Tschirgi set to tell her tales of Alaska

Among the few television shows that I watch, "Buying Alaska" and "Buying Hawaii" have become two of my favorites. Besides the fact that each show follows different couples trying to find the house of their dreams, and avoids the standard competitive aspect and/or provocative aura of instigation of most "reality" TV, both shows serve as virtual travelogues for two of my favorite states.

A number of years ago, my wife and I spent a couple of weeks cruising to Alaska, then renting a car in Anchorage and driving to Fairbanks and back. Many of the spots we visited, including Talkeetna, are featured on "Buying Alaska."

Anyway, that's a long-winded way of announcing a literary reading at Auntie's Bookstore tonight. Niki Tschirgi, author of the memoir "Growing Up Alaska," will present her book at 7 p.m. Show up and find out about her "experiences growing up in the interior of Alaska where normal temperatures for attending school were minus-60 F."

It beats watching television.