Some 80 people showed up at the Kentwood branch on Saturday to hear 18 Michigan authors talk about the craft of writing and the challenges of publishing. Attendees said they were inspired by what was shared and the authors were thrilled to be able to share their knowledge.

There are 4 more solo appearances through mid-May scheduled for various KDL branches as part of our Celebrate the Mitten authors series. Come out and support Michigan authors!

Pictured below, from top to bottom:

• Horror novelist R.A. Evans, author of Asylum Lake, had plenty to say during a panel discussion about the growing respect for self-published books and the importance of marketing for authors.
• Traverse City-area mystery authors Aaron Stander, Mardi Link and Elizabeth Buzzelli. Their panel discussions regarding publishing foibles got a lot of laughs from the audience.
• Young adult suspense novelist Tess Grant and novelist Kristina Riggle talk with Grand Rapids Press columnist Tom Rademacher.

We are busy getting ready for our Giant Warehouse Book Sale this weekend… take a peek:

Now that’s a lot of books! You are bound to find something that you just need to have.

The sale will take place at KDL’s Service Center in Comstock Park (814 West River Center Dr., one block north of the Fifth Third Ball Park, behind Wendy’s).

Schedule:
Friday, April 27, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday, April 28, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday, April 29, 1:00 – 4:00 PM

Chris Crutcher, award-winning teen author of Deadline and Whale Talk, as well many other titles, takes a little time to tell us why he thinks guys reading is important, and to recommend one of his favorite guy titles:

You can find Chris’s books here, and while you are at it, check out his recommended titles — Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and the Guys Read short story anthologies edited by Jon Scieszka.

Don’t forget that we also have a Guys Read contest going on right now, until the end of April. All you have to do to enter is rate or review a book on our Guys Recommend review page, and you could win an autographed copy of The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt or an American Chillers poster autographed by Johnathan Rand.

If you could recommend any book to Guys, what would it be?

And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano

Hope and patience are of great importance in this story of a boy who is waiting for seeds to sprout and bloom.  He wonders if the seeds will bloom at all, imagining they’ve been stepped on by other animals that are unaware of what lies beneath the ground.  The boy is accompanied by a dog, turtle, and rabbit, which are also wishing and waiting for the garden to bloom. 

This story is perfect for children who are done with the doldrums of winter and look forward to all spring has to offer.  Reading the poetic text together and investigating the soft, yet detailed illustrations would be a great way to pass time on a rainy spring day.  This book would work best for one-on-one reading, or for a small group.  The pictures help tell the story, and you and your child can talk about what each character hopes to grow.  Talking and reading together are great ways to get your child ready to read!  After reading this story, you may even be inspired to plant your own seeds, or visit a nursery to learn more about gardening.

This article originally appeared in our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

To view 10 of the most popular Adult Biography titles at KDL this year, click on the link to the KDL Top Ten List!

The first in a planned trilogy, Grave Mercy introduces Ismae—a beautiful assassin called  to kill those who have been marqued by Death himself. She receives training in the arts of weaponry and poisons at a convent in Brittany before being sent out into the world on kill-missions. When the convent instructs her to kill, she is to obey; no questions asked. But Ismae finds herself at a crossroads when her intended target is not who the convent thinks he is.

Grave Mercy is an engrossing book with a very interesting setting and a super fast-paced plot. The characters are believeable and intense. Future installments will feature some of Ismae’s assassin friends more prominently. The next book is scheduled to be released in early 2013.

Click here to place a hold on Grave Mercy.

Check out the author’s website http://www.robinlafevers.com/ for historical information about the setting and characters as well as other book related topics.

The Iron Throne is a difficult place to rest!  While the Stark and Lannister families continue to battle for the crown and an exiled dragon princess discovers her power, what should you read next?  If you are looking for some other options while you are waiting for the next book in the series, be sure to check out KDL’s new readalike book list!

My personal recommendations are Robin Hobb’s wonderful Farseer Saga which begins with Assassin’s Apprentice, or Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series which is sure to make you wish you could “burn metal” as well.

Also, season one of the HBO Game of Thrones series is available on DVD.

Learn languages everywhere you go with Mango Languages! The free Mango Mobile Library Edition app is now available for both iOS and Android, offering a powerful language learning platform that delivers fast, easy and effective language learning wherever your travels take you. Full featured, it gives you access to all the Mango language courses offered through Kent District Library.

For the app to work, you must have an account with Mango set up through KDL’s website, and an iOS or Android device.  Once the app and lessons have been downloaded, you can learn at your own pace, with or without an internet connection.

Have questions? Get answers here.

Local author Caitlin Horrocks will be at the East Grand Rapids branch at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, April 24 to read from and sell and sign copies of her book of short stories, This Is Not Your City. For aspiring authors, she’ll also talk about what she calls “my twisty path” to getting the book published.

Horrocks is an assistant professor of writing at Grand Valley State University and a fiction editor at West Branch. She was born in Ann Arbor in 1980 and has lived in Ohio, Arizona, England, Finland and the Czech Republic.  Her stories and essays appear in The New Yorker, The Best American Short Stories 2011, The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009, The Pushcart Prize XXXV, The Paris Review, Tin House, One Story and elsewhere. Her work has won awards including the Plimpton Prize, a Bread Loaf Writers Conference Fellowship and scholarships from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and the Norman Mailer Writers Colony.

Horrocks’ appearance is part of KDL’s Celebrate the Mitten author series, which includes more than a dozen published authors from around the state appearing at various branches through May, and an author showcase from 1:00 to 4:00 PM this Saturday, April 21, at the Kentwood branch.

“Knock, Knock, Who’s There?…Tom Rademacher”