April, 2023

How delighted we are to welcome the month of April… The warming days of spring, longer sunshine in the afternoons, our lawns and gardens waiting for attention. The ladies at Byron G Merrill Library are ready and able to help you make the most of this month. Our Seed Catalog is up and going, Earth Day is just around the corner, Family Fun Days continue, and did I say books? We have many new reads waiting for you.

We have converted our card catalog into a “Seed Catalog”. We have been collecting hundreds of packages of seeds to help you get your garden started. Just stop by and make your selection… it is all free! And in a few months, you will be harvesting the best fruits and vegetables ever!

April 22^nd promises to be a very special day when we again celebrate Earth Day. What is Earth Day? It is a day when people around the world hold events to honor our home planet… and to remind everyone about the importance of our ecosystem. This year, at the library, we plan to celebrate this day all thirty days of April and we hope you will join us. We will make everyday Earth Day.

Founded in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a former US senator from Wisconsin, Earth Day has grown into a global event. In 1970, 20 million Americans demonstrated in streets, parks and auditoriums for a healthier, cleaner environment. This year, hundreds of millions of people in more than 180 countries are expected to participate in Earth Day activities around the world.

You don’t have to look far to find a host of Earth Day activities and projects. Check the newspaper and your phone, look for posters, and, of course, stop by the Byron G Merrill Public Library in Rumney and check out our website at rumneylibrary.org . We are busily putting together displays and planning activities for our patrons of all ages. And, we welcome your ideas to make our environment healthier as well.

Our Monday morning family time downstairs in Merrill Hall will continue this month each Monday morning from 10 until noon. Jane will be reading a story, introducing a fun craft, and leading the gang in yoga. There will also be time for play inside and out as the temperatures warm up and the mud disappears. We hope that you will join us.

And here are a few of our new fiction books by your favorite authors that are ready for you… Check the post below for the complete April list!

Benedict, Marie – The Personal Librarian – Here we have the remarkable story of J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian who was forced to hide her identity and pass for white. Famous for her intellect, style, and wit, Bella da Costa Greene, was one of the most powerful people in the art and book world…. A good read!

Box, C. J. – Storm Watch – Yes, a brand-new Joe Pickett mystery… Wyoming Game Warden, Joe Pickett, investigates a mysterious death at a secret remote high-tech facility.

Child, Lee – No Plan B – Jack Reacher returns and for Jack, there is never a plan B! A woman dies under the wheels of a moving bus… a Suicide? Or something much bigger???

Doiron, Paul – The Poacher’s Son – This is the very first novel in the series featuring Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch. So many of you have been enjoying these books that we decided to acquire the rest of the series one book at a time… #2 is on order!

Grisham, John – The Boys from Biloxi – Rich with history and with a large cast of unforgettable characters, this novel is a sweeping saga of two sons from immigrant families who grow up as friends, but ultimately find themselves on opposite sides of the law.

We Wish You a Wonderful April!

                                 Susan and the Library Ladies

Byron G Merrill Library is located at 10 Buffalo Road in Rumney Village.
We are open Mondays 10 – 1, Wednesdays 1 – 5, and Saturdays 10 – 1
Find us at rumneylibrary.org

2023 April New Books

April, 2023 (Updated 3/29/2023)

Fiction Selections

Benedict, Marie – The Personal Librarian – Here we have the remarkable story of J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian who was forced to hide her identity and pass for white. Famous for her intellect, style, and wit, Bella da Costa Greene, was one of the most powerful people in the art and book world…. A good read!

Box, C. J. – Storm Watch – Yes, a brand-new Joe Pickett mystery… Wyoming Game Warden, Joe Pickett, investigates a mysterious death at a secret remote high-tech facility.

Child, Lee – No Plan B – Jack Reacher returns and for Jack, there is never a plan B! A woman dies under the wheels of a moving bus… a Suicide? Or something much bigger???

Doiron, Paul – The Poacher’s Son – This is the very first novel in the series featuring Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch. So many of you have been enjoying these books that we decided to acquire the rest of the series one book at a time… #2 Trespasser has arrived!

Grisham, John – The Boys from Biloxi – Rich with history and with a large cast of unforgettable characters, this novel is a sweeping saga of two sons from immigrant families who grow up as friends, but ultimately find themselves on opposite sides of the law.

McKinty, Adrian - I Hear the Sirens in the Street and In the Morning I Will Be Gone - Detective Sean Duffy is back in TWO more adventures

Read, Shelley - Go As a River (a First Novel) - Suggested for readers who liked Where the Cawdads Sing, The Four Winds, and Great Circle, this novel, set in the beauty and wilderness of the Colorado mountains, was inspired by true events and is a wonderful story of resiliance.

Steel, Danielle - Without a Trace - ...an irrestible story of the risks two people are willing to take in exchange for a chance at the life they've always wanted.

Categorized Books (Nonfiction!)

Carroll, David M – Swampwalker’s Journal, A Wetlands Year – This New Hampshire author, from the Sunapee area, shares his knowledge and passion with us, taking us on a miraculous year-long journey, illustrated with his own drawings, through the wetlands, and revealing why they are so important to all life on Earth. (Nature-Ecology)

Kurlansky, Mark – Salt, a World History – Mr Kurlansky has given us a kaleidoscope of history that blends economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale.  (Food)

Meacham, Jon – Thomas Jefferson, The Art of Power – Thomas Jefferson… the man, the politician, and the president (Lives)

Obama, Michelle – The Light We Carry – In this follow-up to her memoir, Becoming, Michele Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s uncertain world, “When we are able to recognize our own light, we become empowered to use it.” (Body & Soul Resilience)

Thayer, Samuel – The Forager’s Harvest – A guide to identifying, harvesting, and preparing edible wild plants  (Food)

Young Adult Selections

Maguire, Gregory – Out of Oz – Remember reading Wicked? We have just added the fourth and final volume in the Wicked Years. Inspired by the classic children’s novel, The Wizard of Oz, this series has been most popular. At last we will know the fate of Oz!

Roberts, Nora – The Choice - #3 in the Dragon Heart Legacy series. The conclusion of this epic series is set in Talamh, a land of green hills, high mountains, deep forests, and seas, where magicks thrive. Portals allow for passage in and out – and ultimately, each much choose their place, and choose between good and evel, war and peace, life and death.

That's it for today... New books will be added throughout April!
 Be sure to check back!

 

March has arrived along with a lot of good reads…
 Here are some of the new titles that have come our way!
Updated March 9^th with six more books for your reading pleasure!

Fiction…

Dark, Alice Elliott – Fellowship Point - …tells the story of 80 year-old Agnes, a successful but currently blocked writer of children’s books and her friend since early childhood, Polly. The two women need to protect their family homes on a Maine peninsula from developers. Filled with Dark’s powerful, old-fashioned storytelling, the novel considers themes of enduring friendship (its joys and trials), family complexities and land conservation…all timely subjects.

Fellows, Jessica – The Mitford Vanishing – Fans of Ms Fellowes Mitford Murders series will be happy that #5 has just arrived. Inspired by a real life murder, you won’t be able to put it down!

Larson, Kirby – Hattie Ever After -  Many of you remember Hattie Big Sky, the story of a young girl who leaves home to tend a farm left to her by her uncle. And now the story continues as Hattie moves on to new adventures. (YA F)

McKinnty, Adrian… The Cold, Cold Ground – Volume One in a new mystery series featuring Sean Duffy that takes place in Northern Ireland in the spring of 1981. Sean, a young, witty, Catholic detective in the almost entirely Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, is trying to track down a serial killer. Let us know what you think!! Shall we add another?

Richardson, Kim Michele… The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and the sequel, The Book Woman’s Daughter – The first is about Cussy Mary Lovett and the packhorse librarians in Appalachia in the 1930s. The second is about her daughter, Honey. Historically accurate, heartwarming, and filled with strong women, these are novels that horse and book lovers will adore.

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de – The Little Prince – We have a brand new copy of this universally cherished by children and adults alike read. And thus begins this wise and enchanting fable teaching what is really important in life. (Classic)

 

Non-Fiction

Ackroyd, Peter – London, The Biography – For those of us who love London, this is a must read. Pretty much everything of interest about this capital city is here… a labor of love. (Places-Europe-UK)

Borowitz, Andy – Profiles in Ignorance – Mr. Borowitz, “one of the funniest people in America” (CBS Sunday Morning), brilliantly examines the intellectual deterioration of American politics, from Ronald Reagan to Dan Quayle, from George W. Bush to Sarah Palin, to its apotheosis in Donald J. Trump. (Topics – Social Issues)

Bowman, Katy – Dynamic Aging, Simple Exercises for Whole-Body Mobility) – It’s never too late to start moving better. This book, geared to the 50+ audience includes exercises and postural adjustments that require no special equipment that will help you move and feel better. (Body and Soul – Health and Fitness)

Hanh, Thich Nhat – Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet – Hanh reminds us that the one thing we can change is our mind. Our way of looking, seeing, and thinking determines every choice we make, the everyday actions we take or avoid, how we relate to those who love or oppose, and how we react in a crisis. He shows us a new way of seeing and living that can bring healing and harmony to ourselves, our relationships, and the Earth. (Nature-Ecology)

Harari, Yuval Noah – 21 Lessons for the 21st Century – Combining historical, scientific, political, and philosophical perspectives, Harari explores what he sees as our biggest challenges and gives us a lot to think about. (Topics – Politics)

Herriot, James – James Herriot’s Dog Stories – Fifty tales that will warm the hearts of dog lovers… meanwhile I am loving “All Creatures Great and Small” on PBS!

Hunt, John Gabriel (Editor) – The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt – Franklin Roosevelt served as President of the US for 12 years, longer than any other man in our nation’s history. During that time, he consistently shared his abundant hope and optimism with the American people. Here we have an assemblage of many of his great speeches as well as his “fireside chats”. (Lives)

Isaacson, Walter – Leonardo da Vinci – Drawing on thousands of pages from Leonardo’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. (Lives)

Kurlansky, Mark – Cod, A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World – Wars have been fought over it, revolutions have been spurred by it, national diets have been based on it, economies and livelihoods have depended on it, and the settlement of North America was driven by it. (Food)

Letts, Elizabeth… The Ride of Her Life – When it comes to the salt-of-the-earth, they don’t get much saltier than Maine Farmer Annie Wilkins. Wilkins was told, at the age of sixty-three in 1954, that she likely had only two years to live. Ever the optimist, Wilkins took this information in stride. She sold everything she owned (except her dog), put on several layers of warm clothing, bought a horse, and rode west to fulfill a lifelong dream to see the Pacific Ocean. This true story is a nostalgic trot through a changing American landscape that’s sure to bolster your faith in humanity. (Places-USA)

Murphy, Jim – An American Plague…the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 – Thoroughly researched, this book offers a glimpse into the conditions in American cities at the time of our nation’s birth, while drawing thought-provoking parallels to modern-day epidemics. (Times-Revolutionary Era)

Orenstein, Peggy – Unraveling, What I Learned About Life While Shearing sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater – With her wry voice, sharp intelligence, and exuberant honesty, Ms. Orenstein shares her year-long journey as daughter, wife, mother, writer, and maker – and teaches us all something about creativity and connection. (Body and Soul - Resilience)

Shetty, Jay – 8 Rules of Love, How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go – In this book, Jay Shetty combines ancient wisdom and modern science to show how we can find – in ourselves and others – the love we all deserve. (Body and Soul – Relationships)

3/2/2023

 

March has arrived along with a lot of good reads…

Here are some of the new titles that have come our way!
 

Fiction…

McKinnty, Adrian… The Cold, Cold Ground – Volume One in a new mystery series featuring Sean Duffy that takes place in Northern Ireland in the spring of 1981. Sean, a young, witty, Catholic detective in the almost entirely Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, is trying to track down a serial killer. Let us know what you think!! Shall we add another?

Richardson, Kim Michele… The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and the sequel, The Book Woman’s Daughter – The first is about Cussy Mary Lovett and the packhorse librarians in Appalachia in the 1930s. The second is about her daughter, Honey. Historically accurate, heartwarming, and filled with strong women, these are novels that horse and book lovers will adore.

Serle, Rebecca – In Five Years, A Novel – Ms Serle, author of The Dinner List and One Italian Summer has written an unforgettable love story, but it’s not the one you are expecting!

Non-Fiction

Borowitz, Andy – Profiles in Ignorance – Mr. Borowitz, “one of the funniest people in America” (CBS Sunday Morning), brilliantly examines the intellectual deterioration of American politics, from Ronald Reagan to Dan Quayle, from George W. Bush to Sarah Palin, to its apotheosis in Donald J. Trump. (Topics – Social Issues)

Bowman, Katy – Dynamic Aging, Simple Exercises for Whole-Body Mobility – It’s never too late to start moving better. This book, geared to the 50+ audience includes exercises and postural adjustments that require no special equipment that will help you move and feel better. (Body and Soul – Health and Fitness)

Isaacson, Walter – Leonardo da Vinci – Drawing on thousands of pages from Leonardo’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. 

Letts, Elizabeth… The Ride of Her Life – When it comes to the salt-of-the-earth, they don’t get much saltier than Maine Farmer Annie Wilkins. Wilkins was told, at the age of sixty-three in 1954, that she likely had only two years to live. Ever the optimist, Wilkins took this information in stride. She sold everything she owned (except her dog), put on several layers of warm clothing, bought a horse, and rode west to fulfill a lifelong dream to see the Pacific Ocean. This true story is a nostalgic trot through a changing American landscape that’s sure to bolster your faith in humanity. (Places-USA)

Orenstein, Peggy – Unraveling, What I Learned About Life While Shearing sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater – With her wry voice, sharp intelligence, and exuberant honesty, Ms. Orenstein shares her year-long journey as daughter, wife, mother, writer, and maker – and teaches us all something about creativity and connection. (Body and Soul - Resiliance)

Shetty, Jay – 8 Rules of Love, How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go – In this book, Jay Shetty combines ancient wisdom and modern science to show how we can find – in ourselves and others – the love we all deserve. (Body and Soul – Relationships)

That is all for now, will add more titles next week so check back!

Rumney Seed Library

 Coming soon to the Byron G Merrill Library

The Rumney Seed Library

 Promoting Community, Good Food and Health Seed by Seed

To kick off the Rumney Seed Library we are having a

Seed Swap on Saturday March 4^th 10:30-12:00

 

What is a seed library and how does it work?

Just like you would check out a book from the library, you can “check out” seeds from our seed library. Our seed library will have packets of seeds available to our patrons to take home and grow. These seeds are free! Hopefully, after a successful growing season, gardeners will be able to save seeds from their plants and “return” them to the library for other gardeners to use next year. Over time, this will create a sustainable collection of seeds that are adapted to our Rumney environment.

We have received some generous donations from a couple gardening companies and seed saving organizations and are taking seed packet donations from you anytime. These seeds can be commercially bought and packaged but we are aiming for primarily heirloom seeds. We hope to create a fun and varied mix of vegetables, herbs, and flowers for gardeners to try out.

If you'd like to donate leftover seeds from 2020 or later to help build our library, please drop them off at the Circulation Desk or join us for the seed swap Sat. March 4^th.

To participate:

• Browse the files of seeds in the old card catalog in the lower lobby by the back door.
• “Check out” your seed packets at the front desk.
• Bring your seeds home to plant!
• Share pictures of your garden by emailing them to jkelso@rumneylibrary.org
• If you are able, consider trying to save seeds from your garden at the end of the growing season and "return" them to the library in the fall. We will have a seed saving guide available to take home. Returning seeds is not required to participate, but we hope you will help keep our seed library varied and growing.

 

Don’t forget to join us for the

Seed Swap on Saturday March 4^th 10:30-12:00

 We are grateful to High Mowing Organic Seeds, Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Plymouth Agway for donated seeds.

 Seeds grow so much more that plants!

For more information email jkelso@rumneylibrary.org

and visit our web page rumneylbrary.org

Byron G Merrill Library   10 Bufffalo Rd.   Rumney NH 03266

 

A Big Welcome to 2023 and a Big Happy New Year to our Wonderful Patrons! Our January Theme is “Let It Snow!” but, only in our yards, not our driveways! We have several fun things lined up to help this cold and often too long month fly by. Our Christmas decorations will be replaced by snowflakes, snowballs, happy thoughts, and new book suggestions. Might you have a snowman or decoration you might like to share to add to our winter look?

What’s Happening in January???

Our regular hours will continue… Mondays 10 – 1, Wednesdays 1 – 5, and Saturdays 10 – 1 with extra hours added in now and then… Just look for the flag!

Family Fun Time – Mondays from 10 until noon… We invite parents and caretakers to bring their children as we make time for play, activities, and socializing with time spent inside and outside. Come meet with the other parents and help with the planning.

All Creatures Great and Small, Season 3 starts Sunday, January 8^th on PBS… We’re including this in our newsletter because we have so many patrons who have enjoyed this series of books by James Herriot. Our days are short, and the temperatures keep plummeting, but we will all be immersed in Darrowby’s rich springtime hues and the warmth of Skeldale House. I, for one, can’t wait!

Parent Education Classes – starting Monday, January 9^th 6 – 8 at Whole Village… Kristine Perry, Administrative Coordinator, has announced a new series of classes, “Developing Personal Power and Keeping Kids Safe”. A free dinner at 5:30 and free childcare is offered. For additional information contact Kristine at 603-536-3720

Selecting Healthcare Insurance – Wednesday, January 11^th from 1:30 until 3:30… Lisa Shute will be here at the library to assist individuals and families with questions and help enrolling through Marketplace, Medicare, and NH Easy Medicare programs. No appointment is necessary.

Martin Luther King Jr Day – Monday, January 16^th, 2023. We will honor Dr. King and be open our regular hours.

National Lego Day – Saturday, January 28^th from 10 until 1… Actually, we will be challenging all of our patrons to make something for our Lego Display either at the library or at home. You can bring in “at home” projects or send a photo. We can no longer imagine a world without legos!!!

“Take Your Child to the Library” – Saturday, February 4^th from 10 until 1… an international celebration that encourages families to take their children to the library. We invite you to stop by and register for a library card regardless of your age! We’ll have balloons, treats, and lots of books for you to check out and take home. You will be also to sign up for Libby Downloadable books… with Libby, our library becomes 24/7 at your service!

A Few New Reads…

Backman, Fredrik – The Winners (2022) This book is #3 in the “Beartown” series following #1 Beartown and #2 Us Against You. The Winners captures all the complexities of daily life and explores questions of friendship, loyalty, loss, and identity and asks us to reconsider what it means to win, what it means to lose, and what it means to forgive…. sounds rather timely to me!

Grisham, John – Sparring Partners (2022) … a collection of three novellas, all of them suspenseful, funny, powerful, and moving and all will be enjoyed.

Shipman, Viola – A Wish for Winter (2022) – Viola’s fans will be delighted with this latest offering… and… it is all about a bookstore! The owner, Susan, and her friends are searching for a mysterious Santa… Will she find him??? The story reminded me of how books connect so many of us here in Rumney.

Tonelli, Guido – Genesis, The Story of How Everything Began (2019) Evoking the seven days of biblical creation, Tonelli, an award-winning physicist, takes us a brisk, lively tour through the evolution of our cosmos. Jim found this read a challenge but also gave it a thumbs up!

Well, it is time to sign off and get busy putting up snowflakes… 

2023, We will be ready! 

See you at the library!   

Susan and the Library Ladies

 

 

 

Greetings from a very busy Rumney Village

 as we prepare for three special holiday events taking place this week. 

Hope you can all come along…

Thursday, December 15^th at 7 at Byron G Merrill Library… a very special evening with our friend and neighbor, John Allen, who will entertain us with his delightful reading of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. This work is an anecdotal reminiscence of Christmas from the viewpoint of a young boy, portraying a nostalgic and simpler time. We will follow with cookies and punch and a chance to visit.

Sunday, December 18^th from 2 until 4 at Byron G Merrill Library… the Rumney Historical Society (due to no heat at the museum) will be hosting this year’s Holiday Gathering for the Rumney community at the library. You are invited to stop by, view our festively decorated library, enjoy some Christmas goodies, visit with friends and neighbors, and enjoy the happiness of the season. Paul Ronci will be here to entertain us with holiday tunes and perhaps lead a sing-a-long!

Sunday, December 18^th at 6:30 at the Rumney Baptist Church… A “Flash Mob” Christmas production - What do a group of shoppers, an 1800’s family, and mall cops have in common? Come find out at this original production featuring local actors and artists - a fun evening for the whole family!

Happy Week Before Christmas from Susan and the Library Ladies…