Ummm....it's summer already?

Okay, so somehow it is the end of July practically and we haven't even gotten some summer reading recommendations out to you all.  We are sure that you are all wondering what is going on. Well...fear not, we wouldn't dream of letting the summer go by without telling you all about the excellent new books we've got in and send you some spectacular titles to start reading.  And, for more than you'll find here, stop by and see us in the Library.  We have some great books picked out just for your reading pleasure on our summer book displays.  Really, there is a little bit of everything for anyone.
Adhering to our rules for summer book pics, we have compiled some simply fabulous and frivolously fun books.  Come check one out today.

But, this summer, we are doing something a little bit different.  We want to know what you are reading.  We want to know what you like, what's fun and thrilling on  your list.  So, to inspire your sharing, we are having a summer reading give-a-way.  Oh yes, there are prizes.  In fact, we have put together one awesome summer bag complete with beach bag, umbrella, picnic blanket, movies, books, and much more.  To win, tell us what you are reading and why you like it.  That's it.  You can comment here.  You can comment on our Facebook page.  You can Tweet us @LibraryTVCC #summerreads.  Or drop your book recommendations in at the Library.
Anyway you want to do it, let us know what you're reading today.  Oh, and you can enter as many times as you'd like.  We are here all summer.

And for our first reading recommendation of the summer, rather than pick a specific book, we are picking an all around great author that is well worth reading...and, fitting with our rules, is fun, easy to read, and highly entertaining.  That is the wonderful Mr. Bill Bryson, author of many books such as A Short History of Nearly Everything, A Walk in the Woods,
The Lost Continent: travels through small town America, and several others.  Bryson doesn't write fiction.  So, if you were hoping for the latest thriller, this is not your book.  However, don't dismiss Bryson yet.  Rather than made up tales, he writes very witty and often ridiculously humorous anecdotes about all kinds of things. The perfect kind of book for getting a kick start on your summer reading. 
All kinds of thing, you may ask...yes, all. 
For example, there is A Short History of Nearly Everything.  This is one of Bryson's best new titles.  In the last couple hundred years, the sheer volume of scientific discoveries and advances is astonishing.  And yet, as Bryson puts it, science and discovery is thrilling and exciting but the modern reader doesn't see that.  It's not the message but the messenger.  Most scientific texts are dry, full of terms the average person doesn't know, and become quickly uninteresting.  This book is not that at all. It stays true to Bryson's style and spirit.  To use John Waller's lines in an article written for The Guardian, this book is "The sheer improbability of life, the incomprehensible vastness of the cosmos, the ineffable smallness of elementary particles, and the imponderable counter-intuitiveness of quantum mechanics. He tells us, for example, that every living cell contains as many working parts as a Boeing 777, and that prehistoric dragonflies, as big as ravens, flew among giant trees whose roots and trunks were covered with mosses 40 metres in height."  Yep, not your typical science book.
And for the adventurer, A Walk in the Woods will leave you laughing out loud.  This is the account of Bryson's exploration of the most hiked trail in the United States, the Appalachian Trail.  There is an incident with a bear that is so fun, it's hard to read and keep the book in your hands.  There is the wisdom imparted to all nature fans, survivalists, etc. given while Bryson is shivering in his tent that will have tears on your cheeks you are laughing so much.  You will want to read this one and share it with a friend.

 Which one do we recommend?  Well....all of them.  Any of them.  These are fun, light, and guaranteed to make you smile.  And, they can be read all at once or in little bits at a time leaving you with a smile and a bit of adventure at every turn.  You may even find yourself reading them aloud to someone because you have to share what you are reading.  It is that good.