Holiday Hours

We will be closed Sunday, December 31st and Monday, January 1st in celebration of the New Year. Don't forget, you can download magazines, music, movies, books and audiobooks through our website even when we are closed.

Holiday Hours

Our holiday hours:
Open all day (9-5) this Saturday, Dec. 23
Closed Sun. & Mon. Dec. 24 & 25
Closed Sun. & Mon. Dec 31 and Jan. 1
Wishing everyone the best holidays ever!

2017 Librarians’ Choice Is Now Available

We are proud to present the 2017 Librarians’ Choice; our favorite books of the year. We hope you enjoy them!

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Rituals by Kelley Armstrong
Beartown by Frederik Backman
The Waking Land by Callie Bates
Lilli de Jong by Janet Benton
Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey
The Wildling Sisters by Eve Chase
Feral by James Demonaco
The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne
Miss You by Kate Eberlen
The Girls of Ennismore by Patricia Falvey
Setting Free the Kites by Alex George
The Little French Bistro by Nina George
Deadly Cure by Lawrence Goldstone
The Widow’s House by Carol Goodman
The Ice Beneath Her by Camilla Grebe
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
The Dry by Jane Harper
She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper
Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny
Celine by Peter Heller
Before This Is Over by Amanda Hickie
Strange Weather by Joe Hill
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
The Almost  Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
News of the World Paulette Jiles
The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson
Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King
Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong
No Place I’d Rather Be by Cathy Lamb
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
March Book 3 by John Lewis
On Turpentine Lane by Elinor Lipman
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Leopard at the Door by Jennifer McVeigh
Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed
Fever by Deon Meyer
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel
Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore
The Reason You’re Alive by  Matthew Quick
A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn
The Heirs by Susan Rieger
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
Trajectory by Richard Russo
The Chillbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan
Final Girls by Riley Sager
Lincoln In The Bardo by George Saunders
The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve
Sourdough by Robin Sloan
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Wonder Woman: The True Amazon by Jill Thompson
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J. Walker
Sing, Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward 
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White
The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin

Non-Fiction

Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Irresistible : the rise of addictive technology and the business of keeping us hooked by Adam Alter
California Dreamin': Cass Elliot before the Mamas & the Papas by Penelope Bagieu
This Is What a Librarian Looks Like by Kyle Cassidy
Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel
Al Franken: Giant of the Senate by Al Franken
Morningstar by Ann Hood
I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly
Lifelong Kindergarten : cultivating creativity through projects, passion, peers, and play by Mitchel Resnick
The Financial Diaries : how American families cope in a world of uncertainty by Jonathan Morduch
My Life with Bob by Pamela Paul
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglass Preston
Books for Living by Will Schwalbe
Theft by Finding by David Sedaris
The Secret Life of the Mind : how your brain thinks, feels, and decides by Mariano Sigman
The Hue and Cry at Our House : a year remembered by Benjamin Taylor
A Really Good Day by Ayelet Waldman
Bored and Brilliant : how spacing out can unlock your most productive and creative self by Manoush Zomorodi

 

Dover's 1907 mill blaze: hear the stories from the authors of "Factory on Fire" Dec. 18, 7pm

Local Dover historians and former Woodman Museum trustees, Mark Leno Jr. and Thom Hindle have recently published a new book about Dover’s deadliest mill fire. “Factory on Fire” is the true story of the Cocheco Mill No 1 blaze (now the One Washington Center mill) in January 1907.  Mark and Thom will talk about the fire at the Dover Public Library on Monday, December 18 at 7pm.

The Mill No. 1 fire resulted in the deaths of seven millworkers, and injured many more. The 58-hour conflagration began on January 26, 1907, an extremely cold, -20 degree morning. Based on the authors’ years of research, the book details first person accounts from workers and eyewitnesses, and includes over 50 photographs reproduced from original glass plate negatives. “Factory on Fire” explores the causes of the fire, the plight of the mill workers who dangled from open windows, the work of heroic rescuers and firefighters in extreme weather, and an intriguing lawsuit later brought against mill owners by an injured survivor.  You’ll want to come hear Mark and Thom to hear which way the court ruled!

The presentation is free and all are welcome to attend in the library’s Lecture Hall. Signed copies of the 180 page book will be available for $20 and will make great Christmas presents for anyone with an interest in Dover history! 

For more information, call the Dover Public Library at 603-516-6050

Library Hours for the Thanksgiving Weekend

We're closing at 5:30pm this Wednesday, then closed Nov. 23 & 24 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Open as usual on Saturday the 25th from 9-5, then closed on Sunday the 26th for Dover's Holiday Parade!

The Library Will be Closed December 8th

The Library will be closed Friday, December 8th, for a staff development day. We will be open as usual on Saturday.

Cookbook author and podcaster Kathy Gunst---Tuesday, November 21 at 7pm

     The Friends of the Dover Public Library are pleased to present renowned chef and author Kathy Gunst for a talk on Tuesday, November 21 at 7pm about the slow food movement, cooking with locally- grown ingredients, and her preference for fresh and simple components in her dishes. Kathy says, “I understand the art of simplicity and how the very best meal really relies on ingredients. And the best ingredients you can find are the ones closest to home.” 

     A resident of South Berwick, Maine, Kathy Gunst is the Resident Chef on NPR’s “Here and Now” podcast. She won the 2016 IACP Award for Best Culinary Audio and is also a James Beard Journalism award winner in the Home Cooking category. Kathy has written numerous articles for newspapers and periodicals, among them The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Newsweek, Yankee Magazine, and Eating Well.

       “Soup Swap: Comforting Recipes to Make and Share” (Chronicle Books, 2016) is Kathy Gunst’s newest cookbook. It grew out of a monthly gathering of her friends and neighbors who come together for winter suppers and good company. Each guest brings a pot of soup to share with the group. The host provides a side dish or two, along with bread and a simple dessert. Leftovers are divvied up and everyone gets a sample of each soup. Whether taken to a party or savored at home, this delicious collection of soup, stew, and chowder recipes will be sure to satisfy all year long.

       This program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Library at 603-516-6050. Library hours are Monday-Wednesday 9am-8:30pm, Thursday-Friday 9am-5:30pm, Saturdays 9am-5pm and Sundays 1pm-5pm.

The Library Will Be Closed Friday, in Celebration of Veterans Day

The Library will be closed Friday, November 10th, in honor of Veterans Day.

We are open on Saturday, make sure to come for the 2pm free matinee. We will be showing Cars 3.

Try the Consumer Reports Database

Thinking about buying new appliances before Thanksgiving? Planning to do some research on those expensive gifts your kids are asking for?

We can help! The Library now offers free access to the complete Consumer Reports database. It actually has more information than Consumer Reports magazine does. In addition to product ratings and reviews, users will find in-depth advice, tips, frequently updated articles, blogs and video content. Best of all, you can access it from home. Just go to the library website , click on the Learning and Research tab, and then choose Consumer Reports and enter your barcode.

Booksale begins October 27 for Cardholders; October 28 for General Public

Doors open at 9am on Friday, October 27 for the Friends of the Library’s annual, two-week-long, gigantic fall booksale at the Dover Public Library. Only library cardholders will be able to purchase items on the first day of the sale so be sure to bring your Dover borrower’s card with you on the 27th! The sale opens to non-cardholders and the general public at 9am on Saturday, October 28.

Thousands of paperbacks, hardcover books, and media items for all ages will be available at prices from $.50 to $2.00. Many of the sale items are books donated to the library, while others are items discarded from the library’s collections. Booksale prices will be further reduced on Wednesday, November 1, and during Week #2 of the booksale, November 6-12, the remainder of the items will be sold for the bargain price of just $1.00 per bag or boxful. Any leftover books will be given away for free beginning Monday, November 13.

The library requests that no further book donations be made at this time. Donations will again be accepted after November 19.

All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Library, a 501(c)3 charitable organization which last year donated over $15,000 to the library for museum passes, children’s and adult programs, furnishings and equipment. Applications to join the Friends of the Library are available at the library’s circulation desk.

Membership is $10 annually or $7 for seniors. Friends who work at the booksale receive a 50% discount on purchases.

For more information, please call the Circulation Desk at 603-516-6050.

The Final Girls by Riley Sager

 It’s October! So begins the season of falling leaves, all things pumpkin and sweater weather. October also happens to be my favorite month literary-wise. It’s the perfect excuse to curl up under a warm blanket with a book that scares you so much you won’t be able to sleep a wink. October is the one month where my obsession with true crime and serial killers is accepted and doesn’t make me look like a crazed lunatic. It means I can watch as many horror films as I want and – you know what? It’s okay. 

But I’m not here to talk about how October finally makes me look like a normal person. I’m here to share with you a little gem of a book that, if you’re like me, might make you excited for October, too. 

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Final Girls by Riley Sager since I turned the last page. It is everything I could have ever wanted for a Halloween read and if you’re a fan of slasher flicks then you might also get a kick out of this book.

The title of the book gets its name from an “exclusive” club that the main character Quincy and two other girls (Lisa and Sam) are part of. It’s definitely not a club you want to be a member of. All three girls were victims of a mass murderer and were the only ones to come out of it alive. Lisa lost nine sorority sisters after a man wielding a knife came into their home; Sam barely escaped “Sack Man” who attacked the Nightlight Inn during her evening shift; and Quincy lost her friends after a man brutally stabbed them at their cabin getaway in the woods.

Due to their similar experiences, the media dubs these three the “Final Girls”. Years later Lisa, the first Final Girl, has decided to use her experience to helps others and acts as a sort of mentor to the other girls, although they never meet; Sam has gone off the grid and no one knows her whereabouts; and Quincy, the reluctant Final Girl, has moved on to a fairly normal life, which is aided by the fact that Quincy can’t remember much of what happened that night. 

Then one day the peace Quincy finally feels suddenly ends. Lisa has died. The authorities suspect suicide, but Quincy knows better. Sam does, too. Not long after Sam shows up on Quincy’s doorstep in the hopes of solving Lisa’s murder, and getting Quincy to accept her place as a Final Girl.

I can’t tell you how hard this book was to put down. I thought I had a pretty good idea what the plot was going to be when I started this story, but it kept changing into unexpected territories. It’s a tale of not just being a survivor, but also the importance of remembering and coming to terms with the good and evil in your life. Not to mention there are some crazy thrills along the way. 

The ending was so unexpected to me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for like a week after. I finished the last page and then kept repeating over and over again in a zombie-like trance, “Oh my god. What? I can’t. I just can’t.”

 My fiancé then told me it was late and I needed to go to bed, which I tried to do until five minutes later I heard him mumble, “You’re still thinking about it aren’t you?”

“Yes…”

Final Girls is that kind of book.

What I particularly like about this story is how it merges the horror and psychological thriller genres. As Quincy starts to remember things we get flashbacks that read like a campy horror film. Yet the rest of the plot is spent exploring her life after that infamous day and how becoming a Final Girl has impacted her life. It’s great if you like a little bit a scare, but also want to be able to sleep at night.

So if you’re like me and really enjoy your horror films and serial killer stories then add Final Girls to your list. It’s the perfect Halloween read you won’t want to miss out on.

Salem Witch Trails program October 17 @ 7pm

     The Friends of the Dover Public Library are pleased to present an intriguing program about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93. Through a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council, the Friends will welcome Margo Burns to speak about “The Capital Crime of Witchcraft” on Tuesday, October 17 at 7pm in the library’s Lecture Hall.    

     During 1692 and 1693, nineteen people were hanged and one crushed to death in Salem, Massachusetts. Margo will explore the Salem prosecutions from formal complaints to arrest warrants, to indictments and death warrants, and the rescinding of excommunications years after the fact. The witchcraft trials might seem to have been nothing but a free-for-all, fraught with hysterics, but in fact, the documents demonstrate how methodically and logically the Salem Court worked. Margo will also speak about variety of other cases against women in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

      Margo Burns is the Project Manager and Associate Editor of “Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt”, (Cambridge University Press, 2009), the definitive transcriptions of the legal records of the period. Burns has appeared in a film for the National Geographic Channel, has been featured in the film which screens daily at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Salem, and with actor Scott Foley on TLC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?”, recounting the story one of his ancestors who was executed in Salem in 1692..

       Margo is herself is a descendant of Rebecca Nurse, who was also hanged in 1692. This past summer, she spoke at “Salem's Trials: Lessons and Legacy of 1692, A Symposium Commemorating the 325th Anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials” at Salem State University.

      She is a seventh-generation New Hampshire native, with two master’s degrees from UNH. She currently works at St. Paul's School in Concord as the Director of The Language Center.

     This program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Library at 603-516-6050. Library hours are Monday-Wednesday 9am-8:30pm, Thursday-Friday 9am-5:30pm, Saturdays 9am-5pm and Sundays 1pm-5pm.

Who lived on your street in 1956?

You can find out who lived on your street, or in your house from 1830-1956 by looking at Dover City Directories Online.  The directories are fully key word searchable; you can search by a person’s name, address, street, or business. Find out how many people with your surname lived in Dover in 1840, and what they did for work.

 

 You can search here at the Library, or at home. You don’t need a password. Just go to the library website library.dover.nh.gov, click on the Learning and Research tab, and then choose Dover City Directories.

 It’s free, it’s easy, and it’s loaded with information!