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Most of the books I take home from work have a nice bright red YA sticker on their spine. It’s rare for me to geek out over an adult fiction title, so I almost marked June 24, 2014 on the calendar. Because I saw a book come in that made me jump up and down. There may have even been dancing. And it wasn’t even by Meg Cabot.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Kate Rorick and Bernie Su is a print adaptation of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, an online, transmedia adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, which happens to be my favorite book of all time.

But, wait. I may have lost you at “transmedia.”

For those of you who don’t waste hours on Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook, here’s how The Lizzie Bennet Diaries works. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a series of short videos featuring Ashley Clements as Lizzie Bennet, a graduate student studying communications. The videos are part of a project for one of her classes, but soon grow to include not only her classmate Charlotte (played by Julia Cho), but also her sisters, their friends, and eventually, yes, Mr. Darcy. There are 100 core videos from Lizzie Bennet, but other characters have their own videos, as well as social media accounts for viewers to follow and comment on. In this way, viewers become part of the story, and even get some of their questions answered by the characters in special FAQ videos. Unlike a TV series, where the viewers only have access to the characters in one way, the characters of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries come alive through their own social media accounts. Sometimes viewers even get to know the characters better than they know each other.

Who in the world thought of that? That would be Hank Green, brother of John Green. (You know, the author of The Fault in Our Stars.) Hank wanted to retell a novel through a video blog and chose Pride and Prejudice. And why not? It’s funny, romantic, and, very importantly, public domain. Which means anybody can retell it anyway he wants and not get sued.

I first heard about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries here at the Dover Public Library. It was during our first ever Read-In, and a young woman read from Pride and Prejudice and talked about how great an adaptation The Lizzie Bennet Diaries was. Well, that was a Saturday. By the wee hours of Sunday morning, I was hooked.

Skip ahead about a year and a half, and The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet crosses my path. There weren’t many surprises in it for me, as I’d watched and re-watched the series on YouTube, but it was one more new way to connect with the character of Lizzie Bennet. Even though the videos are her “diary,” there are things viewers don’t get to see on the Internet, or on the DVD set. For instance, the contents of Darcy’s letter. Pride and Prejudice fans, I know you know what letter I’m talking about.

I might not be the most objective reviewer in the case of Lizzie Bennet, but if you liked Pride and Prejudice, give her secret diary and her videos a shot. You might find something new to love in your favorite characters.

And, if you think this transmedia thing sounds kind of fun, check out Emma Approved, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma from the creators of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Liz

Teen Librarian

I don’t think there was anyone out there who was not affected in some way by the stunning news that comedian Robin Williams took his own life.  How can someone who’s life conveyed joy and who’s gifts brought laughter to millions and millions of people leave us so tragically?  Robin Williams and his actions show us emphatically that depression and mental illness are things that cannot be soothed by money, fame, and success.  In light of this recent tragedy and as part of September’s suicide prevention month, Community Mental Healthcare of Dover is spearheading a suicide prevention campaign called “The Semi-Colon Project.  You are being challenged to reflect on your past, present, and future through a community writing contest.  A semicolon connects two independent clauses.  Think of your life as a sentence: your past is the first clause, you are the semicolon, and your future is the next clause.  Reflect on your “life sentence…”  What does it say?  Writers are asked to respond to this prompt in 1 to 2 pages.  There will be separate judging categories for high school students and the community at large.  Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category.

Things to Remember:

• Semi-Colon Project Writing Contest runs through October 2nd.
• Work can be dropped off at the Dover Public Library or the Tuscarawas County Public Library in New Philadelphia (please include your name, address, and phone #)
• A community writing workshop will be held for writers at Bread Head Bakery in Dover on September 13th.  Call 330-602-2434 for details.
• Crisis Hotline for those dealing with suicide:  330-343-1811
• For more info, contact Community Mental Healthcare
• To stay informed about The Semi-Colon Project, click on their Facebook page.
• Partners include: Tuscarawas County Literacy Coalition, Dover Public Library, Tuscarawas County Public Library System, Newcomerstown Public Library, Gnadenhutten Public Library, Clark Memorial Branch Library, Claymont Public Library, The ADAMHS Board, Bread Head Bakery, Uncommon Grounds Coffee Shop, MT Cup Coffee Shop.

-Jim Gill, Director

This series has 24 titles and chronicles the adventures of 4 very different women whose paths cross on Newport Avenue, a seaside neighborhood in the charming town of Marble Cove, Maine.  The women, all in different stages of life, also have something else in common: Each is starting over in some way. Each one has a second chance in life, and these second chances give our 4 friends untold opportunities to grow in faith, love and grace.

As these women learn, it’s never too late for a 2nd chance, no matter where you are in life. You might not start a new life in a new town, but each new day offers us a reset, a chance to move in a new direction, to take on a new attitude and see life with new eyes. Have your decisions taken you down the wrong path in life? Do you feel as if you’ve somehow gotten lost and can’t find your way home again?  Today is another opportunity to take steps to set things right.

Mary

– Technology Room Manager

I have been going through a reading slump lately. I take a book home, and for whatever reason, I just can’t seem to get into it. I read lots of book reviews, but sometimes you can’t really go by those, as each person’s tastes are different. So, having nothing to lose, when I hit my slump, I turned to YA.

YA means YOUNG ADULT. That area is located near the non-fiction side of our library. Liz Strauss, our Teen Librarian, does a wonderful job of ordering a wide range of books that will appeal to the most reluctant reader, the reader who has ‘read everything’, and to me, an ‘old lady’. Liz will often recommend books to me, as she knows what will pique my interest. Sometimes I even recommend books to her. (OK, that has only happened twice, because Liz is on it!)

I didn’t realize that many of my favorite authors have also written YA books: Kathy Reichs. Robert B. Parker, Carl Hiaasen, Neil Gaiman, David Baldacci, and of course James Patterson. I stumbled upon Harlan Coben by reading his YA books, SHELTER, and SECONDS AWAY. Both were really great reads. Now, John Sandford has a new YA called UNCAGED. I just checked it out, can’t wait to get a day off to read it, and it’s book one of a series, so there are even more to come.

I enjoyed NOT A DROP TO DRINK by Mindy McGinnis, and THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN by Holly Black. Holly will have a new book, THE IRON TRIAL (book 1 of the Magisterium series) out September 9th 2014, and Liz has me on hold for it for when it arrives!

So, if you just can’t seem to find anything to read, walk over to the YA area. You just might be surprised by what you find there!

Denise,

Adult Services & Interlibrary Loans

Growing up in northeastern Ohio, I have always had a general understanding of what happened in May of 1970 at Kent State. But learning of the tragedy in an academic setting after so much time has passed keeps it at a distance, sterilizes it from emotion. David Hassler was able to bring the story back to life using the voices of an entire community that was traumatized and still healing years after the events took place.

    “Kent State was not just Kent State.” “There were lots of truths.” These are unscripted lines, spoken from the hearts of those who lived through it, and they give those of us who have to learn from a distance an idea of what it was like living inside a symbol of a movement. The confusion, bewilderment, anger, and sorrow all come through from new and different perspectives, and they join together in a chorus that sings the song of a community divided against itself, searching for answers and acceptance.

    The lines of the play originate from the oral history collection courtesy of Kent State University, and I feel that the true expressions of individuals reliving their memories of those few days gives the dialogue more power. Hassler masterfully weaves the separate stories into a tapestry and creates a vision that speaks to our humanity: there are flashes of light and dark held up in stark contrast; people on both sides show the best and worst of all of us. Reading this play was an illuminating experience; both of the horrific events, and of the need to preserve our past along with the voices of those who lived it.

Claire Kandle, Local History Librarian