Summer Reading Lists w/ E-book + Audiobook links: FHS, Keefe, and Middle Schools

It's August and Summer Reading is in full swing. Haven't finished yet? Not to worry. FPL has made it
even easier to get your reading done this year.

We will always love a good print book, of course, but we have other exciting options for you, too. Can't get a ride to the library? Did you know you can listen to library audiobooks on your phone? How easy is that, don't you always have your phone with you? Or, did you know that you can put eBooks on your iPad and read them in places where you don't have WiFi, like in the park or on the beach?

There are two different Apps available: Overdrive and Hoopla. Overdrive doesn't have a monthly limit on titles (you can have 10 at any give time,) but some of the books require a waiting list if lots of people want a digital copy at the same time. Hoopla has a monthly limit of 5 checkouts, but all the items are available INSTANTLY for download. That is correct, if it is on Hoopla, you don't have to wait to get the item. That means even when the library is closed, you can download the audiobook on your phone in seconds. Most items are available only on Overdrive, but look below for a few Hoopla links, too. For more information about these two apps, please see our Digital page.

Whether you're in high school at FHS or Keefe, or in Middle School in Framingham, click the links below to get started. Happy Downloading!

PS- For the Framingham Public Schools Summer Reading List for 2015, please click here.


FHS Summer Reading 2015
*FHS eBook Instructions*

Grade 9:
All students entering 9th grade must read at least one of the following four books:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: eBook
Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario: eBook
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher: eBook
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: eBook ; Audiobook

The following are other options for the second required book:
American-Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang: eBook
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card: eBook
Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational True Story by Jodee Blanco: eBook
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen: eBook
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson: eBook
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell: eBook ; Audiobook (Overdrive) ; Audiobook (Hoopla)

◊

Grade 10: 
All students entering 10th grade must read at least one of the following four books:
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: eBook
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: eBook ; Audiobook
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell: eBook ; Audiobook
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina: eBook
 
The following are other options for the second required book:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: eBook ; Audiobook
Early Autumn by Robert Parker: eBook ; Audiobook
Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen: eBook
The Lost City of Z by David Grann: eBook
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey: eBook
Paper Towns by John Green: eBook

◊

Grade 11:
All students entering 11th grade must read at least one of the following four books*:
*Students entering A.P. English Language & Composition must also read An American Childhood by Annie Dillard: eBook ; Audiobook
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: eBook**
Lucky by Alice Sebold: eBook
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner: eBook ; Audiobook
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler: eBook**; Audiobook
**Must be logged in with a Framingham card to see this title.

The following are other options for the second required book:
An American Childhood by Annie Dillard: eBook ; Audiobook
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Col. Chris Hadfield: no digital format
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown: eBook
On the Road by Jack Kerouac: eBook ; Audiobook (Overdrive) ; Audiobook (Hoopla)
Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss & What I Learned by Judd Winick: no digital format
A Secret Edge by Robin Reardon: eBook

◊

Grade 12: 
All students entering 12th grade must read at least one of the following four books:
Students entering A.P. English Literature must also read The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare: eBook ; Audiobook (Overdrive) ; Audiobook (Hoopla)
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini: eBook
Bossypants by Tina Fey: eBook** ; Audiobook
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: eBook
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: eBook ; Audiobook
**Must be logged in with a Framingham card to see this title.
 
The following are other options for the second required book:
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci: eBook
Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman: eBook**
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung: eBook
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: eBook ; Audiobook
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare: eBook ; Audiobook (Overdrive) ; Audiobook (Hoopla)
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan: eBook1 ; eBook2 ; Audiobook
World War Z by Max Brooks: eBook ; Audiobook1 ; Audiobook2
**Must be logged in with a Framingham card to see this title.

◊

Keefe Tech Summer Reading 2015

-All students enrolled in an Honors course are expected to read two books
-All students enrolled in a CP1 and CP2 course are expected to read one book
-All students will be expected to complete an essay upon returning to school in September  

Grade 9:
The Lightning Thief by Percy Jackson (or any book in the series): eBooks & Audiobooks
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: eBook
Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper: eBook
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (or any book in the series): eBooks & Audiobooks
American-Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang: eBook
The Bully by Anne Schraff: not avilable
A Matter of Trust by Anne Schraff: not avilable

◊

Grade 10:
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers: not available
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: eBook ; Audiobook
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell: eBook ; Audiobook
The Last Hero by Rick Riordan: not available
Blank Confession by Pete Hautman: eBook
Lost and Found by Anne Schraff: not available
The Gun by Paul Langan: not available

◊

Grade 11: 
Looking for Alaska by John Green: eBook
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (or any book in the series): eBooks & Audiobooks
Sold by Patricia McCormick: eBook
Maus by Art Spiegelman: not available
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: eBook
Invisible by Pete Hautman: eBook

◊

Grade 12:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: eBook ; Audiobook
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: eBook ; Audiobook
Christine by Stephen King: not available
The Dead Zone by Stephen King: not available
Animal Farm by George Orwell: eBook ; Audiobook (Overdrive) ; Audiobook (Hoopla)
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: not available
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom: Audiobook

◊

Middle School Summer Reading 2015

Grade 6:
Students entering grade 6 are required to read one of the two district selections. They are also encouraged to read as many books as possible from their recommended grade level list, as part of the World Series of Summer Reading Incentive Program.

District Read Choices:
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin: eBook ; Audiobook
The Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph: not yet available

Full List:
Firegirl by Tony Abbott: Audiobook
El Deafo by Cece Bell: eBook
Heartbeat by Sharon Creech: eBook
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko: eBook ; Audiobook
Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins: eBooks & Audiobooks
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd: eBook
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans: eBook
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: eBook
Among the Hidden by Margaret P. Haddix: eBook
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai: eBook1 ; eBook2
Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football’s Make-or-Break Moment by Carla McClafferty: not yet available
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli: Audiobook
Smile by Raina Telgemeier: eBook
So B. It by Sarah Weeks: eBook ; Audiobook
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams- Garcia: eBook
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson: eBook ; Audiobook
 

◊

Grade 7: 
Students entering grade 7 are required to read one of the two district selections. They are also encouraged to read as many books as possible from their recommended grade level list, as part of the World Series of Summer Reading Incentive Program.

District Read Choices:
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper: eBook
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick: eBook

Full List:
City of Orphans by Avi: eBook
Can I See Your I.D? by Chris Barton: eBook
Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol: eBook
Tracking Trash : Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion by Loree Griffin Burns: not yet available
Matched by Ally Condie: eBook ; Audiobook
Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan: eBook
Phineas Gage, A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman: eBook
Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham: eBook ; Audiobook
Escape from Mr. Limoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein: eBook ; Audiobook
The Odyssey (Graphic novel) by Gareth Hinds: not yet available
Heat by Mike Lupica: eBook ; Audiobook
The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano: eBook
Thirteen by Lauren Myracle: eBook
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen: eBook ; Audiobook (Overdrive) ; Audiobook (Hoopla)
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel: eBook ; Audiobook (Overdrive) ; Audiobook (Hoopla)
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson: eBook ; Audiobook
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman: eBook ; Audiobook
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: eBook (Overdrive) ; eBook (Hoopla) ; Audiobook (Overdrive) ; Audiobook (Hoopla)
The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh: eBook
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin: eBook (Framingham card required) ; Audiobook

◊

Grade 8:
Students entering grade 8 are required to read the district selection. They are also encouraged to read as many books as possible from their recommended grade level list, as part of the World Series of Summer Reading Incentive Program.

District Read Choice:
The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson: Audiobook (Hoopla) ; Audiobook (Overdrive)

Full List:
Code Talker: A novel about the Navajo Marines by Joseph Bruchac: eBook
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card: eBook
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier: eBook ; Audiobook
Reckless by Cornelia Funke: Audiobook
The Trouble with Lemons by Daniel Hayes: not yet available
Chomp by Carl Hiaasen: eBook ; Audiobook
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson: eBook ; Audiobook
A Separate Peace by John Knowles: eBook
Legend by Marie Lu: eBook ; Audiobook
Cinder by Marissa Meyer: eBook ; Audiobook
Monster by Walter Dean Myers: eBook
Bystander by James Preller: eBook
Boy 21 by Matthew Quick: eBook (Framingham card required)
Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn: eBook
Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team that Changed a Town by Warren St. John: not yet available

◊

Summer Reading for All

Here at FPL, we have Summer Reading for all ages!

Adults: 

Adult Summer Reading 2015: Escape the Ordinary

June 25 - August 19 

How to participate:
Register at the Circulation Desk and receive a Summer Reading t-shirt! Enter a raffle ticket for each book you read for a chance to win a weekly prize or a grand prize.

What you can win:
Weekly prizes will be drawn on the following days
July 13 - $10 gift cards from J&M Diner at Old Path Village
July 20 - $10 gift cards donated by Café Bagel or $10 gift cards donated by Famous Pizza
July 27 - $25 gift card donated by Sunshine Farm or $20 gift cards donated by Fresh City
August 3 - $25 gift card donated by Zaftigs or $20 gift cards donated by Fresh City

Grand prizes - Winners will be drawn Thursday, August 20 at 7pm
$80 gift card to Barnes & Noble donated by the Friends of the Framingham Library
OR
Cooking class for 2 donated by Sur La Table valued up to $170

Adult Summer Reading FinaleThursday, August 20 at 7pm, Costin Room, Main Library
The grand prize winners will be drawn, followed by a concert by the Love Dogs
After the concert enjoy ice cream donated by Ben & Jerrys Natick Ice Cream Parlor  

For more information: Call 508-532-5570 x4351 or visit http://www.framinghamlibrary.org/adultsummerreading.htm.

Escape the Ordinary is sponsored by the Framingham Public Library, the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.  

 Teens

Summer Reading Grades 6-12
Make your summer reading more fun and rewarding with prizes and programs for teens this summer!

Registration begins Friday, June 26 at both Libraries’ Young Adult departments, and registrants receive a bag, button (limited supply), bookmark and ten hours of reading slip. Stop in to learn more.

Win a prize or free book each time you submit an online book review or read 10 hours and submit a 10 hour slip! You may pick up ten hour slips in the teen area or at the main desk.

Check out an eBook or Audiobook for your Summer Reading!
   -Middle Schools
   -FHS
   -Keefe Tech

*Framingham Public Schools Summer Reading Lists*

Kids:

  Every Hero Has a Story!
This year’s summer reading adventure is coming to a library near you!!—
Signups begin Saturday, June 20!
When you sign up at either branch, you’ll get a packet that explains:
how to win a prize at the end of the summer as well as receive a free t-shirt,
and how to keep track of your reading online if you’re spending the summer away.
This year, get your name up on our wall of reading fame—
no special lists, no restrictions on what you read.

Paid for by the Framingham Cultural Council and Friends of the
Framingham Library, Framingham Coalition, DCU Digital Federal Credit Union and
Mutual One Bank as well as our t-shirt sponsors.

Every Hero Has a Story is sponsored by the Framingham Public Library,
the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins,
and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

*Framingham Public Schools Summer Reading Lists*

Staff Recommends

Looking for your next good read? Why not try a book off of our Staff Recommends page? Updated each month, you will find lots of recommendations from FPL Staff!

2015

Book Talk: We Recommend
Recommended by Mary Murphy, Borrower Services
Inside the O’Brien’s by Lisa Genova
Neuroscientist Lisa Genova has written this novel bringing attention to the lethal neurodegenerative disease called Huntington’s. There is no current treatment or cure for this disease. This story is about Joe O’Brien who is a 44 year old police officer who begins to display uncharacteristic bouts of rage and uncontrolled movements. These symptoms make his family and his fellow officers think that he has either a drinking or a drug problem. Finally, his wife and his partner convince him to see a neurologist and this is when he is handed down the diagnosis. Joe and his wife Rose have four adult children who have a 50% chance of developing Huntington’s. Life continues in turmoil as he has to give up his job and tell his children that he has possibly given them this disease. Joe comes to realize that each moment is precious and with his self-awareness tries to comfort his family members. This novel skillfully emphasizes the emotional struggle of friends and family and how they try to pull together and live their lives.
Also available as an E-Book and Audiobook.

Book Talk: We Recommend
Recommended by Lena Kilburn, Assistant Supervisor, Branch Services
The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancey
(Also available as an E-Book and Audiobook)

An immersive and breathtakingly thrilling read, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey tells the story of an alien invasion and the subsequent systematic annihilation of the human race, unleashed in four waves of destruction upon the Earth. Cassie, a 16-year-old girl who has managed to survive the first four waves, is left alone in a nightmarish world where the invaders have suddenly become indistinguishable from humans and no one can be trusted. Alone and devastated by the loss of her parents, she survives harrowing brushes with death, clinging to the hope that she will be reunited with her 6-year-old brother Sam.

When Cassie nearly dies from a gunshot by an invader, she is rescued and nursed back to health by a mysterious young man named Evan Walker. Though Evan has become the only person Cassie can possibly call a friend, she begins to notice unsettling peculiarities about him, which become increasingly difficult to ignore. Cassie must choose whether to trust Evan and accept his help in what seems the impossible task of rescuing her brother from an encampment controlled by, Cassie suspects, humans under alien mind control. Here the narrative begins to switch between Cassie and another young survivor, known as Zombie, also being held at this same encampment where he is being trained as a soldier, ostensibly to wage war on the invaders. As Cassie's and Zombie's narrative evolve, both are forced to question the true nature and intentions of those around them. Cassie finds her relationship with Evan growing more complex and Zombie begins to realize his mission is not what it appears. When their narratives meet in the novel's heart-stopping climax, both are forced to confront the horror of the fifth and final wave of annihilation already underway.

Though The 5th Wave has all the hallmarks of popular YA fiction, it differs from other post-apocalyptic YA books in its unrelenting detail and realism. Were it not for the young protagonists, this book could easily have been billed as a novel for adults. The novel evokes brutal images of post-apocalyptic destruction and it's unflinching in its depiction of human suffering, both emotional and physical. This grim backdrop however is tempered by Cassie's and Zombie's pitch-perfect adolescent voices, funny and smart and full of the unfailing drive and optimism that could arguably only be sustained in the face of such horrors by someone so young. Overall, The 5th Wave is a great story about survival and human resilience. I highly recommend it for readers of any age.

Book Talk: We Recommend
Recommended by Janet Drake, Borrower Services
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Why, when we tidy our homes, do we have so little time to enjoy our new clarity before the clutter comes bounding back? Marie Kondo knows what's going on. This world renowned tidiness guru tells why our usual ways of decluttering don't last and why her repeatedly proven way does. Based on her belief that clearing is for the person we are becoming, not for the person we used to be, the author guides us in refining our possessions to revitalize us in our relationship with our belongings. She shows that putting your home in order with the things that touch your heart is the magic that transforms a cluttered home into a space of serenity and inspiration.
Also available as an E-Book and Audiobook.

The Transition Companion by Rob Hopkins
If you have an interest in helping any community you’re a part of, this is the gem you’ll feel glad you found. Without sugar coating the grave problem of living beyond our earth’s resources, every chapter offers examples of positive change and problem solving in moving away from fossil fuel dependency. With a positive viewpoint born from experience, The Transition Companion offers you help, hope, and problem solving tips to know the ways you can make a difference.

Book Talk: We Recommend
Recommended by Laraine Worby, Information and Research Services
These two novels, Nora Webster by Colm Toibin and We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas, feature Irish working class women, one in 1960’s Ireland and one in mid-20th century New York. Their lives are somewhat parallel, with each finding their way as an independent woman and both making questionable choices in her journey.

Nora Webster by Colm Toibin
Nora Webster’s journey is one of mourning, healing and a slow awakening. As a young widow, she is living a lonely life, wanting only to protect and be surrounded by her children as she grieves and attempts to ignore the society around her. We realize that her whole life has been lived through her beloved husband, with opportunities unexplored and rejected, never having had a chance to form her own self or create her own life.

As she comes to terms with her new situation, she is slowly and cautiously drawn back into a world filled with outside relationships and interests. Through the re- discovery of her love of music she begins to find her own voice.

We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas
We Are Not Ourselves is both a tale of the changing landscape and values of middle class America in the late 20th century, and one of enduring familial love.

Eileen Leary, the main character at the heart of the novel, longs to leave behind the harsh, working class world in which she was raised. She marries a man, Ed, who she believes will facilitate that escape, and is disillusioned when she realizes that he is not interested in the upward climb that she desires.

A strong woman, Eileen embarks on the path to rising mobility anyway, with determination and fierceness. They have a son, Connell, who they both adore. Eileen is constantly pushing Connell academically while Ed is more affectionate.

Along the way, Ed begins to exhibit uncharacteristic, strange behavior and the family dynamic is altered dramatically. His decline occupies the final two-thirds of the novel, as Eileen and Connell struggle for normalcy, but the consequences of his disease are inevitable. Eileen soon learns that plans and dreams have no power over reality as she attempts to maintain his dignity and her control.

Book Talk: We Recommend
Recommended by Jennifer T., Information and Research Services
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
A short but powerful read, this World War I novel tells the story of a shell-shocked soldier named Chris Baldry whose injury during the war leaves him with partial amnesia. After a concussion, Chris wakes up in a hospital bed and cannot remember anything from the past fifteen years of his life. His cousin Jenny and wife Kitty are strangers to him, but who he does remember is his first love, a woman from his past named Margaret Allington. More cheerful than ever, Chris eagerly telegrams the now Mrs. Margaret Grey to arrange for a meeting, despite not having spoken to her in over a decade. Shocked, Kitty and Jenny watch helplessly as he falls in love with Margaret all over again, as they are left wondering whether he was ever happy living with them in the first place, or if his amnesia unmasked the inner feelings he had been harboring all along.
Read Online: Project Gutenberg EBook

Book Talk: We Recommend
Recommended by Helen Lui, Borrower Services
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Inspiration comes from the least likely of characters in this story about a quadriplegic and his caretaker. What starts out as a menial job for Lou becomes an eye opening experience and the opportunity to discover a life beyond her small English town. The relationship between the two main characters is acerbic in the beginning but develops into one of mutual gratitude.

Also browse our recommendations from 2014, 2013, and more!

Attention Teens!
Looking for your next read? Search no further than our brand new Reading Guides!
Browse the subjects below and check our catalog to see what is available!

Body Image
Bullying
Chick Lit
Dragons
Dystopian Books
Guys Read
Harry Potter Read-alikes
Historical Fiction
Horror Stories
Fault in Our Stars Read-alikes
LGBTQ
Mysteries
Percy Jackson Read-alikes
Science Fiction
Sports Reads
Teen Memoirs / Autobiographies
Vampires, Werewolves & Zombies

Want more ideas? Try our Novelist Database. Happy Reading! And don't forget to check our Teen Page for more news and events at FPL.

New Staff Recommends!
This month's review was written by our Supervisor of Children’s Services! Read all about Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series, the latest book in Laini Taylor’s YA fantasy trilogy, and Brian Staveley's The Emperor’s Blades.
For more staff recommendations: http://framinghamlibrary.org/staffrec/staffrec.htm

Book Talk: We Recommend
Recommended by Lucy Loveridge, Supervisor of Children’s Services
Three years and counting since the last Game of Thrones volume; it’s time to start looking for some new sprawling, world-ranging, multi-character fantasies.

I just enjoyed Brent Weeks’ Lightbringer series, books 1-3: The Black Prism, The Blinding Knife, and The Broken Eye. Color magic gives you power but also binds you to work for the good of the people and to an early death. The Prism, the empire’s religious leader, has the most power and magic but usually burns out very early after 7 or 14 years of rule. Gavin Guile, the current Prism, having survived 16 years of rule, is looking forward to 5 more years to accomplish certain goals he’s had. So far, he’s managed to navigate the politics of the Color Council and heal some of the wounds in the Seven Satrapies that were created by the False Prism’s War. That was led by his younger brother and ended with Dazen’s death 14 years ago. He’s also managed to contain the machinations of his power-mad father and to keep a very deep, life-threatening secret from him and the rest of the country. Alas, all his hopes for the next five years begin to fall apart in a very short time with the advent of a religious movement intent on bringing back the old gods and destroying the Prism’s rule through war; the discovery of a fat, inept, uneducated bastard son, Kip, conceived during the False Prism’s War who upsets many of the Prism’s relationships in the capital when Kip’s sent there for education and safety; and the rumored resurrection of a secret society of assassins who may or may not be behind some attempts on Kip’s life (Kip suspects it’s his grandfather wanting him dead). Throw in a prophecy, a spy network or two, some conflicted oath holders and old lovers, an army of insane color mages or color wights, and another bastard—this one educated, powerful and a complete psychopath—and the stage is set for an absorbing read. Unfortunately, this is not a trilogy--there’ll be a two year wait for book 4, and who knows how many more books will be necessary to finish the story.

This year finally brought the last book in Laini Taylor’s YA fantasy trilogy about Karou: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Days of Blood and Starlight, and Dreams of Gods and Monsters. We meet the mysterious Karou living in Prague and attending art school. She has startling blue hair achieved by wishes rather than hair dye and was brought up by four teeth-collecting monsters—half snake/half woman, half ram/half dragon, etc—who have a magical portal that can open in many cities around the world and another possibly magic door that is forbidden to Karou; if anyone even knocks at it, she’s kicked out till they’re gone. One day while collecting teeth in Morocco for her monster family, Karou runs into and is almost killed by a beautiful angel with flaming wings. While recovering from her wounds, she sneaks through the forbidden door and finds another world with two moons and a plethora of monstrous types, and is attacked there by a human/wolf hybrid. Her family, incensed by her transgression, exiles her to Prague, and then, bad timing, the angels burn all the magic portals on Earth. Karou is determined to make it to the other world to try and find her family again while the angel, Akiva, is drawn back to Earth to watch Karou who reminds him of another woman in his world who was horribly executed. It turns out the angels and monsters are locked in a millennium-long war on that other world and that Karou is part of a Romeo and Juliet love story that could change the fate of that world (and ours, too, which may become a new battleground in the war when the angels discover our advanced weaponry) if revenge and retribution don’t get in the way. Of course, although this story ends in book three, there are hints of another trilogy to come involving an even greater conflict between worlds and involving Karou, Akiva and their peoples, so more waiting for the true end of the story is necessary.

A promising new series just started this year with Brian Staveley’s The Emperor’s Blades, book 1 of the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne. The emperor of Annur has set three different paths for his children: the eldest, Adare, a female who can never be emperor, has been educated to be a minister in the empire’s government and has spent her life at court learning the ins and outs of courtly politics; his heir, Kaden, has been sent to a remote monastery to learn the strange disciplines of the monks of the Blank God; and his youngest son, Valyn, has been sent to a remote island to train to become a Kettral, an elite soldier who works with giant hawks as transport. All of them have their trials and tribulations with their upbringing but all love their father and want to serve the empire. However, their father is suddenly dead, betrayed by someone close to him. Adare, Kaden and Valyn must now try to figure out who can be trusted while trying to identify their father’s murderer, protect the new emperor, and grow into their new duties as their paths through the lives their father set for them continue to unwind. The characters, and the different environments and situations they find themselves in, make it worth waiting for the rest of the series.

For Readers

Are you an avid reader? Never fear, we haven't forgotten about you. (In fact, we have an entire section of our website dedicated to you: our Reader Services page.)

We may offer all sorts of services at the library unrelated to reading- like carrying all the latest films on DVD, hosting Minecraft tournaments in the Costin Room, and presenting photography workshops for your iPhone, but we still love books and getting you your literature.

Here's some exciting library sources for bookworms:

BOOK CLUBS

We offer three monthly book clubs: two at the Main Branch and one at McAuliffe. Check our webpage for dates and times.

Most of the books will be available ahead of time at the Circulation Desk.

BOOK GROUP KITS

Did you know we offer Book Group Kits to go? The kits contain 8-10 copies of a popular book, plus reviews, author information, and discussion guides. Kits can be checked out for 4 weeks.

Available titles include:
- The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
- Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
- The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
- The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
- The Three Wisemans by Cathleen Schine
- Room by Emma Donoghue

To reserve, click here or call the Information Desk at 508-532-5570 x4351.

WOWBRARY

Our Wowbrary service shows you a list of exactly what materials we order every single week. That way, you can keep track of all the newest releases. The books are organized by subject, so you can see everything from biographies to health books.

How do you use Wowbrary? To browse the current week's choices, click the Wowbrary banner on our homepage, or click here. We also post the list to our Facebook and Twitter.
To receive the list directly to your e-mail, click here to sign-up.

You are also welcome to browse the latest arrivals in person. We keep all our New Books on the Main Level, just to the left of the Information Desk. That way, you can browse away to your heart's content.

We also post a list of books that haven't been published yet, but that are expected to be in high-demand. Some authors that may sound familiar include Janet Evanovich, Elin Hilderbrand, Stephen King, James Patterson, and more. Why do we post this list? Because even though the books haven't been published yet, they are available in the catalog for holds! So if you are quick enough, you can be top of the list for Top Secret Twenty-One: A Stephanie Plum Novel, a book we do not even own yet.

NOVELIST DATABASE

If you really loved the last book you read and want to read something similar, give our Novelist database a try. Novelist lets you browse fiction read-alikes, so if you found you liked a certain author, you can find more authors that you might enjoy. You can also browse by subjects, places, or time periods you might be interested in: for instance- "1960s Italy." The database also links to Goodreads, so you are able to quickly browse reviews and see if others recommend the book.

LOTS OF LISTS

Need some more inspiration? Check out these lists for good ideas:

• Fiction & Leisure Reading List compiled by FPL Staff
       (Including Urban Fiction, Humor, Medical Mysteries, Spy Games, and more)
• Minuteman Library Network Top Requests
• Awards / Booklists
• Framingham Public Library Staff Recommendations 
• You Must Read This! FPL Book Club Recommendations (updated monthly)
• Magazines & Newspapers at FPL

SERVICES TO THE HOMEBOUND

Remember, even if you can't come into the library, we can bring books to you if you are a Framingham resident with a valid library card. Call 508-532-6347 for more info.

Literary Criticism

In search of literary criticism to complete assignments for your English class? The library offers a number of databases you can search, accessible from home with your library card number, or at the library on one of our computers.

Looking for writings on a contemporary author? Try Contemporary Literary Criticism Select.

Search by author and read full-text essays on your computer.

Besides criticism, entries also include biographical backgrounds, listings of main works by the author, and sources for further information.

Essays also include MLA citations attached at the bottom of each record, which can easily be copied and pasted into your Works Cited page.

Other databases we offer include:

• Literature Resource Center- "Find up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on more than 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world. The optional MLA International Bibliography module adds citations for hundreds of thousands of books, articles and dissertations from 1926 to the present, linked to full text where available."

• Novels for Students- "Provides critical overviews of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes discussions of plot, characters, themes and structure as well as the work's cultural and historical significance."

• Poetry for Students- "Features discussion and analysis of poems of all time periods, nations, and cultures. Provides an overview of the poem and discussion of its principal themes, images, form and construction."

If you need any help accessing the databases, e-mail us at fplmail6@minlib.net, call us at 508-532-5570 x4361, or stop by in person on the second floor.

Are you a reader?

Are you familiar with HiLoBrow? Granta? How about The Largehearted Boy?

Check out this article about the "25 Best Websites for Literature Lovers":

http://flavorwire.com/407418/the-25-best-websites-for-literature-lovers/view-all