The Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library has announced a vacancy on its Board of Trustees.

The requirements are that applicants must be registered voters and residents of Willowick.

Information and application forms are available at the circulation desk at each of the Willoughby-Eastlake libraries.

The application deadline is 5 p.m. Monday. For details, call 440-944-6900.

Youngstown resident and author Les Coe will be signing copies of his book "Space Crew-zers" this weekend in Garrettsville. More information from a news release:

WHEN: 12/22/12

TIME: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Village Book Store, 8140 Main Street, Garrettsville, OH 44231

WHAT: Coe, a resident of Youngstown, OH, will be available to sign copies of his book, Space Crew-zers.

In Space Crew-zers, thirteen young space adventurers awaken to find themselves alone on the Dallas space station. All the adults seem to have vanished into thin air, and the sparse evidence left behind provides few clues to what happened.
Suddenly, their plan for a systematic search of the station is interrupted by a more pressing issue—the power for the station is mysteriously failing. They must work quickly to figure out how to maintain power or risk abandoning the station and all hope of ever finding the missing adults.

Community Media Lab blogger Chris Lambert is a local author and comics expert whose latest work is "My Batman (And Maybe Yours Too)."

Lambert writes in his latest blog post Comic X-Mas Party that he'll be at Comic Heaven, 4847 Robinhood Drive in Willoughby, from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, to for his last book signing of the year. AND the price of his book will be knocked down $2, for those of you looking for last-minute Christmas gifts.

Cleveland resident and author Sandy Rozelman will be signing copies of her book "Politics Is a Joke" this weekend in South Euclid. More information in the news release below:

WHEN: 12/22/12

TIME: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Coffee Phix Cafe, 4441 Mayfield Road, South Euclid, OH 44121

WHAT: Rozelman, a resident of Cleveland, OH, will be available to sign copies of her book, Politics Is a Joke.

Are you tired of the political mud-slinging, dinner-time phone calls, and never-ending ads on TV telling you why you should vote for candidate A and not for candidate B?

If you have the campaign-season blues, Sandy Rozelman has just the cure you’re looking for! Politics is a Joke is a compilation of political jokes sure to make you laugh away your blue (or red) state. Tackling hot-button issues of recent political campaigns, these jokes will have both sides of the aisle laughing all the way to the polling booth.

For more laughs, check out Sandy’s other joke books: You’re Gonna Laugh and Who Said Jews Aren’t Funny.

If you don't know what to give your loved ones this holiday season, First Book has a suggestion:

How about the gift of reading to kids in need, in their name? Then let them know with one of these snazzy e-cards from First Book!

First Book, according to its website, "provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed more than 100 million free and low cost books in thousands of communities."

Right now you can make a donation in honor of a loved one, and send an e-card notifying them a donation has been made in their name. Click here to donate to First Book and send a holiday e-card.

According to the donation site:

• Your tax-deductible donation to First Book will fund new books for children in need and help knock down the greatest barrier to literacy development in the United States and beyond — access to books.
• 97% of donations go directly to programming, providing new books for children in need.
• $50 = 20 books to give a year of bedtime stories to a family in need.

I know there are plenty of worthy charities to which you can make a donation for the holiday season, but this is definitely one to consider if you are passionate about literacy.

(Also, if you've been having trouble thinking about what to get me for Christmas, a donation to this organization in my honor would be a worthwhile investment.)

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Following is a news release from Tate Publishing:

ASHTABULA, Ohio. — Author Andrea Baker announces the release of her new book “Benji’s Christmas Letter” under Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC.

“Benji’s Christmas Letter” tells the story of a boy who worries about his father fighting a war on the other side of the globe and decides to ask Santa—believing he has an inside track to Jesus—for the best Christmas gift he could ever hope for. Though most people are familiar with the sacrifices that soldiers make, Baker asks readers to remember the children left behind—children who often do not understand where their parents are or what they are doing.

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nationwide, from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by visiting barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com.

Baker has been a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for the past three years. The events in her life triggered her to write this novel with the hope of comforting children whose parents are away from home on Christmas, especially those whose parents serve in the army.

If you love Cleveland and love to poke fun at Cleveland — and can handle some crude language — you should consider picking up Mike Polk Jr.'s book "Damn Right I'm From Cleveland: Your Guide to Makin' It in America's 47th Biggest City."

The first book from the Northeast Ohio comedian — which clocks in at his contractually obligated 108 pages — is quite an entertaining read, and I found myself literally LOLing at several pages (so much that my mom asked about what I was reading, though I don't think she would have found the foul language very funny).

Polk does a really great job of balancing humor with his love for the city, which is very easy to see. He defends his jokes by writing that he wouldn't be making fun of Cleveland if he didn't love it so much, but I don't know if that is even necessary. Of course he loves Cleveland, and people who find this book funny have to love Cleveland, too. You would think this book is terrible if you didn't love Cleveland, because you wouldn't find much — any? — of it funny.

One of my favorite pages in the book was his map of the East Side and West Side:
Mike Polk Jr. Book Excerpt 1

(Seriously, who hasn't gotten confused at that roundabout?!?!?!)

My criticisms of the book: I didn't care for the three "admittedly low-impact and low-effort entries" he included "to reach the bare-minimum number of pages" — I wished he would have used those three pages for more of his entertaining jabs at the Mistake on the Lake. The book also has a few typos/inconsistencies that my editing eye couldn't miss.

If you love Cleveland and find Polk funny, I'd recommend checking out this book. (Not sure if you think Polk is funny? Watch his Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video and Factory of Sadness.)

Read Mark Meszoros' interview with Polk, "Mike Polk Jr. — the Northeast Ohio comedian you know from those mock tourism videos — is now (gulp) a published author," and check out Michael Allen Blair's video of Mike Polk Jr. talking about his book:



Mike Polk Jr. will be signing copies of “Damn Right I’m From Cleveland ($14.95) at two Barnes & Noble Booksellers locations:

• 7 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7 at Barnes & Noble, 198 Crocker Park Blvd., Westlake. 440-250-9233
• 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 8 at Barnes & Noble, 7900 Mentor Ave., Mentor. 440-266-0212

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

(Note: I received an advance copy of "Damn Right I'm From Cleveland" to review.)

Brook Park author Mary Lu Stary will be signing copies of her books, "Sage, the Little Brown Pony: A Grandma's Barnyard Tale" and "Charlie, the Brave Little Turtle" this weekend at the Holiday Craft Show in Brook Park. Details from a news release below:

Author Mary Lu Stary Book Signing Event

WHEN: 12/08/12

TIME: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: Holiday Craft Show, 17400 Holland Road Brook Park, OH 44142

WHAT: Stary, a resident of Brook Park, OH, will be available to sign copies of her children's book, Sage, the Little Brown Pony: A Grandma's Barnyard Tale and Charlie, the Brave Little Turtle.

Sage is a frightened pony looking for her father who has mysteriously disappeared. Join her on her search as she seeks the help of the animals in the barnyard. Meet Buzzy, Quackers, and Puddles, and learn how friends can make a difference when there's a problem in your life.

Charlie isn't the biggest turtle, but the other turtles trust him to help them find a new place to live. Now join Charlie and his family as they take off on a grand adventure. It won't be easy, but if they stick together they can make it, and they might even make some new friends along the way.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl