Gobbled up any good books lately? And I don't mean being intellectually starved and having that craving satisfied by kicking back with the latest find from your local library shelf.

No. I mean it literally (ahem) and the Howard County Library hopes to whet your appetite with the second annual Edible Books Contest.

The rules are simple: Design and decorate a cake that represents your favorite book. And because the library is an equal opportunity contest sponsor, they will give you guidance on the road to contestant success.

The Miller Branch Library where the contest will take place is holding a workshop Tuesday, March 24 from 7 to 8 p.m. to guide teens ( contest is open to 11-17 year-olds).

Participants bring their entries back to the branch Wednesday, April 1, from 7 to 8 p.m. for the judging. The best cake decorator will receive a prize. Registration is required. Call 410-313-1950.

If you read a review of a book you would like to read but can't remember the title or the author to save your life, help is at your fingertips in NoveList, a blog on the library's Web site.

Go to hclibrary.org and when the main page comes up, click on the Highly Recommended pix ( keyboard photo) and check out Joe McHugh's Feb. 27 entry detailing how to use this great tool for assistance. Here's just part of his advice: " At the simplest level, NoveList lets you look up a book to find the author, or locate an author to see what he or she has written.

But how does that differ from using the library's catalog? NoveList also helps you find plot summaries, cover art, and reviews of the books you want.

These, too, can be found in the catalog, though. For starters, you can describe a book's plot and NoveList will use this information to help you find it.

Once found, NoveList will tell you if the book you located is part of a series. If it is, you can click on the series name to produce a chronological list of the series' titles."

McHugh works in administration offices and is one of many staff contributors to this wonderful blog, the reading of which is akin to having a private conversation with your favorite librarian. I highly recommend it.

There are many book clubs and reading groups in the county which allows participants with similar interests to get together and discuss books in their favorite genres but there is one county-wide reading event that invites all residents to join in reading an assigned book on a topic with far-reaching appeal.

The county-wide reading event is made possible due to the A+ partnership the library has with Howard Community College and is called the Howard County Book Connection.

The book is selected at the beginning of the school year and participants are invited to take part in related seminars and events over the course of the academic year ending in May.

This year's selection is "The Speed of Dark" by Elizabeth Moon and the topic is autism. Lisa Bankman, events and seminars manager for the library wrote in an e-mail, "The Howard County Book Connection seeks to connect our community through shared learning experiences that promote productive dialogue, critical thinking, and intellectual enrichment."

The novel is set in the future, one where there is a "cure" for autism. The main character, Lou Arrendale, in his mid-30s and autistic, was born too late for the "cure," yet he is remarkably productive because of the treatment he received in childhood.

Check out Bankman's blog in the September 2008 edition of Highly Recommended to find out more about this fascinating book and the author's skill at making known the interior life of the character. Or, better still, pick up a copy and join in the dialogue on this timely topic and join the author, Elizabeth Moon, Tuesday, March 31, 12:30 p.m. at the Monteabaro Recital Hall (Horowitz Center, Howard Community College, 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia), via a video conference, co-sponsored by the college and the Howard County Autism Society. It's a subject we all need to know more about and this event is the perfect preface to April, National Autism Awareness Month.

For information on additional events planned for April pick up a copy of the Source, the library's events guide, available at all library locations or go to the library Web site, hclibrary.org

Can you kindle?

If you own a Kindle, either the original or the new Kindle2, I'd love to hear from you. I purchased one and received it a few weeks ago and I have to say I'm less than "over the moon" about it.

But then as I've mentioned before, I came late to the technological revolution. The feature I like the best is the ability to make the font larger, but this is not a book you cuddle up in bed with.

Giving up on night I clicked onto the 'text to speech' feature and was disappointed by the choppy clip I was hearing. I have since discovered that the dialogue speed can be adjusted. I'd really like to hear your comments about this newfangled invention. Maybe we can start a support group.

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