Movie To Get Boys Reading

We just watched an interesting film called The Stone Reader that, on its surface, is a fascinating documentary about a search for a long-lost author of a book published in 1972 which was dubbed “the book of its generation” but has now been mostly forgotten. The subliminal message of the film however, and possibly its most meaningful contribution to society, is how crucial reading books can be for boys and young men. The film is scattered with men talking about the influence books have had on their intellectual development, their enjoyment of reading and the meaning other people’s stories have had for them. Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, is heard talking about how important libraries were to his writing career. In interview after interview you’ll be mesmerized, leaning in to hear each word, as the subjects speak about the impact of one book or reading in general has had on them. This film should be required ‘watching’ in schools.

Book Expo America 2009

BEA 2009 has concluded but what a marvelous way to immerse oneself in the crowded pool of book lovers! If you didn’t get to go this year, check out the BEA website for recaps of what you missed and consider making the pilgrimage to next year’s conference.

We also caught up with Mary Karr’s talk at the Author Luncheon on BookTV on CSpan 2 this weekend and were instantly reminded of her terrific books The Liars Club and Cherry–they carry important messages for building indomitable character in the face of less than optimum circumstances. Her newest book, Lit: A Memoir, is due out in November and it sounds like it will be a must-read as well. Karr finished up her talk by saying “Literature saved my life. Books saved my life.” Reading advocacy doesn’t get any better than that.

Like Henning Mankel’s Mysteries?

Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 10th at 9 p.m. as PBS’s Masterpiece/Mystery will begin airing three episodes based on Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander mystery series. Kenneth Branagh stars as the Swedish sleuth who fights crime in the seaside town of Ystad. The first episode is based on Sidetracked. Sunday, May 17th’s episode will be based on Firewall and Sunday, May 31st’s episode will be based on One Step Behind. PBS is also offering online resources for book groups.

May Adult Programs At The Library

Our amazing Jenny Tripp has put together another smashing lineup of FREE programs this month for your enlightenment and enjoyment. Take a look and don’t forget to call the Library, 767-1560, or e-mail us to reserve a seat.

Out Of Work Or About To Be?  Looking For The “Right” Job?  Frustrated With Your Job Search? Join The Club ! The Essex Library is sponsoring a weekly Job Club for those looking for work.  This is a practical, self-help group that will assist with resume- and cover-letter writing, networking, interviewing skills, and more.  If you’re looking for a job, please join us at our one of our informational meetings being held on Fridays, at 10:00 a.m. in the 1889 Room. Please call Sheryl Serviss at 860-767-8741 or register at the Desk.

‘Up Close And Personal’ Photography Exhibit by Steve Nadler
May 1st through 31st in the Program Room

Please join us for the opening reception on Friday, May 8th at 5 p.m. These photos showcase the natural world in extreme close-up. This exhibit is an entree into a world where insects are giants and a single leaf’s veins fill an entire frame.

The Met Comes To The Library With La Traviata
Saturday, May 9th at 2 p.m.
A lavish period production of Verdi’s best-loved opera, featuring two of today’s most celebrated stars, Renee Fleming and Rolando Villazon. The tragic love story of the courtesan Violetta and her young admirer Alfredo is set to some of the most popular music in all opera. Filmed live in Los Angeles in 2006, this production was subsequently presented to great acclaim at the Met.

Yoga 101 For Adults
Staffer Molly Osborne, who delighted the community’s children with her Yoga For Kids class, has agreed to take on an introductory class for adults. Tuesday mornings, May 12th through June 2nd at 10 a.m. Wear comfortable clothes and bring a water bottle.

SCORE At The Library
Thursday, May 14th, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Southeastern Connecticut chapter of SCORE® provides free and confidential advice on starting and growing small businesses. Counseling will take place at the Essex Library on the second Thursday of each month between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Appointments must be scheduled in advance, either by calling 860-388-9508, or downloading a request form.

Don Flynn, an Essex resident, along with Steve Workman and other chapter members will counsel business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in Essex.  According to Flynn, “At the initial meeting, the business owner describes his or her current situation and challenges the business may be facing to a team of counselors.  Based on the specific areas of need, a SCORE counselor with experience in those areas is assigned to help guide the business owner in the completion of a business plan or other action steps”

Garden Earth Lecture Series with Maureen Haseley-Jones
Thursday, May 14th at 6:30 p.m.
Join Essex’ own landscape designer–The English Lady in the second of her two-part lecture series on nurturing your garden, your planet and your soul. Her design ideas and gorgeous garden photographs will inspire you.

Exploring Shakespeare, A Play Discussion Group
We’ll discuss Richard III on May 19th at 6:30 p.m.(copies available at the Library). Everyone is welcome! The future dates and plays will be announced at future meetings.

Worried About Your Aging Parents? Need Help With Tough Questions About Their Care? You are not alone!
Thursday, May 21st, at 5:30 p.m.
VNA of the Lower Valley Community Healthcare serves seniors and their family members with guidance and resource recommendations for home care, home independence, caregiver support and government benefits. Learn about how to spot signs of an eldercare crisis, starting a conversation about getting help, matching the person’s needs to available services and paying for eldercare at the VNA of the Lower Valley’s Eldercare Forum.

Check Your Blood Pressure Service
Thursday, May 28th, 1-2 p.m.
The VNA offers a FREE blood pressure check on the 4th Thursday of every month from 1-2p.m. in the 1889 Room at the Essex Library.

Raising Backyard Chickens With UConn’s Dr. Michael Darre
Saturday, May 30th at 10 a.m.

University extension Poultry Specialist for Connecticut and New England, Dr. Darre will speak about the latest trend fresh from Europe–raising laying hens in your own backyard. Reap the rewards of fresh eggs, garden pest control and great natural fertilizer. It’s easy, cheap and legal! Find out ow to choose, house, feed and care for your small flock.

Best Suspense Novels

The nominees for the Shirley Jackson Awards “for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic” have been announced. The winner will be announced on July 12th. See the list of finalists for Best Novel below:

Alive in Necropolis by Doug Dorst
The Man on the Ceiling by Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory
The Resurrectionist by Jack O’Connell
The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Short List For Best Women Writers Prize Announced

The Orange Prize was initiated to encourage the development of reading of wonderful writing by women authors. Click here for a list of past shortlisted and winning authors of the Orange Prize For Fiction. The 2009 Prize winner will receive £30,000 (US$43,701) and will be announced on June 3rd.

The Orange Prize for Fiction is awarded to the woman who, in the opinion of the judges, has written the best, eligible full-length novel in English. The prize is open to any full length novel, written in English by a woman of any nationality, provided that the novel is published for the first time in the United Kingdom between 1 April of the year before the prize is awarded and 31 March of the year in which the prize is awarded. Although the novel’s first UK publication must fall within these dates, it’s still eligible if it was previously published in English elsewhere. Enough of the rules, let’s go to the goods.

The 2009 finalists are:
Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman
The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey
The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt
Molly Fox’s Birthday by Deidre Madden
Home by Marilynne Robinson
Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

Below are the books that didn’t make it to the Short List–they’re all great reads as well:

The Household Guide to Dying by Debra Adelaide

Girl in a Blue Dress by Gaynor Arnold

Their Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evans

Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo

Strange Music by Laura Fish

Love Marriage by V.V. Ganeshananthan

Intuition by Allegra Goodman

The Lost Dog by Michelle de Kretser

A Mercy by Toni Morrison

The Russian Dreambook of Colour and Flight by Gina Ochsner

Evening is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews

The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber

Kindling Interest In The Kindle

Don’t pass over this post just because it’s about Amazon’s electronic book (e-book) reading device called the Kindle and you have no interest in electronic readers. That’s what I’ve been doing for a while now anytime I came across a news story or ad for one because I am unlikely to ever change my reading habits. I love reading books and, at the risk of being determined an unrepentant Luddite, I’ll probably not give up the paper version for an electronic box version. That was how I felt until I read Steven Johnson’s article in the Wall Street Journal from April 20, 2009 entitled: “How The E-Book Will Change The Way We Read And Write”. I urge you to read it too because he has some interesting ideas about the bright future of reading and how these gadgets will affect communicating about the books we read. Does it make you want to go buy one?

Pulitzer Prize Books Announced

The Pulitzer Prize, awarded for works of distinction in Fiction, History, Biography, Poetry and General Nonfiction, were announced the other day. The winners receive $10,000 and a certificate. Below is a list of the winners and finalists:

Fiction
Winner: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Finalists: The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
All Souls by Christine Schutt

History
Winner: The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed
Finalists: This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust
The Liberal Hour: Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s by G. Calvin Mackenzie & Robert Weisbrot

Biography
Winner: American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham
Finalists: Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by H.W. Brands
The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century by Steve Coll

Poetry
Winner: The Shadow of Sirius by W. S. Merwin
Finalists: Watching the Spring Festival by Frank Bidart
What Love Comes to: New & Selected Poems by Ruth Stone

General Nonfiction
Winner: Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon
Finalists: Gandhi and Churchill: The Epic Rivalry That Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age by Arthur Herman
The Bitter Road to Freedom: A New History of the Liberation of Europe by William I. Hitchcock

Celebrate Earth Day At Green Fest

Eco-Fun for Everyone at “Green Fest”

On Sunday, May 17th, seventeen Middlesex County libraries, in partnership with the Connecticut Library Consortium, will present Green Fest - a celebration of going green in our community. The festival, the highlight of the libraries’ county-wide “Greening Our Valley” initiative, will take place from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Middlesex Community College’s Chapman Hall, 100 Training Hill Road in Middletown. All ages are invited and admission is free.

The festival will feature educational materials, giveaways and games sponsored by libraries and other organizations; circus-themed food; discussions on Connecticut outdoor living led by Rachael Sunny from the CT Department of Environmental Protection and gardening expert Patrice Barrett; and, at 3:00 p.m., a performance of ARTFARM’s Circus for a Fragile Planet. Bring your own water bottle for a chance to win an eco-surprise.

Enjoy a great afternoon of family-friendly activities while supporting libraries and our green future! The college is handicapped accessible and there is plenty of free parking. All ages are invited to this free festival, made possible by a grant from the Middlesex Community Foundation. For more information about this and other environmental programs going on now at libraries across Middlesex County, visit http://www.greeningourvalley.org/

Lost Your Job? Read One Of These…

If you’ve recently been laid off, you’re in good company these days. The following list of books might help you cope with the situation:

Creating Your Best Life by Carlone Adams Miller and Michael Frisch

Doing What You Love, Loving What You Do: the ultimate key to personal happiness and financial freedom by Robert Anthony

The First 30 Days: your guide to any change (and loving your life more) by Ariane de Bonvoisin

What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson

When You’re Falling, Dive by Mark Matousek

Thinking About Tomorrow by Susan Crandell

Welcome To Your Crisis : how to use the power of crisis to create the life you want by Laura Day

Life After Loss : a personal guide dealing with death, divorce, job change, and relocation by Bob Deits

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

Confidence : how winning streaks and losing streaks begin and end by Rosabeth Kanter

The Power of Story: rewrite your destiny in business and in life by Jim Loehr

Words That Work : it’s not what you say, it’s what people hear by Frank Luntz

The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Handbook by Martha Davis

What Now? by Ann Patchett

Moving Forward: taking the lead in your life by Dave Pelzer

Second Acts: creating the life your really want, building the career you truly desire by Stephen M. Pollan

Here’s The Bright Side: of failure, fear, cancer, divorce and other bum raps by Betty Rollin

The greatness guide : one of the world’s top success coaches shares his secrets for personal and business mastery by Robin Sharma