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Bass Harbor Memorial Library

Celebrate our community with books!

Bass Harbor Memorial Library
89 Bernard Road, PO Box 99
Bernard, Maine 04612

Voice & Fax (207) 244-3798

2021 Book Reviews

December 29, 2021 By Lisa Murray

Staff, Trustee, Patron and Volunteer favorites in 2021. Some new titles, some older

Lisa Murray, Director: For fiction, I was absorbed in the Ishmael Series, by Daniel Quinn (Ishmael, The Story of B & My Ishmael) . It is impossible to give a pat description of what these three books are about, as they all explore modern animism in one way or another. All three explore modern society and its hypocrisy, ranging from world hunger and poverty and the disparity from the connection with all living species and our environment. Featuring a gorilla as teacher. Yes, it is fiction, but there’s a lot to think about in each of these thin volumes.

Maps and wayfinding are a passion of mine and I was thrilled to have a friend recommend Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World, by M.R. O’Connor. The book delves into how people have managed to find their way across the globe well before the advent of not only GPS, but paper or even primitive tools. Part neuroscience, part cultural travelogue, the title reinforced by love of exploration via natural landmarks and phenomena, paper maps, and word of mouth. I now understand why every Mainer has a well-worn copy of the Gazetteer in their vehicle!

A library patron recently recommended Everything Was Possible to me, as a fascinating look into the making of the Stephen Sondheim musical, Follies. She specifically found the process of pulling all the pieces together so quickly fascinating. Published in 2005, author Ted Chapin was a production assistant at the creation of one of the greatest Broadway musicals, Follies. He kept a journal of everything he saw and heard and was able to document how the musical was created. Now, more than thirty years later, he has fashioned an extraordinary chronicle. At a time when many of us are missing live theatre, this title will help you get your stage fix.

Carey Donovan, Substitute & Volunteer: One of my favorite books this year was Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson.  This is the true story of an upper class French woman who headed a major spy ring in France during World War II. The intelligence her group delivered to the British was of high value to the Allies. It did not come easy. The story of what she and her compatriots accomplished is stunning. Her role was not widely known or celebrated after the war, but this book gives her the credit she is due.  In addition to being a gripping story, it also gives a realistic picture of what life was like in France during World War II and the various ways in which people coped.

Peter Madeira, Library Board: No matter where you sit on the national political spectrum, The Room Where it Happened, by John Bolton is an excellent insider’s take on how the White House functioned during the eighteen months that Bolton was National Security Advisor for Donald Trump.  Bolton, who had worked in the White House for other Republican presidents (Reagan and both Bush’s) was stunned by the chaos and disorganization he saw during Trump’s tenure.  Decisions were always made with an eye toward the effect on the hoped-for re-election. Bolton was involved with challenging diplomatic issues as far ranging as Ukraine, North Korea, China, Russia, Iran and Venezuela.  Many of these have had far reaching impacts on the United States diplomatic policy going forward. At over 500 pages it is not light reading but well worth it if you are interested in recent history, national politics and diplomacy.

Melinda Rice-Schoon, Library Board: I loved Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce, about a middle-aged woman in post World War II England setting out on a quest to find a mythical beetle in New Caledonia with the help of an unlikely companion. It’s poignant, funny, feminist and a great adventure story with very unlikely heroines and it has an ending that is unexpected and very satisfying.

Art Paine, Library Board: I have many to recommend, but I think I’d start with Lost Connections by Johann Hari.  It’s supposed to be a book about his own journalistic quest to learn and reveal everything about modern treatment of depression and anxiety. This from an author who had been using antidepressant drugs since the age of 17. He points out that the incidence of depression has steadily increased over the past 20 years, and gone ballistic during Covid. He’s come to the conclusion that SSRI drugs are hardly effective at all, and that people ought to stop blaming themselves and chemical imbalances in their brains, and begin realizing that the society around them is broken, depressing, and anxiety provoking. He proposes various fixes, but first of all he makes a good case that Big Pharma and drugs are no answer. It was a great book mostly for the view it presented about modern Western Civilization.

Kathie Pratt, Library Board: Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics  by Dolly Parton and Robert K. Oermann is a big book with a beautiful cover photo of a young Dolly. It’s best enjoyed with Youtube, so you can listen along while reading the lyrics.  The book is richly illustrated with photographs from an era when good photos were an art form, not just pics from a smartphone.  Its language is simple and straightforward, so you really get the sense that it comes right from the source.  Dolly never forgets her roots, and her sincerity and humility is evident on every page.  As she often describes herself, she may be artificial on the outside but she’s as real as it gets on the inside.  Even if you are not a country music fan, you gotta love Dolly.

I read A Fair Wind Home  by Ruth Moore so many years ago, I’d forgotten exactly what it was about.  So I picked it up again and could barely put it down.  I am an avid Moore fan, and feel that she’s spoiled me for other fiction.  Nothing ever quite compares.  It was her 6th novel, a sort of prequel to Candlemas Bay.  Set in the 1700’s, it tells the origin of the fictional Ellis family.  It is an adventure story, complete with pirates, romance, treasure, betrayal, arson, and murder.   It has a different feel than her other works, yet in her usual signature way, she weaves in exquisite descriptions of the land and seascape, and zeroes in on the inner thoughts of choice characters.  It makes me want to reread Candlemas Bay, which was a more present day look at the Ellis family when it was written in 1950. 

 A sixth grade student turned me on to Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone.  I have only read a few chapters, but so far so good.  It was written for middle school readers, but it’s high quality and interesting to this adult as well.  The main plot is that some girls stand up against an unfair, sexist, body-shaming dress code at their school.  Just a few pages in and my blood was boiling at that all-too-familiar injustice.  Growing up in the 2nd wave of feminism, I could relate.  I was sad, but not surprised that 50 years later, girls are still dealing with it.  I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Amanda Crafts, Librarian: It is possible, if you had read a few of author Gary Paulsen’s obituaries when he died this past fall, that you might think that you had a knowledge of his early life. But Gone to the Woods- Surviving a Lost Childhood By Gary Paulsen, which was published earlier in 2021, fills in the gaps. Suddenly the reader is aware of exactly how his beginnings shaped the man and the author. Told primarily in the third person, Paulsen removes the emotion from his story. His story, however, in it’s stark retelling, will cause emotion enough in the reader. Paulsen’s books speak to his excellent storytelling, often encouraging reluctant readers. The Newbery Prize winning author of Hatchet and 200 other books aimed primarily for young readers has often focused on survival, exploration &  adventure.  The retelling of his own life story is no different; causing the reader to wonder how he survived such a chaotic and dysfunctional childhood.

During this Covid Crisis, I found comfort in another Pandemic Book. (Yes, there is an entire group of them!) Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks is one of my favorite novels of all time, so it was not difficult to leave our current pandemic for the plague of 1666 in a tiny village in England. There is much to be thankful for in our present situation, especially compared to life and medical beliefs back then. This village understood that SOMEHOW the “plague seeds” had been brought to the village, probably from London. As a community, they decided to act for the good of the towns that were nearby and they quarantined themselves from any outside contact. It was eye-opening to see how human nature tends to react in similar ways, no matter what the scientific ”knowledge” is at any given time.

I have loved the work of Laura Amy Schlitz for years. She writes primarily for young readers and her books are very different from one another in their style. However, her newest, Amber and Clay, is completely unique. Set in ancient Greece and the surrounding area, the reader gets to know two children as they travel to new lands and grow into teenagers. These two stories are told separately, until the lives of the artistic slave and the tempermental daughter of a wealthy family, both of whom seem to be trapped with no options for their future, are woven together. Newbery Award winner Schlitz weaves the epic tale like a drama of the time, complete with Gods and Goddesses making humorous comments to the audience,  together with appearances of a Greek Chorus and rather unbelievable events.

Jory John and Pete Oswald have done it again! The Smart Cookie is added to their picture book collection of The Good Egg, The Bad Seed and The Cool Bean. The cookie, the main character of this story, most certainly does not feel smart, quite the opposite. After a school assignment that gets Cookie to see things in a slightly different way, Cookie’s view of themselves changes for the better. Everyone in this quartet of hilarious books, The Egg, The Seed,The Bean and The Cookie, ALL have views of themselves that kids will recognize…even as the characters learn that THEY are more than what they seem at face value. Kids love these books…and so do adults!

Book we look forward to reading in 2022

Landslide, Susan Conley

Things in Jars, Jess Kid

Violeta, Isabelle Allende

Young Mungo, Douglas Stuart

The Candy House, Jennifer Egan

The Pull of the Stars, by Emma Donoghue

World of Wonders -In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Harvest -The Hidden Histories of Seven Natural Objects by Edward Posnett

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

Filed Under: Front Page Slider, Reader's Advisory

Library Hours

Tues:  10 AM – 5 PM
Wed: 10 AM – 5 PM
Thurs: 10 AM – 8 PM
Sat:   10 AM – 2 PM

Calendar

June 2022

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
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  • Introduction to Goog…

    Introduction to Google Drive and Google Docs- 3 class series

    June 2, 2022  5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
    Bass Harbor Memorial Library, 89 Bernard Rd, Bernard, ME 04612, USA

    Learn how to use Google's free cloud-based apps to create and store files online. This is a three-week class meeting June 2, 9 & 16.  This is an in-person, onsite class at the Library. Registration is required.
    Reserve Your Spot

    See more details

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  • Trustee Meeting

    Trustee Meeting

    June 8, 2022  5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

    TOWN OF TREMONT 

    Bass Harbor Memorial Library 

    Meeting of the Trustees–June 8, 2022 – 5:00 PM 

    This meeting will be held via Zoom at the following link: 

    https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/8082395867?pwd=VmFvMGVqekNmY3lsL3ZLbF hnU1gwZz09 

    Meeting ID: 808 239 5867 Passcode: m00re 

    Or Call: 13126266799,,8082395867# 

    1. Call to order 

    2. Roll Call 

    Excused Absences: 

    3. Review Minutes of the May 11 meeting 

    4. Library Director’s Report 

    5. Treasurer’s Report 

    6. Committee Reports: Buildings and Grounds 

    7. Discussion Items: 

    a. Welcome to Becky Keefe, Trustee 

    b. Memorial for Paul Hinton 

    b. Board Development/Strategic Plan 

    8. Executive Session to Discuss Personnel Matters 

    9. Adjournment to July 11, 2022

    See more details

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  • Introduction to Goog…

    Introduction to Google Drive and Google Docs- 3 class series

    June 9, 2022  5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
    Bass Harbor Memorial Library, 89 Bernard Rd, Bernard, ME 04612, USA

    Learn how to use Google's free cloud-based apps to create and store files online. This is a three-week class meeting June 2, 9 & 16.  This is an in-person, onsite class at the Library. Registration is required.
    Reserve Your Spot

    See more details

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  • MacOS Basics

    MacOS Basics

    June 14, 2022  6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

    This 3-session class course will cover the basics of how to use Apple’s operating system which works on Apple’s popular line of laptops and desktops. This class starts with the basic functions of the MacOS operating system and how to navigate through folders, files, and menus. Organizing, moving, and saving files will be covered too.
    This is a series of 3 sessions.
    June 14 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 PM
    June 21 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 PM
    June 28 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 PM
    This free, in-person digital literacy class is taught virtually by an instructor from the National Digital Equity Center. Bring your own device, or reserve a library Mac desktop or laptop. Classes are free for all Maine residents and will be held at the library, 89 Bernard Rd Bernard, Maine. For help registering, or for more information, call the library at 207-244-3798.
    Registration is required at: https://digitalequitycenter.org/.../class/macos-basics/...

    See more details

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  • Introduction to Goog…

    Introduction to Google Drive and Google Docs- 3 class series

    June 16, 2022  5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
    Bass Harbor Memorial Library, 89 Bernard Rd, Bernard, ME 04612, USA

    Learn how to use Google's free cloud-based apps to create and store files online. This is a three-week class meeting June 2, 9 & 16.  This is an in-person, onsite class at the Library. Registration is required.
    Reserve Your Spot

    See more details

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  • MacOS Basics

    MacOS Basics

    June 21, 2022  6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

    This 3-session class course will cover the basics of how to use Apple’s operating system which works on Apple’s popular line of laptops and desktops. This class starts with the basic functions of the MacOS operating system and how to navigate through folders, files, and menus. Organizing, moving, and saving files will be covered too.
    This is a series of 3 sessions.
    June 14 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 PM
    June 21 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 PM
    June 28 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 PM
    This free, in-person digital literacy class is taught virtually by an instructor from the National Digital Equity Center. Bring your own device, or reserve a library Mac desktop or laptop. Classes are free for all Maine residents and will be held at the library, 89 Bernard Rd Bernard, Maine. For help registering, or for more information, call the library at 207-244-3798.
    Registration is required at: https://digitalequitycenter.org/.../class/macos-basics/...

    See more details

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  • Westside Summer Gard…

    Westside Summer Garden Club

    June 25, 2022  10:00 am - 12:00 pm

    Join the Westside Summer Garden Club! The Bass Harbor Memorial Library and the Bar Harbor Garden Club are offering a summer gardening program for ages 8-14, to foster a life-long interest in gardening and horticulture by providing a hands-on gardening experience to youth. The program runs from June to August and focuses on education and instruction in the areas of garden planning, cultivation, stewardship, harvesting, and conservation. 
    To register go to: https://forms.gle/TfhxKPKyAa6DmfuZ7
    Participants will be paired with a mentor from the Bar Harbor Garden club and participate in 3 Saturday morning gardening programs where they will learn about the gardening process from planning to harvest, then get their hands dirty preparing soil, designing a garden, planting seedlings, and tending and harvesting their crops. Club members will have access to a plot at the Kelley Farm where they will garden during the program and on their own time. 
    Program dates are on Saturdays from 10-noon: June 25, July 16, and August 20, 2022 with a harvest party in early September. (date TBD)
    The Westside Summer Garden Club is made possible with a generous donation from the Bar Harbor Garden Club.

    See more details

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  • MacOS Basics

    MacOS Basics

    June 28, 2022  6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

    This 3-session class course will cover the basics of how to use Apple’s operating system which works on Apple’s popular line of laptops and desktops. This class starts with the basic functions of the MacOS operating system and how to navigate through folders, files, and menus. Organizing, moving, and saving files will be covered too.
    This is a series of 3 sessions.
    June 14 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 PM
    June 21 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 PM
    June 28 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 PM
    This free, in-person digital literacy class is taught virtually by an instructor from the National Digital Equity Center. Bring your own device, or reserve a library Mac desktop or laptop. Classes are free for all Maine residents and will be held at the library, 89 Bernard Rd Bernard, Maine. For help registering, or for more information, call the library at 207-244-3798.
    Registration is required at: https://digitalequitycenter.org/.../class/macos-basics/...

    See more details

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Our Card Catalog

Bass Harbor Library Card Catalog
The Bass Harbor Memorial Library catalog is now on Evergreen. You can look up books and place holds with an account. Please call the Library at 207-244-3798 or email librarian@bassharborlibrary.com to request your card number and password.

Cloud Library: Download Audio & Ebooks

The new download library, CloudLibrary is up and running! Click HERE to borrow electronic materials.

Online Book Catalogs

  • Bass Harbor Memorial Library Catalog
  • Cloud Library
  • ComicsPlus
  • Digital Maine Library
  • Minerva Catalog- Interlibrary Loan

On Our Walls

July Exhibits

The Library will host two concurrent art exhibits in July 2022   July 1-30 Maria Charette and Janet Elvidge’s “Back to the Beach”  exhibit Reception June 30 from 5pm-6pm.   July 5-30 Ruth Moore Days: local artists drawing inspiration from Ruth’s original book cover artwork. Special private collection of original publication artwork from Ruth Moore’s… [read more]

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