The Librarian Recommends…

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler

“In his speech, [Abraham Lincoln] warns of two possible threats to the republic. The first is found in the lawless actions of the mob, the second in the inevitable rise someday of an aspiring dictator. The gravest peril will come if the mob and the dictator unite.”

Booth is an immersive and impactful historical fiction work that chronicles the lives of the Booth family — the most notorious member of which was John Wilkes Booth. A slow burning sense of tension and dread permeates the novel right from page one, as the plot follows the entire family, alternating perspectives and interspersing significant moments in Abraham Lincoln’s life (and in the history of the United States) as it moves through time.

This pervasive unease exposes a family rife with issues, secrets, and scandals and serves as a backdrop for the turbulent time period, laying clear groundwork for the inevitable conclusion. The reader learns many fascinating tidbits along the way, from prophetic coincidences to true historical and biographical details — including the interesting fact that four members of the Booth family were famous actors. Highly engrossing and beautifully written, this book is available via OverDrive and the CW MARS catalog.

Liked That? Try This! Read-alikes

If you’ve already read and enjoyed Booth, consider trying Fortune's Fool by Terry Alford (nonfiction; available via OverDrive and the CW MARS catalog) or Fates and Traitors by Jennifer Chiaverini (fiction; available via OverDrive, Hoopla, and the CW MARS catalog).

The Friends of the Shrewsbury Public Library Bookstore is now open! Instead of one annual book sale in October, the bookstore will be open year-round. The bookstore is open from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and is located on the lower level of the library (outside of the Children's department).

Pricing: Adult/Teen hardcovers are $2; adult/teen paperbacks, children's books, and media are $1; special items are as marked. Proceeds go to the Friends of the Shrewsbury Public Library, who provide vital support to the library.

The Shrewsbury Public Library has partnered with Headspace! The Headspace app includes hundreds of meditations along with exercises for sleep, focus, and movement. Shrewsbury residents are eligible to request access to Headspace on a first come, first served basis, typically between the 14th and 28th of the month for the month that follows (i.e., you should sign up between November 14th and November 28th to request a December license). Find out more on our website.

50+ Job Seekers Networking Group 
First and third Wednesdays (November 4 & 16)
9:30–11:30 a.m.
Virtual

If you are over 50, unemployed and actively looking, underemployed, seeking a new career direction, re-entering the job market after a long employment gap, or recently retired and looking for your "Encore Career", this networking group program is perfect for you! Remember, 85% of jobs are found through networking! 

Join us in a professional forum for networking with peers in a safe and comfortable environment conducive to developing new relationships and developing skills and strategies to help in your career transition. Each meeting features a new topic. Meetings include a presentation and hands-on workshop on topics relevant to career transition, guest speakers, access to hiring managers, small group breakout rooms to network, and 1-on-1 coaching guidance. Participating on a regular basis will give job seekers the many tools and strategies needed for a successful job search.  

Each biweekly meeting is facilitated by Deborah Hope, MBA, PCIC, an experienced executive career coach. Deborah is a former Fortune 500 executive, investment banker and entrepreneur and transitioned to executive coaching over 10 years ago. She has coached with Harvard Business School Executive Education programs, the Mass. Conference for Women, and is a Certified Leadership Agility Coach. She has facilitated 50+ Job Seekers Networking Groups for 5 years and is a Licensed Group Leader.  

This month's topics will be:

-November 2: Interview Preparations & Strategy

-November 16: Interview Practice

This program takes place virtually on Zoom; please register to attend separately for each session. 

View the full list of topics on our Facebook event page.

Spanish Conversation Club
Tuesdays in November and December
6:00–7:00 p.m.
At the library

Are you looking for a casual space where you can practice your Spanish and learn more about the multiple cultures of those who speak that language?

 Join our Spanish Conversation Club every Tuesday in November and December at the Shrewsbury Public Library (6:00 p.m. in the Learning Lab on the second floor). No registration required. 

 ¿Buscas un espacio informal en el que puedas practicar tu Español y aprender más de las múltiples culturas que hablan este idioma? Únete a nuestro club de conversación todos los martes de noviembre y diciembre en la biblioteca pública de Shrewsbury a las 6:00 p.m. en el laboratorio. No es necesario registrarse.

Meditation for a More Balanced Life
Thursday, November 3rd
7:00–8:00 p.m.
Virtual
 

People all over the world are tuning into meditation to help them lead a more peaceful and healthy life-style. Scientific studies have proven that the practice of meditation provides a deep relaxation to the body that helps reduce stress and tension.   

Meditation is the key to a more balanced life. Learn a simple and natural method of meditation that will help enhance your life. Please join Ajili Hodari, Esq., long-time meditator for this powerful program.  

Ajili Hodari, Esq. attended Michigan State University as a scholar athlete where he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Advertising. After a career in the printing and publishing industry in the San Francisco Bay area, he received his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1990. He began his practice of law in Columbus, Ohio. He now practices in Seattle, WA and manages his own firm, Hodari Law Office, PLLC. Ajili has spoken about all aspects of meditation in numerous venues throughout the country. 

This event will take place virtually on Zoom; please register to attend.

Get Started with Libby
Thursday, November 3rd
6:00–7:00 p.m.
At the library

Want access to ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more, anytime and anywhere? You can with Libby! Bring your device and join us for a “Get Started with Libby” class in the library’s Learning Lab to get set up and familiar with the Libby app! The first session is scheduled for Thursday, October 13th at 6:00 p.m.

This program is intended for first-time Libby users. If you currently use OverDrive, check out our other program, "Goodbye OverDrive . . . Hello Libby!"

Registration is required; please visit our events calendar and register for your preferred date. 

Human Library®
Saturday, November 5th
9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (drop in before 12:30 p.m.)
At the library

Join the Shrewsbury Public Library for this Human Library® event. The mission of the Human Library® is to create a platform for inclusive and appreciative conversation, presenting community members (Readers) with opportunities to talk to real people (Books) who represent groups in society that face prejudice, stigma, discrimination, or taboo. SPL’s Books include identities such as Multiple Sclerosis / Chronic Pain, Sikh Couple, Nun who became a Doctor, Algerian Muslim Immigrant, Immigrant Navigating Challenges of Autism, Alzheimer's Patient Caregiver, Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), and Wheelchair User, SCI. The Human Library® provides a space where difficult questions are expected, appreciated, and answered, so you can look past stigma and learn about how someone else lives: Unjudge someone.

 View “Human Library Explained in a Minute” on Youtube.

This event will take place in person at the library and will be drop in (no registration required): Readers are welcome to stop by anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to “check out” a Book (speak one-on-one) for half an hour.

Tech Tuesday: Microsoft Word Basics
Tuesday, November 8th
6:00–7:30 p.m.
At the library

Join us from 6:00–7:30 p.m. in the library’s Learning Lab for Tech Tuesdays! Once a month from November through April, we will cover the fundamentals of a technology topic. At the November 8th class, we will be discussing Microsoft Word Basics. Attendees will learn how to open new and existing documents; copy and paste text; format font, paragraphs, and margins; as well as save and print documents. Laptops will be provided.

Space is limited, so registration is required.

Goodbye OverDrive . . . Hello Libby!
Thursday, November 10th
5:30–6:30 p.m.
At the library

Do you currently use OverDrive to access ebooks and audiobooks? Are you worried about making the switch to Libby? Bring your device and join us for a class in the Learning Lab to get help with the transition! 

This program is intended for current OverDrive users. Sessions will be offered monthly through the end of the year.

Registration is required; please visit our events calendar and register for your preferred date. 

Upstander Project Short Films Screening
Wednesday, November 9th
7:00–8:00 p.m.
Virtual

Join the us with  Learning Director, Mishy Lesser, for a virtual screening and discussion of three short films from Upstander Project’s Dawnland film series.

Dear Georgina follows the journey of Georgina Sappier-Richardson, who was removed from her home and Passamaquoddy community by child protection services and never saw her parents again, into an unclear past to better understand herself and her cultural heritage. Bounty reveals the hidden story of scalp-bounties used to exterminate Native people in order to take the land. In the film, Penobscot parents and children resist erasure and commemorate survival by reading and reacting to the government-issued Phips Proclamation. First Light documents the historic actions of the Maine Wabanaki Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as it seeks healing and hope for Native Americans affected by the state’s abuse of power through the child welfare system.

Upstander Project uses storytelling to amplify silenced narratives, develop upstander skills to challenge systemic injustice, and nurture compassionate, courageous relationships that honor the interconnection of all beings and the Earth (https://upstanderproject.org)

Sponsored by the Friends of the Shrewsbury Public Library.

This event will take place virtually on Zoom; please register to attend.

SPL Foundation Distinguished Lecture: Stephen Puleo
Saturday, November 13th
2:00–3:30 p.m.
At the library

In this talk, part of the Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by the SPL Foundation, author, historian, teacher, and public speaker Stephen Puleo will be discussing his most recent book: Voyage of Mercy: The USS Jamestown, the Irish Famine, and the Remarkable Story of America’s First Humanitarian Mission. 

“Puleo has found a new way to tell the story [of the Irish famine] with this well-researched and splendidly written chronicle of the Jamestown, its captain, and an Irish priest who ministered to the starving in Cork city…Mr. Puleo’s tale, despite the hardship to come, surely is a tribute to the better angels of America’s nature, and in that sense, it couldn’t be more timely” (Wall Street Journal).

Stephen Puleo is a former award-winning newspaper reporter and contributor of articles and book reviews to publications and organizations that include American History magazine, Politico, the Boston Globe, and the Bill of Rights Institute. Puleo has taught history at Suffolk University in Boston and at UMass-Boston and has published seven narrative history books.

This will be a hybrid event that will take place at the library, be offered on Zoom, and be livestreamed on Facebook and recorded by the Shrewsbury Media Connection. Mr. Puleo’s books will be available for sale in person; cash or credit cards will be accepted. Registration is required for in-person attendance and Zoom.

Reading Glasses
Thursday, November 17th
7:00–8:30 p.m.
Virtual

The November meeting of Reading Glasses, our book group for adults in their 20s and 30s, will be Thursday, November 17th on Google Meet.

We’ll be discussing West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, about Woodrow Wilson Nickel, who at age 105, takes a road trip across the country to deliver two giraffes. “Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world's first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it's too late” (www.lyndarutledge.com).

New attendees, please email [email protected] to receive a Google Meet invite closer to the date.

Humble Spirit Drum
Saturday, November 19th
11 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
At the library

Enjoy the drum circle of Humble Spirit Drum! All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. 

No registration required. 

Shrewsbury Genealogy Club
Monday, November 28th
7:15–9:15 p.m.
Virtual

Anyone interested in genealogy (or family history) can now join the Shrewsbury Genealogy Club from the comfort of their home! The club will meet on Zoom the fourth Monday of every month starting at 7:15 p.m. 

To register, email the Genealogy Club’s clubmaster, former SPL Assistant Director George Brown, at [email protected].

Stealing Rembrandts
Tuesday, November 29th
7:00–8:00 p.m.
At the library

Rembrandt has been the chief target of art thieves because every adult knows that he is considered perhaps the greatest painter in history and, therefore, his works are highly valuable. His acclaim--and the fact that his works are in every major museum--make him irresistible to thieves looking for a get-rich-quick scheme. However, what becomes of the paintings after they are stolen? What do thieves think they will do with the works when they have them in their hands? Anthony Amore, author of “Stealing Rembrandts,” will explain the answers to these questions based on his years of experience investigating art heists. He will use examples of Rembrandt heists from Massachusetts to illustrate his points.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Shrewsbury Public Library.

This event will take place in person at library, please register to attend.

Shrewsbury Readers
Thursday, December 1st
6:30–7:30 p.m.
At the library

At the December 1st meeting, Shrewsbury Readers, a group about good books and good discussions, will discuss Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, "a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition" (jgrisham.com) and the basis for the Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis film, Christmas with the Kranks.

New members are welcome; please contact Priya Rathnam at 508-841-8537 or [email protected]