Books for National Poetry Month

"This April marks the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month, which was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. Over the years, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry's vital place in our culture." (cited from Poets.org) 

• The Best American Poetry 2015
• Breezeway: New Poems by John Ashbery
• The Essential Ginsburg by Allen Ginsberg
• The Complete Poetry by Maya Angelou
• Ramblings: Poetry & Prose from the Hudson Valley Writers Workshop
• Collected Poems of Samuel Beckett by Samuel Beckett
• Splitting an Order by Ted Kooser
• Blue Horse: Poems by Mary Oliver
• Midnight Whispers by Victoria Wiegand
• Aimless Love by Billy Collins
• Walking Home by Simon Armitage
• Cradle of the American Circus: Poems from Somers, NY by Jo Pitkin
• Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton by Lucille Clifton

Find additional titles on this topic, and many others by visiting our Pinterest boards.  You may also place a hold on books by clicking here.

Book Club Guides

 

Did you know that the library has a nice selection of guides to help your book group make their next book selection? You will find a selection of these guides above the 'New Fiction' area. Some of the titles include:

• The Book Club Bible
• 1001 Books for Every Mood
• Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason
• Read This: Handpicked Favorites from America's Indie Bookseller
• One Hundred Great Jewish Books
• Reading Women: A Book Club Guide for Women's Fiction
• Book Discussions for Adults: A Leader's Guide
• The Reader's Choice: 200 Book Club Favorites
• Reading Group Choices: Selections for Lively Book Discussions
• The Reading Group Book: The Complete Guide to Starting and Sustaining a Reading Group, With Annotated Lists of 250 Titles for Proactive Discussion
• Read This Next: 500 of the Best Books You'll Ever Read

Somers Seed Lending Library

As the groundhog said, spring will be early this year! Let’s all hope he is right and we can all start planning our gardens.  Since now is the time to gather your seeds and get growing, the Somers Seed Lending Library is a good place to start!

The Somers Seed Lending Library is a wonderful addition to our library and to this community. Somers Seed Lending Library is a free community heirloom seed lending project, demonstrating
that libraries check out more than books! The idea is simple. Growers get enough seed to grow 5-
6 plants from the seed catalog located behind the Reference Desk, record what they are taking
with them as well as basic contact information for later in the season. Then they grow their plants
during the season. At the end of the growing season for that plant, the grower harvests as usual,
but saves some of the seed for next season, and returns a portion, usually 2-3 times the starting
amount (or more) to the seed library to continue the cycle.

In the early months of 2013, librarians at the Somers Library worked to make the seed lending
library a reality.  They planned, prepared and organized this collection and then asked the
Friends of the Somers Library to support the initiative by purchasing our first supply of heirloom
seeds.  Over these last two years, the Friends have graciously supplemented our collection with
the purchase of additional seeds.  We are so pleased to offer our patrons this unique opportunity.
Our hope is that you will enjoy gardening and picking the fruits of your hard labor. Along with
saving seeds, consider checking out some great books on gardening and cooking to experience a
true culinary treat! Follow Somers Seed Lending Library on Facebook by clicking here.

Donations are gratefully accepted to help grow our seed library. Checks can be made out to the
Friends of Somers Library, with a note in the memo field stating "For Seed Library." Also on our
wish list: new packets of Heirloom Seeds. So, please come and visit the Somers Seed Lending Library to get heirloom quality seeds to grow quality plants—and to get into the spirit of the season of spring!

Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month and you can find plenty of inspiration in the stacks at Somers Library. Understanding the many achievements women have achieved throughout history...whether it be through  the sciences, the arts, politics, and more, is important for not only girls but also for boys to recognize. What these women have accomplished have enhanced and enriched the lives of men and women, boys and girls in present-day society. Although women have come a long way this past century, women and girls around the world still struggle for rights to control their bodies, to be respected when they walk on the streets, to choose their careers or goals and other everyday actions. The list below offers some items to get you started on learning about women's great contributions, and some books about strong female characters to give you inspiration.

• Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion by Jean Baker
• A Very Dangerous Woman: Martha Wright and Women's Rights by Sherry Penney
• The Boundaries of Her Body: A Troubling History of Women's Rights in America by Debran Rowland
• In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution by Susan Brownmiller
• Not For Ourselves: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony by Geoffrey Ward
• The Fifties: A Woman's Oral History by Brett Harvey
• Women's Suffrage in America by Elizabeth Frost-Knappman
• The Paradox of Change: American Women in the 20th Century by William Chafe
• In Her Own Right: The Life of Elizabeth Cady Stanton by Elisabeth Griffith
• The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis
• Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington by Cokie Roberts
• Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Armstrong
• My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
• Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsberg by Irin Carmon
• Amelia Earhart: The Sky's No Limit by Lori Van Pelt
• The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt by Eleanor Roosevelt

Find additional titles on this topic, and many others by visiting our Pinterest boards.  You may also place a hold on books by clicking here.