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High Shelf Esteem

Archives for August 2018

August 30, 2018

What’s Making Me Happy, Vol. 14

 

It’s been a while since my last “What’s Making Me Happy Post,” and I have to be honest and say the last couple months have been a bit rough. However, it has been good to think through what I’m grateful for and acknowledge the little things that bring me happiness. The stuff listed below is mostly the little things, and though they may be small, I hope you enjoy them too!

What’s making me happy:

Binge Mode: Harry Potter
As a mountain-troll-sized fan of Harry Potter, finding this podcast has been the source of so much joy. Since early June, The Ringer’s Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion have endeavored on a major deep dive on the Harry Potter cannon. The books, the movies, and everything else related to J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world are included and the hosts’ banter is fantastic. If you’re a Potter-head, you don’t want to miss this podcast.

New York City
My recent birthday trip to New York City was fantastic for the usual NYC reasons — great food, great shopping, great shows — but it was my solo walks around the city that made me the happiest. I felt very empowered this trip because I could actually navigate the city without constantly checking Google maps. The hustle and bustle always fills me with energy and I even like the smell of the city, garbage and all. But it was being one of the crowd and realizing that I am just one of so so so many people on this earth that gave me perspective on my own life. Any problems I had seemed pretty small when considering them on the NYC-sized scale.

Girls Night In
I’d never heard of Girls Night In until listening to an interview on the Forever 35 Podcast with the  newsletter’s creator, Alisha Ramos. I am so glad I checked it out. The newsletter lands in your inbox every Friday and is filled with great articles and self-care ideas for both “me time” nights as well as gatherings with your besties. How can you not smile when your inbox has a message with the subject line: “Sleep feels the way pizza tastes” ???

Kim’s Convenience
I still haven’t made it to the theaters to see Crazy Rich Asians, but luckily, I’ve had some crazy funny Asians to watch on Netflix. Kim’s Convenience is a Canadian show that follows “the misadventures of a Korean-Canadian family running a convenience store,” and it has me in stitches every time I watch it. 

What’s been making you happy recently? Please share in the comments below!

Filed Under: What's Making Me Happy Kristen Leave a Comment

August 25, 2018

Literary Linking: August 13 – 24

It’s another double dose of Literary Linking this week! I was in New York City for my birthday last weekend and didn’t get around to posting the links I’d gathered. So, here are last week’s along with this week’s batch for your reading pleasure.

My favorite bookish links the week of August 13 – 24

Reading a Book Takes Time — Deal with It
A great reminder to take the time to ENJOY reading.

How Long To Read
If you’ve made peace with the fact that reading does take time, but you still want to know how long a book will take you to get through, “How Long To Read” is the site for you! Just choose a book, click the timer and read a sample paragraph. The site will then tell you exactly how long it will take to read.

Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List Includes Empathy, Understanding and ‘Factfulness’
I’m proud to say I’m reading one on his list! (Educated, by Tara Westover)

Insta Novels: Bringing Classic Literature To Instagram Stories
Britney Spears’ Instagram is great and all, but literature on Instagram is a nice change of pace.

Gutenberg’s Revenge
The printed word will prevail!!!

What Do They Want from Us? On the Return of Big Bookstore Chains
I wonder if Fox Books is going to make a comeback… (if you get that reference, then you’ve probably seen You’ve Got Mail as many times as I have 🙂 )

The Virtues of Shelf-lessness
Author Sloane Crosley doesn’t have any bookshelves, but she makes it work in the most unique way.

If You Liked Crazy Rich Asians, You’ll Love These Books
I  go crazy for read-alikes lists — I hope you do too!

How Other Countries of Translated The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society’s Absurdly Long Title
The Chinese translation needs some work…

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

August 24, 2018

NYC: A Book Lover’s Spirit City

I turned 35 this past weekend and celebrated with a fantastic trip to New York City. My husband and I dedicated most of the trip to eating as much pizza as possible. We succeeded on our mission! We ate at 6 different pizza places — 3 as a part of an official Scott’s Pizza Tour — and loved every bite. But when I’m in the city, I always try and take advantage of the rich literary offerings (check out my post on turning any trip into a literary one). Between all the NY slices, seeing The Band’s Visit on Broadway, and visiting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, I didn’t fit too much bookish tourism in, but what I did get to see was satisfying for my readerly soul.

Just a couple grand for copies of Harry Potter signed by J.K. Rowling!

My first stop was Books of Wonder, an absolutely enchanting children’s bookstore in the heart of Chelsea. Their selection was phenomenal! They had all the best new releases, tons of signed books (including copies of Harry Potter signed by J.K. Rowling and original illustrator Mary GrandPré), and a very robust backlist.

The store made me miss my time working in children’s bookstores, so it was pretty great when one of the booksellers couldn’t find Bink and Gollie for a customer and I was actually able to point out exactly where it was. Thankfully, the bookseller didn’t mind my butting in…I just couldn’t help it!

The next literary-ish place I checked out was CW Pencil Enterprise, a store that sells…you guessed it…pencils! This adorable shop just happened to be across the street from one our pizza destinations, Scarr’s Pizza. So, after some of the best pizza we’ve ever had (the mushroom pizza and grandma slice were to die for), my husband and I ambled over to CW Pencil Enterprise, which I’d heard about on the What Should I Read Next podcast.

I’ve found that most avid readers also have a penchant for writing utensils and notebooks. I know I do, and being surrounded by beautiful, unique pencils was a wonderful feeling. The ladies working there were lovely, and I think it may be the only brick and mortar store in the United States where you can buy a Japanese-made pencil that looks exactly like a cigarette!

In my happy place at The Strand

The last truly literary spot I visited was The Strand. It is a very rare trip to NYC that I don’t make it to the “legendary home of 18 Miles of new, used and rare books.” Each time I go, I want to see if I can ask for a book they don’t have. In the 10 years or so that I’ve been a Strand customer, they’ve had every title I’ve requested. This year, however, they didn’t have the one book I wanted! They were sold out of Sabrina (the first graphic novel ever to make it on the Man Booker Prize long list), so I left empty-handed but a little proud of myself for choosing a book The Strand didn’t have.

It really hit me during this trip that New York City is my spirit city. It’s unlikely that my husband and I will ever move there (he doesn’t dig the crowds), but I will continue to make trips there as often as I can. There are innumerable literary sites I still have to see.

I have made it a personal goal to read as many books set in NYC as possible during my 35th year, at least one per month. I think my first book for this challenge will be The New York Trilogy, by Paul Auster, which has been sitting on my bookshelf for WAY too long. I can’t wait to get started!

What books set in New York City do you love and recommend I read? Please share in the comments below!

Filed Under: Bookish Musings Kristen 1 Comment

August 15, 2018

Literary Fun in Las Vegas

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about turning any trip you go on into a literary one. I did just that for my recent trip to Las Vegas, so I want to share all the bookish fun I got into in Sin City.

The primary reason my husband and I were there was to attend Evo 2018, a huge fighting-game tournament held at Mandalay Bay. Between that and the non-stop entertainment that is Las Vegas, I didn’t do as much literary tourism as I’d planned, but I still squeezed some in.

In preparation for the trip, I read Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I can’t say it made me want to go to Vegas, but the book does a fantastic job depicting the debauchery for which the city is so well known.

One of the many memorable scenes in the book (and the movie) takes place in the Circus Circus hotel and casino, which is still around today, although quite different from the place Thompson experienced.

In the book, he describes it as “what the whole hep world would be doing on a Saturday night if the Nazis had won the war…so you’re down on the main floor playing blackjack, and the stakes are getting high when suddenly you chance to look up, and there, right smack above your head is a half – naked fourteen-year-old girl being chased through the air by a snarling wolverine…”

The Fear and Loathing carousel sans booze and drug-addled Thompson

The Circus Circus I visited was MUCH tamer. There were absolutely no naked trapeze artists flying overhead. In fact, the casino and resort is really geared towards children these days. The one feature mentioned in the book that’s still there is the slots on a rotating carousel. In Thompson’s day, alcohol was served on the merry-go-round, but that hasn’t been the case years now. I’d thought the bar in the upstairs of the two-level carousel had been turned into an ice cream parlor, but when I took a peek, it was completely empty.

I asked a security guard about it and she said there’d been an ice cream parlor a while ago, but the second level has been vacant for quite a while. I was lucky that the carousel was rotating at all. Apparently, it had been sitting still for about a year until a few weeks before my visit.

Overall, the visit to Circus Circus was rather disappointing, but I’m sure if anyone visits and goes for the full Hunter S. Thompson approach (taking “two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers… and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls.”) a similar experience to his could still be recreated.

The second literary spot I checked out was Bauman’s Rare Books in the Grand Canal Shoppes in the Venetian |Palazzo. It was AMAZING.  

I couldn’t afford anything, but the children’s librarian in me was elated to be in the same room as first editions of Winnie-the-Pooh ($19,500) and Alice in Wonderland ($23,000). Just for funsies, I asked the bookseller how much the most valuable book in the store would set me back. His answer: a $62,000 first edition, first issue copy of The Fountainhead inscribed by Ayn Rand. At least you’re getting a lot of pages for the price! 🙂

What do I do in Las Vegas? Nerd out at Bauman’s Rare Books, of course!

I wanted to check out one of the public libraries close to the strip, but time and a mounting Lyft bill didn’t allow for it. There were also some spots downtown that I missed — The Writer’s Block indie bookstore and Bad Owl Coffee, which serves Harry Potter-esque bites and beverages — but all that means is I’ll have to come back!

Coming up this weekend: a trip to New York City! There are so many literary possibilities… Stay tuned to hear about them!

Have you checked out any literary sites in Las Vegas? If so, please share your recommendations and experiences in the comments below!

Filed Under: Bookish Musings Kristen Leave a Comment

August 11, 2018

Literary Linking: July 30 – August 10

Sorry I didn’t send out Literary Linking last week. I was in Las Vegas doing Las Vegas-y things 🙂 though I did work in some literary tourism that I’ll post about soon. So, this week’s links list is extra long because they’re from the past two weeks. Enjoy!

My favorite bookish links the weeks of July 30 – August 10:

Goodreads and the Crushing Weight of Literary FOMO
Ever feel like everyone is reading more than you are? Yeah, so does everyone.

Meet the YouTube Stars Turning Viewers into Readers
I don’t watch very many BookTubers. Besides the ones mentioned in this article, do you have other recommendations??? Please share in the comments!

The Dos and Don’ts of Supporting Your Local Library
Writer Kristen Arnett is spot on with these.

John Green Wants You To Read Tiny Books
Green’s books are coming out as “Flipbacks” (diminutive books designed to be flipped up), which have been around in the Netherlands for a while. Apparently they’re a bit phone-like in shape, so maybe, just maybe, they’ll draw some new younger readers.

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Author To Develop Original Drama Series for Amazon
More to look forward to once you’ve finished reading the Crazy Rich Asians series and seen the movie!

Reading Horror Can Arm Us Against a Horrifying World
Steven King and other horror writers are helping us fight our real-life fears one disturbing book at a time

11 Uplifting Quotes from ‘Anne of Green Gables’ That Will Help You Get through the Rest of 2018
Thank goodness for Anne.

“No Reservations: Narnia,” a Triumph of Anthony Bourdain Fan Fiction
Anthony Bourdain’s reaction to this fan fiction mash-up of his book No Reservations and C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia is so classic Bourdain:

“This is astonishingly well written with an attention to detail that’s frankly a bit frightening,” he said in an e-mail. “I’m both flattered and disturbed. I think I need a drink.”

Love and miss him!

 

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen 2 Comments

August 1, 2018

What I’m Reading Next: TBR August 2018

I’m excited to take part in a new linkup with the ladies at Literary Quicksand and Allison at My Novel Life. The first Wednesday of each month, we will share all the books we hope to read for that month. Since I will not have read any of the books listed, descriptions of the stories will be from the publisher or other trusted sources, but I will explain why I want to read it. I’ll try and cover everything from who recommended it to what kinds of reviews its gotten to whether it may be a guilty pleasure 🙂

Here’s the TBR for August 2018:

How To Build a Girl, by Caitlyn Moran
I’ve always been drawn to this book because the girl on the cover has Doc Martens on, and I was a huge fan of Docs back in my teenage years. I also saw that filming recently started for a movie adaptation of the book, so I want to be ahead of the “read it before you see it” curve.

Summary: After she shames herself on local television, Johanna Morgan reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde–a fast-talking, hard-drinking Gothic hero–until two years later, while eviscerating bands as a music critic, she realizes she’s built Dolly with a fatal flaw. ~ From OCLC

 

A Place for Us, by Fatima Farheen Mirza
A Place for Us is the debut novel from Sarah Jessica Parker’s new publishing imprint, SJP for Hogarth. I’ve liked a good number of the books she’s chosen for her book club, so I’m hopeful that this one is a winner. It’s also a pick for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club, which I am part of, so I’m reading it for our next book chat.

Summary: An Indian-American Muslim family gathers together in their Californian hometown to celebrate the eldest daughter’s wedding — a match of love rather than tradition. In a narrative that spans decades and sees family life through the eyes of each member, A Place For Us charts the crucial moments in the family’s past, from the bonds that bring them together to the differences that pull them apart. ~From the publisher

 

Endling the Last, by Katherine Applegate
I have loved everything Katherine Applegate has written (Newbery winner The One and Only Ivan is my favorite), so I will read anything she has written. Endling the Last is her latest and I’ve heard it’s great!

Summary: Byx is the youngest member of her dairne pack. Believed to possess remarkable abilities, her mythical doglike species has been hunted to near extinction in the war-torn kingdom of Nedarra.
After her pack is hunted down and killed, Byx fears she may be the last of her species. The Endling. So Byx sets out to find safe haven, and to see if the legends of other hidden dairnes are true.
Along the way, she meets new allies–both animals and humans alike–who each have their own motivations for joining her quest. And although they begin as strangers, they become their own kind of family–one that will ultimately uncover a secret that may threaten every creature in their world.

 

Bluebird, Bluebird, by Attica Locke
My neighbor raved about Bluebird, Bluebird the other day when I went to get my mail (she knows I’m a librarian and likes to talk books 🙂 ). It’s been on my Goodreads TBR since it came out last September when Book Riot included it as one of the best new releases in an All the Books episode. And if that’s not enough, it won the Edgar Award for Best Novel this April!

Summary: When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules–a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home… ~From OCLC

 

 

A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner and it’s amazingness came up in conversation at work the other day, and I realized I’ve wanted to read  Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns forever. It was recommended to me by the wife of a friend of my husband’s at a party at least five years ago. She said it was even better than The Kite Runner. If that’s case, I’m going to LOVE it.

Summary: Afghan women Mariam and Laila grow close, despite their nearly twenty-year age difference and initial rivalry, as they suffer at the hands of a common enemy–their abusive, much-older husband, Rasheed. ~ From Follett

 

Educated, by Tara Westover
I just recently found out about the Girls Night In newsletter and was nerdily excited to see that there is a Girls Night In Book Club that meets near me! The July/August choice is Educated, so I’m reading it for the meeting, but it’s been high on my TBR anyway. I’m going to enjoy it as an audiobook because I’ve heard it’s an excellent recording.

Summary: Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag”. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard.
Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent.
Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home. ~ From the publisher

Is there one title you think I should start with??? What will you be reading in August? Please share in the comments below!

Filed Under: TBR Kristen 2 Comments

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