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Television: When You’re Late to the Party. . . .

I’ve written on here before about my propensity for being years late to iconic TV shows. It’s almost always things that have been strongly recommended to me before, and it’s usually something I know is right up my alley, and I always eventually end up watching whatever it is and wondering why I didn’t watch it sooner. But I still keep doing it!

I love Westerns, but it took me 13 years to get around to watching Deadwood. I love modern Westerns and crime shows, but it took me about 5 years to get around to watching Justified. (It should feel quite flattered compared to Deadwood.)

I also love espionage thrillers and crime dramas but until recently had never gotten around to watching either The Americans or The Wire. You see where this is going. . . .

What a Wonderful World: Hot Chocolate Brown

This year, our theme at the library is What A Wonderful World. We’re focusing on a different color for each month, and December’s is hot chocolate brown. To that end, we’re highlighting books at the library with that color (or something close to it) on the cover!

Help Us Spread Christmas Cheer and Raise $10,000 for the Library!

Thanks to two Secret Santas, there will be cheer for you, cheer for me, and cheer for the library this holiday season.

All you have to do is watch Christmas movies and/or do acts of kindness. In exchange, you’ll raise money for our building project and accrue OOPS credit, which you can use for library fines or bank to pay for copies and faxes.

Interested? Read on!

Penelope’s Poetry Parlor: November

Our theme for the library this year is What a Wonderful World, and to that end, we’re focusing on seeing the wonder in our world. Usually, every month at the desk, we have an article available for patrons to read and discuss with Julie, our library director, but this year, we’re handing out poems instead. Our trusty library goose is also helping us pen a monthly column that focuses on some of the gems in our poetry collection.

For November, our poem is James Merrill’s “Periwinkles.” When people list popular 20th century poets, James Merrill likely doesn’t make most lists, though he was certainly well-respected during his lifetime. It’s a shame because, with his keen ear for language, Merrill has an elegant, eloquent style that is well worth visiting. It’s already evident in “Periwinkles,” which was written when Merrill was in his early 20s. His influence also extends beyond what he wrote, for Merrill, who was born into a wealthy, prominent family, used his inheritance to support fellow writers who were not as financially secure. Among other poets who benefited from his generosity is Elizabeth Bishop, whose work is better known today than Merrill’s.

Book Buzz: Historic Scandals, Dancing Visions, Suburban Suspense, WWII Heroes, and Willie Nelson

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For November, we’re looking at an infamous romance in literary history, a thought-provoking YA romance, an unsettling new suspense novel, a nonfiction history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and an audiobook courtesy of the one and only Willie Nelson.

Ben Macintyre’s A Spy Among Friends (2014) and Agent Sonya (2020)

If you’re a long-time blog reader, you know that I can be pretty enthusiastic for some of my favorite authors. So, brace yourselves, gentle readers. I have a new favorite author I want to talk about. 🙂

What a Wonderful World: November

This year, our theme at the library is What A Wonderful World. We’re focusing on a different color for each month, and November’s is peaceful periwinkle. To that end, we’re highlighting books at the library with that color (or something close to it) on the cover!

Penelope’s Poetry Parlor: October

For October, our poem is Sophie Jewett’s “In Harvest.” Born in the first year of the Civil War, Jewett came from a well-to-do family in rural New York State. Her childhood, however, was dominated by a series of devastating losses–first her parents and then her relatives who had taken her and her siblings in after they were orphaned. Eventually, Jewett found her way to the home of a minister and his family. Her friendship with the family provided her with support for her budding poetry career, as well as the means to travel to Europe. Jewett eventually worked as an English professor at Wellesley College, and by her mid-thirties, she was publishing her poetry and translations as well.

Everyone Needs a Little Help from Their Friends!

I’ve often written on here about the importance of Friends of the Library groups, in particularly our own hard-working Friends of the Berryville Library, Inc. And that importance can’t be overstated now, especially since we launched our fundraising campaign for a new library facility six months ago.

We’ve raised an amazing amount of money in that time (nearly $985,000–39% of our goal), and we have continued to grow our Friends membership to a record 175 people.

Movie Review: What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Viago has similar struggles to all of us. He misses the love of his life and has had a difficult time moving on. He wishes his roommates would do their dishes and other agreed-upon household chores. He sometimes has a hard time getting a bite to eat. He’s just trying to find his way in the world, one night at a time.

Oh yes and he and his roommates are centuries-old vampires.

Thanks to Kelli for recommending this delightful movie to me! It was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed watching it. It’s perfect viewing as Halloween approaches.

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