Change Your Life, Read a Book

I wrote my first book when I was seven. It wasn't an original genius creation, the protagonist was a cat, but it was a full story with a beginning, middle and an end. During that same year I became obsessed with Shel Silverstein and Rahl Dahl (I wished I was Matilda).

From that point on, I began devouring books like a fiend because I always need my fix. But with every work I read my fix gets worse -- and I don't care.

So join me and enter into the literary dialogue and read some of the works that have changed me:

"Howl" by Allen Ginsberg. After I finished reading this, my skin felt new and I no longer felt choked. I wanted to scream and spit and let out a "barbaric yawp" just like Ed Sanders (son of the Beats) did.

Read it once, read it again, then read it aloud to yourself, then to someone else and then find a recording of it -- so you can fully drop yourself into the anaphoric and lyrical verse describing the cataclysm of sick ideologies.

"One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel García Márquez. Forget the Nobel Peace Prize he won in 1982 and forget the fact that he's the lapdog of Fidel Castro, this book is the perfect execution of magical realism and the magnification of world myths. At times this book is vertiginous, but it is well worth it. I want to grow old with this book so it can continue to change me.

"The History of Love" by Nicole Krauss delves into the history of survival and the power of words through several points of view. Krauss' prose is precise, eloquent, funny and compelling. She challenges audiences, writers and society to look at ethnicity in a new way.

Those are my (current) top three works, but I also recommend:
"Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera, "Falconer" by John Cheever, "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri, "M. Butterfly" by David Henry Hwang, "Gem of the Ocean" by August Wilson and "The Things We Talk About When We Talk About Love" by Raymond Carver.

If you would like to discuss any of these works or others, I would love to talk to you.

Old Firehouse Books: The Rise of the Indie Bookstore

Two months ago, Old Firehouse Books received a major facelift -- a new name (formerly the Book Rack) and a new home, which is located at 232 Walnut St. in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins. And despite the ugly recession we're trying to crawl out of, the bookstore is doing quite well.

According to Jacqie Hasan, Old Firehouse Books' store manager, the new location of the store is making them busier than ever, which is mostly due to the foot traffic.

Their former location at 1801 S. College Ave. was not nearly as visible of a location. Hasan said that before, you would almost have to know of the store in order to visit.

The new location is not only great for more business, but also more in-store activities. Hasan said they can now have more space for book clubs to meet, for author events (book signings) and for being a "third space."

"We’d like to become a third space, a gathering place for people that’s not home and not work, but a fun place to be," Hasan said.

Tegan Hollen, an Old Firehouse Books sales associate, said that she is excited to be downtown because not only is the location great, but they have many more oportunities to be a part of the community.

"We're now part of the downtown business association, which gives us a lot of opportunities to cooporate with other businesses and events or advertising," Hollen explained. "It's been really helpful for the store because we didn't really have that before."

Hasan agreed and said that the Be Local movement is something they're proud to be involved with because Fort Collins has such a strong commitment to local businesses.

And their success is not just from their new location, but who is working at the store matters the most.

"We were able to move because of all the support from our customers," Hollen said.

Hasan said her employees love to work there and are proud to be part of the independent bookstore movement and provide some of the ambiance and culture people look for in downtown bookstores.

"The fact that our name is not Barnes and Noble helps, too," Hollen explains. "But really, its customer service when it comes down to it. We try and spend a little more time with the customers that come in."

Listen to a podcast of the interview here.

Is J.D. Salinger Still Writing?

According to the Galley Cat blog, all of the frenzied talk about J.D. Salinger suing the writer, publisher and distributor of the unauthorized sequel to "The Catcher in the Rye, prompted the grand question we all want to know: What has Salinger been doing these last 44 years?

We all know Salinger is reclusive and values his privacy, Galley cat said he hasn't had a published anything since 1965, but has he still been writing?

In an 1974 interview with The New York Times Salinger said, "I'm known as a strange, aloof kind of man. But all I'm doing is trying to protect myself and my work."

The interview tried to delve into the reasons why he was silent for 20 years -- he values his privacy -- so much so that he opts to not publish the writing he creates daily.

"There is a marvelous peace in not publishing. It's peaceful. Still. Publishing is a terrible invasion of my privacy. I like to write. I love to write. But I write just for myself and my own pleasure," Salinger said.

From this 25-year-old excerpt, we can assume that he may still continue to write, but author and journalist Ron Rosenbaum wonders if we will see any of his work during our lifetimes -- even after Salinger is gone (because of the privacy Salinger uses to protect all of his works).

"It's pretty remarkable—amazing, isn't it, when you think about it—that he stopped publishing when he was only 46, half a lifetime ago. He stopped publishing but may not have stopped writing," Rosenbaum said.

For all we know," Rosenbaum added, "he may be withholding what will turn out to be the eighth wonder of American letters. Or not."

More Film Adaptations of Beloved Books

Turning a book into a movie isn't a new concept, but it seems that every time I turn around another movie says "based on the best-selling book."

While I enjoy watching those movies to point out every shortcoming, glaring plot holes and flat characters, I also love being blown away by a film's adaptation of a text (e.g. "Angels in America" by Tony Kushner).

However, this time, I'm not sure if I can bring myself to stomach the film adaptation of one of my favorite childhood books "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak.

Since 1963, this has held a special place in our hearts and the film may turn out to be good (even if Mr. Eggers co-wrote the screenplay), but it may just turn out bad, too.

The film comes out in late fall, but the trailers are already out and depict a Max unlike the Max I knew and loved. The boy in the trailer doesn't close his eyes with haughty angst, instead he looks desperate and lost.

Although I'm worried about the movie tarnishing my memory with the book, I'm more worried that people will never read the book and experience the magic within the pages.

One book that may lose its magic adapting into a film is my current favorite book, "The History of Love" by Nicole Krauss.

According to IMDB's Web site, director Alfonso Cuarón bought the rights before the book was published to become a film in 2010. This book has several themes, but survival and survival of the written language are the crux of the story.

If this film is about survival of the written word, wouldn't that get somewhat lost in the film- making process? And although the film adaptation of Sendak's famed novel may lose some of its sentimental shine, Krauss' book has more to lose.

And if you haven't read "The History of Love" then you should be reading it today. Her writing is thought provoking and precise as it digs into my skin and makes me realize just how powerful words can be. One of my favorite passages in "The History of Love" says:

"So many words get lost. They leave the mouth and lose their courage, wandering aimlessly until they are swept into the gutter like dead leaves."

Laura Pritchett Discusses "Going Green" at Book Signing

On Saturday, June 6, Laura Pritchett attended the last book signing for her new book, "Going Green: True Tales from Gleaners, Scavengers, and Dumpster Divers" at the Barnes and Noble at 4045 S. College Ave.

The book, a collection of personal essays about from over 20 writers nationwide, including several Colorado writers, who focus on the way "being green" changed their lives.

Along with Pritchett, two of the local writers, Libby James and Paul Miller, attended the event and read excerpts from their essays.

Pritchett began the event by explaining that everything she was wearing was from a dumpster, except her shoes, which a friend gave her before they were thrown out. She explained that "dumpster diving" began as a way to occupy her kids that was "free and gave them something to do."

But as Pritchett and her kids continued dumpster diving, she said she noticed that while the free things in the dumpster were in good condition, often folded and smelling of laundry detergent was problematic. Soon dumpster diving became an ethical situation for Pritchett as she examined the ideologies in our society that made people throw usable items away.

Then she came on the word "gleaning" and that became her mission: to normalize gleaning.

Pritchett read an excerpt from her essay "It Keeps the Heart Happy" that detailed her experiences diving. She read: "Dive, Dive, Dive ... we're socially weird, but we don't care ... If only the Earth didn't have to give so much..."

Next, Miller read from his essay "Wood Blues," which was his experience with salvaging wood from his old house and also of blue-stained wood. Blue stain is a complex fungi produced by Mountain Pine Beetles when they successfully attack a pine tree, which has caused severe destruction to the western slope and soon the eastern slope of Colorado.

Then James read from her story "Of Bags and Rags." In her essay, she spoke about how she has had the same red windbreaker (she brought it for the audience to see) for 57 years. Her essay detailed her windbreaker as her "grand old rag that always stuck with me."

James said she also has another way she reuses -- she makes art out of old tea bags. And she said that moldy tea bags are great because they add a lot of color to her art. Her art, jacket and other items she reuses challenge her to see just how long an item can be reused.

Sherman Alexie Says e-Books Are Elitist

Famed literary author, Sherman Alexie attended the BookExpo America May 28 - 31 and spoke out against Amazon's Kindle and all e-Readers because he deems them as elitist. Alexie's rant against e-Readers caused quite the commotion and prompted him to clean up his message via his Web site.

In an interview with Edward Champion, Alexie said that e-books create elitism because not everyone can afford this technology, which creates a bigger economic gap among people in different social classes.

Although Alexie said e-Readers were elitist, he said it was more than just price -- it is about literacy and social issues. Sherman (among many) wonder if e-books become the primary mode of distributing books, then what happens to booksellers? So Alexie asks Amazon if they, "have any plans to fill the social gaps left by those closed stores?"

Alexie continued on to say that e-Readers may look nice, but they are an "anonymous box" that is trying to replace the book.

In the interview, Alexie responded to those offended by his remarks:

"I am taking a very tiny stand against many large corporations ... and all sorts of people are vilifying me for it ... They're treating me like I'm Goliath. It reminds me of the way people think of professional athletes and their salaries. All sorts of middle-class folks agree with the billionaire owners of sports team that the millionaire players may too much money."

Read the full interview here.

Local Bookstore Events June 2 - June 8

Here is your guide for all the local (and free) bookstore events happening this week:

Barnes and Noble

June 6, 2009 @ 2 p.m.
Laura Pritchett, author of "Going Green" will be reading from this book and signing afterward. Pritchett is a local author, an activist for Save the Poudre and an English professor at Colorado State University.

June 7, 2009 @ 2 p.m.
Conlan Brown, will be promoting his first book, "The Firstborn," which has sold 607,710 copies since its May 2009 release. Brown, a 25-year-old Greeley resident said he was "functionally illiterate until fifth grade."

Directions to the store are found here.

Reader's Cove

June 4 @ 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Local author Mike Campana, author of the children's book "Greedy Race Car Driver" will be doing an in-store appearance today.

June 6 @ 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Mystery writer, Beth Groundwater will be promoting her new book, "To Hell in a Handbasket." This is her second stop on her tour of the western United States. Two events for Groundwater down, only 23 more to go.

Directions to the store are found here.

Happy reading and have fun at these events!

"Catcher in the Rye" Author Files Injunction Against Sequel

On Monday, famed author J.D. Salinger filed an injunction against the publisher, author and distributor of the sequel to Salinger's classic, "The Catcher in the Rye."

According to an article on mediabistro's Web site, the sequel "60 Years Later Coming Through the Rye," was co-written by John David California and one of his publishers at Nicotext. The article continues to explain that a defense to Salinger's injunction could be that California and publishers were simply parodying Salinger's novel.

But in an AP article, Salinger's lawyer responds to that claim, "The Sequel is not a parody and it does not comment upon or criticize the original ... It is a ripoff pure and simple."

The sequel, which is dedicated to Salinger, features a 76-year-old "Mr. C" who all readers recognize as the aged misanthropic youth, Holden Caulfield. Mr. C escapes the nursing home and hits the streets of New York, which is similar to the plot of the original book -- minus the age and nursing home.

Salinger, a critically acclaimed American author, is known to be highly private of his personal life and also highly protective of his work. The AP article said that Salinger has filed injunctions and sued on four separate occasions (including the current injunction), and has turned down film rights requests from Harvey Weinstein and Steven Spielberg to make "The Catcher in the Rye" into movies.

And anyone who has read the book knows what that Holden would call anyone attempting to make money from the commercialization of the book would of course be -- phonies.

Book Publishers Fight to Stay Relevant in a Digital World

Book publishers, along with almost every media outlet, are feeling the squeeze of changing times and the pressure will only increase if they don't adapt to the current business model of media consumption, new media.

As sales decline and costs soar, publishers find it harder to pay authors and then print, distribute and promote their books. Publishing is becoming a risky business that is not making enough money. If publishers don't find a way to survive, what will happen to books?

They will die ... well, at least that is what blogger Jeff Jarvis asserts.

Three years ago, Jarvis wrote in his blog that the book is, "an outmoded means of communicating information ... but any medium that defines itself as a medium is in trouble."

And the trouble for books is spelled out in zeros and ones: binary digits.

Every medium is forced to change their mode of distribution, content (to be more Web-friendly) and the way they make money. And publishers have been taking notes, which is why on Thursday through Sunday at BookExpo America, technology (new media) was in the limelight.

Some questions publishers are (or should be) asking:

• Are books dead?
• Can books be saved?
• Are electronic readers the digital savior of books?
• What does the future hold for books?
  

Books Are Alive

So is Jarvis correct, are books dead or is there still hope for them?

Cherish Borland, 24, an English tutor in Fort Collins, Colo. who has a bachelor's degree in English literature, believes there is definitely hope for books, especially classics because those books will never die for one reason -- they are all encompassing.

"People don't turn to books as much these days because of new media, which is essentially laziness," Borland said. "Instead of reading a book, they sit in front of the television or computer, and the machine does the 'work' for them."

For Jack Lovelace, 61, a journalism and technical communication instructor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., the question of whether books will die depends on how death is defined. Lovelace believes books will always be around, but that print may eventually die out because technology is proving how rapidly things change.

"I'm confident that we'll continue to read in book form and continue to be interested in novels and non-fiction," Lovelace explained. "What I don't know is the form of how we will read the books."

Jill Mein, 44, an avid book reader and resident in Loveland, Colo., said print books will always be highly relevant in her life, despite the critics asserting their deaths.

"I have no stock in any other medium, just books. So no, books are not dead for me," Mein said.

Can Books Be Saved?

Since the Bronze Age (3500 to 1500 B.C.E.), the written word has existed via papyrus strips and clay tablets. This physical documentation of words is thousands of years old, so the attachment people have to a physical product is obviously not vanishing overnight.

Does this mean books should be saved?

Mein said no because there is not any imminent danger threatening the book industry.

"I'm not buying that they are (dying), so they don't need to be saved," Mein said. "What is disturbing about this is to think that a book is such a commodity rather than what it is meant for, to meaningfully enrich our lives."

But according to New York Magazine, the book industry is in a crisis, caused largely by the five conglomerate publishers who threw a lot of money into producing many different types of books by diverse authors. The result was that not all the investments panned out, in fact, many flopped.

To recover losses, CEOs pushed for," More blockbuster books, fast. Which leads to cutthroat auctions and ballooning advances. You can't win big if you don't bet big," New York Magazine reported.

Then is this crisis simply derived from the conglomerates desire for more profits?

Borland believes the book industry should not be about "what the gurus in New York want" because books are supposed to be about what the consumers -- not the owners -- want.

Despite some blockbuster successes (Harry Potter and the "Twilight" series) the gurus did not gain what they wanted.

New York Magazine continued to report that CEOs demanded more and more revenue from books, even though there was typically a 5 percent yearly increase. But CEOs didn't want a mere 5 percent gain, they wanted "double digit" increases from their blockbusters.

If their idea of mass-appeal books can't save this industry, then what can?

Digital Saviors: Kindle and e-Readers

AFP reports that Borders bookstore had a 12 percent drop in January 2009, so it's no wonder publishers are scrambling to invest in the new media hype of e-books, like the Sony e-Reader and the Kindle by Amazon.

And e-Books might just be the ticket publishers need to stay relevant in a digital world because it seems that Kindle is catching fire, despite its total price of $424 on Amazon.

"I'd like to have a Kindle for my birthday ... I've never seen one or used one, but I want to see what it's like to read a book on a Kindle," Lovelace said.

He added that while he enjoys the physical book, he is "real curious and open minded" about Kindles.

As a bibliophile, Borland prefers printed books, but feels that Kindles, e-Readers and iPods could provide a great outlet for people who may be hesitant to sit down and read a whole book. Instead, they could listen or read on their portable electronic devices.

"Literature and the written word is everything and there is no way that can die unless we die as a society," Borland stated. "But I wouldn't read a book on those devices because computer screens are not interactive, like a book, for me. I would miss the smell and portability of a book."

Mein, who said that she rarely uses a computer, agreed with Borland about the lure of an actual printed book.

"I love the feel of paper. I love its smell and portability, and I love to just look at the cover," Mein said. "I love being anywhere I choose with my book, especially my comfortable chair with my coffee and my blanket -- a plastic screen would take all of that away."

The Ambiguous Future of Books

Whether e-books can save the industry is uncertain, but Lovelace finds that the digitization of books is a good thing because it keeps publishers in business. Although, he added, publishers need to conduct business differently by adapting and changing with the times.

And that is exactly what publishers are attempting by embracing new media. Mein explained that despite these attempts, she will never willingly be a part of the digital phenomenon because she doesn't like the ever-changing technological aspect of it all.

"Someone gets the idea we have to have these things and I totally disagree. There's got to be a wall where this endless production of new gadgets ends. Take cell phones, every week there's a new one out! When is it going to stop?" Mein asked.

Although Borland believes digital books may draw more readers, she says the fate of books will pretty much remain the same as they are now.

"The real issue is teaching elementary and middle school students the importance of reading literature -- not any specific books in particular, just classic literature because that is what we're made of," Borland explained.

Whether e-books "save" the industry or not, there are those people who will embrace electronic books and those who resist it.

"I'm capable of being nostalgic about print days, but realistically, when I think about books I've loved and enjoyed, if I read them electronically, it's hard to believe I would say it isn't the same. There's content and books and reading and pace -- I'm not afraid," Lovelace said.

"But," he added, "It's a tough world and I'm curious to see where things will go."

Listen here to Jill Mein talk about her relationship with books and where she thinks books are heading.

Sequel to "The Catcher in the Rye" a Hoax?

On the count of three, all good literati will sneer at the idea of a sequel to J.D. Salinger's classic, "The Catcher in the Rye."

One...two...three...SNEER!

Well, at least that is what the proposed publishers, Nicotext believe the "literati" will do at this idea. And why shouldn't we? Hacking apart a classic is like urinating in the holy water -- you just don't do that. Period.

According to BookSeller.com, the book will be out sometime in June, while other reports say the release date is in the fall and that this may simply be a hoax. If it is or not, 90-year-old Salinger has his literary agent talking to lawyers about this potential sequel.

Whether the sequel is published or not, it won't be a serious fiction or even formulaic genre fiction, which is safe to say after examining some of Nicotext's publications: "Dirty Movie Quote Book," "Wasting Time," "Erotic A-Z" and "The Macho Man's Point to it Book" to name a few.

This book is probably a rouse, but regardless, it has stirred up people attached to the original book and people who love to read classics.

Although ripping off the classics seem to be a growing trend. For example, the fascination authors have to continuously build from "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, which has spawned too many recreations and disenchanted sequels (i.e. "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austen and Seth Grahme-Smith, "Mr. Darcy's Diary" by Amanda Grange, "Duty and Desire (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman Trilogy)" by Pamela Aidan and many more).

But this is only one instance, there have been prequels and sequels to numerous classics, including more by Austen "Sense and Sensibility" and the Sherlock Holmes Series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

It begs the question: why add to the sequel when the result subtracts from its original appeal?

If you or anyone you know wants to write a prequel or sequel to any classic book, tell them no. Friends don't let friends ruin classics or tarnish their names by writing rubbish.

More to come about "The Catcher in the Rye" sequel soon.

Reader's Cove Books for Monthly Book Clubs

Okay bibliophiles, here is the updated list for the monthly book club books for June, compiled from the Reader's Cove Web site.

Below is a list of book clubs and the books that club is reading.

• AVID "Then We Came to the End"
• Between the Sheets "Saffron Kitchen" by Yasmin Crowther
• Booklite "Dream When You're Feeling Blue" by Elizabeth Berg and "Glory in Death" by J.D. Robb
  
• Fearless Readers "Out Stealing Horses" by Per Peterson
• GNOWAT "Walking the Gobi" by Helen Thayer
• Kim Kirsch Book Group "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• Newcomer Bookies "Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexi
• NIOTA "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
• Redfeather Lakes "Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle
• Redfeather Lakes (Men's) "Team of Rivals" by Doris Goodman
• Tattered Cover Books "Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri
• Willow Springs "A Fine Balance" by Rohinton Mistry
  

For more information or any questions, send an e-mail to the Reader's Cove.

The Great Summer Reading Race Encourages Young Readership

Tuesday, May 26, kicked off the Great Summer Reading Race at the Reader's Cove Bookstore. The race is designed to encourage readership among students over the summer and the reward isn't just reading books, they actually receive prizes for reading.

Students can register anytime during the summer, but the biggest prize is $1,000 in books for the school with the most points. Young readers can read up to two books a day and prove they read the books by: skits, paintings, poems, pictures, sculptures, book reports, videos, songs and anything else that demonstrates they read the books.

The points and prices break down like this: anything from their treasure chest (zero points), $5 gift card to Reader's Cove (10), coupons to local businesses in the vacinity (15) and entering the drawing for the $1,000 in books for a particular school (25).

Although encouraging readership among students is a great way to guide them to read more (or at all), isn't reading itself enough of a reward?

Another program that started in the summer to encourage young readers was the 25-year-old show, "Reading Rainbow" with LeVar Burton.

The program featured a book, which was read by a celebrity, and then LeVar choose a theme that was related to the book. The themes usually involved looking closer at the way things were made (how jeans were made was my favorite!) or a particular profession.

Growing up, every Thursday afternoon in my elementary school we got end the day with this program and the words of the theme song still resonate with me today, "I can be anything! Take a look, it's in a book - a Reading Rainbow..."

Now really, what is better in the long run, prizes that will eventually be thrown away or the knowledge from books and the affirmation that I can be anything I want to be?

No brainer.

But either way, summer reading programs are great because they facilitate healthy relationships with reading literacy. Studies show that reading literacy has improved over the last 30 years, but that is primarily due to encouragement to read and not simply being compelled to read.

And as LeVar used to say at the close of every show, "'But you don't have to take my word for it...'"

Lisa Jones Visits Old Firehouse Books

Lisa Jones, the author of "Broken" will be appearing at Old Firehouse Books on 232 Walnut St. at Noon today.

Jones will be appearing to suppport Old Firehouse Books Brown Bag Lunch Author Series.

For more information visit their site.

Remembering Raymond Carver

It may be fortuitous, but nonetheless today is Memorial Day, which is also the birthday of the late precisionist writer, Raymond Carver (1938-1988).

The effects of his writing have been monumental in my life as a writer, and to sum him up would be degrading his memory as an indelible writer - who cannot be "summed up."

Understanding Carver is an experience, so I suggest starting by reading "Cathedral" and then go to "Boxes," "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love," "Errand," "Neighbors" and then "Fat."

After the first two stories you will be hooked and after the last four you will be fiendish for more Carver.

Although Carver can't be summed up, but he can have the last words, both of which are poems that appear on his headstone. First, "Gravy" is a poem that Carver wrote as an epitaph and second, the the last fragment he wrote:

"And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth."

Is Kindle a Passing Fad?

MSNBC reports that the Amazon Kindle, an electronic reader (e-reader) could possibly change the way we digest our printed materials. in the near future, despite only 1 percent of the U.S. population owning a Kindle.

The report also quoted Adrian Sannier, a technology at Arizona State University as saying that the impact of Kindle will be similar to the impact iPod has had.

With Oprah putting her support behind the Kindle, will her obedient fans also endorse this product (as well as everything else Oprah tells them is "fab-u-lous") or will this be a transition not everyone wants to make?

Sure, Kindle's are practical for the ever-busy jet setters, but what about the rest of us?

Would you invest in a Kindle or is this a passing fad?

Jhumpa Lahiri Proves Pulitzers Are Not a Glass Ceiling

In March 2008, Jhumpa Lahiri released her third published book, “Unaccustomed Earth,” her second collection of short stories. Although it has been over a year since its release, this book remains on The New York Times Best Seller List, as well as on the Old Firehouse Books’ Best Seller List.

Aside from the top-ten lists, “Unaccustomed Earth” is a popular choice among book clubs, which the Tattered Cover Bookstore book club is reading in June and the Between the Sheets book club read in May.

So why does this book continue to be so popular?

Simple, Lahiri’s prose stands out because her books don’t entertain readers through predictive plotlines and thrills like the other authors (Roberts, Picoult and Brown) on the lists. Instead, Lahiri’s prose reveals what all literature seeks to show: the human condition.

After reading “Unaccustomed Earth,” “The Namesake” (2003) and her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of short stories, “Interpreter of Maladies” (2000), Lahiri proves that winning a Pulitzer doesn’t create a glass ceiling because she has evolved passed it.

Her books often detail the lives of immigrant Bengalis and Indians, but readers don’t feel bombarded by Indian and Bengali ethnicity. According to Lahiri, she does not write specifically about Bengalis, she writes about them as people.

One large difference between her two short story collections is length. Her current book is 333 pages with each story about 50 pages long; whereas, “Interpreter of Maladies” was 212 pages with stories averaging 20 pages. This simple difference allows Lahiri to do what she does best – explore the depths of realism.

Lahiri’s stories are all rooted in realism. Change doesn’t necessarily happen because the plot is character driven, which usually means the changes are emotional. Lahiri does this exceptionally well, so much so that readers will become attached to characters and experience the palpable loneliness Lahiri details.

The first chapter entitled “Unaccustomed Earth” details Ruma’s life after she moves with her husband and child, Akash to Seattle and her recently widowed father comes to visit. When her father arrives, Lahiri doesn’t tell readers their relationship is strained, she shows it by describing all of the things each character does not say to each other.

She accomplishes this by her uncomplicated, poised and delicate prose, while simultaneously maintaining focus and motion in the story.

But not every writer can do this.

For example, Lahiri uses drying tea bags waiting for their second use as signposts. These signposts are simple, yet shows that if the bag isn’t reused there is obviously something more going on with the characters using the tea bag. Without these images, the character’s emotional changes would not be complete.

In each story, readers become more attached to characters and empathize with their palpable, digging loneliness. Lahiri is the master of detailing what it is like to need to belong, whether it is to belong to another person, nationality or idea.

And since this book’s popularity remains steady, readers understand it too because it is what the human condition is all about.

Google E-Library: A Monopoly?

The University of Michigan renews its five-year partnership with Google to continue digitizing UM's extensive library collection, "to make it searchable and discoverable online."

According to Wired Magazine, Google may be investigated by the Justice Department because of a possible anti-trust violation – making the world's biggest digital library. It was inevitable that one company attempted to make a digital library, but does this mean that libraries will die just like newspapers?

Other than the possible death of libraries, more people are concerned that Google itself is a bigger problem: a monopoly.

Columnist Brewster Kahle argues that the Justice Department should not allow Google to obtain a court-created monopoly because,

"Laws and the free market can support many innovative, open approaches to lending and selling books. We need to focus on legislation to address works that are caught in copyright limbo. And we need to stop monopolies from forming so that we can create vibrant publishing environments."

What do you think:

• Is Google a monopoly?
• What are we losing or gaining by the digitization of books?

Piers Paul Read in Fort Collins for Book Signing

This summer is starting off great, lots of books to read and authors to meet. And tonight is no exception because if theological thrillers are your bag, then be sure to attend Piers Paul Read's book signing at the Barnes and Noble on 4045 S. College Ave. May 21 at 7 p.m. (tonight).

Read, a British author, is on his ninth day of his 24-day promotional tour his new fictional book, "The Death of a Pope," another theological thriller, which seems to be gaining more popularity than ever.

In the wake of Dan Brown's success with "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons," Read picks up the pieces of the Catholic Church and is gaining praise and popularity for it.

Thomas Peters, a Catholic theology blogger, instructs readers to stop reading "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown and opt instead for Read's new novel because Peters says, "it is possible to write compelling fiction about the Church without attacking her at every turn."

And according to reviewer Mike Potemra, "Read's style is several notches above Brown's."

Read, a Somerset Maugham Award winner, has been writing nonfiction, fiction and plays since 1966. While his fiction is comprised of theological thrillers, his nonfiction meanders from stories about the Andes survivors, Chernobyl, the Crusades and even actors.

But to Read, his novels are always about Catholicism even if he does not intend them to be.

If theological thrillers are not your bag, then curl up with Jhumpa Lahiri's latest collection of short stories "Unaccustomed Earth" because I will dive into this novel on Saturday to see if Lahiri's writing has evolved post-Pulitzer.

Top Ten Best Seller Fiction Books and Local Authors

Often, The New York Times Best Seller Lists reign supreme because they offer a comprehensive list of the top books sold throughout the nation. But take a peek at the top ten list from Old Firehouse Books, you might just be suprised.

Old Firehouse Books Best Seller List for Paperback Trade Fiction

1. "The Tortilla Curtain" by T. Coraghessan Boyle
2. "Different Seasons" by Stephen King
3. "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen
4. "Odyssey" by Homer and Stanley Lombardo
5. "Tallgrass" by Sandra Dallas *
6. "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
7. "Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri
8. "Breakfast with Budda" by Roland Merullo
9. "Red Glass" by Laura Resau *
10. "Dancing in Combat Boots" by Teresa R. Funke *

(* indicates local author)

NY Times Best Seller List for Paperback Trade Fiction

1. "Vision in White" by Nora Roberts
2. "The Shack" by William P. Young
3. "The Guernsey Literacy and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer
4. "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austen and Seth Grahme-Smith
5. "City of Thieves" by David Benioff
6. "Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout
7. "Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri
8. "7th Heaven" by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
9. "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown
10. "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult

While the top sellers on each list still contain popular authors, local authors appear to be popular, too.

Laura Resau is a Fort Collins-based children's book writer. "Red Glass" is her third book and won several awards, including the Américas Award.

Local regional author Teresa R. Funke writes history-based fiction for children and teenagers. Her latest book, "Dancing in Combat Boots" details a few short stories of the fictional lives of women during World War II. Funke particularly focuses on women entering the workforce during the war.

Sandra Dallas, a regional writer lives in Denver and has been a journalist and writer in this area for several decades. According to the Old Firehouse Books Web site, her most recent book, "Tallgrass" is a historical thriller novel set during WWII that details a Japanese internement camp set in a small Colorado town.

For more information about local authors visit Old Firehouse Books or the Reader's Cove sites.

Richard Russo Visits Barnes and Noble in Fort Collins

All right book lovers, this is a summer book event not to miss. Tonight, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Richard Russo will be appearing at Barnes and Noble at 4045 S. College Ave. to support his most recently published book, "Bridge of Sighs" and he will also be attending a book group club.

"Bridge of Sighs" is Russo's seventh published fictional book and is deemed by some critics as "classic Russo." While other critics, like Janet Maslin, find that there are striking similarities both geographically and socially between "Bridge of Sighs" and "Empire Falls."

"Empire Falls" is Russo's fifth book that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for fiction writing.

So if you're planning on attending, get there early, bring your own copy of Russo's books and be ready to talk about the great American novel.