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Get Real! @ Your Library – Teen Read Week 2005
During the month of October, PLCMC not only celebrates reading with our annual NOVELLO festival of reading, but we also celebrate Teen Read Week. This is our time to celebrate teens in our area….and reading, too! This year we’ve chosen some of our nonfiction books to feature. We invite you to take some time to explore some of these highly recommended titles, and we thank you for using the Reader’s Club site!
NOVELLO Festival of Reading
Each October PLCMC celebrates books with its Novello Festival of Reading. Games and storytelling, a family street festival, and talks by popular regional and national authors are just some of the events we look forward to each year. In this booklist, we present reviews of books by some of our Novello authors past and present.
Beyond the Sidelines: True Stories from the World of Sports
Sports have always been an important part of American culture. Often what happens beyond the sidelines, in the locker room, or even after an athlete’s career is over, can be more interesting and memorable than that game winning catch or unbelievable shot. Here are just a few books that examine sports and the athletes, both amateur and professional, outside of the game.
Recommended Books:
View this month’s featured booklists and reviews
Here is an excerpt of WBTV Meterologist, Al Conklin's, review of The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara:
In the four most bloody and courageous days of our nation’s history, two armies fought for two dreams. One dreamed of freedom and unity, the other of preserving a way of life. Far more than rifles and bullets were carried into this pivotal battle. There were memories, promises and love. And far more than men fell on these beautiful, rolling Pennsylvania fields. Shattered futures, forgotten innocence and crippled beauty were also casualties of war. A terrible penalty to pay for pride and union. Shaara brings to life both the warriors and foot soldiers of the worst battle ever fought on North American soil, and does it with clarity and power. In a simple, yet convincing fashion, Shaara captures the essence of this great American struggle and makes the conflict all so real that even the novice civil war buff can relate and understand. Read it and you will find yourself drawn to Gettysburg – as I have been – many times over.
Read more Celebrity Reviews
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Jeff Shaara (originally spelled Sciarra) was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1952 of Italian American descent. Graduating from Florida State University in 1974 with a B.S. in Criminology, no one was more surprised than Mr. Shaara was with his phenomenal success in historical novel-writing. Earlier in his life before his writing career took off, he was a dealer in rare coins, but then sold his business after the death of his father to manage the estate. His father, Pulitzer Prize winning, Michael Shaara, won acclaim with his 1974 civil war book, The Killer Angels, which was subsequently made into a full-length movie, “Gettysburg.” In 1988 after his father's death, Jeff agreed to write the book’s prequel, titled, Gods and Generals. It leapt to the bestseller lists including a fifteen week wave on the New York Times bestseller list. Following quickly on its heels came The Last Full Measure and Gone For Soldiers, the second and third in the Civil War trilogy. Afterward, Mr. Shaara set his sights on the American Revolution with bestsellers, Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause. He is presently working on a new trilogy based on the events of World War II and leading up to and including the Korean War. Jeff Shaara and his wife, Lynne, divide their time between Missoula, Montana, and New York City.
Read our Jeff Shaara Interview
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This month Reader’s Club honors Kate from Cornelius Library. Kate is a voracious reader and frequent Reader’s Club reviewer. She has reviewed several young adult novels. Here are her thoughts on reading and writing book reviews:
“I have always loved to read. Some people would even call me an addict because I feel the need to read at least an hour a day. I personally think it is a result of having five librarians in my family tree. I'll read anything, especially if I'm desperate. Earlier this week I was stuck at a car repair shop for two hours longer than I had anticipated and had to read three sports magazines cover to cover to keep from going crazy.
I like to read a wide variety of books, especially non-fiction and fantasy. Some of my favorite authors include Patricia McKillip, Sharon Shinn, Mary Stewart, Hilary McKay, and Ursula Le Guin. Recently I have read several non-fiction accounts of hiking the Appalachian Trail, because I've been thinking about trying it. The majority of the books that I've reviewed for Reader's Club are for teens because that's what my focus is. ’’
Read more about our Featured Reviewer
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October's Librarian’s Choice Award goes to The DNA of Literature. Assembled by the Paris Review this website is an archive of the journal's famous interviews with world authors. They plan to eventually have all of their author interviews available free of charge. Currently available are interviews from the 50's, 60's and 70's. This should be a valuable resource for both the casual reader and the serious bibliophile.