Man attempts to remove squirrels from attic with electric guitar! | Arts & Culture

(FOX19) - Northern Kentucky One Book One Community -- the reading program that encourages everyone to read the same book -- announces this year’s selection -- All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House by David Giffels.

All the Way Home follows the side-splitting and sometimes maddening travails of Giffels and his wife as they attempt to restore a crumbling mansion. Their many adventures include nudging the elderly ex-owner to vacate the premises and battling the wisteria vines, raccoons, squirrels, and mice that have overtaken the attic. This is the story of a young family growing into itself. Through the ups and downs of their project they are forced to deal with frustration, loss, perseverance and doubt. David Giffels currently teaches Creative Non-Fiction as an Assistant Professor at the University of Akron. He and his wife and two children live in the house they renovated in Akron, Ohio.

     “With everyone so busy these days, it’s nice just to be able to sit down with a good book. Author David Giffels’ trials and tribulations is one that a lot of homeowners will relate to and can share and discuss with their friends and neighbors,” said Dave Schroeder, executive director for the Kenton County Public Library.

     NKY One Book One Community celebrates its fifth year as a cooperative effort of the NKY libraries: Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton. Past authors have included Sharyn McCrumb, George Ella Lyon, Craig Holden and Tori Murden McClure.

        “For several years now all four of the Northern Kentucky area libraries have worked together on the One Book, One Community program,” said Grant County Public Library Director Susan Nimersheim. “I believe collaborative efforts such as these help to provide a cohesive and more inclusive experience for the patrons of our four counties.”

       "One Book is a great opportunity for the four NKY library systems to work together and share a common reading with their communities. It's a wonderful program," said JC Morgan, director of the Campbell County Public Library.

     The libraries have purchased extra copies of All the Way Home so everyone can have a chance to read it and are offering free programs based on the themes of the book from September through November. The community is encouraged to read the book in September, attend a book discussion at their local library in October, and meet author David Giffels in November.

     “This is a great opportunity for the community to come together and have dialogue on an issue common to all of us – home repair,” said Boone County Public Library Director Greta Southard.” It’s a subject we can all relate to whether we’ve patched a hole in a wall ourselves or watched a significant other attempt to fix the plumbing -- we all have a story to share.”

     Northern Kentucky Libraries are hosting free kick-off events for One Book One Community on the following dates and locations:

Extreme Makeovers: Library Edition, Wednesday, September 7, 7 p.m., Kenton County Public Library, Erlanger Branch, 401 Kenton Lands Rd., Erlanger
Join us for an evening of extreme library makeovers!  Get a behind the scenes look at the extraordinary changes happening at our Covington Branch Library, while learning about the makeover history of KCPL.  Enjoy “madeover” desserts provided by Europa Bistro and Café while testing your makeover memory with a trivia challenge to win a copy of this year’s One Book selection.

Rockin’ Renovation Party, Thursday, September 8, 7 p.m., Boone County Public Library, Main Library, 1786 Burlington Pk., Burlington
Spend the evening at a rocking soiree focused on the themes of this year’s book which is rife with musical references. We’ve booked Velvet Soul to jam out a playlist of songs hand-picked by David Giffels.  Home Depot joins us with some do-it-yourself tips. You can even enjoy samples of a favorite recipe which comes from David Giffels’ wife Gina! Enter a drawing to win one of several copies of the book.

Home Improvement Heyday, Friday, September 9, 7 p.m., Campbell County Public Library, Newport Branch, 901 E. Sixth St. Newport
Meet nationally syndicated talk show host and do-it-yourself expert Gary Sullivan! Plus, see demonstrations and get ideas from local businesses and artisans about botanical architecture, historic preservation, custom murals, window restoration, energy efficient homes, decorative iron work, and kitchens, decks and other home improvement projects.  View a Lego® replica of the author’s Tudor mansion, and enter to win a copy of the book or a Sawzall® donated by Pilot Lumber.  Enjoy food provided by City Barbeque and Fantasy in Frosting, and relax to the jazz sounds of the Chris Comer Trio.

Repair Your Own Falling-Down House, Saturday, September 10, 10 a.m., Grant County Public Library, 201 Barnes Rd., Williamstown
Get a hands-on lesson in repairing drywall. We’ll show you how to repair common cracks and dings to save money on your home improvement project. Also, we’ll have a contest at the end with a special prize for the best patch. Call 824-2080 to sign up, as supplies and space are limited and don’t forget to pick up your copy of the book.

Northern Kentucky One Book, One Community is a collaboration of the four Northern Kentucky Libraries: Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton with support from the Kentucky Enquirer. For more information about Northern Kentucky One Book One Community and details about the themed programs, book discussions and author visits, go to:  www.nkyonebook.org