Search results matching tags 'book discussions' and 'fiction'

Taking on Virgil

banksoftheohio@evpl — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:22:00 GMT

In her novel Lavinia, celebrated author Ursula LeGuin gives lyrical voice to her title character: the daughter of mythical King Latinus and the woman fated to cause The Aeneid's culminating war. This lushly detailed account of ancient Italian ritual and daily life, which was named a 2008 Best Book by Library Journal, is an intriguing companion to Virgil's epic poem. Check them both out and join the Classics Book Discussion on December 13th as we consider one of the cornerstones of Western literature.

Cassics Book Discussion

Thursday, December 13, 2012

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

2nd Floor Conference Room

Central Library

New Book Group

LemmyCaution@evpl — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:19:00 GMT

Page Turners is a new book group focusing on thoughtful works of fiction from different time periods, countries, and genres. Each season the list of books will revolve around a theme which will stay consistent and then change with each new season. The first four books listed focus on exemplary works of literary American fiction from the second half of the twentieth century. So if you enjoy engaging works of fiction please feel free to stop in. Also at times the library may not have enough copies, but additional copies can be made available by contacting the North Park Branch Library at (812) 428-8237. The book group meets on the third Monday of each month at the North Park Branch Library around 6:30 p.m.

October 17: The second book we will be discussing is Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49. In the novel Oedipa Maas has just received word that she has inherited a fortunate from a former boyfriend, which will lead her on a mysterious quest to find out whether or not an alternative postal system exists in the United States. This satirical and eccentric work examines the rising counter-culture movements in 1960's southern California and the search for meaning in an increasingly fragmented America.

November 21: The third book will be discussing is the National Book Award winner, White Noise by Don DeLillo. White Noise is the story of a professor at a small college in the Midwest who has pioneered the field of Hitler Studies. After a rail car releases a toxic chemical spill, a black cloud covers the small town and forces the professor to evacuate his family. DeLillo's novel touches on a variety of themes from consumerism to death, all with a satirical and shrewd eye towards the excesses of the eighties.

December 19: The last novel we will be discussing for the season is Philip Roth's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, American Pastoral. American Pastoral tells the story of Seymour Levov a star high school athlete who goes on to marry Dawn Dwyer, the 1949 winner of the Miss New Jersey pageant, and form a seemingly perfect life. However, his idyllic American life becomes interrupted when his daughter commits an act of terrorism in protest of the war in Vietnam and sends his life spiraling out of control.

Animal Dreams -- Books for Lunch at Red Bank Branch

Shh_ImReading@evpl — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:58:00 GMT

On Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at noon we will be discussing Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver at Red Bank Branch Library. I could hardly put Animal Dreams down while I was reading it and I hope you'll enjoy it too. Codi, her father and the other characters are wonderful and the small town of Grace, Arizona captivated my imagination. Barbara Kingsolver is my mother's favorite author and she's been recommending her books to me for years. I'm so glad I've finally taken her advice! Please come and join us for the discussion; the more the merrier!

click here to visit author Barbara Kingsolver's website

Perfect fireside reading for Fall

librarianinheels@evpl — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:58:00 GMT

When I was a kid, I loved to prop myself up in a wing chair by the fire, stick my feet out, and read a good book. While I don't have a fireplace in my house, I have established a comfortable little reading ritual for myself when the nights are cool, and this fall I'm reading a few books that I think the casual reader might enjoy.

For those of you out there who really enjoy material that might be classified as "chick lit", but you like your fiction served up with some humor and a little bit of social criticism, try anything by Marian Keyes. Keyes is an Irish author and one of my favorites - her books are alternately entertaining and thought-provoking. Right now, I am reading Angels, an installment in her non-sequential saga of the five Walsh sisters. I have read Watermelon, Rachel's Holiday and Anybody Out There?, about Claire, Rachel and Anna - this book is about Maggie and I'm still waiting for the book about Helen, the most outrageous of the Walsh sisters. (hopefully Keyes will write one soon...it should be the best, the most hysterically funny of the bunch...maybe that is why it's taking her so long to write it?) This Charming Man is Keyes' latest novel (and for those of us old enough to remember - it's also the name of a song by the Smiths)...about the interworkings of toxic relationships between four different women and one man. The subject matter is more intense than Keyes has tackled in the past - but this one really seems like it will deliver, as hers always do. It's our November selection for our chick lit book discussion at Oaklyn.

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent is a novel based in truth, set in 1691-1692 Massachusetts Bay Colony and centers around a family's involvement the Salem witch trials. It's engrossing reading...particularly when you realize that Kathleen Kent, the author, is a descendant of the family portryed in the novel. I am really enjoying it. Perfect fall reading...so curl up by the fire (or with a bunch of pillows, some cherry Hershey kisses, and a warm blankie - and a cat or two...) and dig in!

"Hannah's Dream"

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:23:00 GMT

Amongst the blogs I subscribe to through the aggregator Bloglines are a couple of book group/book discussion blogs, Book Club Girl and Book Group Buzz, a Booklist blog. This week Book Club Girl had a touching post about a forthcoming book, Hannah's Dream. Her post includes a video of a zookeeper reading the book to an elephant and links to an interview with the author of Hannah's Dream, Diane Hammond. Makes me want to read the book!

Do you love "chick lit"?

librarianinheels@evpl — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:46:00 GMT

...Never fear - we have a support group for you!!!

If you're a fan of chick lit, and you're looking for a book discussion, why not try the Oaklyn Chick Lit book discussion? The group meets monthly in the Oaklyn Cafe. We've discussed books by Emily Giffin, Jennifer Weiner, Meg Cabot, Marian Keyes, Jane Austen, Helen Fielding, and Elizabeth Gilbert. Each month this fall, our group will be reading a book selected by a member of the group. The schedule for the remainder of the fall is as follows -

September 17 Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
October 15   Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood
November 19   This Charming Man by Marian Keyes
December 17   The Beach House by Jane Green

The Chick Lit Discussion Group meets at 3 pm on the given dates - copies of the discussion books can be picked up at the Oaklyn Information desk.