Tag mothers and daughters

The DVD cover depicts the two main characters from the television series Gilmore Girls, teenage daughter Rory and her mother Lorelai.

The Autumnal Magic of Gilmore Girls at our 25th Anniversary Celebration

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The DVD cover depicts the two main characters from the television series Gilmore Girls, teenage daughter Rory and her mother Lorelai.

By Emily B.

Ah, the season of autumn. Leaves change color as the days grow shorter and cooler weather offers respite from a humid summer. For some, these occurrences indicate something more than just the simple change of the season… for some, that first chill in the air is the sign to start another Gilmore Girls rewatch.   The beloved show premiered on The WB on October 5, 2000 and was a staple of the lineup until 2007. Sadly, the show couldn’t withstand the ousting of creator and writer Amy Sherman-Palladino and the merger of The WB and UPN into The CW. Despite the uneven final season and divisive miniseries, the show has maintained a devoted following in the nearly 25 years since its premiere.  

There’s something so comforting about the show – whether it be the small town filled with quirky townsfolk, the complex multi-generational mother-daughter relationships, the fast talking, or the pop culture references. Gilmore Girls manages to evoke such coziness and warmth no matter when you watch it, but there is something so quintessentially autumnal about this show – which is why so many decide to start their annual rewatch at the first sign of the leaves changing. If you’d like to kick off your annual rewatch in the company of other fans, we have just the event for you!  

On Saturday October 4, HCLS Central Branch is hosting a Gilmore Girls 25th Anniversary Celebration.  

In addition to screening the pilot episode with fellow fans, you can: 

  • Play a round of Gilmore Girls-themed Guess Who? on our custom-made edition of the game 
  • Compete in Gilmore Girls trivia (Did you know Kirk was called ‘Mick’ in the pilot episode? That Alexis Bledel drank Coca Cola rather than coffee while filming scenes?) 
  • Take selfies with photobooth props 
  • Snack on coffee and treats generously donated by Qaffee House! 

And maybe together we can settle the age-old debate of Team Dean vs. Team Jess vs. Team Logan. We hope to see you there! 

Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at HCLS Central Branch. When she’s not reading, she enjoys puzzling, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor.

The book cover depicts a girl with blonde hair and a peach-colored dress or cloak and dark boots, in the blue of a darkened woods with black trees casting shadows on the ground. One tree conceals a bear, who is looking at the girl and whose shadow more closely resembles that of a human.

Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey

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The book cover depicts a girl with blonde hair and a peach-colored dress or cloak and dark boots, in the blue of a darkened woods with black trees casting shadows on the ground. One tree conceals a bear, who is looking at the girl and whose shadow more closely resembles that of a human.

By Piyali C.

Riveting, dark, and deeply atmospheric, Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey took me straight into the untamed wilderness of Alaska. I walked the difficult yet vibrant terrains of several mountains, trails, and streams with strong and resilient Birdie, delightful little Emaleen, and quiet, enigmatic Arthur Neilsen.

Birdie is a single mother as a 26-year-old, who is trying her best to give her six-year-old daughter, Emaleen, a good life. Birdie works at a roadside bar in a small town in Alaska and lives in a little cabin given to her by the bar owner, Della. She tries her best to toe the line that is expected of her as a mother and an adult. But this life feels constrained; Birdie wants something bigger and better for herself and Emaleen. She aspires to live the life that she knew as a young girl – happy and free in the wilds of nature. 

Birdie had heard about the mysterious Arthur Neilsen, who lives a quiet and solitary life in the black woods. She gets to know him better when Arthur brings little Emaleen back to safety after she gets lost in the woods looking for Birdie. Arthur is somewhat of a legend in the small hamlet where Birdie lives. He grew up in the village but left his parents to live as a recluse deep in the forest, far from human civilization. He visits the village very rarely. His quiet presence, his knowledge of the local flora and fauna, the mysterious scar on his face, and his inscrutability pique Birdie’s interest in him. She feels a certain reticence in Arthur which she cannot seem to breach when she tries to get close to him. Arthur does not stay away from her either, as he keeps coming back from the woods to sit in silence next to Birdie.

Arthur’s quiet life in the great unknown appeals to our young protagonist and she decides to move into Arthur’s shack, along with Emaleen. The shack is nestled deep in the forest and only accessible via flight. At the beginning, there is immense joy in discovering each other and making a good life amid expansive natural beauty. Gradually, however, Arthur disappears for days on end without an explanation, and an inexplicable darkness creeps in along with the approaching winter. Birdie is afraid for her safety and the safety of her daughter, but she finds the freedom of this new life irresistible. Birdie is caught between her desire to live her life on the edge and her instinct to bring her daughter back to safety and lead a predictable life. The choice that Birdie makes will have life-changing consequences. 

The masterful blend of fairy tale with stark reality makes this book unpredictable, enigmatic, and unputdownable. The characters come alive on the pages and the voice of each character sounds authentic. Emaleen talks to us in the voice of a six-year-old. Birdie’s voice reveals the conflict within her, trying to be a responsible mother but also yearning for freedom and fulfillment as a young woman. Arthur doesn’t say much, but the dark secret that he carries within him becomes clear in the paucity of his soft-spoken words.  

Some reviews mention that this story is inspired by the popular fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. Personally, I did not find many similarities except the fact that a pretty young woman falls in love with a physically unattractive, quiet man. This story is a powerhouse in its own right, one that I believe would be a good choice for a book club. The flawed characters, the formidable and beautiful wilderness of Alaska, the gorgeous prose, the plot, the relationship between man and nature, the whiff of fairy tale infused within the story, Birdie’s choices and the consequences of those – all of these would spark a great discussion. 

Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey is available in print and as an e-book and e-audiobook from Libby.

Piyali is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch, where she facilitates two book discussion groups: Light But Not Fluffy and Global Reads. She keeps the hope alive that someday she will reach the bottom of her to-read list.

The book cover shows a newspaper clipping against a black background, with the title, author's name, and "author of Bee Season" in newsprint, with a black and white photo of two people behind a cutout, as if looking through a peephole.

Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldberg

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The book cover shows a newspaper clipping against a black background, with the title, author's name, and "author of Bee Season" in newsprint, with a black and white photo of two people behind a cutout, as if looking through a peephole.

by Rebecca R.

Not your typical novel, Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldberg is a fictional memoir of a photographer named Lillian Preston and all the people who make up her support system. Her story unfolds through several narrators through letters, journal entries, firsthand accounts, and descriptions (by Lillian’s daughter) of photographs taken by Lillian. 

Set primarily in New York City, the story outlines the hardships of being a professional artist. Lillian balances this struggle with single motherhood. Caring for her daughter Samantha and keeping up with her photography practice every day are constantly on Lillian’s mind. As Samantha gets older, this struggle intensifies with a legal battle over photographs that are deemed “obscene,” and charges are filed against Lillian and her gallery owner. You’ll have to read the book to learn the outcome of the case!

Samantha is in her mid-to-late teens when the case makes news headlines, and it affects Lillian and Samantha’s relationship. Later, they are able to find common ground, as they work together on photography projects; the creative spirit is what bonds them. There is a lot of drama and struggle in this story, but the way it is revealed keeps it from being heavy-handed. It also kept me engaged until the conclusion.

I also sensed that Samantha regretted the way she had treated her mom and only started to realize this towards the end of the book. Still, the reader can feel their deep bond throughout, which makes the story truly bittersweet.

Lillian herself—selfishly single-minded in her artistic drive but genuinely protective of her child and often desperately lonely—is both larger than life and thoroughly human. A riveting portrait of an artist who happens to be a woman.

Kirkus Reviews

For more New York City-centered novels with wonderful characters and a love of art as well, check out Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me; Amy Shearn’s Unseen City (available from HCLS via interlibrary loan); or E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Rebecca is the Assistant Branch Manager of the HCLS Glenwood Branch. She enjoys creative art projects and taking long walks with her puppy.

The cover depicts an Italian town on the coastline against a pale orange sky, with the cliffs overlooking a sky-blue sea and the green hills in the distance.

Meet Rebecca Serle, Author of One Italian Summer

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Author Rebecca Serle wears a pink floral slip dress and sits in the corner of a beige sofa.

Sun, Mar 12
2 – 4 pm
Miller Branch & online
In partnership with Columbia Inspired magazine
Register here for the in-person event and here for the online event.

“[A] magical trip worth taking.” — Associated Press

The New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.

When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers, and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.

The cover depicts an Italian town on the coastline against a pale orange sky, with the cliffs overlooking a sky-blue sea and the green hills in the distance.

One Italian Summer is available from HCLS in print, as an audiobook on CD, and as an e-book and an e-audiobook from Libby/OverDrive.

After the presentation, you can purchase her book and have it have it autographed (while supplies last). For those attending virtually, books are available to purchase online from The Last Word Bookstore.

Rebecca Serle discusses her book with Anika Baty-Mills.

Rebecca Serle is an author and television writer who lives in New York and Los Angeles. Serle co-developed the hit TV adaptation of her YA series Famous in Love, and is also the author of In Five Years and The Dinner List, and YA novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. She received her MFA from the New School in New York, NY.

Anika Baty-Mills is the publisher and owner of Columbia Inspired magazine. Columbia Inspired magazine is a digital publication that provides a safe space for each and every reader to feel seen, heard, and cared for. Its mission is to help readers create, implement, and nurture their own version of a healthy lifestyle.  For the last 18 years, Anika and her family have lived, worked, and played here in Howard County and she is proud to be bringing the community together one click at a time.

In partnership with Columbia Inspired magazine and Prince George’s County Memorial Library System.

Please register for the in-person event or the online event with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation.