Maine Mystery Writers the Focus of State Library Summer Book Group Series

The Maine State Library has once again partnered with the Maine Humanities Council to host a ?Let?s Talk About It? summer reading and discussion series covering books written by Maine mystery writers.

The program, Mysteries by Maine Authors, will cover five sessions meeting every other Tuesday beginning May 31 with a final session on July 26. Each session will meet at 5:00 p.m. at the Maine State Library Studio on the third floor for approximately 90 minutes. Discussions will be facilitated by Ellen Taylor, a professor of English at the University of Maine at Augusta.

The reading discussion schedule includes:

• May 31 - The Poacher?s Son by Paul Doiron
• June 14 - And Grant You Peace by Kate Flora
• June 28 - A Show of Hands by David Crossman
• July 12 - Potshot by Gerry Boyle
• July 26 - Mortar and Murder by Jennie Bentley

?Exploring ideas and issues through literature has a unique and fun way of creating community,? said Nicole Rancourt, Maine Humanities Council director of Let?s Talk About It. ?We find that there is great interest among adults in getting together to discuss what they?ve read with others. Having a discussion leader like Ellen Taylor who is both excited about the readings and skilled in facilitating can help to deepen this experience.?

?The ?Let?s Talk About It? series has been a very popular program in the past and we were honored to be selected by the Maine Humanities Council to host another session this summer,? said James Ritter, Maine State Librarian. ?The series is free and open to the public, but registration is limited to 25 participants. Anyone interested in joining the group should sign-up quickly!?

Register for Mysteries by Maine Authors Series

To register, call the library at (207) 287-5600 or email alison.l.maxell@maine.gov by Tuesday, May 24. Registrants will need to provide complete contact information including name, address, telephone and email.

Books in the series will be loaned to participants through the Maine State Library. Following registration, individuals will need to stop by the library to pick up a personal book bag including all reading materials for the series. For library hours and directions, visit the Maine State Library website at: www.maine.gov/msl/about/hrsdirect.shtml

About Maine Humanities Council

The Maine Humanities Council is an independent, statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the people of Maine deepen their understanding of themselves, their communities, and the world. The Council works with volunteer literacy programs, educators, school systems and libraries to promote the power and pleasure of ideas through its programming; the Council also provides grants supporting projects in community history, exhibits, workshops and other areas of study.

About the Maine State Library

Established in 1839, the Maine State Library offers a variety of programs and services aimed at helping people, making Maine libraries stronger and transforming information into knowledge. The library houses over 600,000 books, serial items and government documents, with significant collections pertaining to Maine history, Maine and New England genealogy and Maine authors. Any Maine resident is eligible to apply for a free Maine State Library card. Outreach services of the library provide services to rural and homebound Mainers as well as people with disabilities. The Maine State Library also helps ensure a strong Maine library system through interlibrary loan and van delivery services, library consulting services and collaboration with other agencies concerning broadband access, ebooks and online databases.

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