SHELF HELP

Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.

What: “Beasts and Beauty” by Soman Chainani

Why: These short story retellings are unbelievably unique. Many of the very Europeancentric tales have been remastered to be diverse. Snow White is African-American, Hansel and Gretel are Indian, Belle is Chinese, just to name a few of the changes. What I loved the most was that each story did not end how we are used to. But that did not mean they did not have happy endings, just that they were different happy endings. The illustrations are also just gorgeous and have wonderfully bold and bright colors.

Where: This is available as a print book, ebook and e-audiobook from the Monroe County Public Library system.

How: You can request books online by logging in to www.keyslibraries.org and get ebooks and e-audiobooks 24/7 at www.estuff.keyslibraries.org. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org

Recommended by: Haley Kilgour, library assistant, Key Largo branch

Friday, March 24

• The Tropic Cinema will host a fundraiser and preview screening of “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret,” based on the book by Key West resident Judy Blume. The event will welcome Blume as well as star Rachel McAdams, producer James L. Brooks and others. Visit tropiccinema.com for tickets.

Saturday, March 25

• The Lilly Pulitzer shop at 600 Front St. in Key West will donate 10% of all sales to A Positive Step of Monroe County to help fund the organization’s 2023 Idle Hands Summer Youth Employment program. The fundraiser takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday, March 28

• The Keys Chamber Orchestra and the Lower Keys Community Choir will perform Easter cantatas at 7:30 p.m. at the Big Pine United Methodist Church, 280 Key Deer Blvd.

Wednesday March 29

• The Keys Chamber Orchestra and the Lower Keys Community Choir will perform Easter cantatas at 7:30 p.m. at Venture Out on Spanish Main Drive, Cudjoe Key. Concerts are free and last about an hour.

• The Key West chapter of NOW closes its month-long Women’s Film Festival with the landmark documentary from 2022, “The Janes.” The Jane Collective provided thousands of safe abortions in Chicago in the late ’60s and early ’70s before Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. The film’s directors, Emma Pildes and Tia Lessen, won the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award’s Silver Baton for outstanding public service for reporting in television, radio and digital journalism for this film. After the 6 p.m. screening, two of the original Janes, now in their 80s, will be available for discussion about how the current situation compares with their experiences 50 years ago.

Thursday, March 30

• The College of the Florida Keys continues its VIP lecture seriers with “Truckin’ — a Grateful Look at Cooking,” at 7 p.m. in the Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West, featuring Chef Stephan Juliusburger, faculty of Culinary Arts at CFK. In his 20s, he was the tour chef for the Grateful Dead for six years and later wrote his master’s thesis on the sociology of food. Tickets are $5 at the door. Admission is free for CFK and Monroe County students. For information, call 305-296-9081 or visit the College’s website at CFK.edu/VIP.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald