Dennis Lehane at the BPL

Last night I went to the Boston Public Library for an installment of their author series in the Rabb Hall.  The featured speaker was Dennis Lehane one of my favorite authors.  It was his last stop on his book tour to promote "Live By Night"

Lehane wrote "Mystic River", a book that put into words all the things I ever knew to be true about living in Charlestown; how I feel about being in/from Boston; how I love and treasure Boston.  I've recommended or given this book to others who are of The City.

So of course, I had to go back and read everything he had ever written.  It was good, but nothing touched me like "Mystic River".  Then when I was in Dubai in August of 2003, one of the books I brought was "Shutter Island".  Wow!

"Live By Night" takes up another Coughlin brother's story a few years after "The Given Day", which was an amazing book.  I read the first 136 pages between having it signed at 7:30 last night to when I finally forced myself to put it down and o to sleep.  I've intentionally left it in my 3rd floor bedroom so I could get stuff done today.  But tomorrow, I'll read all day!

Lehane's presentation last night had everyone chuckling.  it comes through so clearly how he loves Boston and of course that endears him to me all the more.  On a funny note, he loves Ybor City, a historic neighborhood  in Tampa.  And of course, that's a place I spent a lot of time when I was visiting Tom (formerly known as the Favorite Naval Consort) .

Yes, I know, I am talking while they took the picture.  Oh well.