THE BIG READ - FAHRENHEIT 451

Ray Bradbury was born in 1920 in Michigan.  Upon graduating high school, Ray sold newspapers in Los Angeles while spending his nights in the public library and his days at the typewriter.  He became a full-time writer in 1943.  Ray Bradbury has been awarded the O. Henry Memorial Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award, the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America, the PEN Center USA West Lifetime Achievement Award, and the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

This year, the library is participating in the Big Read.  The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.  UW-Whitewater received and coordinated the grant.  All participating libraries will read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.  For more information on the Big Read, go to http://als.lib.wi.us/13BigRead.htm  

 

We will be hosting a book discussion on Saturday, October 12th at 10:00 a.m. At the same time, we will have a Fire Truck Storytime for kids.  Then, on Friday, October 25th Sam Weller, author of The Bradbury Chronicles, will be at the library at 5:00 p.m.

Want more Bradbury?  Here are some of his other works:

Dandelion Wine

The Illustrated Man

Something Wicked This Way Comes

The Martian Chronicles

The October Country

Now and Forever

The Cat's Pajamas

Death is a Lonely Business

A Graveyard for Lunatics

Green Shadows, White Whale

I Sing the Body Electric

A Medicine for Melancholy

Farewell Summer 

Driving Blind

From the Dust Returned

Let's All Kill Constance

One More for the Road

Quicker Than the Eye

Looking for something similar to Fahrenheit 451?  Try one of these titles.

1984 by George Orwell

Matter by Iain Banks

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

 

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

Next month the Antemeridians will be meeting on October 15th to discuss The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  The Language of Flowers tells the story of Victoria Jones, a young woman who has spent her childhood in the foster-care system.  Now at the age of 18, she is emancipated from the system with nowhere to go.  Victoria realizes that she has the gift for helping others through her knowledge of flowers, but an unexpected encounter with a stranger has her questioning what has been missing in her life.

For more information on Vanessa Diffenbaugh and her work go to http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/vanessa_diffenbaugh//author/

Finished with The Language of Flowers and looking for more?  Here are some nonfiction books related to flower arrangements.

Creating a Victorian Flower Garden by S.T. Buczacki

Ikebana Everlastings: Dried-Flower Arrangements by Mami Kawasaki

The Book of Flower Arranging: Fresh, Dried, and Artificial by Mary Forsell

The Fine Art of Flower Arranging by Nancy D'Oench

Flowers by Malcolm Hillier

Looking for similar works of fiction?  Try one of these titles:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Countdown by Iris Johansen

Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

A Good American by Alex George

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

 

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THE WHITE PRINCESS

I am a huge fan of Philippa Gregory's books, so it will come as no surprise that I read her newest book, The White Princess, as soon as it was available. 

The White Princess is the latest entry in the Cousins' War series.  Caught between loyalties, the mother of the Tudors must choose between the red rose and the white.  Elizabeth of York, daughter of the White Queen, must marry Henry Tudor upon his victory on the battlefield.  When a young man leads his army and invades England, Elizabeth will have to choose between her husband and the boy who claims to be her lost brother.  This is the story of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York: parents to King Henry VIII.

The Cousins' War Series:
The White Queen
The Red Queen
The Lady of the Rivers
The Kingmaker's Daughter
The White Princess

Want more historical fiction reads in the years prior to the Tudors reign? 

Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell - Nicholas Hook is haunted by what he has failed to do and banished for what he has done.  Now a wanted man in England, he fights as a mercenary archer in France.  After surviving the massacre at Soissons, he heads home to England.  Instead of a capture and death, he is discovered by Henry V, King of England and joins the royal army.  This leads Hook back to France as Henry attempts to claim the French crown.

Mistress of Mourning by Karen Harper takes place in a time of political unrest.  Varina Westcott, a candle maker for court and church, agrees to perform a secret service for Queen Elizabeth, wife of Henry VII.  She will carve wax figures of four dead children: two of Elizabeth's children lost in infancy and her two brothers, the Princes of the Tower.  Then, news comes of the unexpected death of Prince Arthur, the heir to the throne.  Elizabeth suspects that Arthur was murdered and sends Varina to investigate.  As she uncovers one clue after another, she begins to fear that the conspiracy is more ambitious than the queen had imagined.
Looking for more information on the Cousins' War and/or the predecessors to the Tudor family?  Check out the nonfiction works below.

The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir: For much of the fifteenth century the Lancaster and York families were locked in battle for control of the British throne.  Kings were murdered and deposed and armies marched on London.  The war between these to royal houses is one of the longest and most complex in British history.

Elizabeth of York: the Mother of Henry the VIII by Nancy Lent Harvey is the biography of Elizabeth of York, daughter of a King and mother to another.

Queens Consort: England's Medieval Queens by Lisa Hilton - England's medieval queens were instrumental in shaping the history of England.  From Matilda of Flanders, William the Conqueror's queen, to Elizabeth of York, the first Tudor consort, England's queens helped build the nature of the monarchy.  This work examines the lives of the twenty women who were crowned queen between 1066 and 1503.

The Year of Three Kings by Giles St. Aubyn takes a look at the House of York, more specifically the three rulers of 1483: Richard III, Edward IV, and Edward V.

Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the War of the Roses by Sarah Gristwood covers the histories of Margaret of Anjou (Henry VI), Cecily, Duchess of York, Elizabeth (Edward IV), Anne (Richard III),
Margaret of York (Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy), Elizabeth (Henry VII), and Margaret Beaufort.

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THE HUNGER GAMES

This month the Book to Movie Club will get together on Thursday, September 26th to discuss The Hunger Games.  The Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins.  In this first novel, the reader finds themselves in a future North America in which the rulers of Panem keep their control through an annually televised competition that forces two young people from each of the twelve districts against one another.  Katniss Everdeen will have to fight for her life after voluntarily taking her younger sister's place. 

The Hunger Games Trilogy:
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire - In theaters this November!
Mockingjay


Already finished the trilogy?  Try one of the titles listed below.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau tells the story of Malencia (Cia) Vale.  Upon graduation, Cia is chosen for The Testing, a United Commonwealth program that picks the best new graduates to become possible leaders of post-war civilization.  When she is chosen, her father tells her of his own experience of The Testing and warns her not to trust anyone. 

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien: In a future world that is divided into those who live inside the wall and those who live outside, 16 yearo old Gaia Stone is forced into a difficult decision when her parents are arrested and taken into the city.

Matched by Allyson Condie is the first entry in a trilogy.  All her life Cassia has never had a choice; the Society decides everything from playtime to work to housing to food and clothing.  It even decides who Cassia will marry upon her 17th birthday.  She is matched with her best friend Xander, but why did her neighbor Ky's face show up on her match disk too?
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld takes place in a world where everyone gets to be beautiful.  In Tally's world, your 16th birthday brings an operation that will turn you from an ugly into an attractive pretty.  It also brings you to a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have fun.  Tally cannot wait for her birthday, but her friend Shay isn't as sure.  When Shay runs away, Tally must decide to find her friend and turn her in or to never turn pretty at all.  The choice she makes will change her world forever.
Divergent by Veronica Roth will be coming to theatres in March of 2014!  In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into 5 factions that are dedicated to a particular virtue: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent).  All 16 year olds must select the faction to which they will spend the rest of their lives.  For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is, and she makes a choice that surprises everyone.

Crewel by Gennifer Albin: Adelice is gifted with the unusual ability to embroider the fabric of life.  She is summoned by Manipulation Services to become a Spinster, a position that will separate her from her family and home forever.

In Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure the prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe and happy life.  However, before her 18th birthday and treatment, she falls in love.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda follows Gene who has passed as a vampire for years, carefully following every rule.  Then, he is chosen to participate in the hunt for the last remaining humans among ruthless vampires who soon suspect his true nature.

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry tells the story of Kira, an orphan who is removed form her village and sent to live in the Council Edifice where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the Guardians.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: CASSANDRA CLARE

For a long time now, I have been meaning to read the Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare.  I finally managed to read City of Bones as I wanted to read the book before the movie was released.  I'm so glad that I have finally started the series, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

In City of Bones, Clary Fray is suddenly able to see demons and the hunters who are dedicated to returning them.  She is drawn further into this world when her mother disappears, and she is almost killed.

Cassandra Clare is the author of the Mortal Instruments Series and the Infernal Devices Series.  She is currently working on a companion series to the Mortal Instruments: the Dark Artifices.  She is also co-writing a five book series with Holly Black entitled the Magisterium Series.

For more information on Cassandra Clare and her work visit http://www.cassandraclare.com/


The Mortal Instruments Series:
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels
City of Lost Souls

The Infernal Devices Series:
Clockwork Angel
Clockwork Prince
Clockwork Princess

Already finished the series?  Try one of these titles.
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
Tithe by Holly Black
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

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