Called transformative by The New York Times and deserving of a place in every library by Booklist, Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobias is our pick for June's Book of the Month.
Artist of the Month: June & July 2024 – Essex Art Center
Barbara Cloonan Barbara developed a love of the watercolor medium through her study of Art History and Interior Design when she used watercolor for architectural renderings and portfolio presentations. Recently retired, she has dusted off her old paints and brushes and began to study watercolor painting from an artist’s point of view.
June 2024 Puzzle: “Stressed” spelled backwards
Warning! Most people will find the theme entries in this month's crossword pretty sweet—they may make you hungry! If you are of a mind to make something tasty and toothsome, you're bound to find inspiration in our collection of cooking magazines (many of which are available online), or possibly NYT Cooking, which is part of New York Times | All Access. We hope your enjoy this month's puzzle!
New York Times | All Access
We are excited to announce two big updates to MHL’s subscription to The New York Times: We now have unlimited access to Wirecutter, the New York Times’s product recommendation service. (If you are a fan of Consumer Reports and are not already familiar with Wirecutter, you are in for a treat!) Before, if you wanted to access NYT News, NYT Games, NYT Cooking, and/or The Athletic, you had to redeem an access code for each of them separately. No longer! Now, all those subscriptions have been bundled into a single New York Times | All Access subscription; you only need to redeem one code in order to get 24 hours’ unlimited access all those products.
May 2024 Mid-Month Sudoku
It’s May, the shortest month of the year! Yes, we know that some people think February is the shortest month, but that’s not just so. Look:
Books for K-Pop Fans
Over the last few years, Korean pop music (aka K-pop) and dramas (aka K-dramas) have become increasingly popular in the US. Here are some novels about K-pop idols and the people who love them!
Our Favorite Movie Moms
No matter how mothers are represented in feature films, there is plenty to unpack, notice and enjoy. What makes a good "movie moms" movie night isn't finding a normal, realistic or sympathetic depiction of motherhood on the big screen. Instead, we recommend feature films starring mothers whose roles reflect and reject themes about the world and what it expects from mothers in a given places and times. Deviant and dangerous moms, pushing against connections to children and marriage can be just as richly fun to watch as the moms who perfectly embody the mythic outline of a 1950's nuclear homemaker. Stage mothers, step mothers, absent mothers, career mothers, mothers who are portrayed as so fulfilled that they fade into the background... when watched with a critical eye are all wonderfully ripe for consideration over a bowl of buttery popcorn. Check out one of our selections and if you have titles to add to our list, email us at rdesk@mhl.org.
May the 4th Be With You
Some fans observe May 4th as Star Wars Day. If you're one of the franchise's many fans, we have some books for you! Here are some recent Star Wars books for readers of all ages. May the Force be with you!
May 2024 Book of the Month
Chosen as a best book of the year by The New York Times, Time Magazine and NPR, Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson is our pick for May's Book of the Month.
Artist of the Month: May 2024 – Eiko Tabata
Nature is a powerful force. It provides life for billions of people and it can take back those gifts in moments notice as well. It all depends on the balance that we are able to create. If we contribute to it with the respect that it deserves, nature reflects those contributions back to us with her beautiful creatures and colorful landscapes. My focus and journey is to capture those amazing reflections in my works of art.