Prepare to be amazed as we link Dracula and Dorian Gray to Jane Austen. True. Our Classics Book Club readers are enjoying catching up with Thomas Hardy novels and some gothic horror by revisiting Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Did you know that Bram Stoker attended dinner parties hosted by Oscar Wilde's mother Lady Jane Francesca Elgee Wilde at the family's chicly bohemian salon. And guess which star from the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice is to star is a film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray? Yes that's the Austen connection – would you believe Colin Firth? as Lord Henry alongside Ben Barnes as Dorian Gray(pictured). Sounds all good so far.

And the next Classics Book Club meetings are:

Blayney Library on Tuesday 22 September from 11am - 12 noon to talk about Under the Greenwood Tree and Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.

Orange Daytime Group on Thursday 24 September 12.30pm - 1.30pm to discuss Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Orange Evening Group on Thursday 24 September 5.30pm - 7pm to discuss Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Cowra Library on Tuesday 29 September from 12.30pm - 1.30pm to talk about Bram Stoker and Dracula.

PS. If you want to see a combined storyline with Frankenstein and Dracula then check out the film Van Helsing – stars Richard Roxburgh, Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsdale – great for the special effects and Brides of Dracula.

Thank you to everyone who entered our Good Reading Online competition. We hope you are continuing to enjoy keeping up with all the latest news on authors, books and reading in this fabulous online magazine that can be accessed via our Reading and Writing Page. So to our winners...drum roll please......the winners are R Jones of Millthorpe, H Burton of Molong, M Todd of Molong, T Smith of Molong and A Pearson of Orange. Well done to you all and book prizes are winging their way to you. And of course the correct answer was Jennifer Weiner. I told you it was an easy competition.

Unfortunately we have had to postpone two events planned for History Week 2009 featuring author Pam McGlinn. The events were planned for Blayney Library on Thursday 10 September at 11.30am and Orange City Library at 6pm. Pam is not able to travel to the region at this time. It is hoped we can host Pam's visit next year. Thank you for your understanding.

Some authors have captured the imaginations of generatons. Find out more about the lives and works of these authors as we read some classic literature. What made them so popular? What do we really think about them? What do the classics reveal about human nature? So far the Classics Book Club groups have read Jane Austen and works by the Brontes. Next the Classics Book Club will read a different author and novel each month. Come along to the introductory meetings to find out all about it and help decide what to read first!

Introductory meetings for new and continuing members will be held at:

Blayney Library on Tuesday 19 May from 11am - 12 noon.

Please note the Orange and Cowra groups take a break in May and return in June.

Orange City Library on Thursday 18 June 12.30pm - 1.30pm or 5.30pm (for early birds) 6pm - 7pm.

Cowra Library on Tuesday 23 June from 12.30pm - 1.30pm.

Everyone is welcome to come along.

It is funny how this topic crops up in every discussion of our Classics Book Club talks on Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. In Wuthering Heights Heathcliff disappears for a time and upon his return is dressed as quite the gentleman, knows how to gamble and is still obsessed with Cathy. So where did he go? What happened to him? Theories abound and range from a trip to the West Indies, an excursion to Australia to search for gold, certainly ill-gotten gains, maybe he fell in with a band of gypsies - a reference to his mysterious past perhaps, or he stole away on a ship for sure! In a few minutes each of the discussion groups came up with several ideas but wait for it... there is a book called Heathcliff: The Return to Wuthering Heights by Lin Haire-Sargeant and Emily Bronte. Let us know what you think? Is it a good story? Believable? Or do you prefer the Classics not be tampered with and Heathcliff's past left to our own imaginations. Pictured is Timothy Dalton as Healthcliff from the 1970 movie Wuthering Heights(Image: AIP Ronald Grant Archive).

Lively conversations abound in our Classics Book Club meetings especially while we have been discussing the Brontes and here are some comments on Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – a classic tale of heartache and mystery:

"it is about passion and obsessive love"

" the narration is good, really enjoyed it"

"Catherine had a good life and she wanted everything to herself"

"How could anyone love Heathcliff?"

"I call it "withering depths" and hated it at high school and still can't get past the first 20 pages". As you can see there is lots to talk about.

The next round of Classic Book Club meetings catch up with Charlotte Bronte on Tuesday 17 February at Blayney to discuss Vilette, Thursday 19 February Orange Day group to talk about The Professor, the Evening Group chat about Jane Eyre and the Cowra Day Group meet on Tuesday 24 February to discuss The Professor.

Carol and Marion from Cowra Library were guests at a recent Rotary Dinner to receive a Certificate of Appreciation for collecting money for a Shelterbox – it brings shelter and beds to people who have become homeless and these boxes are distributed all over the world. Shelterboxes are sent worldwide to disaster areas and usually contain thermal blankets, a tent, tools and other survival equipment, light and heat and cooking aids. Since 2000, more than 600,000 people in some 46 countries have been assisted by ShelterBox ... and the demand continues to exceed supply. Central West Libraries is now the proud sponsor of Shelterbox No. 4874 and everyone can follow up with the Shelterbox Website to see where it will be allocated - go to www.shelterbox.com.au click on honour roll and CWL is at the top of the list. Congrats to Carol and Marion for their unique fundraising idea – counting steps.

The Classics Book Club resumes next week to talk about Brontes: January meetings will be held at the Blayney branch on Tuesday 20 January from 11am to 12 noon to discuss Shirley by Charlotte Bronte. Orange day group meet on Thursday 22 January from 12.30pm – 1.30pm to talk about Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. The Orange evening group meet on Thursday 22 January from 5.30pm for early birds or 6pm – 7pm to chat about The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte and Cowra meet on Tuesday 27 January from 12.30pm to 1.30pm to talk about Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Elizabeth Gaskill wrote about this Bronte sisters' portrait by Branwell (he painted himself out but you can see him in faintly in the middle) in her biography of Charlotte Bronte: "there could be no doubt about Branwell's talent for drawing. I have seen an oil painting of his, done I know not when . . . It was a group of his sisters, life size, three-quarters' length; not much better than sign-painting, as to manipulation; but the likenesses were, I should think, admirable. I could only judge of the fidelity with which the other two were depicted, from the striking resemblance which Charlotte, upholding the great frame of canvas, and consequently standing right behind it, bore to her own representation, though it must have been ten years and more since the portraits were taken. The picture was divided, almost in the middle, by a great pillar. On the side of the column which was lighted by the sun, stood Charlotte, in the womanly dress of that day of jigot sleeves and large collars. On the deeply shadowed side, was Emily, and Anne's gentle face resting on her shoulder. Emily's countenance struck me as full of power; Charlotte's of solicitude; Anne's of tenderness. The two younger seemed hardly to have attained their full growth, though Emily was taller than Charlotte; they had cropped hair, and a more girlish dress. I remember looking on those two sad, earnest, shadowed faces, and wondering whether I could trace the mysterious expression which is said to foretell an early death. I had some fond superstitious hope that the column divided their fates from hers, who stood apart in the canvas, as in life she survived. . . . They were good likenesses, however badly executed."

Throughout December we are celebrating blokes @ your library. Are you male? Are you a member of Central West Libraries? Then our December promotion is just for you - please write your name and phone number on a ticket at the front desk at any of our Library branches to go in the draw to win a year's subscription to a family friendly bloke's magazine. Good Luck!

The November meetings of the Classics Book Club will be held as follows: Blayney on Tuesday 18 November from 11am to 12 noon to discuss The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. Orange day group meeting on Thursday 20 November from 12.30pm – 1.30pm to discuss the Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. Orange evening group meeting from 5.30pm (earlybirds), 6pm – 7pm to talk about The Professor by Charlotte Bronte. Cowra meeting on Tuesday 25 November from 12.30pm to 1.30pm to talk about Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. New members are always welcome and there will be a break in December with meetings resuming in January.