I hope this will be of interest to librarians in all corners of the state.  We have had as many as 53 patrons show up on Zoom for these circulation-boosting events.   Reply to Evelyn Gathu <egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org> if you would like our special calendar graphics, one for each season, that features book covers.  Suitable for flyers, e-blasts, etc. ....

For Immediate Release…

Contact: Victor Volkman
(734) 417-4266
President@UPPAA.org
www.UPPAA.org


U.P. Notable Books Club Announces 2024 Meet-the-Author Events


Official Seal of the U.P. Notable BooksReading local authors has great informational and educational value and contributes toward cultural enrichment. Continuing into their 5th year of book selections, the U.P. Notable Books Club is hosting a series of discussions with authors of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to engage community members with local authors. All residents of Michigan are invited to participate with no cost or obligation. To date, 35 authors have already appeared in the program and their appearances can be replayed on the http://video.UPPAA.org channel.

U.P. Notable Books Book Club Organizer, Evelyn Gathu (Crystal Falls, MI), has this to say about the Year 5 Notables:  "I am excited that the list covers a vast number of topics.  For example, I had never heard about the murder that took place on Mackinac Island. I think it will be neat to read Rod Sadler's book about it, and then follow it with the new fiction Classic U.P. Notable Book Murder at Mackinac, by Ronald J. Lewis.  Also, Tyler Tichelaar is one of my favorite authors of all time, so I am so pleased to see that he is now a two-time U.P. Notable Book Award author!  It is always so nice corresponding with the winners and setting up our U.P. Notable Books Book Club via Zoom Calendar, and I am excited to read all the books and talk to the authors each month."

>From February 8th, 2024 to December 12th, 2024 nine new authors will do Zoom talks with readers (7:00 PM Eastern / 6:00 PM Central). During these events, authors will reveal new background details as well as answer live reader questions about their work. Readers can buy books in advance or check them out from their local library, or inter-library loan to discuss with the authors. Many are now available in eBook editions at the Great Lakes Digital Library thanks to the efforts of Superiorland Library Co-op. Authors and their books participating in the upcoming fifth year include: The complete event schedule is available online at www.UPNotable.com, click on the "Join Book Club" button  

“What inspires me the most about our club is the positive feedback from local authors and patrons alike,” says Evelyn Gathu, Director of the Crystal Falls District Community Library, who is the creator and organizer of the club. “After every book club meeting we have, I get emails from patrons thanking me for creating the club.” She says that the library circulation has definitely increased because of the book club, indicating an increased love of reading the works of local authors in the community.
UP Notable Books Club 2024 authors: Sue Harrison, Tyler Tichelaar, Julie Bucholtz (from left)
Why local authors are less read, on the whole, than those widely publicized in mainstream media seems a matter of presumption or prejudgment. And Gathu agrees: “I think some people do not believe that books written by local authors are as good as those produced nationally, and this book club is really helping to deflate that stigma!”

She says that she had read in the local paper that the first ever U.P. Notable Books List was created by the editors of the U.P. Reader and UPPAA (Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association) in January 2020. This led her to contact UPPAA President, Victor R. Volkman, and he was thrilled with the idea of local authors interacting with the readers in the community. More information about the U.P. Notable Book list, U.P. Book Review, and UPPAA can be found at www.UPNotable.com.
 
UPPAA Logo - click here to visitAbout the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA)
Established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or write about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, UPPAA is a Michigan nonprofit association with more than 100 members, many of whose books are featured on the organization’s website at www.uppaa.org. UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a UP connection who is interested in writing and publishing books.  
 
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Regards,

Victor R. Volkman, President
L H Press Inc.
www.LHPress.com