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Mission Statement:
The purpose is to enrich the lives of many in the Amsterdam community
through reading and related activities thereby enhancing literacy and a
sense of community and promoting the Amsterdam Free Library.
Honorary Chairpersons:
Bob Cudmore
Senator Hugh T. Farley
Jane Getty
Robin Kappler
Steering Committee:
Anne Westfall, Chair
Gwen Bach
Tom Cummings
Rob Edelman
Maureen Hand
Audrey Kupferberg
Diane Marcil
Ed Marcil
John Naple
Donna Palczak
Nancy Rogers
Alessa Wylie
Stephen Wylie |
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Ironweed
by William
Kennedy |
| “The third (and most
celebrated) in a series of three Albany-set novels, following
Legs, about the gangster Legs Diamond, and Billy Phelan’s
Greatest Crime, Ironweed concerns Billy Phelan’s father, a
former mechanic, major-league third baseman, lush and murderer,
who is now back in Albany after 22 years on the lam. The time is
the Depression, and the supporting cast includes crooks, bums,
cons, gamblers and working stiffs. William Kennedy practices a
tough-minded and defiant humanism that will leave many readers
chastened but feeling good.” NEW YORK TIMES |
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Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
by Alfred
Lansing |
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“In the summer of 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton
set off aboard the Endurance bound for the South
Atlantic. The goal of his expedition was to cross the Antarctic
overland, but more than a year later, and still half a continent
away from the intended base, the Endurance was trapped in
ice and eventually was crushed....(The book) is a white-knuckle
account of this astounding odyssey. Through the diaries of team
members and interviews with survivors, Lansing reconstructs the
months of terror and hardship the Endurance crew
suffered....(It is a) magnificent true-life adventure tale.”
AMAZON.COM |
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Plain Truth
by
Jodi Picoult |
| “...a suspenseful story about a
murder trial. A newborn baby is found dead. The only real
suspect is the baby's young unwed (Amish) mother....The story of
the investigation and trial is compelling. There are twists and
turns that keep the reader guessing what really happened the
night of the baby’s death. Even more riveting are the
psychological and social themes that Picoult has woven into her
novel....(The book) is about romantic love, love of family, and
the conflicts that may emerge between the two. It speaks of the
concepts of individuality and identity. Perhaps mostly it is
about truth and forgiveness.” BOOKHELPWEB |
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Tender at the Bone
by Ruth
Reichl |
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“New York Times restaurant critic
Ruth Reichl shares lessons learned at the hands (and kitchen
counters) of family members and friends throughout her
life...Her stories shine with the voices and recipes of those
she has encountered on the way...Reichl’s
wry and gentle humor pervades the book, and makes readers feel
as if they’re right at the table, laughing at one great story
after another (and delighting in a gourmet meal at the same
time, of course). Reichl’s narrative of a life lived and
remembered through the palate will stay with the reader long
after the last page is turned.”
AMAZON.COM
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Nobody's
Fool
by
Richard Russo |
“It’s not just that (Russo) writes with
panache, his verbal dexterity a mixture of biting wit and potent
insight. He also endows his subjects—
blue-collar people living in economically desperate
communities-- with dignity, finding in their humble
circumstances the essential questions of existence. (The plot
involves a) succession of contretemps (that) conspire to keep
Donald ‘Sully’' Sullivan mired in a morass of bad luck,
compounded at every turn by his own stubborn, self-destructive
streak....Russo again proves himself a shrewd observer of human
nature, whose universal failings he scrutinizes with a comic eye
and a compassionate heart.” PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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