In the stacks, there is a table where readers put books ...



Smythie

The monthly e-newsletter of the Smyth Public Library

August 2020

Volume 14, No.5

|HAPPY TO BE BACK! |

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| |It’s great to see so many of our regulars as well as summer visitors. We appreciate that |

| |close to 100% of our patrons and visitors are wearing masks and being mindful of social |

| |distancing. We are open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 10am-2pm and providing as many |

| |services as possible while keeping everyone safe. Unfortunately, live programs, use of |

| |our meeting room area and interlibrary loan are not happening yet. We are still offering |

| |curbside pickup for those who aren’t quite ready to come inside. As always, you can visit|

| |our website at for access to a great selection of downloadable materials |

| |from Overdrive, Hoopla and Kanopy. And remember, we are just an email or phone call away |

| |at: |

| |Librarian@603-483-8245. |

| | |

|EVEN THE BEST LIBRARIES NEED FRIENDS |

| |

| |

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|The Friends of the Smyth Public Library is an organization that provides financial and volunteer support to the Library through |

|membership and contributions. |

|In the past few years, the Friends have given funds for our telescope, summer music series as well as for programming to the |

|library and passes to area museums. |

|Members have the satisfaction of knowing that your membership and contributions have helped support vital library programs. |

|If you would like to show your support for the Library by joining the Friends, please use the Contact Us form on our website at |

|. |

| |

Events…

Brewing in New Hampshire: An Informal History of Beer in the Granite State

Tuesday, August 18, 2020 - 6:30pm

Glenn Knoblock explores the fascinating history of New Hampshire's beer and ale brewing industry from Colonial days, when it was home- and tavern-based, to today's modern breweries and brew pubs. Unusual and rare photos and advertisements document this changing industry and the state's earliest brewers, including the renowned Frank Jones. A number of lesser-known brewers and breweries that operated in the state are also discussed, including the only brewery owned and operated by a woman before the modern era. Illustrations present evidence of society's changing attitudes towards beer and alcohol consumption over the years. Whether you're a beer connoisseur or a "tea-totaler", this lecture will be enjoyed by adults of all ages.

Glenn Knoblock is an independent scholar and author of fifteen books and over 100 articles. He is also the author and historian on projects relating to Northern New England bridges, New Hampshire cemeteries, and brewing history, and African-American military history. Knoblock has served as the main military contributor to Harvard and Oxford University's landmark African-American Biography Project. He holds a BA in History from Bowling Green State University.

Heidi Deacon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Brewing in New Hampshire

Time: Aug 18, 2020 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting



Meeting ID: 919 2884 0506

Passcode: 542271

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Meeting ID: 919 2884 0506

Passcode: 542271

Find your local number:

Mindfulness Program with Laura Klain

Aug 31, 2020 at 7:00 PM

Mindfulness is a great way to alleviate stress, develop more creativity, and cultivate more peace in your life. The practice can be added to any lifestyle and can be done anywhere. No special equipment or skills needed! Come and learn how to use your breath, mind, and body as tools to help you be more present and peaceful even during times of stress. This hour-long mindfulness workshop and guided meditation will be a *LIVE* zoom event. Wear comfy clothes and get ready for a relaxing and enlightening experience! Laura Klain is a Certified Life Coach Specializing in Mindfulness. She has been practicing meditation for over 20 years and teaching for the last decade.

Join Zoom Meeting



Meeting ID: 847 3202 7908

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,84732027908# US (Chicago)

+16468769923,,84732027908# US (New York)

Dial by your location

        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

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        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

        +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)

        +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID: 847 3202 7908

Find your local number:

Coming in September!!

Candia’s 4th Annual

TRIVIA NIGHT CONTEST

Thursday, September 17, 6:30pm

{See if the Einsteins can finally win}

Outdoor event on the library lawn by the Gazebo

PRIZES to the TOP TEAMS!!

Teams:

1. Up to 6 people. Children under 12 don’t count towards the 6.

2. Must have at least 2 Candia residents

3. For purposes of this contest, all Jesse Remington faculty and students and Moore School teachers are Candia residents.

Get your neighbors, get your friends and smart enemies. We are asking for sign-ups just so we can judge how big the prizes will be. You can show up the night of and still join the fun.

Rain Date on Monday, the 21st

Radio Turns 100: The Golden Age of Entertainment

September 22 @ 6:30 PM 

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Join the library for this virtual event held on Zoom! 

Mike Morin, morning cohost on Frank FM’s four New Hampshire radio stations, has collected short clips from some of the greatest radioentertainers of the past century. His slide and audio presentation is a tribute to radio and includes Milton Berle, Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, Orson Welles, and several memorable Boston radio personalities. Morin, whose own broadcast career is in its 50th year, brings radio history alive. . 

HOW-TO’s

Return!!…

How-To: Whole Grains

September 24 @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

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Did you know that Not all grains are whole grains? Are you eating whole grains? How about Ancient Grains? 15 grain bread, multi-grain or whole wheat bread…which one do you really get the most whole grains from?

This is a fun “how-to” class for you to learn about grains, nutrition facts and label fiction. Also it is the perfect class to test your whole grain knowledge skills, tasting of grains, and how to make and take grain bowl recipes. Join us here at the library for this nutrient-rich “how-to” event! Hosted by Dietician Marilyn Mills and Hannafords Market, come learn new and delicious ways to use all the many varieties of grains available for making your meals wholesome and satisfying. Please call to reserve a spot at this event!

If you have a special talent you’d like to share, please email Heidi

New on our shelves…

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New Fiction...[pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]

The revelators Atkins, Ace

The vanishing sky Binder, L. Annette,

A private cathedral Burke, James Lee

Outsider Castillo, Linda

The physician of London: the second part of the seventeenth-century trilogy of Nicholas Cooke Cowell, Stephanie.

The lions of Fifth Avenue: a novel Davis, Fiona

The guest list: a novel Foley, Lucy

Deadly touch Graham, Heather

The book of lost names Harmel, Kristin

Half Moon Bay: a novel Kellerman, Jonathan

The end of her: a novel Lapena, Shari

Lone jack trail Laukkanen, Owen

The Nemesis manifesto Lustbader, Eric Van

A walk along the beach: a novel Macomber, Debbie

The geometry of holding hands McCall Smith, Alexander

My dark Vanessa Russell, Kate Elizabeth

Beyond the moon Taylor, Catherine

An Irish country cottage Taylor, Patrick

Near dark: a thriller Thor, Brad

The color of air: a novel Tsukiyama, Gail

The Lost and Found Bookshop Wiggs, Susan

Her last flight Williams, Beatriz

Course of all treasons: an Elizabethan spy mystery Wolfe, Suzanne M.

A murder by any name Wolfe, Suzanne M.

New Non-Fiction...

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How happiness happens: finding lasting joy in a world of comparison, disappointment, and unmet expectations Lucado, Max.

Breathe mama breathe: 5-minute mindfulness for busy moms Moralis, Shonda,

The hope of glory: reflections on the last words of Jesus from the cross Meacham, Jon

The complete language of flowers: a definitive and illustrated history

Shoesmyth, Estee,

Call me American: the extraordinary true story of a young Somali immigrant

Iftin, Abdi Nor

Hillbilly elegy: a memoir of a family and culture in crisis Vance, J. D

George Washington, entrepreneur: how our founding father's private business pursuits changed America and the world Berlau, John,

The call of the wild + free: reclaiming wonder in your child's education

Arment, Ainsley,

Finding your career in health care

Fix-it and forget-it lightly: healthy, low-fat recipes for your slow cooker

Good, Phyllis Pellman,

How to draw cool stuff: a drawing guide for teachers and students Holmes, Catherine V.,

The woman warrior: memoirs of a girlhood among ghosts Kingston, Maxine Hong

New Books on CD…

Long range CD (11) Box, C. J

The life and writings of C.S. Lewis Markos, Louis.

A walk along the beach CD (8): a novel Macomber, Debbie

The numbers game: a novel CD (7) Steel, Danielle

Moving day CD (4) Cabot, Meg

The wind boy CD (3) Eliot, Ethel Cook,

Stormbreaker CD (4) Horowitz, Anthony

Operation Trinity CD (3) Riley, Clifford

New Video…

Swift DVD 1257

Jumanji: The next level DVD 1258

Fruitvale Station DVD 1259 R

Fried green tomatoes DVD 255

Frozen II

James and the Giant Peach

I Still Believe DVD 1261 [PG]

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“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin

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Dinosaurs never read.

Now they’re extinct.

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Tip from the front desk

7 Pieces of Reading Advice From History’s Greatest Minds

If there’s one thing that unites philosophers, writers, politicians, and scientists across time and distance, it’s the belief that reading can broaden your worldview and strengthen your intellect better than just about any other activity. When it comes to choosing what to read and how to go about it, however, opinions start to diverge. From Virginia Woolf’s affinity for wandering secondhand bookstores to Theodore Roosevelt’s rejection of a definitive “best books” list, here are seven pieces of reading advice to help you build an impressive to-be-read (TBR) pile.

1. Read books from eras past // Albert Einstein

Keeping up with current events and the latest buzz-worthy book from the bestseller list is no small feat, but Albert Einstein thought it was vital to leave some room for older works, too. Otherwise, you’d be “completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of [your] times,” he wrote in a 1952 journal article.

2. Don’t jump too quickly from book to book // Seneca

Seneca the Younger, a first-century Roman Stoic philosopher and trusted advisor of Emperor Nero, believed that reading too wide a variety in too short a time would keep the teachings from leaving a lasting impression on you. “You must linger among a limited number of master thinkers, and digest their works, if you would derive ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind,” he wrote in a letter to Roman writer Lucilius.

3. Shop at secondhand bookstores // Virginia Woolf

In her essay “Street Haunting,” Virginia Woolf described the merits of shopping in secondhand bookstores, where the works “have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack.” “In this random miscellaneous company,” she wrote, “we may rub against some complete stranger who will, with luck, turn into the best friend we have in the world.”

4. You can skip outdated scientific works, but not old literature // Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Though his novels were immensely popular during his lifetime, 19th-century British novelist and Parliamentarian Edward Bulwer-Lytton is now mainly known for coining the phrase It was a dark and stormy night, the opening line of his 1830 novel Paul Clifford. It’s a little ironic that Bulwer-Lytton’s books aren’t very widely read today, because he himself was a firm believer in the value of reading old literature.

5. Check out authors’ reading lists for book recommendations // Mortimer J. Adler

In his 1940 guide How to Read a Book, American philosopher Mortimer J. Adler talked about the importance of choosing books that other authors consider worth reading. “The great authors were great readers,” he explained, “and one way to understand them is to read the books they read.”

6. Reading so-called guilty pleasures is better than reading nothing // Mary Wollstonecraft

To the 18th-century writer, philosopher, and early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, just about all novels fell into the category of “guilty pleasures” (though she didn’t call them that). Regardless, Wollstonecraft still admitted that even guilty pleasures can help expand your worldview. “Any kind of reading I think better than leaving a blank still a blank, because the mind must receive a degree of enlargement, and obtain a little strength by a slight exertion of its thinking powers,” she wrote. In other words, go forth and enjoy your beach read.

7. You get to make the final decision on how, what, and when to read // Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt might have lived his own life in an exceptionally regimented fashion, but his outlook on reading was surprisingly free-spirited. Apart from being a staunch proponent of finding at least a few minutes to read every single day—and starting young—he thought that most of the details should be left up to the individual.

In short, Roosevelt would probably advise you to see what Seneca, Albert Einstein, Mary Wollstonecraft, and other great minds had to say about reading, and then make your own decisions in the end.

Excerpt by Ellen Gutoskey/May 27, 2020

Heidi Deacon, Director

LOVE TO SHARE A GOOD BOOK?

Outside?

How about sharing your thoughts on a book at the friendly monthly book discussion group?

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Thursday, August 20, 7 p.m.

Outside on library grounds

The Iowa Baseball Confederacy

by W.P. Kinsella

The Iowa Baseball Confederacy tells the story of Gideon Clark, a man on a quest. He is out to prove to the world that the indomitable Chicago Cubs traveled to Iowa in the summer of 1908 for an exhibition game against an amateur league, the Iowa Baseball Confederacy. But a simple game somehow turned into a titanic battle of more than two thousand innings, and Gideon Clark struggles to set the record straight on this infamous game that no one else believes ever happened. E-mail us for a copy

Rosetta Stone

EBSCO is providing free access for NH public libraries to for at home language learning. Access via this link:



Making Your Life Easy:

By going to our website, you can search our entire catalogue for books, CD’s, DVD’s and movies. Once found, you can check to see if what you want is in. If so, just to our website and reserve the book. The next time you come in, it will be waiting for you at the front desk. WITH OUR NEW WEBSITE YOU CAN DO IT WITH YOUR MOBILE DEVICE!

PLUS!! Check out our website updates and Smyth Library’s Public Catalog featuring:

- A new signup button for new library card accounts! Tell your friends and neighbors!

- A crawl of new items.

- “What’s Hot” now covers several choices.

-“Most Popular” titles (a combination of checkouts and reserves are used to determine this list).  

- “More Search Options” includes Medium that lets members search by DVD or Large Print, etc.

More Research Options:

Full text articles from thousands of magazines, journals and national newspapers, plus NoveList. Call or e-mail us and provide your name and your library card number, and we’ll give you the password.

We’re on Facebook! [pic]

Like the Smyth Public Library

Look at our page on Facebook for events and updates about our library!

Downloadable Books!!!!

Ipods and Kindles work and you can

Order right from our website!

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2020 Summer Reading Program

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This summer it’s time to read, learn, and explore the world outside of your typical classroom!  Click here to go to the Smyth Public Library - Summer Reading Program page. 

Each year the Smyth Public Library hosts a Summer Reading Program. Our program asks children of all ages to sign-up and pledge to read a certain number of hours each week; the reading choice is up to the children and can range in length, level of difficulty, and/or genre.

Due to the current state of affairs and in compliance with the stay-at home orders, social distancing measures, and uncertainty of when the library will reopen at full capacity, this year's program has been redesigned. Children are still asked to spend time reading and filling out their time log sheet, but additionally the 2020 Summer Reading Program offers a downloadable guidebook that contains a comprehensive list of at-home activities, crafts, and culinary explorations.

Rather than offer one program each week, this year there are three different program categories. The categories are: Read, Learn, Create; Cooks Corner; and Artist of the Week. Each program category contains different activities and ideas to engage children throughout the summer. It is up to you, at home, to decide which category you wish to pursue on any given week or day. You could explore the world of germs, or dive into the phases of the Moon; learn how to cook up a delicious pizza, or blend the perfect summertime smoothie; create a masterpiece like Jackson Pollock, or compose a photo like Ansel Adams. Whatever you choose, our guide of program categories and their corresponding activities contain mini-lessons, material lists, procedures, suggestions, additional resources, and probing questions.

All those necessary resources are accessible online, and additional databases and virtual activities can be found on our website:  Smyth Public Library - Summer Reading Program.

New books for children…

The tale of three trees: a traditional folktale Hunt, Angela Elwell,

Galileo Fisher, Leonard Everett

The world needs more purple people Bell, Kristen

Magic eye III: visions : a new dimension in art

New books for Juniors…

Almanac 2020

The thrifty guide to Ancient Rome: a handbook for time travelers Stokes, Jonathan W.,

Journey of the pale bear Fletcher, Susan

The unteachables Korman, Gordon

Green Lantern: legacy Lê, Minh,

Queen of the sea Meconis, Dylan,

No fixed address Nielsen-Fernlund Susin,

From the Junior Shelves~

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No Fixed Address

by Susan Neilson

A middle-grade story about family, friendship, and growing up when you're one step away from homelessness.

Twelve-and-three-quarter-year-old Felix Knutsson has a knack for trivia. His favorite game show is Who What Where When; he even named his gerbil after the host. Felix's mom, Astrid, is loving but can't seem to hold on to a job. So when they get evicted from their latest shabby apartment, they have to move into a van. Astrid swears him to secrecy. He can't tell anyone about their living arrangement, not even Dylan and Winnie, his best friends at his new school. If he does, she warns him, he'll be taken away from her and put in foster care.

As their circumstances go from bad to worse, Felix gets a chance to audition for a junior edition of Who What Where When, and he's determined to earn a spot on the show. Winning the cash prize could make everything okay again. But things don't turn out the way he expects. . . . Goodreads

New books for young adults…

The betrothed Cass, Kiera

The glare Harrison, Margot,

All the days past, all the days to come Taylor, Mildred D

From the Young Adult Shelves~

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The Glare

by Margot Harrison 

After ten years of living on an isolated, tech-free ranch with her mother, sixteen-year-old Hedda is going back to the world of the Glare-her word for cell phones, computers, and tablets. Hedda was taught to be afraid of technology, afraid that it would get inside her mind and hurt her. But now she's going to stay with her dad in California, where she was born, and she's finally ready to be normal. She's not going to go "off-kilter," like her mom says she did when she was just a little kid.

Once she arrives, Hedda finally feels like she's in control. She reunites with old friends and connects with her stepmom and half-brother. Never mind the terrifying nightmares and visions that start trickling back-they're not real.

Then Hedda rediscovers the Glare—the real Glare, a first-person shooter game from the dark web that scared her when she was younger. They say if you die thirteen times on level thirteen, you die in real life. But as Hedda starts playing the so-called "death game"—and the game begins spreading among her friends—she realizes the truth behind her nightmares is even more twisted than she could have imagined. And in order to stop the Glare, she'll have to first confront the darkness within herself.

Goodreads

Trivia Time!

Every month we ask a trivia question. If you know the answer, drop it off at the front desk or e-mail it here.

Last month’s question and answer:

Q. In Moby Dick, what was the specie of whale?

A. Sperm whale

This Month’s Trivia Question:

What is the name of Charles Dickens’ last work, which was only half completed at the time of his death?

From the New and Recent Shelves~

We (being I) are always looking for contributors to this reviews section. The editor has a limited range of taste, so any reviews would be more than welcomed. Just e-mail them in reply to this, or to librarian@

Fiction…

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Note: this book was formally known as "The Bourne Nemesis". The author is no longer writing for the Jason Bourne series. This book has then become the first in a new series.

Russian meddling, American fragmentation, and global politics collide in this action-packed, international thriller.

In The Nemesis Manifesto, New York Times best-selling author Eric Van Lustbader, "the master of the smart thriller", delivers an epic and harrowing adventure of the predatory forces that are threatening the very fabric of democracy and kicks off a compelling new series with a singular new hero for our time (Nelson DeMille).

Evan Ryder is a lone wolf, a field agent for a black-ops arm of the DOD, who has survived unspeakable tragedy and dedicated her life to protecting her country. When her fellow agents begin to be systematically eliminated, Evan must unravel the thread that ties them all together...and before her name comes up on the kill list.

The list belongs to a mysterious cabal known only as Nemesis, a hostile entity hell-bent on tearing the United States apart. As Evan tracks them from Washington, DC, to the Caucasus Mountains, from Austria to a fortress in Germany where her own demons reside, she unearths a network of conspirators far more complex than anyone could have imagined. Can Evan uproot them before Nemesis forces bring democracy to its knees?

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The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker returns to her most famous heroine, Mary Todd Lincoln, in this compelling story of love, loss, and sisterhood rich with history and suspense.

In May 1875, Elizabeth Todd Edwards reels from news that her younger sister Mary, former First Lady and widow of President Abraham Lincoln, has attempted suicide. 

Mary’s shocking act followed legal proceedings arranged by her eldest and only surviving son that declared her legally insane. Although they have long been estranged, Elizabeth knows Mary’s tenuous mental health has deteriorated through decades of trauma and loss. Yet is her suicide attempt truly the impulse of a deranged mind, or the desperate act of a sane woman terrified to be committed to an asylum? And—if her sisters can put past grievances aside—is their love powerful enough to save her? 

Maternal Elizabeth, peacemaker Frances, envious Ann, and much adored Emilie had always turned to one another in times of joy and heartache, first as children, and later as young wives and mothers. But when Civil War erupted, the conflict that divided a nation shattered their family. The Todd sisters’s fates were bound to their husbands’ choices as some joined the Lincoln administration, others the Confederate Army.

Now, though discord and tragedy have strained their bonds, Elizabeth knows they must come together as sisters to help Mary in her most desperate hour. Goodreads

Non-fiction…

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I’ll be honest. Although this is a very short book, it still has a lot of filler.

That having been said, it does have some gems. The author contends, for example, that Washington’s education and erudition has been grossly underestimated over the years. He also spends (too little) time on the basic precept of the book, that Washington was an entrepreneur. Surprisingly, he gave short shrift to our first president’s distillery, which, according to other accounts, was the thing that actually gave Washington very positive cash flow.

There are some gems, and this is worth an hour or so to enjoy those and skim the fill.

Ever want to be one of those know-it-all reviewers?

Got a book to recommend?

Want to write a blurb?

Have a child with a favorite book who would like to contribute to the Smythie?

We welcome contributors (less for us to write!), especially children and teens to review and recommend favorite books. Just drop Heidi Deacon an e-mail at librarian@ or “reply” to this and we’ll include it here. It need not be a new book – it can be a golden oldie, a classic, a trashy beach book or whatever you have enjoyed.

I hope you have enjoyed this edition. Comments, suggestions and, of course, reviews are always welcomed.

Rick Mitchell and the library staff

The Smythie is now over 800 subscribers strong!!

But… We may not be for everyone. If you do not want to be on this e-mail list, just reply and tell us to remove your name.

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