Meet Local Author Jenn Bouchard !

Posted on by rcallaghan

Live in person event!

Tuesday, March 4th

7:00—8:30 PM.

1st Floor Meeting Room

Bedford Free Public Library

7 Mudge Way, BEDFORD, MA, 01730-2127

Head shot of a brunette woman

Bedford’s own Jenn Bouchard will be here to talk about her new book Considering Us.

About the Book: After an affair with a client’s husband leads to scandal, private chef Devon Paige is left with only one client in Boston, a reclusive professional basketball player with a craving for cookies. With no other choice, Devon lands on the doorstep of Rockwood, a boarding school on the New Hampshire seacoast, taking a job leading their dining services. She is shocked to soon discover Kyle Holling on staff, who she hasn’t seen in over fifteen years since a memorable night just before departing for college in different cities. Devon and Kyle must determine what their relationship looks like years later, all while dodging the cameras of an underground newspaper, dealing with the installation of a controversial campus sculpture, and grappling with the arrival of Devon’s former lover’s daughter as a newly-enrolled student.

When Devon meets a handsome paramedic named Heath, she ditches the possibility of romance with Kyle in favor of what appears to be a more straightforward relationship. But a trip to Los Angeles to keep her client well-fed ahead of his basketball game threatens to upend everything, forcing Devon to finally answer the one question she has been avoiding: is fifteen years too late to rekindle a one-night stand?

Jenn will have books to sign and to sell.

No Registration Required

March Reading Challenges

Posted on by Nicole Monk

Minute Madness & Community Reading Goal

Every year, libraries across Massachusetts compete to see what community can read the most (it’s weighted). Bedford has competed the last two years, and last year made it to the FINAL FOUR.

This year, we want to continue the fun even if we are eliminated from the competition. ENTER: the community goal. We are challenging Bedford residents to read at least 550,000 minutes in March! To make it more fun, the whole challenge is themed around The Wizard of Oz and we are “Reading our way to the Emerald City”. 

How it works: 

You can log three ways:

The competition portion ends every Friday so if you’d like Bedford to outread other libraries, make sure you submit your minutes by 10 AM each Friday.

Do you have a child participating in the school reading fundraiser? No need to log their minutes. We are partnering with BEST PTO.

Prizes:

Each week there is a small prize and raffles of gift cards to local businesses. We will have separate raffles for different age groups: kids, teens and adults. Anyone participating will be automatically entered.

Special Events: 

Book Tasting Kickoff: Saturday, March 1 at 10:30 AM

Kids, teens and adults are invited to sample books from different genres as you rotate tables for new books and snacks. There will be books for all age and interest levels.

Wizard of Oz Listen & Craft: Mondays at 4 PM: March 3, 10, 17 & 24

All ages are invited to join us to listen to approximately one hour of the Wizard of Oz audiobook each week for four weeks while coloring or completing another simple craft.

Silent Reading Book Club: Saturday, March 22 at 10 AM

Adults are invited to the meeting room for silent reading and light refreshments.

Wizard of Oz Movie Showing: Saturday, March 29 at 10:30 AM

Join us for a showing of the original Wizard of Oz. All ages welcome. Viewing at parent’s discretion.

Bestselling Author Elinor Lipman “Every Tom, Dick & Harry”

Posted on by rcallaghan

Wednesday, February 26th

7:00—8:00 PM

Online-Zoom.

Bestselling author Elinor Lipman will discuss her new romantic comedy, Every Tom, Dick & Harry, in this installment of “Author Hour in Massachusetts.”

Please register here.  In collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.  Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded.  All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

If interested, please click HERE to purchase a copy of this book from the event’s bookstore partner, Wellesley Books. Book sales will help support future virtual author events.

About the book: Every Tom, Dick & Harry: From the author of Ms. Demeanor—one of the most beloved comedic writers of our time—comes a charming, laugh-out-loud tale of love and criminality, a pitch-perfect romantic comedy. Taking over her parents’ estate-sale business is not the life’s work that Emma Lewis bargained for. Yes, she grew up helping them empty people’s nests, but nothing prepared her for her biggest and stickiest “get”–the grand, beautiful house of ill repute masquerading as a decidedly beddable B and B. Should Emma turn down potential clients in need of decluttering just because they are shady, escort-y, and proud of it? No. A girl must make a living. Around some hairpin turns Lipman ingeniously reveals a straight shot to happiness.

Please register via the Zoom link above.

Introducing: Whazoodles

Posted on by Nicole Monk

We’d like to introduce you to the newest addition to our children’s collection: Whazoodles. Whazoodles are made by Playaway, the same company that makes Launchpads and Playaway Audiobooks. 

Whazoodles are similar to Tonie Boxes and Yoto Players, they offer stories, songs, podcasts and more on an easy-to-use speaker. No Wi-Fi, downloads, or extra pieces necessary.

Each Whazoodle has a different theme. You can find a complete list on our online catalog or drop-in to browse today. 

 

 

 

Author Joseph Finder “The Oligarch’s Daughter” in conversation with Lisa Gardner

Posted on by rcallaghan

Wednesday, February 19th

7:00—8:00 PM

Online-Zoom.

Bestselling author Joseph Finder will discuss his new thriller, The Oligarch’s Daughter, in conversation with bestselling author Lisa Gardner, in this installment of “Author Hour in Massachusetts.”

Please register here.  In collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.  Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.

RECORDING NOTE:  This program is being recorded.  All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

If interested, please click HERE to purchase a copy of this book from the event’s bookstore partner, Wellesley Books. Book sales will help support future virtual author events.

About the book: The Oligarch’s Daughterhe : From the New York Times bestselling author of House on Fire, a breakneck thriller that marries the dynastic opulence of Succession with the tense and disorienting spycraft of The Americans. Paul Brightman is a man on the run, living under an assumed name in a small New England town with a million-dollar bounty on his head. When his security is breached, Paul is forced to flee into the New Hampshire wilderness to evade Russian operatives who can seemingly predict his every move. Six years ago, Paul was a rising star on Wall Street who fell in love with a beautiful photographer named Tatyana—unaware that her father was a Russian oligarch and the object of considerable interest from several U.S. intelligence agencies. Now, to save his own life, Paul must unravel a decades-old conspiracy that extends to the highest reaches of the government. 

Please register via the Zoom link above.

Live Virtual Tour of Siena, Tuscany, Italy

Posted on by rcallaghan

Tuesday, February 18th

Explore the enchanting city of Siena, one of Tuscany’s most celebrated destinations, rich in history, art, and vibrant traditions rooted in its 17 districts, or “contrade,” and the world-famous Palio di Siena. Join a virtual walking tour and travel back in time to uncover the city’s medieval glory. Guided by Patrizia, a local expert guide, experience the highlights of this historic gem, including the iconic Piazza del Campo and the breathtaking Siena Cathedral.

Please register here.  In collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.  Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded.  All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

Please register via the Zoom link above.

Christopher Farnsworth “Robert B. Parker’s Buried Secrets: A Jesse Stone Novel”

Posted on by rcallaghan

Thursday, February 13th

7:00—8:00 PM

Online-Zoom.

Bestselling author Christopher Farnsworth will discuss his new thriller, Robert B. Parker’s Buried Secrets: A Jesse Stone Novel, in this installment of “Author Hour in Massachusetts.”

Please register here.  In collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.  Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Public Library.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded.  All registrants will receive the recording within 48 hours of the program.

If interested, please click HERE to purchase a copy of this book from the event’s bookstore partner, Wellesley Books. Book sales will help support future virtual author events.

About Buried Secrets: Chief of Police Jesse Stone is on his way home from a long shift when a call comes in for a welfare check on an elderly resident of the wealthy seaside town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Inside a house packed with junk and trash is a man’s dead body. It’s a sad, lonely end, but nothing criminal . . . until Jesse finds the photos of murder victims strewn around the corpse, on top of a treasure trove of $2 million in cash. Jesse takes on the case and finds a trail leading to an aging mobster who will do whatever it takes to keep the past from coming to light. Before long, Jesse has a price on his head as hit men converge on Paradise to take back the cash and destroy any remaining evidence. But the real danger might be coming from inside his own department. Jesse Stone must unearth the truth buried under the wreckage of a dead man’s life . . . before he winds up in the ground himself.

Please register via the Zoom link above.

A Live Virtual Tour of Cusco, Peru — Capital City of the Inca Empire

Posted on by rcallaghan

Tuesday, February 11th

2:00—3:00 PM

Online-Zoom.

Join tour guide Jimmy Sotomayor for a live tour of Cusco, Peru. Cusco is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Western Hemisphere. Formerly the capital of the extensive Inca empire, it retains much of its highly crafted early stone architecture, which is typically preserved in the foundations and lower stories of Spanish colonial structures. Located high in the Andes Mountains, Cuzco was designated a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage site in 1983. 

Please register here.  In collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.  Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded.  All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

Please register via the Zoom link above.

Author Carter Wilson “Tell Me What You Did” with author Wendy Walker

Posted on by rcallaghan

Friday, February 7th

7:00—8:00 PM

Online-Zoom.

Author Series

Bestselling author Carter Wilson will discuss his new thriller, Tell Me What You Did, in conversation with bestselling author Wendy Walker, in this installment of “Author Hour in Massachusetts.”

About Tell Me What You Did: Poe Webb, host of a popular true crime podcast, invites people to confess crimes they’ve committed to her audience anonymously. She can’t guarantee the police won’t come after her “guests,” but her show grants simultaneous anonymity and instant fame―a potent combination that’s proven difficult to resist. After an episode recording, Poe usually erases both criminal and crime from her mind. But when a strange and oddly familiar man appears on her show, Poe is forced to take a second look. Not only because he claims to be her mother’s murderer from years ago, but because Poe knows something no one else does. Her mother’s murderer is dead. Poe killed him. From the USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Girl in 2A and The New Neighbor comes a chilling new thriller that forces the question: are murderers always the bad guys?

Please register here.  In collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.  Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.

RECORDING NOTE: This program is being recorded.  All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

If interested, please click HERE to purchase a copy of this book from the event’s bookstore partner, Wellesley Books. Book sales will help support future virtual author events.

Please register via the Zoom link above.

Author Eliot Stein Discusses “Custodians of Wonder”

Posted on by rcallaghan

Monday, February 3rd

7:00—8:00 PM.

Online-Zoom.

Eliot Stein traveled the globe searching for remarkable people who are preserving some of our most extraordinary cultural rites. In Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive, Stein introduces readers to a man saving the secret ingredient in Japan’s 700-year-old original soy sauce recipe. In Italy, he learns how to make the world’s rarest pasta from one of the only women alive who knows how to make it. In India, he discovers a family rumored to make a mysterious metal mirror believed to reveal your truest self. From shadowing Scandinavia’s last night watchman to meeting a 27th-generation West African griot to tracking down Cuba’s last official cigar factory “readers” more than a century after they spearheaded the fight for Cuban independence, Stein uncovers an almost lost world.

Please register here.  In collaboration with the Ashland Public Library. Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded.  All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

If interested, please click HERE to purchase a copy of this book from the event’s bookstore partner, Wellesley Books. Book sales will help support future virtual author events.

Please register via the Zoom link above.