News/Print

Our other Lady Bird, Sarah Bird, is having a big year despite having not released a big book. That tends to happen when a major imprint -- in this case, Ballantine -- reprints your first three books -- in this case, Alamo House, The Boyfriend School, and The Mommy Club -- because booksellers across the state of Texas have reported that they're among readers' most requested titles. Dubbed the "Central Texas Trilogy" ("Fair enough," Bird says), the paperbacks will launch locally at Barnes & Noble Arboretum on Sunday, Aug. 31, 3pm, and Bird will be there... The Mayor's Book Club -- whose theme this year is "Keep Austin Reading," featuring Louis Sachar's Holes (apparently the club has been keeping Austin reading, since the book has been checked out more than 3,800 times at local libraries) -- held its first discussion group, with the actual mayor in attendance, on Tuesday, Aug. 19, but you haven't really missed anything: There are events running through October, with the most imminent taking place on Monday, Aug. 25, 7pm, at the Austin History Center (810 Guadalupe). English professor extraordinaire Carol MacKay will lead. For more information on discussions even further into the future, check out www.ci.austin.tx.us/library ... Speaking of the future, I have heard rumors that Margaret Atwood is coming to town. I don't know if they're true. I do know that the likes of Annie Proulx, Neal Stephenson, A.M. Homes, Terry Pratchett, Sarah Vowell, and Anne Garrels will be coming to BookPeople during the fall. Look here: Look here for later details.