A Cover Versus a Story

 Book Review 

The World According to Bob

By James Bowen

3.6/5*

When you look at the cover you think a cute little story. I mean a cat with a scarf? How adorable. However this is a memoir about a man and his cat who survived some dark times and came out the other side. James dealt with drugs which lead to homelessness. He struggled to get on his feet. Bob, the cat, made his life bearable and worth the work. Many people treated him poorly as he worked the streets trying to sell magazines. He worked hard to make a better life for the two of them.

Pictured is one of my companions.

Airy

 Jamestown Philmenia Library 

Jamestown, RI

What you would expect from a library on an island. A great story walk around the building amongst a perfect landscape. The large windows create an open, airy feel to the space. Close to half of the building is dedicated to the children’s section. There is a playroom with windows looking out to a playground right next door. A relatively new building considering it’s in New England. It was opened in 1971 after much fundraising.

Peace Dale Library

 Wakefield, RI

What a great structure! A large portion of the building was being renovated so I was not able to see the entire interior. I hope they took some before pictures of the space. I look forward to seeing the results. The librarian explained the front of the building was the library and the back was a community center. It was originally built in 1891 in a Richardsonian Romanesque style. Over time as most libraries tend to need more space, they took over the entire building. The children’s area is in the basement. It needed to be renovated recently due to a burst pipe. The bronze statue in the front garden is called “The Weaver”. It was created and donated in 1920. https://www.skpl.org/785/Our-Buildings

Wakefield Books

 Wakefield, RI

Bookstore 

I can’t remember the last time I went into a mall and saw a bookstore. Here is my one example. Nicely organized and neat. They start with the bargain books outside the door with mostly fiction towards the front. A good selection of many genres. Seemed to be a good traffic flow for a sunny summer afternoon. I hope the mall can sustain in these times for the benefit of this store specifically. https://wakefieldbooks.com/

Gilford Public Library

 Gilford, NH

I enjoy seeing a different statue than I’ve seen before. Open, airy, welcoming spaces in this library. It has options of sitting by a fireplace or a shady spot outside, continuing a puzzle or enjoying the murals in the children’s section. 

This building was built rather recently in 2008 using a $3 million donation from Dick and Betty Persons. The town had several locations prior; each of which never met the growing population of the town. “ the newest facility does indeed paint a portrait of an intelligent town, but also paints a picture of the tremendous dedication of the numerous individuals who were determined to offer the town a vehicle for information, information that helps create an educated public” https://www.fosters.com/story/news/local/2009/04/12/lots-history-within-gilford-public/51998296007/

Quirky

 Hall Memorial Library 

Northfield, NH

Yes, that’s the first word that came to mind when I wandered about this library. The building has some great details. It was built in 1885 with a donation from Mary Hall Cummings in memory of her husband. There are many cute alcoves to dive into upstairs and downstairs. Some of the spaces have a bit of clutter. The lower level holds the children’s section. I thought a couple of videos would help envision the small nooks. The upstairs has cathedral ceilings and stain glass windows. I had been by the library before but it was closed at the time. Very glad I was able to return and get the full experience. It is said to be one of the finest examples of Queen Anne Architecture. Hallmemoriallibrary.org 

Innisfree Bookshop

 Bookstore 

Meredith, NH

More than a bookstore, it’s a community center. There are posters of local activities on the front windows. There is a wall of games and puzzles to browse. They have a beautiful children’s section. One of the reasons I love the town of Meredith so much is their sculptures around the village. They change yearly which is great. This year they have a sculpture of Louisa May Alcott, best known as the author of Little Women, in front of the bookstore. See below for a picture.

Remarkably Bright Creatures

 Book/Movie Review 

4.3/5*

Shelby Van Pelt

Although I read this book back in 2024, I bring it up now because I just watched the movie. I feel like there were a few changes made from the original story. The movie was worth the wait. I enjoyed Sally Field as the main character. She did a great job. The other main character is Marcellos, the octopus. I would have liked more of his wit in the movie. Poor fella was stuck in an aquarium and missed his former quiet life.

Life and Other Inconveniences

 Book Review 

Kristen Higgins

4.2/5*

The relationship between a grumpy rich grandmother and her strong independent granddaughter is the basis of this book. It took almost the entire story to understand why the title and why the picture on the front. A dog on the cover is what drew me to purchase the book plus I have read some of Higgins other books. I really enjoyed the interactions between all of the characters. The story enfolds with each person understanding the other's reasoning. You hope that it all works out in the end.

Blank Bookshelves

Observation:

 I have seen this in movies. I get that. But a home where the owner puts all of their books backwards, I don’t get. How do they know what books they have? Are they arranged so only the owner knows where books are located? I have to guess that they don’t read. The books are just for aesthetics. It is said to be an interior design craze. A way to declutter a room to make other items the main focus. Sorry but when you have a passion for books, it needs to be a part of your home life. I remember hearing someone say your home should be filled with what you love. I’ve tried to keep that in mind.

Another way to organize your bookcases is by color coding. Since I have several bookcases I decided to try it on one of my own. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be. Most books are not one solid color like I have seen in some examples.  I did the best I could. Now when I choose a book from it I consider what color I have the most of and choose one of those.

During Covid one of my favorite things to do when watching reporters and others discussing something from their homes, was to look at their bookcases. I was interested in which books were facing out. I noticed if they were the author it would be set to be visible to the viewers. They spent some time arranging for the books along with their personal tchotchkes.

The Measure

Book Review 

4.5/5*

 By Nikki Erlick

Everyone 22 years old and older gets a box. Inside is a string that will tell you how long you will live. At first it was a vague time line. After some research the scientists were able to narrow the range down to a specific month that you could expect to live to. Not everyone wanted to know. The world took a twist. Two types of people; long stringers and short were created. There was no love lost between these groups. A great story for a book club discussion.

• Do you want to know how much longer you have to live?
• How will you handle the answer?
• Will you change the way you live, your habits, your job?
• How will this effect the economy?
• Will it effect health care and insurance?
• What changes will be seen on travel and extreme sports?

The Correspondent

 Book Review 

By Virginia Evans

4.2/5*

I found it a different way to tell a story. Listening to letters to and from an older retired female law clerk. She enjoyed writing over talking on the phone so she could consider what she wanted to say. She enjoyed the ability to reread letters from the past. It felt like a legacy to her. 

This woman has been writing to everyone since she was young. It does make you want to pick up some stationary and a nice pen to begin your own letter writing. I listened to the audiobook. I appreciated the change of readers when different people were writing. It made it easier to distinguish between the characters. I’m going to miss the group now that I am finished. 

Fundraiser

 Book Sale FUNDRAISER 

Is a book sale still a profitable fundraiser? It looks like an older customer is the majority of the shoppers. How do readers feel about purchasing someone else’s books?There are people who like the crispness of a new book. There are those who prefer digital. Libraries have been having sales to raise money to assist their library for years. I have found many to add on baked goods, puzzles and other items to improve their sales.

Children’s Books

My Favorites 

The Giving Tree is a sweet story of all the ways the tree can help its favorite boy as he grows up. Is it symbolic for a parent? That is my opinion.

Love You Forever can literally make anyone cry. I only heard it read as a young adult. Love between a mother and child is the topic.

Charlotte’s Web is one of the few I recall from childhood. I was very surprised to see it on a banned book list. It is considered blasphemous due to the talking animals. Seriously? Do these people not realize it’s fiction? 

Please comment on your favorite children’s book. Thanks.

Banned Books

 Hot Topic 

I recently went to a group meeting at a local library. Their series topic was banned books. Each month they discuss one of these books. This month happened to be a book I had read years ago, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I remember it was about a school shooting but didn’t understand why that subject would be banned. It turns out it isn’t about the shooting or bullying, it’s about the date rape. Specifically the use of the word erection. You may feel the word was unnecessary to describe part of the event. Radio stations have word changes to be able to play some songs. Would that change opinions?

There was a deep discussion about bullying and its effects on teenagers. Should they be charged as an adult? The book was written in 2007. With a little bit of research, we see the number of school shootings are up. Considering bullying is nothing new and guns in homes are not new, what is making the difference? So much to talk about with this issue.

Library Renovation

 Center Harbor, NH Library 

This library first built in 1903 is looking to renovate. It is a rather small space using only the upstairs. The plan is to renovate the downstairs in order to double the size. Most libraries of this age have expanded by adding to the back of the building. Often not keeping with the original design due to the cost. Center Harbor has a unique advantage of having the unused room. A fun feature is an old vault that use to be used by town residents. They have added outdoor seating facing Lake Winnipesaukee. Also visible to the winter home of the Mt. Washington cruise ship.

I truly hope that the town and the people approve the new plan to expand their indoor space.