Books can be life-changing—June 13, 2008
“Books Change Lives” is the theme for the Adult Summer Reading Program at Hastings Public Library. Open to anyone who is out of high school, this is an opportunity to enrich your inner life and have some fun at the same time. The best part is that it is easy to participate. All you have to do is pick up a flyer from the library, read at least one book of your own choosing and return the flyer to the library by August 2, 2008.
One of the great things about reading and our theme this summer is there are so many choices. You could read only our book club selections: “Water for Elephants”, Sara Gruen’s novel about a young veterinarian’s chance encounter with a circus that changes his life forever; “The Book Thief” a story set in Nazi Germany about how books change the life of one girl; or “A Walk in the Woods” Bill Bryson’s funny record of his hike up the Appalachian Trail.
You could read just the two Chautauqua books: “Mules & Men,” an attempt by Zora Neale Hurston to capture the folklore of the African-American south before society changed irreparably or she herself changed too much to still be part of her hometown; or “All the King’s Men” the classic novel by Robert Penn Warren about the changes wrought by political power and success.
Sometimes a book about someone else’s experiences can have a profound effect on our own life. Try reading “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortensen or “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” by John Wood to get inspired by these two men who left old lives behind to help thousands less fortunate. If the current popularity of the “green” movement has caught your interest, try reading or re-reading Rachel Carson’s classic “Silent Spring,” the environmental warning that inspired a whole generation of activists.
But books that change our lives don’t have to all be serious or thought-provoking. Redecorating your living room can give you a whole new outlook on life, trying a new recipe can introduce your family to a whole new cuisine or reading a good novel can help you feel satisfied.
No matter how large or small your desire to change, come read with us this summer at the Hastings Public Library.
