Books, Bytes & More Newsletter
May 2019
In This Issue
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NWRLS Library Locations

Headquarters:
Bay County Public Library
850-522-2100

Panama City Beach
850-233-5055

Parker Public Library
850-871-3092

Corinne Costin
Gibson Memorial Library
Port St. Joe
850-229-8879

Charles Whitehead
Public Library
Wewahitchka
850-639-2419

Harrell Memorial
Public Library
Bristol
850-643-2247

Jimmy Weaver
Memorial Library
Hosford
850-379-3300

Featured Items 
 
 
Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society
by Nicholas A. Christakis

Nicholas A. Christakis introduces the compelling and controversial idea that our genes affect not only our bodies and behaviors, but also the ways in which people everywhere make similar societies. With many vivid examples ranging from diverse historical and contemporary cultures, to societies formed in the wake of shipwrecks, online gaming communities thrown together by design, commune dwellers seeking utopia, and groups of people interacting with artificially intelligent bots, Christakis shows how we can never fully escape our social blueprint.
 
The Cornwalls are Gone
by James Patterson

In her career as an Army intelligence officer, Amy Cornwall has seen haunting sights half a world away. None compare to the chilling scene at her Virginia home. A phone rings with a terrifying ultimatum: locate and liberate an unnamed captive in forty-eight hours, or her kidnapped husband and ten-year-old daughter are dead. Now, and in open defiance of Army Command, Amy must employ every lethal tactic she has to save them. To succeed, she must discover not only who dispatched her on this mission, but why. Without her family, she's dead either way.
 
Spearhead
by Adam Makos

Clarence Smoyer began the war as a gentle giant, a factory worker from Pennsylvania coal country reluctant to unleash the power of the Sherman tank he crewed. But as his tank platoon fought its way from Normandy to the Rhine and beyond, and he watched his friends cut down one by one, he learned to kill with deadly accuracy and efficiency. His fight would climax in Cologne, in the shadow of the great cathedral, where he took a shot immortalized by a chance photograph--and where he would later forge a friendship with the German tanker he tragically dueled soon after.
 
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
by Lori Gottlieb

From a New York Times best-selling author, psychotherapist, and national advice columnist, a hilarious, thought-provoking, and surprising new book that takes us behind the scenes of a therapist's world--where her patients are looking for answers (and so is she).
   
The American Agent
by Jacqueline Winspear
 
Beloved heroine Maisie Dobbs investigates the mysterious murder of an American war correspondent in London during the Blitz in a page-turning tale of love and war, terror and survival. When Catherine Saxon, an American correspondent reporting on the war in Europe, is found murdered in London, news of her death is concealed by British authorities. Serving as a linchpin between Scotland Yard and the Secret Service, Robert MacFarlane pays a visit to Maisie Dobbs, seeking her help. He is accompanied by an agent from the US Department of Justice--Mark Scott, the American who helped Maisie get out of Hitler's Munich in 1938. MacFarlane asks Maisie to work with Scott to uncover the truth about Saxon's death. 
 

The Matriarch: Barbara Bush
by Susan Page
Drawing on diaries and more than one hundred interviews, a portrait of the former first lady covers her private struggles and public achievements, discussing how she helped to define two presidencies and a political era. 
 

The A List
by J. A. Jance
 
Ali Reynolds straddles the line between the past and the future in the fourteenth book in the New York Times bestselling series. Ten years ago, when Ali Reynolds's high-profile newscaster life blew up on the West Coast, she went back home to Sedona, Arizona to reinvent herself. Now while she's living her new life, someone from her past comes asking for help. But will revisiting the past jeopardize her future?
   
Two Weeks
by Karen Kingsbury
Cole Blake is months away from going off to college and taking the first steps towards his dream--a career in medicine. But as he starts his final semester of high school he meets Elise, a new girl who captures his heart from day one. Elise has her heart set on mending her wild ways. But not long after the semester starts, she discovers she's pregnant. Eighteen and alone, she shares her secret with Cole. 
In love for the first time in his life, Cole is determined to support Elise--even if it means skipping college, marrying her, and raising another man's baby.
When Elise decides to place her baby up for adoption, she is matched with Aaron and Lucy Williams, who have had seven painful years of infertility. As her due date draws near, she becomes focused on one truth: she has two weeks to change her mind about the adoption. With Cole by her side and Lucy and Aaron waiting to welcome their new baby, Elise makes an unexpected decision--one that changes everyone's plans.
   
Miracle at St. Andrews
by James Patterson
 
Though nobody has ever identified a single secret--no universally accepted truth--to the sport, every real player searches for one. Travis McKinley is one such seeker. A former professional golfer who feels like he's an amateur at the rest of life, he makes a pilgrimage to the mythical greens at St. Andrews. On the course where golf was born, every link, hole, fairway--even the gorse--feels like sacred ground. Ground that can help an ordinary player, an ordinary man, achieve a higher plane.
   
The Right Side of History
 by Ben Shapiro
An outspoken conservative commentator considers the state of the West today, asking why, if American lives have never been better than at any other time in history, the United States' political, social, and economic situation is beginning to erode.

   
Metropolis
 by Philip Kerr
A portrait of Bernie Gunther in his twenties: He's young, but he's seen four bloody years of trench warfare. And he's not stupid. So when he receives a promotion and a ticket out of Vice squad, he knows he's not really leaving behind the criminal gangs, the perverse sex clubs, and the laundry list of human corruption. It's 1928 and Berlin is a city on the edge of chaos, where nothing is truly verboten. But soon a new wave of shockingly violent murders sweeps up society's most vulnerable, prostitutes and wounded ex-soldiers begging on the streets. As Bernie Gunther sets out to make sense of multiple murders with different MOs in a city that knows no limits, he must face the fact that his own police HQ is not immune. The Nazi party has begun to infiltrate the Alex, Berlin's central office, just as the shakey Weimar government makes a last, desperate attempt to control a nation edging toward to the Third Reich. 
   
Someone Knows
 by Lisa Scottoline
Two decades ago, teenager Allie Garvey and a bunch of friends were fooling around in the woods when a prank they played went lethally awry. They kept it a secret, but for Allie not getting caught has been the worst of it, and as she heads home for a funeral, she's ready to confess all. Yet even she isn't ready when she finally learns what really happened.
   
Accidental Presidents
 by Jared Cohen
Eight men have succeeded to the presidency when the incumbent died in office. In one way or another they vastly changed our history.  John Tyler succeeded William Henry Harrison who died 30 days into his term. He was kicked out of his party and became the first president threatened with impeachment. Millard Fillmore succeeded General Zachary Taylor. He immediately sacked the entire cabinet and delayed an inevitable Civil War by standing with Henry Clay's compromise of 1850. Chester Arthur was so reviled as James Garfield's successor that he had to defend himself against plotting Garfield's assassination. Andrew Johnson sided with remnants of the Confederacy in Reconstruction. Theodore Roosevelt broke up the trusts. Calvin Coolidge silently cooled down the Harding scandals and preserved the White House for the Great Depression. Truman surprised everybody when he succeeded the great FDR and proved an able and accomplished president. Lyndon B. Johnson was named to deliver Texas electorally. He led the nation forward on Civil Rights but failed on Vietnam.


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Thank you for choosing to receive the library newsletter, where you will learn about upcoming programs and the many services provided in our libraries.
Tim Dorsey Book Tour

Panama City Beach Public Library
Wednesday, May 1st @ 2:00 p.m.

Bay County Public Library
Wednesday, May 1st @ 5:30 p.m.

New York Times Best-selling Author, Tim Dorsey, will share his newest Serge novel "No Sunscreen for the Dead". Learn about Florida's favorite fictional serial killer, Serge Storms. Books and Serge Storms merchandise will be available for sale following the program. 
Children's Book Week

Children's Book Week Read Aloud

Bay County Public Library
Wednesday, May 1st @ 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Come celebrate the 100th anniversary of Children's Book Week with an afternoon of read alouds from some of the best children's books throughout the years. Librarians and volunteers will be reading continuously from some of their favorite books. Read Aloud held in Youth Services Program Room.

Woman's Club of Panama City will sponsor the program by providing snacks and guest readers!!
Youth  Classes @ Your Library

Bay County Public Library

Book Babies (0 - 17 months with caregiver) 
Tuesdays, May 7th and 14th @ 9:30 a.m.

Terrific Tots (18 - 36 months with caregiver) 
Tuesdays, May 7th and 14th @ 10:30 a.m.

Read, Rock, & Rhyme Time (Ages 3 - 5) 
Thursdays, May 2nd, 9th, and 16th @ 10:30 a.m.

Children's Book Week Read Aloud
Wednesday, May 1st @ 3:30 p.m.
Come celebrate the 100th anniversary of Children's Book Week with an afternoon of read alouds from some of the best children's books throughout the years. Woman's Club of Panama City will sponsor the program by providing snacks and guest readers!!  

Basic  Sewing for Children (Ages 8 and up) 
Wednesday, May 29th @ 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Come learn how to make a pot holder. Limited seating. Call 850-522-2118 to register.  This project was funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Florida's LSTA program is administered by the Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services.

Panama City Beach Public Library 

Book Babies (0 - 3 years with caregiver) 
Tuesdays @ 10:00 a.m.

Sail into School (Ages 3 -4 years with caregiver)
Thursdays @ 9:30 a.m. 
Let's learn about colors, numbers, letters, and rhymes. We will focus on getting kids ready for kindergarten.  

Beach Kids (Ages: 5 and up): Volcano Science
Tuesday, May 14th @ 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.  
Join us for a hands-on STE(A)M project. Registration Required.

Code Club for Kids (Ages 8 - 14)
Thursdays @ 3:30 p.m. 
Learn how to make apps, games, and websites while gaining skills needed for college and career readiness and life success. This program is made possible through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the North Dakota State Library in partnership with Prenda and the Association of Rural and Small Libraries.

Budding Bookworms at Charles Whitehead Public Library

Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe
 
Tuesday Tales (0 - 3 years with caregiver)
Tuesday Tales will resume in September. We are planning our Summer Programming!

Charles Whitehead Public Library in Wewahitchka 

Budding Bookworms (Ages: 3 - 6 years)
Mondays @ 11:30 a.m.

Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library in Hosford

Storytimes
Saturdays @ 10:30 a.m. 
Free Comic Book Day

Bay County Public Library
Saturday, May 4th 

Stop by and pick up free comics in Youth Services while supplies last! Kat Kan, Graphic Novel specialist, will be available to talk comics and help people choose comics. She'll be located in Youth Services from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. 

Comics have been generously provided by the Friends of the Bay County Libraries, Comic Emporium, and Kat Kan.
My Journey with Alzheimer's

Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library 
in Port St. Joe
Saturday, May 4th @ 10:30 a.m.

Katy Mackay will present this program: "It's been more than a decade since my mother missed our rendezvous and I was awakened to the reality of Alzheimer's. In those years, we have marched through every stage of the disease, mastering practical solutions, overcoming mistakes, and using creativity to navigate advancing dementia."

If you are touched by this difficult disease, join Katy to explore practical tips, creative coping mechanisms, and even the lesson-filled failures that served her and her mother along their journey.
Program is free and open to the public.
Friends Presents: Will Thompson
Bay County Public Library
Thursday, May 2nd @ 6:00 p.m.

Singer-Songwriter, Will Thompson, will perform his unique country rock sound at the Bay County Public Library. Free admission and no reservations required for this family-friendly, after hours concert. The Friends Presents Concert Series is sponsored by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries.
Ukulele for Beginners Class (Ages 18 and up)

Bay County Public Library
May 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, and June 4th @ 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

A free series of five classes taught be Katy Mackay, a member of the Ukulele Orchestra of St. Andrews. During this five session class you will learn the basic skills needed to begin playing this delightful instrument including how to tune, how to hold and strum, how to play common chords, and how to read chord charts. Some loaner instruments are available for class sessions but you are encouraged to bring your own.  This program is made possible through the Ukulele Orchestra of St. Andrews' Gift of Music. 

Space is limited. Register by calling 850-522-2107. 
Bay County Public Library
Teen Programming

Color and Chill
Wednesdays @ 4:00 p.m.
Join us for coloring, drawing, and relaxing music! Program geared for teens ages 11 and up. Located in the Teen Zone.

Free Comic Book Day
Saturday, May 4th 
Stop by and pick up free comics in Youth Services while supplies last! Kat Kan, Graphic Novel specialist, will be available to talk comics and help people choose comics. She'll be located in Youth Services from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.  Comics are provided by the Friends of the Bay County Libraries, Comic Emporium, and Kat Kan.

Magic Basics for Teens
Monday, May 6th @ 4:00 p.m.
Magic the Gathering is one of the most played trading card games in the world! Join us for a basics class for teens ages 11 and up. Program in partnership with Arena Comics & Gaming, Inc.

Anime Afternoon
Monday, May 20th @ 4:00 p.m.
Join us for an hour of anime episodes! Program in partnership with Funimation. 

Book Dragons
Tuesday, May 28th @ 4:00 p.m.
Join us for book talks and snacks in Youth Services! Please come prepared to discuss a book you've read and what you'd like to see happening for teens in your library. If you are 14 and up, you can earn volunteer hours with Book Dragons.  Snacks provided by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries. 
Classes @ Your Library
Diane Russo Artist Talk on May 7th at 5:30 p.m.

Bay County Public Library

Color + Crafts: Making Paper Flowers
Friday, May 3rd @ 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Take a 1 - hour art class, bring your own projects, and/or color! Supplies for making poppy or marigold flowers will be provided. Try our Cricut Explore Air paper cutting machine. Program open to all ages. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Panama City and the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries. 

VR VRiday
Friday, May 3rd @ 1:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Experience Virtual Reality using PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift. Ages 13 & under must be with a parent. Contact the Reference Desk to make a reservation or to learn about the VR experiences available, 850-522-2107. 

Ukulele Social Club
Saturday, May 4th @ 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Everyone is welcome! The first part of the class is for beginner basics. The second part is for jammin'! We will have a few loaner instruments available, but you are encouraged to bring your own.   

Sidewalk Stargazing @ Your Library
Saturday, May 4th @ 8:00 - 8:45 p.m.
Event time will be announced a week prior to the event on our Facebook page. If poor sky-viewing conditions are present, the event will be canceled. Program will be held outdoors. All ages are welcome. 

Diane Russo Artist Talk
Tuesday, May 7th @ 5:30 
Diane Russo will walk us through her most recent exhibit, Beyond the Imagination. Meet in the library lobby to begin tour. Exhibit will be on display throughout the month of May!  

Bonjour! Basic French Class
Monday, May 13th @ 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
Learn basic conversational French at the library. No previous knowledge required. 

Mountain Dulcimer Class
Friday, May 17th @ 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Join us for a mountain dulcimer class. If you don't have a dulcimer, we have a few spare instruments available for class. First part is a beginner lesson; second part jam session. 

Hola! Basic Spanish Class
Tuesday, May 21st @ 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
Learn basic conversational Spanish at the library. No previous knowledge required. 

Ukulele for Beginners
May 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, and June 4th @ 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Taught by Katy Mackay of the Ukulele Orchestra of St. Andrews. During this 5 session class, you will learn the basic sills needed to begin playing this delightful instrument. Space is limited. Register by calling 850-522-2107.

Book-A-Musician: 
Beginner Ukulele & Mountain Dulcimer
Individuals or small groups wanting to learn to play the ukulele or dulcimer can schedule a one-hour session with an instrument tutor at the Bay County Public Library. Bring your own instrument or one will be provided. Learn about the instrument, how to hod it, how to strum, how to tune, and learn to play a beginner song. To book a session, contact Sarah at 850-522-2120 or sburris@nwrls.com. 

All  Bay County Public Library  p rograms will be held in the Youth Services Programming Room unless otherwise noted.

Panama City Beach Public Library

Sea Needles
Fridays @ 10 a.m.
Bring your needlework crafts to work on at the library. Sea Needles meets every Friday at 10 a.m.

English as a Second Language Classes
Mondays @ 3:00 p.m. Basic Conversation
Wednesdays @ 3:30 p.m. Intermediate Conversation
Fridays @ 1:00 p.m. Intermediate English

Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Library in Port St. Joe

My Journey with Alzheimer's
Saturday, May 4th @ 10:30 a.m. EST
Program presented by Katy MacKay. "It's been more than a decade since my mother missed our rendezvous and I was awakened to the reality of Alzheimer's. In those years, we have marched through every stage of the disease, mastering practical solutions, overcoming mistakes, and using creativity to navigate advancing dementia."

Friends of the Library Meeting
Monday, May 6th  @ 4:30 p.m. EST
All members are welcome. 

Archaeology Day
Saturday, May 25th @ 10:00 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST
University of South Florida's Nancy White and Chris Hunt will give a slide presentation on the region's archaeology and old St. Joseph (1836 - 1841). Bring your artifacts to be identified and your knowledge of the old town to share. 

Seaside Stitchers
Saturdays @ 12:30 p.m. EST
Bring your knit, crochet, or needlework projects!

Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library in Hosford

Craft Day
Thursdays @ 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST
Bring your favorite craft or learn something new!

Family Game Nights: Bingo
Monday, May 13th at 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. EST
Every 2nd Monday of the month we play Bingo. 

Hosford Quilting Class
Saturday, May 11th @ 12:00 p.m. EST
Learn how to quilt every 2nd Saturday of the month! 

This project was funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Florida's LSTA program is administered by the Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services.
Book & Film Clubs
 
Beach Book Club
Panama City Beach Public Library
Wednesday,  May 1st  @ 10:30 a.m.

The Lost City of the Monkey God
by Douglas Preston

The Beach Book Club meets the  1st Wednesday of each month. 

BCPL Book Club
Bay County Public Library
Thursday, May 9th @ 11:30 a.m.

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Handff

BCPL Book Club will be held in the Youth Services program room. 

Beyond the Lens: Book and Film Series
Bay County Public Library

Wednesday, May 22nd @ 5:30 p.m.
Film: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) PG
Book: Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors by E. M. Collingham

Beyond the Lens will be held in the Youth Services program room. Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries. 

Library Book Club
Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library

Library Book Club will resume in September. 
Archaeology Day: Be Part of the Research!

Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library 
in Port St. Joe
Saturday, May 25th @ 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

You are invited to a public Archaeology Day to be part of the research on Old St. Joseph.Archaeologists from the University of South Florida (USF) are investigating the lost town of old St. Joseph (1836 - 1841) which overlapped the south end of modern Port St. Joe.

University of South Florida's Nancy White and Chris Hunt will give a slide presentation beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the region's archaeology. Bring your artifacts to be identified and your knowledge of the old town to share. Volunteer to participate in the investigation, even the digging!
New E-books and Downloadable Audiobooks 

We recently added new items to our digital collection. Here are a few of our new titles: 

American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race
by Douglas Brinkley

As the fiftieth anniversary of the first lunar landing approaches, the award winning historian and perennial New York Times bestselling author takes a fresh look at the space program, President John F. Kennedy's inspiring challenge, and America's race to the moon.

Lost Roses
by Martha Hall Kelly

It is 1914, and the world has been on the brink of war so often, many New Yorkers treat the subject with only passing interest. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs. The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Now Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia: the church with the interior covered in jeweled mosaics, the Rembrandts at the tsar's Winter Palace, the famous ballet. But when Austria declares war on Serbia and Russia's imperial dynasty begins to fall, Eliza escapes back to America, while Sofya and her family flee to their country estate. On the other side of the Atlantic, Eliza is doing her part to help the White Russian families find safety as they escape the revolution. But when Sofya's letters suddenly stop coming, she fears the worst for her best friend. 

Finding Gobi: The True Story of One Little Dog's Big Journey
by Dion Leonard

Bring home the incredible true story of a friendship so strong that it crosses the globe! You will love the inspiring tale of Gobi, a lost dog who kept pace with an ultramarathon runner, Dion Leonard, across a vast desert. Follow their unlikely friendship through the challenges of an 80-mile race and Dion's struggle to bring Gobi home for good.

You can check out e-books and downloadable audiobooks for free from your library. All you need is your library card number and PIN. Forgot your PIN? Just give us a call at 850-522-2100 or stop by your local branch and we'll set one up for you.

To access e-books and downloadable audiobooks, click here or:
Go to www.nwrls.com
Click on Books, Etc.
Click on eBooks & eAudio
Click on OverDrive  to find books  
Need assistance with e-books and downloadable audiobooks? Just call us at 850-522-2107 or stop by your local branch.