Nightingale Private Library

 Let's Talk Books! The last year has seen many events unfold throughout the world, from a world-wide pandemic to the American Election but what has kept so many of us strong throughout these last twelve months have been the fictional worlds that we can escape to through books, if even just for a few hours. In this list, you will find 5 of the Top Young Adult Fantasy books of 2020 along with a recorded book talk by yours truly that focuses on the topics and content of each that might be of interest to you as a reader.  Like the last post I made back in October, the Nightingale Private Library is currently unable to loan any materials and so I strongly encourage you to check these books out at your local public or community library. Additionally, any of the titles or images on this page will link you to the Halifax Public Libraries catalogue where you request the book with your library card if you are in the Halifax Regional Municipality.  Cemetary Boys - Aiden Thomas In a...

This week's Admin's Pick is Caraval by Stephanie Garber , a story of dreams beyond the imagination and nightmares so real they threaten to sweep Scarlett Dragna off her feet at every turn. Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . . Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over. But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s C...

This week's Admin's Pick is The Tattooist of Auschwitz  by Heather Morris , a story of genocide that follows Lale Sokolov as he risks everything. Lale leaves home to protect his family and his friends, having been promised their safety and nourishment by the invading Nazis. It is not until Lale arrives at Auschwitz  amid the cold and harsh days of the impending Second World War that he realizes his mistake; that the world is cold and cruel, and will take everything from you in the blink of an eye.  In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.  Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he us...

This week's Admin's Pick is Call Down The Hawk  by Maggie Stiefvater , a story that takes place in the quiet town of Henrietta, Virginia; a town lost amidst the mountainous landscapes that surround it. Once known for the physics who reside at 300 Fox Way that could tell the future and predict the supernatural, the town has once again fallen into a dream, forgotten like the dead they once worked to protect. The dreamers walk among us . . . and so do the dreamed. Those who dream cannot stop dreaming - they can only try to control it. Those who are dreamed cannot have their own lives - they will sleep forever if their dreamers die. And then there are those who are drawn to the dreamers. To use them. To trap them. To kill them before their dreams destroy us all. Ronan Lynch is a dreamer. He can pull both curiosities and catastrophes out of his dreams and into his compromised reality. Jordan Hennessy is a thief. The closer she comes to the dream object she is after, the mor...

This week's Admin's Pick is Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi , a story that takes place in the heart of Or ï sha, a land that was once blessed by the gods with magic and the power of the Maji. Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy. The children of the gods ...

This week's Admin's Pick is Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo , a story of six rebels drawn together to take on the heist of a lifetime and gain freedom from their respective captors; that is if they can survive the frost and blight that awaits them in Fjerda's Ice Court. Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right  price―and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone. . . .  A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.   A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.  Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction―if the...