Books, Movies & Music

The latest books, movies and music to hit library shelves, with some classics and great obscure stuff thrown in. Read staff and customer reviews here. Find out how you can contribute to this blog, and tap into our personalized reading request service.

Recent Books, Movies & Music Blog Posts

chapter 6 shari schawo

Read the Community Novel: Chapter 6 by Shari Schawo

Just discovered us? Start reading with chapter 1 please! They sat down across from agent Fisk and Kevin did a double take, “What is this about, Evelyn’s manuscript?” He looked at Kate. His mouth felt like he had just licked lint off of an old carpet, he was having trouble concentrating, and she was sitting [...]

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Read the Book, See the Movie

June and July will bring a variety of movies  based on books–including new installments in the Spiderman and Batman series.  There will also be another fairy tale adaption of Snow White and a fanciful tale based on Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.  Happy reading and viewing! Opens June 1st Snow White and the Huntsmen: In a [...]

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A Noir Fantasy in The Sword-Edged Blond

Eddie LaCrosse is a sword for hire, however it isn’t his sword fighting that pays the bills but his skills at detection. He’s a man that can’t be bought, and yet Eddie is filled with guilt from a mistake that has marked him for life and sent him from his homeland. Eddie never expected to return to his homeland until an urgent request for help arrives.

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Read the Community Novel: Chapter 5 by Matthew Edge

Just discovered us? Start reading with chapter 1 please! Whatever got Evelyn fired, it only begins to scratch the surface. At the office, Kate inherits Evelyn’s computer. She discovers that Evelyn was writing a racist fantasy novel on her work computer. Kevin is the thinly-veiled hero of the novel. The novel’s hero, a strapping lad [...]

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A Little Book of Awkwardness

Awkwardness is a universal feeling. Let’s take a closer look at one of the library’s artists’ books that translates these feelings into a 3-dimensional form.

Hard Knocks

Knowing Too Much is Deadly in Hard Knocks

PI Jack Reilly is short on cash so when Bucky, a friend of Jack’s incarcerated brother, wants to meet with the investigator Jack goes against his better judgment and agrees. Unfortunately, Jack made the wrong decision because Bucky is a blackmailer and wants Jack to be the backup for the information so the victim of the blackmail couldn’t just kill Bucky and have the information die with Bucky. Jack doesn’t want anything to do with it, but it’s too late – Bucky gets murdered and the information is on its way to Jack.

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Read the Community Novel: Chapter 4 by Antonette Coffee

Just discovered us? Start reading with chapter 1 please! Kevin was so engrossed in carrying out his reading of the initial grant proposal that just relieved of her duties Evelyn Blackmon had left behind for any unwilling, unenthusiastic, bored-to-death beneficiary such as himself that he hadn’t noticed Kate entering his office. Kate chucked the morning [...]

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Ereaders: Try Before You Buy

The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library has a new and improved ereader display where you can test some of the newest ereaders and tablets.

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Big Ideas from DK Publishing

DK publishing is famous for books filled with great photographs and concise explanations especially in their Eyewitness series, and now they have undertaken concepts in The Philosophy Book and The Psychology Book where big ideas are simply explained.

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Read the Community Novel: Chapter 3 by D.L. Rose

Just discovered us? Start reading with chapter 1 please! “You have got to be kidding me.” Kate’s eyes were wide as she looked at the chair Kevin had pulled up to his desk. He shrugged, not sure what comfort he could offer her. He opted for a joke instead. “Just wait until you see your [...]