Man Reads 21,730 Pages

This morning's interview on NPR's Morning Edition with Ammon Shea was surprising. Surprisingly interesting and surprisingly beautiful. Mr. Shea took a year off and spent each day in a basement library reading the OED, the Oxford English Dictionary, all 22 volumes. He has now written a book about the experience, Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages. Mr. Shea knows the most wonderful words and talks about the ways in which knowing the words enriches his life. The enrichment "occurs when words seem to arrange themselves into strings of poetry or prose....And once he has learned about a new word, Shea said, he finds himself thinking about the concept it describes more often. An example, he says, is "petrichor," a word for the scent that rises from pavement after rain has begun to fall.

What an unexpected book, I will make sure to read it.

Meet Local Author Ellen Crosby

Ellen Crosby, author of the popular “A Wine Country Mystery” books, will be at Books and Crannies bookstore (http://booksandcrannies.com/events.htm) in Middleburg on Saturday, August 9. Ms. Crosby will discuss and sign copies of her newest book, The Bordeaux Betrayal, from 1:30 – 3:30 pm.


Want to learn some ‘behind the scenes’ stories about The Bordeaux Betrayal? Join Ellen Crosby at the Swedendurg Winery ( http://www.swedenburgwines.com/) on Sunday, August 17 from 11:00 – 5:00 pm. What a great way to spend a summer afternoon with your friends – a book signing and some Loudoun County wine and cheese.

Check out Ellen Crosby's other titles in the "A Wine Country Mystery" series - TheMerlot Murders and The Chardonnay Charade available (http://catalog.lcpl.lib.va.us) as a book and a CD.