Thirty years ago today, John Lennon was shot and killed, leaving the music world both a loss of talent and a lasting legacy, both from his work with the Beatles and his own independent projects.

The Third-Thursday Book Discussion Group’s November selection is Pearl Buck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Good Earth. The 1931 novel is a heartfelt look at the life of Chinese farmer Wang Lung and his family’s struggle to live off the land in early twentieth-century China. The novel outlines not only Lung’s passion for acquiring and working his land amid famine and other hardships, but it gives readers a revealing look at Chinese ideas about family, women, marriage, religion, and class relations.

Playaway is a simple way to listen to audio on the go. Each Playaway is an MP3 player with the audio book pre-loaded on it. No cassettes, no CDs, no downloads. Each ultra-portable Playaway weighs only two ounces and has a universal jack that works with almost any type of headphone or mobility accessory. Just add a AAA battery (if needed), plug in your earbuds, and enjoy. For more information, ask a youth services librarian.

We are pleased to announce ROPL's new collection of Foreign Language books! The collection is gradually taking shape in the Adult Services department. It will include popular fiction, nonfiction, how-to books and biographies in the following languages.