I’ve had a crush on author Alain de Botton for a while, now. It started when I read his Essays in Love and found myself wishing that I was the woman he had met and quickly began rhapsodizing about. When I read A Week at the Airport, I day dreamed that he and I met on a flight to wherever, and we struck up a conversation when he noticed me reading his book...

But it’s time for old Alain to move over and make room for my newest crush: Mark Haddon.

I’d picked up Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time some time ago, and then abandoned it after about 30 pages. But, I picked up A Spot of Bother recently, and couldn’t put it down! Haddon paints such a realistic portrait of the Hall family – you’d swear that you were a fly on the wall, watching as their pre-wedding drama plays out.

Now I’m fantasizing that I take a trip to the UK and stop in at a little pub where I meet a man who asks for my phone number. I have nothing to write it down on, and so I end up writing it on a page that I tear out of – you guessed it – Mark Haddon’s book. The man asks me if I like the book, and I start to gush about it:

“…such a realistic portrait of the Hall family – you’d swear that you were a fly on the wall…”

I realize that he’s smiling. I flip to the back of the book and check out the picture – it’s him! It’s actually Mark Haddon!!!

Now there’s a story! A story so romantic, in fact, that Mark (we’re on a first name basis, now) writes his next book about just such a chance encounter. And dedicates it to me.

Unleash your inner geek and get your author crush(es) on, at the Calgary Public Library!

The fashion! The eyewear! The furniture! And a typewriter so simple that “even a woman can use it”! What more could you ask for?

I may just be the only person on the planet who hadn’t seen Mad Men until about a month ago, when I borrowed season one and treated myself to a marathon. What an incredible drama!

Mad Men follows the lives of employees who work at Sterling Cooper, an advertising agency in 1960's Manhattan. The series reveals what work, home life, and relationships were like in the 60's, and how much they have (and haven’t) changed, since then.

What’s shocking to me is the idea that once upon a decade, I may have actually been able to smoke and drink at work. Not only that, but I might have been called “honey”, “sweetheart” or some other derisive term, by a colleague or even a boss! But Mad Men isn’t just about the differences between then and now. It’s a compelling drama about men and women, work, fidelity, families, creativity, and commerce.

So far, my favourite character is Peggy, who starts season one as “the new girl” and finishes it as a junior copywriter. But, I also love Joan Holloway, the foxy office manager and resident femme fatale. The casting is brilliant and each character is really unique.

If you want to get immersed in a swell new drama, make it the world of Mad Men! Place a hold today and have it delivered to the branch of your choice.

I’m a hopelessly devoted non-fiction reader, but a recent post on our Reader’s Nook blog encouraged me to read something that for me is atypical.

I’ve just started reading A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, on the recommendation of one of our Reader’s Nook posts. I’ve only just begun reading it, but already I’m enthralled. My protagonist has arrived in London, from China, and she’s made her way from a hostel to a room in the home of a Cantonese family. She’s registered for English classes and is working on understanding the present progressive tense. Just a few pages ago, my protagonist met a man nearly twice her age, and they’ve begun a romantic relationship. In fact, the protagonist now has a lover whose body “cries” for hers, and she’s discovering how to use birth control that her own family was too ashamed to talk about.

Non-fiction is certainly interesting and gives me plenty to mull over, but it seldom stimulates my senses. Now that I’ve delved into this story, I can enjoy the rich sensory experience that lives within well written fiction. I can feel the damp London streets. I, like the protagonist herself, can smell the sweaty skin of the lover. My olfactory lobe is working overtime, and I like it!

Bust out of your reading rut and pick up something entirely different. Let our staff make suggestions, and show you where to find a huge range of reviews and recommendations. We’ve got databases in our e-library that will make suggestions to you, based on what you already like, or the characters or themes you’d like to explore.

Here in Calgary, a stack of non-fiction books languishes on my desk. I’ll get to it, but for now, I’m busy wandering the streets near Tottenham Court Road...

Or, at least, he is in Philip Pullman's enthralling novel, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. I’ve recently finished reading this alternative version of the New Testament story, and I loved it! It was un-put-down-able, if I may coin a phrase.

As a student of religious studies, I was made aware that before the Bible was assembled as the book we now know, there were all sorts of different myths and stories about Jesus. Some of these stories claim that Jesus was a twin; others claim that Jesus escaped to Egypt while an unsuspecting dupe was crucified in his place. How fascinating to consider the alternatives...

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a story (repeat: story!) about Jesus and his twin brother, Christ. All the familiar players are involved: Mary, John the Baptist, Barabbas, and a flock of uptight Pharisees. But, this is a story unlike the one you may have read in Sunday school.

Pullman’s writing style is effortless and spare and yet he creates such wonderfully rich characters and atmospheres.

Check this book out over the Christ(s)mas holidays! I especially recommend it for those who are interested in religious studies, Bible studies, history and spirituality, and storytelling.

Shortly after I volunteered to write the Slice of Calgary blog, I had a momentary flash of self-doubt. What if I run out of ideas? Well, one year and over 190 posts later, I’m happy to say that I never (well…hardly ever) suffer writer’s block - how could I, when there’s always something happening in the library?

But writing my personal blog is different. I don’t have as many fresh ideas as I thought I might. Or if I do, I don’t like the way they sound, once I've made a first draft. Sometimes I’m not a very dedicated writer – and the proof is in the pathetic prose.

That’s why I’ll be attending Ten Habits of Successful Writers, with CPL’s new Writer in Residence, Gail Bowen.

All are welcome to join Gail on Monday November 1, as she gives tips and advice for successful writing strategies.

Register online, in the branch nearest you, or by calling (403)260-2600.

Each year the Calgary Public Library has a Summer Reading Adventure for children. As Malcolm Gladwell points out in Outliers, it’s incredibly important for children to read throughout the summer, so that they’re prepared to return to school in the fall. But the adventure is for adults, too!

Here’s a sneak peek at the adults’ Summer Reading Adventure:

Each assignment is a choice between “Inner Child”, “Armchair Travel”, or “Read from your Gut”, which are three categories that are disparate enough to appeal to just about anyone.

For my first assignment, it’s a bit of a toss-up. Do I choose Inner Child: Digging Deep, and read something about archaeology? Or, do I choose Armchair Travel: Europe? I think I’ll try to conquer both!

For Inner Child: Digging Deep, I’ll choose The Hebrew Pharaohs of Egypt : the Secret Lineage of the Patriarch Joseph, by Ahmed Osman. I read this some time ago, when I had an unyielding obsession with biblical archaeology, and I loved Osman’s alternative account of the relationship between Egypt and the Jews. If you’re interested in Western religious traditions, and / or ancient history, this book is a must!

For Armchair Travel: Europe, I’ll get a guidebook about Paris. I’m hoping to go in the fall time, so perhaps I’ll spend my summer months researching and planning. I particularly like guidebooks that provide maps for walking tours. There’s no better way to see the city than to walk its streets!

Starting June 17^th, drop into your library and start tracking your summer reading adventures. You’ll motivate your kids to keep reading throughout the summer, and you may even win a prize! Good luck!

(Or as they say in Paris, “bonne chance!”)