Great Food Series by Penguin and Coralie Bickford-Smith
April 26, 2011
We chatted last week about scrumptious book covers by Penguin (In Stitches) and today there are more to share with you. This Great Food series looks beautiful and contains culinary delights within from all eras. The good news this time is that they’re available as of April 2011. I haven’t seen them in person yet but I imagine they will appear prolifically in time for Mother’s day.
Pen Vogler of Penguin Books shares her personal tale of how the Great Food series came to be: “The twenty books in our forthcoming series GREAT FOOD are the love-children of an affair with old cookery books that began in the British Library last year. … It was a shout-it-from-the-rooftops kind of love (which doesn’t go down well in the British Library) so, instead of disturbing my fellow readers, when I came back to Penguin after my sabbatical, I suggested to the Penguin Press MD that we publish them in the Great Ideas format, for everybody else to love too. … Some of the books are tasters from the best-known of our cooks and food writers. … Some of these books aim to reintroduce the forgotten cooks of the past. … And some of the books in GREAT FOOD are, simply, wonderful food writing.”
Read about each title on Pen’s website and follow her daring pursuit of the recipes as well – she’s working her way through the entire series.
The collection features the beautiful art work of Coralie Bickford-Smith who also did the cover work for a Great Gatsby series (lovely Art Deco theme) and the cloth covered Classics series. Take a look at these on Coralie’s web site.
Enjoy a few close-ups here of some of the Great Food covers and titles:
In Stitches
April 18, 2011
It may be a bit unfair to introduce something so wonderful yet isn’t available until October (2011) but these Penguin Threads editions by artist Jillian Tamaki are so spring-like and pretty that a sunny day like today seemed a good time to share. Mention of Penguin books may well bring to your mind those Creamsicle orange covers of the classics, dog-eared and tea stained from your high school or university Literature classes but things have changed; Penguin is now responsible for some of the most creative and beautiful books available on the shelf. This particular series within the Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions features not only three long adored stories but also the impressive artistic talent of Jillian Tamaki. Each cover in the series is embossed to highlight the texture of the artist’s original needlework. Be sure to visit Jillian’s website here where you can learn more about her and see her at work on the stitching with her colourful threads.
Each book is paperbound with French Flaps – those nice crisp paperback editions which include tucked in flaps with information about the story, the author and often reviews just like we enjoy with a hardcover edition. Individually, or as a special grouping, they will bring a little pizazz to your bookshelf or your gift giving. Move over boring old-fashioned textbook Penguins, there are some new threads in town.
Pages for Prisoners – Avi Steinberg, Prison Librarian
March 30, 2011
I happened to tune in to a radio interview a while ago that captured my attention in mere moments. The interviewee, Avi Steinberg, was speaking of his experience as a prison librarian and his subsequent memoir, Running the Books – The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian. In the few minutes I heard him speak I knew this book was one I’d be adding to the Must Read list.
Following his graduation from Harvard, and seeking to better his position as an obituary writer, Steinberg applied for a role of Prison Librarian and Creative Writing Instructor at a Boston area penitentiary. As a rookie on the job he was coached by a longer serving prison employee: “Don’t smile. This isn’t the Gap.” Over his two and a half years in the job, he found his own way among the colourful characters and the workings of their relationships within the inmate community. Funny happens along side poignant.
The San Francisco Chronicle offers this description: “Hilarious enough to make you want to read its lines to anyone who happens to be around, and profound enough to have you care deeply about many of the men and women whose crimes have brought them to Boston’s Suffolk County House of Correction. . . . There’s plenty of humor here, for sure, but Steinberg, in tender, understated prose, also brings out the inmates’ irrepressible humanity.”
To hear an interview with Avi Steinberg and read an excerpt from Running the Books click here.
Jane Eyre
March 22, 2011
Saw a sneak preview of Jane Eyre, the movie, this past weekend and while I will always treasure the book as one of my all time favourite classics, I must say I did enjoy the film. The theatre was packed on a sunny Spring morning and listening in to the conversations outside after it seems the reviews were unanimously positive. All the actors were impressive and of course Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax was perfection. The bold and witty repartee for which Jane is admired by her readers is duly captured in some great scenes. You will be caught up by the cinematography – I overheard a gentleman in the lobby post-movie exclaiming “I feel like I’ve been blown about the heath myself!” I am pretty sure he thought that was a good thing. The countryside really is beautiful and plays a significant role.
Opening here in Canada on Friday, March 25th. Hope you enjoy it too!
Movie tie-in Book Covers
March 16, 2011
It seems all the good books are destined to become movies someday. I still prefer to read the book first and often don’t see the movie version for fear it will ruin a good thing. Isn’t half the fun of reading “seeing” the character in your own mind through the writer’s vivid description? My casting and that of the movie people’s doesn’t always jive. When it comes to book covers I’m just as stubborn – I rarely go for the movie-tie-in cover and would rather hunt high and low to find the original version. I’ve enjoyed conversations recently with some who share my anti-movie cover bent and others who embrace the “Now a Major Motion Picture!” version. Which do you prefer?
(Note: The One Day movie poster(above) has just been released and is much complimented. I imagine due to its popularity the movie-tie-in cover will be similar when it is revealed. We’ll have to wait and see!)
Blackout Poet – Austin Kleon
March 9, 2011
I’ve been collecting ideas here and there for an overdue acknowledgement of poetry in our reading . . . plenty of poetry we can chat about one day soon. I discovered this more unorthodox approach to the poem today and just had to share. I love it when someone plays outside the lines!
Austin Kleon was a writing student suffering from writer’s block when he was inspired to take a black marker and stroke out words in an old newspaper. The words he chose to leave visible became his poetry. The hundreds of poems he created while commuting to work on the bus have been collected in the volume, Newspaper Blackout.
I have a few favourites (many available to read or even buy as posters on Austin’s website) but this one is particularly sweet. Especially when you read its source below.
How it works: I will give you whatever you want for all the cartwheels you're doing for me.
Kleon’s personal comment about his poem: “How It Works” is part of my ongoing series of Newspaper Blackout Poems: poetry made by taking an article from The New York Times and blacking it out with a Sharpie marker, leaving only a few choice words behind. It’s rare that I find poetry in the business section, but this one came from an article about hedge fund investing. Like many of my poems, it’s about my wife.
Do visit the website and feel inspired. You never know – a rainy weekend ahead might involve a Sharpie and the recycled weekend papers!
Here is a PBS interview with Austin Kleon if you’d like to see him in action.
Live the Language – FONT-astic!
March 5, 2011
These two videos are from a series of four released by Education First called “Live the Language“. Their purpose is to promote travel as a way to absorb culture and language; they are inspiring indeed! I love the way the fonts change with the mood. And now … enjoy your little journey. Keep these handy for when you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and need a quick trip somewhere!
It’s Been a Year!
February 8, 2011
Bedside Table Books launched a year ago!
Thank you all for playing along and encouraging me so – 52 weeks have absolutely flown by. Your interest and enthusiasm is always a delight to me and I’m most grateful.
I’ve been on the road a bit lately so the weekly posts have been slightly tardy on occasion. Lots of fun things in the docket though so next week we’ll get back to a regular weekly visit.
I’ve been struggling with finding time to read and am juggling more than one book – not a comfortable state for me though I know many readers who like to read several books at once. Are you one of them? Reading something worth sharing at the moment? Let us know!
Have a great week.
The beloved and prolific author Alexander McCall Smith ( The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series along with many more series and stories) is in my opinion one of the most entertaining interviewees you’ll ever hear. His dry humour is delightful and I guarantee you’ll be laughing out loud in short order when you hear him on air. He is particularly hilarious when he is speaking of the musical orchestra to which he belongs: The Really Terrible Orchestra or RTO for short. A few phrases here from an article he wrote in The New York Times:
AMS: ” My own playing set the standard. I play the bassoon, even if not quite the whole bassoon. I have never quite mastered C-sharp, and I am weak on the notes above the high D. In general, I leave these out if they crop up, and I find that the effect is not unpleasant. I am not entirely untutored, of course, having had a course of lessons in the instrument from a music student who looked quietly appalled while I played. … Another (member), a cellist, was unfortunately very hard of hearing and was also hazy on the tuning of the strings. As an aide-mémoire, he had very sensibly written the names of the notes in pencil on the bridge. This did not appear to help.”
The RTO has a wonderful time together and has even toured. They are met with great enthusiasm wherever they go.
AMS: ” We debated whether to charge for admission, but wisely decided against this. That would be going too far. So should we go to the other extreme and pay people to come? There was some support for this, but we decided against it. Instead, we would give the audience several free glasses of wine before the concert. That, it transpired, helped a great deal.”
View the RTO feature on ABC news by clicking link to Youtube.
Other writers too, apparently embrace alter egos with musical inclinations. The Rock Bottom Remainders is a rock band made up solely of writers and well known, successful ones at that. Writer and musician Kathi Kamen Goldmark had the idea to gather some of her music loving author friends and play together – they had such fun they’ve kept up with it for some 18 years. Besides Kathi, present and one-time members have included: Dave Barry, Barbara Kingsolver, Mitch Albom, Stephen King, Amy Tan, Scott Turow, Greg Iles, Ridley Pearson, Robert Fulghum, Matt Groening, Frank McCourt and Roy Blount Jr. The group travels annually with their “Wordstock” tour and has raised almost $2 million for various charities. “We will not be playing our ‘music’ for money, because if we did, people would throw shoes at us. Rather, we will be playing to raise money for some good causes.”
Here some of the members (Dave Barry, Stephen King, Ridley Pearson) are joined by another writer and banjo player extraordinaire, Steve Martin. (A little “bookish” trivia … Ridley Pearson has two daughters: Paige and Storey. Honest to goodness!)
Can’t do this with a Kindle!
January 16, 2011
I’ve noticed a trend in decor lately and it’s related to books. I’ve mentioned already how lovely I think it is when a home proudly displays its read and to-be-read volumes in a place of importance among the rest of a family’s artefacts. As impressive as this trend of shelving books according to colour may be it strikes me that it might take up some valuable reading hours to create the effect. I personally shelve mostly according to the school of willy-nilly. I do keep my already-reads separate from the yet-to-be-enjoyed . . . my book club choices have a shelf (ok make that shelves) of their own but beyond that there is no evidence of any strategy whatsoever and Dewey clearly remains unacknowledged. How do you shelve? Are you tempted to sort by colour and let rainbows emerge from the spines of your library? I know a few of you at least are a Kindle, Kobo or iPad happier after the holiday … can you stock your shelves as colourfully? Do send photos if you are already embracing the trend!
