Hopkinton READS! How to Make a Slave

Please join us for a discussion of How to Make a Slave and Other Essays on Thursday May 20th. You can join us at either 12 noon or 7pm.  Registration is required. The discussion will be led by Dr. Dottie Morris of Keene State College. Copies of the book are available to borrow OR purchase for $5.

The book is a bracing and often humorous examination by an acclaimed essayist of what it is to grow, parent, write, and exist as a black American male. Walker urges readers to do better as they consider, through his eyes, how to be a good citizen, how to be a good father, how to live, and how to love.

Hopkinton READS! Endurance for May

Hopkinton READS!

Endurance:

Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage

by Alfred Lansing

Book Discussion

With Harold Janeway

May 11th

1pm and 7pm

Hopkinton Town Library

Our community “read” is cosponsored by the Library and the school district’s Family Support Team. Copies of Endurance are available for loan or for $5/copy. Leading the discussion will be Shackleton enthusiast Harold Janeway.  He and his wife Betsy live on an old farm in Webster and enjoy the outdoors nearby and in remote parts of the globe. They have been actively involved in a number of statewide non-profits and Harold chairs the Investment Committee of The State Retirement System.

The story of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition remains a century later

the most epic tale of survival, endurance, positive mindset and leadership.
Come get inspired!

To complement the discussion of Endurance we will have copies available of Mindset by Carol Dweck, which emphasizes the importance of a “growth mindset” in working with students.  Copies available for loan thanks to the school district. 

Made possible with support from the Hopkinton Town Library Foundation

Hopkinton READS! The Martian for November

Two discussions will take place on Wednesday November 18th at 1pm OR 7pm. Join us for a facilitated discussion
with Dr. Michael Miller, astronomer and former flight surgeon with NH Air National Guard with experience in aerospace physiology and Richard Brandt, Hopkinton High School English Teacher. 

Spring Hopkinton READS!

In conjunction with the town-wide production of  Our Town  to be directed by Christine Hamm to celebrate the Town of Hopkinton’s 250th anniversary (July 17th and 19th) and in partnership with the Hopkinton Historical Society, the Hopkinton Town Library will celebrate Wilder’s quintessential New England story.  The 1977 film with Hal Holbrook as the Stage Manager will be shown on Thursday May 7th at 6:30 and Christine Hamm will lead two discussions of the play on Wednesday May 27th at 1pm and 7pm.  Copies of the play are available to borrow.  Check at the Reference Desk at the library.

Summer Community Read

Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv brings together research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. More than just raising an alarm, Louv offers practical solutions and simple ways to heal the broken bond right in our own backyard! This special book discussion will be led by naturalist Scott Semmens on Wednesday evening September 28th at 7pm.  We have copies available right now to check out or paperback copies to purchase for $5 (thanks to YBP and the Hopkinton Library Foundation).

Hopkinton READS!

There will be two chances to attend the community book discussion of our Hopkinton READS! choice Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.  Betsy Burtis from the New Hampshire Humanities Council will lead discussions on Tuesday, October 26th at 1pm and Thursday October 28th at 7pm.  Burtis is a skilled discussion leader who facilitates both the Humanities Council Literature and Medicine Series and their immigration discussion series.  She is also an adjunct faculty member at Granite State College teaching communication classes, and the current chairperson of the New Hampshire Medical Interpretation Advisory Board (MIAB).

The Omnivore's Dilemma (10/22 or 10/23)

Please join us at 7:00PM on October 22nd, or at 2:00PM on October 23rd, as the afternoon and evening reading groups tackle Michael Pollan's thought-provoking work, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Expect some lively conversation, moderated by Kevin Flynn and Mike Timm.

The best-selling author of The Botany of Desire explores the ecology of eating to unveil why we consume what we consume in the 21st century.

"What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another, this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore's dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn't, which mushrooms should be avoided, for example, and which berries we can enjoy. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore's dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance.

The cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet has thrown us back on a bewildering landscape where we once again have to worry about which of those tasty-looking morsels might kill us. At the same time we're realizing that our food choices also have profound implications for the health of our environment. The Omnivore's Dilemma is best-selling author Michael Pollan's brilliant and eye-opening exploration of these little-known but vitally important dimensions of eating in America.

We are indeed what we eat, and what we eat remakes the world. A society of voracious and increasingly confused omnivores, we are just beginning to recognize the profound consequences of the simplest everyday food choices, both for ourselves and for the natural world. The Omnivore's Dilemma is a long-overdue book and one that will become known for bringing a completely fresh perspective to a question as ordinary and yet momentous as "What shall we have for dinner?" -- from the publisher's summary

Hopkinton READS!, our annual community-wide reading celebration, will soon be in full swing. Be sure to check out the HTL home page for additional activities and program information.

The Book Thief (9/16 or 9/29)

The afternoon and the evening groups will be reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak for our September meetings. Come in and pick up a copy!

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist - books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story of the ability of books to feed the soul. -- Randomhouse.com

The Book Thief: Wednesday September 16th at 1:00pm OR Tuesday September 29th at 7:30pm.

Book groups on vacation until September

Both the afternoon and evening book groups are on vacation until September. Stay tuned for our fall book selections.

Rabbit, Run

The evening group is reading Rabbit, Run this month. John Updike (1932-2009) originally created the character of Harry 'Rabbit' Engstrom in 1960. Tuesday evening June 30th at 7:30pm.

Harry Angstrom was a star basketball player in high school and that was the best time of his life. Now in his mid-20s, his work is unfulfilling, his marriage is moribund, and he tries to find happiness with another woman. But happiness is more elusive than a medal, and Harry must continue to run--from his wife, his life, and from himself, until he reaches the end of the road and has to turn back.... -- From the publisher's summary

Pride and Prejudice (4/8, 4/14 & 5/5)

Join Mike Timm on April 8th, 14th, and May 5th, at 7:30 PM, for a three-part exploration of Jane Austen's novel of 19th century romance, Pride and Prejudice. Here are your reading assignments!

1. (Wednesday, April 8): Chapters 1-26
2. (Tuesday, April 14): Chapters 27-47
3. (Tuesday, May 5): Chapters 48-end
   

Elizabeth Bennett has a great amount of pride in her family - even though they aren't nearly as wealthy as Fitzwilliam Darcy. Darcy, for his part, holds a certain prejudice against those of lesser rank and fortune; Elizabeth is prejudiced against his snobbery. How these 2 can ever fall in love can only be the work of Jane Austen, who masterfully arranges their story, the humorous characterizations, and a caricature of English society. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Austen changed the course of novels with her examinations of ordinary people in everyday life, and Pride and Prejudice stands as entertaining evidence to that fact. -- From the publisher's summary.

Murder on the Orient Express (3/24)

Join us on Tuesday, March 24th, at 7:30 PM, to explore Agatha Christie's classic whodunit, Murder on the Orient Express.

Savor one of the most clever of Christie's suspenseful classics. An American businessman is stabbed to death aboard a luxury train, the Orient Express, snowbound in the middle of Europe. Nothing escapes the eagle eye and quick intelligence of the great Hercule Poirot, and clues abound. Sorting through a dozen perfectly respectable passengers, all suspects, Poirot is tenacious in his pursuit of the truth.

Don't miss other titles in the Hercule Poirot series. -- From the publisher's summary.