Summer Reading

Thank you for participating in this month's book discussion! If you were unable to pick up a copy of The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner, it is never to late to read the book and join the discussion. Feel free to post your comments any time by visiting The Reader's Den!

If you enjoyed the book, here are a few more titles you might like:

Avoiding Prison and Other Noble Vacation Goals by Wendy Dale
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

Join us next month as we discuss Anne Enright's The Gathering!

Eric Weiner, the author of The Geography of Bliss, has been a correspondent for National Public Radio since 1993 and has been assigned to work in various places across the globe including India, Jerusalem, Iraq, and more. Weiner reported on serious topics in these places, so The Geography of Bliss allowed him to cover new territory and happier topics. In his introduction he ponders, "What if, I wondered, I spent a year traveling the globe, seeking out not the world's well-trodden trouble spots but, rather, its unheralded happy places?"

You can find out more about Eric Weiner by visiting his website. Be sure to click on the "photos" tab to see pictures from Weiner's stay in Bhutan. Stop by The Reader's Den next week for discussion questions!

For some of us, taking an exotic vacation this summer just isn't in our budget, but sometimes it's nice (and maybe a little bit cheaper) to live vicariously through other travelers' stories. Join The Reader's Den this month as we travel with Eric Weiner in his book, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World.

In this non-fiction travel book, you'll venture to Switzerland, Iceland, Great Britain, and more in Weiner's search for some happy places across the world. The Geography of Bliss is also a non-fiction pick on this year's adult summer reading list! Make sure to visit The Reader's Den to follow the discussion and post your comments about the book.

So take a trip to your local library and pick up a copy of The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner. It will be the cheapest vacation you take all summer.

The Summer Reading theme for 2009, Be Creative, isn't just kids' stuff. Adults need craft time too, so check out our Summer D.I.Y. Series at the Mulberry Street Branch. In the true spirit of D.I.Y., three of our staff members volunteered to learn and teach some crafts. In June we held a Book Art crafting session--participants brought in cardboard cereal boxes and 45 minutes later they held a handmade notebook. The July program saw old t-shirts transformed into useful tote bags, thanks to a simple craft recipe by Amy Sperber from the book Tease (Sarah Sockit, ed.).

Tempted to get your craft on? Please join us for craft number three on August 19 at 6:30, when the most talented crafter on the Mulberry Street staff will show you how to make wearable art from buttons. Gather up all those strays and create a holiday gift for your Aunt Josephine or sister Claire.

Also mark your calendar for the first ever Mulberry Street Book & Cookie Swap Social on Wednesday, September 2 at 6:30. You bring some books and a dozen of your favorite cookies (homemade or store-bought) for trading, and we'll provide the trading floor, the coffee, and raffle prizes! Not a bad way to bookend your summer.

D.I.Y., or "Do it Yourself," is all the rage lately! On June 24th at 6:30 p.m. the Mulberry Street Branch launches its Summer Do It Yourself Series for adults. We'll be making simple books using recycled materials (bring an empty cereal box if you can). Just one way to Be Creative this summer!

Registration is required. RSVP by calling the library at 212-966-3424 or send us an email at mulberry_branch@nypl.org.