Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

Thursday

November 6, 2014

7:00 PM

Maynard tells the story of a long weekend and its repercussions through the eyes of a then 13-year-old boy, Henry, who lives with his divorced mother, Adele. On Labor Day weekend, Henry manages to coax his mother, who rarely goes out, into a trip to PriceMart, where they run into Frank, who intimidates them into giving him a ride. Frank, it turns out, is an escaped convict looking for a place to hide. He holds Adele and Henry hostage in their home, an experience that changes all of them forever. The bizarre situation encompasses Henry's budding adolescence and his fear of being abandoned by his mother and Frank, who are falling in love and planning to run away together. Maynard's prose is beautiful and her characters winningly complicated, with no neat tie-ups in the end. A sometimes painful tale, but captivating and surprisingly moving. The 2013 film adaptation stars Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin.

Sign up today for The Mercer County Library's

Book Discussion Group with a Twist! 

  

The discussion group centers on books that were made into movies. 

Adult patrons are invited to read the book, listen to the book or

 watch the movie and join us for a lively discussion on the 

First Thursday of every month. 

 Come to the library and enjoy refreshments and

a chance to meet with fellow book lovers.

Pre-register at the desk or by calling the library (419) 586-4442.

12 Years a Slave By Solomon Northup

Thursday

October 2, 2014

7:00 PM

 

Solomon Northup’s 12 Years a Slave recounts the author’s life story as a free black man from the North who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War South. The son of an emancipated slave, Northup was born free. He lived, worked, and married in upstate New York, where his family resided. He was a multifaceted laborer and also an accomplished violin player. In 1841, two con men offered him lucrative work playing fiddle in a circus, so he traveled with them to Washington, D.C., where he was drugged, kidnapped, and subsequently sold as a slave into the Red River region of Louisiana. For the next twelve years he survived as the human property of several different slave masters. 

The 2013 film adaptation starring Brad Pitt won “Best Picture of the Year” at the 2014 Academy Awards.

Sign up today for The Mercer County Library's

Book Discussion Group with a Twist! 

  

The discussion group centers on books that were made into movies. 

Adult patrons are invited to read the book, listen to the book or

 watch the movie and join us for a lively discussion on the 

First Thursday of every month. 

 Come to the library and enjoy refreshments and

a chance to meet with fellow book lovers.

Pre-register at the desk or by calling the library (419) 586-4442.

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

Thursday

September 4, 2014

7:00 PM

When Sheila Burnford’s children were young the family had three animals that were loved and treated as part of the family. This prompted her to write a book about the loyalty of family pets and so appeared The Incredible Journey, published in 1961. The book achieved moderate success at first, but it was not until 1963, when Disney made a movie of the book, that it gained worldwide recognition. The black and white movie is now considered a classic, an adventure story that is popular with both children and adults today. In 1993, Disney made a remake of the movie called Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. The film changes the story in some ways but retains the heart- warming qualities of the original.

Sign up today for The Mercer County Library's

Book Discussion Group with a Twist! 

  

The discussion group centers on books that were made into movies. 

Adult patrons are invited to read the book, listen to the book or

 watch the movie and join us for a lively discussion on the 

First Thursday of every month. 

 Come to the library and enjoy refreshments and

a chance to meet with fellow book lovers.

Pre-register at the desk or by calling the library (419) 586-4442.

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Thursday

August 7, 2014

7:00 PM

The best American novel to emerge from World War I, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse. Hemingway's description of war is unforgettable. He recreates the fear, the comradeship, the courage of his young American volunteer and the men and women he meets in Italy with total conviction. The film adaptation stars Helen Hayes and Gary Cooper.

Sign up today for The Mercer County Library's

Book Discussion Group with a Twist! 

  

The discussion group centers on books that were made into movies. 

Adult patrons are invited to read the book, listen to the book or

 watch the movie and join us for a lively discussion on the 

First Thursday of every month. 

 Come to the library and enjoy refreshments and

a chance to meet with fellow book lovers.

Pre-register at the desk or by calling the library (419) 586-4442.

The Perfect Storm

By

Sebastian Junger

Thursday

July 3, 2014

7:00 pm

Meteorologists called the storm that hit North America's eastern seaboard in October 1991 a "perfect storm" because of the rare combination of factors that created it. In this 1997 nonfiction account,  author Sebastian Junger conjures for the reader the meteorological conditions that created the "storm of the century" and the impact the storm had on many of the people caught in it. Chief among these are the six crew members of the swordfish boat the Andrea Gail, all of whom were lost 500 miles from home beneath roiling seas and high waves. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg star in the gripping film adaptation.

Sign up today for The Mercer County Library's

Book Discussion Group with a Twist! 

  

The discussion group centers on books that were made into movies. 

Adult patrons are invited to read the book, listen to the book or

 watch the movie and join us for a lively discussion on the 

First Thursday of every month. 

 Come to the library and enjoy refreshments and

a chance to meet with fellow book lovers.

Pre-register at the desk or by calling the library (419) 586-4442.

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

Thursday

June 5, 2014

7:00 PM

 The hilarious tale of teenager Novalee Nation, who sets out for a new life in California but finds herself stranded and pregnant in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Oklahoma. The eccentric inhabitants of the town -- including Sam Walton, the late owner of Wal-Mart -- pitch in to take care of Novalee in their own unusual ways. The 2000 film adaptation stars Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd.

Sign up today for The Mercer County Library's

Book Discussion Group with a Twist! 

  

The discussion group centers on books that were made into movies. 

Adult patrons are invited to read the book, listen to the book or

 watch the movie and join us for a lively discussion on the 

First Thursday of every month. 

 Come to the library and enjoy refreshments and

a chance to meet with fellow book lovers.

Pre-register at the desk or by calling the library (419) 586-4442.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Thursday

May 1, 2014

7:00 PM

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport.

Sign up today for The Mercer County Library's

Book Discussion Group with a Twist! 

  

The discussion group centers on books that were made into movies. 

Adult patrons are invited to read the book, listen to the book or

 watch the movie and join us for a lively discussion on the 

First Thursday of every month. 

 Come to the library and enjoy refreshments and

a chance to meet with fellow book lovers.

Pre-register at the desk or by calling the library (419) 586-4442.