21st Annual Taste of Durham

Preparations have begun for the 21st Annual Taste of Durham! Bernadette and Bailey have been putting up decorations for the event.  Tickets are available in person at the library or online:  https://www.tasteofdurhamct.com/

Call 860-349-9544, ext. 1 if you have any questions.

PATRON PICKS--THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS

Kassie's pick is The Light Between Oceans, by M. L. Stedman (audio book)

About the book:  After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day's journey from the coast.  To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel.  Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby's cries on the wind.  A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately.  But Isabel insists the baby is a "gift from God," and against Tom's judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy.  When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world.  Their choice has devastated one of them. (From Amazon)

Kassie says:  A lighthouse keeper in post-WWI Australia.  Austere narrative of loss and deep sadness.  Beautifully read, but his soft voice required frequent volume adjustments.

VISIT OUR THANKFUL TREE!

When you stop by the library, be sure to visit our Thankful Tree!  Take a minute to write down on one of the leaves the name of a book you love or a book that was meaningful to you in some way.  Write down the title, the author, and your name (optional) and hang the leaf on the tree.  For all ages!  

PATRON PICKS--ROOM

Kassie's pick is Room, by Emma Donoghue

About the book:  To 5-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world.  It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play.  At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for 7 years.  Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack.  But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him.  She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck.  What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.  

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic 5-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.  (From Amazon)

Kassie says:  Darker, more complex than I had expected.  The exploration of what and who is real makes it more than a domestic drama.  And Jack is astounding.

PATRON PICKS--Thy Children's Children

Patricia's pick is Thy Children's Children, by Diana Ross

About the book:  Thy Children's Children traces five generations of a real New England family through the turbulent decades that saw a handful of American colonies transformed into a young nation on the cusp of the modern industrial era.  The seeds of a grassroots dynasty that flourishes to this day were planted when John and Hope Lyman began life on a small Connecticut farm in 1741.  Here the first five generations of Lyman men and women built and maintained a family homestead, facing challenges large and small, with courage and conviction.
(from Amazon)

Patricia says:  Wonderful history of Middlefield and Durham, written as a historical novel.  Follows the Lyman family's lives.  Engrossing depiction of colonial life on a local level.

Museum Passes Available at the Durham Public Library

Did you know that you can use your library card to check out passes to Connecticut museums and state parks? We have reduced price and free admission passes available. Come check them out!

The Children's Museum & Roaring Brook Nature Center 
Florence Griswold Museum
Maritime Aquarium
Mystic Aquarium 
Mystic Seaport
Connecticut River Museum
Peabody Museum
New England Air Museum
Connecticut State Park Passes
Connecticut's Old State House
New Britain Museum of American Art
Wadsworth Atheneum

Passes are free for two days.  There is a $5.00 per day late fee.  Any adult with a valid Connecticut library card may borrow the passes.  We'll hold the pass for one hour if you call the day you intend to use it, but we do not take reservations.  One pass per family at a time.  Please return the passes inside the library. 

Sponsored by P.A.L.S. (Friends of the Durham Public Library)

MONEY SMART WEEK April 23-30

The Durham Public Library is Presenting Money Smart Week, April 23-30!  Money Smart Week is a national public awareness campaign designed to help consumers of all ages better manage their personal finances through free financial literacy programming.

We'll be offering Fine Forgiveness for overdue books during Money Smart Week.

March 15 to May 15:  Play Dash for the Stash--Enter for a chance to win a $1,000 IRA!  Must be 18 & over to play.

We are also offering many programs for all ages:

Estate Planning.  Tuesday, April 26, 7:00pm.  Learn why Estate Planning is important, hear about common planning strategies, and leave with ideas for an action plan.  Registration required.

Welcome to the Real World Connecticut Simulation.  Wednesday, April 27, 6:30-8:30pm.  Ages 12-18.  Imagine your future life at this fun and interactive program designed especially for teens.  Registration required.  Program is provided by UCONN Extension Family Economics and Resource Management.  The University of Connecticut is an equal opportunity employer and program provider.

Accessories Swap.  Thursday, April 28, 6:30-7:30pm.  Adults Only.  "Why Shop When You Can Swap."  We'll be collecting the following Accessories:  Scarves, Jewelry, Gloves, Hats, Handbags, Belts, Keychains.  You must donate something to attend.  Details at the Durham Public Library.

Free Financial Family Fun Fest.  Saturday, April 30, 11:00am -1:00pm.  Drop in for: Crafts for ages 3-11.  Scavenger Hunt, ages 8 & up:  Complete the hunt and enter your name to win a prize.  Free Financial Information for the Adults:  Fournier Legal Services and Representatives from People's Bank will be here to answer your Financial Questions.  Also, cookies, juice, free balloons for the kids!

  

Stop by the Durham Public Library to register or call 860-349-9544, ext. 1.

PATRON PICKS--SKELETONS AT THE FEAST

Kassie's pick was Skeletons at the Feast, by Chris Bohjalian.

About the book:  In January 1945, a small group of people begin the longest journey of their lives: an attempt to cross the remnants of the Third Reich, from Warsaw to the Rhine if necessary, to reach the British and American lines.

Among the group is 18-year-old Anna Emmerich, the daughter of Prussian aristocrats.  There is her lover, Callum Finella, a 20-year-old Scottish prisoner of war who was brought from the stalag to her family's farm as forced labor.  And there is a 26-year-old Wehrmacht corporal, who the pair know as Manfred--who is, in reality, Uri Singer, a Jew from Germany who managed to escape a train bound for Auschwitz.

As they work their way west, they encounter a countryside ravaged by war.  Their flight will test both Anna's and Callum's love, as well as their friendship with Manfred.  (from Amazon)

Kassie recommends this book and says that the author, Chris Bohjalian, will be at R.J. Julia in Madison, CT on Monday, January 18th @ 7:00pm.  http://www.rjjulia.com/

NEW FEATURE! You can now pay your library fines online!

You can now pay your library fines online.  The minimum amount you can pay is $1.01.  Visa, Discover, and MasterCard are accepted.

Online Fine Payment Instructions:

1.  Go to www.catalog.lioninc.org.

2.  Click on "Login to My Account."

3.  Type your last name and Patron ID number (on your library card).

4.  On the left side under your personal information, there will be a link that says "$1.15 in unpaid fines and bills." (Or however much you owe.  If you currently owe no fines, this link will not be there at all.  You must have at least $1.01 in fines to pay online.)

5.  Click on that link to access the payment screen.

6.  Click on "Pay Now."

7.  A pop-up window will come up and you can check boxes next to each fine you would like to pay.  After you have done so, click on "continue."

8.  Next, enter your Visa, Discover, or MasterCard number.  Select the type and enter the expiration date.  Click on "continue."

9.  On the final screen, you will need to input your card's security code and your billing information before clicking on "I Authorize This Transaction" to finalize your payment.

PATRON PICKS--THE LIAR

Jill's pick was The Liar, by Nora Roberts

About the book: 
Shelby Foxworth lost her husband.  Then she lost her illusions...
The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt.  He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs.  The man she loved wasn't just dead.  he never really existed.
Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor.  But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover.  Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows--and threatens Griff, as well.  And an attempted murder is only the beginning... (From Amazon)

Jill says:  Good characters who get the reader involved in the story.  Also, a lot of suspense, so the book was hard to put down.

PATRON PICKS--THE NIGHTINGALE

The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France.  Celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women.  (from Amazon) 

Noel says:  Strong women, sympathetic characterization of complex and powerful emotions in unspeakable conditions in WWII occupied France.

PATRON PICKS--THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY (DVD)

Kassie's pick was The Hundred-Foot Journey (DVD).

The Kadam family leaves India for France where they open a restaurant directly across the road from Madame Mallory's Michelin-starred eatery.

Kassie says:  Pure escape!  Well-balanced reality, humor,
fantasy kept crisp by the impeccable Helen Mirren.

PATRON PICKS-- MAGYK

Victoria's pick is Magyk, by Angie Sage.

This book is great to read with younger siblings.  There is just the right amount of magic and adventure to keep all ages captivated.

(The Durham Library has the audiobook, too.)

STAFF PICKS--GONE GIRL

Diana's pick is Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn.

About the book: 

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary.  Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears.  Husband-of-the-year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge.  Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior.  Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?

Diana says:  What a roller coaster ride this book was!  You really didn't know which of the main characters to like or dislike.  This is one of those books you can't put down.  Great read.

PATRON PICKS -- Ru: A Novel and The City of Falling Angels

Kassie's Picks:

Ru: A Novel, by Kim Thuy

About the book:  Vietnamese author Kim Thuy's novel unfolds in the way a flower casts off petals:  one small scene after another.  Ru is an autobiographical novel in which memories are shuffled back and forth to tell the story of a 10-year-old born in Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive. (NPR Books)

Kassie says:  Perfect short vignettes allow engagement with terror, grief, loss of country, as well as extraordinary joy and love.  Beautiful.




The City Of Falling Angels,
by John Berendt 
(Kassie listened to the audio book.)

About the book:  Turning to the magic, mystery, and decadence of Venice, John Berendt gradually reveals the truth behind a sensational fire that in 1996 destroyed the historic La Fenice opera house.  Encountering a rich cast of characters, Berendt tells a tale full of atmosphere and surprise as the stories build, one after the other, ultimately coming together to portray a world as finely drawn as a still-life painting. (Goodreads)

Kassie says:  Non-fiction narrative about Venice, city of dreams, with its Bridge of Sighs.  Centers on the fire which destroyed the last opera theater, La Fenice--arson, mafia, negligence??--with wonderful portraits of native Venetians and ex-pats like Ezra Pound.

An Evening with Stephen King at The Bushnell

One of our staff members, Diana, recently had the excitement of seeing Stephen King for an author talk at The Bushnell in Hartford!

"He was so down to earth, he was funny, and of course a great story teller!  He told us one story about when he knew he made it big.  He was in a small restaurant, I forget where--NY maybe, having dinner with Bruce Springsteen.  A family came in and sat near them, celebrating something.  Their daughter, who was probably 15/16, kept sneaking glances at Stephen King and Bruce Springsteen.  Eventually she got up, and walked their way.  Bruce Springsteen started to reach into his pocket for his pen.  The girl never even looked his way.  She went right to Stephen King and politely asked for his autograph, totally ignoring Bruce Springsteen!  Just one of the many great stories he told that night."  --Diana

Stephen King's newest book is Joyland.  

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.

Oops, I read that already! (Setting up a Reading History)

Have you ever brought home a stack of books from the library only to find you've already read 2 or 3 of them?  If you set up a reading history on your library account, you'll be able to keep track of which books you've read.  It's easy...

Go to www.durhamlibrary.org

Click on My Account

Fill your last name and patron ID number (library card barcode, no spaces)

Click on Submit

Click on My Reading History

Click on Opt In

And you're finished!  Any items checked out on your account from the time you opt in will be recorded until you delete them or choose to opt out.

PATRON PICKS --THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE

Noel's pick is The House of Special Purpose, by John Boyne.

About the book:
Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, The House of Special Purpose illuminates an empire at the end of its reign.  Eighty-year-old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past--a past of death, suffering, and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days.  Living in England with his beloved wife, Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him.  As Georgy remembers days gone by, we are transported to St. Petersburg, to the Winter Palace of the czar, in the early twentieth century--a time of change, threat, and bloody revolution. As Georgy overturns the most painful stone of all, we uncover the story of the house of special purpose.  (from Goodreads)

Noel says:  Flashbacks between an impoverished boy's coming of age in the Tsar's Winter Palace and his life/marriage in 1980's London.

PATRON PICKS -- ORDINARY GRACE

Noel's pick is Ordinary Grace, by William Kent Krueger.

About the book:
New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961.  The Twins were playing their debut season, ice-cold root beers were at the ready at Halderson's Drug Store soda counter, and Hot Stuff comic books were a mainstay on every barbershop magazine rack.  It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president.  But for thirteen-year-old Frank Drum it was a summer in which death assumed many forms.

When tragedy unexpectedly comes to call on his family, which includes his Methodist minister father, his passionate, artistic mother, Juilliard-bound older sister, and wise-beyond-his-years kid brother, Frank finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal.  (from Goodreads)

Noel says:  Wonderful characters, excellent writing--twists & surprise ending.  Set in Minnesota, small town 1960's.

PATRON PICKS -- MY KNEES WERE JUMPING (DVD)

Kassie's pick is My Knees Were Jumping:  Remembering the Kindertransport (DVD).  Directed by Melissa Hacker, narrated by Joanne Woodward.


About the movie:
During WWII, between 1938 and 1939, Allied forces launched a courageous rescue mission to save 10,000 children from certain death in the concentration camps.  These children were of Jewish or Gypsy descent or were otherwise marked as undesirable.  This documentary looks at what happened to these salvaged children.  To tell their often sad stories and chronicle the psychological effects of the traumatic events (although it was planned that the children would eventually be returned to their parents, over 90% never saw their parents again) the film uses interviews with survivors and rescuers, archival footage, and old photographs.  Though filmmaker Melissa Hacker keeps the focus on others, her own mother was one of the children saved from the camps.  (New York Times)

Kassie says:  A beautiful then and now, balancing the heroics of rescuing the children with the fact that less than 10% of parents survived.  Interviews with child survivors at a reunion.