Upcoming Books and Spring Extracurriculars

NVLC chooses books on a quarterly basis.  We are excited to announce our books for May, June, and July!  Stay tuned to the blog to see if these choices were loved or hated.

1. May 2013: The Secrets of Mary Bowser (Lois Leveen)
2. June 2013: Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness (Susannah Callahan)
3. July 2013: The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Laurie R. King)

Readers who run, or runners who read?  Very excited to congratulate FOUR of the 12 NoVA Lit Chicks in their participation in a spring 5K this past March!  Way to go Emily, Lauren, Stephanie and Debra!  An excellent time was had by all and we are looking forward to more races in the future.

Looking for something fun to do next weekend (unless the Cherry Blossoms finally bloom!!), then check out this new feature from the DC Public Library:

WASHINGTON - Have you ever visited the iconic "Exorcist" steps in Georgetown, where a Jesuit priest fell to his death in the 1973 movie? If you couldn't remember exactly how the scene played out or never read the book, a new website will help add some context to your visit. 

The nation's capital is popping out of the pages of fiction and onto a map with DC by the Book which launched Tuesday.

Using Google map technology, viewers can click on map points shaped as books and see what book, author and passage reference an area in D.C. Each pinpoint on the map features the book passage and a link to the DC Public Library catalog where a member can reserve the book. 

Tony Ross, 41, a librarian at the DC Public Library, spearheaded the project. "We can all read a history of Washington, D.C., and learn about the city and learn about how it's changed, but it's a completely different thing to be in a story…and to come across a little hidden part of the city or a hidden piece of the city's history," Ross says. (Excerpt from http://www.wtop.com/1232/3264232/DC-by-the-Book-takes-readers-to-novel-locations)

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)

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!