This week The Bookies (Emmet O'Neal's GrEaT book group) met to discuss our county-wide read Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron.
Myron was the director of a small town library in Spencer, Iowa (population 10,000) when one freezing January morning she and a co-worker opened the library's metal encased book drop to find one small shivering tabby cat with frostbitten paws. Dewey Readmore Books as he came to be known soon won over the hearts of the library staff and the entire town. Dewey became the library cat, and lived happily at the Spencer Public Library for many years.
Our book group had a pretty unanimous consensus - we liked the book. It was a sweet story about the relationship between the cat and the townspeople. Also, Myron had some really interesting points about a small town hit by hard times. We didn't have a long discussion about it because we were ready to move on to our non-fiction discussion. I asked each member of the group to bring in a non fiction title she is currently reading and tell us about it. Here was our list (oh, and there are several fiction titles we let slide in as well). I have added links to the library's catalog, and have included Dewey ;)
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Myron
Slave Hunter: One Man's Global Quest To Free Victims of Human Trafficking by Aaaron Cohen - Cohen's story is an interesting one - he is the one time collaborator and friend of Jane's Addiction leader Perry Ferrell. Cohen has traveled the world in attempts to free women and children from the horrors of slavery.
The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour - Bennie M. told The Bookies that this was a really excellent history of the famous Berlin Airlift. It went into great detail about the mechanics of the airlift and how the operation was carried out. Sounds like a great read!
Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett - a popular choice for local book groups, in it Ms. Patchett discusses her relationship with another great writer, Lucy Grealy
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy - Ms. Grealy's story of her life and relationship with fellow writers including Ann Patchett.
North Across the River: a Civil War Trail of Tears by Ruth Beaumont Cook - the history of a little known story about a group of people forced to leave Roswell, Georgia for the Ohio River Valley - written by a local author too!
Home Tonight by Henri Nowen - contemplative writing about the parable of the prodigal son.
Fixing My Gaze: A Scientist’s Journey Into Seeing In Three Dimensions by Susan Barry - Mary D. told us this was about how people see and how our brains communicate with our eyes and vice versa.
Outside The Magic Circle: The Autobiography of Virginia Foster Durr - a great book by and about an amazing woman. We have several copies of this one!
Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause by Tom Gjelten - Connie W. said this was long, but very interesting if you want to learn more about Castro's Cuba and the Bacardi family.
And, as promised, a little fiction:
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - won a Pulitzer Prize last year.
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry - Betty P. tells me this is a GREAT book!
The Toss of A Lemon by Padma Viswanathan which Paula P’s friend testified was one of the best books she had ever read!
Next month The Bookies will meet on November 10th to discuss Steinbeck's classic East of Eden. Join us!
Katie M.
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