High Shelf Esteem

Literary Linking: August 22 – 26

Laptop Yellow TableMy favorite bookish links from the week of August 22 – 26:

New Study Shows Reading Harry Potter Lowers Americans’ Opinions of Donald Trump

“Because Trump’s political views are widely viewed as opposed to the values espoused in the Harry Potter series,” Mutz writes in the study, “exposure to the Potter series may play an influential role in influencing how Americans respond to Donald Trump.”

Stuck in a Book

“Here’s a new literary comic by cartoonist Grant Snider. It explores the process of getting lost in a book that all bookworms are familiar with.”

#CamerasandDancers Visits the Library for the Performing Arts

“A large group of photographers and dancers recently descended upon The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts early one morning for a one-of-a-kind photography event: #CamerasAndDancers. Dancers from the Parsons Dance Company and the Paul Taylor Dance Company joined Jacob Jonas the Company, social influencer and photograper Dave Krugman, and a group of photographers and Instagrammers to put their own unique spin on the spaces in and around LPA.”

How To Get a Regency Beach Body

“It’s summertime and that means feeling like you have to conform to other people’s standards of beauty as you’re bombarded with blogs telling you how wrong your life is. So here’s another one to add to the bonfire of bad writing. I’m here to tell you how you, yes you with the Colin Firth obsession, can have the beach body Lizzie Bennet and her ilk strived for.”

 

Bookish Shopping: NYC Edition

I’m happy to report that I made it to all the literary stops on my NYC itinerary, and I have some fabulous purchases to show for it. If you’re in the city, drop by the Mo Willems Exhibit at The New York Historical Society or The Strand to find the items I bought. But if a trip to The Big Apple isn’t in your near future, don’t fear. I’ve included links to buy these items online.

Here’s what I got…

At The Strand:

“When in Doubt, Go To the Library” T-Shirt

When in DoubtAs a librarian, it’s important to dress the part. And no, that does not mean cardigans, pencil skirts, buns and glasses. For me, the librarian uniform is lots of bookish T-shirts, and now I have one with Hermione’s wise words to start the new school year. I couldn’t remember exactly when in the HP series she says this line, but with a little research, I found that it’s a quote within a quote spoken by Ron in The Chamber of Secrets. The line reads: “Because that’s what Hermione does,’ said Ron, shrugging. ‘When in doubt, go to the library.” Fine advice for all.

 

84 Charing Cross Road, by Helen Hanff

84 Charing Cross RoadI had to be strategic about my book purchase at The Strand. With so many titles to choose from (The Strand houses 18 miles of books for Pete’s sake!) and limited suitcase room, I decided that I would allow myself to buy one book, and the book had to be about books or bookstores. 84 Charing Cross Road immediately came to mind, because I’d heard it recommended on a number of different podcasts for readers who like books about books and bookstores. Perfecto! I haven’t started it yet, but I’m particularly excited to pick it up because it’s told through the correspondence of the author and a used book dealer in London. I love me a story told through letters.

 

At the “The Moseum Store” – New York Historical Society Mo Willems Exhibit*:

Pigeon Mug

Pigeon Coffee CupI recently cleaned out our cabinets of old mugs, chipped plates, and Renaissance Festival goblets (I regretted giving away the goblets
immediately after), so one would imagine that I’d avoid buying MORE cabinet-filling items so soon. But one would imagine wrong. I couldn’t resist this mug, seeing as Pigeon embodies my morning caffeine cravings perfectly in the design. Plus, I justified the purchase by deeming this my new coffee vessel for work. The one I have right now is an old thermal mug that leaks all over my awesome bookish tees. So, Pigeon will not take up room in our cabinets and I get a mug that won’t leave embarrassing stains on my clothing. Win, win!

Elephant & Piggie Finger Puppet Set

E and P Finger PuppetsThe Thank You Book, the last book in the Elephant & Piggie series, is in a box in my library waiting to be unpacked, and I can’t wait to use these puppets to tell the story. It might be a little tough to turn pages with mini-Piggie and mini-Gerald on my fingers, but I’ll  make it happen.  I can’t quite believe that the Elephant & Piggie series is over, but I’m sure Mr. Willems has some magic up his sleeve.

* The exhibit itself is fantastic – I learned that Knuffle Bunny was originally supposed to be a bear! Check it out before the exhibit closes on September 25.

Literary Linking: August 15 – 19

My favorite bookish links from the week of August 15 – 19:

blur book pages

What President Obama Is Reading This Summer

“President Obama is on Martha’s Vineyard for his annual vacation, and he’s packed a hearty and diverse book bag for the beach.”

 

The Hamilton Reading List: For Those Kids That Just Can’t Get Enough

“I know 6-year-olds who have Hamilton memorized.  I know 10-year-olds who can explain what the Federalist Papers are in minute detail.  So why not make a booklist for the #Hamilkids as well?”

Clothes and Books and Ways To Go Wrong

“Clothes aren’t just something one puts on a character to stop her from being naked. Done right, clothes are everything — a way of describing class, affluence, taste, self-presentation, mental health, body image. Clothes matter. Besides all that, clothes are fun.”

The Wonderful, Terrible Power of Food in Roald Dahl

“Dahl’s feasts are his imaginative aristeias. At the same time, Dahl’s most whimsical confections are always paired with torments for those who can’t resist them.”

Mary Bennet Sequels? Jane Austen’s Minor Characters Are Neglected for a Reason

“Another Pride and Prejudice sequel is set to rescue to untold story of the unmarried Bennet sisters. Such rewrites are popular – but minor characters play an important role…”

 

A Book Nerd in NYC: Itinerary

empire-state-building

Today my husband and I embark on a trip to New York City to celebrate my birthday, and while turning 33 is kind of “meh,” our trip is going to be fantastic! NYC is a book-lovers paradise and we have some great literary stops on our itinerary:

 

The Art and Whimsy of Mo Willems Exhibit

Mo Willems is one of my heroes. I have so much respect for his ability to make the reading experience fun and interactive. I can always whip out an Elephant & Piggie book during storytime and know that students will love it. The exhibit is at the New York Historical Society Museum & Library and is described as bringing “together original art, sketches, and inspirational drawings from Willem’s most popular series, plus stand-alone classics.” I’m particularly excited about seeing his Pigeon drawings, because Pigeon is pretty much the best picture book character of all time. There’s also a “Moseum Store” so I definitely plan on picking up some Mo swag. “Pigeon of Liberty” tote bag? Yes please!

Matilda: The Musical

MatildaEvan asked me back in the winter what I wanted to for my birthday and my immediate answer was Matilda tickets! I read Roald Dahl’s Matilda numerous times growing up and I’ll admit I tried my hand at telekinesis (unsuccessfully). I’ve also watched the movie more times than I’d like to admit and even baked Bruce Bogtrotter’s chocolate cake from the Roald Dahl Revolting Recipes cookbook (also unsuccessfully – I forgot to add the flour!). So let’s just say I’m a huge fan and seeing the musical is going to be AMAZING!


Prune Restaurant

Blood Bones and ButterNow, this may not seem like a literary stop, but this is the restaurant owned by chef/author Gabriel Hamilton. Her memoir, Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, is one of my absolute favorite foodie reads. I own the Kindle version, so I can’t have Hamilton sign it if she’s actually there, but I would probably be too starstruck to ask her anyway. Eating like a maniac won’t be a problem though – the menu looks fantastic. Grilled branzino with toasted fennel oil, smokey eggplant with grilled sesame flatbread, poached pear with toasted almond cream… nom nom nom!

The Strand

This stop is a given. I can’t go to NYC and not go to The Strand – that would be madness. When the New York Times came out with their article about getting a job at The Strand and included versions of the quiz potential employees are required to pass, I took the test immediately. I got 40 out 50. Not perfect, but I think I can still go in there with my head held high. Now the big question is: what books should I buy???
Are there any bookish stops I should add to our schedule ? Let me know!

Review: The Woman in Cabin 10

Woman in Cabin 10Title: The Woman in Cabin 10

Author: Ruth Ware

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Grade: B+

 

Plot:

Lo Blacklock, a journalist working her way up the ladder at a British travel mag, has been given the chance to prove herself on an assignment covering the maiden voyage of a fabulous boutique cruise ship. It seems like a dream job — lots of champagne, spa treatments, rubbing elbows with potential investors — but the recent robbery of her apartment has rattled Lo and nothing feels quite right from day one of the trip.

Lo’s feelings of anxiety are by no means improved the first night aboard when she hears what sounds like a body being thrown overboard. She swears it must have been the woman staying in the cabin next to hers, who she borrowed makeup from earlier in evening. But when Lo calls security to voice her fears, the head of security informs her that cabin 10 has been empty since the boat launched. There has never been a guest in that cabin, all passengers and crew are accounted for, and after a thorough search of the ship, Lo can’t find the woman she met the first night of the cruise.

Desperate to figure out the identity of the mystery woman and whether there’s a murderer onboard, Lo continues to investigate. And what she finds out only leads to more trouble.

My thoughts:

After reading so many thriller/suspense novels about with “girl” in the title, it was refreshing to pick one up about a woman!

I’d heard this book described as a page turner, and it definitely delivered. Ware grabbed me from the very start and I ripped through it in less than 48 hours. Divided into eight parts, the unfolding of the story is deliberately paced (each part ends on a cliffhanger that is then unpacked in the following section), but Ware kept it fresh with a fun twist. Before each new section, she added email exchanges and news reports from the week following the cruise that threw even more mystery on the story.

Lo’s descriptions of her time on the boat made me feel an overpowering sense of suffocation, disorientation and overall uneasiness. Although these sensations aren’t ones I’d want to experience in real life, they were perfect for putting me in Lo’s shoes. I can’t say I loved her as a character, though. I get that suspense/thrillers often use unreliable narrators, but Lo was drunk for so much of the story, even though she kept saying over and over how she shouldn’t drink. It just seems like a bit of cop-out to use alcohol as one of the driving reasons to discredit a character’s trustworthiness, and I wanted Lo to take her work as a journalist more seriously. However, I did appreciate that she was driven enough to do whatever it took to get to the bottom of the mystery. She wasn’t a complete lump

Gripes with the main character aside, the book was still a very enjoyable, fast-paced read. I physically felt compelled to keep reading because I wanted to reach an ending that provided relief for the claustrophobia and paranoia I felt vicariously through Lo. And despite some slightly confusing twists (I had to go back and reread a few sections to make complete sense of the conclusion), I closed the book believing it worth the read.