UGN InfoManager: Sometimes it is nice to miss a meeting...

Well, it wasn't because I wanted to, but we had to cancel the Cowtown MUG meeting this month. Like many groups, we had gotten smaller and had to turn the finances of our group around, so we went looking for a less expensive meeting place.

We have decided to move to a new family building at a local church. It really has a lot going for it, including room for socializing. However two issues caused us to cancel our second meeting. One of it was the fact that a Boy Scout troop is meeting there weekly on the same night that we meet. Secondly was a delay in construction that caused the parking lot to be full of wet concrete for our meeting night.

So I took advantage of the "night off" and went to a meet the author night presented by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at the Casa Manana Casa Manana Theater.

In the past, I have attended such events at the Bass Hall in downtown Fort Worth. The Bass is one of the premier opera houses in the country, but not really intimate enough for this purpose. However, I did see and briefly visit with Robert B. Parker (Spenser and others) and Tony Hillerman.

But last Tuesday evening I got to listen to a presentation by Terry Brooks. He is the author of Shannara series and the Landover series. I am not nearly as familiar with his work as the previous two having only read the Landover series over 10 years ago. I have probably not even read the most recent of those. But Mr. Brooks put on the most personal presentation of the three. Part of that was the setting I am sure. The theater was built 50 years ago as a theater-in-the-round auditorium. About ten years ago, it was remodeled to provide more of a traditional setting. It probably seats around 1000 people when full where the Bass seats 2056 with multiple balconies.

My wife has never read any of Terry Brooks books, but found him to be more entertaining because of his sense of humor than the others.

These are three authors that I always consider reading when visiting a book store locally or on-line.

Here are their most recent books.