Rachael Herron

I read Rachael Herron's new book, Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way Through Love, Loss, and Laughter, 20 Pieces this past winter. This book is a memoir of her life as a knitter, but more importantly, it's about her life of finding herself and her work.She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, but she is more than a romance author. She has been knitting since she was five years old, and it is truly her passion. I found out from the book she supports herself with her job as a emergency dispatch operator. She has been keeping a blog since 2003. And she writes romantic fiction built around Cypress Hollow Yarn with knitting as the theme. Each book of the series features a new character. The books in the series are:

1. How to Knit a Love Song: a Cypress Hollow Yarn novel

2. How to Knit a Heart Back Home: a Cypress Hollow Yarn novel 

3.Wishes and Stitches: a Cypress Hollow Yarn novel. I enjoyed meeting Rachael in her book, and left feeling as if I had found a friend. She lives in Washington state and she is in love with Venice. The link to her blog yarnagogo is in the title of this blog.

     I have been knitting more than ever, but since my sock knitting class at the library is winding down this week, I am turning back to quilting. I want to add classes on hand-piecing for the summer. It's light weight, portable, and busy work if you are traveling. That is where I am going next in my future focus at the library.

     But first I have to think about National Poetry month, and I am trying to have a series of things going on. Susan Hoke will be teaching on Friday afternoons during April, using the book, Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem From the Inside Out by Ralph Fletcher. Those classes will be 4-5 pm on Fridays in April. Then during the week of April 23 we will be celebrating with "A Poem in Your Pocket." Poems can be picked up off the bulliten board for your own personal pleasure. Then on April 26th, A Poem in Your Pocket Day, I will be handing out poems in town. On Friday, after Susan's class, we will be hosting a Poetry Reading. Bring your poetry or your favorites and share them with a group of like-minded people. I think I'll share some of the Mayor of New York City's poetry found on NYC Poem in Your Pocket Day.

Lost in Shangri-la by Mitchell Zuckoff

Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II  by Mitchell Zuckoff gets mixed reviews, but for me it held my interest. I was impressed by the courage of the rescuers and by the rescue plan itself, something that hadn't been tired in that type of terrain. The Booklovers Book Discussion group will be talking about this book on Monday, March 26th at 2pm and at 7 pm. You may pick up a copy at the front deak of the Tipp City Public Library if you want to join the discussion. It's an easy read, capturing your imagination immediately , and if you like historical events you will find it fascinating. The author, Mitchell Zuckoff has been awarded for his writing for the Boston-Globe. Now a professor at Boston University College of Communication, Mr. Zuckoff lives in Boston with his wife and two children. Originally I had heard the author was from Cincinnati, but maybe that was earlier in his career.

Agatha Christie Queen of Crime Sweepstakes

Acorn is hosting a Queen of Crime Sweepstakes. Win a trip to London. Follow the link in my title and enter by April 30, 2012. I have loved Agatha Christie since I was thirteen and saw the movie, And Then There Were None, followed by reading the book, Ten Little Indians, released in 1965 in the US by that name. Yes, I was thirteen in 1965, but like an elephant I can remember a lot from that time. I was a Girl Scout, I lived in Beavercreek, Ohio, and I loved to read. Ten Little Indians takes place on Indian Island. Ten people are given a written invitation to join the host for a weekend, then one by one, the guests are murdered. The movie version has the guests on a mountain that they can only access by a ski lift. I can still see someone trying to cut the cable. Try it for good escapism. So much for cozy mystery.

The Available Man by Hilma Wolitzer

.I just finished this book last night. I was taken with the characters, a widower, his two step children, his mother-in-law and all the other characters in the book. It is a slow paced novel, but the humor definitely connected with me. Edward Schuyler has been grieving the death of his wife for over three years. He is a sixty-four year old teacher, married for over 20 years to a wonderful woman that he had felt so lucky to find after 15 years of bachelorhood. His children wanted him to date, so they had set up an ad in the newspaper. Edward's dating adventures after all these year are sad and funny, and real. After reading this book I'm sure you will want to look for some of her others, I certainly did. She has written: Hearts; Summer Reading; and The Doctor's Daughter to name a few. Here is her biography from Barnes and Nobel. Her writing reminded me of Elinor Lipman who writes domestic fiction also. Lucky for us more of Elinor Lipman's books can be found at the Tipp City Public Library. Try The Pursuit of Alice Thrift for a fun novel.