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Nautical Reads

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Adult Summer Reading Bingo Challenge ‘23, a Deep Dive into NAUTICAL READS – “Under the Sea”

Are you working on the Adult Summer Reading Bingo Challenge ‘23? Looking for inspiration for titles that will cover the square: “Book About the Ocean”? If so, read on and let’s dive “under the sea” together! (Disney’s Little Mermaid reference 100% intended). 🙂

Feel free to also reference this earlier list, but be warned: there is some overlap…

Below is a list of 6 nautical topics/themes (in no particular order) under which I’ve categorized a number of books held here at MML and/or available through Minerva. Also, some of these categories overlap such as Sea Life and Mysteries of the Ocean: Science Writing. Just giving you a heads up!

Read more…

Adult Summer Reading Bingo – 2 for 1

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Adult Summer Reading Bingo Challenge – Overlapping Categories/Bingo Squares

Having trouble completing the rather ambitious Adult Summer Reading Bingo Challenge? Feeling overwhelmed? Fear not. I am encouraging all participants to find overlap between bingo squares and read 1 book for up to 2 squares! See below 20 recommendations of books that cover 2 squares. There are, of course, many more, but these should give you some ideas!

Note recurring themes in the lists below:

  • Debut authors of novels with BIPOC Protagonists (5 titles provided)
  • Debut authors of feminist retellings of myths/fairy tales (4 titles provided)
  • Audiobooks narrated by the author that will also make you laugh (2 titles provided)
  • Banned/challenged books that are also LGBTQ+ memoirs (2 titles provided)

There are a smattering of other, miscellaneous overlapping themes including queer romances that are also books about the ocean (or, at the very least, books with nautical themes). This is actually quite a rabbit hole one could fall into. See this bookish blog post all about “sapphic mermaid” literature, the vast majority of which is YA. Rivers Solomon, the author of a fantastic Afro-futurist novel and sapphic mermaid tale featuring a BIPOC protagonist, The Deep, was a special guest at the Maine Humanities Council (MEH)’s annual Readers’ Retreat held at SMCC this past May. I stumbled across this title a few years ago in a small indie bookstore in Minneapolis and was completely mesmerized by it. I highly recommend it!

Technically this title covers 3 bingo squares, which gives you 3 choices of where to cross-pollinate: 

  • BOOK ABOUT THE OCEAN and NOVEL WITH A BIPOC PROTAGONIST
  • BOOK ABOUT THE OCEAN and QUEER ROMANCE
  • NOVEL WITH A BIPOC PROTAGONIST and QUEER ROMANCE

10 titles pulled from these lists:

10  more recommendations:

Good luck with your reading adventures and as always don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have!

Courtney Kleftis (Adult Services Librarian – ckleftis@yarmouthlibrary.org) 

 

Adult Summer Reading Bingo Deep Dive #1: Neurodivergent Authors

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Overview: The Three N’s

In honor of Disability Pride month I am launching an Adult Summer Reading Bingo Challenge-themed blog series with a deep dive into the topic of neurodiversity captured by the “Neurodivergent Authors” square on the bingo sheet. Disability Pride was established in July 1990 and over the past three decades has helped to improve the visibility of people living with disabilities as well as advocacy for this marginalized community. 

What is neurodivergence and where does it fit under the umbrella framework of disability? According to this article about Disability Pride month, neurodivergence is captured by the gold stripe in the Disability Pride flag (see blog post image). 

In terms of defining what I’m calling the “Three N’s”, a recent post from the University of Glasgow’s PGR Blog offers a solid distinction between these interrelated concepts: 1. Neurodiversity, 2. Neurodivergence, and 3. Neurotypicality. 

The basic idea behind neurodiversity is that we live in a world in which human brains are all wired differently and this is perfectly natural and normal. The “norm” is understood as neurotypicality and anyone whose brain works differently falls under the very broad category of neurodivergence. 

There are numerous strains of neurodivergence, several of which often overlap, including but not limited to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), dyslexia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), among countless others. (A more comprehensive list can be found here).

The concept of neurodiversity was developed in the 1990s as an activist movement in support of neurodivergent individuals and explicitly challenges the language of “disorders” and other pathologizing terms used by the medical and psychiatric establishment. For more information about the neurodiversity movement, check out the website of Dr. Nick Walter, a self-proclaimed “neuroqueer” scholar and activist, and his recent book by the same name. (Unfortunately, his book is not currently available in our system. We can look into the possibility of an out-of-state interlibrary loan if you are curious to read it).

Finally, before launching into book lists and other resources, most of the materials I was able to find at MML and thru the Minerva network pertain to autism and ADHD. Far fewer capture other forms of neurodivergence. Please do not take these lists as an indication that I believe that other forms of neurodivergence are less important. It would appear they haven’t been written about as extensively and more work might be needed to fill this gap and increase visibility of neurodiversity beyond its two most well known expressions.

Adult and/or Books by Neurodivergent Authors: Nonfiction 

TITLE (Pub. Year) AUTHOR CALL # (Location – if NEW)
Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum (2018) Cook, Jennifer O’Toole 616.8588 OTO
Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation (2022) Gadsby, Hannah Not owned by MML; available at 12 Minerva libraries
Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions (2022) Grandin, Temple (with Betsy Lerner) 152.14 GRA (NEW)
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things (2015) Lawson, Jenny 92 LAW
Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age (2023) May, Katherine 158.1 MAY (NEW)
Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World that Wasn’t Designed for You (2020) Nerenberg, Jenna Not owned by MML; available at 9 Minerva libraries
An Outsider’s Guide to Humans (2020) Pang, Camilla Not owned by MML; available at 10 Minerva libraries
Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity (2022) Price, Devon Not owned by MML; available at 10 Minerva libraries
Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity (2015) Silberman, Steve 616.85882 SIL
Born On a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant (2006) Tammet, Daniel 92 TAM

Adult and/or YA Books by Neurodivergent Authors: Fiction

Just a quick prefatory note: unfortunately I had much better luck finding neurodivergent authors of nonfiction books, especially memoirs. I couldn’t find very many names of fiction authors who are neurodivergent, so I’ve included multiple titles by one of the authors listed below: Charlie Jane Anders (who has Sensory Integration Disorder).

TITLE (Pub. Year) AUTHOR CALL # (Location – if NEW)
All the Birds in the Sky (2016) Anders, Charlie Jane AND
The City in the Middle of the Night (2019) Anders, Charlie Jane AND
Parable of the Sower (2016, orig. ed. 1993) Butler, Octavia (with an intro. by Gloria Steinem) BUT (NEW)
The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily (2017) Creedle, Laura Not owned by MML; available at 6 Minerva libraries
Turtles All the Way Down (2017) Green, John YA GRE
The Midnight Library (2020) Haig, Matt HAI
Get a Life, Chloe Brown (2019) Hibbert, Talia HIB
The Kiss Quotient (2018) Hoang, Helen HOA
The Name of the Wind: The Killer Chronicle, Day One (2007) Rothfuss, Patrick ROT
An Unkindness of Ghosts (2017) Solomon, Rivers SOL (NEW)

Other Resources: Podcasts, Blogs, TV, Movies & Documentaries, etc.

If you are looking for a TV series, movie, or documentary to watch featuring neurodivergent characters, check out the partial list I’ve compiled using a handful of online lists for inspiration (Here are a few more suggestions from Vanderbilt University and ADDitude Magazine).

TV Series & Comedy Shows

TITLE (Linked to Season 1 trailer) Release Date & Number of Seasons CALL # (if available through MML/Minerva) Streaming Service (if unavail. Through MML/Minerva)
Atypical August 2017/

4 seasons 

 N/A Netflix
Everything Is Gonna Be Okay January 2020/

2 Seasons 

 N/A Hulu
Lady Dynamite May 2016/

2 Seasons

 N/A Netflix
Nanette 2017  N/A Netflix

Movies

TITLE (Linked to trailer) & RELEASE DATE CALL # (if available through MML/Minerva) Streaming Service (if unavail. Through MML/Minerva)
Amélie (2001) Foreign DVD Amel N/A
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) DVD EVE & Blu-ray EVE N/A
Temple Grandin (2010) DVD Templ N/A

Documentaries/Docuseries

TITLE (Linked to trailer) & RELEASE DATE CALL # (if available through MML/Minerva) Streaming Service (if unavail. Through MML/Minerva)
Asperger’s Are Us (2016) N/A Netflix
Love on the Spectrum (2022) N/A Netflix

Podcasts

Looking for additional resources like podcasts to listen to during your commute? Check out the following links for suggestions. 

For more podcast recommendations, check out Stetson University’s librarian-curated list.

Concluding Thoughts and Local/Regional Support Organizations

Finally, if you or someone in your friend/family circle are neurodivergent and want to find online resources and support networks, check out the following link.

Local (Maine-based) Resource for the Neurodivergent Community

If you suspect you may be neurodivergent but haven’t been formally evaluated, check out the links below about autistic (and ADHD) “masking”; a very common phenomenon!

Resources for undiagnosed neurodivergent people:

Overall, I hope this blog post is informative whether or not you are participating in the Adult Summer Reading Bingo challenge AND whether or not you identify as neurodivergent.

Happy Disability Pride month!

-Courtney Kleftis (Adult Services Librarian)

“Explorations” Art Show at the Library

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The Yarmouth Arts Alliance Gallery Committee is proud to present the show “Explorations” at the MML Gallery featuring former Yarmouth students Mairen O’Neill and Ashlyn Feeley who are presently pursuing art in college and post college. The opening reception was on Sunday, July 9th from 5-7 pm and the show will be up through Friday, August 25th.

Mairen O’Neill is a 2019 graduate of Yarmouth High School and a recent college graduate from Wheaton College, majoring in Visual Art, working in oil paint. Mairen, as a high school student, was instrumental in connecting YAA to Yarmouth students as a YAA student liaison.

Ashlyn Feeley is a 2021 Yarmouth High School Graduate and recipient of the YAA  Scholarship. The $500.00 scholarship recognizes passionate, disciplined and accomplished students in the arts each year and is meant to help students pursue their art after high school. Ashlyn is currently attending Tufts University in Medford, MA majoring in Clinical Psychology and Child Studies and minoring in Studio Art. Both artists are in the middle of exploring their art, their new surroundings, and interests in life.

Under the guidance and leadership of the Library Arts Committee, the second-floor gallery has grown into a two-room showing space with newly painted walls, gallery lights and a hanging system. The gallery has hosted art shows of local emerging and established artists, for more than 20 years.

The Yarmouth Arts Alliance is now managing the second-floor gallery in collaboration with library staff. Yarmouth Arts Alliance is grateful to the Library Arts Committee for all their work, and will continue the tradition of supporting local artists and bringing art and events to the community.

Yarmouth Arts Alliance is a nonprofit organization that promotes and supports arts and cultural activities in the community.

Adult Summer Reading Bingo

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June 21st – September 21st (Solstice to Equinox)

Are you gearing up for the summer months eager to expand your reading horizons? In addition to diving into feel-good beach reads (those can be found interspersed throughout this list), I encourage adult patrons to read about topics that may challenge them and their worldviews. This summer’s Adult Summer Reading Bingo Challenge has been inspired at least in part by prominent Iranian-American writer and intellectual, Azar Nafisi’s recent manifesto Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times (2022). (You can request this from any library in the Minerva consortium; at the time of writing this blog post MML doesn’t own a copy).

While Nafisi’s argument is about the subversive power of reading fiction, especially by and about marginalized communities, MML’s bingo challenge includes nonfiction and memoir as well as novels. Nafisi compellingly writes that literature humanizes the enemy or “other”, combating our increasingly polarized society’s tendency to do the exact opposite: dehumanize anyone and everyone who thinks and lives differently from us. In her own words, “[w]ar, by nature, dehumanizes the enemy. Story gives the enemy a voice, forcing us to confront him as a human being, to look him in the eye. And through this process, we restore our own humanity” (Nafisi p. 101). Nonfiction and memoir also tell stories and have the capacity to humanize people who are all too often dehumanized and disempowered; hence this summer reading challenge.

If you, like me, the librarian writing this post, are a self-avowed “nerd,” feel free to watch Nafisi discussing her own book in this Youtube video recording of a talk she gave at the Newburyport Literary Festival a year ago. There are numerous other videos of her discussing her book available on Youtube; it is a rabbit hole that you may find yourself lost in much like our beloved Alice in Wonderland.

In any case, get ready to dive into our bingo challenge! As an extra incentive, we have prizes, including MML swag. The grand prize will be 1 free book and a $30 gift card to Royal River Books just down the street. To be eligible for this, as soon as you’ve completed the entire bingo sheet, enter your name in a raffle! For info about the other prizes, see the pamphlet available at the circ desk! (This info is also printed on the back of the bingo sheet itself).

You can view or print the Bingo Sheet here.

Too many books, too little time? No need to feel too overwhelmed! To lighten your reading load and make the challenge more manageable, here are some suggestions to hit the ground running when starting your Bingo Sheet:

  • One square per row of five involves something other than reading a book!
  • Partner up with someone and complete the challenge together. This could even lead to mini book discussions with a friend, partner or spouse, child, etc…
  • Read 1 book for up to 2 categories. Several titles in the Banned/Challenged Books category also fall under the LGBTQ+ Memoirs square.

Pick up your bingo square at the circulation desk OR information desk at MML anytime this summer. For inspiration and reading suggestions, check out these lists. 

Enjoy your reading, “dangerous” and otherwise!

-Courtney Kleftis (Adult Services Librarian)