Pipestone County
Star - 07-19-12
They disproved the end of the world, you know. A few days ago, a Mayan expert came out and
said that the world was not ending this year and everyone was confused. So just in case you were worried, you can
stop. Of course, according to someone
else, the world should have ended a few months ago if we were paying attention
to the Mayans, since their calendar never accounted for Leap Years.
It has always amazed me how some people are bent of
knowing exactly when the world will end.
Do we really want to know?
Wouldn’t it be better to just live our lives and enjoy ourselves without
worrying about a date at which everything we know will come to an abrupt and
screeching halt?
Then, of course, there are some people that love a
certain genre called Apocalyptic fiction, the stories about what happens to
those that are left after the end.
Whether the end is caused by zombies, religious revelation, nuclear war,
or global warming, if you enjoy stories of the end of the world, then these
might be for you. All of these stories
are also movies or being made into movies – must be something about this
particular form of fiction that catches the public attention!
The Road, by
Cormac McCarthy (Also a movie)
This book is an amazing story of a father and a son who
struggle to stay alive in post-apocalyptic America. Desperately trying to make their way to the
coast with only some scavenged food, a pistol, and each other, they must defend
themselves against roving bands of other survivors as well as keep their hope
in a world gone gray and cold. The book
centers around the relationship of the two, showing that love can be the
greatest survival tool of all.
Beautifully written and highly recommended.
The Stand, by
Stephen King (also a movie)
The flu is responsible for the apocalypse in this novel,
bringing it far closer to home than many of the others, far more
believable. 99% of humanity is wiped out
in two weeks and the survivors find themselves wandering, lost, and in need of
leadership. Two emerge – Mother Abigail,
108 years old, and Randall Flagg, charismatic but who seems to delight in
violence. Mother Abigail appears in
dreams to people, encouraging them to move towards Boulder, CO, where a new
society can be constructed. Flagg just
wants everything destroyed, attracting the dregs of what is left to his
cause. A classic fight between good and
evil with religious overtones, this book will have you at the edge of your
chair.
World War Z,
by Max Brooks (being made into a movie)
This is an Ebook in the Plum Creek Library digital
catalogue and I’d heard a few things about it, so I decided to check it out –
not only to get a feel for the way Ebooks worked, but also to have a good
read. I am so incredibly surprised by
this book. A zombie apocalypse has taken
place and a good majority of the Earth’s population has been wiped out. A scientist takes it upon himself to get
first-hand, oral accounts from the survivors and this book is a compilation of
those reports. The book is amazingly
detailed and very engrossing, an oral history of something that never
happened. I recommend it to anyone who
enjoys this sort of thing!
I Am Legend,
by Richard Matheson (Also a movie)
I’ve read both the short story and seen the movies (yes,
there’s more than one) and I must say the story is much better. Robert Neville is possibly the only man left
on the face of the planet. Or perhaps I
should say only human. Some sort of
plague has transmuted every other man, woman, and child into ravenous
blood-thirsty creatures that only roam at night. During the day, Robert hunts them down and
destroys any he can find. At night, he
barricades himself in his house, with his dog, and prays for the sun to come
back quickly. This story is haunting and
intense, and the ending will shock you.
2012, starring
John Cusack (2012) DVD
Perhaps a bit on the overdone side, this movie is classic
big action, end of the world, storytelling.
Solar flares, earthquakes, and other strange weather phenomena tip off a
scientist that the end of the world is imminent. Not enough people listen, of course, and what
we get are fantastic special effects of the coast of California breaking away,
the destruction of the Vatican and other major cities, and all sorts of
environmental mayhem. The cast of actors
is very watchable and the special effects are great, so if you like this kind
of movie, you’ll probably really enjoy it!
Ebooks!! Ebooks
have now gone live and you can check out a book to your Nook, Kindle, or other
Ereading device. If you have trouble
accessing Overdrive through the Meinders Library catalogue, please call the
library and let us know!!
Event Update: We are considering having a pet storytime,
a time where pets and kids can hang out and listen to stories. If you have a pet you think might fit the
bill (well-mannered, easygoing, friendly to children), please give us a call
and let us know if you are interested!
All pets welcome – we are equal opportunity pet lovers.
PAFL Update: Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is
looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to
join! The Friends group works hard to
promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book
sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the
year. For more information, please
contact the library!
Book Club
Reminder: Book
Club will be taking its summer break until September. The date of the meeting will be included in
future articles. If you are interested
in becoming a member of the book club, give us a call and we can sign you
up! Everyone is welcome and they have a
great time!
If you have questions or have a book you’d like to
reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507)
825-6714. The summer hours for Meinders
Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, Friday from 10 AM – 5 PM,
and Saturday from 10AM to Noon. Meinders
Community Library is located at 1401 7th Street SW, on the south
side of the high school.
