Local Book Talk

Meet Author Steven Havill
An open talk with author Steven F. Havill will begin at 6 p.m. in the Round Valley Library
conference room (Eagar, AZ) on Friday, October 8.
Mr. Havill will talk about his books and take questions from the audience. There will be free
refreshments and Mr. Havill will sign books after the talk. While his books can't be sold on
library property, Mr. Havill will accept "voluntary donations" for books he will make available from his own inventory.
Born in upstate New York and recently relocated from Ratón, NM to Datil, NM with his wife,
Kathleen, Steven Havill's first book, Heartshot, was published in 1991 and was the first of four
westerns. Havill has written 17 mystery novels set in the fictional New Mexico county of Posadas (including one available in 2011).
Havill has also written two books based in the Puget Sound area of Washington. The first of the
Dr. Thomas Parks historical/medical series was published this year and a second will be available in 2011.

Man Booker short list

     can be seen  here on the Man Booker Prize web site.

Glad to note the changed meeting date and time. There's not that many home football games this year! I really struggled with Pilgrim--even though it did pick up towards the end (the end--tee-hee!!). I am good with any Wallander book, and they have done a pretty good job of adapting him to Masterpiece Mystery. I have been hogging a new book from the library because I love it so much: the Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst. It is a sort of mystery book--but SO MUCH more. It begs for book discussion because one of the characters is a very reflective author.

Addendum

So, the next meeting has been rescheduled for 7:00pm Friday 1 October.

Next Meeting - Sept 24

Our book for September is Pilgrim by Timothy Findley and our meeting will be on Friday the 24th at the RV public library, 7 p.m.

Please join us if you can.

Here's a quick blurb about the book from amazon's editorial reviews:

"On April 17, 1912 -- ironically, only two days after the sinking of the Titanic -- a figure known only as Pilgrim tries to commit suicide by hanging himself from a tree. When he is found five hours later, his heart miraculously begins to beat again. Pilgrim, it seems, can never die. Escorted by his beloved friend, Lady Sybil Quartermaine, Pilgrim is admitted to the famous Burgholzu Psychiatriac Clinic in Zurich, where he will begin a battle of psyche and soul with Carl Jung, the self-professed mystical scientist of the unconscious. Slowly, Jung coaxes Pilgrim to tell his astonishing story -- one that seemingly spans 4,000 years and includes such historical figures as Leonardo da Vinci and Henry James. But is Pilgrim delusional? Are these his memories merely dreams...or is his immortal existence truly a miracle?"

Book Order

We received and then gave away our copy of The Power of One, so must remember to re-order it. While I'm at it, just a note to remind everyone that our next book is Pilgrim by Timothy Findley which also requires ordering. Wouldn't it be great to have a local bookshop that miraculously had both of those titles? It may not exist. Looking forward to both of those.

Meantime, I've been reading a couple of Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallender mysteries. I heard an interview with Mankell recently - he was on the flotilla in Gaza that was attacked perhaps a month ago. I'm always amazed at how different an experience it is to read a work that's been translated. It feels something like approaching English from the side. Anyway, I recommend them, particularly the first of the two that RVPL has available - it's called Faceless Killers. I know, I'm ashamed. I followed the second book up by watching Ingmar Bergman's autobiographical film Fanny and Alexander last night - wow - also highly recommended. O those wonderfully artistic Swedes!

Happy reading, group!

Time to ponder

     Finished reading The Power of One today and perused the discussion questions at the back of the book. This might pertain to any novel:

     Do you think it's important to know exactly what, in a book like this, what is real and what is fictional?

Mmmm?