books

A bookish sort

jules_verne

{Looking good at 101 years old}

Well, hello,

And a happy Friday to you!

Did you have a good week? Did you get a lot done?

As for me, I’ve been celebrating Christmas. Oh, you read that correctly. Christmas.

My friend Mandi, knowing how Scandinavia is especially close to my heart, brought me two books on Sunday: A History of Sweden by Ingvar Andersson and Jules Verne’s Captain Grant’s Children (in Danish). Lovely old books do so warm my heart.

Then yesterday, at our delayed Christmas celebration, my friend Manders gave me Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Anansi Boys. I’ve yet to read either, and I can hardly wait to begin. I do so love me some Neil Gaiman.

Obviously, I have the best friends ever.

Not that I boast, naturally–only to say, bookish treasure can’t be beat. As a matter of fact, I hope you’ll happen upon that of your own in the coming days. If the weekend is much too busy to sneak in some reading, one, I hope it’s worth it–two, I hope you’ll at least find something to entice you to a future read. Whether you you buy, borrow, or are gifted, well, that’s just part of the intrigue!

Until next week . . .

xoxo

amy

When old is cool

Speaking of old, I’ve managed to worm myself into Medieval Drama. It’s an undergraduate course at BSU, you see; it’s also a Lit class . . . which means it has more than its share of bookish wall flowers who’d rather have all their teeth plucked out, one by one, than actually participate, on a stage, in front of an audience. So, they invite members of the community to fill in as needed. So as not to keep you up at night: I’ll be playing the Lady of Synadoun, the lady turned to a snake by evil sorts . . . and crying lady 2.

Last night was our first rehearsal.

Now, on the whole, I feel my years have been kind. Most days, should you ask, I’ll tell you I feel quite young, thank you. I tend to chalk it up as young at heart, but it may be time to rethink that scenario. It may be nothing more than the fact I hang with nonagenarians, because walking on campus last night . . . I am so not young. Whoa, dude!

But I digress . . .

Needless to say, I have a certain soft spot for the middle ages. It’s such a fascinating period. And the literature! There’s love and adventure, sorcery and intrigue. There are damsels–and a good many of them are anything but in distress, I might add. Take Silence–a girl raised as a boy who grows up to be a famed minstrel and knight. Are you kidding me? And, of course, there are the knights of renown. Who can forget Gawain, with his puffed out chest, or Kay, who obviously needed more whippings as a child–and Jeffalot? I did not make that up. Thanks to him, you too can have a knightish name.

No wonder the Fantasy genre is steeped in the medieval tradition. It’s awesome!

So when Jules, of Pancakes and French Fries, mentioned her son was interested in the Middle Ages, and asked for possible book suggestions, I was all over it. At least, I called on my friend, Dr. Linda Marie Zaerr, to be all over it. A medievalist, she knows a thing or two about the middle ages. I thought perhaps she could suggest a book or two. Well, she suggested nine pages worth, broke out by genre/topic and age appropriateness.

Speaking of awesome.

A couple things of note: 1) The books included are those that remain true to the period, original story, etc.; 2) The list was actually compiled many years ago, so there could very well be  books published in the last few years that meet the criteria. But this is a very good place to start.

Jules formatted the list and added it to her blog, including editor’s notes, links to free copies, and one fabulous illustration. For those who like hard copies, I whipped up a pdf. And let’s not forget the books for older sorts, too.

Now, without further ado . . .

Ex Libris: a Medieval Reading List for Children (including editor’s notes and links) | Downloadable medieval reading list for children | Medieval literature reading list

Might I suggest a bookish weekend?

A couple weeks ago–right about the time my arm got stuck in a hole in my sheets–I thought perhaps it time to purchase anew. So off I set for TJ Maxx, thinking surely I could find the perfect set, right within my budget. Alas, not so much. I did, however, come away with the most fabulous quilt … a quilt The Intern has since adopted as his own. He has been completely worthless ever since I placed it upon the bed. Really, it’s so hard to find decent help nowadays.

And Lord knows I could have used the help, trying to get my book blog back up and running and all. That’s right, The Bibliophile’s Adventurers Club is back in session … barely.

If you’re wondering what in the world, let me explain. Last year, in addition to getting my business up and running and writing this blog, I decided it would be a splendid idea to have a book blog. Something that highlighted the intrigue associated with the bookish world–one that didn’t take itself too seriously. No sooner had I got it up and running, I lost steam.

So after a year hiatus, I’m back. I’m still working a few things through, but this time around I should have some help (most notably, Amanda Hammond, Bio-Writer-Extraordinaire). In addition to the usual hodge-podge, we plan to add reviews (as requested) … themed library ideas … and more travel options. We’re also working on a fairly big project–the idea of which makes me positively giddy. Look for it the first part of 2012!

As for balancing everything, I’m not sure I have the answer. But I can’t be bothered with the details; it is, after all, the weekend.

And may you, dear readers, have a happy one. Perhaps it will include finding the perfect sunny spot to curl up with a good book?

Wishing you laid-back, do-nothing-you-don’t-want-to-do days!

 

Bookish delight

The annual Library(!) book sale marks the start of spring more than a date on the calendar, the first bloom of forsythia, or the first red robin hanging about. For three days, scores of people trek to an old warehouse in search of bookish delight.

Typically, I am not of their number.

I’ve nothing against libraries, mind you.  Quite the contrary. Growing up I was of the nerdly persuasion; the library was my Camelot.

But as so often happens, things change. Suddenly, those stains happened upon while reading pages of a borrowed book were not so innocent. I would stare, the stain would stare back–it was positively disconcerting.

With that in mind, I now tend to opt for new book sales. I keep the purchase of old books to truly vintage–tomes housed in attics, or works appreciated from a library shelf. They’re old enough, you see, to have been new when books were revered … and not read in the likes of the loo.

But something about this year changed my mind. Perhaps it was the sunshine, the budding trees, or the birds’ cheerful chorus–whatever the event, I found myself heading downtown, straight toward the book sale. As I drove around the block searching for a parking spot, I eyed person after person scurrying back to their cars, arms laden with treasure. The mere sight made me giddy.

Unfortunately, the feeling didn’t last.

So many books–so many people. From the moment we entered the door, the swell carried us along. We had no choice but to partake in a bit of speed shopping–rounding the tables multiple times to see all there was to offer. It didn’t help that the checkout line extended from front to back, wrapping itself along the rear wall or that we walked into a most unfortunate odor right from the get-go. Apparently, the excitement of it all, gave a certain someone gastric distress–a condition that distressed us all.

Overwhelmed is an understatement.

Now treasure hunting requires, at the very least, two things: patience and perseverance. Patience, I have not. That would be how I managed to emerge from a book sale with nary a parcel–a fact quite criminal.

But persevere, I will.

Next time I’ll be prepared.  Next time I’ll make note of the types of books I’m looking for, and I’ll not leave until I find them. I’ll plan on reading one of my books, while waiting in a line that may very well span the width of Texas.  And I’ll plan on bringing a room freshener or two … for good measure.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

So … how long have I been promising a review of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet?  Right.  Well, without further ado …
I remember the first time I learned of the Minidoka Relocation Center — I could not believe something like that happened in my home state, and I never once heard about it in history class.  The fact that the camp is one of the settings for the book was one reason I picked it up.  That and I loved the title and the cover design.  Yes, I’m that superficial. 
I found the book to be a quick read–perfect for lounging in a hammock or lying on the beach. Jamie Ford has a journalist’s eye for detail, so he makes the time and place come alive–especially that of a Chinese boy in love with a Japanese girl at the onset of WWII.  When brought to present day, however, I wanted to hurry the story along.  Was I simply enthralled with seeing Seattle, WA in a different light–of experiencing a different time and place–or did Jamie Ford feel a stronger connection with the historical aspect as well and it shone through in his writing?  I’m not sure.  Nonetheless, it ends up to be a sweet read.  If you’re looking for something light and full of heart, I recommend looking to the Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.