Category: Adult Resources

Find a Good Book to Read (Part 1 of 3): Author Read-alikes

~ ccllauras ~ 1 Comment

Already read all of the books written by your favorite author? Would you like to discover a new author or two to explore?

Here are a few resources to help you find new authors to try, based on authors you already like:

NoveList Plus: Start your search for author read-alikes here! Access NoveList Plus through the Library by visiting chescolibraries.org, selecting “Tools and Research” from the ribbon of choices at the top of the page, selecting “All CCLS Databases,” and then NoveList Plus. Enter your library card number when prompted.

Once you’re in NoveList, use the search box at the top of the screen to search by author (hover over “Keyword” to select “Author”). Enter the name of a favorite author, select “Search,” and you’re on your way! You’ll find a description of your author, and on the right-hand side of the screen, a list of Read-alikes (other authors you might enjoy). Click on “View All” to see the complete list, along with reasons why NoveList thinks you might like those authors.

Find a new author you’d like to explore? Search for this new author in NoveList. The description of an author ends with a “Start with” suggestion about which of their books to try first if you’re new to the author.

In addition to NoveList, here two more fun ways to discover new authors based on old favorites:

Fantastic Fiction: Use this site to find books recommended by your favorite author! Search for an author, then scroll down their page to find the “[Your favorite author] recommends” section. Note: You do NOT need to sign up with the site to use this feature.

Literature-Map: The Tourist Map of Literature: Enter a favorite author to see a visual map of other authors you might like.

Happy exploring! Stay tuned for more on title read-alikes and finding reading ideas by book genre.

Comics Unbound Virtual Book Discussion

~ lshupp13 ~ Leave a comment

We’re taking our Comics Unbound Book Discussion online!!

Do you enjoy reading comics and graphic novels? Want to meet with other like minded people? Join us for our first virtual meeting!

The Comics Unbound Book Discussion has been meeting monthly at the Chester County Library for 2 years to talk about specific comic books as well as television, movies, and other books that the members are reading. We are always looking for new members. We suggest members be ages 16 + for adult content.

In our first meeting virtually, we will be discussing “The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded” by Jim Ottaviani, as well as what everyone has been reading while home! You do not need to have read “The Imitation Game” to join us. At our meeting, we will be discussing future meeting topics.

If this sounds good to you, sign up here! We’d love to have you! A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the program starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.

Earth Day is coming up – see what we have for you at our online library!

~ Book Club Mom ~ Leave a comment

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Earth Day is coming up on Wednesday, April 22. Here are some ways you can observe the day and learn more about our planet. We have books and resources available now to download, read or discover!

These books about the earth are currently available on OverDrive.

50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth by John Javna and Sophie Javna – eBook

The Future We Choose by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac – eBook

Invisible Nature by Kenneth Worthy – eBook

Ready, Set, Green by Graham Hill and Meaghan O’Neill – eBook

The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells eBook and eAudiobook

You Can Save the Earth by Andrew Flach – eBook

On Flipster – sign in with your library card here to read National Geographic and Eco Parent magazines.

Our GreenFILE (POWER Library) database offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. The database provides indexing and abstracts for more than 384,000 records, as well as Open Access full text for more than 4,700 records. Sign in with your library card here.

Be sure to visit us again at Stay Connected with Chescolibraries for new virtual programs at our libraries, book suggestions, ideas and important community information.

PA Business Tax Waiver Announced, Tax Return Deadlines Extended

~ Sam Bardarik ~ Leave a comment

Governor Wolf has announced that, over the next three months, businesses that collect Pennsylvania sales tax will not have to make Accelerated Sales Tax prepayments. In addition to this waiver, the state’s Department of Revenue had also already extended the deadline to file state personal income tax returns by 90 days, extended the deadline to file informational returns related to PA S corporations, partnerships, and estates and trusts and extended the due date for corporations with tax returns due in May.

To learn more, you may view the Office of the Governor’s press release, the Department of Revenue’s page on Accelerated Sales Tax Prepayments or the website for the Office of the Governor.

National Volunteer Week April 19-25, 2020

~ makohl10 ~ Leave a comment

The Coronavirus is reshaping the daily routines of millions of Americans. For some people volunteering is a way of life.  This week is National Volunteer Week and we at Chester County Library and Henrietta Hankin Branch want to take a moment to say thank you to our dedicated volunteers. We see daily that this is your way of life. Your help allows us to reach out to the community with not only books but with programs and resources that can impact crucial services in the community.  Your efforts in our corner of the world emulate the efforts of people all over Chester County pitching in during this crisis by volunteering and helping neighbors, making masks and delivering groceries to shut-ins. The Chester County community is protecting each other by social distancing, wearing masks and staying home.  We are all in this together. Wouldn’t it be nice if the kindness out lives the Coronavirus? 

Telephone Community Briefing: Mental Health & Wellness, and Support for Basic Needs during COVID-19

~ Sam Bardarik ~ Leave a comment

The Chester County Commissioners and leaders from the Chester County Department of Human Services are hosting a telephone community briefing on Monday, April 20, 2020 at 2:30 p.m.

The briefing will offer guidance for individuals who are experiencing mental health and wellness challenges; for those who are concerned about loved ones of all ages who are experiencing emotional challenges; and for those who are seeking support to meet basic needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to register.

At-Home Yoga

~ Sara ~ Leave a comment

Feeling stressed out? Stuck in a rut? Looking for ways to keep active and get your body moving in the comfort of your home? With a range of videos from guided meditations to advanced yoga sequences, Yoga with Adriene offers something for everyone, regardless of their level of experience! Now is a great time to begin your yoga practice or strengthen the foundation you may have already developed with Adriene’s easy-to-follow video collection. Make time for yourself to practice mindfulness, mental balance, and to get in touch with your body.   Check one of these recommended videos to get connected with your mind and body:

Yoga for Change and Drain

Meditation for Anxiety

Yoga for Beginners

Sunrise Yoga

Yoga for Transitions

Gentle, Relaxing, Cozy Flow

Meditation for Mental Balance and Grounding

Yoga for Seniors

Yoga for Nurses

Yoga for Manual Labor

Yoga for Loneliness

Yoga for Bedtime

Yoga for Stress Relief

Also Yoga eBooks on OverDrive.

National Orchid Day – celebrate with these newspaper articles, magazines and eBooks!

~ Book Club Mom ~ Leave a comment

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Today is National Orchid Day. In celebration of the day, take a look at these articles and eBooks about orchids, available now in the New York Times and on Flipster & OverDrive.

Sign in to Flipster here to read these magazine articles about orchids:

Organic Gardener – April 2020: “From Donkeys to Flying Ducks” by Helen McKerral – exploring the world of native orchids and how to grow them. There are many articles and references to orchids in back issues of Organic Gardener too. Use Flipster’s Search bar on the upper right of your screen.

Horticulture – May 2020: Visit the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden and the Orchid Conservatory and use the Search bar to visit articles about orchids in back issues.

New York Times – April 18, 2019: “Orchids Bloom in Thousands of Forms. But Why?” by C. Claiborne Ray

To read this article and today’s New York Times, visit our Databases here. Choose New York Times and select Remote Access. Enter your library card number and PIN to create a free account. Type “orchids” in the Search bar on the upper left of your screen.

Maybe you’d like to read a book about orchids. These eBooks are currently available on OverDrive for download to your device.

The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. A modern classic of personal journalism, The Orchid Thief is Susan Orlean’s wickedly funny, elegant, and captivating tale of an amazing obsession. Determined to clone an e.ndangered flower—the rare ghost orchid Polyrrhiza lindenii—a deeply eccentric and oddly attractive man named John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of America’s strange flower-selling subculture, through Florida’s swamps and beyond, along with the Seminoles who help him and the forces of justice who fight him.

Wild Orchids by Karen Robards

A blistering romantic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Pursuit. Far from her sensible life as an English teacher in Kansas, Lora looks forward to a relaxing vacation in Cancun. But fate thwarts her careful plans when a darkly handsome American named Max jumps into her car with a loaded gun.

And on the web, visit the official NationalOrchidDay.com site.

We offer a great variety of magazines, newspapers, eBooks and eAudiobooks, available for easy access with your library card. Read magazines on Flipster, access the Philadephia Inquirer and the New York Times through our Databases and download eBooks and eAudiobooks on OverDrive.

Play Jackbox Games With Us

~ Sara ~ Leave a comment

Join us to play Jackbox Games online this Saturday, April 18th. Registration required.  Please provide your valid and accurate email address. We will email you the Zoom link and instructions at least two hours before the games start.

Games Schedule:
Drawful – You think you can draw? Try this game. – 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Fibbage XL – Ready for the hilarious bluffing game? – 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
You Don’t Know Jack 2015 – You are in for some comedy trivia. – 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Word Spud – Time to test your vocabulary. – 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Lie Swatter – True OR False? – 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

We hope to see you there!