The Science Fiction Book Club’s second jump into alternate
history will be His Majesty’s Dragon
by Naomi
Novik. In this version of the Napoleonic Wars,
dragons are an integral part of warfare. That part is fantasy, but the book is
still very much grounded in politics, history, and combat.
Novik is an award-winning author most recently known for Uprooted and Spinning Silver.
His Majesty’s Dragon was her first
published book. Two of the sequels, Throne of Jade
and Black Powder War
were released in the months following His
Majesty’s Dragon. The three books together won Novik a Locus Award in 2007
for First
Novel. His Majesty’s Dragon
was also nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel
in 2007.
You can find His
Majesty’s Dragon at your local public library or through interlibrary
loan.
We look forward to chatting with you about His Majesty’s Dragon on Thursday, March
21st at 2pm in Library 314.
Clean Out Your Bookcase Day is today—February 20, 2019!
The Claire T. Carney Library
would love to have your donations for our Read and Return Collection.
We maintain a fun/non-required reading collection (fiction … beach reads … or interesting light non-fiction) in the Library Living Room and the 2nd floor lecture room hallway. These books are donated to us for students — and the rest of the UMassD Community — to borrow on the honor system. No formal checkouts needed … we just ask that you return a book when you finish it. We need to replenish our selection and are seeking donations of gently used books fitting the description. If you have some things you’d like to donate, please bring your books to the Library Circulation Desk.
Questions? Please contact
Kari Mofford: kmofford@umassd.edu or
508-999-8865.
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air! Do you have
a favorite literary love story? Do you swoon over Pride and Prejudice,
or do you prefer To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before? Is Carry On
the book for you, or can you not live without The Princess Bride? Share
the title that speaks to your heart on one of our paper hearts in
the Library Living Room all this week!
I have been birding — looking at, listening to, and identifying birds — since I was a kid. Though it once seemed like something I only shared with folks my parents’ age, I am seeing more and more kids and young adults outside, binoculars in hand. For a lot of us, birding is a way to interact with nature by watching these little winged creatures interact with it, too. It gets us outside and allows us to take a break from studying or working, or from just sitting on the couch mindlessly scrolling through our phones. For me, it’s a way to respectfully enjoy the outdoors. You have to stay quiet, keep a safe distance, and do your best not to disturb the birds or their habitat. It keeps me in constant awe of the world and the creatures with whom we share it.
Chickadee
Here on the UMassD
campus, we are pretty lucky, habitat-wise. We have trees, brush, fields, and
even a pond. This allows for all sorts of birds to stop by, nest, or winter
over. Yes, winter! Though winter can easily get the best of our happiness with
its short days, cold weather, and general lack of color, many birds still call
New England home. Walking through campus, I hear black-capped chickadees,
Northern cardinals, white-breasted nuthatches, dark-eyed juncos, and downy
woodpeckers. Not to mention both American and fish crows, and those pesky
Canada geese that block Ring Road whenever they feel like it (okay, I don’t
love those guys). I have seen red-tailed hawks swoop by the library windows and
turkey vultures soaring high over the campus center while herring gulls warm
themselves on the roof. One of my favorite year-round birds, cedar waxwings,
congregate in large groups on winter berry trees, the flashes of yellow on
their tails brightening even the dullest of days. It’s a nice reminder that we
are not alone in the cold, and that life can thrive, even when the temperature
dips below 30.
Downy Woodpecker
Though birds are
feeding and flying throughout the day, they are most active in the early
morning hours. So after your next all nighter, on your way home, take a deep
breath and an extra few minutes to look for or listen to some brave little
songbirds who are making the best of their winter habitat, just like you are.
Then, by all means, go to bed!
Cardinal
If you are interested in learning more about birds and birding, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a fantastic website (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/) and a free app called Merlin Bird ID, which can help you identify birds based on your location and description of their appearance. The library also has some guides that birders, beginner to advanced, will find useful:
