PageTurners Read “About Schmidt”

About Schmidt
by Louis Begley
Proud, traditional, and impeccably organized, Albert Schmidt is a buttoned-down lawyer of the old school. But now, after years of careful management, his life is slowly unraveling. His beloved wife has recently died. He stumbles–or is he being pushed?–into early retirement. And his daughter, his only child, is planning to marry a man Schmidt cannot approve of, for reasons he can scarcely admit, even to himself. As Schmidt gropes for resolutions, he finds unexpected hope in an intense passion that comes out of the blue.

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The PageTurners Book Club met on Thursday, October 4 at 6 pm in the Bottom Shelf Room at the Rice Lake Public Library. Seven people attended the discussion. The general consensus was that the dialog was confusing, primarily because it didn’t use punctuation. No one was certain whether Schmidt was speaking to someone or thinking to himself.  Nobody was excited about this novel. The average score awarded to this book was  2.5 out of 5 books; the lowest score was a 2 / 5 and the highest score 3 / 5.

Click on the book graphic below to see a full recap of book club members’ opinions.

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About Schmidt by Louis Begley is available at the Rice Lake Public Library. There are over five copies of this book in the MORE System. Please visit the card catalog website or call us at 234-4861 to reserve a copy today.

PageTurners Read “The Fates Will Find Their Way”

The Fates Will Find Their Way
by Hannah Pittard

Sixteen-year-old Nora Lindell is missing. And the neighborhood boys she’s left behind are caught forever in the heady current of her absence. As the days and years pile up, the mystery of her disappearance grows kaleidoscopically. A collection of rumors, divergent suspicions, and tantalizing what-ifs, Nora Lindell’s story is a shadowy projection of teenage lust, friendship, reverence, and regret, captured magically in the disembodied plural voice of the boys who still long for her. Pittard’s  novel tracks the emotional progress of the sister Nora left behind, the other families in their leafy suburban enclave, and the individual fates of the boys in her thrall. Far more eager to imagine Nora’s fate than to scrutinize their own, the boys sleepwalk into an adulthood of jobs, marriages, families, homes, and daughters of their own, all the while pining for a girl–and a life–that no longer exists, except in the imagination.

The PageTurners Book Club met on Thursday, September 6 at 6 pm in the Bottom Shelf Room at the Rice Lake Public Library. Twelve people attended the discussion. The general consensus was that the situation described in the book was contrived and insipid. Nobody was enthused about this novel. The average score awarded to this book was  1.625 out of 5 books; the lowest score was a 1 / 5 and the highest score 2 / 5.

Click on the book graphic below to see a full recap of book club members’ opinions.

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The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard is available at the Rice Lake Public Library. There are over ten copies of this book in the MORE System. Please visit the card catalog website or call us at 234-4861 to reserve a copy today.

Teen Books that Adults Should Read

Teen books aren’t just for teens. They are well written, engaging books that are grabbing the attention of all ages – maybe because a younger family member introduces the book, or because the story is being made into a movie, or perhaps because it has won an award. Whatever the reason, here are some fantastic teen books that we think you should read.

A teen book is any book or story that has primary appeal to teenagers. This usually translates into young protagonists exploring their place in the world. Sometimes this coming of age is completed in a contemporary, realistic setting, but more often than not lately, these big questions are answered through tableaus of mortal danger and dystopian settings.

The following list is not comprehensive. It’s not a list of award winners. It’s not a list of the best sellers. It’s not a list of the newest, hottest, most daring or whatever “-est” adjective you can think of. It is a list of titles found on YA Lit bloggers’ websites that I thought sounded like they might appeal to adult readers interested in YA Lit. Hopefully some of these titles will appeal to you.

The Chocolate War (1974)
by Robert Cormier
Jerry Renault is forced into a psychological showdown with Trinity School’s gang leader, Archie Costello, for refusing to be bullied into selling chocolates for the annual fund raising.

The Mockingbirds (2010)
by Daisy Whitney
When Alex, a junior at an elite preparatory school, realizes that she may have been the victim of date rape, she confides in her roommates and sister who convince her to seek help from a secret society, the Mockingbirds.

My Beating Teenage Heart (2011)
by C.K. Kelly Martin
Two unexpected and heartbreaking deaths cause the lives of two very different teenagers to become intertwined as one struggles to deal with his grief and stay in this world, and the other finds herself inexplicably caught between this world and the next.

Once Was Lost (2009)
by Sara Zarr
As the tragedy of a missing girl enfolds in her small town, fifteen-year-old Samara, who feels emotionally abandoned by her parents, begins to question her faith.

Rats Saw God (1996)
by Rob Thomas
In hopes of graduating, Steve York agrees to complete a hundred-page writing assignment which helps him to sort out his relationship with his famous astronaut father and the events that changed him from promising student to troubled teen.

The Space Between Trees (2010)
by Katie Williams
When the body of a classmate is discovered in the woods, sixteen-year-old Evie’s lies wind up involving her with the girl’s best friend, trying to track down the killer.

The True Meaning of Smekday (2007)
by Adam Rex
When her mother is abducted by aliens on Christmas Eve (or “Smekday” Eve since the Boov invasion), 11 year-old Tip hops in the family car and heads south to find her and meets an alien Boov mechanic who agrees to help her, and save the planet from disaster.

PageTurners Read “The Language of Flowers”

The Language of Flowers
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what’s been missing in her life, and when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

The PageTurners Book Club met on Thursday, June 7, at 6 pm in the Bottom Shelf Room at the Rice Lake Public Library. Six people attended the discussion. The average score awarded to this book was  3.83 out of 5 books; the lowest score was a 2.5 / 5 and the highest score 4.5 / 5.

Click on the book graphic below to see a full recap of book club members’ opinions.

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The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh is available at the Rice Lake Public Library. There over ten copies of this book in the MORE System. Please visit the card catalog website or call us at 234-4861 to reserve a copy today.

New Books of June 2012

The Cottage at Glass Beach
By Heather Doran Barbieri
Married to the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts state history, Nora Cunningham is a picture-perfect political wife and a doting mother. But her carefully constructed life falls to pieces when she, along with the rest of the world, learns of the infidelity of her husband, Malcolm. Humiliated and hounded by the press, Nora packs up her daughters, Annie, seven; and Ella, twelve, and takes refuge on Burke’s Island, a craggy spit of land off the coast of Maine. Just as she begins to regain her balance, her daughters embark on a reckless odyssey of their own, a journey that will force Nora to find the courage to chart her own course and finally face the truth about her marriage, and her long-buried past.

Far Side of the Sky
By Daniel Kalla
The Japanese Imperial Army rampages through China in 1938 and tightens its stranglehold on Shanghai, a city that becomes the last haven for thousands of desperate European Jews. Dr. Franz Adler, a renowned surgeon, is swept up in the wave of anti-Semitic violence and flees to Shanghai with his daughter. At a refugee hospital, Franz meets an enigmatic nurse, Soon Yi “Sunny” Mah. The chemistry between them is intense and immediate, but Sunny’s life is shattered when a drunken Japanese sailor murders her father. The danger escalates for Shanghai’s Jews as the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Facing starvation and disease, Franz struggles to keep the refugee hospital open and protect his family from a terrible fate.

The Infinite Tides
By Christian Kiefer
Capt. Keith Corcoran, “genius” mathematician, engineer, and astronaut working aboard the International Space Station, discovers during his deployment that his 16-year-old daughter has died in a car wreck and his wife, embroiled in an affair, wants a divorce. Once back on the ground, Keith takes an indefinite vacation from NASA while battling recurring migraines and his sudden solitude, and hanging out at the local Starbucks, where he befriends Peter Kovalenko, an impetuous Ukrainian former astronomer presently working at Target. The two alienated men soon bond and share their various misfortunes while smoking pot, drinking beer, and stargazing through Peter’s telescope in an abandoned suburban lot. Keith’s stasis and confusion stem, in part, from his uncertain job status, but his newfound relationships enable him to strive toward a self that will persevere and survive his losses.

The Hypnotist’s Love Story
By Liane Moriarty
Ellen O’Farrell is a successful hypnotherapist with a thriving practice; a new boyfriend, Patrick; and a newly found emotional distance from her unconventional upbringing. Content for the first time in recent memory, Ellen realizes how tenuous her happiness is when Patrick lets her know that his ex-girlfriend, Saskia, has been stalking him ever since they broke up. As a mental-health professional, Ellen realizes that Saskia isn’t a violent stalker who needs a restraining order but a jilted former lover who probably just needs a listening ear. But when Saskia’s methods of surveillance become more extreme, Ellen has to decide how much longer she’s willing to put up with Patrick’s former life if she wants to be a part of his future.

The Red House
By Mark Haddon
Shortly after their mother’s death, wealthy doctor Richard invites his estranged sister and her family to accompany him on holiday in the Welsh countryside with his new wife and teenage stepdaughter. Angela, a teacher grieving in a much less clinical fashion than her brother, convinces her husband and their three children to come on the premise that it’s the best, or only, vacation they can afford, and so begins the novel’s seven-day drama—each relative descending on the country manse with an obligation either to invite another or to attend on another’s behalf.

The Summer House
By Marcia Willett
Matt has always felt that there was something missing in his life. His mother kept all his childhood memories in a small inlaid wooden box, along with many photos of Matt as a child. But something about these photos has always puzzled Matt. Why doesn’t he remember those clothes? The toys? And where, in the photos, is his sister Imogen? Imogen and her husband, a country vet, are living in a rented cottage with their gorgeous baby but must soon move on. Since her childhood, Milo has assumed the role of honorary father. Knowing how she loves it, he offers to sell them the Summer House, a charming folly in the grounds of his beautiful ancient house on Exmoor, but Imogen’s marriage is threatened when her husband refuses to live so far from his practice. Meanwhile, Matt begins to discover the strange and tragic secret which has affected his whole life.

Easter Films 2012

Easter Parade (1948) Rated NR

Astaire is trying to forget ex-dance partner Miller while rising to stardom with Garland.

Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) Rated G

Drama of the life of Christ, the teacher and saviour, healer of the hopeless and champion of the poor, from Galilee to Golgotha.

Jesus of Nazareth (1977) Rated NR

Maintaining the perfect balance between religious fervor and realism, this film depicts the life of Christ from His birth through His resurrection. It is acclaimed exceptional for its thorough Biblical and historical research written in consultation with leading Anglican, Catholic and Jewish religious authorities.

King of Kings (1927) Rated NR

The King of Kings is the Greatest Story Ever Told as only Cecil B. DeMille could tell it. In 1927, working with the biggest budget in the history of Hollywood, DeMille spun the life and Passion of Christ into one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Passion of the Christ (2004) Rated R

Concerns the last twelve hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In the Garden of Gethsemane near the Mount of Olives, Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy and brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, for sentencing. The roaring crowd demands his death, so Pilate orders his crucifixion. Jesus is severely beaten and made to carry his cross up to Golgotha, the hill outside Jerusalem, where he is nailed to the cross. With his mother looking on, he dies.

Multiple Personalities on Film

A Beautiful Mind (2001) Rated PG-13

Dramatic biography of John Nash, a mathematical genius, who made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery. After many years of struggle, he eventually triumphed over his schizophrenia, and finally, late in life, received the Nobel Prize.

Fight Club (1999) Rated R

When a ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a soap salesman channel their aggression into therapeutic “fight clubs”, an eccentric woman gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.

Hide and Seek (2005) Rated R

After his wife is found dead, David decides to take his child, Emily, to live in a house upstate. She finds a weird imaginary friend named Charlie. He likes to play games, and is jealous of anyone who tries to come between Emily and her dad.

Me, Myself, and Irene (2000) Rated R

Rhode Island state trooper Charlie Baileygates proves that nice guys finish first after marrying the prettiest gal in town. But when she leaves him for another man, Charlie develops a split personality, and his outrageous opposite, Hank, is born!

Sybil (1977) Rated NR

A landmark, classic drama depicting the extraordinary real life of a young woman suffering from multiple personality disorder.

PageTurners Read “Lord of the Flies”

Lord of the Flies
William Golding

At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate. This far from civilization they can do anything they want. Anything. But as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far removed from reality as the hope of being rescued… This work is a frightening parody on man’s return (in a few weeks) to that state of darkness from which it took him thousands of years to emerge.

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The PageTurners Book Club met on Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 6 pm. Nine people attended. Discussion lasted an hour; at times it was heated as participants debated the merits of this classic novel. The average rating was 2.9 / 5 books; the lowest rating was a 1, and the highest was a 4.

Click on the book graphic below to see a full recap of book club members’ opinions.

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Lord of the Flies by William Golding is available at the Rice Lake Public Library. There are over ten copies of this book in the MORE System. Please visit the card catalog website or call us at 234-4861 to reserve a copy today.

The PageTurners Book Club is sponsored by the Friends of the Rice Lake Public Library. It usually meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6 pm at the Rice Lake Public Library. Discussion lasts an hour; everyone is welcome.

December 7th, 1941-A Day That Will Live Infamy

In remembrance of December 7th, here is a list of films to watch.

The Final Countdown (1980) Rated PG

When an electrical storm transports the nuclear-powered U.S.S. Nimitz back in time, hours before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the crew must decide between allowing the attack to take place and preventing it, which would forever change history.

From Here to Eternity (1953) Rated NR

Drama about life in the Army in the days prior to World War II. Private Prewitt is a soldier and former boxer being manipulated by his superior and peers. His friend Maggio tries to help him but has his own troubles. Sergeant Warden and Karen Holmes tread on dangerous ground as lovers in an illicit affair. Each of their lives will be changed when their stories culminate on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

In Harm’s Way (1965) Rated NR

Epic treatment of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the attack on the naval base.

Pearl Harbor (2001) Rated PG-13

Two childhood best friends, Rafe and Danny, grow up wanting to fly planes. When Rafe gets the chance to join the Royal Air Force during World War II, he takes it, leaving his new love, Evelyn, a dedicated Navy nurse, and Danny, also a pilot, behind. Danny and Evelyn are transferred separately to the idyllic paradise of Hawaii, where they eventually meet through a connection to Rafe, who has been declared missing. But just as the love triangle begins to get complicated, Dec. 7, 1941 arrives, changing all of their lives forever.

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) Rated G

A dramatization which chronicles the bombing of Pearl Harbor from both the Japanese and American points of view.

Honorable Mention: The Winds Of War (1983) Rated NR

Set against the backdrop of world events that led to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Naval officer, Victor “Pug” Henry, and his family learn to navigate the waters of dangerous times in the late 1930s. While Germany expands and proceeds to seize several border countries, Italy attempts to establish a Fascist Colonial Empire under Mussolini and Japan prepares for a major battle with China. Meanwhile, the Henry clan finds itself drawn into the center of the conflict as they deal with the drama, romance, tragedy and heroism that lead to America’s involvement in World War II.

Films on Adoption

November is National Adoption Awareness Month and in honor of that, here’ s some films with adoption theme.

Anne of Green Gables (1985) Rated NR

Follows the life drama of orphan Anne Shirley, from her struggles as an adolescent to her triumphs as a young woman.

Be sure to check the sequels out too: Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel and Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story

Losing Isaiah (1995) Rated R

A woman who has adopted an abandoned child to give it a new life has to fight for him when his birth mother shows up and wants him back.

My Own Private Idaho (1991) Rated R

Mike – a sensitive narcoleptic who dreams of the mother who abandoned him – and Scott – the rebellious son of a prominent family and the object of Mike’s desire – embark on a quest from the grungy streets of Portland to the open highways of the Pacific Northwest, in search of an elusive place called home.

Next of Kin  (1989) Rated R

A cop transplanted from the backwoods of Appalachia to the mean streets of Chicago is involved in a deadly clash that traps him between the mountain code of retribution and the badge he wears.

The Shipping News (2001) Rated R

An inksetter in New York, Quoyle returns to his family’s longtime home, a small fishing town in Newfoundland, with his young daughter, after a traumatizing experience with her mother, who sold her to an illegal adoption agency. Though Quoyle has had little success thus far in life, his shipping news column in the local newspaper finds an audience, and his experiences in the town begin to change his life.

Honorable Mentions: Annie, Bella, and The Blind Side.