Library News: February 22nd, 2024
The library is highlighting two new non-fiction books this week.
Languishing: How to Feel Alive Again in a World that Wears Us Down by Corey Keyes. What is languishing? It is defined as low-grade mental weariness that affects our self-esteem, relationships, and motivation. Languishing may be characterized by muddling through the day in a fog, forgetting why you walked into a room, feeling emotionally flattened, and lacking the energy to socialize or feel joy in the small things. Sufferers may feel indifference, lack of control of their lives, uncertainty about what they want from the future, paralyzed when faced with decision making, and an inner void as though something is missing but one is not certain what it is. Languishing is not a synonym for depression and its corresponding state of prolonged sadness. Keyes believes that this phenomenon of languishing is on the rise for three reasons: a) false promises of the self-help industry, b) a global moment of intense fear and loss, and c) a failing healthcare system focused on treatment rather than prevention. If it is left unchecked, it will not only impede one's daily functioning, but it can also serve as a gateway to serious mental illness and early mortality. Emory University sociologist Keyes has spent his career studying the causes and costs of languishing. He has developed a framework which focuses on functioning well and taking simple but powerful steps to hold our emotions more loosely, becoming more accepting of ourselves and others, carving out daily moments for the activities that create cycles of meaning, connection, and personal growth. This book is a must-read for anyone tempted to downplay feelings of demotivation and emptiness as they struggle to haul themselves through the day, and for those eager to build a higher tolerance for adversity and the pressures of modern life.
Raising Mentally Strong Kids: How to Combine the Power of Neuroscience with Love and Logic to Grow Confident, Kind, Responsible, and Resilient Children and Young Adults by Daniel G. Amen, MD and Charles Fay, PhD: Daniel Amen, a best selling author and neuropsychiatrist) and Charles Fay (a child psychologist) have teamed up to reveal what is missing from most parenting books. These authors believe that you need to address both the brain and the mind of your child (and yourself) in order to effectively raise good and strong humans. In this book, neuroscience meets love and logic, and parents are given practical tools to help children of all ages go from behavioral problems to being responsible, confident, kind, and resilient and better prepared to make good decisions.
Yoga with Dave Sivley, Mondays, January 15-March 4th at 6:30 PM. Bring a yoga mat, water, towel & $5 payable to Dave per session.
Support Group for Parents of Challenging Kids, Tuesday, March 12th at 9:00 AM, the 2nd Tuesday of each month. If you are feeling overwhelmed, join others to gain valuable support coping strategies and information about community resources.
Preschool Story Hour, Wednesdays 10:15 AM. Stories, music, movement & crafts for ages 0-5 and their parents/caregivers.
Game Night AND Movies & Popcorn, February 28th, the last Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM. We'll have fresh popcorn and a movie during game night! All ages are welcome!
First Thursday Book Club 2023, March 7th, 2024, 12 NOON-1 PM. Join others to chat about what you have been reading or to get suggestions from others.
Lego at the Library, Fridays 3:00-4:30 PM. Build & create with our Lego & Duplo collections! All ages are welcome & donations of gently-used Legos will be greatly appreciated!
Will Eisner Week. March 1st-7th. Celebrate comics, graphic novel literacy, free speech, and the legacy of Will Eisner (Comic creator, illustrator, and innovator, considered to be the “father” of the modern graphic novel!) Movie showings (with popcorn!) will be as follows: Friday, March 1st at 2:00 PM: Comic Book Confidential; Saturday, March 2nd at 10:00 AM: Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist; and Saturday, March 2nd at 12 NOON: The Spirit (PG-13).