Lake Oz Fic Chick

Moving Over to Wordpress

2007-09-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Find this blog at Wordpress now: http://www.lakeozficchick.wordpress.com

Lake Oswego Writer's Group -- Update

2007-09-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

We are splitting the large group (a lot of people showed up for our initial meeting!) into smaller interest groups.

The time will always be 6-8 p.m.

And here is the schedule:

2nd Thursday – Fiction
3rd Thursday – Nonfiction
4th Thursday – Poetry

5th Thursday – General

Note that the writer’s group will not meet at the library on the 1st Thursday of each month– the room is otherwise scheduled.

Questions? Call library liaison Kiera K. Taylor, 503-697-6581. Or email: ktaylor@ci.oswego.or.us

(photo credit to Stewf)

New Group for Writers in Lake Oz

2007-06-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

The Lake Oswego Writer's Group will be meeting every month on the second Thursday evening to encourage and support the art of the written word. Our first meeting at the Lake Oswego Public Library will be Thursday, September 13, 6-8 p. m.

All writers are welcome!

(the pic? Thank you, Anjuli, for making this a Creative Commons pic on Flickr!)

New Book Group: Other Worlds

2007-06-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy reading and discussing science fiction and fantasy? You may be interested in joining our Other Worlds Book Club!

It's a science fiction and fantasy book club that focuses on recent novels nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards.

Join us for our first meeting, Thursday, July 5, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
We’ll discuss Jack McDevitt’s Seeker, which won the 2007 Nebula Award for Best Novel.

(August’s selection will be Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke)

There is no charge to participate, and no need to register. For more information, contact Kiera K. Taylor at the Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 4th Street, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97034, 503-697-6581, ktaylor@ci.oswego.or.us

(the photo is a Creative Commons Flickr pic by Andreas Reinhold)

Staff Artwork on Display

2007-06-19T11:23:00.001-07:00

Check out our current art display at the Lake Oswego Public Library -- it's all been created by members of our staff!

Don't wait too long -- we'll take down the display at the end of July!

(the pic? A Creative Commons Flickr photo from 楊曼妮的閒晃世界Mani Yang)

Staff and Patron Picks Newsletter

2007-06-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Are you a patron of the Lake Oswego Public Library? If you are, you are welcome to submit short book reviews (80-150 words is best) to be considered for publication in our Staff and Patron Picks Newsletter. Just send reviews to our Adult Services Librarian: ktaylor@ci.oswego.or.us

You're not interested in reviewing, but you'd like to receive the newsletter via email? Here's the place to sign up.

Thanks!

Summer Reading! Why Not You?

2007-06-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

I am soooo remiss in not mentioning this sooner.

Yes, our Adult Summer Reading program started June 1. Come sign up. For every book you read, you fill out a ticket. There's a drawing every week for chocolates and gift certificates to Powells Books. The Grand Prize is a stay at the coast.

What' s not to like? And you're reading anyway this summer, right?!

Want to Be Inspired?

2007-05-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

There's a book I'm reading called Three Cups of Tea. It's worth a look.

Why Books?

2007-04-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Richard Bausch says, "to me, books are the physical vessels that keep us linked to all the human times and places, nothing less than the one practical, hands-on thing that cheats death and the silence."

The Chunkster Book Display

2007-04-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

Inspired by The Chunkster Challenge, your favorite library currently features a display of Chunksters, books of 400 pages or more.

Miranda July and Her New Book

2007-04-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

Check this out. Funny.

Families on Display

2007-04-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

"Happy families are all alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in its’ own way" ~Leo Tolstoy

Все счастливые семьи похожи друг на друга, каждая несчастливая семья несчастлива по-своему

Right now we have family-related fiction on display at your local library.

GoodReads

2007-04-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

Check out my Lake Oz Fic Chick account at GoodReads.

Online Book Groups

2007-03-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

You just finished John Grisham's latest, and you can't wait to talk about it ... but your book club doesn't meet until next Sunday ... talk to your friends on Goodreads.com, Shelfari.com, Librarything.com, Bookswellread.com, or Whatsonmybookshelf.com instead.

(photo credit to fliegender)

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: Wow

2007-02-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

Just finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. A great book, very satisfying. Your mileage may vary (I've heard the book called predictable and even sappy -- hrumph!), but I plan to buy more copies for the library and recommend it non-stop.

Here's a rave for the cover.

Nora Ephron on Reading

2007-02-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

The inimitable Maggie of Maggie Reads draws our attention to this nifty pro-reading excerpt from Nora Ephron's book, I Feel Bad About My Neck.

The Worst Book Covers of 2006?

2007-02-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Heather Smith of Bookslut ruthlessly judges the book covers of 2006 and comes up with the worst of the bunch.

Crime Novel: Beautiful Lies

2007-02-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Read Lisa Unger's Beautiful Lies yet?

Cinnamon Milk Shake

2007-02-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

I am re-reading The Shadow of the Wind so that I can do a creditable job leading a couple of our scheduled discussions. I'm less than a third of the way through, and already Ruiz Zafon has mentioned cinnamon three times. I like this in a writer.

Here is a down-home recipe for a cinnamon milk shake, like the one Daniel drinks when he and his father join Gustavo Barcelo at the cafe Els Quatre Gats on page 13. If you're more of a gourmand, you might try this recipe for an even fancier cinnamon milkshake, created by the fine folks at the Pazzo Gelato Restaurant in Silverlake, California. Or, here's a tip, just pick up an "all-milk" Chai Latte at Starbucks. Did we mention that Starbucks is a gracious co-sponsor of our book discussions? And they'll be giving us free treats. If you would like to register for a space in one of the discussions, call 503-534-5665. Leave a message, please, if no one answers.

Enjoy.

Astonish Me, says Joe Queenan

2007-01-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

Joe Queenan claims he has decided to purchase only books that at least one reviewer had described as “astonishing," and he has this to say: "the truth is, if nobody describes a book as astonishing, it probably isn’t astonishing, and if it isn’t astonishing, who needs it?"

Oprah's Book Club is Back

2007-01-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

She's baaack...and her latest pick? Sidney Poitier's The Measure of a Man: a Spiritual Autobiography.

The Ides of January: Fiction-Related Displays

2007-01-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

FWIW, here's what's new at your local library in fiction-related book displays:

Tough Guys -- books with 'manly' protagonists...for example, pretty much every Western novel, books by Robert B. Parker, Andrew Vachss, Joseph Wambaugh, etc.

Spain: a Land of Many Faces -- books set in or somehow connected with you-know-where (yes, this is a tie-in to our Lake Oswego Reads The Shadow of the Wind extravaganza)

and

Taylor Made -- books by authors with the last name Taylor :-)

-- featuring especially the books of the English novelist Elizabeth Taylor.

Elizabeth Taylor (née Coles; July 3, 1912 – November 19, 1975) was a popular English novelist and short story writer. Elizabeth Coles was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1912. She was educated at The Abbey School, Reading, and worked as a governess, as a tutor and as a librarian. Read more about Elizabeth Taylor at Wikipedia.

Here's a notable quotation from Elizabeth Taylor:

'The whole point is that writing has a pattern and life hasn't. Life is so untidy. Art is so short and life so long. It is not possible to have perfection in life but it is possible to have perfection in a novel.'

Read This: The Thirteenth Tale

2007-01-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

Get to your local library's website. Put a hold on The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. You'll want to read this. It truly is a wonderful story, with a liberal dose of gothic strangeness.

Lake Oswego Reads The Shadow of the Wind

2007-01-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

We've started handing out free copies of The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. If you have a LINAS library card, you are eligible to receive a free copy. By the time you read this, we may still have some copies left. Come by our library's circulation desk and find out.

If you miss getting a free copy (purchased by our wonderful Friends, by the way), fear not. We purchased quite a few copies of this novel for the library; give us a call (503-697-6581) and we'll be happy to place a hold on one for you so you can borrow it from us.

Once you've read the book, register for one of our book discussions by calling 503-534-5665.

Or celebrate the book and the culture of Spain with some of our other great activities in February.

(Lake Oswego Reads graphic created by Scott Symer; photo credit for Barcelona photo to amateur_photo_bore)

Your Tax Dollars at Work

2007-01-10T15:52:00.000-08:00

As you consider the future of book pricing, do not neglect to thank your lucky stars for your local library.

Come on down and check out a book (if you don't have a card yet, did you know you can apply for one online?).

Or attend one of our upcoming events.

Here are your directions. Drive carefully.

14 Books I Read in 2006 Absolutely Free, Thanks to My Local Library

2006-12-27T15:32:00.000-08:00

Ken Davis reveals his list at Bookgasm.

(photo credit to Könrad)

Classics Reading Challenge

2006-12-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

The challenge, from A Reader's Journal, is to read 5 classics in the months of January and February.

To help you out, I supply this list of short classics:

Kafka, Franz (60 pages) The Metamorphosis

Tolstoy, Leo (60 pages) The Death of Ivan Ilych

Mann, Thomas (71 pages) Death in Venice

James, Henry (83 pages) Daisy Miller

de Saint-Exupéry, Antoine (83 pages) The Little Prince

Hemingway, Ernest (93 pages) The Old Man and the Sea

Melville, Herman (98 pages) Billy Budd

Weisel, Elie (109 pages) Night

Conrad, Joseph (110 pages) Heart of Darkness

Orwell, George (113 pages) Animal Farm

Wells, H.G. (115 pages) The Time Machine

Hesse, Herman (119 pages) Siddhartha

Stevenson, Robert Louis (119 pages) The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Rand, Ayn (123 pages) Anthem

Camus, Albert (123 pages) The Stranger

Steinbeck, John (124 pages) Of Mice and Men

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor (136 pages) Notes from the Underground

Twain, Mark (143 pages) Pudd'nhead Wilson

Wharton, Edith (144 pages) Ethan Frome

-- Try also Wharton's Summer (200 pages)

Voltaire (144 pages), Candide, or Optimism

Wilder, Thornton (148 pages) The Bridge of San Luis Rey

Pynchon, Thomas (152 pages) The Crying of Lot 49

McCullers, Carson (153 pages) The Member of the Wedding

Solzhenitsyn, Alexander (158 pages) One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Goethe, Johan Wolfgang von (167 pages) The Sorrows of Young Werther

Bradbury, Ray (179 pages) Fahrenheit 451

Achebe, Chinua (181 pages) Things Fall Apart

Chopin, Kate (192 pages) The Awakening

Burgess, Anthony (192 pages) A Clockwork Orange

Baldwin, James (197 pages) If Beale Street Could Talk

(page numbers given are approximations and will vary with edition)

I apologize, I can't remember where I got this list, but I thank the anonymous compilers!

Another Reading Challenge: the Chunkster Challenge

2006-12-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Read a big fat book (over 400 pages) -- or several, you decide -- between January 1 and June 30, 2007. Here are the Bookfool's guidelines.

The Underrated Writers 2006

2006-12-20T09:54:00.000-08:00

The folks at the blog 'Syntax of Things' polled some of their favorite readers, those, in their words, who fill their time by hanging out in the "dustier corners of literature." They asked those readers to name writers they feel aren't getting the attention they deserve, those writers they feel are "underrated"—however they choose to define it.

The result? A delightful list of "writers from almost every continent, poets from the past, essayists who are concerned for the future, and novelists desperate to understand the now."

(photo credit to ciro@tokyo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciro/sets/)

Nancy Pearl's 2006 Fic Picks

2006-12-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

A librarian I admire very much, Nancy Pearl, has unveiled her favorite fiction of 2006. Here it is:

Lori Lansens. The Girls
Kevin Brockmeier. The Brief History of the Dead
Kelly Link. Magic for Beginners
Susanna Clarke. The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories
Michelle Wildgen. You’re Not You
Eliza Minot. The Brambles
Valerie Trueblood. Seven Loves
Elizabeth Strout. Abide with Me
Debra Dean. The Madonnas of Leningrad
Sarah Dunant. In the Company of the Courtesan

Want to know more about the kinds of books she likes? Check out the Nancy Pearl Book Review Archives.

Kate Fleming/Anna Fields, Audio Star, Dead in Seattle Storm

2006-12-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

The actor Kate Fleming, who also recorded as Anna Fields, was a wonderful recorded-book voice artist. She died in Seattle this week, drowned when a storm sent floodwaters into the basement of her home and recording studio.

I particularly enjoyed her recordings of books by Lydia Adamson and Donna Leon.

Bookmooch

2006-12-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

The blog Renee's Book of the Day has introduced me to Bookmooch. Maybe a librarian isn't supposed to think this is a good idea, but I do.

(the image is from the cover of one of my favorite books, SZOPKI KRAKOWSKIE [Cracovian Christmas Cribs]. The chances I'll offer it up on Bookmooch are nil, but if you want to buy it, Polonia Bookstore in Chicago is the place)

2007 TBR Challenge

2006-12-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

Cool idea. Paraphrasing SuzyQoregon, for this challenge you pick 12 books - one for each month of 2007 - that you've been wanting to read for 6 months or longer, but you haven't gotten around to. Then, starting January 1, 2007, read one of these books from your list each month, ending December 31, 2007. The first step of the plan is to post your list of books for this challenge by December 31, 2006.

To join the list of TBR Challenge participants, go to Miz B's blog, Literary Cache.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

2006-12-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

I am reading a book so good that I have to tell you about it. It's Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. Warning: it's most definitely not a warm and fuzzy kind of book. Don't read it unless you have a strong tolerance for learning more about very damaged people and the sometimes horrific damage they in turn inflict on others. Scary but very, very well done.

Fiction Allsorts Goes Weekly

2006-12-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

Stop the presses. We are now doing the adult storytime (aka the Fiction Allsorts storytime for knitters) every Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m.

Best Books of 2006?

2006-12-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

Bookdwarf points out some 'best books' lists.

(photo credit to ISphoto)

Wordie

2006-11-30T19:42:00.000-08:00

Wordie is kind of cool. Goofy and cool.

Mrs. Bookworld Reads The Emperor's Children

2006-11-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the buzz, Mrs. Bookworld cracks The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud and is not convinced that the fuss was justified.

M. F. K. Fisher: The Art of Eating

2006-11-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

"I felt a secret justification swell in me, a pride such as I've seldom known since, because all my life, it seemed, I had been wondering rebelliously about potatoes."

Unless I change my mind in the next 24 hours, tomorrow I will be reading M. F. K. Fisher's "The First Oyster" for Fiction Allsorts.

Librarians and Book Recommendations

2006-11-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

Librarian Julie Winkelstein talks about the difficulty of recommending books to library users -- and reading the books they recommend to us!

(photo credit for Archie McPhee's Nancy Pearl librarian action figure photo to Meri Gallego)

Another Reason to Love Ray Bradbury

2006-11-08T16:18:00.000-08:00

A blogger from Vroman's Bookstore finds this great anecdote about Ray Bradbury.

(photo credit to vm1757)

To Librarians: On the Future of Libraries

2006-11-08T15:07:00.000-08:00

The Distant Librarian points us to a fine article by The Ubiquitous Librarian Brian S. Matthews called "Librarian as Entrepreneur: a Blueprint for Transforming Our Future."

(photo of librarian Michael Stephens from the flickr page of Michael Stephens)

Fiction and Politics

2006-11-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

Susan Gable has something to say to Politicians of All Parties: Fiction is Not Real and the characters do not necessarily reflect the values and opinions of the writer.

(photo credit to pmeidinger)

Do Blogs Sell Books?

2006-11-08T14:48:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Book World talks about two excellent blogs by authors Susan Hill and Jenny Diski.

(photo credit to sfPhotocraft)

Bookplate Blog

2006-11-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

Check out the Confessions of a Bookplate Junkie.

(photo credit of Rockwell Kent bookplate to Bredlo)

What's to Read?

2006-11-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

Bookdwarf has been reading like crazy and updates us on what's new and cool.

(photo credit to mccall76)

Lake Oswego Public Library: #1 in Oregon

2006-11-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

According to the Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (2006 edition), the Lake Oswego Public Library again ranks number one among libraries our size in Oregon, eighth in the nation.

Thank you, taxpayers, staff, and everyone else who makes our good customer service happen!

(the pic? It's by librarian and artist Todd Feinman and it's based on a historic photo taken on Lake Oswego)

What Can Libraries Do for You?

2006-11-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal recognizes the treasures that await online once you have a library card.

Thanks, Superpatron.

(photo credit to Jessamyn)

Powells' Author Interviews

2006-11-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

Powells.com does a wonderful series of author interviews. Recently, they talked to Melissa Fay Greene, author of There is No Me Without You.

(photo credit to Rafi)

Google Book Search

2006-11-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

Erin from the blog A Dress a Day rhapsodizes over Google Book Search and the full-text treasures you can find using it.

(photo credit to Doozzle)

Overlooked Gems

2006-10-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

Slate asked a group of people who regularly read lots of fiction—literary bloggers and booksellers at some of the country's best independent bookstores—to recommend their favorite underappreciated novels and story collections from the past several years.

(the pic -- yes, totally unrelated to the subject of this post -- is apparently of a scherenschnitte booth at a German fair! How cool is that? Thanks, Magnetisch!)

Raise Up Your Child

2006-10-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

Tips from the 'Reading is Fundamental folks' on turning your kid into a rabid reader.

(photo credit to richardmasoner at Flickr)

10 Greatest Detective Novels -- the List

2006-10-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

Mr. Crime Fiction Dossier (aka journalist and novelist David J. Montgomery) reveals his favorites -- and so do his readers.

Coming Early in 2007

2006-10-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

Buzz Girl has a great blog where she keeps all up to date on forthcoming books.

(photo credit to Mike Pedroncelli at Flickr)

Field Report from the London Library

2006-10-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Bookworld takes it all in.

(photo credit to phodge100 at flickr -- that's the London Library during the Blitz)

America's Next Top Librarian!

2006-10-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

Bookburger is running a search for America's Next Top Librarian! Nominations will be taken through November 15.

(photo credit to feaverish at flickr)

Not Quite Fiction, but Cool: Blackstock's Collections

2006-10-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Blackstock's Collections showcases the work of Gregory L. Blackstock, a retired Seattle pot washer who draws order out of all the chaos with a pencil, a black marker, and some crayons.

Bookburger, thanks for the heads up!

Needless to say, I am doing what I can to see that our library orders this!

Shelfari

2006-10-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

Might as well mention Shelfari. Thanks, Beatrice.

Catching Up: Novelists Tackle the Middle East

2006-10-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

Catching up with more-or-less-recent nonfiction titles on the Middle East and the War on Terror.

Ruth Rendell's Splendid Wexford Series

2006-10-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

I'm reading End in Tears and I've resolved to go back and read all of the books in Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford series. Her characters are wonderful. Mystery writer Val McDermid agrees with me: read all about it.

Prize Watch: Booker and Nobel

2006-10-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Powers That Be have announced the Booker Prize Winner (Kiran Desai) and the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature (Orhan Pamuk).

Agatha Christie Mystery Solved

2006-10-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

A new biography of the crime writer claims her 11-day disappearance was due to out-of-body amnesia, according to the article in the Guardian Unlimited.

Remember Nancy Pearl's 50-Page Rule

2006-10-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

If you're under 50, give yourself permission to read no more than 50 pages of a boring book. If the book doesn't grab you by page 50, life's too short (and there are too many good books!) to stick with it.

Are you over 50? Famous Librarian Nancy Pearl says after age 50, readers get even more of a break -- she's devised a formula to subtract your years over 50 from the number of pages. A 51-year-old reader, for example, can adopt a 49-Page Rule, and so on.

(photo credit to Moriza at Flickr)

What's Happening with Reading These Days?

2006-10-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

M. J. Rose asks, how do we reinvigorate the idea of reading? "We need to be fearless. Bold. Brave. Take crazy initiatives. Do audacious things. We need to shake up everything and get people thinking about reading. Because reading X leads to reading Y..."

(photo credit to Prio at Flickr)

Bibliotravel

2006-10-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

BiblioTravel is a free online resource for identifying books set in distinct locales. And it's created by librarians.

(photo credit to Bisy Backson at Flickr)

A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson

2006-10-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

"Book sales can have a curious alchemy. They have been spurred by all sorts of things, such as happenings in the news or mentions on Oprah, but seldom in the history of bookdom has one title ridden to new readership all because of a T-shirt from Texas..."

Dune: It's Time

2006-09-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Dave Itzkoff in The New York Times Book Review has good things to say about Frank Herbert's great science fiction novel: "Dune was more than a clever rip-off of “Lawrence of Arabia” — it was a metaphor for the environmentally conscious age it was written in, reverent enough to pay homage to its Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian roots, and prescient enough to suggest that kingdoms must become more attuned to the worlds beyond their castle walls in order to survive..."

However, he also says that it might be time to give the Dune franchise a rest.

Author Division

2006-09-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

The New York Times Book Review's Dwight Garner expresses irritation with authors "who feel compelled to tell us, on their dust jackets, that they divide their time between, say, the Hamptons and Gstaad." He's delighted that novelist Kyle Smith takes a swipe at this practice by saying, on the jacket of his new book Christmas Caroline, that "he divides his time between the front and back rooms of his apartment."

(photo credit to Pete Ashton at Flickr)

Librarian in the Delta

2006-09-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

"People call him a librarian, and he surely looks like a librarian, with his sedentary frame, thick eyeglasses, fastidiously trimmed hair and goatee. But, deep down, he feels like something else, something more. He feels like the Sisyphus of Mississippi. He feels like a superhero in one of his beloved comic books, even though he fights the forces of darkness with little more than night classes and meager grants, and he loses more than he wins; 30 years of that would make even Spiderman cranky...."

(the photo? That's a movie version of the superhero librarian: Noah Wylie in "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear")

There's still time! Adult Summer Reading Program

2006-09-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Our Adult Summer Reading Program is going strong till September 18. Sign up now at the Fiction Desk! Enter the drawing for our Grand Prize: two nights (and two dinners!) at the Sylvia Beach Hotel on the Oregon Coast.

Don't delay! There's just one more week till our Grand Prize Drawing at author Karen Karbo's appearance.

You are What You Read

2006-09-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Catching up with Beatrice, you are what you read.

Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier

2006-09-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Still worth reading after all these years...

Susan Hill, Her Blog, etc.

2006-09-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

Check out novelist Susan Hill's blog. I found it via Sarah's Bookarama, which said, "Susan always has something interesting to say about books and publishing, along with snippets about her life in rural Gloucestershire."

Arranging Books by Color

2006-09-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of people wish the library would jettison the Dewey Decimal System and arrange things like your local bookstore does it...but here's another idea.

My thoughts? This might work for a small home library.

(photo from Born Sleepy at Flickr)

Looking for a Book? Try Worldcat!

2006-08-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

The savvy blogger at A Work in Progress heralds the online arrival of Worldcat.

Wondering About Philip Roth's Everyman?

2006-08-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

Over at Conversational Reading, reviews of Philip Roth's newest book are noted, including A.S.Byatt's review. She describes the book as: "a brief and uncompromising account of one man's death", and calls it: "A human story for our times." . . .

Agatha Christie: a Bridge Over Troubled Water

2006-08-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

"Research shows that Christie's novels are often the first adult book that young readers attempt when making the move away from children's literature." So says a brief article in Mslexia, apropos of Agatha Christie week, notes the well-read blogger of Book World...

Bookletters Signup!

2006-08-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

You sign up, they come to your mailbox. It's easy.

Here are some of the choices:

Staff Picks
We love reading, and we love to talk about books. We share our favorites in this newsletter.
Adult Storytime Reminder
Reminder for the monthly Fiction AllSorts Adult Storytime.
What are Your Neighbors Reading?
Help for Your Book Group from the LO Library
At the Lake Oswego Public Library, we're always coming up with new ways to help you and your book group, from themed booklists to author visits and the upcoming "Lake Oswego Reads" festival of events in February 2007. This newsletter will keep you in the know!
Short Story Spotlight
Find out about great short stories, new and classic.
Whadda Ya Readin'? Book Group Reminder
Reminder for the monthly meeting of the Whadda Ya Readin'? book group.

Mary Guterson: We are All Fine Here

2006-08-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

Amy of Seattlest talked to novelist Mary Guterson. Check out this part of the interview:

And you wrote it at the Bainbridge Island Library?

I get really distracted. i have two dogs and two teenagers. My house, I'm like, a terrible housekeeper and I’m always behind on laundry and I eat a lot I’m always distracted by my home life.
I just called this chair at the library my office. I wrote most of the book there. They have a thermostat in there that I found so I would turn the thermostat there to the level that I wanted. I was like the crazy lady at the library. You're not supposed to eat and I'd have my little food, my bare feet up, and they (the librarians) would just pretend not to see me.

Story for Next Fiction Allsorts: "A Small, Good Thing"

2006-08-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our next Fiction Allsorts will be on Thursday, August 17, at 10:30 a.m. I'll read "A Small, Good Thing" by Raymond Carver.

(the photo's from Flickr -- Miss Yasmina took it)

Shari Goldhagen's Family and Other Accidents

2006-07-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

" Shari Goldhagen’s debut, Family and Other Accidents, is both a blessing and a relief – a delightful medley of rich, complex characters and a plot in which you can lose yourself. It is the story of two brothers who, despite their differences and obvious failings, manage to convey what it means to be a family."

Elizabeth Taylor, Best Old New Author You May Never Have Heard Of

2006-07-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

The fortunes of the writer whom Anne Tyler has compared to Jane Austen, Barbara Pym and Elizabeth Bowen -- "soul sisters all," in Tyler's words -- are suddenly looking up.

At this point, we only have five of Elizabeth Taylor's books in our Clackamas County Library Cooperative, but rest assured I am buying as many of her books as I can track down.

Fiction Allsorts Storytime Thursday!

2006-07-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time again. Join us Thursday morning July 20 for Fiction AllSorts. The story I'll be reading is "A Father's Story" by Andre Dubus.

Andre Dubus died in 1999.

His son, Andre Dubus III, is also a writer; he wrote The House of Sand and Fog.

What are Your Neighbors Reading?

2006-06-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Looking for a good book to read? The Lake Oswego Public Library puts out an email newsletter you might appreciate. In this newsletter, called, What are Your Neighbors Reading?, we list titles and descriptions of books enjoyed by those of you who participate in our FLY! 2006 Adult Summer Reading Program. Sign up for it here.

Dismal Snow: a Summer Read?

2006-06-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

Georges Simenon's Dirty Snow, a noir chronicle of a mean, vicious soul, is anything but the feel-good read of the summer. But novelist Jim Hynes is going to recommend it to you anyway. Brought to you by NPR.

Staff Picks for June 29

2006-06-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

Check out our latest 'Staff Picks' Bookletter. Subscribe here to get this occasional booklist in your email.

Summer Reading / Summer Loafing

2006-06-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

From National Public Radio, swell books for summer loafing.

Summer Reading: The Guardian

2006-06-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

Author Jacqueline Wilson is going to read Sarah Waters's The Night Watch; she says it's the perfect book to take on holiday. Need more ideas?

What's Library Thing?

2006-06-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

LibraryThing (http://www.librarything.com/) was intended to be a book-cataloguing Web site, a quick and convenient way for readers to keep track of their collections....But "LibraryThing has evolved into more than just a handy tool; it has become a thriving community of over thirty thousand book lovers."

Summer Reading: MoorishGirl / Laila Lalami

2006-06-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

What's Laila Lalami planning to read this summer?

Reminder: Laila Lalami will be at the Lake Oswego Public Library on Tuesday, July 18, at 7 p.m.

Best Books Since 1990?

2006-06-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

Some of the best books since 1990, according to pundits polled by Scott Esposito.

What Classic Literary Character are You?

2006-06-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Sandra over at Bookworld found this cool quiz: What Classic Literary Character are You?

Book-Blog.com and Author John Shors

2006-06-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

Book-Blog.com is a blog well worth following. Recently, Debra Hamel interviews John Shors, the author of Beneath a Marble Sky, a novel about the circumstances of the Taj Mahal's creation.

What's New in Mysteries

2006-06-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

ClueLass.com has a handy list of new releases you can print out and take to your library.

Stay Connected with the LO Library Through Bookletters

2006-05-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Stay Connected with the Lake Oswego Public Library through BookLetters newsletter e-mails. BookLetters e-mails are an easy and fun way to find out about happenings at the library and throughout the community. By signing up, timely notices of scheduled activities and events can conveniently be delivered right to your home or office.

BookLetters also keeps you up to speed on the latest services and resources provided by the library with periodic updates from each of our departments. By signing up for BookLetters you’ll gain access to online book discussions, the hottest new titles and authors, professional reviews of the titles you want to know about, and even our own staff recommendations. You can even reserve the books right from your e-mails.

Check out the other cool things available through Bookletters page, too, like BookPage Reviews or the Author Directory or the Bestsellers/Awards lists.

Sweet, huh?

Thinking About How to Help You Better

2006-05-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a great article on improving 'readers' advisory' service to library users. Others are reading and pondering the same article...

Do, please, even if you're 'just' looking for a good book, ask us for help. We love this stuff. We want to help you find good books. Truly.

Short Novels Get Short Shrift

2006-05-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

Why don't more short novels show up on the 'bests' lists?

(FYI, at the beginning of our next Whadda Ya Readin'? get-together, I'll briefly highlight some 'terrific short reads')

I should mention that the kaleidoscopes I'm putting on this blog are made using the fab Make Your Own Kaleidoscope tool at KrazyDad.com. This one was done using the URL for the cover of an old edition of Red Badge of Courage (this particular book available for just $5500 from Chapel Hill Rare Books) , a fine book of only 176 pages.

Fiction AllSorts: The Scarf by Joyce Carol Oates

2006-05-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't chosen the story for June's Fiction Allsorts yet, but for last week's Allsorts I read "The Scarf" by Joyce Carol Oates. Fiction Allsorts is the storytime for grownups that we do at Your Local Library once a month, on the third Thursday. 10:30 a.m.

Summer Reading!

2006-05-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

You may not know that every year, Your Local Library has a big Summer Reading Program -- for adults as well as for children. Here's the scoop:

FLY!
The 2006 Adult
Summer Reading Program

June 1 till September 19, 2006

Read books! Win prizes!
Escape reality!

How it works:

This program is open to library card holders 18 or older.
Register for the adult summer reading program at the Adult Services Desk on the main floor. You may register at any time during library hours
starting on June 1 and ending on September 18.

For each book you read or listen to, you may fill out a form for
our weekly prize drawing -- simply place the completed
form in our prize drawing box on the first floor.
(A ‘book’ is generally a volume of 175 pages or more. A ‘book
on tape or CD’ is typically three or more cassettes or the equivalent on CD)

Weekly prize drawings will be held on Thursday evenings; winners will be notified by telephone. An individual may win only one weekly prize during the summer, but all cards (including those of weekly winners) will be entered in the Grand Prize drawing. Our Grand Prize drawing will occur during author
Karen Karbo’s library visit on Tuesday September 19, 2006.
There is no need to be present at a drawing to win any of our
Adult Summer Reading Program prizes.

Our Grand Prize is a gift certificate for a two-night stay at the
Sylvia Beach Hotel in Nye Beach, Oregon. Weekly prizes generally include
gourmet chocolates and bookish gift certificates.

For more information, contact Kiera K. Taylor at the Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 4th Street, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97034, 503-697-6581, ktaylor@ci.oswego.or.us

(that kaleidoscope image? Made with the fabulously cool Make Your Own Kaleidoscope toy using this flying book image)

The Girls by Lori Lansens

2006-05-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

Nancy Pearl raves about Lori Lansens' The Girls in her latest newsletter.