Want a laugh? Check out the very funny exchange between author Lawrence Block (Step by Step) and late night host (and soon-to-be-published author) Craig Ferguson (American on Purpose)
I wouldn’t have put these two together as a comedy duo. Who knew?
-Virginia
In March, I wrote about the House at the End of the Road, written by W. Ralph Eubanks, Director of Publishing at the Library of Congress and his search to find the truth about his maternal grandparents; Jim Richardson, a white man and Edna Richardson, a light-skinned black woman. W. Ralph Eubanks will be interviewed by NPR’s Talk of the Nation scheduled for Tuesday, May 19th. Listen in as he discusses the House at the End of the Road and the fascinating journey of discovering his unique racial and cultural identity. For more information, visit:
http://www.npr.org/
-Bobby
In March, Virginia gave us a preview of Michael J. Fox’s new book, Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. If you want to see just how he remains optimistic in the face of adversity, check out this clip of Michael on Good Morning America, where he discusses his upcoming ABC-TV special with Diane Sawyer. He also mentions his new book, Always Looking Up, on sale now.
On Thursday, May 7th, watch ABC-TV’s The View (check your local listings for times) where Michael will be interviewed about the special and his book, Always Looking Up. Finally, later that evening keep your television on ABC-TV to watch his special, Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. Michael J. Fox hosted and produced the piece.
Watching Michael J. Fox in action gives me motivation and inspiration. If he can stay optimistic no matter the circumstances, so can I…and so can you! Enjoy!
-Bobby
As you know from Virginia's post, A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez hits shelves today. The media firestorm is already intense, with features in the AP, Sports Illustrated, an appearance on the Today Show, and lots of local coverage. In A-Rod, Roberts goes beyond the sensational headlines, probing A-Rod's childhood to reveal a man torn by obligation to his family and the pull of his insatiable hedonism. It's a must-read, quite simply put. New York Magazine writes: "This is not a book of conjecture: It’s one of hard, bootstrap journalism…The sports-biography landscape is littered with halfhearted, quickie, SCANDALOUS, sloppy books with no depth, research, or legwork behind them. This is definitely not one of those." See for yourself: browse inside the book, or check out the New York Magazine story, the AP article, Selena's interview with Bob Costas, and her interview on The Today Show.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
-Kayleigh
Not surprisingly, the sparks are flying over our new book, A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez which goes on sale Monday, May 4th. Selena Roberts, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated pulls back the locker room door and gives the reader a bird’s eye view of one of baseball’s most talented-and tragically flawed-athletes. The author will talk about her book on NBC’s Today Show on Monday, May 4th. She will also give a 30 minute interview to Bob Costas for the MLB Network on May 3rd.
Take me out to the ballgame…
-Virginia
Over on Roaring I'm blogging about Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's thriller, The Strain— a chilling, epic novel that centers around a battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a trilogy, as well as an international publishing event. Put a heavy-reserve alert on this one! Now, I may be blogging on The Roaring 20s, but The Strain is not just a book for 20somethings. Thriller fans, vampire lovers, even cinema geeks (you can vividly picture it as a movie) will love this book. Head to Roaring for an interview with Guillermo Del Toro, and more information on The Strain.
-Kayleigh
We're loving Jon Stewart's interview with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia and the author of This Child Will Be Great. In her stirring memoir, Sirleaf shares the inside story of her rise to power, including her early childhood; her experiences with abuse, imprisonment, and exile; and her fight for democracy and social justice. Stewart referred to her "remarkable journey," and went on to say "You've got to read this book." Check out the clip below, browse inside the book, and let us know what you think!
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | M – Th 11p / 10c | |||
| Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | ||||
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-Kayleigh
Though April 23rd is not historically-proven to be Shakespeare's birthday, we can be sure he was christened around this time, hence naming April 23rd his official birthday. I know die-hard fans (myself included) will cherish any excuse to celebrate the man, the bard, the genius. Proving my point is 'Talk Like Shakespeare Day' in Chicago, an official city-wide holiday in which people can quote the bard to their heart's content. With that in mind, the perfect book to recommend to your patrons today is, unsurprisingly, Barry Edelstein's Bardisms: a collection of Shakespearean bon mots for all occasions. Edelstein has quotes for everything–from global warming to break-ups, and everything in between. Bardisms is a wonderfully compact look at some of Shakespeare's greatest lines, all of which can fit to accommodate occasions or life events in 2009. The section on wedding toasts is particularly helpful– especially if you're sick of hearing people read from Corinthians. Now, fly hence, and browse inside.
-Kayleigh
Over on Roaring I posted about this article from today's Guardian, which mentions some UK libraries that have started playing "quiet background music," in an attempt to reel in young patrons. So far I've had some great comments–why not join the debate? Music or no music? Post your thoughts here.
-Kayleigh
A globe-spanning digital library was launched today in Paris. Visitors to the site will be given access to some of the rarest and most protected cultural texts in existence. Items can be browsed by place, time, topic, type of item, and institution. The site currently has over 1,200 documents (photographs, movies, charts, texts) and explanations are available in seven different languages. This was the dreamchild of James H. Billington, the librarian of Congress who launched the project four years ago. Check it out. It's pretty amazing.
-Virginia
New York’s Governor David Paterson is putting gay marriage back on the table. Check out the article here. We’ll see what happens…In the meantime, check out this great blog post from Ken Davis, author of the wonderful, informative Don't Know Much About series. Browse inside America's Hidden History, now in paperback.
-Virginia
This might be, quite possibly, the latest book to be returned to a US library. A book that was missing since the Civil War was finally returned to the college to which it belonged. Check out the incredible story here. I can’t even imagine the late fees on this one…
-Virginia
Over on the Roaring 20s I posted about Burn this Book, a provocative collection of essays on censorship and the power of the written word. Edited by Toni Morrison, Burn this Book features literary heavyweights like Salman Rushdie, Orhan Pamuk, David Grossman and Nadine Gordimer. Head on over to check it out!
Be sure to check out The Today Show this Friday, April 17th during the 8am hour. Karen Siff Exkorn, author of The Austism Sourcebook will discuss her book. Karen’s son Jake has fully recovered from autism. While only a small percentage of children recover from autism, research is being done by Dr. Deborah Fein and her team at the University of Connecticut in the hopes that more children will recover in the future.
-Virginia
Our friends at Harper Academic have just written a fabulous post about the recent pirate standoff on the USS Bainbridge, as it relates to an article by Edith Gelles, author of Abigail & John: Portrait of a Marriage. Browse inside, check out this video of Edith Gelles, and let us know what you think!
-Kayleigh
Tune into Oprah tonight, April 13th, to see Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked, and, most recently, A Lion Among Men, discuss what life is like raising his 3 adopted children with his husband Andy Newman. Browse inside the book, and be sure to set your dvr!
It seems like everyone is celebrating Passover this year–even President Obama is hosting a seder! (I wonder if he'll be asking his advisors the 4 Questions…) In honor of the holiday, here are some essential Judaica-related books (fiction and non-fiction) that every library should own.
Jewish Literacy by Joseph Telushkin. Widely recognized as one of the most respected and indispensable reference books on Jewish life, culture, tradition, and religion, Jewish Literacy covers every essential aspect of the Jewish people and Judaism.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. At once a gripping whodunit, a love story, an homage to 1940s noir, and an exploration of the mysteries of exile and redemption, The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a novel only Michael Chabon could have written.
Clara's War by Clara Kramer. Out this month, Clara's War is a heart-stopping story of a young girl hiding from the Nazis in an underground bunker with seventeen other people.
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In 2008, an astounding 157 million people watched The Beijing Olympics. Many of them, myself included, watched in the hopes of seeing Michael Phelps break Mark Spitz' record. But when Michael achieved the impossible with his record-shattering eight gold-medal wins, Debbie Phelps nearly stole the show. Few could forget the homage that Michael consistently paid to the one person most responsible for making it all possible: his mom. While Beijing will forever beremembered the world over, very few know the behind-the-scenes stories as lived by the members of Team Phelps—a roller-coaster ride full of dramatic ups and downs, heartbreaks, and disappointments, yet one guided to triumph by vision, courage, and tenacity. Now at last, in A Mother for All Seasons, we're given the untold story as lived by the mom on the team. Check out this Associated Press story on A Mother for All Seasons, and Debbie's interview on the Today show. Be sure to let us know what you think of this buzz-worthy memoir!
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
-Kayleigh
Over at The Roaring 20s I'm talking about Cecilia Ahern's latest novel, Thanks for the Memories, a heartwarming story of hope, love, and second chances—by far, Cecelia Ahern's most magical novel yet. Library Journal writes: "Ahern has a knack for getting to the heart of human emotions–Joyce’s emotional pain is palpable, as is Justin’s longing for meaning in his life.” Booklist enthuses, "Ahern devotees will enjoy the magical connection that springs up between Joyce and Justin, and will keep turning the pages to find out if the two can make their way to a happy ending together." Head on over and check it out!
-Kayleigh
Do you ever have those moments where you allow your mind to wonder about life? Do you think about where you are and where you are going? Have you ever thought about a dream you once had, but allowed it to become a distant memory? Start Where You Are gives realistic strategies on how to put a new spring in your step.
Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in the Pursuit of Happyness, written by Chris Gardner gives over forty lessons on how to not only make your dreams reality, but help you navigate on this crazy road we call “life”. After each lesson there are “assignments” or exercises that you can do to fully understand that lesson and make it a part of your life.
Start Where You Are, the follow up to his best-selling memoir The Pursuit of Happyness, answers the two questions he is asked more than any others…”How did you do it” and “How can I do it too?” Start Where You Are, on sale in May of 2009 gives us even more inspiration by showing us examples from Chris Gardner’s life experiences.
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Some interesting book news from across the pond…The Telegraph reports something I think we already know: reading reduces our stress levels and ‘being taken into a literary world eases the tensions in muscles and the heart.’ Sign me up!
-Virginia
The ever-amazing Michael J. Fox is about to hit the airwaves to talk about his new book, Always Looking Up which goes on sale tomorrow, March 31st.
The author of #1 New York Times bestselling Lucky Man writes about the role of faith and family in his life, the starting of his foundation, and how he keep his optimistic viewpoint. Check out the trailer for his ABC special here. Right out of the gate, Michael will appear on Oprah which will air tomorrow, March 31st. Other dates to mark on your calendar:
-Virginia
Have you ever read a book because you loved the title? Last week’s New York Times had a piece on “odd” book titles that prompted me to think about our strangest ones. Here’s what I came up with:
by Tom Robbins. On sale next month, B is for Beer is a children’s book about beer. For adults. If you’re still stumped, check it out here.
My Goat Ate Its Own Legs by Alex Burrett. A debut collection of tales that explores the weird what-ifs of evolution, devotion, and universal disaster.
Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing by Lydia Peelle. A stellar debut collection of short stories that take place in the American South.
What do you think? Would you take these books out of the library?
-Kayleigh
Left, right or center, First Lady Michelle Obama wants your kids to eat their veggies! Check out this article from School Library Journal.
The President and First Lady aren’t alone when it comes to the challenges of getting children to eat healthier foods. We hope they have a copy of Deceptively Delicious on their bookshelves. Jessica Seinfeld’s guide for parents who want their kids to be healthy jumped to the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list when it was published back in 2007. Its time-friendly strategies to get kids to eat wholesome meals and snacks, and live a healthy, nutrition-filled lifestyle, were a huge hit.
So here’s to more artichokes and less Cap’n Crunch.
-Virginia
…But it sure is cool!
Check out the Des Moines Public Library’s efforts to go green and don't miss this amazing video that shows how one man’s garbage truly is another man’s…art!
Has your library ‘gone green’? Let us know what efforts your library has taken to help the planet. 25 lucky LIBRARIANS (sorry, general readership) will win a copy of You Are Here: Exposing the Vital Link Between What We Do and What That Does to Our Planetby Thomas Kostigen. This New York Times bestselling author (who spoke at the ALA conference last year) is the Anderson Cooper of the environment. He takes us to the most extreme environmental areas on the planet to show how what we do from the comfort of our own home affects people, places, and things across the globe.
We will randomly select 25 winners from the entries received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted 2 days after this posting. Approximate retail value of each prize: $25.95. Estimated total prize value: $648.75. View rules here: Download Librarylovefest-blog-sweepstakes Leave a comment below for your chance to win!
-Virginia
