BEA 2009

Somewhere in this throng are a few foot-weary representatives of The Open Book. This year's annual BookExpo was a bit more subdued than previous years, but it was still a mass of booksellers and books and authors and librarians and, and, and... I came home with some great new books, and some orders for new products for the store. I was even quoted in Publisher's Weekly about Pat Conroy's new book. I got to meet Sara Dessen and Eileen Goudge and Nancy Grace and Sherman Alexie. As alway, meeting the authors whose work rests on the shelves of the store is a thrill.

This event gives me a sense of excitement about bookselling and reading. And although it has been a rough year for The Open Book and a rough year for the publishing industry (lets face it, it has been a hard year for everyone), writers are still writing and publishers are still excited to promote those writers. Even with thousands of people crowding the aisles and the overpriced food of the Javits center making a hole in the budget, during BEA we all get together to celebrate books and the people who love them.

The Sweet Smell of Books

I have been reading The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon for weeks. I loved The Shadow of the Wind by the same author, and I expected to love this new book as well. And I do. The language is so rich and the use of words so unusual, that I just have to walk slowly through the story. I have tabbed pages and underlined passages. It is one of those books that makes you want to linger over the last pages so you will not have to say goodbye.

Both of Zafon's books have made me want to visit Barcelona. The city is such a strong presence in both books. Zafon's other obssession in both books is books. He writes with such passion about books and writing and the love of reading. For a bookseller/librarian, he hits the right note with his respect for the written word and those who sell it. At one point one of his characters enters into a bookshop and he writes: "He held the shop door open and showed me in. I stepped into the bookshop and breathed in that perfume of paper and magic that strangely no one had ever thought of bottling."

Oddly enough, earlier this week I had been reading another book blog (which I would link to if I could remember where I found it) and found out that someone has actually made a perfume based upon the smell of books. A company called CB I Hate Perfume has bottled a scent called "In the Library" which is described by its creator as "English Novel taken from a Signed First Edition of one of my very favorite novels, Russian & Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish." I may just have to do a little shopping......

What Would Pippi Do?

This is me as a child, down to the saddle shoes, I swear. Try to get me to come to dinner or to feed the dog.....just try. My head was always in a book and my mind deeply involved in the plot. I was with Alice in Wonderland or Freckles in the Limberlost. I was Jo in Little Women or Nancy Drew chasing criminals or Claudia in the Metropolitan Museum of Art trying to solve the mystery of the angel. I was lucky to have a mother who figured out that any communication was impossible when there was a book in my hand.

So when I saw this article on Jezebel about terms inspired by the ladies of children's literature, I wanted to pass it on. I especially like "Granger Danger" because it describes behavior I exhibit much too often. Click on the link, revisit your favorite fictional kids book characters and imagine how useful they can be for your everyday vocabulary.

2009 - 100+ Reading Challenge

I have joined the 2009 - 100+ Reading Challenge. That means that I am going to do my very best to read 100 books in 2009. Here is my list so far (to be added to as the months pass) in no particular order:

1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Favorite line: "It takes a graveyard to raise a child")
2. Drood by Dan Simmons (Huge book, dark, brooding and fascinating. This is worth the time.)
3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Historical fiction with a twist of the gothic)
4. Hot Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman (Enlightening and looonnnng)
5. My Lady Notorious by Jo Beverley (Romance, pure and simple)
6. The Girls From Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow (A good look at female friendships)
7. Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman
8. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
9. Society of S by Susan Hubbard (Another kind of gothic/vampire story. Very well-written)
10. Fool by Christopher Moore (Weird, Shakespearean)
11. Exile by Richard North Patterson (This was a thriller that made me think)
12. Eclipse by Richard North Patterson (Africa, oil and intrigue)
13. Trouble in Paradise by Robert Parker (Pure vacation read.....Spenser is the best)
14. Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (Wonderful, historical fiction)
15. Dear Fatty by Dawn French (A quirky little memoir by the Vicar of Dibley)
16. A Matter of Justice by Charles Todd (I liked this one...a bit like Maise Dobbs)
17. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (funny)
18.Turning Tables by Heather and Rose MacDowell
19. Fault Line by Barry Eisler (Page turner, so-so writing)
20. Maxxed Out by David Collins (Donald Trump-type character, moves along)
21. Happens Every Day by Isabel Gilles (A memoir of betrayal and divorce. Very sad.)
22. Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz (So funny....I love Izzy)
23. Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky (A quest to save Yiddish books makes an interesting story)
24. So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson (My reading life in a nutshell)
25. Reasonable Doubts by Gianfranco Carofiglio
26. Bad Mom by Ayelet Waldman (Not really the story of my life...but interesting)
27. Cupid & Diana by Christina Barolomeo (Fun, almost romance novel)
28. Floater by Calvin Trillin (An oldie, Trillin is so funny in such a subtle way)
29. Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani (Shoes and Italy, need I say more?)
30. Sweet Potato Queen's Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit by Jill Conner Browne
31. Listening is an Act of Love by David Isay (Stories from everyday people)
32. Assisted Loving by Bob Morris (Double dating with your dad. Funny and poignant)
33. Cooking and Screaming by Adrienne Kane ( A different kind of food memoir....the zucchini recipe is great)
34. The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano (This is well written with unexpected twists to the plot)
35. Local by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly (My first graphic novel.....I could become a convert!)
36. Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross (Good mystery, lots of twists and turns)
37. The Language of Bees by Laurie King (I love these Mary Russell stories...this was a good one.)
38. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (The Sookie Stackhouse books are a guilty pleasure.....the True Blood series on television is pretty good as well.)
39. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran (Good historical fiction, easy to read)
40. Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child (I love Jack Reacher)
41. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (so, so beautiful).
42. Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson (ehhhh)
43. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson ( simple, elegant and beautifully written)
44. King of the Screwups by K.L. Going (funny YA novel)
45. Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd (good, WWI mystery)
46. The Help by Katherine Stockett (my favorite so far this year)
47. South of Broad by Pat Conroy (I am in love with this book)
48. Even by Andrew Grant (good thriller, a little graphic for me)
49. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (great YA book, thanks Sara)
50. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (Classic Steinbeck with beautiful language. Half way there!!)
51. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum rides again....)
52. The Family Man by Elinor Lipman (nice, light summer book)
53. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (memoir and recipes combined)
54. The Double Bind by Chris Bojalian (I am a little confused....)
55. A Plague of Secrets by John Lescroart (Another great legal thriller with Dismas Hardy)
56. The Defector by Daniel Silva (Gabriel Allon is almost as good as Jack Reacher....almost)
57. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Good science fiction )
59. You Or Someone Like You by Chandler Burr (please read this book so we can discuss it)
60. Persuasion by Jane Austen (Relaxing, peaceful)
61. First Family by David Baldacci (This is a great beach read)
62. Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby (Fun, sometime sad)
63. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper (Really, really good.....read it!)
64. Civil to Strangers by Barbara Pym (The literary equivalent of chamomile tea)
65. Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiana (Takes you back to NYC in the 50's....a pleasure).
66. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (I am not really sure I got this one, a little antiseptic and self-consciously intellectual for me)
67. The Hearing by John Lescroart (Good, Dismas Hardy story0
68. Mennonite In a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen (Funny Memoir #1)
69. The New York Regional Morman Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker (Funny Memoir #2)
70. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom (Just the book I needed to read right now)
71. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo ( Good....I liked Bridge of Sighs better though)
72. The Little Book by Selden Edwards (Interesting time travel story.....good characters)
73. Fahrenheit 451 - Graphic Novel by Tim Hamilton and Ray Bradbury (An interesting retelling of this story in graphic novel form)
74. Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? by Louise Rennison (Soooooo funny).
75. Away with the Fairies by Kerry Greenwood (good, Australian cozy).
76. Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor (wonderful mother/daughter memoir).
77. The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker (Unusual story, great characters)
78. The Fury by Jason Pinter (Fast moving, page-turner).
79. How Shall I Tell the Dog by Miles Kington (Funny musings on death....really)

80. The Last Symbol by Dan Brown (Fun, fast page turner with lots of info about the Masons and Washington, D.C.)

81. Secret Asset by Stella Rimington (MI 5 Spy novel...I am addicted to British espionage)

82. Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt (Touching, sometime funny memoir of loss)

83. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (Haunting, a bit disturbing)

84. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Really good YA sci-fi)

85. Thin is the New Happy by Val Frankel (Memoir of a chronic dieter)

86. American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson (Inspiring and funny)

87. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard (She perfectly captures the voice of the young boy)

88. The James Deans by Reed Farrell Coleman (Great, noir mystery)

89. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Follow up to The Hunger Games....I can't wait for the third book!)

90. The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathie Marie Buchanan (Historical fiction about Niagara Falls and the early days of electricity)

91. The Cold Light of Mourning by Elizabeth J. Duncan (A lovely little cozy mystery)

92. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran (Light and easy historical fiction)

93. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (My new favorite book)

94. Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly ( Harry Bosch and Hong Kong....a lethal mix)

95. Y, The Last Man by Brian Vaughn, et al (Interesting, dark graphic novel....a lunchtime read)

96. Murder Plays House by Ayelet Waldman ( A smart cozy mystery)

97. The First Rule by Robert Crais (Joe Pike made me cry!?!)

98. Personal Days by Ed Park (Odd little book)

99. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova ( Wonderful story, beautiful writing)

100. Velva Jean Learns to Drive by Jennifer Niven (Endearing characters, good story)

101. Still Life by Louise Penney (Very good mystery that takes place in Quebec)

102. The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom (Quirky mystery with a mobile library in the north of Ireland)

103. American Thighs by Jill Connor Browne (Oh those Sweet Potato Queens!)

If I get very ambitious, I will annotate the list with comments. Check this post to see how I am doing!

April is National Poetry Month

Oh, how in the world did National Poetry Month sneak up on me like this? The craziness of winter, the non-sale of the bookstore, the still new work of the library world and here it is, April. So, although I have a lot to say about so many things, I am just going to post my favorite poem in honor of Spring and Poetry and the world spinning round.

Summons
By Robert Francis

Keep me from going to sleep too soon
Or if I go to sleep too soon
Come wake me up. Come any hour
Of night. Come whistling up the road.
Stomp on the porch. Bang on the door.
Make me get out of bed and come
And let you in and light a light.
Tell me the northern lights are on
And make me look. Or tell me clouds
Are doing something to the moon
They never did before, and show me.
See that I see. Talk to me till
I’m half as wide awake as you
And start to dress wondering why
I ever went to bed at all.
Tell me the walking is superb.
Not only tell me but persuade me.
You know I’m not too hard persuaded.

A Piece of Pi

I am the first to admit that math was never my strong suit. I have always been a book person. But the last few years I have enjoyed hearing about the celebrations of "Pi Day" on March 14th. There is even a website, Pi Day, which has a countdown clock. There are discussions about why people like Pi including poetic statements such as "Pi is a magical loophole in our assumed and intuitive structures….lovelovelove". There are even Pi day songs with lyrics such as "Oh number Pi, Oh number Pi, your digits are unending" (Sung to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree"). Today, I saw students walking into school carrying cakes and pies. Who knew that math could be both fun and tasty?

In Praise of Old Books

Jaqueline Winspear is the wonderful author of the Maisie Dobbs series and one of my favorite authors. She and five other authors write a terrific blog called Naked Authors.com. Recently she wrote about her visit to the Boston Public Library. I know that this is a long quote, but her sentiments about books and bookstores and libraries made me smile on a gloomy, gray, March day. Ms. Winspear says:


"Now, this is a library-goers library, a place with thousands of books that seem to scream, 'Come in, read, research, study, learn, travel to far places, meander back in time, stretch the gray matter, pull me off the shelves and have your way with me.' And as I was sitting at my desk, surrounded by a pile of books on the social history of Beacon Hill, I thought, 'Why would anyone want a Kindle?' (Or something similar). Well, having slogged a couple of hefty books off and on one ‘plane or another, I can see why, however, there is something about those older tomes, something about a place so steeped in intellectual curiosity, that underlines the importance of the book. And later, as I braced myself and went out into the cold air, I realized that it had to do with what we are really tapping into when we open a book, whether we are immersed in study or reading for pleasure. We are accessing a direct line to a vein of storytelling that goes back centuries, and the fact that we can pick up a book – old technology, if ever I saw it – speaks to that legacy. I was using books that will never be available on a Kindle, and to turn their weary but still-up-to-the-job pages made me ache with pleasure. We are so lucky to have libraries, so fortunate to have bookshops, and we have been blessed with books. I just wish more people would come in from the cold and seek the warmth of they offer to the very soul of a person. I've always felt a sense of belonging, in a library - a belonging that warms the cockles of my heart."