Bacon Free Library

This month, we will read and discuss Talking to Strangers, by Malcolm Gladwell.  In this, his 6th book, Gladwell offers "a powerful examination of our interactions with strangers -- and why they often go wrong." Copies of this book are available at the library; give us a call to arrange curbside pickup. Our discussion will take place over Zoom.  Please register below so that we can send you the Zoom meeting information.     

This month, we will read and discuss Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng.   Read more about this book here. The publisher writes, "Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, exploring the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family, and uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another" Copies of the book are…

The BFL is proud to partner with the Natick Historical Society to offer a Zoom presentation of WGBH's powerful documentary series "American Stories: Race Amity and The Other Tradition."   This presentation will include a brief introduction to the film by Dr. William H. Smith (creator, executive producer, and writer of the series), a reading from the book "Race Amity: A Primer on America's Other Tradition," a viewing of the film "Race Amity: America's Other Tradition," a commentary by Dr.…

Join us for a Zoom discussion of A Terrible Thing to Waste: environmental racism and its assault on the American mind by Harriet A. Washington Request book HERE Ebook available on Overdrive HERE Join environmental enthusiast, Arthur Ensroth, in discussing current, historical and future environmental issues through books! We’re finding ways to become more engaged and participatory in the natural world, educating ourselves on the climate challenges we face and looking at the history and philosophy of how the environment…

Come on baby, let's do the twist, come on baby, let's do the twist, take me by my little hand, and go like this.  If these words send your hips and arms a-twistin' then you will love this trivia trip back in time to the 1960s.  We'll revisit the best and worst of pop culture from the decade that saw the first moon landing, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, JFK, MLK, Star Trek, the Flintstones, the Sound of Music, and so…

Do you like technology and building projects?  Are you interested in talking by radio with people around the world? If you answered yes, then amateur (ham) radio is for you! Amateur (ham) radio is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics, and communication together.  According to the National Association for Amateur Radio, people use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. Join Natick residents and…

This month, we will read and discuss a The Hate u Give, by Angie Thomas.   Read more about this book here. The Publisher's Weekly writes, "A routine traffic stop turns tragic for two African American teens, leaving one dead and the other irrevocably changed..."  You need to read this book that has received 8 starred reviews. Copies of the book are available at the library. Please call the library to arrange curbside pickup. 508-653-6730. Get the ebook here.  Download…

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and we will explore it all in our nonfiction book club. This month, we are reading and discussing The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown.  "Daniel James Brown's robust book tells the story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the…

Join us for a Zoom discussion of The Bird Way: a new look at how birds talk, work, play, parent, and think by Jennifer Ackerman Request book HERE Ebook also available on OVERDRIVE Join environmental enthusiast, Arthur Ensroth, in discussing current, historical and future environmental issues through books! We’re finding ways to become more engaged and participatory in the natural world, educating ourselves on the climate challenges we face and looking at the history and philosophy of how the environment…

What do Garfield, the Sony Walkman, and Walt Disney World have in common?  They all debuted in the 1970s!  Whether you look back fondly or cringe at the thought of shag carpeting, bell bottoms, and leisure suits, you can't deny that the 1970s was a colorful decade.  So get comfy in your bean bag, switch on the lava lamp, and test your knowledge of 1970s pop culture trivia.  It's going to be totally tubular!   Each team will record their…

Fresh eggs, lovely feathers, funny antics -- the joys from a flock of chickens are many.  If you are interested in keeping some hens in your yard, join us to learn the basics: from providing a safe shelter and the proper feed to choosing breeds, caring for day-old chicks, and nurturing them as they grow.  Bring your questions as well.  Long-time chicken owner and enthusiast Anh Fahey will help you get all your hens in a row! This program will…

This month, we will read and discuss a The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Stephen Galloway.   Read more about this book here. Booklist Review writes, "Inspired by Vedran Smailovic, the cellist who, in 1992, played in a bombed-out Sarajevo square for 22 days in memory of the 22 people who were killed by a mortar attack, this is a novel about four people trying to maintain a semblance of their humanity in the besieged city." Copies of the book are available…

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. We will explore it all in this book club. Join us for a discussion of The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson. In this sweeping history of the Great Migration of African-Americans from World War I to the 1970s, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wilkerson interviewed more than 1,200 people, but focuses mainly on the personal stories of three Southern African-Americans who uprooted their lives to move to…

The 1980s saw thrilling highs such as the Miracle on Ice and the fall of the Berlin Wall, along with the shocking lows of the Challenger explosion and John Lennon's assassination.  And boy, was there a whole lot in between from neon fashion to flashy cars to quotable movies. How much of it can you recall?  Take off those roller skates and join us for some righteous trivia fun!   Each team will record their own answers, so no need…

Join us for a Zoom discussion of Timefulness: how thinking like a geologist can help save the world by Marcia Bjorerud Request book HERE Join environmental enthusiast, Arthur Ensroth, in discussing current, historical and future environmental issues through books! We’re finding ways to become more engaged and participatory in the natural world, educating ourselves on the climate challenges we face and looking at the history and philosophy of how the environment has been viewed through the ages.  The BFL is…

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. We will explore it all in this book club. Join us for a discussion of One Day: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary 24 Hours in America by Gene Weingarten. According to goodreads.com "On New Year's Day 2013, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Gene Weingarten asked three strangers to, literally, pluck a day, month, and year from a hat. That day--chosen completely at random--turned out to be Sunday, December 28, 1986, by any conventional measure a…

Join us for a Zoom discussion of Vesper Flights: new and collected essays by Helen Macdonald Request book HERE Instantly available on Hoopla HERE Join environmental enthusiast, Arthur Ensroth, in discussing current, historical and future environmental issues through books! We’re finding ways to become more engaged and participatory in the natural world, educating ourselves on the climate challenges we face and looking at the history and philosophy of how the environment has been viewed through the ages.  The BFL is…

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. We will explore it all in this book club. Join us for a discussion of Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide by Tony Horowitz. In the 1850s, the young Frederick Law Olmsted set off on an extraordinary journey as an undercover correspondent in the South for the up-and-coming New York Times.  In Spying on the South, Horwitz follows Olmsted’s tracks and often his mode of transport (including muleback): through Appalachia,…

Join us for a Zoom discussion of  The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin’s forgotten theory of mate choice shapes the animal world—and us by Richard Prum Request book HERE Available on Overdrive HERE Join environmental enthusiast, Arthur Ensroth, in discussing current, historical and future environmental issues through books! We’re finding ways to become more engaged and participatory in the natural world, educating ourselves on the climate challenges we face and looking at the history and philosophy of how the environment…