Orange Beach Public Library

26267 Canal Rd, P.O. Box 1649, Orange Beach, AL 36561    Ph  251-981-2923    Mon, Tues, Fri 9-6, Wed, Thu 9-8, Sat 9-3 

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Friends of the Library Book and Bake Sale!!  Friday January 14, 9 to 4 and Saturday January 15, 9 to 3 @ the Orange Beach Community Center!


Book Group News

Here's where you find what is happening in the Orange Beach Book Group.

The Orange Beach Reading Group met for the first time July 10, 2001 in the library meeting room.  Meetings are held once a month at 3PM on the second Tuesday of the Month to discuss the current selection.   If you would like to be on the email list for the newsletter that I sent out about once a quarter, but sometimes more often,  please email me and let me know at [email protected]

The Reading List Through December 2004

July:  The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles

August:  Modern Baptists by James Wilcox (see Sunday June 6 Book Review in the Mobile Register).  Wilcox teaches creative writing at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

September:  The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.  View the Carson McCullers Project

October:  Whiskey Man:  by Howell Raines

November:  Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant.  Read More on Dunant

December:  Cross Creek by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.  In Dec, we'll have an outside guest speaker coming to the library who performs as M.K. Rawlings.   It's called "A One Woman Characterization" by Karen De Vos.

Modern Library Association

Mystery Reader Guide

Compare Book Prices

Ballantine Readers

Reading Group Guides

Today in Literature

NoveList

Page & Palette Book Store

THE READING LIST THROUGH  June 2004:

July 8:  Empire Falls by Richard Russo

August 12:  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

September 9:  A Place Called Wiregrass by Michael Morriss

October 14:  Big Fish:  A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace

Nov:  Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood

Dec:  No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander Mcall Smith

Jan:  Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

February:  The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber

March:  The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (Note:  Come to this meeting dressed as one of the characters in the play.)  Tea will be served.

April:  As You Like It by William Shakespere.  The book group will be attending the performance of the play in Cathedral Square in Mobile on May 1st or 2nd.  Details to follow.

May:  The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.  Enjoy tea and a discussion.  Just for fun, come in period costume or dressed as a character, if you so desire.

June:  A Thin Difference by Frank Turner Hollon.  At this meeting we will discuss the next 6 months of reading for the group so bring your suggestions

 

 

2002 books we've read:

May 21:  Hamlet by W. Shakespeare.  (June 15 we go to ASF to see the play)

June 11:  Ava's Man by Rick Bragg

July 9:  John Adams, part 1 by, David McCullough

August 13:  John Adams, part 2, by David McCullough

September 10:  The Metaphysical Club by Louis Menand (Pulitzer Prize 2002)

October 8:  Milking the Moon by Katherine Clark

November 12:  A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Dec 10:  Atonement by Ian McEwan  (this is the book Suzanne brought to the meeting in paperback but the bookstores can't get it until later in November). There are nine copies available in the county library system so it shouldn't be a problem to get it.

Jan. 14:  Interpreter of Maladies by Lahiri Jhumpa

Feb 11:  A Secret History by Donna Tart

March 11:  Sailing Alone Around the Room (poetry) by Billy Collins (poet laureate of the US)

April 8:  Romeo and Juliet is playing at the ASF in Montgomery April 1 through July 20 so mark your calendars.  We also have several versions on tape that will be fun to discuss.

 

How to Read a Book

There were lots of questions about how to read a book for a book group. First and foremost, read for enjoyment! As you are reading try to be aware of themes that occur within the text. This could be location or heavy use of natural elements or technology, just to name a few themes. If something unsettles you or amuses you or challenges your preconceived notions of an idea, make a note of the incident. We can talk about it in the group discussion.

Sometimes the actual format of a book is enough to talk about. Is stream of consciousness used? Is there a frame to the story, in other words does it begin with a death and end with a birth or vice versa. How many points of view are in evidence. Is there strong narrator intrusion or seamless storytelling that lets you get lost in the novel? Simply ask yourself how the author presents the story.

Take notes and write down questions you have.  Bring them to the meeting because they usually make for good discussion starters.  Remember, questions are good!

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