Halloween Countdown: All Hallow's Read

Halloween already has candy, trick-or-treating, haunted houses, costumes...what more does it need?

All Hallow's Read- that is what it needs!

Inspired by the genius that is Neil Gaiman (and if you don't know who he is you  better find out fast or we might not be able to be friends) is a wonderful new Halloween Tradition that I am SO excited to share with you! Because remember I get excited about things.

The idea behind All Hallow's Read is to give someone a scary book on or around Halloween. The options are quite literally endless. You've got your R.L. Stine, Steven King, about a million Vampire Books, ghost stories, Gothic novels, murder mysteries, the list goes on and on. 

So this year in addition to giving trick-or-treats...give a book! 

You can find out more information at http://www.allhallowsread.com/  and here is a little more insight to the inspiration behind it.


I am going to give someone special a spooky Stephen King novel (haven't decided which one yet) and Hollowland by Amanda Hocking. Ok full disclosure- Hollowland might really be for me but if I give it to someone then I can borrow it/steal their kindle and read it myself. In case you haven't heard of it Hollowland is a really cool sounding Zombie book. I have never, ever read a zombie book and was never really that interested but I read an excerpt from this one and it had me hooked.  So we'll see. If I like it I'll check out the sequel Hollowmen. This is also my first Amanda Hocking book- really looking forward to it. 


What book are you giving for All Hallow's Read? And who are you giving it to?


ps if you seriously don't know who Neil Gaiman is do yourself a favor and read Stardust . American Gods is next on my Gaiman must read list. 

 

HAPPY ALL HALLOW'S READ! 

Go with the Flow

I love all kinds of books but ones from a secondhand bookshop have a certain kind of specialness. It is like two stories- the story the book is telling and then the story of the actual physical book. 

Several months ago with a very good friend I discovered my own local secondhand bookshop:

The shop was actually closed but we browsed the stacks of books that were outside in the hall. Since then I have gone back several times and now plan on making it a weekly or bi-weekly thing. 

so many books crammed into such a tiny space!

Flow is literally overflowing with books...

Flow is located on Hollywood road on the 7th floor of the building right across from the crosswalk. Erm I'll come back with a more exact address tomorrow :) 

My book haul this week:

Anne of Green Gables is a childhood favorite that I am really looking forward to re-reading.

Anything by Joyce Carol Oates is always great- I'm sure I'll Take You There  will be no exception. 

Somehow in all my years as a booklover I'd never read The Bridges of Madison County before. I actually started and finished it this morning. Such a beautiful book. Now I want to see the movie! 

Very excited about The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters as she is one of the authors I want to start reading more of. This is actually from Dymocks Bookstore. Reading it with my little bookclub in Hong Kong. Since it is a ghost story that takes place in England we are planning on discussing it at a British restaurant right around Halloween.

I have heard SO many good things about The Magicians by Lev Grossman- absolutely can't wait to start it!!

Overall a very good weekend for books!

“Analysis destroys wholes. Some things, magic things, are meant to stay whole. If you look at their pieces, they go away.”- The Bridges of Madison County  

Jay Gatsby is in my house

Or will be soon...on my wall specifically

You can't see from this photo but this is a poster with the entire text of The Great Gatsby written on it. On the front is scene from The Great Gatsby. I am guessing it is Jay looking out across West Egg at Daisy's house with the green light on the lawn. 

THIS IS SO COOL! I definitely want to get The Great Gatsby one although there are lots of other great ones. Another one that I love is the Wuthering Heights poster. Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite novels and the image on this poster is beautiful- I love the tree. 

Trees and literature all in one poster. I need it! And according to the website they are coming out with Grimm's Fairy Tale posters soon. Other books include Don Quixote, Anne of Green Gables, Heart of Darkness, Little Women, Peter Pan, Frankenstein, and many many more.  What books would you want on your wall? 

Thanks to BookRiot for finding this!

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

-The Great Gatsby 

"Be with me always—take any form—drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!'"

- Wuthering Heights 

Finding Meaning

One of the big books on my ToBeRead list is Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Big in every sense of the word. Over 1000 pages Infinite Jest is big in scope, aspiration, and reputation. Wallace is hailed as one of the greatest writers of his generation and his death in the fall of 2008 shook the literary world. 

Wallace taught writing at Pomona College and a friend of mine had the opportunity to take a class from this literary genius. Adam wrote about his experience in the class and how "Dave" impacted his writing and his life in a absolutely fantastic article for N+1 Magazine. Adam is an incredible writer himself and I am thrilled to share some wonderful snippets from his article here. 

Adam 

My own soft underbelly was spoken (if not written) politeness, a Midwestern habit of deference and sorrys and if-you-don’t-minds my Midwestern teacher invariably mentioned or mocked or prodded in a mild recursive torment, recursive because politeness tends to be polite about itself. 

On the class itself 

The class was exciting and productively creative, and fostered abject terror. Wallace knew that he could drive us as hard as he could, and he did, even as he endured a mental hell we learned about only after his death. I knew nothing, suspected nothing.

On receiving critiscm from Wallace 

He worried that he hadn’t gotten through to me, and, confused, he asked, "I mean, did you cry?" "Yes." "Good. I would’ve cried.”

Wallace as a teacher

He gave so much of himself, convinced that he could teach us writing’s minutiae and that our knowing the minutiae would help us to communicate meaningfully and that meaningful communication would help us to feel for and so to care for other human beings. So there he was, his generation’s literary genius, teaching undergrads how not to split infinitives.

Being Real 

If Wallace worried that you were bullshitting him, he’d sometimes blink hard, pause, and look angry and anxious at once, as though you’d stolen from him and hidden what you stole

Seeking Meaning

I’d light a candle on the rim of the fountain and stare at the gray stone rim, at the candle, at the water as it fell into the pool and at its reflection against the fountain’s blue center by white lights in the water, a kind of cross-section of cloud, and hear the endless rush of the fountain as I recited “A Rabbit as King of the Ghosts” and waited for meaning, hugged my knees, closed my eyes.

Wallace's writing 

Wallace’s rhetoric is unmistakably religious, powerful, and problematic.

What made David Foster Wallce the writer he was 

These are the torments that led to his triumphs: his faith in other people and his doubt about humanity. 

David Foster Wallace's influence spread outside the literary world.  Colin Meloy- the frontman of one of my favorite bands The Decemberists wanted to base the music video for "Calamity Song" on a scene from Infinite Jest. David Schur, co-creator of NBC's comedy "Parks and Recreation" openly admits his full-blown obsession with the book jumped at the opportunity to direct the music video. 

 “His concern was always what it is to be a human being—that is, how to be an actual person, someone whose life is informed by values and principles, instead of just an especially shrewd kind of self-preserving animal.”

David Foster Wallace on Dostoevsky

Find meaning in your life. Through books, music, travel- through living. 

The Smell of Books

I absolutely love the smell of books. Old books, new books, any kind of book. I am also a slow convert to ebooks- although I will always buy real hardcopy versions of my favorite books. I must admit though that for traveling ebooks are great. It is really nice to load a bunch of books on my ipad or kindle before a business trip. I also want to support self-published authors and often the only way to read their work is via ebooks. So like I said- I'm all for ebooks. But I am missing that great book smell...

I recently found out that I can read my ebooks and have my book smell too! Ok maybe not exactly...but some brilliant folks came up with BOOK SCENTED CANDLES!

 There are a few different options- some are book scented candles that actually smell like paper and ink and books and another company offers candles that are author themed. For example the Jame Austen smells of Gardenia, Tuberose & Jasmine and Poe is apparently more of a Cardamom, Absynthe & Sandalwood 




And then for even more book/word love there was this little item on Etsy -

I adore this clutch with the dictionary print but would love it even more with copies of the pages of my favorite books. Maybe I'll suggest that to the artist - fingers crossed that isn't some sort of copyright violation.


I still don't think anything can replace the smell of a new book from a bookshop or the smell of a well-loved and well-worn book but I will definitely be ordering one of those candles.

Fun and fantastic book related goodies are always a good thing

"A room without book is a body without a soul"- Cicero 

Literary Gothic Horror Romance Murder Mystery Movie

If that title seems a little intense let me explain...

John Cusack starring as Edgar Allan Poe in a movie about a murderer who models his murders after Poe's poems and leaves hints for Poe- oh and and the woman that Poe loves is a possible victim. So I was forgetting something in my title. Let me clarify: LITERARY GOTHIC HORROR ROMANCE MURDER MYSTERY MOVIE AMAZINGNESS

If you don't believe me watch the trailer of "The Raven" for yourself courtesy of  comingsoon.net
(sorry for the commercial at the start) 

SO EXCITED!  The best movies come from wonderful literary inspiration. 


Is it too soon to say this is probably going to be one of my favorite movies? 


I did say that about Troy from the previews and let's just say that didn't make my top 5.  Cusack don't let me down! 


In all seriousness I have extremely high hopes for this movie and can't wait for it to come out! Ok time to re-watch the creepy wonderfulness of the trailer again and brush up on my Poe poetry. 


"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before"- Edgar Allan Poe 

Nerdy book humor

"Birds Are Terrible Mailmen" 

Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones. So good. Especially because with all the ravens flying around in Game of Thrones I kept thinking of the owls in Harry Potter. Glad I wasn't the only one. Thanks to the hysterical and very talented Caldwell Tanner  for this little gem and to my brother for sharing it with me here .

 I especially appreciated this because I literally just re-read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone this evening at a cute little cafe in Hong Kong. I meant to just read a chapter or two for inspiration for my own work-in-progress and a few hours later I had finished the whole thing! It had been a while since I read the first one and I forgot how funny it was and what a fast read. The way the characters and the books grow throughout the series is truly amazing. One of the many reasons why Harry Potter featured in my tower of books. 

Nerdy book humor - one of my favorite daily good things. 

Reading in the Sea

I am all for ebooks and epublishing and kindles and ipads. As great as those are though they can't compete with your favorite bedraggled paperback that has been everywhere with you and you can read anywhere. At the beach. In the tub. You can toss it in your pack when you are going hiking and not worried about the battery life or getting it scratched. One of my favorite places to read is in the ocean. I still have some paperbacks from my childhood that faintly smell like the ocean. Don't worry about getting the pages a little damp- they'll dry. Trust me- it is totally worth it. 


Where are some of your favorite places to read?

Utter Bliss- Tai Long Wan, Sai Kung

Bargain Bookstores

Find a bargain bookstore! Not only are the books usually less expensive at secondhand bookstores, they usually have a lot more character than chains. That isn't to say you can't find a great bargain at big bookstores (Books A Million for example has excellent deals on its website, sometimes up to 80% off) but you can't beat a small bookshop for charm. I personally love secondhand bookstores because I feel a connection to whoever bought the book before me...I especially love when a person has written in the margins, it almost feels like peeking in their diary. As an avid reader and book lover I will get books anywhere I can find them, but secondhand bookstores are my personal favorite. I do occasionally splurge on a new book. This usually happens if I have been waiting for a book to be released and just can't wait for it to get to a secondhand store, or if I just want to smell that new book smell. Whether it is online, at a second hand bookstore, or in a street market, good bargains on books are to be found all around you, if you just know where to look.

A charming little bookshop in Hawaii. Who wouldn't want to spend a few hours here?

Best Places for Bargain Books-
Online...if you must. It just doesn't compare to browsing around in a bookshop.
- BooksAMillion Bargains
-Amazing Amazon Deals
-Border Bargains

Worth Going To...
-Half Price Books. While they have a wonderful website, I highly reccomend going to the store itself. Mostly because they are constantly getting new (secondhand) books so you might find a great book on the shelf that won't be listed online. My favorite branch is in Berkeley on Shattuck Ave.
-The Strand Bookstore in New York City. The tag line says it all "Home of 18 Miles of New, Used, Rare, and Out of Print Books" (pictured right is my much loved STRAND book bag).
-The bookstall in Covent Garden, London. I don't know what the name of it is but there is a bookstall in Covent Garden that has a pretty good collection of books and quite a few first editions.
-Whale of A Tale Children's Bookstore. A charming children's bookstore that is fun for all ages.
-Any bookshop that looks interesting. It probably is.

And that's your daily good thing!

Believe in (or just read) Fairy Tales

Revisit childhood by reading a beloved fairy tale. Or even better, try reading the original version of a classic fairy tale. Most are definitely not for kids. My university even offered a course on fairy tales. These stories have been around for a long time, and with good reason. A good fairy tale is captivating, filled with danger, beauty, and adventure. Everyone knows the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, who are wonderful story tellers, but don't forget lesser known but equally talented Charles Perrault, who gave us gems such as Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Puss in Boots.

Reading fairy tales will spark your imagination, perhaps even inspire creativity, and of course entertain you. And they don't take too long to read, which is a bonus in the fast paced world we live in today.

Here are a few of my favorites. Some are household names thanks to Disney, and others are a little more obscure. All are told with vivid detail and are fantastically transportive. For brevity's sake I am sticking to Western fairy tales, I'll save some of my favorite Chinese and African fairy tales for another post.Take an afternoon and fall into a fairy tale.
The Little Mermaid- Hans Christian Anderson
Wild Swans- Hans Christian Anderson
Cinderella-Charles Perrault
The Frog Prince- The Brothers Grimm (I am really excited for the Disney version of this!)
The Twelve Dancing Princesses- The Brothers Grimm
The Steadfast Tin Soldier- Hans Christian Anderson
The Selfish Giant- Oscar Wilde
Beauty and the Beast- Jeanne- Marie Leprince de Beaumont

And that's your daily good thing!

Lost in a Grimm Brothers Fairy Tale

(also known as the Appalachian Trail)

Once upon a time...
(Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany)

Indulge in a Guilty Pleasure- Fluff Books

I personally believe that almost any book is a "good book" however some are definitely more worthy than others. That being said, I love to read what I call "fluff" books. Books that haven't won any prizes, most likely won't be taught in school, and are read just for the sheer pleasure of reading a fun book. Books that you don't have to struggle through to read, and that take as much effort as watching a sitcom or drama on TV. These kind of books are great for vacations, the beach, while you are sick, taking your mind off of things, etc. Even if it is "fluff" I like to think that any kind of reading is good for you, and all books have some merit. Here are a few of my favorite "fluff books".

The Sweet Valley High Series. These books are frothy and fun. I loved them in high school and I still like them now. Diablo Cody is even going to make a movie out of them, so they might be making a comeback soon.

The Harry Potter Books. So much fun.

The Twilight Saga. Critics say what you will, but these are fast paced and filled with drama and romance.

Romance Novels by Julie Garwood or Nora Roberts. There is a reason both of these ladies are always on the best seller lists.

I could go on and on...but I think I'll save a few of my other favorite genres and authors for another post. But for now, indulge in a guilty pleasure, pick up a romance novel or cheesy series, and enjoy the fluff!

And that's your daily good thing!