Category Archives: Books

First annual My French Book Fest encourages students to read French books outside of the classroom

My French Book Fest made its way to Baton Rouge for the first time, creating long lasting ties with local booksellers and international authors in the French language.The event ran from Nov. 14 to Nov. 16, and it brought together authors, illustrators and educators from all over the Francophone world to promote the language. Started by the Consulate General of France in Louisiana and Villa Albertine, in partnership with the Alliance Française de la Nouvelle-Orléans, the festival celebrates the French language by offering interactive workshops and book signings.Alliance Française de la Nouvelle-Orléans’ events and marketing coordinator Karla Ewing learned French through an immersion program at a Council for the Development in Louisiana (CODOFIL) school. She said this event originally started after noticing that even though there were almost 6,000 students enrolled in French immersion programs through CODOFIL, the amount of books published in French was lacking. This brought along the initiative to bring French books to Louisiana. 
“Children’s books are really important, because they have this magical way of connecting people, but also talking about subjects that might be difficult to express to a child such as inclusion and diversity,” Ewing said. “Children’s books can kind of breach those limits in a way that is still fun and colorful.”The first dimension of the festival is field trips to cultural centers. For the first two years, the only trip was to the Alliance Française. Now, the addition of the West Baton Rouge Museum and the Center for Louisiana Studies in Lafayette has expanded its reach. Through these programs, students are able to participate in workshops and learn from French speaking guests. With two publishing houses that publish in French, the main goal of this dimension is supporting the economy of French literature in Louisiana. Partnering with these publishers, authors and booksellers make these items more accessible for children, who could be inspired to write literature in French one day. The third and final dimension is bringing the French language into schools. Ewing said they send international artists to schools around Louisiana to make the festival more accessible for everyone. Not everyone has the time or means to make it to a cultural center, so the organization has money set aside for transportation costs, making it completely free for students. “At Alliance Française we say that being monolingual is like seeing the world in black and white and when you can speak different languages,” Ewing said. “It transforms your world into a diverse, colorful experience that you can connect with other people in different ways.” 
Founded in 1984, Alliance Française de la Nouvelle-Orléans is a nonprofit that has been one of the leading providers of French culture and language education in New Orleans. They host language classes for all levels and certified exams and are the only testing center in the Gulf South for some French exams that are neccessary for visa applications and university requirements.Culture is a major component of Alliance Française. The organization has gallery space, a French language library with around 3,000 documents and an event space. Other than My French Book Fest, they host Francophone Month in March, where time is spent celebrating the French world. The organization brings people together through French culture, with their current location in the Garden District doubling as a community center that offers yoga classes and book clubs.“You can come do your work, enjoy a coffee, but really enjoy a sense of community that is built through the connection of the French language,” Ewing said. André St. Romain is an educator at the West Baton Rouge Museum, in charge of running educational and music programs. Originally from Pointe Coupee Parish, he grew up hearing Louisiana Creole from his dad’s side of the family and learned French through groups and friends. He was responsible for coordinating and organizing tours for school students and French teachers during My French Book Fest.There are two immersion schools in Baton Rouge: Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet (FLAIM) and Westdale Middle School. Because of these schools, St. Romain said it would make sense to have easier access to books in French. He wants students to see that French is something that exists outside of their classrooms and that they can use outside of school. “There are people all over South Louisiana, all over America and all over the world who speak French, and so it is useful,” St. Romain said. “It’s not just something that you can forget about after you leave your school.” Alliance Française has over a hundred chapters in the United States. For more information on speaking French in Louisiana and My French Book Fest, check out their website here.

VRBO owners, does your welcome book and terms include a DO NOT TORRENT warning?

Strike 3 Holdings is an adult pornography company located in California that has literally filed over 10,000 federal court copyright infringement cases across the United States for nearly a decade now. No company files more lawsuits (to my knowledge) than this company does. It goes after many people who work in the tech industry (typically middle-aged men) for downloading and/or sharing their adult movies via Torrent networks. This, they allege, violates their exclusive rights as copyright holders to make copies and distribute their content. Vondran Legal® has handled a good bulk of these cases over the past many years, and settlements can be costly, typically ranging from $5,000-$30,000 or more. Some call these “shame settlements” because no one wants their name associated with their movies, especially in the federal public records docket.

Strike 3 targets users on the torrent protocol (which is used to share large files quickly). They use their technology to track down the IP address for the infringing site. Then, not knowing the identity of the actual subscriber of the internet account, they will file a lawsuit in the local federal court (whether that be in California, Texas, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida or other states) and seek “early discovery” to find out the name and address of the ISP subscriber. Once they have this, they can conduct due diligence to see if this person owns a home or has a job (via LinkedIn) and other things.

Sometimes the person who is the subscriber of the internet account is NOT the infringer/downloader. This can happen in circumstances such as where:

The subscriber is a female
The subscriber is a homeowner who rents the house out (ex. VRBO or AirBnB)
The subscriber is one of several roommates who did not download their movies
The subscriber is a fraternity house and no one knows who did the downloads
The subscriber is a commercial business that offers free WiFi access to guests

There are many situations that can arise, but these are some of the popular ones we have handled for the past 5+ years. This blog is a simple notice to landlords who rent properties to consider having an indemnification clause and a warning/prohibition in their rental agreement or even in the welcome books many landlords leave for their VRBO renters. If a long-term renter engages in illegal downloads, you (the landowner) do not want to find yourself being chased down for a settlement by one of their aggressive regional copyright attorneys.

As I write this blog, I am renting a beachside home, and when I arrived, I saw the “welcome guest book.” In it was the internet password and pages and pages of house rules and regulations (don’t smoke, take out the trash, no loud noise, etc.). One thing I did not see, however, was a warning NOT TO DOWNLOAD COPYRIGHTED CONTENT and that if you DO, that you would be held liable and required to indemnify the owner if there was any legal action initiated against the owner, such as receiving an ISP subpoena notice from companies like Strike 3 Holdings. This is something every property manager and owner should consider before renting out their house, townhome, cabin, seaside mansion, or other property. In fact, I would make sure to put this in the rental agreement itself, as well as the home handbook. This will allow you to hopefully (a) prevent this from happening in the first place and (b) legally require the renter or tenant to take responsibility and defend the action.

While a good IP and real estate law firm such as ours can help craft the proper custom terms, in general, here are 7 key elements every good indemnification agreement should consider including:

Clear Definition of PartiesIdentify the indemnifying party (the one providing the indemnity) and the indemnified party (the one receiving the protection). Be specific to avoid ambiguity.

Scope of IndemnityClearly define what is covered under indemnity. For example:

Losses or damages (e.g., financial losses, legal fees)
Claims by third parties
Specific events (e.g., breach of contract, negligence)

Exclusions and Limitations
Outline what is not covered, such as:

Gross negligence or willful misconduct of the indemnified party
Specific types of claims or damages (e.g., consequential or punitive damages)

Notice RequirementsState the process for notifying the indemnifying party about a claim, including timelines and required documentation.

Control of DefenseSpecify who controls the defense in case of third-party claims:

Does the indemnifying party have the right to select and manage legal counsel?
Can the indemnified party participate or veto settlements?

Cap on Liability
Include monetary caps or limits on the indemnifying party’s obligations to avoid unlimited exposure.

Survival Clause
Clarify how long the indemnity obligation lasts, especially after the termination of the agreement.

These are only some of the key things to address. There can be others due to your specific setup and needs.

Federal judge allows inmate to challenge prison’s confiscation of allegedly dangerous book

A federal judge has permitted an incarcerated man to challenge prison officials’ decision to withhold a book that allegedly depicted or encouraged disruption.Rodney C. Hamrick is incarcerated at the Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, also known as “supermax” or “ADX.” In 2022, the warden rejected two books Hamrick received, both of which were written by former prisoners at the U.S. detention camp in Guantanamo Bay. Hamrick alleged the confiscations violated his First Amendment right to speech, his Fifth Amendment right to due process, and amounted to “arbitrary and capricious decision making.”In a Nov. 12 order, U.S. District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang granted almost the entirety of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ motion to dismiss. However, she agreed the allegations showed that the prison’s notice of rejection for one of the books omitted necessary information and negatively affected Hamrick’s ability to appeal the decision.
“Without page numbers, a specification of which material was objectionable, or an explanation of the ‘actual reasons for a given rejection,’ Mr. Hamrick’s only insight into BOP’s reason,” Wang wrote, “was BOP’s one-sentence explanation parroting its regulations.”

Nominee to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado Nina Nin-Yuen Wang, testifies before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington U.S., May 25, 2022.

REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Hamrick alleged that two books arrived for him at ADX between August and December 2021. According to Bureau of Prisons regulations, the warden is empowered to screen and reject incoming materials. If the warden does so, he must “promptly advise the inmate” of the decision and the reasons, including page numbers and quotes considered objectionable.Hamrick received a rejection letter for each book. The first, pertaining to the memoir of Guantanamo detainee Mansoor Adayfi, alleged the publication “contains inflammatory substance and “incites group demonstrations.” Weapons-related content “could be used as a tool to radicalize inmates on a larger scale if shared within the prison system,” the warden wrote.

A warden’s letter rejecting a book for Rodney C. Hamrick at the Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence. Source: Hamrick v. Federal Bureau of Prisons

A rejection letter for the second memoir by Mohamedou Ould Slahi contained a single-sentence justification: that the book “describes or encourages activities which may lead to the use of physical violence or group disruption.”In neither instance did the rejection letters contain page numbers or quotations from the books.”Defendant’s censorship of these books is not rationally related to any legitimate and neutral government purpose,” wrote attorney Matthew W. Buck, representing Hamrick. Further, “Defendant’s failure to provide adequate reasons for rejection, both in initial rejection notices and in appeals decisions, constitutes arbitrary and capricious decision making.”The Bureau of Prisons moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing Hamrick received the minimal level of process he was constitutionally entitled to, and the ADX warden’s significant discretion to reject materials meant no meaningful judicial review was possible.As for the claim that ADX violated his free speech rights by censoring the books, “Hamrick is a dangerous inmate, and the ADX houses convicted terrorists,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Leneis. “Given these facts, the warden reasonably could conclude that two books about detention at Guantanamo Bay (a facility self-evidently connected to the war on terror) could have inflammatory or disruptive effects within the ADX if Hamrick received them.”

In this Nov. 21, 2013, file photo reviewed by the U.S. military, dawn arrives at the now closed Camp X-Ray, which was used as the first detention facility for al-Qaida and Taliban militants who were captured after the Sept. 11 attacks, at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The Pentagon announced Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, that fifteen prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention center were released to the United Arab Emirates in the single largest transfer of detainees during the Obama administration. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

Charles Dharapak

Wang broadly agreed with the government. She noted Hamrick’s attorney failed to argue that censoring the books was unrelated to ADX’s “legitimate penological interest,” including the warden’s belief that the contents posed a security threat. Wang also observed Hamrick was able to internally appeal the warden’s rejection, suggesting he received an appropriate level of process.Turning to whether the Bureau of Prisons acted arbitrarily and capriciously in rejecting Hamrick’s books, Wang believed she could review the warden’s decisions, notwithstanding his discretion. Wang agreed both rejection notices did not include page numbers or identify problematic quotations as prison regulations required.Still, she believed the justification for withholding Adayfi’s book was sufficiently detailed to identify allegedly problematic portions.”That effort enables the Court to discern the rationale behind the rejection decision,” she wrote.Wang came to the opposite conclusion with the single-sentence explanation for withholding Slahi’s book.”Mr. Hamrick alleges that this failure was more than a mere technical error because it deprived him of meaningful information that explained the decision and would have aided him in his appeal,” she wrote.Although a further review of the decision-making might show the Bureau of Prisons acted reasonably, “the Court concludes that Mr. Hamrick has adequately alleged that he was prejudiced by BOP’s failure to follow its regulations when it rejected the Slahi book.”The case is Hamrick v. Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The best books of 2024 — picked by FT readers

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The Books of the Year 2024 is a collection of picks from FT writers and critics across a broad range of subjects — from business and economics to sport, music and fiction — and to suit all tastes. But no list would be complete without contributions from book-loving FT readers. Here is a selection of the strongest suggestions. Do feel free to continue the conversation in the comments below.Cold Kitchen: A Year of Culinary Travels by Caroline EdenI am hugely enjoying Caroline Eden’s Cold Kitchen — I’ve bought it for two friends who also loved it. It’s so wonderfully personal and I love the way you’re transported from Edinburgh to Central Asia and back again. Also, it’s fascinating reading more about Central Asia in general.— Alexandra MattsAfter 1177 BC: The Survival of Civilizations by Eric ClineIn this sequel to his history of the collapse of the Late Bronze Age, Cline shows how the Mediterranean adjusted to the shocks that destroyed an interconnected and sophisticated world. The result was the creation of new technologies, such as the alphabet, that remain cornerstones of our own world. You will likely leave with a newfound appreciation of the Phoenicians.— StuTell Me Everything by Elizabeth StroutSoothing narration invites you in — to a place, Maine; to a season, fall — introducing you to characters one by one, even though you’ve met some of them earlier. Lucy and Bob tell each other everything while walking along the river; Lucy and Olive tell each other stories they feel the other should know while sitting in Olive’s home. Through these stories in the story, we come across past sorrows, present love, and how the past informs the present. Amid all the interconnected characters and interwoven threads, there is abuse and exploitation, a gentle love story which was not meant to be, a murder mystery to solve, a suicide to come to terms with, and also hope that there are good people in this world and that not everything is lost.A very satisfying read, reminding me vaguely of Alexander McCall Smith at times, and Agatha Christie at certain other times.— Deepti MalhotraAmuse Bouche: How to Eat Your Way Around France by Carolyn BoydA book all about regional French food, its history, its customs. It makes you hungry and long for sun-drenched holidays in France with your friends, surrounded by local food and wine!— ninchginHow to Win an Information War by Peter PomerantsevDeconstructs the world of disinformation we live in, explores the unknown history of it and then gives us tangible methods to deal with it in the future. Amazing book.— tollyatworkGlorious Exploits by Ferdia LennonA poignant and moving novel, based on a historical event (the Athenian defeat in Sicily during the Peloponnesian War). Lennon weaves a story that intertwines themes such as friendship, love, compassion and the power of artistic creation to (almost) overcome the hatred between irreconcilable enemies.The narrative centres on two characters, Gelon and Lampo, and their epic struggle to stage Euripides’ tragedy Medea using the desolate Athenian prisoners confined in a quarry, whose fate is to die of hunger and thirst. If you go for it, I recommend reading both Medea and The Trojan Women by Euripides to fully enjoy the experience.— Skeptical analystLong Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-AknerI hugely enjoyed Long Island Compromise. It’s a meaty fiction book based on the aftermath of the real-life kidnapping of a wealthy Long Islander in 1980, with themes of class, wealth, trauma and Jewish life. Elegantly executed, it is equal parts funny and weighty. The pages just flew by.— AlphabetsyA Walk in the Park by Kevin FedarkoAn adventure book about hiking the entirety of the Grand Canyon, sprinkled with a bit of history and anthropology. Superb writing, and thought-provoking on why people choose to persevere.— Slow is smooth, smooth is slowRaising Hare by Chloe DaltonThis is a book of sheer joy and goodness in our times often marked by dark and troubling events. It transports you to a world of long-lost innocence and makes you want to hug the world.— arminkahelicBooks of the Year 2024 All this week, FT writers and critics share their favourites. Some highlights are:Monday: Business by Andrew HillTuesday: Environment by Pilita ClarkWednesday: Economics by Martin WolfThursday: Fiction by Laura BattleFriday: Politics by Gideon RachmanSaturday: FT Critics’ choiceJoin our online book group on Facebook at FT Books Café

New book memorials at Alger Public Library

The Alger Public Library has received a variety of memorials, honorariums, and donations in 2024. This list represents those titles that are available for circulation.The following books were donated to the library by The Deep Roots Garden Club: 

Up in the Garden by Kate Messner
Down in Dirt by Kate Messner
Let’s Get Gardening

In tribute to Fred Bennett, for his retirement presented by Jack Wilcox:

Dayton, Ohio, Patent Drawings by J.W. Koller

The following books by by John Sandford are in tribute to Larry Hattery and donated by Jack Wilcox:

Rules of Prey
Shadow Prey
Eyes of Prey
Silent Prey

In memorium of Carol Sue Hines of Covington, Indiana the following book was donated by Jack Wilcox:

Go See the Principal by Gerry Brooks

In memorial of Kathryn M. Huston, the following book was donated by Jack Wilcox:

Rescue Dogs: Where they Come From, Why they Act the Way they Do, & How to Love them by Pete Paxton

In memory of Vernon Wilcox, the following book was donated by Jane Wilcox:

Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose,

In memorial of Joey Wilcox, this book was donated by Jane Wilcox:

The Longest Day/A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan

The Alger Public Library would like to thank all those who have generously donated to the library. We join in honoring your loved ones. Any of the above-mentioned titles can be put on hold by calling 419-757-7755.
The same number can be used to obtain information on placing memorials, honorariums, or book endowments.

New book co-authored by Mission resident dives into ‘Slumach’s Gold’ legend

Mission author Brian Antonson has poured years of research into the legend of Slumach’s Gold. 

Slumach’s Gold: In Search of a Legend…and a Curse, a new book which Antonson co-authored with Mary Trainor and his brother Rick Antonson, reached number five on the B.C. Bestsellers list after its October 29 release. 

The book details the legendary ‘lost gold mine’ rumoured to be located in the mountainous terrain around Pitt Lake. 

It’s the third edition of the book, which has grown thicker and thicker over the years. The first copy released in 1972 was just 56 pages and the second edition from 2007 ballooned to 160 pages – both of which sold in excess of 10,000 copies. 

The newest version is a “true coffee table book” with 224 pages full of up-to-date information, colour photographs and maps. Antonson says the publisher expects the current version to sell better than the previous iterations. 

“We hope that this is the kind of thing that sits on somebody’s coffee table that they go back to time and time again,” he said. 

Antonson will participate in a book signing at Totally Bookish in the Junction Shoping Centre on Saturday (Nov. 23) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Over the years, each of the authors received late night phone calls from readers claiming they knew the location of the lost gold mine. 

“Those stories all fall apart, but there are legitimate people who have gone seeking for years,” Antonson said. 

As a child, Antonson and his brother were determined to find the mine. 

“We fell in love with the whole concept when I was nine years old and my brother was eight. We were at summer camp out at Hatzic Lake and this elderly woman – I think she must have been 45, old to us –  was telling us ghost stories one night around the campfire,” he said. 

“She said there’s a lost gold mine up beyond Pitt Lake just over there and it’s all very mysterious and everything but you’ll never find it, because you’ll die if you do, because there’s a curse on it.”

The story had them hooked. 

As time passed and they grew up, the idea of navigating rough terrain to find the location became less attractive. However, the pull towards the story remained. 

They joined forces with Trainer and wrote the first edition. Over the years, the trio has made mistakes, learned and interviewed more people. 

Conflicting stories and sources with the viewpoints of the time are challenges in writing the book, Antonson says. 

“We all have a background in some way in journalism and ethical things and whatnot, so we’ve tried to be truthful about it all and we hope we’ve got it right with each successive book,” he said. 

With each update, there is always new information and new gold seekers. 

“We profile the people who have gone looking for the gold. We have not done that ourselves, but we profile that. We profile the television series …  every time you turn around, there’s something new,” he said.

Antonson has been a Mission resident for five decades. He’s worked as leader of the faculty team in the Broadcast and Media Communications department at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and served in various volunteer positions in Mission.

The 76-year-old has been retired for 14 years and says he hasn’t been bored once. If another opportunity to write a new book came along, he says he’d be open to it but isn’t sure about jumping into another project. 

“I’m enjoying my retirement,” he said. 

Slumach’s Gold: In Search of a Legend…and a Curse is available for purchase at  https://www.heritagehouse.ca/book/slumachs-gold-2/. 

Australian rugby player with same name as JK Rowling hero who is also nicknamed ‘The Wizard’ will battle Scotland in the city where legendary books were written

Harry Potter will debut for Australia’s rugby team in Edinburgh against Scotland JK Rowling wrote most of the books from her world-famous series in this cityThe 26-year-old winger was born six months after the first book was released By YASEEN ZAMAN Published: 16:12 EST, 22 November 2024 | Updated: 18:03 EST, 22 November 2024

Cozy holiday reads: Book recs and gift ideas from your local booksellers

Community Programs Manager elle roberts’ winter book recommendation for younger readers, “The House on Mango Street.” (Photo/Indy Reads) The holidays are great for spending time with friends and family, but if you have ever wanted to just sneak off with a book and find a cozy corner to read, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re…

Khulna divisional book fair begins on Nov 26

The seven-day long divisional book fair is set to begin in Khulna from November 26. The book fair will continue till December 2 at the premises of the Divisional Commissioner’s office.Aimed at increasing the habit of reading books, the government took decision to organise divisional level book fair across the country.The book fair will be organized by the National Book Center under the guidance of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and with the assistance of the Khulna Divisional Commissioner’s office.The book fair was announced at a press briefing held on Thursday in the conference room of the Khulna Divisional Commissioner’s office.During the briefing, Divisional Commissioner Md Helal Mahmud Sharif said books are the vessels of knowledge. Regular reading is essential for building a knowledge-based society. Students must be encouraged to take an interest in printed books alongside e-books.Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md Hussain Showkot and Deputy Director of the Divisional Public Library Mohammad Hamidur Rahman were present at the press briefing.The fair will be open daily from 3:00pm to 9:30pm, and on weekends, it will be open from 10:00am to 9:30pm.The book fair will have around 80 stalls, of which 60 stalls will be allocated for the publishers of Dhaka, 10 stalls for 10 districts of Khulna division, six for government offices, two for law enforcement agencies and remaining  stalls for foods and refreshment for visitors, poets,  writers and media corner.Besides, series of   seminars, cultural programmes and quiz-competitions for children will be held every day.Police and other law enforcement agencies will be deployed and close circuit (CC) cameras will be installed to ensure tight security for making the fair a success.