Teens invited to a UCPL pet rock craft session on June 23

We are having so much fun during our annual Summer Reading Program at the Unicoi County Public Library. Participants can log their reading at ucpl.beanstack.com to earn entries into weekly prize drawings all summer long. Every amount of reading counts, so be sure to track your progress and increase your chances of winning. This week's Summer Reading theme is geology, and our programs will explore rocks, minerals and the fascinating science beneath our feet. If you would like to support Summer Reading and help us continue offering quality programs and prizes, donations can be made at ucpl.net/donate. Your support helps make these free educational opportunities possible for our community. BYO Book Club "Grad Night"4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17 Read a book with the theme of "Grad Night" by choosing a title that was published the year you graduated. Come prepared to share your thoughts with the group. Bring a snack to share or simply join us for the discussion. Plant Science: Food System Fun 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 18UT Gardens is thrilled to host young plant enthusiasts as we learn more about the science behind cultivating plants for food. Participants will explore how plants grow, where food comes from and the important role agriculture plays in our everyday lives. This session is for ages 8 to 12. Registration is required, so call (423) 743-6533 to sign up. Library closed for JuneteenthFriday, June 19The library will be closed in observance of Juneteenth. We will reopen during our regular hours on Saturday. Monthly Basement Book SaleFrom 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 20Come out and explore our basement book sale. Pick up some titles for cheap, or fill an entire bag for just $5. The sale features books for all ages and interests, and all proceeds benefit the library directly. Tiny Tales Lap-Sit Storytime9:45 a.m. on Monday, June 22Designed for babies and toddlers, Tiny Tales includes stories, songs, and movement activities that encourage early literacy and strengthen caregiver-child bonds. Preschool Rock Storytime10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23Preschoolers will discover the world of rocks and geology through stories, songs and hands-on activities designed to spark curiosity and support early learning. Teen Pet Rocks Craft4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23 Teens are invited to create and decorate their own pet rocks in this fun, geology-themed craft program. Bring your creativity and leave with a one-of-a-kind rocky friend. For more information about Summer Reading, visit ucpl.beanstack.com, and thank you for supporting the library through ucpl.net/donate. We look forward to seeing you this week at UCPL. Upcoming Book Club SelectionsCozy Book Club: (Monday, July 13, at 4:15 p.m.) "The Sunflower House" by Adriana Allegri.BYO Book Club (June 17 at 4 p.m.) Read a book with the theme of "Grad Night." In other words, read a book that was published the year you graduated.Story Seekers Kid's Book Club: (Will resume in the fall)Cookbook Club (Will resume in the fall) Weekly Book Recommendation"Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke is the library's weekly book pick. The story start with Natalie Heller Mills, who was perfect at being alive. Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie's followers — all 8 million of them — don't know won't hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They're sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn't simply living the good life, she's living the ideal— and just so happens to be building an empire from it. Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn't hers. Her home, her husband, her children — they're all familiar, but something's off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she's expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible. A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, "Yesteryear" is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith and the grand performance of womanhood, according to information from the publisher. ••• Morgan Olson is the director of the Unicoi County Public Library.