Posted on Friday, March 31, 2023 by Reading Addict
You know the saying “if you’ve met one…” whoever? Well, if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person. Not to say that autistic people are snowflakes, but every one has a very unique set of lived experiences. While representation is improving, the common or popular image of an autistic person (or a person with autism, depending on where you stand with that debate) is usually defined by misrepresentations, oversimplifications or inaccurate portrayals by the media — often representing autistic adults as childlike or a “savant” which is exceedingly rare, even in the autistic community. Also, much that we know about autistic life comes from those neurotypical people that support or interact with neurodivergent people showing autism through the lens of the hardship that it places on caregivers and family rather than how it feels to actually be autistic. Through that lens, autism is seen as an inconvenience to the world rather than how the world affects the person on the autism spectrum.
It’s so important to have representation from many different people of what the autism experience actually feels like for them. Having a diversity of autistic characters in media means that autism will be better understood in society at large. A better understanding of autism means it is safer for autistic people to acknowledge their autism. And when autistic people can live authentically autistic lives, they can flourish. There is currently a paradigm shift happening in the autism community to center people with the hashtag #ActuallyAutistic. Continue reading “#ActuallyAutistic: April is Autism Acceptance Month”
Posted on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 by patron reviewer
Wow! This is a book that I picked up and absolutely could not put down! Knowing that “Uprising” was a book about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, I initially had the preconceived notion that the text would be quite predictable. Instead, it was a whirlwind of unpredictability as it followed the lives of three very well-developed characters of the time period — with twists all the way to the very end! Unlike other books that have tackled this subject, this author delves deeply into the circumstances leading up to the fire, drawing a very clear line between the previous labor strikes and the tragedy of this event. I also appreciated the author’s note at the end, where she points out the changes that came from this event as well as ways to further research injustices still happening today. By doing so, Haddix brings this text full circle — sharing the history of the event and the relevancy to the work that still needs to be done today!
Three words that describe this book: Tragic, inspiring, relevant
You might want to pick this book up if: You like historical fiction and books written for the perspective of different characters.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Vintage clothing is popular right now. There is a growing interest in slow fashion, in well-crafted clothing and in exploring styles that favor a person’s body type. Some people enjoy the fabrics and construction of older clothing. Other people want to reproduce a look made popular by celebrities or social media influencers. What is vintage? Vintage clothing is anything more than 50 years old. So pre-1972. Unfortunately, the fabric is not always in good shape in older clothing or it’s hard to find a look you like in your size. What to do? Sew your own! Continue reading “Sew Your Own Vintage Style”
Have you ever wanted to know a lot more about a specific topic or increase your knowledge of a broad area of study? The Great Courses allows you to do that by listening to lectures, presented by college professors and experts, in a very diverse range of fields. Now, before you stop reading from fear that anything called a lecture must be boring, you should understand that the presentations are given by some of the most recognized scholars in their field who have been chosen because of their ability to relate to their students. What’s even better is that these resources, which can cost hundreds of dollars, are available to library patrons for free! Continue reading “Learn World History from the Experts With The Great Courses”
As you may guess, in this volume author Nigel Slater gives dishes that are generally lighter, fresher and visually brighter.
One of my favorite parts of this collection is that the time commitment seems to be quite short; who wants to spend hours in a hot kitchen during summer? Simple dishes and small ingredient lists make for quick dinners. Eating fresh, plant-based dishes also gives you an excuse to visit the farmer’s market, by the way.
The recipes are mostly vegetarian-friendly and can be made to even vegan standards (with slight modifications), if necessary. Each dish is given a ridiculously brief name, mainly because the recipes are simple. The only issue I can see is some ingredients can be a bit difficult to find, but I like to think that gives me the freedom to make it my own.
Recipes are sectioned by time of day, or an indication of how it is prepared or how it is served. A couple that caught my eye: Mustard Guacamole, Mozzarella, Bagel looks like a great breakfast sandwich. Pasta, Tomatoes (see what I mean about ridiculously brief names) could be scaled up to create a nice dinner with lunch leftovers.
As a companion to “Autumn, Winter” I think this succeeds in finishing the task set by the author. Enjoy!
If you are feeling the need for Spring and could use a creative charge in your life, join us at our next Crafternoon class. Decorative canvas art collages are on the menu — so easy and so colorful! All you need (and we provide) is a piece of canvas, decorative paper, scissors and a little Mod Podge. This Crafternoon class for adults will be held on March 25 from 2-4 p.m. in the Friends Room at the Columbia Public Library. Please register as space is limited. Masks are requested.
You can try these library resources for more decorative ideas and CreativeBug our database of arts and crafts activities. You can view tons of creative ideas, and new instructional videos are added monthly. You will need your library card number and pin (birthdate in the MMDDYYY format) to use this database.
And don’t forget to look for our April class on creating beaded bracelets.
Painting of the Mid-Ocean Ridge with rift axis by Heinrich Berann, based on the scientific profiles of Marie Tharp and Bruce Heezen (1977).
My Mom bought us a beautiful globe and world atlas when we were kids. The ocean floors were depicted in blues ranging from a very light, almost white blue to a deep navy. The rifts running through the oceans looked like seams knitting our planet together.
Let me introduce a sweet little book titled “The Box that Watch Found,” created by Gertrude Chandler Warner. As the story opens, the Boxcar Children are playing Frisbee. It flies into the woods! While searching they find a treasure box with the note “Official Geocache. Congratulations! You found it!” but having never heard of geocaching they decide to take the box home to investigate. Fortunately, Ned Robertson and his son Andy were looking for that particular box and were able to introduce the Aldens to the activity. The rest of the book is an interaction between the children and other geocachers (plus TWO mysteries) as well as an introduction to how to do this and why you should and what to expect. This book was written in 2007 and everyone used a GPS device, yet much is the same now. In 2023, you can use a GPS device or an app on your smartphone. There are still geocaching groups and clubs and events. I believe the types of caches have expanded into educational caches and more but all-in-all, it’s the same game. Continue reading “Explore Your World With Geocaching”
Posted on Monday, March 13, 2023 by patron reviewer
Dare I call “A Wizard of Earthsea” the original young adult fantasy book? Like many other classics from decades ago, there are story elements that may strike the reader as simplistic or cliched when viewed through the lens of decades of literary progress. However, a careful review will reveal that the elements only appear that way because those decades of progress were built on the foundation of this story; is the origin of a cliché also cliché? A true coming-of-age tale, balanced by an imaginative world and dark enemy, with a surprisingly introspective moral, this is a must-read for any fans of the fantasy genre, no matter the age.
Three words that describe this book: Introspective, Inspiring, Archetypical
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re interested in seeing the basis of so many fantasy tropes that we take for granted.
-Joshua
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
We spend plenty of time learning how to talk. It’s how you get the job; how you win people over; how you lead someone where you want them to go. But what about the other side of communication — the rich, endless, less popular art of listening?
Life often demands that we view conversations as opportunities to impress or unload. But what happens if we approach every conversation as a shared adventure — a chance to go somewhere new, together? Here are some books to get you thinking about your relationships as plants and your conversations as water. Continue reading “March Literary Links: Nurturing Your Relationships”
