Down Time Podcast, Episode 2

This week our host Tayla, branch librarian at Oak Lawn, is joined by Zach and Alyssa from Central. They talk speculative fiction, new and old TV favorites, theater, and poetry in honor of April being National Poetry Month.

Our theme music is Day Trips by Ketsa and our ad music is Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes. Thanks for listening!

Books:

Tessa Dare (content warning: sexually explicit content)
Daughter from the Dark (2020) by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, trans. by Julia Meitov Hersey
Vita Nostra (2018) by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, trans. by Julia Meitov Hersey
Pet (2019) by Akwaeke Emezi

D&D Adventure Books in our catalog

Tayla’s Current Read: Ghost of Saltmarsh available for purchase digitally on D&D Beyond or at your local game store

AV:

Schitt’s Creek

Belgravia

Episodes

Killing Eve

The Wilbury Theatre Group (Providence)

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Onwards

Poetry for National Poetry Month:

• Zach’s Selections

Songs for the People by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Library of Small Catastrophes (2019) by Alison C. Rollins
Space Struck (2019) by Paige Lewis
Sight Lines (2019) by Arthur Sze

• Alyssa’s Selections

Blue Valentine by Laura Marie Marciano
Typewriter Series #2937 by Tyler Knott Gregson

Resources for Lovers of Poetry

PBS Poetry in America
Poetry Foundation Collections
Poetry Magazine podcast
International Poetry Circle on Twitter

Resources for Poets

Literary Magazines Facebook Group
Literistic
Poetry Society of America Resource page

Virtual Cookbook Club, April 29 at 2:00 PM (Registration Required)

Wednesday, April 29 from 2:00 - 3:00 PM

The CPL Cookbook Club is a group of adults who enjoy cooking and sharing food together. While we’re staying at home, we’ve decided to take our act online! Here’s what you need to do in order to participate:

• Choose any recipe you want, from any source: the Internet, a book in your kitchen, or something you recently invented due to limited grocery availability. 
• You can prepare the dish and share it (virtually) with the group during the meeting, or share photos of something you've made recently. 

Registration is required: click here to sign up. Questions? Send email to calves@cranstonlibrary.org or leave a comment below. 

Live Book Chat, April 30 at 6:30 PM (Registration Required)

Thursday, April 30 from 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Join CPL library staff on a Zoom call to reconnect and share what we've been reading and doing to pass the time.

Registration required: please register here.

Zoom meetup details will be sent on Wednesday, April 29. 

Questions? Please send an email to davebartos@cranstonlibrary.org or leave a comment below and a CPL staff person will get back to you. 

The CPL Live Book Chat will be repeated on May 7.

Virtual Book Group, May 14 at 7:00 PM (Registration Required)

The CPL Virtual Book Group will meet via Zoom at 7:00 PM on Thursday, May 14 to discuss The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells. 

Someone with tremendous magical powers is opposing Nicholas Valiarde, an embittered nobleman with an enigmatic past. Traces of a necromantic power that hasn't been used for centuries appear, and when a spiritualist unwittingly leads Nicholas to a decrepit old house, the truly monstrous nature of his peril finally emerges.

Martha Wells's latest sci fi series, The Murderbot Diaries, is a Hugo, Nebula, Alex, and Locus award-winner. We're sure you'll enjoy this earlier work that Booklist calls "a chillingly convincing fantasy that will entrap genre readers."

The Death of the Necromancer is available for checkout from the OSL eZone. 

Registration is required for this event - click here to sign up. Zoom meeting details will be sent on Wednesday, May 13. We hope you'll join us.

Join Us for Listen Up!, Our Brand New Virtual (Audio) Book Group (Registration Required)

Listen Up! is CPL's newest virtual (audio) book group. On Tuesday, May 12 at 2:00 PM and Wednesday, May 13 at 7:000 PM, we will be discussing Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts by Lucy Dillon. You can read the Publishers Weekly review here and the Allaboutromance.com review here. Visit the author's website here. 

Winner of the 2010 Romantic Novel of the Year Award
by the Romantic Novelists' Association

To participate, go to the eZone with your Ocean State Libraries card to download the audiobook (ebook copies are not available through the eZone at this time)—although anyone may join us, regardless of which format they choose to read.

Registration is required. Go here to register for the May 12 session, and go here to register for the May 13 session. You may only register for one session.

We will use Zoom for the meeting. Zoom login information will be sent out the day before each meeting. An email address and access to Zoom are required.

Questions? Please leave a comment below.

Live Book Chat, May 7 at 6:30 PM (Registration Required)

Thursday, May 7 from 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Join CPL library staff on a Zoom call to reconnect and share what we've been reading and doing to pass the time.

Registration required: please register here.

Zoom meetup details will be sent on Wednesday, May 6. Questions? Please send an email to davebartos@cranstonlibrary.org or leave a comment below and a CPL staff person will get back to you.

Down Time Podcast, Episode 1

It’s the first episode of Down Time with Cranston Public Library! Tayla, branch librarian at Oak Lawn, is joined by Martha from Auburn Branch and Elise from William Hall Branch, talking webcomics, 90s witch and vampire nostalgia, K-pop meets Dumplin’, Canadian comedy, and CosTube. Plus a comforting dose of sewing, baking, and gardening. 

Our theme music is Day Trips by Ketsa and our ad music is Feeling Sunny by Scott Holmes. 

Catch up with the Cranston Public Library on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thanks for listening!

Webcomics on Webtoons:

Gourmet Hound
My Giant Nerd Boyfriend
Lore Olympus

Books:

Check Please! Vol. 1 and Check Please! Vol. 2 by Ngozi Ukazu
Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky
What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool
The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh
I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee (Pub Date: 6/16/20)

AV:

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes (Granada TV)
The Great British Bake Off (available streaming on Netflix)
CosTuber Prior Attire
CosTuber Bernadette Banner
CosTuber Jessica Kellgren-Fozard
Letterkenny (available streaming on Hulu)
Schitt’s Creek
Slings and Arrows

Other fun stuff:

Yoga with Adriene
doyogawithme.com
Survivor
Books on Sewing available in the eZone
What’s My Line
Books on Baking in the eZone
Books on Gardening in the eZone

#RIREADSATHOME Challenge

This month, Governor Raimondo and Commissioner Infante-Green have challenged us to a #RIREADSATHOME challenge! eBooks are a great way to participate! Read or listen to books for free through the e-zone at ezone.oslri.net.

Submit your reading minutes here: www3.ride.ri.gov/ReadingChallenge

Graphic Novel Book Group Meetup, May 6 at 6:30 PM (Registration Required)

Wednesday, May 6 - 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Love comics? Join Dave to talk about the graphic novels we've been reading, and what we can't wait to read next!

Registration required: sign up here. Questions? Send an email to davebartos@cranstonlibrary.org or leave a comment below.

Zoom meetup details will be sent on Tuesday, May 5.

YA for Adults Virtual Book Group, April 29 at 6:30 (Registration Required)

Wednesday, April 29 - 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Join the YA for Adults Book Group on a Zoom call to discuss Bloom by Kevin Panetta.

Registration required: Send an email to ataft@cranstonlibrary.org to sign up.

Join Us for a Virtual Book Chat, April 23 at 6:30 PM (Registration Required)

Thursday, April 23 - 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Join CPL library staff on a Zoom call to reconnect and share what we've been reading and doing to pass the time.

Registration required: Send email to davebartos@cranstonlibrary.org to sign up.

Zoom meetup details will be sent on Wednesday, April 22.

Personal Booklists Are Here!

Looking for something new to read? Why not ask us. Fill out this form, tell us what you like to read, and our team will get back to you with a personalized reading list of books.

Words Fly Through the Air Like UFOs

Read any good science fiction lately?

Use your Ocean State Libraries card to access free ebooks and digital audiobooks. (You can also stream movies that way!)

Visit the eZone and see what's available.

Or download the Libby app.

Need a library card? Go here.

Happy reading!

Virtual Book Group - Day 5, OverDrive Big Library Read

It's Day 5 of our virtual book group! Today we are discussing Question 5 of the OverDrive Big Library Read for the book, "Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum" by Michael McCreary: 

Michael tells several stories about moments or events where he has learned something about himself. Which story had the strongest impact on you, and why?

CPL Reference Librarian Zach gives his response in the above video. Read more about the OverDrive Big Library Read in our previous post, and please join in the discussion below by adding your comment. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Virtual Book Group - Day 4, OverDrive Big Library Read

It's Day 4 of our virtual book group! Today we are discussing Question 4 of the OverDrive Big Library Read for the book, "Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum" by Michael McCreary: 

Michael chooses to write about autism in a memoir—through his own personal story—rather than in an essay, reference manual, or self-help book. Why do you think he made this choice? What do you think are some of the benefits or drawbacks to writing memoir versus other forms of non-fiction?

CPL Adult Services Coordinator Dave gives his response in the above video. Read more about the OverDrive Big Library Read in our previous post, and please join in the discussion below by adding your comment. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Virtual Book Group - Day 3, OverDrive Big Library Read

It's Day 3 of our virtual book group! Today we are discussing Question 3 of the OverDrive Big Library Read for the book, "Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum" by Michael McCreary: 

In Part One, Michael describes how being diagnosed as autistic changed his life, even though he didn't realize it at the time. Can you think of a life-changing moment or experience that you've had? How did this experience change you?

CPL William Hall Branch Librarian Adrienne gives her response in the above video. Read more about the OverDrive Big Library Read in our previous post, and please join in the discussion below by adding your comment. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Virtual Book Group - Day 2, Overdrive Big Library Read

It's Day 2 of our virtual book group! Today we are discussing Question 2 of the OverDrive Big Library Read for the book, "Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum" by Michael McCreary: 

How does Michael use wordplay for humor?

CPL Oak Lawn Branch Librarian Tayla gives her response in the above video. Read more about the OverDrive Big Library Read in our previous post, and please join in the discussion below by adding your comment. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Virtual Book Group - Day 1, OverDrive Big Library Read

It's Day 1 of our virtual book group! Today we are discussing Question 1 of the OverDrive Big Library Read for the book, "Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum" by Michael McCreary:

How does the media portray people with ASD? Do you think these portrayals are accurate?

CPL Auburn Branch Librarian Karen gives her response in the above video and also talks about available online resources through Kanopy and the Ocean State Libraries eZone.

Read more about the OverDrive Big Library Read in our previous post, and please join in the discussion below by adding your comment. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Holding on to a Good Book

Don't have something new to read at home?

Use your Ocean State Libraries card to access free ebooks and digital audiobooks. (You can also stream movies that way!)

Visit the eZone and see what's available.

Or download the Libby app.

Need a library card? Go here.

Happy reading!

Big Library Read Author Michael McCreary's TEDx Talk

Want to learn more about Michael McCreary, author of "Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum"? Watch his TEDx talk in the video above.

We hope you can join us for our first ever Virtual Book Group! You can read more about it at our previous post. Copies of the book are free to download using your Ocean State Libraries card. Questions? Please leave a comment below.

Practice Social Distancing by Getting Close to a Good Book

Don't have something new to read at home?

Use your Ocean State Libraries card to access free ebooks and digital audiobooks. (You can also stream movies that way!)

Visit the eZone and see what's available.

Or download the Libby app.

Need a library card? Go here.

Happy reading!

CPL Joins the OverDrive Big Library Read!

We hope you can join us for our first ever Virtual Book Group! You can read more about it at our previous post. Copies of the book are free to download using your Ocean State Libraries card. Questions? Please leave a comment below.

Watch Our Book Trailer for Our First Ever Virtual Book Group!

What better way to spend time at home while social distancing than to join a virtual book group! We invite you to participate in our Big Library Read starting on April 6, when we will be discussing "Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum" by Michael McCreary. Stay tuned to this blog for more details, and watch the video above to get a taste of the book.

Digital copies of the book may be downloaded from the Ocean State Libraries eZone using your library card. You can also access the book using the Libby app. The ebook is available here, and the digital audiobook is available here.

Prefer to participate through Facebook or Twitter? No problem! Choose the option that works best for you.

Questions? Please leave a comment below.