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It has often been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. So if you can’t make the trip to the museum to see the pictures, then check out these books and learn about famous painters, photographers, and great works of art. Beyond the Sidelines: True Stories from the World of Sports Sports have always been an important part of American culture. Often what happens beyond the sidelines, in the locker room, or even after an athlete’s career is over, can be more interesting and memorable than that game winning catch or unbelievable shot. Here are just a few books that examine sports and the athletes, both amateur and professional, outside of the game. Celebrate the First Nations November has been set aside as National American Indian Heritage Month, and Reader’s Club would like to join in the celebration! This month our feature will help you find some of the best books around by or about American Indians. Far from being the dead cultures we are sometimes led to see them as, the many cultures of these First Americans are alive, teeming with rich traditions and stories. Celebrate their survival and read a great book!   Here is an excerpt from
actor Ed Harris' review of The Grapes of Wrath by
John Steinbeck:
One of my all-time favorite books is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I love the brilliant and poignant manner in which Steinbeck evokes the harsh realities of the Dust Bowl days in Oklahoma, the grounded strength of the Joad family and the awakening of Tom Joad into a man of social conscience. Read more Celebrity Reviews
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Craig lives with his wife Judy on their ranch in Ucross, Wyoming, population 25.
Read our Craig Johnson interview “I fell in love with reading when I sat around a little table in the first grade and discovered the exciting adventures of Dick and Jane. I have read voraciously since. I tend to read fiction, although not the best sellers. I often find debut novels that I enjoy, such as The Madonnas of Leningrad by Dean and Snow-Flower and the Secret Fan by See. It's hard for me to say I have a favorite author, because I usually don't like follow-up books. (Just as I rarely like movie sequels.) For example, I loved Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, but was disappointed in The Mermaid Chair. However, some series that I do look forward to are Grafton's alphabet series and McCall Smith's The #1 Ladies Detective Agency. I like non-fiction that reads as quickly as fiction. Some favorite non-fiction titles are Into Thin Air by Krakauer and Harr's The Lost Painting. I have begun to explore graphic novels. I find the combination of text and illustration a powerful way to convey a story. I used to believe that I had to finish every book I started. But that was in my misguided youth. Now I follow Nancy Pearl's Rule of 50 that says if a book hasn't grabbed a reader by page 50, they should put it down and reach for another. And she says if you are over 50 years old, subtract your age from 100. That's the number of pages you should read before deciding to keep with it or let it go. So I'm closing in on giving a book only 40 pages to make good. I agree with her that life is too short and there are too many good books to waste time on something that doesn't have you reading late into the night to find out what is going to happen. I enjoy reviewing books that I have read and enjoyed, but I have trouble keeping to the word limit, so I don't have a large number of reviews posted . Rhapsodizing at length about a book is easier for me than writing a succinct and enticing review. I would like to put in a plug for Reader's Club. I have found some outstanding titles recommended by my co-workers on the site. I thank them for their passion and commitment to spreading the word about great reading.” Read Book Reviews by our Featured Reviewer
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We have information on a multitude of reading resource websites. Visit our 
With Reader's Club Podcasts and RSS Feeds, you have a whole new world of options in receiving all the latest book reviews and news we have to offer. Now you can check out our author podcasts too! Get it all delivered directly to you. To learn more, please follow the links below. 
Craig Johnson has received both critical and popular praise for his novels The Cold Dish, Death Without Company, Kindness Goes Unpunished, Another Man’s Moccasins, and The Dark Horse. All five novels have been made selections by the Independent Booksellers Association, and The Cold Dish was a DILYS Award Finalist and was translated into French in 2009 as Little Bird and was just named one of the top ten mysteries of the year by Lire magazine. Death Without Company was selected by Booklist as one of the top 10 mysteries of 2006, won the Wyoming Historical Society’s fiction book of the year. It will be translated into French in 2010. The short story "Old Indian Trick" won the Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story Award and appeared in Cowboys & Indians Magazine. Kindness Goes Unpunished, the third in the Walt Longmire series, was number 38 on the American Bookseller’s Association’s hardcover best seller list and will be translated into French in 2011. Another Man’s Moccasins, was the recipient of Western Writer’s of America’s Spur Award as Novel of the Year and the Mountains and Plains Book of the Year. The Dark Horse, the fifth in the series has garnered starred reviews by all four prepublication review services, the only novel so far this year to receive the honor. 
We honor Susan G., manager of Myers Park Branch Library this month. She has reviewed literary fiction and graphic novels for Reader’s Club. Here are her thoughts on reading and writing reviews: