Books, Bytes & More Newsletter
May 2017
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NWRLS Library Locations

Headquarters:
Bay County Public Library
850-522-2100

Panama City Beach
850-233-5055

Parker
850-871-3092

Springfield
850-872-7510

Corinne Costin
Gibson Memorial Library
Port St. Joe
850-229-8879

Charles Whitehead
Public Library
Wewahitchka
850-639-2419

Harrell Memorial
Public Library
Bristol
850-643-2247

Jimmy Weaver
Memorial Library
Hosford
850-379-3300

Featured Items 
 
 
The Night the Lights Went Out
by Karen White

Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It's not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren't helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail.
 
Two from the Heart
by James Patterson

After her marriage falls apart and a hurricane destroys her home, Anne McWilliams sets off on a road trip to ask long lost friends and strangers one question, "What's your best story?," in an effort to find what she's been missing.
   
Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy: Ernest Hemingway's Secret Adventures, 1935-1961
by Nicholas Reynolds
 
A former CIA officer and curator of the CIA Museum reveals the untold story of Ernest Hemingway's secret life as a spy for both the Americans and Soviets before and during World War II, and explores how his espionage activities influenced his literary work.
 

Who Thought This was a Good Idea?
by Alyssa Mastromonaco 
If your funny older sister were the former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama, her behind-the-scenes political memoir would look something like this. Who Thought This was a Good Idea? is an intimate and admiring portrait of a president, a candid book of advice for young women, and a promising debut from a savvy political star.
 

The Stars are Fire
by Anita Shreve
 

In October, 1947, after a summer-long drought, fires began near Bar Harbor and raced along the coast of Maine, ravaging two hundred thousand acres--the largest fire in Maine's history. Five months pregnant, Grace Holland is left alone to protect her two toddlers when her husband Gene joins the volunteers fighting to bring the fire under control. What will her life be after the fire? 
   
One Perfect Lie
by Lisa Scottoline 
One Perfect Lie is an emotional thriller and a suburban crime story that will keep you guessing until you turn the very last page.
   
An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How you can Take it Back
by Elisabeth Rosenthal

 
An award-winning New York Times reporter Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal reveals the dangerous, expensive, and dysfunctional American healthcare system, and tells us exactly what we can do to solve its myriad of problems.
   
The Women in the Castle
 by Jessica Shattuck
 
Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined-an affecting, shocking, and ultimately redemptive novel from the author of the New York Times Notable Book The Hazards of Good Breeding.

 
 
A Work in Progress
by Connor Franta

 
In this intimate memoir of life beyond the camera, Connor Franta shares the lessons he has learned on his journey from small-town boy to Internet sensation--so far. Here, Connor offers a look at his Midwestern upbringing as one of four children in the home and one of five in the classroom; his struggles with identity, body image, and sexuality in his teen years; and his decision to finally pursue his creative and artistic passions in his early twenties, setting up his thrilling career as a YouTube personality, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and tastemaker. 
Beartown
by Fredrik Backman
  
 
A poignant, charming novel about a forgotten town fractured by scandal, and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything. Winning a junior ice hockey championship might not mean a lot to the average person, but it means everything to the residents of Beartown, a community slowly being eaten alive by unemployment and the surrounding wilderness. A victory like this would draw national attention to the ailing town: it could attract government funding and an influx of talented athletes who would choose Beartown over the big nearby cities. A victory like this would certainly mean everything to Amat, a short, scrawny teenager who is treated like an outcast everywhere but on the ice; to Kevin, a star player just on the cusp of securing his golden future in the NHL; and to Peter, their dedicated general manager whose own professional hockey career ended in tragedy. 
Slightly South of Simple
by Kristy Woodson Harvey

    
Caroline Murphy swore she'd never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley. Ansley has always put her three daughters first. But when her second daughter Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp. Exploring the powerful bonds between sisters and mothers and daughters, this engaging novel is filled with Southern charm, emotional drama, and plenty of heart.

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Bay County

Thank you for choosing to receive the library newsletter, where you will learn about upcoming programs and the many services provided in our libraries.
Free Comic Book Day

Bay County Public Library
Saturday, May 6th from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Guest Librarian and Comic Book Expert, Kat Kan, will be distributing free comic books at the library while supplies last. There will also be a comic themed coloring station!  Call (850) 522-2118 for more information.
Children's Book Week: 
This is NOT a Box!
Bay County Public Library
May 2nd @ 3 - 5 p.m. 

Celebrate Children's Book Week with us! This will be a
fun afternoon of using our imaginations and building
with boxes. Sarah Burris, our in-house architect, will
need help decorating a GIANT cardboard box house! Program will be held in the Youth Services Department of the Bay County Public Library.  Call 850-522-2118 for more information.
Youth Classes @ Your Library

All branches of the Northwest Regional Library System are planning a phenomenal Summer Reading Program that begins in June!   

Bay County Public Library

Book Babies (Birth - 17 months with caregiver)
Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
*Regular classes through May 9th.  Will resume in September.

Terrific Tots (18 - 36 months with caregiver)
Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 
*Regular classes through May 9th. Will resume in September.

Book Babies & Terrific Tots Dance Party
May 16 @ 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 
Celebrate the end of the Spring session with a cool dance party just for babies and toddlers! 

Read, Rock & Rhyme Time (Ages 3 - 5)
Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
*Classes through May 18th.  Classes will resume July 20th.

Read, Rock & Rhyme Time Dance Party
May 18th @ 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Celebrate the end of the Spring session with a cool dance party just for preschoolers!
 
Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Library April Programming
 
Panama City Beach Public Library 

Book Babies (Birth - 2 years with caregiver)
Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Beach Kids (K - 5th grade)
Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.  

PCB Storytime (3+ years) 
Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  
    
Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe

Tuesday Tales (Birth - 3 years with caregiver)
*Classes will resume in September.  

Stories and More (3 years and up with caregiver)
*Classes will resume in September.
 
Charles Whitehead Public Library in Wewahitchka 

Wee Read (Preschool age)
*Classes will resume in September.

After School Story Time (K - 5th Grade)
*Classes will resume in September.

Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library in Hosford

Story Time 
Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Harrell Memorial Public Library in Bristol 

Stay tuned for Summer Reading Program starting in June!  
Arete Collaborative Academy presents Shakespeare for Kids


Bay County Public Library
May 4 @ 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Arete Collaborative Academy presents children's versions of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Event takes place in the Bay County Public Library Youth Services Department. Free program geared for school aged students!  For more information, call 850-522-2118.
Classes and Programs @ Your Library


Panama City Beach Public Library

Sea Needles
May 5, 12, 19, and 26 @ 10 a.m.

Bring your needlework crafts to work on at the library. Sea Needles meets every Friday at 10 a.m.

Bay County Public Library

Beginning Dulcimer Class
May 5 @ 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

A beginner dulcimer class taught by Kathy Krausnick. Bring your mountain dulcimer to class! If you don't have an instrument, you are more than welcome to sit in to listen. Perhaps it's an instrument you would like to learn!

Ukulele Social Club
May 6 @ 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

First part of class is for beginner basics. The second part is for jammin'! We will have a few loaner instruments available, but you are encouraged to bring your own. Ukulele Social Club meets every first Saturday of the month.

C orinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library in Port St. Joe 

Adult Art Classes - Decorated Quotes
May 20 @ 10:30 a.m. EST

Materials provided courtesy of Friends of the Gulf County Public Libraries. All classes are beginner's level. Space is limited. Call 850-229-8879 to register.

Harrell Memorial Public Library in Liberty

Hawaii Themed Bingo
May 9 @ 10:30 a.m.

Tropical giveaways, trivia, and free coffee!

Silk Flower Arranging
May 18 @ 2:00 p.m.

Create a silk flower arrangement and learn basic floral design from a Michael Gaffney School of Flower Design graduate. Stop by the library to pick up a list of supplies to purchase for the class.

Smoking Cessation
May 22 @ 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Program presented by Tobacco Free Florida. Register by calling 850-643-2247.

Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library in Hosford

Family Game Night
May 22nd @  5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Every 4th Monday of the month, you are invited to play family board games at the library - feel free to bring a game you would like to play!
Blood Drive with Michael Lister
Bay County Public Library
May 25th @  12:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Bestselling author, Michael Lister, will be at the Bay County Public Library and he's bringing a OneBlood bus!  Lister has launched the Blood for Blood Club.  Those who donate blood will receive a free copy of one of his John Jordan "Blood" mystery thrillers. Lister will be located in Adult Services for book donations and book signings. The bus will be parked outside near the library.
 
For more information, call 850-522-2120 or visit Lister's website about the Blood for Blood program:  https://www.bloodforblood.club/ .

Bay County Public Library

Teen Advisory Board Meeting
May 22 @ 4 p.m.

Are you a teen (ages 13 - 19) who wants to be active at the library and earn volunteer hours?  Teens can join our Teen Advisory Board!  We meet at Youth Services department once a month to help decide what materials to add to the collection and plan library programming geared for teens.  And it's fun!! 
Book & Film Clubs

BCPL Book Club
Bay County Public Library
May 11 @ 10 a.m.
Nutshell  by Ian McEwan

The BCPL Book Club meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. For more information, please call 850-522-2107.

Library Lions Teen Book Club
Bay County Public Library
May 23 @ 4 p.m.

No assigned book! Talk about what you're reading or a favorite book. Ages 13-19.  For more information, please call 850-522-2114.  Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries.

Beyond the Lens: Book and Film Series
Bay County Public Library
May 16 @ 5:30 p.m.
Book: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Film: The Fault in Our Stars

The Beyond the Lens: Book and Film Series meets every 3rd Tuesday of each month.  For more information, please call 850-522-2120.   Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries.

Film Fan Club
Bay County Public Library
May 24 @ 5:30 p.m.
Film: Donnie Darko (2001) Rated R

Hang out and watch Cult classics. Movie night at the library every fourth Wednesday of the month.
Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries.

Beach Book Club
Panama City Beach Public Library
May 3 @ 10:30 a.m.  
The Widow by Fiona Barton

The Beach Book Club meets the 1st Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. For more information, please call 850-233-5055.

Library Book Club
Corinne Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library
May 15 @ 10:30 a.m.
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

The Library Book Club meets the 3rd Monday of each month at 10:30 a.m. For more information, please call 850-229-8879.
Holiday Closures

All Northwest Regional Library System locations will be closed on the following day:

May 29th   Memorial Day


Memorial Day image created by Virginia Reyes; U.S. Air Force photo by Vance Janes
New E-books and Downloadable Audiobooks @ Your Library

We recently added new items to our digital collection, including: 
The Black Book
by James Patterson

Billy Harney was born to be a cop. The son of Chicago's chief of detectives, Billy plays it by the book. Enter Amy Lentini, a hard-charging assistant state's attorney hell-bent on making a name for herself-who suspects Billy isn't the cop he claims to be. They're about to be linked by more than their careers.
    
The Fix
by David Baldacci 
  
Amos Decker witnesses a murder just outside FBI headquarters. Even with Decker's extraordinary powers of observation and deduction, the killing is baffling. An agent of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Harper Brown, orders Decker to back off the case.  They learn that the DIA believes solving the murder is a matter of national security. Decker remains focused on only one goal: solving the case before it's too late.
 
The Sun is also a Star
by Nicola Yoon

It is Natasha's last day in New York City. Her family, living as undocumented immigrants in a small Brooklyn apartment, are being deported to Jamaica. Natasha is scouring the city for a chance to stay in the United States legally. Daniel is on his way to an interview as part of his application process to Yale. He is under great pressure to get in because his parents (who emigrated from South Korea) are adamant that he become a doctor. When Daniel and Natasha finally meet, he falls in love immediately and convinces her to join him for the day. 

You can check out e-books and downloadable audiobooks for free from your library. All you need is your library card number and PIN. Forgot your PIN? Just give us a call at 850-522-2100 or stop by your local branch and we'll set one up for you.

To access e-books and downloadable audiobooks, click here or:
Go to www.nwrls.com
Click on Books, Etc.
Click on eBooks & eAudio
Click on OverDrive  to find books  
Need assistance with e-books and downloadable audiobooks? Just call us at 850-522-2107 or stop by your local branch.