Author: cheshirelib

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in October

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Our Event Calendar is jam-packed in October, sign up for programs early to make sure you get a spot!

October Art Show

October 1 – 28. 2022

The October Art Show features the photographic works of Cheshire resident Albert Pascual. He has received top awards at several local and state competitions and has been showing and selling his images at juried art shows around Connecticut as well as on his website. View his photos in the Mary Baldwin Room until October 28.

Movie Matinees

Join us in the Library Loft for a movie on the big screen! No registration is required and movies begin at 1pm. Both movies this month are rated PG-13.

Good, Cheap, and Healthy Cooking Demo

Tuesday, October 4, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Chef Nadine Nelson will show us how to eat well on $4 a day in this interactive cooking demo, based on recipes from the cookbook Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown. Registration is required.

TAB: Teen Advisory Board (Grades 6-12)

Thursday, October 6, 2022, 3:45 – 4:45pm

Thursday, October 20, 2022, 3:45 – 4:45pm

The Teen Advisory Board is a group of teens in grades 6-12 who want to take an active part in helping the library and the community. Giveaways and snacks will be provided. Registration is required.

What does the TAB do?

  • Help run library programs.
  • Write book reviews.
  • Create social media content.
  • Recommend items for the library collection.

What’s in it for you?

  • Use your creativity to create fun programs.
  • Make your voice heard by sharing ideas with library community.
  • Make new friends.
  • Grow your leadership skills.
  • Earn community service hours.

Lights Out Connecticut: Help Save Our Migrating Birds

Thursday, October 6, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Each fall and spring, millions of birds pass through Connecticut on their way to and from their summer nesting grounds. Most migratory birds travel at night, when temperatures are cooler and skies are less turbulent. However, artificial lights from buildings and other structures can attract and disorient birds, leading to fatal window collisions. The result is catastrophic: Almost 1 billion birds killed in the United States every year. Come find out more about how you can help millions of birds migrate safely through our state. Registration is required.

Open Art Studio

Fridays from 1-3pm

Bring your works in progress and supplies to this weekly drop-in art program. This is an opportunity to create in a collaborative environment with other artists. No formal instruction will be provided, but informal critiquing for those who want it is encouraged. Table covers will be provided. There is a sink in the room for basic cleanup (please do not bring turpentine).

Dodd Drop-Ins (Grades 7-8)

  • Tuesday October 11, 1-4pm
  • Thursday October 13, 1-4pm
  • Tuesday October 18, 1-4pm

All teens are welcome to hang out in the Mary Baldwin Room and enjoy socializing and snacks on early dismissal days for Dodd Middle School. Registration is not required.

Stonewall Speakers (Grades 6-12)

Tuesday, October 11, 2022, 5:00 – 6:30pm

Stonewall Speakers is an all-volunteer speaker’s bureau comprised of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Speakers will include two or more panelists and combine personal life stories with a question and answer session. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. For teens in grades 6-12. Registration is required.

Bird Walk @ Brooksvale Park

Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 9:30 – 11:00am

Grab your gear for an educational walk around Hamden’s Brooksvale Park. You’ll learn the basics of birdwatching and – with any luck – see some interesting avian species! Dress for outdoor activity and meet at the Sugar Shack. The library will provide binoculars and field guides to share, but feel free to bring your own. This even takes place at Brooksvale Park: 524 Brooksvale Ave, Hamden, CT 06518. Registration is required.

Adult Loft Knitters

Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Come socialize, learn, and share your techniques with other knitters.  Experience the relaxing and calming effect of knitting. All levels of adult knitters are welcome. Please bring your own yarn and knitting needles (crocheters are also welcome!). This group meets monthly, please register in advance.

Cat Tales Writers Group

Thursday, October 12 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Join us for a monthly open writing group that can help answer your questions on writing, editing, grammar, and publishing. Read a selection of your work to the group for general constructive feedback, or discuss a book you’ve read that might help someone else. Registration is required.

The End of “The End of History”: Why Ukraine Matters

Thursday, October 13, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Join historian and Yale professor Dr. Marci Shore for an informational talk on Ukraine’s history, its relationship with Russia, and the ongoing war that began in February of this year. Registration is required.

Mixville Family Halloween Bash!

Friday, October 14, 2022, 5:00 – 8:30pm

The Cheshire Library, Artsplace and Cheshire Parks & Recreation Department are working together to bring you a fun-filled Halloween event! Bring your own pumpkin to turn into a Jack-O-Lantern and display on the Mixville hillside before you take it home (pre-registration required for this portion of the event). Pumpkins will be lit by 6:15pm. To add to the fun, Parks and Recreation are sponsoring a Howl-o-ween Dog Costume Contest from 5:30-6pm!  Bring your dog on a leash and in costume to the Mixville Halloween Bash to participate.  Dogs must be friendly with other dogs and up to date on all of their shots. The movie Monsters Inc will start at dusk. Bring a picnic dinner, your blankets, chairs and some bug spray! RAINDATE FOR THE PROGRAM AND MOVIE IS OCTOBER 21 AT 5:00PM.

Special Effects Makeup Workshop (Grades 6-12)

Monday, October 17, 2022, 4:00 – 5:30pm

Want to learn how to make your halloween makeup super scary? Decimated Designs will teach you how to transform into a creepy character! We’ll cover the do’s and don’ts of special effects makeup, hygiene, how to get started, and some tricks you can use to improve your costumes or makeup at home. For teens in grades 6-12 (no younger siblings, please). Registration is required.

Witches of Salem (ONLINE)

Monday, October 17, 2022, 6:30 – 7:40pm

In January of 1692, a strange illness seized control of five young girls living in Salem Village, a contentious and divided town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Events soon spiraled out of control with local divisions and a splintered colonial government feeding the frenzy.  Archivist Mickey DiCamillo unravels the events with archival documents from the period, and program participants will interact with transcripts from the 1692 interrogations of suspected witches. Registration is required for this online program.

Chopped! (Grades 4-9)

Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 4:00pm
Tuesday, October 25, 2022, 4:00pm

Join Food Explorers for a round of Chopped! You’ll split into teams and create a delicious recipe each week. Select from a limited pantry of ingredients, being mindful of which flavors and textures go together. When each team is done, you’ll taste test! Recipes will be nut free and vegetarian. Please register once to attend both classes.

Create Digital Music With Logic Pro X

Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 7:00 – 8:00pm

This class will teach you how to record digital instruments, write songs and create beats using the software Logic Pro X.  You will get hands on experience learning the same methods that profession music producers use. After this class you will have the basic skills needed to create music at the library’s all new AV Studio. Registration required.

Caregiver Support Group

Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 12:00 – 1:00pm

A support group for caregivers to share tips, strategies, challenges, and successes. Caregivers of all types are welcome, including spouses and adult children caring for relatives, caregivers to children, and professional caregivers. This group will meet both online and in-person, please register for the group you want to attend.

Home Recording Basics in Logic Pro

Monday, October 24, 2022, 11:00am – 12:00pm

Have you ever wanted to record an original song at home?  Or maybe you want to start a podcast but don’t know enough about the gear and software?   Then this class is for you.  Learn all the basics of home recordings to get the best quality for the lowest price. Registration required.

Living History: Lizzie Borden (ONLINE)

Monday, October 24, 2022, 7:00 – 8:10pm

Join us virtually via Zoom to see award-winning actress Leslie Goddard, Ph.D., as she brings to life Lizzie Borden, accused of the brutal hatchet murder of her father and stepmother in 1892. Hear Lizzie’s story come alive as she talks about her life growing up in Fall River, Massachusetts, her estrangement from her stepmother, and her troubled relationship with her father. Registration is required.

Know Your News: Become a Media Expert

Thursday, October 27, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Not sure if a new source is fact or fake? Learn how to tell the difference in this hands-on workshop. You’ll learn tips and tricks for finding reliable and credible information in any format and get a chance to practice your new skills. Registration is required.

One Book, Two Readers – Teens Review “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”

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Teens: did you know that you can earn community service credit for writing a book review and submitting it to us? Today, we’ll hear from two teens who did just that, and get their different takes on the same book. Find out more about how to earn community service hours from home at cheshirelibrary.org/teens/.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Reviewed by Anja J.

Hands down. All time. Favorite book. I honestly don’t even know where to start with this book. I had heard about it all over social media and a few people had recommended it to me. After reading, it was so clear that this book deserved, and lived up to, all the hype. The story starts by introducing an aspiring magazine writer named Monique, who is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to chronicle the scandalous life story of the infamous Hollywood star, Evelyn Hugo. Evelyn makes a deal with Monique that she, and only she, will be the one to interview her and write about her. Evelyn starts with the very beginning of her career, including clawing her way out of her small life in Hell’s Kitchen. The rest of the story entails the insider details, good and bad, of how she climbed her way to the top and her journey there. This (obviously) included one of the things that she was most well known for, her seven husbands.

Taylor Jenkins Reid had truly outdone herself when she crafted Evelyn’s character. My love-hate (although mostly love) relationship with her had me dying to read just one more chapter. Evelyn’s determination, ambition, internal conflicts, and just overall complex personality made her such an intricate character where we never really knew what her next move would be. It was simply fascinating to read about her, her actions, her choices, and her unfiltered thoughts. Through this story, Reid depicts the life of Hollywood fame and the prices one pays to live such a luxurious, yet fraudulent, life. Although the the public and newspapers says one thing, reality is a completely different thing.

The plot quite literally sent me on adrenaline highs of rollercoasters. The story had me thinking one thing, and then a different thing the next chapter. Then it had taken a gigantic turn that I never saw coming. The twists that kept on coming just kept on getting better every time, especially toward the end, where it is revealed why Evelyn was so persistent on only having Monique write her biography. The way their lives crossed paths was totally unexpected. I highly recommend this book to everyone (high school and up), it is written beautifully and eloquently and nearly had me in tears multiple times.

5 stars.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Reviewed by Ella K.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid that you have likely heard of if you are a watcher of BookTok. The book has attracted a lot of attention recently and that attention is well deserved. I read this book because I heard from one of my friends who likes to read that it was worth it to look into. Despite not knowing anything about the book or its plot line, I loved this book and was hooked immediately.

The book follows Monique Grant, a journalist who is not very famous, but was hired to work for a relatively famous publisher. She is told by that publisher that Evelyn Hugo wants her for an interview about a charity gala that she is throwing to raise money, and that she would only do the interview if it was Monique who was sent over, no one else. When Monique goes to talk to Evelyn, she reveals that it is not just an interview. Evelyn wanted Monique to write her exclusive biography. Evelyn had been a very private person up to this point, so the opportunity for an exclusive tell-all would work wonders for Monique’s career. Like the title suggests, Evelyn has had seven husbands, but she has not revealed the causes for her divorces.

This book is filled with intrigue and suspense. The story telling is impeccable and despite the sheer amount of information that Evelyn has to convey, the author does well at making the story clear and not confusing. Add that to a surprising twist near the end of the book and you have a book well worth reading for teen readers who love any genre. There are some mature themes in this book and I would advise younger readers to wait to read this book.

5 stars

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in September

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Story-times, movie matinees, book clubs, and more are on the calendar in September, take a look:

Open Art Studio

Fridays from 1-3pm

Bring your works in progress and supplies to this weekly drop-in art program. This is an opportunity to create in a collaborative environment with other artists. No formal instruction will be provided, but informal critiquing for those who want it is encouraged. Table covers will be provided. There is a sink in the room for basic cleanup (please do not bring turpentine).

Movie Matinees are Back!

  • Tuesday September 1, 1:00pm: The Lady Vanishes (1938)
  • Tuesday September 20, 1:00pm: Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

We’re bringing our Movie Matinees back, and this month there’s trouble on a train! This is a drop-in program, no registration required, come by for a movie on the big screen!

Art Journaling with Megan Jeffery

Thursday, September 8, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Learn how you can get started in documenting your life with art journaling in this engaging workshop led by illustrator and avid journaler Megan Jeffery.  Participants will create their own journaling cards using a variety of supplies. Space is limited, registration is required.

Adult Loft Knitters

Wednesday, September 14, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Come socialize, learn, and share your techniques with other knitters.  Experience the relaxing and calming effect of knitting. All levels of adult knitters are welcome. Please bring your own yarn and knitting needles (crocheters are also welcome!). This group meets monthly, please register in advance.

The Humane Gardener: Nancy Lawson (Online)

Thursday, September 15, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Join author Nancy Lawson as our special guest speaker in an online presentation related to her book The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, which explains the importance of coexisting with the local wildlife. Registration required to receive a Zoom link one hour before the start of the program.

Music Together: Babies (0-12 months)

Mondays: September 19, 26, October 3, 17, 24 from 9:30 – 10:15am

Music Together an internationally recognized early childhood music program. This developmentally appropriate early childhood music program strongly encourages adult involvement and emphasizes actual music experiences rather than concepts about music. In order to maintain a safe environment, we request no older siblings, please. Registration: Cheshire residents may register beginning on September 5, non-residents may register beginning on September 12.

Ancient Tunnel Mystery Explained

Monday, September 19, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

A solution for ancient World famous mystery solved. Learn why and  how in Jerusalem a 3000 year old Tunnel dug by two opposing teams met inside solid rock. Anomalies in tunnel explained.  Hint: they used rope or string, paint, and copper.  Registration required.

Preschool Storytime (Ages 3-5)

Tuesdays: September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25 from 10:00 – 10:45am

A storytime for preschoolers to learn through talking, singing, reading, writing,and playing! For Children ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Registration :  Cheshire residents may register beginning on September 6th, Non-residents may register starting on September 13th.

Wiggle Worms Storytime (12-26 months)

Wednesdays: September 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19, 29 from 10:00 – 10:45am

Join us for reading, singing, movement, and play. This program is based on the Every Child Ready to Read initiative. For children 12-26 months old and their caregivers. Registration :  Cheshire residents may register beginning on September 7th, Non-residents may register starting on September 14th.

Caregiver Support Group

Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 12:00 – 1:00pm

A support group for caregivers to share tips, strategies, challenges, and successes. Caregivers of all types are welcome, including spouses and adult children caring for relatives, caregivers to children, and professional caregivers. Registration required.

Tales & Tunes for Twos (22-36 months)

Thursdays: September 22, 29, October 6, 13, 20, 27 from 10:00 – 10:45am

Talk, sing, read, write, and play during this short storytime with hands-on activities to build children’s early literacy skills! For children 22-36 months old and their caregivers. Registration : Cheshire residents may register beginning on September 8th, Non-residents may register starting on September 15th.

Teen Volunteer Orientation (Grades 6-12)

Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 3:30 – 4:15pm

Interested in volunteering for the library? Need community service hours? Attend this informal session to learn what teen volunteers at the library do and how to sign up. Snacks will be provided. For teens in grades 6-12. Registration required.

Sisters in Crime-CT Panel: Creating Authentic Characters

Wednesday, September 28, 2022, 6:00 – 7:00pm

Be sure to attend this exciting panel of accomplished crime fiction authors who will share the process of creating characters in their novels. Registration is required.

OCTOBER BOOK CLUBS

Murder by the Book Mystery Book Club: The Lost Apothecary

  • Thursday, September 15, 2022, 1:00 – 2:15pm (ONLINE) Register

Many Stories Book Club: Detransition, Baby

  • Thursday, September 15, 2022, 7:00 – 8:00pm Register

Art League Book Club: Nefertiti

  • Friday, September 16, 2022, 11:00am – 12:30pm More info

Books Over Coffee: The Overstory

  • Wednesday, September 28, 2022, 12:00pm – 1:30pm Register

Teen Book Reviews: Warcross & Call Down the Hawk

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Teens: did you know that you can earn community service credit for writing a book review and submitting it to us? Today, we’ll hear from two teens who did just that. Find out more about how to earn community service hours from home at cheshirelibrary.org/teens/.

Warcross by Marie Lu. Reviewed by Ella K.

Warcross is a book perfect for teens and young adults who enjoy science fiction and future societies. The story is set in a world where a young fourteen-year-old boy, Hideo Tanaka invents a pair of highly sophisticated virtual reality glasses called the NeuroLink. The glasses work by tricking the brain into thinking what it is seeing is real. In order to market the product, Tanaka also creates a video game that can be played within the virtual reality construct. This game, called Warcross, involves two teams battling to steal the other’s gem, called an Artifact, while avoiding a series of obstacles and the other team.

Emika Chen, a struggling hacker makes money in the only way that she can with her criminal record, as a bounty hunter. After failing to get a $5000 bounty that would have saved her from eviction, Emika turns to that fake reality to escape her problems. In the process, she accidentally hacks her way into the Warcross international tournament and makes the news worldwide. After this display of talent in hacking into one of the world’s most secure systems, Emika is invited by Hideo Tanaka himself to visit his headquarters in Japan. He offers her a ten million dollar reward to discover the identity of a hacker, nicknamed Zero, who he believes is a threat to the entire NeuroLink system. Emika has to use her hacking abilities, wit, and deception skills in order to remain undercover and thwart Zero.

The creation of this science fiction world is a shift away from the dystopian works that most know Marie Lu for, specifically her work in the Legend series. In this story, Lu showcases her writing and world building abilities by creating a world that many video game players dream of. The book’s plot is enticing outside of the new society that the reader gets to experience. While the betrayals and spy work that the reader gets to experience is captivating, the addition of a romance seems cliche in the midst of the situation that Emika finds herself in. It is well written, but Emika has been a powerful and independent person for most of her life. Her troubled childhood ensured it. Her interest in a powerful man takes away from that aspect of her character in a way. Overall, this hardly takes away from the book, and some readers, particularly those interested in romance, will enjoy the addition.

4 stars.

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater. Reviewed by Mia V.

Call Down The Hawk, the first book in the Dreamer Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater, is a spin-off from the Raven Cycle series, following Ronan Lynch. The original Raven gang has all been split apart due to college, with Adam studying at Harvard, Gansey and Blue taking a gap year to travel and Ronan going off on his own. In the second book of the Raven Cycle, we find out that Ronan can pull objects and creatures (such as his pet raven, Chainsaw) out of his dreams. This power is incredibly rare and powerful, which makes Ronan vulnerable to being killed by those who don’t approve of his power or captured in order to make use of this power.

In Call Down The Hawk, however, Ronan’s power seems to be acting strange. Ronan feels as if he is dying if he is not near the ley lines, or the Barn at all times. Ronan also finds he is being hunted again, as threats loom from all different directions. Ronan meets other people with similar dreaming issues as himself, such as Jordan Henessey, who battles her own fears and nightmares which manifest themselves in real life due to her powers. As Ronan runs from those who want him dead, he also tries to help Hennessey deal with her own issues with her power. Call Down The Hawk takes a break from the search for Glendower and instead dives deeper into Ronan’s power and his own personal struggles both with himself and with his family.

I would definitely recommend this book. I would especially recommend it to someone who has read the Raven Cycle and has loved Ronan. Ronan was one of my favorite characters in the Raven Cycle, so I was very excited when Maggie Steifvater’s new Dreamer Trilogy was released and was set to focus more on Ronan. Although I was expecting the book to take a different direction, I still found the plot interesting and exciting.

4 stars.

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in August

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Two more weeks to complete your Summer Adventure challenges and receive entries into our BIG PRIZE RAFFLE! How’s your summer adventure going?

Riverside Reptiles

Thursday, August 4, 2022, 3:00 – 4:00pm

Want to meet live animals? Join one of our educators from Riverside Reptiles Education Center as they introduce you to exotic animals through a hands-on learning experience. Get ready! It’s sure to be one scaly ride! This program is intended for families with children.  Registration is required. Small children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Drawing for Teens: Manga

Tuesday, August 9, 2022, 3:00 – 4:30pm

Artist, Robin McCahill from Artsplace, will show you how to make your drawings spring into action! For teens in grades 5-12. Registration is required.

Paint Night

Monday, August 15, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Learn how to paint a real work of art! Follow instructor Pamela Halligan of Pam’s Picassos as she walks you through the steps of creating your own masterpiece and you will create a beautiful completed painting.  Please note this program is intended for adults. Registration is required. 

Loft Knitters

Wednesday, August 17, 2022, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Our monthly knitting group. Come socialize, learn, share your techniques with other knitters.  All levels of adult knitters’ welcome, please bring your own yarn and knitting needles. Registration is required.

Murder by the Book Mystery Book Club: The Devil in the White City

ONLINE Thursday, August 18, 2022, 1:00pm – 2:30pm

Do you like to read and talk about mysteries? Then join us for monthly book discussions, fresh perspectives, new authors and a friendly atmosphere! We are meeting virtually via Zoom for the present.  This month we will discuss The Devil in the White City : Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson. Register to receive a Zoom link on the day of the program.