Anythink blog
Camp Happiness: Taking an Anythink experience to PLA
Mar 3 2014
How do you take a space and turn it into an experience?
In 2013, Anythink concierge Justina Wooten had an idea. After watching the documentary Happy, Justina wanted...
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STEM reads: Unleash your child's inner scientist with these 4 titles
Feb 28 2014
Parents: Do you have a child who’s always asking “How?” or “Why?” If you do, you have a budding scientist on your hands! This is great news, because according to the U.S. Department of Education, jobs in science, technology, engineering and math...
5 Action-Packed Movie Trailer Reviews
Feb 27 2014
Originally, I was going to write a 5-star review for the new box-office hit, The Monuments Men. However, numerous reviews are already available (check out: MetaCritic). Thus, let us take a different review adventure:The Monuments Men...
'New' Favorite Picture Books Worth a Look
Feb 24 2014
I recently wrote a blog titled Lucky Me, in which I reminisced about how lucky I felt because of all the time I had spent reading and rereading some great picture books to my children when...
Gold Medals (in Russian Reading)
Feb 24 2014
Over the past few weeks you have probably watched more hours of curling and ice dancing than you would ever admit in public. Now that the Olympics have concluded, you might be feeling a bit down, wondering how you can possibly replace those hours you spent on your couch cheering on the athletes....
Lutie Had a Great Idea: Little Free Libraries
Feb 14 2014
Lutie Stearns was a librarian who believed that books have the power to change readers' lives. She fueled this belief by taking books to nearly 1,400 locations in Wisconsin through traveling little libraries between 1895 and 1914. Her cause was picked up in 2009 by a young Wisconsonite who built a...
Cheers! A Toast to Superb Wine Films
Feb 7 2014
The numbers aren't in yet for 2013, but 2012 was a record year for wine sales in the United States. More than 360 million cases of wine valued at $34 billion were sold in 2012. With numbers like those it's not surprising that here at Anythink we have hundreds of materials about wine. We have...
Start Again: Without A List
Feb 5 2014
All too often I find myself creating "to read lists" because I feel pressured. Sometimes I think I should read more literary fiction. Other times I feel like I should read everything on the New York Times Best Sellers list because doesn't everybody else? And then other times I feel like I should...
My Kind of Town: The World of Urban Fantasy
Jan 28 2014
Imagine the worlds of CSI, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Killer Women – but with vampires, ghosts, wizards or werewolves. Congratulations! You now have an urban fantasy. Urban fantasy is a very popular subgenre of fantasy where the setting is a real city, but the action revolves around the presence of...
Reading Rainbow Rowell
Jan 28 2014
Just like when you meet somebody for the first time that you just know you’ll become great friends with, it’s wonderful when you find an author whose writing "clicks" with you. This is the kind of author whose books you would buy the day they came out, without having read any reviews, simply...
Go Play Inside: Nature Poetry in 5 Compelling Picture Books
Jan 27 2014
Poetry can open a window, allowing for a fresh look at a familiar view. These books of poetry for kids all focus on nature, word play and pictures, in ways that help readers rediscover the world outside. I found all five books to be delightful, providing both a quick read and a deep experience. The...
What's all the hoopla about? Streaming.
Jan 2 2014
Stream instantly. It's that easy. Hoopla digital, the latest resource available to all Anythink customers, allows you to stream a variety of media directly to your device, whether that’s a movie on your tablet or the latest album on...
My Year In Books: Highlights From 2013
Dec 30 2013
I will remember the year 2013 as the year I sat in on the trial of the first woman sentenced to die by the electric chair (The Trails of Maria Barbella: The True Story of...
The Film Guide: Four Films That Will Leave You Questioning
Dec 26 2013
There are films out there that defy explanation of why they are enjoyable. Such films may have interesting characteristics that make it stand out, such as tone, trippy effects or an insane plot. Here is a list of films that grabbed me for some pretty unique reasons. They may not be for everyone,...
'The Book Thief' Hits the Big Screen
Dec 6 2013
Years ago, I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which is quickly becoming a modern day classic and appearing on many high schools' required reading lists. It is one...
Unromantic Romance Movies
Dec 4 2013
Romantic comedies can be light and fun, but I tend to enjoy more towards unromantic romance movies. Movies that have flawed characters and flawed relationships are more realistic to me. There are still laugh-out-loud moments in these movies, but they can also deal with intense emotions. These...
Lucky Me: Books to Read and Reread to Your Kids
Nov 14 2013
I recently came across a Family Circle comic in which the little boy is holding up a book to his dad and asks: "How would you like to be the lucky person who gets to read to me?" Immediately I thought of all the times I enjoyed reading a good book to my kids and I thought, Yes, I am the lucky one! ...
Suicide Prevention: Resources for Teens
Oct 29 2013
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds, according to a July 2013 report by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Many teenagers turn to suicide as a means of escaping bullying. Depression, stress, pressure to succeed and self-doubt are just some of...
Librocubicularist
Oct 25 2013
Librocubicularist (n): A person who reads in bed.
I am a librocubicularist. Most nights I go to bed with one or two or three books in my arms. It's not enough that there is a stack of books already by my bed! There's just something special about snuggling down with a stack of books around you! And...
EveryLibrary Helps to Shift Perceptions of Libraries at the Polls
Oct 9 2013
In late August of this year, citizens of Santa Clara County in California had to make a decision about funding their libraries: pass a measure during a special election and secure funding for their public libraries or see their libraries face cuts to programs, materials and possibly even staff. The...