The Summer Reading Program begins NEXT WEEK! Check the calendar on the side of this page for programs, or get even more information from our PROGRAMS page! We are offering something for everyone in the family this year… just stop by the Library for the full schedules and the program materials.

Recently I finished River Marked by Patricia Briggs.  It is the sixth and latest book in her Mercy Thompson series and it did not disappoint.   First, I’d like to start off with some information for those who have not read the Mercy Thompson series.  The order is:  Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, Bone Crossed, Silver Borne, and River Marked.

The series is about Mercedes Thompson, a VW mechanic and a coyote walker.  Being a walker means that she can change into a coyote form while still being herself, maintaining human mentality, and not having to experience the pain that is brought on by a werewolf’s shape shifting.  She is surrounded by other paranormal creatures as well:  her next door neighbor is a werewolf, her former boss is a gremlin, and one of her clients is a vampire.    Being a coyote, she follows the Native American ideal of the spirit of Coyote and finds herself getting into trouble quite often.  What I like about this series is not only that it is enthralling, but the lead female character is not a pushover.  She may get herself into trouble, but she is also the main one to get herself out of trouble.  She also looks out for her friends and will defend her beliefs with ferocity.

***SPOILERS BELOW***

In River Marked, Adam and Mercy take a trip to a fey-owned campground along a river.  The fey sent them to the campground for the purpose of solving an “issue.”  After a series of attacks, they discover a Native American river devil living in the river and devouring any human that it coaxes into it’s jaws.  To help her destroy the magical river devil, Mercy is aided by Adam and the spirits Coyote, Bobcat, Snake, Raven, Thunderbird, Wolf, and a few others.  She also learns some interesting information about the father she never knew, Joe Old Coyote.  Fans of the series will enjoy the adventure and passion of this book and, like me, will not be able to put it down until finished.

This book would be on display as one of my picks, except that it does not stay on the shelf long enough!  You can request online after you log into the new catalog or you can place it on request at the front desk of the library.

We have changed our catalog system, so now you can renew your items online, check to see what you have borrowed, and make lists of books you’d like to read or create bibliographies for your research papers. You can tag books with your own keywords, write reviews, and put books on hold. In other words, it’s a very cool system. Click and see!

Our New Catalog

It’s graphics-intensive, though, so we have an interface to an earlier version of the software. It’s not as feature-rich (you can’t write or view reviews, for example) but you can see the catalog, renew and place holds.

Catalog for slower computers