friday april 27
Have you read Goodnight Moon to your child more times than you can count? In addition to the traditional hardback, the library offers audio, dvd, boardbook, and even braille editions. Ever feel like hiding your copy just to get a night off? Written by Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952) in 1947, Goodnight Moon is a classic, a perennial favorite-- but that doesn't mean it can't get old. Why not give one of these bedtime alternatives a try?
thursday april 26
You're not imagining things if you've been seeing Imperial Stormtroopers at the library.
In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, we're launching GalaxyCon, an out-of-this-world celebration of all things science fiction.
It hasn't even started yet, and already it's a blast. I've had some great conversations with fans of all ages and families who plan to join us for the stellar events we have planned.
Science fiction is such a part of our culture, in fiction, film, and TV. Were you one of the wide-eyed kids who watched Flash Gordon serials on Saturday mornings, or did you stand in line for Spiderman and its sequels? Did you get your kicks from superhero comics or have your consciousness raised by the sociological sf of Sheri S. Tepper or Margaret Atwood? Are you hooked on Heroes or daffy for Dr. Who?
Even if you're not a techie, a Trekker, or a towel-carrying hitchhiker through the galaxy, how can you resist? (Resistance is futile, you know!)
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wednesday april 25
Today marks the beginning of the Romantic Times Annual Booklovers Convention, held this year in Houston, Texas. The event is sold out, so if you don't already have your ticket, you'll have to make do with these recent releases by some of today's best romance writers. Warning: some are hotter than others.
Historical Romance:
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The Secret of Priest's Grotto is a fascinating and unique story of Holocaust survival. A small group of Jews attempts to outwit the Nazis by hiding in a vast network of horizontal Gypsum caves beneath the western Ukrainian countryside. The challenge facing the Jews is twofold. They must avoid capture by the Nazis and their allies, and they must also survive the cold, dark, and damp underground conditions of the caves. As the authors point out, the survivors of Priest’s Grotto hold the unofficial world record for time spent underground—they lived there for almost a year! The story of how they accomplish this amazing feat makes for a dramatic tale, to say the least.
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Every time I take a walk on my lunch hour, I pass by a florist’s shop. I try to peek inside the open door and catch a glimpse or a whiff of the beautiful roses, lilies, tulips, and gerbera daisies for sale. Sometimes I see a customer leave with a parcel of flowers or a bouquet in a vase and I happily imagine them sitting on my desk.
Author Amy Stewart loves flowers too. In her new book,
Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers, she travels around the world and behind the scenes to catch her own glimpse of the cut flower industry. And what an interesting glimpse it is!
Stewart visits California, Miami, Holland, and Latin America to see firsthand how flowers are bred, grown, shipped, and sold. Along the way, she tells intriguing stories, such as the quest for the elusive blue rose or the eccentric breeder of the popular 'Stargazer' lily.
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I like ghost stories especially when the ghosts aren’t the usual apparitions.
In Jennifer Egan’s The Keep, Danny is on his way to an unknown location in Europe to help his cousin Howie renovate a castle. He is an electronics junkie who needs to be connected at all times (by cell phone or email) to the large group of people in his address book.
Danny is also running away from the mob, which is the main reason he takes the one-way ticket to a place he doesn’t know and can’t remember the name of. He also has an estranged relationship with his cousin because of a childhood prank that nearly took Howie’s life.
Juxtaposed against the introductory protagonist is Ray, who is similarly cut off from the real world but in a different way. Danny in fact is just a character in a story Ray is writing for his prison’s creative writing class.
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monday april 23
In a recent post, I wrote about ways in which people can actively partcipate in poetry, reading and reciting with friends and family. Now, take that idea to another level: Chicago, 1987, a place called the Green Mill Tavern. Marc Kelly Smith starts a small revolution which becomes known as the Poetry Slam. It differs from a 'poetry reading' event because it is competitive and the audience plays an active role. Slams are held virtually everywhere, and there is even a national championship that will be held this summer in Austin, Texas.
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