Adult fiction authors are copying a page from their young adult counterparts by publishing "e-shorts," usually 150 pages or less. Only available in digital format, e-shorts are short stories that enhance and expand on an original work or series. E-shorts can be based on events that happened before or after the original storyline or may be about auxiliary events that are casually mentioned within the story. Written either from the perspective of the main character or from the perspective other characters in the story, these nuggets are a supplementary way to revisit stories and characters you love and want to know more about.

Check out the e-shorts that have recently been added to our OverDrive and Axis 360 eCollections:

• Shine by Jodi Picoult (companion to Small Great Things)
• Witness to A Trial by John Grisham (Prequel to The Whistler)
• The Shell Game: A Fox and O'Hare Story by Janet Evanovich
• Small Wars: A Jack Reacher Story by Lee Child
• The Deliveryman: A Lincoln Rhyme Short Story by Jeffrey Deaver

Taking it a step further, James Patterson has penned a new series of e-shorts called "BookShots" because, as he advertises, "Life moves fast - books should too."  Hunted, French Kiss, Killer Chef, Private: The Royals & Come and Get Us are just a few of Patterson's e-short titles available to ACLS patrons in our OverDrive eCollection.

With only 150 page or less, you might finish your e-short in hours -- remember to return your checkouts early so others can enjoy a quick e-read too.

Spanish Language eBooks and eAudiobooks are now available in the Atlantic County Library System's OverDrive eCollection.   The added titles cover a range of topics and popular titles for all audiences and are a start at providing digital material for Atlantic County's growing Hispanic community.

In the South Jersey Audiobook and eBook Download Center, users can easily find Spanish titles by choosing "En Español" under Featured Collections. There is also now the option to change the website's interface to Spanish.

Haga clic aquí para instrucciones imprimibles y feliz descarga!

This October's Big Reads' selection is
This Is Where It Ends
which will be available as a free eBook to borrow for all ACLS patrons.

The Big Library Read program is a worldwide digital Book club that connects millions of readers across the globe with the same eBook at the same time. From October 13 - October 27, 2016, Atlantic County Library System patrons will be able to borrow the eBook, This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp (Sourcebooks), from our OverDrive eCollection and participate in a worldwide version of a local book club. There will be no waitlists for this popular, powerful and emotional read.

This Is Where It Ends is a compelling story of an unfortunately all-too familiar situation: a school shooting. It follows four teens who face what is every student’s worst nightmare: a boy with a gun. Told from the student’s perspective, this powerful fictional account is important in its timeliness. At its core, Marieke Nijkamp’s debut young adult novel is a must read, gripping tale from start to finish.

 

“Told over 54 minutes, This Is Where It Ends is a story of family and vengeance, love and loss,” said author, Marieke Nijkamp. “But to me, above all it’s a story about how even when a world seems to have stopped turning, when everything has fallen apart, the darkness is never absolute. There is always hope. I hope readers will find hope in This Is Where It Ends too”

To get started reading, all that is needed is a Atlantic County Library System card and PIN.  As an eBook, This Is Where It Ends can be read on all major computers and devices, including iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phones and tablets, Chromebook™ and Kindle®. The eBook will be available with no wait lists and will automatically expire at the end of the 2 week lending period.

For more information and to join the discussion on the Big Library Read, visit BigLibraryRead.com.