If All Arkansas Read the Same Book 2010

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

Thank you all for participating! Thank you for reading and attending the author event in October! Thank you for making this year's "If All Arkansas Read the Same Book" a rousing success!

Best,
Crystal

What do you think happens next?

2010-12-08T07:50:00.001-08:00

We are almost to the end of our 10 months of reading! What an adventure it has been!

Our book club here at the State Library has been conjecturing about what happens next in the Sookie series . . . where will Sookie travel? Who will die? Will anyone make a reappearance?

What are your thoughts as we approach the end of December and the end of "10 books in 10 months"?

Crystal

Thank you for your comments!

2010-11-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

As the comments from the evaluation forms started pouring in this afternoon, I was absolutely captivated by what all of you had to say.

Thank you for commenting. Your remarks will help us do a better job next year. As far as I can tell (at this point in time), the camp is split 50/50 on the use of tickets for the event. Either you loved the idea or you hated the idea. For those of you who expressed concern over the length of time it took to receive your ticket, please accept my apologies. The Arkansas Center for the Book is a one-person office, and when I became ill at the beginning of October, there was no one in the office to do my job for me. I was the one who listened to all of the voice mail, read all of the email, created the database, contacted all of you, and printed all of the tickets. My colleagues helped me prepare the envelopes and letters; they cut the tickets and stuffed the envelopes.

Ms. Harris's appearance was not random or unattached; she was part of a larger program. Ms. Harris's appearance was the pinnacle of the statewide reading program, If All Arkansas Read the Same Book, which is one of the projects of the Arkansas Center for the Book at the Arkansas State Library. While some of you who attended the event may not be familiar with this reading program, it has been in existence since 2001 when we featured our first author, Terry Kay and his book, To Dance with the White Dog. We are celebrating our ten-year anniversary this year, so there was a need for a longer greeting at the beginning of the program, to explain why we were there. We have been celebrating our ten-year anniversary since March, and we will continue through December, when the reading program concludes. I hope that you will continue to participate in the reading program through December.

Some of you expressed regret over not getting to ask Charlaine your question. Unfortunately, that was the case for so many of us, including me.

The concept behind the smaller venue was to give you a closer experience with Ms. Harris. We could have filled a 1,000 seat auditorium, and we considered the idea for a long time. After much consideration, though, we decided that a smaller venue would allow everyone to "get up close and personal" with Charlaine Harris. Isn't that everyone's dream?

I understand your concern over the empty seats in the Lecture Hall. Please be aware that tickets that were cancelled were filled from the will-call list up until 45 minutes of the event start time. Those empty seats were no-shows of which we were unaware and not informed.

For those of you who have been wondering about the "one book limit" . . . Ms. Harris's book-signing time constraints are designated by her publisher, not by the Arkansas Center for the Book. If everyone brought more than one book, we would still be there . . . and Ms. Harris would still be signing books. Take heart, though. Ms. Harris is a popular speaker, particularly in Arkansas. Please check her website, www.charlaineharris.com for her future appearances.

Please keep those comments coming as you complete the evaluation form. They are invaluable!

Thank you,
Crystal

Photos

2010-10-30T17:16:00.001-07:00

If you--yes, you--attended "An Intimate Evening with Charlaine Harris" and took photos, would you be willing to email them to me? I would like to do a Photobucket collage of all of our photos and then load it into the space where the book cover collage is rotating now.

If you have photos and do not mind sharing them, please email me at crystal@library.arkansas.gov.

Of course, I will do my very best to credit each photograph to its owner.

Thank you,
Crystal

What would we do without friends?

2010-10-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

More specifically, what would I do without friends? Last night's program is a testament to the power of friendship. Nine of my dearest friends and colleagues helped me with the event last night--An Intimate Evening with Charlaine Harris. If you attended the event, then you met these 9 ladies. They took tickets, passed out post-it notes and pens, made sure you got in the book-signing line, and generally made the evening pleasant for everyone.

I called out their names last night, so I won't do it again here. But, if you were there, you saw them in action; and you know just how wonderful they were.

I'm saying thanks, publicly, to them.

Thank you, friends, for helping me with this most wonderful of programs.

Crystal

Which book?

2010-10-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

We want to know--which book are you bringing tomorrow night for Charlaine Harris to sign?

I'll go first--I'm bringing my copy of Dead in the Family.

Now, it's your turn!

Questions from Ticket-holders and Answers!

2010-10-26T07:04:00.001-07:00

I've had a couple of ticket-holders ask me about cameras and dress-code for the event.

Yes, you may bring cameras. We do ask that your refrain from using flash photography during the lecture as it may prove distracting to Ms. Harris. There will be representatives from the media present, and they may be taking photographs. You may take photographs during your wait in the book-signing line.

Please dress as you would for a business-casual day in the office.

And please, please, please DO NOT FORGET TO BRING YOUR TICKET WITH YOU TO THE EVENT. If you do not have your ticket, we will not be able to allow you into the event space.

Delay in mailing out the tickets!

2010-10-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

I went down this week in bronchitis and was out of the office for four days. Those of you who were expecting tickets in the mail, please look for them next week. The tickets were not mailed this week, unfortunately. Hopefully, they will be mailed next week.

thank you,
Crystal

Reservation Confirmations

2010-09-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

We've begun confirming seat reservations as of this afternoon!

Brimful, overflowing, etc!!!!!

2010-09-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

The event is FULL! There are no more seats!

Thank you, Arkansas, for making this event a success before it even arrives!

What a success!

2010-09-10T08:16:00.001-07:00

We are pleased to report that our event is a success even before it has happened! I am still plowing through voice mail AND email.

Not everyone who called or emailed made it into the first 210 slots. Those of you who did, congratulations. Everyone who called or emailed will receive notification as to whether or not you were among the 210. Confirmations should begin next week, and tickets will be mailed out at the beginning of October.

Thank you,
Crystal
Arkansas Center for the Book at the Arkansas State Library

If you call on Sept. 1,

2010-09-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

please leave a message! Do not hang up just because someone doesn't answer the phone!!!!!!

Thank you,
Arkansas Center for the Book at the Arkansas State Library

To reserve your spot for the event, I need . . .

2010-08-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

the following information from you, whether you call or email me with your reservation request:

1. your name
2. your mailing address
3. a phone number or email address (the manner in which you would prefer to be contacted).

You may begin calling and emailing as early as 12:01 am CST on September 1, 2010.
Call 501-682-2874. Send email to crystal@library.arkansas.gov.

If you are the parent/guardian of a minor child ages 16-17 and wish to bring that minor child to the event, you will be allowed to make a reservation for that minor. This is the only instance in which I will accept a reservation from you for someone other than yourself. We discourage you from bringing minors under the age of 16 to this event as Charlaine Harris is not a children's author or speaker. Her speaking topics are wide-ranging and
adult-centered.

As always, this event is FREE but it does require a reservation. The Lecture Hall has 210 seats. If you are among the first 210 reservations, you will receive a ticket in the mail at the beginning of October. Don't forget to bring the ticket with you to the event!!!!! You will need your ticket to enter!

Buzz, Buzz

2010-08-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is so exciting. The amount if interest being generated by Charlaine Harris's October appearance is phenomenal!

We are thrilled!!!!!

Everyone who calls and emails me is elated about the event; they can't wait to reserve their spots; they have their email messages already typed up and ready to send in on September 1.

Fun, fun, fun!

An Intimate Evening with Charlaine Harris!

2010-08-02T12:28:00.001-07:00

The Arkansas Center for the Book is pleased to announce
"An Intimate Evening with Charlaine Harris"
7 pm
Friday, October 29, 2010
Book signing to follow (one book per person)

Pulaski Technical College
North Little Rock campus

R. J. Wills Lecture Hall
Campus Center Bldg., 2nd Floor
3000 West Scenic Drive
North Little Rock, AR 72118

Extremely limited seating.
To attend, you must reserve your seat.
Individual reservations only.
No block reservations.
Call 501.682.2874 or email
crystal@library.arkansas.gov to reserve your seat.

We will start accepting reservations
September 1, 2010.

(click on "link" and input your address to get map)
Google map link to Pulaski Tech
Mapquest link to Pulaski Tech

Music?

2010-07-21T14:27:00.001-07:00

The Arkansas Center for the Book is wondering . . . what kind of music do you associate with the Sookie Stackhouse series?

Country? Blues? Folk?

Are we choosing good music to play on the audio clips that we're doing of each book? Let us know what you think!

Leave us a comment or send us an email: crystal@library.arkansas.gov.

Thanks!

NEW! Audio excerpt of Dead as a Doornail

2010-07-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

Follow the link for a brief audio introduction to Dead as a Doornail.

Crystal

If you can guess who is doing the recording, I'll send you an If All Arkansas Read the Same Book poster!

Audio clip of Dead to the World

2010-06-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

Check this out . . . complete with music!

http://arkansasreads.wikispaces.com/Book+Fun!

A note from the Coordinator . . .

2010-06-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Before you yawn from boredom, let me assure you that this note will be brief. We are in the fourth month of our "10 books in 10 months" reading program; and the fourth Sookie Stackhouse title is Dead to the World, my personal favorite. Of all the titles in the series, Dead to the World is my absolute favorite.

Perhaps it is because there is definitely more of Eric to love in this novel, and we all LOVE Eric. Perhaps it is because the fourth novel finally firmly establishes some story lines for us, the devoted readers of Sookie and her story; and perhaps, I'm just crazy enough to admit that Book 4 really tipped the scales in favor of the series for me. I thoroughly enjoyed books 1-3, but book 4--Dead to the World--is what sealed the deal for me. After I finished reading book 4, there was no going back. I couldn't quit--I had to know how this story ended . . .

I know that some of you probably have blazed through all 10 books by now. Thank you for reading! And for those of you who are keeping pace with the monthly schedule, wow! I am thoroughly impressed with your fortitude!

I can let all of you know that we will be releasing the date of Charlaine Harris's appearance soon . . . NOT next week, but during the summer (and that IS soon!). So, please be patient for a little while longer, enjoy reading the books . . . AND keep watching the blog for a date to appear or get thee to thy local library and check out the posters on a regular basis for an announcement!

New online articles!

2010-06-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some new (for us) articles and websites that we thought you might enjoy browsing through and reading!

The Millions: Ethical Vampires (essay)

Los Angeles' Times Book Review for Dead in the Family

Charlaine Harris kicks-off "Author Confidential" series on Sirius XM Book Radio Channel

A 'Sookie Stackhouse' junkie comes clean (Seattle Times article)

Charlaine Harris not done with Sookie Stackhouse yet (Dallas Morning News article)

Trailer for True Blood Season 3 on HBO

Many thanks to one incredible reference librarian, Hope, who found these articles for us!

New York Times Bestsellers' List--Sunday, May 16, 2010

2010-05-18T06:56:00.001-07:00

And look where Dead in the Family ranked . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/books/bestseller/besthardfiction.html?ref=bestseller

The #1 spot!!!!!!!!!!

Woo hoo! We have a winner, folks!

Happy reading, everyone!

Crystal

Dead in the Family--Bestseller Rankings

2010-05-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Some bestseller lists to check out!

Amazon ranks Dead in the Family as its #3 bestseller this week!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/ref=sv_b_3

Barnes & Noble ranks Dead in the Family as its #9 bestseller this week!
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bestsellers/top100.asp

Look for the NY Times Bestseller List ranking next week!

Dead in the Family

2010-05-11T06:39:00.001-07:00

The tenth title in the Sookie Stackhouse series has arrived! Have you read it? Do you like the cover? What did you think of the story?

Share your thoughts!

Catch-phrases?!

2010-04-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Arkansas Center for the Book is amazed . . . this year's If All Arkansas Read the Same Book is creating quite a buzz. Here are some of the words that we've heard--"white trash", "completely lacking in moral compass"--that made us sad, and here are some that made us glad--"loving the books!" "Can't wait for Charlaine to come!" "Thank you for picking Sookie!" It seems everyone has an opinion about Sookie Stackhouse . . . What's yours?

Book Club Discussions

2010-04-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Faulkner County Library Book Club is reading the Sookie Stackhouse series for the next 10 months and will be discussing them at their monthly meetings!

For more information--dates, times, and books being read, please contact Jeanetta at 501-327-7482 or jeanetta@fcl.org.

Faulkner County Library website

Publicity!

2010-04-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

The publicity may have been inadvertent . . . possibly even accidental, but here it is. The appearance that the Arkansas Times is referring to--tonight's event at UCA, is sponsored by UCA's Student Government Association, but the Times shone the spotlight on If All Arkansas Read the Same Book.

Click here Arkansas Times for the article. Scroll down until you see the "Charlaine Harris" heading. What do you think?

Harper Connelly series

2010-03-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

What do you think of the Harper Connelly series?
Grave Sight
Grave Surprise
An Ice Cold Grave
Grave Secret

Lily Bard "Shakespeare" series

2010-03-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

What do you think of the Lily Bard "Shakespeare" series?
Shakespeare's Landlord
Shakespeare's Champion
Shakespeare's Christmas
Shakespeare's Trollop
Shakespeare's Counselor

Aurora Teagarden series

2010-03-02T13:14:00.002-08:00

What do you think of the Aurora Teagarden series?
Real Murders
A Bone to Pick
Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
The Julius House
Dead Over Heels
A Fool and His Honey
Last Scene Alive
Poppy Done to Death

Dead and Gone

2010-03-02T13:14:00.001-08:00

What do you think of Dead and Gone?

From Dead to Worse

2010-03-02T13:13:00.002-08:00

What do you think of From Dead to Worse?

All Together Dead

2010-03-02T13:13:00.001-08:00

What do you think of All Together Dead?

Definitely Dead

2010-03-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

What do you think of Definitely Dead?

Dead As A Doornail

2010-03-02T13:11:00.001-08:00

What do you think of Dead as a Doornail?

Dead to the World

2010-03-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

What do you think about Dead to the World?

Club Dead

2010-03-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

What do you think about Club Dead?

Living Dead in Dallas

2010-03-02T13:08:00.001-08:00

What do you think about Living Dead in Dallas?

Dead Until Dark

2010-03-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

What do you think about Dead Until Dark?

Reading Log and Bookmark

2010-02-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

Check your local library for reading logs, programs, and bookmarks! Complete the reading log and turn it in at the end of the year for your chance to win an authographed copy of Charlaine Harris's tenth Sookie book, Dead in the Family, provided courtesy of the Arkansas Center for the Book.

Plan of Action

2010-01-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

Our goal is to read 10 books in 10 months, starting in March and ending in December.

The order is as follows (however, if you read them out of order, we won't tell anyone):
March - Dead Until Dark
April - Living Dead in Dallas
May - Club Dead
June - Dead to the World
July - Dead as a Doornail
August - Definitely Dead
September - All Together Dead
October - From Dead to Worse
November - Dead and Gone
December - Dead in the Family

If you prefer to read any of Charlaine Harris's other series or stand-alone titles, please feel free to do so. For a complete listing of her works, please visit her website.

Titles in Sookie Stackhouse series

2010-01-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

Books 1-10:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and Gone
Dead in the Family (will be published in May 2010 from Ace Books)