Community Reading Program

We received a number of nominations for “Up From Thunder” by local author Susan K. Salzer. One reader describes the book as “a fascinating account of Missouri’s uniquely brutal Civil War, which is especially timely as the sesquicentennial approaches. It tells the tale of the hardship and terror experienced by all Missouri citizens regardless of their allegiance. It is also a well-researched account of the early years of Jesse James.” Another reader praises the way this work of fiction “intertwines Missouri’s rich Civil War history with details of the life of a legendary outlaw and a romance.”

Thank you to everyone who suggested books to be considered for the 2011 One Read program. As the reading panel begins its work, we will continue to highlight nominated titles so you can learn what others in the community are reading and discussing.

The nominator of Damon Galgut’s “In a Strange Room” calls this “a phenomenal book about loneliness and the need for connection.” A finalist for the Man Booker Prize, this work tells the story of a young loner as he travels across eastern Africa, France, Greece and India. Unsure what he’s after, and reluctant to return home, he follows the paths of travelers he meets along the way. Treated as a lover, a follower, a guardian, each new encounter leads him closer to confronting his own identity.

Thank you to everyone who suggested books to be considered for the 2011 One Read program. As the reading panel begins its work, we will continue to highlight nominated titles so you can learn what others in the community are reading and discussing.

ROOM, by Emma Donoghue from era404 creative on Vimeo.

Several DBRL readers nominated “Room” by Emma Donoghue as an ideal One Read selection. The story is told from the perspective of imaginative five-year-old Jack who has lived his whole life in one room. From the publisher’s marketing text:

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it’s the prison where she’s been held since she was nineteen-for seven long years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in that eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But Jack’s curiosity is building alongside her own desperation—and she knows that Room cannot contain either indefinitely.

Thank you to those who suggested this and other books to be considered for the 2011 One Read program. As the reading panel begins its work, we will continue to highlight nominated titles so you can learn what others in the community are reading and discussing.

Our next highlighted One Read suggestion is “The 19th Wife” by David Ebershoff. Our nominator praises this “history of polygamy and its negative impact on community, family and interpersonal relationships.” Ebershoff artfully weaves together a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah and the story of Ann Eliza Young, separated from Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Part historical fiction, part murder mystery, this well-crafted work explores the mysteries of faith.

Today, December 15, is the last day to nominate a title for our 2011 One Read program! Give us your suggestions at any of our branches, the bookmobile, or online at oneread.org.

The nominator of “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro describes this book as “subtly science fiction dealing with cloning and an alien parallel society.” This haunting cautionary tale follows the lives of clones who are raised to become organ donors in an attempt to rid “normal” society of disease. Narrator Kathy H describes in intimate detail her childhood and schooling at Halisham in the English countryside, where students learn about their “special” purpose but are left with many mysteries about their futures. Kathy’s tale explores the complex relationship between science and ethics and raises a number of questions, including what it means to be human.

Have a suggestion of your own? Nominate a title for our 2011 One Read program at any of our branches, the bookmobile, or online at oneread.org.