Yesterday was International Cat Day, the day that we celebrate the finest felines in our lives. I have two, both of whom have quite the, well ... reputation in my extended family. They don’t get along (with one another, or anyone else), they eat too much (but only expensive food that I order online … and only to “redeposit” it in various corners of the house later on), they don’t clean up after themselves, and their favorite pastime is sharpening their claws on my couch. Despite all this, for some sadistic reason, I keep them around. Whether you’re in a similar situation, or if are lucky enough to cohabitate with a more agreeable member of the Felidae family, here are a few items at the library that all cat fans will enjoy.
We all want the best for our cats, but it’s not always clear what that is. Thankfully, there are great books like “What Cats Want: An illustrated Guide for Truly Understanding Your Cat,” by Dr. Yuki Hattori, to help you decode their wants and needs. If you want to take things a step further, try “Engineering for Cats,” written by aerospace engineer Mac Delaney. The book offers 10 do-it-yourself projects to help your cat live a happier life AND address some common misbehaviors, from a simple shelf to a cat treat slot machine!
Fans of fiction also have plenty of cat-themed novels to choose from. Miranda James, fellow librarian and author of the Cat in the Stacks series, has a new mystery out: “What the Cat Dragged In.” If you like that one, James has 13 other books you can CATch up on as well. Memoir readers will love “My Life in a Cat House” by Gwen Cooper, a series of essays about her life in a house run by five cats.
If movies are more your style, try the documentary “The Story of Cats,” which traces their evolution from wild animals to modern-day housecats. “The Cat Rescuers” follows a group of New Yorkers dedicated to rescuing abandoned and homeless kitties from the streets. Another gem is “Kedi,” which looks at cat life in Istanbul, where kitties roam the country freely; not feral, but not domesticated either. You can find this one on the Hoopla app as well!
Maybe you don’t have a pet cat, but want to live vicariously through others? Check out our staff “CATalog” on the second floor of the library, which was recently updated. You’ll find pictures of your favorite library staff member’s favorite cats (and perhaps a few other animals that managed to sneak in). There are also some great pictorial works on this floor, like “Cats on Catnip,” a collection of photos by Andrew Marttila. Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like, and, no, it doesn’t disappoint. I also love “The French Cat” by Rachel Hale, which proves that French cats are truly living the life we all dream of. It also has beautiful shots of France’s architecture and countryside … if you’re into that.
Top requested books
1. “The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave
2. “Golden Girl” by Elin Hilderbrand
3. “Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
4. “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah
5. “The Madness of Crowds” by Louise Penny
6. “The Cellist” by Daniel Silva
7. “The Paper Palace” by Miranda Cowley Heller
8. “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig
9. “I Alone Can Fix It” by Carol Leonnig
10. “The Maidens” by Alex Michaelides
Top requested DVDs
1. Wrath of Man
2. A Quiet Place Part II
3. The Truffle Hunters
4. Nobody
5. Queen Bees
6. Palm Springs
7. Cruella
8. Unforgotten Season 4
9. The Misfits
10. Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
This week
MONDAY — The library will be closed for Victory Day.
TUESDAY — 9-10 a.m., Yoga in the Park with Chelsea Hauck – A beginner-friendly yoga practice on the YMCA side of the park. Please bring a yoga mat, a towel, a water bottle; 10-10:30 a.m., Underwater Explorations with NOAA – Hear exciting explorations stories from the NOAA! Advance registration through our website is required; 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Free Summer Lunches – Monday through Friday, anyone under 18 can pick up a free takeaway lunch! This program is offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1-2 p.m., Virtual Afternoon Book Discussion – This month, we will meet on Zoom to discuss “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead. Email Caroline at cbadowski@westerlylibrary.org for meeting details; 1-4 p.m., Community Resource Advocate – Our volunteer Community Resource Advocate is available via email to help connect you with local services/resources. Email her at advocate@westerlylibrary.org; 3-3:45 p.m., Teen Summer Sustainability – Join us on Zoom to learn what you can do to live greener and more sustainably. Registration is required; 5:30-7:30 p.m. Knit and Crochet Club – The Knit and Crochet Group is meeting weekly upstairs in Reference.
WEDNESDAY — 9:30-10:00 a.m., Essentrics Stretch in the Park – This workout will elongate and strengthen all the muscles chains in the body. Bring a mat, bath towel, and water; 10-10:15 a.m., Hora de Cuentos (Bilingual Storytime) – Join Señor David for a fun and interactive bilingual storytime. To watch, please visit our Facebook Page and click on the ‘Live’ tab at the top; 12:30-2 p.m., Virtual Tech Social – We meet on Zoom every Wednesday to address your tech questions. Preregistration is required; 7:30-9:30 p.m., Colonial Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park – Join Colonial Theatre in Wilcox Park for their 30th year of Shakespeare in the Park. Please bring your own chairs or blankets, and picnics are welcome as well. Visit the Colonial Theatre’s website at www.colonialtheaterart.org to reserve your free tickets. The play will be held nightly through August 15th.
THURSDAY — 9-7:30 p.m., Living Shark Museum – Pick up a free Grab ‘n’ Go craft from the Kid’s room, and check out our YouTube page for a fun shark video from our local Living Shark Museum; 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Friends Pop-up Book Sale – Every Thursday over the summer, the Friends of the Library will host a Summer Pop-up Book Sale on the library esplanade; 6-7 p.m., Virtual Art Lecture – Mallory Mortillaro, Curator of Collections for the Hartley Dodge Foundation, will tell the unique story behind the discovery of a “lost” Auguste Rodin sculpture residing in a New Jersey Borough Hall! Preregistration through our website is required.
FRIDAY — 10-10:20 a.m., Kids Facebook Live Storytime – Each week we do a short storytime through Facebook Live. Participants can go to the library Facebook Page and click on the ‘Live’ tab at the top.
SATURDAY — 9 a.m.-12 p.m., URI Master Gardener Kiosk – Get answers to all of your gardening questions, and have your soil tested for free; 10-11:30 a.m., Walking Tour of Wilcox Park | Specimen Trees – This tour showcases some of the Master Gardeners’ favorite trees in Wilcox Park. Please meet on the Esplanade at the side entrance of the library; 10:15-11 a.m., Zumba in the Park – Join us in Wilcox Park for Zumba with Yvonne Brown and Tina Pagliusi! Classes are FREE and will be held on the grassy area near the gazebo, weather permitting.
Cassie Skobrak is a reference librarian at the Westerly Library.