October 4, 2024

Book Discussion for January and February 2024

Mark your calendars for the upcoming book discussions:

Tuesday, January 16th, from 6:30-7:30:

The Sand-Reckoner by Gillian Bradshaw

A historical account that reimagines the life of one of ancient Greece’s greatest minds, the mathematician Archimedes. He finds “fame and loss, love and war, wealth and betrayal-none of which affects him nearly as much as the divine beauty of mathematics.”

Tuesday, February 20th, from 6:30-7:30:

Sula by Toni Morrison

In honor of Black History Month, this is a powerful novel that explores the friendship of two black women set in the 1920s and 1930s. It delves into the themes of race, identity, and the consequences of going against societal norms.

Art Book Grant

Umberhine Public Library participated in the A.rt R.esources T.ransfer Library Program, which “bridges public institutions, artists, and publishers through the circulation of printed books,” and received a dozen books on modern and contemporary art. The 100% free program “distributes books to public libraries, schools, and prisons nationwide.”

A few of the books received include these titles:
American Marquetry: Masterpieces in Wood by Richard Muhlberger (745.51 MUH)
Building Diplomacy: The Architecture of American Embassies by Elizabeth Gill Lui (725 GIL)
Willem de Kooning: Sculpture (707.4 De KOONING)

Umberhine Public Library can place one order every calendar year. We encourage you check out our new art books and give us good reason to tap into this resource again in 2024.

Book Club: June/July

Upcoming Book Discussions! Each meeting is 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Books are available now for the next 2 discussions.

June 20
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (edited by Mirjam Pressler, translated by Susan Massotty). June 12 marks what could have been Anne Frank’s 94th birthday. This is the book of the writings from the Dutch-language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

July 18
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – First published 70 years ago, it presents an American society where books have been personified and outlawed and “firemen” burn any that are found. The novel follows Guy Montag, a fireman who becomes disillusioned with his role of censoring literature and destroying knowledge, eventually quitting his job and committing himself to the preservation of literary and cultural writings.

Book Club: March/April/May

Upcoming Book Discussions! Each meeting is 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Books are available now for the next 3 discussions. Two copies of Jeeves and the Wedding Bells are available for pick up this Saturday. It can be a quick weekend read for Tuesday night’s discussion; it is just 7 hours in audiobook format.

March 21
Jeeves and the Wedding Bells: An Homage to P.G. Wodehouse by Sebastian Faulks – With the approval of the Wodehouse estate, acclaimed novelist Sebastian Faulks brings Bertie Wooster (a young man about town) and his butler Jeeves (the very model of modern manservant) back to life for their legion of fans.

April 18
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson – The result of Carson’s environmental research was Silent Spring, which brought environmental concerns to the American public.

May 16
The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen – This is the Pulitzer Prize winning author’s collection of eight stories exploring questions of immigration, identity, love, and family.