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| Carrollwood Cultural Center Book Club |
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| News and Events |
January 2010 | |
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 Greetings!
I hope your New Year is off to a healthy and happy (if not exactly warm) start. At least this unusually cold weather invites us to stay indoors, snuggled up with a hot mug of coffee or cocoa and, of course, A Good Book!
JANUARY 25 BOOK: This month's "Good Book" selection, by Mark Haddon, is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It's a unique, captivating story told in a most original way, from the emotionless point of view of a 15-year-old who has Asperger's syndrome, which is a form of autism. See below for some additional information about the story, the author, and some discussion questions. My notes indicate that Jean K. is on tap to lead the discussion...so it's bound to be thought-provoking!
BOOK AVAILABILITY FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY: We have an arrangement with the Jimmie B. Keel Library on Bearss Avenue, whereby our book selections can usually be borrowed by going to the checkout counter and asking for the selection under our club name, "CCC Monday #9." The librarian at Keel collects multiple copies (hard/soft cover, and sometimes large print, or audiobook CDs) and sets them aside for us behind the counter; thus, you won't find the title out on the shelves at Jimmie B. Keel or other Hillsborough County Libraries.
Jean K. wanted to point out that because of personnel reductions at the library, you may need to seek out a staff person to obtain your copy, i.e., the books are behind the front counter, and not in the separate "hold" room that library patrons typically access themselves.
NOTE OF WELCOME: If you are a new member of the group, or perhaps one who is returning after a period of absence....please know that we welcome you warmly and hope you will find many friends in the Book Club. Don't hesitate to ask questions or to voice your opinions at discussion meetings...we are an informal crew of book-lovers and want to learn from a variety of opinions and comments.
I look forward to reconvening in a couple of weeks, on January 25!
Kathy S. Smith
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 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time--
January 25
First up for 2010 is a novel by Mark Haddon. On the B&N site, the publisher says of the book: "Narrated by a fifteen-year-old autistic savant obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, this dazzling novel weaves together an old-fashioned mystery, a contemporary coming-of-age story, and a fascinating excursion into a mind incapable of processing emotions."
The following links provide background information about Haddon and the novel:
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 A Thousand Acres: A Novel
February 22
A Thousand Acres, the Pulitzer Prize winning book by author Jane Smiley, is next on our Reading List, for February 22. The book is a powerful family drama about events that are set in motion when a modern-day, prosperous farmer divides his property among his three daughters. The themes found in this novel are similar to those underlying the timeless Shakespeare tragedy, King Lear.
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A Way with Words
Since book lovers are almost without exception word lovers, too, I feel justified in sharing a delightful new website, and public radio broadcast, that I've discovered. The program is called A Way with Words. Here's the web link:
If you listen to just one episode of this call-in show I know you'll be hooked. Hosts Grant and Martha are extremely educated and yet warm, witty, and down to earth as they answer all those pesky questions you've asked yourself regarding words, slang phrases, and usage. Try it! Each program is also downloadable as an on-demand podcast.
NOTE: The website is "dot-org" and not "dot-com"! | |
| About CCC Book Club Meetings |
We meet regularly on the 4th Monday of each month, at 7:00 p.m., at Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road, Tampa, FL. All are invited: bring a friend!
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| Contact Information |
Kathy Smith
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