Library Corner: Springvale

by Springvale Library Staff

Latest News

The Library will be closed on January 17th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Author Talk: Jack Flowers, Vietnam veteran and author of Rat Six will discuss his historical novel Wednesday, January 19th @ 6:00 pm (in person; masks required). Based on true events, Rat Six tells the story of Clifford Price who was drafted into the U.S. Army in the 1960s to serve in Vietnam.  Price was offered the job of leading the First Infantry Division Tunnel Rats, some of the most courageous soldiers to fight in Vietnam. Armed with only a flashlight and a pistol, these soldiers’ jobs were to navigate the underground labyrinths, retrieve vital intelligence, and destroy the tunnels.  “Jack Flowers has distilled his harrowing experience of war into a story of stark realism, authenticity and psychological insight,” said John Pennycate, co-author of The Tunnels of Cu Chi.

Book Club: Sam and Janet are excited to invite you to the first meeting of our new monthly book club on February 2nd at 5:30. We will discuss February’s pick,  The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Books are available at the front desk now, as is an audiobook version.  Large print books are available upon request. This group will meet monthly on the first Wednesday of each month, in person with masks required, Zoom also available.

Snowshoes: We have a addition to our Library of Things! Thanks to a generous donation by L.L. Bean, Springvale Library has 6 pairs of snowshoes to lend. We have two adult, two youth, and two children’s pairs. This weekend will be the perfect time to get outside. You can check them out for one week at a time so you should have plenty time for fun in the snow.

Staff Picks

• Adult Fiction: Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding. Sonya used to perform on stage. She used to attend glamorous parties, date handsome men, ride in fast cars. But somewhere along the way, the stage lights Sonya lived for dimmed for good, and then, in their absence, came darkness–blackouts, empty cupboards, hazy nights she can’t remember. Sonya has fallen deep into an alcoholic abyss. What keeps Sonya from losing herself completely is Tommy, her son. But her love for Tommy is in fierce conflict with her love of the bottle and Sonya will be forced to make a choice.
• Adult Non-Fiction: The Maine Farm Table Cookbook by Kate Shaffer. The best of Maine’s local food, from noted farms like Dandelion Spring to esteemed restaurants like The Lost Kitchen. There’s a lot more to Maine than stunning coastline. Sure, come for the incomparable lobster rolls or the state’s renowned blueberries, but stay for the locally milled grains, organic grass-fed meats, and surprising foraged delicacies.  (“The Blueberry Tart is amazing!” says Dawn.)
• Young Adult: The Library of the Dead , by T.L. Huchu. 14  year old Ropa is a Ghostalker in Edinburgh who has latched onto someone bewitching children, leaving them husks as she goes about her business. The Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things in this sharp contemporary fantasy following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy, magical underside of modern Edinburgh.
• Children’s Picture Book: Phoebe Dupree is coming to Tea! by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Alea Marley.  Abby has invited her friend Phoebe Dupree to tea.  Phoebe is speedy and smart as well as brilliant at science and art.  Abby lets readers know how perfect Phoebe is and is nervous about hosting.  Unfortunately, not all of Abby’s plans go smoothly.  Tea cups go flying, treats get smashed and Louie the dog, wet from the pool, decides to shake off at just the wrong time.  Phoebe’s reaction calms Abby’s fears and the tea party goes on perfectly, just not how Abby planned it.