DPL Blog

These are the most popular movies, books and games at the Dover Public Library, based on how many times they were checked out in 2021. Which of these items did you check out in 2021? You can pick up a copy of this list in print at the front desk.

Top 10 Adult Fiction

1 The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

2 A Simple Murder by Linda Castillo

3 Win by Harlan Coben

4 The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

5 A Time for Mercy by John Grisham

6 Missing and Endangered by J. A. Jance

7 Eternal by Lisa Scottoline

8 The Breaker by Nick Petrie

9 Family Reunion by Nancy Thayer

10 Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman

Top 10 Adult Non-Fiction

1 Just Smile and Say Hello by Trang Moreland

2 Farmhouse Weekends by Melissa Bahen

3 Amish Friends Farmhouse Favorites by Wanda Brunstetter

4 Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

5 Spooky Ohio by Sandy Schlosser

6 A Promised Land by Barack Obama

7 The Mythology Book by DK Puy Henry Garett

8 This Book Will Make You Kinder by Henry Garett

9 A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

10 Boho Crochet by Martingale

Top 5 Movies

1 Senior Moment

2 Midnight Switchgrass

3 The Marksman

4 Land

5 Witness to Murder

Top 5 TV series

1 The Undoing

2 Yellowstone

3 Vera

4 NCIS

5 Miss Scarlet and the Duke

Top 10 Books for Young Adults

1 My Hero Academia by Koehi Horikoshitoka

2 Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama

3 Danganronpa by Takashi Tsukimi

4 Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

5 One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

6 A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima

7 Into the Pit by Scott Cawthorn

8 Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori

9 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

10 The Cousins by Karen McManus

Top 5 Video Games

1 Super Mario Odyssey

2 Spyro: Reignited Trilogy

3 Paper Mario the Origami King

4 Minecraft Dungeons

5 Luigi’s Mansion 3

Top 5 Board Games

1 Hungry Hungry Hippos

2 Hedbanz

3 Marvel: Guess Who?

4 5 Minute Dungeon

5 Azul

Top 10 Books for Children

1 Nom Nom Colors by Forest Everett

2 How to Dinosaurs Say I Love You by Jane Yolen

3 Peppa Pig Treasure Hunt by Candlewick Press

4 What if You Had Animal Teeth? By Sandra Markle

5 Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey

6 Peppa Goes Swimming by Candlewick Press

7 Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey

8 Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls by Dav Pilkey

9 Pig the Stinker by Aaron Blabey

10 Dance Party Countdown by Eric Litwin

Technology always amazes me.  I didn’t grow up with computers, cell phone apps, GPS, but I  have learned so much at the library.  Something  cool that I discovered is the library Libby app. You can listen to a book! Someone reads to you. This is just grand. When you’re cooking or doing  dishes you can be listening to a story.  It’s easy to use, and downloading is a breeze,  even for a non-techie like me. I even started listening in the car! 

Now, here’s a bit of cool technology that I found out through the library.  If you need to use your phone GPS, you have it ready to tell you the directions you need. Then, pull up your Libby app, click on your story and drive. When your  GPS needs to tell you where to turn, your story will pause, then the GPS speaks to you, and your story will then continue.  And the Libby app even backs the story up by two sentences so you don’t miss anything.  I was talking about this to my colleagues at the library, and found that this works with both Google maps and  Waze. If your  car has bluetooth installed, it’s set. If you need to download the Libby app, or learn how to use it, just stop in the library and we can help you.

By Denise

Your library card gives you access to 3 great online libraries that contain audiobooks and eBooks. Libby, Axis 360 and Hoopla. All you need to log in is your library card number and your PIN number. Call us if you have any questions.

Ho,Ho,Ho… We all know what this means, Santa is coming to town or more specifically the library.  The jolly old elf will be coming to the library on Saturday December 18 at 11am.  What a glorious time to be a child of any age and to believe in the goodness of Christmas.

The visit from the big guy never disappoints and I”m sure he won’t this year either.  Santa will read to the children a festive Christmas story.  All children wanting to get their picture with Santa are welcome to do so and they can even bring along their parents for the picture.  The library and Santa will have a special gift for each child.  It wouldn’t be Christmas and a Santa visit without some yummy treats also.  Tis the season to celebrate and be merry and what a better place to do those things than the library.

Merry Christmas from Miss Jen and the Children’s Department

There are so many wonderful Christmas movies to choose from. Here are some favorites from the Dover Public Library staff. What are your favorite Christmas movies?

It’s a Wonderful Life

Favorite of:  Jen G., Jim, Linda, and Lisa

A Christmas Story

Favorite of:  Ellen and Sherrel

White Christmas

Favorite of:  Liz and Wendy

The Grinch (original animation)

Favorite of:  Jen G. and Syrena

The Grinch (2018)

Favorite of:  Mallory

Prancer

Favorite of:  Christine

Home Alone

Favorite of:  Denise

The Holiday

Favorite of:  Jamie

The Polar Express

Favorite of:  Jan

Four Christmases

Favorite of:  Jen G.

A Garfield Christmas Special

Favorite of:  Jen M.

Elf

Favorite of:  Kim

The Gathering

Favorite of:  Paula

Today is Black Friday. Most people  are out shopping for deals, or putting up Christmas decorations.  For me, it’s a day of reading, comfort  clothing  and leftovers.  Oh, and pie for breakfast.  I have my Christmas  shopping done in the Summer and  early Fall, before  the weather gets  cold.  I do like to get in the Christmas  mood though, and I  found a wonderful way of doing that.  Read a Christmas book from the library!  Not one I have read before; a new-to-me book. We have lots to choose from.  The new book I picked this year is All American Christmas, by Rachel Campos-Duffy and Sean Duffy.  This book is full of Christmas memories of family, faith, giving and receiving.  Stories of past childhood, of  Christmases good and sad ( some stories will bring a few tears) , but they will get you in the Christmas spirit.  What’s  your  favorite  Christmas  story? Let me know when you see me at the library.

By Denise Campbell-Johnson

Skyward

By Brandon Sanderson

Skyward series Book #1

Skyward is a young adult science fiction novel by Brandon Sanderson. 

Skyward is about a young girl named Spensa who dreams of being a starfighter pilot to protect her underground city. She has a lot to prove because her family reputation was ruined when her father, who was the brave starfighter she dreamed of becoming, died as a coward. She discovers that everything about her family, her city and the alien enemy they fight is shrouded in lies and lost history.

I absolutely love Spensa. She is brave and determined. The story is suspenseful and full of mystery. There are some sad moments as friends are lost. The 3rd book in this series “Cytonic” just came out, so there is more to look forward to if the first book gets you hooked. 

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction and mystery, who wants to journey across space and visit alien civilizations, and uncover conspiracies.

The Durrells in Corfu is a tv series that ran for 4 seasons.

Based on naturalist Gerald Durrell’s much loved novels, The Durrells in Corfu sees impoverished but sparky widow Louisa Durrell  make the radical decision to leave 1930’s England to seek out a new destiny for her family. 

I absolutely loved this series, it is truly witty and entertaining without unnecessary violence. You fall in love with the characters and the scenery is beautiful. I was sad when the series was over. 

I would recommend this TV Series to anyone who enjoys the early 1900’s period and who likes “feel good” shows. 

~Recommended by Wendy Contini