Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Decade in Movies

As we move towards the start of a new decade, it's always fun to go back and look at what made the biggest impact, or what we thought was great at first and later on didn't age as well. This was the decade of Marvel movies and shared cinematic universes, the decade of streaming exclusives, the decade of the relaunch of the Star Wars franchise. The 2010's saw a lot of changes happen across the silver screen. We've compiled a modest list of some of the decade's most popular: how many have you seen, and what do you think of them now? Click on a title to place a hold on something you haven't seen!



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2010 - The Social Network, Inception, The King's Speech

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2011 - Drive, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, The Artist

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2012 - The Avengers, Silver Linings Playbook, Life of Pi 

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2013 - Her, The Wolf of Wall Street, Gravity 

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2014 - Whiplash, Boyhood, Birdman 

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2015 - Mad Max: Fury Road, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Room 

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2016 - Moonlight, La La Land, Manchester by the Sea 

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2017 - Get Out, Lady BirdThe Shape of Water

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2018 - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Green Book, The Favourite

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2019 - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Booksmart, Avengers: Endgame 

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Spook-tacular Films and Reads for HALLOWEEN!

It's HALLOWEEN time! You can get your spook on with some of GPL's scariest movies. So plop down on your sofa, make sure to grab a friend, and prepare for the worst while watching some of these:

Not everyone revels in scary movies, or even movies at all. Some like to crack open a good horror book. So, if you're of the bookish persuasion, check out some of GPL's creepy titles:

Enjoy some Happy HALLOWEEN haunting, be it film or book!

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Check Out New October Releases



Now that Fall is officially here its a great time to curl up with a fresh new book from your favorite author.  Here are some of the titles out this month.

Blue Moon by Lee Child

In the next highly anticipated installment of Lee Child’s acclaimed suspense series, Jack Reacher comes to the aid of an elderly couple . . . and confronts his most dangerous opponents yet.


What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

A year ago, Irene Steele had the shock of her life: her loving husband, father to their grown sons and successful businessman, was killed in a plane crash. But that wasn't Irene's only shattering news: he'd also been leading a double life on the island of St. John, where another woman loved him, too. Now Irene and her sons are back on St. John, determined to learn the truth about the mysterious life--and death--of a man they thought they knew. Along the way, they're about to learn some surprising truths about their own lives, and their futures.




A Mrs. Miracle Christmas by Debbie Macomber


"As the holiday season begins, Laurel McCullough could use some good news. She and her husband, Zach, have been praying for a baby that seems more and more like an impossible dream, and they've had to move in with her beloved grandmother, Helen, who's having trouble taking care of herself. But when Laurel contacts a local home-care organization for help, there are no caregivers available. Then Mrs. Miracle appears at the door. 

The 19th Christmas by James Patterson 

A peaceful San Francisco holiday season is shattered by a criminal mastermind's ominous threats for Christmas morning, prompting Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends to prepare for an attack by a commissioned army of criminals.



The Night Fire by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch and LAPD Detective RenĂ©e Ballard come together again on the murder case that obsessed Bosch’s mentor, the man who trained him to be a homicide detective.


Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Pumpkin-spiced books

Now that it's October, it's officially acceptable to get pumpkin-spiced everything! Books are no exception. Here are some "pumpkin-spiced" reads to get you in the mood for those crisp fall days.


The Pumpkin Muffin Murder: a Fresh-baked Mystery by L.J. Washburn
Phyllis loves to spend quality time with her grandson. She'll be taking him to a festival with hopes of winning the baking contest-now that her friendly competitor, Carolyn, is judging and not competing. But when a decorative scarecrow is actually a deadbody in disguise, it's Phyllis's sleuthing skills that are needed. The dead body is that of the festival's organizer- and his wife, Carolyn's friend, falls under suspicion. Carolyn turns to Phyllis for help, because who's better at dishing out some justice than a baker extraordinaire who can handle the heat.

Autumn by Ali Smith
Autumn. Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Two old friends - Daniel, a centenarian, and Elisabeth, born in 1984 - look to both the future and the past as the United Kingdom stands divided by a historic, once-in-a-generation summer. Love is won, love is lost. Hope is hand in hand with hopelessness. The season roll around, as ever. A luminous meditation on the meaning of richness and harvest and worth, Autumn is the first installment of Ali Smith's Seasonal quartet, and it casts an eye over our own time.

When Autumn Leaves by Amy Foster
In the picturesque Pacific coast town of Avening, it's hard not to believe in magic. This is a town where the shoes in the window always fit, where you can buy a love potion at the corner shop, and where local lore seamlessly mixes with the supernatural.And then there's Autumn, Avening's most beloved resident, shopkeeper, and guardian of the Jaen sisterhood. When she receives word she's been promoted within the order, Autumn must undertake the task of selecting her own replacement. But who in Avening is magical enough to take Autumn's place?

Cat Among the Pumpkins by Mandy Morton
Feline detective Hettie Bagshot and her sidekick, Tilly, investigate a murder and look for their clues in Mavis Spitforce dressing as a pumpkin, Irene Peggledrip talking to cat spirits, and Mike Myers's murder of his family on Halloween.

Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson
When a woman is found strangled to death during a Halloween party at Yarborough mansion, bookstore owner Krissy Hancock, with the estate on lockdown and a killer roaming the halls, must help Officer Paul Dalton find the truth, while confronting some terrifying truths of her own.

Three unsuspecting guests ready for some spooky fun at an annual Halloween costume party at a picturesque bed and breakfast in Moonbright, Maine, discover why the locals believe the inn is an enchanted place where wishes actually do come true.


Thursday, September 26, 2019

Five That Made the Cut - and Five That Didn't: The National Book Award for Fiction 2019

Booklovers recently heard whether their favorite book had made the National Book Award short list.  The following are the five finalists chosen for fiction:

Susan Choi - Trust Exercise

Kali Fajardo-Anstine - Sabrina and Corina: Stories

Marlon James - Black Leopard, Red Wolf

Laila Lalami - The Other Americans

Julia Phillips - Disappearing Earth

The other five not chosen from the longlist are:

Taffy Brodesser-Akner - Fleishman Is in Trouble

Kimberly King Parsons - Black Light: Stories

Helen Phillips - The Need

Ocean Vuong - On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

Colson Whitehead - The Nickel Boys

The Winner of the National Book Award will be announced on 11/20/19, but in the end, no one is a loser. The talent of ten fiction writers has been recognized, and we now have ten exciting choices to carry us through a (probably) cold, snowy winter. Everyone wins!

The needOn earth we're briefly gorgeous : a novelThe Nickel boys : a novelBlack light : storiesFleishman is in trouble : a novel






















Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Downloadable in Spanish

I am so excited, we now have some Spanish materials in a downloadable format. And because we are in the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month, this post is for the Spanish-speakers, whether it is your first or second language. I did a search on Hoopla and there are over 20,000 items for download from movies and music to audio an e-books. Take a look at the link below and browse the collection. Remember you can download 5 titles per month with no wait using Hoopla. So add the app to your device and hop on Hoopla.
Hoopla items in Spanish

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

After IT: CHAPTER 2, Try...




The sequel to 2017's blockbuster horror IT has floated into theaters and to the top of the box office. Whether you're a fan of King's original novel, the 1990 miniseries, or the newer adaptation, these picks are a perfect double feature for this horror epic. 
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  • Die by Kieron Gillen: Several years after being trapped in a game of their own design, former childhood friends reunite to step back into their nightmarish creation. 
  • The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue: To cope with a near-death experience, ten-year-old Jack spends most of his time drawing monsters. Much like King's novel, the lines between fantasy and reality slowly begin to blur in this psychological horror novel. 
  • NOS4A2 by Joe Hill: Decades after escaping a crazed killer, a mother must use all of her abilities to get her son back after he is kidnapped by the same man. With supernatural abilities, alternate imaginative universes, and the magic of childhood and memory, this has more than a few things in common with IT. 
  • Stand by Me: A group of friends go on an adventure to find the body of a missing boy. If you like the idea of IT's focus on the bonding of a group of friends, but can't hack the scary stuff, this one's for you. Also check out the original novella
  • Escape Room: Six strangers accept a mysterious invitation to a brand new escape room, which turns out to much deadlier than they ever would have expected. If you like IT for the rollercoaster thrill-ride cycle of scares, you might like this recent horror flick too. If you do, be sure to check out our (much less lethal) Escape Room program on September 26th!