Library Blog

Beyond the Party with Jay Gatsby and Clarissa Dalloway

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Winter Read 2024 Discussion Group

Winter Read 2024 Discussion Group

As part of the 2024 Winter Read, The Community Library’s executive director, Jenny Emery Davidson, will lead a four-week discussion series on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, paired with Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. The group will meet over four Wednesdays in February, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Library’s Lecture Hall.

Both The Great Gatsby and Mrs. Dalloway were published in 1925, in the wake of World War I and a global influenza pandemic. Both novels center on social festivities – parties! – in a way that might seem surprising in the wake of such catastrophic events. How do parties matter in these novels? How are the characters imagining dreams for the future? We’ll talk about a wide range of themes and ideas that the novels raise.

  • Wednesday, February 7: The Great Gatsby, chapters 1-3
  • Wednesday, February 14: The Great Gatsby, chapter 4-the end
  • Wednesday, February 21: Mrs. Dalloway, pages 1-50
  • Wednesday, February 28: Mrs. Dalloway, pages 51-the end   

Please register in advance to receive email updates about the discussions!

Contact Jenny if you have questions: jdavidson@comlib.org.

Mock Caldecott Award

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Community School Students recommend Every Dreaming Creature by Brendan Wenzel and The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker.

Students from Sun Valley Community School visited The Community Library for a Mock Caldecott Award selection. Students learned about the history of the Newbery and Caldecott Awards, the most prestigious awards for children’s literature. They then participated in a Mock Caldecott, exploring books that might win the award, which is given to “to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children” published by an American in the previous year.

After exploring books chosen by our librarians to be in contention (there is no long or shortlist), students browsed the books and voted on their favorites. One class chose Every Dreaming Creature by Brendan Wenzel as their winner, while the other class overwhelmingly voted for The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker.

The classes also named 5 Honor books:

  • An American Story by Kwame Alexander & Dare Coulter
  • Big by Vashti Harrison
  • In Every Life by Marla Frazee
  • Jumper by Jessica Lanan
  • Sometimes a Tiger by Z.B. Asterplume

The actual Caldecott Award will be announced on Monday, January 22.

Book Review: The Great Gatsby

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Director of Programs and Education, Martha Williams, recommends The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

It’s been at least ten years since I last read The Great Gatsby. Like many, I first read the novel in high school, where some of my peers adored the story while others adamantly hated it. I remember being mesmerized by Fitzgerald’s language, impressed by narrator Nick Carraway’s observations of humanity, and appalled by the rich and “careless” Buchanans and the wreckage left in their wake. I honestly didn’t know what to think of Jay “The Great” Gatsby himself—the self-created man who yearns for Daisy Buchanan and a revival of their young love.

Upon re-reading the book in my 20s, I saw new complexities and felt a fresh tenderness for Jay Gatsby, who risks everything for a dream. On this most recent reading, now in my late 30s, I saw anew the “infinite hope” for possibility that Gatsby stands for, even as we know he is doomed from the novel’s opening pages. I felt drawn to Gatsby’s belief – “Can’t repeat the past? … Why of course you can!” – even as I am now (somewhat) wise enough to know better. Despite the darkness hanging over Nick’s telling of what happened that dangerous and thrilling summer in 1922, when he met his neighbor Gatsby and attended his extravagant Long Island parties…

…I soak up the story every time of this dreamer chasing what is already behind him.

If I had to say what The Great Gatsby is about, I’d say it’s about hope, about longing and nostalgia; but it’s also about class and disillusionment, memory, and performance. Do you see how I’m avoiding summarizing the plot for you? I find it nearly impossible to summarize in a few sentences all that Fitzgerald captures with this slim masterpiece. He captures a period 100 years distant from our own—the wild Jazz Age of 1920s New York—but alive with the same concerns of today: class mobility, race and immigration, the realities of the “American dream,” and the dangers of seeking a past that has already slipped away. And even through this weight…

…I am born aloft with each reading, courtesy of Fitzgerald’s myriad layers and the beautiful language that unfolds with each visit.

Join us this winter as we read The Great Gatsby together as our 2024 community-wide Winter Read. Our programs January 31 to March 15 delve into the novel’s history, examine why it still resonates (or doesn’t!), how it was reborn and became standard classroom fare decades after being published, and how contemporary writers are reimagining the story today and connecting new readers to this timeless tale. Through these programs and discussion groups throughout the valley, I hope you’ll embark on this story for the first time or revisit it with us, engage in conversation with your neighbors, families, and friends, and…

…experience how stories bring us together and give us ways to talk about America and our place in it.

Find The Great Gatsby in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and CD here.

Major Hong King Wash House

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Mary Tyson, Director of the Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History

A very rustic cabin with a sign reading Major Hong King Wash House
Unknown photographer, circa 1916, Mary Lemon Brown Collection (F 00689)

In the late 1800s, Idaho was home to a substantial Chinese community, drawn by the allure of gold and opportunities in railroad construction. While the written history of mining companies and early prospectors is well-documented in the Wood River Valley, details about the Chinese community remain scarce because anti-Chinese sentiment eventually drove them out. A poignant glimpse into this history comes from this photo of an abandoned log building bearing a sign for Major Hong King Wash House—a modest shed that once housed a laundry business.

This tangible link to the past is especially moving, shedding light on the Chinese residents of Ketchum and Major Hong King’s business. The laundry’s unassuming structure contrasts with grander narratives of the silver mining era, offering concrete evidence of a community history largely missing historical records.

A court case from 1897 adds another layer to Major Hong King’s story, involving a dispute with Quong Que Hing over money owed for work and a potato trade. This court case shows that Major Hong King grew potatoes as well. Idaho’s early Chinese immigrants played a role in potato farming—a legacy the state is renowned for today.

As we approach the Lunar New Year on January 22, marking the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac, the Wood River Valley commemorates its rich history. Take a moment to look at the public art piece, Prosperity Mountain by Gemma Daggatt, installed last October on Walnut and Main St. in Hailey. It pays tribute to the Chinese community that once flourished here.

Note this story was originally published in January of 2024 in the Idaho Mountain Express.

A Little Book of BIG Stories 2024

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… a story of Idaho, as lived through its well-loved libraries …

Little Book BIG Stories 2024

Like the Armed Services Editions, millions of which were distributed to U.S. soldiers serving in WWII, this small book celebrates the right to read freely and the power of stories to expand our humanity, even in, especially in, trying times. The testimonials in this book provide a glimpse into the big work of libraries across Idaho: More than 150 local libraries serve the people of this state, from Sandpoint to Twin Falls, Downey to Emmett. Hundreds of thousands of people depend on these libraries not only to check out books, but for the quality of their lives. Like the great Idaho landscape itself, Idaho libraries inspire a love of freedom and a humility that accompanies wonder.  

The testimonials in this book describe the delight of Story Times and game nights, chess clubs and craft nights. They describe parents reading to children, a widow making new friends, people paying bills, veterans getting together. They describe people finding comfort through reading. They demonstrate the brave and generous capacity of Idahoans to talk to each other, learn from each other, and show empathy toward each other.  

This is a story of Idaho, as lived through its well-loved libraries. 

~Jenny Emery Davidson, Executive Director, The Community Library

Sample of Testimonials

“This is a library. This is love.”

The Craigmont Community Library is just that: a community library. The space is already quietly teeming with school age kids who have taken refuge for this no-school day. The hubbub briefly increases as the littlest ones excitedly greet friends they only get to see once a week—friends they never would have met without Story Time. A hushed anticipation, punctuated with questions about the book the librarian is holding, indicates Story Time has started. We sip coffee and enjoy the respite, watching our little charges soak in the story. After the formal story time is over, the librarian kindly agrees to read favorite stories brought to her from the shelf. With a contented smile I think, “This. This is a community. This is a library. This is love.” And I am grateful. ~Karista Bradley, Craigmont Community Library, Craigmont

“I Dreamed About Someday Publishing a Book“

Every day I rode a bicycle to the Boise Public Library. I read. I used the bathroom. I dreamed of someday publishing a book that might wind up on the shelves around me… what if I use the story to explore the longings inside each of us to both escape home and to do right by the people we love? It was the first story I ever wrote that I was proud of. I could not have written it without a place to think, work, and dream…A public library is more than a storehouse of books. It is a safe public indoor space where every citizen is welcome to chase dreams. ~Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author, Boise Public Library, Boise

“The Library Can Help You” 

We were forced to move to the USA because a bloody war began in our country. We weren’t prepared for a new life, language, and different cultures. Someone said to me, “The library can help you.” I am very grateful to everyone at the library. I would like to see a similar library program for kids and adults in my city of Dnipro, Ukraine. ~Mariia, East Bonner County Library District, Sandpoint 

Want More?

Click here to download a PDF of A Little Book of BIG Stories.

Add Your Voice to the BIG Stories of Idaho Libraries!

Contact your state legislators with your own library story.

Idaho State Senate
P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0081
208-332-1000

Idaho House of Representatives
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0038
208-332-1000

Find your legislator here.

The Community Library’s Best of 2023 

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Curated by our librarians, this ‘Best of 2023’ list includes some of the worthiest books published this past year. Included are well-known favorites, yet we also strived to include some surprises, both locally and internationally. 

We considered a variety of factors, including our staff’s favorite books of the year as well as titles that have met with critical acclaim and literary awards. We also looked to bookstores, book clubs, podcasts and magazines for recommendations.  

Pam and Andrea Best of 2023 LR

Our sources include: New York Times, National Book Awards, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, Barnes & Noble, Library Journal, Lit Hub, The Economist, Booker Prize, Pacific Northwest Book Awards, Publisher’s Weekly, Reader’s Corner and others.  

Download a copy here.

Fiction 

Absolution by Alice McDermott | FICTION McDermott 
American Mermaid by Jenifer Langbein | FICTION Langbein 
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray | FICTION Murray 
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters | FICTION Peters 
The Better Half by Alli Frank | FICTION Frank 
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwane Adjei-Brenyah | FICTION Adjei-Brenyah 
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese | FICTION Verghese 
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead | FICTION Whitehead 
Cross-Stitch by Jazmina Barrera | FICTION Barrera 
The Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie | FICTION McKenzie 
Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal | FICTION Kerangal 
Family Lore | Sabiduría Familiar by Elizabeth Acevedo [English | Español] 
The Fraud by Zadie Smith 
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea | FICTION Urrea 
The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng | FICTION Heng 
Happy Place by Emily Henry | FICTION Henry 
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride | FICTION McBride 
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano | FICTION Napolitano 
Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang | FICTION Zhang 
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward | FICTION Ward 
North Woods by Daniel Mason | FICTION Mason 
This Other Eden by Paul Harding | FICTION Harding 
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch | FICTION Lynch 
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue | FICTION O’Donoghue 
Rouge by Mona Awad | FICTION Awad 
Sam by Allegra Goodman | FICTION Goodman 
Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel | FICTION Nettel 
Temple Folk by Aaliya Bilal | FICTION Bilal 
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett | FICTION Patchett 
The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie | FICTION Lemmie 
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang | FICTION Kuang 

Nonfiction 

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel | 364.162 FIN  
The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen | 616.898 ROS 
The Best Strangers in the World by Ari Shapiro | 070.43 SHA 
Bottoms Up and The Devil Laughs by Kerry Howley | 352.379 HOW 
The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland | 323.41 LEL 
Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg | 791.44 TOT 
Doppelganger by Naomi Kline | 302.23 KLE 
A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan | 322.42 EGA 
Fire Weather by John Vaillant | 363.379 VAI 
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy | 731.45 MCC 
In Sardinia by Jeff Biggers | TRAVEL 914.59 BIG 
El Invencible Verano de Liliana by Cristina Rivera Garza [Español] | SPA 364.15 RIV 
King: A Life by Johathan Eig | BIOGRAPHY 920 King 
The Last Honest Man by James Risen | 973.92 RIS 
Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo | 3063362 WOO 
My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand | BIOGRAPHY 920 Streisand 
Ordinary Notes by Christina Elizabeth Sharpe | 305.896 SHA 
Places We Left Behind by Jennifer Lang | 306.81 LAN 
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond | 362.509 DES 
The Quickening by Elizabeth A. Rush | 998.9 RUS 
Red Memory by Tania Branigan | 951.056 BRA 
The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk | 970.004 BLA 
Right Kind of Wrong by Amy C. Edmondson | 158.1 EDM 
Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista | 364.409 EVA 
Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford | 792.7 BAM 
The Talk by Darrin Bell | GRAPHIC NOVEL 920 Bell 
True West by Betsy Gaines Quammen | 973.933 QUA 
Unruly by David Mitchell | 941 MIT 
The Wager by David Grann | 910.916 GRA 
Wolfish by Erica Berry | 152.46 BER 
Women We Buried, Women We Burned by Rachel Louise Snyder | BIOGRAPHY 920 Snyder 

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