It has been a "killer" week, but that's no reason to leave you hanging. Here are some thoughts on what might be the successor to Harry Potter and his pals. By the way, Thursday is your last day to reserve HP and the Deathly Hallows: Year 7 at our special price. The launch party is Friday, July 20, beginning at the store at 9 p.m., with distribution of reserved pre-paid copies at midnight.
POSSIBLE SUCCESSORS
Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series
Jenny Nimmo's Charlie Bone series (a new one releases tomorrow)
Angie Sage's Septimus Heap series
Joseph Delaney's Last Apprentice books
Suzanne Collins's Underland Chronicles
Janet Lee Carey's Dragon's Keep
The Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The Edge Chronicles (now up to eight titles)
Share with us your suggestions of YA fantasy that will do the trick!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Who Will Be First?
Rigidly embargoed until Tuesday, Al Gore's new book, Assault on Reason, is now available. I'll be telling you more about it after I absorb it, but can anyone doubt that Gore has transitioned from run-of-the-mill politician to prophet and high priest of a growing segment of our population?
Here's a mini-review from Talking Points Memo:
Gore even argues that Internet interactivity, just like the back- and-forth at TPM, is reviving something like Revolutionary-era pamphleteering and “committees of correspondence,” strengthening “a meritocracy of ideas” instead of letting conglomerates corner “the marketplace of ideas” by beaming one-way shock imagery at us through our TVs.
Fear almost always trumps reason, Gore explains, and television does it hundreds of times a day to Americans who watch TV for the national average of four and a half hours. Print, at least, makes you think by engaging a different lobe of the brain to interpret its otherwise meaningless symbols. He praises the Internet for restoring reading and writing to millions, if sometimes too instantly and anarchically to make them think as well as they would while sitting down with a good, serious book like his.
Here's a mini-review from Talking Points Memo:
Gore even argues that Internet interactivity, just like the back- and-forth at TPM, is reviving something like Revolutionary-era pamphleteering and “committees of correspondence,” strengthening “a meritocracy of ideas” instead of letting conglomerates corner “the marketplace of ideas” by beaming one-way shock imagery at us through our TVs.
Fear almost always trumps reason, Gore explains, and television does it hundreds of times a day to Americans who watch TV for the national average of four and a half hours. Print, at least, makes you think by engaging a different lobe of the brain to interpret its otherwise meaningless symbols. He praises the Internet for restoring reading and writing to millions, if sometimes too instantly and anarchically to make them think as well as they would while sitting down with a good, serious book like his.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
New Book by Author of The Kite Runner
I've been promising Randy for almost 2 weeks that I would post something about A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and since it came out yesterday I figured I better get busy.
Many of you are already familiar with my reading habits and you are aware that if a book is wildly popular I have probably not read it. Why is that? One reason is that our patrons will usually find out about those books some other way and I am trying to read some of the great books that don't get so much attention so that I can tell you about books you won't hear about anywhere else.
This leads to my confession that I had not read Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner until it was selected as the book for the May meeting of our dining book club. Being in a book club is a great way to catch up on books that you may have missed.
I am glad that I finally got around to reading The Kite Runner. I enjoyed it so much that when I finished it I immediately began reading the advance reader copy of A Thousand Splendid Suns that we had received from the publisher. If you enjoyed Hosseini's first book you won't want to miss this one.
While not a sequel, the author again sets his novel in his native Afghanistan. This story follows the lives of Miriam and Laila, two women from different backgrounds, who are brought together by a shared struggle to survive the volatile events of the last 30 years in a culture where women have few choices and little power over their own lives.
You may have heard the author on NPR this morning, if not, here is a link to the NPR Web site.
Thanks for reading.
Ann
Monday, May 21, 2007
Everybody's Got One
We've often been asked about "best" books lists. Every reader has one, and we're no exceptions. Here is one reader survey of the best books of 2006 - most of which we've sold or are currently selling.
Believer Book Awards from Beleiver Magazine.
Believer Book Awards from Beleiver Magazine.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Books on the Air, Plus a Great Review
I can't always stay up to date with the blog, but that's no reason you shouldn't be able to see what's good. Herewith, a review link...
Eight years have passed between the release of Nathan Englander's widely acclaimed debut collection of stories, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, and his first novel, The Ministry of Special Cases. As with any highly anticipated event, the burning question about the novel is, was it worth the wait? The answer is a qualified yes—this accomplished if imperfect work of literary fiction is beautifully written, hard to put down and packs a very subtle, lingering emotional wallop...read more.
If you listened to Bob Edwards this weekend you'll have heard Frank DeFord talk about his new novel, The Entitled. I've read it and I loved it. Bob also talked with actor Bruce Dern (Things I've Said, But Probably Shouldn't Have). We have that book, too, in our memoir/biography section.
Eight years have passed between the release of Nathan Englander's widely acclaimed debut collection of stories, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, and his first novel, The Ministry of Special Cases. As with any highly anticipated event, the burning question about the novel is, was it worth the wait? The answer is a qualified yes—this accomplished if imperfect work of literary fiction is beautifully written, hard to put down and packs a very subtle, lingering emotional wallop...read more.
If you listened to Bob Edwards this weekend you'll have heard Frank DeFord talk about his new novel, The Entitled. I've read it and I loved it. Bob also talked with actor Bruce Dern (Things I've Said, But Probably Shouldn't Have). We have that book, too, in our memoir/biography section.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Blooker Prize: Any Local Contenders?
LONDON - A former U.S. machine gunner’s irreverent memoir about his year fighting in Iraq has won the second annual prize for the best book based on a blog.
“My War: Killing Time in Iraq,” by Colby Buzzell was to receive the $10,000 Blooker prize on Monday, beating out 110 entries from 15 countries...more
“My War: Killing Time in Iraq,” by Colby Buzzell was to receive the $10,000 Blooker prize on Monday, beating out 110 entries from 15 countries...more
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Carnegie Center Garners Prestigious Prize
Outstanding news and congratulations to our friends at the Carnegie Center for Art and History, New Albany's chrysalis-like center for culture. If you haven't been by there lately, pick a day and I'll pay your admission fee! ;)
The Carnegie Center is pleased to announce it is the recipient of a 2007 MUSE Bronze Award in the Teaching and Outreach category. A MUSE award recognizes achievement in museum media, and is conferred by the Media and Technology Standing Professional Committee of the American Association of Museums. Winning entries were expected to demonstrate outstanding achievement in content quality, interface design, functionality, production quality, visual appeal and the user’s experience.
The Carnegie Center’s award was given for its newest permanent exhibit, “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad in the Indiana and Kentucky Borderland” which was designed by Solid Light, Inc. of Louisville, KY. It is a unique interactive learning experience, which enhances awareness of the deep political and ideological divisions experienced throughout the Ohio River Valley as a result of slavery. Focusing on local citizens – barbers, ferrymen, ministers, freed people – who risked their lives, welfare and freedom to help runaways, the exhibit illustrates individual acts of resistance in undermining the institution of slavery.
In commenting on the project, the judges noted it is “a beautiful and moving presentation that heightens understanding of a portion of the Underground Railroad. The DVD is very engaging and full of deep, rich content, offering viewers a slightly different perspective to gain new understanding of the complexity of the issue. The technology was user-friendly and enabled the delivery of a powerful narrative. The production quality was very high using photographs, historical documents, drawings, voiceover, and reenactments in an impressive and aesthetically pleasing manner.”
The MUSE Awards competition received nearly 200 applications from a wide variety of museums in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Nick Honeysett, Chair of AAM’s Media & Technology Committee said, “The quality and diversity of entries has been exceptional. The ingenuity and creativity of the people who conceptualize and build these projects never ceases to amaze me.”
Carnegie Center Director Sally Newkirk was on hand to receive the award at the 2007 American Association of Museums Annual Meeting in Chicago on May 13. She said, “ It is an honor and privilege to accept the award on behalf of all who were involved throughout the development of our exhibit. Competitors for this award represent a Who’s Who in the museum field, and the Carnegie Center has earned its rightful place on this international platform.”
She noted the outstanding financial support from Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, the Carnegie Center for Art & History, Inc., the New Albany/Floyd County Public Library, the U.S. Dept. of Interior National Park Service, Dr. Curt & Pam Peters, Cinergy Foundation, Paul V. Ogle Foundation, James & Phyllis Robinson, National City, Tri Kappa, Nu Chapter, Vectren Foundation, Aebersold Charitable Trust, and numerous individual contributors. She also expressed gratitude to the members of the Advisory Committee for their vision, professional expertise and wise counsel to ensure sensitivity and historical integrity in the telling of this important story.
A regional art gallery and local history museum, the Carnegie Center for Art & History is a department of the New Albany/Floyd County Public Library. It is located at 201 E. Spring Street in downtown New Albany and open Tuesday through Saturday, 10-5:30. Admission is free. Visit the website at www.carnegiecenter.org.
What's the "books hook," you ask? Pam Peters' The Underground Railroad in Floyd County, Indiana was a critical research tool in developing the multi-media exhibit. Pam's book continues to sell well and is a requirement for any Indiana history bookshelf. It recently went to a second printing.
The Carnegie Center is pleased to announce it is the recipient of a 2007 MUSE Bronze Award in the Teaching and Outreach category. A MUSE award recognizes achievement in museum media, and is conferred by the Media and Technology Standing Professional Committee of the American Association of Museums. Winning entries were expected to demonstrate outstanding achievement in content quality, interface design, functionality, production quality, visual appeal and the user’s experience.
The Carnegie Center’s award was given for its newest permanent exhibit, “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad in the Indiana and Kentucky Borderland” which was designed by Solid Light, Inc. of Louisville, KY. It is a unique interactive learning experience, which enhances awareness of the deep political and ideological divisions experienced throughout the Ohio River Valley as a result of slavery. Focusing on local citizens – barbers, ferrymen, ministers, freed people – who risked their lives, welfare and freedom to help runaways, the exhibit illustrates individual acts of resistance in undermining the institution of slavery.
In commenting on the project, the judges noted it is “a beautiful and moving presentation that heightens understanding of a portion of the Underground Railroad. The DVD is very engaging and full of deep, rich content, offering viewers a slightly different perspective to gain new understanding of the complexity of the issue. The technology was user-friendly and enabled the delivery of a powerful narrative. The production quality was very high using photographs, historical documents, drawings, voiceover, and reenactments in an impressive and aesthetically pleasing manner.”
The MUSE Awards competition received nearly 200 applications from a wide variety of museums in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Nick Honeysett, Chair of AAM’s Media & Technology Committee said, “The quality and diversity of entries has been exceptional. The ingenuity and creativity of the people who conceptualize and build these projects never ceases to amaze me.”
Carnegie Center Director Sally Newkirk was on hand to receive the award at the 2007 American Association of Museums Annual Meeting in Chicago on May 13. She said, “ It is an honor and privilege to accept the award on behalf of all who were involved throughout the development of our exhibit. Competitors for this award represent a Who’s Who in the museum field, and the Carnegie Center has earned its rightful place on this international platform.”
She noted the outstanding financial support from Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, the Carnegie Center for Art & History, Inc., the New Albany/Floyd County Public Library, the U.S. Dept. of Interior National Park Service, Dr. Curt & Pam Peters, Cinergy Foundation, Paul V. Ogle Foundation, James & Phyllis Robinson, National City, Tri Kappa, Nu Chapter, Vectren Foundation, Aebersold Charitable Trust, and numerous individual contributors. She also expressed gratitude to the members of the Advisory Committee for their vision, professional expertise and wise counsel to ensure sensitivity and historical integrity in the telling of this important story.
A regional art gallery and local history museum, the Carnegie Center for Art & History is a department of the New Albany/Floyd County Public Library. It is located at 201 E. Spring Street in downtown New Albany and open Tuesday through Saturday, 10-5:30. Admission is free. Visit the website at www.carnegiecenter.org.
What's the "books hook," you ask? Pam Peters' The Underground Railroad in Floyd County, Indiana was a critical research tool in developing the multi-media exhibit. Pam's book continues to sell well and is a requirement for any Indiana history bookshelf. It recently went to a second printing.
Act Locally
You've always gotten a special feeling, a little retail buzz, when you shop at independent, locally owned businesses like, say, Destinations Booksellers. Right?
Well, it wasn't just the hand-picked stock, knowledgeable staff, and welcoming atmosphere. There are cold, hard numbers to back up the buzz.
Locally owned bookstores support the economic health and well-being of a region. The San Francisco Retail Diversity Study revealed that independent bookstores contributed $54 million a year back to the San Francisco area, but chain stores and Internet booksellers contributed $8 million a year back. That's almost seven times as much!
Internet sales do not generate sales tax or jobs for the community. And chain stores don't spend money on services in the community. They retain everything from signs to C.P.A.'s on a national level.
The study also pointed out the difference created by just a 10% shift in customer spending from chain and Internet book retailers to locally owned bookstores. In the San Francisco area, the economy would gain $3.7 million a year from taxes and wages and such, and the shift would create 25 new bookselling jobs.The study, (http://www.civiceconomics.com/SF/) released last week, was commissioned by the San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance along with support from the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association and the American Booksellers Association. Civic Economics, the research company, conducted the survey over two years.
Well, it wasn't just the hand-picked stock, knowledgeable staff, and welcoming atmosphere. There are cold, hard numbers to back up the buzz.
Locally owned bookstores support the economic health and well-being of a region. The San Francisco Retail Diversity Study revealed that independent bookstores contributed $54 million a year back to the San Francisco area, but chain stores and Internet booksellers contributed $8 million a year back. That's almost seven times as much!
Internet sales do not generate sales tax or jobs for the community. And chain stores don't spend money on services in the community. They retain everything from signs to C.P.A.'s on a national level.
The study also pointed out the difference created by just a 10% shift in customer spending from chain and Internet book retailers to locally owned bookstores. In the San Francisco area, the economy would gain $3.7 million a year from taxes and wages and such, and the shift would create 25 new bookselling jobs.The study, (http://www.civiceconomics.com/SF/) released last week, was commissioned by the San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance along with support from the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association and the American Booksellers Association. Civic Economics, the research company, conducted the survey over two years.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
What is Literature?
edify - To instruct especially so as to encourage intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement.
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
It is not entertainment. Yes, it may entertain, but to my mind, to be literature, it must edify. It must instruct and clarify. Perhaps it puts into words something that we already knew on a subconscious level. Perhaps it opens a corner of our minds that we were unaware of. And perhaps it introduces an idea, a concept we never considered before.
Narrative fiction can elucidate equally as well as any piece of history, biography, or other nonfiction. After some initial resistance, I succumbed to the allure of Charles Frazier's Thirteen Moons, a novel that addresses elements of my own heritage and, at least halfway through the book, concerns in part the Cherokee Removal (you know that as "The Trail of Tears").
My own ancestry includes both Cherokee heritage (a great, great-grandmother) as well as descent from the soldiers tasked to escort the mountain-dwelling nation to Andrew Jackson's proposed refuge west of the Mississippi. My mother's sister wrote a novel about that, in fact, and although by appearance I am clearly Scots-Irish, my mother's clan is clearly discernible as descended from Native American blood.
The protagonist of Frazier's followup to Cold Mountain is also Scots-Irish, but adopted into a Cherokee clan. In Tennessee, and in North Carolina, which once included the Great Valley of Tanasi, Cherokee heritage is today generally claimed with some pride, much as the rest of America now, rightly or wrongly, claims descent from emigrants from the Emerald Isle.
A few days ago I shared with Ann a passage in the current book that was as dense as the prose of Melville, the first great American novelist. But that quickly passed. Thirteen Moons is engrossing, and evidence that it is entertaining and still edifying comes in this passage that speaks volumes: What I wanted to do was slap him down with a bit of wit and words. Grammar and vocabulary as a weapon. But what kind of world would it be if we all took every opportunity presented to us to assault the weak?
May I encourage you to consider that this book, novel and Novel as it is, would be entertaining literature?
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
It is not entertainment. Yes, it may entertain, but to my mind, to be literature, it must edify. It must instruct and clarify. Perhaps it puts into words something that we already knew on a subconscious level. Perhaps it opens a corner of our minds that we were unaware of. And perhaps it introduces an idea, a concept we never considered before.
Narrative fiction can elucidate equally as well as any piece of history, biography, or other nonfiction. After some initial resistance, I succumbed to the allure of Charles Frazier's Thirteen Moons, a novel that addresses elements of my own heritage and, at least halfway through the book, concerns in part the Cherokee Removal (you know that as "The Trail of Tears").
My own ancestry includes both Cherokee heritage (a great, great-grandmother) as well as descent from the soldiers tasked to escort the mountain-dwelling nation to Andrew Jackson's proposed refuge west of the Mississippi. My mother's sister wrote a novel about that, in fact, and although by appearance I am clearly Scots-Irish, my mother's clan is clearly discernible as descended from Native American blood.
The protagonist of Frazier's followup to Cold Mountain is also Scots-Irish, but adopted into a Cherokee clan. In Tennessee, and in North Carolina, which once included the Great Valley of Tanasi, Cherokee heritage is today generally claimed with some pride, much as the rest of America now, rightly or wrongly, claims descent from emigrants from the Emerald Isle.
A few days ago I shared with Ann a passage in the current book that was as dense as the prose of Melville, the first great American novelist. But that quickly passed. Thirteen Moons is engrossing, and evidence that it is entertaining and still edifying comes in this passage that speaks volumes: What I wanted to do was slap him down with a bit of wit and words. Grammar and vocabulary as a weapon. But what kind of world would it be if we all took every opportunity presented to us to assault the weak?
May I encourage you to consider that this book, novel and Novel as it is, would be entertaining literature?
Thursday, May 10, 2007
A Diversion From Normal
My apologies for the leanness of our books postings lately. Frankly, the stuff we have up now is among the best I can suggest. I do have a couple of notables you need to be aware of, one new, and one so in demand since December that I have only been able to bring in 4 copies since Dec. 9. I'll say more later.
Since I no longer post original commentary on any other blogs, I beg your indulgence today as I pay tribute to a true New Albany downtown pioneer and champion of revitalization.
My friend Rick Carmickle died Thursday. Of the hundreds of people I've met in Southern Indiana over the past 3 years, Rick was among my closest friends. He kick-started the downtown merchants association. He offered himself for public service in elected office. But most of all, he believed in New Albany and was damned if he was going to let anybody see it die.
Carmickle's Photography was the epitome of a service business with integrity. Rick bristled, of course, if anyone challenged his integrity, but he always made sure his clients were happy. Along with his wife Karen, Rick fought the good fight to build a business, knowing that his faith in a resurgent NA downtown would someday be rewarded.
Selfless to a fault, Rick could not abide insincerity and though he was no shrinking violet when it came to calling a pile of manure horseshit, no one will tell you he didn't have faith in his hometown.
Rick was distinct from many of my friends. His acceptance was unalloyed. There was no artifice in him. You always knew how Rick felt about things. I was fortunate to spend a few moments with his wife on Wednesday, and though I felt a frisson when reminded that he was scheduled for surgery (sinuses) today, I was poleaxed when another friend called tonight with the news of Rick's passing.
My friend joined with me and another local businessman recently to help the NA-FC Public Library preserve an important piece of local documentary history. Access to local history will be enhanced by his efforts (offered up at no charge) and his generosity will allow for the preservation of an important document while making it available for researchers.
If you didn't know Rick, your experience on this earth is impoverished. I consider myself blessed to have called him my friend. Our love goes out to Karen and all of those who cherished Rick during the brief time he shared with us.
Since I no longer post original commentary on any other blogs, I beg your indulgence today as I pay tribute to a true New Albany downtown pioneer and champion of revitalization.
My friend Rick Carmickle died Thursday. Of the hundreds of people I've met in Southern Indiana over the past 3 years, Rick was among my closest friends. He kick-started the downtown merchants association. He offered himself for public service in elected office. But most of all, he believed in New Albany and was damned if he was going to let anybody see it die.
Carmickle's Photography was the epitome of a service business with integrity. Rick bristled, of course, if anyone challenged his integrity, but he always made sure his clients were happy. Along with his wife Karen, Rick fought the good fight to build a business, knowing that his faith in a resurgent NA downtown would someday be rewarded.
Selfless to a fault, Rick could not abide insincerity and though he was no shrinking violet when it came to calling a pile of manure horseshit, no one will tell you he didn't have faith in his hometown.
Rick was distinct from many of my friends. His acceptance was unalloyed. There was no artifice in him. You always knew how Rick felt about things. I was fortunate to spend a few moments with his wife on Wednesday, and though I felt a frisson when reminded that he was scheduled for surgery (sinuses) today, I was poleaxed when another friend called tonight with the news of Rick's passing.
My friend joined with me and another local businessman recently to help the NA-FC Public Library preserve an important piece of local documentary history. Access to local history will be enhanced by his efforts (offered up at no charge) and his generosity will allow for the preservation of an important document while making it available for researchers.
If you didn't know Rick, your experience on this earth is impoverished. I consider myself blessed to have called him my friend. Our love goes out to Karen and all of those who cherished Rick during the brief time he shared with us.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Lincoln Lives
A loyal reader just alerted me to good news regarding "Young Abe Lincoln," the outdoor musical near Santa Claus, Ind. that is fondly mentioned in Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America. You can read our review here, and read (for a limited time) how the Indiana legislature has restored funding for the drama here.
More patrons are enjoying this book every day.
More patrons are enjoying this book every day.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Kids' Thursday: The Edge Chronicles
Millions of dollars are spent in the promotion of books and yet hundreds of great books come out each year that barely penetrate your consciousness. Topical nonfiction pervades the news, and an occasional fiction will become a water cooler subject, but kids books have it tougher. As much as the adult world coalesces around single books, often for inexplicable reasons that have little to do with quality, in the world of children's books the concentration is intense.If, as someone said, books are a conspiracy of smart people, it's even more important that we teach our children to explore the world of books. A homogenized reading list based on what everyone else is reading can stunt their growth.
Whatever the merits of a certain boy about to graduate from a school for wizards, there is a lot more out there. Last year (and this year) I was privileged to read to Scott Burch's 5th Grade class a Mt. Tabor Elementary School during their annual read-in. Parents and community leaders come in to read their favorites to the children in an all-day celebration of reading and story-telling. Finding myself in the room with judges, school board members, an ex-congressman, and the U of L Cardinal doesn't make me a community leader, but I was proud to be there.
Last year I introduced Mr. Burch's class to The Edge Chronicles. From Beyond the Deep Woods (Book 1) to The Winter Knights, the eighth and latest in the series, we together discovered a fantasy series and an imaginary world that, by consensus, surpassess Harry and his pals, and even Lemony Snicket. Truly, this is a gem of a series, stocked and ready for summer reading. And it really has no top end. A really bright 3rd-grader might be able to read it, 5th grade is probably the target demographic, and teens and adults won't begin to be bored.
Rather than try to tell the story of this mysterious world, I invite you to visit the Web site for The Edge Chronicles, the world created by Brits Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell for David Fickling Books and Random House. Enjoy
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
My Favorite New Word? Locavore!
Barbara Kingsolver, as a novelist, is an acquired taste. But as a writer of nonfiction, she is practically without peer. When Ann and I, no particular fans of the author of The Poisonwood Bible and many other bestselling fiction books, first heard about the year and the book she had planned, we were intrigued. Fortunate enough to be able to read the book a few months ago, we grew excited, even trying to book Kingsolver for a visit to New Albany.
Alas, the visit won't be happening any time soon, but the book released on Tuesday, and we've stocked up on Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. If you thought Omnivore's Dilemma or Twinkie, Deconstructed gave you insight into the food we eat, your mouth will water at this chronicle of a year living off the land. The Kingsolvers (her husband Steven L. Hopp, and her daughter Camille Kingsolver are coauthors) make "a passionate case for putting the kitchen back at the center of family life and diversified farms at the center of the American diet."
The family swore off "the industrial-food pipeline," exchanging it for a one-year spiritual and journalistic vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, or by themselves at their newly purchased farm in the Shenandoah Valley, or do without. With great humor, they regale us with stories of turkey sex, overzealous zucchini, and an admirable food culture that nourishes community.
As much as possible, Ann and I are trying to modify our diets to support sustainable, diversified local farms. The infrastructure isn't in place yet, and we will NOT be moving to a farm, but we're dedicated to doing all we can to see to it that our food comes from somewhere we can visit. It's good for us and it's a boon to the environment and our local society.
We invite you to enjoy this roadmap. It's no dry recital. It's not a preachment to guilt you into eating better. It is an honest portrayal of one family's investigation of what our future will require.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, et al
ISBN 9780060852550 HarperCollins (Hardcover) 363 pp. $26.95
Bonus Recipe:
Cucumber Yogurt Soup
8 small-medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped
3 cups water
3 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons dill
1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice (optional)
1 cup nasturtium leaves and petals (optional)
Combine ingredients in food processor until smooth, chill before serving. Garnish with nasturtium flowers.
Alas, the visit won't be happening any time soon, but the book released on Tuesday, and we've stocked up on Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. If you thought Omnivore's Dilemma or Twinkie, Deconstructed gave you insight into the food we eat, your mouth will water at this chronicle of a year living off the land. The Kingsolvers (her husband Steven L. Hopp, and her daughter Camille Kingsolver are coauthors) make "a passionate case for putting the kitchen back at the center of family life and diversified farms at the center of the American diet."
The family swore off "the industrial-food pipeline," exchanging it for a one-year spiritual and journalistic vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, or by themselves at their newly purchased farm in the Shenandoah Valley, or do without. With great humor, they regale us with stories of turkey sex, overzealous zucchini, and an admirable food culture that nourishes community.
As much as possible, Ann and I are trying to modify our diets to support sustainable, diversified local farms. The infrastructure isn't in place yet, and we will NOT be moving to a farm, but we're dedicated to doing all we can to see to it that our food comes from somewhere we can visit. It's good for us and it's a boon to the environment and our local society.We invite you to enjoy this roadmap. It's no dry recital. It's not a preachment to guilt you into eating better. It is an honest portrayal of one family's investigation of what our future will require.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, et al
ISBN 9780060852550 HarperCollins (Hardcover) 363 pp. $26.95
Bonus Recipe:
Cucumber Yogurt Soup
8 small-medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped
3 cups water
3 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons dill
1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice (optional)
1 cup nasturtium leaves and petals (optional)
Combine ingredients in food processor until smooth, chill before serving. Garnish with nasturtium flowers.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Blessed By the Best
I never do this, but last week I used the phrase "the best book in the store." I take very seriously my recommendations to you, whether on this blog or while handselling in the store. We expect to be here for at least another two decades and if my recommendations become suspect for any reason, it won't be good -- for you or for our bottom line.
When a book I believe will be incredibly hot also draws a rave from me or Ann, it's a blessing for us all. With Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day, not to mention graduation on the horizon, many more patrons will be coming to us for recommendations. Particularly for Fathers' Day, we're loaded with can't miss titles. But I digress.
Last week I promoted (in-store) without reservation Andrew Ferguson's Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America, from Atlantic Monthly Press. I am far from a Lincoln buff. Where I come from, we're much more realistic in our appreciation of what he accomplished in keeping the Union together no matter what measures it took. But here in Indiana, it's a given that Ole Abe was the best president there ever was or ever will be.
Ferguson went through a childhood fervor for the Railsplitter, but as time passed, Lincolniana became, for him, passe. With great affection, but no small amount of humor, he rekindled that passion in researching this book. I can say that of all the new releases, this is the best book in the store. Lincoln is adored and scorned and every year brings out a new debate about the man and his importance to our modern world. But this book captures our Abesession in a way no history could.
From memorabilia collectors (first-degree items include reliquary-like artifacts like hair, with rumors of teeth and bone) to the Sons of the Confederate Veterans (who are better-armed than most when they argue that most of Lincoln's actions were extra-constitutional), the Weekly Standard editor captures the unique fascination we have with the 16th president.
How many of you ever attended the outdoor musical drama Young Abe Lincoln at Santa Claus, Ind.? Ferguson attended what appears to have been the final performance just a few months ago, revisiting the town after having joined a national convention of Lincoln (and Mary Todd) impersonators.
That's in the latter half of the book, when the author grabs up his family, including two teenagers, and follows the Lincoln Heritage Trail from Illinois to Kentucky, backtracking through Lincoln's life to end the book at the legendary birthplace of Honest Abe. Did you know that the LHT is 960 miles long, that each of the three states (Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky) have exactly 320 miles of highway devoted to Lincoln? Of course, the Indiana sites include, for some reason, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and with the Lincoln Bicentennial fast approaching the trail is only intermittently marked. Vandals and thieves have stolen most of the once-ubiquitous markers. By the way, Car & Driver magazine calls Ind. 62 on the trail one of the Best Driving Roads in America, ending at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Dale.
The book is manageable in small chunks, but I guarantee you'll finish it in a week. It's that good.
So, all last week I'm touting the book as the best book in the store, with several patrons taking it solely on my recommendation. I wasn't ready to blog about it, because it was scheduled for publication in June, so when it arrived unexpectedly, I reordered and fished out my notes for the planned June posting.
Why is that a problem? Because we have TWO best books in the store beginning today. Tomorrow I'll tell you more about the other, Barbara Kingsolver's nonfiction masterpiece, Animal, Vegetable, Mineral: A Year of Food Life, from HarperCollins.
Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America by Andrew FergusonISBN 9780871139672 Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover) 288 pp. $24
When a book I believe will be incredibly hot also draws a rave from me or Ann, it's a blessing for us all. With Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day, not to mention graduation on the horizon, many more patrons will be coming to us for recommendations. Particularly for Fathers' Day, we're loaded with can't miss titles. But I digress.
Last week I promoted (in-store) without reservation Andrew Ferguson's Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America, from Atlantic Monthly Press. I am far from a Lincoln buff. Where I come from, we're much more realistic in our appreciation of what he accomplished in keeping the Union together no matter what measures it took. But here in Indiana, it's a given that Ole Abe was the best president there ever was or ever will be.
Ferguson went through a childhood fervor for the Railsplitter, but as time passed, Lincolniana became, for him, passe. With great affection, but no small amount of humor, he rekindled that passion in researching this book. I can say that of all the new releases, this is the best book in the store. Lincoln is adored and scorned and every year brings out a new debate about the man and his importance to our modern world. But this book captures our Abesession in a way no history could.
From memorabilia collectors (first-degree items include reliquary-like artifacts like hair, with rumors of teeth and bone) to the Sons of the Confederate Veterans (who are better-armed than most when they argue that most of Lincoln's actions were extra-constitutional), the Weekly Standard editor captures the unique fascination we have with the 16th president.
How many of you ever attended the outdoor musical drama Young Abe Lincoln at Santa Claus, Ind.? Ferguson attended what appears to have been the final performance just a few months ago, revisiting the town after having joined a national convention of Lincoln (and Mary Todd) impersonators.
That's in the latter half of the book, when the author grabs up his family, including two teenagers, and follows the Lincoln Heritage Trail from Illinois to Kentucky, backtracking through Lincoln's life to end the book at the legendary birthplace of Honest Abe. Did you know that the LHT is 960 miles long, that each of the three states (Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky) have exactly 320 miles of highway devoted to Lincoln? Of course, the Indiana sites include, for some reason, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and with the Lincoln Bicentennial fast approaching the trail is only intermittently marked. Vandals and thieves have stolen most of the once-ubiquitous markers. By the way, Car & Driver magazine calls Ind. 62 on the trail one of the Best Driving Roads in America, ending at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Dale.
The book is manageable in small chunks, but I guarantee you'll finish it in a week. It's that good.
So, all last week I'm touting the book as the best book in the store, with several patrons taking it solely on my recommendation. I wasn't ready to blog about it, because it was scheduled for publication in June, so when it arrived unexpectedly, I reordered and fished out my notes for the planned June posting.
Why is that a problem? Because we have TWO best books in the store beginning today. Tomorrow I'll tell you more about the other, Barbara Kingsolver's nonfiction masterpiece, Animal, Vegetable, Mineral: A Year of Food Life, from HarperCollins.
Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America by Andrew FergusonISBN 9780871139672 Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover) 288 pp. $24
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