3 years and Thank You

It's been 3 years since I started this little blog. It's changed, I've changed and I still love it. I've made such wonderful friends through blogging. You people have amazing taste in books! I've co-hosted a readalong and joined in lots of others. I became a moderator of the Classics Club, participated in readathons, and most of all I've somehow deepened my love of reading. I didn't know that was possible. 

So I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who stop by here. Your comments and emails always make my day. You all are the kindest, funniest people and I'm so glad that because of this blog I had the chance to meet you! 

As a tiny thank you I'm giving away a copy of the Penguin Clothbound edition of Jane Eyre. It's one of my favorite books and it's part of a series of editions I'm in love with, so it seemed fitting. 

The giveaway is open internationally. To enter all you have to do is comment and leave your email address below. You don't have to be a follower or follow me on twitter or anything else to enter. 

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED- Amy is the winner. Thanks guys!**

I'm only keeping the giveaway open until Sunday because the point is to thank the people who are regular readers. I'll post the winner here and I'll email them. They'll have 24 hours to respond with their address. 

Thanks again guys, you are all awesome. 

Image from here. 

Margaret Atwood, The Robber Bride and a Giveaway

Last week I got to see Margaret Atwood speak as part of the Butler University Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writers Series. Yes, it was just as incredible as you all think it was. She is so witty and hilarious, while at the same time offering sharp, thoughtful insights about the world around her. She has a quiet droll tone and so her quick barbs surprise you at first.

She gave a three-part speech about the future, the difficulties in writing about it and her own experience writing about it. It was fascinating! I don’t think I can quite express how much I enjoyed the talk and getting to meet her in person. Atwood was all that I thought she might be and more. I wish I could just sit and talk with her over a cup of coffee for hours.

According to Atwood:

The outfits the handmaids wear were inspired by the outfit worn by the girl on the Old Dutch Cleaner bottles. Who knew?

She once saw a performance of Macbeth where his head was “played” by a cabbage in the death scene and it bounced about off the stage because they’d gotten one that was too fresh.

“There are writers and there are readers and then there is everything in between. Let’s call it two cans and a string.”

“On the web, that modern day equivalent of consulting an oracle, because you never know if what you find will be true or not...”

After giving her talk Atwood stayed and signed copies of her books. I was lucky enough to get my well-worn copy of The Handmaid’s Tale signed for myself, but I also took a copy of The Robber Bride, (see review below) and got it signed for one of you! I had Atwood make it out to “An Avid Reader” and I’m excited to now open the giveaway for the signed copy!

**UPDATE: Jenners is the winner of the signed copy. If I don't hear back from her within 24 hours I'll pick another winner. Thanks!**

To enter the giveaway please do the following:
1)      Tell me why you love Atwood’s work or why you’re excited to check it out.
2)       Leave your email in the comment as well so I can contact you.
3)      Tweet about the giveaway for an extra entry (leave a comment saying you tweeted).
 
The contest will be open until September 26, 2012. Good luck!

The Robber Bride
by Margaret Atwood
★★★★

I have been thrilled to find that each of my reading experiences with Atwood’s books has been completely unique and this one is no exception. Reading each of her novels has been fulfilling in a different way. The Handmaid’s Tale is a big picture look at a possible dystopian future and it makes you think about the role women currently play in society and how that role has changed throughout history. The Blind Assassin is an intricately built plot combining a sci-fi story and a mystery that comes full circle in an incredibly rewarding way. The Penelopiad takes a well-known Greek saga and tells it from a new perspective. Oryx and Crake is a post-apocalyptic break down of society. Whatever people say about Atwood, they can never call her boring.

For me, The Robber Bride holds perfectly true to my past experiences with Atwood. I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. I never know where her books are going to take me and this one surprised me with its simplicity. On the surface it has the most basic of plots: the thin line between jealousy and friendship in the relationships between women. The premise: a beautiful woman named Zenia has destroyed the lives of three women and now she’s returned to wreak havoc again.

The plot revolving around Zenia is technically the thread that holds the story together, but to me it was the least interesting part of the book. Atwood does an excellent job making us care for those characters before we become frustrated with them, but I still wasn’t a big fan of the manipulative evil woman vs. the pathetic and gullible woman premise.

The reason I enjoyed this one was not because of the actual plot. I thought the scenes with Zenia were the weakest aspect of the story. Instead, I loved the character development of the three main women; Charis, Tony and Roz. They are so different, yet men seem to be their one unifying weakness. Atwood presents the characters to us and just when we think we know them, she pulls back layer after layer in their history and we being to understand just how little we knew from our first impressions. None of them are simple or can be boiled down to a generic stereotype. They are all unique and complex and it’s a testament to Atwood’s skill as a writer that she can make us care so deeply about characters, while at the same time being frustrated with their choices.

BOTTOM LINE: Atwood is just brilliant. This isn’t my favorite of her books (it’s The Handmaid’s Tale if you’re curious), but it’s still a solid one and the characters will stay with me for a long time.

Photos by moi.

The Shadow of the Wind

 

The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
★★★★★

The first time I read this book (in 2007) I consumed it. It’s almost 500 pages, but I couldn’t put it down. This time I took it slow. I savored every line and absorbed each character. I paid closer attention and let the mystery enfold me and it was definitely a different experience. It was wonderful.

Set in Barcelona in 1945, the book begins as a coming-of-age tale, but quickly becomes more complicated than that. The story is told from the point-of-view of Daniel Sempere starting when he’s only 10 years old. His father takes him to a secret place called the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, where Daniel finds a book by the author Julián Carax. The rest of the story follows Daniel journey to discover what happened to Carax and the rest of his work.

The Shadow of the Wind is reminiscent of old gothic novels. The story is a heady mixture of mystery and romance, political tyrants and broken hearts. I had forgotten how enthralling the mystery is. The twists and turns and unexpected connections Daniel makes as he walks the alleys of Barcelona haunt me even though I’ve returned the novel to my bookshelf.

Zafon’s supporting cast of characters is one of the best parts of the book. There’s Daniel’s father, a quiet man with a kind heart who loves his son. Chief Inspector Francisco Javier Fumero is one of the most vicious baddies in literature; he’s black to the core of his being. Then we have Miquel, Julian’s clever best friend and Nuria Monfort a mysterious woman who seems to know more about Julian than she’s willing to say. Finally there’s Fermin Romero de Torres, perhaps my favorite person in the book. He’s a homeless beggar who has been broken by his past, but still has a future ahead of him if someone is willing to give him a chance. He has a lust for life that is both entertaining and inspiring.

SPOILERS

One of the things I love about this book is the way Daniel’s life mirrors Julian’s. They both fall in love: Daniel with Bea, the sister of his best friend and Julian with Penelope, the daughter of Don Ricardo Aldaya who has become Julian’s patron of sorts. They both have obstacles to that love: Bea is engaged to another man and the Don doesn’t want Julian to be with Penelope (though Julian doesn’t know why).

Soon Julian begins to see Daniel as the only way to redeem himself. He feels that his life and his love have been wasted, but if Daniel can be happy then it will all balance out. At the same time, Daniel is consumed with solving the mystery of Julian’s life and can’t really move forward with his own until he has done that.

SPOILERS OVER

About halfway through the book I thought maybe I had overestimated my love for it. What if it wasn’t as good as I remembered? What if it didn’t live up to my expectations? Luckily any doubts that I completely love it were dispelled when I reached the end. It’s just as brilliant as I remembered and remains one of my favorites. It’s not just an enthralling story or the captivating characters. Those are both great things, but the main thing I love is the writing. Zafon has a masterful way of turning everything to poetry. He takes my breath away with his descriptions and his love of reading emanates from every page.

BOTTOM LINE: Read it, just read it. If you love gothic mysteries (like Rebecca) or wonderful characters or good writing, there’s something for everyone and you should read this book! 

“Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.”

“Presents are made for the pleasure of who gives them, not for the merits of who receives them.”

“I had never known the pleasure of reading, exploring the recesses if the soul, letting myself be carried away by imagination, beauty and the mystery of fiction and language.”

“Few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later – no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget – we will return.”

“Making money isn’t hard in itself; what’s hard is to earn it doing something worth devoting one’s life to.”

“War has no memory, and nobody has the courage to understand them until there are no voices left to tell what happened.”

p.s. Anyone curious about Zafon’s work should definitely start here. If you read this one and love it, I’d recommend reading The Angel’s Game next. It’s loosely connected to this book, but takes place a couple decades earlier in Barcelona. Also, he has a new book, The Prisoner of Heaven, coming out in July! I can’t wait.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED, the winner is ANNIEB!

I love this book so much I'm giving away a copy.

To enter, just tell me one of your all-time favorite books in the comments and leave your email address. I'll pick a winner by the end of the week and I'll email that person and update this post with the winner's name. Then I'll mail them the book, sorry US mailing addresses only this time.

NYC and the Giveaway Winner

(Me walking the glorious Brooklyn Bridge during my trip to NYC in 2009)

First things first, the GIVEAWAY WINNER is..Brenna at Literary Musings. Yay! I can't wait to send you some Sedaris love.

As some of you may have guessed from my bonus question on the giveaway, I'm going back to New York City for a long weekend in July. I'm staying with a wonderful friend who lives in Brooklyn and I can't wait. Thank you all so much for the tips on things to do and see.

I already have tickets to see the Harry Potter exhibit and to see War Horse. Most of the shows we looked at seeing that weekend were already sold out, but I'm crazy excited about this one. I'm also hoping to add a return trip to The Strand in there or at least one bookstore.

I'm reading through all of my favorite travel books and also a few NYC related books like, The Great Bridge and Forever. After reading Brenna's review of The Brooklyn Follies, I think I may try to fit that one in before I go.

If anyone has any additional suggestions of things to do while in NYC I'd love to hear them!

*Photo by my friend

Sedaris Giveaway

I've said before how much I love David Sedaris' sense of humor, particularly on audio, but I don't think I've ever mentioned his sister Amy. She is a comedian in her own right and has been in tons of TV shows and movies (Elf, Strangers With Candy, Sex and the City, etc.). A few years ago I read her book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence and it was hilarious.

Now both she and her brother have new books out. I thought I would take this opportunity to share some Sedaris love and give away a copy of each of their new books, Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris and Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris. I'm giving away the audiobook version of both, because I think that's the best way to experience their work.

I haven't read either of these yet, so I can't say whether I love them, but I can say that their other books crack me up.

To enter, leave a comment below with the following info:

1) Your e-mail address

2) What book or author never fails to make you laugh?

For a BONUS entry:
If you've been to New York City, tell me your favorite thing you did there. I'm especially curious to hear bookstore recommendations (I've been to the Strand), places with literary significance or things to do in Brooklyn.

The giveaway will close on Friday, June 24, and the winner will be chosen at random.

27

It’s my 27th birthday today! Woo hoo. Birthdays are big for me, probably because my sister’s is the day before mine and my Dad’s is the same day as mine. So I “shared” my birthday growing up, which isn’t a bad thing, but it does make you want to carve out some space for your own little b-day.

My poor husband knows that I get a birthday “week,” (which I would highly recommend by the way). Instead of just celebrating for one day, I get to do fun stuff for a whole week (my sister does this too)! It’s not about presents (though yay for presents), it’s about spending time with the people you love and celebrating your life in different ways. One night I’ll have dinner with a good friend or something like that, then the next I’ll watch my favorite movies at home with the Huz, but the best part is saying, “but it’s my birthday (week)” everyday. Want to have your favorite thing for dinner or get control of the TV remote… it’s your birthday!

Anyway, to celebrate I decided to make a list of 27 of my favorite books. It sounds incredibly easy, 27, there should be plenty of room on that list for everyone, right? Apparently not, I traded a few on and off and found in the end I still didn’t have anything by Neil Gaiman or P.G. Wodehouse or Roald Dahl on the list. My list is also sorely lacking all my favorite books I read as a kid/teen and some great dystopian novels, etc.

That’s ok, here’s the best I could do with fitting them all on there…

27 of my Favorite Books

1) The Book Thief
2) Jane Eyre
3) The Shadow of the Wind
4) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
5) Persuasion
6) Ender’s Game
7) A Moveable Feast
8) Hamlet
9) The Harry Potter series (yes, I’m including all 7 books in one slot)
10) Me Talk Pretty One Day
11) The History of Love
12) Catch-22
13) Maus
14) Nine Stories
15) I Capture the Castle
16) Empire Falls
17) Travels With Charley
18) The Importance of Being Ernest
19) The Time Traveler's Wife
20) Great Expectations
21) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy (all 5 books)
22) To Kill a Mockingbird
23) Howards End
24) Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
25) Tuck Everlasting
26) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
27) And Then There Were None

What are some of your favorites?

p.s. The photo is of the giveaway books I won from the wonderful Ruby at BookQuoter. I got the box on the first day of birthday week (yes people, it’s a real thing), and it felt like a birthday present! I’m so excited to read them all, especially The Weird Sisters.



p.p.s. I got a haircut! Haircuts are not news, but I felt like sharing anyway... and it's birthday week so I can (see how that works). I've had short hair for years. Then I grew it out in'09. I always think I'll love long hair, but it inevitably ends up looking like it does in the first picture. And why go to all the trouble of keeping you hair long if it's always up? So it went from the length in the second picture to the third picture. I'm happy and love it.

Photos by moi.

Giveaway Winner

We have a winner! My very first giveaway is officially closed and
the winner of this awesome book drawer box is... Shelley of Book Clutter.
Congrats Shelley!

Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed.
Thanks for participating!

I'm hosting my first giveaway (woo hoo!) courtesy of CSN Stores, which offer home furnishings, lights, cookware and more. This is my very small way of saying thanks to all of you who read this blog, leave comments, send me recommendations, etc. You guys are awesome.

One reader will win this Three Drawer Book Box. I'm all about functional furniture. I have three nesting tables in my house in the shape of books. Each one opens up to provide additional storage. This box works the same way. Each book opens to provide storage, I love it.

You can enter the giveaway in up to three ways.

1) Leave a comment with your e-mail address.

2) Leave a second comment telling me if you follow my blog or subscribe to the RSS feed.

3) Blog about the giveaway and leave me a comment with the link to you post.

Anyone within the U.S.A. is eligible.

You have until the end of the month to enter. I will randomly pick the winner next Thursday, July 1, and will e-mail them to get their home address.