Book+of+the+Day+-+Oct

Oct slide show



__ The Notebook __ by Nicholas Sparks (BOTD Oct 1) Nicholas Sparks is famous for writing sweet and tender love stories. Debuting on Oct 1, 1996, this was his first published novel and was turned into a successful movie in 2004. The book and the movie have very different endings. A little known fact – Nicholas Sparks went to Notre Dame on a full track scholarship.

__Interview with the Vampire__ by Anne Rice (BOTD Oct 4)

Anne Rice was born on Oct 4, 1941. Her books have sold over 100 million copies making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history. Published in 1976 and turned into a blockbuster film in 1994, this is the first in a series of books featuring the enigmatic vampire Lestat. From Dracula to Twilight, vampire stories never seem to go out of style.

__Inventing the Television__ by Joanne Richter (BOTD Oct 5)

On Oct 5, 1947, Harry Truman made the first-ever televised presidential address. No form of communication reaches people in as many parts of the world as television. Broadcasts are received in every country, in nearly every language. This fascinating history follows the evolution of television from early technology to its development as the world’s most popular global medium.

__Jane Eyre__ by Charlotte Bronte (BOTD Oct 6)

Published in London on Oct 6, 1847, this is the timeless story of an orphaned girl and her courageous attempt to make a better life for herself. Partly autobiographical and steeped with social criticism, it was a novel ahead of its time. Charlotte and her famous sisters, Anne and Emily, were harbingers of romantic, dramatic, gothic, and horror writing.

__The Poe Shadow__ by Matthew Pearl (BOTD Oct 7)

Edgar Allen Poe died mysteriously in Baltimore on Oct 7, 1849. He was found incoherently wandering the streets wearing another person’s clothes. He was taken to a hospital where he repeatedly called out the name “Reynolds,” though it was unclear to whom he was referring. He died the next day. This book presents a scholarly investigation of the true circumstances surrounding his death.

__Romeo and Juliet__ by William Shakespeare (BOTD Oct 8)

Released on Oct 8, 1968, the movie version directed by Franco Zeffirelli is the most popular big screen adaptation of the famous tragedy written early in the career of the Bard. Zeffirelli’s decision to cast unknown, teenage actors in the lead roles proved to be a stroke of pure genius. Their genuine, on-screen chemistry accentuates the timeless story of love and loss.

__ Little Women __ by Louisa May Alcott (BOTD Oct 12)

Based on Louisa May Alcott’s experiences growing up in picturesque New England, this story follows the lives of tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy as they come of age while their father is away performing his duties as a chaplain during the Civil War. Famed Civil War General Robert E. Lee died on Oct 12, 1870.

__John Adams__ by David McCullough (BOTD Oct 13)

The White House cornerstone was laid on Oct 13, 1792. John Adams was the 1st president to live in the White House. Often overshadowed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, the presidents who preceded and followed him, John Adams emerges from this biography as a truly heroic figure in his own right.

__There Comes a Time__ by Milton Meltzer (BOTD Oct 14)

Milton Meltzer recounts tales of the key events and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Highlights of this book include detailed accounts of the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott, the Greensboro Lunch Sit-in, and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. MLK won the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct 14, 1964.

__The Godfather__ by Mario Puzo (BOTD Oct 15)

This saga of Don Vito Corleone, the head of the New York Mafia family, inspired one of the most successful movies ever made. Thanks to the brilliant film adaptation, the story has achieved cult status with millions of fans. It is the definitive gangster novel. Author Mario Puzo was born in New York City on Oct 15, 1920.

__Going Rogue: An American Life__ by Sarah Palin (BOTD Oct 18)

Sarah Palin is a politician, author, speaker, and political news commentator who was the youngest person and the first woman elected governor of Alaska. This book became a New York Times #1 bestseller and is one of only four political memoirs to sell over a million copies. The U.S. obtained Alaska from Russia on Oct 18, 1867 at a cost of 2 cents per acre.

__ The Count of Monte Cristo __ by Alexandre Dumas (BOTD Oct 19)

Napoleon’s army retreated from its failed attempt to capture Moscow on Oct 19, 1812. Author Alexandre Dumas’s father was a famous general in the army. Set against the background of Napoleon’s rise to power, reign as emperor, and eventual exile, this classic novel is an epic tale of political intrigue, emotional suffering, and sweet revenge.

__Fried Green Tomatoes__ by Fannie Flagg (BOTD Oct 20)

3 members of the southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in an airplane crash on Oct 20, 1977. One of the group’s most famous songs is __Sweet Home Alabama__. Set in Whistle Stop, Alabama, this novel weaves together the past and present in a story of the blossoming friendship between an elderly woman and a middle-aged housewife.

__On the Road__ by Jack Kerouac (BOTD Oct 21)

Published in 1957, this fictionalized biography tells the tales of Jack Kerouac and his friends’ spontaneous road trips across North America. They made several trips from New York City to Los Angeles and even headed as far south as Mexico City. It became one of the most popular books among the hippie generation of the 1960’s. Kerouac died on Oct 21, 1969.

__Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light__ by Jane Brox (BOTD Oct 22) Thomas Edison made the 1st successful test of a carbon filament light bulb on Oct 22, 1879. This book chronicles the history of man-made light through the centuries from sputtering candles to the gradual refinement of gas lights to the marvel of modern electric lights. Artificial light was a luxury that quickly became a necessity and irrevocably changed the course of human history.



__Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain__ by Betty Edwards (BOTD Oct 25)

In this popular art instruction book author Betty Edwards shows how “drawing” is a metaphor for “seeing” and demonstrates how “seeing” is a right brain activity that can be practiced and improved. She graduated from UCLA and began her career as a high school art teacher in Los Angeles. Groundbreaking artist Pablo Picasso was born in Spain on Oct 25, 1881.

__Aesop’s Fables__ by Aesop (BOTD Oct 26)

This is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and story teller who lived in ancient Greece around 600 BC. __The Tortoise and the Hare__ and __The Boy Who Cried Wolf__ are examples of these well known fables. Fable III, a highly anticipated video game, was released for the Xbox 360 system on Oct 26, 2010.

__The Bell Jar__ by Sylvia Plath (BOTD Oct 27)

Author Sylvia Plath was born on Oct 27, 1932. This is the only novel she ever wrote. It is the semi-autobiographical account of a young woman’s struggle with clinical depression and bipolar disorder. The title is taken from a passage where the author describes her depression as a feeling of being trapped under a bell jar, struggling for breath.



__The Story of the Statue of Liberty__ by Betsy and Giulio Maestro (BOTD Oct 28)

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on Oct 28, 1886. President Grover Cleveland presided over the ceremony and New York City celebrated the event by holding the 1st ticker-tape parade. This book uses simple text and vivid illustrations to give a concise explanation of the creation, design, and installation of the statue.

__The Grapes of Wrath__ by John Steinbeck (BOTD Oct 29)

The stock market crashed on Oct 29, 1929, plunging the U.S. into the Great Depression. This novel focuses on a poor family of sharecroppers who leave their drought-ravaged farm in Oklahoma and travel to California in search of a better life. This classic American saga is generally considered the defining work of literature from this time period.