November 2010

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What I’m Thankful For – A Literary List

November 22, 2010 in Uncategorized by Kim | 2 comments

At Thanksgiving dinner each year, we each say two or three things that we’re thankful for each year.  Here’s my literary take on this tradition:

I’m thankful for literary authors that are producing excellent books.  This year, A.S. Byatt and Jonathan Franzen immediately come to mind, who do you think of first?

I’m thankful that Suzanne Collins ended the Hunger Games trilogy in such a thought and discussion provoking manner.  Not so thankful that the trilogy is over.

I’m thankful that Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand provided 48 hours of cozy reading during a misty and overcast week at the beach.

I’m thankful for the Tournament of Books and am waiting fairly impatiently for the 2011 long-list.  My first thought after the announcement that the winner of the National Book Award was a book that had been released to the public just that day was “the Tournament of Books wouldn’t try to pull this over on the public.”

I’m thankful to my daughter for bugging me to read My Most Excellent Year because it is her favorite YA book, now it’s mine too.  I pretty much cried through the last 50 pages, I’m thankful I wasn’t in public then.

I’m thankful that there are still so many vibrant independent bookstores still in business and new ones opening up, even though, as we’ve all heard, the book is dead.  Oh, I’m thankful the book is still living.

I’m thankful for authors who I dream about someday writing like:  Ross King, Sarah Vowell, Anne Fadiman.

I’m thankful to The Millions, Elegant Variation, Culture Monster and Jacket Copy for my favorite early morning reads when I’m not even awake enough to face the newspaper.  They gently lead me into the day.  What’s your first-thing-in-the-morning read?

I’m thankful to Julie Robinson, the Booker and the National Book Award for recommending good books year after year.

I’m thankful to the Beverly Hills Literary Escape for giving me an incredible literary weekend.

What’s on your literary ‘thank you’ list?

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday, we’ll be back next week.

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Small Business Saturday

November 19, 2010 in bookstore, holiday by Kim | No comments

We all know about Black Friday (my sister has worked at Target for years and she’s still amazed at what she witnesses there the day after Thanksgiving) and Cyber-Monday, next week marks the inauguration of Small Business Saturday.  It’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving, this year November 27th, the perfect day to patronize the small businesses that our the backbone of our communities.  Small businesses not only supply jobs, but they provide the flavor that make each of our towns and cities unique.  Of course, my small business of choice is always a bookstore.

In an effort to kick start the movement, American Express is backing it big time.  Click on the Facebook page and for everyone who “likes” the page, American Express will donate $1 to Girls, Inc., up to $500,000.  I love this charity, so please head over and click.  Who couldn’t use a little extra money during the holiday season?  American Express will credit $25 to cardholders who shop at small businesses on Small Business Saturday.  You must enroll to receive the credit and enrollment is limited.

Drag yourself from the Thanksgiving leftovers and the football games, pop into a local business and find a gift for someone on your list.  Help your community, whittle away at your holiday ‘to dos,’ and take advantage of a little credit from American Express.

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The Perfect Mother to Daughter Gift

November 17, 2010 in book review, gifts by Kim | 5 comments

My girlfriend Maria described opening up a cookbook her mother gave her years ago and reading the inscription.  Her mother suffers from dementia.  She said through sudden tears, ‘it had her voice.’  She hadn’t heard her mother’s true voice in many years, and won’t again.  I remembered that moment when I read a blurb about Prudent Advice – lessons for my baby daughter (a life list for every woman) by Jaime Morrison Curtis.  I believe the project started as a blog that Jaime wrote when her daughter was an infant, a list of what she wanted her to know written down as Jaime thought of it.  At first glance, the book is the type that I generally find by the bookstore cash register and might pick up as an impulse buy, then I had a flash of inspiration.  What if I used it as a vehicle for my voice?

Kelsey’s most beautifully wrapped present under the tree this year will be Prudent Advice with my comments written through out.  Where I agree with Jaime, such as item #7 “Make time for the art museum in every city you visit” or #21 “Pay attention to politics” I’ve scribbled “Completely agree” or “this author is a genius” or added a line of exclamation points.  Other places Jaime and I diverge, for #4 “When given the opportunity, wear a costume,” I wrote “couldn’t disagree more, if it’s a costume party, RSVP no.”  For the advice about dogs, I added “a dog will always be happy when you come home, teenagers, not so much.”  For other entries I wrote about her attributes, that she’s a great hugger or what colors her eyes look best with.  There are some places where I admitted I fell short and she should do better than me (writing thank you notes was one example).  I weave in family history, that I sang “Jesus Loves Me” to her every night when she was a baby or a reference to the subway train she didn’t want to rush to.  The author includes a few recipes, I’ll write in a couple of our family favorites on the back cover.

My daughter is 13 years old and I’m not sure how much more she really wants to hear my voice right now.  It occurs to me that this gift may be most valuable after I’m gone, but I’ve always been one who planned ahead.

It takes some time to complete this gift, I’m not through the book but I should make it for Christmas, or her birthday, or sweet sixteen, or graduation (middle school, high school or college).  There’s time.  For a picture of a section I’ve completed, click to the jump page. Read the rest of this entry »

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Museum Monday – London’s Heavy Weights

November 15, 2010 in art, art gallery, bookstore, travel by Kim | 1 comment

Last year when we visited Italy, it was a very art heavy  vacation.  Wanting to make sure the kids would still want to go away with us, this year I kept the art light.  Having said that, there wasn’t a chance I was visiting London without going to the National Gallery.  And what better way to travel around the world in 2 hours than by visiting the British Museum?   For the National Gallery visit, we sent the kids back to the hotel in a cab and Keith and I met a guide from Context Travel who led us on a whirlwind 3 hour tour.  [This is my third experience with Context Travel and each one has been well worth the hefty price tag.]  For the British Museum, I sent the family on a scavenger hunt.  Everyone needed to find one item from each continent (Antarctica could be skipped if needed) and no one had to take a tour.  In the end, everyone was amazed by the Rosetta Stone, the Egyptian section and Elgin Marbles, without a word from me explaining their importance.  Perfect.  Here are my brief thoughts on the bookstores at each museum:

The National Gallery – The Bookshop

I found my favorite museum bookstore case:  it’s about 4 feet high and wide, has three shelves and is full of art fiction.  I’ve never seen a museum bookstore give this genre it’s own section.  The shelves contained Byatt’s Matisse Stories, Zola’s The Masterpiece, Pamuk’s The Color Red, and Rembrandt’s Whore by Matton and Black.  There were several books I hadn’t read and I’d forgotten all about Byatt’s book.

In general, this store is very similar to good museum stores in the US, not quite the Met Store, but then again, what is?  There is a wide selection of art theory, art history, technique, museum studies books.  The requisite large bookshelf dedicated to National Gallery publications.  A great kid’s section which made me long for the days when my kids loved museum stores until it occurred to me how much money I save by not buying the puzzle that is twice the normal cost because it is a famous painting.  We never did finish the Botticelli puzzle we bought last year, all that creamy skin got confusing.

The British Museum Bookstore

Tucked away in small room is the British Museum Bookstore.  It’s a space completely dedicated to and packed with books.  I’m not an anthropologist, but I’m guessing this store is an anthropologist’s dream.  The store is divided primarily by geography (Asia, India, Europe, Greece, Americas, Britain, Egypt) including all seven continents.  Not surprisingly Read the rest of this entry »

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One Stroll Down Madoc Street, Three Bookstores

November 12, 2010 in bookstore, essay, travel, used books by Kim | 1 comment

Where is Madoc Street?  In Llandudno, of course.  Don’t ask me how to pronounce that name, I really think the Welsh just throw in consonants willy-nilly to confuse English speakers. We used Victorian seaside town of Llandudno for our Northern Wales home base for three days.  It’s a beautiful area of the world, gorgeous coastline, beautiful mountains, and a castle around every corner.  One day the boys went golfing on a genuine ‘links’ course, and the girls, Kelsey and me, shopped and ate our way through the town.   After stuffing ourselves at the Albert Pub and vowing to never eat at another restaurant in Llandudno, we started back to the hotel and tripped over three bookstores.

Siop Lyfrau Lewis Bookshop - Only marginally organized by genre, this store is a delight for those who love to sort through stacks of books to find a gem.  Books are in a variety of conditions, some are pristine, others not so much.  It’s really a treasure hunt type of store, it may be frustrating to dash in for a specific book, but perfect for good search.  The books were cheaper than the going rates at Hay-on-Wye.  I found Essays at Large by Solomon Eagle, the title reminded me of one of my favorite books, At Large and at Small by Anne Fadiman.  For all I know her title is related to Eagle.  If so, then the circle is complete because I bought his book in tribute to her.  Plus, the title of the first essay is “Reading in Bed,” a favorite activity.  Lord of the Flies was Kelsey’s required reading for the summer and we couldn’t find it in any of the Hay-on-Wye bookstores, but here, buried under a three foot stack of books, was a gold embossed edition.  After successfully retrieving it without collapsing the tower of books on top of it, Kelsey wondered about it’s ‘cool factor.’  Is it better to have the paperback everyone will be reading or something different?  I told her what I wish I understood at 13, it’s all about attitude.  Mark it up to look well-read and thought over, then carry it with confidence.

There is a relatively large selection of Welsh books and cards.  We bought a card that says “Happy Birthday” in Welsh, at least we think that’s what it says.  Oh well, the recipient won’t know any better either.  [Address:  21 Madoc St, Llandudno, Conway, UK  Tel:  01492 877 7000]

Madoc Books – This is a stunningly beautiful store, practically an art gallery of books.  It’s an antiquarian shop containing rows of shelves each filled with neatly placed and tagged leather bound books.  I walked through enjoying running my hands over the books.  While there was a smattering of literature, the focus was on history, natural history, travel, topography, religion, most with an emphasis on Wales.  There are choices in English and Welsh.  The books are pricey.  This store is for the collector or people like me, the voyeur.

There is “best” list for everything in Great Britain, one day we were fortunate to visit the “best loo in Great Britain” and while it was quite nice, as bathrooms go, we found it humorous that such an award existed. Kelsey patiently waited for me to meander around the store Read the rest of this entry »

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