What’s new at Jacksonville Public Library:<\/p>\n
“The Caretaker”<\/strong> by Marcus Kliewer: Follow the rites. Nothing less than the survival of humanity is at stake. “Exciting opportunity: Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants only.” Macy Mullins can’t say why the job posting grabbed her attention \u2014 though it had the pull of a fisherman’s lure, all barbed hook and vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she’s not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay, groceries to buy, and a younger sister for whom to provide. Besides, it’s only three days’ work \u2014 three days of being cooped up in a stranger’s house, surrounded by Oregon Coast wilderness. What starts as a peculiar side gig soon becomes a waking nightmare. An incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property \u2014 and Macy Mullins might just be the only thing standing between it and the rest of humanity.<\/p>\n “Rory: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf\u2019s Most Human Superstar”<\/strong> by Alan Shipnuck: Rory McIlroy contains multitudes. He can overwhelm a golf course with his transcendent talent and then, at the next tournament, look utterly lost. McIlroy is golf ‘s most eloquent ambassador and a trash-talking troll, sometimes in the same news conference. The child of a working-class family from a small town in a war-torn homeland now commutes to work in his own private jet and counts billionaires as confidants. A dozen years ago,\u00a0McIlroy asked Alan Shipnuck a question about Tiger Woods, the player on whom he had modeled himself: “What’s he really like?” As\u00a0McIlroy enters the last act of his highly eventful career, this book is a chance to redirect that old question and try to understand a man of deep complexity and contradictions.<\/p>\n “Hamnet”<\/strong>: William Shakespeare falls for the free-spirited Agnes, and their whirlwind romance leads to marriage and three children. As Will’s theatrical ambitions draw him to London, Agnes remains behind to manage the household. But, when tragedy strikes and their bond is deeply tested, their journey through grief and resilience inspires the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, “Hamlet.”<\/p>\n “I Am Not Jessica Chen”<\/strong> by Ann Liang: Jenna Chen has spent her life in the shadow of her flawless cousin. Jessica Chen is so smart she gets the top score on every test. Jessica Chen is so beautiful people stop in the hallway to stare at her. Jessica Chen is so perfect she got into Harvard. Jenna Chen will only ever be a disappointment. So when Jenna makes a desperate wish to become her cousin, the last thing she expects is for it to come true, literally. Suddenly, she gets to live the life she’s always dreamed of. But being the model student at cutthroat\u00a0Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she’d imagined. Worse, people seem to be forgetting that someone named Jenna Chen ever existed. But isn’t it worth trading it all away \u2014 her artistic talent, her childhood home, even the hope of golden boy Aaron Cai loving her back \u2014 to be Jessica Chen?<\/p>\n We are more creative, productive, energetic and intelligent when we are positive and happy. Stress and negativity have the opposite effect, causing us to become at least 10% less productive. Let\u2019s learn how to flip the script. Geared toward people ages 50 and up, Brain Boost Tuesdays are a fun way to learn, have fun and share with one another. The next session will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the library. Light snacks will be provided.<\/p>\n R.F. Kuang\u2019s genre-bending fiction broaches ordinarily serious topics from a satirical and fantastical perspective. Academic yet approachable, Kuang\u2019s work combines history, magic and classical literary tradition to render powerful critiques of academia, the publishing industry, and contemporary popular culture. Her most recent novel, “Katabasis,” which follows two graduate students as they descend into hell after the death of their professor, recently saw its screen rights optioned by Amazon\u00a0MGM Studios as the basis of an upcoming TV series.\u00a0Kuang\u2019s other bestselling titles include “Yellowface,” “Babel” and “The Poppy War” trilogy. She also is the recipient of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, and the American Book Award. Kelly Jensen, an anti-censorship advocate, a senior editor at Book Riot, and writer who has compiled such anthologies as “Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World” and “(Don\u2019t) Call Me Crazy,” will join Kuang in a Zoom-based conversation at 7\u00a0p.m. May 20. This event is intended for adults. Call the library at 217-243-5435 to register and receive login information for home-based viewing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What’s new at Jacksonville Public Library: “The Caretaker” by Marcus Kliewer: Follow the rites. 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