Johnstown Flood Anniversary

http://clpteensburgh.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/johnstown-flood/

Fire Up the Grill!

While Memorial Day Weekend has become known as the unofficial start of Summer as well as for the Indianapolis 500, there is a much more somber reason for the holiday: it is the day set aside to remember the men and women who have died in any U.S. military action.
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/memorial-day
So, go ahead and enjoy your burgers on the grill and lounging by the pool but, take a few minutes to think of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Hunger Games Movie Update

I just heard that Woody Harrelson has been cast as Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games. Can I just say that I think he is perfect for this role. I can totally see him as the tough and curmudgeonly Haymitch who's hiding his personal demons from his time in The Games.
I'm getting more and more excited about this movie!

Book Club Title

This month's Book Club book is Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. Dessen is one of my favorite authors. She generally has smart female lead characters who have to deal with some sort of family drama. She's about the closest to chic lit that I get.
Grab a copy of the book at the library and post a comment on Goodreads.

Looking for Something to Do This Summer?

Why not volunteer at the Library? Help people log their Summer Reading entries and hand out prizes (it so much fun to see little faces light up when you hand them their prizes!).
I'm not looking for a huge time commitment - just 2 - 6 hours a week from June 1st to July 31st.

End of School Year Celebration

I'm still looking for teen music performers for the Live Music program that's scheduled for Wednesday June 1st from 4 - 6 pm at the library.
Contact me ASAP if you or any of your friends would be interested in putting on a short performance (it can be just one or two songs).

Did You Know These Were Books First?

I was surprised to come across the book Invisible by Mats Wahl a few days ago. I remember that the movie came out a few years ago but I didn't know that it was a book. I started thinking about some of the other movies that were originally books. We all know about Harry Potter, the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, and the Lord of the Rings but did you know about these:

Beastly by Alex Flinn

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon

How to Deal based on two books by Sarah Dessen - That Summer and Someone Like You

The Mighty based on Freak the Mighty by W. R. Philbrick - another bit of trivia: this movie was filmed mostly in Cincinnati.

I Only Have One Word to Say About This . . .

WOW!

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/the-book-surgeon-15-pieces

Kudos to Brandon Philips!

Cincinnati Reds second baseman, Brandon Phillips, made quite an impression with a local Little League Team when he showed up after being tweeted about their game.
What a cool story and what a class act. Keep up the good karma Mr. Phillips!
I don't generally take the time to vote for All-Star players but, I making an effort this year. Here's the link to vote for Brandon Phillips. While you're at it, go ahead and vote for the other Reds. They're all looking good this year!

Join Team Read!

Summer's almost here, which means it's time to sign up for the Summer Reading Program. There are some great prizes this summer including a Nook Color for each child, teen and adult who reads the most at each location!
The program runs from June 1st to July 31st but you can register now for Team Read.

In Need of Book Reviewers

I have 8 books that need to be reviewed:

The Enough Moment: fighting to end Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes by John Prendergast with Don Cheadle

Abandon by Meg Cabot

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

Tracking the Chupacabra: the vampire beast in fact, fiction, and folklore by Benjamin Radford

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

This is a great way to get your hands on a hot new book without waiting on a Holds list. The reviewing is easy - just a short summary and what you think about the book.
Let me know if you want to give it a try!

Check Out the Trailer, Check out the Book

If I Stay by Gail Forman


Swim the Fly by Don Calame

White Cat by Holly Black

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

What I'm Listening to Now

I have been close to obsessed with the album, Sigh No More, by Mumford & Sons, a West London folk band. I don't know how it's possible, but their songs are both melancholy and energizing at the same time. I had a copy of the cd checked out and had to return it because other people were waiting for it. I was disappointed to return it but, it was probably a good thing to give myself a break from it. I did put myself back on the waiting list. I highly recommend it!

I came across Fashion Nugget by CAKE late in the game. This cd was released in 1996. A few weeks ago I heard Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive on the radio and remembered that someone did a cover of it. I did a search on youtube and sure enough there it was. I think that I may like CAKE's version better than the original; slowing the tempo down and adding a more funky bass improves it.

And then, as I was going through the other tracks, I came across The Distance. This song was huge in the late 90s; I feel like it was part of the soundtrack for one of the driving video games (Gran Turismo, maybe?). Hearing it again brought me back to my college days.

There's another track on Fashion Nugget that I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon: Stickshifts and Safetybelts. This is the theme song for Jane and Michael Stern's Where We Eat segment on The Splendid Table, the radio cooking show on American Public Media.

What songs are you listening to now, or what songs bring you back to a particular moment in time?

Another Reason to Wear a Big Funny Hat

Well, we survived the fashions of last week's royal wedding but there is another reason for the ladies to wear a big ol' funny hat: The Kentucky Derby. I'm not much of a gambler, but I do enjoy an exciting race. To help make it exciting, I like to pick out my own personal favorite to root for. And with a field of 20 horses, there are a lot to choose from.

I like Mucho Macho Man because if he wins (and he has pretty good odds), it will be the first time that a female trainer will win the Derby.
I like Pants on Fire because I like the name and he has a female jockey.
But, I think I will be rooting for Watch Me Go because I have a soft spot for the underdog (and with the #20 post position and long shot odds, he's definitely an underdog) and he also has a female trainer.

I can't wait for the most exciting 2 minutes in sports!

Can I Have My Paycheck Sent Directly to the Movie Theater?

Even though it's still a little early for the Summer Blockbuster season to start, the first movie that I am excited to go see this year is opening this weekend. I started to think about everything that I want to actually go to the theater to see and I realized that I am going to be dropping some serious buckage for movies over the next few months. Here's what I want to see. Let me know what you can't wait to see this year.

Thor - May 6th
Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides - May 20th
Kung Fu Panda 2 - May 26th
X-Men First Class - June 3rd
Super 8 - June 10th
Art of Getting By - June 17th
Green Lantern - June 17th
Cars 2 - June 24th
Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon - July 1st
Zookeeper - July 8th
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - July 15th
Captain America: the First Avenger - July 22nd
Cowboys and Aliens - July 29th

After-Hours Movie Night

The next After-Hours Movie Night is next Friday, May 13th at 6 pm.
Look for the poll on the sidebar and be sure to vote for what you want to watch.