Readings by Local Self-Published Authors

We have a lot of very creative people in our midst!  Come to Bernardsville Public Library on Saturday, March 8 at 2:00 pm to listen to local self-published authors read from their fiction and non-fiction work.  The books range from mystery, thriller and adventure, to memoir and cookbook.  The authors will also tell us what inspired them, about their writing process and the path to publication.  Their books will be available for purchase and signing.

Participating authors are Gary Eddey (Weather House), Keith Hirshland (Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In), Cheryl Larkin and Kate Kurelja (Savoring the Shore), Rebecca Parkinson (The Mystery of Pocomo Meadows) and Alan Winter (Savior’s Day).  All the authors live locally in Bernardsville, Basking Ridge, Peapack and Morristown.

There is no charge to attend the reading, but advance sign-up is requested at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org.  Follow the link from Adult Programs.  For further information, call the library at 908-766-0118. 

Home School Parent Panel

If you are new to home schooling or new to the area, come to Bernardsville Library on Tuesday, March 4 at 1:30 pm to listen to a panel of parents who are experienced home schoolers.  They will discuss their teaching techniques and share their knowledge of curricula, home school cooperatives, and scheduling practices.  

Speaking will be a diverse group of homeschooling mothers who will share a bit of their journey, some of their favorite resources and how they provide individualized educational experiences for their children.  It will be an opportunity for making connections and meeting others who homeschool in our area in the hopes of facilitating group discussion and creating a support network.  "The purpose of talking about homeschooling is to empower parents to provide individualized educational experiences for their children," said Brigid Glynn-Young, one of the participants, "…to think outside of the box."

There is no charge to attend the program, and no sign-up is needed. Call the library at 908-766-0118 for further information.

Splendid Life Meditation Group To Meet at Bernardsville Library

Basking Ridge resident Fauzia Burke will lead the next monthly guided meditation session at Bernardsville Public Library on Friday, March 7 at 10:00 am.  Ms. Burke’s style of meditation incorporates many cultural traditions and uses the power of word and imagery to facilitate a meditative experience; there is no right or wrong way, no particular way to sit, or words to say.  Each experience is honored as unique and can help reduce stress, generate creativity, and create positive energy.  

“Our intention for these gatherings is to find peace and serenity through a practice of regular meditations, and to develop a community for support and friendship,” says Ms. Burke.  She has been meditating for over 15 years and leading meditation groups for eleven years.  By day, she is the President and Founder of FSB Associates, an Internet marketing firm that promotes books and authors on the Web.  She lives in Basking Ridge with her husband and two daughters, and volunteers to lead the Splendid Life meditations in an effort to help others achieve the peace of mind and inspiration that she has found through mediation. 

There is no charge to attend the program, and no sign-up is required.  No experience in meditation is necessary.  Bring a journal and pen, and wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.  For further information, call the library at 908-766-0118.

Bernardsville Public Library’s book discussion group, Saturday Samplers, will meet on Saturday, March 1 at 3:30 pm to discuss "Unknown Man #89" (1977) by the late Elmore Leonard.  The novel follows Detroit process server Jack Ryan who has a reputation for being the best in the business at finding people who don't want to be found.  He's looking for a missing stockholder known only as "Unknown Man No. 89."  But his missing man isn't "unknown" to everyone: there's a pretty blonde involved and a man named Royal, and Ryan unwittingly becomes the third person pursuing the elusive quarry.  

Elmore Leonard, who died last year, was often described as the best writer in crime fiction.  He wrote forty-five novels and nearly as many western and crime short stories in a career that spanned more than six decades.  Some of his bestsellers include "Road Dogs," "Up in Honey's Room," "The Hot Kid," and the critically acclaimed collection of short stories "Fire in the Hole."  Many of his books have been made into movies, including "Get Shorty," "Out of Sight," and "Rum Punch."  He was a recipient of the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the Lifetime Achievement Award from PEN USA, and the Grand Master Award of the Mystery Writers of America.  He was known to many as the 'Dickens of Detroit' and was a long-time resident of the Detroit area.

Led by Evelyn Fischel, Saturday Samplers is a book discussion group dedicated to sampling various kinds of literature, including short stories, nonfiction, new and old novels, and even teen fiction.  Its goal is to search out interesting, noteworthy, and sometimes overlooked books.  Readers can find information about the group and about the books and authors on the reading list at http://saturdaysamplers.blogspot.com.  No sign-up is needed to join the discussion.  Call the library at 766-0118 for more information.

The "Can-Do" Connection

The next meeting of "The Can-Do Connection" will convene at Bernardsville Public Library on Wednesday, February 26 at 7:00 pm.  This workshop is an outgrowth of last year's "The University of Can-Do Master's Program."  Led by Professional Inspirer Andrea Mastrobattista, February's session will concentrate on one of the most important connections you can make: to yourself.  "In a society that encourages us to fit into specific molds of who and what people think we should be, we sometimes lose the connection to who we really are.  Come to this workshop to discover how to shed the person you are expected to be and start becoming the true you!  The year 2014 promises to be one of reconnecting," said Ms. Mastrobattista.  

Ms. Mastrobattista has been leading her inspirational workshops on Wednesday evenings at the library since 2006.  She heads a company called Operation INSPIRATION and also facilitates workshops in the Somerset Hills such as "Facing Your Fears" and "Transforming Negatives Into Positives" in which she helps people to fully form their goals and develop a strong can-do attitude for achieving them.  Her core belief is that, no matter what circumstances people face, they have the strength and ability to create and live fulfilling and inspiring lives.  She also owns Golden Slipper Productions, a company which creates websites and promotional materials for small and mid-sized businesses.

There is no charge to attend the library workshop, but advance registration is requested.  Register online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org, and follow the link from Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.

Memoirs & Coffee Book Group to Meet

The next meeting of Bernardsville Public Library’s book discussion group, Memoirs and Coffee, will be held on Tuesday, February 25 at 10:30 am in the library’s Community Room.  Pat Kennedy-Grant, Readers’ Services Manager for the library, will lead the discussion of “The Astronaut Wives Club” (2013) by Lily Koppel. [The author will not be present.] 

America's Mercury Seven astronauts were selected in 1957, and, as they launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They provided one another with support and friendship, coffee and cocktails. They also formed bonds that lasted for over fifty years.  This book tells the wives' stories—the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history.  The Chicago Tribune reviewer wrote of the book, "A fair and accomplished reporter… Lily Koppel offers a grounded, irresistible and sociable social history…Koppel does an excellent job of capturing a group portrait with enough highlights, low points, sunny spots and shadows for individual features to emerge.”

Lily Koppel is the best-selling author of "The Red Leather Diary. She has written for The New York Times, New York Times Magazine, Huffington Post, and Glamour.  

There is no charge, and no registration is needed to join the discussion.  Call the library at 766-0118 for more information.

Bridge Builder in Petticoats: Emily Warren Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge

Carol Simon Levin
as Emily Roebling

She was called “one of the most noted women in the country” and “the most famous woman in New Jersey”…yet today few people even know her name!  Come to Bernardsville Public Library on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:00 pm to see Carol Simon Levin bring Emily Warren Roebling to life and learn the true story of the 19th century woman who helped supervise the greatest engineering project of the age.

Many books and films have featured the Brooklyn Bridge and millions of people have crossed it.  Built between 1869 and 1883, without modern machines or even electric light, it was the one of the most amazing technological achievements of its time.  Yet few people know Ms. Roebling’s role: how, after her husband became bedridden, she became his liaison to the project and helped supervise much of its construction.  Later she helped design the family mansion in Trenton, studied law, organized relief for returning troops from the Spanish American War, attended the coronation of the Tsar of Russia and even took tea with Queen Victoria.

Carol Simon Levin is a Youth Services Librarian at the Bridgewater Branch of the Somerset County Library.  She is an experienced storyteller and a member of the New Jersey Storyteller’s Network.  She has always been fascinated by the history of technology and women’s history, and is currently writing a book on Emily Warren Roebling.  

There is no charge to attend the library workshop, but advance registration is requested.  Register online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org, and follow the link under Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.