SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2008

We were delighted to have Emily Allen Garland, the author of Giving A Voice to Ancestors, come and speak to the book group last month. Emily gave us the background on how and why she came to write a riveting book about her ancestors. This led into a discussion of Afro-American and white race relations and her hopes for the future. Emily also shared the early story of her own life and has written a second book, her autobiography. Entitled Bittersweet Memories, this book is currently in cataloging and will soon be available to check out here at East Lake.

The book for this month is On Beauty by Zadie Smith. It is the humorous story of 2 families and their complicated relationships with each other. The author explores religion, race, class, family relationships and marriage. Our next meeting is on May 21st at 6:30 PM. Please bring in your list of suggestions for books to read over the next six months. If you are not able to attend, please email me your suggestions.

FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2008

Last week, we discussed The Zookeeper's Daugher by Diane Ackerman. Amazing is the word that describes the true events taking place in Poland during World War II. Ackerman tells the story of Antonia and her husband Jon and how they managed to save over 300 Jewish people from the Nazis. This true story of the Warsaw Zoo, Warsaw's Jewish ghetto and the Polish Resistance gives the reader a unique glimpse of World War II. On a scale of 1 to 5, the book ended up being rated as a 3.5.

Just a few reminders: the library will be closed April 21 through April 26 while we convert our computers to a new, improved computer system. The I Borrow System that allows us to obtain books from other libraries in the state will not be available for use until May 1.

Our next Book Group meeting will be on Wednesday, April 16, to discuss Emily Allen Garland's book: Giving A Voice to the Ancestors. We look forward to meeting the author and discussing her book with her. Coffee and dessert will be provided. I encourage everyone to attend this special evening even if you don't get time to finish the book. I hope to see you all in April.
Sherry

Book Club Update - 02/21/2008

Our February selection was a hit. Everyone present enjoyed reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Jeannette's story of growing up in a very challenging situation impressed us with her perseverance and ingenuity. What was more impressive is that after facing a childhood plagued with poverty and neglect, she is able to tell the story with deep affection for her parents. It was definitely a story of triumph against all odds.

On March 19th, we will be discussing The Zookeeper's Wife. We have ordered a number of copies of the book and expect them to be delivered by the end of this week. I will call the people that left me their names. If you did not add your name to the list, feel free to email me to let me know that you need a copy. See you all on March 19th. Sherry