A Bit of Irony?

Many moons and one child ago I was a book reviewer for the Pleasant Hill Community Focus. This was just one of the many extra-curricular activities I partook in on top of being a full-time teacher. About four months into my second child I realized that I needed to start trimming my work load. Sadly, one of the activities that I needed to cut was the monthly book review for the Pleasant Hill Community Focus.

I went back to their website a few days to see if the articles were still available and found something very surprising and ironic. To be clear, I was not surprised (or upset for that matter) to see that my reviews had been taken down. The last one I wrote was December of 2010 (I think). What I did find surprising (and ironic) was that the new book reviewer is non-other than Pleasant Hill City Councilman Micheal G. Harris!

For those new to the blog and/or don't see the irony...
http://pleasanthillbookclub.blogspot.com/search/label/Michael%20Harris

Maybe it's the healing power of time or the fact that the Pleasant Hill Library has shown some solid improvement recently, but I am actually very excited to read his work. In his first post Harris gives an introduction to his life as a reader.
http://www.ourcommunityfocus.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Read+My+Mind%20&id=19176610#comments_19176610

It seems like he'll bring a lot of enthusiasm to his work and I am looking forward to reading his first review which I presume will be published in the August issue. You can find a link to the Pleasant Hill Community Focus book reviews on the right of this page just under the PHBC Book-Montage along with the book reviews of other publications. To see some of my old book reviews, you can travel even further down the right of the page and find them located under the interviews with local authors.

Book Borrowing Etiquette

What is the correct etiquette when borrowing a book? That is when someone, unsolicitedly, gives you a book they would like you to read. Meaning that you did not request this book, this person just gave you a book to read that they think you would like? Does that jump to the top of you reading to-do list? Or do you read it when it comes up at its place in your queue? What if your queue is ten books deep and you know it will be months before it is returned? Does the giver of the book understand the indefinite time period of this loan? Will they be insulted if you don't read it right away? They have essentially told you that they found this book interesting and would like to discuss it with you at a later time. Is it rude to ignore this cry for help and read it at your leisure?

Personally, I don't care when books I lend out are returned (as long as they are returned at some point). Although my usual motive is to clear space on the Tokyo-like overcrowding found on my book shelves and not the aforementioned need to discuss the book. With that said, however, I did once lend someone a copy of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2010 Pleasant Hill Book Club Book of the Year Winner) and it just sat on their shelf for months and months completely untouched and that was kind of annoying. I wound up taking it back with out telling them to see if they noticed. That was weeks ago and no mention of it yet.

Notes:
1. 'unsolicitedly' is not a real word. It sounds like it should be though.

2. I think this breaks the record for most question marks in a post. Don't you agree?

3. The book that inspired this post actually looks very interesting.

4. Please leave your opinions, if you have any, in the comments section.

Losing 'Focus'

Starting next month, the monthly Pleasant Hill Community Focus will no longer have book review contributions from the Pleasant Hill Book Club. But not to worry, they will start up again over the summer when your humble reviewer has a tad more free time.

Earth (The Book)

The review is now available at the Pleasant Hill Community Focus website...

http://ourcommunityfocus.com/view/full_story/11189078/article-Earth--The-Book--A-Visitor%E2%80%99s-Guide-to-the-Human-Race?instance=lead_story_left_column

check it out!

Shadow Divers Book Review

The book review for Shadow Divers is now available on the Pleasant Hill Community Focus website.

http://ourcommunityfocus.com/view/full_story/10807968/article-Shadow-Divers?instance=lead_story_left_column

check it out and give it a thumbs up!

while you're there check out some of the older reviews if you haven't before.

Latest Book Review Online

My latest book review is now available online if you'd like to check it out. It is a review the Thomas Steinbeck book In the Shadow of the Cypress.

here is the web address:

http://www.ourcommunityfocus.com/view/full_story/9669911/article-In-the-Shadow-of-the-Cypress-by-Thomas-Steinbeck?instance=lead_story_left_column

There are also two other reviews available on the site with more back issues to come at some point in the future.

New Website for Pleasant Hill Community Focus

Pleasant Hill Community Focus, which delivers 40,000 papers a month to Pleasant Hill and Martinez residents, has a new website. Its new address, www.ourcommunityfocus.com, is a huge improvement from it previous website. On their old site, users were only able to download a PDF of their current issue. On this new website, not only can you read all of their current articles online, but you can read much of their archived columns. One archived column you may be interested in is their book review section (written by someone you may be familiar with:).

Currently only the past two book reviews are available (What is the What, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) but the rest should be posted soon.

Here is a direct link to the book review section:
http://ourcommunityfocus.com/pages/columns_book_review

December Focus is Out!

The December copy of the Pleasant Hill Community Focus has been been mailed out. Inside you'll find the review for The Communication Problem Solver by Nannette Rundle Carroll. Stay tuned for next month's issue with the review for Super Freakonomics!

If you happen to be outside of the mailing area for The Focus check it out online:

http://www.pleasanthillcommunityfocus.com/

Big(ger) Time

Your humble blogger has gone black and white! Starting with the October issue of Pleasant Hill Community Focus you can now read my book reviews in print! In this month's issue I review local author John Keibel's book Behind the Barbed Wire. If you live outside of Pleasant Hill and didn't receive a copy in the mail you can read it online at http://www.pleasanthillcommunityfocus.com (page 9).

If you enjoyed this review, look out for the November issue in which I will be reviewing The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown as well as giving some book gift ideas for the holiday season.

If you are a local author, or know one, and would be interested in having me review one of your books for the paper please contact me at avkondon@pleasanthillbookclub.com.

Pleasant Hill Community Focus

Local paper, Pleasant Hill Community Focus, has written an article concerning the Pleasant Hill library cuts. Katherine Brackin's article, Reduction in Library Hours, gives all the details behind the issue as well as where to go to donate to the cause.

The paper's website is www.pleasanthillcommunityfocus.com.

To view this month's issue please visit: http://www.pleasanthillcommunityfocus.com/PHFocus_Aug09final.pdf