School is back in full swing with parents running to and fro. Life’s basic questions are filling the days. Did you take something out for dinner? Can you pick Susie up from school? Does Tommy have baseball practice tomorrow? Life with children, and even without, can be hectic and busy. Couples often find themselves at a loss of time and resources for date night. To the surprise of many, the library can help with the date night dilemma. A nice dinner and a great movie are right around the corner, and the only cost you pay is the food you buy and the cost of a babysitter, if needed.
There are a tremendous amount of great movies to choose from at the local libraries. Just use your
free library card to borrow movies for an at-home date night. Some great new releases are The Bookshop and The Hate U Give.
The Bookshop stars Emily Mortimer and Bill Nighy and is set in 1959 England. Emily Mortimer, who also starred in Mary Poppins Returns, portrays a free-spirited young woman named Florence Green. She opens a bookshop to the opposition of some in the conservative coastal town. Achieving this lifelong dream allows Florence to create bonds and to see what “a town without a bookshop is no town at all.” This film is sure to be a favorite of book lovers everywhere and is based on the book by Penelope Fitzgerald.
Another eagerly awaited new release is The Hate U Give starring Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, and Russell Hornsby. Based on a young adult book with the same title by Angie Thomas, this intense story demonstrates the power of family and true friends. When Star Carter witnesses the unjust murder of her lifelong friend, she is changed forever. She must now decide how she will move forward in the wake of this life-altering event. The rules she has given herself for different locations and situations make navigating this new terrain even more difficult. Will she speak out or remain silent? Will her friends still be there if she reveals her whole, true self? Borrow this movie for date to find out!
What’s an at-home movie date night without a home cooked, delicious meal? You know the answer, not good! You also know, the libraries can help with that as well. The libraries have tons of choices when it comes to cookbooks if you need a little recipe inspiration. Some great new ones available are Bottom of the Pot: Persian
Recipes and Stories by Naz Deravian, Authentic Portuguese Cooking: More Than 185 Classic Mediterranean-style Recipes of the Azores, Madeira and Continental Portugal by Ana Patuleia Ortins, and The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book by Nadine Horn and Jorg Mayer. These are only a few of the tremendous variety and amount available to spice up your date night dinner – or breakfast.
Need an afternoon out alone with your sweetie, but don’t want to spend a lot of money? Drop the kiddos at grandma’s and head over to the library for one of the Saturday movie showings – sometimes even with popcorn provided. For information on movie titles and times, call any of the libraries in the Heartland Library Cooperative or visit myhlc.org. There are still many more ways, I am sure, to use the library for your affordable and fun date night, including purchasing gifts from Friends of the Library for each library. In fact, the Friends of the Avon Park Public Library will have a table sale set up in the library with lots of goodies to purchase for your loved one. Let us help you with your date night dilemma.