Posts by Cari
But wait, there’s more
“Happiness is finding the first good book in a series, and knowing there are more to follow,”
says a graphic we found on Facebook. That’s true, but so is the reverse: sadness is reaching the end of a series and knowing that it’s over, finito, the end.
Of course, it never completely has to be the end, as fanfiction writers will tell you (check out www.fanfiction.net for stories for every fandom you can imagine and a few you probably can’t.) And sometimes, just sometimes, those continuations, adaptations, and reimaginings make it into print.
Take The Flight of Gemma Hardy, by Margot Livesey.
When the title character leaves boarding school – which she was shipped off to by an unkind aunt – she takes a position as an au pair in a mysterious house, inhabited by a rich, mercurial businessman and his young niece. Sound familiar yet? Jane Eyre it is, but as you’ve never seen it before. Gemma is from Iceland, the remote house is on the Orkney Islands, and the setting is the 1960s. Stylistically, it’s absolutely lov
ely, and fans of Jane Eyre will delight in noting the similarities to and differences from the source material.
When Douglas Adams died in 2001, I assumed that the long-popular Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series was permanently at an end. Not so: in 2009, on the 30th anniversary of publish date of the original Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Eoin Colfer’s And Another Thing…, was published as the 6th book in the series. Following in the footsteps of an author with such a unique comedic voice had to be intimidating, but Colfer pulls it off with style.
Jane Austen, of course, is a perennial favorite.
Besides the many, many adaptations and continuations already available, the Austen Project has undertaken to have famous authors rewrite Austen’s classic novels in modern day settings – perhaps inspired by the success of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a YouTube webshow that brought the Bennet sisters into the present day. Johanna Trollope’s Sense & Sensibility may have Marianne listening to music on an iPod rather than playing the piano, and gossip being traded via text rather than handwritten letters and whispered confidences, but her story sticks surprisingly close to the original plot.
There are so many more – Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, What Happened to Anna K., The Wind Done Gone … These and many others prove that the end of the story isn’t always THE END.
[a version of this post was originally published in the Pryor Daily Times.]
Coloring for Grown-ups
The Pryor Library invites you to share in the calming activity that’s sweeping the world – coloring isn’t just for kids anymore.
The intricate designs aren’t ones you’ll find in children’s coloring books. They are often dense geometric or floral patterns, but are equally likely to be detailed fantasy scenes – even moments from popular TV shows like Sherlock or Outlander.
Coloring can be a great relaxation technique. It can lower the activity of the amygdala, a part of the brain that controls emotion and is particularly affected by stress. It promotes imagination and creativity, and allows us time to quiet our busy minds and focus on the moment.
It’s also just plain fun to see a black and white page slowly turn into a riot of color.
If you’d like to try it for yourself, the Pryor Library is hosting monthly coloring nights every first Monday at 7 pm.
The Library will provide coloring pages, colored pencils, tea and snacks, and a relaxing atmosphere. All you need to do is be ready to let your worries go for an hour or two … and just color.
[a version of this post was originally published in the Pryor Times.]
Your library can help … flavor your dinner
Marie clears leaves out of the garden.
Quick – what’s an easy way to jazz up almost any meal?
Fresh herbs, of course! And you can help yourself from the library’s herb garden any time, whether the library is open or not. If we’re here, we’ll be happy to help you identify and pick what you need.
Currently we are growing rosemary, thyme, chives, stevia, oregano, peppermint, and lemon balm, but check back often as our herb bed changes with the seasons.
For inspiration in using all these flavors, we recommend The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page.
With thousands of flavor combinations from classic to inventive, your meals will never be the same!
At the Library, play is work
Play is work for small children.
That’s why our children’s area is full of opportunities for imaginative play. It can be as simple as blocks or as elaborate as our play kitchen – it all helps children develop their minds, refine their motor skills, and learn to work together.
You can find Early Learning Stations like our science center (don’t forget to say hello to Toby, our library turtle!), dramatic play area, reading nooks, and touchscreen computers loaded with educational games.
