President’s Month

February 4, 2020February 3, 2020 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Today’s post is from our Head of Adult Services, Bill:

February marks the birthdays of two of our greatest presidents – George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. CPL will commemorate Presidents Day and the office of the American presidency with the Arthur Hostage Memorial Lectures – two events in late February. These programs are made possible by donations given to the Friends of the Cheshire Public Library in memory of Arthur Hostage.

Join us on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2:00pm for “Simply Lincoln“. Being in the presence of Howard Wright as President Abraham Lincoln is an experience you will not soon forget. Dressed in precise period attire and speaking with a Kentucky accent, Lincoln’s mannerisms, speaking style, and humanity flows over the listener with each moving sentence, witty observance, or eloquent description of a tortuous time that was the Civil War. Authenticated speeches, letters, quotes, and humorous stories have been the foundation from which Howard Wright has crafted his program, giving you a sense of what it was like to have been in the presence of Abraham Lincoln.

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m., Dr. Matthew Warshauer, Professor of History, CCSU, will deliver a talk on “The Changing Nature of the American Presidency“. Dr. Warshauer’s books include, Andrew Jackson and the Politics of Martial Law: Nationalism, Civil Liberties, and Partisanship (2006); Andrew Jackson in Context (2009); Connecticut in the American Civil War: Slavery, Sacrifice and Survival (2011), all of which have received praise from noted historians. Warshauer’s most recent book publication is Inside Connecticut and the Civil War: Essay’s on One State’s Struggles (2014), in which he edited essays authored by CCSU’s Department of History master’s students.

To learn more about the presidency throughout our nation’s history, we suggest checking out the following titles:

BOOKS

Team of Rivals : the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Exploring Lincoln : Great Historians Reappraise Our Greatest President edited by Harold Holzer, Craig L. Symonds, and Frank J. Williams
They Knew Lincoln by John E. Washington
His Excellency : George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis
Accidental Presidents : Eight Men Who Changed America by Jared Cohen
No Ordinary Time : Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt : the Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Impeachment : an American History by Jeffrey A. Engel, Jon Meacham, Timothy Naftali, Peter Baker
When the Center Held : Gerald Ford and the Rescue of the American Presidency by Donald Rumsfeld
President Carter : the White House Years by Stuart E. Eizenstat
The President Will See You Now : My Stories and Lessons from Ronald Reagan’s Final Years by Peggy Grande
Presidential Courage : Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989 by Michael Beschloss
Don’t Know Much About the American Presidents : Everything You Need to Know About the Most Powerful Office on Earth and the Men Who Have Occupied It by Kenneth C. Davis

DOWNLOADABLE AUDIOBOOKS

Founders’ Son : a Life of Abraham Lincoln by Richard Brookhiser
House of Abraham : Lincoln and the Todds, a Family Divided by War by Stephen Berry
The Ascent of George Washington : the Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon by John Ferling
Waking Giant : America in the Age of Jackson by David S. Reynolds
White House Diary by Jimmy Carter

Contenders : America’s Most Original Presidential Candidates by Joe Richman
Great Presidents by Allan Lichtman
American Heritage History of the Presidents by Michael R. Beschloss
Worst. President. Ever.: James Buchanan, the POTUS Rating Game, and the Legacy of the Least of the Lesser Presidents by Robert Strauss
9 Presidents Who Screwed up America: and Four Who Tried to Save Her by Brion McClanahan

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in February

January 28, 2020December 30, 2019 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

February’s a short month, but it’s long on programs here at Cheshire Library. Visit our Event Calendar for the full roster of programs for adults & kids this month – here are some highlights!

Explore New Worlds: Virtual Reality Tours

Monday, February 3, 2020, 6:00 – 7:30pm

Experience virtual reality with the library’s Oculus Quest headsets. Choose from 3 of our own Cheshire-based VR adventures or visit other new places and experiences. The event starts at 6pm, but you will be contacted prior to the event with the exact time of your personal session. Sessions will be in the order of registration.

Drop-in Tech Help

Tuesday, February 4, 1:00 – 2:30pm
Wednesday, February 19, 11:00am – 12:30pm

Do you have questions about your laptop, smartphone, or iPad? Do you need help navigating the internet or downloading an ebook? Bring your technology-related questions and issues to Cheshire Public Library’s Drop-In Tech Help. Our librarians will be available to answer your questions and offer advice. NOTE: Please be sure your device is charged beforehand. Tech help is available on a first come first served basis. Tech help may be limited to 15 minutes per person.

Terrific Tweens – Let’s Make Wishing Bracelets!

Wednesday, February 5, 2020, 4:00 – 4:45pm

Kids in grades 5-8 can drop in and decorate paper beads on one side with crayons, markers or pencils, and then write a wish on the other. Then we’ll roll them up, string them together and wish for good things! No registration required.

Take Your Child to the Library Day

Saturday, February 8, 2020 9:00am – 5:00pm

Celebrate your local library today! Stop by the Children’s Room and go on a scavenger hunt, play with toys, crafts, and more! Cheshire residents of any age can get a library card with a photo ID and proof of address. Non-residents can bring their card from their hometown library and get set up to borrow Cheshire materials. And as always, no card is needed to enjoy the day’s activities!

The Winter-Wonderland Music, Bubble and Comedy Show!

Saturday, February 8, 2020, 10:00 – 10:45am

This movement-focused 45-minute performance by Turtle Dance Music is a musical experience that is designed to engage children through song, movement, stories, projections, and interactive music technology! Best for children ages 2-12 but younger siblings are welcome to attend. Please register in advance for this program.

Sally Rogers concert

Sunday, February 9, 2020, 2:00 – 3:15pm

Join us for a concert of traditional, contemporary and original ballads and songs with acclaimed folk musician and recording artist Sally Rogers. Much of the material Sally performs includes compositions of her own (accompanying herself on guitar and Appalachian dulcimer), many of which are considered classics of the folk and popular genre. No registration required.

Intermediate Mac

Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 11:00am – 12:00pm

Have you purchased a Mac and want to learn more about the applications? In this lecture style class we will go over Calendar, Photos, Finder, Preview and more. To take this class you must have a fundamental understanding of Mac computers. Please bring your fully charged Mac computer and all applicable passwords. Space is limited and registration is required.

Learn to Scan Family Photos

Thursday, February 13, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00pm

Do you have albums and boxes of family photos that you would like to digitize? You can do it for free at the Library! Learn how to use the Scannx Scan Center on the library’s lower level in this short hands-on demonstration. Registration is required.

Author Talk: Dear George, Dear Mary

Thursday, February 13, 2020, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Author Mary Calvi has written a fascinating book called Dear George, Dear Mary: A Novel of George Washington’s First Love. Did unrequited love spark a flame that ignited a cause that became the American Revolution? Dear George, Dear Mary explores George’s relationship with his first love, New York heiress Mary Philipse, the richest belle in Colonial America. Books will be for sale and signing after the presentation. Registration is required.

Simply Lincoln

Saturday, February 22, 2020, 2:00 – 4:00pm

Being in the presence of Howard Wright as President Abraham Lincoln is an experience you will not soon forget. Dressed in precise period attire and speaking with a Kentucky accent, Lincoln’s mannerisms, speaking style, and humanity flows over the listener with each moving sentence, witty observance, or eloquent description of a tortuous time that was the Civil War. Registration is required.

The Hot Flashes concert

Sunday, February 23, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00pm

The Hot Flashes are an exciting and eclectic group fronted by three female vocalists who have made a name for themselves on the New England music scene showcasing their tight vocal harmonies and jazzy acoustic stylings. Join us for a rousing afternoon of bluegrass, folk, vintage country, swing, jazz, and blues tunes…with a few cowgirl and traditional tunes thrown in for good measure! No registration required.

Principles of Organic Gardening

Monday, February 24, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00pm

This talk by Dr. Yonghao Li from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station will explain the basic elements of successful organic gardening including site selection, soil preparation, garden design, irrigation, mulching, fertilization, and disease management. Registration is required.

Trivia Afternoon

Monday, February 24, 2020, 3:00 – 4:30pm

Come by yourself or bring friends. Test your knowledge from general categories including pop culture, current events, history, music, and of course, literature! Registration required for this adult program. When registering please register entire group from one person to a max five people.

The Changing Nature of the American Presidency

Tuesday, February 25, 2020, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Dr. Matthew Warshauer, Professor of History, Central Connecticut State University, will deliver a talk on The Changing Nature of the American Presidency. Dr. Warshauer received his Ph.D. (1997) in American Studies at Saint Louis University and joined the faculty at CCSU that same year. He is the author of several history books. Registration is required.

New England Country Dance

Thursday, February 27, 2020, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Join us for a night of dance! Hosted by Rich Sbardella who has been a dance caller for thirty years. Please wear good shoes for dancing! Registration is required for this adult program.

Color Yourself Calm & Watch a Movie

Saturday, February 29, 2020, 2:00 – 3:30pm

Back by popular demand! De-Stress from your busy life and color. In addition to coloring we will be watching New in Town (2009, rated PG) starring Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. All supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. Registration required for this adult program.

Books to Cozy Up With This Winter

January 21, 2020November 22, 2019 / Louise / Leave a comment

What, I ask you, is better that curling up inside with good book when it’s cold and blustery outside? So grab a blanket and a hot beverage, throw another log on the fire, and grab a couple of library books to cozy up with during the long winter nights ahead.

Here are ten to tempt you:

Beartown by Frederik Backman. People say Beartown is finished. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semifinals.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. Five people, buffeted by life’s difficulties, come together at a rundown estate house in Northern Scotland during a revelatory Winter Solstice.

One Day in December

by Josie Silver. Tells the story of Jack and Laurie, who meet at a bus stop and continue to circle each other’s lives seemingly fated to be together, except not actually managing it, for a ten years.

The Snow Child

by Eowyn Ivey. A childless couple working a farm in the brutal landscape of 1920 Alaska discover a little girl living in the wilderness, with a red fox as a companion, and begin to love the strange, almost-supernatural child as their own.

The Snowman

by Jo Nesbø. In Oslo, after the first snow of the season has fallen, a woman disappears, and a sinister snowman is left in her wake. Detective Harry Hole realizes that this is only one of multiple disappearances, he begins to think a serial killer may be at work.

Shiver

by Maggie Stiefvater. Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Smilla’s Sense of Snow

by Peter Høeg. Isaiah, the son of one of Smilla Jasperson’s neighbors, is found face-down in the snow outside her Copenhagen apartment building. Smilla quickly rejects the official verdict of accidental death when she observes the footprints the boy left in the snow, and starts investigating.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva. After poor reviews about his latest book, writer Charles Dickens is given a one-month ultimatum by his publisher to write a successful, nostalgic Christmas book, a challenge that is complicated by self-doubt and the hardships of an impoverished young woman and her son.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The classic tale chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young ladies in nineteenth-century New England.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. In an alternative world in which every human being is accompanied by an animal familiar, the disappearance of several children prompts Lyra and her bear protector to undertake a journey to the frozen Arctic in pursuit of kidnappers.

Hope in the Hot Zone

January 14, 2020January 6, 2020 / Susan O. / Leave a comment

No, I won’t bore you with flu information. Let’s talk about something more deadly.

There have been a LOT of deadly epidemics throughout history. AIDS/HIV has killed 36 million people since 1981, a virus with a 99.9% fatality rate, though after billions of dollars we’re down to “only” 1.6 million deaths per year, world-wide. The 1918 flu epidemic (the same flu you get a shot for, H1N1) killed 20-50 million people in less than two years. The Black Death, that 1346 wave of flea-borne bubonic plague, killed 200 million. Plague, carried in the US by squirrels and prairie dogs, still kills 100 people a year. Another mega-epidemic was the Plague of Justinian in 541, which coincided with a major volcanic eruption – some believe it was an earlier explosion of the famous Krakatoa – and a year with crazy weather and an abundance of misery, killed 50 million. It’s also believed to have been Bubonic Plague. The plague of Antonine in 165 AD, brought back by Roman soldiers, killed 25 million people and might have been either Measles or Smallpox. The entire population of New England plus New York State is 30 million.

In the case of viruses – HIV, Smallpox, Measles, Flu – those numbers were due to germs released on a population that had little to no immunity. Measles has been around for millennia, but viruses mutate. Mutations are accidents during reproduction – like the first case of left-handedness, or blue eyes. Viruses can reproduce rapidly inside a cell; if they multiply every 20 minutes, and if you expect one accident every 1,000 generations, that’s 1600 mutations every eight hours. Some mutations can render a virus or bacteria weaker. But sometimes, they become more dangerous.

Like Ebola.

I don’t know why, but I’ve read almost every book by anyone who’s worked on Ebola. The Hot Zone is one of my favorites. So of course, along comes Richard Preston and writes another book on the most recent outbreak of Ebola, a disease that, untreated, has a 90% fatality rate, and a 40% rate if treated with supportive care (let’s not forget, Smallpox had a 30% fatality rate. Yeah, maybe before your time, but that’s why there was such a forced vaccine campaign to eradicate it.) Ebola is extremely contagious – just one particle, out of the billions spewed by each victim, can be deadly.

In his new book, Crisis in the Red Zone, Preston begins with the 1976 outbreak, then covers the 2014 outbreak, so you can see just how far medicine has come in those 40 years, from reusing the same needle without sterilizing it to PCR breakdown of the genetic code of Ebola. Six strains have been identified; the new one, Ebola Makona, is four times more deadly, the result of just one mutation swapping one single amino acid.

Why should Ebola bother you? As Preston reiterates time and time again, if the countries where Ebola is endemic cannot handle an outbreak, imagine Ebola getting loose on a subway in New York, by a person who gets off in Grand Central, and then walks to a play on Broadway, even though they’re feeling a bit feverish and coughing. They’ve now infected several thousand people, who will infect several thousand people, who will get on planes and fly around the world, spreading the virus very rapidly, to major cities with crowded airports. The risk is entirely too real, on medical systems not the least bit prepared to handle it – there are barely 400 Level-4 isolation beds in the ENTIRE US. (And yes, in the last epidemic, Ebola DID make it to the US, all the way to Texas, where it killed two people. )

However, there is now hope – ZMapp was the first antibody-driven treatment for Ebola, taking a victim literally in the process of their last breaths to walking around *in one hour*. And yet, two new drugs with the unimaginative names of REGN-EB3 and mAB114 were found to be better – bringing a death rate of 90% to a survival rate of 90%. There has also been the creation of an Ebola vaccine, which is 97% effective. Preston chronicles the moral and ethical dilemma of these developments – you cannot have trials in people because of the fatality rate of the disease, and in giving an unknown treatment to people who already have a 50% chance of living, you may kill them with the “cure”. How do you give informed consent when no one knows what the drug will do? And who do you choose to give a possible cure to?

Read the book. It’s got all the angst of a good murder mystery, the joys of survival, and medical miracles on top. If you live on Earth or do business here, you really need to be aware of these things.

Wash your hands and check out some of these other awesome books on viruses!

Scourge : the once and future threat of smallpox by Jonathan B. Tucker
Flu : the story of the great influenza pandemic of 1918 and the search for the virus that caused it by Gina Kolata
The Great Mortality : an intimate history of the Black Death, the most devastating plague of all time by John Kelly
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

The Great Influenza : the epic story of the deadliest plague in history by John M. Barry
Beating Back the Devil : on the front lines with the disease detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service by Maryn McKenna
Panic in Level 4 : cannibals, killer viruses, and other journeys to the edge of science by Richard Preston
Pandemic : tracking contagions, from cholera to Ebola and beyond by Sonia Shah

The big, BIG list of literary adaptions coming to screens in 2020

January 7, 2020January 3, 2020 / Louise / 1 Comment

There are so many outlets for watching movies and series out there nowadays, the amount of content is a bit overwhelming! With the current glut of original content hitting our big and small screens, it can be a bit of a shot in the dark to find something to watch that’s actually good. Which is why literary adaptations are experiencing a bit of a heyday, movies and TV based on popular books have a built-in fan base from people who’ve read and enjoyed the books, and also introduce the source material to new readers.

Several book-based series are continuing with new seasons this year: season 5 of the Starz series Outlander, (based on The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon), season 3 of BBC series C.B. Strike, (based on Lethal White by Robert Galbraith), and season 2 of the HBO series His Dark Materials, (based on The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman) are all coming to the small screen in 2020.

Beyond that, the list of new movies and television set to be released in the coming year is HUGE. Check out all this book-based programming :

JANUARY

Dolittle (theatrical release based on The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting)
Just Mercy (theatrical release based on the book by Bryan Stevenson)
The Turning (theatrical release based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James)
The Rhythm Section (theatrical release based on the book by Mark Burnell)
The Outsider (HBO series based on the book by Stephen King)

FEBRUARY

The Call of the Wild (theatrical release based on the book by Jack London)
The Invisible Man (theatrical release based on the book by H.G. Wells)
Emma (theatrical release based on the book by Jane Austen)
Good Lord Bird (Showtime series based on the book by James McBride)
All the Bright Places (Netflix movie based on the book by Jennifer Niven)
To All the Boys : PS I Still Love You (Netflix movie based on the book by Jenny Han)
Locke & Key (Netflix series based on the graphic novels by Joe Hill)

MARCH

Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu series based on the book by Celeste Ng)
The Plot Against America (HBO series based on the book by Philip Roth)

APRIL

The Secret Garden (theatrical release based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett)
Fatherhood (theatrical release based on Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love by Matthew Logelin)

MAY

Greyhound (theatrical release based on The Good Shepherd by C. S. Forester.
Woman in the Window (theatrical release based on the book by A.J. Finn)
Personal History of David Copperfield (theatrical release based on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens)
Artemis Fowl (theatrical release based on the book by Eoin Colfer)

AUGUST

The One and Only Ivan (theatrical release based on the book by Katherine Applegate)
Dragon Rider (theatrical release based on the book by Cornelia Funke)

SEPTEMBER

Without Remorse (theatrical release based on the book by Tom Clancy)

OCTOBER

Death on the Nile (theatrical release based on the book by Agatha Christie)
The Witches (theatrical release based on the book by Roald Dahl)

DECEMBER

News of the World (theatrical release based on the book by Paulette Jiles)
Dune (theatrical release based on the book by Frank Herbert)
The Luminaries (BBC2 series based on the book by Eleanor Catton)

There are still more book adaptations expected to premiere in 2020, with release dates yet to be finalized:

Chaos Walking (theatrical release based on The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness)
Enola Holmes (theatrical release based on The Case of the Missing Marquess: an Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer)
Bridgerton (Netflix series based on the books by Julia Quinn)
Shadow and Bone (Netflix series based on Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo)
The Devil All the Time (Netflix movie based on the book by Donald Ray Pollock)
Rebecca (Netflix movie based on the book by Daphne Du Maurier)
Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix movie based on the book by J.D. Vance)
Ratched (Netflix series based on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey)
Firefly Lane (Netflix series based on the book by Kristin Hannah)
The Willoughbys (Netflix movie based on the book by Lois Lowry)
Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu series based on the book by Liane Moriarty)
Normal People (Hulu and BBC series based on the book by Sally Rooney)
I Know This Much is True (HBO series based on the book by Wally Lamb)
Y (FX series based on Y: The Last Man graphic novels by Brian K. Vaughan)

This is not a completely comprehensive list, and is subject to change as the year goes on. What literary adaptations are you most excited to see this year?