It seems like just about every streaming or entertainment service has a year in review or "wrapped" report now. It can be a lot of fun to look back on the year and see what our consumption habits were. What artists, shows, or songs we gravitated too can reveal a lot about how we felt about the year and help us identify patterns. Which is why we here at the library also do a sort of year-end review we like to call STATISTICS! Don't let the math word scare you away, because today we're simply looking at circulation stats. Simply put, how many times did this book or movie checkout? Let's take a look at our most popular materials of the year by category! Adult Fiction: Remarkably bright creatures: a novel (2022) / Where the crawdads sing (2018) Teen Fiction: The Hunger Games (2008) / The ballad of songbirds and snakes (2020) Youth Fiction: Diary of a wimpy kid: the getaway (2017) Adult Movies: Pride and prejudice (BBC Mini-series 1995) Youth Movies: PAW patrol. Summer Rescues (2018) It's interesting how some older books like The Hunger Games surge in popularity because of movie releases for their sequels and how persistent the appeal of Where the crawdads sing is. As you can see, there were ties this year for the top spot in both Teen Fiction and Adult Fiction. And in the top spot for Youth Fiction, Diary of a wimpy kid: the getaway was borrowed a whopping 52 times!

Outreach services had an amazing time this Fall with the Caldwell community. We were able to participate in some really fun events, give out a ton of books (and candy), and connect with the community with storytimes, programs, and visits. In September we went to the Indian Creek Festival and set up some family activities in the Caldwell Train Depot building. We showcased our 3D printer and some fun games that centered around STEM activities. We also had a story walk and some books to give away. We saw so many families and a lot of them had fun playing our magnetic fishing game with 3D printed pieces. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello! In October we went to two Trunk or Treat events, one at Sacajawea Elementary for Caldwell School District families, and one with Caldwell Housing Authority and their residents at Farmway Village. How exciting to be invited to both events! We saw so many families and had a lot of fun decorating our trunk in a spooky way. The kids loved being able to get a piece of candy and pick out a free book. Berry Bear came with us to Sacajawea Elementary school, he even dressed up like a pirate for the occasion! Were you able to come say hi to us at one of the Trunk or Treat events? There were many other community members at these events as well, making it a strong and wonderful time for families and helping them be more familiar with all the wonderful support systems that Caldwell has to offer. I hope you catch us at the next Trunk or Treat event! In November we went to Dia de los Muertos at Washington elementary school. We got to show off our 3D printer to the families in the area. Leslie made some really cool 3D printed sugar skulls that she gave away. This event had folklorica dancers, food, beverages, and fun games for the community. Did you stop by and play one of our games? Being able to attend these events is so wonderful, we love seeing all the families that Caldwell serves and being able to support our school systems! Lastly, this Fall we have also been focusing on strengthening library programs and visits around communities such as Farmway Village or the Caldwell Senior Center. We have also been visiting our literacy center at the laundromat Get the Funk Out, have you been by it yet? We are offering children's programming at Farmway Village, and an information table at the Caldwell Senior Center once a month. At the laundromat, we have been offering storytimes once a month for those who are doing laundry or just in the area and want to hear stories for a bit. We also will talk about any of our library services at these locations and encourage everyone to ask questions so that we can better understand the services that you are looking for. If you see us at any events, please make sure to say hi! We are driving to distribute books to our homebound community every Tuesday and you may see us in your neighborhoods from time to time. As we continue on with winter, I will be taking photos and looking forward to doing a winter outreach recap for you all. Have a wonderful rest of your year!

Did you know the Caldwell Public Library has a collection of historical documents and other materials? This collection began in the late 1970s when Caldwell's Oral History Committee started gathering oral history stories from long-time Caldwell residents. Photographs and other memorabilia were also collected during this time. Materials continued to be collected during the directorship of Elaine Leppert, who was active with local history groups, including the Oral History Committee. Elaine Leppert and Lorene Thurston wrote the book Early Caldwell Through Photographs, a brief but informative photographic history of Caldwell's early years using the library's historical collection materials. Plans for a second book, covering the next part of Caldwell's history, were made but never realized. Over the last six years, library staff has worked diligently to make the library's historical collection more accessible to the public. Grants have been sought out and secured to purchase software to digitize newspapers and photographs, preserve historical maps, and hire summer interns to assist with organizing and digitizing the collection. Once a significant amount of the physical collection was relocated from storage to the Idaho Room, it was officially named the Elaine Leppert Historical Collection in honor of the person who spent so much time building and using the collection. Three major projects with this collection took place over the last year: 1) Most of the library's historical maps were copied and preserved for long-term use. This project was made possible through a grant from the Canyon County Historic Preservation Commission. Copies and lamination were made at Copy Cat on 10th Ave. in Caldwell. The maps are housed in the Library's Idaho Room and are available during the library's operating hours. Unfortunately, we ran out of funding with our grant to complete the entire map collection. The rest of the maps will be completed at a future date. 2) A brief historical timeline of Caldwell was constructed on the wall in front of the Idaho Room. This project was made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities via a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council. The timeline was officially unveiled during the library's Once Upon a Time fundraiser Gala on April 26. Local historian Chuck Randolph assisted staff with historical details and unveiled the timeline to Gala attendees. An in-depth timeline was put together virtually. This timeline includes major historical events in the city's history, including photographs and audio interviews from the oral history interviews conducted in the 1970s. The virtual timeline is available in English and Spanish and can be accessed here. 3) The library owns over 6,000 photographic slides that have been converted to digital photo files over the last several years. In the summer of 2021, the library hired an intern to assist with selecting an appropriate online platform to make these photographs accessible to the public. Once a platform was selected, staff began the arduous process of adding photographs and accompanying information to the site, which can be accessed here. As of May 2022, 856 photos are available to search and browse through the website. Although much work has been done over the past six years, there are many projects in the future for the historical collection. The remaining maps need to be copied and stored for optimal preservation; digitized items must be added to the public site with accompanying information, inventories need to be completed, and continued digitization and preservation of material must ensue. This summer, the library will work with an intern to continue adding photographs to the public site and continue the multi-year project of digitizing the local newspaper from microfilm. If you or someone you know is interested in historic preservation, we would love to have volunteers help with these ongoing projects. If you haven't had an opportunity to see the wall timeline, we encourage you to make a trip to the back of the library, behind adult non-fiction, and look at the installation. You may learn something new about Caldwell's rich history! We hope you will consider the library for your historical research needs. If you have a question about local history or want to learn more about the historical collection, you can contact us at 208-459-3242 or infolibrary@cityofcaldwell.org.

If the sonic landscape of the early aughts could be distilled into a single group it’d be The Movielife. Equal parts pop punk, emo, and post hardcore, their album This Time Next Year feels like the soundtrack to one of the many teen comedy films that dominated theaters at the time. Catchy and fast, but with just enough edge to feel rebellious, popmatters described the album as melding “emo/indie-rock, hardcore, and pop seamlessly.” Revelation Records promotes the album as “a harmonious mix of the catchiest parts of pop and indie rock blended together with a noticeable hardcore edge.” So why didn’t The Movielife join the post-hardcore pantheon? Grab your library card and listen for yourself here on the library’s very own music streaming service, Freegal. If you’re unfamiliar with Freegal or would like to know more about the service you can read all about it in my “Easing into E-Resources” post. The Movielife are yet another band that should have blown up. However, as the case seems to be with a slew of acts around this period they failed to rise through a sea of bands all embracing a similar sound and aesthetic. Formed in 1997 from veterans of the Long Island scene, The Movielife released their first album It's Go Time in 1997, and followed it in October of 2000 with This Time Next Year. During their heyday they would tour with titans like Brand New, New Found Glory, and even Good Charlotte. The title track is the real standout here and should have pushed the band to the front of the scene. The leading guitar riff is outrageously infectious and the syncopated rhythm supporting it adds depth and aggression. The structure of the track simply rocks and delivers massive amounts of energy. Vinnie Caruana’s vocals are articulate but strained. Nestled into the mix, the performance remains melodic but on the edge of breaking up. Some of the best tracks work similarly, blending hardcore and pop punk sensibilities seamlessly. “Pinky Swear” for instance, opens with an aggressive hardcore push that unexpectedly morphs into a melodic Blink-182esque verse. The combination of stomping hardcore breaks and sickly sweet choruses add a captivating dynamic to The Movielife’s sound. Lyrical themes are diverse, ranging from break up songs to laments about the grind of being a working class band. "Once in a Row" leads out with an infectious melody about maintaining focus and motivation, "Plenty of time to ruin my life, so why start now?." There's nothing overly sappy or dramatic about The Movielife's lyrics and most songs use direct language to get right to the point. Listeners won't be scratching their heads at weighty metaphors but that's not a criticism, a good hook is worth a million words. The group would go on to release another album in 2003 before breaking up and reuniting for another release in 2017. Their third album Forty Hour Train Back to Penn is a fantastic follow up that highlights their growth as songwriters both lyrically and compositionally. So what do you think? Is This Time Next Year an overlooked gem or forgotten background noise? As always, if you enjoyed this review please check out some of my other Freegal posts right here on the library blog. And, if you enjoyed This Time Next Year I highly recommend Masquerade in the Key of Crime by The Stryder also available on Freegal.

Did you know that the library has 3D printers? We have three in total, two that can print multiple colors at the same time and one that only does one color. We have had them for several years, but I just recently learned how to use them in the past month or so. It always seemed like a daunting task to learn, especially after seeing the program that the printers use to convert the files. Once I got started though, I realize that it’s easy to learn, especially if you don’t want to get too in depth with it. The program that talks to the 3D printers only requires a little bit of knowledge to do baseline things, and it isn’t hard to learn the more in-depth aspects. The programs available to design the prints are pretty straightforward and offer helpful tutorials and there are also books to help you learn. The way 3D printing works is that the designs are printed layer by layer using filament. There are many different types of filaments available, but the most commonly used one is called PLA or polylactic acid. The program that talks to the 3D printer breaks down the design into those layers and you can see what those layers will look like and how long the print will take. Currently, the printers are not available for patrons to come in and use for themselves, but you can submit files for staff to print. It works best if the files are .stl and the cost is five cents a gram. Below is a little bit more info on some websites that are available and a couple books that we recommend checking out. To actually design a print, we recommend Tinkercad. It’s a pretty popular website and especially good for beginners. It’s best for designs that involve more geometric shapes. It uses a lot of circles, squares, and triangles. There are many things you can design using it though, and it offers tutorials to show you how to manipulate certain shapes to get what you are wanting. If you aren’t wanting to design something from scratch there is another website you can try. Thingiverse is a website where users can submit their own files of designs they have made. Some designs are based off popular games or media, others are just designs that people have come up with. The poster will submit the file to download and users who have printed it can leave comments to say how well it printed and any tips they may have. The poster can also leave details describing what settings they used and what kind of printer it was done on. If you want to learn a little more about the 3D printing design process, 3D Printing Projects, is a book we highly recommend. It’s aimed more toward kids but it’s useful for breaking down the process and explaining what certain elements are or what they mean. It’s a good start for beginners who just want to learn the basics. 3D Printing for Dummies offers a more in depth explanation to 3D printing and the many different components and possibilities. It has a lot of technical information so it’s best for people who are very serious about 3D printing and want to learn every aspect that they can. Have you ever tried 3D printing? Let us know in the comments!

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.

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:

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.