Don’t forget. Our next book discussion group will meet Wednesday, December 16 from 7:00 to 7:50 p.m. We will be discussing “The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer.

Everyone is welcome!

And here is an interesting article from The Boston Globe about a writer who was so inspired by the book that she decided to visit the island of Guernsey.

Find the article here.

Jan

Author Pete Hamill who spoke Wednesday at the Rosamond Gifford lecture series in Syracuse has this to say about libraries:

“When they start cutting, cut the limousines and keep the libraries.” Because that’s where today’s generation can discover the glory of words like he did, Hamill said, “and the young can help people get up.”

Full article here.

The Living Stories project (http://livingstories.googlelabs.com/) is a new project in presenting news by Google in collaboration with The New York Times and The Washington Post.  You can find complete coverage of an ongoing topic such as the war in Afghanistan, climate change, health care crisis, etc. gathered together under one URL.  There will be news articles, opinion pieces and features all together. There will be a summary of recent developments and a timeline of critical events.  This is an experiment by Google. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here. – Jan

Fans of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon mysteries will be surprised by her latest work of fiction.  “13 1/2″ is a psychological thriller which weaves together the stories of a nine-year-old “Butcher Boy” who massacred his family in the 1970s in Minnesota and Polly Deschamps who has made a good life for herself and her two daughters in New Orleans after surviving an abusive upbring in Mississippi.

If you aren’t bothered by some rough language and some dark subject matter you will find yourself immersed in this tale of evil resurfacing. Barr is a master storyteller, though I hope she doesn’t give up on her Anna Pigeon mysteries that are set in various national parks. It is one of my favorite series.

Jan

In 1843 Charles Dickens was broke. In the six weeks before Christmas, he wrote the ghost story that would go on to become a classic. The manuscript of “A Christmas Carol” is housed at the Morgan Library in New York City. Each year they display one page of the 66 page manuscript. This year the library allowed the New York Times to photograph the manuscript and display it online.  Check out all the rewrites and if you find something really interesting you just might win an afternoon tea at the Morgan Library.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/a-christmas-rewrite-as-dickens-edits-dickens/

Don’t forget!  This Saturday, December 5 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm the SUNY Cortland Special Education Club will be at the library to offer games, crafts and stories to all students, not just special needs kids,  in kindergarten through sixth grade. Bring your friends!

Jack McEvoy is forced to take a buyout from The Los Angeles Times. Once a hotshot reporter, he is now training his replacement and looking for one last story that will define his career.

He starts looking deeper into the story of a 16-year-old drug dealer who is accused of a brutal murder.  He soon finds out that the boy’s confession is bogus and the hunt for the real murderer begins.

But the real murderer knows he is coming and Jack quickly learns just how cunning and brutal he really is.

Michael Connelly is a former journalist and knows the newspaper business.  The mix of the newspaper business with intricacies of computer hacking made for a compelling story. It’s not great literature but it’s a fun read.

Jan

Sue Monk Kidd, author of “The Secret Life of Bees” and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor take turns in this book exploring their inner selves and their relationship with each other. Monk Kidd writes about the growing awareness of her own mortality as she struggles with menopause and its physical and emotional effects. Kidd Taylor struggles with depression and her confusion about what she wants to do with her life.  Both are working to forge a new relationship with each other.  Traveling to Greece and France provides them with many opportunities for reflection and inspiration.

Jan

Join us on Thursday, November 18 at 6:00 p.m. to hear local graphic artist Michael Sheppard talk about his latest exhibit of computer generated fine art giclee prints which is currently on display in the library’s art gallery. The exhibit will be on display until the end of November.

A reminder that our adult book discussion group will be meeting tomorrow evening (Wednesday, November 18) at 7:00 p.m. to talk about Malcolm Gladwell’s “Blink.”

Hope you can join us. If you can’t come to the library feel free to leave any comments here and I will share them with the group.

Jan