Adult Book Selections

Here are adult selections that you may want to read.
For February our book is Stockett, Kathryn, The Help In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women in Mississippi on 1962 to start a movement forever changes a town, and the way women-mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.
Please remember to reserve this book at the library if you do not have a copy.

Last week our book club discussed this book. We had a wonderful lively discussion.

Larrson, Steig The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo It s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden . . . and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder. 672p.ReadingGroupGuide

Dallas, Sandra, Tallgrass During Word War II, a family finds life turned upside down when the government opens a Japanese internment camp in their small Colorado town. After a young girl is murdered, all eyes (and suspicions) turn to the newcomers, the interlopers, the strangers. 336p. ReadingGroupGuide.com

Dallas, Sandra The Persian Pickle Club.
It is the 1930s, and hard times have hit Harveyville, Kansas, where the crops are burning up, and there's not a job to be found. For Queenie Bean, a young farm wife, a highlight of each week is the gathering of the Persian Pickle Club, a group of local ladies dedicated to improving their minds, exchanging gossip, and putting their quilting skills to good use. 208p.

http://www.litlovers.com/guide_persian_pickle_club.html

Ford, Jamie, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet A friendship between a Chinese-American and a Japanese-American girl in Seattle During WWII. 320p. ReadingGroupGuide.com

Wallace, Nicole, 18 Acres Eighteen Acres, a description used by political insiders when referring to the White House complex, follows the first female President of the United States, Charlotte Kramer, and her staff as they take on dangerous threats from abroad and within her very own cabinet. 322p.http://books.simonandschuster.com/Eighteen-Acres/Nicolle-Wallace/9781439194829/reading_group_guide


Blum, Jenna, Those who Save Us A professor’s mother refuses to talk to her daughter about her life in Germany during WWII, even though the daughter is interviewing survivors and writing a book. 496p. ReadingGroupGuides.com

Mullen, Thomas, The Last Town on Earth Set against the backdrop of one of the most virulent epidemics that America ever experienced–the 1918 flu epidemic. 432p.
ReadingGroupGuides.com

Steele, Danielle, Granny Dan, is about the magic of history. In The author reminds us how little we know of those who came before us—and how, if we could only glimpse into their early lives, and see who they once were, there is so much we would understand and learn. 242p.

Monroe, Mary Alice Time is a River Breast cancer survivor Mia Landan returns home to find her husband in bed with another woman. Still weak from the cancer treatments, and not ready to make decisions about her failed marriage, Mia asks Belle Carson, a fly-fishing guide and the head of Casting for Recovery, if she can stay in Belle’s isolated mountain cabin. 384p.books.simonschuster.com

Monroe, Mary Alice The Four Seasons., What a great story! The characters-four sisters-Jillian, Rose, Beatrice and Meredith are a study in relationships between sisters, If you have ever had a close sister relationship or one with another woman, you will find this a fascinating study... The Four Seasons is definitely recommended as a good read, It presents a way to learn a lot. about women and how perceptions differ depending on who you are and where you are in life, Enjoy! 422p

Flagg, Fannie, Can’t Wait for Heaven, Combining southern warmth with unabashed emotion and sidesplitting hilarity, Fannie Flagg takes readers back to Elmwood Springs, Missouri, where the most unlikely and surprising experiences of a high-spirited octogenarian inspire a town to ponder the age-old question: Why are we here? 384p

Mapson, Jo-Ann, Hank and Chloe, Hank and Chloe are as star-crossed as Romeo and Juliet but sexier and frankly, a lot more fun. This is a love story with a salsa bite and a winning heart. 310p. ReadingGroupGuides.com

Mapson, Jo-Ann, Solomon’s Oak, This book is the story of three people who have suffered losses that changed their lives forever. Though, it resonates with hope and love. 384p.ReadingGroupGuides.com

Roberts, Shelia, Love in Bloom, A funny, inspiring women's fiction novel about three women who share neighboring plots in a community garden and change each other's lives forever. 366p. readinggroupguides.com

Roberts, Shelia, Small Change, "At their weekly craft group meeting, Rachel, Jessica and Tiffany admit they share a difficult secret: they're all struggling with major financial problems. 352p.ReadingGroupGuides

Dickens, Charles, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .” With these famous words, Charles Dickens plunges the reader into one of history’s most explosive eras—the French Revolution. From the storming of the Bastille to the relentless drop of the guillotine, 448p. Oprah.com

Gladwell, Malcolm Outliers The author takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. 320p.

Gladwell, Malcolm, The Tipping Point, Defining that precise moment when a trend becomes a trend, Malcolm Gladwell probes the surface of everyday occurrences to reveal some surprising dynamics behind explosive social changes. 301p.

Atwood, Margaret, The Tent, Incredible! This fascinating collection of stories, poems, and shorts is as intriguing as the many different voices Atwood uses to portray the pieces. The Works in this collection span many years of writing and many of the pieces have previously been published elsewhere in such works as: The Walrus, Harper's Magazine, New Beginnings, and a few small independent printings of smaller collections.

Strout, Elizabeth, Olive Kitteridge, Olive Kitteridge is the kind of woman you would duck across the street to avoid meeting. She's abrasive as sandpaper rubbed across a scab and unapologetically rude. Now retired, she taught seventh-grade math in the small Maine town of Crosby for years, earning a reputation as the mean teacher who leaves her students flustered and trembling. She is loud, unnerving, tart-tongued, and completely unforgettable. 304p. readinggroupguides.com

Book Discussion Groups

Hi everyone,
I know you have not heard from in awhile. After I retired I wanted to belong to book discussion. One of my friends had belonged for a book club for thirty years. Believe or not, I am now the Queen of Book club discussion groups. I belong to three book clubs. Yes, three! I love reading! My advice, be careful for what you wish for. Last summer in 2009 I joined a nearby library’s book club. Then, this summer a Jane Austen book club started at the same library. I joined that one. I liked the sound of it. It sounded quite literary. I like it. Then, the members of the Hopatcong’s Women’s Club wanted to start a book club. I helped start it. We have our meetings in our branch library. Truthfully, I do enjoy the book discussion groups. For me it is an extension of being a librarian.
If you have a group of people that would want to start a book discussion, type in Goggle
How to start a book discussion group. You will have so many hits. Everyone from Orpah to www.readinggroupguides.com/roundtable/start.asp
Also join one at your public library or local book store. It is a lot of fun to be with other people
who love or like to read. You have a chance to discuss points that your members want to. Also different people bring different opinion to the table.


Here is information for our future selections.
We have a great book club that meets at the Library every month.
It is on the second Monday of the month from 10:00 to 11:30. New members to the group are encouraged to join us. If you have any questions, call Linda at my phone number. Please also join the public library to hold or save books.

Our March book selection is:
Dallas, Sandra, The Persian Pickle Club.
It is the 1930’s hard times have hit Harveyville, Kansas, where the crops are burning up, and there’s not a job to found. For Queenie Bean, a young farm wife, a highlight of each week is gathering of the Persian Pickle Club, a group of local ladies dedicated to improving their minds, exchanging gossip and putting their quilting skills to good use.

Our April book selection
Wallace, Nicole, 18 Acres, a description used by political insiders when referring to the White House Complex, follows the first female President of the United States, Charlotte Kramer and her staff as they take on dangerous threats from abroad and within her very own cabinet.

Our May book selection
Steele, Danielle, Granny Dan, is about the magic of history. The author reminds us how little we know of those who came before us--and how, if we could only glimpse into their early lives and see who they once were, There is so much we could understand and learn.

Reading as a solace in time of need

Reading is such an enjoyable way to live. I have found reading to be entertaining, fun, and informative.
Also I have experienced reading that has been a solace in times of stress and depression. For years I took care of my elderly mother. At the beginning of this painful journey, I had to go with my then young sons back to my home town. My 88 year old mother had fallen in her apartment and been taken to the hospital. I knew this was going to be a difficult trip. I told my husband that was not going to be taking a book to read. He gave me the best advice. Linda, take a book. I did and when I wasn't seeing my mother at the hospital, or talking to a social worker I would read my book. It was Witness by Sandra Brown. It was an exciting fast-paced read that gave me that solace to face the hard challenges that I had.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to one and all. Great readings to all!! Last year had its challenges. Here is to a brand new year.
I may be a retired librarian, but I sure visit the public libraries in my area. I have more time to read and watch DVDs. So, I go to our branch library to search for books or to pick up books that I have reserved.
Please know your public library website address.
Then, you can search for books and other materials from your home computer. Even if you do not have a lot of time insert some reading time for yourself. I have been there also.
Also I visit another nearby town library that has wonderful collection of English DVDs. I also belong to a book discussion group at that library.
Please get into the public library habit. My husband and I have been going to our local branch library for thirty-two years. Of course, our sons when they were younger went with us. So whether you are old or young, the public library has something for you. Check it out!!!

Stars Reading to Their Children

In PEOPLE October 5, 2009 issue there is a wonderful pictorial article in the BOOKS section entitled Raising Them on the Classics
Stars and celebrities add their voice to certain causes. For example, Michael J. Fox has Parkinson Disease. The late Christopher Reeve suffered a head injury and the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver started Special Olympics. It definitely helps to promote wonderful causes
In the above mentioned article
Jessica Alba reads Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown to her 15 month old daughter.
Ana Ortiz and her Ugly Betty costar America Ferrrera are both readers. America gave Ana one of her favorite baby gifts, 30 to 40 books for her three month old daughter. America said “We have to make her a reader like we are.” One of the books that Ana Ortiz reads is Corduroy by Don Freeman.
Nia Long’s eight year old son is into baseball. So they read a lot of baseball
books. He also likes the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne.
Cindy Crawford's daughters both like Tales of the Fourth Nothing by Judy Blume.
All of these book titles are wonderful. This article helps parents see what the
stars and celebrities read to their children. It is another way to validate the reading cause.
Kudos to PEOPLE!

First Book

First Book is a worthwhile charity that promotes literacy in children and families.

Mission: First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books.

First BookBack-to-School Means Back-to-Books! First Book wants to know “What Book Got You Hooked?” Visit www.firstbook.org/whatbook to see what book got Joan Allen, David Duchovny and Patti LaBelle hooked on reading! Check out more celebs & share the share... the book that first made reading fun for you! Just in time for BTS, vote til September 30 for the state to get 50,000 brand new books for kids in need. Read!!!

Delete
Edit

Be a Reader

Be a reader to raise a reader. You can read books, magazines, manuals, etc. Remember you are a role model for your child. She/He sees you read they will see that it has worth and it is important. My mother was a reader. We would go to our town’s public library. While she would select her books, I would choose mine. Those visits to the public library started my life long love of books. Mentioning the public library, please go to our public libraries. Also sign yourself and your child up for a library card. They are free!!! In our state you should be five years old to sign up for a library card. In one family they have made signing up for a library card at the child’s fifth birthday as a rite of passage. Pretty cool!!! Also many public libraries have special
pre-school story times and summer reading clubs for preschool and school age children. Public libraries are a wonderful place to go. Besides books they may have DVDs and CDs to borrow. Remember to be a reader.

Story Time

Please read to your children from the time they are infants. Story time is a special bonding time. You are sharing your time with your child, introducing her/him to the wide wonderful world of children’s literature. In addition you are creating memories. As time goes by your child will learn to value reading and books. For infants start with board book that can be touch and feel books. I love to buy those for baby presents. Also ABC books are great for little ones. These books also help with language development. As infants grow into toddlers choose books that have a simple story. Then, preschoolers are usually ready for more of story. Also base your selections
on what your child likes. If she/he likes trucks, then read truck stories or books to her/him. As I was cleaning the library that I had been at before my retirement. I came upon an acrostic poem that my oldest son wrote twenty years ago. It was a creative writing assignment for Mother’s Day. What a treasure to find!!!
Marvelous
Outstanding
Terrific
Help me
Excellent
Reads to me.
My mom is the greatest because she helps me with my homework and reads to me.

Make time for story time!!!

Why?

Why have I started this blog? I retired July 1, 2009. I was employed as an elementary
school librarian. This is my way of continuing to be a librarian. I love being a librarian because
it combines my love of books and reading with my love of people and knowledge.