NASA’s Cosmic Dawn Documentary Screening

Cosmic Dawn is the incredible true story of the James Webb Space Telescope – humanity’s largest and most powerful space telescope – on a mission to unveil the early universe, against all odds.

On Tuesday, September 23rd at 6:30pm in the library’s Hermann Room, come join us as we watch this NASA+ documentary that brings viewers on an unprecedented journey through Webb’s delicate assembly, rigorous testing, and triumphant launch, showcasing the sheer complexity and breathtaking risks involved in creating a telescope capable of peering billions of years into the past. Follow the telescope from an idea developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center all the way to the launchpad in French Guiana, with never-before-seen footage captured by the Webb film crew offering intimate access to the challenges and triumphs along the way. 

This documentary screening is free to the public and all are welcome!

Cosmic Dawn is Not Rated and has a running time of 1 hour and 36 minutes.  To register to attend, CLICK HERE or visit/call the Adult Service Desk at 508-457-2555 x7.

Mah Jongg in the Fall

Are you new to the game Mah Jongg?  Has it been a long time since you played and you need to practice?  Come join our Fall open play sessions on Monday afternoons!

September 8th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
September 15th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
September 22nd: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Rm
September 29th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Rm
October 6th: 1pm-3pm in the Bay Room
October 20th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
October 27th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
November 3rd: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
November 10th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
November 17th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room

These sessions are intended for players who are familiar with the rules of American Mah Jongg and are looking for a casual and supportive space to practice and improve their mahjong skills by playing with other beginner players.  No formal play instruction will be provided.

Players must provide their own Mah Jongg sets and National Mah Jongg League cards.  We’ll provide the tables and chairs!

Laura Wool’s Beach Reads

 

Laura Wool, our Homebound Librarian who provides library materials to residents of Falmouth who are unable to travel to the library, has complied a list of her favorite beach reads this summer.  Check out her reading list below!

 

 

This Summer will be Different by Carley Fortune

“When her best friend flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy follows her Prince Edward Island to help her through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to, but his flirty quips have been replaced with something new, making her wonder if her heart is still safe.”


One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

“Charlie was 19 when Alice took his photo near her Nan’s cottage in Barry’s Bay, but now he’s a grown-up flirt who makes Alice feel seventeen again—warm nights on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but she begins to worry for her heart.”



The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose

“It’s been eleven years since high-powered attorney Sarah Morgan defended her husband, Adam, against the charge of murdering his mistress. Sarah has long since moved on, starting a family with her new husband, Bob Miller, and changing careers. After discovering Bob engaged in a one-night stand, Sarah wastes no time filing for divorce. However, amid their ugly separation, new DNA evidence is uncovered in the case against Adam, forcing the police to reopen the investigation and putting Sarah right back in the spotlight.”

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

“Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. As a named partner at her firm, life is going exactly how she planned. The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He’s a struggling writer who has had little success in his career and out at the couple’s lake house, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. When Kelly is found brutally stabbed to death, Sarah must take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress”

A Novel Summer by Jamie Brenner

“In her return to Provincetown after a best-selling novel exposes local secrets, an author returns to her idyllic Cape Cod hometown to face her betrayal but rediscovers her passion and community through a summer managing a friend’s bookstore.”



Beach Vibes by Susan Malley

“Beth’s idyllic life running her Malibu beach shop unravels when she discovers her brother’s infidelity and must make a moral decision threatening her newfound happiness and forcing her to choose between love and loyalty.” 



The Summer that Changed Everything by Brenda Novak

“It’s been fifteen years since Lucy Sinclair sat in a courtroom and watched her father be sentenced to life in prison. He murdered three victims–all people she knew–which ruined her life at just seventeen. But now she’s back in Virginia to talk to him, wondering if there’s more to the story of what happened that fateful night.  Problem is, there are plenty of those in this small coastal town who would prefer things stay quiet . . .”

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey

“When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town. Charlotte and Iris find solace but when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all.” 

PBS America250 Reading List

Stories That Shaped A Nation

PBS Books has curated a literary journey that celebrates the path to American freedom and commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  This special reading list brings together compelling titles across three distinct genres—nonfiction, historical fiction, and children’s literature—to illuminate the courage, complexity, and conviction behind America’s founding.

Nonfiction

“Dive into meticulously researched works that provide powerful insights into the Revolution and the broader context of American independence that are written in a novelist style. These books reveal untold stories and broaden our understanding of the era—from George Washington’s leadership and the complexities of Indigenous and African American experiences, to the moral struggles that defined the fight for liberty.”

You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe
Poor Richard’s Women by Nancy Rubin Stuart
Liberty Is Sweet by Woody Holton
Independence by John Ferling
Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts
Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution by Claire Bellerjeau, Tiffany Yecke Brooks, and Vanessa Williams
American Inheritance by Edward J. Larson
1776 by David McCullough
Founding Mothers and Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts
African Founders by David Hackett Fischer
The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson
The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff
Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick
The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson
The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson
The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk
Independence Lost by Kathleen DuVal

Historical Fiction

“Experience the era of revolution through the eyes of unforgettable characters brought to life by gifted storytellers. These novels blend fact with fiction, immersing readers in personal dramas set against the backdrop of historical transformation. Whether following the bold disguise of a woman soldier or the trials of Eliza Hamilton, these stories add human depth to our nation’s founding.”

A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki
America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon
The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs

Children’s Books

“Inspire the next generation with accessible, engaging, and age-appropriate books that bring the American Revolution to life. These titles are packed with colorful illustrations, fascinating facts, and heroic figures—from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to the everyday kids and families who shaped history.”

Seeds of America Trilogy by Laurie Halse
History Smashers: The American Revolution by Kate Messner
Guts & Glory: The American Revolution by Ben Thompson
Washington, Adams, and Jefferson by C.A. Worman
Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson
The History of the American Revolution by Emma Carlson Berne

Poetry Meets Running: A Warm-Up for the Falmouth Road Race

On the eve of the Falmouth Road Race, the Falmouth Public Library is proud to host a special poetry reading with author and scientist Jon Hare on Saturday, August 16 at 2:00 PM in the Hermann Foundation Meeting Room. Hare will present selections from his new collection, Woods Hole Senryu—a poetic tribute to the quirks, contrasts, and character of Woods Hole.

Written in the style of senryu, a short Japanese poetic form similar to haiku, Woods Hole Senryu uses humor and insight to reflect on human nature and local life. Through the lens of a scientist and a runner, Hare offers a uniquely personal and geographic journey that begins and ends in Woods Hole—mirroring the route of the famed Falmouth Road Race.

“Running for me is a time to think—almost meditative,” Hare says. “Many of these poems were shaped while I ran. The order of the poems follows the geography—from Woods Hole, up to Falmouth, and back. The first half is essentially the Road Race course, and my time training for the Road Race deeply influenced this collection.”

Attendees are also invited to write their own senryu or haiku on provided postcards and enjoy light refreshments inspired by race day—think protein bars, reusable water bottles, and other runner-friendly snacks. There will even be a book giveaway!

Join us for an afternoon of thoughtful humor and local insight as Hare shares poems inspired by movement, observation, and the vibrant spirit of the Falmouth community.

Celebrate the power of poetry and place—just in time for race weekend.

This event is free and open to the public. We recommend registering. 

For more information, contact the Falmouth Public Library at (508) 457-2555 or visit www.falmouthpubliclibrary.org.

Cue The Sun!

Consider this your invitation to read and discuss narrative nonfiction with us! In the Narrative Nonfiction Book Club we will be reading across the genres of nonfiction, from history to adventure, memoir/biography, and beyond with books that read like a novel.

Join us on Saturday, August 2nd at 11am in the Hermann room as we discuss our latest book pick, 2025 Andrew Carnegie Finalist, Cue The Sun! The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum. 

This book club is free to the public and copies of the book are available at the adult service desk one month prior to our book club meeting.  To register to attend, CLICK HERE.

Cue the Sun! Synopsis:

“The rollicking saga of reality television – an ambitious cultural history of America’s most influential, most divisive artistic phenomenon, from the Pulitzer Prize – winning New Yorker writer.

Who invented reality television, the world’s most dangerous pop-culture genre?  Any why can’t we look away?  In this revelatory, deeply reported account of the rise of “dirty documentary” – from its contentions roots in radio to the ascent of Donald Trump – Emily Nussbaum unearths the origin story of the genre that ate the world, as told through the lively voices of the people who built it.  At once gimlet-eyed and empathetic, Cue the Sun! explores the morally charged, funny, and sometimes tragic consequences of the hunt for something real inside something fake.

A shrewd observer who adores television, Nussbaum is the ideal voice for the first substantive history of the genre that, for better or worse, made America what it is today.”

About the Author:

“Emily Nussbaum is a staff writer at The New Yorker, where she’s worked since 2011, originally as the magazine’s television critic.  In 2016, she won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism.  Previously, she was the culture editor for New York, where she created the Approval Matrix.  She is also the author of I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution, which was a finalist for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay.  She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Clive Thompson, and their two children.”

 

Help Shape the Future of Adult Programs at the Library!

At the Falmouth Public Library, we believe the best programs start with you—our community! That’s why we’re inviting you to take a few minutes to complete our Adult Programming Survey.

Whether you’re a regular at our events or haven’t attended one yet, your input is incredibly valuable. We want to know what kinds of topics interest you, what types of experiences are you looking for—educational, creative, or social and what days and times work best for your schedule?

This short survey helps us design programs that reflect the interests, needs, and schedules of our adult community members. From author talks and art workshops to tech help and wellness sessions, your feedback plays a direct role in what we offer next.

👉Link to Survey

 

 

July is Love Your Lake Month!

Celebrate Love Your Lake Month with the Falmouth Public Library and Falmouth Pond Coalition

This July, the Falmouth Public Library invites residents and visitors to dive into Love Your Lake Month, a celebration of local water stewardship presented in partnership with the Falmouth Pond Coalition. Taking inspiration from the Libraries Love Lakes organization, a nonprofit based in the Finger Lakes region of New York that encourages the use of libraries to educate about freshwater issues.

Join us for two special and free screenings of pond-focused short films produced by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) on Tuesday, July 15 and Thursday, July 17 at 4:00 PM in the Library’s Hermann Room. These engaging films highlight the ecological importance of our local ponds and efforts to preserve their beauty and health.  Concurrently, there will be crafts for children to complete in the Bay Room and pond lovers will lead a story hour for children in the Children’s Room (also, July 15th and 17th at 4:00 PM). 

The event also features a spotlight on OLAUG – Old Ladies against Underwater Garbage, a spirited community group dedicated to restoring water quality and keeping our ponds safe—for people and pets alike.

Come learn how you can contribute to clean, thriving local waterways while enjoying an inspiring mix of science, storytelling, and community action.

For more information, contact the Falmouth Public Library at (508) 457-2555 or visit www.falmouthpubliclibrary.org.

Local Travel Guidebooks Talk and Book Signing

Join us at the Falmouth Public Library on Tuesday, August 5th at 6:30pm in the Hermann meeting room for a local travel guidebooks talk followed by a Q&A and book signing with authors Linda Humphrey and Kim Foley MacKinnon! 

Linda will be discussing her local travel guidebook Secret Cape Cod and the Islands: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure and Kim will talk about her 100 Things to Do in Massachusetts Before You Die and 100 Things to Do on Cape Cod and the Islands Before You Die guidebooks. 

Copies will be available for purchase at the event by Eight Cousins.  All are welcome!  To register to attend, CLICK HERE or visit/call the library’s adult services desk at 508-457-2555 x7.

Linda Humprey’s Secret Cape Cod and the Islands

Secret Cape Cod and the Islands reveals the best and most unexpected aspects of the region and shows you how to experience them for yourself. Want to know where to find the best places for watching a sunset, swimming in hidden ponds, savoring a chef-prepared feast in a farm field, making your own jam, or seeing a play with Broadway-level talent? Veteran journalists Linda Humphrey and Maria Lenhart, aka the Hard News Travel Team, left no scone unturned while spending countless hours investigating the secret treasures of a region they have known and loved for many years.”

Linda Humphrey is an award-winning writer and editor based in Falmouth and New York City. A former editor at Cosmopolitan and Travel Weekly, she is the co-author of Secret Cape Cod and the Islands: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure (Reedy Press), which won the Lowell Thomas Silver Award (second place) for the best travel guidebook of 2024. Sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, the Lowell Thomas Award is the highest national recognition for travel journalists.

Kate MacKinnon’s 100 Things to Do

“Explore the Bay State, from rich historic sites in Boston to stunning beaches on Cape Cod to a world-class arts scene in the Berkshires, and learn about the state’s must-see spots, from museums to markets and everything in between in 100 Things to Do in Massachusetts Before You Die.  While miles of gorgeous beaches are the calling cards of Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, there is so much more to these Massachusetts gems.  100 Things to Do on Cape Cod and the Islands Before You Die offers visitors and locals alike a chance to try and taste the very best, with itineraries and seasonal ideas for the whole family.”

Kim Foley MacKinnon is a freelance food and travel writer who has lived in Boston for more than 25 years. Kim’s other books include Secret Boston: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure and 100 Things to Do in Boston Before You Die, 2nd edition. She is also the executive editor of Girl Camper magazine. Other writing credits include the Boston Globe, Food Network, Forbes Travel, Travel + Leisure, Cruise Critic, and U.S. News & World Report, among others.

Mah Jongg Beginner Open Play

Are you new to the game Mah Jongg?  Has it been a long time since you played and you need to practice?  Come join our Summer open play sessions on Monday afternoons!

July 7th: 1:30pm-3:30pm in the Hermann Room
July 14th: 1pm-3pm in the Bay Room
July 21st: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
July 28th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
August 4th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
August 11th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
August 18th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
August 25th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room

These sessions are intended for players who are familiar with the rules of American Mah Jongg and are looking for a casual and supportive space to practice and improve their mahjong skills by playing with other beginner players.  No formal play instruction will be provided.

Players must provide their own Mah Jongg sets and National Mah Jongg League cards.  We’ll provide the tables and chairs!

These sessions are drop-in so no registration is required.