Friday, July 08, 2011

Author Visits in November

Author Visits in November

I have spent several days trying to write a catchy title to include the four authors we scheduled for this November. I came up blank. If any of the three or four of you blog readers can think of something please let me know.

5 November 2011, 10 AM to 3 PM. Anthony Neil Smith's Crime Novel Writing Workshop. Join award winning crime novelist Smith as he walks participants through the novel writing process: outlining, research, character development, and plotting. $25 per person. Lunch from Water House Foods included.

12 November 2011, 1 PM to 3 PM. Novelist Larry Watson. Watson will speak about his writing career and latest novel, American Boy. Watson is a Milwaukee resident and famed for his tightly drawn stories about families in rural Montana. Watson's Montana 1948 was previously selected for the Jefferson County Reads program.

19 November 2011, 6 PM to 7:30 PM. Novelist Susanna Daniel. Madison resident Daniel's latest book is Stiltsville. Stiltsville is partially set among the stilt houses of Miami's Biscayne Bay and follows a Georgia transplant who falls in love with both Miami and one of the city's men. Afterwards, you can join the Main Street Program's Legendary Nights event for "deer season widows".

26 November 2011, 6 PM to 7:30 PM. Biographer Margot Peters. Lake Mills resident Peters has authored several biographies including books on Charlotte Bronte, Bernard Shaw, and famed stage actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Peters biography on Wisconsin poet Lorine Niedecker, Lorine Niedecker: A Poets Life, will be published in October.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Canoeing Crider Crow Court

NonFiction

Paddling Southern Wisconsin: 85 great trips by canoe and kayak by Mike Svob. I have a rowboat but no oars. I really need to get some oars for that thing.

Milan and the Lakes by DK Eyewitness Travel. Anthony Neil Smith went to Italy on some sort of book tour. He posted a link to photos but I'm not going to look the address up for you.

Fiction

Flashback by Dan Simmons. Guy gets addicted to new drug. Has trouble working.

Thunder of Heaven: a Joshua Jordan novel by Tim L. LaHaye. Another novel about the apocalypse. Apocalypse is difficult to type and spell.

Sarah Court by Craig Davidson. Why did I buy this? Was the book recommended? Well reviewed? Ohhh, this is that Canadian guy. I like his books. Story: five families living next to one another: How well do you know your neighbors? How well do you know your own family? Ultimately, how well do you know yourself?

White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick. A horror novel that looks like it should be in the YA section.

Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen. Gerritsen seems like a nice lady but I still won't read this.

Brute Strength by Susan Conant. "A Dog Lover's Mystery" The cover illustration of a dog makes this look like a chapter book.

Escape by Barbara Delinsky. Young, lady lawyer has career and family ennui induced crisis. Skips work early, leaves Manhattan, goes to New Hampshire where she spent a summer during college.

A Dark and Stormy Night by Jeanne M. Dams. Beagle status unknown.

Betrayal of Trust by J.A. Jance. I'll bet someone gets betrayed.

Undead and Undermined by Mary Janice Davidson. I read a book about the underground war during World War One. The Limeys would dig deep under the Kraut lines to listen, defend against enemy mines, and plants tons of explosives. The miners would always want to dig lower than the enemy. That was undermining.

Wild Hog Murders by The Great and Marvelous Bill Crider, Chronicler of Crocodiles, Recorder of Rhodes, Paramour of Paris. Sheriff Rhodes of Blacklin County, Texas has the usual trouble of idiots, dead bodies, feral hogs, motorcycle gangsters, county commissioners, etc. What is the death rate in Blacklin County?

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Travel Books, Coffee, Birds, Patterson Factory

Fiction

Now You See Her compiled by Unified Workers of the Patterson Factory for Literary Excellence. "A good wife and mother vanishes."

A Cup of Joe by Sandra Balzo. This came out in 2010 but I missed ordering it. Other books in the series have proven popular here.

Once Upon A River by Bonnie Jo Campbell. Girl takes boat down Michigan river to find her missing mother.

NonFiction

Backyard Guide to the Birds of North America by Jonathan Alderfer and Paul Hess. The call of the Scarlet Tanager is a hoarse chip-burr. "Sticky mud pellets allow the Barn Swallow to adhere to its nest directly to a vertical wall."

Rough Guide to Las Vegas by Greg Ward. If this is a rough guide does it include things like: best alleys to sleep in, best bail bondsmen, cheapest hooch, tips for pickpockets.

Hawaii by Eyewitness Travel.

Top 10 Las Vegas by Connie Emerson. Best family restaurant: Fatburger. Best getting around: foot power. Best hiking trail: Mouse's Tank, Valley of Fire.

DVD: Sex, Violence, Lies, Bieber, B-Movie Cage

DVD

Hall Pass starring Jason Sudeikis, Owen Wilson. Two guys given "hall pass" by wives to screw around.



Sucker Punch starring Scott Glenn, Jon Hamm, Teenage Girls. Teenage girls escape from a CGI prison with CGI violence against CGI bad guys on a CGI battlefield.



Just Go With It starring Annoying Guy, Jennifer Aniston. Guy lies to girl and has friend's children pretend to be his.



Justin Bieber: never say never starring Justin Bieber and Bieber Fever. Concert film of teen heartthrob from Canada.



Drive Angry starring Crazy Nic Cage, William Fichtner, GirlWith BigHair. Guy escapes hell to wreak revenge. Didn't Cage already do this with a motorcycle? These seems to have lots of muscle cars and fiery explosions. I'll bet Tom Piccirilli liked it.