National Book Festival

Oh, to be in Washington this weekend for the National Book Festival! Lots of authors, lots of activities and the nation's capital to boot! Click here to visit the Library of Congress' website to learn more.

Banned Books Week: September 26 - October 3

The freedom to read whatever we choose is something we in America may take for granted. We can go into any library and select whatever we want to read. Or can we not? Banned Books Week was started in the early 1980's to recognize an increasing amount of titles that were being subjected to censorship. It's been going strong ever since. Click here to visit the American Library Association's website on BB's to learn more.

Happy Punctuation Day

Today is National Punctuation Day. How are you planning to celebrate? Click here to visit the official website and be sure to click the link that says "How to celebrate NPD." Thanks to RS for this tip.

In Praise of Penmanship

Beautiful handwriting is an art form, a gift to the eyes. There's nothing quite like it. And nothing like chicken scratch that substitutes for handwriting, either. Blah.

Italian author Umberto Eco recently wrote an essay in the Guardian UK about the distressing lack of penmanship in schools. Technology presents many wonderful opportunities, but what about penmanship? We all need to sign papers or checks from time to time. Click here to read the essay.

What's Next for the Mystery Book Club

The fall selection of titles for the Mystery Book Club has been changed. The October 27 selection is The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer. Click here to visit the author's website and learn more about this intriguing book.

Roswell Reads Newsletter Now Online

The Roswell Reads Steering Committee has been hard at work discussing titles to possibly select for the 2010 program. To bring booklovers up-to-date, a newsletter is now available. You can read it online by visiting the Friends website: www.forl.net/roswellreads.htm or by subscribing via e-mail. To subscribe, just send an e-mail to the Friends of the Roswell Library at roswellreads@forl.net. Please add the word SUBSCRIBE in either the subject line or body of the e-mail, and we will add you to future mailings for Roswell Reads information.

The Garage Doors of Your Dreams

Ah, how nice it would be to drive up to garage doors painted like bookshelves. "LA At Home" - a blog from the LA Times - features someone who does just that. Click here to see for yourself. They must certainly be the coolest garage doors - ever.

The Bookbinder of Beirut

The news from the Middle East is usually fraught with strife, but here's a reminder of the citizens who carry on day to day, just doing their jobs. LISNews featured a brief post and link to the Independent UK's article on Sheikh Tijlid, commonly known at the "Bookbinder of Beirut." Click here to read the article online.

Jigsaw Puzzles, Redux

Back in July, we mentioned jigsaw puzzles and a new memoir by noted British author Margaret Drabble. That memoir, The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws, has now been released in the US. The NY Times magazine recently featured a nice and wonderfully long piece on Ms. Drabble. Have a cuppa tea and enjoy a taste of England. Click here to read the article.

For Agatha Christie Fans

The Guardian UK loves to post favorite top 10 lists. Here's a good one for mystery lovers and Agatha Christie fans: the Top 10 Agatha Christie Mysteries. Enjoy.

Books Are Alive and Well

Harvard University Library Director Robert Darnton has a new book out titled The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future. In his tome, he makes a valid case for books and why they'll never go away (woo-hoo!). Click here to read an article he's written about the book industry in the 9/14/09 issue of Publisher's Weekly magazine.

What's Next for Noonday Nosh

October's Nosh selection is People of the Book: a novel by Geraldine Brooks. Click here to visit the author's website and learn more about this intriguing story. We'll see you Tuesday, October 20th @ noon!

Noonday Nosh in the News!

Today's AJC features our very own Noonday Nosh Book Club in its "What We Are Reading" column. Congratulations! It's page E8 in the Living & Arts section. Or click here to read it online.

Coming Up - The MJCCA Book Festival

One of the best book festivals in the country is held right here in metro Atlanta. The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta has been around for a long time. The staff there are smart, organized, and friendly. The lineup for this November is one of the best yet. Look for authors Anita Diamant, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Alicia Silverstone, and more. Tickets will go on sale soon. Click here to visit their website.

Upcoming Author Visits at the Carter Center

Thanks to AC for a tip about some upcoming author visits at the Carter Library, including the former Prez. Click here to visit their website.

The Library of Congress at Your Fingertips

Where can you find info about the upcoming National Book Festival in DC, a webcast featuring Stevie Wonder, and info about various One Book, One Community programs around the country? The Library of Congress! Click here to visit our nation's greatest library.

This Saturday: Author David Fulmer

Atlanta mystery author David Fulmer will visit the library Saturday, September 12 @ 2:00 p.m. Mr. Fulmer has just been nominated for a 2009 Shamus Award for Best Novel for his book The Blue Door. Learn more about him by visiting his website at www.davidfulmer.com. Thanks to the author and Bryanna Brown for the use of this photo.

Author Lee Child's Top 40 Books of All Time

British author Lee Child has selected his top 40 list for Waterstone's Writer's Table and To Kill a Mockingbird is #1. Woo hoo - Harper Lee wins again. It's nice to know that folks across the pond recognize the strength of southern literature. Click here to view the list, published in the Telegraph UK.

An Ode to Subway Reading

The NY Times featured a wonderful piece on subway reading in Thursday's paper. Different people on different NY trains were highlighted - complete with reading selections. Fun! Click here to read the article - you'll smile the whole time.

Noonday Nosh Books Are Available

The Noonday Nosh Book Club display near the Reference Desk has been moved to make room for a display featuring titles by Atlanta Author Series guest David Fulmer (who will visit the library September 12th @ 2:00 p.m.). Copies of the September Noonday Nosh Book Club selection, Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, are available - just ask for them at the Reference Desk. There are plenty of copies available for check-out. You may call the library at (770) 640-3075 and the staff will be glad to save a copy for you.

Forgotten Titles for Mystery Lovers ... Well, Maybe

A couple of weeks ago, Librarian Extraordinaire Nancy Pearl was on NPR recommending some titles for mystery lovers that she thought mystery lovers might have missed over the years. Well, not everyone may have missed them! The last title on her list was the June selection for Roswell's own Mystery Reader's Book Club: Brat Farrar by the late, great Josephine Tey. Woo-hoo for the MRBC! Click here to see what she offers. Get your pencils handy.

The Big Read

Many thanks to AC for this tip about The Big Read. The National Endowment for the Arts has a nationwide One Book, One Community program that offers a variety of titles for communities to read together. For metro Atlanta, there are 3 classic novels in the current Big Read program.

• Towne Lake Arts Center: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Kennesaw State University: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
• Atlanta History Center's Literary Center: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Doesn't seeing those titles want to make you read or reread them? Learn more about the Big Read by reading their blog at www.arts.gov/bigreadblog/. Their blog is fun and filled with lots of great information.

Author David Fulmer Visits the Roswell Library

Too busy to head over to the Decatur Book Fest this weekend? Or maybe you're planning to go and you'll be on an author high that will need to be fed before it fizzles away. Not to worry, the Friends of the Roswell Library have you covered!

Atlanta mystery author David Fulmer will visit the library on Saturday, September 12 @ 2:00 p.m. Mr. Fulmer has just been nominated for a 2009 Shamus Award for Best Novel for his book The Blue Door. Learn more about him by visiting his website at www.davidfulmer.com. Thanks to the author and Bryanna Brown for the use of this photo.