August is National Romance Month and Read-a-Romance Month

romance

August is National Romance month and Read-a-Romance month and the Cheshire Library has a wonderful collection of romance titles for  you to enjoy – from books to movies!

There is a separate romance section of mass market paperbacks on the main level of the library, located near the front windows.  There you can find many genres of romance including contemporary, suspense, paranormal, inspirational, and historical.  There’s quite a variety so come on in and browse the collection.  You’re sure to find a title or two that appeals to you.

You can also browse this blog for posts on romance titles.  Just type Romance in the box under Search All Posts and it will give you a list of all the posts related to romance.  One of my favorites is Today’s Romance Novels.

Read-A-Romance blog celebrates the month in a big way.  Each day of August, authors will be posting something on the blog.  Below is a calendar listing the authors for each day.

 

You can also access more information about Read-A-Romance month on their facebook account here.

NPR comes up with a list of their 100 Swoon-Worthy Romances each summer.  You can access the list here.

The Cheshire Library also has a nice selection of romantic movies for you to enjoy.  A few are listed below:

Romantic Movies

Officer and a Gentleman

Pretty Woman

Bonnie and Clyde

Love Actually

Chocolat

Life Is Beautiful

A Walk To Remember

Notting Hill

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Casablanca

Hope you enjoy the rest of your summer with these romantic selections!

 

 

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in August

The dog days of summer are upon us. Beat the heat and maybe even learn something new with our August lineup of programs!

Storytime at Cheshire Park

Wednesday Aug 5, 12, 19 2015, 11:30 AM  –  12:30 PM

Meet us at the Cheshire Park this summer for a special program in the park! Bring your lunch and we will read stories and have fun with our parachute. Look for our Cheshire Public Library banner. If it’s raining, we will see you on the next sunny Wednesday! All ages welcomed, but stories will be best for kids ages 3 and up. Drop-in, no registration required.

Builders Brigade

Wednesday Aug 12 and 26 2015, 4:00 PM

Kids have the opportunity to use their best creativity to design buildings, creatures, and more using LEGO and Mega Bloks. They can work alone, or in a team with peers. A different theme is picked for each session and kids can build on that theme or build a creation of their own. At the end of each session, we will put photos of all projects on display on our Builders Brigade Blog! Children ages 7 and under must be accompanied by an adult.   No registration required.

 

S.T.E.A.M. Punks

Friday Aug 14, 2015, 3:00 –  4:30 PM

This program will feature a variety of STEAM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math): mainly robotics, circuits & simple electronics, food science, zendoodle, tool box jewelry… you name it- you’ll just have to show up to find out what we’ll be doing! For grades 6 through 12- no registration required. The more the merrier- bring your friends, learn some cool stuff, and have a ball at the library!

 

Music For Kids

Monday Aug 17, 2015, 4:00 PM

Join Buzz Gordo (aka Gary Mezzi) & Tom Smith at a music program just for for kids and their folks.  Buzz strums guitar and ukulele, while Tom keeps a beat that makes it easy for kids to dance around.Throw in some storytelling (Buzz has been a children’s librarian for years) and lots of movement and participation, and kids from 3-10, and maybe even their older siblings, will have a rockin’ time. No registration required.

 

Summer Fab Films: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Wednesday Aug 19, 2015, 6:00  –  8:00 PM

Come enjoy some great box office movies with Summer Fab Film evenings at Cheshire Public Library!  This month we’re showing Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Running Time 2 hours, 1 minute.  Rated PG-13.
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.  Feel free to bring your own snacks!

 

‘Who Was’ Book Club: STAN LEE

Thursday Aug 20, 2015, 4:00  –  5:00 PM

If you love reading books from the ‘Who Was’ series, than this is the book club for you! Our August book is  Who Is Stan Lee?  For all of those super hero fans out there, we’ll talk about the man who launched a comic book empire and have some “super” fun along the way. No registration required – all fans of the series are welcome!

 

Summerreading croppedSummer Reading Finale at ARTSPLACE

Monday Aug 24, 2015, 6:00 PM

Join us for our Summer Reading Finale hosted at Artsplace, 1220 Waterbury Road in Cheshire.  Express your inner artist and learn new art techniques with Artsplace artists, play with art robots, and use our green screen to make funny pictures and videos.  Light refreshments will be served during our Summer Reading Raffle. All Ages, no registration required.

PLEASE NOTE:  this program is not at the library.  It is located at Artsplace: 1220 Waterbury Road in Cheshire. CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS.

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Apps in the Afternoon

Wednesday Aug 26, 2015, 2:00  –  3:00 PM

Beat the summer heat with an interactive hour of apps! Bring your smartphone or tablet, and share your favorite apps while discovering new fun and practical downloads. Please register on our website.

12.jpgTech Open House

Thursday Aug 27, 2015,  1:30  –  2:30 PM

Do you have questions about your computer, smartphone, or iPad? Do you need help navigating Facebook or downloading an ebook? Let our tech gurus help! Bring your technology-related questions and curiosities to Cheshire Public Library’s Tech Open House. Our knowledgeable staff will be available to answer your questions and solve your technology-related problems. No registration required.
NOTE: If you are coming for assistance with your own electronic device, please be sure it 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.

 

Leather Craft Class

Thursday Aug 27, 2015, 6:00  –  8:00 PM

Please join Vanessa Fasanella as she teaches how to make a wallet or bracelet, or other project of your choice, out of high quality leather in this adult crafting class . This adult only class is free and all materials will be provided.  Space is limited, so please register on our website or call 203-272-2245 ext. 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picturebooks about Animals in Libraries

My daughter is animal mad. She loves anything and everything animal related. Animal print clothes, pretending to be a wolf cub, watching Wild Kratts, and so on. I am a librarian, and so it follows that I love all things book related. I love the feel of books, the smell, and of course the reading experience. This inspired me to combine our passions and look at picture books about animals in the library. There is an unexpectedly large number of picture books featuring critters of some nature spending some quality time at their local library.

1. Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter

2. Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

3. The Fox in the Library by Lorenz Pauli

4. Can I Bring Woolly to the Library, Ms. Reeder? by Lois G. Grambling

5. Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen

6. There’s a Dragon in the Library by Dianne de Las Casas

7. Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

8. Dinosaur vs. the Library by Bob Shea

9. No T. Rex in the Library by Toni Buzzeo

 10. Homer, the Library Cat by Reeve Lindbergh

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You might want to look at A Library Book for Bear by Bonny Becker, Library Mouse: a Friend’s Tale by Daniel Kirk, Our Library by Eve Bunting, Library Mouse: Home Sweet Home by Daniel Kirk, Dewey’s Christmas at the Library by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter, Quiet! there’s a Canary in the Library by Don Freeman, and Llama in the Library by Johanna Hurwitz as well.

Author Jill Shalvis Never Disappoints!

bored face

I read a lot of contemporary romance books, although lately, I haven’t been reading much.  The books seem to carry the same theme and they were all starting to sound alike.   I’ve even passed on some new books by a few of my favorite authors.  But then one of my most favorite authors came out with a new series and I gave her new book a shot.  Nirvana!  I was not disappointed in the least!

second chance summerSecond Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis is the first book in her new series, Cedar Ridge.  Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it’s the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there’s an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile .

The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things his own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing, she has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes, slow dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if he can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second chance .

 

There have been plenty of books about firefighters and rescuers, but somehow (because she’s overflowing with talent?), Ms. Shalvis consistently writes books that are fresh, new, and exciting –  and this one is a real page turner.  From the very first chapter, you are completely engaged in the characters and the location.  Readers can relate to the Kincaid family – it is flawed and struggling with a life that hasn’t been easy.  Ms. Shalvis’ description of the town of Cedar Ridge makes you want to move there.  The story flawlessly moves along enveloping you in lots of romance and laughter, great chemistry between characters, and enticing secondary characters throughout that make you very excited for the next book to come out!

happy face POST NOTE:  On July 25, 2015, Ms. Shalvis was awarded a RITA award at the Romance Writers of America one in a millionconference in New York City for her book, One In A Million, the last book in her Lucky Harbor series.

(RITA Award – The purpose of the RITA award is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas.  The award itself is a golden statuette named after RWA’s first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for excellence in published romance fiction.)

Adult Non Fiction about Librarians and Libraries

libworkI was inspired by the new series of posts about the work that goes on behind the scenes in our library to gather some of the best books about working in a library and the history of libraries to share. If you want to know a little more about life behind the desk, and some history of our little corner of the world and beyond, you might want to take a look at these titles.

I Work at a Public Library: a Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks by Gina Sheridanlibquiet
Collects strange-but-true anecdotes, heartwarming stories, and humorous interactions with patrons from a public librarian.

Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas
An autobiography set in a Southern California public library offers a quirky description of life as a caretaker of modern literature and furnishes an account of the history of libraries from the Gilded Age to the present day.libstrongest

The World’s Strongest Librarian: a Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne
Traces the public librarian author’s inspiring story as a Mormon youth with Tourette’s Syndrome who after a sequence of radical and ineffective treatments overcame nightmarish tics through education, military service and strength training.liboverdue

This Book is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson
In a celebration of libraries and the dedicated people who staff them, the author argues that librarians are more important than ever, and discusses a new breed of visionary professionals who use the Web to link people and information.

libbreedDear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference by Joanne Oppenheim
Provides the story of life in a Japanese internment camp during World War II through the correspondence of the children in the camp to their librarian, Miss Clara Breed, who worked on their behalf to show the injustice of their imprisonment.

Library: an Unquiet History by Matthew Battleslibunquiet
Provides an intriguing historical study of libraries and books, their preservation, and destruction, from the U.S. to Europe and Asia, from medieval monasteries and Vatican collections to the ever-changing information highway of today.

For further reading about the history of libraries and what it can be like on the other side of the counter check out: Running the Books: the Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg, Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don libhistoryBorchert, Dewey: the Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter, The Library: an Illustrated History by Stuart A.P. Murray, Library: the Drama Within photographs by Diane Asséo Griliches ; essay by Daniel J. Boorstin, The Librarian’s Book of Quotes compiled by Tatyana Eckstrand, and Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out edited by Katia Roberto and Jessamyn West.