This month's LitSoup question:

What book got you hooked on reading?

I posed this question to the newsroom, and these are the responses I received:

Jean Bonchak:

Frank L. Baum’s series of Oz books fascinated me in childhood. I still remember walking to the Wickliffe Library to take out 2 volumes at a time (all that was permitted). Though exact names and titles escape me, I can still recall the creativity in his books beyond “The Wizard of Oz” including characters with wheels instead of feet, houses that were beautiful on the outside but horrible on the inside (and vice versa) and many, many more.
His genius could rival any modern day writers in the genre. What a beautiful legacy he left for us all.

Danielle Capriato:

I’m going to go with the ever-delightful “Pinocchio.” When I was but a wee lass, at the tender age of 3, my dear old dad used to read me a nightly bedtime story. As he read to me, I would follow along and ask him to point out words I thought were funny or otherwise liked. One night I told him it was my turn to read to him, and I picked up “Pinocchio” and read it to him by myself. At first he thought maybe I had memorized the story, but I had actually taught myself how to read. I spent the rest of my younger days with my nose stuck in a book.
If I had to make another choice, I would say the “Little House on the Prairie” series. I was given the set from my mother around kindergarten, and they were the first chapter books I read. I loved them, and while I haven’t read them in many years, the entire set still sits proudly on my bookshelf.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn:

I was always a very slow reader and had great difficulty… Then I came across a book for boys called “Wilderness Trek.” That got me hooked and all through junior high and even up into high school I read as many as one book a day, mostly adventure stories for boys of my age ...

Cheryl Sadler:

Dr. Seuss, especially "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" and "The Cat in the Hat." The former was so read in my house that the cover was nearly detached.

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This post is part of a LitSoup, a monthly feature on The Book Club compiled of contributions from the newsroom. Send an e-mail or tweet with your suggestions for future LitSoup topics.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

I almost let the week pass without writing the most important book blog entry of the year: It's Banned Books Week!

According to bannedbooksweek.org:

During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2011 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 24 through October 1. Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,000 books have been challenged since 1982.

Read more on Banned Books Week from the American Library Association.

To celebrated Banned Books Week, readers can "proclaim the virtues of their favorite banned books by posting videos of themselves reading excerpts" on YouTube. Find out more about participating in the Virtual Read-Out.

How are you celebrating Banned Books Week? What banned books have you been reading this week?

To mark the occasion, I'm going to revisit one of my favorites: "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain (which is available for free download at Project Gutenberg, along with other works in the public domain [some of which are banned books]). But, I will not be reading anything on video to post to YouTube. No one wants to see that anyway.

You can follow Banned Books Week on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Amazon announced last week that you can now borrow Kindle books from your local library.

Amazon offers a help page with questions about borrowing Kindle books for those needing more assistance.

If you need more help, check out the following links from cnet.com:

• How to get free library books on your Kindle
• How to download e-books from your local library (video)

When I was browsing CLEVNET's eMedia collection for books for my Nook over the weekend, I noticed the option to request Kindle books. Be prepared to sit on a waiting list for the book you want (notice "The Help" had 457 patrons on the waiting list when I took the screenshot on the right [and I'm about in the middle of that list]).

CLEVNET allows you 48 hours from notification that the book is available to check it out, and you can have it on your device for up to 21 days before it expires. So remember to act quickly and don't delay your reading! Or you'll be in the middle of an interesting book when it expires and you can't open it again.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Among the most intriguing things about Rachel DeWoskin's "Big Girl Small" is what it isn't.

It isn't a novel about coping with the challenges of being different. It's a novel about coping with the challenges faced by teens told by someone who happens to be different.

DeWoskin's heroine Judy Lohden is a 16-year-old girl making the transition to a new high school for the performing arts.She's clashing with her parents, trying to make new friends, coping with boy troubles. And, oh yeah, she's not even 4 feet tall.


Judy is your typical teen in more ways than not. DeWoskin has crafted a wonderfully rich character who doesn't define herself by her stature, so why should we?

If anything, she defines herself by the vocal talent that's landed her at the performang arts high school:

I mean, I knew they weren't going to be able to believe it when they heard me sing. Partly it's just an expectation thing - it's like when you see a book with a really stupid cover and then you're surprised it's deep or good or smart or whatever. When you see me, you're like, okay, there might be things she's good at, but having a huge, bellowing voice probably isn't one of them. But it is"

And yet, despite her talents, her loving family, her good friends, all is far from rosy in Judy's world. When does teasing stop being funny? When does a joke cross that line? Does any of us know where the line is?

Before we could pretend not to see him, he waved. We all waved back. And no one said anything mean, even after he jogged away with his shorts riding up so high he looked like he was naked. Maybe simply because it would have been too easy. And all I can say about that morning is - how did we three know instinctively where the lines are between being funny and being brutal?

Judy discovers firsthand how quickly things can go from being wonderful to being awful as she comes to terms with a situation I fear is too common in today's world.

How refreshing to read a novel about someone who's different that's not about the difference.

- Tricia Ambrose 

Follow me on Twitter @triciaambrose

Odds and Book Ends features activities and events in the area related to libraries, books and authors. Submit your events at www.News-Herald.com/Calendar, and check back to The Book Club every week for upcoming events and activities at your local library.

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This week

The library story time program for children 24 months and younger runs Mondays from the week of Sept. 26 through Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Willowick Library, 263 E. 305th St. Caregivers attend with children for all story times. Register: 440-943-4151.


The 20s/30s Readers meets at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26 in the Frances Cleveland Room of Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave. This month's selection is "Final Exam" by P.F. Kluge. For more information and to get a copy of the book, call 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


Writings from the Heretics: Anabaptist Literature, its origins and significance today will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Nov. 1 and Dec. 6 at Middlefield Library, 16167 E. High St. The three-part program by John Gingerich will examine forbidden Anabaptist Bibles and Testaments; Anabaptist Hymnals and Prayer Books; and Martyrologies, Histories and Confessions of Faith. Books significant to Amish - Mennonite - Anabaptist history, dating back to the 1500s, will be on display. Gingerich recently finished translating History of the Bernese Anabaptists, which will be available to purchase at the programs. Come to one or all of the programs. Also bring in your own pre-1900 German Bibles, hymnals, prayer books and other old German documents for a Show-and-Tell after the programs. Register: 440-632-1961.


Book and Brush Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., to discuss this month's selection, "The Forgery of Venus" by Michael Gruber. Refreshments are provided by the Friends of the Mentor Public Library. For more information on exploring the fine arts through literature, call librarian Barbara Hauer at 440-255-8811, ext. 210.


Who (and What) Built Cleveland's Millionaires Row will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at Willoughby Hills Library, 35400 Chardon Road. The illustrated talk will focus on the individuals who built the mansions that once lined Euclid Avenue. The program is co-sponsored by the Willoughby Historical Society, Willoughby Hills Historical Society and Willoughby Hills Public Library. Call 440-942-3362 to register for the free program.


Joe the Coupon Guy will present a class at 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at Morley Library, 184 Phelps St., Painesville. Learn how to save 70 percent and more grocery shopping and over 90 percent toiletry shopping. Also find out how to save money on restaurants, utility bills, cellphones, travel, gas and more.


Anime Club meets at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at Madison Library, 6111 Middle Ridge Road. The club - for ninth-graders and older - will meet the last Thursday of each month to watch movies and discuss anime and manga. Details: 440-428-2189.


Profiles Crime Time Book Club will meet from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 29 in the basement Garfield Room at Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave. This month the club will read "The Bone Collector" by Jeffery Deaver. New members are welcome to attend. Details: 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


A six-session course of education and support for parents of children and teens with a mental or emotional illness will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 3 at the Middlefield Library, 16167 E. High St. A 12-session course for education and support for family and friends of those diagnosed with a mental illness will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 1 at the Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services, 13244 Ravenna Road, Chardon. To register for either course, email Linda Reed at LREED@mhageauga.org or call 440-285-3945. For details, visit www.nami.org/sites/namigeauga.


Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., will host an Edible Banned Book Contest from 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 2. Winners will be announced at 2 p.m. There will be three categories: professional, amateur, and children ages 8 to 17. Entries must be made of food and must reflect your chosen title in some manner (plays on words are acceptable). You must choose a title from a book that has been banned or challenged (list of banned/challenged books). Details: Pam Rose, community outreach coordinator, at 440-255-8811, ext. 204.

Coming up

Learn the differences between the ACT and the SAT and how best to prepare for each of them during a presentation from Huntington Learning Center, set for 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 8 at Morley Library, 184 Phelps St., Painesville.


The Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village is offering six-week themed preschool story time for children ages 5 and younger and their parents. The Rescue Village Little Ambassadors will discover, explore and learn about the pets at Rescue Village through stories, songs, dance, games and crafts. They will learn how to properly care for and interact with pets. Subjects covered include colors, counting, number and letter identification, and patterns. Small and large motor skills will be practiced. The second session runs Oct. 24 through Dec. 8. The fee is $30 per six-week session, and sessions are limited to 10 participants. To register, contact Linda Hernandez at 440-596-1743 or lhernandez.walker@gmail.com.

Ongoing events

Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave. is introducing a new series of programs Sept. 12 called Monday University at the Library. The sessions will be the second Monday night of each month. Click here for further details.


Bring your chess board to Madison Library, 6111 Middle Ridge Road, the third Saturday of every month at noon and join others who like to play. All ages and skill levels welcome. www.madison-library.info


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Cheesy. Unimpressive. Unbelievable.

Those are some of the words I would use to describe "Random Hearts" by Warren Adler.

A man and woman are cheating on their spouses and die in a plane crash. The spouses meet and fall in love.

The premise isn't awful; the book is written awfully. What I said above is all revealed on the jacket of the book, but the two main characters don't even meet and find out what happened to their spouses until about a third of the way through the book. Then they almost instantly fall in love, and even though they have some bumpy moments in the first few weeks of getting to know each other, they decide to stay together.

That would never happen!

In the indie movie version of this story, the two main characters sleep together, then realize what an awful mistake that was because they were just trying to use the other to replace what they lost and discover that it isn't possible, so they move on in their lives separately, more hurt than they were before. Maybe that's a bit on the depressing side, but that is a book I would read and enjoy - because it would be realistic.

More unbelievable fodder from the book: The widower learns how much his deceased wife's family hates him because they blame him for her death. Adler paints Lily's family as uber-Italian and unforgiving, and her "Jersey Shore"-esque brother threatens widowed Edward for stealing her away. OK, 1) Who marries someone their family has that much hatred toward if their family is THAT IMPORTANT to them? and 2) What kind of uber-Italian name is Lily?

Unfortunately, Adler wrote this book nearly 30 years ago, when apparently you could board a plane using fake names without showing photo identification. The setup of his book wouldn't even be possible today - which made it a little more difficult for me to digest.

Watch the author speak briefly about the story below:


Read the first chapter of "Random Hearts".


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Odds and Book Ends features activities and events in the area related to libraries, books and authors. Submit your events at www.News-Herald.com/Calendar, and check back to The Book Club every week for upcoming events and activities at your local library.

---

This week

Computer classes are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 19 and 11 a.m. Sept. 20 at Mentor Library's Frances Cleveland Room, 8215 Mentor Ave. Learn how to operate Yahoo basic email. Minimum typing and computer-mouse skills are required. Seating is limited to 10 people. Register at 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


Mentor Library's Book Club for Men meets at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at the library, 8215 Mentor Ave. This month's selection is "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void" by Mary Roach. Light refreshments will be served. For a copy of the book, go to the Information Services desk. Details: 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


Jump-Start Your Job Search will be 1 to 2 p.m. Sept. 20 at Willoughby Hills Library, 35400 Chardon Road. Attend this session to learn about free workshops and job search assistance available to you through Lake1Stop. Receive a Job Search Planning Tool Kit to guide you through an effective job search. Register for the free program at 440-942-3362.


Partnering with your Doctor will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at Middlefield Library, 16167 E. High St. Maureen Ordman-Fike of the Alzheimer's Association will provide practical advice, tools and handouts to develop a successful relationship with your health care provider. Register: 440-632-1961.


Author Les Roberts will visit the James R. Garfield Room of the Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 22. Copies of his book "The Cleveland Creep" will be available for purchase and signing. Register: 440-255-8811.


The Friends of the Burton Library will have a book sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 24 in the library basement, 14588 W. Park St. Enter the sale through the white doors in the back of the building.


Thomas Werman, chief field investigator from Mutual UFO Network Ohio, will give a program on UFO sightings in Ohio from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at Morley Library, 184 Phelps St., Painesville. Learn how to report a sighting and what is involved in being a field investigator. Details: 440-352-3383 or www.morleylibrary.org.


Three Cleveland authors honor the history of the region on Sept. 24 at the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center, 10825 East Blvd., Cleveland. "Cuyahoga County: The First 200 Years" author Judy Cetina, "Erie Street Cemetery" author John Cimperman, and "Cleveland's Buckeye Neighborhood" author John Sabol will speak on their respective publications beginning at 2 p.m. A book signing will follow; books are avilable at the History Center Museum Store. The program is free with paid general admission ($8.50 for adults, $7.50 for senior, $5 for children ages 3 to 17, and free for WRHS members and children 2 and younger). Details: 216-721-5722 or www.wrhs.org.

Coming up

The 20s/30s Readers meets at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26 in the Frances Cleveland Room of Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave. This month's selection is "Final Exam" by P.F. Kluge. For more information and to get a copy of the book, call 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


Writings from the Heretics: Anabaptist Literature, its origins and significance today will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Nov. 1 and Dec. 6 at Middlefield Library, 16167 E. High St. The three-part program by John Gingerich will examine forbidden Anabaptist Bibles and Testaments; Anabaptist Hymnals and Prayer Books; and Martyrologies, Histories and Confessions of Faith. Books significant to Amish - Mennonite - Anabaptist history, dating back to the 1500s, will be on display. Gingerich recently finished translating History of the Bernese Anabaptists, which will be available to purchase at the programs. Come to one or all of the programs. Also bring in your own pre-1900 German Bibles, hymnals, prayer books and other old German documents for a Show-and-Tell after the programs. Register: 440-632-1961.


Book and Brush Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., to discuss this month's selection, "The Forgery of Venus" by Michael Gruber. Refreshments are provided by the Friends of the Mentor Public Library. For more information on exploring the fine arts through literature, call librarian Barbara Hauer at 440-255-8811, ext. 210.


Who (and What) Built Cleveland's Millionaires Row will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at Willoughby Hills Library, 65400 Chardon Road. The illustrated talk will focus on the individuals who built the mansions that once lined Euclid Avenue. The program is co-sponsored by the Willoughby Historical Society, Willoughby Hills Historical Society and Willoughby Hills Public Library. Call 440-942-3362 to register for the free program.


Anime Club meets at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at Madison Library, 6111 Middle Ridge Road. The club - for ninth-graders and older - will meet the last Thursday of each month to watch movies and discuss anime and manga. Details: 440-428-2189.


Profiles Crime Time Book Club will meet from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 29 in the basement Garfield Room at Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave. This month the club will read "The Bone Collector" by Jeffery Deaver. New members are welcome to attend. Details: 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


A six-session course of education and support for parents of children and teens with a mental or emotional illness will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 3 at the Middlefield Library, 16167 High St. in Middlefield. A 12-session course for education and support for family and friends of those diagnosed with a mental illness will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 1 at the Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services, 13244 Ravenna Road, Chardon. To register for either course, email Linda Reed at LREED@mhageauga.org or call 440-285-3945. For details, visit www.nami.org/sites/namigeauga.


Mentor Library will host an Edible Banned Book Contest from 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 2 at the main library, 8215 Mentor Ave. Winners will be announced at 2 p.m. There will be three categories: professional, amateur, and children ages 8 to 17. Entries must be made of food and must reflect your chosen title in some manner (plays on words are acceptable). You must choose a title from a book that has been banned or challenged (list of banned/challenged books). Details: Pam Rose, community outreach coordinator, at 440-255-8811, ext. 204.


The Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village is offering six-week themed preschool story time for children ages 5 and younger and their parents. The Rescue Village Little Ambassadors will discover, explore and learn about the pets at Rescue Village through stories, songs, dance, games and crafts. They will learn how to properly care for and interact with pets. Subjects covered include colors, counting, number and letter identification, and patterns. Small and large motor skills will be practiced. The second session runs Oct. 24 through Dec. 8. The fee is $30 per six-week session, and sessions are limited to 10 participants. To register, contact Linda Hernandez at 440-596-1743 or lhernandez.walker@gmail.com.

Ongoing events

Mentor Library is introducing a new series of programs Sept. 12 called Monday University at the Library. The sessions will be the second Monday night of each month. Click here for further details.


Bring your chess board to Madison Library, 6111 Middle Ridge Road, the third Saturday of every month at noon and join others who like to play. All ages and skill levels welcome. www.madison-library.info


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Stewart O'Nan's.
Check out my reviews of  "Snow Angels," "A Prayer for the Dying"and "The Good Wife."

My latest foray into his works was with "Emily, Alone," the sequel to "Wish You Were Here."

We follow the widowed Emily Maxwell, whose grown children are far away, who feels unconnected to her grandchildren, whose comfortable routine is shaken up when her sister-in-law has a health scare.

It's very much a slice of life. A life shared no doubt by countless widows.

But what struck me is how beautifully he has captured the voice of an older, widowed mother and grandmother.

As Emily ruminates while looking for a photo: "The question of how she should be remembered was not one she wanted to contemplate. Her life had been happy, for the most part, her disappointments mild, common, yet when she recalled herself, she did so with a mix of self-righteousness and shame, holding up her worst moments against her best intentions. She would never forget the names she'd flung at Henry in her rages, or the times she's made her mother cry."

Or this as Emily thinks about her relationship with her daughter-in-law: "Emily likes to think she didn't need anything from Lisa, yet Lisa held the ultimate power over her - the ability to deprive Emily of time with Kenneth and her grandchildren. Even Margaret at her worst understood that family trumpeted their personal battles."

Or as she visits her husband's grave: "The slope was steeper than it appeared, and shadeless. Wanting to look nice for him, she'd worn the wrong shoes, and had to be careful, taking little mincing steps, carrying the cosmos out before her with both hands as if it were a hot casserole."

It strikes me as a pretty uncommon gift, this ability to masterfully craft characters of the opposite gender.

When I think back upon those characters who have really stuck with me for the most part they are women created by women or men created by men. There's Mrs de Winter in Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca;" there's Pip in Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations; " E.L. Doctorow's "Homer & Langley;" Anna in Jodi Picoult's "My Sister's Keeper;" ... I could go on and on.

It was more difficult to think of the reverse. I got Hester Prynne in Nathanial Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter."(Most likely because my son just read the book and the tale is fresh in my mind.)

I must just be trying to think too hard.

I'm sure I'm forgetting scads of favorite characters. Who can you remind me of?

- Tricia Ambrose 

Follow me on Twitter @triciaambrose

If all goes as planned I'll be tuning in to TNT at 10 p.m. tonight to watch the summer finale of "Rizzoli & Isles."
I've been a fan of the show since its debut last year.

But luckily we here in Northeast Ohio won't have to wait too long to get a Rizzoli & Isles fix.

Tess Gerritsen, author of the novels on which the series is based, is coming to Geauga County.
(Check out Gerritsen's take on each of the series' episodes and read chapters of an R&I short story "Freaks."

Geauga County Library Foundation and the combined Friends of the Libraries invited her to discuss her latest Rizzoli & Isles book, “The Silent Girl.”
The program will be at 7:45 p.m. Oct. 22 at Notre Dame Educational Center, 13000 Auburn Road in Munson Township. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.
Fans can attend a 7 p.m. reception with the author. Tickets are $25 per person or couple and must be purchased by Oct. 17.

Books will be available for purchase by Fireside Bookshop of Chagrin Falls.
Gerritsen will be available to autograph books before and after her presentation.
Tickets can be purchased at any Geauga County Public Library or by mail to the Geauga County Library Foundation, 12701 Ravenwood Drive, Chardon, OH 44024.

- Tricia Ambrose
Follow me on Twitter @triciaambrose

Odds and Book Ends features activities and events in the area related to libraries, books and authors. Submit your events at www.News-Herald.com/Calendar, and check back to The Book Club every week for upcoming events and activities at your local library.

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This week

Friends of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library will have a book/AV sale at Willowick Library, 263 E. 305th St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 12. Details: 440-943-4151.


Computer classes are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 12 and 11 a.m. Sept. 13 at Mentor Library's Frances Cleveland Room, 8215 Mentor Ave. Learn how to operate basic Internet. Seating is limited to 10 people. Register at 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


Meet the new children's librarian at Henderson Memorial Library, 54 E. Jefferson St., Jefferson, at 10 a.m. Sept. 13. The hour-long meet-and-greet will include cookies and punch, followed by story time at 11 a.m. Details: 440-576-3761.


Uncovering the Hidden Job Market will be 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 13 at Willoughby Hills Library, 35400 Chardon Road. Learn how to maximize the effectiveness of your job search by using a combination of research and networking to find jobs that are not advertised and to meet the people who can help you get them. Register for the free program: 440-942-3362.


The Geauga County Genealogical Society begins its new program year Sept. 13 with a visit from David Lintern, volunteer interpreter at the James A. Garfield Historic Site. He will present "General Garfield: The Civil War Years 1861-1863." Lintern previously presented Garfield's early years to the genealogy group. The program will begin immediately after the 7 p.m. business meeting. The meeting and program are free and open to all, and will be at Chardon Library, 110 E. Park St. Details: gcgsoh@aol.com.


Certified eBay specialist Angela Paterek will help residents get started on selling on eBay at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at Willowick Library, 263 E. 305th St. Registration is required: 440-944-6900, ext. 113, or www.welibrary.info.


Putting the Garden to Bed will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at Willoughby Library, 30 Public Square. Learn the best methods for fall clean up, composting, soil testing, amending the soil, mulching and pruning. Call 440-942-3200 to register for the free program.


Friends of Morley Library will have a book sale. A members night will be 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 15; memberships may be purchased at the door. The sale will continue from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17. Details: 440-352-3383; ask for the Friends room, and leave a message to receive a call back. The library is at 184 Phelps St., Painesville.


An introduction to genealogy with the Lake County Historical Society and Alan Rabe from the Northeast Ohio Family History Center wil be at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 at Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave. Sources of information will be presented, and locations in the area will be discussed. Details: 440-255-8811 or www.mentorpl.org.


Friends of the Geneva Library, 860 Sherman St., will have a used book sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 16 and Sept. 17. Money raised will be used to benefit the library. In addition to books, DVDs and magazines, the new Geneva Library book bags will be for sale for $2. Raffle tickets for a handmade Amish quilt will be on sale for $1 each or six for $5. Details: 440-466-4521.


Perry Library will have a free children's theater workshop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 17. The program is for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Professional teaching artists will lead children in singing, dancing and acting out key moments of "Peter Pan." Please bring a sack lunch. Teen volunteers are invited to help out, and parents and grandparents are welcome to participate. Register: 440-259-3300 or perrypubliclibrary.org.


The Nuts and Bolts of Jewish Genealogy will be noon to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at Western Reserve Historical Society, 10825 East Blvd., Cleveland. Speakers will be John Grabowski, director of archives/library at WRHS; Kenneth Bravo, president, Jewish Genealogical Society of Cleveland; Sean Martin, associate curator of Jewish American History, WRHS. Reservations are required; fee is $20. Refreshments will be served. Details: Nancy Leinweber at 440-205-1942 or nanbwl@juno.com. Printable registration form for The Nuts and Bolts of Jewish Genealogy.

Coming up

Computer classes are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 19 and 11 a.m. Sept. 20 at Mentor Library's Frances Cleveland Room, 8215 Mentor Ave. Learn how to operate Yahoo basic email. Minimum typing and computer-mouse skills are required. Seating is limited to 10 people. Register at 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


Mentor Library's Book Club for Men meets at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at the library, 8215 Mentor Ave. This month's selection is "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void" by Mary Roach. Light refreshments will be served. For a copy of the book, go to the Information Services desk. Details: 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


Jump-Start Your Job Search will be 1 to 2 p.m. Sept. 20 at Willoughby Hills Library, 35400 Chardon Road. Attend this session to learn about free workshops and job search assistance available to you through Lake1Stop. Receive a Job Search Planning Tool Kit to guide you through an effective job search. Register for the free program at 440-942-3362.


Partnering with your Doctor will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at Middlefield Library, 16167 E. High St. Maureen Ordman-Fike of the Alzheimer's Association will provide practical advice, tools and handouts to develop a successful relationship with your health care provider. Register: 440-632-1961.


Author Les Roberts will visit the James R. Garfield Room of the Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 22. Copies of his book "The Cleveland Creep" will be available for purchase and signing. Register: 440-255-8811.


The Friends of the Burton Library will have a book sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 24 in the library basement, 14588 W. Park St. Enter the sale through the white doors in the back of the building.


Thomas Werman, chief field investigator from Mutual UFO Network Ohio, will give a program on UFO sightings in Ohio from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at Morley Library, 184 Phelps St., Painesville. Learn how to report a sighting and what is involved in being a field investigator. Details: 440-352-3383 or www.morleylibrary.org.


The Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village is offering six-week themed preschool story time for children ages 5 and younger and their parents. The Rescue Village Little Ambassadors will discover, explore and learn about the pets at Rescue Village through stories, songs, dance, games and crafts. They will learn how to properly care for and interact with pets. Subjects covered include colors, counting, number and letter identification, and patterns. Small and large motor skills will be practiced. The second session runs Oct. 24 through Dec. 8. The fee is $30 per six-week session, and sessions are limited to 10 participants. To register, contact Linda Hernandez at 440-596-1743 or lhernandez.walker@gmail.com.

Ongoing events

Mentor Library is introducing a new series of programs Sept. 12 called Monday University at the Library. The sessions will be the second Monday night of each month. Click here for further details.


Bring your chess board to Madison Library, 6111 Middle Ridge Road, the third Saturday of every month at noon and join others who like to play. All ages and skill levels welcome. www.madison-library.info


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

I wasn't sure what to expect from "A Visit from the Goon Squad", so I'm not exactly sure if I was happy with what I got. The best-selling novel by Jennifer Egan is more like a collection of stories involving music and people who are intertwined. Bennie is a music executive, and Sasha his assistant. Each chapter is told from the perspective of someone different, whether Bennie or Sasha or someone else that has been in their lives for some important reason at some point.

I recognized two of the chapters immediately, possibly through a reading on The New York Times Book Review podcast or PRI: Selected Shorts. It makes sense to me now why the chapters could be read out of context: Each is its own story and can stand on its own. I read the book almost like "Winesburg, Ohio", which is a collection of stories about people that are somehow related or tied to one another. Several times while reading "Goon Squad," I had to skim back through earlier chapters to find out why a name seemed familiar or to figure out why I should know a character's name.

In that regard, I liked the book. I enjoy reading short stories, and it was kind of neat to revisit characters who seemingly had lost their role after each chapter ended. Her style also made the book a little more difficult to read. Each character had a distinctly different voice and told his or her story in his or her own way - and she didn't even identify who was speaking at the start of each chapter. (Maybe doing so would be "dumbing down" the book too much, or Egan wanted to challenge her readers to think harder while reading.)

My favorite chapter of the book was told via PowerPoint slides by Sasha's daughter. It was the easiest to read, even though the ideas, actions and dialogue weren't necessarily written in order or in complete sentences. The somewhat random visual nature of that particular story made me more interested and gave me more than just the plain blocks of text from the rest of the book. I'm glad she didn't use this method for every chapter, but it was an interesting and neat way to tell a story from a different point of view in an entirely different way.

The publisher turned those slides into a nine-minute video posted on YouTube. Watch it below (unless you're super worried about spoilers, which you don't really need to be because the book is told in a somewhat disjointed manner anyway):


I'm still kind of undecided as to whether I liked the book. It was a little weird, and I'm not sure exactly the story Egan was trying to tell or what she wanted me to get out of it. If you have read this book, what did you think?

Check out a sample of the book below:




-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Odds and Book Ends features activities and events in the area related to libraries, books and authors. Submit your events at www.News-Herald.com/Calendar, and check back to The Book Club every week for upcoming events and activities at your local library.

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This week

The Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village is offering six-week themed preschool story time for children ages 5 and younger and their parents. The Rescue Village Little Ambassadors will discover, explore and learn about the pets at Rescue Village through stories, songs, dance, games and crafts. They will learn how to properly care for and interact with pets. Subjects covered include colors, counting, number and letter identification, and patterns. Small and large motor skills will be practiced. The first session runs Sept. 6 through Oct. 13, and the second session runs Oct. 24 through Dec. 8. The fee is $30 per six-week session, and sessions are limited to 10 participants. To register, contact Linda Hernandez at 440-596-1743 or lhernandez.walker@gmail.com.


Friends of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library will have a book/AV sale at Willowick Library, 263 E. 305th St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 9, 10 and 12. Details: 440-943-4151.


Longtime Cleveland meteorologist Dick Goddard will be at Perry Library, 3753 Main St., at 2 p.m. Sept. 10. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Goddard has been delivering the forecast for more than 40 years in Cleveland. He is also an author, cartoonist, and passionate animal activist. Attendees also can purchase his new book, “Six Inches of Partly Cloudy.” All proceeds of the book will benefit animal charities. All ages are welcome to this free event but attendees must register by calling 440-259-3300 or online at perrypubliclibrary.org.

Coming up

Computer classes are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 12 and 11 a.m. Sept. 13 at Mentor Library's Frances Cleveland Room, 8215 Mentor Ave. Learn how to operate basic Internet. Seating is limited to 10 people. Register at 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


Certified eBay specialist Angela Paterek will help residents get started on selling on eBay at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at Willowick Library, 263 E. 305th St. Registration is required: 440-944-6900, ext. 113, or www.welibrary.info.


An introduction to genealogy with the Lake County Historical Society and Alan Rabe from the Northeast Ohio Family History Center wil be at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 at Mentor Library, 8215 Mentor Ave. Sources of information will be presented, and locations in the area will be discussed. Details: 440-255-8811 or www.mentorpl.org.


Friends of the Geneva Library, 860 Sherman St., will have a used book sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 16 and Sept. 17. Money raised will be used to benefit the library. In addition to books, DVDs and magazines, the new Geneva Library book bags will be for sale for $2. Raffle tickets for a handmade Amish quilt will be on sale for $1 each or six for $5. Details: 440-466-4521.


Computer classes are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 19 and 11 a.m. Sept. 20 at Mentor Library's Frances Cleveland Room, 8215 Mentor Ave. Learn how to operate Yahoo basic email. Minimum typing and computer-mouse skills are required. Seating is limited to 10 people. Register at 440-255-8811, ext. 215.


Mentor Library's Book Club for Men meets at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at the library, 8215 Mentor Ave. This month's selection is "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void" by Mary Roach. Light refreshments will be served. For a copy of the book, go to the Information Services desk. Details: 440-255-8811, ext. 215.

Ongoing events

Mentor Library is introducing a new series of programs Sept. 12 called Monday University at the Library. The sessions will be the second Monday night of each month. Click here for further details.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl