Library News: January 4th, 2024
We'll begin 2024 with a couple of quotes that will resonate with book lovers. First, American country music singer Brad Paisley reminds us: "Tomorrow is the first page of a 365 page book. Write a good one." Author Mortimer Adler wisely wrote: "In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." And finally, about reading, Tomie de Paola, a children's book author, said: "Reading is important, because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.” During 2024, commit to reading. Read by yourself. Read to your children. Encourage your children to read. Today, we're highlighting new two fiction books available at the library.
The Heiress: A Novel by Rachel Hawkins. When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she's North Carolina's richest and most notorious woman. As a child, she was the victim of a famous kidnapping. As an adult, she was widowed four times and ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family's estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. After her death, her estate and a nine-figure fortune as well as the complicated legacy of being a McTavish pass to her adopted son Camden. Suprisingly, Camden doesn't want anything to do with the house, fortune, or the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he settles into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado, marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past. A decade later, Camden and Jules are summoned back to Ashby House when Camden's uncle dies. With its amazing views and elegant rooms, Ashby House is stunning, but coming home reminds Camden why he left so quickly years earlier. Jules, however, has other ideas. The more she learns about Camden’s estranged family and their twisted secrets, the more determine she becomes to ensure her husband claims everything Ruby once intended him to have. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about Ruby, the infamous heiress, come to light. Was there any truth to the rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to her four husbands who all died under mysterious circumstances? Why did she adopt Camden? Jules and Camden soon realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what is written in a will and that family bonds stretch far beyond the grave.
The Frozen River: A Novel by Ariel Lawhon. This book, a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th century midwife and healer, who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history. In 1789 Maine, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine the cause of death of a man found entombed in ice on the frozen Kennebec River. Martha is privy to much of what happens behind closed doors in Hallowell, Maine. In her diary, she records every birth, death, crime, and debacle unfolding in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town's most respected men. One of these men has now been found dead, frozen in the ice. When a local physician undermines her conclusions about how the man died by declaring his death an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Over the course of one winter, she doggedly pursues the truth as the trial nears and whispers and prejudices mount. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.
Upcoming Events:
Support Group for Parents of Challenging Kids, Tuesday, January 9th at 9:00 AM, the 2nd Tuesday of each month. If you are feeling overwhelmed, join others to gain valuable support coping strategies and information about community resources.
College Readiness 2.0, Tuesday, January 23rd at 6PM. An informational session for high school students and their parents/guardians covering post high school opportunities, paying for college, and academic success strategies. Student-only workshops to further explore the many options and strategies will follow on Mondays, February 5-26th. Sessions will be led by Gloria Jurado-Long, who was an academic mentor for the Van Buren Middle College Program for over 10 years.
Preschool Story Hour, Wednesdays 10:15 AM. Stories, music, movement & crafts for ages 0-5 and their parents/caregivers.
Game Night AND Movies & Popcorn, January 31st, the last Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM. We'll have fresh popcorn and a movie during game night! All ages are welcome!
First Thursday Book Club 2023, January 4, 2024, 12 NOON-1 PM. Join others to chat about what you have been reading or to get suggestions from others.
Lego at the Library, Fridays 3:00-4:30 PM. Build & create with our Lego & Duplo collections! All ages are welcome (but parents are responsible for preventing choking risks for small children)! Donations of gently-used Legos will be greatly appreciated!
Tech Time @ the Library, January 6, 13, and 20th from 10 AM to 1 PM. Are you struggling with your phone? Do you have trouble navigating the internet? Do you need help with mel.org, the Libby App or the Marcellus Library Catalog? Drop in the library to ask Justin your IT related questions and learn to navigate your device or our computers!