You're Connected!

June 20 to August 17

Welcome to our 6th annual Adult Summer Reading Program! This summer, connections are cause for celebration and introspection. It's time to explore the connections of reading, information, community, the arts, and the digital. Connections to the familiar and the unfamiliar. And connections to ourselves, to others, and to the world.

EVENTS: Darien Library is your "in-the-know" connection for summer. Join us for many wonderful programs, including book chats, short story discussions, an evening of live jazz, three "Meet the Author" events, a writing seminar, fitness programs, tech boot camps, a Grand Finale Wine & Cheese Party, and more.

PRIZES: Our weekly prize drawings will feature tote bags filled with new and yet-to-be-published books. And we're providing you with the chance to win the ultimate connection in our Grand Prize drawing - an iPad2!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: No need to sign up! If you are reading books this summer, YOU'RE CONNECTED! To enter our weekly and Grand Prize drawings, submit a review for every book that you read. Each review of a book, audio book, or eBook counts as a prize entry. To submit reviews, visit Darien Library's Welcome Desk to pick up and fill out a Review/Prize Entry Card. You can also write your review online at darienlibrary.org. If you review your books online, you will still need to fill out a Prize Entry Card at the Library with your name, email address, and the date and title of your online review in order to enter our drawings.

Watch how to write a review online here.

Read how to submit a review online here. 

The more you read, the more chances you have to win!
 

Events

The Kick-Off!

Wednesday, June 22 at 11 AM
Our Staff Recommends goes LIVE! Come hear about the books that we are most excited to read this summer and begin creating your own list of must-reads! 

Meet Us on Main Street 

Wednesdays at 11 AM
Don't miss out on our fabulously informal book chats on Main Street, and be in-the-know. Tell us what you've been reading, watching, and listening to, and we'll keep you up-to-date on what's new each week!  
 

Wii Wake-Up for Seniors

Thursdays from 9:30 to 11AM: June 23 to July 28
Get energized and start the day! We're turning our air-conditioned Conference Room into a playing field with Nintendo Wii! We will show you how to play, and then you can join in on a round of golf, go bowling, have an archery contest, and even throw a Frisbee!
 

Connect With Your Reel Self!

Selected Fridays at 7:30 PM
Films have a way of connecting us like nothing else can. Join us for four film screenings that share connections of fate, music and destiny, man's "ideal friend," and friendship, love, and marriage. Our selections are: The Adjustment Bureau (6/24); The Concert (7/15); My Dog Tulip (7/29); and White Wedding (8/12).
 

Short Stories for Long Days

Tuesdays at 3 PM - June 28 to August 16
Carroll Stenson returns to lead a new season of short story discussions! Our selections feature both classic and contemporary short stories, and we will focus on content, themes, characters, and how these stories connect to our own lives. Copies of the stories will be available for pickup at our Welcome Desk during the week prior to each meeting.

Shakespeare Share

Wednesday, June 29 at 7 PM - Relationships
Wednesday, August 3 at 7 PM - Meddling
Join Emily Bryan, Managing Director of Shakespeare on the Sound and former Shakespeare professor, in a lively discussion of our favorite Shakespearean moments. Bring a favorite Shakespearean text that relates to the evening's theme (2 lines, 10 lines, a scene or a sonnet), and let's read aloud, revel in our favorites, and discuss!

Reading 2.0

Wednesday, July 6 at 11 AM
Have you ever stumbled upon a website, blog, or app that is so amazing that you must share it with everyone? We know how you feel, and we're sharing our favorites with you - including the informative, the silly, and the just plain fun. And for those who attend, we will reveal an extra opportunity for you to enter our weekly and Grand Prize drawings!
 

Yoga with Shelly!

Selected Fridays from 10 to 11 AM: July 8, 15, 22; August 5, 12
Registration Required; Space is Limited
Click here to register online
Connect mind with body, posture with breath, and the philosophical with the physical in this yoga series for practitioners at all levels (beginners are welcome). Each class will feature specific yoga techniques, and we will practice poses inspired by popular books. Led by Shelly Ransom, Certified Yoga Instructor. Participants are asked to bring their own yoga mats. Registration for this series is a lottery and is open to all Darien residents, those who work in Darien full-time, and non-resident Friends of Darien Library at the Contributor Level (annual donation of $300). Click here to register online from Monday, June 20 to Wednesday, June 29 with your Library card. Notification via email is Thursday, June 30. For more information, contact Erica Bess, Head of Adult Programming, at ebess@darienlibrary.org or 203-669-5233.
 

'Health Starts Here' Book Discussion with Whole Foods Market

The Self Health Revolution by J. Michael Zenn
Tuesday, July 12 at 7 PM
In this compact guide, author J. Michael Zenn explains how to take control of your health destiny, offering new information and concrete ways to take actions that can dramatically improve your overall well-being. Led by Ronna Corlin, Healthy Eating Specialist at Whole Foods Market. Healthy snacks provided by Whole Foods Market. Books are available at Darien Library. Book can also be purchase at Whole Foods Market (Darien) at 10% off during the month of July.
 

Technology Petting Zoo

Wednesday, July 13 from 11 AM to 12 Noon
Tuesday, August 9  from 11 AM to 12 Noon
Darien Library is your connection to all things digital, and we have quite a variety to offer! Try out the latest gadgets in our collection, including Nooks, Kindles, iPads, GPS, digital cameras, MP3 players, and more. Our very own technology experts will be on hand to offer advice on which digital devices might work well for you
 

Meet the Author! Pete Hamill

Tabloid City
Thursday, July 14 at 7 PM
Just as the final edition of one of New York City's last tabloids is put to bed, a wealthy socialite and her secretary are murdered, sending those surrounding the deaths into a 24-hour frenzy. A book signing will follow the author's presentation. Books will be available for purchase at the event.
 

Meet the Author! Simon van Booy

Everything Beautiful Began After
Tuesday, July 19 at 7 PM
From the award-winning author of the short-story collections Love Begins in Winter and The Secret Lives of People in Love comes a stunning debut novel of love amidst the ruins of Athens. A book signing will follow the author's presentation. Books will be available for purchase at the event.
 

An Evening of Jazz Music, featuring The Sean Smith Trio

Thursday, July 21 at 7 PM
The Sean Smith Trio is Sean Smith on bass, Paul Bollenback on guitar, and Russel Meissner on drums. Its members have played together for 12 years, and share a similar passion and vision for music. With Sean's melodic compositions underscoring the trio, their warm, acoustic sound reveals a respect and love for the jazz tradition and beyond. They will be playing music from their brnad new CD, "TRUST" on Smithereen Records.Visit www.SeanSmithJazz.com to learn more.
 

Darien Story SLAM! - Personal Stories of Connections

Thursday, July 28 at 7 PM
Connections - to people, places, things, hobbies, events, dates in history - are what make life exciting. Come share a personal story about a connection that is meaningful to you. Participants will each have 5 minutes in front of the mic to tell their prepared, original stories. Take the state or support our tellers in the audience simply by listening.
 

iPad Bootcamp

Thursday, August 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM
The Grand Prize for our Adult Summer Reading series is an iPad2, and the winner could be YOU! Now is the perfect time to learn about this innovation from Apple. Join us as we explore all the features of the iPad - from web-searching to e-reader. Taught by Evan Barnet. President of Barnet, LLC.
 

Create a Writer's Platform: Why You Need One & How to Build One

Guest Lecture by Adair Heitmann
Tuesday, August 9 at 7 PM
Writers, it's time to connect to your readers! Learn how to promote yourself and your writing by understanding what a platform is, why it is important to have one, and how to find your niche. Ms. Heitmann is an award-winning author, artist, and teacher. Her work appears in three anthologies and has been published in over 30 magazines and newspapers.

Grand Finale Party with Author Amor Towles

Rules of Civility
Wednesday, August 17 at 7 PM
As we conclude our Adult Summer Reading program, join us for a wine and cheese party, the Grand Prize drawing for an iPad2, and meet Amor Towles, author of Rules of Civility, an elegant debut novel set in 1938, in which a young, urbane woman of extraordinary ability and humble origins embarks on a journey through the upper echelons of New York society in search of a future far brighter than she has been told she has the right to expect. A book signing will follow the author's presentation. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

#fridayreads

Every Friday - All Day

What is #fridayreads?
It is a community movement on the social netoworking site Twitter, using the hashtag "#fridayreads." Every Friday, thousands of people all over the world post what they are reading with this hastag. If you have a Twitter account, you can participate, whether you are in the Library, at home, on vacation - anywhere!

Why #fridayreads?
"The more people who share what they're reading, the more people get excited about reading. And when people get excited about reading all sorts of incredible things happen... we get smarter; we think more; we're entertained; we learn things... the list is endless." - fridayreads.blogspot.com

How to participate:
Join us on Fridays as we "tweet" what we are reading each week, and follow #fridayreads on Twitter to see what others are reading, as well. To get started, visit Twitter.com and register for a free account. Every Friday, post a tweet that says what you are reading. At the end of your post, add #fridayreads. If you are not on Twitter, you can also participate via Facebook at www.facebook.com/FridayReads. To learn more, visit fridayreads.blogspot.com.

 

To Submit an Online Review:

• Create an account on the Library’s website here. Or, if you have already created an account, you can just log in.
• Type the title of your book in the search field at the top of the page. When you click “search,” a list of results will appear.
• Click on the title of the book you would like to review. The book’s record will appear.
• Under "Community Reviews," click on “Write a review!” and begin typing away!
• Don’t forget to click “Submit” and then fill out your name and address at the bottom of the Prize Entry Cards that were included in your packet. Drop them off the next time you visit the Library, and you’ll be entered into our prize drawings!