Fort Lauderdale: ...and up walks Robert Sabuda!!!

04/28/11, Museum of Art, Reception for authors Robert Sabuda, Floyd Cooper, and Antonio Sacre

No kidding... there she was... munching on the free food and drinks at the MOA party...

Jo Bridges aka "Miss Jo", Children's Librarian extraordinaire for the Oakland Park Library, received quite a surprise when famed children's author and master pop-up book creator Robert Sabuda walked up to say hi! What do you do when greatness (and hotness!) walks up and you've stuffed your mouth full of cookies?

CARISSA CHESANEK, MIAMI BEACH: Interview with a BOOKISH BABE

Who says reading is a wallflower sport? Carissa Chesanek of the Miami Book and Wine Club shares her secrets on how to rock books, beauty, fashion, and wine on the American Riviera.... this ain't ya mama's book club!

CARISSA CHESANEK

BSL: This is a two-part question: a) What books are you into? b) Where would you most likely go to get them: a library or bookshop?
The books I like to read really depends on my mood, and whether I want dive into something haunting that will keep me up late at night or something light and easy. I like everything from the famous trilogies by the late Steig Larrson to reading about the latest “sexcapades” that Candace Bushnell brings to her stories. I enjoy reading memoirs as well as fiction and have found myself really being drawn to stories packed with a good mystery, making you guess every step of the way. I am still getting over my last read, The Contortionist’s Handbook which I absolutely loved. I’ll admit that I have a guilty pleasure of reading love stories from the likes of Nicholas Sparks, but can only take them in small doses. I like to mix up my reading material with just a little bit of everything:)I have to say I normally get my books on Amazon. I try to head over to the local bookstore as much as possible, but passing up a book for a penny is sometimes a hard thing to do! Although there is nothing like skimming the isles of Barnes & Noble to find the book I want. I also recently signed up for Book Swim (BookSwim.com) which is inevitably NetFlix for books, where you sign up for a plan that gives you a few books a month and gives you more every time you send the books back.

BSL: Describe your book life in South Florida, especially as a member of the Miami Book and Wine Club. Miami. Books. Wine. Sounds like a load of fun.

I’m originally from up north and was always a bookworm. I grew so accustomed to having a bookstore on every other block and when I moved to Miami I wanted to find other book obsessed folks so I joined a couple books clubs. Then my friend Isabel Lahens (founder of Miami Book and Wine Club) asked if I wanted to help create a book club. It would appeal to women our age,(20’s-30’s) where we can take time out of our busy schedule and chat about the books we read while having a nice glass of wine. Being the wine lover that I am, I thought what could be better? Wine and books? That’s a done deal!

BSL: You're on Blogger, Twitter, and you maintain your own website, http://www.carissachesanek.com/. As a writer, how do you connect fashion and beauty to books and reading?
I’ve always had a love for both books and fashion and have been able to sync them pretty well. Growing up I bought tons of fashion magazines and fashion books with beautiful photos that just completely inspired me every time I turned the page. I feel like writing and publishing is a great outlet for the fashion professionals because they are able to connect with another type of audience through their books. I love books and can talk about them all day, but I also love fashion so I try to create content that both readers like to look at and the fashion minded folks like to indulge in as well.

BSL: Do you have an e-reader?
I get this question asked a lot! No, I don’t have an e-reader and I don’t plan on getting one. Haha. I know I must sound ancient to many, but I prefer my books in print so I can touch the actual pages and smell the paper. I also love collecting books in bookcases or keep them stacked alongside my bed, and I can’t do that with an e-reader! haha. I understand the significance of having one since they are easy to travel with and you can download a book instantly, but for my reading preference I like to have the actual book in my hand, while I am curled up on the couch taking the story in (with a glass of wine of course!). I also work on the computer sometimes 12 or 13 hours a day on a deadline so to me staring at another screen when I am ready to finally lay in bed and open a book just doesn’t sound appealing.

BSL: What's your next move on the South Florida book scene?
My next move on the South Florida book scene is helping host the next Miami Books & Wine Club happening in May where we will be discussing “A Visit From the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan at the Mandolin in the Design District. I am looking forward to checking out the events happening at The Writer’s Institute at the Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College, such as the lecture with literary agent Betsy Lamar since writing books is my next conquest. I am also in talks to try and begin a writing chapter here in Miami, where publishing individuals like myself can meet up for special events, happy hours and conferences to network and discuss the latest trends in the industry.

Oakland Park: Piper High Students- African dance

Good times at the Oakland Park Library!!

Coral Springs: Children's BOOKFEST, 04/30/11

Children's BookFest 2011

FREE!  •  Shows  •  Authors  •  Story Characters  •  Book Giveaway

Experience the World: One Book at a Time!

Saturday, April 30 • 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Northwest Regional Library

3151 N. University Drive
Coral Springs • 954-341-3900

In honor of Children’s Day/Book Day
(El día de los niños/ El día de los libros)

Calling all young adventurers to the Children’s BookFest for a world of stories and fun!
Pick up your passport upon arrival, and let the adventure begin!  

Meet the Author:

ROBERT SABUDA — creator of many stunning best-selling pop-up books, including America the Beautiful, Alice in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Meet the Illustrator:
FLOYD COOPER — children’s author and illustrator, whose illustrations for The Blacker the Berry won a 2009 Coretta Scott King Book Award.

Festival Highlights:

ANTONIO SACRE -- award-winning bilingual storyteller and acclaimed author, weaves tales that intertwine Spanish and American culture.

•That Puppet Guy (Lee Bryan from Atlanta) presents “Travelin’ Tales” puppet show

•Original Songs, Stories & Poems by Darrell House

•Adventure Stories by Safari Sue

•Magician Cesar Domico’s bilingual comedy/magic show

•Arts Activities by Young at Art Museum

•Free book to first 1,000 kids, courtesy of Baptist Medical Plazas

Miami: Art of Storytelling, 04/30/2011



University of Miami: Library Rave!!

 Elon University Library Rave - Flashing Lights Version

Okay, this vid is actually from Elon U's library rave. This is actually what a library rave is supposed to look like.

See, U of M had the ELECTRIC SLIDE in their rave. NOOOO... it's a rave not a wedding.

Check out Miami's rave in the Richter Library at http://youtu.be/0JExcGTmomw 
this is why...

YOUR LIBRARY NEEDS YOU!

West Palm & Boynton Beach: JOY FIELDING

JOY FIELDING

Here's a real treat for those of us that love to go out on the town and do book things. Joy Fielding will be doing readings in Palm Beach on 04/26/11-04/27/11 at West Palm Beach Library and Boynton Beach Library:

04/26/2011, 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Clematis Room
West Palm Beach Public Library
411 Clematis ST
West Palm Beach FL 33401
561-868-7701
http://www.mycitylibrary.org/

04/27/2011, 1:30-3:30p.m. in the Program Room
Boynton Beach City Library
208 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach
561.742.6390
http://www.boyntonlibrary.org/