NEW YEAR GREETINGS

A very Happy New Year to you all

The library has been open for a full year now and thanks to your support we are keeping our head above water. We have been able to order over 100 new books and generous donations enable us to offer a good range of interesting literature. Readership is not very high and we would like you to make suggestions for the opening hours which would suit you best (see below )

Our dynamic board has allowed us to organise some interesting events:

-         The Christopher Crimes talk was well attended and enjoyed by everyone

-         The literary quiz

The evening was a real success thanks to the brilliant organisation of Katharine Claringbull and Philippe Marchand who had put an immense amount of work into the smooth running of the Quiz itself and the drinks and eats party before and after the event. We also thank the American Women’s Group, our partners in this venture. The Book Chat team won by a short margin against their worthy opponents from the AWG. Quiz Master Jonathan James played his role to perfection. Many people among the large turnout hope this might become an annual event.

We hope to have good news for you soon, the 100 Best Novels of the XX century project is coming along nicely and we think this will deserve

A GRAND OPENING

later on, in the Spring, you will be kept informed and with any luck, there will be A SURPRISE

We hope you will continue to give us your support in 2012 so that we can keep our library alive and thriving

 

Thanks to volunteers from the board and members, the library is currently open on Wednesday afternoons from 3pm – 6pm.  Would different opening hours suit you better?

Membership renewal   You will be informed by email when your renewal falls due. You can then either send a cheque addressed to Foal with a stamped, self -addressed envelope  to:

Sunshine Erickson  Mas de Calage  Chemin de Calage 34130 St Aunès

or  renew at the library

New Books

 

Books ordered January 2012

Fiction

PD James                      Death comes to Pemberly

Hal Vaughan                 Sleeping with the enemy

Penelope Lively             How it all began

Esther Freud                 Lucky break

Justin Cartwright          Other  people’s  money

Susan Hill                     The  betrayal of trust

Michael Ondaaje           The Cat’s table

Deborah Levy               Swimming home

Philippa Gregory          Lady of the rivers

Kathy Reichs                Flesh and Bones

Michael Connolly                   The drop

Elisabeth Haynes          Into the darkest corner

Sebastian Barry            On Canaan’s Side

Robert Harris                The Fear Index

Non Fiction

David McCullough        The Greater Journey – Americans in Paris

We have set up a new association called FOAL (Friends of the Anglophone Library). All our efforts to keep the original collection intact and accessible have come to nothing so we have set up a small lending library for members of Foal at 29 rue Maguelone , Montpellier on the 1st floor at the IMLS (opposite the station). We are starting small but the idea is for members to bring along recent books they not longer want to keep (not older than two years) and donate them to the library, or, alternatively, lend books which they could take back after a few months. (in which case, you need to affix a sticker with your name on it). Some of the books you bring will go on the shelves to be lent out, others will go into a permanent Book Sale, the proceeds of which will allow us to buy new books. We hope all this will have a snowball effect. We have what we call the "Front Shelf" where we put the recent purchases, and a good selection of less recent fiction and thrillers as well as biographies and "lifestyle" books. If you bring along really recent literature, we can pay a small sum for books (1 or 2 euros) to add to the collection. We have already bought a selection of nearly 80 recent books. (see list below) The library is open every Wednesday from 15-18, and members can take out two books at a time for two weeks (there will be a small fine for lateness, 50 cents per book per week). A member of the Board is always there to help. We also organise  cultural events about which you will be kept informed in a Newsletter. Book Chat sessions provide an opportunity for members to meet as a group of readers, with each person talking briefly about a book she or he has read. Books are passed round so one can note titles and authors. Eight to ten books will normally be ‘highlighted’ at each session. If you would like to participate in a Book Chat meeting, send your name, telephone number and “best time to contact” to  mishex@wanadoo.fr We are open to all suggestions for new activities. Many of you have voiced support over the past few months; by joining Foal you will be showing this support and, we hope, getting something in return. Membership runs for a year from date of joining THE MORE MEMBERS.....THE MORE BOOKS..... JOIN NOW!