“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or a duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.” Kate DiCamillo
Reading aloud to children is an excellent way for parents to nurture a love of reading and also help build the necessary skills for success in reading. During February, the Henrietta Hankin Library offers a family program that encourages reading aloud to children ages birth through sixth grade. Participating families can earn a free book as well as a raffle ticket for the awesome grand prize.
Registration is available either onlineor by visiting the Youth Services desk. Each registered family also receives a goodie bag filled with treats to enjoy while cuddling up and reading together!
An absurd take on modern working culture, artfully directed by Boots Riley; In an alternate reality of present-day Oakland, Calif., telemarketer Cassius Green finds himself in a macabre universe after he discovers a magical key that leads to material glory.
This collaboration album between local Philly based musician Kurt Vile and Australian sing-songwriter Courtney Barnett is a meandering, almost conversational album that is great for relaxed listening.
If you love Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, or Burn After Reading then this movie is right up you alley!!! A truly under appreciated comedy gem from the master story tellers: Joel & Ethan Coen. Set in a cartoonishly heightened version of New York City in the 1950’s, this film is packed to the brim with crackling dialogue, hilarious performances, and the kind of trademark camera techniques and cinematography that fans have come to expect from the Coen Brothers.
With no exaggeration or hyperbole, this is hands-down the greatest, most addictive video game that I have EVER. PLAYED. Breath of the Wild offers a level of exploration and freedom of choice beyond anything in the realm open-world gaming to this day. With its soothing landscapes, consistently engaging mechanics, and endless quests, Breath of the Wild will have you hooked from the moment you enter Hyrule.
In this biography (narrator, Robert K. Oermann) and autobiography, famed singer, songwriter, actress and big-hair exemplar Parton recounts her life from truly hard-scrabble beginnings in Tennessee (one of a dozen children) to the plateau on which she now stands, attained through gumption and grit. A case can be made that her talent, longevity and likability make her the preeminent female country artist. There are often hilarious anecdotes and turns of phrase, as when her husband Carl (of 50 years+) asked her after two months of marriage if she’d ever been with another man and she said she wasn’t going to begin the marriage with lie. After all, who was he to deserve an angel? The roster of famous singers, producers and other famous folk with whom Dolly has interacted and speaks about include Connie Smith, Skeeter Davis, Porter Wagoner, Kitty Wells, Willie Nelson, Mac Davis, Emmy lou Harris, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, well, everybody who is anybody in the country music field. Song selections are short and do not slow the narrative.
Jim Garry (Robert Mitchum) heeds invitation from Tate Riling (Robert Preston in his typical good cowpoke gone bad role) to join him and homesteaders seeking redress of specious grievances. It is not long before Jim realizes Tate is using hired guns and a crooked Indian agent to essentially ruin the ranch belonging to John Lufton (Tom Tully). Complications arise when Lufton’s daughter Amy (Barbara Bel Geddes) falls for him while his sister (Phyllis Thaxter) attaches herself to Tate. Former Citizen Kane editor, now director Robert Wise was proving himself adept at westerns as he would with all genres. This 1948 film is now considered western noir, like the previous year’s Pursued, also with Mitchum.
A great cast (Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, and Michelle Yeoh) perfectly combines humor, martial arts, and familial drama in this Marvel movie.
This greatest hits compilation covers the Irish singer’s first eleven years (1986-1997) and four albums. It includes her biggest song, a cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” along with her overseas hits and some rarities. If you like her Prince cover, then check out this compilation to discover some more of her great songs.
Ticket sales are now open for our greatly-anticipated, virtual Novel Tea event on Wednesday, March 9, at 7 p.m. featuring #1 NYT bestselling author, Erik Larson, also known for works such as Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, and The Devil in the White City which is set to be a Hulu limited series. Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts is also currently under option by Tom Hanks, for a feature film.
This will be a LIVE virtual interview with Erik Larson where he discusses his newest book, The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz which is a bestselling 2020 work of narrative nonfiction (and due for release in paperback this February) – recounting Winston Churchill’s first year as prime minister of Great Britain—a year marked by the Nazi bombing of England (the Blitz). Britain’s top naval official, Churchill is chosen as prime minister on May 10, 1940, amid widespread discontent with the current leader, Neville Chamberlain. On Churchill’s first day as prime minister, the Nazis invade Holland and Belgium, portending an anguished war on the continent. Larson uses letters, diaries, archival documents, and other primary sources to reconstruct the day-to-day lives of Churchill, his family, and his inner circle—and in doing so, shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.”
Visit https://bit.ly/LarsonLibrary for more event information, online registration, and ticket sales which opens on Monday, January 24 – March 8. Two ticket options consist of: a $55 Premium Tea Ticket which includes a library branded tea tin, chocolates, a signed novel, a book club discussion kit, and tea to enjoy at home while watching a live interview with Erik Larson. In purchasing a Basic Ticket for $35, you will receive a signed novel, a book club discussion kit, and a link to view the live stream.
Proceeds collected during this Novel Tea fundraiser support your local library within Chester County and we are very excited to be collaborating with Reads & Company Bookshop, in Phoenixville, for this event. Your contribution promotes and celebrates reading and writing, but also raises needed funds for the library to meet the changing needs of the community we serve. Your support helps your local library consistently provide opportunities to read, learn, create, connect, and support individual well-being. In doing so you are strengthening your community! Be sure to join us for an enthralling evening!
Due to the easing of COVID restrictions, the Board of Trustees of the Chester County Library System/Chester County Library will now be hosting their monthly board meeting as a hybrid offering. If you have always wanted to attend a meeting but haven’t had the time, this is your opportunity. Please click on this link at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 18 to join the Chester County Library System Board Meeting virtually; or attend in person at Chester County Library, 450 Exton Square Parkway, PA 19341. The Chester County Library Board Meeting will immediately follow. Find the Chester County Library Board Packet here.
If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend this meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please call Chester County Library’s Administration Office at 610-344-5600 to discuss how we may best accommodate your needs.
Offers a blunt and irreverent guide to achieving the money, relationships, career, and happiness that one desires through recognizing and doing away with self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors.
Dr. Jennifer Ashton is an ob-gyn and news correspondent. But even at the top there’s still room to improve, and with The Self-Care Solution, she upends her life one month at a time, using her own experiences to help you improve your health and enhance your life. Dr. Ashton becomes both researcher and subject as she focuses on twelve separate challenges. Beginning with a new area of focus each month, she guides you through the struggles she faces, the benefits she experiences, and the science behind why each month’s challenge can lead to better health.
Each month, Rubin tackles a different theme as she experiments with concrete, manageable resolutions—and this time, she coaxes her family to try some resolutions, as well. With her signature blend of memoir, science, philosophy, and experimentation, Rubin’s passion for her subject jumps off the page, and reading just a few chapters of this book will inspire readers to find more happiness in their own lives.
Harvard psychologist and TED star Amy Cuddy reveals how to unleash your boldest self to heighten your confidence, influence others, and perform at your peak. Filled with stories of people facing challenges from job interviews to asking someone out; scientific research on how our bodies change our minds; and strategies like power posing, “Presence” is a must-read for anyone yearning to project their true power.
“The Year of Less” documents Cait’s life for twelve months, during which time she bought only consumables: groceries, toiletries, gas for her car. Along the way, she challenged herself to consume less of many other things besides shopping, decluttered her apartment and got rid of 70 percent of her belongings. Blending Cait’s story with inspiring insight and practical guidance, The year of less will leave you questioning what you’re holding on to in your own life — and, quite possibly, lead you to find your own path of less.
Stay Connected with Chescolibraries 