Carson City reading program features ‘The Motel Life’

Capital City Reads, a program that brings people together through the reading and discussion of a common book, is Carson City Library’s annual city-wide book club.

The club, sponsored by the Friends of the Carson City Library, runs in conjunction with National Library Week, April 12-18. This year’s theme is “Unlimited Possibilities @ your Library;” the selection is “The Motel Life,” a novel by Willy Vlautin that follows the story of two down-and-out brothers in Northern Nevada.

The author of this year’s selection was born and raised in Reno. A Harper Perennial publication, “The Motel Life” won the Nevada Silver Pen Award in 2007 and made several top 10 lists in the United States and abroad. It was one of the few works of fiction to make the Washington Post Media Mix’s Top 25 Books of 2007. The book was made into a motion picture, whose motion picture rating is R.

Carson City Library is hosting a book discussion, featuring Nevada scholar Patricia Cooper-Smith, and screening of the film at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in the library’s Digitorium. The highlight of the reading program will be a presentation by the author at 6:30 p.m. April 24 in the Digitorium, where Vlautin will be available to sign copies of his book.

The Carson City Library’s Digitorium is also hosting other events to celebrate National Library Week. Music in Poetry, Poetry in Music — Where Words and Music Meet, a program by Primal Mates, a chamber jazz duo with Chris Lee and Colleen O’Brien, will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 12.

Charles L. Convis will talk about his extensive collection of volumes of old western writings and history in “65 Years of Old West History: A Collection,” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 14. Selected copies of Convis’ collection will be available for sale.

Local author Shirley Oxoby will present a reading from her book, “Silent Warrior: A Journey of Hope,” about the journey of her fight for her daughter’s life, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15.

“Depression: The Enemy of Happiness,” a program about depression by Dr. Gino J. Giudice, will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information or a copy of “The Motel Life,” call 775-887-2244, ext. 1019, or email twodlc.ccl@gmail.com.

The American Library Association has been observing National Library Week since 1958. Each April, libraries across the country promote this celebration as a time to recognize the contributions of the nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.