Next Noonday Nosh Selection: "Unaccustomed Earth"

September's Nosh selection is Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. A starred review in both Booklist and Publisher's Weekly magazines, Ms. Lahiri's collection tackles a subject close to her life: living in and between two cultures, American and Indian. Click here to read a 2008 interview transcript from NPR, where the author talks about Unaccustomed Earth. Join us on September 15th @ noon for another lively book discussion!

Author Joshilyn Jackson to Speak at the DBF

Thanks to AC for a tip about Joshilyn Jackson's write up in today's AJC. Ms. Jackson visited the Roswell Library back in January as part of the Friends' Atlanta Author Series. Just another example of how the Friends are ahead of the curve! Ms. Jackson is a funny speaker and a delightful person. Those who get to see her at the DBF this coming weekend are in for a real treat. Click here to read the news article online. The next scheduled program in the Atlanta Author Series is Atlanta mystery author David Fulmer on Saturday, Sept. 12th @ 2:00 p.m. at the library.

Blogathon for the Louisville Free Public Library System

You may have heard about the devastating flash floods that hit downtown Louisville recently. Many parts of the city were under four feet of water. One of the buildings hardest hit was the Main Library. Much of the basement, which housed equipment like the bookmobile, as well as vital HVAC equipment, was severely damaged. It was thought at first that the library would remain closed until September, but they have now reopened the first floor.

Library supporters from around the country and world have rallied to bring attention to the Louisville Free Public Library System. Today’s blogathon is part of that and the Friends of the Roswell Library are pleased to join the blogathon by adding a post to our blog and FB page on the common theme of "Why Libraries Rock."

So, here's a tip o' the hat to the folks in beautiful Louisville, KY and heartfelt wishes for a successful blogathon and a successful recovery from the flood!

Here are some helpful links:

Louisville Free Public Library Foundation
Louisville Free Public Library
For more information about the blogathon, click here.
And for more information about the floods, click here to read the Louisville Courier- Journal's coverage.

WHY LIBRARIES ROCK

Libraries. Buildings. Books. People. And more. Put them all together and you have a resource beyond compare. Where can you go to read the Wall Street Journal, find a book for pleasure, a book for science class, a story time program for your three-year-old and a DVD copy of Casablanca? The public library.

Libraries have always been community gathering places. It's the place you turn to when you lose your job (books on resumes and interviewing; free computer use), when you lose a loved one (books on grieving), when you get to take that long-planned vacation (books and videos on travel), when your daughter gets engaged (books on weddings and etiquette). You name it and the library has it - or knows where to find it.

Many years ago, there was a publicity campaign for libraries called "Libraries Change Lives." Actually, libraries transform lives. Enough said.

Decatur Book Festival is next weekend

The AJC Decatur Book Festival is next weekend, September 4 - 6. Click here to visit their website.

Upcoming Author Visits at the Margaret Mitchell House

Thanks to JS for a tip about upcoming author visits at the Margaret Mitchell House in midtown Atlanta. The Literary Center there is hosting several authors this fall: Jack Riggs, Anita Diamant, Richard Russo, Rita Mae Brown, Richard Paul Evans, David Wroblewski, and more! Click here to visit the MM House website.

Oh, Julia! Julia Child, that is

Imagine opening up the NY Times this morning to see, on the front page no less, an article about Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking topping the bestseller list. Well, today's NY Time's front page featured just such an article and it will make you smile. Click here to take a look.

Pat Conroy's Ode to Atlanta

What's better than Cherry Coke on ice on a summer day? An essay by Pat Conroy! There's a lot of buzz about Mr. Conroy as he promotes the release of his latest title, South of Broad. We hope you got on the library's waiting list for the book early because the list is mighty long now. But, like most good things, if you have to wait a while, it will be worth it. Today's AJC features an essay about Atlanta written by Mr. Conroy. The best part of all is that his next book will be set in Atlanta. A link to the essay will be posted later, if it can be found in the conundrum called ajc.com.

Mystery Readers' Book Club Meets Tuesday, 8/25

Where has August gone? It's already time for another fun meeting of the Mystery Readers' Book Club. This month's selection is Lost River, A Valentin St. Cyr Mystery by Atlanta author David Fulmer. Mr. Fulmer will join us on September 12th @ 2:00 p.m. for an author discussion. This visit is part of our Atlanta Author Series. We look forward to seeing everyone at the MRBC meeting Tuesday night @ 6:30 p.m. and again on September 12th! Visit our website for more information - www.forl.net (you have that bookmarked as a favorite, right?).

Woo-hoo! Another successful book sale!

Check out the "after photos" on our Facebook page and you'll see how wildly successful our "End of Summer" book sale was! The preview party on Friday sold a record number of books and netted many new members. One thousand thank you's to everyone who helped make this such a successful sale. Thank you for helping get things set up beforehand, thank you for working the preview party and the regular book sale - staffing the cash stations, helping patrons, restocking and restocking tables and bookshelves, lifting boxes of heavy books, staffing the bookstore, taking things down, and more - and most of all, thank you for giving your time and dedication to the Roswell Library. The library staff deeply appreciate everything you do. THANK YOU! Click here to visit the Facebook photo album - you don't have to be a member of FB to view our photos.

On this day ...

Not only is today the Preview Party for our “End of Summer Book Sale” – 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. in case you haven’t heard – it’s the anniversary of one of the greatest art thefts in history. On this day in 1911, thieves stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre Museum in Paris. (It was returned two years later.) This past spring, Vanished Smile: the Mysterious Theft of the Mona Lisa by R. A. Scotti was published. The library system has six copies, one of which is at Roswell, if you’re interested. If you'd like to search the library catalog, please click here.

Click here to learn a little more from the Writer’s Almanac, a daily posting by Garrison Keillor filled with interesting facts and a poem.

Ready!

The library's meeting room was a hive of activity yesterday as our members sorted books, shelved them into easy to find categories, priced them, arranged them (great eye-candy), labeled sections, posted signs, and even greeted the occasional patron who wandered in (they were kindly asked to return after the sale starts). Hats off and lots of kudos to everyone for the hard work. THANK YOU!! Way to go!! Check out our photo album to see how the meeting room goes from books piled here and there to book sale chic. Click here to view the album on our Facebook page.

Getting ready for the Book Sale!

Have you ever wondered just how things look before the sale starts? Check out these photos taken Wednesday (Aug. 19) as volunteers were beginning to set things up. MANY THANKS to the folks who work very long days arranging lots and lots of books to get things ready. Hats off to them and their dedication - many were at the library at 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning!

A photo album of "before photos" has been added to the Friends' Facebook page. Click here to view the album.

Sale starts Fri., Aug 21 (2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.) and continues Sat., Aug 22 (10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.).

Our September newsletter is now online

Thanks to MEK, another fabulous newsletter is now online. Click here to visit the Newsletters page on our website and check out the September issue.

Noonday Nosh Meets This Tuesday

The Noonday Nosh Book Club meets Tuesday, August 18th @ 12 noon. This month's selection is How Starbucks Saved My Life ... by Michael Gates Gill. Grab your grande mocha frap, no whip, and stop by for a lively discussion.

Book Sale is next Friday!

The Friends' "End of Summer" book sale is just one week away. The Preview Party for members is Friday, August 21 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. New members are welcome to join at the door! The regular book sale will be on Saturday, August 22, from 10:00 - 4:00 p.m. Many thanks in advance to the members/volunteers who work tirelessly to makes our book sales so successful!

Celebration of Southern Writers

Thanks to AC for a great tip about an upcoming celebration in Highlands, NC. The Celebration of Southern Writers will be held September 20 - 24 and features Margaret Maron (recently the selected author for the Mystery Readers' Book Club), Mary Kay Andrews, Cassandra King and others. Learn more by visiting their page on Facebook. Great authors and the NC mountains in September - what more can you ask for?

Decatur Book Festival: September 4 - 6

The AJC Decatur Book Festival is only a few weeks away. One of the featured authors is Joshilyn Jackson. The Friends sponsored Ms. Jackson's visit to the Roswell Library back in January. Plus, the Noonday Nosh Book Club has read a couple of her books! Are we on top of things, or what? :-) Click here to visit the DBF's website. Are you interested in the DBF's Facebook page? If so, click here.

A Traveler's Top 10

You have to love a reading list that includes the classic Thor Heyerdahl book Kon-Tiki. Click here to read a list of top ten travelogues from the Guardian UK. You'll find an interesting selection of titles you might not have read yet.

Remember Shorthand?

Once upon a time, typing and shorthand were elective classes in high school. The NY Times book blog, Paper Cuts, features an interesting post about shorthand from an essay in the London Review of Book published last winter. Are tweets on Twitter just as apt and brief as the shorthand on someone's great, great aunt's recipe card from 1902? Interesting, indeed. Click here to first read the blog post by Jennifer Schuessler at Paper Cuts. From there, you can link to Leah Price's essay on the history of shorthand at LRB.

Alexander McCall Smith Speaks Out

Readers of mixed Celtic heritage may be bemused by the recent discovery of a 17th century English cookbook featuring a recipe for Scottish haggis. However, the Scots are not amused. Some have suggested that since the reigning monarch at the time was King James I, formerly King James VI of Scotland, it's a non-issue. Nonetheless, Celtic pride is a stake and fab Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith offers his views on this important matter of state. Click here to read his column in Saturday's NY Times.

Great website for mystery lovers

Thanks to AC and JS for a link to Houston's Murder by the Book bookstore. Click here to visit their website. Even though they're in TX, mystery lovers will find all kinds of cool links and great reading suggestions!

Nancy Sinatra and Jhumpa Lahiri ... Really?

Where else but in the NY Times can you read an editorial by Nancy Sinatra one day and a charming, funny article about beach house kitchens by Jhumpa Lahiri the next? Life is good. Speaking of Ms. Lahiri, her book, Unaccustomed Earth, is the Noonday Nosh Book Club selection in September. Click here to read the NY Times piece and you'll learn why Lahiri is one of the most acclaimed writers today. For curious Sinatra fans, click here to see what what prompted Ms. Sinatra to share her views.

Book Sale! August 21 & 22

Mark your calendars! The Friends' "End of Summer" book sale is just two weeks away. The Preview Party for members is Friday, August 21 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. New members are welcome to join at the door! The regular book sale will be on Saturday, August 22, from 10:00 - 4:00 p.m. Many thanks in advance to the members/volunteers who work tirelessly to makes our book sales so successful!

One Scoop of Malt Whitman, Please

The LA Times book blog, Jacket Copy, reports a light-hearted movement to get Ben and Jerry's to name a flavor of ice cream after librarians! Click here to read about it at the Times. If you want to visit the Facebook page devoted to this very important cause , click here.

How Many Books Have You Borrowed in Your Lifetime?

Three cheers for Louise Brown, a Scotswoman from Stranaer, who will soon borrow her 25,000th book from the local library! Now, that's the goal of a lifetime. She first became a library borrower in 1946. Click here to read about it in the Daily Telegraph.

Pat Conroy at the Jimmy Carter Library

Southern author Pat Conroy will speak about his newest title South of Broad at the Jimmy Carter Library on Wednesday, August 19th @ 7:00 p.m. Click here to learn more from the Carter Library's website. Thanks to AC for this great tip (and a suggestion that a bite to eat at Manuel's Tavern beforehand is a darn good idea).

And the winners are ... 100 Best Beach Books Ever

Did you vote for NPR's selection of 100 Best Beach Books Ever? The winners were announced Wednesday, July 29th. Click here to see if your choices made the list.

What's Next for the Mystery Readers' Book Club?

Thanks to everyone who attended last Tuesday's Mystery Readers' Book Club meeting! We had a great turnout and as always, a fun discussion. Next month's selection is Lost River, A Valentin St. Cyr Mystery by local author David Fulmer. As always, copies of the book are available at the Roswell Library. Please call 770-640-3075 to see if there's an available copy the staff can set aside for you.

Mr. Fulmer will visit the Roswell Library in September as part of the Friends' Atlanta Author Series. Visit his website at www.davidfulmer.com. We look forward to seeing you at both events!

Mystery Readers' Book Club
Tuesday, August 25 @ 6:30 p.m.

Atlanta Author Series - David Fulmer
Saturday, September 12 @ 2:00 p.m.