Just got back from a fabulous tropical vacation. Blue waters, ocean breezes, white sandy beaches, palm trees.  Did you know that there are two speeds when you visit an island? Slow and slower!  This took a bit of time to get used to, but quickly became a wonderful adjustment to make.


One interesting surprise was to see the majority of the beach-goers reading.  Hardbacks, paperbacks, and now more than ever, eReaders.  LOTS of Kindles in the hands of many sunbathers.  I found myself sneaking peeks at book covers, curious about what others were choosing to spend their valuable downtime devouring--turns out I saw a lot of popular fiction by Patterson, Grisham, Clancy, and Stockett (The Help).  (Not sure what was on those Kindles, which is one downfall for the nosy, I guess.)



I sometimes found the librarian in me surfacing as I found myself singing the praises of free downloads from the library to those eReader owners.  Seeing the excitement on their faces was thrilling!

Just for fun:  The primary language spoken at my vacation destination is Papiamento, a mixture of several native languages.  Can you guess where I was?

Jill

I admit it: I'm not really that interested in who wins the Superbowl this year, but  I'll still watch the game!  Whether you can never get enough football, you're more of an occasional fan, or you are a "football widow" here are three books to check out:
America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation by Michael MacCambridge (796.33264 MAC)

Not as much a detailed history of football as a cultural look at how football became the most popular American sport - surpassing even baseball, which no one thought could ever happen.  The author frames the narrative around key episodes in the history of the game (it opens with the legendary game between the Colts and Giants in 1958) and many of the fascinating personalities (players, coaches & owners) who have dominated the sport.  A great read for anyone interested in gaining a "big picture" look at football's development.


Carlisle vs. Army: Jim Thorpe, Dwight Eisenhower, Pop Warner and the Forgotten Story of Football's Greatest Battle by Lars Anderson (796.33263 AND)


This account of one of college football's greatest contests was given a *Starred Review* by Booklist which called it, " A great sports story, told with propulsive narrative drive and offering a fascinating look at multiple layers of American popular culture."


When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss

Written by a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Sports Illustrated said this "may be the best sports biography ever published."


marlise