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High Shelf Esteem

Archives for August 2017

August 30, 2017

What’s Making Me Happy: August Edition

Beautiful Prague from the Charles Bridge.

With the end of August also comes the end of my summer break. I had a wonderful last month of vacation full of travel, delicious food, birthday celebrations, and more. A few smaller things also put a smile on my face:

Parking Panda

I used to dread driving into Washington, DC knowing that parking on the street was never a guarantee and lot-parking could be upwards of $20. Parking Panda has alleviated my anxiety tremendously. For those of you who don’t know about it, Parking Panda is an online service/app that allows you to reserve parking spots in city lots at a reduced rate. You just type in the zip code of the place where you’re trying to park, and Parking Panda will give you a variety of different places to park, showing you prices and distance to your location. It’s not available in all cities, but if it’s offered in yours, I wholeheartedly recommend using it!

 

Getting an international travel plan for my phone

Earlier this month, my mom treated me to an incredible trip to Europe. We visited Budapest, Prague and Vienna and had an amazing experience. Part of our travel was with a tour group, but I spent a good deal of time walking the cities on my own. This would never have been possible had I not gotten an international plan for my cell phone that gave me the same data allowances I have in the States. Many of my explorations were only possible because I could easily pull up Google Maps and figure out exactly which weenie, narrow alley I was on. The plan was $10 a day and totally worth it. Many of the more “locals only” spots would have been impossible to find if I hadn’t been able to use my phone.

 

The Doctor Blake Mysteries

I love murder mysteries, I love Australian accents, and I love period pieces. Thus, I love, love, love this show! The series follows Lucien Blake, a doctor who has just returned to his hometown near Melbourne to take over his father’s medical practice and to act as the town’s police surgeon. Doctor Blake drinks too much and doesn’t always like to follow the rules, but he’s absolutely charming and great at solving mysteries. He isn’t hard on the eyes either. If you like Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (I sure did!), then you should definitely give Doctor Blake a try.

 

If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast

This documentary is a total delight. Host Carl Reiner and some of his friends discuss and explore what it’s like to be 90+ years old: the good, the bad and the humorous. We get a peek into the lives of a wide variety nonagenarians and centenarians, including some celebrities (e.g. Betty White, Kirk Douglas, and Dick Van Dyke) as well as folks who aren’t famous, but have done amazing things. My favorite was a 98-year-old woman who walked with Ghandi back in the day and just recently took up he tango. After watching this documentary, I bet you’ll want to live your life to the fullest!

 

Mozart Chocolates

Balls of dark chocolate with a marzipan center and a musical theme– need I say more? 🙂

 

What made you happy in August? Share in the comments below!

Filed Under: What's Making Me Happy Kristen 2 Comments

August 29, 2017

The “Best” Age To Read a Book

If you read my August “What I’ve Been Reading” post, you’ll know that I recently read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith and truly enjoyed it. However, you’ll also know that I felt like I would have loved it exponentially more if I’d read it earlier in my life.

I’d heard over and over from trusted readers that A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was one of their absolute favorite books, and my follow-up question should have been: How old were you when you read it? My guess is that they were either tweens or in high school, which just so happens to be main character Francie’s age for most of the book.

But does that mean you have to be the age of the protagonist in order for a book to resonate? Based on my experience, the answer is a resounding no.  I mean, I totally fell in love with Ove from A Man Called Ove, and he’s a grumpy old man from Sweden!

I just think there are certain books — mostly middle grade and YA — that pack the most punch when readers pick them up during their tween and teen years. Adolescence is a time of so much personal exploration and expression that reading a book with an engaging character of a similar age can have an incredibly strong impact. Young readers can actually put themselves in the characters’ shoes and “try on” a different kind of a life for a while without being judged by their peers.

For me, the best example of this kind of reading experience was with Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery, which I read during the summer between 5th and 6th grade. Anne is eleven years old at the start of the book, and I felt such a strong connection with her. We had some things in common — doing well in school, loving beautiful language, fiercely loving our friends — but it was our differences that really drew me into her story.

Anne walking the ridgepole of a roof. Anne shattering a slate on Gilbert’s head. Anne saving Diana’s sister with medical know-how on a cold, wintry night. I was a shy and careful kid, who never would never have done any of those things! But to read about someone my age having the pluck to do them was exhilarating, and it encouraged me to think outside my box and entertain the idea of taking a little risk someday.

I’m sure I would have liked Anne of Green Gables a lot had I read it for the first time as an adult, but my love for dear Anne probably wouldn’t have been as strong. So, I am VERY glad I read the book when I was eleven!

It’s a bit of a shame that I may have missed the peak time to read certain books. Titles that come to mind are Emily of New Moon, by L.M. Montgomery; Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink and A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  But just because they might not have the same emotional impact for me as an adult, I’m not going to shy away from reading them. I want to make sure that I can recommend these wonderful books to all the children and young adults in my life at the ideal ages they should read them.

Emily of New Moon is actually the November selection for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club, so I’ll be picking that one up soon.  Will I adore it the same way I adore Anne of Green Gables? We’ll see! But if not, I’ll still be very happy, since I’ll have another wonderful title to put in the hands of a young reader.

What books did you read as a tween or teen that wouldn’t have been as impactful if read as an adult? Share in the comments below!

Filed Under: Bookish Musings Kristen 4 Comments

August 26, 2017

Literary Linking: August 21 – 25

This week’s article topics include: Wishbone, the importance of daily reading, and more!

The best bookish links the week of August 21 – 25:

The New York Times Books Desk Will Make You Read Again
The New York Times has made some changes to make room new content, other than traditional reviews. I like reading reviews, but I enjoy things like the paper’s new-sh column Book Match (people write in asking for recommendations) even more.

Watching Wishbone without Reading Literature
I looooved Wishbone as a young one, but I see the author’s point about it emphasizing the supposedly inherent “betterness” of classic literature than other kinds of writing.

Here’s Why Your Brain Needs To Read Every Single Day
I feel like an article like this comes out every 6 months, but I’m all for it. Anything to get the masses reading more!

The Cuckoo’s Calling TV Show Trailer
The Robert Galbraith books are SO good – I love me a curmudgeonly detective.  My only question is: when will those of us across the pond will get to watch the show???

The Guilty Secret: Chinese Crime Writer Arrested for Four Cold-Case Murders
They do recommend that you should write what you know…

 

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

August 22, 2017

10 Best Teachers in Children’s Literature

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week’s topic is Back To School Freebie: anything “back to school” related.

Summer break is coming to an end, and while I will miss the time off, I’m also excited to be back in the library with my kiddos. I hope this new school year is a great one for all you teachers and educators out there!

I find it’s easy to forget the incredible impact teachers have on their students, so I’ve pulled together a list of 10 of my favorite teachers in children’s literature to help remind everyone how important educators are to the children they serve:

 

Mrs. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus, by Joanna Cole

Mrs. Frizzle takes her students on the coolest field trips ever (like inside the human body!!!) and does it in style. She has a dress for every topic of study — I personally like the space-themed one the best — plus she has a pet lizard. I’m interested to see how Kate McKinnon plays her in the upcoming live-action version of the show.

 

Miss Stacey from Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery

Willing to challenge her students but with a soft touch, I wish I’d had Miss Stacey as a teacher. Throw in the fact that she laughed hysterically when she found out Anne’s plum pudding sauce had a dead rat in it, you can’t deny she is one fun lady.

 

 

 

Mr. Terupt from Because of Mr. Terupt, by Robert Buyea

Mr. Terupt is one of those teachers who can make kids see things from a different perspective. He’s cool and friendly, but knows when to turn serious teacher mode on.

 

 

 

Mr. Browne from Wonder, by R.J. Palacio

Each month, Auggie’s English teacher, Mr. Browne writes a new precept on the board for students to ponder. My favorite is: “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”  —Dr. Wayne Dyer.

 

 

Mr. Daniels from Fish in a Tree, by Linda Mullaly Hunt

Mr. Daniels is willing to take the time to actually get to know his students and figure out what makes each one excel. You’d think all teachers would do this, but sadly this isn’t always the case!

 

 

 

Mrs. Baker from The Wednesday Wars, by Gary Schmidt

Mrs. Baker is one of those teachers you think is trying to make you miserable, but it turns out she’s doing it for your own good. In The Wednesday Wars, Mrs. Baker helps main character Holling Hoodhood (yes, that’s his name) learn how to be his own person.

 

 

Miss Honey from Matilda, by Roald Dahl

World’s sweetest teacher (as her name would imply)! Not only that, she’s willing to go to bat for her students and believes them even when other adults might not.

 

 

 

Professor Mcgonagall from Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling

Professor McGonagall is definitely a no-nonsense, get things done kind of teacher, but she always listens to her students and knows when to be lenient. Plus she’s a bad-ass witch who can turn into a cat – what’s cooler than that?

 

 

Ms. Bixby from Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, by John David Anderson

Ms. Bixby is such an amazing teacher that she inspires three of her  students to go on crazy mission to create the perfect day for her (including skipping school and getting their hands on some wine!) while she’s in the hospital. Get the tissues ready when you read this book…

 

 

Mr. Slinger  from Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henke

Lilly’s teacher Mr. Slinger is one cool mouse. He wears artistic shirts and a different-colored tie each day of the week, he says, “Howdy!” instead of the run-of-the-mill “Good morning, students,” and he gives out the best snacks. Snacks are VERY important.

 

 

 

Who is your favorite teacher (fictional or real)? Share in the comments below!

Filed Under: Bookish Musings Kristen 5 Comments

August 21, 2017

Worth the Read?: Camino Island

Welcome to “Worth the Read?”, where I give you my honest opinion on whether you should spend your precious time reading a super-hyped New York Times Bestseller.

Today’s book is:

Camino Island, by John Grisham
On bestsellers list for 10 weeks
Ranked #2 on Adult Hardback Fiction

The Hype:

John Grisham. That’s the hype 🙂 Basically, anything he writes will sell. Ever since the release of The Firm in 1991, Grisham has been unbelievably popular. As of this May, he has sold nearly 300 million copies of his books! Camino Island is his 30th book and was on the NY Times bestseller list the first week it was released.

Plot Summary:

From the publisher – A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, but Princeton has insured it for twenty-five million dollars.

Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida. He makes his real money, though, as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in the black market of stolen books and manuscripts.

Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous offer of money convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Bruce Cable’s circle of literary friends, ideally getting close enough to him to learn his secrets.

 

Thoughts:

Camino Island was my first John Grisham read ever. I readily admit to being a literary fiction snob, but I try to fight against my prejudices, so I was excited to actually try a Grisham novel. He’s uber successful for a reason, right? But my excitement was short-lived.

As mentioned above, John Grisham is best known for his legal thrillers and Camino Island did not fall in this category. (There’s actually a NY Times article all about it:  Plot Twist! John Grisham’s New Thriller Is Positively Lawyerless) This is the precise reason I picked it up, since I generally don’t gravitate anything with a legal bent. The fact that the items stolen in the heist are F. Scott Fitzgerald’s manuscripts was a major draw, but the book fell flat for me.

The plot moved along and the characters were pretty well developed, but it lacked a sense of urgency that I look for in a mystery/thriller The main female protagonist, Mercer, spent too many hours ruminating on the beach for my taste. Since I’ve never read any other Grisham, I don’t know what his romances look like but I found the one in Camino Island to lack any real fire.

I did, however, enjoy Grisham’s portrayal of author- and bookseller-life and the world of rare book collecting. His descriptions of Bruce Cable’s bookstore, Bay Books, had me itching to visit my local independent bookstore! And some of the authors in the story (most notably the writer of steamy romances) brought some color to the story.

So, if you’re looking for a quick and light read with a bookish focus, then Camino Island will do the trick. Just don’t expect anything life changing.

The main takeaway I have from my first Grisham read is that I should have started with one of his legal thrillers, since that what launched his career in the first place. Live and learn!

 

Rating: 50% worth it

Have you read Camino Island?  What were your thoughts? Share in the comments below!

Rating Key

80% – 100% – the book lives up to the hype. Go read it now!

60% – 79% – the book is good, but there’s no rush to read it

40% – 59% – the book has some degree of merit, but has flaws and probably isn’t worth your time

0% – 39% – the book stinks and isn’t worth the read

 

 

Filed Under: Worth the Read? Kristen Leave a Comment

August 20, 2017

Literary Linking: August 14 – 18

This week’s article topics include: swear words in today’s books, silent book clubs, unconventional children’s books and more!

The best bookish links the week of August 14 – 18 :

The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books of 2017
I always look forward to this annual list put out by Travis Yonker on his blog, 100 Scopenotes. For me, the most astonishing on the list this time around is: What Does Baby Want? by Tupera Tupera. Read the post to find out what it’s about…

Books in America Are Full of Swear Words: The More Recent, the More Profane
Read on to see just how many more times more likely it is for swear words to appear in a book today than in the 1950s. I wouldn’t be surprised if you say something like, “@#$%&!”!!!!”

How the Silent Book Club Gave Me Back  My Reading Life
I don’t have children and I need to read for work, so I always make reading time for myself, but I know how hard for many people to create space for reading. These silent book clubs sound like a wonderful solution.

Be More Than A Bookstore: A Brick-And-Mortar Shop’s Key To Success
As long as the focus is still on books, then I am completely gung-ho about bookstores doing what they need to to stay successful!

What To Do When You Realize Classic Books from Your Childhood Are Racist
Grace Lin is one of my favorite children’s writers today and is a wonderful speaker as well. In this video she introduces a thoughtful way we should approach classic books with racist elements: treat them like an out-of-touch relative.

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

August 15, 2017

What I’ve Been Reading: August Edition

Welcome to Quick Lit, where we share short and sweet reviews of what we’ve been reading lately. Brought to you by Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy, we link up on her blog to see what others are reading!

I haven’t done a ton of reading in August, but it‘s because of something wonderful. My mom treated me to a trip to Europe! We traveled to Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava and Prague and had an amazing time. I checked out  a good number of literary spots, including the National Library of Austria and an enormous tower of books in Prague’s Municipal Library. Check out pictures of them on my Instagram account.

I was able to squeeze a few books on the planes to and fro, and since I’ve been back, I’ve been furiously reading middle grade books in preparation for this year’s mock Newbery at my school. So, here’s what I’ve read so far in August:

 

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith

I’m not sure why I didn’t read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn during my younger years, because it would have fit right in with my love of books like Anne of Green Gables; books with strong female characters, a historical setting, and beautiful language. I am glad I finally picked up a A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and had the chance to experience the tremendously difficult life of Francie, a girl from a destitute family (including an alcoholic father) in early 20th century Williamsburg. But as much as I sympathized with Francie’s struggles and applauded her growth and accomplishments, I think I would have connected with the her and the story more if I had read it when I was an adolescent. That being said, I deeply appreciated the book and will recommend it to all the young women I know!

 

Camino Island, by John Grisham

This was my first John Grisham book ever! Since most of his writing focuses on law (not my favorite topic), I’d never been inclined to pick anything of his up. However, Camino Island’s literary-themed description caught my eye. The story centers on the heist of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s manuscripts from the Princeton library and the investigation to get them back safe and sound. I don’t want divulge too much about what I thought of it since I will review it for my Worth the Read? series, but overall, I’ll say it was a light, quick read.

 

 

 

Lucky Broken Girl, by Ruth Behar

This is a middle grade book that’s gotten buzz as a potential Newbery candidate for 2018. The book is based on the author’s own experiences as a Jewish immigrant from Cuba in the 1960s. This was a perspective I’d never read in literature before, so I was intrigued from page one. In the story, Ruth is in a terrible car accident that leaves her in a full body cast for the greater part of a year. She has to learn how to live this new reality and in the process discovers many truths about herself, her family and life in general.

Although this book isn’t very long, it packs an emotional punch. Plus, it has a beautiful cover 🙂 I have high hopes for it as a Newbery contender.

 

The Ethan I Was Before, by Ali Standish

The Ethan I Was Before is another middle grade book that is getting attention as a possible contender for the 2018 Newbery awards. The story opens with Ethan and his family moving to a new town for a fresh start after a tragic accident involving Ethan’s best friend, but little detail is given about exactly what happened. As the book progresses Ethan makes a new friend, Coralee, who brings her own mysteries to the table. Like most middle grade books, all questions are answered by the end, but not in a forced or overly happily-ever-after way. I think it is a solid read for kids age 10 and older.

 

 

Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan

I know summer isn’t over yet, but I’m willing to declare that Crazy Rich Asians was my all-time favorite read of the season. The story follows Rachel Chu’s trip to Singapore with boyfriend Nick where they will attend a wedding and meet his family, but she has no idea what she’s getting herself into. Nick’s family is actually one of the wealthiest on the island and their extravagant lifestyle is almost incomprehensible to Rachel. Nick also happens to be one of the most sought-after bachelors among the city’s catty rich girls, and they aren’t going to let Rachel whisk him away without a fight.

I laughed out loud over and over again while reading this book. Kwan’s satirical narrative was spot on and a delight to read. Being half-Asian, I especially appreciated his commentary on the less-than-progressive aspects of the culture, while still honoring the positive elements (like the amaaazing food!). I’m not usually a series reader, but I can’t wait to read the next installations, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. I got both for my birthday, so I will enjoy them soon!

 

What have you been reading lately? Share in the comments section below!

Filed Under: Reviews and Recommendations Kristen 11 Comments

August 15, 2017

10 Book Recommendations To Cool You Down

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this is my first time participating!

This week’s topic is Ten Book Recommendations for __(fill in the blank)__ and I’ve chosen to go with recommendations for folks sick of the heat who want something to cool them down. It’s officially the dog days of summer, and while I love the heat, I know there are lots of folks out there who cannot wait for cooler weather to arrive. Until then, might I recommend reading books full of snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures.

I’ve pulled together a list of 10 fantastic books that will make you want to curl up under a blanket with hot cocoa. For each, there’s a short summary* and the coldest quote I could find from the story. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the chill!

 

Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer

Author Jon Krakauer relates his experience of climbing Mount Everest during its deadliest season and examines what it is about the mountain that makes people willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense.

“Wind- whipped granules of ice and snow struck the climbers’ faces with violent force, lacerating their eyes and making it impossible to see where they were going.”

 

The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal–including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world. Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors?

“We feel cold, but we don’t mind it, because we will not come to harm. And if we wrapped up against the cold, we wouldn’t feel other things, like the bright tingle of the stars, or the music of the aurora, or best of all the silky feeling of moonlight on our skin. It’s worth being cold for that.”

 

The Winter People, by Jennifer McMahon

West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara’s farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that suddenly proves perilous when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace. Searching for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea’s diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother’s bedroom

“If snow melts down to water, does it still remember being snow?”

 

Sweetgirl, by Travis Mulhauser

Braving a northern Michigan blizzard to search for her missing meth-addicted mother, Percy James stops by the cabin of two drug addicts and flees with their endangered baby, triggering a dangerous race from the elements and a band of desperate criminals.

“It was the burning kind of cold. A tear had opened in my lip and I put my tongue to it and tasted the salty, pooling blood. There was already a throb and tingle in my toes and the air torched my lungs just to breathe it. I looked back after a minute and could not see the pinewoods or tell the falling snow in the fields from what was wind-thrown.”

 

The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey

Homesteaders Jack and Mabel struggle to survive in the harsh Alaskan wilderness, but the couple’s quiet life of hard work and routine suddenly changes when a small girl named Faina magically appears on their doorstep.

“She could not fathom the hexagonal miracle of snowflakes formed from clouds, crystallized fern and feather that tumble down to light on a coat sleeve, white stars melting even as they strike. How did such force and beauty come to be in something so small and fleeting and unknowable?”

 

Where’d You Go Bernadette, by Maria Semple

When Bee aces her report card she claims her reward, which is a trip to Antarctica, but her mother, Bernadette, disappears due to her intensifying allergy to Seattle and people in general, which has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands and Bee uses emails, invoices, school memos, private correspondence, and other evidence to try and understand why her mother has left.

“I hadn’t been outside yet the whole trip. Instantly my ears stung and my nose became a burning-cold stone at the end of my face. The wind blew so hard it froze the insdie of my eyes. The tops of my cheeks felt like they might crack. ‘We’re not even in Antarctica yet!’ dad howled in the wind. ‘Do you feel how cold it is? Do you?’”

 

The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind–she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces…As danger circles nearer, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed–this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales

“She had grown very cold, despite her furs, when at last Frost came through the trees, cracking his fingers and laughing to himself. He danced right up to Liza and breathed into her face, and his breath was the wind out of the north that freezes skin to the bone.”

 

Beartown, by Fredrik Backman

A small Swedish town rallies around their new ice rink in the hopes of their junior hockey team competing in the national semifinals. But the match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil.

“She ran out into the trees where they had left her that morning and started yelling hysterically, then collapsed and dug desperately at the snow with her hands, as if she might find her children there. Her ears and fingertips froze, and afterward she didn’t know how to explain what happened inside her.”

 

Nos4a2, by Joe Hill

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding missing things. Vic, now an adult, was the only kid to ever escape evil child kidnapper Charles Talent Manx, and Charles intends on getting his revenge by kidnapping Vic’s son.

“The snowmen stood in bunches, in families, and the breeze generated by the car snatched at their striped scarves. Snowmen fathers and snowgirl mothers with their snowchildren and snowpuppies. Top hats were in abundance, as were corncob pipes and carrot noses. They waved the crooked sticks of their arms, saluting Mr. Manx, Wayne, and NOS4A2 as they went by. The black coals of their eyes gleamed, darker than the night, brighter than the stars.”

 

The Snowman, by Joe Nesbo

One night, after the first snowfall of the year, a boy named Jonas wakes up and discovers that his mother has disappeared. Only one trace of her remains: a pink scarf, his Christmas gift to her, now worn by the snowman that inexplicably appeared in their yard earlier that day. Inspector Harry Hole suspects a link between the missing woman and a suspicious letter he’s received. The case deepens when a pattern emerges: over the past decade, eleven women have vanished–all on the day of the first snow. But this is a killer who makes his own rules . . . and he’ll break his pattern just to keep the game interesting, as he draws Harry ever closer into his twisted web.

“The thaw during the day had made the tiny snow crystals hook together into larger crystals, but now that the temperature had fallen again, the water vapor had condensed and frozen onto other crystals. The result was that the snow which had been so fine, white and light this morning, was now coarse, grayish white and packed.”

 

What books are helping you stay cool this summer? Share in the comments below!

 

*Summaries from publishers and Follett.

Filed Under: Reviews and Recommendations Kristen 10 Comments

August 12, 2017

Literary Linking: August 7 – 11

This week’s article topics include: fun bookish vocab, the merits or romance novels, types of bookstore customers, and more!

The best bookish links the week of August 7 – 11 :

Recommending the Best of Stephen King
If you saw The Dark Tower and found it subpar, clear your Stephen King palate with these recommendations from NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour.

23 Words Every Book Lover Should Integrate Into Their Daily Vocabulary
I’m always looking for new and creative bookish vocabulary and this list has a bunch of winners. I especially like “bibliobibuli” which is a noun meaning “people who read too much.”

Stop Dissing Romance Novels Already
As a stereotypical English major, I always poo-pooed romance novels as silly and lowbrow. Then I actually read one and thought the writing was intelligent and empowering. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!

Types of People in Bookstore
An amusing list of all the kinds of people you’ll find in a bookstore. I hope/assume most of you readers are Ultimate Bookworms 🙂

If You Were a Teen in the ‘80s or ‘90s, You’ll Love These Books
Based on my love of Nirvana and mixtapes, I’m going to have to read Girls on Fire, by Robin Wasserman and Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs, by Dave Holmes.

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

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