The SUNY Cortland Special Education Club will be coming to the library on Saturday, November 1 from Noon – 3:00 p.m. to present Harvest Fest 2008. This program is appropriate for all school age children. There will be various autumn themed activities and crafts and refreshments will be served.
Hope you can join us!
The story begins as the narrator, who is a porn star and a drug addict, crashes his car along a dark road when he gets distracted by a flight of arrows. Horribly burned, he waits for the day when he can get out of the burn ward so he can commit suicide.
A beautiful sculptor of gargoyles appears at the foot of his bed and says they were once lovers in medieval Germany. As she describes their love affair in Germany and other tales of love in Japan, Iceland, Italy and England, the narrator is brought back into life.
He is released from the hospital and goes to live with the sculptor who is convinced that God has instructed her to complete 27 more sculptures and then her time on earth will be over.
Andrew Davidson’s debut novel is capturing a whole lot of attention and rightly so. I did not want to put this one down. It is a mesmerizing tale. Very intense. Some of the descriptions are not for the faint hearted. But if you stick with it, I think you will feel that it was well worth it.
Jan Dempsey
Pompeii: A Novel, by Robert Harris, is a fictional story that begins two days before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. when Marcus Attilius Primus, the engineer in charge of the massive Aqua Augusta Aqueduct, is summoned. Tourists are spending their money in the seaside resorts along the Bay of Naples when a crisis on the Augusta’s sixty-mile main line begins. Attilius finds sulfur in the water and realizes that the problem is bigger than a few dead fish. He travels to the heart of the Aqua Augusta at the base of Mount Vesuvius and discovers the blockage that threatens to deprive a large chunk of the empire water. However, Attilius soon discovers that there are powerful forces at work – both natural and man-made – threatening to destroy him.
The book takes place over four days. Each chapter is labeled by the day of the week and the time, or watch (Vespera, Prima fax, Intempesta, etc.), of the events. If you enjoy historical fiction, if you enjoy learning about how the aqueducts worked, or if you have a fascination for Roman culture, then you will enjoy this book.
Kay Zaharis
Librarian Angela Sorensen was recognized at the Finger Lakes Library System Annual Meeting on October 15 for her dedicated service to teens at the Cortland Free Library. In 2005, only three libraries in the Finger Lakes Library System had teen summer reading programs. In only three years that number has expanded to 19 libraries with more than 400 teens participating systemwide. Angela has been instrumental in bringing teen programming to our library as well as introducing gaming programs such as Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution.
Congratulations Angela!
I thought you might like to hear about books from some other voices. Under this heading here, and in the future, you will find book reviews from other library staff. – Jan
For pure entertainment and escape reading I really enjoy Lee Child’s series with protagonist Jack Reacher. I suggest reading the series in order. The series, in order, includes Killing Floor, Die Trying, Tripwire, Running Blind, Echo Burning, Without Fail, Persuader, The Enemy, One Shot, The Hard Way, Bad Luck and Trouble, and Nothing to Lose.
Libby
Susan Prier, Nutrition Coordinator with Cornell Cooperative Extension here in Cortland, will be visiting Youth Services on Saturday, October 18 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. to talk about FOOD! Her program is geared for K-6 grades. No matter what your shape, come and find out about yummy food that’s good for you.
The work of several members of the Finger Lakes Decorative Artists group is on display the month of October in the library art gallery.
On Wednesday, October 22 at 6:30 p.m. Nancy Focardi, a member of the group and exhibitor in the gallery, will be here for an Artist Talk. Come and meet Nancy and get a chance to learn about decorative arts.
Jane Mayer, a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine, a former senior writer for The Wall Street Journal, and the Journal’s first female White House correspondent, has written a book that explores how the United States turned to torture in the fear-driven days after 9/11. Thoroughly researched (amazing insights in that so much of this was done in secret), this narrative account is riveting.
Though this is a difficult subject to read about, it is a must read for anyone who wants to understand how and why our country travelled down this path, what has been lost and gained, and where this might lead us in the future.
Highly recommended!
Jan Dempsey
Author and illustrator Suzanne Bloom will visit the library on Monday, October 13. Bloom, author of “A Splendid Friend, Indeed” will read this story, answer questions and sign books. Books will be available to purchase.
There will be two sessions. The first session will be 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. The second session will be 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
This book is this year’s Welcome to School – Family Reading Partnership book selection. This event is sponsored by the Family Reading Partnership.
Make sure to bring along any of Ms. Bloom’s books that you own and she will autograph them.
