Picking out one book that would appeal to a lot of people is difficult, but it all comes down to one question:
Why would anybody want to read this book?
That's what we ask ourselves when we plan our community reading program, Cayuga Reads, which takes place every October. The book we picked for this year's program is “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls.
So, why would anybody want to read “The Glass Castle?”
Well, start with the opening scene. It#'s nighttime in New York City, and a glamorous woman, dressed for an evening out, is sitting in the back of a cab. She looks out the window and sees a homeless woman rooting through the trash. It's not just any homeless woman, though. It's her mother.
That would be a pretty good beginning for a novel, but “The Glass Castle” is a true story. Jeannette Walls escaped a childhood of poverty and became an entertainment reporter, working for major magazines and television shows. At the same time she was interviewing celebrities and going to parties, her parents were living on the streets of New York.
“The Glass Castle” is a memoir of Walls' childhood, and it's a childhood like no other. Walls' father was brilliant but struggled with alcoholism; her mother was more interested in seeking out excitement than raising children. Instead of dealing with the day to day needs of their family, Walls' mother spent money on art supplies and dreamed of a career as an artist, and her father imagined the day they'd all live in the glass castle he would design. The children, meanwhile, were left to their own devices, scrounging what food and clothing they could, eventually making secret plans to escape.
Why would you want to read “The Glass Castle?” You'll want to read it because it's a memoir that reads like fiction, with unforgettable characters and a gripping plot. You#'ll want to read it because Walls manages to tell her story with humor and affection. You#'ll want to read it because the story of how children grow up in such circumstances, yet somehow manage to become successful adults, is so compelling.
We think “The Glass Castle” is one of those books that, as soon as you're done reading it, you#'ll want to pass along to a friend or family member. We think you'll want to talk about it, too - about how mental illness affects families, about homelessness and poverty, about parenting and family life. Students throughout Cayuga County are reading “The Glass Castle,” book club members are choosing it as one of their selections, and community members are borrowing the book (there are multiple copies available at Seymour Library and libraries throughout Cayuga County) to read it on their own.
We've scheduled book discussions and other programs at a variety of locations throughout the month of October. We're also sponsoring writing contests open to everyone in the community, students and adults alike, to give people a chance to explore their reactions to the book in an essay or poem.
Our Web site, www.cayugareads.org, will fill you in on all of the details.
Scheduled discussions
• 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3: Book discussion, Aurora Free Library, Aurora
• 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9: Panel discussion of mental illness and screening of the film
“Out of the Shadow,” Cayuga Community College, Auburn campus
• 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15: Book discussion, Cayuga
Community College Fulton campus
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15: Book discussion, Seymour Library, Auburn
• Noon Thursday, Oct. 16: Book discussion, Seymour Library, Auburn
• 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17: Book discussion, Cayuga Community College Auburn campus
• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21:
Book discussion, Cayuga
Community College Auburn campus
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29: Reception for writing contest winners, Seymour Library, Auburn
That's what we ask ourselves when we plan our community reading program, Cayuga Reads, which takes place every October. The book we picked for this year's program is “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls.
So, why would anybody want to read “The Glass Castle?”
Well, start with the opening scene. It#'s nighttime in New York City, and a glamorous woman, dressed for an evening out, is sitting in the back of a cab. She looks out the window and sees a homeless woman rooting through the trash. It's not just any homeless woman, though. It's her mother.
That would be a pretty good beginning for a novel, but “The Glass Castle” is a true story. Jeannette Walls escaped a childhood of poverty and became an entertainment reporter, working for major magazines and television shows. At the same time she was interviewing celebrities and going to parties, her parents were living on the streets of New York.
“The Glass Castle” is a memoir of Walls' childhood, and it's a childhood like no other. Walls' father was brilliant but struggled with alcoholism; her mother was more interested in seeking out excitement than raising children. Instead of dealing with the day to day needs of their family, Walls' mother spent money on art supplies and dreamed of a career as an artist, and her father imagined the day they'd all live in the glass castle he would design. The children, meanwhile, were left to their own devices, scrounging what food and clothing they could, eventually making secret plans to escape.
Why would you want to read “The Glass Castle?” You'll want to read it because it's a memoir that reads like fiction, with unforgettable characters and a gripping plot. You#'ll want to read it because Walls manages to tell her story with humor and affection. You#'ll want to read it because the story of how children grow up in such circumstances, yet somehow manage to become successful adults, is so compelling.
We think “The Glass Castle” is one of those books that, as soon as you're done reading it, you#'ll want to pass along to a friend or family member. We think you'll want to talk about it, too - about how mental illness affects families, about homelessness and poverty, about parenting and family life. Students throughout Cayuga County are reading “The Glass Castle,” book club members are choosing it as one of their selections, and community members are borrowing the book (there are multiple copies available at Seymour Library and libraries throughout Cayuga County) to read it on their own.
We've scheduled book discussions and other programs at a variety of locations throughout the month of October. We're also sponsoring writing contests open to everyone in the community, students and adults alike, to give people a chance to explore their reactions to the book in an essay or poem.
Our Web site, www.cayugareads.org, will fill you in on all of the details.
Scheduled discussions
• 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3: Book discussion, Aurora Free Library, Aurora
• 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9: Panel discussion of mental illness and screening of the film
“Out of the Shadow,” Cayuga Community College, Auburn campus
• 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15: Book discussion, Cayuga
Community College Fulton campus
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15: Book discussion, Seymour Library, Auburn
• Noon Thursday, Oct. 16: Book discussion, Seymour Library, Auburn
• 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17: Book discussion, Cayuga Community College Auburn campus
• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21:
Book discussion, Cayuga
Community College Auburn campus
• 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29: Reception for writing contest winners, Seymour Library, Auburn
