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Staff Reads April 2021

 

 

 

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Laura

  • Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant: An aspiring romance writer, Tessa, suffers from writer’s block when she enrolls in a writing program at a specialty high school. Her best friend convinces her to live out a real life romantic comedy in order to get her inspiration back. This character driven teen novel turns romance tropes on its head and is a great love letter to the genre while also being critical. I really enjoyed this.
  • Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer DeLeon: This locally set novel is about Liliana who lives in Boston, but must attend high school in the fictional suburb of Westburg as part of the METCO program. This book tackles a lot of issues, including suddenly being one of the few people of color in school, undocummented immigration, realizing your parents don’t know everything, and general coming of age. Liliana is a great character and seems like a real teenager (something not always pulled off by adult writers of teen fiction). If you have a chance, please check out Jennifer DeLeon’s conversation with the WPL Real Talk Teen Leaders on our Youtube Channel!
  • Sometimes You Have to Lie: The Life and Times of Louise Fitzhugh, Renegade Author of Harriet the Spy by Leslie Brody: Interesting biography of the author of Harriet the Spy. I loved Harriet the Spy (and had a very brief stint of carrying a notebook around recess in fourth grade) but never thought much about the woman behind Harriet. This brings a lot more context to that book and the others set in the same universe. 
  • There Once Was a Show from Nantucket: A Complete Guide to the TV Sitcom Wings by Bob Lesczak: Wings is a better show than Cheers (set in the same universe). Yeah, I’m from Boston and yeah, I just said that something is better than Cheers. I dare you to watch this scene and not laugh. I had a lot of fun revisiting the show with this oversized book.
  • Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn: Continuing my journey with the original eight books:
    • When He Was Wicked: This was a re-read for me but I really appreciated it this time around. It focuses on Bridgerton sibling, Francesca, who was all but forgotten in the show (thus far) and barely registers in previous novels. She’s a great character. This is also the steamiest book of the series.
    • It’s In His Kiss: Hyacinth, the youngest sibling stars in the second to last novel, who strikes up a friendship and later romance with Gareth St. Clair when she translates the diary of his deceased Italian grandmother. Lady Danbury, who is Gareth’s other grandmother, has a large role in this and she’s always fun. I will warn you that, because of the title, “The Shoop Shoop Song” was in my head on a loop. Luckily, I’m a fan but it did get to be a bit much. 
  • The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz: If you put Judy Blume’s In the Unlikely Event, Peyton Place, and Winesburg, Ohio in a blender and throw in a dash of Olive Kitteridge, you’ll get The Daughters of Erietown. 
  • The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty: Twitty is a food historian who runs the food blog, Afroculininaria that talks about the history of African-American food including some of its roots in slavery. As he became more interested in what we think of as traditional Southern food, Twitty started what he called the “Southern Discomfort Tour” which included, among other things, preparing food in the authentic way that an enslaved person would have prepared it as part of plantation tours. He also embarks on genealogical research, including doing a DNA analysis on Ancestry and 23 and me. The research is often difficult as a lot of resources are very Western European Centric, really exposing issues with genealogy, in general. Twitty, who is Jewish, discusses his journey with Judaism as well, including comparing the history of the importance of food to either culture as well as how he’s been perceived by some of his students (and families) in the Hebrew and Religious school classes he’s taught at various synagogues. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the food they’re eating, a deeper look into Slavery and Racism in the United States, as well as the importance of identity. Michael W. Twitty is also a good social media follow. You can follow him @koshersoul
  • The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: I really enjoyed this Marvel show! It does right by its two main characters, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, who were not as well developed in the films. It does have its bumps (the handling of Sharon Carter) but they’re minor. I look forward to seeing more of this story, hopefully on the big screen.
  • Superstore: I adored this show which, sadly, came to an end last month. A comedic (and sometimes heartbreaking) look at life in retail. I recommend checking this out, if you haven’t done so, yet.
  • All American: I’ve been watching the show since it debuted about Spencer James, who lives in South Crenshaw (Los Angeles) and chooses to play football at a high school in Beverly Hills, under the direction of a South Crenshaw graduate, and old friend of his parents. This was a great character study of a teenager caught between two worlds and the surrounding cast does a great job as well. I’m still enjoying it but it seems to have delved into being more of a soap opera than it was, originally. (So many love triangles!) I do have to accept the fact, however, that I’m probably slightly older than the target audience, however! 
  • Say I Do: Do you know what I dislike more than plain reality shows? Reality shows about weddings. Please keep them away from me! And yet, I can’t help but adore this very sweet show about couples planning their weddings with the help of professional experts, Jeremiah Brent, Thai Nguyen, and Gabriele Bertaccini. The couples all seem to have very healthy and loving relationships and the hosts are there to help with the wedding but not try to fix their lives. As these types of shows go, this one is pretty refreshing. 

Debora

  • The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue: Loved this novel about three women in Ireland, set during the 1918 pandemic. Like the author’s book, Room, the story takes place mostly in one room of a hospital – the tiny flu ward for maternity patients. Nurse Julia works hard to make her patients comfortable in an era when there was little to offer but hot lemonade. Dr. Kathleen Lynn is the covering physician whose back story both intrigues and shocks Julia and volunteer Bridie Sweeney opens Julia’s eyes to the dark underbelly of institutionalized care for children. While limited to the regimented hospital ward, Julia’s eyes and heart are opened in multiple ways that show readers the resilience of women living in very dark times. 
  • The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland: This was a fascinating read. The author uses the story of one so-called DNA seeker to shine a light on the exploding consumer DNA industry. Companies like Ancestry and 23andMe encourage individuals to share their spit to discover their ancestry and, in the case of 23andMe, their genetic disease markers. Copeland follows the winding story of Alice Collins, a proud Irish American, who ultimately learns that her heritage is anything but Irish. Watch our April program, DNA Secrets, with this author on our Youtube Channel!
  • The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline: I simply could not put this book down. Baker Kline tells the story of two women sentenced to transport to Australia for their crimes and one real life Aboriginal girl. Evangeline is a governess, impregnated by her employer’s son who is convicted of stealing a ring that he gave her; Hazel, also sentenced for theft, meets Evangeline on the ship to Australia; and Mathinna is an Aboriginal girl taken in – and later discarded – by the Governor of Van Dieman’s Land (present day Tasmania). Through their stories we learn the horrific history of both the women sent to the Australian penal colony and the Aboriginal people exiled from their own land. Beautifully written. 

Liz

  • The Lost Village by Camilla Sten: This horror novel about a documentary crew that sets out to unravel the mystery of an abandoned Swedish village is an absolute page turner. Great for fans of Limetown, Silent Hill or urban exploration.
  • Walking the Cape and Islands by David Weintraub: This book of 72 different walks/hikes of Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard is great for folks who want to get out and explore the beauty of the Cape beyond its beaches. With hikes for beginners all the way to experts, this book is full of absolute gems. My personal recommendation is the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp trail in Wellfleet and the Beech Forest trail in Provincetown.
     

Lisa

  • I have recently been reading the entire Bridgerton collection, including the prequel series. I have really enjoyed them and can’t wait to see the television show. I have had multiple laugh out loud moments reading these books. The series features strong relationships between family members, romance and appealing supporting characters.
     

Dana

  • Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline: I was eagerly awaiting this book, the sequel to Ready Player One. Almost immediately after starting though, I was disappointed. Maybe the first book was too tough an act to follow, maybe there was too much pressure for the sequel, but it felt forced to me. I felt like I was getting constantly hit over the head with name drops and throwbacks to the 1980s, like Cline was trying to see how much nostalgia he could cram into one story just for the sake of it. However, I stuck with it and by the end I was quite enjoying it, so I’m not really sure how to put into words how I feel about this book. Confused and lukewarm, I suppose?
  • This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey: This is a YA thriller that came out last summer, and it totally hooked me. Jess Flynn is a pretty typical teenager in the 90s… but then weird things start happening. Half of her hometown suddenly gets struck down by the flu, she starts hearing strange faraway chanting, her pet dog suddenly looks just a bit different, and a mysterious device with an Apple logo falls out of her friend’s backpack. Both family and friends are quick to dismiss her concerns. Is she losing her mind, or is she being gaslit as something bigger is going on? I thought the plot was a little predictable, and bits of it felt like the Divergent series, but it was still an incredibly entertaining read and I really liked it. 
  • The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins: I’d heard good things about this modern take on Jane Eyre, and I wasn’t disappointed. Jane works as a dog walker in a posh neighborhood. A chance encounter with Eddie, a handsome neighborhood widower, leads to a whirlwind romance, but both Jane and Eddie have secrets that threaten to ruin everything. Admitting that I am a bad former English major, I have never read Jane Eyre, so I can’t attest to how the plots line up. I did see some shades of Rebecca, and I was pulled in and hooked by the mysteries and twists, so at least it’s safe to say I enjoyed it!
  • Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, by Kristen Kobes DuMez: As a former evangelical who is white, I’ve been especially fascinated by this book. I’m only about halfway done so I can’t give a full review, but learning about the history of the evangelical movement has been eye-opening, to say the least. Du Mez is a history professor at a Christian university, and the book is incredibly well researched, if a little dry at times. I’m definitely interested to see what awaits in the second half of the book.
  • The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+): I’m not a Bucky fan, but have been enjoying this series so far. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan play off each other so well, and honestly, I admit that the new Captain America, John Walker, is annoying me into becoming a Bucky stan. It’s a confusing feeling.

Ashley

  • Alison Roman’s Home Movies on YouTube: It’s like the anti cooking show. Sometimes she can’t find ingredients, or forgets things, just like all of us at home in our kitchens, rather than a polished over produced cooking show. Did I mention she’s really really funny? I could do without the anchovies though.
  • The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor: A vicar and her daughter move to a remote country village in England, that just happens to be full of secrets. It was an excellent mystery that kept me guessing and engage until the end. 
  • One Last Stop by Casey Mcquiston: I guess straight up romances aren’t really my thing? I also found it a little too cutesy, but I think it would make an adorable movie. 
  • The Oregon Trail on Apple Arcade: I’ve been waiting FOREVER for a good Oregon Trail game for IOS. Not only is the artwork gorgeous, but they specifically worked with Native Americans to make a more diverse, truthful experience. Now if only my settlers would stop walking so close to the wagon and getting run over. 
  • Top Chef Season 18: This show is so addictive.

Casey

Deb

  • Every Waking Hour by Joanna Schaffhausen: This is the fourth in the Ellery Hathaway series that begins with Vanishing Season. I liked this mystery book written by a Waltham native about kidnapping.  I read this in time for the author to present virtually for the library on March 17th.  See our YouTube Channel to watch now!  After some bumps in her career, Ellery has a new police partner/mentor/babysitter and I like her. There are several cases intertwined in this story and more loose ends are tied up than you bargained for!
  • Grandma Raised the Roof by Ethel Walbridge McCully: I like to travel in the Caribbean and read about places I’ve been. This book was published in 1954 and is the author’s memoir of being on her way to the British Virgin Islands when she decided, sort of on a whim, to jump off the boat she was on and build a house on the US Virgin Island of St. John instead. She’s a shrewd and spry grandmother whose family was back in New York, but had some learning to do about island ways. Trials and tribulations ensue.
  • Black Coral by Andrew Mayne: This is Underwater Investigation Unit book #2 which begins with The Girl Beneath the Sea. The characters are likable. The SCUBA diving is a fun focus. The ending seemed a little rushed, but I’ll read the next one due out next March.
  • Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead and narrated by Bahni Turpin: Fascinating and devastating pre-Civil War historical fiction about Cora, an enslaved woman who breaks away from the cotton plantation in Georgia where she was born. She encounters many different friends and foes along the way. I found it heartbreaking, inspiring and thought-provoking.
  • Mozart and the Whale; An Asperger’s Love Story by Jerry and Mary Newport: This is an intriguing memoir of two people living with autism who experience a lot of trauma growing up, meet, fall in love, have things go sideways, end up on TV and grow a lot along the way.  It is a fascinating perspective into the minds of people wired very differently from me and how they cope with the world around them.
  • Don’t Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk: It took me FOREVER to finish this book. I felt compelled because it’s on every “Caribbean must-read” list. Usually I am content to bail on a book if it’s not working for me.  There are way more books in the world than I will ever have time to read so I don’t waste my time on things that aren’t floating my boat. But I persevered in this case. And now it’s time to move on. The scenery was evocative of places I’ve visited and enjoyed. The trials and tribulations of island life logistics regarding shipping, construction and cisterns are real and often a comedy or errors. The misogyny, homophobia and portrayal of West Indian people were very 1965. It was 400 pages of so-so with all the drama happening in the last 20 pages.  There are many other books of island life, comedy and culture that I would suggest before this one.
  • One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia and narrated by Sisi Aisha Johnson: This title is aimed at middle-school-aged teens. I picked this up on the advice of the Teens at Real Talk Presents: Jennifer de Leon.  It’s the story of three young sisters, the oldest of whom is 11, who live with their dad and grandmother in Brooklyn. The girls fly out to Oakland, California to meet their mom in the summer of 1968, during the early days of the Black Panther Party. I love the adventure and development of these girls! I was thoroughly annoyed with the mom, which means the author did a good job of making me invested in the story. I am angry that the racial issues of 1968 still exist today. 

Janet

  • When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris: I needed a laugh-out-loud read and David Sedaris, as always, delivered.
  • Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise (Kanopy and DVD): I have read all seven of Maya Angelou’s autobiographies and still learned so much from this documentary. I especially enjoyed seeing footage from her career as a dancer, actress, and singer, her poetry reading at Bill Clinton’s inauguration, and her appearance on Sesame Street!  
  • Our Revolution by Bernie Sanders (audiobook on Overdrive): I could not stop listening to the first half of the book and really appreciated that it was narrated by the gravelly-voiced author. While it touches upon Sanders’s early life and career, the book is largely devoted to the sometimes wonky, but surprisingly gripping, details of his campaign to win the 2016 Democratic Party nomination for president of the United States. I was less enamored with the second half of the book, which, for some reason, was narrated by Mark Rufffalo. He’s a great actor, but no Bernie Sanders! 

Aaron

Louise

  • Crosstalk by Connie Willis: This book is such a delight!  Brittey works at Commspan, a telecommunications company. She has snagged Commspan’s most eligible bachelor, Trent, and they have gone to eat at Iridium which is the place for a romantic dinner and a proposal.  And, she is scheduled to get an EED. An EED is a “minor” operation done on the brain in which couples who are truly connected get even more emotionally connected and all of the it people are having it done.
    C.B., the nerd of the office, begs Britty not to do this.  He tells her that something could go horribly wrong.  Brittey shrugs this off.  I will not tell you anymore because I don’t want to provide any spoilers but this book takes you on a hilarious roller coaster that is filled with romance, missed connections, a very over involved family and gossipy office, a smart niece, a beautiful scene in a library (hurrah!) and more.
    This is a rom com of a book that will leave you blissfully entertained. Read this book!
  • Kindred by Octavia Butler: Dana and her husband Kevin are celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday when she literally disappears and meets Rufus for the first time.  Rufus is Dana’s ancestor and she is apparently being called to save his life so that she can be born.  He is the white son of a plantation owner.  As we know, plantation owners often used their slaves as sex partners whether they consented or not and Rufus will not be an exception to the rule. Dana, who is a contemporary black woman writer,  is called back in time more than once. At one point, her white husband, Kevin, also goes to the plantation with her.  Dana essentially works as a slave during a lot of her time travels and Kevin ends up working to free slaves during a time when they get separated from each other.  Both Dana and her husband are changed forever after the time travel finally stops.  This is an amazing book with very good world building and character development.  Like all of the Octavia Butler novels that I have read to date, it will leave you breathless and asking questions about the human condition and the history of racism in our country.  Further, Octavia Butler presents strong female characters who are admirable and who question traditional societal roles.
  • Lilith’s Brood by Octavia Butler: This is the trilogy by Octavia Butler that begins with Dawn which I discussed in the last staff reads.  This is a brilliant trilogy that will leave you breathless.  Worldbuilding is so powerful.  I was transported to another place and time. 
    This series will leave you questioning so many things about the history of oppression and the destructive tendencies of the human race.  At the same time, like many great novels, it will leave you with hope and all the richer for having read this. 
  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler: I listened to this amazing novel as an audiobook and I have to give a shoutout to the narration of Lynne Thigpen.  The United States has become very dystopian with division and looting, climate change and classism.  Once again we have a strong female character who fights her way towards a better future.  You will be intrigued and engrossed and you will route for the “good guys” in their quest for a better life.  A must read.
  • Bridge 108 by Anne Charnock: This is a novel of a dystopian version of Europe in the not so far future where climate change and classism have wreaked havoc.  Our main character, Caleb, is only twelve years old when he gets separated from his mother and has to make his way in a very difficult world. Beautiful worldbuilding, great character development, a compelling story and a strong main character to root for combine to make this a worthwhile read. I really liked this novel by Anne Charnock.
  • Changing Planes by Ursula K. Leguin: This book is hilarious and light although it has some great lessons in the way of fables.  The premise of this book is that some people in airports with their stale air and lines, their mediocre food and uncomfortable chairs, discover that they can literally change planes.  The tales in this novel are of the different ‘planes’ where different beings and histories reside.  Fans of Greek myths, the Canterbury Tales, Gulliver’s Travels and the original Leonard Nemoy William Shatner Star Trek will love this entertaining collection of stories.  
    Shucks.  When I go to airports, I usually just sit in the uncomfortable seats and eat the mediocre food.  I have yet to change planes!

Seana

  • In Five Years by Rebecca Serle: I loved this book! My daughter and I read it at the same time and would call each other to talk about it. I highly recommend reading it at the same time as a friend or for a book group, as there is so much you want to talk about.
  • A  Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: I always picked this book up and put it back down. I was afraid it was going to be too sad, but instead it was warm, endearing, and hopeful. I listened to it, so I found out Ove is surprisingly pronounced “Oohvah”
  • The Woman in the Window by A.J Finn: This book is a dark, twisting psychological thriller. I couldn’t put it down. I am looking forward to watching the movie.
  • Becoming by Michelle Obama: I listened to this book and I am so glad I did. Michelle Obama is the narrator and I felt like I was hanging out with her every day on my way to and from work!
  • When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed: Middle Grade Graphic Novel for everyone
    I don’t typically read graphic novels except to be able to recommend them to middle schoolers. However, this book is incredible. It is based on the real life experiences of Omar and his brother Hassan as they grow up orphans in a refugee camp. It is an incredibly touching account of how these two boys navigate the day-today life in a refugee camp, and make their own family unit while they wait for an opportunity for a brighter future. This book is not just for middle schoolers. Readers of all ages will be moved and inspired by Omar and Hassan and their journey. 

National Poetry Month!

The following are original poems that were submitted to the Waltham Public Library for National Poetry Month! They are all very beautiful and we hope that you will enjoy them.

The Place of Unknowing

How do you stay balanced in that place
between knowing and unknowing?
How do you find peace
when uncertainty surrounds you at every turn?
Every Bible character that I look at goes on this journey.
It’s not for the faint of heart,
but as I see it, it’s the only journey there is.
There is really only One Journey,
and that is our journey back home to the light;
to Eternal Love.
All else are pit stops;
road markers along the way.
Some are filled with joy
and others filled with sadness.
This is the human experience of duality
that so many try to escape from.
The pain of unknowing and uncertainty
can be too great to bear.

In the dark times in my own life,
as I look back,
I can see this question continually popping up:
What is emerging?
What is emerging in me?
Something old is passing away,
and in its place something new is seeking to be born.
While I am in the midst of it,
I can’t name it.
But that newness tastes like:
Deeper Peace,
Unshakable Joy,
Unconditional Love.

Most people see God as an external being
who Judges, rewards, and punishes.
But what if the divine is Peace itself,
beyond our intellectual understanding;
What if the Holy is Bliss,
in the form of complete joy?
What if the Sacred
is the Love we feel within and without,
because love is simply all there is?

On my best days, when I’m awake,
I can see the forest through the trees.
Other days, I feel lost,
searching, groping for guidance.
On those days, I look to the spiritual giants-
to the saints, the mystics, and seers of all religious traditions
who have reminded me of one thing-
don’t look only to the things that can be seen.

If my peace is dependent on externals,
then I will never be peaceful.
If my joy is possible only under special circumstances,
then it will remain elusive.
Instead, they remind me,
look to what cannot be seen-
to what is invisible yet eternal;
To what you can feel
but not touch.
This is what is most real.
This is what that question of emergence points to.
What is falling away,
and what is being born?
And so every day, my prayer is,
Lord, take all of me;
Take my memory,
my understanding,
my entire will.
They are yours.
My family, my community,
they are yours.
Nothing will stay the same because life is transient;
all things are impermanent.
In this ever-shifting world,
let us always have on the forefront of our minds
what does not change:
Love, peace, joy-
these are all simply words that point to Infinity,
which is the surest foundation we can build for our life,
our family, our communities, our world.

by Matthew Carriker
This original poem is by Matthew Carriker, Protestant Chaplain at Brandeis University

Life
Sometimes the heart is full
Other moments the heart is full of 
    wholes
Changes are delayed and time stands 
still
The pendulum will move
When the will of the mind begins to
bend

Given the darkness of the full moon
And the darkness of the moonlit sky
Brace for the chains to break
The storm will blow away
The sun will shine again

Life is waiting for the new moment to begin

Sheryl Jean Arico
copyright 2008 Sheryl Jean Arico

Kentuckiana Postcards
 KENTUCKIANA POSTCARDS by Jennifer Rose
to Josh Bloom
1
Hello from Nowhere in Particular,
and yet another town I fell in love with.
It's the usual: the Washeteria, Hubcaps Galore,
Little Chef Diner, not to mention Faith
Liquors. I'm so predictable. All the downtown
buildings need to do is raise their painted eyebrows
slightly or flash old-fashioned neon and I'm gone
(like making wedding plans on the first date). I browse
or next year's calendar ("they're in!") though it's July
and get my shoe size checked ("it changes year to year").
I must find out if they serve Jell-O
here (or it could never work). The theater
is closed, of course, though you can buy appliances
and furniture ("tent sale today!") and the jeweler's
still open. (But where can I get the fiancée
to buy them for?) Am I a fool or
what, to think love and towns like this should last
forever? One more walk by the river
and I know I must go, like the ghosts unkissed
in the balcony while the screen below flickers with lovers.
 
 2
Yup, another place whose curlicues and neon
and blank marquee seduced me. (If I paid dues
at every Odd Fellows' I've photographed. . .)
But I worried that the waitress hated Jews
it took so long to get my order
(and she had tattoos) till I saw she was just
nervous. (Turns out she's very new here.)
One by one, the other diners confessed
to me how far away they've been from Indiana-
Boston, Seattle, thirteen years in New York-
in an ironic contest one trucker supplied
mileage for. Then each explained why he'd come back,
as if I'd somehow disapprove of that.
I, in turn, pretended I was from somewhere,
though after twenty years I still get called a "breezer."
I couldn't say, "I want to be a regular
in every town like this-each street seems so
evocative of all the lives I could have led-"
like the one where I run the public library,
the one in which my mother hadn't died,
and one in the last century, when I was
(can you imagine it?) the haberdasher's bride.
The life where I have children, the one
in which I'll never go abroad, and read
the Bible daily. The life where I work
at Little Chef and serve my other self the tea
(the four-refill limit would not apply to me),
the one in which instead of go, I'd stay.
 Jennifer Rose

from Hometown for an Hour, Ohio University Press (2006)Here are poems recommended by Waltham Public Library Staff and community members.  

 
 This poem is written by my father in his native language bengali. This is a translation by my friend, Kakoli Ray:
  
 Tomar shonge Dekha Hole (If I met you)
 By Sunil Gangopadhyay, translated by Kakoli Ray:
  
 If I met you.
 If I met you, I would have asked
 You have no love for humanity, yet why do you love the nation?
 What can the nation give you?
 Or, is the nation something God-like for you?
 If I met you, I would have asked
 If you were to martyr yourself what will it leave the nation?
 Is the nation the land of your birth, or the barbed boundary of the nation-state?
 Those that you hauled off the bus and murdered
 Should one suppose they have no nation?
 If I met you, I would have asked
 How did you infer that I am your enemy?
 And without even responding to my questions will you
 just point the gun at me?
 Such are the loveless who proclaim patriotism!
  
  Submitted by Shouvik Gangopadhyay
   
The following are poems by well known authors that were submitted by Waltham Public Library Staff and community members.

Undersong by Audre Lord

The Soul Of Rumi: A New Collection Of Ecstatic Poems

The Sonnets And Narrative Poems by William Shakespeare

Jimmy’s Blues And Other Poems by James Baldwin

Separation by W.S. Merwin

Your absence has gone through me

Like thread through a needle.

Everything I do is stitched with its color. 

W. S. Merwin, “Separation” from The Second Four Books of Poems (Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press, 1993). Copyright © 1993 by W. S. Merwin. Reprinted with the permission of The Wylie Agency, Inc.Source: The Second Four Books of Poems (Copper Canyon Press, 1993) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/28891/separation-56d21285b2140

Collected Poems by Jane Kenyon

On The Way Out, Turn Off The Light: Poems by Marge Piercy

Poems April 2004

The well or the cup

by Kay Ryan

How can
you tell
at the start
what you
can give away
and what
you must hold
to your heart.
What is
the well


and what is
a cup. Some
people get
drunk up.

The New Criterion

Vol. 39, No. 8 / April 2021

Antonio Machado

“A Meditation”

Already the moon rises
over orange groves.
Venus shines in the sky
like a little glass bird.

Amber and beryl light
behind distant mountains
and over the oceans
a purple porcelain sky.

Night in the garden,
water in its fixtures—
the scent of jasmine,
nightingale of perfumes.

How it seems as if
the war were asleep
while Valencia’s flowers
drink the Guadalaviar.

Valencia of thin towers
and sweet nights. Valencia,
I will be with you even
when I cannot see you,
the fields grown in sand,
the seas receding to violet.

Four Poems by Antonio Machado

The Complete Collected Poems Of Maya Angelou

Staff Reads March 2021

Subscribe to Staff Reads and other book newsletters.

Looking for personalized reading suggestions?  Fill out this form and a staff member will select 3 titles just for you!

Watch “We’ll Tell You What We’re Reading” every month on our Youtube Channel!

Deb

  • All The Best Lies by Joanna Schaffhausen: This is the third in the Ellery Hathaway series by this local Waltham author with whom I went to school.  It’s so very cool to know a successful author of books I like to read! I did not correctly guess the killer, so that was a nice surprise for me. My second guess wasn’t correct, either, but another character shared my incorrect guess, so at least I’m in good company. If you’re looking to start at the beginning, the first in the series is Vanishing Season and the second is No Mercy. (Watch the Joanna Schaffhausen WPL program, “Famous Kidnappings & How They Were Solved“. Join us live on March 17 at 7:00 pm or watch it after the event on Youtube!)
  • Artemis by Andy Weir: This is a book by the author of The Martian that I really, really enjoyed as an audiobook a few years back… I couldn’t wait to get back in the car to find out what happened next! I listened to this one on audio as well and it’s narrated by Rosario Dawson. I really enjoyed this one, too. Artemis is a city on the moon. There’s a lot of science to these fiction titles, plus some scheming and a cool setting with many logistical problems to keep things interesting!
  • Troubles in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand: This is a bit on the chick-lit end of a spectrum for me but I started this series because it takes place on the U.S. Virgin Island of St. John where I’ve traveled often. This is the third of a trilogy that starts with Winter in Paradise and continues with What Happens in Paradise. It’s the story of a woman whose husband dies around St. John. She travels to the island in order to find out about the circumstances of his death.
  • The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: This is my first 5-star book of 2021. I added it to my To-Read list based on a Good Reads list and moved it to the top of my list on my colleague Dana’s recommendation, since she is yet to steer me wrong! (See last month’s Staff Reads for Dana’s review.) I listened to this one as an audiobook and enjoyed the narration. This novel is mental health meets magical realism meets quantum physics meets fabulous storytelling!

Debora

  • Medicus by Ruth Downie: A hugely satisfying historic fiction set in the ancient Roman empire. The best part about the novel? Its voice. Roman army medic Ruso is serving in the distant outpost of Deva, Brittania (modern day Chester, England). Trouble seems to follow him everywhere and he ultimately saves an enslaved woman, discovers and solves two murders, and finds love in the process. He’s a wry, very likeable character and the story is fun. One thing I found astonishing was how advanced Roman medicine was circa 100 AD – they were doing cataract surgery!
  • Eli’s Promise by Ronald Balson: This WWII novel spans three time periods: 1939 Poland, 1946 Germany, and 1965 Chicago. In 1939, Eli Rosen lives with his wife and young son in Poland when the Nazis invade. The Nazi noose tightens daily as Eli tries to protect his family and construction business. Maximilian Poleski is an immoral extortionist who promises to help Eli’s family – and profit nicely for himself. In 1946, we see Eli and his son in a displaced persons camp in Germany after the war. Eli learns there is a Max selling illegal visas to America and he’s sure it’s the same man, Poleski. He works hard to bring Max down. In 1965, Eli is living in America and working for the government. We meet several new characters and watch in horror when two of them are murdered. Eli is still a man on a mission to seek justice for a man who betrayed his family and country – Max.
  • The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White: I don’t know how three authors managed to create a novel together, but they did and it’s a great read. There are two story lines: one in 2013 featuring author Sarah Blake who is determined to find out what role her great-grandfather may have had with the sinking of the Lusitania and one in 1915 on the Lusitania with a cast of characters who we follow for the seven days before the ship is torpedoed by a German U-boat. Southern belle Caroline Hochstetter is unhappy in her marriage with husband Gilbert; Caroline’s longtime friend Robert Langford is in love with Caroline; and thief Tessa Fairweather is determined to accomplish one last crime and then retire. The characters’ lives become intertwined and the story is fast paced up to the very end. The 2013 storyline also has a satisfying love drama.

Dana

Casey

Janet

  • Road Through Midnight: A Civil Rights Memorial by Jessica Ingram: A photo album-style book featuring images that look, at first glance, quite ordinary: a vacant lot, a dirt road, a run-down building. Often lacking memorials or plaques, these were the sites of murders and other racially motivated crimes that were pivotal events in the civil rights era of the 1950s, 60s, Ingram’s supporting research is both thorough and heartbreaking.
  • The World is Round by Gertrude Stein and illustrated by Clement Hurd: I loved this children’s book, although Stein’s stream-of-consciousness writing style isn’t for everyone. Clement “Goodnight Moon” Hurd’s illustrations are lovely and the vivid pink pages with light blue text are unexpectedly soothing.
  • Newton and Curie: The Science Squirrels written and illustrated by Daniel Kirk: I can’t believe a book like this was written in 2020. Brother squirrel Newton wonders aloud about various scientific phenomena while sister Curie would rather play. She begrudgingly helps him conduct various science experiments, occasionally exclaiming “And It’s Fun!” This book plays into gender stereotypes around girls and science. Two paws down!
  • “Throughline” Podcast: “How Octavia Butler’s Sci-Fi Dystopia Became A Constant In A Man’s Evolution” (Feb 18 2021): I’m not a big sci fi reader but now want to read all of Ms. Butler’s books. This podcast made for an hour very well spent.

Ashley

  • Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: This was a sweet coming of age story about a gay, Chinese-American teenage girl growing up and figuring out who she is in San Fransico in the 50s.
  • A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong: The 6th installment in her Rockton series, this one felt like a lot of filler. Some things were answered, and loose ends tied up, but all in all, not the best read in the series.
  • Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine: The final book In her Stillwater Lake series, this one did not live up to the greatness of its predecessors. It also seemed to have a lot of filler and dialogue about things that happened in previous books, which didn’t move the plot along very quickly.
  • Ginny & Georgia on Netflix: Promos tried to say this was the new Gilmore Girls, but I don’t understand the comparison. A single mom who had a kid as a teen does not Gilmore Girls make. The highlight of this show for me was the appearance of two actors who were on Degrassi as kids, especially Sarah Waisglass. She’s been playing a 15 year old since 2013, but this is her best performance yet.
  • Night Stalker on Netflix: I enjoy a good true crime documentary, and this one was incredibly well done. What I feel really made it, was the compelling narrative told by the officers who had worked the case. I found their narrative absolutely riveting. THis wasn’t just a story about a man and the horrible things he did, but the story of these officers’ lives, and the entire community that was impacted.
  • Beverly Hills, 90210 (Season 5): This show has gone completely off the rails by season 5, but it’s fun to see the characters wearing styles and outfits I wore as a preteen in the mid nineties!

Molly

Aaron

  • The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J Ryan Stradal (read by Judith Ivey): A heartfelt and humorous novel with memorable characters. You don’t have to like beer or be from Minnesota to enjoy this read… but it helps. Judith Ivey hits the right notes in the audiobook version (available on overdrive) with her voices, accents.
  • The Yellow Book by Sam Cha: A challenging, thought-provoking, and moving debut collection from an exceptional poet who writes against genre in these pages that read more like prose, elaborating instead a new kind of space and language to hear and better understand the impact of white supremacy (and ignorance) directed at people from Asian countries, particularly those living in the U.S.
  • Side Pony (music album) by Lake Street Dive: A band that has grown together and grown on me through the years. With a new album out this year, I went back to revisit (and bob along to) Side Pony.

Kelly

  • Hello, Habits by Fumio Sasaki which is a great book about both the art and science behind how habits work, how you can fine tune your better habits, and how to stop bad habits. I really enjoyed it.
  • In Five Years by Rebecca Serle was one of the best things I’ve read in a while. I don’t want to ruin the plot, but it’s charming and very thought provoking. I stayed up too late one night and finished it in one setting. This would be a great book group choice for discussion.

Louise

  • Group by Christie Tate: I adore this memoir by Christie Tate. We get to know about her and her insecurities; her loneliness, her food issues, her fear of revealing too much of herself. Then we get to meet all of the members of Christie’s delightful and unconventional therapy group. Christie was raised in a family that relied on appearances. Her family was and is loving, but did not have a lot of vocabulary for feelings and what goes on beyond the surface. Christie comes to terms with her inner self in this book and we root for her as she becomes a more integrated person who has much healthier relationships. I recommend this to anyone who likes to read about people’s inner struggles, growth and recovery. 
  • Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshigazu Kawaguchi: This gem of a book can be found on Hoopla. The action all takes place in a small, hole in the wall coffee shop in the outskirts of Tokyo. Rumor has it that there is an option to travel back in time from this location. One curious reporter tried to get a first hand report on the matter but could not find anyone who had actually made the time travel journey. However, dear reader, you will get to meet four amazing women who take this journey. They learn about some of the time travelling rules of the coffee shop. One of them is that you can only meet with someone who has been inside of the cafe. Another is that the time traveler takes a cup of coffee with them. They must drink the coffee before it gets cold if they want to come out in one piece. They can not stay longer than the time it takes for the coffee to get cold. No matter what happens they can not change the presence. This is a lovely book about the words in our hearts that we sometimes wish we could have said in the past or, that we would like to say to the future when we are no longer here. Beautiful.
  • White Ivy by Susie Yang: Read this book if you enjoy stories about second generation immigrants and the misunderstandings that can happen between parents and children. However, do not read this book if you want a conventional, well behaved main character. Ivy is neither conventional nor well behaved. This book actually reminds me a bit of the Theodore Dreiser classic An American Tragedy. So many of us fall prey to the belief that money, wealth, prestige are the key to happiness. Ivy is no exception to this. Unfortunately, her dogged pursuit of these ‘important’ acquisitions, do not necessarily lead to total contentment for Ivy. The character of Ivy is complicated and rich and this book is addictive and rich and great for book clubs as it can lead to really interesting and fruitful conversation. I loved it and highly recommend it. It goes a bit dark so keep that in mind when deciding.
  • The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish: This book is a hoot! I recommend the audiobook because Haddish herself is the reader and she does a great job with the narration. Haddish had a very difficult childhood but she refuses to feel sorry for herself. Instead she really makes humor and energy work for her. Personally, I loved this book and really admire Ms. Haddish. Such spunk and joie de vivre! I really enjoyed this and found it to be a fast read. Fun!
    Note: there is violence, graphic language, some slightly cringeworthy description of someone with a disability in this book.
  • New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson: Well, well. My colleagues can tell you that science fiction is not my main reading interest. However. This is a fabulous book. Kim Stanley Robinson describes for us New York City and its possible iteration in the year 2140. Due to global warming, the city is more like Venice with people getting around in boats for the most part. Central Park is still there and people take walks. We meet a group of people who all live in the same building and they are all extremely interesting and colorful. At first, I felt upset because of the climate change issue. I switched to Red White And Royal Blue (see below) because it is an entertaining romance that my esteemed colleague Liz recommended. Then I came back to Mr. Robinson. I felt more acclimated when I came back to the book. In my case, I listened to the audiobook which is really good with multiple narrators. There is a great deal of human spirit and humor in this book. The characters are trying to make things better; to save the planet, to keep the wealthy from having everything at the expense of everybody else. I was really left with a lot of hope and admired the author for taking on this tough subject.
  • Red White And Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: This is a great pandemic read! Imagine if the President of the United States was a Black woman, she had biracial children, and one of them develops a crush on a member of the royal family….this book is like having scones and tea and then relaxing on a lounge chair by the pool. Sheer fun! Funny, too.
  • All Adults Here by Emma Straub: This is a story of three generations of a family in small town New York, their ups and downs, their struggles. It is rather sweet. Quiet and sweet. Good pandemic reading because people are working hard to communicate and love each other despite their flaws. A nice read.
  • Night Of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel: This classic has been reissued and it is a quick and interesting read. I really enjoyed this novel. Note: there are no cell phones, people are drinking and smoking like they did in Mad Men which is kind of entertaining at least to me. Times have really changed in these ways! The book was written in 1965 and, in my opinion, it really holds up.
  • Dawn by Octavia E. Butler: Oh. My. Goodness. I am reading another science fiction novel. Perhaps this is habit forming! I watched an interview with Octavia Butler and decided I had to give her a try. This book is sooooo good. Part of a trilogy which means, uh oh, I may have to read the whole thing. Not to worry. It is an easy and quick read. Our main character Lilith, has been ‘asleep’ for a long time. When the novel opens, she is having an awakening. She has apparently had several of these. Here’s the thing. Um well, earth was kind of destroyed by some crazy people and Lilith is meeting extraterrestrials who have been putting her to sleep and awakening her. They are soooo interesting…and she is such a strong character. I am totally engrossed in this book!

Laura

  • You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar: Amber Ruffin, host of The Amber Ruffin Show and writer/performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers joins forces with her sister, Lacey, to recount the real life racist experiences that Lacey has endured while working, shopping, seeking medical care. In other words, just living her life. This book is a must addition to anti-racist work and booklists.
  • The Source of Self Regard by Toni Morrison: This collection of essays and speeches by the late great Toni Morrison span over four decades but are timeless. The essays about racial justice and respect (or lack thereof) for writers and those in the arts could easily have been written three months ago and not 20+ years ago). Morrison’s writing is lyrical and thoughtful.
  • More Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn: Prior to the show, I had only read three in the eight book series, so I’ve been catching up on those that I missed as well as re-visiting others:
    • The Viscount Who Loved Me: This was a re-read (or listen, in this case). This is still my favorite of the series and I’m excited that the second season of the show is going to cover this novel.
    • An Offer from a Gentleman: A different take on the Cinderella story and (an attempt to) look at class structure in Regency England. 
    • Romancing Mister Bridgerton: This is my favorite of the novels that were new (to me). Penelope is a great character in the novels. 
    • To Sir Phillip with Love: Not sure how I feel about this one. I think part of the issue is that I really liked Eloise on the show as well as another show character whose name I won’t spoil (who only exists in the book series as someone who died before the book takes place). I don’t love the fates of either character as presented here. I would probably feel better about this novel if I hadn’t watched the show.
  • Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld, read by Carrington MacDuffie: Novel which imagines a scenario in which Hillary Rodham (Clinton) breaks up with Bill Clinton and how it changes both of their lives. I’m almost finished with this and undecided how I feel about it. Good pick for those who like alternate histories but I have a lot of thoughts about the narrative and direction that I’m trying to piece together. I preferred Sittenfeld’s previous First Lady novel, American Wife. 
  • Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St. Onge, and Jay San: I loved this graphic novel so much! Hazel and Mari fall in love in the 1960s as teenagers but family and societal pressures force them to end their relationship. They rediscover each other many years later and find themselves with a second chance. This is a beautiful depiction of a loving, healthy, and passionate relationship. There is always more room for LGBTQIA+ romances as well as romances focusing on people of color. However, I also just really appreciate the fact that the couple at the central part of the story are women who are senior citizens. So few romances focus on anyone over a certain age and how refreshing to see a romance book cover with characters with gray hair! 
  • Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas: Prequel to The Hate U Give about Starr’s father, Maverick. Beautiful story about the struggles that Maverick has to face, including having enough money to support his infant son, Seven, struggling with the murder of his beloved cousin, Dre, and pressure to keep his emotions intact. It’s not necessary to read The Hate U Give in order to enjoy this novel, but I definitely recommend it, anyway! It’s also interesting to see how the adults we met in the previous book became who they are.

Tax Filing Season 2021/ Temporada de declaración de impuestos 2021

 

 

Federal and Massachusetts Forms 1040 and 1

 

It’s that time of year again! Please use our online resource guide to help you through tax season.

¡Es esa época del año otra vez! Utilice nuestra guía de recursos en línea para ayudarlo durante la temporada de impuestos.

**The IRS has extended the tax filing deadline to May 17, 2021. El IRS ha extendido la fecha límite para la presentación de impuestos hasta el 17 de mayo de 2021**

Obtaining Tax Forms/Cómo obtener formularios de impuestos

  • The Waltham Public Library has a limited supply of IRS Form 1040/1040 SR and instruction booklets as well as MA Form 1 Booklets. To pick one up, please come to the library holds pickup area in our lobby by our ground floor/parking lot entrance to the building. Please wear a mask and observe the limit of three people/families inside at one time. Due to limited quanities, we can only offer one form and instruction booklet per patron. If you need additional forms aside from the Form 1040/1040 SR and Massachusetts Form 1, please see below.
  • La Biblioteca Pública de Waltham tiene un suministro limitado del formulario 1040/1040 SR del IRS y folletos de instrucciones, así como folletos del formulario MA 1. Para recoger uno, acérquese al área de recogida de la biblioteca en nuestro vestíbulo junto a la entrada de la planta baja / estacionamiento del edificio. Use una máscara y observe el límite de tres personas / familias adentro al mismo tiempo. Debido a las  cantidades limitadas, solo podemos ofrecer un formulario y un folleto de instrucciones por usuario. Si necesita formularios adicionales además del Formulario 1040/1040 SR y el Formulario 1 de Massachusetts, consulte a continuación.
  • Obtain Federal forms from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website/Formularios federales del sitio web del Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS)
  • Obtain Massachusetts forms from the Department of Revenue (DOR) website/Formularios de Massachusetts del sitio web del Departamento de Ingresos (DOR)
  • Tax Forms for Other States
  • Contact the IRS by phone to request federal forms: 781-835-4350 or 617-316-2850
  • Note: According to a March notice from the IRS, there was “an error found on the IRA Deduction Worksheet—Schedule 1, Line 19 in the 2020 Instructions for Forms 1040 and 1040-SR: Line 3 of the worksheet should read “Enter the amount from Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 9.”/Según un aviso de marzo del IRS, se encontró “un error en la Hoja de trabajo de deducción de IRA — Anexo 1, Línea 19 en las Instrucciones de 2020 para los Formularios 1040 y 1040-SR: La línea 3 de la hoja de trabajo debe leer” Ingrese la cantidad de Formulario 1040 o 1040-SR, línea 9.”
  • Contact the DOR by phone to request state forms: 617-887-6367 or 800-392-6089
  • To print out forms at the library:
    • Using your own device: Find the form you need online and follow the directions for wireless printing at the library. 
    • Con tu propio dispositivo: Busque el formulario que necesita en línea y siga las instrucciones para la impresión inalámbrica en la biblioteca. (Elija español para la traducción de la página)
    • Staff Help: Contact wlmill@minlib.net or call 781-314-3425 Monday through Friday, 8:30 – 4:30. Please include your name, contact information, federal or state, and the form number. (Forms only and instructions 10 pages or fewer) Please allow 1-2 business days for staff to print your form and contact you. Please Note: Library staff members are not authorized by revenue agencies to give tax advice or determine the correct form to match specific needs.
    • Ayuda de un miembro del personal de la biblioteca: Póngase en contacto con wlmill@minlib.net o llame al 781-314-3425 de lunes a viernes, de 8:30 a 4:30. Incluya su nombre, información de contacto, federal o estatal, y el número de formulario. (Solo formularios e instrucciones de 10 páginas o menos) Por favor, espere entre 1 y 2 días hábiles para que el personal imprima su formulario y se comunique con usted. Tenga en cuenta: las agencias de ingresos no autorizan a los miembros del personal de la biblioteca a brindar asesoramiento fiscal ni a determinar el formulario correcto para satisfacer sus necesidades específicas.

Where and How to File Tax Returns/Dónde y cómo presentar declaraciones de impuestos

Local Offices for Tax Agencies

Free Tax Help/Ayuda tributaria gratuita

Volunteer in Tax Assistance Program (VITA)

  • According to the IRS: “The VITA program has operated for over 50 years, offering free tax help to: People who generally make $57,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns.”
  • Según el IRS: “El programa de VITA ha operado por más de 50 años, ofreciendo ayuda tributaria gratuita a las personas que necesiten asistencia con la preparación de sus propias declaraciones de impuestos y que sean: Personas que generalmente tienen $57,000 o menos en ingresos, personas que tienen incapacidades, y personas que tienen dominio limitado del inglés.
    • VITA Locations/Ubicaciones
      • Bentley University (Online/En línea)
        781-891-2000
        Appointment Only/Sólo cita
        English/Español
        Online tax preparation will be held online Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. from Thursday February 16 to Sunday April 11, 2021.
        La preparación de los impuestos tendrá lugar por internet los domingos, de doce a cuatro de la tarde, y los jueves de seis y media a ocho y media de la noche, del jueves, 16 de febrero a domingo 11 de abril de 2021.  
      • ABCD Allston/Brighton NOC (Online/En línea)
        617-903-3640
        Appointment Only/Sólo cita
        English/Español/русский
      • Just-A-Start Corporation
        617-918-7504
        Appointment Only 
        “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will assist most participants virtually and complete your tax returns online. We use a secure file sharing system and a secure video chat service to keep you and your personal information safe. For participants who need extra assistance due to technology needs or a complex tax situation, we plan to offer limited in-person service by appointment only. However, in-person appointments will be available only when COVID numbers are low enough to be safe for our staff, volunteers, and participants.”
        English/Limited Spanish Un poco de español
      • Other Locations Within 10 miles/Ubicaciones de VITA dentro de las 10 millas 
    • AARP Tax Program 
      • According to the AARP: “AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides tax assistance free of charge, with a special focus on taxpayers who are over the age of 50 or have low-to-moderate income.”
      • AARP Tax Aide Locations
        • Waltham Council on Aging/Senior Center By Phone Only
          781-314-3499
          From Waltham Council on Aging February 2021 Newsletter: “This year taxes will be done remotely on the phone. You will drop off your paperwork and
          return for a signature once completed. The tax
          season starts late this year so there will be less
          appointments. Also this year AARP will not do
          returns that include rental properties, itemized
          deductions, or business expenses. Call 781-
          314-3499 to get on the list. You will receive a
          call back with an appointment.”
          English

COVID-19 Economic Impact Payment 2021 /COVID-19 Pagos de impacto económico 2021

Other Resources/Otros recursos

Staff Reads February 2021

 

 

 

Subscribe to Staff Reads and other book newsletters.

Looking for personalized reading suggestions?  Fill out this form and a staff member will select 3 titles just for you!

Watch “We’ll Tell You What We’re Reading” every month on our Youtube Channel!

Lisa

  • I am listening to Michelle Obama’s Becoming while walking…a great way to start off the new year.
  • I recently read One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London. It explored body image as a plus size blogger became the star of a Bachelor style reality tv show. It was a fun and thought provoking book.

Liz

Ewan

  • In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado: This is the most innovative book I have ever read. Machado revolutionizes the memoir in this account of her relationship with an abusive woman. A vital addition to queer bookshelves everywhere with a heartwarming plot-twist—although I am not sure it can still be called plot since it happened in real life.
  • The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa: Ogawa’s dream-like science fiction takes you to a nightmarish island where entire objects—flowers, gems, instruments—disappear from everyone’s memory. The special few who are able to remember are hunted down and swept away by the ominous memory police. This novel is full of surprising and breathtaking images, beautifully translated from Japanese by Stephen Snyder.
  • The History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter: This work of nonfiction follows the idea of a white race from its invention and through its many iterations and definitions. Painter covers everything from the creepy guy who brought the word “Caucasian” into general use to the titans of American intellect who shaped whiteness into what worked best for their politics and their wallets. A deeply researched illumination.

Debora

  • Sister of Mine by Sabra Waldfogel: Big wow. This had me from the start and I read it in 3 days. It tells an unusual story about a Jewish cotton farmer in 1800s Georgia and the relationship of one of the enslaved women, Rebecca, to both her mistress and her master. The writing is simple, yet elegant, and the story compelling at every page. It starts during the Civil War, then goes to an earlier time to tell the backstory. Weeks later, and I’m still thinking about these characters.
  • The Midwife’s Confession by Diane Chamberlain: This was a quick read, perfect for downtime during staycation. The story takes place after the suicide of midwife Noelle, who died with a pile of secrets not even her best friends, Tara and Emerson, knew. The plot’s twists and turns keep you going – and guessing – but I confess that I knew the final plot turn before it was revealed at the end. A fun, light read.
  • A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner: The author sets up an interesting parallel between the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist fire and 9/11. The main plot of the story is in 1911 and involves nurse Clara Wood, who works on Ellis Island, in its hospital. She’s escaped Manhattan, following the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and is still traumatized by having seen her friend jump from the building to his death. When she cares for a recently arrived immigrant who has Scarlet Fever, she feels an affinity towards the man and gains more understanding about her own experience. The 2011 plotline revolves around a woman, Taryn, who saw the Twin Towers fall and narrowly escaped injury. What ties them together is a scarf printed with marigolds. I really enjoyed both stories, but felt the scarf connection was a bit contrived. Still, a fun read. 

Dana

  • This Light Between Us: A Novel of World War II by Andrew Xia Fukuda: This book was very good, albeit a bit depressing. It follows Alex Maki, a Japanese-American teenager living on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. He’s a bit of a loner, and his only real friend is his penpal of many years, Charlie, a Jewish teenage girl living in Paris. The book follows the turmoil that takes over their lives, as first Alex and then Charlie are targeted and forced from their homes simply because of who they are. The reader follows Alex during his time in an internment camp, and then as a soldier fighting in Europe near the end of the war. I finished it a while ago, but I’m still thinking about it.
  • The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: Matt Haig does not disappoint! I was only about 10 or 20 pages into this, his latest novel, when I realized I loved it. Clearly I’m not the only one, since The Midnight Library was voted Best Fiction in the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2020. The story follows a woman who has decided to end her life, but then finds herself in a library full of books that tell of the infinite paths her life could have taken, based on every choice she ever made. Like many of Haig’s other books, The Midnight Library has elements of sci-fi and fantasy with a dollop of philosophy, and I loved the premise of an endless library that contains all the different stories one’s life could possibly tell.
  • What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing – What Birds Are Doing, and Why by David Allen Sibley: I’ve always been interested in birds, and have been encouraging a similar interest in my preschooler, who loves to refill our bird feeders and watch the ensuing frenzy. This book is beautifully illustrated and full of fascinating details… I might have to add it to my wishlist so we can have a copy at home for reference!
  • Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese Oneill: I had placed a hold on this ebook and then promptly forgot about it, so it was a pleasant and hilarious surprise when it became available. Oneill acts as a tour guide for the reader, who has ostensibly gone back to Victorian times after admiring the clothes and perceived way of life shown in period dramas. The author doesn’t hold back in her narrative reality slap, explaining just how miserable life could be for women of all classes during this time. It was a truly eye-opening read, and the humor with which Oneill writes had me giggling so much that I almost worried my husband suspected me of hysteria.  
  • Dread Nation by Justina Ireland: I wanted to read outside of my usual comfort zone, so I picked this alternative history/sci-fi/horror novel about the aftermath of the Civil War, which was cut short by the dead coming back to life and wreaking havoc on the country. In this version of history, slavery has ended but a law called the Native and Negro Reeducation Act forces all Black and Indigenous youth to be trained in combat so that they can work to protect their white bosses. It took me quite a while to get into the story, but about halfway through I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down. Now I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel to come in on hold!
  • Ungovernable: The Victorian Parent’s Guide to Raising Flawless Children by Therese Oneill: After reading Oneill’s Unmentionable (see above), I was excited to see that she had written another guide to Victorian life. Ungovernable covers all angles of child-rearing, and had me laughing just as hard as Oneill’s other book. Both books make me so glad I didn’t live in the nineteenth century… I don’t think I would have been cut out for it!
  • The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed: This YA novel takes place in Los Angeles in 1992, beginning just before four LAPD officers were acquitted for the beating of Rodney King. The story follows Ashley, a high school senior who is one of only a few Black students at school, the only Black girl in her circle of friends, and part of the only Black family in her wealthy, mostly white neighborhood. When the verdict in the King trial leads to an uprising in the city, Ashley has to reckon with who she is, how she identifies, and who “us” and “them” are, all while dealing with typical high school drama. I haven’t finished this book yet, but I’m really enjoying it. Being in elementary school in Massachusetts in 1992, I heard nothing about these events in LA, so I feel like I’m filling in a gap in my understanding of this country’s history. This is the author’s first novel, and I hope she writes more!
  • The Ripper (Netflix): This is a 4-part documentary about the “Yorkshire Ripper,” who killed 13 women and attacked 9 more during the late 1970s and early 1980s. I had heard of the Ripper but didn’t know much about what happened, so this documentary was very enlightening (and pretty gruesome, as one might imagine). I’m also a sucker for Yorkshire accents, so that was a bonus!
  • Song Exploder (Netflix): This is another documentary series, with each episode taking a deep-dive into one song as the artist picks it apart and explains how it was written. I watched the episodes on The Killers’ “When You Were Young,” and Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.” Both were fascinating, and made me like those songs even more. Song Exploder started as a podcast that is up to nearly 200 episodes, dealing with all different genres of music. I foresee myself learning about many more songs in the near future!
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: I feel very late to the party with this one, but I finally got around to watching the last Star Wars movie. I watched it a few weeks ago now, and I still don’t know how I feel about it! The movie dragged for the first 2/3 or so, and I was so bored, but then the end was exciting. Definitely not my favorite, but I suppose it wasn’t terrible.

Ashley

  • Orville Peck’s albums Pony and Show Pony available through Hoopla and Freegal: This is slow, sad, outlaw country with post punk influences, and I can’t stop listening to it. 
  • The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous: Part gothic domestic thriller, part locked room mystery, this might appeal to fans of both. 
  • Devolution by Max Brooks: Read from the safety of an urban environment, this is a mostly well done thriller I couldn’t put down. I wouldn’t recommend reading it in a cabin in the woods, especially if you have an overactive imagination like me. 
  • Bridgerton on Netflix: Not really my thing. The costumes were horrendous (the Queen would not be wearing a style that was popular when she was an infant), and you would think that if we are in an “alternate universe” of 1813 where society is color blind, and people wear crazy un 1800s clothes, that gay people would get to have screen time too. But nope. Also the Duke of Hastings is a jerk, because principals.

Deb

Covid had me reading less in 2020 thanks to shorter commutes and I didn’t make my Goodreads goal.  This year I’m working hard to redeem myself! Here’s what I’ve read so far in 2021:

  • The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne: I like to snorkel and I like mysteries/police procedurals with continuing characters.  This was a nice blend for me! This is the 1st in the Underwater Investigation Unit series and I’ll definitely read # 2: Black Coral.
  • Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: This story was on a few suggested reading lists, was made for Hulu and I had friends who liked it so I thought I’d give it a try.  It takes place in a midwestern “planned community”. That premise struck me as a bit Stepford at first. It also starts with the ending and then you spend the rest of the book figuring out how you’ll get there. It was good, not amazing, but decent.  Several types of motherhood are on display as well as several types of angst.
  • My favorite so far this year is The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue. It’s about the Spanish Flu of 1918 and takes place in a maternity ward in Ireland. This book was researched for the 100th anniversary of the Spanish Flu and was due to be published in 2021 but when covid hit, printing was fast-tracked to take advantage of the timeliness of the topic in relation to our new pandemic. I listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the narration.  A colleague of mine, Dana, made the connection for me that Emma Donoghue has made a name for herself writing books that all take place in essentially one room and this fits that theme. (See also Room and The Wonder, which I’ve also read. These are each a bit on the darker/creepier side compared to Pull of the Stars.)
  • For that year-in-review feel, here are my 2 favorite books of 2020. One was reviewed already, but it seemed worth bringing back since it was a 5-star book!
  • The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes: Some books can provide “windows” to view another’s reality; books that reflect a reader’s own life are considered “mirrors”. For me, this book was both: a mirror because it was about Librarians, but a window because the characters worked in Depression-era Kentucky & delivered books on horseback! I listened on audio and it was so good that I was really anxious to get back in the car & hear what would happen next and had to sit in my driveway to finish it because I knew I was only a few minutes from the end!
  • The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: Beautiful descriptions of scenery, deep characters, difficult life circumstances… just a well-rounded story in an unforgiving place.

Janet

  • Nothing Changes: Art for Hank’s Sake (Amazon): Artist Hank Virgona lives to make art. Traveling six days a week from Queens to his studio in Manhattan’s Union Square, his commute sometimes takes up to two hours in each direction due to serious health and mobility challenges. Even so, Hank wouldn’t have it any other way. It is a real treat to hear Hank discuss his work and his views on life. We should all be at least a little like Hank. 
  • Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words (DVD): I only knew Zappa for the songs “Dancin’ Fool” and “Valley Girl.” It was a real revelation to learn more about his world view. With that said, this is definitely not family entertainment. 
  • I Don’t Like Snakes written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Luciano Lozano: This picture book made me like snakes!
  • Lambslide written by Ann Patchett, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser:  A little girl who lives on a farm announces she is running for class president. Her mother says, “you’ll win by a landslide!” The lambs on the farm hear the word “lambslide” instead of “landslide” and the fun begins. An adorable book with great lessons about persistence and cooperation.
  • King, Martin Luther (1957, April 12). “Justice Without Violence” [Speech audio recording]. Brandeis Now. 

Louise

  • Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld: I love everything that I have read by Curtis Sittenfeld to date and Sisterland is no exception.  Kate and Violet are identical twins who also have a certain psychic ability that is both a blessing and a curse.  Violet predicts that a devastating earthquake will be hitting the St. Louis area and everything goes from there.  This is a great read with well developed characters. 
  • Every Last One by Anna Quindlen: Note:  This is not a happy story.  If your pandemic requires upbeat novels, please do not read further.  If you are still with me, this is a beautiful novel about a devoted mother and a tragedy; and how one lives a life after something awful has happened.
  • The Orchard by David Hopen: Ooh, I love this book.  I recommend this for any and all Donna Tartt fans and for fans of the mystical with a strong serving of dark.  Ari Eden was raised in a religious family in Brooklyn.  However, when his father loses his job, the family moves to a wealthy neighborhood in Florida.  Ari befriends a group of suburban Orthodox peers who are much more ‘worldly’ and not as observant as he was raised to be.  Adventures, love interests, and trouble ensues.  A beautifully written first novel from a literary talent.  
  • Still Me by Jojo Moyes: This novel will appeal to fans of light, fluffy, happy ending titles.  Although this is not my favorite Moyes novel, it is still a pleasant read about the wealthy and their help, with a romantic interest and a cute dog thrown in for fun.
  • Leave the World Behind by Ruman Alaam: Do you like dystopian novels?  Look no further.  This is a Great Read by a fabulous author!  Amanda and Clay take their two teenage children to a rental home in Eastern Long Island, expecting a nice, relaxing vacation.  Except that is not what happens.  This book is sooooo amazing.  Finalist for a national book award.  Read it!
  • Beach Read by Emily Henry: A nice, light, intelligent romance.  Perfect pandemic reading!  Entertaining!
  • The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren : Hilarious romance that is light and very funny!  Give it a go if you need a laugh!
  • The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai: This is not a light read but it is a fantastic book that will give you a very different perspective on the Vietnam War.  We meet three generations of a family who has been through so much and still manage to keep hope and connection alive.  A beautiful book that will enrich you.   Warning:  War and violence
  • His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie:  I love this book that explores an arranged marriage in Ghana and a young woman who comes into her own during a time of changing values and mores.  This book is delicious and satisfying and feminists will cheer.
  • Under The Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee:  This is a book that deals with the American South during the Depression and during the time of slavery.  This is definitely a novel whose comforting formula helps to take the sting out of some of the material so, while it is edifying, it is not nearly as heavy as this sort of book can be.
  • Apeirogon by Colum McCann: This is a very beautifully written novel that is based on a true story of a Palestinian and an Israeli who befriend each other due to their personal tragedies.  The writing is beautiful and borders on the poetic.  Colum McCann narrated the audiobook and he is a wonderful narrator and author.  Warning:  Violence
  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Delicious!  Movie Stars!  Marriages!  Philandering!  Money!  Pretty dresses!  Yum!
  • To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: Oh, how I love this book.  I was actually upset when it ended.  Beautiful, romantic teen novel that adults will enjoy.  Beautiful character development.
  • How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi: The perfect book for our times.  I am listening to the author’s narration and I am totally hooked.
  • Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell:  Gosh, I love Rainbow Rowell.  This book may be for teens, but I am a fan as well.  Lovely teen romance.  Mwah.
  • Madame:  Entertaining, silly, funny and stars Toni Collette and Harvey Keitel.
  • Guys and Dolls: Oh, it was so much fun to visit this musical starring Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, and a very sexy Marlon Brando!  Academy Award Nominee.  Funny and fun!
  • Doc Martin:  Perfect Pandemic watching.  Light, funny, quirky, eccentric, beautiful scenery. 
  • Dharma Lounge Volume 1 by Viro:  Freegal is fun and this particular recording is relaxing and yet upbeat

Aaron

  • English for Spanish Speakers On the Go (audiolibro de Mango Languages en el Overdrive/Libby): Programa para aprender inglés. Útil para los que prefieren escuchar y repetir en voz alta en vez de leer una pantalla. Para principiantes y algunos aprendices de nivel intermedios (avanza para llegar a los capítulos más aptos para usted).
  • Pablo Neruda Lee Su Poesía (audiolibro en el Hoopla): Escucha el mismísimo Neruda en su propia voz leer algunos de sus poemas más conocidos como Alturas de Macchu Picchu y Oda a Los Calcetines.
  • Ted Lasso (TV series on Apple TV): Funny, uplifting, great cast. The owner of an English Premier League Football club hires a Division II American College Football coach (played by Jason Sudeikis) to tank her squad and enrage her cheating ex-husband. You don’t need to like sports to enjoy this show, and the less you know about English football, the more you have in common with Coach Lasso.
  • Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right by Jamie Glowacki: Few books have so swiftly impacted my day-to-day existence than this guide by Glowacki. Recommended reading for parents who don’t think they’re ready to train yet (spoiler alert: your toddler likely is).
  • Ten Little Eggs: A Celebration of Family illustrations by Jess Mikhail: Surprisingly sweet and fun to read aloud with our 2 year old. 

Laura

  • A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow: This book is amazing with a mysterious, creepy, surreal yet realistic tone. The world building is fantastic here and I had no trouble buying the fantastical elements. This is a real a world in which sirens, gargoyles, and other magical creatures exist alongside the horrors of the real world such as racial injustice, victim blaming, and violence against women.
  • I Really Want the Cake by Simon Philip and Lucia Gaggiotti: Adorable rhyming picture book that, well, really made me want cake.
  • P.S. I Miss You by Jen Petro-Roy: Written in epistolary (letters) fashion, Evie writes to her sister, Cilla, after Cilla’s parents force her to live with a great-aunt when she becomes pregnant. Evie writes about troubles with her parents, as well as a burgeoning attraction to her new friend, June but Cilla never writes back. This book is very lyrically written and is very sad.
  • Dear Girls by Ali Wong: Hilarious, thoughtful (and sometimes a little raunchy which didn’t bother this reader but may make some blush), this is an open letter written by comedian, actor, and writer to her daughters to read when they’re older. Definitely recommend listening to the audio version which includes a loving tribute and afterward written by Wong’s husband. 
  • The Bromance Bookclub by Lyssa Kay Adams, read by Andrew Eiden and Maxwell Caulfield: This romance novel about a baseball player trying to fix his struggling marriage didn’t work for me, but there were some enjoyable elements. I appreciated the side characters starting a romance book club to try and be better partners and Maxwell Caulfield narrating a fake regency romance was pretty funny. 
  • Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers: Thoughtful book about Grace, who woke up in Vegas to discover that she married a woman she met the night before. That sentence really doesn’t do this character driven story justice at all nor the complex person Grace is as well as Grace’s friends and family who make up the supporting characters. 
  • The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: Just gorgeous! Thanks to Dana (once again), I discovered this book and author. While the reader knows what will most likely happen at the end of the novel, it doesn’t matter. The writing and journey are what’s important. 
  • The Duke and I by Julia Quinn: This is the first book in the Bridgerton series. While I had read others in the series, I had missed this one and wanted to check it out as the show was premiering. It was not my favorite of the book series and contained one scene in particular that was extremely problematic and featured questionable consent. (It’s definitely written in a way that we’re not supposed to think of it as assault, which makes it even worse.)
  • Watched some holiday movies back in December:
    • A Christmas Setup: Fran Drescher as a librarian playing a bit of a matchmaker for her son and the guy he had a crush on in high school. Loved the plot and the main couple and I can’t lie. I love The Nanny as a librarian.
    • Love, Lights, Hanukkah: A woman who was adopted at birth by her recently deceased mother, discovers that her birth mother was Jewish and becomes close to her new found family. The tone was typical of a made for TV romance but I really appreciated the concept of family. The main character navigates her new found relationship with her birth mother and biological siblings while still acknowledging the love for and traditions of her adoptive mother. 
    • Jingle Jangle: Netflix movie featuring Forrest Whitaker as a wronged magical toymaker who has become bitter over the years, only to be encouraged by his genius granddaughter. Very sweet movie.
  • Bridgerton: I mainly enjoyed the Shondaland adaptation of Julia Quinn’s romance novels. I know nothing about fashion history so I thought the outfits were fun and the acting is great. I also really adored Queen Charlotte as a character (who does not feature in any of the books that I read in the series). However, I definitely acknowledge the problematic elements of this show. I think it’s great that the show is much more representative than the books but I agree with my colleague and others that it doesn’t go far enough. There is also the scene I referenced from The Duke and I that is basically sexual assault. While it’s written in a way that’s less problematic than in the novel, it’s still troubling and I question why it was left in at all. If you watch the show, I definitely recommend the following two videos on Youtube that critique the show: “Why Bridgerton is Problematic” and “Race-Baiting, Queer-Baiting, Colorism, Featurism, and Performative Diversity” 
  • Wandavision: I have no idea what’s going on in this show and I’ve seen most (all?) of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That is not a criticism at all, believe me! Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen are great and the show veers from funny to mysterious to downright creepy.
  • Wonder Woman 1984: The less said about this movie, the better and I’ll leave it at that.

Staff Reads — Holiday Season 2020

 

 

 

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Julie

Debora H.

  • Liberation by Imogen Kealey: Big WOW. Nancy Wake was a real life spy in Nazi-occupied France for the Allies in WWII. This novel brings to life her dangerous experiences, always one step ahead of the Gestapo. Early on, her husband is arrested and held and she must escape to Britain, only to return to France to lead a resistance unit. A truly gripping story.
  • The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr by Susan Holloway Scott: The author creates a story around the relationship between Aaron Burr and one of the enslaved women in his household, Mary Emmons. There are few facts known about the real life Mary Emmons, but according to the author, Emmons did have children with Aaron Burr and she and Burr were secretly married at one point. From these two facts, Scott spins a tale that is both engrossing and sometimes hard to read. This book could have used a good editor – at 500 pages it feels like it’ll never end. 

Casey

Kim

  • Wayne (Prime): What a show. There is some bloody violence in a few scenes, but somehow it’s still pretty lighthearted, funny, and endearing. 
  • Fargo Season 4 (Hulu): This show can do no wrong. A murderous nurse, rival gangs, and Timothy Olyphant. This season definitely has the most diverse cast of this anthology series. 
  • The Undoing (HBO): Rich white people get mixed up in a murder. Sometimes Nicole Kidman’s character needs a good shake and some better sense, but overall it’s pretty good and has quite the twist. 
  • The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix): Orphaned girl turns chess champion during the 1960’s while struggling with her own demons. This show is just incredible: the costumes and style, the woman taking men down with skilled precision, the drama of it all…I will never look at chess the same way.
  • Happiest Season (Hulu): Not one for holiday movies, but found myself excited to watch this one the day it came out because of the specific point of view it offered. This story deals with women coming out and the complexities of balancing between wanting to live your truth while also struggling against your fear of rejection (more precisely, it’s from the POV of the character in a relationship with someone who has not yet come out to their family and what that experience is like). Dan Levy’s character has a short but powerful monologue about coming out that provided one of the most serious and important moments. I hope it’s heard by all who need to hear it. 
  • People Who Eat Darkness by  Richard Lloyd Parry: This is the tale of a British woman who went missing while living in Tokyo while working as a hostess. The author does a great job of introducing Japanese host/club culture, societal expectations, etc, before delving into the mystery of Lucie Blackman’s disappearance.  Parry wrote about the case for years and the book takes readers through the search, the trial, and the “after” for the family. 
  • One Life by Megan Rapinoe: This is an easy to get through memoir of  an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion, and all-around awesome human being, Megan Rapinoe. I love her so much anyways, and this book only grew my love stronger. Megan discusses her childhood in a conservative town, her journey through professional sports and celebrity, as well as issues of race and equality. I recommend listening to the audiobook through Libby or on CD because Rapinoe reads it herself and she has a great style. 

Ashley

  • My Heart Underwater by Laurel Flores Fantauzzo: Probably my favorite thing I read this month. Cory, a Filipino-American teenager falls for her female history teacher, begins an affair, and once discovered by her mother, she sent to visit relatives in Manila, a place she’s never even visited. The characters were well drawn out, and told with a lot of heart. 
  •  Horrid by Katrina Leno: Atmospheric and creepy.
  • The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg: A memoir about a woman who realized she was gay after being married to a man for some years. It was somewhat interesting.
  • The Hollow Places by T Kingfisher: This one bordered a little more on the fantasy than horror side for me, although I felt anxiety almost the entire time reading it, so I’m willing to call that horror! A recently divorced young woman moves into the back room of her uncle’s “Wonder Museum”, which is full of old taxidermy and odd things. One day s hole opens up in a wall, leading to a strange and creepy place. Despite all the anxiety, I really enjoyed it. Kingfisher is great at writing characters, and I hope she continues to write more horror. 
  • How to Houseplant: A Beginners Guide to Making and Keeping Plant Friends by Heather Rodino: This book is not only full of useful information, but the sweetest illustrations as well. Perfect for someone who needs help with their houseplants. 
  • Jo: a Graphic Novel by Kathleen Gros: This was ok? Although if your looking for another graphic novel contemporary retelling, I enjoyed Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy more. 
  • Pepper’s Rules for Secret Sleuthing by Briana McDonald: This was a super cute middle grade novel about a kid who likes to solve mysteries, but there’s one she can’t quite solve by herself, what does it mean that she likes girls so much?
  • A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson: A somewhat interesting thriller about a biologist who takes an assignment looking for wolverines at an abandoned ski lodge, now conservation land. But someone doesn’t want her there. It’s quickly paced, but the supporting characters and villains weren’t that well developed. 
  • Happiest Season on Hulu: While I’ll watch anything Clea Duvall has a hand in making, I thought the trailer was very misleading. While at some points it definitely was a comedy, I wasn’t prepared for how the film was actually about how lying because of internalized homophobia affects everyone around you. But yay, lesbian holiday movie, and Kristen Stewart is ADORABLE.

Laura

  • Beach Read by Emily Henry: Refreshing romance! After inheriting a house from her philandering father, January, a writer of so-called woman’s fiction, finds herself next door to Gus, a fellow writer (of so-called “literary fiction”) and a former college acquaintance. I’m not doing this book justice with the description but suggested for anyone who enjoys meta fiction about the literary/publishing world and likes couples who have adult conversations about their relationships.
  • Class Act by Jerry Craft: Great follow up to the graphic novel, New Kid. This time, we learn more about Jordan’s friend, Drew and how he navigates school and his home life. This book focuses on a lot of issues including colorism, disparities in education, as well as what happens when our goals are different than our families and the people we love. Drew is a well drawn (so to speak) character and, as with New Kid all of the supporting characters are extremely well rounded and nuanced. Despite some serious subject matters, there is a lot of humor in this. I can’t recommend this series enough.
  • The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett: Beautifully written and complex story about twins, Desiree and Stella, the latter of whom passes for white as an adult. Now that I’ve read this, I want to seek out Bennett’s earlier novel, The Mothers.
  • Yes No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed: Very sweet and thoughtful Teen Novel about Jamie and Maya, who become close while campaigning during a local senate race in Georgia. 
  • Tenements, Towers, and Trash: An Unconventional History of New York City by Julia Wertz: Part memoir, part history, all graphic novel, Wertz’s book (some of which contain drawings that were featured in The New Yorker) is a warts and all beautiful love letter to New York City. 
  • The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante: This was a recent book club read for the library. I really appreciated the writing and the strong sense of place in Naples. Still undecided how much I actually enjoyed it. (I had not read any of Ferrante’s previous novels.)
  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang, read by Sunny Lu: I was introduced to Yang via her novel, Parachutes and wanted to read her first book, for younger readers. Front Desk features a well realized protagonist in Mia whose parents become managers at a motel shortly after immigrating to the United States. Looking forward to the sequel.
  • A Promised Land by Barack Obama, read by the author: Glad I decided to experience this as an audiobook. The former President really goes into detail about what goes behind political campaigns and policy making as well as working (and becoming allies with) political rivals. 

Liz

Kelly

Dana

Louise

  • Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: Caroline Lee provides excellent narration for another great title by Liane Moriarty.  Madeline has a blended family and a teenaged daughter who seems to be gravitating more towards her new age, mellow stepmother.  Celeste is in a wealthy, seemingly perfect marriage; except that it’s not.  Jane is new to town; a single mother whose son is being bullied.  This book has some serious issues, but there is so much wit and charm and so many lovely friendships that it left me feeling entertained and glad to have spent time with these delightful characters.  
  • The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett  Wow!  Brit Bennett really knows how to tell a story.  Excellent narration is provided here by Shayna Small.  Desiree and Stella Vignes are twins raised in the 1940s in Mallard, Louisiana a fictional town where everyone is rather light skinned. The story here is that the twins’ great great great grandfather, who was freed by the father who owned him, set up Mallard to be a town for light skinned people like him.
    Stella chooses to live a life as a white person while Desiree keeps her identity as a black person.  We watch them grow up and see the choices that they make and why and are left thinking about the twins, their lives, their decisions, their children. Issues of racism, family ties, transgender people and the choices that we make in life are handled adeptly by Brit Bennett in this novel that spans the decades of the 1940s to the 1990s.  This novel is breathtakingly well written and I plan to read The Mothers and look forward to Brit Bennet’s next book.
  • The Saturday Wife by Naomi Ragen: I love this book by Naomi Ragen. The aptly named Delilah (think Samson and Delilah) Levy marries Chaim Levy, a rabbi who is not earning enough money to make her happy. She pushes and prods until he takes over a wealthy Connecticut congregation that no one else will touch with a ten foot pole. Chaos ensues. This book is rather hilarious in my opinion and, although you probably will not like Delilah, the hijinx and the characters are very funny.
  • Chains Around the Grass by Naomi Ragen: This novel is semi-autobiographical and is a great coming of age story. Ragen tells the story of an impoverished family trying to live the American Dream and the tragedies and blessings that they encounter along the way. This book is very touching and worth reading. The setting is New Jersey and New York in the 1950s and there are themes of poverty and hard work, dreams and dreams deferred as well as trying to balance one’s religion and integrating into society.
  • The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: Kristin Hannah knows how to tell a story and she does not fail us here. This novel includes beautiful descriptions of Alaska, a love story, vivid descriptions of survivalists, domestic abuse and huge portions of hope and redemption.
  • Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld: This is a modern version of Pride and Prejudice and it is funny, romantic, and compulsively readable. Sheer delight! Note: one does not have to have read Pride And Prejudice to enjoy this hilarious, delightful, charming novel.

Janet Z.

Luke

Staff Reads October 2020


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Liz

Laura

  • Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang, art by Gurihiru: I loved the writing and gorgeous artwork in this graphic novel, inspired by a radio serial from the 1940s.
  • The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Joe Morton’s narration on the audio book version really brings alive the description and characters of this historical novel with a magical realistic touch.
  • You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria:  This is a breezy and fun romance behind the scenes of bi-lingual comedy co-starring telenovela star, Ashton and soap opera star, Jasmine. I really enjoyed this!
  • Logan Likes Mary Anne (graphic novel) by Gale Galligan: The Babysitters Club is the series that keeps getting re-born in many forms, to the delight of this BSC fan. My least favorite book of the original series was probably Logan Likes Mary Anne but I was quite happy with the graphic novel version. Logan is a much more realized character, here, and his relationship with Mary Anne seems much more realistic, as well.
  • An American Marriage by Tayari Jones: This book was intense (in a good way). I thought Jones did a great job at addressing so many issues, including how the justice system treats Black men, how loved ones of prisoners handle the situation, and the  different makeup of families. The book is narrated by Roy, Celestial, and Andre and while a lesser writer could have made Celestial and Andre into unsympathetic characters given certain plot elements, Jones does a great job of getting us to understand everyone’s stance and situations.
  • Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson:  This is the story of ZJ (“Little Man” to his father) whose father is suffering from long term effects of the many concussions he received as a professional football player. Told in verse like so many of Woodson’s novels, this is a beautifully lyrically written book that is heart wrenching.
  • Devolution by Max Brooks: This “researched” book about a Sasquatch massacre in a Pacific Northwest planned community lends itself well to the audiobook format. NPR personalities playing themselves during segments of Fresh Air and Marketplace really fooled me into thinking I was listening to the radio in my car.
  • Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds: I mainly enjoyed this romance/time travel story about high school student Jack and his continued trips to the past to prevent the death of Kate, a college first year he meets at a party. Jack is very likable and the side characters are well developed. My only complaint is that I wish Kate had a bit more agency especially when it came to decisions about medical treatment.
  • Parachutes by Kelly Yang: This book made me very angry, which I believe was its purpose. Claire Wang, who lives in Shanghai, moves to LA to live with Danni De La Cruz and her mother in Los Angeles in order to attend a prestigious private school (which Danni also attends on a full scholarship). The alternating voices really give you a sense of what both Danni and Claire are dealing with at school. The book takes on a lot of heavy topics such as classism, xenophobia, sexism, and rape culture. Very powerful book, if a hard read.

Ashley

  • Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman: The prequel to both Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic is as lush and gorgeous as I’d expect from Alice Hoffman. A perfect read for October.
  • This Coven Won’t Break by Isabel Sterling: The sequel to These Witches Don’t Burn. Set in present say Salem, it’s a perfect read for October.
  • The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson: This read more like a YA dystopia than the literary fiction it’s trying to be. A young woman living in religious colony, cut off from the rest of the world accidentally brings on a plague, in a place where witches are hunted and burned.
  • Watch Over Me by Nina Lacour: This has been called a follow up to We Are Okay, even though they do not share characters or setting. It’s another meditation on grief and loneliness, this time with a bit of magical realism, and I really liked it.
  • Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis: Teenager is sent to a creepy small town where her father filmed his most famous horror film. Are the monsters and legends real? This was a little creepy, even though I didn’t like the main character at all (she was really unobservant) I wanted to keep reading to see what happened.
  • We Are Okay by Nina Lacour: A well written reflection on loneliness, although I had trouble connecting with the main character for the first three quarters.
  • Untamed by Glennon Doyle: I think I’m in the minority of not connecting with this. I enjoyed only two of the essays. I guess motivational speakers just aren’t for me? Too many heavy handed metaphors and EVERYTHING Is sooooooooo IMPORTANT. It was kind of exhausting to be in her head.
  • The Companion by Katie Alender: This one was a little unnerving, and a fun take on the “orphan goes to stay at a big spooky house” trope.
  • The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix: I loved The Haunting of Hill House, and am enjoying this incredibly unsettling show too.
  • Teenage Bounty Hunters on Netflix: It’s much funnier and sweeter and nuanced than the trailer leads you to believe. I’m really enjoying it.

Debora

  • Bronte’s Mistress by Finola Austin: This was an engaging read. The story is based on the real life affair between 25 year old Branwell Bronte, the brother of the more famous Bronte sisters, and the fortysomething mistress of Thorp Green Hall, Lydia Robinson; making Lydia a real life Mrs. Robinson (remember The Graduate?). According to the author, the novel was meticulously researched and is as historically accurate as possible. Lydia is a mother in mourning, having lost both her young daughter and mother in the same year. When she meets Branwell, her son’s new tutor, she’s lonely and vulnerable. Their affair sparks a passion in her that she’s never experienced before and endangers both of their positions in the world.
  • Artemis by Andy Weir: This is the second book by the author of The Martian and it was just as fun to read. Set on the moon’s first colony, the lead character, Jasmine Bashara (Jazz), is an underemployed porter who smuggles on the side. She’s principled, but also has to make money, because living on the moon is expensive. She gets offered an obscene amount of money to pull off a high level crime and the book’s fast pace takes the reader through what happens next including murder, mob control, life threatening situations, and the possible destruction of the entire colony.

Dana

  • Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, by Cho Nam-Joo: This book in translation follows the life of Kim Jiyoung, a young stay-at-home mother who is driven to psychosis. The book was a Korean best seller, and according to the New York Times, its examination of the everyday sexism and misogyny the characters experience inspired a feminist wave in South Korea. The book was really good, even though it was maddening to read.
  • Little Wonders, by Kate Rorick: When the perfect PTA president of her son’s exclusive preschool is caught on camera having a tantrum-like meltdown, it turns her whole world upside down. It also changes the life of the woman who filmed and inadvertently shared that moment with the whole internet. As the mom of a preschooler, I enjoyed reading about the misadventures of these fictional preschool moms, and felt especially grateful that I don’t have to navigate the cutthroat world of their fictional elite preschool in a well-to-do Boston suburb.
  • The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, by Issa Rae: I’ve been on a bit of an autobiographical-essay-collection kick lately. This one caught my eye as, like Issa Rae, I am also an awkward introvert, and it can be somewhat comforting to read about the awkward misadventures of others. I also like reading memoirs by authors who have different races/backgrounds/geographical locations/cultures than I do, so that I can learn a little about the experiences of others and broaden my understanding of the world. This book was the best of both worlds, plus it was funny and witty, which is always a bonus.
  • The Upside of Unrequited, by Becky Albertalli: I bought Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda on sale a few months ago, and I’ve been successfully pulled into the world of Creekwood/the Simonverse. I’m pretty sure I’m reading the series out of order, but it doesn’t feel like that matters too much. The Upside of Unrequited was ridiculously cute and happy.
  • The Last Flight, by Julie Clark: I’m finding that thriller/mystery stories are a welcome escape from real life right now! This page-turner is about two women, both trying to escape dangerous situations, who trade plane tickets at the airport to help each other and themselves. Their plan goes awry when one of their planes crashes, and one discovers that the other’s life isn’t at all what it seemed.
  • When the World Feels Like a Scary Place: Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents & Worried Kids, by Abigail Gewirtz: I mostly skimmed this one for parts that are relevant to the stage of parenting I’m in now. There were some good pointers for conversations with kids of various ages about topics like racism, climate change, Covid, etc. which I found helpful.
  • Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands from NKOTB to BTS, by Maria Sherman: I mean, I didn’t have high expectations going into this book, but when you all but ignore Westlife – one of the best selling musical acts both in the world and in history – I’m going to think your book is kind of trash. 
  • Wow, No Thank You: Essays, by Samantha Irby: Irby’s essays make me laugh so easily, especially as I reach an age where I can relate to her pieces about aging. It’s an enjoyable break from some of the other books with heavier topics I’m in currently in the middle of.
  • On the Basis of Sex: I watched this movie the weekend after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away. The movie tells the story of her early career, beginning with her first year of law school and culminating in an historic courtroom victory in 1972. I found it inspiring, and it made me love and mourn RBG even more.
  • Enola Holmes: A fun (if a bit long) movie about the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes. Raised by her mother to be strong and independent, Enola is living her best life until her mother disappears. Her older brothers return and make arrangements to send their unladylike sister to a finishing school for girls, but Enola is determined to go to London to find her mother. There’s a bit of everything – clever dialogue, fight scenes, a potential love interest – but I think it would have been even better had it been shorter.
  • St. Elmo’s Fire: Just… wow. Neither my husband nor I had ever seen this movie, and decided on a recommendation from a podcast to watch it. The movie certainly has not aged well! I was so annoyed by so many of the characters that I left the room halfway through so I could read in peace.
  • Incredibles 2: We recently introduced our son to Jack-Jack, and he can’t get enough of those scenes in this movie. It’s been on heavy rotation in our house, accompanied by the glorious sound of toddler belly-laughs.
  • Ackley Bridge: My mom recommended this show a while ago, and I’m in love with it. It takes place at a school in Yorkshire, a new venture that combines the two previously segregated schools in town. In addition to examining the sometimes rocky integration of the school’s Asian and white students, it also looks at the ups and downs of life in a depressed former mill town. Plus, the Yorkshire accents are heaven.
  • Silicon Valley: I started out half-watching this show – getting distracted from my reading while my husband watched it – and ended up maybe three-quarters-watching it. It’s entertaining and funny, but I found some of the characters annoying and the plot felt like it was repeating itself in later seasons.
  • Lovecraft Country (HBO): I’ve never read Lovecraft, nor do I know much about Lovecraftian things beyond Cthulhu, but the premise of this show intrigued me enough to watch: a young Black man fights Lovecraftian creatures as well as everything that came with Jim Crow-era America.
  • Ted Lasso (Apple TV): I love this show. Love. It. It’s about an American football coach who is hired to take over as manager of a bottom-of-the-table Premier League football/soccer club in London. The Ted Lasso character got his start in a commercial for NBC when they got the rights to show Premier League matches in the States (in which he takes the helm of the club I support – Tottenham Hotspur), but you don’t have to follow English football to like this show. The characters are great, and the show is often heart-warming. I usually watch it right after Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, so that I don’t feel quite as depressed about the state of the world.

Louise

  • Too Much And Never Enough by Mary Trump: This book provides a psychological view of the current president that is seen through the lens of the family dynamics.
  • Exodus by Deborah Feldman : For fans of Unorthodox, this is a very interesting follow up that shows us Deborah’s life after her ‘exodus’ from the ultra Orthodox community in which she was raised.
  • The Dutch House by Ann Patchett read by Tom Hanks: This audiobook was a double treat; a fabulous story by Ann Patchett, read by Tom Hanks.  This is a kind of modern day Cinderella story, complete with a wicked stepmother.  There are other elements, however, a mother who leaves her family, a brother and sister who both suffer at the hands of the stepmother, and the Dutch house itself.  This is Ann Patchett at her best and I recommend this book to anyone craving an absorbing novel that will keep you turning pages or listening to the narrator all the way through.
  • Mrs Everything by Jennifer Weiner : The story of two sisters growing up in 1950’s Detroit focuses on limits and expectations, changing societal mores and the choices that Jo and Bethie make as they grow.
  • The Cult of Trump by Steven Hassan: Steven Hassan once was a member of the Moonies, a cult that drew in lots of young Americans in its day.  He now works full time helping people to get out of cults and recover from their experience.  This book analyzes the Trump Presidency from the point of view of someone who knows about cults and how they work.  I recommend this to anyone who is interested in this subject.
  • Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout: Wow. Elizabeth Strout never lets me down.  She really knows how to create a small town,  characters who practically walk off the page and come to life, make us laugh, cry, wince and marvel by turns depending on which part of which story one is reading.  Fabulous!  Note: You may want to read My Name is Lucy Barton first as Lucy is referenced throughout the book.  This book can be read as a standalone as well, totally up to the reader.
  • Becoming by Michelle Obama: I listened to the audio version of this book which is read by Michelle Obama.  She has a great reading voice and is very inspiring.  I was left with questions about what was not in this memoir but that happens to me with pretty much every political/personal memoir that I ever read.  Worth reading.
  • An Unorthodox Match by Naomi Ragen: I love this book.  You will find yourself rooting for the love that wants to blossom between the two main characters in this book.  I love everything that Naomi Ragen writes and this book is no exception.
  • My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout: I have loved every book by Elizabeth Strout that I have ever read and this is no exception.  Lucy Barton had a tough childhood that included poverty and difficult parenting.  This novel is an exchange between mother and daughter when Lucy’s mother visits her in the hospital.  The two have not talked in years.  The book is bittersweet, believable, and beautiful.
  • Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate: This book alternates between Memphis Tennessee in 1939 and modern day Aiken, South Carolina.  Lisa Wingate was inspired to write this book because of a terrible chapter of Tennessee history in which children were actually taken from their parents and put up for adoption with wealthy families.  I highly recommend this novel; great story line, and it gives  us an insight into a chapter of history that actually occurred in Tennessee.
  • Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine  by Gail Honeyman: I loved this book.  Eleanor, who was raised by an incredibly abusive mother, is actually hilarious and unique.  She comes into her own in this novel and begins to make some connections for the first time in her life.  A story of love, connection and hope.  Great for fans of a Man Called Ove.
  • Giver Of Stars by Jojo Moyes: The audiobook version of this book is beautifully narrated.  I am one hundred percent sure that reading this in book form would also be a great experience.  Jojo Moyes based this novel on an actual program that was started by Eleanor Roosevelt as part of the WPA, the Packhorse Librarians Of Eastern Kentucky.  This book has a great story line, wonderful characters, and shows the great good that books can bring to society.
  • The Romance Reader by Pearl Abraham: Oh, how I loved this book.  Rachel is being raised in a hasidic family, but she loves to read ‘forbidden’ romances.  She has to struggle to be a lifeguard in her family because they do not approve of her wearing bathing suits.  She lets herself get talked into a marriage that makes her miserable.  Her mother is a hoot and you will love Rachel’s spunk.  I was very upset when the book was over.  I just wanted to keep hearing Rachel’s spunky voice and her mother’s unique perspective.  Great read.
  • Welcome To Me: California lottery winner Alice Klieg (played by SNL alum Kristen Wiig), has gone off her meds.  She decides to create a television show that is all about herself.  This movie is quirky, funny and delightful.  True fact:  I have watched this three times because I enjoyed it so much.
  • Going Clear:  Scientology and the Prison of Belief : A very interesting documentary about Scientology that I recommend to anyone who is interested in this subject.
  • Paradise Hills: Kind of like a newfangled Stepford Wives.  Very Creepy!
  • Small Apartments : This is a very quirky, darkly funny movie that includes Billy Crystal. 
  • Elsa And Fred : A sweet love story about two older people who need some connection.  A little bit saccharine but, Shirley Maclaine is always a treat at least for this movie watcher.
  • Trump My New President:  A Look At the Lives Of Trump Voters : I really appreciated this documentary because there was no commentary or opinion.  The filmmakers let the Trump supporters do the talking and explain why they support Donald Trump. 

Federal and Statewide Election 2020

Vote Button

There is an election on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Eligible voters will be voting for President, US Senator, US Representatives, State Senators and Representatives, and several other offices. This year, voters in Massachusetts will also have 2 ballot questions to consider.  Here is information that you need to know to participate in this important election.

Starting October 7 at 7:00 pm, view “How to Vote/Cómo Votar” on the Waltham Public Library Youtube Channel.

Voter Registration Information

  • The last day to register to vote for the November 3 election is October 24. Don’t be late! There are several ways you can register.
    • Online through the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office.  Online registration must be completed no later than 11:59 PM on October 24.
    • By Mail. You can print out a mail in registration form here or by calling 1-800-462-VOTE (8683). You can also pick up a mail in registration form at the Waltham Public Library at the holds pickup table on the ground floor. All mail in voter registration forms must be postmarked no later than October 24.
    • In Person: You can register in person through your town/city clerk. Waltham residents can currently visit the City Clerk’s office by appointment only. If you have questions about the City Clerk’s appointment system, contact City Clerk Robert Waddick (rwaddick@city.waltham.ma.us) or Assistant City Clerk Joseph Vizard (jvizard@city.waltham.ma.us). You may also call 781-314-3123 or 781-314-3121. If you are not a Waltham resident, please check the website for your town/city clerk’s office about rules for visiting. According to the Secretary of the Commonwealth (page 12), all local election offices must offer in person voter registration on October 24 from 2 pm – 4 pm and 7 pm – 8 pm.
    • Automatic Motor Voter Registration: If you’re renewing your Massachusetts Drivers License or ID, you will be automatically registered to vote. (Always best to double check though. According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, it can 2 to 3 weeks to get confirmation of the voter registration.)
  • Not sure if you are registered? Check your registration status through the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Waltham residents can also contact the Waltham City Clerk’s office at 781-314-3123 or 781-314-3121.
  • Don’t have a permanent address? Citizens, regardless of housing status, are allowed to register to vote. According to this site, shelters, street corners, and parks are acceptable to use as a registration address.
  • Massachusetts participates in the Address Confidentiality Program. If you are a citizen but are concerned about your safety being compromised by revealing your address by registering to vote, the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office can help with that. Contact 617-727-3261 or 1-866-SAFE-ADD for more information.
  • Are you registered to vote and your name isn’t on the voter list at your polling place? You have the right to request a provisional ballot. “Provisional ballots are sealed in an envelope and kept separately from other ballots until the voter’s eligibility can be determined. If a provisional voter is determined to be registered, their ballot is unsealed and counted” According to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 54, Section 76C, “A provisional ballot cast by an individual whose voter information is verified before 5:00 p.m. on the third day after a presidential or state primary or the twelfth day after a state election shall be removed from its provisional ballot envelope, grouped with other ballots in a manner that allows for the secrecy of the ballot to the greatest extent possible, and counted as any other ballot.”

How and Where to Vote

  • In Person on Election Day (November 3): Between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM at your polling place.
    • Find your polling place online with your address.
    • Waltham residents can call the City Clerk at 781-314-3123 or 781-314-3121.
    • If you know your ward and precinct number, you may refer to this list of Waltham polling places:
      Ward Precinct Polling Place
      1 1 PLYMPTON SCHOOL 20 Farnsworth Street
      1 2 WALTHAM HIGH SCHOOL 617 Lexington Street
      2 1 KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC ROOM  655 Lexington Street
      2 2 KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC ROOM  655 Lexington Street
      3 1 MACARTHUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 494 Lincoln and Lake Streets
      3 2 NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 70 Putney Lane off Warwick Avenue
      4 1 FITZGERALD SCHOOL AT REAR 140 Beal Road at Candace Avenue
      4 2 FITZGERALD SCHOOL AT REAR 140 Beal Road at Candace Avenue
      5 1 BRIGHT SCHOOL GYMNASIUM/MALONE ARCHIVES RECORD CENTER 260 Grove Street – Corner of Clark & Bright Streets
      5 2 BRIGHT SCHOOL GYMNASIUM/MALONE ARCHIVES RECORD CENTER 260 Grove Street – Corner of Clark & Bright Streets
      6 1 CHARLES A. LAWLESS HOUSING 110 Pond Street
      6 2 CLARK GOVERNMENT CENTER 119 School St. Corner of School & Lexington St.
      7 1 NATHANIEL AT BANKS SQUARE 948 Main Street – Corner of Main & South Street
      7 2 NATHANIEL AT BANKS SQUARE 948 Main Street – Corner of Main & South Street
      8 1 WHALEN HOUSING 84 Orange Street
      8 2 SOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL 510 Moody Street
      9 1 ARTHUR J. CLARK HOUSING 48 Pine Street
      9 2 CUTTER STREET POLLING BOOTH 8 Cutter Street
  • In Person Early Voting (October 17 – 30): All early voting in Waltham is held at the Malone Archives and Records Center/Bright School at 260 Grove Street. All Massachusetts residents can access early voting site information at the Secretary of the Commonwealth Early Voting page starting October 9.
  • By Mail
    • Request a Mail-in Ballot (no later than October 28)
      • Download a Vote by Mail Application from the Massachusetts Secretary of Commonwealth Voting by Mail Page
      • Call 1-800-462-VOTE (8683) to request a Vote by Mail Application.
      • Instead of an application, write a letter to your Town/City Clerk’s office to request a Mail-In Ballot. The letter must include your name, the address where you are registered to vote, the address where you want the ballot mailed, and your signature. Note: Electronic signatures are not accepted. Waltham residents can send the letter to City of Waltham City Clerk; 610 Main Street; City Hall Second Floor; Waltham, MA 02452
    • Return your Mail in Ballot (must be postmarked by November 3)
      • All 2020 Vote by Mail Ballots will include a pre-addressed, postage pre-paid return envelopes. The United States Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot back at least 7 days before Election Day.
      • Waltham Residents may also drop off ballots in the drop box labeled, “City Business Only” in the back of City Hall (610 Main Street).
      • You can “Track your Ballot” online after you return it to make sure it was received and accepted.

Important Dates

  • October 17 – 30: In Person Early Voting
  • October 24, 2020: Last day to register to vote for the 2020 General Election.
  • October 28, 2020: Last day for mail in voting applications to reach City Clerk’s office.
  • November 3, 2020: Last day for mail in ballots to be postmarked
  • November 3, 2020: In person voting for General Election (if you have not voted early or mailed in a ballot)
  • November 6, 2020: Latest day that mail in ballots need to reach City Clerk’s office.

Rides to the Polls

The Candidates

(List of all candidates running in Massachusetts on November 3, 2020. Candidates listed here are listed in order as they are listed on the ballot (alphabetical by last name). All of the web pages for candidates — including incumbents — are for their campaign websites unless one is unavailable)

President/Vice-President

United States Senator in Congress

Representative in Congress, Fifth District

Massachusetts Governor’s Councilor, Third District

Massachusetts Senator in General Court, Third Middlesex District

Massachusetts Representative in General Court, Ninth Middlesex District

Massachusetts Representative in General Court, Tenth Middlesex District

Register of Probate, Middlesex County

The Ballot Questions

  • Question 1, “Right to Repair”: (From Ballotpedia): “Question 1 (2020) would require manufacturers that sell motor vehicles equipped with telematics systems to install a standardized open data platform beginning with model year 2022. The initiative defines telematics systems as “any system in a motor vehicle that collects information generated by the operation of the vehicle and transmits such information, in this chapter referred to as ‘telematics system data,’ utilizing wireless communications to a remote receiving point where it is stored.” Vehicle owners could then access telematics system data through a mobile device application and give consent for independent repair facilities to access that data and send commands to the system for repair, maintenance, and diagnostic testing. Question 1 (2020) would also require that manufacture authorization for mechanical data through the open data platform by owners and independent repair facilities be standardized across all makes and models and administered by an independent party. The Massachusetts Attorney General would also have to prepare notices that motor vehicle dealers present to prospective owners that explain the car’s telematics systems and the requirements under the new law. Denial of access to mechanical data by a manufacturer would result in treble damages or $10,000 in compensation to the vehicle owner.”
    (From Massachusetts Information for Voters 2020 Ballot Questions): “A YES vote would provide motor vehicle owners and independent repair facilities with expanded access to wirelessly transmitted mechanical data related to their vehicles’ maintenance and repair. A NO vote would make no change in the law governing access to vehicles’ wirelessly transmitted mechanical data.”
  • Question 2, Ranked-Choice Voting: (From Ballotpedia): “Question 2 would enact ranked-choice voting (RCV) for primary and general elections for state executive officials, state legislators, federal congressional representatives, and certain county offices. RCV is a voting method in which voters rank candidates according to their preferences. If a candidate receives greater than 50% of all first-preference votes, the candidate is declared the winner and the tabulation ends. If no candidate receives a simple majority of first-preference votes, then the candidate receiving the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. First-preference votes cast for the eliminated candidate are eliminated, and the second-preference choices indicated on those ballots are tallied as their first-preference in the following round. The process is continued until a candidate wins a simple majority (50%+1) of the vote. If there is a tie for last place, the candidates’ support from earlier rounds would be compared to determine who should be eliminated. Currently, statewide elections in Massachusetts use a plurality voting system. In Amherst and Easthampton, ranked-choice voting has been adopted but not implemented. Cambridge has used RCV since 1941 to elect the nine-seat city council and the six-seat school board.”
    (From Massachusetts Information for Voters 2020 Ballot Questions): “A YES vote would create a system of ranked-choice voting in which voters would have the option to rank candidates in order of preference and votes would be counted in rounds, eliminating candidates with the lowest votes until one candidate has received a majority. A NO vote would make no change in the laws governing voting and how votes are counted.”

More Information

Staff Reads September 2020

Book Projector Treble Clef

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Looking for personalized reading suggestions?  Fill out this form and a staff member will select 3 titles just for you!

Check out our Youtube Show, “We’ll Tell You What We’re Reading!”

Deb F.

  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: This was SOOO well-done. By complete coincidence, I started listening to this on audiobook right after finishing So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and narrated by Bahni Turpin. Turns out, Bahni also narrates The Hate U Give, a great young adult fiction story that really walked the walk of the principles in So You Want To Talk About Race. It was a terrific pairing, albeit accidental!
  • The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes: Some books can provide “windows” to view another’s reality; books that reflect a reader’s own life are considered “mirrors”. For me, this book was both: a mirror because it was about Librarians, but a window because the characters worked in Depression-era Kentucky & delivered books on horseback! I listened on audio and it was so good that I was really anxious to get back in the car & hear what would happen next and had to sit in my driveway to finish it because I knew I was only a few minutes from the end!

Louise

  • Godshot:  A Novel by Chelsea Bieker: Lacy Mae, the fourteen year old narrator of this beautifully written novel, has a difficult story to tell. She is living in an impoverished town near the Napa Valley that is suffering a terrible relentless drought.  The raisins that were the lifeblood of the community are no longer growing successfully.  Her grandfather commits suicide in despair.
    A preacher comes to town and, seemingly miraculously, there is a long rain.  Lacy’s family become regular church members.  When the drought resumes, more is asked of the church members.  Unfortunately, the desperate residents comply rather than question their prophet.  Lacy has to grow up fast and to make some very difficult decisions about her path.
    I loved this book and heartily recommend it with a caveat; there is sexual abuse in this novel.
    I would classify this as a beautiful pro feminist piece of fiction that explores mother daughter relationships, coming of age and false prophets.
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Zora Neale Hurston was a brilliant African-American writer and anthropologist during the Harlem Renaissance.  This love story takes place in the American South and our heroine, Janie, is a woman ahead of her time.  She is not satisfied to just live in a docile and obedient fashion with any man, but follows her heart instead.  This is an uplifting story about a strong, resilient, spunky young woman who is able to break free of others’ expectations and be who she is meant to be.  I plan to read more by Zora Neale Hurston and I regret that she did not get the appreciation for this novel during her lifetime that she gets today.  
  • Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (audiobook): I had been meaning to read something by Celeste Ng for a long time, and I am so glad that I listened to this book.  It is the 1970s and the Lee family’s middle daughter, Lydia has disappeared.  The Lees have to come to terms with a lost daughter, lost hopes and difficult family dynamics.  A beautiful novel about families, prejudice, fears and hopes that is highly relatable and very sad. Do not read this if you are wanting light reading but do read this if you want a beautiful novel about family dynamics, American society, the sexism that women are subject to, and the prejudice that people have when facing others who are different from themselves.
  • All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg (audiobook): The death of a rather criminal patriarch shakes up his entire family who must come to terms with the emotional scars that he has left behind.  I really enjoyed this book as it had some humor, some pathos, and some healing all in one.  
  • Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett (audiobook): This is a one of a kind novel about taxidermy, suicide, family pain, and redemption.  Beautifully written with believable and well developed characters.  Warning:  a lot of graphic taxidermy details that might not be palatable to all readers.
    I heard about this novel in the library’s Tell Us What You’re Reading book club and I am so glad to have listened to this book.  I plan to read more by this author.
  • Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld (audiobook): Just started this audiobook and I am already thoroughly engrossed and can hardly wait to hear more.  Sittenfeld writes about Hilary Rodham Clinton and posits a situation where Hilary and Bill date, are seriously considering marriage, but decide to part due to Bill’s ‘problem’ with cheating.  Great narration, too!
  • Mama Day by Gloria Naylor: I recommend this book to anyone who likes a great story, a talented author, a bit of mysticism and magic, and strong female characters.  Gloria Naylor apparently based this novel on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.  The narration of this novel is very interesting because we are hearing from people both living and dead and it gives the book a poetic and mystical feeling that I really enjoyed.
    I plan to read other works by Ms. Naylor because I know that I will be in good hands!
  • The Miseducation Of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth: Beautifully written coming of age novel about a teenage  girl who loses her parents in a tragic car accident. Her Aunt comes to live with her and, unfortunately, Aunt Ruth is a born again Christian who sends Cameron to a place that tries to degay teenagers. And, unfortunately, there are still misguided Aunt Ruths who believe in sending their children to these sorts of places. Cameron is an athletic, intelligent, spunky heroine and I was rooting for her from the very first page of this enticing and thoughtful novel.
  • Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: This book begins with a fire and a general suspicion about who set the fire.  Two families intersect in this novel about norms and outliers; the Richardson family and a single mother and her daughter; Mia and Pearl.  Mia is an itinerant artist who has moved herself and her daughter many times.  The Richardsons are an upper middle class family in Shaker Heights, Ohio.  One of their children, Izzy, is more impulsive and true to herself vs. social norms than the rest of the family.  She calls things like she sees them and is deemed ‘crazy’ by various Richardsons.  Her mother is hardest of all on Izzy.
    Pearl spends much time with the Richardsons and Pearl and Mia grow more and more intertwined; until a dispute about a baby happens.  Everything changes then.  A great read with a very interesting plot.
  • Dirty Dancing: I watched this movie twice in a row.  The dancing, the music, the Catskills, the joy, Jerry Orbach as a dad.  This movie is such an uplifting, funny (schlocky in the best sense of the word) delight.
  • Gloria Bell: Okay, this is my third time watching this film where Julianne Moore falls into a very unfortunate romance.  Great movie about divorce, blended families and keeping one’s spirit going during difficult circumstances.
  • Mystic Pizza: This is the movie that put Julia Roberts on the map.  This is great when you want to see a coming of age novel about friendship, maturation from teenager to young adult, Mystic Connecticut and a secret recipe for the greatest pizza in town.
  • The Miseducation Of Cameron Post: Some changes from the beautiful novel but this movie keeps the spirit of the book and I loved the acting and would watch this again. The acting is very believable and the scenery is gorgeous.  I do recommend seeing the film and reading the novel because both are beautiful in their own way.  This is a coming of age novel about a young teen who loses her parents in a tragic car accident.  Her Aunt Ruth, a born again Chrisitian, is horrified about Cameron’s sexuality and sends her to a place that attempts to encourage teens to pray away the gay.
    Luckily for all of us, Cameron is a strong and spirited young woman who works to find her way to herself during a very difficult situation.  She befriends a couple of her fellow inmates and they support each other through the trials and tribulations of this experience.  This movie is very timely as there are still many in the world who believe that this is an appropriate way to ‘help’ those who are gay.
  • In The Aisles: A lovely film (German film with English subtitles) about a group of people working in a big box store.  We learn about their lives, their tragedies, their romances and we grow to love them.
  • The Party: A great little dark comedy about a woman who is celebrating a promotion; except the celebration turns dark rather quickly. You will not see the ending coming until…the very end!
    Don’t fast forward now that I said that.  Hilarious in a dark sort of way.  Great acting!
  • The Wedding Plan: This is not exactly the same as Muriel’s Wedding, a film that I adored, but if you liked that one, you will love this one.  Our heroine, a very observant Jewish woman, is having problems finding a match.  She decides to plan her wedding party anyway and to have total faith that a groom will appear.  Delightful, lovely, charming, and funny. 
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God: I really enjoyed this movie with Halle Berry playing Janie and excellent casting in all roles including the wonderful Teacake (her true love).  I felt that it was very true to the book and enjoyed every minute.  This is a romantic and, ultimately, feminist story of a woman truly following her heart and coming into her own.

Debora H:

  • They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement by Wesley Lowery: This was a fascinating look at the protest movements born out of the many police killings of Black people in cities across America, starting with the response to the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. The movements have evolved over time: from believing change could come from within the system, to knowing that the entire system had to change; from making sure the public knows about police killings to doing political organizing. Protesters like Martese Johnson learned that, even though he was a college student serving on the University of Virgnia’s Honor Committee, he wasn’t safe from police harassment. And even when protesters succeeded in getting the president of the University of Missouri to resign for failure to address racist incidents on campus, they soon realized that nothing had changed with regard to the culture on campus. One incident Lowery writes about is when protester Bree Newsome literally climbed the flagpole outside the South Carolina state house to take down the Confederate flag. Although the flag was put back up 45 minutes later and Newsome was arrested, two weeks later, state legislators debated the issue and ultimately voted to take the flag down for good. The protesters make savvy use of social media to get their message out. One trending hashtag, #iftheygunmedown, encouraged Black youth to post photos of themselves with family, or at graduation, or in their service uniforms, or reading to children side by side with photos that showed them doing something less positive like partying. The goal was to combat the media tendency to post negative photos of the victims of police shootings, often to perpetuate the myth that the young person was a thug. Bad mouthing the victims of police shootings, rather than the shooters themselves, often leads to the impossible dilemma of trying to defend the honor of the victims. Lowery notes, “the protest chants were never meant to assert the innocence of every slain Black man and woman.” He adds, “Who is the perfect victim? Michael Brown? Kajieme Powell? Eric Garner? Sandra Bland? Freddie Gray? Young activists reframed the question: Does it matter?” Does it matter? I think not. These are human lives lost because of an entrenched system of racism that won’t die unless we all take active steps to change it. The book ends just before the 2016 election and there is an especially poignant quote from a young activist: “The protests will continue…Regardless of who is elected, we’re going to work to continue this level of engagement with the next administration; there’s just too much at stake.” The protests have continued, yes.
  • Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta: Boy, was this a disappointment. I read it because I had loved The Leftovers, but this book doesn’t measure up. It’s just plain stupid. The main character, Eve Fletcher, is likeable enough, but she’s poorly imagined and acts more like her teenage son than a fortysomething mother. Even the one moment when there is an impending crisis of Eve’s son walking in on his mother’s threesome simply disappears after the build up. It has a happy, but not very believable ending.

Amber

  • Normal People by Sally Rooney: This novel that follows the on-again, off-again relationship between two young Dubliners made nearly every best-of list in 2019 has been made into a critically acclaimed tv show on Hulu.
  • Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid: Longlisted for the 2020 Man Booker Prize, this is a relevant and timely novel about race and privilege.
  • Drinking French by David Lebovitz: Go from day (cafe drinks) to night (aperitifs and cocktails) in this gorgeous book about French culture. Santé!
  • That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life by Marissa Mullen: I love, love, love cheese boards and I love, love, love this book. Step-by-step instructions are accompanied by pretty pictures and illustrations that focus on simple ingredients to make fun themed boards.
  • Perry Mason: This series shows us how Perry Mason became Perry Mason and is one of the best shows I’ve seen this year. Great writing, great acting, great score, this show is worth the price of a monthly HBO subscription on its own.
  • My Life is Murder: I must confess that I did not watch Xena: Princess Warrior so I had no idea how utterly charming Lucy Lawless is until now! This Australia series set in Melbourne, features Lawless as a retired police detective that gets pulled back in to help with hard-to-solve cases.
  • Dublin Murders: Based on Into the Woods and The Likeness by best-selling author Tana French, this series is set in Dublin and focuses on a present day crime that seems to be connected to the disappearance of two local children in the 80s. A second plotline arises about halfway through this eight-episode season.
  • Nice White Parents: A new podcast from the makers of Serial about equality in public schools. Although this series focuses on public schools in New York City, the issues at hand are surely occurring in some variation in every single public school in this country.

Dana

Kim

Kelly

  • The Cactus by Sarah Haywood: A fun, light beach read with quirky but likeable characters.
  • The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren: A funny, silly rom-com, literally set on the beach. I kept thinking this would be a cute movie. The plot’s a little out there, but very enjoyable overall.
  • Maybe You Should Talk to Someone : a Therapist, Her therapist, and Our Lives Revealed  by Lori Gottlieb: I loved this true story about one therapist’s journey through therapy. I found the idea of therapy through the eyes of a practicing therapist fascinating. Her story, and that of her patients, was equally amusing and moving; I laughed and I cried. Gottlieb is a great writer.
  • The Body: a Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson: What a fabulous book. Bryson is an incredible writer and it makes tough science read easy. I was shocked by how little I know about the body and some of the “healthy” habits I had that Bryson debunks. I have recommended this book to many people and everyone has thanked me. A highlight for me is that you can skip around chapters (I jumped around and read what was most interesting to me first).

Ashley

  • The Old Guard: Based on the comic of the same name, this featured Charlize Theron kicking butt as an ancient warrior.
  • The Baby-Sitters Club on Netflix: This was amazing, adorable, and exceeded my expectations.
  • The Gymnast: Ever loved a movie so much you want everyone to see it? But you are also too scared to introduce anyone to it because you’re scared they won’t love it? This low budget indie blew me away when it came out in 2006. It’s rare to have actual dancers play dancers in film, and this, while it has a few flaws, is really beautiful. Just don’t tell me if you watch it and don’t love it.
  • The Aerialist: The sequel to The Gymnast I’ve been waiting for for 14 years! Dreya Weber, the star of both The Gymnast and The Aerialist, is an incredible performer who brings such talent and depth to this film about our bodies and how they betray us. Shot in 10 days, with almost no budget, this film is as mesmerizing as its predecessor.
  • These Woods are Haunted on Travel channel: I’ve always loved creepy stories, especially the ones told by the people who experienced them. You might enjoy this if you like the podcast, Spooked. Let’s just say I’ve lost all desire to go camping after binging both seasons. But it was fun!
  • In the Role of Brie Hutchens by Nicole Melleby: While this adorable middle grade novel is about a present day young teen figuring herself out through her love of old soapoperas, it was a nostalgia filled journey fir me, back to 2000, and the first lesbian character on daytime tv. This was a sweet middle grade novel.
  • You Don’t Live Here by Robyn Schneider
  • Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: This was a disappointment. I was excited because I love gothic spooky house stories. But I didn’t really care for the protagonist, and well, I saw almost every “plot twist” coming. It just wasn’t actually that creepy or scary.
  • Malorie by Josh Malerman: This sequel to the exciting Bird Box was ok, it was a little too slow and introspective for me.

Laura

  • Shuri by Nic Stone: I enjoyed this coming of age novel about Shuri, best known as the younger sister of T’Challa, aka “Black Panther”. It does help to have some knowledge of either the comics or film universe of Black Panther but I don’t think anyone needs an excuse to read something by Nic Stone. Chadwick Boseman’s (T’Challa from the film) untimely death do make me remember this book, with bittersweetness.
  • Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram: Sequel to Darius the Great is Not Okay which I loved. Fresh off a trip to Iran to visit his mother’s family, Darius is navigating a lot of relationships in his life, including his family, first boyfriend, and burgeoning friendship with Chip. Another great character driven novel. I hope there’s a third entry!
  • Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall: Recently, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which, theoretically, gave women the right to vote but, in reality, not all women, especially Black and Indigenous Women, and other women of color. This book highlights how it’s important to remember all women when fighting for women’s rights, not just straight cis white women, and how to make the movement more intersectional.
  • The Unlikely Thru-Hiker by Derick Lugo: You do not need to be a serious hiker in order to enjoy this memoir of an Appalachian Trail Through Hiker. In fact, you can be a complete poseur and wannabe hiker like me! Lugo’s prose is witty and thoughtful as he details his six month journey as well as the fact that he was one of the few through hikers of color.
  • The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, read by Santino Fontana: I’m so done with prequels. After seeing The Phantom Menace on opening night in 1999, I really need to stop watching/reading prequels. I really didn’t need to read (or listen, in my case) to one for The Hunger Games trilogy. (It probably doesn’t help that I’m not as into The Hunger Games as  once was.) That being said, it was fast paced book and Fontana’s narration did add to the novel, in a good way.
  • Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell: Did I say that I was not that into The Hunger Games anymore? I meant to say, that I’m really not into Harry Potter, anymore! (JK Rowling’s transphobic comments and attitude about transgender women certainly has not endeared me to her works, either). Oddly, my fall of enthusiasm for the Harry Potter franchise is exactly why I’ve been enjoying this gentle parody by Rainbow Rowell so much. Wayward Son is the sequel to Carry On, which was actually the fan fiction of the fictional Simon Snow series written by the fictional Cath in Rowell’s novel, Fangirl.  (Everyone get that?) On its surface, this world may just seem like an ersatz Harry Potter but they stand up so much on their own, and (in my opinion) correct a lot of the issues that I have with the Potter books.
  • Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory: My favorite romance writer does it again! Olivia, sister to Alexa from The Wedding Date who has just moved to LA to start her own law firm, has a meet cute with Max, a US Congressman as they bond over dessert. I continue to love how Guillory’s characters always seem real and that the relationships are realistic and healthy.
  • Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi: This re-working of Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi takes events from America history that most of us were taught in school and presents them through a different lens. There is so much that we (at least my generation) were not taught.
  • Bambi: This was my third time seeing this movie, and first time since I was a child.Still traumatizing.
  • Bambi II: As direct to video Disney sequels go (or midquels, in this case), this wasn’t too bad. Patrick Stewart as Bambi’s father made me chuckle. I kept waiting for him to tell Bambi, “engage”
  • The Simpsons: I am definitely part of the Simpsons generation. I remember when they were shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show and I owned a Bart Simpson, “Don’t Have a Cow, Man” t-shirt. That being said, I haven’t watched a new episode in at least 15 years (possibly even 20). I’ve started to go back and binge watch the early seasons. In a lot of ways, the early episodes still hold up and are, in some cases, more relevant now than they were in the 1990s. However, there is a lot that has not aged well, including, but not limited to, white actors, such as Hank Azaria, voicing characters of color, such as Apu. It took the show much too long to make amends regarding that.
  • The Problem with Apu: Documentary produced by comedian, Hari Kondabolu and his complicated relationship with The Simpsons. Although he was a fan of the show, he realized the problems that arose from Hank Azaria’s portrayal of Apu, the show’s South Asian convenience store owner. Great and thoughtful documentary.

September is Happy Cat Month!

How does your cat make you happy? How do you keep your cat happy?

Post a picture of your happy cat to @walthamlibrary on twitter, instagram or facebook with the hashtag #happycatmonth!

Title details for A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen - Wait list
https://minuteman.overdrive.com/minuteman-waltham/content/media/1232543
Title details for I Am Pusheen the Cat by Claire Belton - Wait list
https://minuteman.overdrive.com/minuteman-waltham/content/media/1260536

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