Eurovision-inspired books and Easter activities in Flintshire

Have you been joining us to watch Sara Cox on Monday evenings at 7pm on BBC Two for series six of Between the Covers?

Sara is joined in each episode by a panel of four famous guests to discuss a newly published book which deserves to be put in the spotlight. The books are a carefully selected mix of genres that aims to include something for everyone. Each guest also has a BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) guaranteed to spark a discussion.

This year, as Liverpool and the UK prepare to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 on behalf of Ukraine, each episode will also feature a novel set in a Eurovision country. We are finding it hard to agree a favourite as they are all so good! Which one is your favourite from the series? What would your BYOB be if you were on the show?

The books are:

Blink of An Eye - Jo Callaghan

Burial Rights - Hannah Kent (Iceland)

Space Between Us - Doug Johnstone

Lullaby- Leila Slimani (France)

Weyward - Amelia Hart

Death and the Penguin - Andrey Kurkov (Ukraine)

Strange Sally Diamond - Liz Nugent

The Summer Book - Tove Janson (Finland)

Hungry Ghosts - Kevin Hosein

I'm Not Scared - Niccolò Ammaniti (Italy)

Old God's Time - Sebastian Barry

My Family and Other Animals - Gerald Durrell (Greece)

These titles are, or will be, available to borrow from Aura libraries as either a book or e-book or eAudiobook. You can browse these titles and hundreds more on our online library catalogue!

Let us know what you think about the titles, find us on social media - @LlyfrgelloeddAuraLibraries on Facebook and Instagram and @LibFlintshire on Twitter.

Aura Library members can download e-books and audiobooks free of charge from Borrowbox and Libby to a PC, laptop or Mac. Alternatively, you can download the Borrowbox and Libby apps directly to a smartphone or tablet.

To access most online library resources you will need to enter your library membership number and pin. If you do not have this then you can join up as a member online via the Aura website for instant access. All links and further details about our digital library resources can be found here: www.aura.wales/libraries

Easter holiday activities with Aura Libraries

Looking for something to do with the family over the Easter holidays? Why not pop in to your local library and join one of our many free activities? Plus all our libraries are Warm Welcome spaces so you can relax together with a hot drink and have some fun. All our libraries have games that you can play together.

Over the holidays there will be Lego Club in every library on a Saturday morning for you to create fantastic structures or why not pop in to one of our craft sessions? Broughton Library is running special craft sessions each Thursday at 2pm. Flint Library is running sessions Tuesday and Thursday at 2pm, while other libraries have drop-in crafts all week. Our rhymetimes will be continuing throughout the holidays for younger children too.

For all details of our Easter holiday activities please visit https://aura.wales/holiday-activities/

Decoupage workshops with artist Simon Grennan

If you want some time out during the holidays to get creative and learn a new skill why not sign up to one of our fantastic workshops on Thursda, April 13. These sessions are fully funded for anyone aged 19 or over as part of the North East Wales Adult Community Learning Partnership.

Make Your Own Fantastic 'Decoupage' Trinket Box to Take Home: Shabby Chic is all the rage. You will learn how to make gorgeous cut and paste decoration and make and take home your own large trinket box. You will use stunning, original Victorian illustrations to cut, arrange, colour and paste. Artist Simon Grennan will inspire you with decorative ideas and techniques .All materials are provided.

Mold Library - Thursday, April 13, 10.30am-12.30pm

Flint Library - Thursday, April 13, 2pm-4pm

To book your place on either session email ACL@aura.wales

All the Wide Border at Mold Library

All the Wide Border by Mike Parker

Join us at Mold Library on Tuesday 25th April at 7pm when we welcome the fabulous Mike Parker in conversation with The Bookshop, Mold.

Mike will be talking about his latest book All the Wide Border: Wales, England and the Places Between - "...a personal journey through the places, amongst the people, and across the divides of the border between England and Wales. Taking in some of our loveliest landscapes, and our darkest secrets."

Jesse Armstrong, creator of Succession and Peep Show, said: "I loved this book. Mike Parker weaves together a great deal of wide reading, hard thinking and soulful tramping in his funny, thoughtful and evocative investigation of the Welsh-English border."

Mike's previous book, On the Red Hill, was Wales Book of the Year Non-fiction Winner and Highly Commended (runner-up) for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing 2020.

Author Mike Parker

Tickets are £6 event only or £16.99 inc a copy of All the Wide Border.

Tickets available from Mold Library 01352 703780 or The Bookshop 01352 759879.

Visit us on social media to view handy information about our services, events, and lots of book and audiobook recommendations.

From everyone here at Aura Libraries, thank you for reading and we hope to hear from you or see you soon!

• Aura is a charitable, not-for-profit, organisation responsible for managing the majority of leisure, libraries and heritage services in Flintshire. Aura is owned by its employees and operates for the benefit of local communities.