It is not hard to find quotes that describe the eloquence, creativity, anguish and beauty that can be discovered in reading poetry. Poetry does not need to be difficult. One way to explore your creative potential is to try a technique called block out poetry.(as pictured below)
Or perhaps you would like to use the style found in this link
To celebrate National Poetry Day, the library will be holding a block out poetry competition. The text can come from a book, magazine, or newspaper. There will be some pages available at the library display. First prize for the best poem is a chocolate treat and the latest trend catching on, a mindfulness colouring-in book. Small chocolate bars for second and third. Competition ends Friday 10th September. Entries can be handed in to the librarian.
Evie is 18, straight out of school and excited by the prospect of a tour of Europe. Instead, she finds herself immersed in war; first in the Home Counties – where the young New Zealander is confronted not only by society's restrictions and her family's expectations, but by the burgeoning women's rights movement – then as a VAD nurse tending injured soldiers in a local hospital.
After personal tragedy changes the course of her life, Evie impulsively travels to Belgium, experiencing first-hand the shambolic horrors in a Casualty Clearing Station just 10 km behind the Front Lines. War, at first distant, becomes increasingly personal. (RandomHouse)
Cate Carlton has recently died, yet she is able to linger on, watching her three young children and her husband as they come to terms with their life without her on their rural horse property. As the months pass and her children grow, they cope in different ways, drawn closer and pulled apart by their shared loss. And all Cate can do is watch on helplessly, seeing their grief, how much they miss her and how - heartbreakingly - they begin to heal. Gradually unfolding to reveal Cate's life, her marriage, and the unhappy secret she shared with one of her children. (Back cover)
I started reading the first chapter because I needed to fill in some time. It has a surreal feel to it. In the Quiet is an apt title as there was this sense of stillness, like watching the television with the sound off. I have yet to return the book as I am in the middle of another novel, but it looks to be a promising read.
The cover is one of my favourites. I have opened the book in different places to read and each page drew me into the story. The main character is a young boy called Jimmy and it is told from his point of view. It is not childish chatter as he views his world and the troubles that accompany it but offers language to engage a mature audience.
The Eye of the Sheep is the 2015 winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award.
Read more about this book and the author's comments here.
Best friends Dave and Julia are determined to never be cliched high school kids - the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day or those plotting to be prom king or queen. They even write up their 'Never' to do list - but as the saying goes 'never say never'.
A number of books are being written lately that seem to revolve around death, perhaps in light of the success of The Fault in our Stars. I am not a fan of syrupy sadness or melodrama, so I am pleased to say that I enjoyed this story. The sudden death of Amber's brother from an undiagnosed heart condition affects the family in different ways. Amber and her parents individually become estranged from each other, rather than drawing together to cope with their grief. The circumstances surrounding Liam's death creates a climate of guilt and regret that influence the characters' behaviour and choices.
The story has tension, mystery, risk and twists. A recommended read. This review confirms it.
The first few lines of a book often lead us into the story with a sense of intrigue, humour or horror. It can be as simple as "They went to war in a taxi" (The Bridge - Jane Higgins). I love a great beginning, it offers the promise of a good read. Check out the first lines of the books on display and find one that appeals to you.
Got a book on your mind that you would like to see in the library? Place your suggestion in the jar on the front desk.
Jane Williams is an 11-year-old girl growing up in 1970s New Zealand, a farming nation at the bottom of the world. Living on the outskirts of a small rural town, her family have no telephone, no fridge, and use an outside toilet. However, the family does own a promising racehorse, Jane's pride and joy - Rosabelle. When the family falls on tough times, Jane finds out that all is not as it seems in Woodville. With the help of her Italian best-friend and Scottish teacher, will Jane be able to uncover the town's and her own family's secrets and save Rosabelle before it's too late? (Back cover)
The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Described as Game of Thrones meets X-Men, this book is destined to become a movie.
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites. (Source:PenguinRandomHouse)
Soon by Morris Gleitzman
Soon continues the incredibly moving story of Felix, a Jewish boy still struggling to survive in the wake of the liberation of Poland after the end of World War Two. What began in the first novel Once, continues with the fifth novel. Enjoy listening to Morris Gleitzman describe his journey with Felix and the lesson he learnt.
The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, and her ability to trust. And when Minnow rebelled, they took away her hands too. Now the Kevinian prophet has been murdered and the camp set aflame and it's clear Minnow knows something. But she's not talking. (Back cover)
What if you were the spark that could ignite a revolution?
For years Laia has lived in fear. Fear of the Empire, fear of the Martials, fear of truly living at all. Born as a Scholar, she’s never had much of a choice.
For Elias it’s the opposite. He has seen too much on his path to becoming a Mask, one of the Empire’s elite soldiers. With the Masks’ help the Empire has conquered a continent and enslaved thousands, all in the name of power. (Back cover)
