Various Book Related Events!

This is just a little boost for a few book-related events that I've been involved in or that I'm looking forward to!

First up, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival concluded last night with a big event at the Scera Shell Outdoor Theater. Randy and I went once a few years ago and had so much fun that I decided to get tickets to this year's event. Storytellers come from all over the country to be a part of this event. Last night was the Stories to Make You Laugh event, and it was all it was supposed to be! First they had a concert by the Stormy Mountain Boys. We got there just after they started and it was already crowded. But since didn't bring a blanket, we were able to squeeze in for some pretty good seats on the grass. The band was a lot of fun, playing bluegrass instrumentals, some vocal songs, and a little old-time gospel music. They also did a Mongolian folk song which was very cool.

I noticed that an unwritten rule for the festival must be that you bring your dinner to the event, because everyone was eating there but us. Pizza, Panda Express, sandwiches, fried chicken, pasta salad, fruit, you name it, they were eating it. And they had plenty of time to enjoy it, as we had a long wait between the band and the storytellers.

Eventually, the main event started. Some very funny perfomances last night, all were good, but there were a few standouts. One was a newcomer, first time at this festival, Kevin Kling, who told us all about Minnesota. He was the only performer who I found on iTunes, probably because he also performs on NPR. I'm planning on downloading some of his stuff. Then there was a mime who was hilarious. Antonio Rocha was his name and his performance was called "Turbulence." It was an airline flight from hell. So funny.

But the funniest of the night was Japanese storyteller Mokoto. Her story was about a nervous young bride who wanted to please her new family so much, that well, she held back just a bit. To say 'it brought down the house' would have been the literal truth if we hadn't been outdoors. I laughed so hard I could hardly breathe. Definitely the funniest story of the night, and it caught me off guard.

All in all, it was a great time. If you ever get the chance to go, you really should. Next year is the festival's 20th anniversary and they're planning on making it really special. Ellen's Girl Scout Troop got to volunteer and as a reward, they got some free tickets. So if you want to go next year, it's the first week of September. If you can't afford to go, why not volunteer for a few hours and then attend for free?



My next book related topic is the Big Read 2008. To quote the library's web site, "The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and bring the transformative power of literature into the lives of its citizens." The book this year is To Kill a Mockingbird. The library has a limited number of the books for free, one per household, and the sooner you get one, the better. Then they are planning several events to discuss the themes in the book. It's all free to you. If you have older kids, this is a good thing for them too, as the book is often read in school. To find out more, check the website at http://lib.orem.org.

And last of all, I won an award for my 'review' of Breaking Dawn at LibraryThing! It wasn't a review exactly, more like passing on my daughters views on the book. But I was chosen as a random winner and won a year membership to the site. Since I already have a lifetime membership, I'm going to give this one away.

Contest Rules

1. For every new comment you make on this blog, any post between now and September 10, you get one entry.

2. For every book you recommend in your comments, you get one more entry.

3. For every comment you make on my new blog, Chocolate and other food groups
you get another entry.

4. If you add a link to the contest or mention it on your blog, you get one entry. Just post here and let me know that you did so.

5. Winner will be chosen September 11. If you want to know more about Library Thing, follow the link to their website. I love it! It's a great way to keep track of the books you own or even want to own, they have lots of active talk groups, recommendation features, and other fun stuff.

Right, that's all for now! Happy reading!