Our community book club is back! Come and have a lively discussion as we share our thoughts on these books! *NOTE: Each session below is one-night.

OCT Session: Come join us for our first meeting in October! The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller to get us in the spooky mood for the season. About a woman named Alicia Berenson, a painter who murders her husband, Gabriel, then never speaks another word. Theo Faber, a forensic psychotherapist is obsessed with her case, becomes her therapist to uncover her motive, only for the narrative to reveal that the storylines are not occurring simultaneously, leading to a shocking twist regarding their connection.

NOV Session: We are going to put a spin on November's book selection. For November you will be challenged to read a book of your choice in a genre that you have never/very rarely read. Let's have a thoughtful conversation on the book and genre you chose and why. Was this an eye opener for you? Will you read more books of that genre in the future? Come and let us know! Speaking of the future, The Merrymeeting Adult Ed Center will be putting its Spring/Summer catalog together soon! We will take some time during this meeting to discuss the future of our club, anything you would like to add/subtract? We will also choose future selections and possible locations. Please bring with you at least 2 book titles and a small summary that you would like the club to discuss and we will vote on the top titles!

DEC Session: Home for the holidays? Not so much for the characters in our December book pick! We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer is about a queer couple, Charlie and Eve, who buy a house to flip, only for their lives to unravel after they let a family of former residents tour the home, leading to supernatural events, disappearances, and a breakdown of reality. Originally a viral short story on Reddit. Would you have let the former family in? Let's talk about what you would have done! 

JAN Session: Happy New Year! Lets start the new year off with a great read from Fredrik Backman, the author of the bestselling book "A Man Called Ove." My Friends by Fredrick Backman is about the enduring power of friendship, art, and human connection. Follow an aspiring artist named Louisa as she uncovers the story behind a famous painting of four teenagers from a transformative summer 25 years prior, weaving together past and present narratives of trauma, hope, and healing. Come join us for a great conversation! 

FEB Session: [Wayward] - Unruly, unpredictable or difficult to control. This month we will be reading a book with that very title! Weyward by Emilia Hart is a debut novel that weaves together the stories of three women from different centuries—Altha (1619), Violet (1942), and Kate (present day)—who are connected by a shared legacy of female power, intuition, and a deep bond with nature, often labeled as witchcraft. The book explores themes of resilience, and the struggle of each woman as she confronts abuse and societal constraints, finding strength in their "weyward" spirit and connection to the natural world. Let's talk about the lives of these 3 women and what they taught us. 

MAR Session: We’d love to have you join us for a book to movie discussion. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is a science fiction novel following Ryland Grace, a junior high science teacher turned astronaut who wakes up with amnesia on a spaceship. He discovers he is on a desperate, one-way mission to save Earth from a solar-dimming microorganism. Was the book or movie better? Let's find out together! 

Authentic Belly Dance, or raks sharqi, is an ancient form of dance. Raks sharqi means “dance of the east” in Arabic. Belly dance celebrates every body type and every stage of life. The dance is proud and powerful and soft and sinewy with elegant and isolating movements emanating from the core. It’s the Pilates of dance. And so much fun! This is a great refresher class for experienced dancers and suitable for dancers new to belly dance. Please wear comfortable clothing, similar to what you might wear to a yoga class that will allow for free movement and the ability to see your movement. Hip scarves make it even more fun. You can dance barefoot or in a pair of comfortable dance shoes in the studio. Zills (finger cymbals) will be used in class. Check in with the instructor before you purchase any. As an added bonus, you will also have access to a video library with instruction, drills, and ongoing choreography during the length of the session. *This class meets on the following Thursdays: 9/3, 9/17, 10/1, 10/15, 10/29, 11/12, 12/3, 12/17 (8 sessions total).

Learn proper punches, kicks, and combinations with a NASM Certified Personal Trainer! This fun, high-energy series combines bag training, 1:1 mitt work, and adjustable cardio conditioning for all levels. Free glove and wrap rentals included. Sweat, learn, and crush your goals in a supportive environment! Led by Meagan Rudge of DöRū Fitness, NASM Certified Personal Trainer & Head Trainer.

*DATE CHANGE: This program was originally scheduled to run on Friday 9/25. It will now run on Friday 10/2.

Create your own signature perfume in this hands-on workshop. Explore the art of scent blending, learn how fragrance notes work together, and design a custom fragrance that reflects your personal style. Enjoy a fun, elevated experience and leave with a beautifully bottled scent that’s uniquely yours. What’s Included: All materials and supplies (vessels, fragrance oils, tools, etc.), guided step-by-step instruction, and a unique and memorable experience for participants. Led by Shannan Heacock of Northista Scent Bar in Saco.

Enjoy a relaxing evening sipping hot chocolate or tea while carving thoughtful designs into pre-made pottery by Janna and Zachary. Learn the sgraffito technique—scratching through colored slip to reveal the clay beneath—and leave your piece for firing. Finished work ready for pickup two weeks later. All tools and materials provided. *A $20 materials fee is payable to the instructor. No experience needed.

Tis the spooky season and time to build a monster of a story for chills and thrills. Learn how to stitch the parts of a plot, setting, and character together into hair-raising tales of things that go bump in the night. Class takes place on Zoom. Students must have reliable internet, and an audio and video enable computer, tablet, or smartphone to participate.

Families face many hurdles during the college admissions process. Many of those hurdles are related to money and the question “can I afford it?” Don’t let money block your son or your daughter from attending their dream school. Allow AI to lift the strain of finances during the college admission process. AI such as Chat GPT and Google Gemini can burst open doors for parents, students, high school college admission counselors, during this process. Learn how to find scholarships, grants, community awards, at a fraction of the time. Learn 24+ killer prompts to give AI to get the best results. Get specific financial aid info from the university of your choice. Preethi Fernando is the author of “Free Money: A Guide to Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Grants.” Objectives include: 1. How to give great prompts to AI to get focused answers related to college financial aid; 2. How to write persuasive grant proposals for college using AI; 3. How to search for colleges that you have never heard of, that give awards and grants.

Interested in the night sky? Join us for an enchanted evening of star-gazing! Hosted by members of Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA), these ‘star parties’ include naked eye, binocular, telescopic, or electronically-aided telescopic viewing with the support of trained volunteers, as well as brief talks or demonstrations focused on the how-to's of observing. SMA is a community of folks interested in astronomy, a few of us even do that as a job. We learn and exchange ideas at meetings that include an astronomy talk and open mic discussions of recent observing experiences or other astro-bites. The tone is light, we're in this for fun. We look at (or photograph) stuff in the sky at our star parties, talk about the objects we see, share views and information about our gear. *Rain/Cloud Date: 10/17.