The Bookmark: February Literary Happenings in Coweta
By Nancy Carol Sanker, Special to the Paper
It’s February, the month of love. Oh, come on now, you may not be in love, looking for love or looking lovely, but let’s talk about one of the all-time faves of our book club.
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman was selected back in the days when we focused on self-help books every February. Who knew this book would reach beyond communicating with our spouses and hand us the keys to relationship success? Time spent, physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service and gifts have different levels of importance to each of us. In today’s COVID-19 world, many of us are craving at least one of those – the physical touch of hugs.
Luckily for many of us, the original Five Love Languages has spawned an entire family of helpful books. One of them, The Five Love Languages of Children by Chapman and Ross Campbell, provides valuable information we need now, more than ever.
No matter what your mid-pandemic challenges are, one thing is for certain. Books to read, listen to and talk about are more important than ever. Our community is bursting at the bindings with free options. Aren’t we fortunate to receive the ongoing gift of literary riches?
Coweta Public Library System (CPLS)
Come in out of the cold and find a book you love! Current hours are:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday … 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Tuesday and Thursday … 1 to 6 p.m. • Saturday … 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Library branch phone numbers:
Central Branch … 770-683-2052
Grantville Branch … 770-683-0535
Powell Branch … 770-253-6235
Senoia Branch … 770-599-3537
Curbside Pick-up: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Central and Powell locations only
Using any one of the four Coweta County Libraries is easy. The ecard provides access to all digital resources including GALILEO, eRead Kids, Mango Languages, Testing Prep Courses and more. You can even receive reserve notifications for your favorite books via text. Check the CPLS website and Facebook page for new virtual programming (cowetapubliclibrary.org).
It may be cold outside, but these books at Coweta County’s four libraries are hot:
• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear – Clear shows how to improve every day, no matter what your goals.
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – Washington Post calls it a “feel good novel guaranteed to lift your spirits”.
• Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner – Named one of Good Morning America’s most awaited books of 2021.
• Lost Boys by Faye Kellerman – latest fast paced mystery with plenty of twists in the Decker/Lazarus series
• The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins – According to Entertainment Weekly, “compulsively readable- a gothic thriller laced with arsenic”.
The Newnan Carnegie Library
1 Lagrange Street, Newnan (www.newnancarnegie.com). 770-683-1347. The Carnegie is an honor system library for adult/children’s books. Masks and social distancing are a must.
*Please note that the Carnegie will be closed February 13 and 15 for President’s Day.
• February 8, 6:30 to 8 p.m. – Hometown Novel Night Virtual Writer’s Group– local and regional writer’s group – always on the second Tuesday of the month.
• February 18th, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Hometown Novel Nights: “Stories with Heart” starring Renea Winchester (author of ‘Outbound Train’), Anne Armistead (author of ‘Dangerous Conjurings’), and Debby Giusti (author of ‘Her Forgotten Amish Past’ and ‘Amish Christmas Search’).
• February 10th and 24th Book Club with Lola continues! What’s better than reading to an attentive audience with four legs? Nothing! Register for a 15-minute segment between 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. for your little one to read to a furry, rapt audience. If your little person has not read to Lola before, please email Pamela Kemp: [email protected].
Other Literary Happenings
Coweta Ferst Foundation – Were you the first in your classroom to volunteer to read? Or were you like a relative of mine who counted ahead to see which paragraph she would be called on to read out loud and spent the next anxious moments practicing? You can instill reading joy and skills by signing your child up to receive an age-appropriate book each month, from birth to five years. Register at http://cowetaferst.org/?page_id=172.
Need a Valentine gift? Help ensure the Ferst program continues by sponsoring a child’s reading adventures for $40 a year. Your Valentine will receive an acknowledgement of your thoughtful donation. To donate online: ferstfoundation.ejoinme.org and specify that your contribution is to benefit Coweta County or donate by mail: Coweta Ferst Foundation, P.O. Box 336, Newnan, GA, 30264.
February 20th – 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Writers Helping Writers at Corner Arts Gallery, Studio & Gift Shop on Court Square in downtown Newnan will begin hosting a monthly local writers’ group–every third Saturday. Join the cast of characters as they talk about writing, WIP (works-in-progress), writing journeys, and exchange advice. Contact [email protected].
Heartfelt thanks to T.M. Brown for reading a book by another hometown author, Angela McRae, to the residents of Monarch House Assisted Living. Mike reports that everyone is loving Emeralds and Envy, Angela’s “cozy mystery” antique shop whodunnit.
Calling all authors, publishers and editors! You are invited to nominate a favorite book published in 2020 for the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction. Poets are invited to submit their unpublished poems for the Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry. Cash prizes and recognition at an awards ceremony in Oxford, MS, 2022 are waiting for an author or poet you want to encourage. Details are at https://williemorrisawards.org.
Book Clubs – Our group, Wine and Words, continues to be on sabbatical, but that doesn’t mean we’re not reading or … having a glass of wine. Meanwhile, we’re sharing our current books. One voracious reader is reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig while another is reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. I am feasting on a love story that transcends countries, religions and decades in The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel, sweet recipes included.
What are you reading? I hope you find a book to love!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Nancy Carol Sanker landed in Newnan via Ohio, Colorado and California. The constants in her life are her love of family, friends, fundraising and books. Nine years ago, she created Lights for Linda to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in memory of her sister. Now she looks forward to illuminating the literary opportunities and fundraisers our community offers readers of all ages. Nancy’s 11-year-old book club provides fresh, new titles while her two and eight-year-old grandchildren keep her aware of books for “littles.” Who knew a cow could type? Your contributions about book clubs, Little Free Libraries, events and fundraisers will lead The Bookmark to success! To reach Nancy, email: [email protected].
