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Reading Rescue, January 2012:
Selections from the Book Groups
 By
Christine Miller
This New Year, Penn Area Library is happy to announce
our inclusion in the Westmoreland Integrated Network. You may have
noticed changes to the look of the online catalog. In late fall, a
transition took place with our migration to the Polaris Library System.
What this means for our patrons is that all of the resources of the
Westmoreland County Federated Library System are now accessible, 24/7!
Your Penn Area Library card will be recognized at all libraries in the
county, and remote access is available through your Polaris account to
place holds, renew items, build a reading list, and pay fines. E-mail
notifications are now available for requests, due date reminders and
overdue notices. Our Penn Area Library patrons remain first on the holds
list for all Penn Area Library items. Call the library at 724-744-4414
for more information. Our great staff members will be happy to help.
To set up your Polaris Account, follow the link from our
homepage at www.pennlib.org. Use
your library barcode number as id, and the last four digits of your
phone number as your password.
We've also added a few new programs. Our morning Book
Group, meeting on the last Wednesday of the month, began in September
with a discussion of The Awakening, by Kate Chopin.
The Awakening, a classic on the American Library
Association's list of 'Banned and Challenged Books' was written in the
late 1800's and later became identified as a precursor to the Women's
Movement. Controversial for its time, this small book sparked quite a
discussion among our modern-day book group readers. The story revolves
around Edna Pontellier, an unconventional wife and mother who is
questioning her comfortable life with her fairly uninvolved husband, and
is desperately looking for meaning. Because she does not seem to be
driven or satisfied solely by the duties of family, and having an
artistic nature, she operates mostly in a very internal, 'dreamy' state.
One summer, while vacationing on Grand Isle, Louisiana, Edna begins to
feel urges toward independence with a passion she has not experienced
before. This story of self-actualization, not shocking by today's
standards, perhaps, still remains relevant. The surprise ending caught
many of us off-guard.
Some say the book is full of irony. Others are touched
by Chopin's mesmerizing writing style. Pick up a copy and see what you
think. (Classics; FIC CHOPIN)
Other books on the Book Discussion list have included
Brick Lane by Monica Ali, The Quilter’s Apprentice by
Jennifer Chiaverini, Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall
Smith, and currently, The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy
Fowler.
Blue Shoes and Happiness (Book 7 in the
internationally acclaimed Series, No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency), by
Alexander McCall Smith is a fun, light read but not without substance
enough to inspire a great discussion. Precious Ramotswe, the
"traditionally-built," self-taught private detective, and her assistant,
Grace Makutsi are in search of the truth behind a seemingly random,
unrelated sequence of events and circumstances that have presented
themselves in their Botswana community. The new advice columnist, Aunty
Emang, has caught the attention of Mma Romotswe, a local nurse has
reported that faulty blood pressure readings are being recorded at a
local clinic, and a young chef is in danger of losing her job over a
fabricated accusation that she is giving away free food.
McCall Smith's focus on human relationships drives the
plot of this novel, with Mma Ramotswe's intuitive approach to life and
happiness at the heart of it. As the lady detectives uncover clues,
Ramotswe's assistant, Grace, learns some valuable lessons about her
worries with her new fiancé, her new blue shoes and her importance to
the agency. You'll like McCall Smith's charming characters and humorous
writing style. (FIC MCCALL SMITH)
A second Book Group, in formation last fall and
scheduled to meet the second Thursday of every month, met for the first
time in January with a discussion of The Year of Fog by Michelle
Richmond.
If you are interested in joining one of the Book
Discussion Groups, call or stop by to register. Books will be provided
to all participants.
The 'Dogs and Tales’ program to support young readers is
going full-force. Kids are excited to come in on the third Wednesday of
every month to read to some of their favorite furry friends and build
confidence in their reading skills.
Don’t forget about the eBooks! Follow the OverDrive
Download link from our homepage to browse new titles. A large collection
of Disney titles, some of which are interactive, was added in December.
Tax clinics will be held again this year beginning
February 3rd, and will run every other Friday from 9am – 1pm. Call the
library at 724-744-4414 to schedule a consultation
We would like to wish a very happy New Year to all of
our patrons. See you at the Library!
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