Tomorrow night marks one our yearly highlight events at Kenton County Library - an evening with our One Book, One Community author Rick Robinson! I've now been to a number of the meet the author nights and it's always interesting, insightful and fun. So many people have read this year's book, Writ of Mandamus, that I think there will be a lot of great questions for Rick.

In the book, "Congressman Richard Thompson is about to run for reelection and his only opponent is Sean Sullivan, an eccentric lawyer known for wearing fuzzy slippers in the court room and railing about the temperature of the Guinness served at Chez Nora (one of the many places you’ll recognize). But as Thompson and his wife prepare for a long-awaited vacation in Ireland, Sullivan files a writ of mandamus against him, and Thompson realizes that Sullivan is a more formidable candidate than previously thought. Then someone is murdered and the Thompsons are plunged into an investigation involving Keeneland, an Irish horse farm, an attack on CIA operatives and the smuggling of military aircraft parts to the Middle East." This is only one of several fast-paced thrillers that Robinson has penned, so check at the library for his other titles.

The talk is at the Erlanger branch on Thursday 10/25 and will start at 7pm. Robinson will also be signing books - if you don't have your own copy yet, you can buy one at the event for $5.

I describe some books as "a soap opera". It's not a criticism, it just means I think it's very dramatic, features over the top situations and highly emotional characters, and compels me to keep reading no matter what.

In the case of Rich Man, Poor Man by Irwin Shaw, the book is a grand family saga that chronicles  two brothers and their sister from the mid-1940's through the late 1960's. A difficult and bitter home life sends the Jordache siblings into the world on vastly different paths. Gretchen is the eldest and runs off to try and pursue a life in the theater; brother Rudy pushes himself to succeed as a businessman; and angry, defiant little brother Thomas is sent off by his father, and must try to make it on his own. Full of scandal, passion, triumph and defeat, this novel is the very definition of "popular fiction". I also suggest delighting in the made for TV mini-series from 1976 - we have it on DVD!

Are you interested in joining a book group that meets at your convenience? Come and be a part of Southbank Reads, an online book discussion group moderated by staff from the Kenton County Public Library and hosted through Goodreads.com. 

We read a book every month, and you have a whole week to make comments and ask questions - at whatever time works for you! I always find it interesting to read what other people think about a book, because even though we all read the same title, everyone has their own personal reading experience. Suggestions for future reads are always welcome.


The book for August is Let the Great World Spin, a novel set in 1970's New York City, by Colum McCann. I just checked a copy out!

Right Now I'm Reading:

Hero by Perry Moore

Why I'm reading it: I like superheroes. The idea of a young man learning about his power (healing) and how to use it to help other people as well as himself. Being invited to join a league of world heroes. Figuring out how to work as part of a team. Terrified to reveal that he is gay, but finding that the best way he can be a hero is to face his face his fears head on. I'm about 3/4 through now and enjoying the story. Some of it is quite improbable, but hey, it's about superheroes.