Pig Skull Book Club

Out of the Silent Planet, Jan. 17, 2010

2009-11-30T20:25:00.004-05:00

The evil mad scientist, Dr. Westin, needs a human sacrifice to take with him in his spaceship to the red planet, Malacandra. He chooses Dr. Ransom, an early 20th century British philologist, as his victim. Ransom soon finds himself on a strange planet with strange creatures who are protected by super powered, almost divine, beings. He escapes the evil Westin and seeks help from Malacandra's denizens and their divine protectors. Ransom gradually learns there is much more at stake than his own life and becomes part of a celestial showdown between Good and Evil.

Out of the Silent Planet is C.S. Lewis' first installment in his space trilogy that includes Perelandra and That Hideous Strength. If you like Chronicles of Narnia, you will like Out of the Silent Planet. Join us for a Pig Skull discussion.

Pizza and Mister Monday, Nov. 15

2009-10-27T14:30:00.012-04:00

PIZZA PARTY at the Nov. 15 Pig Skull Meeting. We will have a discussion of Mister Monday to go along with the pizza.

"Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is, in fact, supposed to die an early death. But then his life is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock.

Arthur is safe but his world is not. Along with the key comes a plague brought by bizarre creatures from another realm. A stranger named Mister Monday, his avenging messengers with bloodstained wings and an army of dog-faced Fetchers will stop at nothing to get the key back--even if it means destroying Arthur and everything around him.

Desperate, Arthur ventures into a mysterious house--a house only he can see. It is in this house that Arthur must unravel the secrets of the key and discover his true fate" (taken from the back cover of Mister Monday).

Join the Pig Skulls as we gorge ourselves on pizza and great discussion.

Ghost Canoe, Oct. 18

2009-09-22T14:15:00.007-04:00

You can't beat Will Hobbs for adventure and mystery. We Pig Skulls have read his Wild Man Island and Far North which lean heavily on the theme of survival in the wilderness. Ghost Canoe is different. It is a Pacific Northwest mystery bristling with an island lighthouse, shipwrecks, Spanish gold, an ancient Indian canoe tomb, whaling, Makah Indians, a secretive "hairy man," unexplained footprints on a desolate beach and murder. Young Nathan MacAllister is determined to piece together the clues even if it means his own death.

The Sword and the Circle, Sept. 20 Meeting

2009-08-23T13:26:00.010-04:00

Author Rosemary Sutcliff is a master reteller of classics. We Pig Skulls read her excellent retelling of Homer's Odyssey some time ago. The Sword and the Circle continues this pedigree of excellence and makes the ancient Arthurian legend accessible to readers leery about reading Malory's version.

Learn how Merlin and London's Archbishop make it possible for young Arthur to claim his rightful inheritance as High King of all Britain at a time when Roman Legions have abandoned native Celts and Romans to invading Saxons. See the mysterious Lady of the Lake's hand bestow Arthur with the sword Excalibur. Read about the creation of the Knights of the Round Table and marvel at the knights' many quests. Experience knightly chivalry and damsels in distress.

The Sword and the Circle is the first installment of Sutcliff's trilogy that includes The Quest for the Holy Grail and The Death of King Arthur.

Ender's Game, Aug. 16 Meeting

2009-07-22T16:41:00.009-04:00

"Once again, Earth is under attack. Alien 'buggers' are poised for a final assault. The survival of the human species depends on a military genius who can defeat the buggers.

But who?

Ender Wiggin. Brilliant. Ruthless. Cunning. A tactical and strategic master. And a child.

Recruited for military training by the world government. Ender's childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battle School. Among the elite recruits Ender proves himself to be a genius among geniuses. In simulated war games he excels. But is the pressure and loneliness taking its toll on Ender? Simulations are one thing. How will Ender perform in real combat conditions? After all, Battle School is just a game.

Right?" (from Ender's Game back cover)

Ender's Game is the first installment of a series.

Seventh Son, July 19 Meeting

2009-06-20T10:55:00.002-04:00

"Using the lore and folk magic of the men and women who helped settle a continent and beliefs of the tribes who were here before them, Orson Scott Card has created an alternate frontier America where folk magic works and has colored the entire history of the colonies. It is into this world, amid the deep wood where the Red Man still holds sway, that a very special child is born..." (from Seventh Son back cover).

Seventh Son is the first installment of Card's six-part Alvin Maker series. We Pig Skullers will be discussing this book at our Sunday, July 19 meeting. See ya there!

The Lighting Thief, June 14 Meeting

2009-05-20T16:43:00.005-04:00

"Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves" (taken from the back cover of The Lightning Thief).

Some interesting notes for the Pig Skulls: in The Lightning Thief Percy has ten days to find Zeus's stolen thunderbolt. This turns out to be June 21, the Summer Solstice. June 21 was the original meeting date for discussing this book. June 21 is also Fathers' Day and the birthday of one of our Pig Skull dads!

Gregor the Overlander, May 17 Meeting

2009-04-30T08:48:00.002-04:00

"When eleven-year old Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their New York apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city. There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches, and rats--but the fragile peace is about to fall apart.

Gregor wants no part of a conflict between these creepy creatures. He just wants to find his way home. But when he discovers that a strange prophecy foretells a role for him in the Underland's uncertain future, he realizes it might be the only way to solve the biggest mystery of his life. Little does he know his quest will change him and the Underland forever." (from Gregor the Overlander backcover).

Piggy Boots

2009-03-30T10:26:00.002-04:00

I've heard of "pig in a blanket" but this little porker has other ideas. Cinders as a piglet didn't like getting her feet dirty. Her owners outfitted her with children's boots. She was one happy pig.

Soldier's Heart, April 19 Meeting

2009-03-17T10:51:00.001-04:00

Soldier's Heart tells the story about 15 year-old Charley Goddard from Minnesota who joins the First Minnesota Volunteers in 1861 to fight the "Rebels" and prove he is a man. Charley's dreams of adventure, excitement and glory are quickly throttled by the brutal, bloody reality of fighting at Bull Run and Gettysburg. He quickly matures into manhood but it is not the manhood he envisioned. This is a short book, yet its quick pace and vivid details of battle contribute to the sense of authenticity. The horror of battle is real. The lingering sadness of soldier's heart (shell shock) is also real.

The Captain's Dog, March 15 Meeting

2009-03-02T23:37:00.004-05:00

Dogs, history, Lewis & Clark, canoeing, hunting, fishing, camping and swatting skeeters--The Captain's Dog bursts with all this cool stuff. The doggy point of view is a unique and entertaining way to present this important historical event. Author Roland Smith does a good job of fleshing out excerpts of Lewis' journal with Seaman's doggy recollection of a united team of superbly-led men braving uncharted territory, starvation, disease, numbing cold, doubts, disappointment and depression to find the fabled Northwest Passage. There is an interesting aside weaved into the story featuring White Feather, a mysterious crow that appears at odd moments only to Seaman. This reminds me of the equally mysterious ravens in Will Hobbs' Far North. There are some funny moments such as Seaman marking his territory (it's a guy thing) and his encounter with a cat that is bigger than any cat he has ever seen ("It's not natural!").

Far North Discussed At Feb 15 Meeting

2009-03-02T22:44:00.003-05:00

What a great story. A bush pilot and his plane plunge over a thundering waterfall stranding two teenage boys and an old Dene Indian in Canada's desolate Northwest Territories. It's only because of the old Indian and his old Indian ways that the two boys learn how to cope with 60 below zero temperatures, near starvation and some mysterious ravens. The boys learn respect for the old ways and the old people who desperately desire to pass on their ancient wisdom.

Crispin, Jan. 18 Meeting

2008-12-15T16:27:00.006-05:00

"Set in 14th-century England, [Crispin] begins with a funeral, that of a village outcast whose past is shrouded in mystery and whose adolescent son is known only as 'Asta's son.' Mired in grief for his mother, the boy learns his given name, Crispin, from the village priest, although his presumably dead father's identity remains obscure. The words etched on his mother's treasured lead cross may provide some clue, but the priest is murdered before he can tell the illiterate lad what they say. Worse, Crispin is fingered for the murder by the manor steward, who declares him a 'wolf's head'—wanted dead or alive, preferably dead. Crispin flees, and falls in with a traveling juggler. 'I have no name,' Crispin tells Bear, whose rough manners and appearance mask a tender heart. 'No home, no kin, no place in this world.' How the boy learns his true identity (he's the bastard son of the lord of the manor) and finds his place in the world makes for a rattling fine yarn. Avi's plot is engineered for maximum thrills, with twists, turns and treachery aplenty, but it's the compellingly drawn relationship between Crispin and Bear that provides the heart of this story. A page turner to delight Avi's fans, it will leave readers hoping for a sequel." (Publishers Weekly, vol 249, issue 22, p88)

We Pig Skullers will discuss Crispin at our Jan. 18 meeting.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Dec. 14 Meeting

2008-11-28T14:36:00.002-05:00

Nine-year-old Bruno and his family move from Berlin after Hitler puts Bruno's dad in charge of a barb-wired camp in Poland. Bruno doesn't understand why the children in striped pajamas on the other side of the face aren't allowed to play with him. Bruno secretly makes friends with Schmuel; a boy on the "other side." Bruno learns many things from Schmuel but not quite enough.

We Pig Skullers will discuss The Boy in the Striped Pajamas at our December 14 meeting.

The Amulet of Samarkand Nov. 16 Meeting

2008-11-28T14:07:00.006-05:00

"Nathaniel is eleven years old and a magician's apprentice learning the traditional arts of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells way beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure he find himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder and rebellion." (from The Amulet of Samarkand backcover).

The Amulet of Samarkand is a great blend of adventure, magic and humor. Jonathan Stroud is a wonderful writer. We Pig Skullers will discuss this book November 16.

Pig Skull Billboard Appears In Georgetown, KY

2008-08-11T17:43:00.002-04:00

The Pig Skull Book Club billboard featuring Pig Skullers Norm and Ben went up late July 2008 on Cherry Blossom Road near Wal-Mart.

New Artemis Fowl Book--The Time Paradox

2008-07-15T15:43:00.003-04:00

"Artemis must travel back in time to find a living specimen of a now-extinct species of lemur whose brain fluid holds the cure to his mother's life-threatening illness."

Black Potatoes June 15 Meeting

2008-05-27T16:50:00.006-04:00

"In 1845, disaster struck Ireland. Overnight, a mysterious blight attacked the potato crops turning the potatoes black and destroying the only real food of nearly six million people. Over the next five years, the blight attacked again and again. These years are known today as the Great Irish Famine, a time when one million people died from starvation and disease and two million more fled their homeland.

"Susan Campbell Bartoletti tells the compelling story of men, women and children who survived against all odds: they defied landlords and searched empty fields for scraps of harvested vegetables and edible weeds, walked several miles each day to hard-labor jobs earn meager wages and to reach soup kitchens, and committed crime just to go to jail where they were assured a meal. Black Potatoes is the story of the heroes among the Irish people and how they held on to hope." (from Black Potatoes back cover)

We Pig Skullers will discuss Black Potatoes at our Sunday, June 15 meeting.

The Pig Scrolls

2008-05-01T09:19:00.008-04:00

"Behold Gryllus, a smarty-pants former crewman of the storied Odysseus, transformed by Circe into a swine--and perfectly content to stay that way. Until, that is, the pushy prophetess, Sibyl, informs Gryllus that the world's in grave danger--the gods have gone into hiding, terrifying monsters are on the loose, and all of creation is seriously out of whack. The only one who can save it is...a talking pig."

Author Paul Shipton has master's degrees in philosophy and classics. He says that working on The Pig Scrolls "...gave me a chance to revisit a world I have always loved--that of ancient mythology and history. And of course, in order to research the character of Gryllus fully, I was forced to eat a huge number of pies." We Pig Skullers will discuss The Pig Scrolls at our May 18 meeting.

Pig Skulls Eyeball Cyclops

2008-03-01T11:44:00.008-05:00

We Pig Skulls went eyes-to-eye with bad ol' Cyclops and emerged victorious. Our Feb. 17 discussion of Mary Sutcliff's The Wanderings of Odysseus was a robust one. It's hard to go wrong with cyclopi (plural?), witches, warring gods, big bags of wind, and assorted bad guys all trying to break your bones or ship. These are some of the books we've read since our February 2007 creation. Happy 1st birthday Pig Skulls!

Chess Grandmaster Awes Library Crowd

2008-02-29T15:34:00.007-05:00

Grandmaster Kaidanov of Lexington discusses chess strategy with over 50 chess club members and visitors at the Feb. 24 Jackson W. Showalter Club meeting. Playing "blindfolded. He won of course.
Playing a bliz simul with four lucky chess club members. It took him three minutes to defeat the last standing player.
Grandmaster Kaidanov as " The Lion of Lexington" recalls Jackson W. Showalter's "The Kentucky Lion."

Next Jackson W. Showalter Club meeting is Sunday, March 9, 2-4 PM. There will be no meeting March 23, Easter Sunday.

The City of Ember--March 16 Meeting

2008-02-22T10:53:00.012-05:00

Dystopia. What is it? Here's a clue if you're groping for a definition: it's the opposite of utopia. So if a utopia is a wonderful place, a dystopia is...? Once you understand that little literary nugget you already know something about The City of Ember...but only something. There's a lot more to this action-packed science fiction mystery, such as, an old underground city groaning and grinding a slow rot, an ancient message from The Builders, and a wild ride on an underground river.

The Ember movie is due out October 2008.

Don't forget your light bulbs!

The Wanderings of Odysseus

2008-02-07T11:27:00.003-05:00

No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. That is indeed Poseidon the sea god giving sea-faring Odysseus the evil eye (and yet another ship-wrecking storm). Ol' Fishface is upset with Odysseus for blinding his one-eyed Cyclops son, Polyphemus. Odysseus is just tying to get home to his island kingdom Ithaca after battling the faraway Trojans for ten years. But witches, gods, monsters, human frailty, and weather keep getting in the way. We Pig Skulls had a robust Feb. 17 discussion of Mary Sutcliff's retelling of The Wanderings of Odysseus.

Grandmaster Kaidanov Visit Rescheduled For Feb. 24

2007-12-31T15:34:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendar. Chess Grandmaster Kaidanov's canceled Dec. 9 presentation has been rescheduled for Feb. 24, 2-4 PM. This will be a rare treat for anyone who loves chess.

The Jackson W. Showalter Chess Club will next meet Jan. 13 and 27, 2-4 PM.

Archive of Discussed Pig Skull Books

2007-12-23T14:07:00.003-05:00

Here are the books we discussed during 2007: Artemis Fowl (Feb.), Arctic Incident, Eternity Code, Opal Deception, Lost Colony (June), Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows (Sept.), Hatchet, Wild Man Island, and The Call of the Wild (Dec.).

Here are the books we discussed during 2008: Ranger's Apprentice (Jan.), The Wanderings of Odysseus, The City of Ember, The Giver, The Pig Scrolls, Black Potatoes (June), The Amulet of Samarkand (Nov.), and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Dec.).

Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan--Jan. 20 Meeting

2007-12-22T10:46:00.000-05:00

Choosing Day is the big day for 15 year-old Will and the rest of his fellow castle orphans. Will wants to be a knight and hopes to be chosen for the Kingdom's Battleschool but is deemed too small and is instead selected by a mysterious Ranger for training in an elite and secretive military organization. Will resists being pulled into the Rangers but soon finds his unusual natural talents transforming him into a Ranger Wunderkind. Just in time too because the evil, exiled Baron of Gorlan, Lord Morgarath, is amassing an army of hideous Warguls and Kalkara to again invade the Kingdom of Araluen.

This adventure story bristles with battles featuring savage wild boars and monsters showcasing characters' courage, friendship, loyalty, forgiveness and perseverance but also their struggles with weaknesses.

Showalter Descendants Honor Chess Club

2007-11-26T15:19:00.000-05:00

Three generations of five-time U.S. chess champion Jackson W. Showalter's descendants witnessed at the November 25 meeting the official name change of the Scott County Chess Club to the Jackson W. Showalter Chess Club. Jackson Showalter was champion during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and traveled abroad to battle international chess giants. He lived in Georgetown until his death in 1935. His great-granddaughter, Georgetown resident Ginger Showalter Saker, displayed old pictures of her great-grandfather playing chess in places like Nuremburg, Germany. Ginger and her family, husband Ed, sons Jordan and Miles, and daughter Maggie enjoyed playing games of chess with club members.

Linda Showalter Lankford and Gervis Showalter share stories about Jackson W. Showalter.

Chess club founder, Jim Byrge, multi-tasks listening to stories and keeping the club on schedule.

Mom and son enjoying chess.

Call of the Wild To Be Discussed At Dec. 16 Meeting

2007-11-23T09:07:00.001-05:00

Buck, a huge and powerful St. Bernard mix family dog from warm sunny California, is dognapped, humiliated, beaten physically and spiritually and thrust into the frozen frenzy of the late 19th century Klondike gold rush. Buck the sled dog learns the harsh "Law of Club and Fang" and transforms into the legendary Ghost Dog feared by Canada's Yeehat Indians. Join the Dec. 16 Pig Skull discussion of Jack London's The Call of the Wild

Chess Club Renamed Jackson Showalter Chess Club

2007-11-14T11:03:00.000-05:00

Scott County Chess Club at it's Nov. 25 meeting will officially become the "Jackson Showalter Chess Club" in honor of Georgetown resident and U.S. Chess Champion Jackson Whipps Showalter. Known as the "Kentucky Lion" for his aggressive chess play and mane of thick hair, Showalter, 1860-1935, was five times U.S. Chess Champion. His great granddaughter and Georgetown resident, Ginger, will be at the Nov. 25, 3 PM meeting at Scott County Library to share stories and pictures of her great grandfather.

Chess Grandmaster At Dec.9 Club Meeting

2007-11-12T20:15:00.000-05:00

Don't miss a very special two-hour Scott County Chess Club meeting featuring 9th American ranked Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov. Originally from Russia but now living with his family in Lexington, Mr. Kaidanov will dazzle us with a Blitz Simul playing numerous players at the same time and will also while blindfolded battle another player. The special club meeting starts at a special time, 2 PM.

World's Hottest Chile Pepper--Can You Handle It?

2007-10-31T20:30:00.001-04:00

It's official. India's "Ghost Chile" is now the world's hottest chile pepper knocking down a notch former melt-down champion Habanero. The Bhut Jolokia's blistering 1 million Scoville Units (SU) fire rating scorches Habanero's "cool" 580,000 SU. Local chile farmers in northeastern India eat these belly burners and survive...barely! One farmer says eating a Bhut Jolokia is like dying. He warns outsiders not to eat the chiles. According to an online article "The smallest morsels can flavor a sauce so intensely it’s barely edible. Eating a raw sliver causes watering eyes and a runny nose. An entire chili is an all-out assault on the senses, akin to swigging a cocktail of battery acid and glass shards."

Want to buy some Ghost chiles? Presently, India is not exporting fresh chiles but chile paste and powder are available. Fresh Ghost chiles, once available, will make wonderful Halloween treats, don't ya think?

Hatchet Discussion Around Campfire

2007-10-25T09:42:00.000-04:00

Campfire, hot dogs, great fall weather, and a good book. What more could a pig want? Old and new Pig Skullers showed up for a discussion of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet. Our next club meeting is Sunday, Nov. 18, 2-3 PM in the library's conference room. We will discuss Will Hobbs' Wild Man Island. Pick up a copy at the library's circulation desk. Check out Hobbs' Wild Man website discussion about recent Alaskan and Canadian archaeological evidence weaved into his book that suggests prehistoric man might have migrated to North America in island-hopping boats.

2007 Cave Run Storytelling Festival

2007-09-30T20:50:00.001-04:00

The 2007 Cave Run Storytelling Festival was blessed with great cool fall weather, spectacular scenery, and some great tales.

This is Cave Run beach where the storytelling tents are located.

This is one of the storytelling tents.

This is the camp cook.

This is our camp site.

Early morn moon over Cave Run Lake

Another early morn shot.

And yet another early morn shot.

What's camping without a campfire? Left click the picture to see the campfire ghost.

Library Chess Club Kickoff, Sunday Oct. 28

2007-09-27T12:57:00.000-04:00

Do you want to play chess? Do you want to learn how to play? Do you want to improve your game? Don't miss, then, Scott County Library's chess club kickoff, Sunday, Oct. 28, 3-4 PM at the library's community room. Anyone may join this new club-children, adults, novices or experts. The chess club meets the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, 3-4 PM. The first portion of each meeting is instructional with a discussion of chess strategy. The last portion of each meeting is devoted to playing chess.

Registration is required. Register at the library's information desk or phone 863-3566. Space is limited. Need more information? Phone club founder/instructor Jim Byrge, 513-490-1692. Although it's not required, registrants are encouraged to bring chess sets to the kickoff.

Pig Skull Visits Garth School

2007-09-25T21:27:00.000-04:00

I visited today with one hundred 4th and 5th grade boys at Garth School, Georgetown. I was really impressed with the "boy energy" bursting from the school library room. The boys exploded answering questions about cobras, Florida, and the oldest American city. I extended an invitation to them to join the Pig Skulls at our Fall Kickoff, Sunday, Oct. 21.

Thank you Mrs. Wells for helping to organize my visit to your library.

Pig Skull Fall Kickoff Sunday, Oct. 21, 7 PM

2007-09-25T08:31:00.000-04:00

Do you like hot dogs? Do you like campfires? Do you like talking about great books? Well, then, come to the Pig Skull Fall Kickoff campfire book discussion Sunday, Oct. 21, 7 PM in front of the library. I will provide the hot dogs and drinks, you provide the chairs and discussion. We will be discussing Gary Paulsen's Hatchet. Please RSVP if you plan to attend because I need to know how many hot dogs to grill. Phone me, Mr. Mike, at the library 863-3566 or email mike@scottpublib.org. This kickoff replaces the previously scheduled 2 PM meeting for Oct. 21. Our next Pig Skull meeting is Sunday Nov. 18, 2 PM. We will discuss Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs.

See you at the campfire.

Mr. Mike Loses To Platform 9 3/4

2007-09-02T19:52:00.000-04:00

I took the Tube, London's subway, to Harry-Potter-famous King's Cross train station where I went head-on with the bricks of platform 9 3/4. I lost. My forehead now sports a nifty brick pattern. Bemused, but chintzy, onlooking Brits and other nationals refused my request for a £5 entertainment fee.

Radio Nostalgia Network Podcasts

2007-08-30T09:30:00.000-04:00

Check out these free downloadable old-time radio broadcasts at Radio Nostalgia Network. Back in the time before TV, families gathered around the radio to listen to shows such as Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown, The Shadow (my father's favorite), and Fibber McGee and Molly. The Network has these broadcasts and a lot more including some classic sci-fi stuff from the late 1940s and early 1950s. Broadcasts are from American and British radio. Be sure to listen to Moments In Time, D-Day Invasion, June 8, 1944 for CBS reporter, Charles Collin's, live report of the Allied invasion that overwhelmed Hitler's war machine. Collin mentions being surprised to see hundreds of Allied gliders being towed and released behind German lines. He reports that the Germans were so stunned that they stopped firing their guns.

Discussing Deathly Hallows At Sept. 16 Meeting

2007-08-15T11:49:00.000-04:00

Hope you guys had a grand summer. Is everyone done reading Deathly Hallows? This is the book we will discuss at the Sunday, Sept. 16, 2-3 pm meeting. I'm sure all of you have something to say about what you found surprising in the book. There was at least one thing that really surprised me.

We will discuss Gary Paulsen's Hatchet at our Oct. 21 meeting. I will have copies available for you at the Sept. 16 meeting. You guys will choose the books for the remainder of the year. Do me a favor and choose from the list below the top five books you'd like to read AND choose the five least favorite books you'd like to read. Email me with your choices or just let me know at the Sept. 16 meeting.

Hey, don't be shy about asking someone to join Pig Skulls. Love to have 'em. I recently picked up a new Pig Skuller during my early morning neighborhood walk.

What do you guys know about Hadrian's Wall?

Booklist (choose five favorite and five least favorite books)

The Heroic Adventures of Hercules Amsterdam, Melissa Haber
Mysteries in Our National Parks series, Gloria Skurzyski
The Time Warp series, Jon Scieszka
Time Cat, Alexander Lloyd
The Book of Three, Alexander Lloyd
The Secrets of Droon, Hidden Stairs, Tony Abbot
Pure Dead series, Debi Gliori
Just So Stories, Rudyard Kipling
Winning Season series, Rich Wallace
Mystery of the Roman Ransom, Henry Winterfield
Last Shot, John Feinstein
The Underland Chronicles series, Suzanne Collins
Frindle, Andrew Clements
Ranger's Apprentice series, John Flanagan
The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau

Wild Man Island, Will Hobbs

The Cross of Lead, Avi

The Eddie Dicken Trilogy, Philip Ardagh

Chet Gecko series, Bruce Hale

Dork in Disguise, Carol Gorman

Old Yeller, Fred Gipson

Silverwing Saga, Kenneth Oppel

Airborn Saga, Kenneth Oppel

Darkwing, Kenneith Oppel

Redwall, Brian Jacques

Call of the Wild, Jack London

You can look over the listed books at Scott County Library.

Deathly Hallows Release In London

2007-08-07T16:31:00.000-04:00

Here is an example of the crowd in front of London's mega bookstore, Waterstone's, 30 minutes before the midnight release of Deathly Hallows. It was a mob.

Harry Potter clones were everywhere. Here is a Spanish couple. They were a minor media event. A British TV crew showed up to interview them.

Hello From London! Tour de France London Start

2007-07-09T17:03:00.000-04:00

For the first time ever, the Tour de France started in London. This part of the race was mostly for show BUT what a show it was! I took this picture within 100 yards of my King's College dorm. The racers started at The Mall near Trafalgar Square on the north side of the Thames River, crossed Westminster Bridge to the south side of the Thames, then raced by me on Upper Ground (Street). Their sudden appearance caught me with my camera turned off so I wasn't able to get the leaders. But these guys were pretty close to the front.

Pig Skull Camping and Annual Storytelling Festival

2007-06-24T19:05:00.000-04:00

Ghost stories around the campfire, camping at eastern Kentucky's beautiful Cave Run Lake, fishing, hiking, and fantastic professional storytellers--you Pig Skullers need to be there! My family went a few years ago and had a wonderful time. The 2007 Cave Run Storytelling festival is Sept. 27-29, Thurs. - Sat.

Let me know if you can make it. That way we can reserve campsites together. Families are encouraged to join the fun. This is not a "guys-only" event.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2007-06-11T16:16:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, due out July 21, is the book we will read this summer. We will discuss it at our September meeting. The book cover you see here is the British version which is different from the one you will see. Why do I mention this? Only because this is the version I will see while I'm in England during July and August. I'll use this blog to report back to you about the British reaction to Deathly Hallows. I plan to campout late evening July 20 at a London bookstore with some of my fellow American students. Deathly Hallows will be available July 21 at Scott County Public Library.

Feel free to make predictions about the book, such as who lives or dies or anything else. Beginning July 21, I will temporarily stop online Deathly Hallows discussion to prevent spoiling the ending for those Pig Skullers who haven't finished the book. I will reopen discussion after all the Pig Skullers have notified me they have finished the book.

So, is Snape good or evil? My gut feeling is that he is a good guy. What do you think?

Artemis Fowl Is One Cool Series!

2007-06-09T11:23:00.000-04:00

We have been reading Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series. There are five books. We will be discussing the last book, The Lost Colony, at our June 24 meeting.

Who is your favorite character? Why? I like Butler because he, as one of the Pig Skull Club fathers pointed out, represents a modern knight. I think knighthood still appeals to the best in us.