Adult Summer Reading Programs & Events

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www.waterfordpubliclibrary.org 
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2025 July & August Adult Programs 
and Summer Reading Challenge! 
 
Level UP at the Waterford Public Library! 
Take on a new hobby, sport or craft or take it to another level and 
become an expert - unlock adventure and happiness this summer!   
 
Summer reading challenge begins Saturday, June 14 and continues 
through Monday, August 25th! 
Scrabble Club 
Fridays, 11:00AM - 12:30PM  
This club is open to all ages and abilities. 
Silent Book Club  
Monday, July 21, 6:30PM - 8:00PM  
Monday, August 18, 6:30PM - 8:00PM  
"Silent Book Club ® is 
a global community 
of readers, with more 
than 1500 chapters in 
54 countries around 
the world.  All readers are welcome—ebooks or 
audiobooks, poetry or prose, fiction or non-fiction. 
. . it's BYOBook.  This book club is all about enjoying 
your reading, in whatever format works for you, in 
a laid-back, pressure-free setting! 
All programs are free and open to the public. 
Let's Speak English Together! 
Mondays, July 7 to August 11 
7:00PM - 8:30PM  
All are invited to join us for an 
informal conversation group 
where you can practice speaking 
English in a supportive commu-
nity of new language learners. 
No registration is required.  This 
program is generously funded by 
the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut. 
Introduction to Writing: a workshop 
(don’t let that blank piece of paper  
intimidate you!) 
Tuesday, July 15, 1:00PM - 2:30PM  
Tuesday, August 19, 1:00PM - 2:00PM  
Join us for a new writing 
workshop.  Local author 
Kathy Swope will lead this 
program.  Please bring your 
own writing materials. 
July & August 
@waterfordpubliclibrary  
@waterfordlibraryct 
Waterford Day Parade! 
Saturday, August 9 
 
9-11AM - Music, children’s 
activities & food trucks 
11AM – Parade begins 
Let's Roll! Tabletop Role-Playing Club 
Wednesday, July 16, 6:00PM - 7:30PM  
Wednesday, August 
20, 6:00PM - 7:30PM  
Join us for a friendly, in-
clusive, and accessible  
tabletop role playing 
game group for adults of 
ALL experience  
levels! Whether you’ve never played a game in 
your life or you’re a seasoned player, this group is 
for you. We are open to all players, game systems, 
and ideas, with a focus on creating a fun, welcom-
ing, and safe gaming environment.  
Ages 18 & up. 
Visit the Calendar of Events on our website 
for a full list of programs. 
www.waterfordpubliclibrary.org  

Canvas & Coffee with Pam's Picassos! 
Tuesday, August 12, 10:00AM - 12:00PM  
Bring your coffee and paint a beach sign.  
Registration is required. 
August 
July 
Adult Summer Reading Challenge! 
Pick up your reading log at the Information Desk or download it from our website.  Read 5 books this  
summer to be entered to win a drawing for 3 prizes!  Return your reading log by Monday, August 25.    
Gratitude: A 2-part workshop  
Part 1- Saturday, July 12, 10:00AM - 12:00PM  
Part 2- Saturday, July 19, 10:00AM - 12:00PM  
This 2-part Gratitude Workshop is presented by Miosotys Santiago who will share her 
healing journey as a survivor of traumatic experiences, and reflect on her present 
gratefulness toward life and her walk in faith. This will provide a deeply personal  
perspective to inspire participants in their own paths to gratitude.  An illustrated presentation will guide the 
session. Choose from 2 self-published gratitude journals available for purchase for $15 and $20 or bring your 
own writing materials. These journals will be a meaningful tool for each attendee to take home and continue 
their personal practice of gratitude. Attendance at both sessions is suggested.  Registration is required as space 
is limited.   
Raising Backyard Chickens 
Thursday, August 14, 10:30AM - 11:30AM 
Raising chickens can be a fun and rewarding experience for the whole family.  Learn 
how to choose the chickens, feed and care for them and select and build the  
coop.  We'll also go over local laws. For adults and children ages 10+.  Registration is 
required.  Our presenter is Indu Upadhyaya, DVM, MVSc., Ph.D., Food Safety Assistant Extension Educator, UConn 
Extension.   
International Bestselling Author Amy Neff 
Monday, August 4, 6:30PM - 7:30PM  
In the summer of 1941, on the New England shores where they were raised, Evelyn and 
Joseph fell in love. Now, more than sixty years later, they have gathered their three grown 
children to share the staggering news: she has received a heartbreaking diagnosis, and he 
can't live without her. This is a timeless tale of unwavering devotion -- a moving tribute to 
the enduring power of love and a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is  
always hope and beauty to be found.   INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER and A Today Show Pick. 
 
Amy Neff’s debut novel The Days I Loved You Most is a love letter to the seaside town 
where her family has spent summers since the early 1900s. Registration is required.  Bank 
Square Books will be on site with books for sale. 
ONLINE Atari Age: The Emergence of Video Games in America 
Tuesday, August 5, 6:00PM - 7:00PM  
A virtual talk with Professor Michael Z. Newman, author of Atari Age: The Emergence of 
Video Games in America.  Michael Z. Newman is a professor at the University of  
Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  He teaches and writes about media and popular culture. 
 
This program is co-sponsored by Otis Library, Waterford Public Library, and New London 
Public Library. 
Guest Author Karen Warfield - The Emancipation of Hannah Faythe Winslow 
Wednesday, August 20, 6:30PM - 8:00PM 
 
Karen Warfield’s book The Emancipation of Hannah Faythe Winslow: A Woman's Journey in Colonial America is 
a work of literary fiction with historical facts woven throughout themes of deception and restoration. After the 
1637 Mohegan and Pequot War, orphaned Hannah is left with a vile and amoral man who evades the local 
magistrates under the guise of establishing a plantation in southeastern Connecticut.   
She was a child bride, a woman captive, and finally, a woman triumphant. Registration 
is suggested.   
 
Karen Warfield is a U.S. Army veteran and a graduate of Southern Illinois University.  
She is a founding member of the Norwich Historical Society, This book received the 
Betty Linsley Award for historical writing for best work on a significant aspect of  
Connecticut's history published or produced by, for, or on behalf of a Connecticut historical society or  
organization. 
Summer Mushroom Hunting in CT 
Tuesday, July 15, 5:30PM - 7:30PM  
There are many types of mushrooms in our region.  Some are poisonous, but their ecology is fun to learn about… 
and others are simply delicious!  Ryan Bouchard and Emily Bouchard, New England's leading mushroom hunting 
teachers, will lead us into the forest for a close look at local fungi in their natural habitats.  
This class will show you inside a whole world of adventure that most people overlook. 
 
Recommended for adults and mature kids.  Registration is required.  A waiver is required 
for all participants and will be available prior to the hike; for any student under 18, it must 
be signed by a parent or guardian.   Participants should bring cameras,or phones (ringers off 
please).  Meet at 5:30 pm at this location:  Avery Farm Nature Preserve, Ledyard.  We will 
meet at the entrance off of 184.  Take a left on Lambtown Road (at Colonial Tire) and drive 
to the end of that road which becomes a dirt road and then to the parking area.   
 
Co-sponsored by the Groton Public, Public Library of New London, Stonington Free Library, Wheeler Library of 
North Stonington, Bill Memorial and the Otis Library of Norwich!