TitleTales

Boredom Busters: by Kathryn Lynip

Nonfiction post—08/07/09
Personally, I never have the need for a boredom buster, as I rarely feel bored. I entertain myself very easily by reading or if I have no book just watching the world go by. However, while working on a public library reference desk I am frequently asked for books on hobbies and inventive ways to pass time. So this week I’m picking some fun books for those who like to entertain their minds as well as those who prefer physical activity. For anyone who prefers mental entertainment there is Literary Hoaxes by Melissa Katsoulis about literary hoaxes and fraudulent claims of authorship through the ages. Just as entertaining is Edison’s Concrete Piano by Judy Wearing, which enumerates some of the not-so-great ideas from inventors. For those who would rather get outside and shoot off rockets or make fun objects from household wares, there is Soda-Pop Rockets by Paul Jarvis and Sneaky Green Uses For Everyday Things by Cy Tymony. My favorite of the list is for those of us stuck in a cubicle farm watching the clock edge towards five: Miniweapons Of Mass Destruction shows how to amuse yourself and annoy your neighbors using the office supplies in your desk drawer.

Audiobooks Made Easy: by Trisha Rigsby

Audiobooks post—08/07/09
I’ve been using the phrase “making the most of your money” a lot lately. Reaching the perfect balance between quality and value can be challenging for any selector, and I’m always searching for ways to make this easier for customers. One of the best ways to do this for audiobooks is the MP3-CD. The cost of MP3-CD audiobooks makes an attractive option for collections, since they are often less expensive than traditional CD audiobooks. The sound quality is comparable to traditional CD’s, and because more data can be stored on MP3-CD’s, a 13-hour audiobook will fit on one MP3-CD rather than on 11 regular CD’s, freeing up shelf space. They play on stereos and other devices compatible with MP3-format and function much like regular CD’s. Publishers like Hachette and Harper have some, but Brilliance Audio, Blackstone Audiobooks and Tantor Media are the largest publishers of MP3-CD’s. They offer a solid selection of titles and the variety has really expanded in the last few years as audiobooks have gained popularity.

Mysteries for Teens: by Heather Ji

Young Adult post—08/07/09
Maybe you only think of mysteries around the month of October, but fans of the genre read them all year long. I count myself in that group, and I’m pleased to see so many new and diverse mysteries for teens. There is no shortage of unusual detectives in these books, either. In The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, the chunky, hearing-impaired Will Halpin is just trying to rise above the geek crowd in his new high school when he becomes involved in a murder mystery. Heist Society’s Katarina Bishop was raised to be a thief like the rest of her family, but now must play detective and criminal at the same time in order to save her father. In All Unquiet Things, a murdered girl’s ex-boyfriend and cousin (whose father has been convicted of the crime) try to work together to find out what really happened. More great mysteries and thrillers from 2009 and early 2010 can be found by on TitleTales today.

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