Book World Twitter Roundup

Admittedly, the NoVA Lit Chicks are new to Twitter (you can find us at @NovaLitChicks!). Over the past two weeks, we've followed and tweeted and replied and retweeted to much success.  I think the most shocking thing is the sheer amount of book-related information out there in the Twittersphere.  However, if keeping up with the Book World on Twitter isn't your speed....here's a quick recap of Stuff We Found Interesting.  (And by "we" I mean, "me.")

Local Meet-the-Author Events

1. Meet author Sandra Beasley, author of a memoir, Don't Kill the Birthday Girl. March 20, 7:00 p.m. Burke Centre Library. (@FairfaxLibrary)
2. An evening with author Tom Perrotta March 22, 7:30pm at George Mason University's Center for the Arts, sponsored by the Fairfax County Library. Meet Tom Perrotta, bestselling author of Election, Little Children, Joe College, The Leftovers, and others. Cosponsored by Fall for the Book. Books available for sale and signing. (@FairfaxLibrary)
3. Chris Cillizza, Washington Post blogger and MSNBC political contributor, discusses the news and issues surrounding this year's elections. March 28, 7:00pm. Cosponsored by the Friends of the Pohick Regional Library. (@FairfaxLibrary)
4. Arlington Reads 2012 featured fiction author Jennifer Egan will speak on April 26, 7 p.m. at Arlington Central Library Auditorium, discussing her 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad. (@ArlingtonVaLib)

Used Book Sales

1. Looking for a cost-effective way to keep up your habit?  The Fairfax County Library has ongoing Used Book Sales at various branches throughout the year!  All branches also take book donations year round. (@FairfaxLibrary)
2. Arlington County Library has two "mammoth" used book sales a year...the Spring Book sale is April 12-15!  (@ArlingtonVaLib)

References

1. Got a question?  Ask a Librarian! (@librarycongress)

To-Read List

1. Too late for the Lit Chicks "Young Adult" theme, but wish this was around when I was a kid: Bad Girls Of History, How Wicked Were They?  NPR reviews The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Dastardly Dames, a book collection aimed at children ages 9 to 13. The collection is edited and published by Shirin Yim Bridges.(@nprbooks)

Fun and Games

1. Hungry?  Try a Hunger Games Recipe! (@HuffPostBooks)
2. Not hungry?  @HuffPostBooks tried out the "The Drunk Diet"...which, according to the article is really more like "Drink all you want, so long as you eat egg whites and run marathons."
3. "One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish." Take this quiz to see if you can identify famous authors by their styles. (@bookbench)
4. Where does DC rank? "Is your city hungry for the Hunger Games? Check out the top 20 U.S. cities reading the trilogy." (@amazonbooks) 
5. Listen to Christopher Walken read "Where the Wild Things Are."  Awesome. (@electriclit)

"They tell me you are a man with true grit."

You give out very little sugar with your pronouncements.  --Mr. LeBoeuf, to Mattie.

Last night, the NoVA Lit Chicks met for "Movie Night," in lieu of a regular book discussion.  We are resetting the calendar back to the first Tuesday of the month, so now we are back on track for April's discussion of The Weird Sisters, by Eleanor Brown.

Debra's book, True Grit, by Charles Portis, was recently remade as Coen Brothers movie and we decided to watch the new release as a group.  As the last book selection of our "Young Adult" theme, I chose this book for discussion because (a) it has a 14 year old girl as the hero and (b) I watched the old John Wayne movie with my grandfather as a kid.

Reading this book as an adult, and then watching the movie with my Lit Chick girlfriends, proved how timeless it is.  The dialogue was sharp and biting, all the more entertaining when we realized that nineteenth century western roughnecks have a better command of the King's English than we do. We joked that contractions must not have been invented in the nineteenth century.  Mattie's character never ceased to amaze, her negotiations and tenacity with Colonel Stonehill and Rooster Cogburn made you wonder who was the real adult.  Though Rooster Cogburn was the tough, whiskey drinking U.S. Marshal, based on Mattie's sharp tongue, adventerous spirit and dogged determination, I think we all agreed that she was the one with the "true grit."

Since this meeting was only two weeks past our March meeting, we opted to keep things simple and just ordered in pizza.  Thank you Sara for hosting, the food, wine, discussion and company was excellent as always!  See everyone at Carrie's in April!

Local NoVA Literary Events and Resources

Are you new to Northern Virginia?  Or just looking for somewhere to meet up with your follow NoVA book lovers?  Here are some local book-related resources:

Libraries
City of Alexandria, VA
Arlington County, VA
Fairfax County, VA

Our local libraries host events all year round, including used book sales, lectures, Meet-the-Author, and community events. 

Events
Fall for the Book (George Mason University, Fairfax, VA)
U.S. Library of Congress (events year round, Washington, DC)
Virginia Festival of the Book (Charlottesville, VA)
Washington Antiquarian Book Fair (Arlington, VA) 

Community Groups
FirstBook: Northern Virginia
Literary Council of Northern Virginia
Virginia Writer's Club (Northern Virginia chapter)

You can also check out the Washington Post's "Going Out Guide" and click on Book Events.  They keep an updated list of author book signings, readings, and lectures in the DC area.  Happy reading!