After an academic year of writing papers, meeting with clients, and reading textbooks, I was hardly excited about settling in for a summer of intense reading. I wanted to read something happy… something silly… something, well… fluffy. Which, I guess, is how I found myself in a bookstore glancing at a copy of “Confessions of a Shopaholic.” I have never been a huge fan of chick-lit, so why was I drawn to the mass market edition of this particular book, which was complete with a flowery purse on the cover?
I put the book down and picked up a book I thought I should be interested in. I flipped it over and began reading the back. It said something like, “This work of fiction is both spell-binding and intellectually relevant…” I tried to seem excited about it. I tried to want to read it… but there was the purse with the pink flowers just a few books over…
My staff pick for the month of June is the “Confessions of a Shopaholic” series by Sophie Kinsella, of which I am on my third book. The “Confessions” series chronicles the adventures of Rebecca Bloomwood, a reporter for the Financial Times in London that is quick with a joke (as well as a credit card). The character of Rebecca is smart, talented and incredibly silly. What I loved about her, as opposed to other chick-lit characters, is that although she makes messes, she works alone to clean them up. She is not struck by luck or fate, she is genuinely clever.
I recommend the series to anyone feeling the same way as me: that a little break would be nice. Because that is what reading should be about, isn’t it?
Happy Reading!
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Haruki Murakami’s eagerly-anticipated new novel “1Q84″ was released yesterday in Japan, sparking excitement about the eventual translation among English-speaking Murakami fans (and count me among them!), although neither the translator nor the release date have been settled upon.
One thing is clear: this won’t be a weekend read — according to the book’s Japanese Amazon site, the two volumes comprising 1Q84 weigh in at a whopping 1,055 pages combined, and the translation could be even longer. For more information on the novel as well as speculation on Murakami’s influences, I refer you to the always-excellent TheMillions.
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It’s a good time to be in the publishing business — provided your titles feature shirtless beefcakes and slender heroines pursuing forbidden love in exotic locales, of course. Bonus points for the use of “tumescent.” That’s right, sales of romance novels are booming in tough times, as consumers embrace a lusty dose of escapism. According to the Boston Globe, sales are up 9 percent at Harlequin, the best-known romance publisher.
Say what you will of their literary quality, but it’s more uplifting than reading Paul Krugman.
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So I went from mystery blogger to movie blogger but with summer here I am sure to be reading mysteries once again! Back to the point . . . My Sister’s Keeper movie, based on Jodi Picoult’s novel, will be in theaters June 26th! With an impressive cast including Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin, Joan Cusak and Jason Patrick it is sure to be a hit!
Come in and get My Sister’s Keeper so you can have it read before the movie comes out!
Also, check out www.mysisterskeepermovie.com for more info on the movie!
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Not too long ago I blogged about the Winnie-the-Pooh sequel due out in the fall and now we learn of another classic being revisited. John David California has written a sequel to JD Salinger’s classic The Catcher in the Rye entitled 60 Years Later Coming Through the Rye. Of course not without controversy the unathorized sequel has prompted JD Salinger’s US literary agency to consult with lawyers following the publication of the book.
To read more on this story, follow the link :
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/86208-salingers-lawyers-looking-into-rye-sequel.html.rss
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The movie came out last week and has been doing well in the box office. I haven’t seen it yet, but I did love the book and am excited to see if the movie does it justice!
If you haven’t read the book, come in and get Angels and Demons and the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. It’s a long weekend and the start of the summer and these are good summer reads!
PS – In case your wondering, his other books are good too!
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As a child, I went to summer camp every summer! It was so much fun to pack up and go somewhere new and meet new people. When I grew up (and became a camp counselor), I found that the same things that I thought were cool as a camper were cool as a counselor. Here are some extras to pack that make everyone a happy camper!
Stationary is a must-have for every camper. As both a camper and a counselor, I found Mad Libs stationary a silly and fun way to keep in touch with friends and family.
Campers and counselors alike need a way to chronical their amazing time at camp– and there are some really cool camping journals tailor-made to chronical the memories of a very fun summer.
Something about summer camp makes the goofy things that some children have outgrown all the more fun. Teenagers especially love temporary tattoos, which most counselors love to use during a silly downtime.
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With the end of spring nearing, why not have an ecologically-friendly summer with your kids? There are several really great fiction books for families interested in caring about the environment. Here are three great starts!
Dr. Seuss’s “The Lorax” is one of the most famous choices for eco-friendly readers. The newest version of the book is even printed on recycled paper. Even though it is a Dr. Seuss book, “The Lorax” is a perfect story for all ages, as the symbolism only becomes more vivid into adulthood.
Getting young children interested in helping the environment has never been so fun than when Charlie and Lola become “Extremely Very Good Recyclers.” Lauren Child’s two main characters learn all the steps to recycling and inspire their friends to recycle, too. At the back of the book is a poster to encourage young children to help Charlie and Lola recycle!
Middle and young adult readers who want to expand their eco-awareness this summer can curl up with “Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen. When a construction site threatens a nest of rare owls, an unlikely group of friends decides they must protect them. The book was also made into a movie about two years ago, and has won a Newbery Honor
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The third biennial Man Booker International Award, given for lifetime achievement in writing on the world stage, was awarded to Alice Munro yesterday. The two previous winners were Ismail Kadare and Chinua Achebe.
http://www.themanbookerprize.com/prize/mbi-archive/43
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It’s sad, in fact maybe even heartbreaking . . . we have lost 2 teams to the playoffs and right now the Sox aren’t exactly making up for it! Being a Boston fan my whole life, I realize this might be a tough time for the sports fans out there BUT there is good news – we have lots of good sports books that can renew your spirits! Come by and check them all out!
Some newer books of note:
Red and Me by Bill Russell
Everything They Had by David Halberstam
The Best Game Ever by Mark Bowden
The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggott (for 9-12 year old fans)
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