10/23/2025
Join me at the Umberhine Library Saturday !! Lets talk about how music and singing can bring overall healing and wellness and is important in mental development
This Saturday’s first Wellness Fair is one of the programs to be arranged with the benefit of the grant funding from the Sustainable & Resilient New England Libraries Grant. Along with meeting the wellness businesses and organizations at the fair, here are a few special new titles to access on CloudLibrary.
So much of wellness starts with the mind. These wellness titles were picked with the thought of offering hope and inspiration or the topics are activities that can make you feel good while engaged. If these book titles are already borrowed when you get into CloudLibrary, then being a Richmond patron, you will see the Hold button to click. (Print copies of each book are on order to have these wellness books both digital and print, you pick your favorite format.)
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (eAudiobook, narrated by Charlie Mackesy, 58 min)
Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship, and love. The shared adventures and conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons. And note: this is the audio version, no need to worry if you can/cannot understand the slightly hard-to-read pen-and-ink cursive. Oh, second note: no cursive worries, but there is the author’s British accent: it will “translate” very quickly with each listening. https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/IUPL-document_id-3zg63g9
Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts by Oliver Burkeman (eAudiobook, narrated by Oliver Burkeman, 4 hrs, 4 min)
Reflecting on quotations drawn from philosophy, religion, literature, psychology, and self-help, Burkeman explores a combination of practical tools and daily shifts in perspective. The Publishers Weekly review noted, "Burkeman suggests swapping a daily to-do list for a "done list"-cataloging the tasks one has completed each day-to improve self-satisfaction; treating a to-read pile as an option rather than an obligation; and breaking tasks into "small, clearly defined packages of work" to be completed daily." This audio version read by the author could be either experienced as a four-week retreat or heard in one or two sittings. https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/IUPL-document_id-as2oy4r9
Satisfying Stitches by Hope Brasfield
While most beginner books don’t go beyond a couple of easy stitches, Satisfying Stitches incorporates stitches that pack a big “wow” factor but are quite easy, such as fern stitch and thistle flowers. Author Hope Brasfield offers tons of encouragement to beginners and beyond. You will also discover, as Hope did, that embroidery offers much more than a creative outlet. Focusing on something that requires imagination, handwork, and concentration can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/IUPL-document_id-aknwqx89
Terrarium by Anna Bauer, Noam Levy, and Rebecca Genet
This guide to the world of terrariums details all the parts of creating unusual and beautiful miniature indoor gardens. These 33 easy terrarium projects are inspired by ecosystems around the world, including a fern-filled Black Forest from Germany, a delicate bonsai garden from Kyushu in the south of Japan, and a tableau of olive and thyme from the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/IUPL-document_id-qncpsg9
Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men
Whether facing dependency or parenthood, marriage or meditation, everyone can use a guide to embolden individual coping skills and settle in to a better, more balanced life. Designed specifically for men, this book explores masculinity through informative, inspirational meditations. Touchstones offers advice for life’s many changes and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the effects of common emotions such as anger, resentment, and fear. Its insight supports any stage of recovery, but the daily readings in this book are not simply for a better recovery; they are for a better, more balanced life. https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/IUPL-document_id-en6d5g9
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (eAudiobook, narrated by Mitch Albom, 3 hrs, 51 min)
“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.”
Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was his college professor Morrie Schwartz. Tuesdays with Morrie is a chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie’s lasting gift with the world. https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/IUPL-document_id-eb78gg9
If you need any assistance with logging in to CloudLibrary, please contact the Library. For in person assistance, stop by during the week: Tuesday 2-8pm, Wednesday 9am-2pm, Thursday 2-8pm, Saturday 9am-12noon.
