After people may have lost sight of their New Year’s regulations, enVISION 2020 invites people to rebuild or create a new vision board.

A vision board is a guide to help people realize their goals and imagine what they want their life to look like, according to the HuffPost, which added it usually collages magazine clippings, photos and paper accents.

This session will take place on Saturday (Feb. 29) and feature music, food and guidance from two mental health professionals, according to the event page.

The session will take place at Best Life Therapeutic Services, LLC (11250 Roger Bacon Drive). Tickets are $40, and the event will run from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Tomorrow (Feb. 29)

• Get to Know Your Muslim Neighbor (11 .m. until 3 p.m.) — The Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) is hosting an event where people from all cultures can come mingle and learn about history while enjoying activities such as henna and calligraphy. Coffee will be provided at this free event.
• Ramen ‘Round the World  Cooking Class (11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.) — Attendees will learn how to make umami-rich soup at 100 Bowls of Soup (279 Sunset Park Drive). The tickets are $75.

Sunday (March 1)

• “City of Peace” Book Talk (1 to 2 p.m.) — Trinity Presbyterian Church (651 Dranesville Road) is hosting a book event with author Henry Brinton. People will have the chance to ask questions and buy a copy for $17.
• Herndon Depot Museum Reopening (noon to 4 p.m.) — This weekend, people can attend a train show and silent auction featuring antiques at 717 Lynn Street to celebrate the reopening of the Herndon Depot Museum. People will also have the chance to learn about telegraphs, according to the Facebook page.

Photo by Andy Art on Unsplash

Three local businesses decided to partner on a brand new monthly book and tea pairing for people looking for book lovers and stay-cationers.

The program, which makes its debut on Wednesday (Feb. 26), allows people to pick up a predetermined book and tea pairing at Elden Street Tea Shop (714 Pine Street) for $34.95, according to Bridget Blakely, a spokesperson from Mascot Books.

“Three weeks after the pairing’s launch, readers are invited to participate in the novel-tea book club and discussion at the tea shop, ” Rachel Eisenfeld, the owner of Elden Street Tea Shop, said in a Q&A.

Each month, the tea for the pairings will be chosen by Elden Street Tea Shop while books will be chosen by Mascot Books and then supplied by Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive), according to Blakely.

For the first month, program participants will be able to read “Anna Incognito” while sipping a cup of Crème Earl Grey, Blakely said.

“We tried to do a good mix of fiction and non-fiction and caffeinated teas versus herbal teas,” Blakely said.

Going forward, a new pairing will be available at the end of each month, according to a press release.

Photo courtesy Bridget Blakely

Friends of the Reston Regional Library kicks off a special book sale tomorrow (Thursday) at Reston Regional Library (11925. Bowman Towne Drive).

The sale features mystery, thriller, and adventure books. The timing of the sale is as follows:

• Tomorrow (Thursday), 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 7 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Sunday (1-5 p.m.)

The next book sale, which features books for children, young adults and educators, takes place at the end of March.

According to information provided by the Friends, the nonprofit organization has raised more than $700,000 for the library through its book sales over the past 15 years.

In addition, it has been able to donate $200,000 to direct library support programs — including $100,000 in eBooks, $25,000 in children’s series books, a Braille printing station for the Access Services branch, librarian scholarships and more.

Friends of the Reston Regional Library is made up of nearly 100 active volunteers who donate over 10,000 hours a year to process donations, run sales and reach out to the community.

More information about the Friends’ other six annual sales is available online.

This Saturday (Feb. 1), a local author will discuss his newest murder mystery at Scrawl Books.

From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., John Adam Wasowicz will be signing books, meeting fans and introducing his latest book “Jones Point.”

“Jones Point” is the second book in the series and was originally published in the fall of 2019 after the first book “Daingerfield Island” was released in the summer of 2017.

Wasowicz lives in Mt. Vernon, according to a press release, which added that his book takes place in Alexandria.

The 236-page-book guides readers through the eyes of Mo Katz, a U.S. Attorney, and Sheri Stone, an Alexandria policewoman, who solve murders to save the nation’s capitol, the event page said.

Anyone interested in purchasing the book can find it online for $14 or at Scrawl Books for $22.

Everyone is welcome to attend the signing event and RSVP is not required.

Image courtesy Scrawl Books 

A local bookshop plans to “purge” textbooks published by Pearson from its education section following a New York Times’ report that found the publisher’s American history textbooks offer different histories on highly partisan topics.

The investigation found that the publisher and others presented information on the Second Amendment, civil rights, capital, immigration and other topics differently in California and Texas.

For example, a California textbook explains how rulings on the Second Amendment leave space for some gun regulations. The Texas edition of the book contains a blank white space instead of the explanation in the California textbook.

Here’s more from the Jan. 12 story:

In a country that cannot come to a consensus on fundamental questions — how restricted capitalism should be, whether immigrants are a burden or a boon, to what extent the legacy of slavery continues to shape American life — textbook publishers are caught in the middle. On these questions and others, classroom materials are not only shaded by politics, but are also helping to shape a generation of future voters.

Conservatives have fought for schools to promote patriotism, highlight the influence of Christianity and celebrate the founding fathers. In a September speech, President Trump warned against a “radical left” that wants to “erase American history, crush religious liberty, indoctrinate our students with left-wing ideology.”

The left has pushed for students to encounter history more from the ground up than from the top down, with a focus on the experiences of marginalized groups such as enslaved people, women and Native Americans.

The books The Times analyzed were published in 2016 or later and have been widely adopted for eighth and 11th graders, though publishers declined to share sales figures. Each text has editions for Texas and California, among other states, customized to satisfy policymakers with different priorities.

The story prompted Reston’s Used Book Shop to reconsider how it categorizes certain American history textbooks. 

“This is outrageous. We often buy used books published by Pearson – no longer. And I will be purging them from our ‘education section.'”  The business wrote on Facebook

Thousands of books are available for purchase beginning today (Thursday) during an annual sale by Friends of the Reston Regional Library.

According to information provided by the Friends, the nonprofit organization has raised more than $700,000 for the library through its book sales over the past 15 years. In addition, it has been able to donate $200,000 to direct library support programs — including $100,000 in eBooks, $25,000 in children’s series books, a Braille printing station for the Access Services branch, librarian scholarships and more.

Science fiction, religion, romance, cooking, sports, history and many other genres of titles are available. Small paperback books are available for as little as 50 cents, with hardcovers books priced as low as $1.50.

The sale is on through 8 p.m. today, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. tomorrow (Friday), between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday.

The Friends’ next sale will be mystery, thriller and adventure sale, which is set for Feb. 6-9. Friends of the Reston Regional Library is made up of nearly 100 active volunteers who donate over 10,000 hours a year to process donations, run sales and reach out to the community.

For more information about Friends of the Reston Regional Library and its book sales, visit its website or its Facebook page, find it on Twitter, call 703-829-5467, or email [email protected].

File photo

An upcoming book about Herndon wants to teach kids about the town’s history and culture.

“A Day in Herndon” is a mixed-media book that walks the reader through a day of personified farm animals from Frying Pan Farm Park who take a field trip to Herndon.

The book will be available on Saturday (Nov. 9) at a book signing celebration at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street) from 10 a.m. until noon and is also on sale online for $15.95.

Readers will notice photography and illustrations from co-authors and friends Jill Vinson and Watt Hamlett, who met each other when they were neighbors in Reston. Vinson said she has since moved and now lives in Herndon.

Each animal featured in the story is excited to see something different around town, according to Hamlett.

“We have a pig who wanted to check out the art around Herndon,” Hamlett said. “We wanted to take kids on our tour through the community.”

Hamlett and Vinson published their first book — “Reston A to Z” — three years ago.

When they were selling the book at the Lake Ann Farmers Market, people suggested that they write another book together about Herndon.

“There are so many people within the community who are really excited for this,” Vinson said.

In the future, the authors hope to sell the book around town and allow organizations to sell it for fundraising purposes. They already have a deal with Green Lizard Cycling, which plans to sell the book and donate some of the proceeds to an organization of their choice, Hamlett said.

Photo courtesy Watt Hamlett

The author of “Hidden History of Herndon” will speak in Reston next month.

Barbara Glakas will be at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609-A Washington Plaza N.) to discuss her book and answer questions from the audience on Nov. 13 from 7-9 p.m.

The event will be hosted by the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, which aims to foster community engagement and knowledge of local history.

This event is free and will cover a range of Herndon and Reston history from her book that features “firsthand accounts to tell little-known stories of the people, places and events that shaped the history of the Town of Herndon,” according to a press release.

Photo courtesy Reston Historic Trust and Museum

State Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd) and her daughter-in-law are set to celebrate the release of their new book about women leaders this weekend in Reston.

Howell and Theresa Howell, the authors of “Leading the Way: Women in Power!,” will be at Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive) from 2-3:30 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 13) where they will discuss the 50 women profiled in the book and host a discussion with the audience.

The book examines the ways outstanding women throughout history have contributed to American society, according to Scrawl Books.

“This engaging and wide-ranging collection of biographies highlights the actions, struggles, and accomplishments of more than 50 of the most influential leaders in American political history — leaders who have stood up, blazed trails and led the way,” according to Scrawl Books.

Howell is a record-breaking woman herself — she is the longest-serving female legislator in Virginia, according to Scrawl’s website. She has been a senator since 1992 and a civil rights advocate since her college years.

Howell, who lives in Colorado, is an author and previously published “Maybe Something Beautiful.”

This free event is open to all ages. People can pre-order a hardcover copy for $24.

Image via Scrawl Books

Herndon Middle School Gets At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program –The school is one of 13 in the county to receive the at-risk afterschool meals program. The same meals will be available at no separate charge to all participants. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Reston Friends Semi-Annual Book Sale Continues — Thousands of used books will be available for purchase during the sale, which continues into the weekend. The sale is on today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Reston Regional Library. [Reston Regional Library]

International Walk to School Day is Next Week — County schools will take part in International Walk to School Day on October 2 in  “an effort to promote physical activity and reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools. Students and employees are encouraged to bike or walk to school and work. Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to school, and to work with their school or PTA to assemble bike trains or walking groups for the event. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

An author, history buff and former journalist will speak in Reston next week about her recent historical novel.

Laura Elliott will be at Sunrise Senior Living (1778 Fountain Drive) on Tuesday (Oct. 1) to give a presentation on her novel “Hamilton and Peggy!: A Revolutionary Friendship,” which explores the friendship between American historical figures Peggy Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton.

The event is part of “Creative Conversations” at the senior living facility, with similar talks scheduled through 2020, according to Connection Newspapers. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public.

Elliott began her writing career as a journalist and was a senior writer with Washingtonian where she said she wrote about women’s issues. Later in her career, she decided to become a novelist and has written nine novels so far, she told Reston Now.

She said she decided to write the novel after learning about their friendship — Peggy helped Hamilton by acting as a “wingman” to help Hamilton court her sister, Elizabeth.

Elliott said that many of her readers first became interested in the topic after hearing about the popular Broadway musical “Hamilton.”

“It’s amazing how much history they fit into the musical,” Elliott said.

She will tailor the presentation to the audience, understanding that some of the seniors at the living community may be veterans, she said.

“The thing about seniors is that they know their history,” Elliott said. “I really do try to gauge what interest the audience most and leave time for questions.”

Looking forward to the future, Elliott said she is discussing with her publisher another book focusing on other prominent figures from the era. She told Reston Now she is considering writing a novel about John Laurens, who was a soldier during the Revolutionary War.

Photo via Facebook

Scrawl Books is hosting a family-friendly party to benefit an organization that high-quality early learning for kids.

The Reston bookstore will have fun activities for kids and parents scattered throughout the store and each half-hour a staff member will read a book for the audience. The event will run from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 11911 Freedom Drive on Saturday (Sept. 7).

Donations will be accepted on-site and a portion of sales will benefit the Northern Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children.

The organization’s goal is to create a safe, healthy and happy learning environment for every kid under the age of eight.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Wood

Friends of the Reston Regional Library is hosting a fall book sale in September.

The fall sale is set to take place from Thursday, September 25 through Sunday, September 29. 

The used book sale is one of the library’s largest book sales in the year. No children’s books will be offered at the sale. All items are in gently-used and good condition.

Timings are below:

• Thursday, September 26 (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
• Friday, September 27 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Saturday, September 28 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• Sunday, September 29 (Noon to 3:30 p.m.)

A special members night is set for Wednesday, September 25 from 5-8 p.m. The sale takes place at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive).

More information about the Friends’ other six annual sales is available online.

File photo

Bestselling author Jennifer Ryan will visit Scrawl Books this weekend at 11911 Freedom Drive.

Ryan will discuss and sign her latest book, “The Spies of Shilling Lane.” The story revolves around female spies in World War II.

The book has been called a “delightful mystery’ by the New York Times.

This is her second novel following the release of “The Childbury Ladies Choir” in 2017.

The event begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 14.

Photo via Crown Publishing