MUSCATINE, Iowa — It's that time of year where you might look at James's forecast... and decide to curl up at home with a good book.
Every other Wednesday, we check in on a new town for our traveling book club, "Current Reads," during our 4 p.m. show, The Current. For this edition, we're headed to the Musser Public Library in Muscatine, Iowa. Not only did our librarians pull us three stories to check out, but we're also talking 'Bookish Bingo!'
- "Tress of the Emerald Sea: A Cosmere Novel (Secret Projects)" by Brandon Sanderson is set in the Cosmere universe, but is a standalone adventure. It's been described as 'perfect' for fans of The Princess Bride. The story follows Tress, who has only ever known life on her island home, in the middle of an emerald-green ocean. She likes to collect cups from the sailors of faraway lands and listen to stories from her friend Charlie. But when Carlie's father takes him on a voyage to find a bride, disaster strikes. Now, Tress must stow away on a ship to find the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Can Tress leave her simple life behind? And, more importantly, can she make it out on a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?
- "The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation" by Cormac McCarthy and illustrated by Manu Larcenet is not only a national bestseller, but also the winner of the Pulitzer Prize. This is the first-ever graphic novel adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's critically aclaimed story. It's set in a post-apocalyptic world where America has been burned to ash. It's cold enough to crack stones. When snow falls, it's gray. In the middle of this desolate landscape, a father and his son are walking to the coast, with nothing but a pistol, the clothes on their back, a cart of scavenged food, and each other. The profoundly moving story imagines a world devoid of hope, but where a father and son are sustained by their love for one another. McCarthy's work is an 'unflinching meditation' on the best and worst of what humans are capable of, and the tenderness that keeps people alive despite total devastation.
- "Lambslide" by Ann Patchett and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser is a hilarious children's picture book about a slide made just for lambs. We find Nicolette Farmer, running for class president. When her family tells her she'll win by a landslide, a pack of overconfident lambs mistakenly hear 'lambslide' and are shocked to hear there's a slide made just for them. However, there's no such slide on the farm! It turns out the only thing left to do is take a vote. The lambs campaign, bargain and ask all the other animals if they would like a lambslide.
All of the books our librarians picked for us this week also work with Musser's 'Bookish Bingo' program! From now through the end of February, you can read books and check off tasks on the library's bingo card squares.
Some of the squares have reading prompts, including read a book that won an award, one with a green cover, a book made into a movie or TV show, a graphic novel, etc. Other squares have activity prompts, such as reading at a coffee shop, doing the children's department scavenger hunt, or reading while wearing mittens.
Musser has two different cards. One is made for children, while the other is geared toward teens and adults.
Once you've completed five prompts in a row - to make a bingo - you can collect a prize at Musser's children's desk. For teens and adults there's a limit of one prize per bingo card. For children, once a bingo has been reached, they can try to complete the entire card for a 'blackout' and an additional prize.
To participate, you can pick up a 'Bookish Bingo' card at Musser's Children's Desk or Service Desk.
The books listed above cover multiple squares:
- Tress of the Emerald Seaby Brandon Sanderson
- Read a book with a green cover
- Musser Book Club book
- Available as an eBook and eAudiobook with Libby
- Cormac McCarthy’s The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Manu Larcenet
- Read a graphic novel
- Read a book that won an award
- Read a book that was made into a movie or TV show
- Watch a movie based on a book
- Lambslide by Ann Patchett
- Read a book with a non-human main character
- Listen to a book
- Read a book with a one-word title
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