Monday, November 16, 2015

Patron Book Reviews by Kristi

Kristi's Reviews:

Well written and beautiful story about Alaskan homesteaders and their dreams of becoming parents. I would have liked it more if the “fantasy” aspect [had] been omitted.

Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
In only 116 pages the author reveals the tormented soul of a lonely but hard working man in the American Northwest in [the] early 1900s.

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
Strout is a[t] great character development. Good read but “Olive Kitteridge” and “Amy and Isabelle” were better than this one.


An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
Too long. Too wordy.



We're posting book reviews by local readers! Feel free to comment your thoughts on these books as well.

  • Click on the title or book cover to see a synopsis and to see what formats we have.
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Note: All published book reviews are posted just as they were submitted to the library. They were not edited for content and are not the views of the Lillie M. Evans Library District. Positive or negative reviews and comments are fine so long they are kept civil and constructive. All comments are reviewed before being displayed publicly. We reserve the right to edit comments for privacy reasons or inappropriate content.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Patron Book Reviews by Jennifer

Jennifer's Reviews:

This epic novel is really interesting and a good read. It’s also a pretty fast read, especially given its size.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as some of Jodi Picoult’s other books. It seemed to drag on and had an odd, supernatural subplot.

Feet Don’t Fail Me Now by Ben Kaplan
An informal marathon training book with anecdotes from the author’s life interspersed. Includes recommended running playlists. Often uses kilometers instead of miles.

Marathon Training for Dummies by Steve Berry
Straight-forward advice on training for a marathon. Covers fundamentals and is a good starting point for research.

Under the Wide Starry Sky by Nancy Horan
Well written with interesting characters if you enjoyed “Loving Frank,” you will enjoy it.


The Chase by Janet Evanovich
The novel of suspense and romance is pretty rote. However it’s enjoyable despite that fact. I didn’t enjoy it as much as Evanovich’s Plum Series.



We're posting book reviews by local readers! Feel free to comment your thoughts on these books as well.

  • Click on the title or book cover to see a synopsis and to see what formats we have.
  • Click the author to see additional titles by this author and view book series in order.


Note: All published book reviews are posted just as they were submitted to the library. They were not edited for content and are not the views of the Lillie M. Evans Library District. Positive or negative reviews and comments are fine so long they are kept civil and constructive. All comments are reviewed before being displayed publicly. We reserve the right to edit comments for privacy reasons or inappropriate content.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

GED alternatives in January 2016

HiSet and TASC: Alternatives to the GED
hand holding a pencil to take exam
Source: albertogp123, Flickr

Joining many other states, Illinois will offer adults alternative choices to the GED to earn their high school equivalency certificate in 2016.
These alternative exams are the HiSet (High School Equivalency Exam) and the TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion). The announcement comes in response to the huge amount of adults who did not take or did not pass the GED in 2014 after the American Council of Education made major changes to the exam, increasing the cost to $120 and administering the test entirely on the computer.
According to the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), the HiSet and the TASC exams should be less expensive to take than the GED and will be available in paper and computer-based formats.  Here's a table showing exam options from the ICCB.
Free practice tests for the GED, HiSet and TASC exams are available through the online resource Brainfuse.  Illinois Constitution study materials and practice review tests can be found online at Constitution Study Guide. 

Monday, November 2, 2015

Patron Book Reviews by Pam

We're posting book reviews by local readers! Feel free to comment your thoughts on these books as well.
  • Click on the title or book cover to see a synopsis and to see what formats we have.
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Pam's Reviews:


    



Note: All published book reviews are posted just as they were submitted to the library. They were not edited for content and are not the views of the Lillie M. Evans Library District. Positive or negative reviews and comments are fine so long they are kept civil and constructive. All comments are reviewed before being displayed publicly. We reserve the right to edit comments for privacy reasons or inappropriate content.