A.K. Smiley Public Library Blog

Serving the City of Redlands, California since 1894

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Take home local art from the Library!

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Your A.K. Smiley Public Library card allows you to bring home more than just books. You can also check out a piece of Redlands culture and help support local artists. A.K. Smiley Public Library’s collection of local art features a variety of pieces by local artists from two Redlands Art Association exhibitions, many depicting scenes of Redlands. Pieces may be checked out for six weeks, with a limit of two pieces per checkout.

This unique circulating collection was made possible through a collaboration between A.K. Smiley Library and Redlands Art Association. The pieces are available in a variety of sizes and styles. There’s something for everyone. This collection is a fun way to discover local artists and experiment with different art types without spending a dime. If you discover a piece you especially like, chances are you can find more by the same artist, as well as other treasures at the Redlands Art Association Gallery, located in the heart of Downtown Redlands, at 215 E. State Street, Redlands, CA 92373.

Come on over and find your inspiration!
Pictured: Four of the many works of art available for checkout at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

Teens, beat the heat, and get started now on YA summer novels!

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Teens, do I even need to remind you that summer is right around the corner? Look around the corner. See summer waiting for you, eager to sizzle you in a boiling sweat bath? Luckily, for the next few weeks we get to luxuriate in thoughts of summer (freedom, no homework, popsicles, adventures) without experiencing its fiery death grip. What better time to read an epic summer novel? Here are some YA titles you may want to add to your summer reading pile.

Full disclosure: I broke the cardinal rule of reading. I judged a book by its cover. Picture it: the tantalizing silhouette of an amusement park bathed in the glow of a purple sunset. And in the foreground? A girl in a hot dog suit.

If this description hasn’t convinced you to immediately check out the book “Hot Dog Girl” by Jennifer Dugan, allow me to elaborate. Teenager Eloise gets a job at a local theme park in the hopes of attracting the romantic attentions of Nick. There’s just one problem. Nick is cast as a dashing pirate, and Eloise, a.k.a. Lou, is assigned the role of, yes, you guessed it, a hot dog. Oh, and Nick already has a girlfriend—as luck would have it, the amusement park’s beautiful and beguiling princess. Lou hatches a cockamamie plot to win Nick over—a classic frankfurter-woos-swashbuckler scheme—and in the process, learns more about real love than she anticipated. Pass the mustard and pull down the security bar for a wacky summer love quadrilateral that redefines happy endings.

If you have a heart of stone and hate hot dogs, maybe “The Lake” by Natasha Preston is more your speed. I am quivering in my flip-flops just thinking about this book.

When seventeen-year-old friends Esme and Kayla receive letters inviting them to return to Camp Pine Lake as counselors-in-training, they’re excited but wary. Last time they were at Camp Pine Lake was eight years ago, as campers, and they were involved in something horrible they swore they would never talk about again.

Now they’re back, and mysterious messages start appearing at camp, messages that reveal someone else knows their secret…and wants revenge. What starts out as disturbing quickly turns terrifying as Esme and Kayla come face to face with their dark past. The lake never forgets…

Eeeeeek! Kiss your fingernails goodbye. This is an unsettling but hard-to-rip-your-eyes-away-from nail-biter…proceed with caution.

I didn’t want to write about two summer love stories in one article, but alas, “Love is a Revolution” by Renée Watson made me do it. Does it count as a love story when the book takes a turn from the typical girl-meets-boy romance to more of a self-love story? What’s that you say? That’s an exception to the two-love-stories-in-one-article rule? Phew! Here goes…

Nala made a list of the things she wanted to accomplish during the summer before her senior year: Find a new hairdo. Binge-watch Netflix. Oh, and find love. When her cousin Imani drags her to a talent show sponsored by Imani’s social activism group, Inspire Harlem, Nala, whose eyes typically roll at these events, catches sight of Tye and her heart immediately catches fire. It’s fine if Nala pretends to be an activist to get Tye’s attention, right? And it’s no big deal if she pretends to be a vegetarian, like he is? That’s the best strategy to make him like her, right? Right? RIGHT???

What happens when you make someone you’re really into fall for a not entirely real version of you? Check out this body-positive, entirely relatable summer tale to find out.

And there you have it. A short list to get your summer reading started off right. And don’t forget to join A.K. Smiley Public Library’s Dig Deeper Summer Reading Program this summer. It starts June 15 and there will be prizes specifically for teens which you will not want to miss. Unfortunately, no hot dog suits.

Taking care of our mental health: a reading list of New Book selections

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May is Mental Health Month. Now, more than ever, seems a good time to raise awareness about mental health. The A.K. Smiley Public Library’s new book section has many selections from different perspectives on mental health issues, with a few examples mentioned here.

“Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind,” by Judson Brewer, MD, PhD; “Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery,” by Catherine Gildiner; “Emotional Inflammation: Discover Your Triggers and Reclaim Your Equilibrium During Anxious Times,” by Lise Van Susteren, MD and Stacey Colino; “Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life,” by Christie Tate; “Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About,” by Ryan Casey Waller; “The Long Night: Readings and Stories to Help You Through Depression,” by Jessica Kantrowitz; “Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life,” by Craig Groeschel; “The Upside of Being Down,” by Jen Gotch with Rachel Bertsche; “Hilarious World of Depression,” by John Moe; “Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety: Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health in Six Weeks,” by Drew Ramsey, MD; “When the World Feels Like a Scary Place: Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents and Worried Kids,” by Abigail Gewirtz, PhD.

The Young Adult section located downstairs in the Library also has a few new books to check out, as well. “Beneath the Surface: A Teen’s Guide to Reaching Out When You or a Friend is in Crisis,” by Kristi Hugstad; “Anxiety…I’m So Done With You: A Teen’s Guide to Ditching Toxic Stress and Hardwiring Your Brain for Happiness,” by Jodi Aman; “Rewire Your Anxious Brain for Teens:  Using CBT, Neuroscience & Mindfulness to Help You End Anxiety, Panic & Worry,” by Debra Kissen, PhD, Ashley D. Kendall, PhD, Michelle Lozano, LMFT, and Micah Ioffe, PhD.

A.K. Smiley Library is open for in-person visits. Refer to the website at www.akspl.org for hours and also for information on our e-books and databases which are available 24/7. Knowledge is power!

On a waiting list for a book? Try these recommendations for an alternative

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What should you check out at A.K. Smiley Public Library when all of the books you want to read are already checked out? Well, lucky for you, I have a few book recommendations if you find yourself on the request list for a few of the Library’s most popular titles. Who knows, you might like these titles more than the titles you have on hold.

Kristen Hannah’s latest title about the Great Depression, “The Four Winds,” is so popular that at one time there were a staggering 30 requests for it. If you find yourself on this list, try “Send for Me” by Lauren Fox, a story set in Germany at the beginning of World War II.

“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V. E. Schwab has been on so many bestseller lists that the Library can’t keep its two copies checked in. Instead, try these two magical titles, “The Midnight Bargain” by C.L Polk or “The Year of Witching” by Alexis Henderson.

“Set My Heart to Five” by Simon Stephenson and “The Hierarchies” by Ros Anderson should tide you over until Kasuo Ishiguro’s latest novel, “Klara and the Sun,” a novel about artificial intelligence, becomes available for check out.

Check out these titles and more. Make sure to check our website at www.akspl.org, or call the Library at 909-798-7565 for our updated hours.

Lights! Camera! Action!

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Welcome to the theater! You’re just in time for the previews. I see that you’ve got your popcorn and drinks. I’ll show you to your seats.

New books celebrating the cinema are ready for circulation at Smiley Library. You’ll get to meet notable actors and directors, learn a bit about old Hollywood, and receive great DVD suggestions too. Hurry now, the lights are dimming and the curtain is just opening. Please sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

It’s hard to think of Alfred Hitchcock without picturing the infamous “shower scene” with Janet Leigh from the movie Psycho. If you’ve watched some of his classics, you’ll enjoy reading the history behind each masterpiece in “Alfred Hitchcock: The Complete Films.” This guide covers the early silent years to his final film in 1976. Brief background stories of his 53 movies along with accompanying stills give insight into one of the most prominent men in film. This would be a fun book to become acquainted with his prolific films, many of which may be brand new to you and some you may wish to add to your watch list.

Matthew McConaughey admirers will enjoy this next book. From his supporting role in Dazed and Confused to his Oscar-winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey has starred in numerous movies becoming a well-known celebrity. Now, with his first memoir “Greenlights” on the Los Angeles and New York Times bestseller lists, he’s proven to be just as popular as an author. Through a collection of candid personal stories, poems, and experiences drawn from a journal he has kept for the last 36 years, he shares insights explaining what it means to have “greenlights” in your life; affirmations you’re heading in the right direction. Full of stories from his childhood, world travels, career and family, he analyzes the moments that life gave him the go-ahead, and how to recognize and embrace that. An entertaining examination into a life as only Matthew could tell it.

Take a step back in years to old Hollywood with personalities like Rudolph Valentino, Olivia De Havilland, Clark Gable, and Mary Pickford. “This Was Hollywood: Forgotten Stars and Stories” by Carla Valderrama is the perfect overview of Hollywood during its Golden Age. Full of interesting history, trivia and a touch of scandal, even classic movie buffs will find a treasury of remarkable facts to learn here. Did you know Rita Hayworth was a “painfully shy” girl with long black hair dancing in a nightclub act with her father in Tijuana before becoming a Hollywood screen idol? Learn about the incredible talent of the Nicholas Brothers, dancing at the legendary Cotton Club. I’m sure you’ve heard of Rin Tin Tin, but how about Puzzums, “the most human cat in pictures?” This charming book has a wonderful “old school” vibe with abundant vintage photos and graphics.

Additional New Books Celebrating the Big Screen:

Many films and works from the directors mentioned above are available for viewing from our extensive DVD collection. Familiar favorites like Psycho, Taxi Driver, Dallas Buyers Club, Batman Begins, Platoon, and Annie Hall as well as other classics, new releases, documentaries, musicals, adult and children’s titles are ready for you to check out, take home and enjoy.

In addition to our DVDs, you can stream classic, independent, foreign and educational films for free with a Smiley Library card through our Kanopy database. There are so many great films to watch here; I highly recommend taking a look.