dinah Jefferies.
• The Sapphire Widow by Dinah Jefferies
• The Good People by Hannah Kent
• Brief Cases by Jim Butcher
• The Lake District Murder by John Bude
• The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude
• Million Love Songs by Carole Matthews

Did you know? We have a separate section in every library for Teen readers, it’s where we keep all our past exam papers and guides, a wide range of fiction titles and comics.

Thank you for listening to the Library Love podcast, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and if you did, then tell a friend or colleague about our podcast; or give us a review on iTunes so more people get to hear about us. We love to hear from you and if you’d like to get in touch with us, then go to then go to librarylovefalkirk.com, Falkirk Libraries on Facebook, or @LibFalkirk on Twitter.

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Banned books we love – Podcast 17

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Hello and welcome to the Falkirk Libraries podcast. Today Vikki, Anna and Tanya were discussing books that have been banned in various places.  All the books can be found at our library catalogue if you’d like to request them

What we have been reading and listening to:
Vikki has been reading:
• Adele Parks, The Image of You
• Marian Keyes, Rachel’s Holiday
Tanya was reading and listening to:
• The Children of Castle Rock by Natasha Farrant
• The Unexplainers podcast
Anna was reading and listening to:
• Dark in Death by J D Robb
• The Serial podcast

New and forthcoming adult books:
• Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts
• The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden
• The Blood Road (Logan McRae, Book 11) by Stuart MacBride
• The Brighton Mermaid by Dorothy Koomson
• Irongran: How keeping fit taught me that growing older needn’t mean slowing down by Edwina Brocklesby

New and forthcoming children’s books:
• Little Miss Splendid Moves House by Roger Hargreaves (0-5yrs)
• Rory Branagan: Detective by Andrew Clover (author), Ralph Lazar (illustrator) (8 – 11yrs)
• The Last by Katherine Applegate (9 – 12yrs)
• The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X. R. Pan (teen)

DVD recommendations:
• Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (PG)
• Ferdinand (PG)
• Stronger (15)

Our Reading Agony this week: A reader came into the library this week and asked us: ‘My child (aged 5) is asking questions about where babies come from – help!’
I would suggest that parents with kids of any age who are curious about their bodies and about reproduction – ask at your local library as libraries keep books on puberty and sex education behind the counter (we might have some on the open shelf, but they often get damaged or stolen) – that way you can have a good look at several different books and find the books that you think would be suitable for your child’s needs. For little kids, I always recommend Babette Cole’s Mummy laid an egg and her Hair in Funny Places.  For a non-fiction alternative, How did I begin by Mick Manning (6-11years) or Let’s talk about girls, boys, babies, bodies, families and friends by Robie H Harris (4-7 years)

Staff quote of the day: ‘Anyone got any superglue?’

Our discussion was all about banned books – books have been accused of promoting everything from cannibalism to witchcraft. From children’s stories to classics, there are a whole lot of books that have been banned in one country or another through the years. We discussed:
Harry Potter by J K Rowling
Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
Mummy laid an egg by Babette Cole
Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon
Absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Spycatcher by Peter Wright
Lord Horror by David Britton
Some banned book lists can be found at: Banned Books Week,   Penguin Books  and the American Library Association.  They are well worth a look – even just to be amazed as to why people thought they needed to be banned.

Did you know? We have loads of dvds to rent. We charge £2.75 for a week’s rent. So come and have a browse – there are loads of adult and children’s dvds – I particularly like getting kids dvds when I have a poorly child to entertain – it’s nice to curl up on the sofa with a duvet together
TV Boxsets! Binge watch – on some platforms the earlier series disappear after a certain date, so you could borrow an earlier series from the library

Thank you for listening to the Library Love podcast, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and if you did, then give us a shout out on Facebook or twitter. We love to hear from you and if you’d like to get in touch with us, then go to then go to librarylovefalkirk.com, Falkirk Libraries on facebook, or @LibFalkirk on Twitter.