Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith One of the first rules about book talking is: Do not try to booktalk a book you haven’t read! And here I go violating that very rule. But in my defense one of the reasons I haven’t read Escape From Furnace is from the time the library received [...]
Delirium by Lauren Oliver As in yesterday’s book, Matched, the government has determined that love is something to be avoided. In fact, this dystopia considers love a disease—a delirium. Accordingly, when you reach a certain age you must have The Procedure which will make you immune to love. Lena is looking forward to having The [...]
Matched by Ally Condie In the Society all your life choices are made for you: what job you do, the place you live, what belongings you may have and who you marry. If the authorities can control these aspects of your life then the rest of the country can be controlled as well. The story [...]
Divergent by Veronica Roth Here’s the setting: Chicago sometime in the future. As in The Hunger Games, society has evolved into a new arrangement of the population. At 16 years old you choose the faction of society you feel best suits your character—the brave, the peaceful, the honest, etc. Each part has a different role [...]
With finals starting this week you may feel like you are living in your own personal dystopia. Keeping that in mind, this week and throughout exam week I will be posting a book blurb on some of the dystopian fiction owned by the John Tyler libraries. I like the definition the Purdue English department gives [...]
It’s true! At least according to a study published in the online journal PLOSone (the Public Library of Science) and titled Getting a Grip on Memory: Unilateral Hand Clenching Alters Episodic Recall. Researchers Ruth E. Propper, Sean E. McGraw, and Michael Weiss of the Department of Psychology, Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey; and [...]
With less than two weeks left in the semester you may be scrambling to get your final papers finished. If you are confused about citations, researching or even writing your papers the library can help. Join these workshops to make this your best semester ever. Chester: *All Chester sessions will be held in [...]
“April is the cruelest month” begins T. S. Eliot’s famous poem The Waste Land. But April is actually pretty kind, at least to poetry, because in 1996 the American Academy of Poets established April as National Poetry Month making it a great time to find great new poetry or remember your old favorites. The library [...]
Join the fun on Saturday, April 13, as John Tyler celebrates with Fool for Art. John Tyler’s Midlothian campus will be hosting educational sessions, hands-on activities, and 50+ vendors in an outdoor craft fair. Join the library in the Art of Learning tent where you can design a tote bag (perfect for carrying those [...]
Tuesday, April 9 is Assessment Day. Although no classes will be held the libraries will be open! We will close early at 5:00 PM. If you need a quiet place to study this is it!.