Alas, alas. Gatsby’s Green Light Gala is over, but a great time was had by all. Take a look at some highlights here!

Coming in the fall of 2013!

Celebrate the freedom to read with the Connecticut Center for the Book!

Partnering with libraries and community organizations, the Connecticut Center for the Book invites you to explore the controversies around banning books and the value of free and open access to information

Exhibitions, readings, and programming around banned books and censorship will spark vibrant conversation around some of the most challenged books in America.

Author Talk with Denis Horgan

Join award winning writer Denis Horgan and Connecticut Humanities for an evening in Thailand! His newest book, “The Bangkok World,” is a memoir of his fascinating days as an Army officer during the war in Southeast Asia and as editor of the English-language newspaper of that name in Thailand. Book signing to follow discussion.

Middletown, May 22 6pm – 8pm, Broad Street Books More… Register
New Haven, May 30 6pm – 8pm, The Institute Library More… Register

Poetry Discussion with David Garnes

Join author and discussion leader David Garnes for an evening program looking at two contemporary poets, Kay Ryan and Richard Blanco.

Southington, June 24, 6:30pm, Southington Library More…  Register

Community Reads grants support “One Book” initiatives in communities throughout the state. This year, we awarded ten grants totaling $23,500 to encourage residents from all walks of life to read great books,  explore together the important themes they present, and celebrate the beauty of the written word.

Our idea of community is a broad one—a school, a town, a region—but all of these activities invite you to join up with others who share a love of reading. Join a Community Reads near you. You don’t have to be from the hosting community to join.

Cheshire, Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington

Fifteen year old Alice must deal with the absence of her father who has been called up to active duty from the Army reserves and sent to Iraq. The program will culminate on November 7th with an evening presentation by the author at the Cheshire Public Library. For more information, call Cheshire Public Library at (203) 272-2245.

East Hartford, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Students, parents and faculty members of Connecticut River Academy at Goodwin College will share this true story of a reservation outcast who has a tough life as a teenage boy and seeks a way out through education.

Eastern Connecticut, One Book, One Region

Little Princes by Conor GrennanThroughout the summer, southeastern Connecticut libraries, schools and book groups offer opportunities to read  Little Princes by Conor Grennan and attend book discussions and programs related to themes in the book. In the fall, the author will meet the readers, answer their questions, and sign books. For more information, contact Groton Public Library at (860) 441-6750.

Greenwich, Greenwich Reads Together.

Greenwich Reads Together is a community-wide reading experience that engages all of Greenwich in exploring a single book. This year’s book is The Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka, the story of Japanese-American’s placement in internment camps during World War II. The goal of Greenwich Reads Together is to deepen engagement in literature through reading and discussion and to build community connections. The Steering Committee leading this effort includes Greenwich Library, Greenwich Alliance for Education, Greenwich Arts Council, Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich Pen Women and the Greenwich Public and Independent Schools.

Hartford, Authors@Amistad

Participants are invited to read four books over an eight month period that explore the Black experience. Each book views African American past and present through its own unique lens focused on individual stories, but contributions to American history and contemporary culture belong to us all. Readings include American Tapestry by Rachel L. Swarns. Mary Wells by Peter Benjaminson, One Crazy Summer by Rita Garcia Williams and The Cutting Season by Attica Locke. Activities include author visits and activities during the Amistad’s Juneteenth Family Day.

Middletown, One Book 2013

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Community members from young adults to seniors are invited to explore technology and life in a rapidly changing digital age through discussions, movie screenings and a scavenger hunt and a Skype session with the author.

Northeast Connecticut, Quiet Corner Reads

Book lovers from the Quiet Corner are invited to join in the regional community as readers share their common interests, hopes, and ideas with Tag Man by Archer Mayor.

Old Lyme,  The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

Join in on one of five unique discussions that explore themes of ethnicity, adoption and immigration/naturalization as well as Native American heritage and its relationship to the environment. For more information, call Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library at (860) 434-1684.

Rowayton, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Community members are invited to look for a copy of  Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” in their mailboxes this fall to set the stage for literary discussions, art lectures and classes, exhibits, music, food, drama, movies, stories, games, puzzles, and more… each inspired by Wilde’s wickedly funny play. For more information, email The Rowayton Library or call (203) 838-5038.

Watertown, Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

This coming of age story of six friends who, inspired by the advent of Sputnik learn to launch rockets into space in spite of many obstacles, shows how dedication, determination and hard work can make dreams come true. For more information, call Watertown Library at (860) 945-5360.

Coming Soon! We’re currently working on a web resource from the Connecticut Center for the Book to connect you with original works by Connecticut authors known and unknown; local, independent bookstores; reading and writing programs throughout Connecticut; educational resources; interviews with local authors; book reviews; a Connecticut Authors Map and more.

World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person. Each year on April 23, tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give half a million free World Book Night paperbacks to light and non-readers.

On April 23, 2013, we joined World Book Night givers and book lovers around the state to share the love of reading. One hundred and sixty World Book Night paperbacks were handed out by Connecticut Humanities staff members in Hartford, Middletown and New Haven. We visited busy bus stops, non-profit organizations, coffee shops, Main Street sidewalks, and local watering holes to pass out some of our favorite World Book Night titles. Light or non-readers will now be able to enjoy their own copies of Mudbound, The Tender Bar, The Language of Flowers, Moneyball, The Phantom Tollbooth, and Me Talk Pretty One Day.

Once all of our books were gone, it was off to Literary Trivia Night at Anna Liffey’s in New Haven and Syllable: A Reading Series at La Paloma in Hartford to continue the excitement. Anna Liffey’s trivia teams were challenged to guess first lines from great books and name famous book covers. The World Book Night afterparty at La Paloma featured readings from World Book Night books and original stories about books that changed individuals’ lives.

Enjoy our photo slideshow and mark your calendar to join us next year on April 23 for World Book Night 2014!