Do you read the book before you watch the movie? Or do you watch the movie and forget the book even existed? I’m always excited when I find a book on the shelves that was made into a movie. Shocked, I think, “Whoa, I didn’t know that was a book!” Here are some little known […]
Library Columns
“A Land Remembered” Returns to Highlands County By Mary Beth Isaacson
A Land Remembered, by Patrick D. Smith, is perhaps the most beloved work of Florida literature. Published in 1984, the novel chronicles three generations of the MacIvey family, who come to Florida in 1858, rising from poor Crackers struggling to eke out a living in the swamp to cattle, citrus, and land magnates. Smith researched […]
Lake Placid Loves These Movies
Did you know you can borrow movies from your local library? Let’s take a look at the most popular titles for adults at your Lake Placid Memorial Library so far this year. Coming in first place is ‘Going in Style,’ directed by Zach Braff. “Lifelong buddies Willie (Morgan Freeman), Joe (Michael Caine) and Albert (Alan […]
Black History Month Reads
If you only read one book this month for Black History Month, make it We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates. It’s a collection of eight essays — each from a year in President Barack Obama’s presidency — that were previously published in the Atlantic. His essays are brilliant, thoughtful, and complex — […]
Highlands County Loves These Young Adult Books by Samantha Gambill
All of the Harry Potter books consistently top Amazon.com’s bestseller list so it comes as no surprise that “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two” by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne is Highlands County’s best read young adult fiction book this year. Despite the unusual format (this is actually the […]
Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? by Krystyl Farmer
Whoever made the statement, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” obviously didn’t have access to a free library with infinite resources! (That was hyperbole, our resources actually are limited.) But thankfully, Heartland Library Cooperative (HLC) libraries have the ability to request books from 200+ libraries in the state of Florida. If you and […]
Pura Belpré Awards to Latino/Latina writers and illustrators by Mary Beth Isaacson
Have you ever found a library book with a gold Pura Belpré Award medal on its cover? Your Highlands County Libraries have many of them, located in the children’s section. Each year, the Pura Belpré Award is given to Latino/Latina writers and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in […]
Highlands County Loves These Nonfiction Books by Samantha Gambill
“The Civil War: A Narrative” by Shelby Foote is the multiple volume history topping reader’s lists in Highlands County this year. Foote may have written his masterpiece long ago, but remains considered one of the top experts on the war. These volumes, while lengthy, are still judged very readable. It appears Highlands County agrees as […]
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by Krystyl Farmer
The time period September 15 to October 15 is dedicated to celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The initiative began in 1968 as a week long observation but was amended by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to span […]
Hygge by Olivia Tooker
Hot chocolate, candles, and sweaters. Those twinkly lights everywhere. Friends over for a nice, hot meal. This may conjure up images of fall, but for people in Denmark this is a year round lifestyle. Denmark is one of the happiest nations in the country despite their dark and chilly winters, with strong winds. So why […]