Nancy's Bookshelf

Author Jordan Fisher Smith spent 21 years as a park ranger and wrote a memoir about working under the waterline of the long-delayed Auburn Dam. He will be speaking at the Lake Oroville Visitor's Center next Wednesday. This week join Nancy for a conversation with the author of Nature Noir: A Park Ranger's Patrol in the Sierra .

In his debut novel, The Secret Watcher of Summit Avenue , Mark Morlock creatively imagines the history of a Victorian house and its four generations. Author David Allee tells the story of a different Victorian house in his historical novel, The Good Serpent Orphanage . This week join host Nancy Wiegman for the stories of two turn of the century houses and their residents.

Part time TV weatherman Mike Graf writes adventures stories for kids filled with facts about plants and animals in our National Parks. This week join host Nancy Wiegman for an adventure in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks with the fictional Parker family.

Author Wick Humble tells us how to restore the popular Datsun Z-Car. His mother Ida Grace Armor is a library volunteer and avid listener to North State Public Radio. This week join Nancy for a conversation with this Chico author and his mother who soon celebrates her 100th birthday.

This Saturday, award-winning author Amanda Eyre Ward will be at the spring benefit for the Jesus Center in Chico. Her novel about motherhood is called The Nearness of You . If you are a fan of Tarzan, you won't want to miss Paradise bookseller David Lemmo, author of Tarzan: Jungle King of Pop Culture .

Journalist and award-winning author Andrew Lam is a featured writer at the 6th annual WordSpring Creative Conference on the Butte College campus this Saturday. This week join Nancy for a conversation with Andrew Lam, author of Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora .

This week marks the birthday of naturalist John Muir. In his latest book, Earth Wisdom , Chico author Raymond Barnett writes that John Muir was also an accidental Taoist. Retired Professor Ray Barnett tells us how John Muir charts humanity's only future on a changing planet.

Biologist Jonathan Balcome specializes in animal behavior and emotions. He will be at Chico State giving a free public lecture on April 24th. This week join Nancy for a conversation with the author of What A Fish Knows: The Inner Lives Of Our Underwater Cousins .

Butte College philosophy professor Dan Barnett has just celebrated 30 years of writing a book review column for the Chico Enterprise-Record . Later this month, Butte College will host a Creative Writing Conference featuring writers such as Jael Richardson, author of a memoir about her football player father. Join Nancy for a conversation with the author of The Stone Thrower and a look back at 30 years of writing book reviews.

War correspondent Ann Scott Tyson wrote a piece for the Washington Post about a U.S. Army Special Forces major named Jim Gant. She has now written a book about this charismatic and controversial commander who was on Osama bin Laden's hit list. This week join Nancy for a conversation with author Ann Scott, and her husband Major Jim Gant.