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It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right? Check out my post on Tom Robbins' latest, B is for Beer, a children's book for adults that tells the story of the history and culture of beer through the eyes of the young, charming, and precocious Gracie Perkel. B is for Beer is already getting some fantastic reviews, which you can check out on Roaring. Cheers!
-Kayleigh
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
While I am so excited that the weather in New York will actually reach (dare I say it) 80 degrees, I am still taking in a good book. I am reading a fascinating, yet heart-breaking autobiography. That Bird Has My Wings: the Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row, written by Jarvis Jay Masters is a compelling memoir that talks about all that he went through and what he continues to discover about himself.
That Bird Has My Wings, on sale in September of 2009, chronicles his early life, growing up with his four siblings and being surrounded by drugs at the hands of his mother and stepfather. He also shares how he survived violence at the hands of his biological father. They were left home alone days and weeks at a time, with no food or even the proper basic care. After he and his siblings were taken out of the home by social services, they were put in the foster care system where his life became extremely unstable. He was sentenced to prison at 19 for armed robbery and was put on death row at age 23 for being named an accessory in the death of a prison guard. Since being in prison, he has written one book and several articles. He also won a PEN Award for one of his poems. What is even more amazing is that he does all of his writing with ball point pen filler, as that is the only writing instrument available to those in maximum security prison.
Currently there is a campaign where the goal is to get his sentence overturned. There are those that believe he is innocent and the California Supreme Court is investigating new evidence that could lead to his release. More information can be found on www.freejarvis.org.
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
Congratulations to Thomas Kostigen and Van Jones! Both authors have been honored by The 2009 Green Book Festival for creating books that increase understanding, respect and positive action on the changing worldwide environment. Kostigen's You Are Here received the Non-Fiction award and Van Jones' The Green Collar Economy received an Honorable Mention in the Non-Fiction category. This year’s winners will be honored in Los Angeles at a private Earth Day reception. For more information and a complete list of the winners, please visit: http://www.greenbookfestival.com/
