What Happened to Reading for Fun?

October 24, 2016September 28, 2016 / Mary / Leave a comment

Whatever happened to reading for pleasure?

You know, the good old days when we could pick up a book with anticipation, intending to savor it at a later time. Or the excitement of grabbing a book and devouring it in one sitting. A time when we wandered through bookstores and libraries, scanning the shelves, seeking new authors and undiscovered titles.

Reading today seems to be so goal-focused. Must learn to… (fill in the blank). Need to know…(fill in the blank). Are required to… (you know the drill).

When did it become wrong to read for pleasure? When did reading, one of the greatest enjoyments in life, become a chore? I’m not even talking about kids, although I cringe when I see required–not recommended, mind you–reading lists for kids. They have no choice. They read what they are told. There is nothing that kills the joy of reading faster than being told you HAVE to. Adults also fall into this trap.

As adults we seem to have so little time for pleasures such as reading. We now read in spurts to glean a fact or learn something quickly. For it must be quick or we simply believe we don’t have time to do it.

Nowadays, we make book lists with a purpose. How To lists, Learn More About lists, What You Need to Know lists. I have a friend who has a list that is divided into sub-lists. I asked her which one is her pleasure reading list. I got a blank look.

I could post links to articles that tell you how reading is good for your physical and mental health. I could cite studies that detail the benefits of reading for pleasure and how important reading is to your emotional well-being. However, I think there are only a few things we all really need to know.

Read what you love because you love it.

Read without justification or explanation.

Read without guilt.

There are no recommended lists in this post, just a link to the library’s catalog. Browse for your favorite author or search by subject. Find something you want to read and then read it. Simple as that.

(If you really are at a loss for what to read, check out our Reading Resources page on our website. Platforms like our Online Book Club and NoveList can give you some great suggestions!)

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in October

September 28, 2016September 22, 2016 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

From Phantom to Scavenger Hunt to Halloween Fun, our programs have something for everyone this month!

Phantom of the Opera

Saturday Oct 1, 2016, 1:00 – 4:00 PM

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first performance of Phantom of the Opera, the longest running musical on Broadway. Watch a performance of Phantom filmed on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London and starring Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess. No registration required.
Meet the Phantom!
Pose for pictures with the Phantom before and after the show!
Refreshments will be served.

Breaking Bread: Is Gluten-Free For You?

Monday Oct 3, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

You’ve heard all this talk about the gluten-free diet. But what is it? And how do you know if you are one of the 30% of the population who should be on it? Heather Jacobsen, author of GOING GLUTEN-FREE: 7 Surprising Facts You Should Know if You Want to Achieve Dietary Success, will discuss just what the gluten-free diet is all about, and whether or not you might benefit from it. If you suffer from chronic symptoms of one kind or another, you might find some answers in her discussion. Registration required.

Learn How to Self-Manage Your Health

Wednesdays Oct 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 2, 9, 2016, 12:30 – 3:00 PM

Attend a FREE 6-week Live Well workshop and learn skills to understand and take control of your ongoing health condition. Learn better ways of dealing with pain, fatigue, difficult emotions, anxiety and stress. Learn easy exercises to help improve or maintain strength and energy. Learn ways to improve your nutrition, appropriate use of medications, and more. Sponsored by the Western CT Area Agency on Aging, the State of CT Department of Aging, and the CT Department of Public Health. Please register for each workshop online.

Internet Safety Seminar

2 sessions:

Wednesday Oct 5, 2016, 1:30 – 3:00 PM, or
Thursday Oct 6, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Staff from Apex Technology Group will give a presentation on Internet safety, specifically the following topics:

Phishing
Ransomare
Malware
Passwords
Email safety
Good browsing habits

There will be an open forum for Q&A after the session, along with handouts with additional helpful information. Please register online.

Town-Wide Instagram Scavenger Hunt

Saturday Oct 8, 2016, 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Grab your family, friends, and mobile device for the second annual Town-Wide Scavenger Hunt! Form a team and assemble at the Library in the morning, then go all around Cheshire snapping photos of clues and posting them to Instagram. Later, meet back at the library for a party and prizes. Learn a little local history and have a lot of fun! Children and adults of all ages are welcome to participate. Teams must provide their own transportation and smartphone/tablet with data service and Instagram app. Registration required. (Registration opens September 1 and ends Friday, October 7.)

Author Talk: Tracey Medeiros

Wednesday Oct 12, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Join cookbook author Tracey Medeiros for a discussion of her book, The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook, along with a cooking demo. The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook brings home cooks a stellar collection of 150 delicious recipes from the Nutmeg State’s celebrated chefs and the dedicated farmers, fishers, ranchers, foragers, and cheese makers they partner with to create dynamic New American and New England fare. Ms. Medeiros will sign copies of her book at the end of the program. Purchase copies of her book in advance at your local bookstore or online. Registration required.

Tea and Food Pairings

Thursday Oct 13, 2016, 6:00 PM

Step out of the cold and enjoy some hot tea with Unionville’s own Culteavo! Owner Viviana Pinhasi will take you into the complex and fascinating world of teas, focusing on what foods pair best with different types of tea. Culteavo Tea Shop in Unionville is a local gourmet tea shop offering over 100 kinds of loose-leaf tea, including black, green, oolong and white teas, as well as herbal infusions and tea blends. Space is limited for this adult only program, please register early.

Zumba® for Kids

Friday Oct 14, 2016, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Join us for an hour filled with energy and exercise routines created to the latest music, like hip-hop, reggaeton and cumbia. Zumba® also increases focus and self-confidence, boosts metabolism, and improves coordination and balance. For all ages. [Parents and/or caregivers are welcome to participate with their children.] No Registration Required.

Halloween Donuts with Grownups

Saturday Oct 15, 2016, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Enjoy this Halloween-themed Donuts with Grownups. Dress up to get in the spirit! Donuts with Grownups Storytime is designed especially for working families with children ages 2 and up who can’t make it to our weekday storytimes. Enjoy crafts, activities, music, stories, and of course Donuts as a family! Each session will also have a literacy building station to help young ones start building necessary pre-literacy skills or enhance those skills for older children. Dads are highly encouraged to attend! No registration required.

Documentary Screening of Dark Side of the Full Moon

Monday Oct 17, 2016, 6:00 PM

Documentary Screening of Dark Side of the Full Moon (75 min), followed by Q&A Panel. This film about postpartum mood disorders is both informative and a call to action. If you are someone interested or concerned about the well-being of mothers, babies and families, please come. Light Refreshments Available. Please register online.

Halloween Read Aloud with FEA

Wednesday Oct 19, 2016, 3:30 – 4:15 PM

Come and read with the Future Educators of America (FEA) from Dodd Middle School! Dress up to get in the spirit. There will be stories, crafts, and a snack. For ages 3-6. Please register online.

Concert: Belle of the Fall

Saturday Oct 22, 2016, 2:00 PM

Belle of the Fall, an indie-rock vocal duo, will perform at 2:00 pm Saturday October 22 as part of the Cheshire Library’s week-long celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week (Oct. 16-22, 2016). Join us for a family-friendly concert and refreshments! Belle of the Fall is a male/female vocal duo featuring upright bass and guitar. Think Simon and Garfunkel if Art Garfunkel were female! Lots of harmonies and storytelling can be expected. Free and open to the public, No registration required.

Anime Club Halloween Cosplay Extravaganza

Friday Oct 28, 2016, 3:00 – 4:30 PM

Dress up and act like your favorite character: anime or otherwise! Prizes will be awarded and Japanese refreshments will be provided—this is one event you won’t want to miss!! For grades 7—12, No registration required.

Monster Mayhem Storytime

Saturday Oct 29, 2016, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Bring your favorite little monsters to our Monster Maheym Storytime and “let the wild rumpus start!” We will read some monster stories (not too scary) and enjoy some fun activities that will be sure to make you roar. Get ready to show your claws, gnash your teeth and stomp your feet! Costumes are welcome! Best suited for ages 2-6. Registration required.

Halloween Family Fun

Monday Oct 31, 2016, 4:00 PM

Come celebrate Halloween with activities that are fun the whole family. We will have games, spooky science experiments, and treats from 4-5pm, followed by a family dance party. Wear your costume and bring a friend! Best suited for ages 3 and up. Registration required.

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What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in September

August 31, 2016August 18, 2016 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

The kids are back to school, so this month let’s explore some of our programming for adults!

Movie Matinees

Tuesdays, Sep 6, 13, 20, 27 at 1:00 PM

“Back-to-school” is our theme for this month’s movies:

Hand Painted Tissue Paper Collage

Wednesday Sep 7, 2016, 6:30 – 8:15 PM

Artist Carol Ganick will present an educational program about hand painted tissue paper collage, featuring watercolors and abstracted designs. Presented by the Cheshire Art League.

Introduction to Microsoft Word

A 3-part program:

Mondays Sep 12, 19, 23, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM

This introduction to Microsoft Word is divided into three sessions. You will learn basic navigation skills to effectively use the Microsoft Word program; create a simple document; edit text; check spelling errors; format the document; adjust the page layout; preview; print; save; open flies; insert a picture; change font formatting and much more. Registration is required.

Cookbook Club – What’s for Lunch?

Wednesday Sep 14, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Our newest (and most delicious) book club! Here’s how it works (register online):

Check out a cookbook related to our September theme: “What’s For Lunch: Mid-Day Meals Your Kids (and Grownups) Will Eat”. (Visit our Cookbook Club display near the catalog computers in the lobby for cookbook suggestions.) Let’s get out of that PB&J rut and get creative!
Try one or more recipes at home.
Come to Cookbook Club. Wednesday, September 14 at 6:30pm. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Ages 18 and up only. By registering for this program, you acknowledge that you may choose to consume food that has not been prepared in a commercial kitchen.
Share your thoughts (and dishes). Join Library Director Ramona Burkey and other CPL staffers to discuss your cookbook reviews and “all things culinary.” Bring your cookbook, copies of your recipe, a prepared dish to share with the group, and (very important) some take-home containers for leftovers. Bon Appetit!

Adult Knitting Night

Wednesdays, Sep 14 and 28, 6:30 PM

Adult knitters meet at CPL the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. Come socialize, learn, and share your techniques with other knitters. Experience the relaxing and calming effect of knitting. Advanced adult knitters welcome, no supplies or instruction will be given. Please bring your own supplies and talent. This adult program has a required registration.

Drop-in Tech Help

Monday Sep 12, 2016, 12:00 – 2:00 PM

Do you have questions about your computer, smartphone, or iPad? Do you need help navigating Facebook or downloading an ebook? Let our tech staff help! NOTE: Please be sure your device is fully charged beforehand. In the event your question or issue is more involved, we may ask you to schedule an appointment and come back for one-on-one help.

Remembering G. Fox & Co. in the 1950s

Saturday Sep 24, 2016, 2:00 PM

In the 1950s, just about every major city had a landmark department store. In Connecticut, it was G. Fox & Co. in Hartford! This presentation will bring you back in time to Fox’s heyday, as we go from floor to floor and recall the various departments. Please register online.

line-of-kids

Of course, we still have a full roster of children’s programs in September, including our new Little Lambs baby program, Wigglers & Crawlers for pre-walkers, Toddler Time for ages 1-3, Slime Time Storytime for ages 5-7, and Afternoons of Awesome for older kids (8-12). There’s lots more on our Event calendar, check it out!

What’s Trending at Cheshire Public Library

August 6, 2016July 13, 2016 / Linda / Leave a comment

what's trending

It’s not only the newest titles that are popular among our patrons. Here are the top ten older fiction books trending at the library.

The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy.
In 1969 in Kerala, India, Rahel and her twin brother, Estha, struggle to forge a childhood for themselves amid the destruction of their family life, as they discover that the entire world can be transformed in a single moment.

The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt.
Taken in by a wealthy family friend after surviving an accident that killed his mother, thirteen-year-old Theo Decker tries to adjust to life on Park Avenue.

Orphan Train -Christina Baker Kline.
Close to aging out of the foster care system, Molly Ayer takes a position helping an elderly woman named Vivian and discovers that they are more alike than different as she helps Vivian solve a mystery from her past.

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn.
When a woman goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary, her diary reveals hidden turmoil in her marriage, while her husband, desperate to clear himself of suspicion, realizes that something more disturbing than murder may have occurred.

The Girl On The Train – Paula Hawkins.
Obsessively watching a breakfasting couple every day to escape the pain of her losses, Rachel witnesses a shocking event that inextricably entangles her in the lives of strangers.

The Kitchen House – Kathleen Grissom.
Working as an indentured servant alongside slaves on a tobacco plantation, Lavinia, a seven-year-old Irish orphan with no memory of her past, finds her light skin and situation placing her between two very different worlds that test her loyalties.

Big Little Lies – Laine Moriarty.
Follows three mothers, each at a crossroads, and their potential involvement in a riot at a school trivia night that leaves one parent dead in what appears to be a tragic accident, but the evidence shows it might have been premeditated.

The Invention of Wings – Sue Monk Kidd.
Traces more than three decades in the lives of a wealthy Charleston debutante who longs to break free from the strictures of her household and pursue a meaningful life, and the urban slave, Handful, who is placed in her charge as a child before finding courage and a sense of self.

One Plus One – JoJo Moyes.
A single mom trying to raise a bullied stepson and a mathlete daughter finds an unexpected rescue in the form of an obnoxious tech millionaire named Geeky Ed.

Winter Garden – Kristin Hannah.
Reunited when their beloved father falls ill, sisters Meredith and Nina find themselves under the shadow of their disapproving mother, whose painful history is hidden behind her rendition of a Russian fairy tale told to the sisters in childhood.

What’s Happening At Cheshire Library in August

July 29, 2016August 1, 2016 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Our summer programming is at its peak in August, with lots of things going every day! Check our Event Calendar for the full lineup, here are some of the highlights:

Nature Nick Animal Show

Wednesday Aug 3, 2016, 4:30 PM

Let Nature Nick introduce you to the true athletes of the animal world! This show will feature hopping kangaroos and lightening fast falcons! Nature Nick will also read excerpts from his new book entitled Animal Athletes. Registration Required.

Intro to Kids Hip-Hop at United Rhythms Studio

Friday Aug 5, 2016, 1:00 – 2:00 PM

Join us for a special kids introduction to hip-hop workshop at United Rhythms Dance Studio! Meet us at United Rhythms at The Watch Clock Factory at 134 Elm Street in Cheshire. Don’t miss this fun chance to try out your best dance moves! For ages 5 to 12, no registration required.

Movie Matinees

Tuesdays: Aug 9, 16, 23, 30, 2016, 1:00 PM

Our movies all have a sports theme this month:

Aug 2 – Knute Rockne All American (1940)
Aug 16 – Flying Scotsman (2006)
Aug 23 – Miracle (2004)
Aug 30 – McFarland USA (2015)

Introduction to Hatha-Tantra Yoga

Wednesdays: Aug 10 – 31, 2016, 5:00 – 6:00 PM

In this series, participants will experience gentle stretching, basic postures (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), and guided meditation. This slower-paced series is a good place for those looking to begin a yoga practice or to learn more about what yoga is and experience some fundamental practices and philosophy. Suitable for beginners, no prior experience with yoga is necessary. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring your own mat. Accommodations for those who may prefer to practice using a chair are possible. Space is limited – register today!

Massage Guru

Thursday Aug 11, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Come learn the benefits of massage with licensed massage therapist Mary Rossi. Learn how you can reduce stress and anxiety, promote deep sleep and improve circulation in the body and much more! Registration required.

The Cheshire Performing Arts Academy – Creative Movement

Friday Aug 12, 2016, 1:00 – 2:00 PM

Join us for a introductory ballet and creative movement class presented by The Cheshire Performing Arts Academy! Ages 3-4, no registration required.

Managing Stress in a 24/7 World

Thursday Aug 18, 2016, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Does trying to juggle work, family and self-care leave you feeling exhausted and stressed out? Join Nancy Boudreau for an informative seminar on managing stress. During this talk you’ll learn how stress affects your body, strategies for dealing with stress (including meditation) and breath work that will help quiet your mind and calm your nervous system. Registration required.

Beginner Irish Dance Workshop

Friday Aug 19, 2016, 1:00 PM

Join us for a special Irish dance beginner workshop from The Horgan Academy of Irish Dance in Naugatuck and Cheshire. This is a unique opportunity to take a demo class with an award winning studio! Ages 5 to 12, no registration required.

Kid’s Summer Reading Finale @ Cheshire Pool

Wednesday Aug 24, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Join us for our Summer Reading Finale hosted at the Cheshire Pool at Bartlem Park, 520 South Main Street in Cheshire. Enjoy swimming and bring a picnic!!! You will be able to purchase dessert from the Sugar Bakery Cupcake Truck. Have a family picnic and swim during our last program for the summer. All ages welcomed! No registration required.

To The Nines

Thursday Aug 25, 2016, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Author and golf enthusiast Anthony Pioppi will profile notable 9-hole golf courses around the county, including Fenwick Golf Course in Old Saybrook. In addition he will discuss the long gone 9-hole Honey Pot Country Club in Cheshire. Copies of Mr. Pioppi’s book To the Nines will be available for purchase. Registration required.

Adult Summer Reading Finale: Hula Hoop Dance Fitness @ Cheshire Park

Wednesday Aug 31, 2016, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Join Meg Geyser for this upbeat, aerobic workout mixes low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party with a SPIN. We will be using specially designed and easy to use adult sized hula hoops on the waist and off the body to add an extra element of fun and fitness. At the conclusion of this program we will reveal the grand prize winner for the Health is Wealth Adult Summer Reading. Registration required.