Snag a few new reads at reasonable prices at Book Nook Bonanza June 21-23. (Photo via Flickr user CarbonNYC)

Shelves overflowing? Looking to find a good home for some of your unwanted books? Donations are being collected for the 2014 Book Nook Bonanza, which will be in June, according to the sale’s website. The sale benefits the York Hospital Auxiliary.

You have a couple of options for donating:

• A warehouse at 203 Dewey St. in West York collects donations from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
• Book collection boxes are set up at York Hospital, in the parking garage stairwell, and at First Capital Federal Credit Union on Kenneth Road, West Manchester Township. (The organizers ask that large donations be dropped off at the warehouse instead of the drop boxes.)

You can donate paperbacks and hardbacks in good used or new condition, as well as DVDs, CDs, and puzzles. However, textbooks, outdated reference books and most magazines will not be accepted.

The sale, which started more than 50 years ago, tends to have a large selection — last year, it boasted 250,000 items. It will be Friday through Sunday, June 20-22, at the York City Ice Arena, 941 Vander Ave.

Get all the details and find out how to volunteer at the Book Nook Bonzanza website.

From left, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” “The Honourable Schoolboy” and “Smiley’s People” by John Le Carre. (Photo by Matt Eyer)

Though 2011 brought about a large number of Academy Award contenders, I felt at the time that the adaptation of “Tinker Tailor Solider Spy” starring Gary Oldman should have been a Best Picture nominee. It did at least get a nomination for adapted screenplay, as it was based on a novel by John Le Carre

It also put Le Carre on my radar. I just had to read the book — “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” — which turned out to be the first in what’s known as the “Karla trilogy.” The three books all feature veteran British spy George Smiley as the protagonist, and a Russian intelligence mastermind named Karla as Smiley’s main nemesis.

What becomes clear quickly as you tackle Le Carre is just how dense his work is. Every character, every scene gets a detailed treatment. His description goes beyond how you might describe a person or place, though — he knows how to show, not tell, throwing your basic adjectives out the window in favor of vivid imagery.

The other thing a reader will notice when they first pick up a Le Carre novel is the expansive set of jargon used by his characters within British intelligence. They work for the Circus; the Americans are the Cousins; there’s a division called the Lamplighters. Le Carre worked in British intelligence, so the slang used by the agents rings true — and some terms, such as “mole,” were popularized by his novels.

Much of my past pop-culture-spy experience has been through James Bond and “Alias” — books, movies and a TV show that feature the flashy side of being a spy. In Le Carre’s work — or, at least, in these three novels — you see a much different side of the job, where your hero (if you want to call him that) is a mild-mannered quiet type and where shades of gray overshadow good vs. evil.

I came to really enjoy George Smiley’s character, though. In the middle book of the trilogy, “The Honourable Schoolboy,” I had to chuckle at times at his maddeningly calm demeanor — it appeared that his eyes were barely open — during tense interrogation scenes.

I really liked each book of this series, and have a tough time picking which one was the best. There was a long gap between reading “Tinker, Tailor” and the other two, which I recently finished, so I might need to go back and read the first one again. But each give you something unique — a mole hunt within British intelligence in “Tinker,” the search for Karla’s major player in Hong Kong (a search that takes you to multiple Asian countries) in “The Honourable Schoolboy,” and the more personal finale of “Smiley’s People.”

The first two books were much longer than the third and perhaps slower to develop at times, but they were worth it. Especially in the case of “Schoolboy” — at first it was tough to see where the story was headed, but by the second half of the book Le Carre’s enthralling scenes, including some particularly gripping action in Khmer Rouge territory in Cambodia, kept me hooked.

I plan to pick up some more of Le Carre’s work, maybe starting with his earlier books, to learn more of Smiley and see what other intrigue he’s cooked up.

At a glance

John Le Carre’s “Karla trilogy”:

1. “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

2. “The Honourable Schoolboy”

3. “Smiley’s People”

This 2004 photo shows writer Richard Matheson. Matheson, the prolific sci-fi and fantasy writer whose “I Am Legend” was transformed into a film three times, died Sunday, June 23, 2013. He was 87. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Beatrice de Gea)

LOS ANGELES — Richard Matheson, the prolific sci-fi and fantasy writer whose “I Am Legend” and “The Shrinking Man” were transformed into films, has died. He was 87.

A spokesman for the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films said Matheson died Sunday in Los Angeles. No other details were provided.

With a career spanning more than 60 years, Matheson crafted stories that deftly transitioned from the page to both the big and small screens. Several of his works were adapted into films, including 1953’s “Hell House,” 1956’s “The Shrinking Man,” 1958’s “A Stir of Echoes” and 1978’s “What Dreams May Come.”

Matheson’s 1954 sci-fi vampire novel “I Am Legend” inspired three different film adaptations: 1964’s “The Last Man on Earth” starring Vincent Price, 1971’s “Omega Man” starring Charlton Heston and 2007’s “I Am Legend” starring Will Smith.

Matheson was also responsible for writing several episodes of “The Twilight Zone,” as well as editions of “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,” ”Rod Serling’s Night Gallery,” ”The Martian Chronicles” and “Amazing Stories.” His “Twilight Zone” installments included “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” which featured William Shatner as an airplane passenger who spots a creature on a plane’s wing, as well as “Steel,” which inspired the 2011 film “Real Steel” starring Hugh Jackman.

“I loved Richard Matheson’s writing, and it was a huge honor getting to adapt his story ‘Button, Button’ into a film,” posted “Donnie Darko” and “The Box” director Richard Kelly on Twitter on Monday.

Matheson influenced several generations of storytellers. Among them were Stephen King, who dedicated his 2006 novel “Cell” to Matheson, and Steven Spielberg, whose first feature-length film was the made-for-TV movie “Duel,” based on the Matheson short story of the same name.

“Richard Matheson’s ironic and iconic imagination created seminal science-fiction stories and gave me my first break when he wrote the short story and screenplay for ‘Duel,'” said Spielberg in a statement. “His ‘Twilight Zones’ were among my favorites, and he recently worked with us on ‘Real Steel.’ For me, he is in the same category as (Ray) Bradbury and (Isaac) Asimov.”

Matheson was scheduled to receive the visionary award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Films’ Saturn Awards on Wednesday. The organization said the award will be presented posthumously and the 39th annual ceremony would be dedicated to Matheson.

“We are heartbroken to lose a writer of towering talent, unlimited imagination and unparalleled inspiration,” said Robert Holguin, the academy’s president. “Richard was a genius whose visions helped bring legitimacy and critical acclaim to science fiction and fantasy. He was also a longtime supporter of the academy, and everyone associated with the Saturn Awards feels emptier today to learn of this enormous loss.”

Matheson is survived by his wife and four children.

“The Orphan Master’s Son” (Amazon)

After last year’s total snub in the fiction category, the 2013 Pulitzer Prizes included an award for fiction for Adam Johnson’s “The Orphan Master’s Son.”

Two other finalists were nominated for fiction: “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank” by Nathan Englander and “The Snow Child” by Eowyn Ivey.

The Pulitzer citation for “The Orphan Master’s Son” called it “an exquisitely crafted novel that carries the reader on an adventuresome journey into the depths of totalitarian North Korea and into the most intimate spaces of the human heart.”

Here are the other Pulitzer Prize winners in the arts category, according to the Associated Press:

• Drama: “Disgraced” by Ayad Akhtar
• History: “Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam” by Fredrik Logevall (Random House)
• Biography: “The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo” by Tom Reiss (Crown)
• Poetry: “Stag’s Leap” by Sharon Olds (Alfred A. Knopf)
• General Nonfiction: “Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America” by Gilbert King (Harper)

Also of interest:
— Find all the categories and read all the winners’ citations from the Pulitzer website
— Last year’s literary winners
— The 2011 Pulitzer winners

U.S. President Barack Obama greets poet Richard Blanco after his reading at the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington January 21, 2013. (REUTERS0

The presidential inauguration puts poetry into the national spotlight, at least briefly, with the inaugural poem. This year’s poet, Richard Blanco, was among the many Latinos featured prominently at the inauguration, and his poem touched on being a Cuban exile in the United States.

From The Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Poet Richard Blanco has delivered an inaugural poem paying homage to the American experience.

Blanco, at age 44 the youngest ever inaugural poet, recited a poem that painted vivid scenes about America and included reflections on his experience growing up as Cuban exile in New York City and Miami.

Blanco was born in Spain but emigrated to the United States with his parents. He was an engineer before he took up poetry. In addition to being the youngest ever inaugural poet, Blanco is the first Hispanic and the first openly gay person to serve in the role.

Blanco has published three books of poetry while maintaining his career as a consulting engineer.

Politico has the full text and video of Blanco’s poem. 

What do you think of the choice of Blanco as inaugural poet? Did you like his poem?

Not surprisingly, they got mixed reactions.

What do you think of the change? Sound off on the Exchange.

“American Sideshow” by Marc Hartzman

The August First Friday event in downtown York will include a discussion and book signing with “American Sideshow” author Marc Hartzman at the York Emporium, according to owner Jim Lewin.

Full news release:

YORK, PA — They were called “freaks” and “special people.” They were amazing! They were astounding! Some were even real. They were the performers of the circus sideshows. And folks paid their nickels, dimes or dollars to see them perform. And each one has a story to tell.

American Sideshow chronicles the heyday of the circus sideshow, a period stretching from 1840 to 1950, and it delves into the histories and backstories of the performers and events associated with carnival barkers, bearded ladies and the outright bizarre.

Author Marc Hartzman will discuss his work, examining these brave and extraordinary curiosities, not just as sideshow attractions, but as people, delving into the lives they led and how they were able to triumph over their abnormalities.

The public conversation and book signing takes place in downtown York at The York Emporium used book and curiosity shop during August’s “First Friday” (8/3), starting at 7:00 PM.

American author Ray Bradbury

Notable American author Ray Bradbury died Tuesday evening at age 91.

Bradbury is well-known for works such as “Fahrenheit 451,” “The Martian Chronicles,” and “Something Wicked This Way Comes.”

From The Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES—Ray Bradbury, the science fiction-fantasy master who transformed his childhood dreams and Cold War fears into telepathic Martians, lovesick sea monsters, and, in uncanny detail, the high-tech, book-burning future of “Fahrenheit 451,” has died. He was 91.

He died Tuesday night, his daughter said Wednesday. Alexandra Bradbury did not have additional details.

Although slowed in recent years by a stroke that meant he had to use a wheelchair, Bradbury remained active into his 90s, turning out new novels, plays, screenplays and a volume of poetry. He wrote every day in the basement office of his Cheviot Hills home and appeared from time to time at bookstores, public library fundraisers and other literary events around Los Angeles.

His writings ranged from horror and mystery to humor and sympathetic stories about the Irish, blacks and Mexican-Americans. Bradbury also scripted John Huston’s 1956 film version of “Moby Dick” and wrote for “The Twilight Zone” and other television programs, including “The Ray Bradbury Theater,” for which he adapted dozens of his works.

Read the full Bradbury obituary from AP.

What is your favorite novel by Ray Bradbury?

The Landmark Arrian: The Campaigns of Alexander

If I told you I sometimes enjoy reading nonfiction books that might not be completely true, you might think I’m nuts.

But that’s how it is when you’re into stuff that happened in the fourth century B.C. or even earlier.

I read a lot about ancient and classical Greece, as many of my reviews on this blog attest. Lately, the fascination has centered around Alexander III of Macedon, known by many as Alexander the Great.

Before I started reading about this time period and Alexander himself, I honestly never had an image of who he was in my mind. Tyrant? Great leader? Good king? Bad king? The answer, it seems, is not so clear.

I previously read a couple of pieces of historical fiction by Steven Pressfield — a story about Alexander’s campaigns in the area of modern-day Afghanistan and a story about the dilemma he faced when, in India, his men refused to go any farther.

Then, I sought out the nonfiction. I read Mary Renault’s “The Nature of Alexander.” But I discovered that, while I enjoyed the book, not all historians agree with her biography of him. She clearly saw Alexander in a certain light — a romanticized view — and though she gave some sound reasons for believing one source over another, the perceived bias can’t be ignored.

The problem is, there are no complete sources that survive from Alexander’s day. What exists are works written later, based on differing sources and telling slightly different accounts of Alexander’s campaign that took him through Turkey, Egypt, the Middle East, Afghanistan and India.

The “best” source there is might be Arrian’s “The Campaigns of Alexander.” That became my latest stop on the Alexander express, and I picked up the Landmark Arrian, which has plenty of maps, battle diagrams and footnotes.

I just finished Arrian, and it was an interesting experience. The Landmark edition that I read gave a lot of insight into where there are differences in how the history is told and in some cases assessments about how much we can believe Arrian’s version. The major factor to keep in mind was that Arrian’s main sources were some of Alexander’s officers, including Ptolemy, who figured prominently in the fighting over the empire after Alexander’s death.

However, the analyses throughout made it apparent that Arrian probably has the basics of Alexander’s campaigns correct, but there might be specific differences in how certain events occurred. And, certainly, it’s not possible to know if Arrian’s assessments of some of Alexander’s motives were correct.

All in all, it improved my understanding both of Alexander’s life and how the histories differ. I remain in awe of how he managed to lead such a long and widespread campaign, adapting to different battle situations and absorbing foreigners and even foreign animals into his army.

I’m not ready to make a judgment about Alexander. I need to read more sources for myself. But I’m sure it will be an assessment that is largely gray areas — life is not often black and white. I do know one thing: Alexander and other historical figures should be judged in the context of their time, not using the sensibilities and morality of our time.