Please join Alan Brough at a celebration at the State Library on Friday 20 March, 4 - 5pm when he announces the the top five books, as voted by Victorian readers in the State Library of Victoria’s Summer Read program 2008-9, and voter’s prizes.

Experimedia
State Library of Victoria
328 Swanston Street, Melbourne

RSVP by Wednesday 17 March 2009

Telephone                   8664 7555
email                          learning@slv.vic.gov.au
book online                summerreadawards.eventbrite.com

The CAE this year promoted the summer read 20 short list books through a ‘Tell us what you love about reading in summer’ competition.

The competition was won by Nicki Jennings from the Sale , Ladies by the Lake, CAE Book Group. Nicki wrote about what she loves about reading in summer in verse.

Holiday Haze

Sun melting, sweltering,
Shady verandah lazily beckons.
Book and cool drink in hand
I stretch into an ancient couch
while time suspends.
Immersed in a holiday haze
of soft flowing pages.
Strange times,
Different people,
New worlds unfold.

JOLT!
WHAT?
“MUM! When’s dinner? ”

Nicki says

“Ladies By The Lake is a CAE Book group of twelve avid readers. We were the book Group lucky enough to win a set of 20 Summer Read Titles donated by the Victorian State Library. I had the pleasure of collecting and opening the large parcel from the Sale Post Office. It was exciting as each book in turn emerged from its bed of beaded packing. Crisp unread books hold so much intrigue and anticipation. What a luxury to have 20 at one time!

I would like to thank CAE Book Groups for organising the “What I Love About Summer Reading” competition. It’s not hard to think of good things to write about summer reading. Thank you also to the State Library for donating such a wonderfully diverse and rich collection of books and most importantly thank you to the authors for their creativity and putting pen to paper. Twenty books circulating between twelve of us will provide many hours of reading and animated discussion. There is so much to look forward to!
Several of our members are farmers and we travel round trips of up to 140kms to attend our monthly meetings. As I unpacked the books I noticed that Dennis McIntosh’s Beaten By A Blow contains a chapter devoted to shearing on a property owned by one of our members. I am sure that as we read our way through this newly acquired library, many of the books will hold significance for us. My daughter, who is a student in Melbourne, has syphoned off Radical Melbourne to her bedroom for some holiday reading before it is lost to the hands of the book group. Our group has been reading the Booker Prize Short list over the holidays however I will now abandon that and soak up the Summer Reading Books – but where to start!!!!!”

Well done Nicki! We do hope the ladies enjoy the mini library of 20 summer read titles.

Thanks Chloe for your wonderful final posts on the Summer Read blog.

As part of the free Summer Read events across Victoria, Chloe will be appearing at:

Heaths Road Library, Cnr Heaths Street and Derrimut Road Hoppers Crossing on Tuesday 24 February 2009, 7.00 – 9.00 pm
For more information phone Heaths Road Library 9748 9333 or book online at http://summerread31.eventbrite.com
Northcote Library, 32-38 Separation Street Northcote on Thursday 26 February 2009, 6.30 – 7.30 pm
For more information phone Northcote Library1300 655 355 or book online at http://summerread33.eventbrite.com

Vote for Tall Man or SMS TALL to 13 46 88