Join a virtual book club
Join a book club from home. The Classics Made Modern book group meets on Zoom and connects together in a Facebook group! If you haven't ever read a classic that wasn't assigned – we're going to make this fun. If you love reading but are looking for something a bit different – try one of these titles! Here are the basics:
We meet on Wednesday afternoons from 2-3 pm in a Zoom video chat to discuss the book "face-to-face!"- All of the books are available digitally from home -- as ebooks or audiobooks through Hoopla.
- Follow along in the library's Facebook group for this discussion as we share quotes, memes, historical context, modern takes, factoids about the author's personal life, strong opinions about the movie versions, and trivia!
- Background information on each title and author is shared in advance via email.
- For help with Hoopla, Zoom, or any questions, email classicsmodern@tscpl.org.
Upcoming Book Discussions
Read the ebook or listen to the audiobook, then join the discussion on Zoom.
The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe
Wed, Nov 6 | 2-3pm
Roderick Usher's fate is inextricably intertwined with that of his sister, Madeline, and that of their estate. As one falls, so do they all. "The Fall of the House of Usher" is considered Edgar Allan Poe's greatest work, and a masterpiece of Gothic horror. The short story was first published in 1839.
Read the ebook or listen to the audiobook on Hoopla or check availability on physical items from the library.
Read 25 pages or listen to the audiobook (1 hour).
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Wed, Dec 4 | 2-3pm
S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure. William Goldman's modern fantasy classic is a simple, exceptional story about quests-for riches, revenge, power, and, of course, true love-that's thrilling and timeless. Anyone who lived through the 1980s may find it impossible-inconceivable, even-to equate The Princess Bride with anything other than the sweet, celluloid romance of Westley and Buttercup, but the film is only a fraction of the ingenious storytelling you'll find in these pages. Rich in character and satire, the novel is set in 1941 and framed cleverly as an "abridged" retelling of a centuries-old tale set in the fabled country of Florin that's home to "Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passions."
Read the ebook or listen to the abridged audiobook on Hoopla or check availability on physical items from the library.
Read 400 pages or listen to the abridged audiobook (2.5 hours).
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
Wed, Jan 8 | 2-3 pm
First published in 1859, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty is an exhaustive exploration of social and civic liberty, its limits, and its consequences. Mill's work is a classic of political liberalism that contains a rational justification of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the claims of the state. Mill asks and answers provocative questions relating to the boundaries of social authority and individual sovereignty. Interestingly for modern discussion, after meeting and subsequently marrying his wife Harriet, Mill changed many of his beliefs on moral life and women's rights. Mill states that On Liberty "was more directly and literally our joint production than anything else which bears my name."
Read the ebook or listen to the abridged audiobook on Hoopla or check availability on physical items from the library. On Liberty is available as an ebook through Project Gutenberg also.
Read 150 pages or listen to the 5 hour audiobook.
YOU are invited to this book group
We've got options to make this work for everyone! If you aren't sure about this whole reading classics idea – check it out to see if any of these books or stories interest you!
