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I don’t know about you, but I love rereading books. It’s kind of like hanging out with an old friend you haven’t seen in awhile: you know them so well, but forget just how much you enjoy spending time with them until you’re back together again. Every time I reread a book, I find something new in it. It took me years of reading Harry Potter to fully appreciate all of the hilarious puns and wordplays, and I still find a new one (or an old one I’d forgotten) every time I read it again.

My most recent reread is a book that I only discovered about a year ago. Unlike my old favorites, no copies of this book have been worn out and replaced from repeated readings. In fact, I’m reading it for only the second time. The book, entitled The Golem and the Jinni, is (sadly) the only novel by author Helene Wecker. After only two readings, I can say with confidence that it is one of my favorites. The characters are believable, the writing lyrical, and the story is absolutely beautiful. This is the sort of book that makes me sit in my car for an extra half hour before heading in for dinner to finish up a few extra pages.

The Golem and the Jinni follows the lives of two creatures living as humans immigrants in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. The Golem, a clay woman brought to life on the crossing from Danzig, must deal with the constant clamor of the unspoken fears and desires of all those around her after the untimely death of her master. Her unique makeup constantly illustrates the importance of tempering one’s own desires so as to avoid hurting others. The Jinni, a creature of fire and impulse who inhabited the deserts of Syria over a 1000 years earlier, awakens in the shop of the tinsmith who unwittingly freed him from imprisonment in a flask. Bound to human form by an iron cuff on one wrist, the Jinni chafes at the restraints of society and at the idea that his actions should reflect anything other than his own selfish desires. The two creatures, one immensely old and the other incredibly young, meet one evening on the streets of the city and immediately recognize each other as Other.  “You’re made of earth,” he says. “And you’re made of fire,” she replies. They begin a tentative friendship, spending the long evenings (neither sleeps) exploring the wonders of the city around them. With each other, they can finally be honest about their very natures and the daily struggles that arise from them.

This novel starts slow and builds gradually as it goes on. Several storylines are woven together, including the last weeks of the Jinni’s life before imprisonment at the hands of a Syrian wizard, the Jinni’s modern-day seduction of a young socialite, and the pair’s increasingly intertwined lives in New York. The ending, which manages to be heart-pounding without ever feeling rushed, is satisfying and fits well with the novel as a whole.

As I reread The Golem and the Jinni, I am struck again at the beauty of the language. I remembered the story from my first reading, but somehow forgot that the way this story is told is nearly as lovely as the story itself. If you enjoy listening to audiobooks (or are looking for one to try), this is a fantastic find. The narrator completely embodies each character, while capturing the lyrical nature of the writing itself. This is a fabulous book, and I look forward to rereading it again in the future.

-Kathryn Green, Technology Manager.

Every week, I hold a library program for teens in grades 6-12. Most of them are on the younger end of the spectrum, which means most of them weren’t even alive fourteen years ago for the terrorist attacks of 9/11. For someone who experienced the event, felt the ripples and the heartache from afar, that’s hard for me to fathom.

Fourteen years ago, I was sitting in my Freshman English class when the announcement came on that there had been an attack on the World Trade Center. A few of my classmates didn’t even know what the World Trade Center was.

It’s still hard for me to talk about 9/11. Thinking about that day still brings tears to my eyes, which, since I’m sitting here watching some teens play Minecraft while trying to write this, makes things a little awkward here in the Tech Room. I remember hearing stories about people stuck in the towers, some huddled together in prayer, others choosing to jump. I remember hearing the incredible story of United Airlines Flight 93 and wondering what I would do were I a passenger on a hijacked plane. It was the first time I recognized what true hatred looked like, and what true bravery in the face of that hatred could do. 

The teens I talk to every Tuesday may not remember when 9/11 happened, but they’ll learn about it. They’ll learn in the classroom, from their families, and from sites like Newseum.org. Newseum.org’s Archive from the 9/11 attacks documents front pages from across the country and around the globe in the aftermath of the attacks. The unforgettable images of the towers burning below headlines in a variety of languages illustrate the way the attacks shook the entire world. And the world will never forget.

Liz Strauss

Teen Librarian

When the kids head back to school and the late summer days get a tad bit shorter and the nights a bit colder you know that it is that time again.  One Book, One Community, our county’s community-wide reading initiative, kicks off each September and runs through Columbus Day, October 12. One Book, One Community is a grass-roots reading initiative that strives to create conversation and bridge differences through the share experience  of reading the same book. This year, schools, libraries, book clubs, community agencies and more are joining together to read and discuss Jay Asher’s bestselling novel, Thirteen Reasons Why.  The book is controversial because it tells the story surrounding an incident where a teen girl takes her own life. Mental health is a huge angle of this year’s project so the Tuscarawas County Literacy Coalition, the primary organization planning the project, is excited to partner with area mental health agencies, namely Community Mental Healtchare and the ADAHMS Board. For complete information about this year’s project, click here.  Join the conversation!

-Jim Gill, Director