This Week at the Library - January 30th - February 5th, 2022

 Wow! Wasn’t last weekend something weather-wise?! Take a look at the brave-hearted readers that ventured out to the library on Saturday!! 

Jim and I watched, for hours, wild, unstopping winds with snow moving in every direction. Half of our driveway ended up clear and the other part was packed solid…not easy shoveling as our snow blower continues to be on the fritz. And then came Sunday… beautiful blue sky, everything else perfectly white, frigid wind chills and it is still January. We are so looking forward to this coming week which brings the month of February… Groundhog Day, Valentines Day, Presidents Day and a slew of birthdays to celebrate.

Open Hours this Week – Monday 10-1, Wednesday 12-4 and Saturday 10-1

Monday, January 31  10 -12  Family Fun – Come join us for a few planned activities plus a lot of spontaneity for the younger set and their Moms and Dads. This takes place downstairs in Merrill Hall and we ask that you park behind the library. Everyone had a good time last week!

Wednesday and Saturday – Jane will be setting out materials for making Valentines. You are invited to stop by and make a Valentine or two for your special someone.

Thursday, February 3^rd 1-3 – The Obiters and Scrap Bookers will be meeting in Merrill Hall. This week we will be finishing up the “Genealogy” binders and working on 2021 events. You are invited.

New Display - We are in full gear to celebrate Valentine Month… Our Valentine Tree is decorated with loving quotes, our windows are filled with hearts, and all our red covered books are front and center. Do stop by to take it all in!

Winman, Sarah – Still Life (2021) has just been added to our collection and I am including a review written by Carin Pratt at the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, Vermont, that I thought you might enjoy. . .

The sometimes perilous holidays are behind us, but February looms, as only February can in New England. To get you through – it’s a short month, it pays to remember, I’ve got the book.

Still Life by Sarah Winman takes place in London and Florence and spans four decades, beginning in Italy during WWII. It is an incredibly charming, beautifully written, and somewhat meandering tale of a set of, well, eccentrics, who form a family of sorts.

Turns out that sometimes a cobbled-together family works better than an inherited one, though of course there are complications. Wouldn’t be a true family without complications. These include: unusual inheritances, complicated love lives, memorable characters; and a talking parrot – but don’t let that put you off. Or better yet if you like that sort of thing. Somehow it works. Winman holds one leg over the cliff of sentimentality, but never quite plunges.

Still Life is a story about love, the criticality of art to humans and society, war, family, and the floods in Florence. A novel to get lost in – one of the rare ones you read slower to prolong the finishing. It is, as the mother of a longtime patron to whom I recommended the book said “Delicious.”

The Norwich Bookstore, right around the corner from King Arthur, is well worth the drive and one always feels good supporting independent bookstores.

Something Looks different -When you visit the library this week you will notice some items in strange places. We are beginning to move everything from our attic to the main floor in preparation for the start of our “Button Up” project by Shakes and Shingles. This project, which is scheduled to begin on February 21^st, will involve removing and replacing the insulation in the attic and making us feel warmer!

With a visit to your favorite library where you will feel the Valentine love and go home ready to spread the fun of this holiday throughout your home. We are a jolly group!

Wishing you all a good week!  Susan and the Library Ladies

 

This Week at the Library - January 24 - 29, 2022

Frigid Greetings from Byron G Merrill Library! We have quite the time even recognizing our patrons as everyone is masked and so bundled up in their winter gear when they come into the library. Just think… in another eight weeks the calendar will say “Spring”!

Family Fun Time continues each Monday morning from 10 until noon downstairs in Merrill Hall with several fun choices of activities including perhaps (if it warms up) a climb up our snow mountain. As always, enter by the rear door and leave your boots on the mat.

Our tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. display is still in place offering several books for all ages on Mr. King, civil rights, and other titles to interest you.

*Head to Kid's Page to see what's new for the younger set!

Fiction

Baldacci, David – Mercy  (2021) – Mystery readers, this is #4 in the Atlee Pine series (we have 1, 2, 3)… Atlee has no idea if her sister is alive, and, if so, how she has been surviving all this time. When the truth is finally revealed, Atlee Pine will face the greatest danger yet, and it may cost her everything.

Brooks, Kevin – Dogchild  (2018) – Jeet is a dogchild, a human child who was raised by a pack of wild dogs. This “fantasy” follows Jeet as he struggles to come to terms with his possibly all of humanity.

Campbell, Michele – The Wife Who Knew Too Much  (2020) – Meet the first Mrs. Ford…beautiful, accomplished, wealthy and dead. Meet the second Mrs. Ford… a waitress, small town girl and now she is wealthy beyond imagination. Who is Connor Ford???

Escamdon, Maria Amparo – L. A. Weather, a Novel (2021) – a fast-paced novel of a Mexican American family as they wrestle with impending evacuations, secrets, deception, and betrayal… fun, quirky, heart-wrenching, very human, and full of soul.

Evanovich, Janet – Game On, Tempting Twenty-Eight (2021) – Stephanie Plum returns to hunt down a new kind of master criminal and she will need to watch her back every step of the way…

Steel, Danielle – Flying Angels  (2021) – World War Two brings together six remarkable, young flight nurses, who face the challenges of war and its many heartbreaks and victories as unsung heroes. Danielle Steel presents a sweeping, stunning tribute to these incredibly courageous women, inspiring symbols of bravery and valor.

Nonfiction

 Magee, David – Dear William, A Father’s Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love, and Loss (2021) – Addiction is a problem many families are faced with…. And here we have a loving documentation of a father’s love. (Filed under Body and Soul)

Donovan, Robin – The Baking Cookbook for Teens (2018) – 75 delicious recipes for sweet and savory treats and wait until you see the cover! Yummy! (Filed under Food)

Druett, Joan – Island of the Lost, an Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World (2019) – It is 1864, and Captain Thomas Mussgrave’s schooner, the Grafton, has just wrecked on Auckland Island, one of the most inhospitable places on earth. Incredibly, another ship has wrecked on the opposite side of the island…. (Filed under Places/New Zealand)

Kershaw, Alex – The Few  (2006) – the story of the American “Knights of the Air” who risked everything to fight in the Battle of Britain (Filed under Times/WWII)

Hard, Walter – Rivers of America, The Connecticut (1947) – This book describes the exploration of the river by Adriaen Block in 1614, the Dutch settlers who followed, and the restless English souls from Plymouth Colony. Several of the chapters refer specifically to New Hampshire. (Filed under New Hampshire/Times)

Kick-Start Your Week…. Check out our website (rumneylibrary.org), make a visit to the library, and check out one of our new reads. This has certainly been the month to curl up with a good book. And, if you prefer not to come into the library, we will set out your requests in the book drop.

Wishing you all a good week…. Susan and the Library Ladies

This Week - January 10th - 15th, 2022

January 10^th and the start of a cold week…. Our Christmas decorations are slowly disappearing and being replaced with everything snow… snow balls, snow flakes and hopefully a few snowmen and snowwomen will appear. Yes, we are embracing and celebrating the white stuff. Jim has been making a trail in the back yard so do stop by with your skis and take a few spins around.

Monday, January 10^th 10 – 12 Family Fun Time - Please enter by the back, leave your wet boots at the door and then head downstairs to Merrill Hall and join in the fun. Our art project this week will be making snow globes…quite seasonally appropriate I say. In addition we have a display of winter themed picture books ready to be checked out by our favorite little readers.

Thursday, January 13^th 1 – 3 Scrap bookers and Obiters – Folks from the Rumney Historical Society gather each Thursday afternoon to work on some of the society’s projects. If you would enjoy helping, you are welcome to stop in.

Saturday, January 15^th 10:30-11:30 Craft Time – We invite you, all ages, to stop in and make a snow globe…a January celebration.

A Snow Tree -Do take a moment to check out our snow tree decorated with wintry book suggestions and cold weather quotes…. Think of it as winter inspiration. During January our Facebook reminders will also include a seasonal quote… Let us know what you think.

New Books - We are setting our ten new books this week… five fiction and five non-fiction. Continue reading for the titles and a brief description…. Hope something appeals to you! And remember…we are always happy to place a book in the “Drop Box” for you to pick up at your convenience.

Fiction

Harmel, Kristin – The Book of Lost Names (2020) – a heart- stopping tale of survival and heroism centered on a female forger who risks everything to help Jewish children escape Nazi-occupied France during WWII.

Hood, Joshua – Robert Ludlum’s The Treadstone Resurrection (2019) – This is the first novel in an explosive new series inspired by Robert Ludlum’s Bourne Universe.

Patterson, James – Deadly Cross (2020) – Alex Cross returns in his 28^th outing with a double homicide in our nation’s capital which requires all of his skills as a doctor, detective, and family man as he works on the case.

Silva, Daniel – The Order (2020) – Gabriel Allon returns in his 20^th case… Legendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allons slipped quietly into Venice, Italy, for a much needed holiday with his family. But when Pope Paul VII dies suddenly he is summoned to Rome and nothing is simple.

Steel, Danielle – The Good Fight (2018) – Set in the 1960’s, our heroine discovers a passion for justice and she works to change the world.

Nonfiction

Carlson, Tucker – Ship of Fools (2018) – The popular Fox News star of Tucker Carlson tonight offers his fearless and funny political commentary on how America’s ruling class has failed everyday Americans. (Current Events)

University Press – The 1619 Project, A Brief History (2021) – A wisp of a book that provides a glimpse into the history of The 1619 Project, a good, quick read before you take on the project itself. (Current Events)

Weaver, Tara Austen – Orchard House, a Memoir (2015) – A story of rehabilitation and cultivation of the land and the soul as a mother and daughter work together…a tale of healing and growth. (Lives)

Druett, Joan – Island of the Lost (2019)  - An extraordinary story of survival at the edge of the world when, in 1864, two ships wreck on the opposite ends of Auckland Island, a forbidden piece of land south of New Zealand. (Places)

Nelson, Craig – Pearl Harbor from Infamy to Greatness (2016) – “Gripping…Nelson infuses his account with the primary-source memories of the people involved, giving his book a tense, epic feel” – The Christian Science Monitor (Times-WWII)

…by taking 5 deep breaths, preferably outside your door, and inhale some invigorating winter air… That should get you moving!

The library will be open Monday 10-1, Wednesday 12-4 and Saturday 10-1 and whenever you see the flag out! A BIG thank you to Steve Daniels who has been keeping our entry ways clear and safe. 

Now here is a challenge... send an email to sturbyne@rumneylibrary.org with this in the subject line... I read this ...and you will be entered into our raffle... Big Prize!!  

That's all for this week... Make it a good one and we hope to see you at the library...     Susan and the Library Ladies

This Week - January 3rd - 8th, 2022

 

New Year, New Hope as we start 2022!

Open Hours: Mondays 10 -1, Wednesdays 12 – 4 and Saturdays 10 -1
Plus Extra Hours when you see the flag is out!

Family Fun Time - Monday, January 3^rd from 10 until noon… Family Fun Time continues (as it does each Monday) with time for play, activities, socializing and just being with some time spent outside. Margaret will keep you up to date…. Contact Margaret at MFabaLMT@gmail.com for up-to-date info.

Our Snow Festival Begins…. We are decorating our tree with good winter thoughts and reading suggestions as well as adding snowflakes to our windows. Do you have a snowman or decoration you would like to share?

Book Sale Final Two Weeks… Stock up while you can! Just a reminder, we are raising additional funds for our “Button Up” project which will be starting soon – lots of insulation being added and air pockets being reduced. Can you help???

Adult Fiction

Hiaasen, Carl – Squeeze Me (1920) – “On the night of January twenty-third, unseasonably calm and warm, a woman named Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons went missing during a charity gala in the exclusive island town of Palm Beach, Florida.” Everyone’s involved in this story including the former president… Irreverent, ingenious, and highly entertaining!

Hill, Melissa – Keep You Safe (1917) – How far would you go to protect your child? Vaccination is certainly one of the issues… Mommy blogger Madeleine Cooper and her husband declined measles shots for their daughter and then Clara and her classmate, Rosie, both become sick.

Morris, Heather – Three Sisters (2021) – This is number three in the trilogy that began with The Tattooist of Auschwitz and continued with Cilka’s Journey. Three sisters promise their father that they will stay together and when all three end up at Auschwitz, they promise each other that they will live. This book is based on a true story.

Murphy, Julie – Dumplin’ (2015) and Puddin’ (2018) – A good read about a young woman who is not exactly the willowy type… I think I can identify! With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine, these two are stories for readers who like good endings!

Pinborough, Sarah – Cross Her Heart (2018) – a chilling psychological thriller about a dedicated single mom, her restless teenage daughter, and her troubled friends – about the secrets they hide and the pasts they cannot escape. Wow!

Youngson, Anne – The Narrowboat Summer (2020) – Ms. Youngson also wrote Meet Me at the Museum which I loved, so, I cannot wait to get started on this one! The Narrowboat Summer is a celebration of the power to change one’s life, at any age.

Oates, Joyce Carol (Editor) – The Oxford Book of American Short Stories (1992) – This book offers a sweeping survey of American short fiction in a collection of fifty-six tales by authors that include Sarah Orne Jewett, Kate Chopin, Willa Cather, and Katherine Anne Porter and this list only includes a few of the women. Personally, I am going to try to read one of these stories each month….there are so many authors in this book that I am not familiar with and I look forward to getting to know.

 

…with this thought… 

and may we all stay safe this month... Wear your mask, limit your travels, and let us provide you with bags of good reads!   Susan and the Library Ladies 💓