Books, Bytes & More Newsletter
September 2019
In This Issue
Join Our Mailing List
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
**Call Hosford Branch.

Jimmy Weaver
Memorial Library
Hosford
850-379-3300

Featured Items 
 
 
A dream about Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons
by Ben Folds 

Ben Folds is a celebrated American singer-songwriter and former front man of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five, beloved for songs such as "Brick," "You Don't Know Me," "Rockin' the Suburbs," and "The Luckiest." Now, Folds looks back at his life so far in a charming and wise chronicle of his artistic coming-of-age, infused with the wry observations of a natural storyteller. He opens up about finding his voice as a musician, becoming a rock anti-hero, and hauling a baby grand piano on and off stage for every performance.
 
The ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women who Pursued Him, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz-Age America
by Karen Abbott
 

In the early days of Prohibition, a German immigrant named George Remus quits practicing law and starts trafficking whiskey. Within two years he's a multi-millionaire. The press calls him "King of the Bootleggers," writing breathless stories about the Gatsby-esque events he and his glamorous second wife, Imogene, host at their Cincinnati mansion. By the summer of 1921, Remus owns 35 percent of all the liquor in the United States.
Pioneering prosecutor Mabel Walker Willebrandt is determined to bring him down. 
 Willebrandt dispatches her best investigator, Franklin Dodge, to look into his empire. It's a decision with deadly consequences: with Remus behind bars, Franklin and Imogene begin an affair and plot to ruin him, sparking a bitter feud that soon reaches the highest levels of government--and that can only end in murder.
 
Things You Save in a Fire
by Katherine Center
 

Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's excellent at dealing with other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it's an emergency of a kind Cassie never anticipated.
 
Trick Mirror
by Jia Tonentino 

We are living in the era of the self, in an era of malleable truth and widespread personal and political delusion. In these nine interlinked essays, Jia Tolentino, the New Yorker's brightest young talent, explores her own coming of age in this warped and confusing landscape. From the rise of the internet to her own appearance on an early reality TV show; from her experiences of ecstasy - both religious and chemical - to her uneasy engagement with our culture's endless drive towards 'self-optimization'; from the phenomenon of the successful American scammer to her generation's obsession with extravagant weddings, Jia Tolentino writes with style, humor and a fierce clarity about these strangest of times.

The Bitterroots
by C.J. Box 
 
Former police officer Cassie Dewell is trying to start over with her own private investigation firm. Guilty about not seeing her son and exhausted by the nights on stakeout, Cassie is nonetheless managing...until an old friend calls in a favor: she wants Cassie to help exonerate a man accused of assaulting a young girl from an influential family. Against her own better judgment, Cassie agrees. But out in Big Sky Country of Montana, twisted family loyalty runs as deep as the ties to the land, and there's always something more to the story. As Cassie attempts to uncover the truth, she must fight against the ghosts of her past that threaten to pull her back under. 
 

Ask Again, Yes
by Mary Beth Keane
 
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope are two NYPD rookies assigned to the same Bronx precinct in 1973. They aren't close friends on the job, but end up living next door to each other outside the city. What goes on behind closed doors in both houses--the loneliness of Francis's wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian's wife, Anne, sets the stage for the stunning events to come. Ask Again, Yes is a beautifully moving exploration of the friendship and love that blossoms between Francis's youngest daughter, Kate, and Brian's son, Peter, who are born six months apart. In the spring of Kate and Peter's eighth grade year a violent event divides the neighbors, the Stanhopes are forced to move away, and the children are forbidden to have any further contact. But Kate and Peter find a way back to each other, and their relationship is tested by the echoes from their past. 
 

Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe
by Laura Lynne Jackson
 
Laura Lynne Jackson is a psychic medium. She possesses an incredible gift--the ability to communicate with loved ones who have passed, convey messages of love and healing, and impart a greater understanding of our interconnectedness. Though her abilities are exceptional, they are not unique, and that is the message at the core of this book. As we learn to ask for and recognize signs from the other side, we will start to find meaning where before there was only confusion, we will see light in the darkness. We may decide to change paths, push toward love, pursue joy, and engage with life in a new way.  
   
Chances Are...
by Richard Russo
One beautiful September day, three sixty-seven-year old men convene on Martha's Vineyard, friends ever since meeting in college circa the sixties. They couldn't have been more different then, or even today--Lincoln's a commercial real estate broker, Teddy a tiny-press publisher, and Mickey a musician beyond his rockin' age. But each man holds his own secrets, in addition to the monumental mystery that none of them has ever stopped puzzling over since a Memorial Day weekend right here on the Vineyard in 1971. Now, forty-five years later, as this new long weekend unfolds, three lives and that of a significant other are displayed in their entirety while the distant past confounds the present like a relentless squall of surprise and discovery.  
   
Strange Harvests: The Hidden Histories of Seven Natural Objects
by Edward Posnett
 
 In this beguiling book, Edward Posnett journeys to some of the most far-flung locales on the planet to bring us seven wonders of the natural world - eiderdown, vicu a fiber, sea silk, vegetable ivory, civet coffee, guano, and edible birds' nests - that promise ways of using nature without damaging it. To the rest of the world these materials are mere commodities, but to their harvesters they are imbued with myth, tradition, folklore and ritual, and form part of a shared identity and history. 
   
Inland
 by Tea Obreht
 
In the lawless, drought-ridden lands of the Arizona Territory in 1893, two extraordinary lives collide. Nora is an unflinching frontierswoman, alone in a house abandoned by the men in her life--her husband, who has gone in search of water for the parched household, and her two older sons, who have gone in search of their father after his return is delayed. Nora is biding her time with her youngest son, a boy with a bad eye who is convinced that a mysterious beast is stalking the land around their home, and a seventeen year old maid named Josie, her husband's cousin who communes with spirits. Lurie is the son of a dead dockworker, a former outlaw, and a man haunted by ghosts--he sees lost souls who want something from him, and he finds reprieve from their longing in an unexpected relationship that inspires an epic journey across the West. The way in which Nora and Lurie's stories intertwine is the surprise and suspense of this brilliant novel.
   
American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump
 by Tim Alberta
 
 
The 2016 election was a watershed for the United States. To understand Trump's victory is to view him not as the creator of this era of polarization and bruising partisanship, but rather as its most manifest consequence. American Carnage is the story of a president's rise based on a country's evolution and a party's collapse. As George W. Bush left office with record-low approval ratings and Barack Obama led a Democratic takeover of Washington, Republicans faced a moment of reckoning: They had no vision, no generation of new leaders, and no energy in the party's base. When Trump descended a gilded escalator to announce his run in the summer of 2015, the candidate had met the moment.  
   
The Turn of The Key 
 by Ruth Ware 
 
When she stumbles across the ad, she's looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss--a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten--by the luxurious "smart" home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family. What she doesn't know is that she's stepping into a nightmare--one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder. Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unraveling events that led to her incarceration. She knows she's made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn't always ideal. She's not innocent. But, she maintains, she's not guilty--at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.
   
Outfox
 by Sandra Brown 
 
Convinced recently married Jasper Ford is a conman, who he believes murdered eight women for their fortunes, FBI agent Drex Easton insinuates himself into the couple's life, but his own attraction to Jasper's wife threatens to compromise his investigation.
 
 
bcc logo fn

NWRLS is a department
of
Bay County

Thank you for choosing to receive the library newsletter, where you will learn about upcoming programs and the many services provided in our libraries.
Parker Public Library

The Parker Public Library is back in the building with a beautiful redesign after the Hurricane Michael repairs! 

Library Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible including funding from the PLAN Innovation Project and The St. Joe Community Foundation.
Library Card Sign-Up Month

During the month of September, the Northwest Regional Library System (NWRLS) is joining with libraries nationwide to celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month. Your library card is the best back-to school resource out there!

Early literacy classes spark a love of reading and encourages school readiness. NWRLS branches also offer free STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) programs for school aged students. Select branches provide access to 3D printers, LEGOs, coding classes, and the ability to experience Virtual Reality through PlayStation VR or Oculus Rift headsets.

Your library card allows you to check out up to 20 items at a time with access to books, audiobooks, DVDs, ukuleles, dulcimers, Playaway eReaders, education kits, cake pans, and telescopes. Through the Overdrive or Libby apps on your electronic device, you can download 5 eBooks or eAudiobooks at a time. You also have access to the library's collection of online databases.  All branches have Wi-Fi and computer access available for your research and homework needs!
Youth  Classes @ Your Library
 
Bay County Public Library

Book Babies (0 - 17 months with caregiver) 
Tuesdays @ 9:30 a.m.

Terrific Tots (18 - 36 months with caregiver) 
Tuesdays @ 10:30 a.m.

Read, Rock & Rhyme (3 - 5 years) 
Thursdays @ 10:30 a.m.
 
Wondrous Wednesdays (Ages 7 and up)  
Celebrate International Dot Day: Make your Mark 
Wednesday, September 11th @ 4 p.m.
Join us for some after-school Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) fun!
 
Homeschool History Club (Ages 7 and up)  
Early Middle Ages
Friday, September 20th @ 10:00 a.m.
Come and learn about history in a new, exciting way! This week's focus is the Fall of the Roman Empire to the Dark Ages.
 
Wondrous Wednesdays (Ages 7 and up)  
Fun with Dash the Robot 
Wednesday, September 25th @ 4 p.m.
Registration required for the Dash the Robot programs. Limited class size. Visit the Youth Services department or call 850-522-2118.
 
Dash the Robot Summer Fashion Show

Panama City Beach Public Library 
 
Book Babies (0 - 3 years with caregiver) 
Tuesdays@ 10:00 a.m. with Free Play at 10:30 a.m.
Classes starting on September 10th.

Sail Into School (3-4 years with caregiver) 
Thursdays@ 9:30 a.m. 
Classes starting on September 19th.
Let's get ready for school! Learn your ABC's, 1, 2, 3's, and
the world around us.  
 
Beach Kids (ages 5 and up)  
DIY Ice Cream Day 
Tuesday, September 17th @ 3:30 p.m.
  STE(A)M program for September. Registration required due to limited class size. Sign-up sheets will be at the circulation desk two weeks in advance. 

Code Club for Kids (Ages 8 - 14)
Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.
Learn how to make apps, games, and websites. 
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 for Rural and Small Libraries. 
 
Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe
 
Tuesday Tales (0 - 3 years with caregiver) 
Tuesdays @ 10:30 a.m. EST
Stories, songs, and finger plays for instilling a love of literacy. Social time with free play follows the stories.
 
Charles Whitehead Public Library in Wewahitchka 
 
Budding Bookworms (Ages 3 - 5)
Mondays @ 11:30 a.m.
Come and enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and crafts.

Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library in Hosford
 
Storytimes
Saturdays @ 10:30 a.m. EST
Bay County Public Library
Teen Programming 
For preteens and teens ages 11 and up.

Teen Art Club 
Wednesday, September 18th @4:00 p.m.
Relax with art at the library! Make a featured art activity or be creative with provided art supplies. Everyone is welcome to bring their own projects as well!

Book Dragons
Tuesday, September 24th @ 4:00 p.m.
"We're not bookworms, we're book dragons!"
No assigned book! Talk about a favorite book, make crafts, and eat snacks! Also, tell us what you'd like to see happening for teens in your library and ask us how teens can earn volunteer hours with Book Dragons! 

Anime Afternoon 
Monday, September 30th @4:00 p.m.
Join us for an hour of anime episodes with prize giveaways! Program in partnership with Funimation.

Teen Program snacks provided by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries. 
John Cheshire Roast
Norma Hubbard, John Cheshire, and Sharman Ramsey

The Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries held a fundraiser on Saturday, August 17th at the St. Andrews Yacht Club. The celebrations were in honor of John Cheshire, local entrepreneur and author, who has been a longtime supporter and an Honorary Life Member of the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries. The contributions will be used towards replacing items lost or damaged due to Hurricane Michael. 
Friends Presents Concert Series

Bay County Public Library
Anne Cline
Thursday, September 5th @ 6:00 p.m.
 
Program is a family-friendly, after hours library concert. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries. 
Library Closures

Monday, September 2nd

All Northwest Regional Library System locations will be closed on Labor Day. 
Book & Film Clubs
 
PBS POV  Inventing Tomorrow Documentary
 
Beach Book Club
Panama City Beach Public Library
Wednesday,  September 4th  @ 10:30 a.m.
No Graves as Yet  by Anne Perry

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

BCPL Book Club
Bay County Public Library
Thursday, September 12th @ 11:30 a.m.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

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

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

Tuesday, September 17th @ 5:30 p.m.
Film: Inventing Tomorrow (2018) PBS POV Documentary
Book: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
Guest Panel includes Mr. Creamer, teacher from Rutherford's IB program to lead post-film discussion.

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
Monday, September 16th @ 10:30 a.m.
Anatomy of a Miracle, a Novel by Jonathan Miles

Library Book Club meets on the third Monday of each month.
Classes @ Your Library

Bay County Public Library

Hola! Beginner Spanish Class
Tuesday, September 3rd @ 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Learn basic conversational Spanish at the library. No previous knowledge required. 

Pens & Needles
Friday, September 6th @ 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
First Fridays of the month. Learn to knit, bring projects you're already working on, or relax and color. Coloring supplies provided, some knitting supplies available.

VR VRiday 
Friday, September 6th @ 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, September 7th @ 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. 
 
Good Morning Sunshine: Stretches with Heather
Monday, September 9th @ 9:15 - 10:15 a.m.
Start off your day with simple stretches based on yoga. This can be on your mat or in your chair! Bring your own mat if you have one. First come, first served. Program led by Heather, BCPL Outreach Librarian.

Bonjour! Basic French Class
Monday, September 9th @ 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
Learn basic conversational French at the library. No previous knowledge required. 

My Journey with Alzheimer's
Saturday, September 14th @ 11:00 a.m.
If you are touched by this difficult disease, join Katy Mackay to explore practical tips, creative coping mechanisms, and even the lesson-filled failures that might help your journey with Alzheimer's. 

Mountain Dulcimer Class
Friday, September 20th @ 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. 

Anti-Anxiety Tool Kit
Monday, September 23rd @5:30 p.m.
Beverly Brown will teach usable tools for how to manage your anxiety. These positive self-care tips can be used at home. Beverly Brown (LMHC, CHT) is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist and owner of Renew with Beverly. 

Sidewalk Stargazing 
Friday, September 27th @ 7:00 p.m.
Dress appropriately for an outdoor program. Meet out in front of the library. You can bring binoculars or a personal telescope if you have them. All ages welcome. If poor sky-viewing conditions are present, the event will be canceled. Follow the event on Facebook.

English as a Second Language Classes
For English as a Second Language and Citizenship class schedules, please visit the Bay County Public Library Front Desk or call 850-522-2100.


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.

Writing in the Sand Writing Group (Ages 15 and up)
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 4:30 p.m.
Join us for creative exercises, literature discussions, and writing workshops! No registration required. 

Learn and Play Mah-Jongg
Wednesdays @ 1:00 p.m.
Come and learn to play American Mah-Jongg, a classic game
that takes only a few hours to learn and provides a lifetime of
fun. This adult class will begin with lessons and will move on to
weekly play. Newcomers may join the class at any time. Players
of all skill levels are welcome.

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

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

Charles Whitehead Public Library in Wewahitchka

Library Relaxation Zone
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
@ 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Coloring and drawing supplies are always available to
create art. Or join the fun of helping put together a puzzle!

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, September 9th at 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. EST
Every 2nd Monday of the month we play Bingo. 

Family Game Nights: Pictionary
Monday, September 23rd at 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. EST
Every 4th Monday of the month we play Pictionary. 

Hosford Quilting Class
Learn how to quilt. Class meets one Saturday a month at
12:00 p.m. Contact library at 850-379-3300 for exact class
dates!  
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.

6-Week Music Class at the Library 
Bay County Public Library
Thursdays, September 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th and October 3rd, 24th
@ 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Ukulele class taught by music teacher, Sasha Aufschneider. Program geared for 4th to 8th grade students. Ukuleles will be available to borrow. No previous experience necessary. Registration required due to limited class size (15 students). Visit the Youth Services department or call 850-522-2118 for more information. 

Program sponsored by the Ukulele Orchestra of St. Andrews Gift of Music. 
Computer Classes
Bay County Public Library

All classes take place in the Bay County Public Library Computer Lab in Adult Services. Classes take place from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Registration is required. Call 850-522-2107 to register today!

Computer Basics
Tuesday, September 10th

Internet Basics
Thursday, September 12th

Microsoft Word, Part I
Tuesday, September 17th

Microsoft Word, Part II
Thursday, September 19th
New E-books and Downloadable Audiobooks 

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

One Good Deed
by David Baldacci

It's 1949 when war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison. The small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer's years serving in the war or his time in jail. Within a single night, his search for gainful employment-and a stiff drink-leads him to a local bar, where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: to collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman. Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt won't be so easy. The indebted man has a furious grudge against Hank and refuses to pay; Hank's clever mistress has her own designs on Archer; and both Hank and Archer's stern parole officer, Miss Crabtree, are keeping a sharp eye on him. When a murder takes place right under Archer's nose, police suspicions rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison . . . if he doesn't use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer.

Lake of the Ozarks
by Bill Geist

Before there was "tourism" and souvenir ashtrays became "kitsch," the Lake of the Ozarks was a Shangri-La for middle-class Midwestern families on vacation, complete with man-made beaches, Hillbilly Mini Golf, and feathered rubber tomahawks. It was there that author Bill Geist spent summers in the Sixties during his school and college years working at Arrowhead Lodge - a small resort owned by his bombastic uncle - in all areas of the operation, from cesspool attendant to bellhop.
What may have seemed just a summer job became, upon reflection, a transformative era where a cast of eccentric, small-town characters and experiences shaped Bill into the man he is today. He realized it was this time in his life that had a direct influence on his sensibilities, his humor, his writing, and ultimately a career searching the world for other such untamed creatures for the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and CBS News.

The Nickel Boys
by Colson Whitehead

As the Civil Rights movement begins to reach the black enclave of Frenchtown in segregated Tallahassee, Elwood Curtis takes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King to heart: He is "as good as anyone." Abandoned by his parents, but kept on the straight and narrow by his grandmother, Elwood is about to enroll in the local black college. But for a black boy in the Jim Crow South in the early 1960s, one innocent mistake is enough to destroy the future. Elwood is sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called The Nickel Academy, whose mission statement says it provides "physical, intellectual and moral training" so the delinquent boys in their charge can become "honorable and honest men." In reality, The Nickel Academy is a grotesque chamber of horrors. Based on the real story of a reform school in Florida that operated for one hundred and eleven years and warped the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative that showcases a great American novelist writing at the height of his powers.



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.