Library Matters: Read Together

Monday, January 11, 2010

Read Together - Vote NOW

Cast Your Vote

For "THE BOOK" -- the 2010 Read Together Palm Beach County campaign

Go to your local library or bookstore to cast a ballot. Or vote online at http://readtogether.palmbeachpost.com .

Votes may be cast until February 5. The winning book will be announced on March 1, and the whole county will read it together next April.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford : An exploration of the age-old conflicts between father and son, the sadness of Japanese Americans during World War II, and the depths of love, this first novel gives a glimpse of the cold, cruel damage caused by war to the hearts and humanity of individuals.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien : Is it fiction or memoir? A novel, or a collection of short stories? This masterpiece depicts the men of Alpha Company during the author's tour in Vietnam as they battle the enemy and occasionally each other. In their relationships we see the isolation, longings, loneliness, rage and fear. Yet they find sympathy for strangers and love for each other.

Run by Ann Patchett : This modern domestic drama deals with big issues touching us all -- religion, race, class, politics and, above all else, family. By weaving together seemingly disparate lives to show how intimately humans can connect, this novel explores what truly defines family and the lengths we will go to protect our children.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows : A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, this vivid novel, whose characters spring to life in letters and telegrams exchanged over the course of nine months affirms the power of books to nourish people enduring hard times.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak : This is the story of a German foster girl in the 1940s, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books. She learns to read and shares her stolen books with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.