Alan Albarran, FOL Chair
The Robson Ranch Friends of the Library (FOL) held our final book discussion of the year (A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles) on Oct. 15. In case you were not able to attend, you can still watch the video on YouTube at the following link: www.youtu.be/JvR0O05EUcA.
Our book discussion was led by moderator Mary Jo Belding and included panelists Jane Scholz and Pete Belding. We had good interaction as the audience shared comments about their favorite characters, the numerous story lines in the book, and the way the author successfully blended fiction with history.
With 2020 winding down, we now turn to the books we will be discussing in 2021, thanks to the work of the Book Discussion Committee (BDC). We introduced the BDC to you in last month’s Pioneer Press; this month we are pleased to announce the slate of books selected for presentation next year. We’re excited to offer a broad selection of titles for the members of the FOL and the Robson community at large.
Drum roll please! Here are the selections for 2021 so mark your calendars:
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis, scheduled for Feb. 25. A Pulitzer Prize-winning work of history originally published in 2000, the six unique chapters detail relationships and events among these founders: George Washington, John Adams (and wife Abigail), Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Aaron Burr.
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, scheduled for May 27. This book was published in 1940, one year after the end of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The central character is American Robert Jordan who has gone to Spain to help the resistance in its fight against the fascists. Hemingway includes several actual figures in telling this story of war among the people of Spain.
Emma by Jane Austen, scheduled for Aug. 19. A true classic, Emma was first published in 1815 and has been read for generations. Emma Woodhouse is young, rich, and clever, and is particularly adept at matchmaking—until things go wrong! There have been numerous films and television shows based on the story of Emma.
Still Life by Louise Penny, scheduled for Oct. 21. We finish the year in the idyllic setting of Three Pines in Canada, for the first book in the popular Inspector Gamache series. Mysteries are loved by many FOL members, and Penny’s series was selected to broadly represent this genre.
If you are not an FOL member, please consider joining today to show your support for our library at Robson Ranch. The cost is $10 per person. You can place a check in the drop box at the library in the CATC building. Please include your email address and phone number on your check. Happy reading! Happy Thanksgiving!