Explore Themes of Free Will, Destiny and Love With Quantum Theatre

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Our friends at Quantum Theatre are about to launch a series of free live virtual performances that you can experience from the comfort of home. From August 27-30, Quantum Theatre will air the first play in the series, “Constellations,” written by Nick Payne and directed by Sam Turich. In celebration of this accessible and safe return to the theater, we’ve put together a list of titles that will have you ready for “Constellations.”

You can read more about Quantum Theatre’s free online performances here. To register for “Constellations,” visit Quantum Theatre’s website.

You can sign up for a free library card here. If you are new to our eResources, check out these tutorial videos on how to get started.   

If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend! Use this Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read and we’ll curate a list just for you.   

If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can also call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org.  

 

The Archive of Alternate Endings

Tracking the evolution of Hansel and Gretel at seventy-five-year intervals that correspond with earth’s visits by Halley’s Comet, “The Archive of Alternate Endings” explores how stories are disseminated and shared, edited and censored, voiced and left untold. From the Johannes Gutenberg to a 2211 twin space probe aiming to find earth’s sister planet, the narrative of Hansel and Gretel articulates personal, regional and ultimately cosmic experiences of tragedy. The “Archive of Alternate Endings” oscillates between eco-fiction and psychological horror, and explores sibling love in the face of trauma over the course of a millennium, in the vein of Richard McGuire’s “Here” and Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia.” You can also check out this title as eBook on Hoopla.


The Beekeeper of Aleppo

Nuri is a beekeeper and Afra, his wife, is an artist. Mornings, Nuri rises early to hear the call to prayer before driving to his hives in the countryside. On weekends, Afra sells her colorful landscape paintings at the open-air market. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the hills of the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo–until the unthinkable happens. When all they love is destroyed by war, Nuri knows they have no choice except to leave their home. But escaping Syria will be no easy task: Afra has lost her sight, leaving Nuri to navigate her grief as well as a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece toward an uncertain future in Britain. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby or as eAudio on Overdrive/Libby.


Breakfast With Einstein: The Exotic Physics of Everyday Objects

Orzel illuminates the strange phenomena lurking just beneath the surface of our ordinary lives by digging into the surprisingly complicated physics involved in his (and anyone’s) morning routine. From the sun, alarm clocks and the red glow of a toaster’s hot filaments (the glow that launched quantum mechanics) to the chemistry of food aroma, a typical day is rich with examples of quantum weirdness. “Breakfast with Einstein” reveals the hidden physics all around us, and after reading this book, your ordinary mornings will never seem quite as ordinary again. You can also check out this title as eBook on Hoopla or as eAudio on Hoopla.


The Coincidence Makers

What if the drink you just spilled, the train you just missed or the lottery ticket you just found was not just a random occurrence? What if it’s all part of a bigger plan? Enter the Coincidence Makers–Guy, Emily and Eric–three seemingly ordinary people who work for a secret organization devoted to creating and carrying out coincidences. What the rest of the world sees as random occurrences, are, in fact, carefully orchestrated events designed to spark significant changes in the lives of their targets–scientists on the brink of breakthroughs, struggling artists starved for inspiration, loves to be, or just plain people like you and me. You can also check out this title as eAudio on Hoopla.


An Ocean of Minutes

America is in the grip of a deadly flu pandemic. When Frank catches the virus, his girlfriend Polly will do whatever it takes to save him. She agrees to travel to the future and work as a bonded servant for a company called TimeRaiser in exchange for the cure. Polly promises to meet Frank again in Galveston, Texas, in twelve years’ time. But when Polly is rerouted an extra five years into the future, Frank is nowhere to be found. Alone in a changed and divided America, with no status and no money, Polly must navigate a new life and find a way to locate Frank, to discover if he is alive, and if their love has endured. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby or as eAudio on Hoopla.