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Cindy McConnell is retiring after 30 three years in the Wake County Public Library system – 18 of those years were spent here at the Fuquay-Varina Community Library. We’ve selected a few of the books that were popular during Cindy’s long and illustrious career.

Adult Fiction

1980s

• “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker (1982)

Celie is a poor, black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused by her father and continuing over the course of her marriage to “Mister,” a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually awakens to her creative and loving self with the example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug.

• “The Bonfire of the Vanities” by Tom Wolfe (1987)

This modern American satire tells the story of Sherman McCoy, a Wall Street “Master of the Universe” who has it all — a Park Avenue apartment, a job that brings wealth, power and prestige, a beautiful wife, an even more beautiful mistress. Suddenly, one wrong turn makes it all go wrong, and Sherman spirals downward in a sudden fall from grace.

1990s

• “Jurassic Park” by Michael Crichton (1990)

An American bioengineering research firm erects a theme park on a Caribbean island, complete with living dinosaurs, and invites a group of scientists to be its first terrified guests.

• “Bridget Jones’s Diary” by Helen Fielding (1996)

This is the account of a year in the life of a 30-something Singleton on a permanent doomed quest for self-improvement. Caught between the joys of Singleton fun, and the fear of dying alone and being found three weeks later half eaten by an Alsatian; tortured by Smug Married friends asking, “How’s your love life?”, Bridget resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich and form a functional relationship with a responsible adult.

2000s

• “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel (2004)

Possessing encyclopedia-like intelligence, unusual zookeeper’s son Pi Patel sets sail for America, but when the ship sinks, he escapes on a life boat and is lost at sea with a dwindling number of animals until only he and a hungry Bengal tiger remain.

• “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett (2009)

In Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, there are lines that are not crossed. With the civil rights movement exploding all around them, three women start a movement of their own, forever changing a town and the way women - black and white, mothers and daughters - view one another.

2010s

• “A Dog’s Purpose” by W. Bruce Cameron (2010)

This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog’s search for his purpose over the course of several lives. During countless adventures with his 8-year-old owner, Ethan, Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog. But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders - will he ever find his purpose? This is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog’s many lives, but also a dog’s-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man’s best friend.

• “11/22/63” by Stephen King (2011)

Reading a student’s essay is a watershed moment for Jake Epping, GED instructor. In 1963, his life, like America’s, seemed to turn on a dime. Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession: to prevent the Kennedy assassination. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine, to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in love, every turn is leading eventually, of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas, where history might not be history anymore.

NOW HEAR THIS! ADULT AUDIO BOOKS

Here are a few audio books that reflect the popular trends of the last 30 years.

• 1980s - “Gorky Park” by Martin Cruz Smith (1981)
• 1990s - “The Horse Whisperer” by Nicholas Evans (1996)
• 2000s - “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Housseni (2004)
• 2010s - “Zero Day” by David Baldacci ( 2011)

YOUTH PROGRAMS – Toddlers, Preschool, and School Age

When you visit the library this month, pick up a special “Scrapbook” page for “Sunny’s Scrapbook.” You can write a special poem or draw a picture for Sunny on your page and turn it in by March 14. We will read your messages to Sunny on his last day at the library, March 28 at 4:30 p.m.

STORYTIME

Baby Storytime

• 20-minute lap time program for moms and babies

• Wednesdays at 10 a.m. throughout March

Toddler Storytime

• For Toddlers ages 1-3

• Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. throughout March

Preschool Storytime

• For Preschoolers ages 3-5

• Wednesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. throughout March

Family Storytime

• For Preschoolers ages 3-5

• Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. throughout March

K – 5^th ADVENTURES

Create Kites

• Read kite stories and make a simple kite.

• If the weather is nice, we will fly them outside!

• March 7 at 4:30 p.m.

Explore Ireland

• Learn facts about Ireland and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a wee bit early!

• March 14 at 4:30 p.m.

Discover Space

• Learn facts and read a story about space.

• Make a simple space ship craft.

• March 21 at 4:30 p.m.

Read Sunny’s Favorite Stories

• Celebrate Sunny’s retirement from the Fuquay-Varina Community Library.

• March 28 at 4:30 p.m.

YOUTH MAIN DISPLAY

It’s almost springtime, so it’s time for things to grow in the garden. You can grow, too, ”Grow with a Book.”

Easy Books (E)

• “Growing Vegetable Soup” by Lois Ehlert

A father and child grow vegetables and then make them into a soup.

• “A Tree is Nice” by Janice May Udry

The Caldecott award-winning book that speaks simply and elegantly of the many pleasures a tree provides.

• “Seeds, Seeds, Seeds” by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Buddy finds a surprise in each bag, and with each surprise he discovers something wonderful about seeds. Whether he sorts, collects, eats or creates with seeds, Buddy has tons of fun.