A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be wandering the streets of Edinburg, Scotland, and noticed people having their photos taken in front of a nice but unassuming coffee shop. Upon further investigation, I realized that this was the place where J. K. Rowling spent hours writing the Harry Potter books. It turns out that the authors Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith have also been known to frequent this shop. Of course, suddenly I had a craving for tea and scones. Once entering Elephant House, I was totally charmed by the place. The relatively narrow entrance opened up to a large, airy backroom with a great view of Edinburg Castle. I couldn't help but sit there and have the castle morph into Hogwarts in my mind. This, for me, was a literary thrill.

Edinburg was lovely, but you certainly don't have to travel that far for your own literary thrill. If you need a starting point, why not check out Traveling Literary America: A Complete Guide to Literary Landmarks by B. J. Welborn. For more options even closer to home, there's The Booklover's Guide to the Midwest: A Literary Tour by Greg Holden. Happy exploring!

In case you missed it, Good Morning America had a nice round-up of books that teens might want to read this summer (adults, too if you ask me). You can see the video clip below. We also have an updated list of YA books that we think adults will enjoy.

marlise

Beat the heat & take a dip into the latest YA display up on the mezzanine located at the top of the stairs.

Let your inner teen float to the surface!

jdc

Whether or not you have caught World Cup fever, take a look at these books about soccer:

The ESPN World Cup Companion: Everything You Need to Know About the Planet's Biggest Sports Event by David Hirshey and Roger Bennett (796.334668 HIR)

The World Cup: The Complete History by Terry Crouch (796.334668 CRO)

Kick the Balls: An Offensive Suburban Odyssey by Alan Black (796.334 BLA)
"Fever Pitch meets Trainspotting in this laugh-out loud, caustic account of one man's attempt to coach a peewee soccer team"

Bloody confused!: A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer by Chuck Culpepper (796.334 CUL)
"In the throes of becoming jaded and cynical about the American sportswriting scene, Culpepper, a London-based Los Angeles Times journalist covering European sporting events, writes about the internationally known Premiership soccer league and its overzealous fans..."

More Than Just a Game: Soccer vs. Apartheid: The Most Important Soccer Story Ever Told by Chuck Korr with Marvin Close (796.334 KOR)

Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the US, Japan, Australia, Turkey--and Even Iraq--are Destined to Become the Kings of the World's Most Popular Sport by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski (796.334 KUP)

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, An American Town by Warren St. John (796.334 StJ)
"The extraordinary tale of a refugee youth soccer team and the transformation of a small American town"

Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans, and Freaks by Jamie Trecker (796.334668 TRE)

mcs

Question: What Father's Day gift do you get for the dad who loves to read?
Answer: A book.

But not just one--how about a book that suggests 100 Must-Read Books for Men? If your dad loves Clancy and Patterson, Ludlum and W.E.B. Griffin, he's going to appreciate this little paperback packed with suggestions for the reader who enjoys detailed, fast-paced thrillers.

Want to take a look? A copy is available at the Readers Services Desk.

jdc

The Chicago Tribune's Printer's Row Book Festival, that annual rite of summer for bookies, takes place on Saturday and Sunday, June 12 an 13, from 10 AM to 6 PM. Located in a multi-block area near 700 South Dearborn Street, the festival will host more than 100 free literary programs, including panel discussions and book signings with authors such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi, Elizabeth Berg, Gillian Flynn, Christopher Hitchens, Sebastian Junger, Anne Lamott, and Katharine Weber. Programs are held at some eleven stages located throughout the festival site, and more than 150 dealers of used and new books will be selling their wares.

ch

You are probably used to seeing trailers for upcoming movie releases, but how about movie trailers for books? They've become an important part of marketing books, from "big budget" productions to homemade films. I'm not sure how much they actually help sell books, but they certainly can be fun to watch. They even have their own award (the Moby Award) and you can watch many of 2010 winners of "best and worst" book trailers on this site.

My recent favorite is by romance writer Tessa Dare who used her own camera and family toys to make a creative and funny trailer for her "Stud Club" trilogy. Enjoy!