Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Project Gutenberg eBook link: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/120

Read-Aloud Book Group (Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays at 4 p.m.): https://facebook.com/groups/SDPLadventure

 

Here’s the Deal: Tune in to Facebook Live on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 4pm to hear chapters of a great classic adventure or mystery book read aloud. Our current selection is: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

 

Author Bio: Robert Louis Stevenson, 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894 was a Scottish novelist, poet and travel writer, most noted for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and A Child's Garden of Verses. Born and educated in Edinburgh, Stevenson suffered from serious bronchial trouble for much of his life, but continued to write prolifically and travel widely in defiance of his poor health. As a young man, he mixed in London literary circles, receiving encouragement from Andrew Lang, Edmund Gosse, Leslie Stephen and W. E. Henley, the last of whom may have provided the model for Long John Silver in Treasure Island. In 1890, he settled in Samoa, where he died in 1894. A celebrity in his lifetime, Stevenson's critical reputation has fluctuated since his death, though today his works are held in general acclaim. He is currently ranked as the 26th-most-translated author in the world.

 

Book Description: Treasure Island (originally The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys) is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "buccaneers and buried gold." Its influence is enormous on popular perceptions of pirates, including such elements as treasure maps marked with an "X", schooners, the Black Spot, tropical islands, and one-legged seamen bearing parrots on their shoulders. As one of the most frequently dramatized of all novels, Treasure Island was originally considered a coming-of-age story and is noted for its atmosphere, characters, and action. It was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks from 1881 through 1882 under the title Treasure Island or the mutiny of the Hispaniola, credited to the pseudonym "Captain George North". It was first published as a book on 14 November 1883, by Cassell & Co.

 

• Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle 
• War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
• Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Project Gutenberg eBook Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/345

Read-Aloud Group (every weekday at 3 p.m.): https://facebook.com/groups/SDPLtea

 

Author Bio: Bram Stoker (1847-1912) is an Irish author best known for publishing Dracula, a Gothic horror classic. Some biographers speculate that Stoker's interest in folklore and the supernatural developed as a child, when an illness kept him bed-ridden until the age of seven. Stoker published other novels and non-fiction works, but none rivaled the popularity of Dracula.

 

Book Description: Dracula is the classic vampire tale. Published in 1897, this Gothic novel was recognized by contemporary critics as both "one of the best things in the supernatural line," and as "the very weirdest of weird tales." Structured as journal entries and letters, Dracula is the story of the mysterious Count Dracula's unholy thirst for blood in order to stay alive, set in Transylvania then London.

 

Activities: Tune in every weekday at 3 p.m. to stream a read-aloud of chapters from Dracula. The videos will be also be available for later viewing.

 

Previous Readings: Visit the Library's YouTube channel to watch previous readings by clicking on the different playlists below.

Welcome to the Short Classics Book Club! This is a live discussion group held each month on Facebook Rooms to discuss the shortest of the greatest books of all time.

 

Title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow  |  Author: Washington Irving

Project Gutenberg eBook | Librivox Audiobook

1. How do the people of Sleepy Hollow react to the "smarty pants" attitude of Ichabod Crane? How is this symbolic of his personality and his pending downfall? Which book does he talk about frequently?
2. How does Ichabod Crane's vivid imagination throughout the story lead to his downfall?
3. Why does Ichabod envision the farm animals on Van Tassel's farm as food? What does this demonstrate about him?
4. What are the conflicts (internal? external? physical, emotional, moral) in the story?

Welcome to the Bucketlist Book Club! This is a virtual forum to discuss longer/harder books or books that many of us have wished to read, but just never got around to it!

 

Discussion Group: https://facebook.com/groups/SDPLbucketlist

Author Bio: Solomon Northup (born July 10, 1807 or 1808) was an American abolitionist and the primary author of the memoir Twelve Years a Slave.

Book Description: Twelve Years a Slave is an 1853 memoir and slave narrative by American Solomon Northup as told to and edited by David Wilson.

 

Discussion questions forthcoming! Join the Bucketlist Book Club and be a part of the conversation!

Welcome to our virtual book club!  We will be discussing a wide variety of books ranging from classic selections to modern literature.

Welcome to the Jane Austen Book Club! Our book club will be an open forum conversation in which group members will be discussing the literary works of Jane Austen. Many Janeite advocates consider Jane Austen England's most popular author.

 

Title: Pride and Prejudice  |  Author: Jane Austen

Project Gutenberg eBook Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1342

Librivox Audiobook Link: https://librivox.org/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-austen

Discussion Group: https://facebook.com/groups/RBlibrarybookclub

 

Author bio: Jane Austen, (born December 16, 1775, Steventon, Hampshire, England—died July 18, 1817, Winchester, Hampshire), English writer who first gave the novel its distinctly modern character through her treatment of ordinary people in everyday life. She published four novels during her lifetime: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815). In these and in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey (published together posthumously, 1817), she vividly depicted English middle-class life during the early 19th century. Her novels defined the era’s novel of manners, but they also became timeless classics that remained critical and popular successes two centuries after her death.

 

Book Description: The story revolves are the Bennet girls and the search for a successful marriage contract. Primary story plot revolves around our proud aristocratic, Mr. Darcy and his evolving feelings toward Elizabeth Bennet, The couple's relationship must overcome many social and cultural challenges to find true love. Any Janeite will tell you the story is worth reading due to the wit and charm of Jane Austen's characters.

 

Discussion questions:

 

Our questions will added once per week on every Friday throughout the month of April 2020.