It is the final three weeks before the voting will end for the third annual One County One Book event sponsored by the Schenectady County Public Library.
After last year’s widely successful response to Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, the county library is eager for the book to be chosen.
Readers voted through the summer, and the library announced the top picks last month. The five finalists are part of an eclectic group of books ranging from a classic tale to nonfiction, a first for the library’s final five. Coordinator of the event Karen Bradley said the library feels good about the diversity in the choices.
`This year’s top five are books that really have range. We are excited to see what the public’s response is,` said Bradley.
The top five choices are `Before You Know Kindness,` a family saga about the aftermath of a gun fire accident by Chris Bohjalian; `Hiroshima,` John Hershey’s collection of first person accounts after the atomic bomb was dropped; `The Kite Runner,` Khaled Hosseini’s epic tale of fathers and sons in Afghanistan that takes the reader from the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present; `Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America` by Barbara Ehrenreich, who reports the underside of capitalism and gives a first-hand account of surviving at the poverty level; and `Water for Elephants` by Sara Gruen, a compelling and gritty story set amid life in a traveling circus during the Great Depression.
Library branches throughout the county have plenty of copies available to the public and will loan them on a two-week basis, allowing more people to read the books before making their choice. Librarian Nancy Gifford said the idea is to get people reading, and the more books they read from the top five choices, the better.
`We have the books front and center of the library so our readers know right where to go. Without giving anything away, we have had two books that seem to be getting a very favorable response,` said Gifford.
Gifford said the books are also on audiotape, which allows for better access to all those interested.
Library Trustee Carl Erikson said the books are also available in large print and paperback, again emphasizing the idea of accessibility to the public. He said this is a factor in choosing the books.
`The topical diversity and literary quality of these books is phenomenal. The selection process was very inclusive, involving open nominations from the public, meeting established criteria and a review of all nominated books by a community-based selection committee,` said Erikson, who is also co-chair of the event.
The books have received numerous accolades, ranging from placement on the New York Times bestseller list to Book of the Year awards.
Community members are encouraged to review the final five and cast their votes by Oct. 12, at any of the Schenectady County Public Library locations, the Open Door Bookstore, The Whitney Book Corner, and online at www.scpl.org.
For more information, including detailed descriptions of all five books and information on casting a ballot on line are available at www.scpl.org
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