September Events at the Library

Storytimes – 

  • Monday evenings at 5:30 pm
  • Wednesdays at 10:00 am 
  • Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish

Movie Time

On Tuesday, September 19th at 4:30 pm, come to the library and enjoy a movie and free popcorn! A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother, Luigi, trying to save a captured princess.

Teen Otaku Club

Do you love anime and manga and are in middle or high school? Then come to our Teen Otaku Club meeting.

On Wednesday, September 20th at 5 pm, we will meet to watch and discuss anime!

Sign up in advance to get a free sticker at the meeting! Join us for your chance at an anime door prize and fun anime/manga discussion.

Game day

On Thursday, September 21st starting at 4 pm, join us to play video games, board games and card games. This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game!

Mahjong

We are now offering a 10 am Wednesday game session!

Are you interested in learning a new game to play with family and friends? Every Wednesday at 10 am and Friday at 1 pm, we will get together for a fun game of Mahjong here at the library. Think Gin Rummy using tiles! Learn the rules of this traditional Chinese game and play some Mahjong.  No experience necessary. For adults only. 

Books, Coffee & Donuts

On Wednesday, October 4th starting at 9 am, come to the library to chat with our staff over coffee and donuts about new releases and new events happening that month.

Library and Lunch

On Tuesday, October 10th​ at 12pm, our book club will meet to discuss “Home Before Dark” by Riley Sager. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.

Cozy Mysteries

Now that our evenings are starting to cool off, I’m inclined to curl up with a good book and maybe some fresh baked cookies or muffins. 

Come in and check out our Cozy Mysteries book display. Here are a few cozy mysteries to choose from:

Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge
by Spencer Quinn

Mrs. Loretta Plansky, a recent widow in her seventies, is settling into retirement in Florida while dealing with her 98-year-old father. One night Mrs. Plansky is startled awake by a phone call from a voice claiming to be her grandson Will, who desperately needs ten thousand dollars to get out of a jam. Of course, Loretta obliges―after all, what are grandmothers for.

By morning, Mrs. Plansky has lost everything. Law enforcement announces that Loretta’s life savings have vanished, and that it’s hopeless to find the scammers behind the heist. First humiliated, then furious, Loretta Plansky refuses to be just another victim.

In a courageous bid for justice, Mrs. Plansky follows her only clue on a whirlwind adventure to a small village in Romania to get her money and her dignity back―and perhaps find a new lease on life, too.

Six Sweets Under (A True Confections Mystery)
by Sarah Fox

Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.

While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception, local curmudgeon Archie Smith.

Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.

Flop Dead Gorgeous: An Andy Carpenter Mystery
by David Rosenfelt 

Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter remembers every dog that’s come through the Tara Foundation’s doors, but the most well-known alum of the dog rescue organization may be Mamie. Adopted by famous actress Jenny Nichols―Andy’s high school girlfriend―the miniature French poodle is now practically a starlet in her own right.

Andy and his wife, Laurie, have dinner with Jenny while she’s in town filming her next big hit. But after an eventful meal, Jenny’s costar is found dead, a knife in his back. It’s not long before Jenny is arrested for the murder and finds herself in need of Andy’s legal services.

While Mamie becomes reacquainted with Tara, Andy’s golden retriever, Andy digs into the lives of the rich and famous.

A Dark and Stormy Tea (A Tea Shop Mystery)
by Laura Childs

A possible serial killer on the loose sends tea maven Theodosia Browning into a whirlwind of investigation in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

As she approaches St. Philips Graveyard, Theodosia sees two figures locked in a strange embrace. Wiping rain from her eyes, Theodosia realizes she has just witnessed a brutal murder and sees a dark-hooded figure slip away into the fog.

While alerting police, Theodosia recognizes the victim—it is the daughter of her friend, Lois, who owns the Antiquarian Bookshop next door to her own Indigo Tea Shop.

Even though this appears to be the work of a serial killer who is stalking the back alleys of Charleston, Lois begs Theodosia for help. Against the advice of her boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, amateur-sleuth Theodosia launches her own shadow investigation. 

Spring Book Sale at the Library

Storytimes – 

  • Monday evenings at 5:30 pm
  • Wednesdays at 10:00 am 
  • Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
  • Facebook Storytimes in English and Spanish

Books, Coffee & Donuts

On Wednesday, May 3rd starting at 9 am, come to the library to chat with our staff over coffee and donuts about new releases and new events happening that month.

Spring Book Sale and Reception 

Support the library and pick up some good deals at our book sale Tuesday, April 25th – Saturday, April 29th during regular library hours.

  • Tuesday through Thursday – paperbacks will be $0.50 each and all other items will be $1 each.
  • Friday and Saturday – $1 for every bag full of books and $2 for every box full of books.

Funds from the Book Sale go to the Friends of the Library to help support library programs including Baby’s Bookshelf, Budding Bookworms, Summer Reading Program, etc.

Reception

On Monday evening, April 24th from 6 pm – 7:30 pm, there will be an exclusive first pick Book Sale reception for current and new Friends of the Library members only.

Sign up to become a Friend of the Library today. You can renew your membership by paying online with PayPal or in person at the library.

Teen Volunteer Work Day

Teens, there’s still time to get your volunteer hours in. During the month of April, the library will have Teen Volunteer Work Days every Monday starting at 4:30 pm. Volunteer for different creative tasks that will help you achieve your needed volunteer hours.

Kids Bingo

Kids, on Tuesday, April 18th at 4:30 pm, join us for a fun game of Bingo! Snacks and fun prizes will be available!

Teen Otaku Club

Do you love anime and manga and are in middle or high school? Then come to our Teen Otaku Club meeting.

On Wednesday, April 19th at 5 pm we will watch & discuss the anime “Sk8 the Infinity”!

Sign up in advance to get a free sticker at the meeting! Join us for your chance at an anime door prize, snacks, a craft/activity and fun anime/manga discussion.

Game Day

On April 20th, starting at 4:30 pm we’ll have a special “battle the staff” game day. Test your skills against some of the library staff.

This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game!

Mahjong

Do you love to play Mahjong? Are you interested in learning a new game to play with family and friends? Every Friday at 1 pm, we will get together for a fun game of Mahjong here at the library. Learn the rules of this traditional Chinese game and play some Mahjong.  No experience necessary. For adults only. Signup is required.  

Library and Lunch

On Tuesday, May 9th​ at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “ The Last Flight” by Julie Clark. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.

Spring Flowers Book Display

Here are a few books from our Spring Flowers book display.

Death and Daisies: A Magic Garden Mystery
by Amanda Flower

Florist Fiona Knox left behind her gloomy life for a magical garden in Scotland, but a murder on her shop’s opening day spells doom.

The parish minister, Quaid MacCullen, makes it clear that he would be happy to send Fiona back to Tennessee. Then the village’s police chief finds a dead body on the beach, thought to be that of the parish minister. Which makes Fiona a suspect. 

The last thing Fiona wanted to do was play detective again. But now, the rosy future she’d envisioned is going to seed, and if she and Chief Inspector Neil Craig can’t clear her name, her idyllic life will wilt away in Death and Daisies, national bestselling author Amanda Flower’s second enchanting Magic Garden mystery.

The Late Bloomers’ Club
by Louise Miller

Nora, the owner of the Miss Guthrie Diner, is perfectly happy serving up apple cider donuts, coffee, and eggs-any-way-you-like-em to her regulars, and she takes great pleasure in knowing exactly what’s “the usual.” But her life is soon shaken when she discovers she and her free-spirited, younger sister Kit stand to inherit the home and land of the town’s beloved cake lady, Peggy Johnson.

Kit, an aspiring–and broke–filmmaker thinks her problems are solved when she and Nora find out Peggy was in the process of selling the land to a big-box developer before her death. The people of Guthrie are divided–some want the opportunities the development will bring, while others are staunchly against any change–and they aren’t afraid to leave their opinions with their tips.

When a disaster strikes the diner, the community of Guthrie bands together to help her, and Nora discovers that doing the right thing doesn’t always mean giving up your dreams.

The Dandelion Field (A Banister Falls Novel)
by Kathryn Springer

After Raine’s dad walked out, Ginevieve Lightly never lived in one place too long, a rambling lifestyle that defined her daughter’s youth. When their car dies in Banister Falls, Gin promises Raine they can stay until she finishes her senior year of high school. Gin will do anything to make sure her daughter has a bright future . . . a future that’s compromised when Raine reveals she’s pregnant.  

Dan Moretti has only ever called Banister Falls home. After losing his best friend in a tragic accident, Dan devoted himself to responding to fires, rescuing the helpless, and guiding Cody Bennett, his best friend’s son, through life. With Cody being the epitome of the good kid, it was an easy job. Until he says four little words: “The baby is mine.”

As Gin and Dan do the best they can to guide the two teenagers through their early entry into adulthood, they discover together that romance can bloom in the rockiest of situations. And God can turn the pieces of a broken past into a beautiful new beginning.

Events at the Library 

Storytimes – 

  • Monday evenings at 5:30 pm
  • Wednesdays at 10:00 am 
  • Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
  • Facebook Storytimes in English and Spanish
 
 
Closed for Presidents day

Closed for Presidents’ Day

The Library will be closed on Monday, February 20th for Presidents’ Day. We will reopen for normal hours on Tuesday, 21st – 9:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m.

 
 
Pokemon Day 2023

Pokémon Day 2023

All ages are encouraged to participate in this year’s Pokémon Day activities:

All month long, come to the library and vote in our best Pokemon bracket and try out our Pokemon scavenger hunt. 

From the 22nd through the 27th, stop by anytime for grab & go Pokemon craft. 

On Monday, February 27th at 4:30 pm, we will host our first Pokemon Training Camp with games and activities. Go up against other trainers in a series of games that test your knowledge and skill and compete for prizes!

 
 
Feb 2023 Video & Board Game Day

Game Day

On Thursday, February 23rd at 4 pm, come to the library and play video games, board games, and card games. This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game! 

Books, Coffee & Donuts

On Wednesday, March 1st starting at 9 am, come to the library to chat with our staff over coffee and donuts about new releases and new events happening that month.

 
 
Library and Lunch March 2023

Library and Lunch

On Tuesday, March 14th​ at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.

 
 

Teen Otaku Club

Do you love anime and manga and are in middle or high school? Then come to our Teen Otaku Club meeting.

On Wednesday, March 15th at 5 pm we will watch & discuss the anime My Hero Academia!

Sign up in advance to get a free sticker at the meeting! Join us for your chance at an anime door prize, snacks, a craft/activity and fun anime/manga discussion.

What’s New at the Library

Storytimes – 

  • Monday evenings at 5:30 pm
  • Wednesdays at 10:00 am 
  • Saturdays at 11 am in English and 11:30 in Spanish
  • Facebook Storytimes on Thursdays at 11 am

Closed Labor Day

The Library will be closed on Monday, September 5th for Labor Day. We will reopen on Tuesday for our regular hours.

2022 Books, Coffee & Donuts

Books, Coffee & Donuts

On Wednesday, September 7th starting at 9 am, come to the library to chat with our staff over coffee and donuts about new releases and new events happening that month.

Teen Otaku Club

Do you love anime and manga and are in middle or high school? Then come to our Teen Otaku Club meeting.

On Friday, September 9th at 4:30 pm we play games and have anime trivia.

On Wednesday, September 21st at 5 pm we will watch & discuss the anime “Cells at Work”.

Sign up in advance to save your spot. Join us at the meeting for your chance at an anime door prize and fun anime/manga discussion!

Library and Lunch

On Tuesday, September 13th​ at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “The Rosie Project” by Graeme Simsion. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.

Game Day

On Thursday, September 15th at 5 pm, come to the library and play video games, board games, and card games. This event is open to all ages, bring a friend or family member to try out a new game! We will also have occasional tournaments on Mariokart, Super Smash Bros., Just Dance and Tekken for those interested.

Rainbow Room Escape Room

Can you escape the upside down? From Sept 26th to the 30th, we will have an escape room themed after the newest season of a Netflix supernatural thriller. Solve clues and puzzles to open locks and escape the room. The room is timed for 30 minute sessions. Knowledge of the show is not necessary to escape. This FREE experience is open to ages 10 and older for groups of 2 – 5 people. Sign up is required. Sign up will start on September 1st. Please call or visit the library (620-626-0180) to reserve your spot!

Fictionalized Biographies

Have you ever read about a historical character and wondered what their lives were like and what they might have thought or felt?

In fictionalized biographies, the author uses artistic license to create a story about real historical figures and events. 

Here are a few of books in our “Fictionalized Biographies” book display:

Mistress of the Ritz

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
by Allison Pataki

Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweather Post lived an epic life few could imagine.

The confessions of Al Capone

The Confessions of Al Capone
by Loren D. Estleman

In 1944 Al Capone, the most notorious Mob boss in history, has been released from prison. Though Capone is no longer the powerful force who dominated Chicago’s underworld for years, he is still a thorn in the side of J. Edgar Hoover. The Bureau has a good chance of nailing key members who now are active in the wartime black market if they can get Capone to reveal details of crimes he and his Outfit committed.

FBI agent Peter Vasco is perfect for the job. His orders: pose as the priest he wanted to be before he dropped out of seminary, get close to Capone, and get Hoover the information he demands.

Vasco is alternately fascinated and repelled by the things Capone reveals. Al Capone would stop at nothing to take what he wanted, but also fed the poor of Chicago; he rose to the top of Chicago on a tide of bootleg beer and booze, but took the time to ensure that innocent victims of Mob violence got proper medical care.

This is Al Capone as he’s never been seen before, a ruthless crime lord who trafficked in death and corruption…as well as a man of refined tastes who loved his family. A man whose life is waning, and perhaps, a man who is seeking absolution.

Finding Dorothy

Finding Dorothy
by Elizabeth Letts

Hollywood, 1938: As soon as she learns that M-G-M is adapting her late husband’s masterpiece for the screen, seventy-seven-year-old Maud Gage Baum sets about trying to finagle her way onto the set. Nineteen years after Frank’s passing, Maud is the only person who can help the producers stay true to the spirit of the book—because she’s the only one left who knows its secrets.

But the moment she hears Judy Garland rehearsing the first notes of “Over the Rainbow,” Maud recognizes the yearning that defined her own life story. Judy reminds Maud of a young girl she cared for and tried to help in South Dakota, a dreamer who never got her happy ending. Now, with the young actress under pressure from the studio as well as her ambitious stage mother, Maud resolves to protect her—the way she tried so hard to protect the real Dorothy.

Mistress of the Ritz

Mistress of the Ritz
by Melanie Benjamin

Nothing bad can happen at the Ritz; inside its gilded walls every woman looks beautiful, every man appears witty. Favored guests like Ernest Hemingway and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor walk through its doors to be welcomed by Blanche Auzello and her husband, Claude, the hotel’s director. 

Until June 1940, when the German army sweeps into Paris, setting up headquarters at the Ritz. Suddenly Blanche and Claude must navigate a terrifying new reality. One that may destroy the tempestuous marriage between this beautiful, reckless American and her very proper Frenchman. For in order to survive—and strike a blow against their Nazi “guests”—Blanche and Claude must spin a web of deceit that ensnares everything and everyone they cherish.

Back-to-School Time

It’s almost back-to-school time, but we still have some fun events planned before then! Here’s what’s coming up in the next couple weeks at the library:

  • Tuesdays at 11 am, join our Beginning Computer Class. It’s a fun morning of learning how to use a computer!  In English and Spanish. For more information call 626-0180.
  • Let’s Rodeo!: This Wednesday at 3 pm, Poppa D. Clown will show us all the cool things that rodeo cowboys and cowgirls do. Try bareback riding, bull riding rope, barrel racing, and roping.
  • Adult Game Day: This Thursday at 2 pm, relax and play Dominoes or the card game “5 Crowns.” Adults only.
  • Lego Day: Every Thursday at 4:30 pm, use your imagination to build something great with Legos!
  • Every Friday, Play fun board and card Games at 1 pm! Followed by kid-friendly Movies at 2 pm—Popcorn and drinks will be served!
  • Back-to-School Party: This Saturday at 1 pm, play games, make crafts, and get some FREE school supplies!  Space is limited, so register on our website:               http://lmlibrary.libcal.com/event/3470669
  • Beginner’s 3D Printing Workshop: Monday the 21st at 6 pm. Do you have questions about 3D printing? Come to our beginner’s workshop to learn how to use the library’s 3D printer. We will walk through the process of finding a print-ready file online that you can print as is or alter to fit your needs. Sign up online at http://lmlibrary.org/blog/2017/07/25/beginners-3d-printing-workshop-august/ or at the front desk.
  • Recipe Swap: Tuesday the 29th at 6:30 pm. Bring something you’ve made (along with the recipe) to share and enjoy everyone else’s creations!  This month’s theme is “Garden Fresh.”

Since we are soon coming upon the time when kids will head back to school, I thought that I would recommend some good back-to-school books for young children.

 

Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten! By Hyewon Yum – It’s a child’s first day of kindergarten, but who is worried about all the new people and the different things he’ll meet–the child? No! The mother. In a refreshing reversal of roles, the child takes it upon himself to comfort and reassure his mother that everything will be fine, she’ll get used to him going to big-kid school, and yes, he is ready for the first day of kindergarten.

 

Bear’s Big Day by Salina Yoon – It’s Bear’s very first day of school! He wants to be grown up, so he leaves his stuffed bunny Floppy at home along with all his familiar things. But being away from his best friend is hard–and the first day doesn’t turn out quite how like Bear wanted it to. Bear learns that the first day of school might not always be perfect, and being grown up doesn’t have to mean giving up the things he loves.

 

Tool School by Joan Holub, art by James Dean – Five independent little tools, including a hammer, screwdriver, tape measure, saw and pliers, meet on their first day of school, where they make puzzles and play games before discovering that a building project must be completed through cooperative teamwork.