Music « Newscolumn

Summer Free Concert at the Library

End of this year’s Summer Reading

Now that Summer Reading is officially over, the staff of the Liberal Memorial Library would like to thank all of our patrons, kids, performers, staff, board members, volunteers, visitors, and passers-by that visited the library over these past two months.

From the kickoff to the closing party, we are ecstatic that you took the time and effort to make it into the library and look forward to seeing everyone again next year for another exciting year of Summer Reading.

Coming Events

Storytimes –

Monday evenings at 5:30 pm
Wednesdays at 10:00 am

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.

Forrest McCurren Live

Enjoy a free concert at Liberal Memorial Library on Wednesday, July 24th at 6pm. Forrest McCurren will perform live with his signature Ozark sound.

The Zen Den

On Thursday Aug.1st at 4pm, watch your art transform and come alive with special glow paint. Looking to spice it up or try something different? This is just the event for you! Round up your crew and let’s paint in the dark!!

Welcome to the “Zen Den” – the ultimate after-school hangout for teens! Dive into crafts, binge-watch movies and anime, and challenge your friends to video game battles in a welcoming space just for you.

LEGO Play Day

Kids, unleash your imagination! On Tuesday, August 6th at 4pm, join us for free-play with LEGO bricks galore!

Library and Lunch

On Tuesday, August 13th at Noon, our book club will meet to discuss “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting” by Clare Pooley. Bring your lunch and join the discussion.

Summer Beach Reads book display

Here are a few of the books in our Summer Beach Reads book display. Come in and check it out.

Beach House Memories
by Mary Alice Monroe

Autumn brings haunting beauty to the sun-soaked dunes on Isle of Palms, where Olivia “Lovie” Rutledge lives in her beloved Primrose Cottage. As the seasons change, Lovie remembers one special summer…

In 1974, America is changing, but Charleston remains eternally the same. When Lovie married aristocratic, businessman Stratton Rutledge, she turned over her fortune and fate to his control. But she refused to relinquish her family’s old seaside cottage, Lovie’s refuge from social expectations and her overbearing husband’s philandering.

Then, in the summer of ‘74, biologist Russell Bennett visits to research the beach’s turtles. Their shared interest brings them together, and soon it blooms into a passionate, profound love—forcing Lovie to face an agonizing decision. Stratton’s influence is far-reaching, and if she dares to dream beyond a summer affair, she risks losing her reputation, her wealth, even her children.

Hello, Summer
by Mary Kay Andrews

Conley Hawkins left her family’s small town newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, in the rearview mirror years ago. Now a star reporter for a big-city paper, Conley is exactly where she wants to be and is about to take a position in Washington, D.C. Or so she thinks.

When the new job goes up in smoke, Conley finds herself right back where she started, working for her sister, who is trying to keep local paper afloat. Then Conley witnesses an accident that ends in the death of a local congressman. The more she digs into the story, the more dangerous it gets. As an old heartbreaker causes trouble and a new flame ignites, it soon looks like their sleepy beach town is the most scandalous hotspot of the summer.

Summer Love
by Nancy Thayer

When four strangers rent bargain-basement rooms in an old hotel near the beach, they embark on the summer of their lives. First there’s Ariel Spencer, who has big dreams of becoming a writer. Her new friend Sheila Murphy is a good Catholic girl from Ohio. Then there’s small-town Missourian Wyatt Smith. The last of the four, Nick Volkov, is looking to make a name for himself. Despite their differences, the four bond over everything that Nantucket has to offer. But venturing out on their own for the first time, with all its adventure and risks, could change the course of their lives.

Twenty-six years after that amazing summer, Ariel, Sheila, Wyatt, and Nick reunite at the hotel where they first met. Life hasn’t exactly worked out the way they had all hoped. Being back together again will mean confronting the past and finding themselves. Meanwhile, the next generation discovers Nantucket: Their children explore the island together, experiencing love and heartbreak and forging lifelong bonds, just as their parents did all those years ago. It’s sure to be one unforgettable reunion.

Music on my mind

Music is a wonderful thing. We all like music at some level, and most of us have a favorite performer or style. Currently at the library we have a bevy of new books focusing in on music that will make for delightful reads during this time of year when the weather keeps us inside for longer periods of time. Let’s talk about three of them today.

The first book is “British Invasion: the crosscurrents of musical influence” by Simon Philo. Prior to the Beatles coming to America in February of 1964 there had only been two British acts to top the pop charts. Within the span of a couple of months the Beatles were accounting for more than half of all album sales in the United States. As with other musical genres that seemingly spring up overnight, once the Beatles had made it, the hunt was on for the next big thing in music. From 1964 to 1965, British acts accounted for half of all hit songs. The British Music Invasion was on. Thanks to the music of the Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, and the Hollies the musical landscape of Rock and Roll was changed forever. This book is a wonderful read for those who enjoy the music from this era and for those who want to learn more about the history of the bands and the songs put into the historical context of the day, both politically and in regards to the music of other musicians of the time.

The second book on my nightstand this past month was “Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s” by Tom Doyle. As the 70s were beginning the Beatles were ending. As one half of the successful songwriting team of Lennon and McCartney and a founding member of the Beatles, everyone was paying attention to what McCartney would do once the Beatles were over. Through many interviews with the author, the up and down times of McCartney throughout the 70s is told. We hear of McCartney’s feuds with former band mates, the history of the band Wings, and most interestingly the struggles of an artist to reinvent himself after being in one of the biggest musical groups of all time. A must read for anyone who loves the music of the Beatles, Wings, or Paul McCartney.

The third book I finished up this past month was “The Universal Tone: bringing my story to light” by Carlos Santana. Santana spent his entire childhood making music and playing in bands with his family and friends before his breakout performance at Woodstock brought him fully into the spotlight. This book is packed full of details about the artist and traces his career from his earliest beginnings playing in his father’s band, to Woodstock, and more recently the recording and release of the 8 time Grammy winning album “Supernatural”. For me the best parts are when he talks about meeting other famous guitarist and the photos of him playing with Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. If you are a fan of Santana this is a must read.

There you have it. Lots of fun new music stuff to read about this winter. Not only do we have quite a few new biographies, but we also have a slew of new movies and audio-cassettes to help pass the time this winter. See you at the library.

Newscolumn