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Using Memoirs for Your Book Discussion Group
In keeping with the Library's Fall Adult Reading Challenge, this issue will get you thinking about using memoirs for your book club. Memoirs might not outwardly appear to be great discussion books but there are many that will raise questions about society, gender roles, politics, and just about any other topic you might ponder. Not to mention possibly spirited debates about how truthful the author may or may not be! Not all memoirs are written by celebrities and politicians - some can shine a light on every day problems, situations, and triumphs which all can help us find our own place in this world. For more titles, please contact us at the library and we will try to help you find the right title for your group!
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Do you know any local authors? The Monroe Township Library will be hosting a “Local Author Expo” on Thursday, November 16 from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm. Local Authors can register for a two hour time slot to to meet and talk about their books with readers. An Author Application is available at the Library or can be found on the Monroe Library website. Applications can be returned to Leah Wagner at the Monroe Township Library, 4 Municipal Plaza, Monroe Township, NJ 08831 or emailed to lwagner@monroetwplibrary.org. For additional information contact the Library at 732-521-5000.
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Dear Library Lady, What if there were a member of the book club who feels that she/he may not be as eloquent as other members or prefers to listen rather than speaking? I'm thinking along the lines of how the facilitator can make that person comfortable and welcomed rather than excluded and threatened. Sincerely, Frantic Freida Dear F.F., First of all, there is really nothing wrong with a book club member who prefers listening over talking. Don't you wish sometimes that some of the yackers would actually listen more? There is an excellent book called Quiet by Susan Cain that may be helpful to you. Not every quiet person feels excluded or threatened by the glibness of other members of the group. But if you feel this person needs some encouragement there are a few things you can try. First, you can start the discussion by asking the quiet person a direct questions like, "So, what do you think about ______, Silent Sally?" or "If you were going to cast a movie version of this book, who would you pick, S.S.?" or "Have you read any other works by this author?". Then based on the response, you can keep the conversation going by asking another direct question relating to what the person has just said. You could get one of the more talkative members to ask Silent Sally direct questions also. Eye contact is important too, don't you think? If you feel there is a problem (since the person continues to attend the meetings, there may not be one), you could speak privately to this person before or after the meeting and ask gently how she is enjoying the book club or some other open-ended question. I think it is very important to determine what the problem is before you seek a solution. You don't need a degree in psychology to make people comfortable in group situations. Smiling, a kind word, and good refreshments (cookies, tea, vodka, etc.) always make for good cheer and conversation. Sincerely from your old pal, The Library Lady
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Prague winter : a personal story of remembrance and war, 1937-1948
by Madeleine Korbel Albright
Set against the backdrop of occupied Czechoslovakia and World War II, a former secretary of state paints a vivid portrait of her early life from 1937 to 1948 during which she witnessed the Nazi invasion of her native Prague, the Holocaust, the defeat of fascism, the rise of communism and the onset of the Cold War.
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You don't have to say you love me : a memoir
by Sherman Alexie
The National Book Award-winning author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian presents a literary memoir of poems, essays and intimate family photos that reflect his complicated feelings about his disadvantaged childhood on a Native American reservation with his siblings and alcoholic parents.
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A long way gone : memoirs of a boy soldier
by Ishmael Beah
In a heart-wrenching, candid autobiography, a human rights activist offers a firsthand account of war from the perspective of a former child soldier, detailing the violent civil war that wracked his native Sierra Leone and the government forces that transformed a gentle young boy into a killer as a member of the army.
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A house in the sky : a memoir
by Amanda Lindhout
"The spectacularly dramatic memoir of a woman whose curiosity about the world led her from rural Canada to imperiled and dangerous countries on every continent, and then into fifteen months of harrowing captivity in Somalia--a story of courage, resilience, and extraordinary grace. An astoundingly intimate and harrowing account of Lindhout's fifteen months as a captive, A House in the Sky illuminates the psychology, motivations, and desperate extremism of her young guards and the men in charge of them. Lindhout's decision, upon her release, to counter the violence she endured by founding an organization to help the Somali people rebuild their country through education is a wrenching testament to the capacity of the human spirit and an astonishing portrait of the power of compassion and forgiveness." -- Provided by the publisher.
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Born a crime : stories from a South African childhood
by Trevor Noah
The host of The Daily Show With Trevor Noah traces his wild coming of age during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed, offering insight into the farcical aspects of the political and social systems of today's world.
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Riding the bus with my sister : a true life journey
by Rachel Simon
Chronicles the author's year-long series of bus journeys through a Pennsylvania city alongside her mentally disabled sister, during which she learned lessons in slowing down, living in the moment, reassessing life priorities, and family ties.
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