The Savior at the Century’s End: Fist of the North Star
One of my all-time favorite anime series is Fist of the North Star. This hardcore story about a man seeking revenge during the apocalyptic year of 199X was easily one…
Saturday Night with the Duke: A John Wayne Movie Marathon
My dad has always been a big fan of Westerns, so I saw a lot of them growing up. And even now, I'm more than happy to sit down and…
Please, Sir, I Want Some More: Oliver Twist Retellings
Oliver Twist is one of those classic novels that I always meant to read, but for some reason have not. The story of a young orphan who becomes mixed up…
Sailing on the Wine-Dark Sea: Odyssey Retellings
I minored in Classical Studies in college. This didn't exactly mean that I read classic books with a little "c" (although, I read a ton of those as an English…
Such Stuff as Dreams are Made On: The Tempest Retellings
I've read a fair share of Shakespeare in school, which means I've read Hamlet for at least three classes, and Romeo and Juliet for four. But, you can imagine my…
Author Spotlight: Jack London
Today is Jack London's birthday, so let's celebrate properly with a selection of this wonderful author's books! While London is probably best known for his cold climate tales, the author…
What I’m Reading: January 2022
It's the start of a new year, and already my resolution to only check out 5 books at a time has completely failed. If you're curious about some of the…
Teas From Around the World
Westlake Porter Public Library is exploring teas from around the world during the month of January. The New Year is the perfect time to try something new. Whether you are…
Author Spotlight: JRR Tolkien
Today is JRR Tolkien's 130th birthday! In addition to creating the magical world of Middle Earth, including all the fearsome and friendly creatures that inhabit it, Tolkien has created many…
Reading Challenge 2022
As the year draws to a close, it's time to start thinking about our goals for next year. Are you going to get active? Clean the house? Learn a new…
Alternative Holiday Films
Films that celebrate the holidays in their own special way. Sure, you can watch It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, and Elf for the 20th time...or you can get…
Noirvember Film Recommendations II: Neo-Noir
As we wrap up Noirvember, a month dedicated to enjoying film noir movies, it's about time to move into the Neo-Noir category of films. In a previous post we recommended…
Westlake Porter Public Library Art Gallery
This month Westlake Porter Public Library welcomes the artwork of Westlake City School Students as part of The Reflections program. There are currently 26 original pieces of art displayed in…
Writing Prompts for NaNoWriMo
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and writers the world over and sweating nervously and pacing about, trying to come up with the perfect idea for a story or…
Favorite Folk and Fairy Tales
I love, love, love folk and fairy tales! These classic stories of good and evil, clever heroes and brave heroines have been entertaining people for centuries. Whether you hear them…
Three Spooky Mysteries for Halloween
Halloween is the perfect time to delve into a spooky mystery. These books are 100% mysteries, but have supernatural or horror elements to them to make them more than a…
Environmental Wellness
.Environmental wellness is a term established by the Center for Environmental Health in 1980. Having been established approximately 40 years ago, it is a relatively new concept. Environmental wellness refers…
Resources to Help Kids Deal with Anxiety in an Ever-Changing World
School is back in session, and the routine of day-to-day is back in swing. After a tumultuous 2020 school year, this one promises to be much smoother...or maybe not. With…
Crafting for Mental Health – Finding a Balance
When I started looking for scientific/medical resources espousing the mental health benefits of crafting, I found primarily anecdotal evidence. This anecdotal evidence was mostly about knitting and crocheting and some…
31 Scary Short Stories for Halloween Month
I love a good scary short story! And even though I don't need an excuse to read them year-round, October (or, Halloween Month) is always a great opportunity to sit…
Lost at Sea: Classic Tales of Shipwrecks and Survival
When I was a kid, the thought of being stranded on a desert island was kind of exciting. There would be jungles and caves to explore, maybe even buried treasure!…
STEAM WEEK: Bread Pets
“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”American Chef James Beard (1903-1985) What's is a Bread Pet? You've heard of…
Even More Lesser Known Works by Classic Authors
If you liked The Scarlet Pimpernel, then try The Old Man in the Corner by Emmuska Orczy I've mentioned The Scarlet Pimpernel in a few of my previous posts (you can…
More Lesser Known Works by Classic Authors
There are some writers who are almost universally acknowledged as "classic". Arthur Conan Doyle, GK Chesterton Jane Austen, Mary Shelley...When you hear these names, you automatically associate them with the…