Monthly Library Feature
April 2024: Earth Day
In April we celebrate God’s creation with Earth Day. We have added many new books that focus on the environment in our library. Here are a few to check out:
• Wild Robot by Peter Brown - this middle grade chapter book is excellent for kids and adults. Stranded on a remote island, the Robot begins to explore the island and we see the landscape and wildlife through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time.
• Yoshi and the Ocean written by Lindsay Moore - beautifully illustrated picture book that tells the true story of Yoshi, the sea turtle, who is rescued after being injured, rehabilitated, and released back into the ocean. The story follows her extraordinary ocean journey to find her home.
• Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner - new research has attempted to answer the question, “how do you quantify awe?” In this new book, the author draws upon his recent emotional experience following the death of his brother to describe the wide variety of forms that awe enters and enriches our lives such as marveling at a sunset or singing together in ‘collective effervescence’.
• The River Why by David James Duncan - growing up along rivers in the Pacific Northwest has heavily influenced Duncan’s writing and perhaps none more so than The River Why. Part coming-of-age story and part philosophical quest, this story is a moving family drama and a love letter to the rivers of our beautiful land.
- Michael and Suzanne Fiegenschuh
March 2024: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives
Displaced people universally experience a common initial event, a crisis that threatens life and livelihood and leads to the decision to flee their home. After the initial crisis, their displaced stories quickly become unique and individual to the person.
In The Displaced, editor Viet Thanh Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee himself, has gathered impactful stories from 19 award winning displaced writers, enabling them to share their own stories of their journeys from their homeland and their experiences in their new homes.
As a reader of these stories, you will be able to see the world through the eyes of people who have lost their homes, their culture, their language, and perhaps even loved ones in their struggle to find their next safe haven. If you seek to increase your understanding of the refugee experience, this book is highly recommended for you.
In Strength in What Remains, Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Kidder offers an incredibly genuine and inspiring account of Deo, a refugee from Burundi throughout his American journey. Having survived a civil war and genocide, Deo’s story is about what it means to be human, how to find hope, and how ordinary people can be heroes.
Other recommendations:
No Land to Light On - a story about a young Syrian immigrant couple
For younger readers:
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) by Patricia McCormick and Malala Yousafzai
Tani’s New Home, A Refugee finds hope and Kindness in America by Tanitoluwa Adewumi
- Cheryl MacGregor, Refugee Resettlement Commitee
February 2024
The Holy Spirit library is featuring two different categories of books during the month of February. We are honoring both Black History Month and Lent. For Black History Month, we have quite a few books crossing several genres – you may find just what you want. We have novels with African-American themes, US history, sociological studies relating to racial issues, theology, church history, and more.
For Lent, we have a good collection of devotional books written especially for Lent. We also have many books on prayer and other spiritual disciplines in general. We will keep several on display, but if you have time and want to explore downstairs, the Dewey Decimal number for books on prayer is 242 and following. Aim to your left and back from the door and you should find it readily.
Where will you find the books chosen for display? On the kiosk upstairs in the narthex/lobby area, at the Library Express table in the Fellowship Hall on February 25th, and along the windows and counters in the library downstairs. (Yes, you can check out books in the windows – don’t worry about leaving a blank space.) We will also continue to display recent acquisitions of all kinds. So hopefully everyone can find something!
Happy reading!
November 2023
Need a Good Book?
The library will have multiple options featured for the next several weeks:
• Books relating to topics at Pastor Katy’s Way to Live class have been popular and we still have many to choose from. Other possible topics include indigenous peoples and issues, Palestine/Israel history and culture, Gospel of Mark, and Bible study.
• HSLC will be celebrating an extended Advent season again this year, and we have many devotional and other books for Advent and Christmas, as well as books about the whole liturgical year.
We will also feature other recently acquired books. We always try to have an assortment of fiction and non-fiction, explicitly religious and not, related to the current theme(s) and not.
Where can you find these books? A few are displayed in the narthex (lobby). Be sure to check out children’s picture books on the shelves to the right of the other books. Downstairs in the library itself, books are displayed in the windows and on the counters. Yes, feel free to take books out of the windows! And finally, friendly members of our library committee will have more books available in the fellowship hall between services on these Library Express Sundays - October 29 and November 26.
Happy reading!
- Ruth Munger, HSLC Librarian
October 2023
Indigenous Peoples Day will be celebrated on October 9 this year, and we are fortunate to welcome Vance Blackfox, ELCA Director of Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations, later that week. In preparation for his visit, or simply to learn more about Indigenous history, life, and spiritualities, the HSLC library team invites you to check out these great reads!
Pastor Katy has just begun reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer. Pastor Gina is reading Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah. Looking for a great children’s book? Check out We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, or The Whale Child by Keith and Chenoa Egawa. Vance Blackfox recommends Jacksonland, by Steve Inskeep, as an excellent history of how President Andrew Jackson set in motion the seizure of tens of millions of acres from native peoples. An Indigenous People’s History of the U.S. for Young People, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz is great for any age, and tells many stories our traditional history books have ignored. Soon to be a film, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann recounts the murders of Osage people in Oklahoma, in the early 1920’s, and the role of the newly created FBI in the case.
In addition, the ELCA’s Truth and Healing movement is offering numerous resources free of charge, including Zoom classes on Indigenous history, land acknowledgments and land back movements, Indian Boarding School history, and much more. Visit elca.org to find out more.
September 2023
HSLC Library Q&A
Q: What is the easiest way for me to find a book to read?
A: Three ways! One, check the display in the church narthex/lobby area. Two, stop by the Library Express table in the Fellowship Hall on the last Sunday of the month. Three, come downstairs to the library itself and turn to your left. Books (usually newer acquisitions) are displayed on the counter by the windows and in the windows themselves, facing outwards. All displayed books are available to check out. (Yes, even the ones in the windows!)
Q: How long may I keep the book?
A: As long as you need to finish it. After 30 days, you may get a call from a library volunteer to make sure the book is still being read and not just forgotten. (We all do it!)
Q: When is the library open?
A: Trick question! The library is always open. Sometimes the lights are turned off, which doesn’t seem as welcoming, but you are ALWAYS welcome to come in and turn the lights on yourself. The switches are to your right as you come in the door.
If you have any other questions, contact Ruth Munger at ruthmunger@comcast.net.
Happy reading!
- Ruth Munger, HSLC Librarian
August 2023
The lovely weather and long evenings of summer provide many varied times and settings for sitting down with a good novel. I especially enjoy good historical and biblical fiction. Two of my recent reads were set during WWll.
Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave is set in London and on the island of Malta between 1939 and 1942. It follows the lives of three persons forced to make life changing decisions as the Nazis set about to destroy London. This book was inspired by the real life love letters of the author's grandparents.
The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan follows a family forced to flee their farm in Ukraine and caught between the German and Russian armies. It is a story of hardship, bravery and perseverance set amidst the horrors of war and is dedicated to all of the brave and grateful refugees who renew our country every day.
Come and visit our beautiful library. Browse the fiction section. Find a good read to entertain, enlighten or challenge you during the dog days of summer!
Happy reading!
- Barb Smith
June/July 2023: Summer Reading Bingo!
This summer, step up your reading game with HSLC Library's Summer Reading Bingo! Try something a little different, learn something new, and share your own story. Pick up your Summer Reading Bingo card at SummerFest or at the HSLC Library (and pick up a book to check off your first box!). All the best books come with pictures, so just in time for summer, we've got some great new middle grade and teen graphic novels. Look for the Graphic Novel sticker on the spine:
- El Deafo by Cece Bell: In Cece's quirky coming-of-age story, fitting in at a new school is even harder when you have a large, clunky hearing aid strapped to your chest. When she realizes her hearing aid allows her to hear the teacher *all* the time, not just in class, she uses her new superpower to become El Deafo!
- Isla to Island by Alexis Castellanos: When Marisol is sent away from her home and family in Cuba to New York, to keep her safe, the whole world feels cold and gray, literally. This wordless graphic novel brilliantly brings to life the feeling of losing home and finding a new one.
- I am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina: When Alfonso Jones, a high school kid thinking only of his crush and upcoming starring role in Hamlet, is shot by an off-duty police officer, he wakes up in an afterlife ghost train populated by other victims of police violence. Meanwhile, his familyand friends struggle through their grief as they seek justice. A heartfelt first look at the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki: Freddy can't believe her luck when Laura Dean, the coolest girl in school, is willing to date her. Freddy is willing to do whatever it takes to stay together, no matter how many times they break up. But should she? This beautifully illustrated LGBT un-romance is a powerful reminder of the challenges of learning to value oneself.
Stop by your HSLC Library for more great books. Happy reading!
- Hattie Branch
May 2023: Summer Reading
Summer reading is just around the corner and the HSLC Library has some fabulous new
picture books to enjoy with your family! Recent additions include children’s picture books
about social-emotional learning, mindfulness, our environment, and world religions.
A few of my favorites are:
- Wherever You Are by Glenys Nellist. In this charming picture book, children are encouraged to
see God all around them in everyday life. No matter where you are, God is there.
- Find Calm in Nature: A Guide for Mindful Kids by Jennifer Grant. In this book, kids learn to have
a growth mindset through exploring the natural world - dandelions, dogs and cats, lava, and
more!
- Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story. The author, Reem Faruqi, based this book on her own
experiences as a young Muslim girl immigrating to the United States.
- Sparrow’s Prayer by Roger Hutchison. In this beautifully illustrated book, Sparrow struggles
with prayer, feeling upset and sad. Then each friend he meets shows him a different way to
pray- through generosity, art, and movement.
- Roaring Mad Riley: An Anger Management Story for Kids by Allison Szczencinski. This book
provides lessons in how to keep calm by deep breathing, counting to ten, shouting it out, and
many more.
Come down to the library to check out these fantastic books this summer!
Happy reading!
- Suzanne Avery-Fiegenschuh
April 2023: Introducing Library Express
The Library Committee is experimenting with something new, which we are calling Library
Express. On the 4th Sunday of the month, we will bring dozens of books upstairs to the
Fellowship Hall to be checked out.
It is not always convenient to come downstairs to the library, especially if you have small
children, have mobility challenges, or just are short on time. So a volunteer from the
Library Committee will pick out an assortment of books for adults and children which they
think will be of interest, and then will be available if you have questions or would like a
recommendation.
As in the past, every Sunday there will also be a handful of books on display in the narthex/
lobby area relating to a theme for the month. The display for April will be books related to
environmental issues – appropriate both for Earth Month and for Easter.
And you are always welcome to come downstairs to the library itself and explore. Sometimes
the lights have not been turned on, but the door is always unlocked and you are always
welcome! The light switches can be found to your right as you come in the door.
But remember, when you come to the Fellowship Hall on the 4th Sunday of the month for
treats with your coffee, come over and check out our new Library Express. Get treats for the
body and mind at the same time!
Happy reading!
- Ruth Munger, HSLC Librarian
March 2023: Many Ways to Pray
If you are planning to do something extra for your prayer life this Lent, the HSLC library will be
featuring a variety of books that might appeal to you. Books on prayer, many by well-known
authors, are only the start. There are also devotional books especially designed for use in Lent,
books on a variety of Christian spiritual practices, and a few interfaith options. We will keep
a variety on display upstairs, but if you have time to go downstairs to the library, there are
several shelves of books to browse. Check out the middle back of the library, Dewey Decimal
241.5 to 248.5.
Here are a few samples:
- Mindful Silence by Phileena Heuertz – This is the book used by the contemplative prayer
group that meets here at Holy Spirit. It includes several exercises introducing the traditions of
Christian meditation.
- Practicing Our Faith edited by Dorothy Bass – This book is a favorite of Pastor Katy’s. It has
essays on a variety of different practices from keeping sabbath to dying well to singing our
lives.
- 40 Day Journey with Joan Chittister – The “40 Day Journey” series has been very popular with
HSLC members and features books based on the writings of popular authors. Joan Chittister,
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Martin Luther are just the beginning.
- Naked Spirituality by Brian McLaren – This book seeks to deepen our understanding of praying
with words, using a simple and contemporary theology.
Happy reading!
- Ruth Munger, HSLC Librarian
February 2023: Good Reads at Your HSLC Library
As a new member of Holy Spirit and an avid reader, one of my favorite discoveries about our
new church community was the HSLC library—a warm, inviting space and a treasure trove for
book lovers! Over the coming months, Library Committee members like me will be sharing
some of our favorite titles that are available for check-out. Here are a few of mine:
- An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor: Taylor inspires us to
discover the sacred in the small moments of everyday life and in the world around us: “Earth is
so thick with divine possibility that it is a wonder we can walk anywhere without cracking our
shins on altars.”
- Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese: An epic, engrossing novel of orphaned twins raised
in a missionary medical hospital in Ethiopia. With its powerful sense of place, distinctive
characters, and propulsive plot, this is one of those books that stays with you long after you
turn the last page.
I- Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: This riveting memoir was first published
in 1969, but it is a timeless classic and for good reason. Angelou’s vivid, cinematic storytelling
about her tumultuous childhood will have you laughing, crying, and cheering her on.
Come downstairs and browse on a Sunday before or after services, or check out the library
display in the narthex, and find a good book to curl up with this winter.
Happy reading!
- Julie Etheredge, Library Committee Member
December 2023
Reading and Reflecting
At our last meeting, the library committee was discussing criteria for new books for the library. One suggestion we all liked was that the book should draw the reader to reflect. What kind of books meet this requirement? It isn’t as simple as just picking certain genres and avoiding others.
For example, a good novel can elicit new thoughts and feelings about oneself, the world, human nature, God, etc. It can introduce you to cultures and situations that you have never faced in your own life, and in the process teach you something new. Or it can just be written so well that you see a familiar situation in a new way.
On the other hand, a novel can be just a lot of fun – pure entertainment; not a lot of reflection involved. And that is OK, too! Many of us love to read just for fun. However, as best we can, we would like to make choices for the Holy Spirit library which go beyond entertainment alone. Something similar can be said of non-fiction genres.
Can you think of examples of books that have made you reflect? Would you be willing to share your thoughts about them to help us explore this? I’d love to write another article later in the year sharing our combined wisdom. Please email me at ruthmunger@comcast.net. If you are not an emailing person, feel free to write your thoughts on paper and put them in one of the library book return boxes. Thanks!
- Ruth Munger, HSLC Librarian