Library's Big Read will feature Hammett's 'Maltese Falcon'

The Mountain Home Library will be participating in the Big Read again this year.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture. It encourages people all across the country to read and discuss a single book within their communities.

This year the book is the "The Maltese Falcon." The book, written by Dashell Hammett, is a detective-novel and considered one of the best ever written.

"It is a great literary work, along with being a thriller, a love story and a dark comedy," organizers of the event said.

The book was made into a famous movie starring Humphrey Bogart.

Books will be available from the library beginning Feb. 9. There will be a showing of the movie, starring Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1 p.m. and on Friday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m.

The book discussion will be held March 6 at 7 p.m.