Libraries are Life-Changing!

As we come to the close of National Library Week,

here are a few titles about the importance of books in peoples lives:

You've got to read this book! 55 people tell the story of the book that changed their life
We all have memories of a book that stirred mind and soul; that became more resonant over time. When a book sweeps us away, we remember and tell people. Sharing the experience is a double gift: it reveals us meaningfully while extending the possibility of pleasure and insight to others.

YOU'VE GOT TO READ THIS BOOK! is just such a double gift. In it, some of today's most interesting and prominent people share the books that have been transformational to them, and why. Readers will encounter well–known names in personal motivation, business, entertainment, and more, such as Malachy McCourt, Christiane Northrup, M.D., Dave Barry, Stephen Covey, Mark Victor Hansen, and John Gray, among others, as well as Canfield and Hendricks themselves. These essays will inspire, inform, and motivate readers to recall and pursue their own transforming experiences with books, charting a path to a more resonant life.

1001 books you must read before you die
Handpicked by a team of international critics and literary luminaries, a treasure trove of book reviews from around the world covers a century of memorable writing and offers authoritative critical essays describing the importance and influence of each entry with its publishing history and career details about the author.


Book smart : your essential reading list for becoming a literary genius in 365 days
Like taking a private class with an engaging literature professor, Book Smart is your ticket for literary enlightenment all year long and for the rest of your life. Whether you're a passionate turner of pages or you aspire to be better-read, Book Smart expands your knowledge and enjoyment with a month-by-month plan that tackles 120 of the most compelling books of all time.

Throughout the year, each book comes alive with historical notes, highlights on key themes and characters, and advice on how to approach reading. Here is a sampling of what you can expect:

January: Make a fresh start with classics like Beowulf and Dante's Inferno
April: Welcome spring in the company of strong women like Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina, and Vanity Fair's Becky Sharpe
August: Bring a breath of fresh air to summer's heat with comedic works from Kingsley Amis and Oscar Wilde
October: Get back to school with young people struggling to grow up in classics like Little Women and recent bestsellers such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
December: Celebrate year's end with big prizewinners such as The Remains of the Day and Leaves of Grass


The Polysyllabric Spree
For those who prefer an edgier approach to reading, Nick Hornby,
the author of High Fidelity and About a Boy shares samples from his "Stuff I've Been Reading" columns in The Believer, focusing on various books he has found interesting, in a volume that includes selected passages from the novels, poetry, biographies, and comics discussed.

Walking a literary labyrinth : a spirituality of reading
Draws from authors including Franz Kafka, Saint Augustine, and Margaret Atwood and ranging in subject from childhood reading to erotic literature to examine how reading affects self and identity.

Author Kathleen Odean has compiled a series of recommended reading for children ages 3 to 14, for toddlers, for boys, and for girls, such as
Great books for girls : more than 600 books to inspire today's girls and tomorrow's women
A unique guide for parents and teachers contains more than six hundred annotated listings of a variety of books for girls, from toddlers to adolescents, that feature female protagonists who solve problems and shape their own destiny.

There's also more recommended reading for youth in
Spirited minds : African American books for our sons and our brothers

How to get your child to love reading : a parents guide
Offers advice and guidelines on how to expand a child's world through books and reading, introducing three thousand teacher-recommended book titles, craft ideas, projects, recipes, and reading club tips.

and, a novel to ponder the role of libraries in an exotic manifestation:

The Camel Bookmobile
A novel about establishing a bookmobile in a destitute Kenya village, well-intentioned Fiona Sweeny inadvertently renews a decades-old tribal feud involving a camel-powered bookmobile and prior efforts to promote local education.