Book Lovers Club
Comments
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Starting Go Set a Watchman,,,,0 -
LilacBlue - The Covina California Library. Went there many times in the 1950s. Never thought of the town as po dunk. It had a very traditional downtown with everything anyone could want in those days, tho I suspect it has been mostly replaced by big box everything around the edges of town. My dad was born in Covina and probably used that library too. I'll keep the memory of the Carnegie of the past in my mind. Jan
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lilac....than YOU for sharing! Here is my childhood library:
http://www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/new-utrecht/...
After I read Patience and Fortitude, I pined to discover more about my childhood library.....When I read about the history of my library, my eyeballs nearly fell out of my head! The library was designed by Candela and Resnick. Candela was the architect of record who designed MANY famous pre depression residential buildings in Manhattan....He followed Sanford White in designing brilliant 20 room apartments along Fifth Avenue and Park Ave....
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosario_Candela
OMG....I could have never imagined that his firm designed my library. What I do recall that impressed me as a child was the beautiful spiral marble staircase that led downstairs to the children's area. Candela was known for his magnificent apartment entrances that led to beautiful spiral staircase within the apartments.....
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740 Park Ave is Candela's most famous building. I read Michael Gross's book by the same name. Fascinating!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/740_Park_Avenue
http://www.amazon.com/740-Park-Richest-Apartment-B...
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NYC has beautiful libraries. I spent a lot of time in the main one where the lions are, doing genealogical research. My "home" library when I lived there was the one on 67th St just off of 1st Ave and it's a nice building too.0 -
http://freeportlibrary.info/about-the-library/library-history Freeport Memorial Library was my childhood library - I remember when it made it first expansion in 1959. I loved the library and the book mobile - in 8th grade I got to walk to the library instead of class to do research - good times!!! Here in Albany, NY we currently have a main library and 5 branches - having beaten back a proposal to close two of the then 4 branches - and build a suburban style library on the outer edge of the city with big meeting rooms and lots of parking. The community fought back and actually added a branch - so we have two new buildings, one refurbished original library, one refurbished telephone building and one refurbished funeral home - our main branch used to be an office building. My branch, one of the new buildings, has no parking at all!! We love our libraries and are willing to walk to them.
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glennie! I love your library! I've been there! I attended Hunter College and that library was a nice place to visit with classmates. More recently, I pass the library when I visit the Rare Breast Cancer researchers at Sloan Kettering....they are right around the corner from the library.
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My Book Club is doing Watchman next too. We watched To Kill a Mockingbird (with Gregory Peck) today to set the stage. Great old movie......only vaguely remembered it.
We had a good discussion about Girl on the Train. We talked about alcoholism, infidelity, and how charming psychopaths cam control the behaviors of others around them.
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jelson! Freeport? Lol! I passed it TWICE last week....Actually 4 times last week! Presently, I have books from Hewlett, North Bellmore, Westbury and Port Washington! Libraries are rockin' here on good ol' Long Island. Freeport stands as one of the finest, architecturally speaking! Elmont is also beautiful.
I'm happy to hear that Albany has several branches! We are all blessed!
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VR, I worked at MSKCC for almost 5 years, so that's how that branch became my home branch. Now I'm back in FL, and I have to say my little town has a great library system. My local branch got a huge donation a few years back and completely remodeled the building. There is a separate children's area now and a quiet room that has doors,, so it's really quiet! They have a large, very active group of Friends of the Library, who have 2 big sales every year and raise a lot of money.
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OK all you East coasters - thought I'd send something from my CA childhood. Neat that it's the oldest freestanding children's library. Here's just a blurb from the City web site and a couple of pictures from the heritage site.
History of the Palo Alto Children's Library
The Children's Library, the oldest free standing children's library in the country, was designed by noted local architects Birge and David Clark and built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The original building was built and furnished through a donation from Lucie Stern in honor of her daughter, Ruth.Featuring a hand-molded Mission tile roof, a charming fireplace tiled with scenes from fairy tales, child-sized furnishings, and a brick-wall enclosed Secret Garden reminiscent of the one in Frances Burnett's story of the same name; the library has been a family destination for generations.
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💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞
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Minus- charming! Love the fireplace and the picture from farther away looks like a magical castle! What a wonderful way to make reading appealing to children. I have a sinking feeling this has lost its priority in current days. Such a shame. I'm so grateful I grew up in a time when a love for reading was encouraged.
I remember walking to the library in Newport Beach, CA, almost every day. The librarian knew my name and helped me pick out as many books as I could carry. Like a sponge, I read them all and would return them all the next day. I read all kinds of books, but remember the Wind in the Willows, and every single Nancy Drew book.
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VR - being a luddite, I had to copy your post into Google search to learn what you were saying. I liked the interpretation "seek knowledge", although it doesn't seem to be the most prevalent one. Then again, I don't have any Apple devices.
Jackbirdie - I love the old libraries back east, and San Francisco library is also massive. But suburban CA libraries just seem more sprawling, 'Spanish Mission' affairs. I bet Newport was the same. We were fortunate to be able to use the Stanford Univ. library for special projects.
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http://carnegielibrariespresentationli839xi.weebly...
Minus... Above is a good explanation about why Carnagie chose NOT to fund books. He wanted communities to take it upon themselves to fund books so people would be more invested in this public pursuit. That way, the community would, as a whole, be seeking knowledge as they filled their stacks. He alsobelieved in people's inate desire to improve themselves through acquiring knowledge. I think he was very smart in recognizing the need for community spirit in the creation of the libraries. The active participation of the community set the stage for the active desire for knowledge once the buildings were completed....
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VR - wonderful article thanks.
Still trying to make my way through 3 months of magazines that I put off when I discovered my favorite used book store (Long Lost Friends) was going out of business. I have 3 huge bags of books, many purchased for $0.25 that will keep me through the winter if I can just force myself to leave them alone for now. I'm going to let some of the magazine subscriptions go again (renewed during active treatment) but I'll keep The Atlantic and The Smithsonian for sure. Oh yes and Bookmarks. As readers, if you haven't seen this magazine, it's great - reviews, synopses, interviews w/authors, reports from various book clubs, etc. http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/
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saving for later. I'd spend a dollar doe 10 comic books for camp. I'd wait for camp then read them all: captain marvel, wonder woman, scrooge mc duck little lulu. a horror comic a romance comic, archie & veronica 3 others......there's a wonderful private library in san francisco on post, downtown. mecanics library
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I've just read and enjoyed this 2 book series by Patricia Harman: 1)The Midwife of Hope River, 2) The Reluctant Midwife. This story takes place during the Great Depression in northern West Virginia. The characters jump out of the pages and make you feel like you are back in time. This author also wrote 2 additional books about her background and becoming a nurse midwife - running a women's health clinical practice in WVA with her husband. Good reads too.
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Loving the childhood library memories and seeing the photos of them is a treat. Seriously, if you enjoy reading you most likely were indoctrinated via childhood visits to your local library.
Of course, I'm dating myself as over here, living under austerity, councils are making hard choices, such as closing libraries in favor of keeping public toilets or highway verges mowed, etc.. If a village library does survive, the hours are reduced to the bone. What I took granted is now becoming endangered in these outlying - country villages~sigh.
Jan69, your dad then knows of the 31 Flavors a block away that my top scoop on my cone, on the walk home seemed to jump off - relentless tears until we walked back and I was offered a replacement - at no charge!
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Big fan of Philippa Gregory. I so far have two of her series of historical fiction. She wrote one series based in the time of Henry the 8th and one series was about the War of the Roses. Just finished reading "The King's Curse" which was based on Margaret Pole or Lady Salisbury, the former governess of Henry's eldest daughter Mary. I highly recommend her books.
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Welcome to the thread Susan and Jan, I too love this place.
Grabbed an older Jonathan Kellerman / Alex Delaware paperback to read on the plane. Thirty pages to go but saving the end for later as using for motivation to get a few more post-trip chores done.
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lilac....so true about exposing children to the beauty of libraries at a tender age....
Regarding austerity.... Reading Patience and Fortitude, the point was made that there were many people who opposed the direction of the New York Public Library's trustees. In retrospect, those in opposition hadn't known there were so many in opposition. What they needed was to get organized so their voice could be recognized.
My advice is to organize! And/ or do this:
Good luck!
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Love discussion of childhood libraries. I've been trying to remember what I asked for that the librarian had to go to the basement of the Covina California library. I couldn't have been more than 10 or 12 years old, so the memory (as faded as it is) is fun to tumble around in my brain.
I lurk here frequently and appreciate the book discussion. Husband also appreciates titles and authors I pass on to him from you readers.
Thanks, Jan
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Post-vacay chores got done so rewarded myself with the end of the Kellerman paperback and, since I was such a good badger, dove into my third Stephen White, his first. Yes, I am reading out of order LOL. Got halfway through last night & it's a rainy day so will read fast and finish quickly. Then I have a new book of women's fiction (OK chick lit): How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz, about 3 college friends who reunite after 20 years and the tales of their lives in-between.
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Did anyone read Meg Wolitzer's "The Interestings"? It got mixed reviews, but I liked it, and it is HUGE/LONG.
(Obviously finished after surgery, and before chemo, during which I had to take a nap after every 3 paragraphs)
I think sometimes it's very reassuring to have such a long book. (If you like it, that is) Kind of like a friend has moved in for a long visit.
I'm now reading "Intoxicated By My Illness" (and other warnings on life and death) by Anatole Broyard. (Former literary critic and essayist for the NYT). It's a collection of essays he wrote about himself. Some interesting perspectives on doctors, friends, and being very ill. Good writing, slow going, perhaps because of the sensitive (to me) subject matter.
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I loved The Spellman Files and that whole series by Lisa Lutz. Thought it was hysterical.0 -
Thx glennie, those books are def going onto my TBR list. One dust-jacket reviewer called it "Fast-paced, irreverent, and very funny, The Spellman Files is like Harriet the Spy for grownups."
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jack....I read The Interestings....although I'm not a big fiction fan, I enjoy reading Meg Wolitzer's novels. Her most famous book is the short novel, The Wife. Excellent! I'm glad to hear that you got through reading The Interestings. It held my attention because I was a sleep away camp counselor during the period of time that the novel takes place. I also married my camp sweetheart...so I related to the characters. I like the over arching theme of the book. Perhaps every generation thinks they are interesting and look forward to setting the world on fire. Youth, with much time ahead of themselves can dream big and they have the energy to set those dreams in motion.....it is only after a generation or two that time will be either cruel or fortuitous or for most of us.....something in between. Wolitzer's story succeeds in bringing us on her characters' journeys through the ups and downs of time....
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Oh great comparison - Harriet the spy for grownups. I'll put them on my list too.
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that reviewer's description is pretty accurate, I would say. I wish she would continue that series.I finished Go Set A Watchman. Have to say,, it was not very good. If the stories are true, that Harper Lee submitted that story originally to a publisher and was told to rewrite it, featuring Scout and her childhood,, I can totally see why. If you loved To Kill A Mockingbird,,, I would say, give Go Set a Watchman a pass. Just my opinion, of couse,, and will be interested to hear what others have to say.
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