Thousand Oaks reads ahead of schedule

Thousand Oaks Reads is off to a good start even before it officially begins.

Of the libraries' 400 copies of this year's One City One Book selection, 308 were already checked out last week.

Thousand Oaks Reads is a communitywide reading program that encourages the entire city to join together in experiencing the same book. This year's selection is "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," by Jonathan Safran Foer.

The program officially begins on Sept. 15 and goes through Oct. 14. Its beginning coincides with the Thousand Oaks Art Festival event Sat. and Sun., Sept. 15 and 16. A Thousand Oaks Reads One City One Book booth at the festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Handprints will be collected with paint and placed on colorful murals to be displayed at the libraries.

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" will be available for purchase at the booth.

"With this positive response, it appears as if we made a very good selection in choosing this book," said Sue Pelman, adult services librarian.

The book was chosen by a committee looking for contemporary fiction with wide appeal, Pelman said.

"It had to be something that would interest high school readers and up, as well as both men and women. It also needed to be in multiple formats, such as paperback, audio books and translated into several languages," she said.

Also, the author had to be living since a part of the program includes the author's participation.

Foer will be at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Scherr Forum at 2 p.m. Sun., Oct. 7. Tickets are free but must be picked up at the reference desk of one of the libraries after Mon., Sept. 17, said Nancy Schram, library division manager.

"The response has been positive and overwhelming. The book seems to be an excellent choice and sparks discussion," Schram said.

As part of the monthlong activities, the public will be invited to participate in book discussions to be held in venues all over the city, including the library, coffee shops and bookstores.

For those who prefer to gather a group of friends and host their own book discussion, the library has bags complete with multiple copies of the book, resource guides and bookmarks. Book Clubs in a Bag are ready to go out to groups of any kind, and clubs may check out an unlimited number of copies, Pelman said.

For more information, go to thousandoaksreads.org/the-book, where people are invited to post thoughts, comments and opinions about the book, the author and other topics connected with the One City One Book project.

This is a forum to exchange ideas, share personal experiences and recognize the power of literature, Pelman said.

Summing up

What's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" about?

Excerpts from the book's jacket reveal that author "Jonathan Safran Foer confronts the traumas of recent history. What he discovers is solace in that most human quality, imagination."

The 9-year-old protagonist, Oskar Schell, "is an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler and pacifist . . . on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11/01.

"An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. Along the way he's always dreaming up inventions to keep those he loves safe from harm."

Oskar's optimistic, but the past speaks a loud warning in stories of those who've lost loved ones before.

As he "roams New York," the jacket says, "he encounters a motley assortment of humanity who are all survivors in their own way. He befriends a 103-year-old war reporter, a tour guide who never leaves the Empire State Building and lovers enraptured or scorned.

"Ultimately, Oskar ends his journey where it began, at his father's grave. But now he is accompanied by the silent stranger who has been renting the spare room of his grandmother's apartment. They are there to dig up his father's empty coffin."

More information: •The film "Everything Is Illuminated" will be screened at 6 p.m. Wed., Sept. 19 at the Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library, 1401 E. Janss Road. Based on a novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, the film tells the story of a young man's quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis. It was directed by Liev Schreiber and stars Elijah Wood. 106 minutes; rated PG13. •A CLU faculty panel discussion will be 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 20 at California Lutheran University Lundring Events Center, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks.

Cal Lutheran professors respond to Foer's novel and discuss the implications of finding inner peace in the face of chaotic world events. Call the library for transportation information at (805) 4492660. •A screening of the film "Parallel Lines" will be at 1 p.m. Sat., Oct. 6 at the Grant Brimhall/ Thousand Oaks Library

For the film, Nina Davenport, in the aftermath of 9/11, interviewed strangers across the country, finding that, despite their differences, many Americans dealt with the national trauma in similar ways. 98 minutes; not rated. •An Afternoon with Jonathan Safran Foer will be presented at 2 p.m. Sun., Oct. 7 at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Scherr Forum, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Pick up tickets at the Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library, (805) 449-2660, or the Newbury Park Branch (805) 498-2139, beginning Sept. 17.•A book arts experience will take place in two sessions, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m., Sat., Oct. 13 at Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library.

Create a handmade book reflecting the themes of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." The class will be taught by California artist and teacher Marcia Moore. All materials will be supplied. Registration is required. Recommended for teens and adults. •Community book discussions about "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," by Jonathan Safran Foer will take place in various venues. All discussions are open to the public. No registration is required.

7 p.m. Tues., Sept. 18 Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 1408 N. Moorpark Road (805) 494-8961

10:30 a.m. Sat., Sept. 22, Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library 1401 E. Janss Road (805) 449-2660

Mon., Sept. 24, 7 p.m. Barnes & Noble Booksellers The Promenade 160 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. (805) 446-2820

Thurs., Sept. 27, 5 p.m. Peet's Coffee 595 N. Moorpark Road (805) 497-8366

Sat., Sept. 29, 10:30 a.m. Newbury Park Branch Library 2331 Borchard Road (805) 498-2139

7 p.m. Tues., Oct. 2 Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 1772 E. Ave. de Los Arboles (805) 241-2499

7 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 4, Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library

7 p.m. Mon., Oct. 8 Newbury Park Branch Library

7 p.m. Wed., Oct. 10 Borders 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd. (805) 497-8159

10:30 a.m. Sat., Oct. 13 Grant Brimhall/T.O. Library