Marvellous Matchbook Magazine
March 27, 2012
The delightfully engaging Matchbook Magazine (on-line and a MUST read) reliably fills its pages with charm and wit and inspiration and essential conversation-fillers every month. Fashion, decor, nostalgia, trivia, art and creativity, and entrepreneurism … if it existed in paper form it would be dog-eared, water warped, and have sueded pages from so much reading. There is often a List (see below) and always a May We Recommend feature with spot-on book, film and music suggestions. I read the issues on my laptop but I know there are many of you with fancy ipads and other E-readers who’d enjoy it in that format. As the calendar braces for a flip, get ready to savour an April issue soon I expect. Meanwhile, there is a healthy archive of past issues; I envy newcomers to Matchbook who can visit all those pages for the first time. Click on some of the back copies shown above or click here to get started: Matchbook Magazine
The Matchbook Girls – those who are the creative genius behind its existence – are big readers so you’ll find plenty of bookish charm throughout:
Jane Lilly Warren and Katie Armour
And how wonderful is this list?! How many have you knocked off (Nabokov?!)? (From the February 2012 edition – click to make larger) I adore that Heidi and Madame Bovary appear together. I’m finding myself assessing women characters in my reading as to whether they’d be considered a “Matchbook Girl” or not. Recently finished Rules of Civility by Amor Towles and believe Katey Kontent may just qualify.
Each month the issue begins with a description of The Matchbook Girl – this one from April 2011 is especially fun:
Matchbook Magazine feels like a Spring Day unto itself – hope you can make time to become acquainted as your Spring arrives.
For more on-line magazine reading visit an earlier post: Reading Magazines … on the web
And you may recall an earlier reference to Matchbook Girl in the post: Personal Manifestos
Style Blogs to Books
March 19, 2012
There are a gazillion style blogs on the web, and more appearing each day it seems. Some bloggers have charmed an extraordinary number of followers and are taking an additional step of collecting the best of the blog in book form. Advanced Style (shown above) is one of the latest to produce a book – in fact, it hasn’t even been released yet. Check the shelves for it on May 22nd, 2012. The focus is on Ladies and Gents who maintain striking style well into their “advanced” years. Some of the lovely, confident characters appearing in the blog remind me of Jenny Joseph’s wonderful poem: “Warning”
Warning
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
Ahhhh Bookshelves
March 12, 2012
When it comes to furniture shopping I think I’d be content to buy but only bookshelves … apparently I’m not alone. Here is a poem by Robert Service and a quote from Anna Quindlen and a few images of lovely shelves to admire …
Book Lover
I keep collecting books I know
I’ll never, never read;
My wife and daughter tell me so,
And yet I never heed.
“Please make me,” says some wistful tome,
“A wee bit of yourself.”
And so I take my treasure home,
And tuck it in a shelf.
And now my very shelves complain;
They jam and over-spill.
They say: “Why don’t you ease our strain?”
“some day,” I say, “I will.”
So book by book they plead and sigh;
I pick and dip and scan;
Then put them back, distrest that I
Am such a busy man.
Now, there’s my Boswell and my Sterne,
my Gibbon and Defoe;
To savour Swift I’ll never learn,
Montaigne I may not know.
On Bacon I will never sup,
For Shakespeare I’ve no time;
Because I’m busy making up
These jingly bits of rhyme.
Chekov is caviare to me,
While Stendhal makes me snore;
Poor Proust is not my cup of tea,
And Balzac is a bore.
I have their books, I love their names,
And yet alas! they head,
With Lawrence, Joyce and Henry James,
My Roster of Unread.
I think it would be very well
If I commit a crime,
And get put in a prison cell
And not allowed to rhyme;
Yet given all these worthy books
According to my need,
I now caress with loving looks,
But never, never read.
Travel with Taschen
March 6, 2012
Taschen is a publisher known for colourful and beautiful books and magazines – mostly art, design, architecture, style, or artist themed. Beautifully photographed and designed travel books also appear in their repertoire and these little gems are indeed works of art unto themselves. Whether for real-life plans or vicarious travel, they happen to be quite practical too. In the decorative boxed edition above, you will find Four Cities (New York, London, Paris and Berlin) broken down into 3 volumes each focused on: Shopping, Restaurants and Hotels. Maps with hand painted illustrations, stunning photographs and detailed descriptions of must-see and memorable sites are throughout.
Another recently published Taschen travel adventure is The New York Times “36 Hours”: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada.
This would be another perfect travel planning companion – if no plans yet in motion, here’s the inspiration!
From the Publisher: “The NYT has been offering up dream weekends with practical itineraries in its popular weekly “36 Hours” column since 2002. Over the years, the column’s writers have brought careful research, insider’s knowledge, and a sense of fun to hundreds of cities and destinations, always with an eye to getting the most out of a short trip. Its photographers have gone along, capturing the images that tell more of the story.”
Excursions are illustrated with gorgeous photos and detailed itineraries – the off-the-beaten-track surprises are featured alongside the landmark tourist draws.
Both of these Taschen travel publications are worth adding to your “pretty book” collection or presenting as a gift to a special person.
Happy trails!
Devoted to Downton?
February 27, 2012
In the event there is a rare soul among you who has not yet heard of the phenomenon of “Downton Abbey”, a quick introduction: Downton Abbey is a period drama, written by Julian Fowles, shown on Masterpiece television (PBS) , and presently in its second season. And it’s sooooo much more! The characters, the sagas, the fashions, the wit of Maggie Smith, the interiors, the scenery, the history, the romance, the manners, the drama, the wit of Maggie Smith … all contribute to decadently absorbing viewing. As you have gleaned, Maggie Smith is one of the most fabulous characters – she plays Lady Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham with saucy sarcasm and facial expressions to keep you wishing she was in every scene; she will make you cringe and laugh out loud in equal measure. It is all such great entertainment. Something this good must have a literary bent, right?
Well … Downton creator Julian Fellowes is the author of the novels Snobs, and Past Imperfect as well as writer of the screenplay for the movie Gosford Park. He is particularly respected for capturing the essence of an era – especially in manners and subtleties of communication. Fellowes’ hugely successful Downton Abbey has spurred enormous interest in reading of the era: non-fiction and fiction. There are pages of Google entries with the listing “If you like Downton Abbey, you’ll love reading these titles …” Here are some of the suggestions:
Enjoy the viewing and the reading. I leave you with a little clip of marvellous Maggie.
Reading Russian
February 19, 2012
Geographical trends seem to occur in books, don’t you find? For a while, there was a rash of “India” writing (A Suitable Boy, A Fine Balance …) and then stories set in China or Hong Kong (Snowflower and the Secret Fan, The Piano Teacher …) My former book club read a number of stories set in Africa until consensus had us move on – to the UK. Well, I’ve noted a recent trend to reading Russian. I read the classic Anna Karenina and Doctor Zhivago years ago but recently finished The True Memoirs of Little K and A Mountain of Crumbs – I enjoyed them all. Such an intriguing history and fascinating characters making their way through it. In only the past few months/weeks The Winter Palace, Catherine the Great, Enchantments, and The Little Russian have all been released. Each one looks appealing to me so it appears another literary trip to Russia could be in the works! (As usual, click on the image to be taken to a website with more information about the book.) Where have your books been taking you?
Love Stories
February 14, 2012
Love, your books. Or is that “Love your books!” ?
Happy Valentine’s Day
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
February 7, 2012
Books are already the winners at this year’s Academy Awards. It may be a ceremony dedicated to honouring the best in film but the power of the word prevails through the Nominee list this year; six of the nine Best Picture Nominees are based on successful books. I’ll list those titles below if you aren’t yet familiar with them … Meanwhile, flying books star in an Oscar-nominated Animated Short Film and that’s what I’ve been itching to share with you.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a 15 minute long film by the creative and talented Moonbot Studios. The short film has been described as: “drawing its inspiration from “Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books. Reviews call it “poignant” and “heartwarming” and a “love-letter to books” but one commenter summed it up perfectly in my mind: “How truly lovely. A beautiful, simple story that, like the best books, reaches the heart of anyone willing to take a moment and enjoy.”
I hope you can open a 15 minute window sometime in your schedule and savour this little tribute to books and reading and so much more. Cheer with gusto when they win their Oscar!
There is also a Flying Books award-winning iPad App you might want to explore. I personally love this Mr. Morris themed iPad case:
And … These are the books which have inspired The Academy Award Best Picture Nominees in 2012:
A Reader’s Bill of Rights
January 29, 2012
The above “Bill of Rights” is the work of one Daniel Pennac and is contained within his popular book, Better Than Life.
Its publisher, Stenhouse Publishers, describes it best: “In Better than Life, Daniel Pennac shares the secrets that all book lovers treasure. Delving into his experiences as a parent, a writer and a teacher, he asks, how does the love of reading begin? How is it lost? And how can it be regained? This remarkable book explores simple ways to create a life-long devotion to reading.”
Sticking to the “Reader’s Bill of Rights”, note that there is an enchanting version of it produced in a stand-alone book illustrated, and with a forward by, Quentin Blake. Anyone recognize the look of Literary Love in that expression?!
Though first drawn to Daniel Pennac by his “Rights”, I was impressed by what I learned about his career and commitment to promoting Literacy for children. An article in the Independent newspaper entitled: Daniel Pennac: Head Teacher from the School of Joy will tell you more … click the link to read on and enjoy!
Reading Here and There
January 22, 2012
I had to chuckle on Saturday morning while reading The Globe and Mail feature “My Books, My Place”. This week’s guest was Kate Beaton, a cartoon artist whose work appears primarily on the web (Hark! A Vagrant) and now in a recently published book format of the same title. Here, along with her illustration above, is Kate’s charming contribution to the Globe:
My favourite place to read is really anywhere so long as I can spread myself out. Couch, rug, bed, whatever feels best. This is because I’m a fidgeter. I flip-flop around a book like it’s the only thing I have to hold onto in a storm.
I wish I could tell you that I read in my favourite café with my legs neatly crossed, sitting next to a peppermint tea atop a dainty saucer, all in a beam of morning light. But I can’t, because I’m lying on my belly, ignoring the fact that leaning on my arms is making them fall asleep. When they do, no problem. I just plop around onto my back and hold the book above my head, or maybe curl around the book on my side in some unnatural fashion, or sit up and balance it on my knees.
Did you just step on something? Oh, that was me. I was rolled up in a blanket on the floor. Don’t worry about it.
When I was a teenager, I even threw sitting awkwardly upside down into the mix, legs thrown up and over the back of an armchair, but had to give that up when I became a Lady because no gentleman worth his salt takes an upside-down person to the altar. Not that I’m fishing for husbands when I’m halfway through the latest George R.R. Martin, but you have to draw a general conduct line somewhere, don’t you think?
Are you like Kate, a fidgeter? I love a big armchair with room to curl … you?
