What's on my Nightstand?

Alex Brower

Information Services Director

I have a nontraditional “nightstand” where I keep my TBR (to be read) pile. It is a bag that shifts around my house, so I don’t have to deal with the shame of not reading what’s in it. This helps me pretend that it doesn’t really exist and leaves room for other nightstand stuff, like sleep masks, some change, and several bookmarks. Okay, the bookmarks might be several receipts, a sticker that I keep forgetting to stick anywhere, and one Cards Against Humanity card. Once I officially start a book, it goes on the nightstand. Here are three titles that I am currently hiding from myself that will one day (hopefully) make it to the nightstand: 

The City of Good Death by Priyanka Champaneri

I was drawn to this book because I love a good ghost-y, magical realism story. It also has a really pretty cover, which I am a sucker for. The story also talks about beliefs and rituals surrounding death in India, and I choose to learn about new things through fiction. Nonfiction book about something I want to learn about? Ew, no. Fiction book that includes something I don’t know about and there’s a ghost (I think)?! Yes, please!

My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

The main reason I want to read this book is because of the cover. And it’s about an exorcism, which intrigues me. But it’s mostly the cover: it looks like a classic 80s horror book, complete with terrible photoshop and great hair. I’ve read a couple of other books by Hendrix and they are lighthearted enough to balance out the scariness and gore, which I handle terribly. I am still afraid of the Goosebumps cat from the cinematic opus Call of the Cat that I watched in fourth grade.

A House Called Awful End by Philip Ardagh

Even though I've read this book before, I’m still counting it. I remember it being one of my favorite books from when I was a kid and I have been on a kick of rereading books that I used to love. This one is about a young boy named Eddie who comes to live with his aunt and uncle. They have odd rules and keep the company of a stuffed stoat. One of their rules is that children should not be seen or heard, only smelled, and Eddie must wear an onion around his neck. That might be made up, as it has been approximately 10 years since I read it the first time. I remember it being hilarious and filled with misadventures, so I’m excited to see whether it has held up. How could it not?

Those are just a few of the books in the official nightstand-avoidance bag. The contents change as I give up and return books that never draw my attention once they are no longer in the flattering library or bookstore lighting. Maybe one day I will be stronger than the bag and just read all the stuff I bring home, but that would mean there were no new books! And that is, frankly, not a world I want to live in.

Congratulations, Friends!

Lacy Ellinwood

Lead Library Consultant

The Friends of Mississippi Libraries Inc. is pleased to announce the 2022 Margaret Murray Grant recipients. There were 12 applications this year and very competitive for the reviewers. The Friends of Mississippi Libraries, Inc. would like to thank everyone that applied. The next Margaret Murray grant cycle will open in October 2022. Please join us in congratulating these local Friends groups. 

 

Friends of the Greenwood-Leflore Public Library System:

The funds acquired through the Margaret Murray Grant will be used in the library’s efforts to create and maintain a collection and programming for the Spanish-speaking community of Greenwood, Mississippi. The bulk of the money will go towards buying bilingual and Spanish-language materials with the remainder used to acquire necessary materials for programs specific to the Spanish-language community, such as a Bilingual Storytime. The library noted an increase in Spanish-speaking patrons at the library, highlighting the lack of resources for non-English speakers, and amplified the importance of providing services for them through the library. 

 

Friends of the Lexington Public Library, Mid-Mississippi Regional Library System:

Funds will be used to purchase a combination of 1st grade reading level books and Wonderbooks. Wonderbooks are printed books with a ready-to-play audiobook inside and include a Learning Mode to keep talking about the book children just read. Wonderbooks give children an edge with vocabulary development, phonics, and comprehension, and encourage deeper engagement with every book. Holmes County children age birth to 5 are at a poverty rate of 61.3% and are considered "high risk" in their Kindergarten Assessment scores. 

 

Friends of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System: 

The funds will be used to bolster inclusive offerings of graphic novels and manga to library patrons. This includes manga and graphic novels by and about BIPOC individuals and those with disabilities. By diversifying the collection, it will appeal to a broader audience and benefit current program offerings to promote cultural competency development, including manga drawing practice, sampling food from various cultures represented in the collection during the Anime and Manga club, and more. The Anime and Manga Club contributed to circulation in this collection with statistics showing a 100% increase from 2020 to 2021. Graphic novels and manga have increased in popularity for their benefits to neurodivergent readers and individuals who value visuals with texts. 

Congratulations to these friends groups on the great work they're doing in Mississippi libraries. It's always a good time to join your local library friends organization, so give your library a call today and ask how to participate!