Channeling Half Pint
May 1, 2011
Does this book’s cover spark a pang of nostalgia? Did you also spend your early reading years immersed in the adventurous world of Half-Pint? My Laura Ingalls Wilder “Little House” books were the 1971 edition illustrated by Garth Williams and were gifted to me as a boxed set. (Thank you Santa!) I’m typing this with dusty mitts as I was just flipping through the pages of my still treasured collection. Had Santa elected to purchase just a single copy of one of the books it would have set him back $1.50 (or $1.75 in Canada). What has brought Laura out of the cupboard you may wonder … Well there’s a newly released book that takes a fondness for the Ingalls clan to a whole new level …
Wendy McClure, a children’s books editor, also adored the Little House series when a child and returned to them as an adult. The re-reading of the books inspired McClure to launch an exploration of the world of Laura. Her memoir The Wilder Life is described by Indie Bound:
“For anyone who has ever wanted to step into the world of a favorite book, here is a pioneer pilgrimage, a tribute to Laura Ingalls Wilder, and a hilarious account of butter-churning obsession.
Wendy McClure is on a quest to find the world of beloved Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder-a fantastic realm of fiction, history, and places she’s never been to, yet somehow knows by heart. She retraces the pioneer journey of the Ingalls family- looking for the Big Woods among the medium trees in Wisconsin, wading in Plum Creek, and enduring a prairie hailstorm in South Dakota. She immerses herself in all things Little House, and explores the story from fact to fiction, and from the TV shows to the annual summer pageants in Laura’s hometowns. Whether she’s churning butter in her apartment or sitting in a replica log cabin, McClure is always in pursuit of “the Laura experience.” Along the way she comes to understand how Wilder’s life and work have shaped our ideas about girlhood and the American West.
The Wilder Life is a loving, irreverent, spirited tribute to a series of books that have inspired generations of American women. It is also an incredibly funny first-person account of obsessive reading, and a story about what happens when we reconnect with our childhood touchstones-and find that our old love has only deepened.”
Wendy McClure has written several memoirs and manages humour adeptly. Though my initial thought was uh-oh – a Laura groupie on the loose (You will learn about those in the book too!) I have been impressed by the number of positive reviews. Perhaps I’ll add this to my summer reading list. You?
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.
Books with Buzz
March 3, 2011
There have been two book titles this week that have buzzed through an extraordinary number of my conversations. I’ve had an opportunity to read (and recommend!) one and am eagerly anticipating a reading of the second based on the enthusiastic commentary I’ve heard.
One Day by David Nicholls has travelled the globe by word of mouth in a way few other titles have. It follows the journeys of a man and a woman who meet in university during the 1980s and remain connected through the decades that follow. We are given a glimpse into their lives at various points, always on the same day – July 15th. This “one day” makes for an interesting device to move the story forward. From the author’s website: ” 15th July 1988. Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year which follows? One Day is a funny/sad love story spanning twenty years, a book about growing up – how we change, how we stay the same.”
A big part of the appeal of the book is the realistic “warts and all” behaviours of the characters – these are people you will recognise and relate to in many ways. “Honest” is a word reviewers have used frequently to describe the writing. You may be reminded of other beloved hip British writers: Nick Hornby and Tony Parsons.
Pop culture also plays an important role – the setting is London, England for the most part and references to the music and news of the times colour the story. In fact, David Nicholls has responded to repeated requests by actually posting a playlist of mix tapes (remember mix tapes? – now they’re playlists) that appear in the story. I love that!
David Nicholls himself is an engaging fellow in his interviews and his sense of humour comes across on his website as it does of course in his writing. One Day is the third of his novels and like me, you’ll no doubt be inspired to search out the previous ones, Starter for Ten and The Understudy. Get thee to a bookshop – the movie version will be released in September. I refuse to tell you who is starring (even though she’s BIG!) as I’d hate to influence your own vision of the characters. Your fault if you look it up!
And now for a Canadian read … Room by Emma Donoghue. (“Canadian” because Irish-born Ms. Donoghue now lives in Canada.) Diplomatically, both of the author’s homes have honoured the book with Novel of the Year – the Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize for best Canadian novel. I’ve yet to read this but am promised a copy shortly and can’t wait (no pressure on my book-loaning friend!) Also short-listed for the Man-Booker prize, this book inspires animated conversations everywhere. I’m motivated to start turning the pages not as much by the topic which feels dark but by the creative style of the book and the actual writing within. From the author’s website: “Jack and Ma live in a locked room that measures eleven foot by eleven. When he turns five, he starts to ask questions, and his mother reveals to him that there is a world outside. Told entirely in Jack’s voice, ROOM is no horror story or tearjerker, but a celebration of resilience and the love between parent and child.” As with many new releases seeking to inspire the market to embrace them, this book has a solid presence in social media and very creative ways to engage with the story beyond its covers. Visit Room on the book’s website and take a visual journey through the eyes of Jack.
If you’ve read either One Day or Room share your comments with us!
If You Liked …
January 8, 2011
The new year brings with it releases of some new titles by writers of some of our old favourites. These all look terrific to me and will no doubt be big book club hits. If you haven’t yet read the old ones, you have time to get caught up. So …
if you liked … you’ll be delighted by the new ….
Still Alice by Lisa Genova must be one of my most frequently recommended books in recent years; its poignancy has remained with me long after the last pages were read. While Still Alice followed Alzheimer’s from the perspective of the patient, Left Neglected, (released on January 4th, 2011) features the sufferer of a traumatic brain injury. (left neglect or hemi-spatial neglect refers to a lack of awareness of the left side of one’s body as a result of an injury to the right side of the brain) Not light stuff but as a Harvard Neuroscientist the author is more than prepared to shine some fascinating light on the world of the brain. She wrote that her first book wasn’t just about the illness but also “… about identity, about living a life that matters, about family and what a crisis does to relationships.” In telling a story of the recovery of a Type A over-achieving working mother after a life-altering accident, Left Neglected promises to do the same.
I read The Memory Keeper’s Daughter while snuggled up in a ski cabin in a snowstorm which was suitable considering the opening scenes of the story take place in a wild snowstorm. Now I’m off to find a cabin by a lake as it appears a lake plays a pivotal role in Kim Edwards’ latest tale. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter explored controversial and ethical decisions and their impact on a family in an absolutely enthralling way. A father decides to conceal the birth of his child with Down’s Syndrome and is thereafter haunted by his actions and the related actions of others.The Lake of Dreams (released on January 4th, 2011) also examines family and secrets and is apparently just as successful in creating memorable characters and evocative imagery. A young woman returns home, obsessed by her father’s earlier death and finds herself engaged in conflict and intrigue with her remaining family. Apparently there are secret letters and artefacts revealing a mysterious family past. Do tell.
I haven’t encountered a reader yet who wasn’t captivated by Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. In Loving Frank we followed a fictional account of the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney. A fascinating story made all the more interesting by the times in which it took place. In the new The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (to be released February 22,2011) we are drawn into the relationship between real life characters Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley Richardson. The story is written from the fictional perspective of Hadley during their time together, based mostly in Paris, during the 1920’s. According to Goodreads: “The city and its inhabitants provide a vivid backdrop to this engrossing and wrenching story of love and betrayal that is made all the more poignant knowing that, in the end, Hemingway would write of his first wife, “I wish I had died before I loved anyone but her.” Insert deep sigh here.
Another novel will also draw us back in history in an exciting way. Clara and Mr. Tiffany (to be released on January 11, 2011) is written by Susan Vreeland, known for Girl in Hyacinth Blue and Luncheon of the Boating Party, both successful fictional stories based in the real world of art of yore. “Clara” in the new title refers to one Clara Driscoll, an artist and designer for the famous Tiffany Studios in the late 19th century who until recently was unrecognized publicly for among other things, her creation of the Tiffany lamp and its iconic designs. Knowledge of her influence surfaced only with the discovery of three collections of revealing letters in 2005. Susan Vreeland was inspired and recounts her first introduction to Clara: “Here was the lively, sometimes rhapsodic voice of a woman who bicycled all around Manhattan and beyond, wore a riding skirt daringly shorter than street length, adored opera, followed the politics of the city, and threw herself into the crush of Manhattan life–the poverty of crowded immigrants in the Lower East Side as well as the Gilded Age uptown.” With a character like that to follow this is bound to be fun! Vreeland has proven herself with her previous books to be a solid researcher and a gifted fiction writer so be prepared to learn a great deal and enjoy the process immensely.
Don’t mind me while I mull over my preference for reading paperbacks – these are all hardcovers and I’m not sure I can wait!
A Fresh Start
January 4, 2011
I always think of the year as having two fresh start opportunities – September with back to school and its new beginnings and then the flip of the calendar to a new year in January. “Self-help” books (now more often referred to as “Health and Well Being”) tend to garner more attention during these times of year so I thought we’d take a peek today at one of the titles in the genre deemed “buzz-worthy”.
“For those who generally loathe the self-help genre, Rubin’s book is a breath of peppermint-scented air.” (The Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Gretchen Rubin devoted a year to an experiment in which she “test-drove the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier”. She recorded her findings in a blog and then in this book. View the video below to understand the impetus for her project.
The Happiness Project has been wildly popular; book clubs galore are reading this together and challenging one another to pursue “Happiness Projects” too. The book (and Gretchen’s) appeal is apparently in the lack of “preachiness” – resolutions and tasks are left open for a reader’s personal interpretation while the author readily admits her failings. She does not feel her way is the only way, she simply shares her experience and enthusiastically encourages others to pursue their unique version of Happiness Project.
Let us know if you’ve read the book and what your thoughts are. Have you launched your own Happiness Project for 2011?
Reading Magazines … on the web
November 26, 2010
Magazines, as we’ve discussed before, are another form of reading entertainment many of us enjoy. I’ve always appreciated magazines for the dose of colour and creativity – it’s fun to be inspired by the work of others be it in home or fashion design, travel, art, writing, philanthropy or even sport. I’ve not gone the way of an e-reader (yet) but those I know who’ve braved that world are particularly fond of the way magazines can be read on the device. (It appears the ipad dominates this market.) I’ve recently discovered a growing number of magazines that are available free of charge or by donation for reading primarily on-line, some without any print presence at all. These work quite well on a computer screen and seem to be the new direction for magazines in general. A unique feature of on-line magazine reading is that should you be interested in learning more about a product, service or person shown, a link is often embedded so you can be taken straight to the specific webpage.
Hints as you get underway: Full Screen mode viewing is best – just select that option from the task bar. If the print is too fine or small, enlarge the text. Subscribe to receive the newest edition when it’s available or Bookmark the site. Don’t forget to check the archives for back-issues as well. Just think – no teetering piles of slippery outdated magazines vying for space with your precious books! Have fun and let us know if you’re a convert to reading magazines on-line.
Click on the photos of each magazine cover below to be taken to their site where you can try reading on-line.
And two from Australia … when you need a little spring inspiration during our dreary autumn!
Ballerinas Everywhere
November 20, 2010
I’m not sure if it’s because The Nutcracker season is upon us but I am conscious of a ballerina trend in the air. A new movie called Black Swan is coming to theatres, our local Ballet is undergoing a sea change (what? no tutus!) and then there’s the bookshelf … An intriguing new hardcover fiction release is pleading to be added to the stack on the bedside table. And in the children’s section, with an apparent nod to the Madeleine books, a new storybook has arrived which promises to be a delight. Finally, carrying forward with our last posting’s theme, a fond but almost forgotten classic from youth …
The True Memoirs of Little K written by Adrienne Sharp follows the story of a century old ballerina reflecting on her life story. Exiled in Paris, tiny, one-hundred-year-old Mathilde Kschessinska sits down to write her memoirs before all that she believes to be true is forgotten. A lifetime ago, she was the vain, ambitious, impossibly charming prima ballerina assoluta of the tsar’s Russian Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg. Now, as she looks back on her tumultuous life, she can still recall every slight she ever suffered, every conquest she ever made. Through Kschessinska’s memories of her own triumphs and defeats, we witness the stories that changed history: the seething beginnings of revolution, the blindness of the doomed court, the end of a grand, decadent way of life that belonged to the nineteenth century. Based on fact, The True Memoirs of Little K is historical fiction as it’s meant to be written: passionately eventful, crammed with authentic detail, and alive with emotions that resonate still.” (From amazon.ca Product Description)
And then there is Miss. Lina’s Ballerinas written by Grace Maccarone and illustrated by Christine Davenier. Enjoy a glimpse here:
Remember Noel Streatfeild’s classic published in 1936: Ballet Shoes? Three young orphans are adopted and then through circumstances and serendipity follow dreams in diverse directions. One young girl is a gifted dancer and dreams of being a prima ballerina. Noel Streatfeild wrote a number of stories following the Shoe theme: Dancing Shoes, Skating Shoes, Tennis Shoes, Movie Shoes, Party Shoes and Circus Shoes among them.
Curiosity & Remarkable Creatures
October 29, 2010
Mary Anning (1799-1847) was a fossil collector and expert in paleontology from Lyme Regis in Dorset, England. Among her most notable discoveries were an icthyasaur, plesiosaur and pterosaur (“saury” – won’t describe the ancient creatures here but you get the drift!) All important finds and instrumental in proving the theory of extinction: ancient species had existed at one time, in an age of “dinosaurs”. Mary is a fascinating character in history, respected now for her extraordinary contribution to modern day understanding of prehistorical life and geographical history but challenged with a lack of recognition in her day due to her gender and low social status. As an aside, she was also the inspiration behind the verse: “She sells sea shells by the seashore”.
Two accomplished writers were motivated to explore and capture Mary’s story in fiction for the rest of us to enjoy and, coincidentally, at just about the same time. The books were published within a few months of one another early in 2010. Curiosity by Canadian writer Joan Thomas is enjoying many accolades and celebration; it was long listed for the Giller prize and named The Vancouver Sun’s inaugural selection in its new on-line book club. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier has also been reviewed positively and I’m sure will be picked up by those who’ve enjoyed her other terrific books: The Virgin Blue, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Burning Bright and others. I’m an enormous fan of her writing.
Each of the authors took a distinct approach to imagining Mary’s story. I think this makes a great opportunity to read both and compare the versions of her so-called life – perhaps a good Book Club task for one of those longer spells between meetings. If one had to choose to read just one based on the cover alone, which would you select? Let us know what you thought if you’ve already read one or the other. Click on the book covers to be taken to the authors’ websites and note the similarity there. You’ll find great information on each site.
