BOOKS | Provided By Ron Solorzano

One County, One Book

Join your community in exploring a common narrative – at the Ventura County Library

The Ventura County Library is proud to announce its first annual One County, One Book community reading program. One County, One Book aims to unite the Ventura County community around a common narrative, spreading interest in and facilitating discussions about the selected book. In addition, people across the county will have a chance to attend a variety of events this coming October, 2018, related to the themes of the selection, including lectures, workshops, film screenings, and more.

The selection for this year’s One County, One Book is Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, by William Finnegan. Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, Barbarian Days is a striking memoir that details Finnegan’s relationship with the “beautiful addiction” of surfing and how it shaped his life. This complex work has elements of wild adventure, detailed histories, and socially-conscious introspection. It traces Finnegan’s travels throughout the world, including a section on his time here in Ventura County.

To participate you can pick up a copy of Barbarian Days from one of our 12 library branches. In addition to our regular holdings each library has a “Little Free Library Shelf” set up with additional copies. You can take a copy to read and either return it when you’re done, pass it on to a friend, or even donate a new copy for others! Once you’ve read the book you’ll be ready for our October events—you can visit our website at www.vencolibrary.org/events for more information as programs are scheduled.

All events associated with One County, One Book are free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146.

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org. Please visit our website for information on the location and hours of the library closest to you.