It’s time for school!

All across the country, kids are starting school -- either for the new school year or for the first time. Some schools are already in session, while others start in the next few weeks. Of course, this got me thinking about books related to the start of school. As usual, my thoughts first jump to …

Class is in session!

Welcome back nerds and adventurers! To the third installment of “How in the world does one play Dungeons and Dragons?” At this point we’ve talked about what the game is, and hopefully have helped you on your way to making your very own Playable Character, by choosing the race you want your character to be. …

Winter Wonderlands!

All my life I've had a fascination with winter. Maybe it's because I grew up in coastal Southern California, so winter for us was a novelty, an annual drive up into the mountains to experience sledding, snowmen, and other winter fun. But we always went on a clear day (so as not to get stuck …

Creating your Character

Hello everyone! Julia from JCPL here and this go around in Dungeons and Dragons world we will discuss the first step in beginning any successful DnD campaign- creating your character. As with most things in DnD, you have near unlimited control over who your character is and who she/he will become. Which also means that …

D&D at your local library

Hi everyone! Julia from Jackson County Public Library here with my first blog for Shelf Life of the Mountains. For this first post I had originally thought to write about ghost writing, comparing and contrasting it to best selling writers that use co-authors, such as James Patterson.  I quickly realized that the content was well… …

Calling all Nerds! – Healthy Escapism 101

I am a proud, card-carrying nerd.  While I am not a stereotype, I enjoy and appreciate all things geek (I do, after all, work in a library).  Over the years, my inner geek has taken a back seat to jobs, school, moves, and financial constraints, however, the geek is and will always be around, waiting …

Number 18 in ‘18

This blog is my eighteenth.  It’s also my last one for Shelf Life in the Mountains. (Long story short: moving out of state) I did my first one almost exactly 2 years ago, so I’ve done about nine a year since then. Rather than tout some favorite books or videos or music, as I’m wont …

Rollicking Reads of 2017

While it might be a bit late for a “last year recap” (it is already spring by the calendar, even if the snow last week belied that), I thought I might as well do one for those folks hoping to get some recommendations for good reading.  I did find some “gems” out of the 94 …

The Season of Mystery and Miracle

In a previous post (“Cindy Lou’s Lesson and the Miracle of ZuZu’s Petals,” December 11, 2014), I selected a quintet of holiday films to nurture your cheer while the seasonal stresses torment your spirit like an itchy Christmas sweater.  Indeed, those durable classics can be summoned up throughout the year, anytime you need a reminder …

Kanopy

To celebrate the newly kindled partnership between Fontana Regional Library and the video streaming service Kanopy, let’s explore a few of the classics that we now have access to. But first, what is Kanopy? Kanopy started as a DVD rental company in Australia in 2008 that distributed to national school libraries. As technology advanced and …