Valet Reader

While you’re lounging back in your chair reading this post I thought I’d highlight something of the more extreme sort that my brother is currently engaged in. Josh (J-tris) is, right now, in death valley crewing for a friend of his who is running the 135 mile ultramarathon known as Bad-Water. While he isn’t running the full thing he told me yesterday that he plans to be on the course for at least around 50 miles. Oh, I forgot to mention that the reported high temperatures during the race will be around 120 degrees. Sounds lovely doesn’t it.

As for book events this week in your neighborhood, let’s take a look…

Tuesday, July 13th
@ 7pm
- Misty May-Treanor, athlete and author (I guess), will be at Barnes and Noble in Huntington Beach presenting her narcissistic book Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life. I know you’re wondering why I chose to tell you about this and honestly I’m not so sure. I think it has partially to do with the fact that I am somewhat dumbfounded that someone published such a book and secondly because I lead this post off with a sports related topic. Although, I think Bad Water deserves more recognition than this book ever does. Will people really buy this book? If you plan on it, please let me know, I’m incredibly curious.

Wednesday, July 14th
@ 1pm
- Ilene Schneider, author, will be at Mystery Ink Bookstore signing copies of her book Chanukah Guilt. Had the title of this book not been incredibly, I doubt it would have made it into my list of events this week. But, once I did some research I learned some interesting things about Schneider that make it that much interesting that this book be included. I won’t go too far into detail but Ms. Schneider is quite accomplished and was also among one of the first women to become a rabbi in the United States. Her book on the other hand is about a rabbi who is determined to solve a crime. I’m not being biased by promoting this event, I promise!

Friday, July 16th
@ 12pm
Larry Doyle, author & producer, will be at Book Soup talking about and signing copies of his book turned movie I Love You, Beth Cooper as well as his latest book Go! Mutants. Honestly, I can’t recall whether or not I’ve actually seen the movie but I imagine that at some point in the past couple years I have. If you weren’t already aware, Doyle was also a writer for the Simpsons as well as the beloved Beavis and Butt-head. But, back to his work as an author, Doyle’s latest Go! Mutants is a novel that reaches back into the vaults of the 50′s & 60′s and pits heroes and villains from sci-fi and teen movies of that era against one another. I’m a pretty big fan of B-Movies of that era and Doyle has deftly, or so I am lead to believe, recreated those images in this novel. If you’re near the Haight on Wednesday night, get there and hear this comedy mastermind speak.

I really wish I had more for you this week, alas this is it. Go forth and enjoy!