Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina is the wife of a prominant Russian government official. She leads a correct but confining upper-middle-class existence. She seems content with her life as a proper companion to her dignified, unaffectionate husband and an adoring mother to her young son, until she meets Count Vronsky, a young officer of the guards. He pursues her and she falls madly in love with him. Her husband refuses to divorce her, so she gives up everything, including her beloved son, to be with Vronsky. After a short time, Vronsky becomes bored and unhappy with their life as social outcasts. He abandons her, returns to the military and is immediately accepted back into society. Anna, a fallen woman, shunned by respectable society, throws herself under a train.
What do you think of the book? What did you think about Anna's decision to leave her son behind? What did you think about the way Anna's suicide was treated in the book?

"Home Front" by Kristin Hannah

Early in Jolene's homecoming, Mila says: "We all knew how hard it would be have you gone, but no one told us how hard it would be when you came back." What do you think about this comment?  Do we romanticize homecomings and thereby somehow set ourselves up for diappointment?  What could her family have done to make Jolene's return an easier transition?

For further informaiton about the author, check out:

http://kristinhannah.com/content/about_kristin.php


Photographer Lalage Snow's photo series "We Are the Not Dead":

http://lalagesnow.photoshelter.com/gallery/We-Are-The-Not-Dead/G0000_eT5QooYacY/

A series of portraits of British soldiers over a period of eight months, before, during and after their operational deployment in Afghanistan. The portraits are captioned with the thoughts and feelings of each individual. They speak of fear, being injured, losing a brother soldier, missing home, excitement, coming home, and what life is like on the frontline

As the body count of British servicemen killed or wounded rose and the political ramifications of the British army’s presence in Afghanistan became increasingly convoluted, more and more soldiers felt like they didn’t have a voice, or at least, weren’t being listened to. ‘We Are The Not Dead’ is an attempt at giving the brave young men and women the chance to speak.


If you are interested in volunteer opportunites to help veterans:

http://www.milserve.org/

"A Reliable Wife" by Robert Goolrick

In " A Reliable Wife", Catherine imageines herself as an actress playing a series of roles, the one of Ralph's wife being the starring role of a lifetime. Where in the novel might you see a glimpse of the real Catherine Land?  Do you feel like you ever get to know this woman, or is she always hidden behind a facade?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://robertgoolrick.com/biography.html

"A Redbird Christmas" by Fannie Flagg

In A Redbird Christmas, healing is a central motif in this novel. Who gets healed in this book -- and in what ways? And, more importantly, what enables healing to occur? What is Flagg suggesting about the power of community?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://fannieflaggbooks.com/bios/fannie-flagg

"The Lifeboat" by Charlotte Rogan

Are people more likely to revert to traditional male/female roles in crisis situations?  What traditional male/female traits might help a person survive?

For further information about the author, check out:

http://charlotterogan.com/

"The Chatham School Affair" by Thomas H. Cook

Henry Griswald: How do the events of the story affect or change him? What is his secret and why has he kept it all these years? Why did Henry return to Chatham given the tragedy that took place there and the fact that he had resented the town as a child?

For further information about the author, check out:
http://mysteriouspress.com/authors/thomas-h-cook/default.asp

For an interview with the author (The Great Unknown Thomas H. Cook by Ali Karim in January magazine):
http://januarymagazine.com/profiles/cook.html

"Save Me" by Lisa Scottoline

What do you think of Rose's lawyers' strategy?  Did you agree or disagree with it?  Why or why not? Do you think there were just passing the blame, or do you think the school had a responsibility in what happened? Do you think that litigation is another form of bullying? 

To learn more about the author, check out:

http://scottoline.com/About/index.html

"In a Dry Season" by Peter Robinson

In Peter Robinson's "In a Dry Season" (#10 of the Inspector Banks series), each character seems to be grappling with an issue in their past, as well as in their current lives -- Banks, Annie, Vivian.  Does this help give depth and development to their characters and explain their intentions and their interactions?

 

 

 

For further information about the author, check out:

 

http://www.inspectorbanks.com/

 



"Live by Night" by Dennis Lehane

Throughout the story, Joe Coughlin insists that he isn't a gangster, he's an outlaw. How does he define each? Do you think they are different? If Joe isn't a gangster, who is?

Joe believes his father—"a pillar of the City on the Hill, the Athens of America, Hub of the Universe"—was more criminal than he could ever be, thanks to a lifetime of "payoffs and kickbacks and graft." Is he right? Does Joe's honesty about himself make him nobler—or just more honest—than his father?

 

For further information about the author, check out:

 

http://www.dennislehane.com/imprint

Wayne Public Library Adult Summer Reading 2013

 

Groundbreaking Reads - Summer 2013

Wayne Residents Ages 18 & up come and join the Summer Fun with our Groundbreaking Summer Reading Program starting Monday, July 1, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. and ending Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 9:00 p.m.

Guidelines for participating:

You may read a book or listen to an audiobook, write a short summary (Not less than 30 words please) and tell us if it was Groundbreaking or not!

You may post your summary to the Wayne Discussion Blog via the link on the library homepage or write your summary on an entry form and place it in the Groundbreaking Entry Form Box by visiting the Groundbreaking Summer Reading Station at the Main Library or the Preakness Branch Library.

The person with the most well written summaries on September 3, 2013 will win the Groundbreaking Prize and there will be a second place runner –up Earth shattering Prize as well! The more summaries you write the better your chances of winning!

Here’s what you need to do to blog about your book!

1) Find a great book to read!

2) Read it

3) Write a good summary (no less than 30 words) and tell us if it was Groundbreaking or Not!

4) Visit our Blog from the Groundbreaking Reads link on www.waynepubliclibrary.org

5) Look for the Groundbreaking Summer Reading Logo

6) Scroll down just a bit

7) Click on  Post a Comment

8) Type in your Name, Library card # and Phone number, book title, author and your summary and if it was Groundbreaking or not!

9) Type in the Word Verification

10) Select anonymous

11) Then Publish

12) Your review will not actually get published until it is reviewed/approved by our librarian. She will then print out your entry and place it in the Groundbreaking Entry Form Box, and then remove your name, card number and phone number and publish your summary on our Blog.

Remember! The more you read and write the better your chances of winning!

Two Prizes will be awarded this year! Winners will be notified on September 5th!