Word of the Week:
Sublime, which describes a feeling that is both exhilarating, and terrifying, at the same time. You experience the sublime when you experience something so powerful that you are left feeling insignificant. For example, when you stand on the top of a mountain, humbled by the vastness of the world around you. In these moments of sublime you feel a connection to something greater than yourself. This feeling reminds us of the boundless beauty of the world around us and the infinite potential within each one of us.
[IG.benjamin.aston.wod#48]
The books that Russell & District Regional Library lends out and celebrates will live on in the hearts and minds of readers for many years to come. That’s the thing about a good book: it lingers on for centuries. Case in point, Frankenstein by Mary W. Shelley.
Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mould me man? Did I solicit thee
From darkness to promote me? –Paradise Lost
Set and written in the Nineteenth Century, Mary Shelley’s novel begins with a verse from John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost, which tells the biblical tale of Adam and Eve, and by extension, the fall of all mankind. “This is paramount to our protagonist, Victor, and his creation, throughout the course of the novel as it reflects the aftermath of his grave decision to bring another being to life” muses Jessica Davies.
Davies, Raven’s host, was immediately drawn to this gothic novel, not by its preface and timeline, but by the remarkable woman who penned the story. Davies: “I could fill several pages with the many heartbreaking trials and tribulations Mary went through during the course of her life, but, what I admire most, is her ability to take each of those experiences and translate them into a masterpiece.”
Raven Book Club has just finished reading and discussing Shelley’s Frankenstein. On April 3, when Raven meets again, it will be to share the experience of reading Pam Jenoff’s novel: The Diplomat’s Wife. Raven will continue to meet in the Art Gallery of the Russell Library on the first Monday of each month. You can join any time, and it’s a great way to spend an hour in the afternoon with friendly folks.
New at the Library:
All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham (LP)
Blended Amish Blessings by Patricia Johns (LP)
Book Haters Club by Gretchen Anthony (LP)
Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff. (LP)
Encore in Death: an Eve Dallas novel by J.D. Rob (LP)
House at the End of The World by Dean Koontz (LP)
Last Party by Clare Mackintosh (LP)
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger (LP)
Being Baxters by Karen Kingsbury (CHR)
Librarian of Burned Books by Brianna Labuskes (AF)
Maltese Iguana by Tim Dorsey (AF)
Storm Watch by C.J. Box (AF)
Us Against You by Fredrik Bachman (AF)
Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation by Andrew Wilson (NF)
Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble (NF)
I’m Glad my Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy (NF)
We look forward to serving you at The Russell & District Regional Library.