"Book News" If you plan to be anywhere near Washington D.C. on September 30th, the Library of Congress & Laura Bush invite you to the National Book Festival. The Festival will be held from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on the National Mall between 7th and 14th Streets. 70 well-known authors and poets will discuss their works in various pavilions divided by Children's authors, Mysteries and Thrillers, Teens & Children, History & Biography, Fiction & Fantasy, Home & Family and Poetry. Festival attendees can have books signed by their favorite authors. Some of the particpating authors include best-selling novelist Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, historians Taylor Branch and Doris Kearns Goodwin; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bob Woodward, novelists Geraldine Brooks and Julia Glass; Teen and Children's authors, Andrew Clements, Louis Sachar, Richard Peck and many more. You can find more information on the LIbrary of Congress website, www.loc.gov. September is here and we are back with our brand-new Beyond the Best Seller List. End of the Story by Peter Abrahams is an interesting selection. It's a psychological thriller about a writer whose life turns upside down after taking a job teaching writing at a prison. Sounds interesting. Another interesting new novel is Golden Country by Jennifer Gilmore. And, of course, I am reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, preparing to discuss it on Wednesday, September 27th at 7:30 in the Library's Plaut Conference Room as the kick-off for this year's "Reader's Choice" book discussion group. I would love to hear other reader's opinions of this novel. Keep reading and of course don't forget to go "Beyond the Best Seller".

BIG WEEK AT THE LIBRARY!!!

Wow! We kicked off our Fall Authors on Stage series and Jed Rubenfeld was great. His book The Interpretation of Murder is intriquing. Just the setting, New York in 1909 draws the reader in and his story keeps you reading. People have been signing up for Tuesday morning, September 12th at 10:00 am when Philippa Gregory will join us -- she's a delight. Last year she converted dozens to become Historical Fiction readers. It's really going to be a week like we've never had before. An author a day, from Tuesday through Friday. And books, books, books. Mary-Ann Tirone Smith, one of Connecticut's own will be sharing not only her life but her moving story about the death of a classmate during her childhood in Hartford on Wednesday, September 13th at 12:00 noon and our generous Friends of the Library will be providing lunch. But since, I don't want to repeat myself and I do want to chat about books, our Reader's Choice Discussion group which will be held on a Wednesday (usually the last) each month at 7:30 pm in the Library will begin with The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards on September 27th. Since I am leading the discussion, I would love to hear your comments. Reading has always been a comfort and a joy to me but lately I've found excitement in listening to audiobooks. This way, I have a book that I'm reading and a book that I'm listening to -- twice the fun and it definitely makes driving in traffic a pleasure. I've been known to sit in my garage just to finish either a tape or cd. It's tough work going Beyond the Best Seller. Or as the title of Sara Nelson's memoir reminds us, So Many Books, So Little Time. Read her book and you will finish with a list of books you absolutely need to read.