Press Release:
Richmond Memorial Library invites you to attend the 2023 Spring Series of Books Sandwiched In!
Now in its 42nd year, this program is a familiar favorite for many RML patrons and new attendees are always welcome. Guest speakers will share book reviews, generally of non-fiction titles. This series will also include fiction and non-fiction reviews from the Books Sandwiched In Committee.
“We’ve got a wide variety of titles to hear about this series,” shares program coordinator and Community Adult Services Librarian Samantha Basile. “We’ve got bestsellers, timely reads and some titles that people may not be familiar with but will find really interesting. Both 'The Last Slave Ship' and 'The Escape Artist' are newer and share very important forgotten histories. 'Braiding Sweetgrass' has been on the NYT Paperback Non-Fiction list for 153 weeks now and was first published in 2013, so it is also really interesting to hear how these books stay relevant and their messages continue to resonate with readers.”
Sessions will take place at the library on Wednesdays in April from 12:10 – 1 p.m. Enjoy refreshments and enter for a chance to win a door prize at each program! Each session will feature a drawing for a $10 gift certificate to a local lunch spot. Attendees do not need to read the books prior to the program and copies of the chosen titles will be available for checkout. Each session will also be recorded and will be available to view on the library’s YouTube page .
Wednesday, April 5, 12:10 – 1 p.m.: Meet the Books Sandwiched In Committee as they share short fiction and non-fiction reviews! Committee members include Stacey Anderson, Richard Beatty, Christina Mortellaro Frank, Cathy Uhly and program coordinator Samantha Basile. Titles to be discussed include "Louise Blanchard Bethune: Every Woman Her Own Architect" by Kelly Hayes McAlonie, "The Librarian Spy" by Madeline Martin, "Chasing the Boogeyman" by Richard Chizmar, "Of Women and Salt" by Gabriela Garcia and "How to Sell a Haunted House" by Grady Hendrix.
Wednesday, April 12, 12:10 - 1 p.m.: Retired attorney and community volunteer Julia Garver reviews "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom," "Scientific Knowledge" and the "Teachings of Plants" by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2013)
“In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, Robin Wall Kimmerer circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.” (from publisher summary)
Wednesday, April 19, 12:10 – 1 p.m.: Retired history teacher and community volunteer Ron Chrzanowski reviews: "The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World" by Jonathan Freedland (2022)
“In April 1944, Rudolf Vrba became one of the very first Jews to break out of Auschwitz and make his way to freedom--one of only a tiny handful who ever pulled off that near-impossible feat. He did it to reveal the truth of the death camp to the world -and to warn the last Jews of Europe what fate awaited them at the end of the railway line. Against all odds, he and his fellow escapee, Fred Wetzler, climbed mountains, crossed rivers and narrowly missed German bullets until they had smuggled out the first full account of Auschwitz the world had ever seen.” (from publisher summary)
Wednesday, April 26, 12:10 - 1 p.m.: Rev. Dr. Roula Alkhouri and Rev. Dr. Shiela McCullough review: "The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How Clotilda Was Found, Her Descendants, and an Extraordinary Reckoning" by Ben Raines
“The complex history behind the recent discovery of the last known slave ship to convey Africans to the U.S. before the Civil War. In 2019, environmental journalist Raines, who lives in Alabama, helped unearth from the muddy delta outside Mobile the sunken remains of the schooner Clotilda, which made its infamous run to the west coast of Africa in July 1860 and returned carrying 110 slaves…A highly readable, elucidating narrative that investigates all the layers of a traumatic history.” (from Kirkus starred review)
Books Sandwiched In is generously sponsored by The Friends of Richmond Memorial Library. Support of the Friends is always welcomed through donations and memberships! Visit the library to learn more. Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross St. in the City of Batavia. For more information about the library and its programs, visit batavialibrary.org.
Submitted Photo.
