Adult Contemporary Book Discussion October

sobczakd

Join us for a live virtual program on Monday, October 18, 2020, at 7:00PM via Zoom video conference as the Adult Contemporary Book Discussion Group discusses: 

The words between us : a novel by Erin Bartels
Also available in: e-book | e-audiobook

Robin Windsor has spent most of her life under an assumed name, running from her family's ignominious past. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary in her rather unremarkable used bookstore just up the street from the marina in River City, Michigan. But the store is struggling and the past is hot on her heels. When she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the long-lost summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. That book--a first edition Catcher in the Rye--is soon followed by the other books she shared with Peter nearly twenty years ago, with one arriving in the mail each day. But why would Peter be making contact after all these years? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again? With evocative prose that recalls the classic novels we love, Erin Bartels pens a story that shows that words--the ones we say, the ones we read, and the ones we write--have more power than we imagine.

This book is available immediately on Hoopla in e-book format. If you would like to reserve a print copy, please call 734-397-0999 and select option 4.

Registered participants will receive an email two days before the program with a link to attend the discussion. To help you make the most of your virtual program experience we have compiled some tips and resources.

Registration required.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Adult Contemporary Book Discussion: September

sobczakd

Join us for a live virtual program on Monday, September 21, 2020, at 7:00PM via Zoom video conference as the Adult Contemporary Book Discussion Group discusses: 

News of the world : a novel by Paulette Jiles
Also available in: e-book | audiobook

It is 1870 and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence. In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna's parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows. Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act "civilized." Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forging a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land. Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember--strangers who regard her as an unwanted burden. A respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or become--in the eyes of the law--a kidnapper himself. 

This book is available immediately on Hoopla in e-book format. If you would like to reserve a print copy, please call 734-397-0999 and select option 4.

Registered participants will receive an email two days before the program with a link to attend the discussion. To help you make the most of your virtual program experience we have compiled some tips and resources.

Registration required.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Listen Live!

June 15, 2020 | sobczakd

The summer concert season has ended before it began. There's a growing concern that live performances at venues won't be back anytime soon until it's perfectly safe for both fans and performers. Celebrity recording stars like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber broke the news to followers on Twitter that their tours were canceled for 2020. On the local level, festivals and other public events are canceled as well. To fill the void, musicians, recording artists, bands, and symphonies are connecting with their fans at home who are missing the live music experience. Virtual concerts have sparked a new way for musical artists to bond with their fan base. So let's gather and enjoy live music while social distancing safely at home!  Head back to 62 Days of Summer for more ways to participate in the summer program!

Live Concert
  • Billboard's Livestreams & Virtual Concerts to Watch an updated list of live shows from some of today's most famous and not-so famous musical talent.
  • Brian Culbertson's Virtual Hang every Friday night at 8PM, hang out with contemporary jazz artist Brian Culbertson live in studio.  
  • hoopla is one of the best electronic resources the library offers CPL cardholders. We have doubled the monthly checkout limits to 40 and the best thing is...it's instantaneous! No wait times! Multiple CPL cardholders can download the same title at the same time. So check out live recordings from artists and performers across the musical spectrum.
  • Jazz Music Library is a gem of a database available for CPL cardholders. It's the largest collection of streaming jazz, swing, blues and much more from jazz greats of all time. Search live recordings to listen to over a thousand amazing performances.
  • Kerrytown Concert House is Ann Arbor's Listening Room but while concert presentations are paused, you can catch their livestream series, Live @ the 415 to tune into live concerts from local and favorite artists! 
  • Playbill is living up to Broadway's most timeless phrase, the show must go on! Though Playbill is an online magazine for theatergoers, due to the coronavirus, it has expanded its reach to meet demand for live theater and everything related to "the Arts." So nourish your artistic soul with livestreamed song and dance workshops and performances. 

Make a Summer Memory Book

June 15, 2020 | sobczakd

Get creative and transform ordinary paper lunch bags into something collaborative and creative!  A summer memory scrapbook journal made from paper lunch bags is an easy and economical way to keep track of your summer memories. You can collect pictures, stories and other treasures in one place to cherish for many summers to come. This project is for all ages and abilities! Head back to 62 Days of Summer for more ways to participate in the summer program!

Paper Bag Book

Here are the supplies you need to get started on your summer memory book project: 

  • paper lunch bags, craft or gift bags with handles
  • scissors
  • hole punch
  • glue sticks
  • construction paper
  • crayons, glitter pens, markers
  • any kind of colorful ribbon or yarn
  • craft/scrapbooking embellishments

Michaels is one of the largest arts and crafts suppliers in the state. The Ideas That Inspire from the Michaels Design Team are expert crafters who offer DIY tutorials for just about every craft project under the sun. Jo, one of the design team members, created an easy and inspirational how-to video on making a Paper Bag Book.

FeltMagnet is a website created by crafters, quilters, and artists who share their expertise and knowledge for craft enthusiasts looking for high-quality, content-rich crafting inspiration. There's a tutorial for personalizing a Paper Bag Scrapbook. 

Iheartcraftythings is a website created by a busy mom and blogger who writes about arts and crafts projects with her kids. It's bursting with kid-friendly ideas for crafting activities, including for those with sensory and fine motor issues. The how-to page for making a Paper Bag Summer Memory Book For Kids has a supplies list, step-by-step instructions, and photos illustrating every step in the process. 

CreativeBug is a fun and inspirational resource accessible to CPL cardholders. Learn new crafting skills, find projects for every occasion, and watch DIY videos by design experts and artists. A creative craft project is just a click away!

April is Autism Acceptance Month

April 1, 2020 | sobczakd

April is Autism Acceptance Month! Autism is a set of complex, developmental challenges that affect an individual's social skills, communication, relationships and self-regulation. About 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with autism in the United States. Want to learn more? You can contact the Autism Alliance of Michigan. The library has resources to help too! 

Autism spectrum disorder : what every parent needs to know

This accessible and authoritative guide helps parents understand how autism spectrum disorder is defined and diagnosed and offers an overview of the most current behavioral and developmental therapies for children with ASD. Topics include: symptoms, accessing care, services in the community, and the role of complementary and alternative medicine. Parents will also find inspirational and relatable stories from other caretakers, helping them feel less alone. 

Ten things every child with autism wishes you knew by Ellen Notbohm

A child's voice leads into each chapter, offering a one-of-a-kind exploration into how ten core characteristics of autism affect our children's perceptions and reactions to the surrounding physical, sensory and social environments. This revised and updated third edition sharpens the focus on these basic aspects while expanding on how our own perspectives shape the life of our child and ourselves, today, tomorrow, and for years to come. An all-new section illuminates the surprising breadth of our power of choice and outlines potent strategies for strong decision-making in every situation. 

March 23 is National Puppy Day!

March 20, 2020 | sobczakd

National Puppy Day celebrates the unconditional love, affection and joy a puppy can bring to our lives. Statistically, people who have pets in their home lead happier and healthier lives. If you don't own a furbaby, consider adoption at your local animal shelter. Need ideas to celebrate National Puppy Day? Dress up your pet for a fun photoshoot, enjoy the dog park together, make a homemade dog treat, get your dog a new toy, or donate or volunteer to get your dose of puppy love! Here's some books from our pet collection to learn more! 

The golden rules of positive puppy training : everything you need to know for your puppy's first year by Jean Cuvelier

Whether you've had a puppy before, it's been awhile, or you're totally new to having a furry friend, this go-to guide is fun to read, visually adorable, and full of must-have information. Providing easy step-by-step instructions on training methods and how to best care for a puppy, this is an enjoyable read with tons of helpful tips and charming drawings and photographs to prepare you and your new puppy for a wonderful first year together! 

Puppy training in 7 easy steps : everything you need to know to raise the perfect dog by Mark Van Wye

If you're anything like most new puppy parents, it won't take long to realize that your fuzzy little bundle of joy can also bark, chew, jump, and mysteriously get into A LOT of trouble around the house. Don't panic--slowly remove the shoe from your pup's mouth and open this book, because it's time to start successfully training. Puppy Training in 7 Easy Steps is a practical, step-by-step guide to guarantee that your cute and curious friend stays cute. From puppy proofing your home to mastering need-to-know commands, this fool-proof training manual sets you and your canine companion up for a lifetime of positively reinforced obedience and tail-wagging fun!

February 20th is National Love Your Pet Day!

February 13, 2020 | sobczakd

February 20th is National Love Your Pet Day! This day focuses on showing love and appreciation for our pets. Whomever your fur baby is, give them some extra time and attention whether it's a lovely walk (which helps us and our dog stay fit) or a snuggle at home (which lowers our stress levels). Pets provide unconditional love and companionship no matter how big or small, young or old they are. So share the love with your pet on National Love Your Pet Day! Enjoy some of our new books about pets too!

Lessons from Lucy : the simple joys of an old, happy dog by Dave Barry

As Dave Barry turns seventy--not happily--he realizes that his dog, Lucy, is dealing with old age far better than he is. She has more friends, fewer worries, and way more fun. So Dave decides to figure out how Lucy manages to stay so happy, to see if he can make his own life happier by doing the things she does (except for drinking from the toilet). He reconnects with old friends and tries to make new ones--which turns out to be a struggle, because Lucy likes people a lot more than he does. And he gets back in touch with two ridiculous but fun groups from his past: the Lawn Rangers, a group of guys who march in parades pushing lawnmowers and twirling brooms (alcohol is involved), and the Rock Bottom Remainders, the world's oldest and least-talented all-author band. With each new lesson, Dave riffs hilariously on dogs, people, and life in general, while also pondering Deep Questions, such as when it's okay to lie.

The accidental veterinarian : tales from a pet practice by Philipp Schott

With insight and humor, Dr. Philipp Schott shares tales from the unlikely path he took into his career of veterinary science and anecdotes from his successful small-animal clinic. Dr. Schott brings to his writing the benefit of many years of expertise. Wisdom he imparts on readers includes the best way to give your cat a pill, how to prevent your very handy dog from opening a fridge, and how to handle your fish when it has half-swallowed another. Through these and other experiences, Dr. Schott also learned that veterinary medicine is as much, if not more, about the people as it is the animals. And he will have you laughing and crying as you embark on this journey of discovery with him. 

Outbreak: the Race to Stop a Deadly Virus

January 28, 2020 | sobczakd

The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak is dominating the news of late as health experts try to prevent  this deadly virus from becoming an epidemic. So far, there are confirmed cases in the U.S., Australia, Asia and France. Coronavirus is part of a large family of viruses that severely debilitates the respiratory system. Across the U.S. and in China, scientists are racing to create a vaccine. The NIH and WHO recommends the general public heed travel advisories and to seek medical attention if any signs and symptoms appear. Good advice! Want to learn more? Here's some suggestions...

Pandemic : how climate, the environment, and superbugs increase the risk by 1945- Connie Goldsmith

How close are we to having another worldwide health crisis? Epidemiologists predict that another pandemic is coming--one that could kill hundreds of millions of people. Learn about factors that contribute to the spread of disease by examining past pandemics and epidemics. Examine case studies of potential pandemic diseases, and discover how scientists strive to contain and control the spread of disease both locally and globally. See how human activities such as global air travel and the disruption of animal habitats contribute to the risk of a new pandemic. And investigate the challenges we face with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and mutating viruses. Can scientists control the spread of disease and prevent the next pandemic?

The pandemic century : one hundred years of panic, hysteria, and hubris by Mark Honigsbaum

Ever since the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, scientists have dreamed of preventing catastrophic outbreaks of infectious disease. Yet despite a century of medical progress, viral and bacterial disasters continue to take us by surprise, inciting panic and dominating news cycles. From the Spanish flu to the 1924 outbreak of pneumonic plague in Los Angeles to the 1930 "parrot fever" pandemic, through the more recent SARS, Ebola, and Zika epidemics, the last one hundred years have been marked by a succession of unanticipated pandemic alarms.In The Pandemic Century, a lively account of scares both infamous and less known, Mark Honigsbaum combines reportage with the history of science and medical sociology to artfully reconstruct epidemiological mysteries and the ecology of infectious diseases. We meet dedicated disease detectives, obstructive or incompetent public health officials, and brilliant scientists often blinded by their own knowledge of bacteria and viruses. We also see how fear of disease often exacerbates racial, religious, and ethnic tensions--even though, as the epidemiologists Malik Peiris and Yi Guan write, "'nature' remains the greatest bioterrorist threat of all."Like man-eating sharks, predatory pathogens are always present in nature, waiting to strike; when one is seemingly vanquished, others appear in its place. These pandemics remind us of the limits of scientific knowledge, as well as the role that human behavior and technologies play in the emergence and spread of microbial diseases.

January is National Train Your Dog Month!

January 7, 2020 | sobczakd

Did your family recently adopt a new dog? Can he/she follow commands like sit, stay and and roll over? If not, no worries! January is National Train Your Dog Month! Every pup can benefit from proper training. Teaching your dog new tricks is also a fun way to bond with your canine companion. Here are some resources to get you started as you embark on your dog training journey!

The big book of tricks for the best dog ever : a step-by-step guide to 118 amazing tricks & stunts by Larry Kay

Embark on a beautiful and meaningful adventure with your dog! Teaching your dog to do tricks is a guaranteed way for you and your pet to bond more deeply. It will also help you discover more of your dog's real personality - even hidden talents - while instilling you, the trainer, with confidence and connection. And it's never been easier than with The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever, which uses the power of positive reinforcement and illustrated step-by-step instructions to show how you to teach your dog 112 tricks and stunts.

Puppies for dummies by Sarah Hodgson

Across America and beyond, tails are wagging with anticipation. Why? Because puppies and the people who love them are eager for the update of Puppies for Dummies.   Originally released and welcomed as a positive, loving alternative to the alpha dog philosophy of a popular celebrity trainer, Puppies for Dummies is now updated and more relevant than ever. This new edition covers the latest puppy training gadgets, tricks, and tips and offers expanded coverage on the latest training techniques, including new studies on positive reinforcement methods. This edition continues to provide readers with the trusted and proven advice.

Reset Your Routine by Eating Clean!

January 2, 2020 | sobczakd

Happy New Year! Did you make your New Year's resolutions yet? The new year brings new beginnings and the opportunity to press the reset button. Hopefully, getting healthier and eating right will be a long lasting goal! Consider a change in your diet routine by eating clean. Clean eating is one way to improve your health and energy by choosing whole foods in their most natural state. Here some library resources to help you get started or find which diet was rated best by US News!

Hungry girl clean & hungry : easy all-natural recipes for healthy eating in the real world by Lisa Lillien

Complete with full-color photos of every recipe, Hungry Girl Clean & Hungry combines the best of Hungry Girl with the best of clean eating. The food is still guilt-free, and the portions are still huge...but now Lisa Lillien is highlighting CLEAN ingredients and doing away with artificial and processed foods. This book gives mainstream America delicious, satisfying, and clean recipes, using healthy ingredients found in supermarkets everywhere. 

Lose weight by eating : 130 amazing clean-eating recipe makeovers for guilt-free comfort food by Audrey Johns

Lose weight by eating guilt-free, low-calorie, unprocessed versions of all your favorite foods, with this helpful, accessible diet and cookbook--featuring more than 130 clean eating recipes and gorgeous full-color photos. At 275 pounds, Audrey Johns was unhealthy and unhappy--until the day she vowed to give up the "fake food" and taught herself to cook her favorites from scratch. Within eleven months, Audrey mastered the kitchen, began to take better care of herself, and lost more than 150 pounds--over half her body weight. Now, Audrey shares her story, insights, and clean eating recipes to help you slim down. Lose Weight by Eating includes more than 130 mouthwatering recipes for family favorites, including pasta, scones, fried chicken, nachos, meatloaf, and cookies--all bursting with flavor and fewer than 500 calories per serving. Most recipes use simple and inexpensive smart swaps and are full of hidden vegetables that keep you feeling fuller longer, and all are picky-kid-friendly and husband-approved.

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