Just back from my second-ever visit to New York City, I am suffering from mass-transit withdrawal and humming "Avenue Q" and "Billy Elliot" tunes.  We are blessed to have my husband's brother and sister-in-law (they'd attract hordes of visitors even if they lived somewhere uninteresting) ...

The KUT news story about Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum's upcoming oral/visual history project caught my attention this morning.   By way of accounting for Texans' deep and abiding interest in their state and in its stories, the spokesperson mentioned a book that's familiar here in Round Rock:  Tweed ...

Reading first novels isn't just rewarding; it's practical.  Unless the author inspires a media frenzy on his/her debut, you're certain to snag a copy of that as yet undiscovered gem.  And consider the joy of recommending someone whom your friends haven't read yet.  As with dispensing choice gossip, you're ...

What would induce someone to give up a day off to volunteer for Texas Book Festival?  Probably not the official volunteer T-shirt.  TBF uniforms feature a different classy color each year, along with, alas, the customary tubelike fit.  Those of us who fall between the intended-for-guys sizes can ...

I can't be the only librarian who fears acting like a stereotype and so downplays my zeal for literature to avoid excessive conversational references to you-know-what.  I suspect others do, too.  No one wants to be a cliche, and we do have other interests.  Besides all ...

Having moved back to Texas and to Round Rock in 2005, I don't qualify as a newcomer.  Still, I only recently managed to discover the Round Rock New Neighbors book group. Yesterday's wonderful discussion featuring guest author Amanda Eyre Ward prompted me to get the word out: you, too, new resident or not, can get in on this ...

Tidying my personal bookshelves last weekend, I encountered a favorite: The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes.  It's a bulky green volume labeled for its publisher rather than physical traits.  Alongside it stands The Big Book of Irony, trim and lightweight as the name might lead you to suppose. Another is-that-really-the-title moment ...

Don't you admire those who can cleverly answer the "which three famous people, living or dead, you'd choose to have dinner with" question?  Perhaps you have a boffo response yourself, but I've been stumped by the scope of potential invitees (i.e., everyone who's ever lived, out of whom I can pick only ...

Vampire lit is fashionable (and marketable) these days--not just Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga, but all sorts of standalone titles, paranormal romance series, mysteries, and even humorous romance fiction.  A quick survey of the library catalog--I entered "vampires" in the Quick Search box--yielded 587 results.  ...

Western novels don't rank high on my to-read list.  They're too reliable.  I can seek out the glamour of fiction debuts, bestsellers, etc,. knowing that Westerns (at least the ones that aren't checked out by more appreciative readers) will always be there for me.  I've largely taken ...