Join Us For A Summer Concert!

We have a real treat for our patrons this August! The fabulous local storyteller, actress, and performer Dolores Hydock will give a story concert entitled "For the Record: Stories of True Love, Blue Moons, Dumb Luck, and Fast Friends" on Tuesday evening, August 14th from 6:30-8:15 p.m. at the Emmet O'Neal Library in Mountain Brook. We will begin at 6:30 with a dessert reception with Ms. Hydock. The story concert will begin at 7:00 and last until 8:15. Come join us and be part of the live audience as Dolores Hydock records material for her seventh CD of original stories. The evening's concert will include originals such as "Looking for His Luck," "Everything I Know About True Love," "Different Versions," "Age Before Beauty," and other stories for the record. There is no charge for the event, and no tickets, so arrive early! For more information about the program, please contact Katie Moellering at 445-1118 or http://post.bham.lib.al.us/webmail/src/compose.php?send_to=kmoellering%40bham.lib.al.us

Cool Reads for the Hot Sand ! ! !

If you haven't been to the beach yet this year, get thee hence as soon as possible. This blog entry comes to you directly from Seagrove Beach, Florida and I'm sharing the great books I brought with me AND a great USA Today article on some recently published great beach reads you should be able to get additional info on at your local library.

Crowned In a Far Country: Portraits of Eight Royal Brides by HRH Princess Michael of Kent
This delightful biographical work got right to the heart of what I generally want to know about people I'm interested in. How did Catherine the Great really feel about spending her life in Russia? Was Marie Antionnette a spoiled party girl or a misguided youth given too much power too early? Did all dukes, princes and kings cheat on their wives? This is a light, quick read with great intimate detail about the royal lives of women who had to leave all they knew and held dear in the name of duty.

How to Hepburn by Karen Karbo
Kathryn Hepburn was so ahead of her time that it is nearly incomprehensible to understand how she managed to become one of the greatest actresses of all time. From her chronic nervousness and tremors to her constant departure from cultural norms, Hepburn lived life on her own terms no matter the costs involved. Karbo takes some of the most infamous moments in Hepburn's life and refines them down to easy concept ideas and phrases. Should you be of a mind to buck the system and start drumming out your own beat to march to, grab a copy of Karbo's wonderful, funny look at a 20th century icon.

Happy Reading!

htw

Some New Words.....

According to USA Today, Merriam-Webster's newest edition of the Collegiate Dictionary will hit stores this fall containing about 100 newly added words.

• got a problem that's bigger than gigantic, but not quite enormous....try ginormous


• venture into India's motion-picture industry, but ask for it by name....Bollywood


• for those among you who dislike crossword puzzles....try sudoku


• don't have time for traditional dating and want to meet the greatest amount of people in the shortest amount of time....try speed dating

Other words that have made it into the new Collegiate Dictionary include "crunk," "DVR," "IED," "smackdown," "telenovas," "gray literature" and "microgreens."

Check out the USA Today article for additional details!

Happy Reading!

htw

Nonfiction Knowledge

I love fiction, any kind of fiction, and I find it incredibly difficult to find a nonfiction title that I enjoy. I’m open-minded though; I’ll try any book once…I just don’t promise to like it. Also, I know that not everyone wants to read the latest thriller, chick lit, or romance.

For the rabid nonfiction readers among you, check out this list of Summer Picks from the editors of Seed Magazine. From American climate research to the evolutionary basis of intuition to the beginnings of human language, this list of books is geared to the inner scientist in all of us!

Happy Reading

htw