“Ah, shit, I feel dreary, I’m telling you there are NO VIBRATIONS in Florida or anywhere in the south, the people are DEAD. Now I’m entering a period of mingling with human beings again, and leave the quiet night of woods awhile, I want to be back in the Nation of People, which is New York. … I’VE changed tho, not Florida.”

Louisa May Alcott, Work: A Story of Experience

Call me crazy!

Hotel chains are joining a trend started by boutiques in stocking books and newspapers in library-style locations for their guests.

Happy Birthday J.K. Rowling!

On this day in 1965, author Joanne Rowling, better known as J.K. Rowling, was born near Bristol, England. Rowling is the author and creator of the Harry Potter series. Her Harry Potter novels have been translated into more than 60 languages, selling 400 million copies. The books were made into films debuting in 2001. To date, the Harry Potter film saga is the most financially successful series in history, surpassing both Star Wars and James Bond.

Recently, J.K. Rowling has written a crime novel called The Cuckoo’s Calling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book which she released in April, has reached the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list days after Rowling’s identity was revealed.

Revisit last year’s Charlie Rose interview with J.K. Rowling as she discusses her first adult-book, The Casual Vacancy.

From our archive: Arthur Miller writes about life before air-conditioning: http://bit.ly/KBDSGB

J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

The classic novel about adolescence, The Catcher in the Rye, was published on this day 62 years ago in 1951. Be sure to visit your local NYPL branch today to check out this novel as part of your summer reading! And be sure to stop by the main branch on Fifth Ave and 42nd St. on Thursday for this month’s ‘Monthly Book Discussion’ which is discussing The Catcher and the Rye.