Thursday, July 10, 2008

Travel-ific Reads!

There's nothing (or at least, very little) worse than finding yourself without reading material on your plane, train, or automobile. Luckily for us, librarian extraordinaire Nancy Pearl shares nine of her favorite books for traveling:














The Arrival by Shaun Tan (also featured on the What We're Reading sidebar!)














The Thin Place by Kathryn Davis
































Bangkok 8 by Tom Burdett













Chester by Melanie Watt














Sunshine by Robin McKinley













Metzger's Dog by Thomas Perry














Happy Reading!
htw

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Louis L'Amour's 100th Birthday

2008 marks the year that Louis L'Amour would have turned 100 years old. Although he died of cancer in 1988, his books continue to be published and his popularity reaches new audiences every day. We have many of his books, in print and on CD audiobook, so don't let this year go by without picking up your treasured favorite again, or finding one among the many he wrote!

From his website:
The man who would become Louis L'Amour grew up in the fading days of the American frontier. He was born Louis Dearborn LaMoore on March 22, 1908, the last of seven children in the family of Dr. Louis Charles LaMoore and Emily Dearborn LaMoore. His home, for the first fifteen years of his life, was Jamestown, North Dakota, a medium sized farming community situated in the valley where Pipestem Creek flows into the James River. Doctor LaMoore was a large animal veterinarian who came to Dakota Territory in 1882. As times changed he also sold farm machinery, bossed harvesting crews, and held several positions in city and state government.... for the rest of the story, visit the Louis L'Amour website!


My favorite L'Amour book is Last of the Breed, a thrilling adventure set in the "Wild East" of Siberia. U.S. Air Force Major Joseph "Joe Mack" Makatozi is shot down by the Russians, who intend to wring secret information from him before executing him. The catch in their plans is that Rambo-like Joe Mack is part Sioux, part Cheyenne, and a nearly Olympic-caliber athlete. Still, it takes all his native skills and endurance to survive and overcome Soviet Colonel Arkady Zamatev and his Yakut henchman Alekhin as they track the American across the Siberian wilderness. (from amazon.com)

Happy Reading!
htw