Sarah B.'s blog

Join us this Sunday, July 10 at 2:00 p.m. for July's Books Plus book discussion. Wendy will lead a discussion on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Scientists named a poor African-American tobacco farmer HeLA. Without her or her family’s knowledge, they removed some of Henrietta’s cells. They became the first so-called “immortal” cells grown in a laboratory and were used for many vaccines including the polio vaccine. Decades later, they also used her husband’s and children’s cells without their consent. The book brings up many interesting questions: do we own the rights to our own bodies, do scientists treat research subjects differently based on race and class, and why do scientists not always communicate what they are doing to the people most involved.

Please join us for an interesting discussion on a book that many have found fascinating.
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Not only do I spent a lot of time reading books, but I spend a lot of time reading about books. I recently ran across Flavorwire's article 'The 30 Harshest Author-on-Author Insults In History' and I have to admit that I laughed out loud. Collected here are real quotes from authors about authors - disparaging in a cruel but also often funny way.
My favorite? Truman Capote on Jack Kerouac - “That’s not writing, that’s typing.” Ha!
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I ran across an article this morning that mentioned that Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind turns 75 this month. In June of 1936, Mitchell published this now classic saga while recovering from a broken ankle. It was an instant hit, and brought immediate fame to the Atlanta journalist.

What is it about? Well....er...I haven't actually read it. "I'll never go hungry again!", right? But I only know that from the movie. It is high time to put this book on my to-read list.
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The Horror Writers Association works to "raise the profile of the horror genre in the publishing industry and among readers in general." In an effort to support their mission, The Horror Writers Association every year awards prizes for the best in the horror genre.
Last week the Bram Stoker Award Winners were announced.
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Several weeks ago, a contributor for the Wall Street Journal wrote an article entitled Darkness Too Visible. The author's complaint was that contemporary YA literature, aimed at the broad range of 12-18 year-olds is inappropriate for it's heavy inclusion of "explicit abuse, violence and depravity".

Then the internet blew up. Several interesting responses have come from NPR, one from pop culture expert Linda Holmes, and another interview with a YA librarian, YA authors, and the original author of the WSJ article.
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Stretch Your Mind. Stretch Your Body. Stretch Your World.

Why let the kids and teens have all the fun with summer reading programs? Read more »

It's summer and that means Summer Reading at public libraries around the country - MCPL included! Teens in Monroe County have the opportunity to participate in The World in Your Hands, this summer's Reading Program from June 1 - August 17.
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Don't miss your chance to see local mystery and suspense author, Michael Koryta at Barnes and Noble next week to promote his newest book - The Ridge. He will be there on Monday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. Full event details available on the Barnes and Noble website, and also from Michael's personal blog too.
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The 2011 Lambda Literary Awards were announced last week for excellence in lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans literature available in the United States.

A sample of winning titles published in 2010 that MCPL owns include:

TRANSGENDER — Fiction
Holding Still for As Long As Possible, by Zoe Whittall
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Graduation, students leaving town, the planning of summer trips and picnics, yes it's that time of year again. If only the weather would comply. On June 5th, Jane Layman will lead our next Books Plus discussion about Jonathan Franzen's latest novel Freedom. This well-reviewed novel features Patty and Walter Berglund, pioneers of old St. Paul. Walter is an environmental lawyer concerned about the fate of warblers, and Patty is an ex-sports player, perhaps a little too competitive with her parenting.
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