Overheard in the Bookstore

One customer to another customer:

"She likes all kinds of books. You know....both friction and non-friction."

As long as you keep reading (whatever you want to call it), I'm happy!

Saratoga

I just returned from a library conference in Saratoga, New York. It is a beautiful little town that was temporarily overrun by librarians who were there for the annual New York Library Association conference and lawyers there for an American Bar Association meeting.

Over the years I have been to many bookseller's conventions. I have gone to the big Book Expos with their numerous vendors and fancy luncheons and noted authors. I have also attended the smaller, regional conferences where you have time to meet other booksellers and learn a little about how they survive the business. It was fun to compare the booksellers to the librarians. The similarities kind of suprised me.

Female booksellers and librarians do not tend to wear really high heels, maybe it is all that time spent walking among shelves of books. Both booksellers and librarians tend to stop in the middle of streets, hotel halls and restaurant lobbies to discuss something that gets them excited. Booksellers and librarians seem to really enjoy complimentary chocolate at display booths (much more than free pencils). Booksellers and librarians also really like free books, although the librarians are much more civilized and even wait to be invited before taking advance reading copies from a publisher.

Mostly, booksellers and librarians love books and people who like books. They get excited about new ways to get information out to people (though booksellers are, in general, not too thrilled about the popularity of the Kindle). Since I am both a bookseller and a librarian, I will admit that we are a quirky bunch of people that value words and knowledge over many other things that normal folks think is important. Oh yeah....it seems that the majority of us wear glasses.

Halloween

Every Halloween for the last ten years I have joined all the other Main Street merchants in dressing up and closing early to give out candy to the children of my community. I have always said that one of the things I like best about owning a bookstore is that I have had the opportunity to dress up in silly costumes much more often than most adults. I have dressed as a clown and a witch and a giant mouse and a witch and a gypsy and a witch. (You have to forgive the repetition but I just have the best witch's hat!). The first year, I was the only one standing in front of The Open Book, guarding the cauldron of candy. This year we have a large volunteer crew joining in on the fun.

I am lucky to live in a small town that closes down Main Street so that kids can safely celebrate getting lots of candy and dressing in silly/scary costumes. And, if I do say so myself, this town is lucky to have independent business owners that spend their own money on Halloween candy and close their businesses so kids can have some fun. So on Halloween and on every day, don't forget to shop locally and support the businesses that support your community.

Blogmania

If you just can't get enough of either my opinion about books or blogs in general, I have a treat for you. I am a part-time reference librarian at Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton and we just launched a new blog called By the Book. This blog will feature book reviews by my fellow librarians and news about the literary goings-on at the library. Hope you enjoy it!

Sisters

I have two sisters, both of whom I love dearly and both of whom I rarely see. It is not that I would not love to see them much more often, but many miles divide us. Still, we are sisters and that bond is unbreakable and above all, precious.

I recently read a book by Julia Glass entitled I See You Everywhere. This is the story of Louisa and Clem, the "serious" sister and the rebel. The two tell their stories in alternating chapters, tracing the story of their lives over the years. As they move further apart geographically, they grow closer emotionally. This is a funny, heart-rending story that is beautifully written. Although both sisters could be difficult and prickly, I liked them and found them to be both honest and real. I found myself hoping for a happy ending with the two sisters rocking on a porch in the sun as they enjoyed their old age.

I guess sisters are a rich topic for fiction. In my library's catalog there are over 250 books listed under the subject "Fiction - Sisters". Some of my favorites are:

Desirable Daughters by Bharati Mukherjee

The Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

How to be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward

Last Summer (of you and me) by Ann Brashares

Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Wilde Women by Paula Wall

These books demonstrate that relationships between sisters range from affection and caring to competition and rage. The stories are entertaining and funny and sad and sometimes emotionally difficult.

And to my sisters who are so far away....I am thinking of you, miss you and love you......

Where are you reading?

I just read an article in a magazine about a man who stores his American Literature collection in a beautiful cabinet in his bathroom. While this may seem a little strange to some people, it makes perfect sense to me. When people ask me what I am reading, I usually answer, "where?"

This is a tour of my current reading life. Upstairs in the bedroom, I am currently sleeping with (and sometimes on) two books: Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead (an advance readers edition of a much anticipated book) and Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. Whitehead wins out over James most of the time, because James is "required reading" for a book club meeting and it is inevitably put off until the last minute. (I say that this is so it is fresh in my mind, but really it is just procrastination). Still upstairs, in the bathroom I am reading The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willlig. This book is historical fiction of the lighter sort and is perfect bathtub reading.

Downstairs in the living room there is a copy of a play, Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott, and The Gold Coast by Nelson Demille. I am re-reading The Gold Coast in anticipation of the release of DeMille's new book, The Gatehouse in a few weeks. In the dining room is a pile of books that are "to be read" and have yet to be prioritized. In the kitchen are the cookbooks, which as you can tell from the previous post, also are fine reading material.

You might think you are done with the tour, but no, hang on a minute. You cannot forget the car and both of my jobs. In the car is a decrepit copy of The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb that is being slowly consumed at bank drive-through windows and other waiting areas (I swear I hardly ever try to read at red lights....) At the bookstore, ironically enough, I hardly ever read books. I try to catch up on catalogs and reviews and book magazines. But at the library, on my break, I have an uninterrupted period of time to sit down and read. Right now I am reading Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire.

I have always enjoyed reading many books at the same time. There are different books for different moods and different times. Some people think that this is confusing and just a little crazy. I say that if you want to know what I am reading, you better specify the location or sit down, because it may take awhile.

Comfort Food

When I was growing up in California, October wasn't exactly autumnal. The weather would cool down from the blazing 100 degrees common to the Sacramento summer, but we did not have to pull out the warm jackets to take long walks and kick the falling leaves. Here in Westhampton, the temperatures have cooled and the leaves are changing and it feels like the time to hit the farm stand to buy fall produce to make a hearty soup. This kind of weather is also good for curling up under a cozy blanket on the couch and reading a good book.

My favorite book of the moment is called The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. This book is due to be released in January, but I cannot wait until then to talk about it. The story revolves around a cooking class given by Lillian at her restaurant. Lillian believes in the power of food to evoke emotions and memories and propel people to make changes in their lives. As the classes progress, we learn the stories of the students, sometimes funny, sometimes sad. This book just made me want to cook and tell stories and be with the people that I love. I am sorry that you have to wait for it, but in the meantime, here are some food books to whet your appetite....

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is a story of magic and food and familial obligation. The language is rich and beautiful and you will fall in love with the characters. Tita, though constrained by familial expectations and a rather difficult mother, shines through.

Another magical story that revolves around food, family and love, La Cucina takes place in Sicily and is full of descriptions so lush and complete that you swear you can taste the food. Rosa suffers great love and enters into mad passion. Sadly, in her darkest days she move to Palermo and becomes a librarian (!?!).

I just loved this small book that is partly an ode to pies and partly a memoir. The author describes the pies and the pie-makers with delicacy and affection. I especially love the sections dealing with the "Pie Ramble", a kind of roadtrip/quest for the holiest of grails....a perfect piece of diner pie. Humor and love are combined in this book to make a tasty dish.

If you have finished these books and it is still not time for the release of Bauermeister's book, you can turn to the tried and true book of food stories: The Joy of Cooking. I am most fond of the 1975 edition. This classic cookbook will tell you everything from how to set a table for entertaining to how to cook a lamb's head (though you may want to skip that recipe if you have a weak stomach). Among the many recipes you will find little stories and tips about cooking, and sometimes life.

Good food nourishes not only the body, but the soul. Good books about food do the same. So make a big pot of soup, find a soft blanket and settle in on a rainy autumn afternoon for a good read.