It's all happening in April at the library!

April is a very busy month here at the library. We have a plethora of programs for your enjoyment. As April is National Poetry Month, we have a series of poetry readings happening on Wednesday nights. Our first poet is Steve Gibbon, a local writer and poet who is completing his final year of the MFA program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Steve lives in Topsham, not far from where he grew up. His connection with Maine and the landscape that surrounds him provides inspiration for his writing. His fiction and poetry have appeared in Harpur Palate, Pank Magazine and Words and Images, where his short story Rain Shine won the 2008 Excellence in Expression award. Steve will read on Wednesday, April 4 at 6pm. More information on our Poetry series is available here.

April also brings us Money Smart @ Your Library and to honor this we have a number of programs to help you economically. More information is here.

Last but definitely not least is National Library Week! To celebrate we will have a photo booth set up here in the library on Wednesday, April 11 from 4-8pm. Come and have your photo taken to show that You Belong @ Topsham Public Library. Out of the six photographs, we will keep 1 for our display and you get to keep the rest for free!

The Great Books Discussion Group

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of sitting in on a discussion with the Great Books group here at the Library. The Great Books Discussion Group has been meeting monthly for more than three years in the library's Conference Room, usually on the fourth Saturday of the month. Last Saturday we discussed “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner as featured in “The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler” a collection of transgressive tales that ‘are guaranteed to arouse your moral imagination.’ The next discussion will center on “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor.

Faulkner is a great author to get your teeth into! The more we discussed “A Rose for Emily,” the more we came to appreciate Faulkner’s mastery. Using the text as our base we discussed definitions of pride, the old South, Faulkner’s imagery and themes and how the story structure mimicked small town gossip and legend. The discussion was rich, meaty and deep with many laughs and ‘lightbulb moments’. I will certainly be stopping by for future discussions.

The Great Books Group always welcomes new members. More information on this great group can be found here or email me at emma@topshamlibrary.org.

The New York Times Bestseller List April, 1 2012

This week's best sellers: fiction and nonfiction.

The New York Times Bestseller List March 18 and 25, 2012

March 18: fiction and nonfiction.

March 25: fiction and nonfiction.

Even More Patron Picks!

Lonely Vigil: Coastwatchers of the Solomons by Walter Lord

WWII - reference to Kennedy's rescue. Father Lobel from Brunswick helped rescue soldiers.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Written in 1937. She was way ahead of her time. Fascinating novel about the African American experience.

Sailing alone around the room by Billy Collins

Billy Collins is one of the most important living poets. He was Poet Laureate about 10 years ago. Refreshing, surprising.

The Apple Grower by Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips opens up a whole new world of possibility.

The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean

Beautifully written story of another time and place.


The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Intriguing story that makes you feel like you were there.

More Patron Picks!

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

Beautiful Civil War love story. Enthralling, haunting.

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve

Beautifully written mystery.

The Little Russian by Susan Sherman

If the worst was the Holocaust, this tells the story of a close second. Very engaging.

Death comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book. This P.D. James' book is a fine addition to Jane's book and I hope P.D. James will carry on with the Darcy family!

The Lovely Bones by Alice Seybold

If you liked the movie, you'll like the book probably more! It goes into such depth, exploring hearts and minds. A love story, suspenseful, imaginative, deep.

Patron Picks is still happening!

Have a book that you love and would like to recommend to us? Now is your chance with Patron Picks for the month of March! Just find the book on our shelves, grab a Patron Picks bookmark, give it to one of our staff and we will put it on display. You can tell us about it on the bookmark if you wish, but it's not obligatory.

Here  are what some of our patrons had to say about their picks:

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Sixteen-year-old Katla discovers she has some mystical power! She's enlisted into a secret society of 'Storks'.

A Good Man by Guy Vanderhaeghe

A tale of two countries in 1870. Written with respect for readers and subject. A master of the metaphor.

Masterpieces of Murder by Agatha Christie

'And then there were none' is my all-time favorite story, and the movie has a different ending.

Big Stone Gap by Andriana Trigiani

First of a series about a woman growing up in Appalachia who uncovers the mystery of her Italian family.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

About being a black maid in a white world. Great character development and perspective.

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer

Interesting characters. Good story. Looking forward to the next book.

We're looking forward to more of your picks!

The New York Times Bestseller List March 4 and 11, 2012

March 4: fiction and nonfiction.

March 11: fiction and nonfiction.