This month we present two crosswords, MA State Parks and Some Pretty Good Books. For those partial to the first, did you know you can get passes to Massachusetts State Parks and properties owned by the Trustees of Reservations from our museum passes collection? For those partial to the second, check out our Book recommendation newsletters, Book recommendation archive, and New York Times Best Sellers pages. Still don't know what to read? Tell us what you like and we'll send you a personalized list of suggestions! MA State Parks
MHL Will Be Closed 9/2-9/4 for Labor Day Weekend
Labor Day is an opportunity to honor the men, women and children whose hard work has paid off in the form of a 40-hour work week, a standard 9 to 5 workday, protective child labor laws and many other benefits we tend to take for granted. MHL will be closed Saturday, 9/2, Sunday 9/3, and Monday 9/4 in observance of Labor Day, but here are some books you can check out before we close for the holiday weekend!
Books For Fans Of Red, White and Royal Blue
Are you a fan of either Casey McQuiston’s book Red, White and Royal Blue or the recent movie based on their book? Either way, here are some more books you might enjoy, whether you’re looking for more royal romance or more enemies-to-lovers couples. (And if you’re a fan of the book and want to check out the movie: it’s an Amazon Prime original, so you can request the library’s Roku with Prime to access it!)
National Parks: America’s Best Idea
Each year, America’s National Parks receive around 300 million visitors. Are you one of them? If you’d like some tips for how to visit one, or if you’d like to revisit fond National Park memories, here are some travel guides and memoirs for you to check out.
August 2023 Mid-Month Sudoku
This puzzle drops on August 15, which is also known as National Lemon Meringue Pie Day. In honor of this fact, we searched "Lemon Meringue Pie" in New York Times Cooking to see what came up. (We recommend you not do this while you're hungry or you'll go crazy.) It's got recipes with names like Cranberry Lemon Meringue Pie, Extra-Lemony Meringue Pie, Dolester Mile's Lemon Meringue Tart, Lemon Meringue Pots de Crème, and more.
Elvis Week
Every year, fans of Elvis Presley make a pilgrimage to Graceland to celebrate Elvis Week from August 9-16. This marks the week leading up to the anniversary of Elvis's death on August 16th, 1977. If you can't make the trip to Memphis yourself, you can check out one of the many books and films featuring Elvis and his legacy, including artists who inspired Elvis himself.
Hot Summer Movies for Hot Summer Nights
Crank up the window fans and pop the popcorn! Our August movie selections feature films that make the dog days of summer look anything but sluggish. Whether the action is on the neighborhood stoops of Brooklyn or a freewheeling road trip to the Mexican border, heavy summertime heat has a magical way of distilling human impulses for the big screen. Check out our classic and contemporary staff favorites for your next home movie night.
Books About Artists
Have the amazing works in our Tiny Art Show inspired you to want more art in your life? (If you haven't seen the Tiny Art Show yet: we're having an opening reception for it on Monday, August 7th at 7pm but the art will remain in the display cabinet all throughout August!) Feed your artistic inspiration (or just your love for drama) with these novels about art and artists.
Camping is In-Tense
Are you nostalgic for your own summer camp experience? Maybe one of these novels will help you revisit your idyllic summer experience--or make you grateful that no one was ever murdered at your summer camp. And if you're looking to explore the great outdoors this summer (without committing to a week-long stay), don't forget about MHL's State Parks Pass!
August 2023 Book of the Month
Called charming and uplifting by Booklist magazine, The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick is a perfect read for the sunny days of August!