April 23\, 2024: The Maid by Nita Prose
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Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with so cial skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interp ret the world for her\, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could li ve by.
\nSince Gran died a few months ago\, twenty-five-year-old Mol ly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter--she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique charac ter\, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette\, mak e her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning\, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles\, and re turning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.\n
But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black\, only to find it in a state of di sarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happ ening\, Molly's unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lea d suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception\, one sh e has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly\, friends she never k new she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened t o Mr. Black--but will they be able to find the real killer before it's too late?
\nA Clue-like\, locked-room mystery and a heartwarmi ng journey of the spirit\, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different--and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.
\nMay 28\, 2024: Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge\, from Ancient W
isdom to Modern Magic by Simon Winchester
From the creation of the first encyclopedi a to Wikipedia\, from ancient museums to modern kindergarten classes--this is award winning writer Simon Winchester's brilliant and all-encompassing look at how humans acquire\, retain\, and pass on information and data\, and how technology continues to change our lives and our minds.
\nWi th the advent of the internet\, any topic we want to know about is instant ly available with the touch of a smartphone button. With so much knowledge at our fingertips\, what is there left for our brains to do? At a time wh en we seem to be stripping all value from the idea of knowing things--no n eed for math\, no need for map-reading\, no need for memorization--are we risking our ability to think? As we empty our minds\, will we one day be i ncapable of thoughtfulness?
\nAddressing these questions\, Simon Win chester explores how humans have attained\, stored\, and disseminated know ledge. Examining such disciplines as education\, journalism\, encyclopedia creation\, museum curation\, photography\, and broadcasting\, he looks at a whole range of knowledge diffusion--from the cuneiform writings of Baby lon to the machine-made genius of artificial intelligence\, by way of Gute nberg\, Google\, and Wikipedia to the huge Victorian assemblage of the Mun danaeum\, the collection of everything ever known\, currently stored in a damp basement in northern Belgium.
\nStudded with strange and fascin ating details\, Knowing What We Know is a deep dive into learning and the human mind. Throughout this fascinating tour\, Winchester forces us to ponder what rational humans are becoming. What good is all this know ledge if it leads to lack of thought? What is information without wisdom? Does Rene Descartes's Cogito\, ergo sum--"I think therefore I am\," the fo undation for human knowledge widely accepted since the Enlightenment--stil l hold?
\nAnd what will the world be like if no one in it is wise?\n
June 25\, 2024: When We Were Vikings by Andrew MacDonald
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Sometimes life isn't as sim ple as heroes and villains.
\nFor Zelda\, a twenty-one-year-old Viki ng enthusiast who lives with her older brother\, Gert\, life is best lived with some basic rules:
\n1. A smile means "thank you for doing some thing small that I liked."
\n2. Fist bumps and dabs = respect.
\n3. Strange people are not appreciated in her home.
\n4. Tomatoes must go in the middle of the sandwich and not get the bread wet.
\n5 . Sometimes the most important things don't fit on lists.
\nBut when Zelda finds out that Gert has resorted to some questionable--and dangerou s--methods to make enough money to keep them afloat\, Zelda decides to lau nch her own quest. Her mission: to be legendary. It isn't long before Zeld a finds herself in a battle that tests the reach of her heroism\, her love for her brother\, and the depth of her Viking strength.
\nWhen We Were Vikings is an uplifting debut about an unlikely heroine whose journey will leave you wanting to embark on a quest of your own\, because after all...
\nWe are all legends of our own making.
\nRegist ration is required for this event\, and must be completed two hours prior to the start time. A library card and PIN is required for registration. If you do not have a card\, click HERE to obtain one.
\nAccommo dations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please a sk for Learning Services at 255-2665 or email JPLprogram s@coj.net.
\nhttps://jaxpubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/10026032 URL;VALUE=URI:https://jaxpubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/10026032 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR