Belmont Literary & Historical Society Free Library

Video Game Review

Hollow Knight is a story of few words and large settings. You enter as an unnamed character, a small knight, to the town of Dirtmouth. From there, you go down the well and start to uncover the mysteries of the lost kingdom of Hollownest, where life is stirring in the ancient ruins. What truth will you uncover as you delve deeper and deeper into this strange world?

The game of Hollow Knight is a world of anthropomorphized insects, each with their unique abilities, personalities, and design based on real life insects. Stunning backgrounds combined with beautiful ambient music makes for an enchanting experience. Game rated E10+ for everyone ten and up. You can find the game online on STEAM for $14.99 (a downloadable platform that allows you access to thousands of games.).

Library Director’s Note:

Video games can have stories that are just as in depth and meaningful as books and movies do. Hollow Knight is one that I found to be very moving and inspiring. The story is told, not in direct words or a complex script with actors, but through discovery and exploration. Small details in the background structures, character design, weapons/artifacts, and the musical score itself, all hold clues as to what the story is. I hope this is of interest to you. Stories can be everywhere.

Curtis Decker, Director of the Belmont Library

Greetings fellow readers,

I’m Curtis Decker, the Belmont Library Directory, and I had and idea for how to use the website. I have read many books over my years and I thought it would be fun to offer suggestions and book reviews. Without further ado, here is the first.

“The Monsters of Morley Manor” By: Bruce Coville

Readers of Coville will undoubtable note his unique style of language and story telling. He creates an atmosphere of fantasy while maintaining a level of reality within his characters.

This story follows the journey of two siblings, Sarah and Anthony, as they find a secret in their sleepy little Nebraska town. Monsters! Hidden away in the Morley Manor, the two stumble upon the monsters in a house sale. From there, the monsters lead them on an adventure across time, alien worlds, the land of the dead, and more.

This story blends science and magic in fantastical ways and follows a tale of what family is all about. It is also a fitting read for this spooky season. Enjoy!

It is a time of songs around campfires and eerie fall weather. The darkness of winter is on its way, summer has passed, but in these few in between moments we see the landscape set ablaze with leaves and life. I find fall a time for reflection and contemplation and strange music. This song is by a Norwegian folk singer named Aurora Aksnes. She has a stunning style of music that reminds me of the atmosphere of fall. Here is one of her songs. Enjoy.

Have you ever been curious as to why a group of three man band is such a reoccurring theme in stories? Or maybe Arthurian Legends have you stumped with their archaic language. Ever wonder what a “Lancer” character is? Or have you found ancient mythologies impossible to untangle?

Then go check out “Overly Sarcastic Productions” on YouTube. Whether its tackling Dante’s “Inferno,” or understanding how the Aztec creation myth came to be, you can probably find the answers here. These are creative and fun videos that help explain what makes a good story, ancient myths, and more with lots of modern comparisons and easy to understand language. I would rate them at PG-13 just to be safe, but they make an excellent teaching tool.

Hope these are helpful to you.

Curtis Decker, Director of the Belmont Library