Allison Peyton

Halloween is almost here! At AKSPL we are prepared with many frightening books to help celebrate the season. Whether it is fiction or non-fiction there is a little something for everyone. There are three new books that will be discussed here.

To start off with a real-life scare, The Vampire’s Cult: The Untold Story of Obsession, Control, and a Shocking Small-Town Murder, by Chet Hardin will keep anyone up at night. A controlling madman, his apprentice/accomplice, and the young woman who fell into their clutches. Sydney Loofe was a small-town Nebraska girl looking for love. She went out on an online date only to never be seen again. Her murder turned the small town of Wilber, Nebraska upside down. This book will make one rethink dating apps.

Another fearsome crime in real life goes back over 100 years to New Orleans and the mysterious “ax-man” murders in the early years of the 1900s. Entire families in areas surrounding New Orleans and into Texas were slaughtered by an unknown assailant with an ax. Inquisition for Blood: The Making of a Female Serial Killer in the Jim Crow South, by Lauren Nicole Henley discusses the case of Clementine Barnabet who allegedly confessed to the murders even though she’d been in jail when some of them occurred. This is a fascinating snapshot of the southeastern United States at the turn of the century with all its good and its bad.

Frieda McFadden delivers another spooky read with Want to Know a Secret? April Masterson is the perfect influencer online. Offline, her secrets are another story. What is she hiding? Is she as perfect as she seems? McFadden creates another thrilling story of how far secrets can go and the lengths people take to protect themselves.

Come check out our Halloween book display (created by staff) for more spine-tingling reads. One may want to read them with the lights on!

Books and movies make a good team! It is always fun to read a book and then view and compare the movie version of it. Here are three literary masterpieces that came alive on the big screen recently.

The most well-known film of the summer is the “Odyssey” by filmmaker Christopher Nolan. If one does not remember the story of the Odyssey from junior high/middle school days — AKSPL has copies of it (both in print and e-material). The epic poem by Homer shares the trials and tribulations of Odysseus as he and his crew make their way home after the Trojan War. The library has seen a resurgence of interest in reading the Odyssey since the film came out.

For fans of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz—“Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good,” were two huge films that were on everyone’s list to see. Wicked (the book) by Gregory Maguire tells the backstory of both witches from L. Frank Baum’s original novel. AKSPL has Wicked along with the other books in the series that carry on the legacy of the magical land of OZ.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a literary work that has had several film adaptations over the years. It was also on many reading lists for high school literature classes. The tortured romance of Cathy and Heathcliff is one that is timeless. The BBC/PBS 2009 adaptation of Wuthering Heights on DVD is available here at the library. The 2026 film version by Emerald Fennell also offers a new take on this classic work of literature. AKSPL will have that on DVD soon. With both film adaptions it is interesting to see what highlights of the plot are covered and how the costumes are interpreted.

In reading a book and then comparing it to the film there are key questions one can ask. First, does the film follow the original plot of the book or has Hollywood taken a little dramatic license? Second, how are the actors? Do they resemble the characters in the story or not? Can they convince an audience they are these characters on-screen? Third, how are the period details in the movie? Is it set in the correct time period and location or has that changed? Lastly, was the book better or was the movie version better? That is always a spirited debate here with fellow librarians.

AKSPL has all three of the books listed above and two of the films. (Hopefully the “Odyssey” will be released on DVD in the near future). But there are lots of other books and movies to read, watch, and compare!

True crime is extremely popular! One can find it on TV, podcasts, and streaming services. California has seen its share of true crime (the Golden State Killer or the Night Stalker). Other cases here, and throughout the country may be lesser known—but are just as horrifying. AKSPL has three new titles involving true crime and one older true crime title that will be discussed here.

One of California’s most famous cases is the Black Dahlia. This occurred in the late 1940s in Los Angeles. The victim, Elizabeth Short, was found dismembered in a vacant lot in L.A. But did you know that there was another parallel murder case back in the Midwest? Leila Welsh and Elizabeth Short were very different in upbringing, lifestyle, and lived in different states. Sisters in Death: The Black Dahlia, The Prairie Heiress, and their Hunter by Eli Frankel compares their murder cases and tries to link them to the same suspect. Who is this suspect? You’ll only know if you read the book. To this day neither case is officially closed.

Going from California to Arizona, Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter, by Troy A. Hillman shares the cases of Angela Brosso and Melanie Bernas. Both women were killed within months of each other. Both had bicycles. Both were killed in comparable circumstances. For years the cases could not be solved until a unique cold-case team of detectives, and a CPA, were able to figure things out. Scariest of all was that the suspect was hiding in plain sight all along.

In Arkansas the Ozarks can be beautiful, but, deadly. Benjamin Hale’s, Cave Mountain: A Disappearance and Reckoning in the Ozarks, shares the story of Haley Zega. She disappeared on a hike and the search for her turned into a huge search and rescue mission. After she was rescued, Haley talked about another girl “Alecia.” Haley’s disappearance and “Alecia” would be eerily associated together though years apart.

For classic true crime, nothing beats author Ann Rule! Her book, Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal, takes place in Georgia. Jenn Corbin and Dolly Hearn were young women living their best lives. Both women were involved with Dr. Bart Corbin and both ended up dead. Was it a coincidence? Ann Rule compares and contrasts both women’s lives and their love for the same man.

For true crime fans, AKSPL has many other books, e-books, and other materials to keep them up at night! Patrons can also use our new app to search for items or to place them on hold. The app can be found in the App stores for both iPhone and Android users.

Allison Peyton is principal librarian for A.K. Smiley Public Library Adult Services.

Did you know that A.K. Smiley Library is more than just books? We also have online databases one can access with their library card number and PIN. We are very excited to announce that we now have Learning Express Library Complete! This database has resources for everyone. Students who need to study for the SAT can take a practice test online. Adults who are looking for career exams like Civil Service or Cosmetology can find study guides and practice tests. There are even resources for 4th-8th graders such as math and language skills improvement. All of these tests/exams are the most current versions. For computer help Learning Express Library Complete offers an online session for computer basics. All patrons need to do is create a user name and password.

A second database AKSPL offers is Ancestry.com library edition. Genealogy has grown in popularity—especially when it comes to true crime cases being solved with it. Ancestry.com is only available inside the Library. There is no remote access at this time. However, one does not need to create an account with them. Bring it up on one of our public computers or a laptop and one can start researching new branches of their family tree.

A third database AKSPL offers is Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints. This is a great research tool for a school pro/con essay assignment. There is remote access – one just needs their library card number. Popular topics that are updated are politics, health and medicine, and society/culture. The articles here are clearly and concisely broken down explaining each side of the pro/con argument. For students needing to cite their research there is a box at the end of the article which shows how to format it in MLA, APA, or the Chicago Manual of Style.

Lastly, for veterans who are looking for resources, AKSPL offers VetNow. All one needs to do is login with their library card number as a remote user. It offers resume assistance, job resources, and a live Veteran Navigator for help with VA benefits. One can also create an account with their own username and password for a more personalized experience.

The best part about all of these databases is that they are available to the public for free! Research should not cost anything. To use these or any of our other databases start by getting a library card. All that is required is a photo ID with current address or photo ID with proof of address if one just moved to the area. A full listing of our databases can be found at: https://www.akspl.org/elibrary/#eDatabases.

AKSPL has a variety of book collections. One that is sometimes forgotten about is the Oversized Collection. Oversized materials are literally just that. To be cataloged into that specific collection it depends if the book will fit on the shelf according to its Dewey number and shelf space available. Titles in this collection can cover art, countries, travel, dinosaurs, and movies.

Oversized materials are thought of as conversation pieces. They are perfect to check out and put on one’s coffee table. They also can be used to decorate one’s living room or study. They are highly detailed and have beautiful photographs. Many times, teachers will use them for art or history lessons. Other times they are just fun items to read and look at the pictures.

Three titles that can be found in this collection are 85 Years of the Oscar: the Official History of the Academy Awards, The Prehistoric World of the Dinosaur, and Monet. They are reviewed below.

85 Years of the Oscar: the Official History of the Academy Awards by Robert Osborne is a gorgeous book with a year-by-year history of the Oscars. There are many photographs of stars along with a description of the Oscars for a specific year. It is a source of boundless information for movie lovers!

The Prehistoric World of the Dinosaur by Dr. David Norman is a descriptive and colorful book of the history of dinosaurs, and the fossils that have been discovered. It is a great book for anyone (young and old) interested in paleontology.

Monet by Frank Milner gives the life and art history of one of France’s greatest impressionists, Claude Monet. It gives a brief background on Monet and then references some of his most famous paintings and where they are located. This would be helpful for art lovers who would want to go to those museums to see that artwork.

All in all, the Oversized Collection is one that everyone should see–come in and we’ll be happy to show your where it lives!