Reading, Running and Rambling

Because the book club side of this group has been dormant for some time, we've decided to readjust it's focus. We've also changed the name to be a bit more "local", broadly speaking. It's now the Coral Sea Book Club - no longer the Endeavour Book Club.

It's still a book club and a reading group (sometimes we'll read the same book, sometimes we'll tell each other about books we've read), but it's now also a running club and a bush walking club.

Because we librarians (and other people connected with the JCU Library and working in our buildings) are a group with a wide range of interests, and we can make this a Reading, Running and Rambling Club if we want to.

The Rosie Project

Okay Endeavour book club members, let's start with baby steps.
We've chosen a popular book that's already well known. It's the choice for One Title, One Townsville so we figured we can ride on the coat tails of the awesome events organised by TCC in May including a Q&A with the author, Graeme Simsion and the tasty sounding Literary Dinner:  3 Authors, 3 Courses at A Touch of Salt.

You can read about these events in the Learn, Discover, Connect newsletter published by CityLibraries.

As for getting hold of a copy; I leave that to you as a Darwinian test of your skills as a librarian.

Email Bronwyn at her JCU address if you are going to join in and would like to attend the events with us. 

I am Legend - Sharon's Comments

I managed to watch two movie versions of this book before actually reading the book, and I have to say it's interesting that they both changed the same plot twist into a completely different plot twist.

In the movies, the girl he finds is a real girl (not a vampire), and there is a small community of humans living in bolt-holes in the hills. The "Legend" that Neville becomes is that of the saviour of humanity - his sacrifice enables the "true" human race to survive.

Meanwhile, in the book, he becomes the "vampire" (of sorts) for the "new" human race. The legendary figure who strikes while your innocent family is sleeping, and in the "morning" (evening) you wake to find your loved ones dead and surrounded by a pool of blood.

I'm not sure the final twist works in the book, though. It feels as if we missed out on some information that Neville should have worked out. I mean, if they were forging a new society, making scientific advancements and creating an armed police force (of sorts), surely there would have been evidence of this in the daylight? Surely Neville would have noticed things being repaired and indications that society was starting up again?

I can't help but feel the book needed a few more chapters to flesh out some of what was going on in those last few episodes.

Other than that, it was a fun read - a great way to spend a couple of hours and a pleasant diversion for killing time in an airport.

I'd be interested to see if anyone ever films the whole book - and to read some discussion on why all of the adaptations feel compelled to change the ending so radically. Does Hollywood feel we need to have more hope for the future? Is the book completely devoid of that hope, just because humanity (as we know it) ceases to exist?

I Am Legend - Helen's comments

Well finally got the book (thank you Sharon) and read it too. Didn't take very long (one of the shortest books I have read lately) and a page turner as well. It was actually pretty riveting reading but fairly gruesome, more horror than science fiction/fantasy which is what I like best.

I haven't seen the new movie with Will Smith or any of the previous films so can't comment on the similarities or differences. It does get you thinking though about how you would survive or even if you would want to survive if you were the last man/woman alive.

The whole vapirism as a disease based on scientific evidence rather than superstition was something I hadn't read about before and the tie in with the plague and and other pandemics was an interesting concept.

Cool twist at the end. He didn't save the world, but became the minority. Humanity survived (or did it) and he became legend like the vampires before him.

Call for Books: May's choice

The last book has been announced. Can we have suggestions for the next book, please?

Attach them as comments to this post.

The new pole will hopefull go out before ANZAC day - and will hopefully include suggestions from people other than Sharon and Helen.

And the Winner Is...

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.

"a plague has decimated the world, and those unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Robert Neville is the last living man on earth. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?" (Dymocks book stores).

This was supposed to be our book for March, but it will have to be our book for April. If everyone could kindly get themselves a copy of this book and read it, and then think of something to say about it.

Your challenge is to read the book and then answer the following question:

"What did you think of this book?"

Remember, everyone is required to post their own two bits, and then offer a comment on at least one other member's two bits. Please post your own comment some time during the first week of May.

If this wasn't the book you would have chosen, might I suggest you engage in next month's choice a little more pro-actively?

A Tied Result

Okay, we've tied on Captin Alatriste and I am Legend.

Looks like we need a tie breaker. Do we want the book about Musketeers or the book about Vampires?