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book recommendations

  • Read-Alikes You Can Read Right Now

    Read-Alikes You Can Read Right Now

    As we are adapting to our new way of life that includes social distancing, people also need to find new ways of entertaining themselves. Luckily this includes books! While the library has temporarily suspended home delivery for physical items, our digital collection, including Overdrive, Hoopla and RBDigital to name a few, is still accessible 24/7 from the…

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  • National Poetry Month-01

    Roses are Red, Violets are Grateful, That National Poetry Month Happens in April

    April is a time where flowers bloom from their winter sleep, birds sing as they fly across the skies and writers pick out their new seasonal pens of inspiration to write with. Well, not so much that last part. Among other celebrations, April is also recognized as National Poetry Month. National Poetry Month found its…

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  • Become Your Best Self with the Enneagram

    Become Your Best Self with the Enneagram

    I never expected to benefit from yet another personality test but as it turns out researching my Enneagram type was a wise choice. With a limited investment of time, you can learn a ton about yourself and the people you love.     The Enneagram types, represented by numbers one through nine, are more than personalities. They help to explain a person’s worldview, self-image and motivations. For example, I learned that people of my type, the Four, strive to be unique and authentic. They tend to…

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  • The Mayor's Picks-01

    The Mayor’s Picks

    Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is a strong supporter of libraries and has even been a participant in the African American Read-In in the past. As we know him to be an avid reader, we were curious (and thought you might be too) about his favorite books by African American authors.   I Know Why…

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  • The Best Books of 2019, as Decided by a 5-year-old

    The Best Books of the Year, as Decided by a 5-Year-Old

    Last year, I wrote a blog post on my 4-year-old’s favorite books published that year. Well, we’re doing it again! And as you may have guessed, this time she’s 5. This time we have some chapter books added. And this time, we went back through her archive of library checkouts to ensure we didn’t miss…

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  • MrRogersBlogHeader-01

    In Anticipation of Mister Rogers on the Big Screen

    The Orlando area is one of a handful of spots in the world that has the right to anticipate A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood with a bit more fervor than the rest of the planet. Inspired a 1998 Esquire article by Tom Junod, the film finds a cynical journalist assigned to do a profile…

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  • TravelBooks-01

    This Year’s Best Travel Accessory: A Book

    Upon us is the season of family road trips, beach getaways, barbecues galore and summer vacations away from those dreadful, heavy textbooks. Traveling is the time when we aspire to worry less and soak in as much relaxation or adventure as possible. But is total and complete relaxation ever really achieved? I can’t think of a…

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  • #OCLSReads for Pride Month

    #OCLSReads for Pride Month

    Every June is designated as Pride Month to celebrate the impact of LGBTQ people. This year is extra special as it is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots which served as the catalyst for the gay liberation movement in the United States. These are some of my favorite selections perfect to learn more about…

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  • SummerReads2019Header-01

    #OCLSReads Books for Summer 

    Summer brings longer days and even warmer weather, which means more time for reading—preferably indoors away from oppressive 95-degree Florida weather. But whichever environment you prefer (reading at the beach, at a park, or even relaxing at home), here are some suggestions from two Collection Development librarians to add to your #TBR list this summer.    One…

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  • How to Find Books For a 1-Year-Old

    #OCLSReads: How To Find Books for a 1-Year-Old

    Last year I wrote a post from my 4-year-old’s perspective, listing her top books of the year. Today I’m bringing you some of my 1-year-old’s favorites, and this was inspired by several interactions. As a librarian, many parents ask me for book recommendations, specifically for babies/toddlers who aren’t interested in books yet. They don’t take…

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