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/



Hagan Ranch Road, Palm Beach: Fancy Nancy Party

I understand girls just want to have fun but let's save our girls from the Princess Cult(ure)!!

Where are Emily the Strange and Girl Power when you need them?!

This is why...

 YOUR LIBRARY NEEDS YOU

Fort Lauderdale: African-American Research Library & Cultural Center

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Word is there's inscribed rare Langston Hughes books and Alex Haley papers in the Special Collections room. I've seen the gorgeous Ashley Bryan artwork adorning the upstairs hall of the Children's Library.

Amazon Kindle 3: Overview of features!!

I had to share this vid about the Kindle because there are a lot of comparisons to the Nook Color and iPad. The color factor notwithstanding, the Kindle is waaaay lighter (8oz.) than the Nook Color (which ways 1 whole pound) and does not have the glassy screen glare of the iPad (sooo '90s e-readerish!). Also, when you get tired, the Kindle can read to you! If you haven't guessed it by now, I'm a digiaudio freak. Anywho, weight and glare are two big considerstions for serious readers and passionate booklovers. But, I get it... Kindle needs COLOR!

Coral Gables: Book People Eduardo Hernandez

Book People Eduardo Hernandez
April 6 - May 15, 2011 Coral Gables Branch Library • 3443 Segovia St. • 305.442.8706

Eduardo Hernandez, The Cook, 2009, oil on canvas, 16” x 20,” courtesy of the artist.

Book People is a series of visual stories created by self-taught artist and library advocate Eduardo Hernandez. In celebration of the Miami-Dade Public Library System’s 40^th anniversary, Hernandez’s oil paintings portray real life people making use of the library. The narrative behind Hernandez’s insightful paintings can either be “tragic, humorous, or joyous” and though each is accompanied with a brief story, the artist encourages the viewer to approach each work with a fresh perspective by composing larger stories and originating variant themes that each individual can interpret on their own.

The Book People series was done during a summer spent doing supervised fieldwork and volunteering at a branch of the Miami-Dade Public Library System.

About the artist: Eduardo Hernandez is a lifelong resident of Miami. He is an educator and a local self-taught artist interested in exploring social issues. His work has been shown at Miami Dade College and at the Hortt Memorial Competition, Museum of Art of Fort Lauderdale. Hernandez received his B.A. in History and his M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Florida International University (FIU); a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida, and is currently working on a doctorate in Education at FIU. While Hernandez continues to experiment with various other types of art, his recent focus has primarily been in drawing and figurative painting.

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This service is provided to you at no charge by Miami-Dade Public Library System.

GovDelivery, Inc. sending on behalf of Miami-Dade Public Library System · 101 West Flager · Miami FL 33130 · 305-375-2665

Top 6 books South Floridians are talking about... in libraries

The most devout book lovers in South Florida can be found in libraries, especially library book clubs. Scouring through dozens of titles of library book club selections and library staff picks, I found only six books that were picked two or more times by "library heads." By far, the most selected book was Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. It's being discussed from Palm Beach to Miami-Dade. See the list below for the other hot books.
If you just can't bear reading 250+ pages just to join your local book club jamboree or if you simply want to impress your favorite librarian by "reading" their personal staff pick by the time you see them again, remember, Audible.com has digiaudios for quick download! Just click the title(s) in the list below to hear audio samples.

TOP 6 BOOKS SOUTH FLORIDIANS ARE TALKING ABOUT... IN LIBRARIES:

1. Cutting for stone by Abraham Verghese (audio sample)

2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (audio sample)

3. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (audio sample)

4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (audio sample)

5. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez (book format only)

6. Little Bee by Chris Cleave (audio sample)

Kindle versions (except Love in the time of Cholera, paperback edition):
          

North Palm Beach: E-Reader Survey

(Christina Aguilera in Italian Vanity Fair, 5/31/2010)



CALLING ALL NPB CITIZENS!!!

YOUR LIBRARY NEEDS YOU...

Please take the E-Reader Survey (click on Xtina).

 The Library would like get your opinion on
the e-reading trend...

 Who knows?
It just might turn into
another fine library privilege
offered by
 the cool cats at

  North Palm Beach Library.

(go ahead and friend them while you check them out)

ANGRY LIBRARIAN

This is too funny not to share... no matter what side of the desk you're on!

Talaxian Soup and a Green Alien

I recently posted the hard-to-find book, Alien Discussions, for sale at Bookshop 020.92 and I thought alien-themed food and drink would be great to go along with it (or any spacey book or movie!). Here is a delicious mushroom soup recipe from the Star Trek Cookbook and a perfect spring/summer Green Alien drink mix I found at yumsugar. Bon apetit!

Talaxian Mushroom Soup (from the Star Trek Cookbook)

2 pounds of mushrooms
3 small red-skin potatoes or 1 large peeled russet potato
1 stalk celery, chopped, or 1 cup frozen finely diced celery
1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
1 pinch thyme or rosemary
1 cup of butter
3 cups of whole milk
1 cup cream (heavy or light)
green scallions as a garnish

Directions for cooking: (actual directions are on p. 169; see Google Books if you don't have a copy)
1. Make sure the mushrooms and potatoes are washed and clean!
2. Saute the diced onions and bell pepper in half of the butter until the onions are clear (tender). Then add the diced potatoes, diced celery, salt, and the rest of the butter. When the potatoes are soft and the mixture "soupy," add some water (eyeball it) and the diced mushrooms. Let simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
3. Let the soup cool for 10 minutes. Puree it in a blender.
4. Return soup to pot and stir in milk and cream. Let simmer on low for 45 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Green Alien drink
 (courtesy: yumsugar.com)

Mock Green Alien Drink (from yumsugar.com)
3 oz. lime juice
3 oz. sparkling lemonade (my quick mix: lemonade mix made with sparkling water or club soda)
Crushed ice
Green food coloring
Optional: Midori melon liqueur

Mix lime juice and lemonade in a cocktail shaker. Put crushed ice in a glass and pour the mix in. Add green food coloring (eyeball it) and Midori to taste (this is optional). You can garnish the drink with orange and pineapple slices and throw in a crazy straw for fun!

1st Bookshop 020.92 customer ever!!

This is a special shout out to Richard who came straight outta Compton to be OUR FIRST CUSTOMER!! Thank-you, I put a new promo bookmarker and a free gift with your order.

Within minutes, Delaney from North Las Vegas showed up as the second customer. So enjoy your bookmarker and free gift as well... Good luck to both of you in your studies!!

Yours truly,

Bookshop Librarian



1st Bookshop 020.92 blog question ever!!

   RASHAD! ")

       Lauderdale Lakes

"I'm a huge fan of occult romance books. Do you know of any new good ones that was released lately? I liked how Twilight was romance with a twist, the fact that it had a lot of action, how it's something that leaves me in suspense... wanting more."

Try these: (see my comment)