Postcards from Falmouth Local History Series with Christopher Setterlund

We are delighted to welcome local author Christopher Setterlund for Zoom presentations on two Tuesday evenings, July 20th and July 27th at 7 pm! He will be discussing his book, Historical Restaurants of Cape Cod, on July 20th.  He will also be back the following week, on, July 27th, for a presentation about historical hotels and night spots, from his books Iconic Hotels and Motels of Cape Cod and Cape Cod Nights: Historic Bars, Clubs and Drinks, where he will emphasize historical Falmouth spots including the Dome, Terrace Gables and Brothers Four.

Christopher is a 12th generation Cape Codder –his family is the Doane Family that helped to settle Eastham.  He currently has 6 published books, including several of the “In my Footsteps” Cape and Islands travel books, and he produces a podcast called the “In My Footsteps Podcast” which covers everything from New England history and travel to lifestyle and 1980’s nostalgia. Also, visit Christopher’s page, christophersetterlund.com, for more information about him and his work!

Both events are free and appropriate for adults and teens. Postcards from Falmouth Series is a Falmouth Public Library local history project made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant, and administered through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.  Registration is required before the events, to receive the Zoom link. Please register online for the July 20th event by clicking here, and the July 27th event here, or contact the reference department at 508-457-2555 x 7.

 

A Book Show About Beverages

This morning on The Point with Mindy Todd on WCAI we discussed books that feature beverages. Joining us this month was Kellie Porter of the Woods Hole Library. If you missed the show you can listen online, or send us your suggestion for great books about beverages. If you would like to read the full review of Cape Cod’s Way by Scott Corbett, reviewed by the Falmouth ENTERPRISE on June 3, 1955, just head over to falmouthpubliclibrary.org and click on the box that says digital archive, the ENTERPRISE. A review in which they note: “Thrice the author misspells the name of the author of ‘American the Beautiful’, the Falmouth-born Katharine Lee Bates.”

Kellie’s Picks

Craft Coffee: a manual by Jessica Easto
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Kombucha, Kefir, and Beyond by Alex Lewin and Raquel Guajardo
Homegrown Tea by Cassie Liversidge
Homemade Soda by Andrew Schloss
 
Jill’s Picks
 
Beach Cocktails: favorite surfside sips and bar snacks. Published by Coastal Living
It Began With Lemonade by Gideon Sterer and illustrated by Lian Cho
Mr. Pudgins by Ruth Christoffer Carlsen, illustrated by Margaret Bradfield
 
Listener Picks 
 
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery … and to go along with that, Jill suggested The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook by Kate Macdonald
“tear-water tea” as described in Owl At Home by Arnold Lobel

Local Author Panel with Mark Epstein, Isabella Stewart and Sandra Stosz

The Falmouth Public Library is excited to announce a local author panel with Mark Epstein, Isabella Stewart and Sandra Stosz on July 12th starting at 4pm via Zoom!  Please join us as this trio presents their first publications with an audience Q&A to follow.  If you would like to submit author questions ahead of time, please email your questions to info@falmouthpubliclibrary.org.

This event is free and is open to adults and older teens.  Registration is required to receive the Zoom link.  To register, please contact the reference department at 508-457-2555 x 7 or stop by the reference desk.  You can also register by clicking here.  All three books are available at Eight Cousins for purchase.

They Call Me Pathfinder by Mark Epstein:  “Lauded by Coretta Scott King’s cousin, Christine Jackson, as “a book everyone should read!” in this inspiring memoir of an educator, Epstein shares the magic of befriending some of the greatest athletes in history as well as students and parents in the public school system.” (publisher)

Tangled Vince, Island Crimes: Martha’s Vineyard Off-Season by Isabella Stewart: “This is not a beach novel taking place in the soft summer winds.  It is the flip side taking place in the off-season when the wild vines take hold of vacant summer properties and weaken their foundations, climb and strangle trees, and weave a cloth of deception that is stronger than twine.” (publisher)

Breaking Ice & Breaking Glass: Leading in Uncharted Waters by Vice Admiral Sandra Stosz, USCG (ret):  “Admiral Sandy Stosz draws upon 40 years of extensive leadership experience and wisdom to provide tools that will help leaders navigate complexity to reach their goals and succeed at every level.” (publisher)

Rare Book Specialist and Brattle Book Shop Owner Ken Gloss

We are delighted to welcome Ken Gloss, rare book specialist and owner of the internationally known Brattle Book Shop in Boston’s Downtown Crossing area for a Zoom presentation on Tuesday evening, July 6th at 6:30 pm! Please register online to receive the link by clicking here or contact the reference department at 508-457-2555 x 7.

Ken will discuss the value of old and rare books, and even do an appraisal or two as time permits! Ken, a rare book specialist and appraiser who is frequently on national TV and WGBH radio, will talk in part about the history of his historic bookshop, which goes back to circa 1825. He is a second-generation owner.

He will describe and exhibit some of his favorite finds and relate some of the joys of the “hunt,” as well as explain what makes a book go up in value. He has many fascinating anecdotes to share as well as guidelines for what to look for when starting a collection. There is also a Q&A session before the conclusion of his talk.  If you would like a book of yours appraised, email the information beforehand, with a couple of photos, to info@falmouthpubliclibrary.org (subject line: Appraisal). Ken will give free verbal appraisals of a couple of these at the end, and can do so for others at a later date. For more information about Ken and future talks, call the store toll-free at 800-447-9595, or visit their website, www.brattlebookshop.com!

This event is free and appropriate for adults and teens.  

Peter Colt, author of The Off-Islander and Back Bay Blues

We are pleased to welcome mystery author Peter Colt on Wednesday evening, June 16th, at 7 p.m., for a Zoom presentation by the Falmouth Public Library! He will talk about his writing process, and his two P.I. Andy Roark novels, The Off-Islander and Back Bay Blues, one of which takes place on Nantucket. You can register to get the Zoom link by clicking here, or contact the Reference Department at 

As Publishers’ Weekly wrote about Back Bay Blues: “Colt’s excellent second hard-boiled mystery featuring Boston PI Andy Roark (after 2019’s The Off-Islander) finds Roark, a Vietnam War vet still traumatized by his combat experiences… Colt makes his wounded lead sympathetic, and balances a gripping plot with further development of Roark’s character.” 

Peter Colt is an Iraq War veteran, a New England law enforcement officer and an FBI certified Crisis Negotiator. He spent over twenty years in the Army reserve and was deployed to Kosovo in 2000 and to Iraq in 2003 and again in 2008, and has had the fortune of knowing many Vietnam vets and U.S. Army Special forces soldiers. Born in Boston, he grew up on Nantucket and lived there in the 1970’s and 80’s. He currently lives in Rhode Island.

Books featuring water on The Point with Mindy Todd

This was a particularly delightful book show for us today, as it was the FIRST time we have actually been in the WCAI studios since February 2020! Yes, the first show I did from my living room couch was in March 2020. The joy and silliness in today’s episode was the joy at being in the studio, and actually being able to see Mindy and Vicky as we spoke!  Our topic today was water, and below you will find all the books that were mentioned. If you weren’t able to listen this morning, you can listen online anytime!

Vicky’s Picks

Swimming to the Top of the Tide: Finding Life Where Land and Water Meet by Patricia Hanlon
Waterlog: A Swimmers Journey Through Britain by Roger Deakin
Waves and Beaches: The Powerful Dynamics of Sea and Coast (3RD ed.) by Willard Bascomb and Kim McCoy
Shearwater: A Bird, an Ocean and a Long Way Home by Roger Morgan-Grenville 
Outer Beach: A Thousand Mile Walk on Cape Cod’s Atlantic Shore by Robert Finch 
Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey Into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton
Narrowboat Summer by Anne Youngson 
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
Water Bugs and Dragonflies: explaining death to young children by Doris Stickney

Jill’s Picks

Hey, Water by Antoinette Portis
Peter Spier’s Rain by Peter Spier
How To Read Water: clues and patterns from puddles to the sea by Tristan Gooley
Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui
Rain: a natural and cultural history by  Cynthia Barnett
Brolliology: a history of the umbrella in life and literature by Marion Rankine
Plainwater: essays and poetry by Anne Carson
New England Waterfalls by Greg Parsons & Kate B. Watson
The Crying Book by Heather Christle

Listener Picks

One, Two, Three by Laurie Frankel
Outerbridge Reach by Robert Stone
Salt:  A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Wave by Susan Casey
Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox
Grayson by Lynne Cox

 

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month where we recognize and celebrate the heritage and cultures of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions and influences on the United States and its history.  For more information and online events, lectures, exhibits, collections, videos and images, please visit https://asianpacificheritage.gov/

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the Falmouth Public Library has put together a reading list of 2020 and 2021 books for all ages that are available from the library.

Kids:

A Girl Like Me by Angela Johnson

Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon by Kat Zhang

Finish the Fight!: the Brave and Revolutionary Women who Fought for the Right to Vote written by the Staff of The New York Times

Grandpa Grumps by Katrina Moore

Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim

Watercress by Andrea Wang

When you Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

Who Is Kamala Harris? by Kirsten Anderson

Yasmin the Writer by Saadia Faruqi

Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow 

Teens:

Almost American Girl : an Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon

Adults:

Crying in H Mart : a Memoir by Michelle Zauner

Eat a Peach : a Memoir by David Chang with Gabe Ulla

Facing the Mountain : a True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II by Daniel James Brown

Heart of Fire: an Immigrant Daughter’s Story by Mazie K. Hirono

How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang

Inheritors by Asako Serizawa

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho

Made in China : a Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America’s Cheap Goods by Amelia Pang

Minor feelings : an Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong

RomeAntically Challenged by Marina Adair

Sex and Vanity : a Novel by Kevin Kwan

Sigh, Gone : a Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit in by Phuc Tran

Sparks Like Stars: a Novel by Nadia Hashimi

Speak, Okinawa : a Memoir by Elizabeth Miki

Things We Lost to the Water: a Novel by Eric Nguyen

This is One Way to Dance : Essays by Sejal Shah

Tower of Skulls : a History of the Asia-Pacific War, July 1937-May 1942 by Richard B. Frank

The Scientist and the Spy : a True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage by Mara Hvistendahl

The Son of Good Fortune: a Novel by Lysley Tenorio

Women’s Liberation! : Feminist Writings that Inspired a Revolution & Still Can edited by Alix Kates Shulman and Honor Moore

 

The Book Bike Rides Again

The Falmouth Public Library Book Bike is hitting the road once again for its 2021 touring season!  Come check out the Book Bike on its first ride, Monday, May 17th from 10:30 to 11:00 am when it will be at the Choate Lane Apartments.  

All members of the community are invited to stop by. You can sign up for a library card, pick up free books and DVDs, and meet FPL staff.  We are looking forward to seeing you and spreading our love of the Library throughout town! 

Please note all visits are weather permitting:

Choate Apartments, Choate Ln: 10:30-11:00 am on May 17, July 12, September 13

Cape Cod Apartments, 62 Locust St: 10:30-11:00 am on June 21, August 16, September 27

Dillingham Place, 110 Dillingham Rd: 10:30-10:50 am on June 4, July 16, August 13, September 10

Harborview Apartments, 115 Scranton Ave: 10:30-11:00 am on June 7, August 2

Rose Morin Apartments, Rose Morin Ln: 11:00-11:20 am on June 4, July 16, August 13, September 10

Salt Sea Apartments, Salt Sea Ln: 10:30-11:00 am on May 24, July 19, September 20

Surf Drive Beach Storytime: 4:45-5:15 pm on July 8, July 15. July 22. July 29, August 5, August 12, August 19, August 26

For the most up to date information on the Book Bike and for additional visits, visit our Book Bike webpage by clicking here and by following @falmouthbookbike on instagram.

 

New Mystery Book Group Meets May 19th

Mysteries of all kinds are an extremely popular fiction genre at the Falmouth Public Library and we have a new book group dedicated reading and talking solely about these stories. The first meeting of the group is Wednesday, May 19 from 4:30-5:30 on Zoom. Held as a three-part series with a new theme each series, the group will meet 9 times per year. The book group will remain a virtual book group hosted by Jennifer Woodward, FPL’s Assistant Director.

Our first theme is “Firsts & Lasts” and for each meeting we will read both (yes, both) the first and last books in a completed series.

On May 19th, we’ll read Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series. The first is The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1921) and the last is Curtain (1975). Both books take place in the same county house and joins together Hercule Poirot with his sidekick Captain Arthur Hastings to solve the murder of the days. Curtain was written 30 years before its publication during World War II and saved in a vault. Intended by Agatha Christie to be published after her death, but published shortly before it, the title – Curtain – hints at the author’s intentions.  Please be sure to register to receive a Zoom link.

On June 9th, we’ll read Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon Series. The first is Track of the Cat (1993) and the last is Boar Island (2016).  

On July 14th, we’ll read Philip R. Craig’s Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries. The first is A Beautiful Place to Die (1989) and the last is Vineyard Chill (2008).

Upcoming Themes:
Beyond the Bridge: Set in distinctive locales not on Cape Cod
2021: September 8, October 13 & November 10

Short Stories: Short stories by one or more authors collected in one book.
2022: January 12, February 9 & March 9

THIS IS A ROBBERY: the world’s biggest art heist. Read All About It!

“She is not a woman, she is a locomotive — with a Pullman car attached.” — Henry James on Isabella Stewart Gardner

Many of you have no doubt already binge watched the new Netflix documentary This Is A Robbery: the world’s biggest art heist, which focuses on the 1990 theft of art from the Gardner Museum in Boston. Or you might have heard Jim Braude interview the filmmakers on WGBH. This got me to thinking of all the books that have already been written on the theft, on the museum, and on the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner. Thus, here is a reading list of all the titles in the library connected to the Gardner Museum in one way or another. I should mention that I have been devoted to the Gardner Museum ever since I first stepped through the doors when I was a high school student, long, long ago. When I was getting my library degree at Simmons College, I would often stop by the Gardner before heading to a class. There is really nothing that gives me more pleasure than seeing the annual hanging nasturtiums display which continues an annual tradition started by Isabella Stewart Gardner. 

If you would like to dive into the world of Isabella Stewart Gardner, her life, her museum, and the biggest art heist in Boston’s history, here is a collection of titles that covers it all. We’ve got a display up right now of all these titles, so stop by and take a look! (We even have a book club kit of The Art Forger, so your entire book club can read together!) And did I mention, we also have Museum Passes to the Gardner! (Be sure to call the library regarding the new way to redeem our museum passes if you are interested.)

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: daring by design 
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: a guide 
Eye of the Beholder: masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The Memory Palace of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Patricia Vigderman
Boston’s Apollo by Thomas McKeller and John Singer Sargent
Anders Zorn: a European artist seduces America edited by Oliver Tostmann (The first place I ever saw the art of Anders Zorn was at the Gardner, and I fell in love!)
Master Thieves: the Boston gangsters who pulled off the world’s greatest art heist by Stephen Kurkjian (Also available as an e-book via the Libby app.)
Stealing Rembrandts: the untold stories of notorious art heists by Anthony M. Amore and Tom Mashberg
The Gardner Heist: the true story of the world’s largest unsolved art theft by Ulrich Boser
Mrs. Jack: a biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Louise Hall Tharp
Sargent’s Women: four lives behind the canvas by Donna M. Lucey. Also available on CD.
The Art of Scandal: the life and times of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Douglass Shand-Tucci
Gondola Days: Isabella Stewart Gardner and the Palazzo Barbaro Circle by Elizabeth Anne McCauley, Alan Chong, Rosella Mamoli Zorzi, and Richard LIngner
Journeys East: Isabella Stewart Gardner and Asia by Alan Chong and Noriko Murai

And a couple of novels involving the Gardner Museum Heist:

The Therapist by William Nolan
The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro (Also available on CD, and via the Libby app.)
The Docent by Tom Kenny