Nancy Pearl
Nancy Pearl is a regular commentator about books on NPR's Morning Edition and NPR affiliate stations KUOW in Seattle and KWGS in Tulsa.
The New York Times calls her "the talk of librarian circles." Readers can't get enough of her recommendations while bookstores and libraries offer standing room only whenever she visits. Since the release of the best-selling Book Lust in 2003 and the Librarian Action Figure modeled in her likeness, Nancy Pearl has become a rock star among readers and the tastemaker people turn to when deciding what to read next.
Having worked as a librarian and bookseller in Detroit, Tulsa, and Seattle, Pearl's knowledge of and love for books is unmatched. In 1998, she developed the program "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book," which spread across the country. The former Executive Director of the Washington Center for the Book, Pearl celebrates the written word by speaking at bookstores and libraries across the country and on her monthly television program Book Lust with Nancy Pearl on the Seattle Channel.
In 2004, Pearl became the 50th winner of the Women's National Book Association Award for her extraordinary contribution to the world of books. In the moments when Pearl finds herself without a book, she is an avid bicyclist and happy grandmother of two. She lives in Seattle with her husband Joe.
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Nancy Pearl had a hard time compiling a short list of her favorite science fiction and fantasy books. There are too many good ones, she says. But one title seemed a natural to the Seattle librarian: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. -
In May, Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl pored through her shelves and pulled down several books that she said are read by a few but deserve wider attention. Well, there are more where they came from. Pearl is back with another armload of what she calls "under-the-radar" books.
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If you're interested in getting your child or teen to keep reading during a hot, long, lazy vacation, offer them these cool summer books. Librarian Nancy Pearl's picks all have great first lines, three-dimensional characters and strong finishes.
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Plenty of books find a few devoted readers but leave the rest of us unaware that they were even there. Librarian Nancy Pearl reviews some of these "under the radar" books, including fiction, short stories and poetry.
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It's winter, which may make you feel like you want to go on a journey. Maybe you're actually planning one, or perhaps just wishing for an adventure. Librarian Nancy Pearl suggests a stack of travel books that will send you on journeys across distance and time.
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A book about a dog has been at or near the top of nonfiction best-seller lists for about a year now. Librarian Nancy Pearl suggests some other notable books featuring, but not necessarily written by, canines.
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There are some books that are so good that you just can't get on with your life until you've turned the last page. Nancy Pearl offers books that make it tempting to call in sick just to be able to read to the end without stopping. -
Sometimes authors' best works are their first. The tale of an imaginary universe where elevators are really important and the story of the first giraffe in Europe are among librarian Nancy Pearl's selections of must-read literary debuts.
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The wet spell in the Pacific Northwest is seen as an opportunity for Nancy Pearl, the Seattle librarian who regularly shares her recommended readings. She shares her list of books for a rainy day.
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Little fingers get the chance to turn the pages of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. But librarian Nancy Pearl has options not-so-Harry for parents, kids, and fans of the series.
