Scott County Reads

February 2012

2012-01-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire is the second book of the Hunger Games trilogy. We read the first book in December. New members will want to read the first book before attending this discussion.

Discussion will be held on February 27th at 6:30 p.m. in the First Amendment Room at our Eldridge branch.

January 2012

2011-12-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip by Matthew Algeo

Read about Harry Truman's post-Presidential road trip across America. In 1953, he and Bess tried to travel incognito, a feat that would be nearly impossible today. This is an interesting look at how much life in America has changed in the past 60 years.

Discussion will be on January 23rd at 6:30 p.m. in the First Amendment Room at the Eldridge Library.

For more on the book, click here.

December 2011

2011-11-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is the first book of a trilogy set in North America in the future. This is a bleak time, as the US has been divided into 13 districts, each one struggling to find enough food for its people. The ruling District has, for many years, held a competition called the Hunger Games. Two teens are chosen as Tributes, to be sent to an arena where they will compete for their district, and for their lives.

Discussion will be held on December 26th at 6:30 p.m. in the First Amendment Room at our Eldridge branch.

January 2011

2010-12-30T08:09:00.001-08:00

Our January selection is The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

The book tells the story of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Larson details the planning of the grand event, by Daniel Hudson Burnham who designed the plans on 600 acres and built over 200 new buildings.

Larson also tells the story of serial killer, H.H. Holmes, who exploited the city's fixation on the fair and built a hotel for fair-goers. He murdered many women, men, and children in his hotel and eventually confessed to 27 murders, though the count may be as high as 200.

Our discussion will take place on January 24th at 6:30 p.m in the First Amendment Room. Books are available now!

September 2010

2010-08-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

The book for our September discussion is The Big Burn by Timothy Egan. It is essentially two stories interwoven, the friendship between Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot which lead to the creation of the Forest Service, and the nation's largest wildfire in the summer of 1910. He describes the politics and passion behind the nation's conservation movement and ascribes much credit to the huge wildfire for fanning the flame, so to speak.

Our discussion will take place on September 27th at 6:30 p.m. in the First Amendment Room at the Eldridge branch library. Copies are available now at the library.

August 2010 Discussion

2010-08-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Marcelo in the Real World will be the topic of discussion at our August 23rd meeting. Though it is typically found in the Young Adult section of libraries, this novel will appeal to adults of all ages. It is the story of a 17 yr old boy, Marcelo, who has Asperger's Syndrome. He has always gone to a school for kids with special needs and is looking forward to working there over the summer. Suddenly, his father tells him that he needs to experience the "real world" and work in his law office over the summer. If Marcelo is able to follow the rules, he can go back to his special school. Otherwise, he will go to public high school for his Senior year.

Discussion will take place in the First Amendment Room of the Eldridge branch at 6:30 p.m., August 23rd.

July 2010 Discussion

2010-06-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

Join us on July 26th at 6:30 p.m. for our discussion of Thomas Levenson's Newton and the Counterfeiter. It's the story of Sir Isaac Newton's career at the Royal Mint in London and the career criminal counterfeiter he was determined to take down. You can read an interview with the author here or you can view a lecture from him here

Copies of the book are available at the Eldridge branch library.

June 2010 Discussion

2010-06-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

This book is written in a letter format and gives the reader a revealing look at Guernsey Island during World War II. Juliet, a London writer, is intrigued by the Literary Society and a series of letters are exchanged by members of the group and Juliet. With humor, snide remarks, and a mystery or two, the reader is pulled into the correspondence and can't put the book down.

Review by Elizabeth, tech services

Join us to discuss the book on June 28th at 6:30 p.m. in the First Amendment Room, Scott County Library, Eldridge.

May 2010 Discussion

2010-04-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

For May we are reading Five Equations that Changed the World: The Power and Poetry of Mathematics by Michael Guillen. Mathaphobes need not worry! It mostly discusses the five mathematicians and how they discovered the equations. This one is somewhat controversial and should make for an interesting discussion!

Join us at the Eldridge branch on Monday May 24th at 6:30 p.m. in the First Amendment Room. Books are available now for check out.

FEBRUARY 2010 DISCUSSION

2010-02-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

On February 22nd at 6:30 p.m. We will discuss the novella, Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan.

The story of Manny DeLeon, manager at a Red Lobster in Connecticut, and his last night at the restaurant before it closes forever.

November 2009 discussion

2009-11-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Our November selection is the Pulitzer Prize winning Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond.
Diamond details the major events in human history and describes how human history has have been influenced by, well, guns, germs, and steel (among other things).
This book was made into a documentary on PBS and all 18 parts can be found on YouTube.
Here's part one

Join us on Monday, November 23rd at 6:30 p.m. for our discussion.

October 2009 Discussion

2009-09-25T07:45:00.001-07:00

Our October read is a work of fiction by Diane Setterfield titled, The Thirteenth Tale. The main character is Vida Winter, a famous author who is also famously coy when it comes to her personal life. Many biographers have tried to get her real life story out, but each time she gives a differing account. Vida finally chooses to tell Margaret Lee, a young book seller, her real story. Apparently, this story includes tales of murder, ghosts, and of course, romance.
Join us for the discussion on October 26th at 6:30 p.m. in the First Amendment Room in Eldridge.

September 2009 discussion

2009-08-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

For September we are back to reading non-fiction with the book, The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending. The authors explore how and why humans evolved from neanderthals to the homosapiens we are today. An interesting and readable explanation of evolution througout history.
Join us for discussion on September 28th at 6:30 p.m. Books are available now at the Eldridge branch library.

August 2009 discussion

2009-08-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

Our August selection is Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. Brooks is most known for her latest novel, People of the Book, but this was highly reviewed as well.
Set in the 17th century, the novel follows Anna Frith, a widow who works as a servant to the local vicar in a small English village. The plague has arrived in the village and now those who live there are faced with the decision, do they stay and help the sick or do they flee in an attempt to keep healthy? Brooks raises questions of morality and religion in this historically accurate work of fiction.

Join us on August 24th at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion. Books are available now at the Eldridge branch library.

July 2009 discussion

2009-06-26T08:16:00.001-07:00

Our July 27th discussion will be on The River of Doubt by Candace Millard, a book about Theodore Roosevelt that concentrates solely on the months he spent exploring the uncharted Rio Duvida which flows wildly through the rainforests of South America. The journey was a long and treacherous one, as described by Roosevelt-

"We have had a hard and somewhat dangerous but very successful trip. No less than six weeks were spent... forcing our way down through what seemed a literally endless succession of rapids and cataracts. For forty-eight days we saw no human being. In passing these rapids we lost five of the seven canoes... One of our best men lost his life in the rapids."

The story begins after Roosevelt's defeat as a Progressive Party candidate in 1912. To get away from it all, he plans another grand adventure in South America. Taking over a month to travel through the rainforest to the mouth of the Rio Duvida, Roosevelt and his son Kermit began to realize they were not prepared for the journey. Numerous members of the party were sent home and heavy supplies were abandoned before they even began their descent. No non-native had ever traversed the river, so Brazilian army commander Rondon lead the trip and vowed to survey and record every inch of the river.

The trip began slowly as Rondon stopped numerous times to measure the river's curves. As they began to run into dangerous rapids, the men had to dock their boats wade through the piranha infested waters and carve a path through the rainforest filled with natives so primitive, they had not yet even conceived of boats. The rapids almost took the life of Roosevelt's son Kermit, and soon after did take the life of one of the paid workers on the journey. Things got even worse as the natives attacked the party's dog and Roosevelt became deathly ill. At one point he begged the party to go on without him, but his son refused to let him die alone in the rainforest.

The author does a fantastic job describing the rainforest as it was in 1913-14, very primitive and untouched by humans. She also gives great background on each of the main players in the story- Rondon, Cherrie- a naturalist sent to collect bird specimens, and the two Roosevelts. This journey down the uncharted waters of the dangerous Rio Duvida (now the Rio Roosevelt) isn't known by many, but is a fantastic tale for fans history, social studies, and geography.

Join us for discussion on July 27th at 6:30 p.m., in the First Amendment Room of the Scott County Library in Eldridge. Books are available for check out now!

June 2009 Discussion

2009-06-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

Our June book discussion will be on the book Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris. TWCTTE was a National Book Award Finalist in 2007. Set in the 1990s, it follows the lives of employees at an advertising agency in Chicago. Ferris himself worked at an ad agency and was fascinated by "the hierarchies, the coded messages, the power struggles." This work of fiction is based on his experience and fascination with the behind the scenes stories of his coworkers.
Discussion will be on June 29th at 6:30 p.m. in the First Amendment Room in Eldridge. Books are available for checkout now.

Check out the official website for the book

May 2009 Discussion

2009-04-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

In May we will be discussing the book Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Stiff is an unusual exploration of human bodies and the ways they are used...postmortem. Click here for more info on the author and her books.
Discussion will be a week early due to Memorial Day. Please join us on May 18th in Eldridge at 6:30 p.m. in the First Amendment Room. Books are available now at the Eldridge branch.

April 2009 Discussion

2009-03-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Our April discussion will be on the sci-fi classic, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It is an award winning novel about a young boy sent to military academy to train for a war against an alien race. Card explores many philosophical questions about war, violence, and children. Copies will be available at and following the March discussion. The April discussion will be on Monday the 27th at 6:30 p.m. at the Eldridge branch.

March 2009 Discussion

2009-03-16T13:09:00.002-07:00

Scott County Reads will be discussing the non-fiction book, Salt: Grain of Life by Pierre Lazlo on March 23rd at 6:30 p.m. We have one copy of the book left for anyone interested!

Salt tells the history of, well, salt and describes how this commodity has shaped human history. An interesting look at an unusual topic.

February 2009 Discussion

2009-03-16T13:09:00.001-07:00

Scott County Reads book discussion group just finished a discussion of the book Eleanor Vs. Ike by Robin Gerber. The book is a work of fiction that explores the possibility of an election between Eleanor Roosevelt and Dwight D Eisenhower.
We discussed if the events in the book could actually have happened or not. We also talked about what did happen in the election between Eisenhower and Stephenson, compared to the fictional election between Eleanor and Ike. Gerber did a great job blending facts with the fiction and we all had to do our homework when I came to distinguishing the two.
All members of the group really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans of history and historical fiction.

December 2008 Discussion

2008-11-14T06:14:00.000-08:00

To get into the holiday spirit, Scott County Reads book group read and discussed The Autobiography of Santa Claus on December 22nd. Jeff Guinn wrote the novel that is based partly on the real St. Nicholas, but mostly on the fictional character of Santa Claus. He describes his life from 280 A.D. to the present and adds in some other famous historical figures along the way.
Guinn has followed up this novel with How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas and The Great Santa Search.

November 2008 discussion

2008-10-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

Our next book discussion will be on November 24th at 6:30pm in the First Amendment Room. Books are available now. Our selection is The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution by David Stewart.

Here's what one reviewer from Publisher's Weekly says-
"Briskly written, full of deft characterizations and drama, grounded firmly in the records of the Constitutional Convention and its members' letters, this is a splendid rendering of the document's creation. All the debates are here, as are all the convention's personalities... Stewart, a constitutional lawyer in Washington, D.C., ignores the recent decades' penetrating scholarship about the Constitution's creation in favor of a fast-paced narrative of a long, hot summer's work."

October 2008 discussion

2008-10-28T08:33:00.001-07:00

Our next book discussion will be on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. Stop by the library to pick up your copy and join us on October 27th at 6:30pm in the First Amendment Room. The book is about Christopher, an autistic teenager who attempts to solve the mystery of the neighbor's murdered dog. It has been described as a funny and touching novel.

August 2008 discussion

2008-10-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult tells the story of a school shooting from different perspectives. Readers will get to know each of the main characters in the story, their family history, and their view of what happened that day.
The shooter, Peter grew up being bullied and ignored by parents who were still grieving the loss of their oldest son. Josie, the most popular girl at school and daughter of another main character, is your typical high school girl who tries hard to fit in, but isn't very happy in her skin. She witnesses the shooting first hand. You also get perspectives from Josie's mother Alex, Peter's parents, a policeman at the scene, and the defense attorney.
Picoult often writes books that seem to be stripped from the headlines, but she does her research and always writes real and compelling stories. The book can be slow moving at times, especially through the trial, but the very real emotional characters should keep you hooked.

June 2008 discussion

2008-10-28T08:30:00.002-07:00

Join us as we discuss Water for Elephants on June 30th at 6:30pm.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is about 91 yr old Jacob, who recalls his past working for a second-rate circus during the Great Depression. Many interesting characters and situations make Jacob's life one worth reading. Stop by the library to pick up your copy now.

Click to hear a passage from the book
Gabcast! Reading 2.0 #5

May 2008 discussion

2008-10-28T08:30:00.001-07:00

Join us for our Book Discussion on June 2nd at 6:30pm
We will be discussing The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman

What Friedman means by claiming 'the world is flat' is that barriers to communication have diminished and access to people, places, products, and ideas is easier than ever. His book discusses this phenomena, how it developed and what the future holds.

Listen to an interview with author Friedman here

Read the author's blog which expands on his ideas and experiences

April 2008 discussion

2008-10-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Join Scott County Reads for our next book discussion on April 28th at 6:30pm.

Click on the Gabcast player to hear the first page of the book

Gabcast! Reading 2.0 #4

March 2008 discussion

2008-10-28T08:26:00.001-07:00

Join us for our Scott County Reads book discussion on March 24th.

We will be discussing The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. In this humorous memoir, Bryson recalls his childhood growing up in Des Moines the 1950s.

Check out a review here

February 2008 discussion

2008-10-28T08:24:00.002-07:00

Our next book discussion will be on February 25th at 6:00pm. We are discussing Tom Perotta's book, The Abstinence Teacher. Tom was an Oscar- nominee in the "Writing - Adapted Screenplay" category for his adaptation of his novel Little Children.
The Abstinence Teacher is about a teacher who questions her school when they try to get her to teach abstinence only sex education. Come to the Scott County Library in Eldridge to pick up your copy and join us on the 25th for a lively discussion!

Listen to an excerpt from the book. Gabcast! Reading 2.0 #3 - Abstinence Teacher

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
Discussion on February 25th at 6pm

Summary from Tom's site-

Stonewood Heights is the perfect place to raise kids. It's got the proverbial good schools, solid values and a healthy real estate market. It's the kind of place where parents are involved in their children's lives, where no opportunity for enrichment goes unexplored.

Ruth Ramsey is the human sexuality teacher at the local high school. She believes that "pleasure is good, shame is bad, and knowledge is power." Ruth's younger daughter's soccer coach is Tim Mason, a former stoner and rocker whose response to hitting rock bottom was to reach out and be saved. Tim belongs to The Tabernacle, an evangelical Christian church that doesn't approve of Ruth's style of teaching. And Ruth in turn doesn't applaud The Tabernacle's mission to take its message outside its doors.

Adversaries in a small-town culture war, Ruth and Tim instinctively mistrust each other. But when a controversy on the soccer field pushes the two of them to actually talk to each other, they are forced to take each other at something other than face value.

The Abstinence Teacher exposes the powerful emotions that run beneath the surface of modern American family life and explores the complex spiritual and sexual lives of ordinary people.

Click here for Tom Perotta's website!

January 2008 discussion

2008-10-28T08:24:00.001-07:00

CLICK HERE FOR A GOOGLE BOOKS PREVIEW FROM BOLT OF FATE: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND HIS ELECTRIC KITE HOAX BY TOM TUCKER

Gabcast! Reading 2.0 #2 - Bolt of Fate by Tom Tucker

An excerpt from the book Bolt of Fate about Benjamin Franklin's famed kite- lightning experiment.

STOP BY THE LIBRARY TO PICK UP YOUR COPY NOW
DISCUSSION OF THE BOOK WILL BE AT 6:30PM ON JANUARY 28TH AT THE SCOTT COUNTY LIBRARY IN ELDRIDGE. JOIN US FOR REFRESHMENTS.