The Shakespeare Thefts : In Search of the First Folios

I'm a bit of a Shakespeare geek really, and so when I saw this title I had to add it to my 'to read' list.  The Shakespeare Thefts: In Search of the First Folios by Eric Rasmussen is a great book on the book collectors of the first editions of Shakespeare's plays.

Thefts - we got them in spades, destroying folios - it is in here, very strange book collectors - ditto! Rasmussen is a Shakespeare scholar and researcher who led a team of First Folio hunters who have spent years locating and examining surviving copies. And along the way they have acquired stories about the various copies, and which copies have disappeared.

I think one of my favorite stories was the tale of the extreme book collector, Sir Thomas Phillips . He did not like his daughter's fiance who was a scholar but also rumored to be a book thief (probably true) and a scrapbooker who destroyed several rare books. Because his daughter would inherit his collection if it stayed on his estate - he moved it. The transferring of his books to their new home - took two years because he had so many. And later it was noted that his Folio was missing. (See chapter nine.)

This title is written very well and moves quickly (it is not that big a book.) Rasmussen keeps the language clear for the everyday reader, but bibliophiles will enjoy it too. And just incase you don't think that you could ever find a First Folio in your closet - there is a story about that too.

After being a bit giddy (um, book geek) at seeing some of the Shakespheare Folios at the British Library and the Folger Shakespeare Library, I loved how this book complemented those past visits. A great read.

I've Been Roaming Around...

Grad school sometimes does not leave much time for other things. I'm back again after a rather long break. And hopefully I will have more to contribute.

I have been to so many conferences this year and discovered many new authors. Now I am even more behind than usual! This year I have been to Love Is Murder (the Chicago area's mystery writers conference), the Romantic Times Convention (what a wild time!), Spring Fling  (which is the Chicago RWA biennial conference), and I made it to LeakyCon which was held in Chicago this year and I have one more to go in October - Bouchercon in Cleveland (Crime Fiction Rocks!)

I have met some of my favorite current authors and some big-wig authors I never thought I would be standing in front of. Seriously, what do you say to Anne Rice that she has not heard before? I was just gobsmacked that she was in front of me.

But the best part, was meeting all the fellow book fans. And listening to them; rave about their favorites, who they are reading now, and which book to read first and which author has the best FaceBook, blog presence etc...

Sometimes it is just nice to be back with your tribe. ;-)

This Book Is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All

Marilyn Johnson's latest work is This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cyberlibrarians Can Save Us All. It is a great overview of what is happening in the library profession. It is a good read for those who want more information about what goes on in libraries. However it has been causing a bit of discussion in library circles.

Like any book on a profession, there will be those who say that it is biased and does not portray things accurately. Of course it doesn't. There are thousands of different libraries out there, and despite everything, they are all run a little bit differently. And librarians come in many shapes, ages and sizes. There is no one size fits all. This book reflects only a small slice of those library lives.

If you are in libraryland, this book will be merely a confirmation of many issues and concepts that you have read about in an professional magazine. You probably have heard about some of these people or have read about them. It might not be news to you. Give it to that relative who thinks you just read at a desk all day. But for those who are not in libraryland - this may be a eye-opening read about what really goes on.

It is obvious that Johnson likes librarians and libraries. She has fallen in love with research, and that has opened her eyes to this other world. Maybe her book will convince some budget makers that libraries are a good investment for your communities' dollars.(Oh but wait - a lot of those policy makers don't read and they will tell you so - scary huh?) Take it out from your library and see what you think. And support your local library.

Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog

Lisa Scottoline is a crime fiction writer who writes legal mysteries. Imagine my surprise when I discovered her latest book Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman. I did not know that Scottoline also wrote a column for the Philadelphia Inquirer. These essays are chick lit for the older gal. And they are full of fun.

You will laugh at her stories of her family - she refers to them as the Flying Scottolines. She has a elderly mother who resists getting an emergency cell phone and refrains from using her hearing aid. Her gay brother who fights with their mother - long distance (the fun bit is that he lives with his mother.) And a daughter who is leaving the nest after graduation. And then there are the animal members of the family - the dogs, cats, pony and chickens. (The stories about the arrival of the chickens is pretty funny.)

And then there are her observations on getting older and suckered into expensive face cream, can one really find decent jeans, and the concept that her car has finally become her house. (I can relate to that one!) She's even figured out how to eat a drive thru salad in the car. As she says "it wasn't pretty."

She writes a bit about her books - and being on a book tour - but mostly these stories are about family life and the wackiness of 21st century America, when having multiple divorces doesn't raise an eyebrow. (She calls her ex's - Thing One and Thing Two!)

Try it - it is a very funny and fast read. Great for a bit of light hearted reading before bedtime. I think I will look for more of her columns online! A very good read.

The 2009 Anthony Awards

I had the privilege and fun of being present at the Anthony Awards that were presented at Bouchercon in Indianapolis this past weekend.
Here are the winners!

Best Novel: THE BRASS VERDICT, by Michael Connelly

Best First Novel: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson

Best Paperback Original: STATE OF THE ONION, by Julie Hyzy

Best Short Story: "A Sleep Not Unlike Death" by Sean Chercover (from HARDCORE HARDBOILED)

Best Critical/Nonfiction: ANTHONY BOUCHER: A BIBLIOGRAPHY, by Jeffrey Marks

Best Children's/Young Adult: THE CROSSROADS, by Chris Grabenstein

Best Cover Art: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, designed by Peter Meselund

Special Service Award: Jon & Ruth Jordan

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees! It was great seeing that there were two Chicagoland connections - Julie Hyzy and Sean Chercover. We knew they were good. Now everyone else knows they are too!

Books, Obsessions and Real Life

I have been reading a ton of stuff! But it is not here. SIGH! I'm working on catching up. And I've been in a book obsession. I blame it all on that. The staying up til 2 am on a work night. Sorry - I don't have the bounce back that I used to.

Having a book obsession is a rare and wonderful thing. The book, the setting, the characters have entranced you. The author has seduced you into their written world and you could care less about what time it is. All you want to know is - WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! ! !

Yes - obsessed. It doesn't happen as often as you think. So enjoy it, tolerate it, cope with it. And it will fade.

Until the next time...

Murder on the Eiffel Tower

Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner is a wonderful book that combines history and mystery to produce a fun work of fiction. We are immersed from the beginning in the 1889 World Exposition in Paris. The entire city is focused on the new Eiffel Tower and the exposition. The joy and the excitement of going up to the viewing platforms has visitors in a frenzy. And when someone is murdered on the platform, the case makes front page news. But who would murder a maiden aunt taking her niece and nephews on an outing? Victor Legris, a young bookseller, is on the platform with newspaper friends when this happens and wants to find the culprit. And when more people start dying after visiting the viewing platforms and the exposition, he is determined to solve the case - even as his friends are turning into suspects.

The author (really a pen name for two lady booksellers in modern France) brings to life the Paris of the time, and Victor's occupations as bookseller and book critic. Victor is a compelling character who is trying to be modern but finds he is more conservative than he thinks he is. With a cast of interesting secondary characters, the story allows us a brief glimpse into their world. And we had a wonderful time. A very fun read.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A chance encounter with a book by Charles Lamb, leads to a inquiring letter written to an author, who just happens to be looking for her next project, and her curiosity leads her to the island of Guernsey in the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows have written a book that is full of characters that we want to get to know - right away- and the format that the authors use - personal letters between characters - gives us the opportunity to be eager (and inquisitive) for the next missive.

Their letters give us the chance to examine the relationship between the characters, as it grows from being formal strangers, and moves to becoming beloved friends. They contain a lot of the minutia of life, and give the reader a bit of the background of the main writer - Juliet and what her life has been like during the war. All of the characters are experiencing the recovery of Great Britain from the war, but those on Guernsey have a special reason to be grateful after the sorrowful years of occupation.

The Literary society came about because of a special pig dinner. Special because it was being hidden from the Nazis. And as the islanders bonded over dinner and being in trouble, the society grew to be more than just a group of people talking about books. And one person, Elizabeth, seems to be the catalyst that brings them all together. When Juliet learns about their stories, she wants more than ever to bring their tale to light in a book because she is falling in love with the island too.

Filled with war stories, book references, British slang, and good humor, the authors have a definitely created a great story to tell. If you don't like the style of the book - personal letters - you might have trouble with it. But I think it is splendid! A very good read.

Murder is Binding

As a bibliophile, wouldn't it be fun to go to a town that is full of bookstores? One book store has cookbooks? The other has mysteries, another is filled with tomes crammed with history. Welcome to Stoneham, New Hampshire! This imaginary town decided to revitalize it's old downtown, by inviting booksellers to come and help create a tourist attraction. So the town is filled with new folks, tourists, and long time residents. Not always a happy combination. But when the owner of the cook book store is found dead and her rarest cookbook is gone, and Tricia, the mystery store owner, is suspected... Tricia decides to get to the bottom of this.

Lorna Barrett's Murder is Binding is a great start for a mystery series. Barrett has constructed some welcoming characters and eccentric ones too. My particular favorite is the older gentleman customer who is there when the mystery store opens until it closes for the day. Tricia eventually ends up hiring him since he knows so much about the books in stock.

Tricia is a enjoyable character who deals with murder, running her store, and the invasion of her out of town , trying to be helpful sister, with class and style. A bit of wine at the end of the day helps, too. One can also learn a bit about antique books. A fun read. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

My Gosh! Summer is Over! The Past 6 Months with Harry

Yes - August has zipped by us and I have read a bunch of stuff - but I am backed up on the posting! YIKES!

One thing I did these last six months and just finished in early August - was a re-read/re-listen project. I re-listened to ALL of the Harry Potter books on audio book. Yep. It took awhile - since I have an okay commute - but not a super long one (thank goodness!) But the experience was worth the time. And Jim Dale does a fantastic job with the many voices. I delved in to sections I did not remember with clarity. I discovered clues and foreshadowing that Rowling carefully plotted and planned. And discovered some red herrings along the way.

Was it worth it? Oh, yes! Will I do it again? Someday. But I got my self ready and raring to go to Terminus, a Harry Potter conference held in Chicago. It was great fun to talk about these great stories with a bunch of fellow fans. We put the fan in fanatic - don't ya know!

What's the next long term project? I'll let you know when I do - but on to more reviewing.

The Art of the Re-Read part 1

I met a library land big-wig a few weeks ago. I had the pleasure of eating dinner with her. And I was thrilled to bits, when I heard her say she likes to re-read books! So do I!

Why you might ask?

Depends on the situation. Sometimes it is because there is nothing else around that suites your fancy. Maybe you are trying to remember a certain passage, plot line or fascinating character? Or perhaps they are your version of book "comfort food". They have a good story. You like the characters -they make you laugh. It is written well. And it reminds you as you read them, that in the chaos of a bad week in your own life, that it will be okay, and everything will be alright in the end.

More on this topic later...

Congratulations!

Congratulations to me! I now have over 100 posts on my blog. Yeah, it took awhile, but I have kept up with the books and the blog. Well here's to another hundred! ;-)
Monique

Jane's World - Everything You Wanted to Know About Jane Austen's Books But Were Too Busy to Ask

Are you a Janite? Do Jane Austen's novels rock your world? Can't get enough of Mr. Darcy and Anne Elliot? I have the book for you. Deirdre Le Faye's book Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels is a great study of Austen's works. And she goes in depth and manages to be entertaining in the process.

Even if you only have one favorite Austen novel, you can go into this book and see the detail about the time period of the book, where it might have been set - what were the styles of houses, clothes and people during that time. It gives the average reader an peak into Jane's influences while writing and what references her readers of her time would have caught and appreciated. And Le Faye does this all in an engaging but serious style.

This may not be for everyone - she does go into enormous detail, book by book, but it is a must for the Austen fan. A great compact book to add to your literary reference shelf. I'm going to have to get this keeper.

Never Judge a Book By Its Cover - HA!

Graphic Design. Post-Modernism. Books. Do you like all three? I have the book for you... By Its Cover: Modern American Book Cover Design by Ned Drew and Paul Sternberger. It covers the growth of book design from the 1960's when the paperback first got started, to post-millennium book covers. I'm not an expert in art or design, but I know what I like and some of these covers are "out there" for their era. And by now, some of the designs look like they are very current aka 2006. It will also show you, how current book design has become much more formulaic. And it is very interesting to see which covers/titles have become iconic. Fun in graphics land.