Special Interest Groups |
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Lifelong Learning Book Club
Meets seven times a year on Tuesdays, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Noel Wien Library Conference Room
Selections for September 2009 -- April 2010
September 15, 2009 - The Eight: a novel by Katherine Neville - A young novice during the French Revolution risks her life to save a jeweled chess set that Moors gave Charlemagne, one which allows those who play it to tap into incredible powers - and - in the 20th century, a computer expert and a chess master try to solve its mystery. This is a non-stop ride that recalls the swashbuckling adventures of Indiana Jones as well as the historical puzzles of Umberto Eco. (1989, fiction, first novel, 550 pages)
October 13, 2009 - The View from Castle Rock: stories by Alice Munro - In 12 exquisitely constructed tales, Munro draws on family lore and letters to tell the story of her relatives, a tough bunch from Scotland that eventually emigrated to the New World. All the narratives exhibit Munro’s keen eye for realistic details and her ability to illuminate the depths of seemingly mundane lives and relationships. (2006, fiction, 349 pages)
November 17, 2009 - Silver Pigs: a detective novel in ancient Rome by Lindsey Davis - Describe a detective in seedy surroundings, an impulsive young woman, intrigue in high places, and the plot sounds all too familiar. But, name the detective Marcus Didius Falco, place him in first-century Rome, and an entertaining newcomer to fictional detectives is introduced. Woven into Falco's adventures are humor, romance, suspense, and clues for the discerning reader. (1989, mystery fiction, first novel, 329 pages)
February 9, 2010 - The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon - In a world in which Alaska, rather than Israel, has become the homeland for the Jews following World War II, Detective Meyer Landsman and his half-Tlingit partner Berko investigate the death of a heroin-addicted chess prodigy. Imagine Dashiell Hammett crossed with Isaac Bashevis Singer, as Chabon extends his fascination with classic pulp in a novel that is both a hardboiled detective story and a softhearted romance in a fable of identity, home, and faith. (2007, Alaskana fiction, 414 pages)
March 16, 2010 - The Price of Silence by Kate Wilhelm - Todd and her husband move to what seems to be a wonderful Oregon town when she is offered a position at a local newspaper, but when a little girl goes missing, Todd delves deeper and discovers that five other girls have disappeared over the past 20 years. Combining oppressive isolation and creepy characters, genre veteran Wilhelm creates a genuinely eerie atmosphere that pulls readers in. (2005, suspense fiction, 360 pages)
April 13, 2010 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson - This complex, multilayered tale, which combines an intricate financial thriller with an Agatha Christie-like locked-room mystery set on an island, grabs the reader from the first page. Sweden may be the land of blondes, Ikea, and the Midnight Sun, but Larsson exposes its dark heart: sexual violence against women, a Nazi past, and corporate corruption. (2005, mystery, 480 pages)
May 11, 2010 - booktalk & selection of titles for September 2010 – April 2011
Library Contact/Discussion Leader: Georgine Olson; 459-1063 or golson@fnsblibrary.us
Hiking Club
The Hiking Club will be active again in May, 2010.
They welcome new members and new leaders. The following hikes were scheduled in 2009.
* Creamer’s Field
* University Trails
* Murphy Dome Road/Minto Flats Outlook Hike,
* Wickersham Dome hike: 27 Mile Eliot Highway
* Hike to the proposed Skyline Ridge Park
* Angel Rocks to Chena Hot Springs
* Ester Dome Hike
To be on the phone or email list for the Hiking Club, contact the OLLI office at 464-6607 or email olli@uaf.edu.
NEW! Let's Play Pictionary
First meeting: Monday, November 9, at 1:00 pm
Leader: Barb Rondine
Since winter is soon to be upon us and classes are almost over, I’d like to get a group together monthly to play Pictionary to “lighten” our darkening days. If interested, call Barb at 456-2462.
NEW! Playing and Aging
First meetings: Wednesdays, November 18, 25, December 2, 9
Leader: Barb Rondine
Many authors have considered the role of play and aging. I would like to begin with a four-session discussion group centered around Dr. Stuart Brown’s book Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. If interested, call 456-2462.
Synchronized Swimming
Meets on the 3th Thursday of the month
2:00 – 3:15 pm, Mary Siah Pool
Leader: Anne Foster
Join us for some synchronized basics (followed by a quick soak in the Jacuzzi). All swimmers are welcome.
Pool Fees: Senior $1, Adult $3.75
Let's Travel!
Are you interested in traveling? Let's form a Travel Group that can exchange ideas and tour information or just contact one another when we need a travel companion. It is cheaper to have double occupancy when traveling, and there are many singles that need someone to travel with them. Besides, it's more fun to travel with someone. If you are interested in forming an informal travel group that might just exchange email with each other, please contact the OLLI office at 474-6607 and give them your phone and email. What a great way to share travel discounts, travel tours and other travel information. Leader Marcia Boyette.
