Our virtual author talks let readers get up close and personal with some of their favorite authors. Coming up on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 2 p.m. is a discussion with Dr. Michele Borba, author of “Raising Thrivers: Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine.”
Join us for a thought-provoking webinar with Borba, a bestselling author and expert in child development. Visit libraryc.org/bethlehempubliclibrary to sign up.
Data show that today’s youth are the loneliest, most stressed and risk-averse on record. Though well-educated, they are failing to launch in real life. So how can we teach them to be mentally strong and more successful? Borba empowers educators and parents to help kids thrive in today’s fast-paced, digital-driven, often uncertain world. Through her research, she found the difference between those who struggle and those who succeed comes down to the personal traits that set Thrivers apart and set them up for happiness and a greater potential later in life. Borba will teach you practical, actionable ways to develop these Thrivers traits for kids and show you how to teach them to cope today so that they can flourish tomorrow in school and life. An author Q&A will follow the presentation.
Fall book groups
As fall approaches, we can look forward to cooler weather, the changing leaves, pumpkin spice lattes … and the return of our Book Discussion Groups.
This year we are launching a brand-new group focusing on suspense, mystery, horror and more. The Dark Corners Book Group will meet every other month beginning Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. when you’re invited to join like-minded fans of the genre to discuss “Whisper Down the Lane” by Clay McLeod Chapman. This true-crime-based horror novel takes its inspiration from the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s and is a tense and compulsively readable exploration of a world primed by paranoia to believe the unbelievable.
Alternating every other month with the Dark Corners Book Group is the Own Voices group, which is dedicated to books by diverse authors in order to gain a better understanding of race, racism and other types of bigotry toward marginalized groups. First up, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. is a discussion of Rya Aoki’s “Light From Uncommon Stars,” a science fiction extravaganza where the lives of three women become entangled by chance and fate, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.
— Kristen Roberts
Visit the library calendar at bethlehem.librarycalendar.com to sign up for either of these discussion groups.
Our monthly Day Books returns Monday, Sept. 12, at 1:30 p.m. with “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee. This National Book Award finalist features complex and passionate characters and is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition and loyalty. On Oct. 3, Day Books will dive into “The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot” by Marianne Cronin. This delightfully bittersweet novel follows 17-year-old Lenni and 83-year-old Margot, terminally ill patients who devise a plan to create 100 paintings showcasing the stories of the century they have lived.
Discussions are facilitated by Bethlehem librarians, who carefully select books spanning a variety of topics and genres. New members are always welcome, and copies of the books are available at the Information Desk. Audio and downloadable copies may also be available.
