Category Archives: Book Column

Bibliophile Travels, Book Column, Books About Books, Bookstores, Literary Tourism

Portsmouth Athenaeum

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The Portsmouth Athenaeum, in New Hampshire, has made my “book/library/shop that I must visit one day” list. How much fun would it be to peruse these stacks and hang out in their reading room for an afternoon? So cool.

The Athenaeum is a non-profit “membership” library where people pay dues to use the stacks and attend events. And folks have been doing that since 1817 when the library was founded. There is so much history here.

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I love the bookcases and tables. You can click through these photos to see the virtual tour page for the Portsmouth Athenaeum (it uses a shockwave viewer, so you may need a plug-in to scroll around), but it’s totally worth it if you like books and books about books.

There seems to be quite a history to the idea of a “member supported” library. It was quite the model for sharing books and knowledge 150 years ago. You could belong to a travel library, philosophy library, general lending library, etc. Whatever your interests were and you could afford. Almost like private clubs to a degree I imagine.

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Libraries have changed (for the better, I think) quite a bit over the years, but it sure is fun to look at these old stacks and think about how it used to be. Maybe I’ll make it up there one day to see it in person.

Book Column, Book Talk, On the TV, Upcoming Titles

Scalzi on TV & in Print

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Science-fiction author John Scalzi is having a big year. Just a few weeks ago he inked a multi-book multi-million dollar publishing deal. And his new book The End of All Things will be out August 11.

You can read excerpts from the first four chapters (Chapter 01, Chapter 02, Chapter 03, Chapter 04) of The End of All Things, which is the second book of the Human Division, set in the Old Man’s War universe.

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The whole Old Man’s War universe/storyline  revolves around John Perry, a 70+ man who who enlists in the army and transfers his consciousness into a younger, more battle-ready body.  So the wars rage on among the stars with troops in enhanced bodies while having the wisdom and humor of “old men”. Parts of it borderline on cute. But the books are fast paced and just plain fun to read.

Which is why I think it’ll make a great TV show on SyFy. At the end of last year, it was announced that the Ghost Brigades TV show was in development. It gets its title from the 2006 book by Scalzi.

So a new book, a new contract, and a new TV series. No doubt John Scalzi is staying super busy this year.

Have you read any of John Scalzi’s books?

Book Column, Events

Mississippi Book Festival

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The first ever Mississippi Book Festival will be held August 22, 2015, on the state capitol grounds in Jackson, MS. It’s been in the works since 2013 and the first-year line up of authors and events shows they’ve been hard at work.

John Grisham will headline the book festival featuring around 75 authors plus panels sessions. I think there will be a children’s area as well as musical performances.

Check out the Mississippi Book Festival schedule, some of the panels and session titles make it sound like it’s going to be a great time. They’re also updating their facebook page more regularly than their site.

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According to Google Maps the book festival is about 330 miles from Birmingham which means  almost 4 hours in the car. Not sure I can swing this one. But it’s great that the Mississippi Book Festival is beginning its story this August.

Alabama, Birmingham, Book Column, Events

To Kill a Mockingbird Party at Alabama Theater

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Tomorrow, Sunday June 21, 2015, the streets around Birmingham’s Alabama Theater will be hopping with Harper Lee fans. Books-A-Million is hosting a showing of the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. in the Alabama Theater. Outside the showing, a street party will be going on with treats from Yogurt Mountain, southside mexican restaurant Cantina (fish burger, FTW!) and Mr. Harry’s De-Lux chicken.

Tickets are $8 and are available through Ticket Master or at the door. The movies starts at 2 p.m., but the organ will get cranked up at 1:30 p.m., if you’ve never heard it.

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The local band Steel City Jug Slammers will also be there performing.

And, of course, I am sure there will be copies of To Kill a Mockingbird, other books about Harper Lee and TKAM plus a table taking pre-orders for Go Set a Watchman. What bookstore would pass up an opportunity like this to sell books?

Are you going to the street party this Sunday in Birmingham, AL?