Best of the Year: The Best Book I Read This Year (Via The Atlantic)

These are not the best books that I read personally this year, but these are the best titles read by the editors and writers at  The Atlantic. One of these titles, however, is one of my very favorite books ever. I like that this list covers a nice combination of new and old titles. Sometimes we just need to go back and pick something off of that "To read" list from years ago...

The Best Book I Read This Year (Via The Atlantic)

Best of the Year: Via Band of Thebes: 80 Authors Select the Best LGBT Books of 2010

This list of 100 titles selected by 80 authors is really expansive and varied. Mainstream media often overlooks titles in the LGBT category, so this is a great opportunity to find something fantastic to read--or a great gift--that you might have missed elsewhere.

Via Band of Thebes: 80 Authors Select the Best LGBT Books of 2010
This book received the most mentions on the list. Incidentally, it was also nominated for the National Book Award.

Best of the Year: Authors choose their favorite books of 2010 at Salon.com

So when they were slacking off and not writing their own stories this year, what were writers reading? I'm pretty sure it wasn't this blog or the Grass Roots Facebook page, but Salon.com made sure and asked a few:

Author favorites of 2010 at Salon.com
OMG! Curtis Sittenfeld (who wrote one of my favoritest books ever, Prep) picked this book. I read this book this year, too! We're, like, besties now!

Best of the Year: A&E Gift Guide from The Oregonian

In my quest for awesome gift guides, I thought I better look somewhere local, too. The Oregonian impressed me for including a couple of books that tie in to the TV show Mad Men. Hello! I love Mad Men. Maybe you'll find something here for yourself.

A&E Gift Guide from The Oregonian

Best of the Year: COOKBOOKS!

In case you haven't heard, my friends, I do LOVE a good cookbook. When looking at lists of gift suggestions and best books of the year, it's almost always the cookbooks I really want to read over. Is there something I missed???

The Huffington Post website has made this subject remarkably easy for me to post, as they did a post yesterday featuring Best Cookbook of 2010 lists from various sources. If you're a cookbook fan like me, you will appreciate all of these great resources in one convenient location. Here they are; begin drooling now.

Best of the Year: COOKBOOKS! via Huffington Post.

Best of the Year: Holiday Books Gift Guide from the L.A. Times

The L.A. Times' book sections is grand and respectable, and their list of holiday gift recommendations in books is pretty darn awesome, too. It is wonderfully broad, and divided into some handy subject categories, including the oh-so-challenging-unless-you-read-them categories of Graphic Novels and Young Adult. I'm also a really big fan of the LA Times' layout on this page because it's so visual. It really gives you the opportunity to judge the books by their covers, but if you click on the cover, they give you a description of it as well.

Holiday Books Gift Guide from the L.A. Times
My personal choice: It's a Book by Lane Smith. It is a fanTAStic children's picture book about how absorbing real books are, as opposed to electronic media.

Best of the Year: Best Books to Give to Kids...

Recommending great books to give to kids is challenging for me. I don't have kids, I don't know a lot of kids, and I don't really read too many kids books. A picture book will often catch my eye, but if a customer is looking for a book for an 11-year-old who reads above their grade level, I might have a problem. Fortunately, we have a GREAT children's book buyer who makes sure we have a wonderful variety to choose from. Then there are lists like this on the internet that really help me narrow it down:

Best Books to Give to Kids...Even Those You Don't Know Very Well
From the EarlyWord blog.

Best of the Year: Best Film Books for 2010

Sadly, not everybody is a reader and a book lover. I know, I know--how can that BE? It is true, however. That's when those of us who are book lovers need to find ways to present our friends and family with gifts that promote reading through their other interests. Sure, you could just buy that movie lover a boxed set of their favorite movies, but why not a book about their favorite director or actor? Aha... Here's a great list from the Huffington Post to give you some ideas in that direction:

Best Film Books for 2010

You're going have to supply the popcorn yourself, though.

Best of the Year: The Daily Beast Holiday Book Guide

I like this list from the Daily Beast because it is not the usual cast of characters. If you're looking for a really nice book for someone who would like something a little different, one of these titles may just hit the spot. I am especially enamored of the hardcover, annotated edition of Pride and Prejudice. It's sort of like pop-up video for literature, but when the book is so well-loved I don't mind the side trips.

The Daily Beast Holiday Book Guide

Best of the Year: O Magazine's Top 10 Books of 2010

I'll say this for Oprah: she has done great work to promote reading and books, and has certainly helped bookstores survive. For this reason, I present to you the list of the Top 10 Books of 2010 from O Magazine. Read on, Oprah.

O Magazine's Top 10 Books of 2010

Best of the Year: NYT 100 Notable Books of the Year

There is no shortage of good books in the world to present as gifts. The New York Times has narrowed it down to their 100 Notable Books of the Year. I guess it's not the "best" or their "faviorites" or event "bestselling"--but you should at least take note.

The NYT Notable 100

Book Brahmin: Christian Wiman

I always love Shelf Awareness's "Book Brahmin" interviews with authors. This week S.A. spoke with Christian Wiman, the editor of "Poetry" magazine. He has a new book of poetry out, "Every Riven Thing." He also offers some great recommendations for poetry-lovers.

Book Brahmin: Christian Wiman

Enjoy!

--Mica

November 2010 Poetry Magazine

Christian Wiman

Trending: #FridayReads

I love a good resource for book recommendations, and I just saw this in Shelf Awareness this morning. I don't Tweet on Twitter (and Grass Roots doesn't...yet), but they have a Facebook page now, too. Check it out!

Trending: #FridayReads

Cookie Cravings

In case you don't know us very well, we are VERY fond of food at Grass Roots. We are fond of cooking and baking and eating and sharing and reading about food. Most of us come from small households, so any baking tends to yield shareable amounts, because really--who can eat that many cookies??? Well, as a team we manage quite well, thank you. And cookies continue to tempt, especially with such a fantastic selection of cookbooks focused on cookies out this fall. Get comfortable with a glass of milk while I tell you about my favorites.

Hardcover, $18.00

Gourmet magazine is heartbreakingly missed, but at least the publisher still collects the best recipes from its pages and compiles them in a book. Recently they published The Gourmet Cookie Book, and I have to say: I WANT IT. I can assure you that the Polish Apricot-Filled Cookies are labor-intensive, but completely delicious and worth it. (Grandma used to make Kolacky, which I suspect are the same thing. Gourmet's are better than Grandma used to make. Don't tell her I said that.) And there are the Scandinavian Rosettes that my Honey would like...and Glittering Lemon Sandwich Cookies...and Chocolate Peppermint Bar Cookies... Beyond all this goodness, the photography is FANTASTIC. I hope you don't have to wait until Christmas to lay your hands on this one...

Paperback, $25.95

Sometimes when you're craving a cookie, you're not exactly certain what it is you're craving, but you might be able to describe it as crunchy, crispy, chewy or gooey. That's where Alice Medrich's book Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies comes in. Do not fear, since she also explores Chunky and Flakey, insuring there's something for everyone. The book is short on photography (I really love to see what I'm baking) but long on creativity. Some of her recipes delve into dietary restrictions, and some explore unique flavors. When I say there's something for everybody, I really mean it!

Paperback, $19.95

Now that we've baked all of these cookies, what are we going to do with them? Bestowing them on our co-workers and customers is an obvious option that we delight in. If we ever decide to get organized and plan a holiday cookie exchange, Very Merry Cookie Party: How to plan and Host a Christmas Cookie Exchange, by Barbara Grunes and Virgina Van Vynckt. Now then, right on the front cover this book are some spritz cookies. I LOVE me some spritz cookies! I even have an electric cookie press just like Grandma used to use. It's like a gun that shoots cookie dough, and it makes a very satisfying "WHIRRRRR" sound when I use it. That is neither here nor there, but I like the sentimental factor of finding spritz cookies in this book. AND there's a recipe for Toffee Squares. It's like another little shout out to Grandma Kelm from this book! This book also helps you plan your Cookie Party, offering themes and ideas for appropriate accoutrements.

I am ready for my hot cocoa now!  Really. NOW. Time to explore these recipes some more and create a little treat for the store. I'll let you know how it goes...

See you at the bookstore, brushing crumbs off the counter!

Pamela.

Something for those cozy, rainy evenings ahead...

The last week has been full of abolutely golden autumn days, with just a touch of crispness in the air. All afternoon I've heard customers waxing poetic about the weather. It comes with extra poignancy as I peek ahead into the future on Yahoo Weather and see that which we dread: THE RAINY SEASON. Sigh...

Typically I'm able to embrace our damp winters with a warm heart and some enthusiasm. This year is more of a challenge, since summer seems to have barely set foot in the Willamette Valley. The rain is coming, though, so I'll remind myself of the bright side of the dim: fuzzy wool yarn, bamboo knitting needles, and delicious cookies. Now that's my idea of a cozy way to greet the weather.

Two books have arrived that I am rather eager to get my mitts on.  The first is Stitch 'n Bitch Superstar Knitting: Go Beyond the Basics by Debbie Stoller. I have long admired Stoller's work, since it was while having her first book awkwardly cracked open on a coffee shop table that I learned to knit. No, I haven't made it far beyond scarves and dish rags (plus two cup cozies and ONE lonely sock), but I like to aspire to greatness. Stoller's newest work goes far beyond the basics, and includes 41 patterns for garments and accessories. There are even some sassy new scarves that I might try.

The other knitting book with allure that is within my reach (and the abilities of my stash) is Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Patterns That Go Way Beyond Socks by Judith Durant. See that? Beyond socks! Perhaps I could knit my lone sock a friend that is not a sock, yet conveniently color coordinates! I would be knitting beyond the sock... There are some really really really adorable scarves in here at any rate. Ah, the Loveliness! Oh, the yarn! Sigh, the happiness!

These things should keep my hands busy for a little while. Well, that and the flutter of my fingers over the keyboard in November for NaNoWriMo. Perhaps I will be more successful with that than with my regular blog posts here. Sorry, but the stack of books waiting at home for me is just so distracting...

In between my distractions, I'll see you at the bookstore!
Pamela.

A Very Literary Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching, and that means costume time!!! (I'm very excited.)  Here are a few tips for those of you who want to make Halloween a book-appreciative event and could use some ideas.

1.  Do you want your costume to translate immediately?  It helps to dress as a character that has a visual trademark.

Think: Alice in Wonderland, Frankenstein's monster, Sherlock Holmes, Hester Prynne, Hamlet, or even Edward from the Twilight series (hmmm...that may not qualify as literary...).  These are usually easy costumes because they require one or two signature props (Alice wears a puffy blue dress and white pinafore; Holmes has his hat and pipe; Frankenstein's neck plugs; Prynne's scarlet A;  Hamlet carries Yorick's skull; Edward has that dreamy glittery complexion).

Example:

Hamlet--a costume you can whip up at home

2.  Supporting characters are a fun option that may make fellow partygoers pause for thought.  Rooster Cogburn of "True Grit," The Queen of Hearts, Zaphod Beeblebrox from "A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy," a Siren from "The Odyssey," Miss Havisham from "Great Expectations," and Ophelia covered in seaweed are just a few ideas.

Zaphod Beeblebrox

Dickens' Miss Havisham

Add some seaweed and a frown for a more sinister Ophelia.

 3.  Some costumes are destined to be misinterpreted, and others are simply too obscure for accurate translation.  Embrace it!  Go as your favorite character, even if that means your Laura Ingalls is thought to be a random prairie girl until you correct people.  If it really drives you nuts, carry around a copy of the book that your character stars in.  Fun ideas:  Leonard Maltin of movie review fame; the guy that stole Jonathan Franzen's glasses (I've been trying to persuade our receiver, Michael, to do this!); Mikael Blomkvist or Lisbeth Salander from "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (make sure to carry a faux-MacBook and a cup of coffee); Sookie Stackhouse from "True Blood;" and Penelope from "The Odyssey"

Who?...OH, that movie guy...What's-his-na--that's right, Leonard Maltin!

  4.  On a related note, there are a few authors that have enough of a look to hold up to imitation.  My favorites are Anne Rice (somebody please do this!), Edgar Allen Poe, Hunter S. Thompson, and Sylvia Plath.

Guess who!  Hunter S. Thompson's a bit batty.

5.  For readers who will be spending Halloween surrounded by adorably costumed children, here are some kid-friendly costume ideas: Mrs. Frisby from "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" (white mouse with a cape);  a Hogwarts instructor; the Man in the Yellow Hat (perhaps with a little stuffed monkey wrapped around an arm, or, um, see below); Waldo of "Where" fame; you can even get the whole family involved for an Alice in Wonderland or Wizard of Oz theme.

The Man in the Yellow Hat and Curious George.

Fun for the whole family

Have a great Halloween, everyone!

NaNoWriMo Approacheth

National Novel Writing Month is bearing down upon my head! Whatever will I write about? Whatever will YOU write about? Don't know what I'm talking about? Oh, let me tell you of the terrors and triumphs of NaNoWriMo...

For someone who has always wanted to write a book, NaNoWriMo is an inspiring challenge. Give yourself a deadline, and the words will just pour fourth. That's the premise anyway.

What NaNoWriMo does is give you 30 days--the month of November--to write a 50,000 word novel. Doesn't sound like much, right?  After all, it breaks down to about 1,667 words a day. Totally doable. To make it easier, you're joining approximately 360,000 other writers around the world to accomplish the same task.  You're a team!

And then you start crunching out the words.

I can only speak for myself, really, but during those 30 days I have cranked out some of the worst drivel of my entire life. Inane dialog. Unnecessary descriptions. Superfluous words. Just to get a word count!

It makes one question one's worthiness as a writer. It makes one question one's sanity. Relationships suffer.  Health suffers. Typing fingers suffer.

Don't fret! There is help! The Office of Letters and Light (I don't make this stuff up) has a website full of suggestions, connections to other local NaNo'ers, and inspiration at http://www.nanowrimo.org/. You're not in this alone. There's also a fantastic book called No Plot, No Problem: The Low-Stress Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. I find it to be quite handy for any aspiring writer.

But in the end, if you've stuck with it, you have written a book.  Look, Ma! A novel of my very own! The satisfaction is immeasurable, and that's a good thing. You're not winnin' anything else for that piece of piddly writing.

However, you can bask in the glow of success. You're a writer! You've written a book!

Go forth to plod and plot.
See you in the bookstore--when I'm not plodding myself!

Pamela.

Postcard from Paradise

I realize this post is a little belated.  In mid-September I took a vacation to Hawaii with My Honey, and I did in fact send postcards to the store.  However, I didn't get to share them with all of my Grass Roots friends.  My vacation mostly entailed sitting around by pools and on beaches, my nose in a book or soaking up the sun.  (Had to stock up on my vitamin D while I could!)  So here, I bring you a bookish-themed post about my vacation.

First of all, I have to say I made good use of guide books (My Honey is more of an online person himself.), and found the Hawaii: An Explorer's Guide book to be particularly interesting to read, as well as helpful.  It's more than just a list of hotels, restaurants and places to see; there's actually backstory on the history of the places and people of the islands.  Another useful series of guides is Hawaii Revealed, which may also be known as the blue books about Hawaii.  They cover out of the way places and give honest opinions, even if they're negative.  I found the writing style to be kind of annoying, but even skimming it revealed great information.

Pearl Harbor is this far away from Portland.

Crew's Library on the USS Missouri

Where did we go once we got there?  Well, we started on Waikiki Beach, which was everything I heard it would be.  Ahem.  I am very glad we were there in the off-season, and we left just about exactly when we were ready to.  My postcard from Oahu?  It features the crew library on the USS Missouri.  Unfortunately while we were visiting Pearl Harbor, a movie was being filmed on "The Mighty Mo", and we didn't get access to everything visitors usually do.  Boo on them.  I forgave them, however, because I got to see  the library and the pie kitchen.  (Can you imagine a whole kitchen with a battery of ovens just for pies?  AWESOME!)

Representing Grass Roots at Volcanoes National Park.

Next we hopped over to the Big Island for two nights in Hilo, two nights north of Kona, and a stop at Volcanoes National Park and South Point in between.  The volcano was pretty awesome, but all we saw was steam.  And at night?  We saw colored steam.  Well, boo on the lava, but I enjoyed it anyway.  And it turns out Mark Twain visited the volcano as well.  I decided I need to bond with my literary brethren and had my picture taken where he was.  (Look where Grass Roots has been!)  South Point was pretty cool; it's the southern most point in the United States. 

Book.  And Maui beach.

We had to finish up our visit to Hawaii on Maui.  I love Maui.  I love laying by the pool and having people bring my drinks.  I also enjoy laying in a lounge chair on the beach reading a book.  Sigh...  My postcard from Maui features a page of my favorite reading material on my vacation, The Group by Mary McCarthy.  It was fantastic and scandalous.  I admit, I sometimes struggled to keep track of all the characters, but I was interested in their lives.  Oh, I did enjoy it.

Now I am settled in back at home, working my way through different books and getting back into my routine at the bookstore.  It is nice to be home in Corvallis, but it's always nice to dream of exciting new places to go.  For now, I think I'll hold onto my memories from Hawaii.

Aloha, friends!
Pamela.

October Events at Grass Roots!

October is shaping up to a great month at Grass Roots.  I'm super excited because cooking and children's picture book titles are starting to arrive for the holiday shopping season.  Woo hoo!  October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so be aware of it!


Reading Group
There are some awesome events coming up this month, in and out of the store, as well.  Important to note first is that the book group meeting date has changed this month.  Please join our discussion of The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon on Tuesday, Oct.12 (moved from Oct. 5) at Grass Roots, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Lecture and Book Signing
On Tuesday, Oct. 5, Grass Roots will be selling books at the Marcus Borg lecture, entitled "Christian and American: Then and Now", at the First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis.  The event is part of the celebration for the opening of the church's new John and Nancy Dennis Conference Center and Fellowship Hall, and proceeds from book sales will go to the building fund.  The event is free and open to the public, and begins at 7 p.m.

Author Signings and Discussions
The third weekend in October will be a busy at Grass Roots, as we will be hosting two author events.

On Saturday, Oct. 16, we are hosting Debra Daniels-Zeller, the author of The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook at 3 p.m. Even if you're not a vegetarian, Debra has some great recipes for using our local, seasonal produce.  After stopping by the farmer's market that day, get some lunch downtown, then come by Grass Roots for ideas on what to do with your purchases!

On Sunday, Oct. 17, Penelope Scambly Schott will be at Grass Roots, reading from and discussing her new book of poetry Crow Mercies.  The book is published locally by Calyx Press.  The event starts at 3 p.m.

Also, don't forget to check out our calendar at the bottom of the blog--it includes all of our store events, as well as local events we are a ticket outlet for.  As always, you can stay abreast of what's going on at Grass Roots by receiving our weekly online newsletter, The Grass Roots Reader, following us on Facebook, and of course checking in with us here.  And never hesitate to stop by and say hello!

See you at the bookstore--soon, I hope!
Pamela.

Book Brahmin Plus: Nancy Pearl

I realize it's been a while since we posted on our sweet little blog, so I'm jumping in with a cheater today. I just read this entertaining interview with Nancy Pearl, and wanted to share it with my friends.

By the way, I love reading interviews like this, because I like to decide if the authors are being pompous or genuine. I think Nancy Pearl sounds lovely.

I also think about how I will answer the questions when I'm a bestselling author.

Enjoy!

Book Brahmin Plus: Nancy Pearl

See you at the bookstore, Nancy Pearl in hand!
Pamela.

It'll always be books for me!

I am experiencing technical difficulties.  Actually, I had numerous problems all of last week, resulting in my inability to access our Facebook fan page, my inability to update our staff reviews on our website, my inability to watch Project Runway off the Tivo on Sunday night, and a particularly bizarre dream last night where I woke up mumbling something about some social media application that I couldn't think of the name of, although I was SURE it existed...  Thankfully I went back to sleep after that last one.  At any rate, it was a rough week between me and technology.

I keep these things in mind as I continue to see headlines regarding the increased market share of e-books in the literary world.  I try to keep these things in mind when I see commercials for the iPad.  (I don't NEED an iPad, but gosh I sure do like their advertising...)  I am confident that there will always be people like me: In the September issue of Wired magazine, of all places, a reader wrote in and confessed to killing a scorpion by slamming a book down on top of it.  Would you like to attempt that with your e-reader?  Take that, Kindle.

I am not afraid of technology.  I'm addicted to Facebook (stupid Bejweled Blitz...), and clearly even I can write up a blog.  It's not fear that drives me to hold onto my books.  It's an undeniable desire to hold that book in my hand, to feel the pages. And I don't think I need to tell you about the smell of books.  Admit--y'all know what I'm talking about.

So if ever you can't find me, just look for the girl with her nose in a book, her glasses halfway down her nose as she absorbs as many of those words as she can....

See you at the bookstore!
Pamela.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

This weekend I was inspired by Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run"" and made up a lovely display of running books, and thought I would, creatively, make an accompanying sign encouraging customers to "run amok." I then thought, hmmm, my recollection of the use of "amok" is the movie Hocus Pocus from the late '90s.  And I decided to make sure "amok" meant what I thought it meant.  It didn't.

Rather than encouraging customers to run about freely and without care, perhaps with a little wildness, I was actually inciting a murderous rampage.  Because that's what amok means, according to multiple dictionaries:  "in a frenzy to do violence or kill" (The American Heritage Dictionary).  Its secondary definition ("in a jumbled or confused state") is not much better. 

Now my lovely and very creative sign encourages customers to "run wild." 

Is there a word whose meaning has taken you totally off guard?  (It happens more than I like to admit.) 

Happy Reading,

--Mica

p.s. Bonus points if you can name the quote in the title!

Our B-Day Boy, Charles Bukowski, and His Words of Insight

Today is the birthday of the man who said:
"The nine-to-five is one of the greatest atrocities sprung upon mankind. You give your life away to a function that doesn't interest you. This situation so repelled me that I was driven to drink, starvation, and mad females, simply as an alternative."

A happy day to the "laureate of lowlife," Charles Bukowski (1920-1994)!

Follow the link to read his poem two nights before my 72nd birthday.

--Mica

Book Brahmin: Mary Robinette Kowal

Great interview with a local-ish author! Mary Robinette Kowal is a a Portland writer/puppeteer/voice actor (as well the VP of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) , and her list of current reads and favorite books looks very enticing. Is it bad that I want to be her when I grow up?

Book Brahmin: Mary Robinette Kowal

Happy reading!

~Mica

Bookselling is harder than you think

View from behind the counter at Grass Roots.

I know many people who fantasize about working in a bookstore.  They dream of sitting behind a counter, reading books all day while they occasionally smile at a customer.  I hate to burst your bubble, but it is actually a lot of work if you're doing it right.  I have been working in bookstores for about 12 years now, and I am still exhausted at the end of the day.  There is still always something to learn.  There are still books being published that I want to read.

What does it take to be a bookseller, you ask?  It is far more than a love of reading.  Liking people helps, or at least the ability to act like you like people when you're having a bad day.  So important.  Enthusiasm and good cheer helps, too.

As for the job description, I stumbled upon this quote on the Huffington Post blog today, in an article by Anis Shiva highlighting Twig Book Shop in San Antonio, TX, in which he interviewed bookstore manager Claudia Maceo Sharp:

When I first began to work at Viva and found the tasks to be so complicated, my colleagues would chide me, albeit lovingly, by saying, "And you thought we were just a bookstore." It is a fantasy to think that you can sit behind a counter and read until a customer comes up to pay for a book. Bookselling requires physical and mental stamina. Ordering books requires poring over catalogs with publishing representatives, vendors, and authors. These days a bookseller must have a comfort level with various computer programs from point of sale programs to search engines and publication designs. Boxes of books come daily that must be unboxed, received, and shelved. Organizational skills go beyond alphabetizing. Marketing books once they are in takes retail and design sense. Shelves must be culled of books that are not selling and returned to the publishers or authors. And there is always dusting and sweeping to be done. Oh yeah, and then read, read, read. I used to feel like all I had time to read was the back of a book. After a year as manager that has improved somewhat.

The glamorous life!

I have found booksellers to share a common ideal about the world. We care deeply about our communities, about the power of the written word throughout the centuries, the importance of sharing the stories of our human condition. We are finding and even creating new ways to connect with each other, between various organizations and businesses, in partnerships and special projects.

We are a great community here, and after all of that, we do need to put our feet up at the end of the day.

See you at the bookstore--
Pamela.

Buried by berries

I am SO tired of picking blueberries.

We have four bushes in our backyard, and plenty of scrub jays patrolling the perimeters.  I am fond of blueberries, especially when they are fresh picked and still warm and juicy from their days in the sun.  They are wonderful eaten straight up, or tossed into pancakes, or sunk into homemade muffins.  I am quite amazed, however, how much four bushes can actually produce.  I have probably...I don't know...12 cups of blueberries in my freezer?  I'm just sick of pickin' 'em, and no one else is volunteering to come over.  (Although my brother and nephew are visiting from Illinois this weekend and may view the fruit picking as a novelty.  They live in the suburbs and do not garden.)

My berry stash in the freezer may not seem like much to dyed-in-the-wool home preservists, but it's a lot for me.  There are also raspberries and a growing supply of cut strawberries in there.

Not that I'm complaining!  I'm really gardening and harvesting for the first time in my life, and I'm looking for ways to manage the bounty within my time constraints and resources.  Fortunately, there is a ready supply of resources at Grass Roots to help me out, and I don't just mean my coworkers.

I like my cookbooks to be not just useful, but pretty as well (such an impractical girl...) and we have three new titles that fit the bill.

Paperback, $19.95

I have been eying Put 'em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling by Sherri Brooks Vinton for a couple of weeks now.  Right there on the front cover is a precious little jar of frozen blueberries.  Well, I can do THAT; what else ya got?  (Isn't that a great way to get you to pick up a cookbook?  Taunting?)  I did pick it up, and it looks so useful and pleasant and domestic and doable.  It is divided into two major sections, "Techniques" and "Recipes."  Best of all for someone like me who's standing there going what do I do with all this stuff, the recipes are divided by primary ingredient.  My blueberry problem?  Right here under "Berries."  The pending tomato avalanche?  Covered conveniently under "Tomatoes."  There is good stuff in here.  It's well organized, and even I can manage some of these things on a day off or two.

Hardcover, $22.00

Also on the shelf, I noticed an unassuming and under-sized blue spine, about an inch thick.  I pulled it out, and there on the cover of The River Cottage Preserves Handbook, by Pam Corbin, was something that at least looked like a jar of blueberries with lemonade being poured into it.  On closer inspection, those are probably something else, but it still made me pick up the book.  The book is elegant and pretty and very British.  It is also a hardcover, and, because it is small and difficult to open, I'm frankly afraid to crack it open and give it a good perusal.  It does not look so basic as Put 'em Up, but it does look more challenging.  I think it would make an excellent gift for your favorite bookseller.  Or me.

Paperback, $24.95

Finally, one last book with alluring edibles in glass jars on the cover(doesn't food just look better in jars? unless it's baby food?) arrived just today.  Canning For a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry by Liana Krissof is fresh on the shelf.  This book is also full of delicious-sounding recipes, this one divided by season.  What I like best about this book is that it gives you recipes for the recipes.  Gosh, that sounds complicated, but if you go through the trouble of making homemade pickles or preserves, you may just get tired of eating pickles with your hot dog, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Here are your options.

Well, there we go.  I've made myself hungry again.  It's probably a good thing I work in a bookstore and not a restaurant.  This way I am just overstuffed with books.

See you at the bookstore!

Pamela

Steamy Summer Reading: The Conclusion

Have you been lolling listlessly in your lawn chair, your brain too melted to focus on something as literary as David Mitchell?  Me too.  One of the delights of summer is being baked in the sun (under plenty of sun block, of course) and letting my brain trip off into the steamy world of ripping bodices, resistant hearts, and men in breeches.  Oh, le sigh...

In general, I somewhat hesitatingly admit to being a reader of romances.  But heck--it's summer!  This seems like the best time to give into all my cheesiest reading vices.  Do not fear, gentle readers: I still have standards!  I must therefore take this opportunity to RAVE about the books of Julia Quinn.  Ms. Quinn is a master of my favorite genre, the Regency Romance.  They are always written with a touch of humor, and a touch of class.  Sure, there's plenty of the type of material that causes romance paperbacks across the globe to become wearily creased on certain pages, but it's done well, and isn't...icky.  Some romance novelists make everybody mean to each other or over-the-top in their sultry ways.  (Ahem, did you read this post by Mica?)

Prominent among the works of Ms. Quinn is the series of eight titles featuring the Bridgerton siblings.  Oh, to be so wealthy, so attractive, so intelligent, so attractive, so witty, and, well...so attractive!  They are the cream of the crop of London society, engaging in all of the best soirees and balls the ton has to offer.  Of course, this entitles them to plenty of romance and drama, too.

There are other books beyond the Bridgertons, however.  On my nightstand right now is her latest, Ten Things I Love About You.  (See how tasteful the covers of her books are?  While the cover shot does give a hint of...the girls, at lest there's not some dark and sultry hero-in-the-making trying to manhandle her as well.)

I think one of the reasons I love Ms. Quinn's books so well, is that her characters are flawed, but so obviously in love.  I feel like they're real and these people exist.  (Really, we're meeting for tea later to discuss taboo subjects and twitter coquettishly.)

If you're looking for something racier, may I recommend Stephanie Laurens?  Her writing and plot lines get rather monotonous, but when all you want is some good smut with dashing and dangerous rakes, you can't go wrong with her.  Yes, I also have several copies of her books in my personal library (tucked away in the Pam Cave, behind a cabinet door), and I will confess that they are also well-creased.  I'm sure that's only because they were used copies, right?  Uh...yeah.  If you decide to succumb to her seductive allure, make sure you start with the Cynster Novels.  The first one, Devil's Bride, is particularly lay-my-hand-upon-my-dewey-forehead worthy.  Ms. Laurens likes the racy stuff.  Later in the series, that's really all that's left to enjoy in her writing, as the characters get old.

And I must be getting old, because when I looked at her website, I found the heroes in the trailers for her newest series of books to be rather young and, well...pansy-looking.  I like manly men to star in my trash, but certainly, you can judge for yourself.  Check out Stephanie Laurens' website to see what I mean.  (I'm all about being a Brazen Bride, but please give me a groom who can stand up to it!)

Well, I clearly need to enjoy some cool refreshment and to mop my feverish brow.  Alas!  I may faint dead away if I keep going on this scandalous topic!  So go enjoy some summer trash!  I will be soon.  I guarantee it.

See you at the bookstore.  I'll be the one blushing.

Pamela.

Book Brahmin: Dana Haynes

This interview with Oregon author Dana Haynes comes from Shelf Awareness, which provides "daily enlightenment for the book trade." (And you guys thought I just made up all of these interesting bits I post on Facebook.) I don't know if there's anything that would actually induce me to read thriller/mystery, but he does sound like an interesting fellow. Please enjoy the read!

Book Brahmin: Dana Haynes


Dana Haynes is the author of Crashers.

Mica's Top 5 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Picks

 Looking for a good--nay, great--sci-fi or fantasy novel this summer?  Here are my top 5 favorites!

1. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

A hopeful tale set in a dystopian future United States of walled cities, disease, fires, and madness. Lauren Olamina is an 18-year-old woman with hyperempathy syndrome--if she sees another in pain, she feels their pain as acutely as if it were real. When her relatively safe neighborhood enclave is inevitably destroyed, along with her family and dreams for the future, Lauren grabs a backpack full of supplies and begins a journey north. Along the way, she recruits fellow refugees to her embryonic faith, Earthseed, the prime tenet of which is that "God is change."

  Sequel:  Parable of the Talents.


2.   The Merlin Series by Mary Stewart

Here is the most extended portrait in all literature in this compelling figure of Dark Age myth and history. Merlin, the protector and tutor of Arthur, has usually been portrayed as an old man. But The Crystal Cave begins the trilogy with the story of his perilous childhood as the bastard son of a Welsh king's daughter and the secret discovery of the magic arts that will set him apart from other men.

With the birth of Arthur, Merlin's guardianship began and the ancient legend continues in The Hollow Hills with the dramatic immediacy that is Mary Stewart's special gift.

 Book 1:  The Crystal Cave   Book 2: The Hollow Hills   Book 3: The Last Enchantment.

3. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian mother planet, Urras, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change.

4.  The Xenogenesis Trilogy, aka Lilith's Brood, by Octavia Butler

Dawn: After nuclear war destroys the world, Earths survivors are rescued by the miraculously powerful Oankali aliens- who survive by merging genetically with primitive peoples without their permission. Adulthood Rites: Desperate to regain their world, childless humans seek to cleanse the alien taint by kidnapping hybrid children. But the raiders are blind to the truth of Earth's new children. Imago: The futures of both humans and aliens rest in one young being's successful metamorphosis into adulthood.

The trilogy consists of Book One: Dawn  Book 2: Adulthood Rites  Book 3: Imago
and is only available to order as a compilation of all three books: Lilith's Brood


5.  The Hyperion series by Dan Simmons

The Hyperion books are credited with single-handedly reinventing and reinvigorating SF in the 1990s. A broad canvased, hugely imaginative and exciting SF epic, the books draw on the works of Keats and provide a uniquely intelligent and literary approach with cutting edge science, compelling characterization and edge-of-your-seat excitement.

Hyperion is the tale of seven people who make a pilgrimage to a terrifying creature called the Shrike in an attempt to save mankind. Stunningly written and beautifully crafted, Simmons's Hyperion resonates with technical achievement and the excitement and wonder found only in the best SF.

Book 1: Hyperion  Book 2: The Fall of Hyperion  Book 3: Endymion  Book 4: The Rise of Endymion


As always, if an item is not in stock, we are happy to special order for you.  All of these titles are readily available (of course they are, because they are awesome!).

Reviews are all excerpts from goodreads.com.  Follow the title links and scroll down the resulting page to get to a collection of reader reviews and get more insight into the books.

Happy reading!

--Mica