Lynne

27/12/201806/02/2020

Favourite Reads 2018: Young people

Here’s the second installment of our favourite books of this year. We asked staff, library users and author pals for their recommendations for young people and here’s what they suggested.

We’ve made it really easy for you to get your hands on these title. Head to our library catalogue Best of Year slideshow to click and collect your copy from your local library.

Picture books

Our Young People’s Librarian, Lynne, loved Joesph Kuefler‘s charming environmentally-friendly picture book The Digger and the Flower. Imagine Wall-e was great big construction vehicle and not a robot.

One of our Falkirk borrowers was delighted by Billy and the Beast by Nadia Shireen, in which the hero, Billy, all dressed up in her cagoule and wellies, saves her furry friends from a monster. Lovely.

The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith and Katz Kowley is recommended by, well, everyone who has discovered it following the now infamous video of the Scottish granny cracking up as she tries to read it.

Younger readers

For children here’s two books about youngsters from other countries finding their place in their new home Scottish home. One of our lovely customers suggested The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle via Facebook and Author Alex Nye recommended Lauren St. John’s beautiful The Snow Angel .

Who Let the Gods Out?, by Maz Evans, not only wins the prize for best book title of the year, but it’s also a rip-roaring fantasy adventure that’s as funny as it is exciting. It’s about a boy named Elliot who gets roped into helping Olympian Gods vanquish a demon. Perfect for youngsters who have just discovered and are loving the Percy Jackson series.

And let’s not forget the Potter heads. Primary-age readers will adore Jessica Townsend‘s Nevermoor series, as recommended by Librarian Tanya and her kids.

Young adults

We start off with more fantasy, but this time for young adults, recommended via Instagram by Helen. Tomi Adeyemi‘s Children of Blood & Bone, is the first stunning instalment in a new series. It’s a dark, gripping story about one girl trying to bring back the magic in time to save her world from strange creatures, vengeful spirits… and other people. The film rights have already been purchased, so read it now so you can say you were there first! Isn’t the cover beautiful?

Several borrowers, picked the incredible The Hate You Give, which was re-released on paperback this year following the release of the movie. Angie Thomas‘s incredible fiction tale, which is rooted firmly in real life, tells of a young African American girl who is the sole witness to the police shooting of her unarmed friend.

Got any recommendations for young people? Comment below! Remember you can click and collect most of these books via the Best of Year slideshow on our library catalogue.

24/12/201824/12/2018

Favourite Reads 2018: Non-fiction

The votes are in! We asked staff, library users and tame authors about their favourite reads of the year.

We kick off our end-of-year selections with non-fiction. Watch this space for lists for younger readers, crime fans and general fiction.

Most of the titles below can be found at your local library and we’ve made it really easy for you to get your hands on them: Head to our library catalogue Best of Year slideshow to click and collect your copy.

Non-fiction 2018

Topping the non-fiction list for many of our library users is, of course, Michelle Obama’s autobiography Becoming.

Also in the political spectrum, Podcaster-in-Chief Tanya chooses MP Jess Phillips‘ memoir Everywoman.

Recommended via Facebook was the incredible tale of a courageous WWII serial escapee, The 21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram by David Guss.

New Yorker staff writer David Grann did pretty well this year. Our Allan picked White Darkness, his gripping account of Henry Worsley’s quest across the Antarctic. Graphic novel creators, Fraser Campbell and Ian Laurie, chose Killers of the Flower Moon, his investigation into the Native Americans murdered for their oil wealth. Over on Twitter David seemed pretty chuffed to be recognised:

Some of our author pals were happy to send us their non-fic picks too. Our Writing Rammy partner-in-crime, Helen MacKinven, suggested Adam Kay‘s
This is Going to Hurt , his reflections on life in a crisis hit NHS.

The wonderful Maggie Craig not only kept us enthralled during her Book Week Scotland visit, but gave us her pick for 2018: Scottish rapper Darren McGarvey‘s powerful Poverty Safari, a book everyone should read.

It’s also been a good year for fans of hip-hop. One our Larbert borrowers recommended Lamont ‘U-God’ Hawkins’ riveting autobiography: RAW: My Journey into the Wu-Tang.

Finally, Librarians Allan and Lynne are very excited about The Beastie Boys Book and are likely to be very disappointed if it’s not in their respective stockings come Christmas morning.

Got any non-fiction titles you’d recommend? Comment below! Remember you can click and collect most of these books via the Best of Year slideshow on our library catalogue.

11/12/201805/12/2018

Digital Storytelling in Falkirk: The People’s Story Project

We’ve a guest blogger this week: Sabine Hellman, our Digital Storyteller, wants to share her exciting project!

My name is Sabine and I have been working since October from Grangemouth Library to deliver a lovely new project: The People’s Story Project. Our aim is to engage a wide range of community groups to tell personal stories from the local area – be it historic events of significance, memories of daily life in the 60s, 70s or 80s, achievements or challenges people are facing today or an inspiration in their life. We all have stories to tell – many of whom are rarely heard.

Once the stories emerge in our workshops, they’ll be getting the digital treatment! The narration will be recorded using an iPad and an external microphone. This builds the backbone of a digital story. The next step is all about the visuals – finding the right photographs or even creating drawings. The storyteller can explore different ways of how their story should look.

Once those two elements have been created, they’ll come together in a simple editing process, using the app iMovie. The best part is always sharing the finished digital stories and seeing the reactions of fellow storytellers. This project aims to help those less confident with digital technology to explore those challenges in an engaging way – by sharing and capturing stories from the local area. Some stories are very moving and sad, others are inspirational and uplifting. Most importantly, each story is part of a big puzzle of life in the district, past and present!

Do you know a local group who would enjoy this project? Are you visiting the library often and want to try out an iPad and tell your story? I’m happy to meet you and chat more about creating your own digital story!

Get in touch: Sabine is based at Grangemouth Library, pop by or drop her an email: sabine.hellmann@falkirkcommunitytrust.org

06/12/201806/12/2018

Falkirk Libraries Book Week Scotland 2018

Book Week Scotland is one of our favourite times of the year: It gives us an excuse to make even more of a fuss about books and reading than usual AND we get to invite our favourite writers and artists along to our libraries!

2018 was no different and from 19-25 November we brought some brilliant authors to the Falkirk area for some top-notch bookish chat!

ES Thomson at Larbert Library, Thursday evening

History and crime were featured in our adult author events this year and our first author brings both beautifully together in her Jem Flockhart series.

Laura from Larbert Library has been raving about ES Thomson’s books for ages and was pleased as punch that she could join her on the Thursday evening for a chinwag.

As well as finding out more about the latest installment in her dark, gothic Victorian crime thrillers, Elaine kept us enthralled with nuggets of information about Victorian medical practices. Unsurprising really when you learn that she has degree in Medical History!

Find Elaine’s books on our library catalogue

Maggie Craig at Forth Valley Sensory Centre, Friday morning

Maggie Craig really got into the spirit of Book Week Scotland’s rebellion theme with stories of Falkirk’s ain rebels from Jacobite history.

She also shared some tales from her excellent non-fiction titles about the Jacobite Uprising and from “When the Clyde Ran Red”, her gripping social history book about Glasgow’s workers battling for their rights.

Maggie’s Falkirk visit has piqued her interest in a slice of local history: She’s been researching Camelon’s nail manufacturers from the 19th Century who fought against worker oppression. We’ll look forward to hearing what she finds out!

Find Maggie’s books on our library catalogue

James Oswald at Grangemouth Library, Friday afternoon

James Oswald and library staff at Grangemouth Library

We ended the week by welcoming back James Oswald for a cracking cosy chat. We got a peek behind the publishing process and heard about his new Constance Fairchild series.

There was also much discussion over the pain of choosing book titles. Interesting fact: After much agonising, The Damage Done was named (by James’s editor) after a song by the goth band Sisters of Mercy… Occurs to us that we need to do a Library Love podcast on books named after songs!

We made sure to get a staff picture with James at the end. As a big fan of his Inspector McLean series, Victoria from Grangemouth library was chuffed to get answers to some of her burning questions and comic book lover Gavin was keen to find out more about James’s writing for 2000AD.

Find James’s books on our library catalogue

Kirkland Ciccone at Grangemouth Library, Thursday morning

For our main teen event of the week, we introduced Grangemouth High S3 to the shy, retiring Kirkland Ciccone.

It’s always a joy to welcome Kirkland to our libraries as he never disappoints with his hilarious and (mostly) true stories of growing up in Cumbernauld, loving his local library and becoming the punk rock weirdo he is today.

,Glowglass, Kirkland’s latest book for teens came out earlier this year, but – big news – he’s next going to write some adult fiction! We can’t wait.

Find Kirkland’s books on our library catalogue

Jan Bee Brown’s pirate tales, Tuesday and Wednesday

We didn’t forget about our youngest library users – pupils from Denny, Laurieston and Antonine primary schools were entertained by Jan Bee Brown’s pirate rebel stories. The youngsters had a fantastic time and Jan looked smashing in her tri-corner hat!

And that’s it! Browse the gallery below for the full action. Be sure to swing by your library to bag your free copy of the Book Week Scotland book of rebel stories!

Select the first image to scroll through.