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JULY 30, 2011
Summer picks from Evergreen Library

Finish off your summer with one of these delightful new reads!

 

Doc

Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
Acclaimed author Russell takes on the story of John Henry “Doc” Holliday, the Georgia-born dentist and gambler whose skill with a pistol and friendship with Wyatt Earp cemented his place in Old West legend. Russell focuses on the lesser-known aspects of his life – his relationship with his mother, his Civil War childhood, and his struggle with tuberculosis – in this powerful novel. The Borrower

The Borrower: A Novel by Rebecca Makkai
Lucy Hull, a young children’s librarian, has a favorite library patron – 10-year-old Ian Drake, a precocious boy whose conservative parents have enrolled him in weekly anti-gay classes. Ian and Lucy embark on a bizarre cross-country road trip in this sharp, witty novel that explores the power of books to change people’s lives.

Floor of Heaven The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the American West and the Yukon Gold Rush by Howard Blum
This is the intriguing story of three men who sought their fortunes in the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush – a Marine Corps deserter, a cowboy turned Pinkerton detective, and a flamboyant Colorado con artist. Blum captures the drama and spirit of the last frontier in this true-life adventure.

Sex on the MoonSex on the Moon: The Amazing Story of the Most Audacious Heist in History
by Ben Mezrich
Thad Roberts, a brilliant NASA intern, promised to give his girlfriend the moon, and he concocted a stupendous heist to deliver on that promise – literally. Mezrich follows Roberts and his co-conspirators from the Johnson Space Center to Belgium in this riveting, fast-paced tale.

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posted by Briana, Evergreen Library

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JULY 27, 2011
Dystopian teen reads, home repair mysteries, and more
Teen Librarian Rene always has an armload of books and audiobooks she's trying to keep up with. Check out her picks below!

Just Read:

Blood Red Road by Moira Young
This is a teen dystopian novel. Saba, the female heroine, is a strong character whose problem solving skills are of great benefit. When her twin brother is captured, Saba decides to follow the captors and get her twin back. Along her journey she learns to trust some new friends to help her find a solution.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
This is another teen dystopian novel that was a real page turner! In the futuristic Chicago society in which Beatrice lives, she much chose one of five factions in which to spend the rest of her life. There are differences among the factions – each has its strengths and weaknesses. Once Beatrice chooses her faction she discovers a dark plan and works to find a solution to the problem, at great danger to herself, before there is too much bloodshed. I really enjoyed this book and would suggest it for anyone wanting to try a popular teen read.

A Face at the Window by Sarah Graves
This is a “Home Repair is Homicide" mystery. I have enjoyed keeping up with this series for a while and recently found myself a bit behind. I enjoyed the audio version of this mystery in which the man who murdered Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree's mother over 30 years earlier is about to stand trial when he disappears. Where will Ozzie Campbell turn up? Jake thinks she knows and she is right. Jake has to keep her cool to save herself and someone she loves.

Reading:

The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan is the latest in the Ranger’s Apprentice Series (children’s fiction). I have enjoyed following the adventures of Will and his cohorts in every installment of this series.

The Devil She Knows by Bill Loehfelm is an adult novel to that I am currently listening to. So far, it has plenty of suspense and mystery plus a plucky heroine.

French Pressed by Cleo Coyle is one of the books in a series of coffee house mysteries that provide a fun light read.

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison is a fun teen read in which a fourteen-year-old girl, Tallulah, spends the summer at a drama camp for girls.

Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich is familiar to many of you. Yes, I have fallen behind in this series and I am striving to catch up! I love the humor in the Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter series.

And I can’t even tell you how many more I have checked out that I am not reading, yet…

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posted by Rene, Evergreen Library

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JULY 24, 2011
Lakewood Library Loves...

The Lakewood Library staff is working at other library locations during Lakewood’s temporary closure. But we’re keeping up with our reading in our spare time! This is what we recommend to you:

Beauty QueensBeauty Queens by Libba Bray
What happens when the plane delivering the Miss Teen Dream pageant contestants crash lands near a deserted island? Luckily, Miss Colorado survives and is one of the main characters - but nobody beats Miss Texas. This is an extremely funny - and thoroughly perfect for summer - book.

The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine
Caine retells the miracle of his escape from the slums of London and emphasizes the fact that he has had a second career when he thought the movies were done with him. Always, in this comfortable biography, he is a man with whom you would like to spend time.

InfidelInfidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
In this profoundly affecting memoir, the author describes her childhood in Somalia, her political years in the Netherlands, and her current life under armed guard in the West. This is a timely true story of an outspoken freedom fighter.

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley
Ptolemy Grey is in his 90s and ready to die until he meets his niece's 17-year-old lodger – the only one willing to take care of an old man. The magic of their friendship improves both of their lives and is the heart of this moving book.

Russian WinterRussian Winter by Daphne Kalotay
A mysterious jewel holds the key to a life-changing secret, in this breathtaking tale of love and art, betrayal and redemption. This is a powerful debut novel about Nina Revskaya, a once great star of the Bolshoi Ballet.

The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron
Eli Monpress is perhaps the world’s greatest thief and also a wizard. When he steals the King of Mellinor, in order to increase the bounty on his head, things start to go awry. Humor-loving fantasy readers should also look for subsequent volumes in this planned trilogy.

Small Acts of Amazing CourageSmall Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan
In this beautifully written and informative juvenile fiction book, saving a baby from slavery, befriending a young soldier, and supporting a bullied aunt are small acts of amazing courage that add up to a hopeful future for 15-year-old Rosalind and those around her in India and England in 1919.

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posted by Bonnie, Lakewood Library

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JULY 21, 2011
Graphic Novels for Grown-Ups

Comic-Con International, a four-day showcase of comic arts, artists, and products begins today in San Diego. In its 41-year history, Comic-Con has grown into one of the world’s largest celebrations of all things pop culture, including sci-fi, fantasy, film, television, video games, and animation. Comics and graphic novels, however, are still at the heart of Comic-Con.

If you haven’t picked up a comic book in decades, or if you doubt a compelling, grown-up story can be told in pictures, we invite you to sample the following titles.

Fun Home Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic is author Alison Bechdel’s memoir of growing up in rural Pennsylvania in the 60s and 70s, and her troubled relationship with her father, a closeted gay man who ran the local funeral home.

Y: The Last Man is a suspense-driven adventure series about a mysterious plague that instantly kills everyone with a Y chromosome except Yorick Brown, a young magician, and his pet monkey, Ampersand. Start with Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned.

BlanketsBlankets by Craig Thompson is a touching coming-of-age memoir of the author’s rigid fundamentalist Christian upbringing and his relationship with Raina, a girl he falls in love with against the backdrop of a Michigan winter.

Maus is Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning two-part biography of his father, Vladek, a Polish Holocaust survivor, in which Jews are depicted as mice and Germans as cats. Start with Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History.

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posted by Briana, Evergreen Library

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JULY 19, 2011
Favorite Mystery Series on Audio

If you enjoy mysteries, try listening to a series. Just as with reading a series, you come to know the characters and their strengths and foibles. But somehow you know them even more by their voices and cadences.

 

A Deeper SleepTry the Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow. This series has kept the same reader. Except for the15th entry, A Deeper Sleep, all of the books have been read by Marguerite Gavin. Kate is a former investigator for the Anchorage, Alaska, district attorney’s office and currently homesteads in a generic national park in Alaska. Her constant companion is Mutt, a wolf husky hybrid who gets the attention of anyone with whom she comes into contact. There is fascinating history of the Aleut tribe (of which Kate is a member) and a careful look into the ecology and culture of the area. Start with A Cold Day for Murder.

Another interesting series is the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva. This series has been read by a variety of different actors. Allon is a former assassin for the Israeli Secret Service. Additionally, he is regarded as one of the world's greatest art restorers, specializing in Old Masters. Art and intrigue are great companions. Once, while chatting with a gentleman on an airport shuttle who was carrying a tattered Gabriel Allon novel, I learned that his novels are great “guidebooks” for some of the most well known European museums. Start with The Kill Artist.

Track of the CatI love Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series. Anna is a detective/park ranger who has assignments at national and state parks across the US. She is a serious woman with a strong, self-deprecating sense of humor. When the series begins with Track of the Cat, Anna has just fled New York City after the accidental death of her husband and is now going to work as a law enforcement ranger at Guadalupe Mountains National Park in west Texas. The newest title in the series, The Rope, is due to be released in January 2012 and will be set in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Sue Grafton’s Alphabet Series featuring plucky PI Kinsey Millhone makes for another enjoyable listen. Kinsey is a single 30-something when we meet her in Santa Theresa, CA (read: Santa Barbara). She lives alone in the garage apartment owned by her landlord, Henry, a feisty octogenarian baker who often invites her over for wine and freshly baked something. Begin with A is for Alibi. The latest, V is for Vengeance, is due to be published in November 2011. For me, the change in readers in this series has made a difference. Try this fun series and you be the judge.

Privileged InformationIf you want something local, try the Alan Gregory novels by Stephen White. Dr. Alan Gregory is a Boulder clinical psychologist with a thriving practice. In the series, Gregory’s wife, Lauren Crowder, Boulder County Assistant DA, battles Multiple Sclerosis. In real life, Stephen White battles the disease. The local flavor is fun – Gregory and his friend Sam Purdy go to Avalanche games, take in Broadway shows at the Denver Center for Performing Arts, and eat at named restaurants in the Denver area (lunch is taken in Silver Plume, CO, at a place I have yet to find). Start with Privileged Information.

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posted by Christina, Lakewood Library

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JULY 16, 2011
A Book We Love: Veganist

Veganist Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World by Kathy Freston

Read this book! It is conversational, informative, and does not lay a guilt trip on you about your meat eating ways. However, the statistics about animal agriculture’s contribution to global warming, water, air and soil pollution, cruelty to animals (factory farming) as well as contributing to the underfeeding and malnourishment of 1.2 billion people is simply stunning. You may decide to lean into the veganist lifestyle, whether it is going vegetarian one night a week or giving up one animal at a time. Perfection is not expected or necessary.

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posted by Briana, Evergreen Library

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JULY 14, 2011
A Taste of the South

Do the recent natural disasters in the Southern United States cause you want to learn more about this region? There's a trove of fiction set all over the South, which can help supersede your stale Gone with the Wind imagery of this very culturally rich region of America.

FRIENDSHIPS/RELATIONSHIPS

One MississippiOne Mississippi by Mark Childress
A gifted chronicler of small-town life, Childress explores the friendship of two young outsiders and a strange twist of character events surrounding the prom queen.

The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews
Known as much for her Southern recipes in her fiction, Andrews' heroine flips a recently inherited family home in Georgia, undergoes renovation, meets the locals, and finds romance.

HUMOR

Can't Wait to Get to HeavenCan't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg
Strange things begin to happen when Mrs. Shimfissle, an 80-year-old woman, falls out of a fig tree in her own front yard. A novel about one woman’s offbeat experiences in the hereafter.

Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross
Join fiery Miss Julia Springer on her 12 adventures, beginning with Miss Julia Speaks her Mind, and never stop laughing.

CLASSICS

A Good Man is Hard to FindA Good Man is Hard to Find, and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor
These Southern Gothic stories rely on memorable regional settings and freakish characters to examine morality and ethics.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Faulkner employs a number of narrative styles in this story about a family of former Southern aristocrats dealing with financial ruin and the loss of their reputation.

NONFICTION

Midnight in the GardenMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt
A spellbinding murder mystery set in Savannah filled with many true-life Southern characters, history and celebrities.

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz
The author joins Civil War buffs as they reenact historic battles in this exploration of the conflict’s continuing influence on Southern life.

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posted by Mariko, Evergreen Library

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JULY 12, 2011
Learn how to enjoy digital downloads from JCPL

Dowloads DemoJefferson County Public Library offers thousands of downloadable eBooks, audiobooks, and music for free through our website. This two-hour class will explain different electronic formats and discuss downloading items to your computer, eReaders, iPods and other electronic devices.

Join us for one of the following sessions: 

6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12 at Evergreen Library
10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 16 at Belmar Library
6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 at Arvada Library
6 p.m. on Thursday, July 21 at Golden Library
6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26 at Standley Lake Library
6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27 at Columbine Library
2 p.m. on Saturday, August 13 at Edgewater Library
5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17 at Wheat Ridge Library

Reservations are not required, although space is limited. For more information, call 303-235-5275.

 

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posted by Briana, Evergreen Library

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JULY 10, 2011
Walk the world at 3 MPH

3 MPHAuthor Polly Letofsky will visit Jefferson County Public Library in July to discuss her book, 3 MPH: The Adventures of One Woman’s Walk Around the World.

In a spirit of adventure, along with an altruistic goal of raising global awareness for breast cancer, Polly broke down barriers and walked across 22 countries on four continents, covering more than 14,000 miles in five years.

With humor and candor, Polly takes us along on her journey, delving deep into the pain and witty absurdity of being a woman, reveling – and sometimes struggling – with all the world has to offer.

See Polly at one of the following locations:

5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12 at Wheat Ridge Library
7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 at Columbine Library
7 p.m. on Thursday, July 21 at Standley Lake Library
6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26 at Golden Library
6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 28 at Evergreen Library

 

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posted by Briana, Evergreen Library

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JULY 9, 2011
This week in the news

Are you curious to learn more about any of the headlines this week?  Head to your library!  Here are some books and movies to try:

Betty Ford dies at 93
Betty, A Glad Awakening by Betty Ford with Chris Chase
Betty Ford: Candor and Courage in the White House by John Robert Greene

Last launch for space shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System: The First 100 Missions by Dennis R. Jenkins

Casey Anthony acquitted
Mommy's Little Girl: Casey Anthony and Her Daughter Caylee's Tragic Fate by Diane Fanning




South Sudan becomes world’s newest nation

Out of Exile: The Abducted and Displaced People of Sudan, edited by Craig Walzer
Facing Sudan [videorecording], produced, directed and edited by Bruce David Janu

William and Kate visit California
William and Kate: A Royal Love Story by Christopher Andersen
William & Kate [videorecording]: Planning a Royal Wedding

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posted by Joanna, Standley Lake Library

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JULY 8, 2011
Colorado Screenwriters Forum continues at Columbine Library

Screenwriter's forumLearn the art of screenwriting in this series of monthly workshops at the Columbine Library. Moderator Mark Krekeler and special guest speakers will discuss various techniques in screenwriting. The group will have the opportunity to critique one screenplay at each session. Reservations are not required.

Join us on the following Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the Columbine meeting room:

July 12
August 9
September 13
October 11

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posted by Marie, Columbine Library

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JULY 7, 2011
Running with the bulls... in literature

Today, partygoers in Pamplona, Spain, will test their mettle against thousand-pound bulls in the world’s most famous encierro, or running of the bulls. This cherished tradition is the most famous part of the festival of San Fermín, a week-long fiesta that includes bullfights, parades, and fireworks. Though the festival dates back to medieval times, the work of Ernest Hemingway first brought San Fermín to the attention of many English speakers. To take a (literary) run with the bulls, check out these titles.

Death in the AfternoonDeath in the Afternoon
Hemingway’s nonfiction book about the art and ceremony of Spanish bullfighting reveals the author’s passion for the sport, which he saw as the perfect metaphor for the balance between life and death.

The Sun Also Rises
Hemingway hit it big with this novel’s publication in 1926. Inspired by his own trips to the fiesta, Sun chronicles a group of “Lost Generation” British and American expatriates who travel from Paris to Pamplona.

Death and the Sun Death and the Sun: A Matador’s Season in the Heart of Spain
Author Edward Lewine profiles Francisco Rivera Ordóñez, a fourth-generation bullfighter, as he travels the Spanish bullfighting circuit and struggles to live up to his family legacy.

The Paris Wife: a Novel
Paula McLain’s novel focuses on Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley Richardson, and their years in Paris’s community of expatriate writers and artists in the 1920s. This portrait of their marriage and its inevitable end will please historical fiction fans.

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posted by Briana, Evergreen Library

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JULY 5, 2011
Summer Reading Picks from Standley Lake
Here’s a sampling of what we’re reading at Standley Lake Information Services this summer:

Among Others by Jo Walton
Summary: The story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and science fiction, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.
What we say: “Like the character in the book, in roughly the same time period and at the same age, I was devouring science fiction. She discusses books I had forgotten I’d read.”

Greater Nowheres by Dave Finkelstein
Summary: A wildly funny journey through the outback - a forbidding adventure for even the most daring Aussie explorers.
What we say: “This book is hilarious at times. The vivid Australian characters that the authors meet along the way are entertaining, to say the least.”

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
Summary: Pot-growing siblings Paul and Lacey Hansen must investigate why the headless corpse of Lacey's ex-fiancé turned up on their property, in a mystery where the authors disagree about how the story should progress, a contention that causes a higher body count, a host of quirky characters and more insanity than the Hansens can handle.
What we say: “An experimental writing technique made this an interesting read that may turn into a new series. It was a different kind of mystery with anti-hero detectives, but the novel still had that Lutz charm and humor I have come to expect from the author.”

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer
Summary: Reduced to begging and thievery in the streets of London, a thirteen-year-old orphan disguises herself as a boy and connives her way onto a British warship set for high sea adventure in search of pirates.
What we say: “I listened to this series on audio and the actor's accent and speech patterns were fantastic for that time period and place, and even demonstrated Jacky's growth on the ship. A fun romp of an adventure with much humor. It was fabulous.”

Fevre Dream - George R.R. Martin.
Summary: During the icy winter of 1857, riverboat man Abner Marsh is made captain of his own grand Mississippi steamboat by Joshua York, a vampire intent upon saving his maligned race from extinction. What we say: “Vampires hanging out on a steamboat on the Mississippi. One of the most interesting vampire novels ever.”

I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, To the Blind Side, and Beyond by Michael Oher, with Don Yaeger.
Summary: The NFL athlete made famous by the book and movie The Blind Side reflects on the disparity between his youth and his present-day circumstances, sharing perspectives on his inner-city childhood, relationship with his adoptive family, and views on role models.
What we say: “If you enjoyed The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis, or the movie it inspired, you may also like reading about Michael Oher's inspirational story as told from his own perspective.”

The Source of All Things The Source of All Things: A Memoir by Tracy Ross.
Summary: The author explains how her love for the outdoors--and her journeys to natural landscapes in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming and Alaska--became her only source of redemption after being sexually abused by her stepfather for more than six years.
What we say: “I could not put this book down – I wanted to know what happened next in Tracy’s life. I also loved some of the familiar Colorado settings.”

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posted by Joanna, Standley Lake Library

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JULY 2, 2011
Why not make it social?

Reading is no longer a solitary event, if you choose, when you sign up for an online service like Goodreads or Library Thing.  Both sites include ways to organize and catalog your own personal library.  Whether you just want to have a list of the books on your physical book shelves or you want to neatly, and attractively, create lists of books you own, books you want to read, and/or books you've read, you can let loose your inner librarian.  Where the magic happens, though, is when you use these sites to connect with other readers, be they people you know, or strangers with similar reading tastes.  Find reviews and write reviews of your own, join a group....swapping reading recommendations has never been so easy!

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posted by Emily, Columbine Library

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JULY 1, 2011
Movie Events at Jefferson County Public Library
Mark your calendars for these upcoming movie events at JCPL!

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Evergreen Library
Wednesday, July 6 at 6 p.m.
Join kung fu fans at Evergreen for a free showing of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee’s highly-acclaimed 2001 film. Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to a nobleman’s impetuous, physically-skilled teenage daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.

Film Discussion: Inside Job
Columbine Library
Saturday, July 9th at 2 pm
Join movie reviewer and moderator Amy Zanlungo for a screening and discussion of the 2010 Academy Award-winning documentary, Inside Job. Director, Charles Ferguson filmed this documentary about the 2008 global financial crisis through exhaustive research and extensive interviews with key financial insiders, politicians, journalists and academics.

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posted by Briana, Evergreen Library

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