LISTEN UP

FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAYS presents writings by bell hooks.  In The Will to Change, bell hooks gets to the heart of the matter and shows men how to express the emotions that are a fundamental part of who they are—whatever their age, marital status, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.  This will be the first book in a series of hooks’ stories.

FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAYS presents one of Thich Nhat Hanh’s most beloved books.  It contains the journey, on the path of everyday practice, from mindfulness to insight in an informational, conversational manner. Using the objects and events of everyday life in his hermitage in Plum Village—the gradual settling of the pulp in a glass of apple juice or the wind blowing into the room and scattering papers about—Thich Nhat Hanh draws from Buddhist psychology, epistemology, and the world of contemporary literature and science to guide the reader along the path of clarity and understanding.  

FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAYS presents Gilded Ones by Namina Forna. Sixteen year old Deka longs to be accepted by her people and be of pure red blood. During the Purity Ritual she finds that her blood runs gold. Deka must now choose to either succumb to death by her people or leave and fight in an army for the emperor. As she learns about her people and the enemy they are fighting, she begins to questions the truths she’s always known.

FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY presents Stick with Me by Jennifer Blecher.  When twelve-year-old Izzy and Wren are thrown together by unusual circumstances, they find solace and solutions to nagging problems in their newly formed friendship. 

Join us for NIGHTMARE BEFORE BEDTIME a Storytime series for Adults and Teens. This installment is a 2016 fantasy/horror novella by Victor LaValle, revisiting H. P. Lovecraft's story "The Horror at Red Hook" from the viewpoint of a black man.

People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn't there.

Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the invisibility a guitar case can provide, and the curse written on his skin that attracts the eye of wealthy white folks and their cops. But when he delivers an occult tome to a reclusive sorceress in the heart of Queens, Tom opens a door to a deeper realm of magic, and earns the attention of things best left sleeping.  Nighty nite.

POETRY OUT LOUD presents a poem from a book of poems by poet laureate J. Patrick Lewis.  Within these written pages are a mixture of wit and humor created in forms of riddles, limericks, silly rhymes, and more; on subjects like dragons, food and shoes, and just about everything else under the sun!  How fun!

FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY presents Agnes Borinsky’s Sasha Masha published in 2020. June is Pride Month. A celebration of and for the LGBTQ community. Alex comes to realize his true identity as a young woman named Sasha Masha. Journey along with Alex who explores what it means to be true to oneself and one’s feelings. This story delves into the feelings and confusions of understanding one’s gender and transness within the complexities of high school. A true coming of age story, this book represents pride in every way.

FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY presents Thich Nhat Hanh's Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm. This a powerful and practical strategic guide to overcoming debilitating uncertainties and personal terrors.  Hanh explores the origins of fears, illuminating a path to finding peace and freedom from anxiety and offering powerful tools to help eradicate it from our lives.  A must read.

Join us for NIGHTMARE BEFORE BEDTIME a Storytime series for Adults and Teens. This installment is a short story by Peter De Niverville.

When Johnson was a child, spiders fascinated him. One summer, when he was eight, a large gold and black spider had taken up residence underneath the shingles by the back door. Every morning, Johnson would gather up ants in a jar from a nest in the scrubby woods behind his house. One by one, he would drop the wriggling insects into the web. Deadly fascinations, if you are afraid of spiders well this won’t help you at all! Your fears are founded. Nighty night...

FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY presents Tziporah Cohen's No Vacancy. Eleven-year-old Miriam and her family – mom, dad, and little brother – all move to Upstate New York to become the new owners of the Jewel Motor Inn. The problem is the Jewel Motor Inn is old and run down. Miriam’s parents don’t know the first thing about running a motel, but they get some help on what to do from new friends and family who come to visit.