Made in a Mug: Gingerbread Mug Cake
by Tessy
Need a sweet treat? A savory mouthful? Join us for "APL Made in a Mug" for your next bite-sized recipe!
December’s recipe is Gingerbread Mug Cake from Nibble and Dine! Thank you to Kate for letting us share this sweet treat! Check out the full recipe here and discover more delicious treats at Nibble and Dine!
Welcome to Make & Learn!
with Julie
Welcome to Make & Learn! In this program, our librarians will be sharing easy-to-make games and activities that support cognitive development and practicing early literacy skills. In this video, Miss Julie shares a fun and easy way to practice writing and strengthen fine motor skills.
Create It! Mandalas
by Karen
In this video, Karen shares how to make a beautiful mandala wall hanging - perfect to spruce up any space! #LibrariesCOnnect
(November 26, 2020) On Thursday November 19, 2020, at approximately 11:27 a.m., Aurora police officers responded to the Aurora Day Resource Center located at 13387 East 19th Place on a reported stabbing.
Upon arrival officers located a 44-year-old male suffering from an apparent stab wound, and he was transported to an area hospital. Tragically today he succumbed to his injuries.
Abdifatah M. Nur DOB: 01/20/1979 was arrested at the scene on November 19th and initially charged with Attempted First-Degree Murder. Since the victim has now died, Abdifatah Nur will now be charged with First Degree Murder which will be prosecuted by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Nur’s Aurora Police booking photo has been provided below.
The identity of the deceased will be released by the Adam’s County Coroner’s Office after he has been positively identified, and his next of kin have been notified.
Investigators from the Major Crimes/Homicide Unit and district detectives are investigating this homicide. At this time, it is not clear what the relationship between the two was. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867) where they can remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Officer Crystal McCoy
Public Information Officer
720.423.5095
Keep a kitty stress free! Learn how to create a partial cage cover for your traveling cat or a shelter kitty. In partnership with the Aurora Animal Shelter.
Learn more about the Aurora Animal Shelter and how you can donate to support their mission at AuroraAnimalShelter.org.
National Novel Writing Month: November In Review
By Elizabeth, Stacy, and Justine
Hi, library friends and patrons! How’s writing going? Whether you have 500 words or 50,000, the next literary masterpiece or a heap of confused rambling about feng shui, we’re proud of you: it’s been a tough year, and any writing feels like an accomplishment.
Aurora Public Library’s librarians and staff have been all over the board for National Novel Writing Month, too! Some of us rebelled, while others stayed loyal to NaNo’s official rules; some hit word count, while some didn’t. Check out our writing journeys below.
Elizabeth: The Sleepy Rebel
Did you know that voice-recording your story before bed has THREE big advantages? True story! Check out some of these Highly Recommended Writing Moments:
1. “...I might be falling asleep? I can’t remember what I just said” will always get a laugh out of your writing friends if you let them listen to your ramblings (or when they make you share)
2. Nothing says “surprising plot twist” like “I must have been falling asleep here, because now? There's a giraffe, and maybe a love confession, and now this is a mafia story.”
3. Most importantly, sleepy mumbling means extra words means extra word count! I went from 30k to 40k in ONE LONG VOICE RECORDING
Thanks to voice recording, this year, I might actually finish NaNoWriMo! Sounds fake, right? I’m shocked, too, but besides half-asleep mumbling, here’s what I really did to succeed:
· I chose to write little stories instead of one big one,
· forgave myself for wandering off-topic,
· took advantage of APL’s writing sessions,
· and offered to show my writing to a great weekend writing buddy and fantastic writer (which, of course, inspired desperate rewriting and increased my word count because company’s coming, vacuum the paragraphs and hide the semi-colons, we can’t let people know we live here).
Most importantly, writing has provided a welcome distraction from this year's background hum of holiday worry and existential dread, and it’s given me lovely characters to spend time with all over again: from pirates to, yep, sleep giraffes. 11/10, would NaNo again.
Now, I gotta go: this recording’s kind of muffled, but it sounds like half-asleep-me just tried to make a butterfly duel God, and I’d better type fast to make sense of that in the light of day.
Stacy: The Dreamer
This was finally the first year I was able to participate in NaNoWriMo without simultaneously writing a Bachelor’s thesis besides it. Ealy-2020's Stacy thought this was the year to đź‘ŹGet đź‘Ź It đź‘ŹDone. đź‘Ź Late-2020's Stacy realizes that was just fool’s hope.
What I expected 2020 NaNoWriMo to be:
· Wake up at 6:30am 9much earlier than my usual schedule)
· 15 minute writing warm up
· Write for 20-30 minutes before work
· Come home and do a 15 minute writing warm up
· 1 hour - ? Until I reached the days word count
What 2020 NaNoWriMo was:
· Wake up 15 minutes before I need to leave the house
· Work = busybusybusy, gogogo
· Come home and write for 30 minutes before having to start dinner and eventually pass out.
· More Or Less
Things That Went Bad? Reaching word counts and creating a reasonable schedule.
I thought being done with school would help me get closer to beating NaNoWriMo, but I didn’t factor in the exhaustion from adjusting to a full-time post-COVID schedule that wiped me out every single night. Nor did it help that I was constantly shifting my story ideas.
Things That Went OK? Out of six short stories, only one feels worth continueing.
Rather than write one long novel for NaNoWriMo, I opted for a similar approach as I did last year and wrote a collection of short stories. Out of my collection of half finished short stories, only one am I really drawn to. It’s an untitled short story about the disappearance and murder of girl in a small farm town – I like to thank my love of horror films and my own less than stellar experiences growing up in a small town as inspiration!
Things That Went Good? Weekend writing sessions.
My work week was atrocious. I thought being done with school would help me get closer to beating NaNoWriMo, but I didn’t factor in the exhaustion from adjusting to a full-time post-COVID schedule that wiped me out every single night. Nor did it help that I was constantly shifting my story ideas and leaving stories half finished to pursue a new one.
Typically my weekends have much more productive! On an average weekend, I would write for maybe 2 or 3 hours a day. Was it enough to catch me up? No. Was it enough to keep me from feeling like I was completely drowning? Sort of – only almost completely drowning. Sadly, I was never anywhere close to reaching a daily word count nor am I anywhere at all close to the 50,000 words.
Things For 2021? No more short stories.
I find that I get so focused on writing everything perfectly the first time that it prevents me from getting far enough to really make any dents. Somehow for 2021, I need to work on writing without that focus. I need to be able to let loose and let the writing flow, whether or not its “good.” For 2021, I need to take a lesson from the other’s writing experiences. Maybe try to do more Sleepy writing sessions with a voice recorder like Elizabeth?
While I think the official rules for NaNoWriMo states that you’re supposed to write one novel for the entire month, without picking up from a story you’ve already started - I can already tell you that unless inspiration really strikes me, I will probably use 2021 NaNoWriMo to expand on the short story I liked from this year instead.
Justine: The Comeback Kid
The first time I won NaNoWriMo was back in November of 2010, as a senior in high school. I finished it between homework, extracurriculars, and college applications. Once I began actively pursuing my dream of becoming a writer, I assumed I’d win NaNoWriMo every single year thereafter, but I was sorely mistaken. In November of 2011, I was several months into my freshman year of college and was struggling to keep up with my peers. I wrote every chance I got, but I was too stressed to continue. I didn’t write past 10,000 words.
The year after, my creative writing professor dealt a major blow to my confidence. “You don’t got it, Justine. Whatever makes a good writer, you don’t got it.” I was devastated. My professor was suggesting I change my major and give up on my dreams of becoming a renowned author. Although I didn’t heed his advice and I continued on with my degree, and earned it, writing was no longer my passion. I couldn’t stop seeing every error, every plot hole, how vapid and one dimensional my characters felt. “No one would ever wanna read this. So why should I write it?” I attempted NaNoWriMo several more times, never breaking past 10,000 words nor attempting to write beyond the first week of November. My love for the craft was gone and I felt certain it was gone for good. He was right. Whatever “it” was, I didn’t have it.
10 years later, I had no idea I’d be living through a pandemic and that my social life would screech to a grinding halt. I was losing brain cells vegging out in front of the TV and not doing anything intellectually stimulating. I started reading Stephen King’s Misery and in the words of his main character, a writer named Paul Sheldon, I asked myself: “Can you?” Can you complete NaNoWriMo now that you have no excuses? You’re supposed to be home anyway. There are no new Pokémon games out, no social obligations to distract you, and nothing else to do. No one ever has to read it! Can you at least try?
And try I did. I committed to writing the most self-indulgent, most unpublishable novel in the world. Something just for me that no one else would ever see or even have to know about. The chains came loose and words began to pour out of me. I didn’t think I could ever write again after the pain I had associated with it from my college years, but once the pressure of it being good or publishable was no longer there, I found myself falling in love with it again, like reacquainting myself with an old friend.
“Can you write a novel in one month? Can you love writing again, even if it’s only for you? Can you?” I can, I did, I do, and maybe I don’t “got it,” but I have something so much better. I have a sense of accomplishment that no professor could ever give me. I did it because I liked it. I completed something I set my mind to, and I didn’t do it to make a point. I did it for me.
Final Thoughts
So, did you win NaNoWriMo this year? Better question: can you win NaNoWriMo this year? I don’t know if writing’s a win-or-lose sport. Maybe this year, in 2020, NaNoWriMo served another purpose. In the words of fantasy author Neil Gaiman:
"Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do: make good art.”
You did it. In the face of overwhelming hardship, when you were probably burnt out and tired and mentally calculating whether or not you could go home for Thanksgiving, you chose to make art, and that choice is a victory all on its own. (And yes, if your family asks how your novel’s going, you can tell them we said that. We’re librarians, right? We know.)
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Finish strong, and happy writing.
Family Book Club
"Out of My Shell" by Jenny Goebel is our Family Book Club pick for November!
Out of My Shell: Chapters 12-23
1. Olivia helped the sea turtle by smashing the pool's emergency light. Was this the right thing to do?
2. Now the turtle has made a nest, Olivia realizes the eggs are not safe. What does she try to do to protect them?
3. Since her barrier didn't work, what do you think she'll try next?
4. If you were in Olivia's shoes, what would YOU do?
5. She left the nest alone and the eggs hatched but some of the babies went the wrong way! Do you think calling the aquarium was a good idea?
6. Everything resolves itself well in the end and Lanie teaches Olivia to see a bit of hope in their situation. How did you like the book?
Copies of "Out of My Shell" are available at Tallyn's Reach Library and Jefferson County Public Libraries and unlimited eAudiobooks are available via hoopla digital - free with your library card!
Join Aurora Public Library and Jefferson County Public Library for a
live Q&A with author Jenny Goebel on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. via
Zoom! Register here.
Create It! Trick or Treat Boxes
by Karen
It's Make It Monday! This week, Karen shares a fun and easy DIY to make a festive doorhanger - perfect decor for fall!
(November 22) On Sunday, November 22, 2020, at about 5:22 p.m., Aurora police officers responded to an auto-pedestrian accident at East Colfax Avenue and Clinton Street.
Upon arrival officers discovered a 75-year-old woman suffering from multiple injuries after being struck by a newer model black Yukon. The woman was transported to an area hospital where tragically she succumbed to her injuries.
The initial investigation has revealed the woman did not use a crosswalk when crossing the roadway when she was struck by the Yukon. The adult male driver of the Yukon remained at the scene. Neither Drugs, alcohol nor speed are believed to be contributing factors to the accident. This investigation remains active and ongoing
The identity of the deceased will be released by the Adams County Coroner's Office after a positive identification has been made, and her next-of-kin has been notified.
We are asking anyone who may have witnessed this crash, has dash cam footage, or if you have any information about this incident, please contact the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867).
Officer Crystal McCoy
Public Information Officer
Aurora Police Department
720.432.5095
Read It! "The Little Shop of Found Things" by Paula Brackston
by Nicole
Hello there! Like I said before, I am giving my reviews on the books that have been chosen to read in my virtual Wisconsin book club group! Once a month, we all get together on videochat and discuss the book we picked for that month. It’s been great to catch up with them since we moved out here, and even better being able to discuss books! Our next book we picked to read was “The Little Shop of Found Things” by Paula Brackston.
This was actually the book I recommended to the group because I had read other novels by Paula Brackston such as “The Witch’s Daughter” and “The Winter Witch”. She mostly writes historical fantasy novels which is why I was excited to read another book by her. “The LIttle Shop of Found Things” was published in 2018 and categorized as a historical fiction, romance and fantasy novel. All good genres rolled into one! This book is about a young woman named Xanthe (pronounced Z-an-thee) and her mother Flora who move from London to a tiny town named Marlborough for a fresh start. Xanthe has a unique gift, when she touches an antique they “sing” to her. Meaning she senses the stories they hold and where they might have come from. Xanthe and her mother open up an antiques shop, with the hopes of Xanthe’s gift will help them flourish. As they are preparing to open the shop, Xanthe finds an intense connection to a silver chatelaine. As she tries to examine it more, Xanthe is transported back to the chatelaine’s origins, the 17th Century. An unkown spirit also appears seeking Xanthe’s help by saving her daughter, who was wrongly accused. As Xanthe tries to save this girl in 1605, she also meets an architect named Samuel Appleby. Can he help her succeed in her quest or will he become the reason she can’t bear to leave?
I loved this concept of having a gift like that where you can touch objects and learn their past and stories, and some be able to visit the time of their origins. Xanthe is an admirable and loveable character who wants to help her mom succeed with their antique shop, while also wanting to help pure strangers such as the spirit and her daughter. Not only is there time-travel but also a budding romance. Xanthe finds herself desperately attempting to fit into the seventeeth century but also keeping to her true personality in the presence of Samuel. While we did enjoy the story, there were times we did feel that is a slower developing story than most. It takes some time for us to learn the chatelaine’s importance and why it’s so imperative that the spirit’s daughter must be saved. However if you enjoy a slower paced storytelling with a hint of romance, you will enjoy this book. And bonus: it’s part of a series! The sequel, “Secrets of the Chocolate House”, was published in 2019. And expected sometime this year will be the third installment of the series, “The Garden of Promises and Lies”.
For books similar to the "Little Shop of Found Things", check out “The Book Charmer” (Dove Pond, #1) by Karen Hawkins, “Midnight at the Blackbird Café” by Heather Webber and “The Witch's Kind” by Louisa Morgan.
Check back for my review of our next book club pick - “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens.
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