books – Ruth E. Hendricks Photography

Supporting Your Independent Bookstore and a Friend

October 11th, fellow blogger and friend, Audrey Kletscher Helbling, posted the news that her poem, “Funeral During a Pandemic” had been published in an award winning book- This Was 2020—Minnesotans Write About Pandemics and Social Justice in a Historic Year.

The collection was compiled by Paul Lai, a Ramsey County Librarian in Minnesota. If you click the link at “posted the news” above so you can see a photo of the beginning of her poignant poem.

There are 54 pieces of prose and poetry in the volume. I called the reference librarian at their library and was able to get the

ISBN# 9781087967622

I discovered the book could be ordered from your independent bookstore. So I did!

Here is a nearby independent bookstore, White Whale Bookstore (“a home for book lovers”) in Bloomfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh PA, just a few miles from my home. Today I went to pick up the book. I’m looking forward to reading it.

Hope you have an independent bookstore near you.

October 22, 2021October 22, 2021 by Ruth Categories: books, WritingTags: 2020, blogging, Bloomfield, book, Bookstore, Independent Bookstore, Minnesota Prairie Roots, Pittsburgh PA, Poem, poetry, Ramsey County Library, White Whale Bookstore 11 Comments

Little Library at the Bus Stop

I had to stop and get out of my car to photograph this new (to me) scene.

Little Libraries have been posted on the blog before -in the snow , one Laura found and one in Pittsburgh on Friendship Avenue

Here’s the one I saw today

And a bench to sit on and read while you wait for the bus

October 21, 2021 by Ruth Categories: books, PhotographyTags: books, bus stop, city scene, HIghland Park, Library, Little library, neighborhood, photography, Pittsburgh PA, postaday 15 Comments

Ground Control Has Been Released

Karen Hough’s first novel Ground Control has been released and my copy arrived in the mail today!

I am looking forward to diving in and devouring it tonight.

Remember the post where Canadian author Karen Hough was introduced? Her Aunt Joanne is my good friend whom you’ve met on the blog before.

Here are links for Book Club discussion guide and the link to purchase a copy. too.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56594348-ground-control

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ground-Control-K-Hough-ebook/dp/B08ZY15KGR/

Here is the link to subscribe to her mailing list (book club discussion guide): https://www.subscribepage.com/karenhoughwrites

Podcast. https://samplechapterpodcast.com/ka-hough-ground-control?fbclid=IwAR1Ou1zi4j9cot9lJTLyWeJQfEMcvVGK2_tEiR6zkR5M4grLi76Q7rDGr_s

April 26, 2021April 27, 2021 by Ruth Categories: booksTags: Amazon, book, book club, book release, first novel, Goodreads, Ground Control, Karen Hough, photography, postaday, writer, writing 8 Comments

Prisoner 88 Author at Kate’s Kid Book Bash!

People at Work Series- Young Adult Author Leah Pileggi with her book Prisoner 88

Leah Pileggi, Author, at her table display where she signed her books we purchased

from Leah’s Website

A ten-year-old in prison? Prisoner 88 is my middle-grade historical novel set at the Idaho Penitentiary in 1885. Check out the trailer!

Awards for Prisoner 88:*Indies Next List pick

*2013 list of Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts by the NCTE

*2014-15 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award (DCF) Master List (State of Vermont)

*2015-16 Nebraska Golden Sower Award List (in the YA catagory)

*2016 Charlie May Simon Honor Book (State of Arkansas)

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The scene was the Ace Hotel in East Liberty.

The event was Kate’s Kid Book Bash! on Sunday December 8th.

“A holiday children’s book marketplace celebrating the life of beloved Pittsburgh picture book author, Kate Dopirak. Proceeds benefit Reading is FUNdamental/Pittsburgh. Buy your favorite kids books (board books, picture books, middle grade, young adult) and have them signed by dozens of authors in attendance. Pop Up Bookstore by Riverstone Books. Storytime for little ones. Art demos by children’s book illustrators. Meet members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Bring your reusable shopping bags!”

Illustrator Cori Doerrfeld drawing a bunny while an appreciative audience watches in awe.

Below are two more books I purchased at the pop-up Riverstone Bookstore.

Then we went to each author’s table display to have them signed.

Author Sharon G Flake’s book

December 9, 2019 by Ruth Categories: booksTags: Ace Hotel, authors, books, Cori Doerrfeld, East Liberty, illustrators, Kate Dopirak, Kate’s Kid Book Bash!, kidsburgh, Leah Pileggi, literacy Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, Prisoner 88, reading, Reading is FUNdamental, Riverstone Books, Sharon G. Flake 2 Comments

Now a Library

Now a library. Photographed in Berlin in June.

August 1, 2019 by Ruth Categories: booksTags: Berlin, books, Library, phone booth, photography, postaday, travel 12 Comments

Man’s Best Friend and Books

The sculpture of the dog with a stack of books on his head has always caught my attention when I drive by the Millvale Community Library. Tonight Steve and I walked down Grant Avenue after dinner to see it up close. What an invitation to come inside and find a good book to read.

The artist is Pittsburgh sculptor James Simon and the sculpted dog’s name is Pages.

And how about those magnificent door handles? I know there’s a story there.

Miilvale. Just across the Allegheny River from the city of Pittsburgh. You’ve seen my posts of Panza Gallery, Grant Avenue Bar, McWalker Yarns, Jean-Marc Chatellier Bakery, Tazza D’Oro, bicycle racks and Esthers’s Hobby Shop -to name a few.

Millvale Community Library 213 Grant Avenue Millvale, Pennsylvania

http://millvalelibrary.org/staff-board/

April 24, 2019 by Ruth Categories: books, PhotographyTags: #MillvalePA, artist, books, dog, James Simon, Library, Millvale Community Library, Millvale PA, sculpture 4 Comments

I didn’t even know who Mercy Watson was Until Last Week

Mercy Watson books have been checked out of the Columbus Public Library and are now at home with my grandson Charlie, 3 1/2.

I’d never heard of the existence of Mercy Watson prior to last week’s Ohio visit. Charlie has always liked his soft pig toy and has a small pig on the kitchen counter where he eats lunch.

Mercy Watson is a pig. No, edit that statement

“Mercy Watson is a porcine wonder.” says Mr and Mrs. Watson

The author is Kate Di Camillo and illustrated by artist Chris Van Dusen

Seems that ‘buttered toast’ is a favorite of Mercy Watson.

Laura created a Mercy Watson breakfast for Charlie.

He was adjusting the mouth/cashew.

That is hand squeezed oj accompanying the toast. Mmmmm.

I should have taken one more shot of the empty breakfast tray.

a screenshot for the Mercy Watson site

January 28, 2019 by Ruth Categories: books, PhotographyTags: author, breakfast, buttered toast, children's literature, Chris Van Dusen, Columbus Public Library, family, food, illustrator, Kate DiCamillo, Mercy Watson, pig, porcine, reading 7 Comments

Since 1930, A Children’s Classic

The Little Engine That Could. There have been lots of different editions but this one that Maura is reading to her cousin Charlie is the Complete and Original. The author name is a pseudonym as I looked up the Watty Piper. Lots of discussion about the origin of The Little Engine That Could story in this throughly researched article by Roy E Plotnick- University of Illinois in Chicago

There’s an abridged version and a board book one out in bookstores now and the illustrations have been updated?jazzed up. (Not necessarily for the better in my opinion_ Guess I’m “Old School”.

Charlie loves trains and he likes the flow of language in the story……”I think I can, I think I can, I think I can,” and the rhythm of “I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could, I remember my mother reading it to me.