Reviews of independent bookstores because buying and reading books is an adventure
Actually shop at them as much as possible, they are the engine that drives your local economy. But, let’s give the little guys a leg up in the middle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Drop by a local business, chat with a real person, and contribute to your neighborhood economy by purchasing a Christmas present, or ten.
Taking a riff from NPR’s story last week about which deceased composers Miles Hoffman would invite to Thanksgiving dinner, I pondered the same question for authors and asked quite a few friends. Here are the guidelines: which dead authors would you invite to Thanksgiving dinner? Which author would you invite to give a reading Thanksgiving evening?
Some Favorites
In my unofficial survey (meaning you saw me in the last couple of days or responded to my Facebook status update), Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, and Mark Twain were the big winners. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, and Leo Tolstoy came in a close second. Just tallying the most popular loses the charm of creating a conversational grouping. One person had Shel Silverstein, C.S. Lewis, and Roald Dahl at the table, all authors who wrote for children and adults at the same time. Can you just imagine the potential rant on current media saturated childhoods? It would be gripping.
Another friend had an all Russian table: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, and Anton Chekov. My son’s first comment was “no Russians” regardless of the fact that his favorite novel is The Brothers Karamazov. I’m a huge fan of Russian literature (one of my college majors was Soviet Studies, I’ve read and enjoyed them) but I kind of understand, a Russian table would make for a loooong dinner. I’d throw Virginia Woolf in with them and label the table: Depression Eats. I’d add Hemingway, but I worry that he could feel needlessly inadequate and start acting out, plus he would require a lot of expensive wine with dinner.
The Reading
Mark Twain is a hands down winner here and what an evening it would be! Imagine what he would write about the current state of our nation? He was never a fan of politicians and this year would give him a lot of fodder with which to work. For me, a very close second, maybe even a tie, would be Charles Dickens. He was famous for his readings and the magical evenings they created. Although many put him on their invitation A list, I think he may be too much of an attention hog for a dinner party; I like conversations, not monologues.
One friend suggested inviting Julia Child since it is a meal. That is way too intimidating for me. It occurred to me though, rather than a reading, the performance could be watching Julia Child cook Thanksgiving dinner for all of us. That would be a meal not to miss.
My Table
After talking to so many people and hearing several ideas, it’s hard to come up with one. Since it’s my post, I won’t, here are my latest thoughts:
Fiction and Spirituality: Fyodor Dostoevsky, C.S. Lewis, and Flannery O’Connor, all three beautifully interwove an excellent story with spiritual themes accessible to everyone. It would probably be a good idea to include Henry Nouwen who didn’t write fiction, but seems amazingly gracious. The table may need his charm.
The US and Europe: Edith Wharton, Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Somerset Maugham, all authors who could write a beautiful tale that portrayed their own society and time, but tended to have a broader view of the world. Austen less so, but if I’m going to raise any authors from the dead, she’s on first gravy train to dinner.
The Power Table: since it’s my post and I can do what I want to, this table is full of women who carved a path in their fields and, ultimately, for the rest of us–Dorothy Parker, Lee Krasner, Coco Chanel, and Eleanor Roosevelt. I’d ask Abigail Adams to sit next me, then write a letter to John describing the dinner and share it during our evening reading.
Who would you ask to your Thanksgiving dinner?
One of the pleasures of having a teenage daughter is the opportunity to share silly, girlly experiences. While I understand all of the criticism about the Twilght series, and agree with some, as I’ve written before, I’ve enjoyed the ride. Even more, I’m grateful for the opportunity to share the sheer reading fun with my daughter. Kelsey has read the series multiple times, in fact her books look much worse for the wear. I’ve read it once, in two reading saturated days, just like when I was a teenager.
One of the pleasures of living in Los Angeles is that occasionally we get a Hollywood experience, for us it meant that Kelsey and I had a mother-daughter date to the “Breaking Dawn-Part 1″ premiere and after party. This is our second Twilight series date, we were able to attend the “Eclipse” event also. This time was better for the fact that we knew it was going to be a terrific night. Kelsey decided she wasn’t going to scream as much this time, I told her I was, and there was plenty to cheer about. While I don’t recall any shirt-popping-turning-into-a-werewolf-scenes, the kiss after the vows was worth losing our voices over. The wedding scene is beautiful. The pacing was great, Bella’s nerves were appropriate (remember walking a straight line for several yards can be a challenge for her), and Edwards adoration obvious.
In many ways, this was my favorite movie of the series. For me, the story is about Edward and Bella and everything else is frosting, sometimes too much frosting. ”Eclipse” arguably may be the better movie, but this is a romance, let’s not make it anything more. I liked the character development in “Eclipse” but there wasn’t enough Bella and Edward. With “Breaking Dawn,” given that the bulk of the movie is about their wedding and honeymoon, we get to revel in their chemistry. Bella gets a backbone in “Breaking Dawn” and I do wish that we would have seen a little more of that interaction between the two of them as she insisted on having the baby.
The reviews, as if they matter, are mixed. The New York Times liked the movie and thought it was the best of the bunch. The Los Angeles Times, not so much. In some ways, it feels like the battle of the directors, which director did the reviewer like best.
In the end, my favorite scene from all four movies is the last 5 seconds of this one, especially given that this is just a pause before the rest of the story is told on November 16, 2012. Great finish, even Kelsey cheered.
Tags: Breaking Dawn movie, movie premiere, romance movie, Twilight saga
I spent just over 24 hours last week at St. Andrews Abbey. I’m not Catholic, but I enjoy joining the monks in the Daily Office. For those of you new to that term (and that would’ve been me a couple of years ago), it’s the practice of pausing at several set times through out the day for prayer and scripture reading. It’s also sometimes called the hours (no, not the book by Michael Cunningham). The monks meet in the chapel at 6AM, 7:30AM, noon, 6PM and 8:30PM. In between, they work at assigned jobs. I joined them three times, participated in my own retreat but, of course, found time to visit the Abbey bookstore.
St. Andrews Ceramics
As with the rest of the grounds, the bookstore is a soothing location with beautiful music, a quiet atmosphere, and inviting surroundings. Abbey Books & Gifts shelves a wide variety of books on spirituality. I expected to see only Catholic themed texts, but the store provides resources for several different faith traditions, specifically including Judaism and Buddhism. This is a fairly intellectual store, the options aren’t for the lightweight reader. The store is well-organized, shelves are clearly marked by saint, author, or type of spirituality. The emphasis is on Catholic theology. There are shelves of texts about each of the well-known saints and the writings of said saints. (Actually, I’m making a bit of an assumption. I don’t know many saints, but there were shelves for all that I did know and if I know them, they are, by definition, well known.) Plus, deep collections of books by Catholic theologians, i.e. Nouwen (my favorite), Merton, and Bonhoeffer. Various types of Catholic theology have entire sections: Cistercian, Benedictine, Eastern, and modern.
The topics I’ve seen in other general Christian stores were offered here also. Books on prayer, scripture studies, Bibles, and church history. There was a special section for children and young adult readers. Fiction is available, but it weighs toward the intellectual side. Think Flannery O’Connor and Penguin classics. The fantasy world is well represented with several shelves of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein.
While the store devotes most of its space to books, what it is most famous for is the ceramics made at the Abbey. The original monks created ceramic ornaments and decorative wall plaques using a specific angel figure and it is a tradition that continues. It’s not uncommon to see them represented on Southern California Christmas trees. After visiting the store, I realized there is an ornament for just about every occasion, profession, hobby, or sports activity.
For a chance to delve in serious spirituality, drop by the store in this beautiful high desert location or give the monks a call, they’d be happy to help you.
31001 N Valyermo Road
Valyermo, CA 93563
T: 661.944.2178
Tags: CA bookstore, Catholic bookstore, Christian bookstore, Valyermo bookstore
Alexander Book Co. is a traditional independent bookstore tucked around a corner in downtown San Francisco. Wedged between office towers and the Academy of Arts complex, it’s a cozy respite from steel, glass, and marble. The store even smells like good books waiting to be discovered.
The first time I tried to visit the store, I arrived just after closing time. The store keeps business hours and shuts down with the surrounding offices. However, the second time I dropped by I dashed in just before 6PM and found that if there are customers meandering through the store, the staff won’t shoo them out right at 6PM, but give them time to find their favorite book. I heard one bookseller say “take your time, I don’t have anywhere to rush off to.” Now that is a level of customer service that is incredibly welcoming.
The store had me when I found displays of books from my three favorite publishers: Europa, NYRB, and Archipelago Books. Literary fiction is heavily emphasized and well represented, I could’ve purchased an armload of books. What I found especially intriguing was a wide selection of African-American fiction prominently displayed (rather than given its own section in a wall bookcase). This is a genre I’m not as familiar with and one I haven’t seen placed front and center. I flipped through several new titles.
Alexander Book Co. is three stories of books offering a full selection of most genres. Given that the Academy of Arts is in the neighborhood, there is a terrific selection of design books. In fact, Alexander Book Co. stocks texts for the school, something I noticed in stores by east coast schools but for the first time on the west coast. I wish more universities and independent bookstores would work together, it’s a lovely partnership where it exists.
If you’re in the SOMA area, drop by. I found the store a peaceful interlude from the hustle and bustle outside, but remember to go during business hours.
50 Second St.
(Between Market & Mission)
San Francisco, CA 94105
T: 415.495.2992
Claire
Kim
