November 6th

Edwin Sharp, author of The Spirit of America

Meet author Edwin J. Sharp on Tuesday November 6th at noon at the Ohio County Public Library’s Lunch With Books program. Sharp’s new book, The Spirit of America, features a group of young people in their rendezvous with destiny as they experience the turbulent times of the Great Depression and World War II while growing up in Wheeling. Mr. Sharp has had an ongoing interest in history and possesses an intense interest in the American ideals that prompted the writing of this book. He has maintained close relationships with his classmates and will share their memories dating back to 1940. Mr. Sharp served three years in the U. S. Army with a tour of duty in Korea. He is a graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University, and served as a Special Agent of the FBI, focusing on Organized Crime investigations. Mr. Sharp is married and has four grown children and resides in Winchester, Virginia. Copies of The Spirit of America will be available for sale and signing. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

A Reunion to Die For

October 23rd, 12 Noon

Meet Lauren Carr, Author of A Reunion to Die For, as she discusses the life of a mystery writer balancing a career in murder while caring for her family!

Hancock County’s newly elected Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Thornton is a man of integrity with a determined sense of justice. When seemingly innocent cheerleader Grace Henderson is murdered, Josh’s memories fly back to high school and to the freakishly similar way his dear friend Tricia Wheeler had committed suicide. Re-opening the investigation into Tricia’s death while simultaneously conducting Grace’s, Thornton must use every ounce of his integrity, ingenuity, and tight circle of close friends while he scrambles to solve the two murders that have nearly everyone around him becoming either suspect or victim… including himself!

New Programs Announced for 2008

Jan 15th 2008, History Alive: Victoria Woodhull

Long before Hillary Clinton, there was Victoria Woodhull. Portrayed by Betty Leavengood, Woodhull was the first female candidate for president of the United States, and she will visit the Ohio County Public Library’s Lunch With Books Program on Tuesday, January 15th at noon. The History Alive program is sponsored by the West Virginia Humanities Council. Woodhull ran against Ulysses S. Grant in 1872 as the nominee of the Equal Rights Party. Woodhull was a staunch advocate for social reforms and equality for women, including the right to vote. Her views on marriage were seen by some as too radical and led to rivalries within the suffrage movement. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

April 26th 2008, Mothman: Behind the Red Eyes with Jeff Wamsley

Jeff Wamsley, curator of the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, WV, will be at the Ohio County Public Library for a special Saturday Lunch With Books program on April 26th at noon. Wamsley will discuss his book, Mothman: Behind the Red Eyes, which look deeper into the mystery of the Mothman legacy with the most extensive collection of data ever assembled. Research materials include firsthand eyewitness accounts, rare documents & press archives, UFO/Men in Black encounters, the Silver Bridge disaster, TNT Area archives, illustrations, maps, photos, and more. The book, along with other Mothman souvenirs, will be available for sale. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

It's Tea Time

October 16th, Tea Time Traditions

On Tuesday, October 16th at noon, Judi Hendrickson and Jeanne Finstein will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library to share pictures and stories on the history and traditions of tea. The program will cover the first recorded use of tea through Victorian traditions related to tea etiquette. Free tea sample will be provided.

Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Christmas in October

Morgantown resident Robert Tinnell, filmmaker and author of the graphic novel/cookbook Feast of the Seven Fishes, appeared at Lunch With Books today. Tinnell shared his memories of the Italian American Christmas Eve tradition with an audience of 40 people. He said he wrote the book, which began life as a web-based comic strip, as a love letter to his family. He said he hoped the book would help to inspire a new generation to preserve such important familial/cultural traditions, which are unfortunately fading away as a feature of modern life. Tinnell said the book is being turned into a major motion picture, which will begin filming in November. He said he hoped the story would help people to see Italian Americans as the wonderful, hardworking, funloving people they really are rather than the typical Hollywood caricature of Italian Americans as gangsters. Tinnell said that Feast of the Seven Fishes was a labor of love, and described the tremendous effort it took to bring the book and film to life despite the naysaying of some. He concluded by answering audience questions and signing books. Copies of Feast of the Seven Fishes are available at http://www.feastofthesevenfishes.com/.

New Programs Announced

Dec 4th, 2007, Silvio Perilli

On Tuesday, December 4th at noon, local author Silvio “Joe” Perilli will visit Lunch With Books to discuss his new book From Rome Italy to Wheeling, WV. Though born in West Virginia, Perilli grew up in Italy, and settled in Wheeling later in life. The book began as a simple biography intended only for family members and grew over eight years into a fascinating chronicle of a life’s journey. It includes Perilli’s struggles with English upon returning to the U.S as well as his military service in the U.S. Army. As Perilli spent most of his life in Wheeling, the reader also experiences some of the history of the city through the author’s eyes. Copies will be available for purchase. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Dec 11th, 2007, The Bicycle Book: Wit, Wisdom and Wanderings with Jim Joyce

On Tuesday, December 11, Pittsburgh resident and former Wheeling teacher Jim Joyce will present a tribute to the bicycle by and for those who ride. Joyce is the editor of a new book called The Bicycle Book: Wit, Wisdom, & Wanderings. It is a celebration of the bicycle by people who love to ride—a tribute to one of the finest, most efficient, useful machines ever invented. The book is packed with original stories, narratives and cartoons from a talented corps of writers and cartoonists, covering cycling fact, humor, recollection, commentary, or prediction, not only in the U.S., but also in Europe and North Africa. Editor Jim Joyce is the founder of Bikexchange.com. He contributes several of his own stories to the book, and plans to donate 15% of his royalties in equal shares to SoldierRide, the League of American Bicyclists, and the United States Association of Blind Athletes’ tandem cycling program. Published by Satya House Publications, The Bicycle Book will be available November 2007 via http://www.satyahouse.com/. Copies of the book will also be available for purchase and signing at Lunch With Books. Schedules permitting, Jim will be joined by Andy Wallen of Wheelcraft Bicycles, book contributor and Wheeling attorney Jay T. McCamic, and Wheeling area graphic artist Kate O'Kelley. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Dec 18th, 2007, Madison School Choir

The Madison School Choir will visit Lunch With Books to sing a selection of Christmas favorites.

And a Preview of Comming Attractions for 2008!

March 4th 2008, WV Author Meredith Sue Willis

On Tuesday, January 15th at noon celebrated West Virginia author Meredith Sue Willis will visit the Ohio County Public Library’s Lunch With Books program. Willis is the award winning author of several works of fiction, including Higher Ground, Only Great Changes, and Oradell at Sea. She has also written several books about writing and the teaching of writing, including Personal Fiction Writing, Blazing Pencils, and Deep Revision. The versatile author’s recent books include the children’s novel Billie of Fish House Lane, a collection of short stories called Dwight's House and Other Stories, and a science fiction novel for young adults, The City Built of Starships. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

April 8, 2008: It's eBay Day at the Library, Part 2!

Back by popular demand: Join us for a second opportunity to learn how to sell your stuff on Ebay, the number one online acution website. Presented by the United States Postal Service. Class will run from noon to 2:30.

April 22nd 2008, Classical Guitarist Kevin Hubbard

Massachusetts based Classical guitarist Kevin Hubbard will visit Lunch With Books on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 at noon. Hubbard will perform "Classical Guitar with a Taste of Jazz," featuring classical pieces from various eras by composers from Europe (Spain & Italy in particular), Asia, and the Americas, a jazz standard, and originals that combine classical with other styles such as jazz and folk. The program will include a brief spoken history of the guitar, composers' backgrounds, and anecdotes. Hubbard is also a successful artist, an author, and the 1996 World Table Hockey Champion. His debut CD, entitled Aspirations, will be available for purchase.

Buon Natale! (It's Christmas in October!)

October 9: Author Robert Tinnell

On Tuesday, October 9th at noon, author and filmmaker Robert Tinnell will appear at the Ohio County Public Library’s Lunch With Books program. A Fairmont West Virginia native, Tinell will discuss his book, Feast of the Seven Fishes, a celebration of the Italian American Christmas Eve tradition of eating seven different kinds of seafood. The book began life in 2004 as an online comic strip drawn by artists Ed Piskor and Alex Saviuk. Now a graphic novel complete with recipes, Tinnell’s book chronicles a love story set against the backdrop of a 1983 feast. Although fictional, the events depicted in the book are based on the author’s real life experiences and composites of people he knew. Robert Tinnell is also a filmmaker and has written two other graphic novels. Production of the film version of Feast of the Seven Fishes begins in November 2007. For more on the book, visit http://www.feastofthesevenfishes.com/. Copies of the book will be available for sale. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.