The World According to John Lithgow

In case you haven't heard yet, John Lithgow is going to be the featured speaker at this year's Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation's Authors & Illustrators Dinner and Auction - very exciting! The dinner will be held November 17th, 5-9p, at the Vancouver Hilton, and if you haven't attended one of these dinners before, this year would be the perfect time to start. For information about tickets, please call 360-699-8846.

In addition to his stage, film and television career, Mr. Lithgow also writes poetry and stories for children. We have many of his books as well as quite a few videorecordings showcasing his talent as a narrator. One of my favorite books is Micawber by John Lithgow, illustrated by C.F. Payne - it's about an art-loving squirrel, and since we're right in the heart of squirrel country out here in the Northwest, I suggest becoming acquainted with Micawber's amazing artistic abilities. I also love I Got Two Dogs, illustrated by Robert Neubecker. It's a musical tribute to some lovable canines, and as a bonus, a CD is included (yep, you get to hear John Lithgow singing - barktastic!)

So, get a head start on the Lithgow oeuvre by checking out some books and DVDs now, and then when you attend the dinner in November, you can amaze your dinner mates with your John Lithgow literary tidbits!

Check these out:
* Mahalia Mouse Goes to College
* The Poets' Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family
* Carnival of the Animals
* Classical Baby, The Poetry Show: I'm Grown Up Now (dvd)
* Marsupial Sue
* The Remarkable Farkle McBride
* The Amazing Bone - William Steig (cd)

NEW KRAKAUER BOOK

Jon Krakauer has a new book out titled Where Men Win Glory: the odyssey of Pat Tillman. Tillman was an Army Ranger and former NFL football player who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 in a friendly fire incident. Krakauer brings his usual excellent writing and extensive research to the table in telling this story.

The library has two other books about Pat Tillman:
Boots on the ground by dusk: my tribute to Pat Tillman by Mary Tillman
Fields of honor: the Pat Tillman story by Jonathan Rand

THE STRAIN

I just started listening to the audio version of The Strain, a new book by Guillermo del Toro. It is the first of a trilogy about a vampire virus sweeping New York. The author is perhaps best known as a film director (Pan's Labyrinth) and is scheduled to direct the film version of The Hobbit. It is suspenseful, scary, bloody, and very well done.

Back to school...and work

I found it a little bit hard to get back in the work mode today. Which is pretty lame because I was off for just 3 days...not the whole summer as a significant segment of our population just experienced. Remember the sinking feeling when Sunday evening closed in around you, sending a not so subtle reminder that another school week was just hours away? Ah, the good ol' days...

If you or another adult someone in your household is feeling a bit blue now that September has arrived, boost those spirits by checking out Why is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: and Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask by Jancee Dunn. Her descriptions of her family and the trials and tribulations of becoming an adult are, as one reviewer put it, a hoot. Anything that is described as a "hoot" is all right in my book...or Jancee Dunn's book in this case.

Did you know...

that Faye Kellerman has a doctorate in dentistry? And she was involved in oral biology research? I found this interesting fact while searching the Harper Collins web site. Ms. Kellerman's latest is Blindman's Bluff, and yes, it's very popular right now, so while you're waiting for a copy, we do have some of her previous titles available right now, and this would be a perfect time to revisit or discover for the first time Prayers for the Dead, Jupiter's Bones, The Forgotten...

And if you haven't been to the dentist in, (cough, ahem) quite some time, consider taking one of the Decker/Lazarus mysteries with you to your "soon-to-be-made-because-Faye Kellerman-would-want-me-to-do-that" appointment. Or check out Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition if you'd rather stall for a little time...