Houstonist missed the grand reopening of the Houston Public Library Central Branch in early June, but we're OK with that. Who wants to explore a library mobbed with people anyway? Instead, we decided to check out the renovation on a lazy Saturday in mid-July after all the brouhaha settled. One thing is certain: those new floors sure are bright. We liked the cheeriness of it, though, and overall the Central Branch feels more like......

Do you share dating stories with your friends as if they were glorious war stories? Have you ever pulled a Lloyd Dobler for your Diane Court? If so, then read on. Native Texan author Lisa Landolt will be at Katy Budget Books this evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for a book signing to promote her newest book, Good Man Hunting. Wine and cheese will be provided for all attendees. And even better than......

::Monday Night Movies at Domy Books:: It's baaaaack! No, not Heather O'Rourke; Domy Books' Monday Night Movies!! (Ok, waaaaay too excited for Monday. We'll take it down a notch.) Domy Books, in association with Domy Films, is pleased to present, MONDAY MOVIE NIGHTS, Mondays at Domy Books, curated by the Movie Dudes. April 14: Liquid SkyDrugs, 80s art punks, and aliens translated through director Slava Tsukerman would be the easy way to describe Liquid Sky.......

The Country Houses of John F. Staub Stephen Fox Color Photography by Richard Cheek Texas A&M University Press Houston Texas – 1930’s. By the first quarter of the 20th century, Houston had made a dramatic evolution from the dusty southern outpost of the late 19th century into (basically) the city we know today. Industry was in full swing and there was a growing class of socialites moving into town, the Weiss’s, Farish’s, and Dow’s......

Here are a few books Houstonist thinks your friends and family won't use for doorstops (that's the fruitcake, right?). Everyone likes a good read, or at least a smart-looking book to sit on the nightstand. Give these a try. And shop at your local independent bookstore -- they can give you even more recommendations, and probably a good cup of coffee as well. Fun, mostly fiction books for people who are... Houstonians and/or architecture......

::Monday Night Movie at Domy:: Domy Books, in association with Domy Films, is pleased to present, MONDAY MOVIE NIGHTS, Mondays at Domy Books, curated by the Movie Dudes. Monday, December 17: Scrooge. What the DICKENS have they done to Scrooge? A 34 year-old Albert Finney stars as the penny-pinching old miser in this Dickens classic turned musical. This is a delightful musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol. Cold-souled Ebenezer Scrooge has a......

Nikki Sixx, bass player for Motley Crue stopped in town this weekend for a book and CD signing at Borders on Kirby. Fans lined up before the store opened for a chance to get his new book and CD, The Heroin Diaries signed by the author. There were many fans in attendance, some coming from as far as Dallas. Houstonist would like to thank Borders District Manager, Suzannah Napier for this opportunity.......

::Dame Julie Andrews to speak at Hobby Center:: "The Hobby Center's alive, with the sound of Juuuu-lieeee." Yeppers, Marry Poppins herself makes an arrival at the Hobby Center tonight, as part of the Brilliant Lecture Series. The voice, the music the memories.... The Brilliant Lecture Series presents A Conversation… with Golden Globe, Emmy and Academy Award winner, Dame Julie Andrews. Join us for a rare and candid conversation with the legend. Andrews has rebuilt her......

::Steel Lounge Underground at the CAMH:: Did you miss the HIWI party last night at Lawndale? (Apparently some of us probably should have, given we mistook it for a drinking contest.) Well loyal readers, you are in luck. Two great things rolled into one awesome basement tonight: the Houston: It's Worth It folks will be hosting the final Steel Lounge of the year at the CAMH. In almost a deja vu of last night, DJ......

Filled up on turkey and dressing? Here's some event stuffing fer youse. add event to your Google Calendar view all events on the Houstonist Google Calendar [26 MONDAY]Double Feature: Monday Movies at MFA and Domy BooksMemories of Irving Berlin (last Monday)Bayou City Concert Musicals | doors at 7pm, ensemble Theatre ($20) [27 TUESDAY]Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison: book signing and discussion | 3pm, Barnes & Noble Town & Country (free)Rice Humanities Lecture: An Ordinary, Everyday......

::Movie Monday - Double Feature:: Two series we love return tonight: Monday Night Movies at Domy Books, and Movies Houstonians Love at the MFA. Liquid Sky, 1983, 112 min Domy Books | 1709 Westheimer 8:30 - 10:30pm FREE Drugs, 80s Art Punks, and Aliens translated through director Slava Tsukerman would be the easy way to describe Liquid Sky. The hard way would include the endless amount of unlikable characters (including the two leads played by......

Houstonist has been waiting 22 years for a movie version of The Mist. Our prayers have finally been answered. Note: the last time we got our prayers answered, Point of Impact was brought the screen in the form of Shooter. Let's hope The Mist delivers more betterer than that film. King first published The Mist in 1980 as a submission for a horror anthology called Dark Forces being compiled by his friend, Kirby McCauley.......

::Ken Burns' The War at the Wortham Center:: How did you spend your Veteran's Day? Did you fly a flag? Did you hug a Vet? No? Well, here's your last chance at redemption. If you missed Ken Burns' World War II Series, The War, on PBS a few months back, you can catch it again tonight at the Wortham Center, as Burns is on hand to screen and discuss the series. Burns' works are......

Remember when you were a little bitty Houstonist and someone would read to you at night and you could just lose yourself in the story, abandoning all other thoughts of the day? Well you can still do it now, you know. In fact, you might be all the more eager to shed your quotidian annoyances now that you're grown. Here are a few places to hear some stellar writers read from their work: Friday......

Cara Barer—The Book Project DeSantos Gallery Beginning with just a found soiled copy of the Yellow Pages, Cara Barer created The Book Project, and eventually had volumes of new sculptures resulting from old books. As book lovers, our first inclination was to scoff at the idea of destroying old books for the sake of art. But then we saw the sculptures. This is one of the Houstonist's favoritist things we've seen in a long time.......

Dammit, Houston *is* a literary town! Here's a slew of readings happening this week, from the hilarious David Sedaris to the wry Nick Hornby and the unbalanced Lisa Belkin. Her word choice, not ours. We love books. Wednesday, October 24th at 7:30PM William Henry Lewis and Justin Cronin at DiverseWorks 1117 East Freeway, *FREE* Two heavy-hitting writers with a bucket of awards apiece. Lewis is the author of In the Arms of Our Elders......

Reservation Road is the "Feel Like Crap Hit of the Fall." The latest offering from director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) stars Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line), Mark Ruffalo (Zodiac), Jennifer Connelly (our Rocketeer crush) and Mira Sorvino (Replacement Killers) in the adaptation of John Burnham Schwartz's novel of the same name. When one family's son dies tragically in the opening minutes of the film, you'll feel like you just got punched in the stomach. But,......

With baseball season firmly packed into the history books, at least as far as the Astros and the rest of the NL Central are concerned (hi Cubs fans!), and basketball season around the corner, there's plenty of blog fodder out there this week. Here's what bloggers are saying about our sports teams: - The Rockets are hemorrhaging point guards. Even though the word on the street is that Rafer Alston is on the trading block,......

Rice Gallery Opening Exhibit: Kirsten Hassenfeld's, Dans la Lune Among the many reasons we are happy that our quaint abode sits blocks from Hermann Park and Rice University, we add to that list our proximiity to the always excellently exhibited Rice Gallery. When we first heard about this installation, we knew we had to see it to believe it. Rice Gallery's current exhibit, Kirsten Hassenfeld's, Dans la Lune, utilizes the most ordinary of materials, paper,......

Spent all your cash on girlie drinks and shattered dreams again this weekend, didn't you? No worries - Thriftster gives you the lowdown on cheap stuff to do until Paycheck Friday. Monday: Strut your inner rock star at Guitar Hero Mondays at Fitzgerald's (2706 White Oak Dr.) where you can air guitar your way to everlasting glory. Just think of the pick up lines you'll have for the bar next weekend - chicks dig faux-musicians......

Gloria Steinem presents "The Progression Of Feminism: Where Are We Going?" Tonight at Wortham Center, the Progressive Forum Houston presents pioneer of the modern feminsit movement, Gloria Steinem, in a program that urges audiences to reconstruct their understanding of gender roles to foster a national spirit of cooperation for advancing of the rights of all citizens, especially our children. Gloria Steinem's philosophy and fight for equal rights for women transformed America, creating a social acceptance......

Spent all your cash on girlie drinks and shattered dreams again this weekend, didn't you? No worries - Thriftster gives you the lowdown on cheap stuff to do until Paycheck Friday. Monday: While the name of the show might be hitting a little close to home after this weekend's ACL sunburn, the Eastman Gallery's Skin exhibition is a neat way to check out local artists and the way they view the human form. Hit the......

Domy Opening Reception: Lisa Marie Godfrey Domy Books is pleased to present Sawing Logs new work by Lisa Marie Godfrey. Godfrey has become one of Houston's premier Mixed-Media artist. We recently profiled her as part of our piece on Houston urban art. And we are currently understandably obsessed with everything she's putting out lately. Click here to read an excellent, recent interview with the avant garde artist. Tonight they host an opening reception for......

Back in February of this year, Houstonist attended a screening of the 1983 ground-breaking documentary Style Wars, as part of the MFA's "Movies Houstonians Love" series. The film, presented by one half of UGK,Bun B, was screened to a sold out crowd of Houstonians, and was followed by more than an hour's worth of conversation surrounding Houston's underground music and art culture, that was co-led by Style Wars star and DJ legend, Kay Slay.......

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor eschipul. It's everybody's favorite technology writer and author, Dwight Silverman of The Chronicle and Technology Bytes fame striking a pose in the bowels of the Chronicle building in front of the old presses. The old presses are no longer used since the paper is now printed in the old Post building off of 59 and 610. If you have a passion......

Rice Window Exhibit + Closing Gallery Talk by Artist Mike Stilkey While other campus spaces had some downtime this summer, Rice Gallery was busy with its summer window exhibit "When the Animals Rebel." The installation's Los Angeles-based artist, Mike Stilkey, will give a talk tomorrow, Aug 30th, at noon at the Rice Gallery. A complimentary light lunch will be served, and the event is free and open to the public. To create the installation, Stilkey......

Monday Night Movies at Domy Books A trip to Cafe Brasil last night confirmed what we told you last week. They are getting a big honking, new kitchen. All the more room to make those yummy pizzas. The roof of our mouth is still mad at our inability to control the yumminess. We've been loving the Monday Night Movies at Domy all summer long. And we especially look forward to stopping off at Brasil before......

Monday Night Movies at Domy Books It's Monday. AGAIN. We know, right? Monday already? Yep. Shake off the Monday Blues with a free movie at our fav-o-rite bookstore, Domy Books [1709 Westheimer]. Hey, ho, let's go! Tonight's movie is the teen rebellion classic Rock 'n' Roll High School. Keeping in tune with the teen rebellion flicks of the 50s and 60s, Rock 'n' Roll High School delivers much of the same camp with a 70s......

Good morning, Houston. It's back to the books for many area students this week, although HISD won't begin until August 27. Many local private schools have already started classes, and many will start up again this week, and many colleges will begin class this week as well. Although the temperatures are still pretty summer-y, these next couple of weeks have that end-of-August, book-reports-due feel to them. >> Hurricane + no tax = shopping!: Stories......

If Amy Winehouse has inspired you to hear more fantastic women's jazz voices (rather than go to rehab), you're in luck tonight. The 2007 version of Jazz Cross Roads presents "Women in Jazz" showcasing the work of the great Sarah Vaughan through female jazz vocalists Kamil Bonner and Mickie Moseley and saxophonist Theresa Grayson. The women will perform both in small ensemble and with the Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra. The evening is presented by the......