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From Software’s Elden Ring has been out for more than a month now which means a lot of players have already beaten the game multiple times. Some of them in exceptional or unconventional ways. I’d like to count myself among the ranks of those embarking on New Game Plus, but I haven’t had my priorities straight and I’m only a little more than halfway done. I'd be Elden Lord by now, but I’ve been getting a full eight hours every night and going to work. However, playing Elden Ring got me thinking about some of the games I tired to scratch my hardcore action RPG itch with after beating Dark Souls 3. In that dark time between From Software releases I played several frustrating games that should appeal to the soulslike fandom. So, for those that can’t get enough of the Soul’s formula I’ve decided to highlight several lesser-known games that you can get right here at the Caldwell Public Library. The Surge The Surge and its sequel The Surge 2 are probably the most well-known and best rated games to make this list. Set in a futuristic dystopia, The Surge has all the core soulslike elements including a crushing level of difficulty. A catastrophic event at the Creo megacorporation finds your character in an industrial exoskeleton with customizable upgrades to help you survive “robots gone haywire, insane augmented co-workers and rogue AI.” While borrowing heavily from the souls games, The Surge adds many interesting gameplay elements like individual limb targeting that allows players to harvest specific parts of enemy armor. The combat is tight and satisfying with plenty of sci-fi weapon options to compliment a variety of possible character builds. The leveling system is also quite refreshing with its energy core system. While The Surge lacks the multiplayer elements common to the souls series it doesn’t suffer for it. Immortal Unchained Set in an alternate sci-fi universe inspired by Norse mythology, the game is basically Dark Souls with guns. Souls are called “bits”; bonfires are “monoliths”; it’s all here under a different name. The gameplay loop becomes somewhat repetitive, the enemy types aren’t that varied, and the build options are limited. A little rough around the edges to be sure, Immortal Unchained charmed me nonetheless and I was hooked enough to see it through to the end. This is the B-movie equivalent of a soulslike where the only real evolution to the formula is gunplay, and even that isn’t game changing. But Immortal Unchained has redeeming qualities that make it a fun experience despite the lack of polish and in a video game that’s what really counts. Excellent art direction and great level design elevate the game and make pressing on through the bad parts rewarding. While just as cryptic with its narrative as the souls series, the story and world building were interesting and engaging as well. You can feel the passion in the parts that work. The soulslike with guns idea has real merit, it just isn’t fully realized here. Hellpoint Hellpoint suffers from many of the same issues that plague Immortal Unchained including a lack of innovation to the basic soulslike formula. However, just like Immortal Unchained, Hellpoint has a great setting, fantastic atmosphere, and solid level design. Another sci-fi entry to the genre, Hellpoint is set in the far future on a derelict space station orbiting a black hole. There’s a plethora of armor and weapons to find and modify, and the balance of available build options and stats is well conceived. Perhaps the best feature of the game is its multiplayer options. While not as robust as From Software's offerings, Hellpoint makes co-op play extremely easy and straightforward. Players can summon a friend from anywhere in the game and summons are not limited to merely completing the area boss. Players stay with the host for the duration of their summon and are even able to warp to other locations with the player. Another welcome feature is couch co-op. While having two players really cuts down on the difficulty, making some bosses feel trivial, it’s refreshing to have a more or less seamless co-op playthrough experience. Hellpoint is a meat and potatoes soulslike experience that offers enough of a challenge to keep players engaged. It doesn’t stray too far from its influences but it does a reliable enough job of putting a new face on an established style. There’s no shortage of games taking notes from the souls series and quite a few simply copying off From Software’s playbook. Some definitely do it better than others offering players unique ideas and settings that make their games feel more distinct. While I’ve only briefly highlighted a few clones there are many more to explore like Code Vein, Remnant: From the Ashes, and Mortal Shell. So, if you’ve still got a taste for more hardcore action RPG fare grab your library card and give one of these games a try.

The Hidden Resource: You may be familiar with many of the materials that you have access to at our library, such as books, CD's, audiobooks, magazines, and DVDs. But are you familiar with the array of resources that are available electronically? Do you know what an electronic resource is? For those of you who are willing to take a journey into the vast world of electronic resources, this blog series is for you. Vroom Vroom is this fun app that makes it easy and fun to help your child's brain! Made to fit in the palm of your hand (as an app on your phone), you and your child can turn any moment into a fun learning activity that will help build good habits and create a good foundation for future learning. Check out some of the details below! Today Browse - You can browse the tips by Activity such as "At the Park," "At an Appointment," "Laundry," and "Mealtime." So, for example, I decided to check out the "Laundry" section since we have a literacy center at a Laundromat in town and I thought it would be fun to have some activities for those who use the literacy center. The one I really liked was "Step by Step with Your Child." This activity helps your child break down a project into manageable steps and understanding processes. According to the brainy background, it helps "your child develop focus and self-control." Tips The Vroom app has tips for playtime, mealtime, cleaning up, bath time, bedtime, and at the store. There are 103 tips for Playtime alone! One of my favorites is a wrap up game where you wrap items and have your child try to guess what the items are. This one helps with working memory! Some categories have a lot of tips, and others are smaller sections but still offer a variety of things to do each time that activity could come up. Since repetition is such a great tool for learning, each activity can be done over and over again! Favorites "Doing the same thing over and over helps Your Child's brain grow, too! So don't hesitate to repeat your favorite tips as often as you'd like." You can mark any of your tips as a favorite by clicking on the heart icon on the right of the card. Once you have marked them, you can always find them in the Favorites section of your account. To remove one, you can just click on the heart icon of the activity card and it will delete it. If you want to remove them all, you can select the "remove all" option on the bottom of the screen. If you have less than 5 tips, the app will encourage you to add more in! Progress Keep track of your progress with your little one by completing each activity! When you mark an activity as complete, the app celebrates your progress and then if you want to see how many activities you have completed, you can look and see how many skills you have focused on and reflect on your stats. There is also a view for history and you can see what day you accomplished an activity and what activity it was. So for instance, when I view my stats, it shows that I have completed 7 tips with my child, and they fall into problem solving, reflecting, thinking flexibly and working memory. My history shows that I have done 5 different activities, which means that I did a few more than once. Which is great, because repetition is so good for learning! Brain Building Take turns, follow, look, chat, stretch. These are the helpful brain building tools that Vroom recommends that will promote every day learning and lifelong learning for your child. Vroom has also included a video to show how each of these activities enhances your baby or child's daily life and how to notice what their interests are as you interact with them. My favorite is the family that is trying on different hats. What a fun and simple activity to do with your child for the whole family. Check out more fun databases and resources on our website and let us know some of your favorites!

Browsing through the latest issue of Bookpage (issued monthly and available to our patrons) I came across a couple new releases that really got me jazzed. One of which is the new novel from The Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle. I’ve placed my copy on hold through the catalog, but until my turn arrives, I’ve decided to take a look back on Darnielle’s previous two novels and hopefully introduce some new fans to his writing and music. John Darnielle may be best known as a singer-songwriter. His band, The Mountain Goats began in the early 90’s by releasing a steady flow of lo-fi recordings and continues to record and tour today. If you’re familiar with his music, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Darnielle is also an author. The Mountain Goats have always been a very literary group with Darnielle’s lyrics masterfully holding listeners' attention with captivating character and emotion. Often dealing with trauma, alienation, drug abuse, and heartbreak: his poetic and narrative craft are a defining feature of the music. You can listen to the fantastic track “This Year” here, on Caldwell Public Library’s very own music streaming service Freegal. Darnielle’s first novel, Wolf in White Van was published in 2014. The novel tells the story of reclusive game designer, Sean Phillips. Disfigured as a teen, Sean sells his games through the mail until a strange incident involving his game Trace Italian opens old wounds and brings Sean face to face with his own trauma. The plot unfolds non-chronologically, slowly building to reveal the circumstances surrounding Sean’s disfigurement and how games allow him a space in which to cope. A small-town video clerk in late 90’s Iowa finds himself involved in a disturbing mystery when a customer complains that someone has recorded something onto a rented tape. Universal Harvester follows the young Jeremy as he attempts to find place and meaning in his small community while investigating a series of disturbing scenes that have been finding their way onto tapes in his store. Jeremy’s efforts soon turn the placid and quiet town into something haunting and surreal. For fans of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. Gage Chandler finally gets his big break as a true crime writer when offered the chance to move into what the locals call “The Devil House.” As Gage researches the notorious murders that occurred there the story soon leads him in unexpected directions and deep into his own past. Devil House was released this January and I’m anxiously waiting for my copy to come through. Darnielle’s style is unique, lyrical, and downright weird. I’m interested to see how his craft has progressed with this novel and hope to see more from him in the future.

It’s time to ring in the New Year! In America, most of the celebrations usually happen on December 31st and January 1st. Most celebrate it with a party with family and friends, or will watch the New Year's Eve ball drop. But did you know that other cultures and religions have their own versions of New Year’s? Some see it as a time of repentance, to make up for past wrongdoings and make amends to start the New Year fresh. Others also see it as a celebration. Some follow other calendars, meaning they will celebrate it at a different time of the year. Rosh Hashanah and Chinese New Year are two examples of this. I was familiar with Chinese New Year before but only recently heard of Rosh Hashanah. In learning more about them, I decided that I wanted to highlight them in this blog post. There are so many other cultures and religions that celebrate New Year's in their own way, however, and you can find more information about them in books from our catalog. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and is one of the most important Jewish holidays. It is celebrated on the first day of the seventh month of the Hebrew Calendar. This means it usually falls in September or October of the Gregorian Calendar. This month is named Tishrei and this is when they believe that God created the Earth. It also marks the beginning of the 10 days of awe, a time of prayer and repentance for the next year. Rosh Hashanah is considered a day of rest, and many will spend it praying in the Synagogue. Some will celebrate it for one day, while others will celebrate it for two. There are many traditions and customs that come with Rosh Hashanah. A “shofar”, a kind of trumpet, will be played as a sort of “call to repentance” (History.com Editors "Rosh Hashanah"). Apples dipped in honey are common foods eaten as it is believed to bring forth health and make the new year sweet. Challah is another very common food eaten. Some will greet others with the saying “L’shana tova tikatev v’taihatem” which translates to “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year” (History.com Editors "Rosh Hashanah"). Yom Kippur is the most important Jewish Holiday and ends the 10 days of Awe. It is often celebrated with a 25-hour fast (History.com Editors "Yom Kippur"). Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is a 15-day celebration that happens sometime between January 21st and February 20th. It follows the Lunar Calendar and is also known as the Lunar New Year. The celebrations often include decorating with items that are red and shooting fireworks. Red clothing may also be worn. This is because of an old legend where a monster named “Nian” (“Year”) attacked people. They warded Nian off by using fireworks and showing him things that were red since he hated it. This tradition carried on to this day, but luckily there is no monster to ward off. Feasting is another common way to celebrate the New Year and it can include special foods. The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the last day, and it is probably the most recognizable one. During this celebration is the dragon dance, including the long, colorful dragon that is carried through the streets and is often associated with the holiday (Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia). How do you celebrate the New Year? Let us know in the comments! We look forward to seeing you all in 2022! Sources: History.com Editors. “Rosh Hashanah.” History, 30 Aug 2021, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/rosh-hashanah-history History.com Editors. “Yom Kippur.” History, 15 Sept. 2021, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/yom-kippur-history Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Chinese New Year". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Dec. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinese-New-Year. Accessed 31 December 2021

Have you been interested in some of these reading challenges that you keep hearing about? In this post, you will learn about some of the different ways to keep track of books and some of the fun reading challenges available to you. My favorite challenge is the Goodreads Challenge. At the beginning of the year, you choose a number of books that you would like to read and keep track of them through the Goodreads website. My personal challenge this year was to read 50 books, and I am on track to read 52, maybe more. Goodreads will keep track of what you have read, show you if you are ahead or behind schedule, and give you the percentage of where you are at in your challenge. At the end of the year, it will give you your “year in review” - it will show the longest and shortest book you read, the most and least popular books that you read, along with a few other fun facts. You can also link your challenge to your social media to show others how much of a bookworm you are. Some other challenges you can participate in are: 52 books in 52 weeks, where you will read a book every week in the year or the equivalent of that TBR (to be read challenge) where you will pull from your pile that you have been meaning to read but haven’t. Read the Alphabet Challenge, a monthly challenge where you read books that start with specific letters. The Purrfect Reading Challenge, read books that have cats as main characters. Popsugar Reading Challenge, read books that meet 40 random, fun, and interesting prompts. Out of Your Comfort Zone Challenge, the aim of this challenge is to read books that you consider to be outside of your comfort zone. This challenge should be an easy one for those of you who are avid library users: Library Love, the goal is to read at least 12 books from the library. A to Z Reading Challenge, a year-long reading challenge that encourages readers to choose a book starting with each letter of the alphabet. Here is a link to other challenges you might find interesting. Did you know that the library has its own reading challenges that are available to anyone, and you could win some cool prizes if you finish? The Ultimate Book Nerd Challenge is something we created last year. It gives you 60 categories; each participant must read 1 book in 50 categories to win (the same book cannot be used for multiple categories). Physical books, e-books, and audiobooks count toward the challenge. If you have kids under 13 who would like to participate in a reading challenge, check out our Ultimate Book Nerd Kids' Edition. For our youngest readers, we have 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. It is for children 0-6. The goal is simple: read 1,000 books with your child before they start kindergarten. Sound daunting? If you read just one book a day from the time your child is born, you will reach 1,000 books before they turn three. If you aren’t a fan of challenges but you would like to keep track of what you have read this year, you can always use a spreadsheet (like some of my coworkers do), or go the old-fashioned route and just use a notebook. Here are a few challenges my coworkers participated in, along with those who just kept track of how many books they read: Marina- Goodreads Challenge & 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, “I had a goal of 100 books. I surpassed my goal and have read 135 books so far. My daughter and I are also participating in 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, and so far, we have read 134 books together.” Sharon- 52 books in 52 weeks, “My goal is to read at least 52 books a year (one per week). So far this year I've read 70 and will (hopefully!) hit 75 before the end of the year. I keep track of what I have read on a spreadsheet.” Todd- Spreadsheet, “my goal was to read 25 books in 2021, and I am currently on track to just meet that objective. As I near the finish of the 25 on my list for the year (Billy Summers by Stephen King), I am also closing in on completing a larger goal of reading Stephen King’s complete body of work. With only 9% of his considerable bibliography remaining (yes, I have a spreadsheet to track this too), most of my reading and listening for 2021 involved King’s books.” Emily- Journal, “I keep track of all the books I read in a journal. I didn't do a specific reading challenge, but I mostly just wanted to read more books than I did last year. Last year I read 36 books, and so far, this year I'm up to 57!” Monique- Ultimate Book-Nerd, "I have tried to do the Ultimate Book Nerd challenge we have here at the library for two years now, and both years I have fallen short. However, even though I did not finish the challenge either year, I ended up reading a fair number of books that I would not normally read. I have also read more books than I usually do. Out of all the books to choose from, I really enjoyed reading books that other staff members recommended to me from genres I don’t usually read from. I also loved reading the banned books that I chose each year. This next year I have a plan… I am going to preselect the books that I want to read so that I’m not scrambling each time to find the right “fit.” Looking forward to another year of reading!" Lacey- Ultimate Book Nerd & Popsugar, I participated in both challenges this year but did not quite hit my goal. I enjoy listening to podcasts and feel if the challenge was regarding these, I would have definitely hit my goal and then some! Make your New Year’s Resolution a fun one and participate in a reading challenge in 2022!

I love a good space opera. You can keep your ‘who done it’ thrillers, cowboys and gunslingers, dukes and damsels, and quaint pastoral country sides. I want to read about lasers, robots, and evil alien invaders. So when a friend recommended Greg Bear’s Forerunner Saga I had to give them a shot. I wasn’t sure what to expect coming into the series as these are the first books based on the Halo franchise that I’ve read. I’ll admit that I had reservations about reading a series based on a video game, even as a fan of the games themselves. After all, books written to accompany, expand, or build on other properties usually have a rough reputation. What I knew of Halo’s backstory I had gathered primarily from playing the games. An epic tale of Humanity versus a fanatic alien empire known as the Covenant, Halo is a first-person shooter video game series first released in 2001. Halo’s popularity grew quickly, and it remains one of the biggest video game and media franchises in the world with the latest game, Halo Infinite releasing earlier this month. I really enjoyed the lore and world building in the games and Bear’s trilogy of books did not disappoint. The Forerunner Saga acts as a prequel of sorts to the events covered by the games. The Forerunners were once a highly advanced species inhabiting millions of planets in the Milky Way galaxy approximately 100,000 years prior to the events of the first Halo game. Worshipped as gods by the Covenant, the Forerunners left behind many technological wonders including the titular Halo array: a series of huge ring-shaped satellite weapons designed to stop the spread of a parasitic organism known as the Flood. Halo: Cryptum follows the young and adventurous Forerunner, Bornstellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting and his two human guides, Chakas and Riser. In search of artifacts on a primitive Human world, Bornstellar is unknowingly guided to an ancient stasis chamber known as a Cryptum. There he awakens the legendary Forerunner Warrior-Servant known as the Didact and is thrust into a conflict that began nearly 10,000 years ago. Halo: Primordium unfolds from the perspective of Chakas after he is separated from Bornstellar and isolated on the rogue Halo installation 07 with a group of other captive humans. Chakas embarks on a journey to find his friends on an out-of-control Halo now run by a rogue AI known as Mendicant Bias and an ancient being called the Primordial. Halo: Silentum chronicles the fall of the Forerunner empire as the Flood devastates and consumes world after world. Framed as a series of discovered Forerunner logs, Silentum follows several major Forerunner characters during the war with the Flood up to the firing of the Halo array. Greg Bear’s Forerunner Saga greatly expands on Halo’s history and adds a wealth of concepts and context. I was initially concerned that diving into the history of the Forerunners would take away much of the mystique and great sense of scale that their artifacts and legacy imbue the franchise with. However, Bear does an excellent job of presenting an alien time and culture without killing the magic by trying to hammer every facet of Halo’s legacy into the story. With thoughtful pacing, great attention to detail, interesting conflicts, and epic scale, the Forerunner Saga is an engaging read that is sure to please both fans of the game and fans of science fiction in general.

What is Resiliency? According to the article Resilience, by Psychology today - "Resilience is the psychological quality that allows some people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as before." What sorts of experiences count as adversities? One way to measure adversities, particularly, those that were experienced in childhood, is with the ACES test. While resilience is a quality that some of those who have experienced hardships and trauma may have acquired, others may struggle with developing the skills needed to overcome past, present, and future hardships. Luckily, with the right tools, resilience can be built! Why is it Important? The article - Building Your Resilience, from the American Psychological Association, states: "becoming more resilient not only helps you get through difficult circumstances, it also empowers you to grow and even improve your life along the way." Adapting well to all sorts of stressors from many sources can empower you to improve your life as well as continue to grow. Life is always throwing stressors at us, too. From workplace stress to family dilemmas and of course, as we have seen, worldwide experiences that even affect our day to day lives. While we may not be able to control what happens around us, other people, or even regular daily occurrences like changes in weather, we can help ourselves become stronger by building resilience. It Can Be Built! To become more resilient, forming and maintaining healthy habits will help you to take the best care of yourself. This can be done by making sure you are surrounded by healthy people, keeping up with things that help you keep your mind stable, and finding purpose in your life. Healthy relationships. Making sure that you are connected to people who are empathetic, compassionate, and supportive can make or break anyone's day. If you have ever had experience with a toxic relationship - whether it has been your significant other, your parent, your child, or even a coworker - you know that once healthy boundaries have been set, it can be so much easier to focus on yourself and your goals. Not everyone knows what a healthy relationship looks like, and some have gone a long time without seeing one modeled or without having the right people around. If you think you may need guidance in understanding what makes a healthy relationship, there is a lot to learn online or through researching different books. There are also numerous therapy groups, community organizations, and therapists who can help you figure out what makes a good relationship and how to keep those compassionate, healthy people around you. Making your mind strong. All of our minds can become cluttered, especially when stressed out. Since there are so many different things that can stress us out, and our bodies are impacted by these stressors, one key way to reducing anxiety, fear, and panic is to practice mindfulness. There are different ways you can be mindful, but I prefer meditation and journaling. Both of these methods help me to work through different stressful situations, and I love both because I can do them on my own and I don't have to involve other people who may be dealing with their own problems as well. What are some ways that you try to keep your mind strong? Finding your purpose. Some people have large dreams and huge goals that they want to accomplish in life, others are just happy being a part of a family or a thriving community. Some people have talents and gifts to give to the whole world, and others bring most of these talents to their families or local neighborhoods. Whether you have grand dreams or want to live a simple, peaceful life, finding your purpose can add a fuel to your day and life that is hard to let go of once it's apparent. I know for me, once I realized my purpose in life, I felt the weight of the world melt and the pressure and stress of self-importance vanished. I became happier and lighter, living each day with a unique intent that I never seem to get tired of or find in short demand. Living each day with a purpose in mind will help you build resilience along the way! Book on Resilience:

Sometimes websites can be confusing or contain a lot of information that you may not see unless you are committed to exploring. We have put a lot of thought and care into our website, and while sometimes things change, the essential functions will pretty much stay the same throughout updates. Read on to get some cool navigation tips while you are exploring our website! Carousel Slideshow When you first land on our website, you will see a carousel slideshow that will show you all the most recent information that we have about our library. This information can be things like upcoming programs, information about changes in our services, or fun events like our library book sale! If you hover over the page and click, you will see details about the event. To get back to the main page, just click the Caldwell Public Library logo and it will take you back to home base. These slides constantly change to reflect the most current events and is one way you can keep up to date. Our Hours and The Green Ribbon Our hours are located towards the top of the page, below the green ribbon. The green ribbon contains lots of information on various subjects and each category features a drop down menu that will let you explore more facets of what we have available. You can explore anything from online databases such as NoveList and Lili.org, or sign up for contactless delivery. We also feature our library events calendar, curbside services, and tutoring appointment sign ups! Our library offers so much, and it can be overwhelming or time consuming to explore all the options. There is also a section that helps explain how some of the databases work, you can find that under niche academy. Niche academy offers a lot of other cool tutorial videos, so check those out as well while you are there! If you get lost in the databases and other fun website features, you can find your way back to the homepage as before, by clicking on the Caldwell Public Library logo. The Library Catalog Maybe you're not interested in anything right now except for searching for your next awesome book. Not to worry, the catalog is featured on our website on the top right of the page. There you can log in to your account and put books on hold to be delivered to our library. I use this button all the time to do my own holds and searches for items for patrons or for myself. Pro tip - library catalogs are notoriously limiting and exacting when searching, so if you don't know the exact spelling of a book, DVD, or author, it may not show up in your search. I often google correct spelling of author names or titles so that I can type that into the catalog search bar and find exactly what I am looking for. If you really can't find an item there are two more ways you can possibly check it out. You can put in a library purchase request and see if we will add it to our collection, or you can place an interlibrary loan request and get a book from outside of our local library borrowing system. Both of these options require some extra patience for processing time, and have special guidelines to both, but they are always there to utilize. If you have further questions, feel free to explore the policies around both options or call, message, or ask a librarian when you next come in and we can help guide you through the process. Social Media Links and our Newsletter To find our social media links or to sign up for our newsletter, look to the bottom of our website! Follow us on Facebook or Instagram or subscribe and always be connected to what's happening at the library! Do you have any favorite sections that you explore on our website? Is there anything that you would like to learn more of or something that you would like to see added? Let us know in the comments, call, email, message, schedule a tech tutor appointment, or drop in and ask for some guidance from one of our librarians!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m somewhat of a purist when it comes to music. Far too often I’ve been the one claiming, “their first album was their best!” A first release is usually the most raw in terms of performance and production. There always seems to be a more authentic feel and sense of exploration as a band tries to find their sound. I’m not going to argue that Thursday’s Waiting is better than their later releases and judging from other reviews by critics and fans I doubt many hold “Waiting” as the pinnacle of the band's creative output. However, Waiting is a good album and a great first release for a band. Plus, it’s available to Caldwell Public Library patrons for free on Freegal. If you haven’t already heard about Freegal check out my post on the streaming service here. Thursday formed sometime around 1997 and have released six albums to date. Like many bands, Thursday found commercial success with their second release Full Collapse: now considered an Emo classic. The band’s growing back catalog and continued success led to a 2015 reissue of Waiting, introducing their debut to a fan base that may have missed it the first time around. The reissue features original demos and a few extra goodies not included in this original release. A very earnest and promising first album, Waiting reveals much about Thursday's continued growth as a band and hints at what was yet to come from the group. Waiting was recorded at Big Blue Meenie Recording Studio and produced by Sal Villanueva. The same Studio and producer that would later give us Taking Back Sunday’s thunderous debut, Tell All Your Friends. Sal would go on to produce Thursday’s next two albums including Full Collapse. At a sparse 33 minutes with 9 tracks, Waiting feels more like an EP than a full release but there’s some real bangers sprinkled throughout. Drawing influence from their Emo forefathers, there’s hints of bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Texas is the Reason, albeit with more of a post-hardcore edge. The first track, “Porcelain” is a subdued opener to the album with its frequent breaks and relatively relaxed tempo. However, the track sets the mood of Waiting perfectly with chunky guitars and deeply tragic lyrics delivered by the slightly out of tune wail of singer Geoff Rickly. The lyrics of “Porcelain” deal with the suicide of a friend and reflect on the fragility of life. Tragedy is a common theme in most of these tracks and the lyrics both express and reflect on emotional pain with well composed lines and detailed imagery. While the main melodies suffer occasionally from Geoff’s raw singing and the backing screams lack depth, the emotional charge of the delivery helps to elevate the tracks above these shortcomings. The minimalist production suits the songs well and furthers the feeling that these could almost be live performances. The two standout tracks here are “This Side of Brightness” with its lovely string accompaniment, and “Dying in New Brunswick.” Syncopated guitars and skillfully executed drum transitions make these tracks dynamic and engaging right from the start. The guitars sweep from a tight, crunchy distortion to a haunting, ethereal clean tone that moves skillfully with the vocal melodies. Unfortunately, as other critics have pointed out, the album doesn’t feel cohesive or intentional with its track choice and layout. It seems Waiting would have benefitted from being released as a leaner EP rather than an attempt at a full album. If you enjoyed this review take a look at some of the other releases I’ve looked at on the Caldwell Public Library blog. If this album tickled your fancy, I highly recommend this split EP from Bayside, or Northstar’s first album, both available on Freegal.

It’s my favorite time of year again. The oppressive heat has lifted, the leaves have started falling, and there’s a subtle chill in the air that makes me crave a warm beverage and a sweater. Yes, Fall has descended upon us and with it comes the most ghoulish night of the year, Halloween! To help get you in a spooky mood I asked staff for their favorite Halloween movie recommendations. I’ve pared-down the list and made sure to include some flicks appropriate for the whole family as well as some more gruesome fare for when the little goblins are at rest. So prepare for goosebumps, spine crawling shivers, and frightful fun! Here are Caldwell Public Library’s top Halloween picks! Hocus Pocus (PG) After 300 years, the Sanderson sisters are resurrected in Salem Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it's up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches' reign of terror once and for all. Bette Midler delivers an unforgettable performance in this classic Halloween film. Monster House (PG) A group of kids discover that a neighborhood house is actually a monster. To solve the mystery of the house they must go inside it, before it takes everyone that crosses its path. Wildly imaginative and captivating. The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG) Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween has become bored with the same routine every year. While on a walk in the woods he discovers a door leading to Christmastown and decides to spread Christmas joy to the world. But things don’t go as planned when Oogie Boogie plots to play a game with Santa Claus' life and creates a nightmare for all the good little boys and girls everywhere. Casper (PG) Determined to get her hands on her father's hidden fortune, Carrigan is forced to hire an afterlife therapist to exercise the ghosts that keep frightening her away. Dr. Harvey and his daughter, Kat, move in and soon Kat meets Casper, the friendliest ghost. But Casper's uncles are still determined to drive all the "fleshies" away. Addams Family & Addams Family Reunion (PG-13) Con artists plan to fleece the eccentric and eerie Addams family using an accomplice who claims to be their long lost Uncle Fester. However, the conniving crooks find themselves in over their head with a family too bizarre to be intimidated. In the hilarious sequel The Addams family attempts to rescue their beloved uncle Fester from his gold-digging new love. But that won’t be easy with a new baby in the house and the children away at summer camp. Halloweentown (PG) Thanks to a visit from Grandmother Aggie, Marnie and her family's tradition of ignoring the Halloween holiday are about to change in the extreme. It seems that Marnie's mother Gwen has been hiding a big secret from her three children--all of them possess supernatural powers. Children of the Corn (R) A young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believes everyone over the age of eighteen must be killed. A Stephen King classic. Pet Sematary (R) Louis and Rachel Creed and their two young children settle into a house that sits next door to a pet cemetery, built on an ancient Indian burial ground. Their mysterious new neighbor, Jud Crandall, hides the cemetery's darkest secret until a family tragedy brings the secret to life. Now, an unthinkable evil is about to be resurrected. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (R) Fasten your garter belt for the time-warping, genderbending cult classic starring Tim Curry, Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon and Meatloaf! Stranded newlyweds soon find themselves in the company of a strange cast of characters in this twisted musical. The Shining (R) Jack Torrance is a writer who, along with his family, comes to the elegant, isolated Overlook Hotel. He is the off-season caretaker. Torrance has never been there before, but maybe he has. The answer lies in a ghostly time warp of madness and murder. As Above So Below (R) Miles of twisting catacombs lie beneath the streets of Paris, the eternal home to countless souls. When a team of explorers ventures into the uncharted maze of bones, they uncover the secret of what this city of the dead was meant to contain. A journey into madness and terror, it reaches deep into the human psyche to reveal the personal demons that come back to haunt everyone. Evil Dead II (Not Rated) The sole survivor of the evil dead returns to the same cabin in the woods and again unleashes the forces of the dead. Playing up the more comedic aspects of the series, Evil Dead 2 pits Ash against more ghosts and ghouls as he struggles to survive the night while keeping his sanity. Buckets of blood and laughs! How many on the list have you seen? What are some your favorite Halloween flicks? Let us know in the comments below!

It's that time of year! Time to talk about censorship and the books that have been banned or challenged the most over the last year. That's right - it's Banned Books Week! Why do we celebrate Banned Books Week? Because we believe in the freedom to read and to choose what you want to read. "But if a book is banned, isn't it bad?" Bad is such a subjective term, don't you think? What you and your family may not like, could be what another family loves to read. So whether you love Harry Potter or cannot stand it, that's okay! Those books will be freely available for those who do want to read and learn from them. History of Banned Books Week Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign held the last week of September. It began in 1982, when Judith Krug, library and First Amendment activist, was approached by the Association of American Publishers to bring awareness of banned and challenged books to the general public. Today, Banned Books Week is largely promoted by the American Library Association (ALA). This campaign examines both book (and library service) bans and challenges, which includes any public request for removal or reassignment of a book (or service), generally within a library setting. Amnesty International also celebrates Banned Books Week - specifically raising awareness for writers who have been persecuted or killed for their work. This organization provides updates for persecuted writers' cases in several different countries, especially those with high rates of censorship. You can read more about Banned Books Week in my post from 2019. Banned/Challenged Books of 2020 2020 was a rough year for all of us. Many libraries were closed to the public for at least part of the year (our library included). Even so, challenges to library books and services were received all over the US. Below is a look at the top 10 books that were challenged, along with reasons for the removal requests. Keep in mind that of the hundreds of reported challenges every year, there are hundreds more that go unreported. (It is estimated that 80-90% of challenges do not get reported to the ALA.) To find a larger list of challenged and banned books check out the ALA's frequently challenged book list. "The freedom to read is essential to our democracy." As I stated in my 2019 post, "We don’t have to agree about the appropriateness of a particular book, but I hope we can agree that each of us should be able to decide what is appropriate for ourselves." You can read the full Freedom to Read Statement from the American Library Association here. If you want to get involved with Banned Books Week - check out virtual events and ways to get involved on the Banned Books website. Take Our Banned Books Challenge For the entire month of September, we are challenging YOU to read a book that has been banned or challenged and tell us what you think. Should it have been banned or challenged? Why or why not? For each banned book you read fill out a form or tag us in a picture on Instagram for a chance to win some Banned Books swag! The last day to turn in your forms is Saturday, October 2. Happy reading!

There are few things worse than hearing about a book that really piques your interest and not being able to find it in the catalog. Often a Librarian will have the magic touch and locate it in our system, but sometimes our library and consortium members simply don’t carry it. Whether it’s due to rarity or age, some materials aren’t available locally. But wait! Before you visit a mega-online retailer to purchase that little gem let us borrow that book for you! With our Interlibrary Loan system, we can request books of all sorts from all around the country. I was browsing the world wide web the other day with the intent of finding a new book to read. I already have several books competing for my time, but interests shift occasionally and I find myself with too many books and too little time. I was thrilled to learn about “Tape Op: The Book About Creative Music Recording”, a collection of interviews and articles from the magazine of the same name. I immediately searched the library’s catalog but came up with nothing. Not being easily dissuaded, I tried to refine my search several times. No luck. But rather than admit defeat and resign myself to purchasing a book I wasn’t sure I’d want to own, I submitted an ILL request through the library’s website. So how does it all work you may be wondering? Once you place an ILL request either over the phone, through our website, or in person our staff searches a huge catalog called WorldCat to find a library that has what you’re looking for. WorldCat encompasses over fifteen thousand different libraries’ catalogs from around the world! If we can find a library that will lend it to us, we’ll lend it to you. My copy of “Tape Op” came from the Nashville Public Library. Pretty cool! There are a few important things to keep in mind when requesting items through ILL. In order to keep requests manageable patrons are only allowed to have three ILLs checked out to their account at a time. Additional requests will be waitlisted. Items released less than 1 year prior to your request cannot be fulfilled. Rather, we’ll place a purchase request to see if the item would be beneficial to our collection. DVDs, Blu-rays, Cassettes, VHS, and video games are not eligible for ILL. When you come to pick up your item it won’t be on the shelf with your regular holds but must be picked up from the circulation desk. Because an ILL is lent to us from another library, we need to coordinate with them on extending your checkout time if you require a renewal. This means you’ll need to notify us as early as possible if you would like a renewal. While we generally don’t charge late fines for our items, uncollected ILLs will incur a $5 fine to offset the shipping cost. So make sure that if you request it, you pick it up. Lastly, the little slip attached to the front of your item has our temporary barcode and other important information regarding your ILL. It’s important that the slip stays with the item when returned. You can find more information about our ILL policy and submit requests here. “Tape Op” was absolute fire. I loved the book and am considering purchasing both volumes so I can share them with friends. One last thing to keep in mind. Much like our own library system here in the Treasure Valley, no library can hold every book. Despite our staff's best efforts there are times we aren't able to procure what you're looking for. Have you used our ILL service? Any amazing reads you’ve been able to get or any far-out libraries you’ve seen items come from? Let us know in the comments.