Library Column for March 15, 2024

@ Your Library

Beware the Ides of March. This day has been ominous for millennium and no one quite knows why this particular day requires special awareness. It was considered ominous before the soothsayer warned the emperor indirectly that he would die on March 15. Any day can be ominous or dangerous for mortals. So, make the most of each and every day, reading and discovering new things about the world.

Read what grabs your interest, what brings joy or peace, delight or learning to your life. Savor the moments you have. Read Njuta by Niki Brantmark to help you. Njuta is the Swedish word for enjoy or delight in and the book explores the Swedish art of savoring the moment, wherever, whenever you are. There are lots of other titles, many have been very popular, about mindfulness, happiness and savoring where and when we are. So if Njuta isn’t for you, try Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis, The Comfort Book by Matt Haig, This is not a book about Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan or Spontaneous Happiness by Andrew Weil.

The Ides of March is quickly followed by St. Patrick’s Day. If you are Irish, lured in by the picturesque beauty of the landscape or just want a good beer learn a bit about their culture and heritage with Thomas Cahill’s classic How the Irish Saved Civilization. Check out these great documentaries “In Search of Ancient Ireland” and “Visions of Britain and Ireland” for beautiful scenery sure to sooth the soul.

Fiction readers who want an Irish setting can’t go wrong with Patrick Taylor’s world found in An Irish Country Doctor and the many sequels. Shadow Voices is over 1,000 pages of Irish genre fiction, providing a history through stories. Charles Todd’s Bess Crawford runs into trouble and treachery in Ireland following World War I as she travels to attend a wedding. She arrives to find the groom missing and only an Irish outlaw and a prisoner about to be hanged for murder on her side.

And that is followed by the spring equinox with daylight hours quickly increasing offering plenty of opportunities to get outside and begin planning summer activities. Plan a garden with Gardening for Everyone by Julia Watkins, or The Garden Refresh by Kier Holmes. Plan a trip with Amazing MN by Lee Lynch, 100 Things to do in the Minnesota Northwoods Before You Die by Julie Jo Larson or Minnesota Curiosities by Russ Ringsak. Plan a family reunion and reserve some of our Library of Things outdoor games or fun equipment like the cotton candy machine or popcorn popper. And don’t forget it you enjoy visiting the state parks that we have two state park passes that can be borrowed for a week at a time. Make your plans now to visit one or more of the many parks this state has to offer.

Check our Facebook page for information about upcoming programs or check our online calendar of events which can be accessed at internationalfallslibrary.us.

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