Wordless Wednesday -- Puns are Fun

The 86 Days of Summer

Grand Beach, Manitoba

Some people create New Year's resolutions.

I create a list of...

68 things to do in 86 days of summer!

Here's the approximate breakdown:

10 items are food related
5 are related to exercise and wellness
17 of them are sports/leisure/hobby type activities
7 are literacy related
at least 12 of them involve travel
11 will help me build some mad skills
and 9 of the list items are purely indulgent

I'm sooooo looking forward to summer!

It's All Been Done Before

These are two parts of a four-part video series by Kirby Ferguson, a NY based filmmaker and it's a fascinating look at remixing, sampling, songwriting, films, and the like. He talks about the fine line between inspiration and original art and explores Led Zeppelin's music and later its influence in Everything is a Remix part one. Then in part two Ferguson explores the remixing of films and a closer look at Star Wars and Quentin Tarantino. It's worth the 15 minutes to watch both and worth waiting for the next 2 parts. I owe this awesome little discovery to Swiss Miss. Thanks!

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Everything is a Remix Part 2 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Vacation Day Four-Twelve -- Mission NOT Accomplished

And then vacation got busy and my reading dwindled...

Oops. I should have known. I did manage to read five books during break:

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Paul Fleischman
Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman (audiobook)
White Cat by Holly Black (audiobook)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

I really enjoyed all of them. During break I started three others:
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
Moominpapa at Sea by Tove Jansson
Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? by Bill Maher

While I've still not completed any of those I did take a brief break and read Ender's Game for my RRVWP book club and really enjoyed it. I am hopeful that I'll get back to these three again soon since I am also determined to read Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout in the next few days before the Great Reads Book Club at the library next week.

Already January is half done and I managed to pick up another fine stack of tantalizing books when I was at Half Price Books in the Twin Cities over Christmas break.

Vacation Day Three... Audiobooks

Merry Christmas!

Today my sister and I drove to see my dad for the afternoon and I was thrilled to discover her willingness to listen to a book. Since I was equally excited about all the choices I'd picked up at the library for my holiday, I let her pick.

First we listened to the full cast recording of Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman -- a prequel to The Golden Compass. The main character was Lee Scorsby and in this episode we also get our first glimpse of the armored bears-- Yorick Bernison, in particular.



Then on the drive home we started White Cat by Holly Black. This is a young adult story of a boy named Cassel whose family is full of "curse workers." So, I guess you'd call this part of the fantasy genre too. We got nearly to the halfway point and as I am packing for my trip to The Cities tomorrow I hope to hear the rest of it. Perhaps my pal, Rebecca and I will listen to another one on the drive there--I have some other gems picked out.

What's been particularly fun this holiday break is seeing my sister devouring books via her kindle. In fact, when she got home she downloaded White Cat on audio so she could continue to listen to the story at home. It's fun to have people who share my enthusiasm for books and reading.

Vacation Day Two... More Books!

Well, Behemoth is done and as satisfying as it could be with its unresolved ending. I do love the Steampunk genre and this book's alternate history (set in a version of WW I). The Darwinists and the Clankers, the Beasties and the Stormwalkers are actually a lot of fun for the likes of me.

I've finished my Houdini book too and I can wholeheartedly say that I love the juvenile nonfiction genre tremendously. Or perhaps it's just Fleishman whom I admire. For a girl who thirsts for knowledge the book serves up just enough to whet the appetite and then if I can't resist I can always dig deeper. I've had similar experiences with the Catherine Gourley volumes on "Images and Issues of Women in the Twentieth Century" and Elizabeth Partridge's fantastic biography of Woody Guthrie. As a wee Christmas present to myself I did indulge in another Sid Fleishman biography -- Sir Charlie, but that is for another day.

Today's a day for multiple volumes and possibly no finishes as there is this thing called Christmas Eve happening at my mom's tonight.

Today I officially started the following books:
Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Moominpapa at Sea by Tove Jansson
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Vacation--Day One, Book One

A few weeks ago I planned to take on the challenge of reading a book a day over Christmas vacation. Then I started planning some reading choices. Well, I'm already behind before I begin because I'm in the MIDDLE of a book I was going to read for the challenge. Will I put it aside to pursue today's daily book? I'm afraid I just can't do that. Instead I will not take this challenge so literally as to assume I will complete a book a day each day... and instead aim for a grand total of 12 (or 13 since I'd already started Behemoth before the challenge). I am a fan of reading a multitude of books at once anyway.

I'm currently reading Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld














and today's read in my #bookaday challenge is ...

Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman

Seasons G-read-ings!

I love this childhood book of mine,
Cranberry Christmas by Harry and Wende Devlin.

A few more holiday treasures for all ages.

If you are interested in a little holiday humor, David Sedaris, you can listen to his holiday story Santaland Diaries here in four parts: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

To Judge a Book By Its Cover

In recent years I've been amassing a collection of Bond books with a particular set of covers I so love, those put out by Penguin in the early 2000's with cover art by Roseanne Serra and Richie Fahey. I have ten of the 15 books (if you count the short story collection Quantum of Solace). I try to pick these up "used" when I'm at Half Price Books or some other reasonably priced book joint. Still on my must-have list are these: You Only Live Twice, Quantum of Solace, The Man With the Golden Gun, Diamonds are Forever, and From Russia With Love.

Today I discovered another edition that I feel I MUST own. Despite the fact that I've seen all the films and am a huge fan, I've only actually READ two books by Ian Fleming: Goldfinger and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Still, the new Penguin cover art blows me away. Good job, Michael Gilette. Take a look.


If you're curious about the order of the books. Apparently one ought to read them in the proper order and little attention has been paid to this by book publishers in the past. Not so, this time with the new Penguin editions. Seriously. Aren't these just yummy?

Book a Day Options

So the hard part about finding 11 books to read over break is that I have to choose from the 555 in my Goodreads "to read" category. Last night, I started pulling unread books from my shelves and I had to stop when I got to about 25 titles. So, no matter what, I'll have no trouble FINDING great titles... I just may have some trouble NARROWING my options.

Care to help? Feel free to weigh in on these titles.

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (young adult fiction)
2. The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke (short stories)
3. Men and Gods by Rex Warner, illustrated by Edward Gorey (myths)
4. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (memoir)
5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (memoir)
6. White Cat by Holly Black (young adult)
7. Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus (children's)
8. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (young adult)
9. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (young adult)
10. A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami (fiction)
11. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (juvenile/young adult fiction)
12. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (memoir)
13. Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman (young adult nonfiction)
14. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (nonfiction)
15. Big Fish by Daniel Wallace (fiction)
16. Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (juvenile/young adult fiction)
17. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson (nonfiction/roman a clef)
18. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (fiction)
19. Modesty Blaise by Peter O'Donnell (mystery)
20. Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson (juvenile fiction)
21. Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James swanson (young adult history)
22. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
23. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (juvenile/young adult fiction)
24. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (fiction)
25. Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle (3 Young Adult holiday romances)

UPDATE:
Books in red, I completed for the challenge
Books in green, I read BEFORE the challenge began. :)

A Book a Day

Since I love a good challenge, I'm going to try for a "book a day" over my holiday break. For me that's only 11 days... 11 books.

If you choose to participate, you can share your progress and your titles on Twitter with the hashtag #bookaday.

Donalyn Miller, of Book Whisperer fame, is leading the charge. Now I just have to decide which choice morsels to devour over my brief break.

Miller reminds us that anything is fair game... novels, nonfiction, picture books, graphic novels, your challenge, your pick. With that in mind I should be in good shape. After all, I think I have more than 500 titles on my "to read" list.

I Admire the Enthusiasm.

About a week ago I heard a Ray Bradbury tribute video that both stunned me and made me laugh out loud. I am most certain it crosses several lines and then tap dances with glee on the other side. While I won't be posting the video here, it's certainly something you can search out when you aren't at work or in the presence of the easily offended or young ears of the world. Here's a link to an article that describes and discusses it better than I do.

The Ray Bradbury Tribute I Never Expected to See posted by David Barnett on the book blog page of The Guardian.

Jane Austen Fight Club -- A Double Parody

Oliver Jeffers -- Illustrator, Author Extraordinaire

Oliver Jeffers' work is some of my favorite among childrens book illustrators and really among any artists. There is a charm that is difficult for me to define. I will just say, whether intentional or not, he's part of the Wes Anderson, Dave Eggers, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet club that hangs out in my brain. Here's a link to his official site.
Following a parade of images is a video in which he describes who he is and where he came from (in a way that only Oliver Jeffers can!) and his creative process. It's long but fascinating.

2010/04 Oliver Jeffers from CreativeMornings on Vimeo.

What is Wrong With This Picture?

UND Bookstore Childrens' Dept. now features a large screen TV.
I just threw up a little in my mouth.

The Parent Problem in Young Adult Literature

I just read an interesting article on YA Literature by Julie Just in the New York Times. It examines the role of parents as either dead, absent, demonized, or so bland they fade into the background. It's something I've thought of with books for younger readers like The Boxcar Children and the Series of Unfortunate Events and the like. It does seem like there are an awful lot of orphan books out there. Which reminded me of how years ago when playing with my friends' daughter Hope, she informed me that we were sisters and our parents were dead. I was horrified. Then I remembered a version of "playing house" that my brother and I played on the farm. We pretended our parents were dead and that he was my older brother (though he is actually three years younger) and he was a carpenter named Tommy. I was a bossy sister who crafted the scenario and his persona as well as my own. So, yes, maybe there is something developmental about the idea of children wanting independence...

One of the most profound gems in the article is as follows:
Many contemporary young adult novels seem to reflect genuine confusion over what the job of parent consists of, beyond keeping kids fed and safe. This isn’t surprising, after a decade in which “overparenting” became almost a badge of honor and you could sign a child up for a clay-modeling class only to find that you, too, were expected to stay and make coil pots. The Mommy & Me trend helps explain the baffling numbers from a report, published in 2006, that found working mothers were managing to spend about the same amount of time per week with their children as stay-at-home mothers did 40 years ago. In those days they said “Go play” rather than “Go away,” but the comparison surely says something about the expectations of both groups.

When I think about my own childhood and how I was raised in the 70s and 80s, I would concur. The thought of my mother accompanying us to the swimming pool or the neighborhood park or outside to play is literally absurd. I understand why that has changed with the times, but I wonder if it's always for the better.

UPDATE --
Liz Burns from A Chair, A Fireplace & a Tea Cozy addresses Just's article here. All very interesting stuff.

Books Across America

I'm super excited that our school library will be getting $1000 worth of fun new titles. I applied for an NEA Books Across America grant last November. Prodded into it by our faithful librarian... :) And I got the grant. Yippee. I love celebrating reading with students and this will make it even easier to put books into the hands of kids.

I have ideas. Ideas about teens and reading. Ideas about getting books into the hands of everyone--young and old. Ways to get books visible in the community.

On an errand run today I watched a little girl who used to hang around my apartment building swish by on a metal scooter and I thought about her and books. I wondered if she read much. Wondered if she had books of her own to read. Wondered about this summer when school was out. Wondered if she would hold a book in her hand even once between May and September. I wondered if there were books out there, near the park, on a shelf of some kind, in our neighborhood to borrow without a library card, without having to go to the library across town, if she would read them. If she would be interested. If it would give kids something to do. And then there are bus stops. And wouldn't books go nicely with bus stops? Yes, I have ideas. I love to read. I want to share that.

Love the Enthusiasm for Reading

Shasta Daisies, 1996

A tiny daisy-covered birdhouse amidst the pothos in my window sill.

Each time I notice this bit of knick-knackery sitting on the sill, I miss my grandma. I found this itty bitty back in the mid 90s in my favorite local bookstore-- The Book Fair. Carolyn, the store's proprietor had a variety of these hand-painted bird houses for sale in her shop. She'd painted them herself and she'd lovingly pluck one from a shelf and display it to customers if they showed an interest. Each one had its own design and color pattern, size and style--its own personality. When I saw this one it just said--Grandma. Well, maybe not "grandma" in general, but Grandma Mickey, in particular.

After Grandma passed away a few years ago, my birdhouse gift returned to me and I was flooded with memories of all the good things I loved about my grandma and the passions we shared. She loved her birds and flower beds. Two things I've loved best through the lens of her life.

Now, Carolyn is gone too. I have a used edition of The Living Shakespeare (1949) complete with underlined quotations, that I purchased in her store--it turns out she did the underlining there too!

It's a simple thing, this daisy covered bird house, but it represents a lot. Whole people spring to mind, when it catches my eye. Some folks question the point of keepsakes, of the things we find hard to put away or weed out. Yet, this birdhouse, that book, offer reasons such things are worth keeping. They bring smiles, recognition, and remembrance.

Bookish Blogs

Picture Book Report is a new blog featuring artists who are setting out to illustrate beloved books. I am so excited to see what emerges. So far the following artists and books have been introduced and they've produced a book plate for their title and explained why they chose the books they chose.

Contributors:
Andrea Kalfas -- Tarzan of the Apes
Daniel Krall -- Robin Hood
Israel Sanchez -- Where the Red Fern Grows
Jeremy Sorese -- A Wrinkle in Time
John Martz -- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Julia Sonmi Heglund -- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Lizzy Stewart -- Ella Minnow Pea
Meg Hunt -- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
PMurphy -- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
S.britt -- The Bremen Town Musicians
Sam Bosma -- The Hobbit
Will Bryant -- Peter Pan and Wendy
Kali Ciesemier -- still to be named
Laura Park -- still to be named
Phil McAndrew -- still to be named

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I freakin' LOVE this blog--Coverspy. A team of publishing nerds hit the subways, streets, parks & bars to find out what New Yorkers are reading now.

Their posts consist of the cover art to each book spied in a day and a brief description of who was reading it and where. For example:

Chronic City, Jonathan Lethem (M, 28, beanie, blond w beard, sitting in corner 2-seat, Lethem F train car) http://bit.ly/8zHG4g

Both of these blogs are inspirational to me. I would love to be able to illustrate a favorite book. I am not sure which one I would choose. Maybe Pippi Longstocking. And I would like to become a team of one and start noting every book I see being read around town just for fun. I so love that idea.