Monthly Archives: December 2009

Review & GIVEAWAY: The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

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Review first, giveaway details at the bottom!

The Geography of Bliss

Title: The Geography of Bliss
Author: Eric Weiner
Published: 2008
My edition: Twelve Books Paperback 2009
Purchased From: The Book Nook in Cadillac, Michigan
Pages: 335

Synopsis (from StrandBooks.com): Through over a decade spent traveling the globe and reporting on the world’s formost catastophes and triumphs, author and NPR foreign correspondent Eric Weiner is certainly no stranger to the planet and all of its highs and lows. Weiner, a self proclaimed ‘mope’ of the higest order, was growing sick of the widespread sorrows he’s come across in his travels and decided to set out on a journey to find the happiest place on earth. In “The Geography of Bliss” he takes readers on a journey unlike any other where they will see where people are happiest, and why. From Iceland to India and everywhere on the way back home this book is a joyously unpredictable adventure.

I read this because:
It caught my eye while used book shopping at The Book Nook. I’ve seen this book a lot since it came out, but for some reason was never inclined to actually pick it up and look at it. When I did, I had to buy it. I guess I hadn’t realized the format of the book was so cool – 10 different chapters that explore what makes people happy in 10 different countries. This seemed a lot more appealing than an unstructured book about what makes different people all over the world happy.

My thoughts: I’m partial to travel writing in general, and I loved the concept of exploring the happiness of different cultures: how happy they are and what type of lifestyle makes them happy. This book gives you a lot to think about on both subjects. However – this is not a self help book by any means; its goal is not to make you happier. But within its pages you end up thinking a lot about what makes you happy, and – even more interestingly – where you might be happy. I also loved that I learned more about these 10 countries in general, since many of them (like Moldova) are places I’m not very familiar with. Armchair traveling at its best.

Book club worthy? Absolutely, in fact – I’m hoping to talk my book club into reading it. There’s a lot that would make for good conversation on cultural differences and philosophies of happiness.

Follow up required: This book made me want to visit the Netherlands, Switzerland, Bhutan, and Thailand, and made me want to move to Iceland. In the immediate future I’d like to read more about Heathenism, along with more about Norse mythology. It also gave me a hankering for more travel writing, so I’ll probably pick up Bill Bryson’s The Lost Continent that I’ve been meaning to read.

You might like this book if you liked: Anything by Bill Bryson and/or travel writing.

Links to purchase: IndieBound, Strand, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, BookDepository.com

The Geography of Bliss GIVEAWAY:

I enjoyed this book a lot and thought an end of 2009 Book Giveaway would be the perfect opportunity to give someone else the chance to read it too.

Enter to win a new paperback copy of this book:
 1. Leave a comment saying you want to enter the giveaway and share one thing that makes you happy. It could be as simple as “coffee” or as meaningful as you’d like.
2. Tweet or blog about the giveaway for an extra chance to win. Leave another comment here with the link to the tweet or blog post.

This giveaway is open to anyone in the 90+ countries that Book Depository ships to, since that’s how I’ll be sending it out. You can enter through 11:59pm EST on Friday, January 8, 2010. I’ll draw a winner on Saturday 1/9/10.

A Room With a View by E. M. Forster

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A Room With a View

In effort to help me keep up with posting book reviews, I’m going to try using a set format for each review. Many other bloggers do this, and I borrowed some ideas from them. I’d love to hear your thoughts/feedback on the new format in the comments.

Title: A Room With a View
Author: E. M. Forster
Published: 1908
My edition: Vintage Classics 1989
Purchased From: Strand
Pages: 242

Synopsis (from BN.com): A charming tale of the battle between bourgeois repression and radical romanticism, E. M. Forster’s third novel has long been the most popular of his early works. A young girl, Lucy Honeychurch, and her chaperon—products of proper Edwardian England—visit a tempestuous, passionate Italy. Their “room with a view” allows them to look into a world far differentfrom their own, a world unconcerned with convention, unfettered by social rituals, and unafraid of emotion.

Read because:
1. It’s a classic I’ve always meant to read.
2. I recently purchased the lovely new Vintage Classics edition.
3. It fulfills the last decade I needed to meet my “Read at least 1 book published in every decade of the 20th century” 2009 reading goal.

My thoughts: I greatly enjoyed this lovely classic novel. I loved Forster’s style and descriptions, was surprised by how humorous the book was. I also loved the characters, although I found Lucy’s motives to be a little unclear at times. The story is told in third person, and the narrator seems to be a bit omniscient – just a tad stingy with information.

Book club worthy? Since my friends and I are all book club crazy recently, I now always think about whether the books I read would be good for discussion. Most classics are good book group picks, and this one is no exception. The vivid characters would lend well to a lively discussion.

Follow up required: I moved the 1986 movie edition to the top of my Netflix queue (it’s actually available instantly right now, so I might just do that). I would also like to read Forster’s A Passage to India soon.

You might like this book if you liked: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. It’s a very readable and romantic classic that also conveys some of the restlessness of youth during the early 20th century.

Links to purchase: IndieBound, Strand, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble

My favorite lines & passages:
“The world,” she thought, “is certainly full of beautiful things, if only I could come across them.” (page 47)

Hitherto truth had come to her naturally. She saw that for the future she must be more vigilant, and be – absolutely truthful? Well, at all events, she must not tell lies. (page 133)

For the companion who is merely uncongenial in the mediaeval world becomes exasperating in the classical. (page 137)

The Miss Alans were found in their beloved temperance hotel near Bloomsbury – a clean, airless establishment much patronized by provincial England. They always perched there before crossing the great seas, and for a week or two would fidget gently over clothes, guidebooks, mackintosh squares, digestive bread, and other Continental necessaries. That there are shops abroad, even in Athens, never occurred to them, for they regarded travel as a species of warfare, only to be undertaken by those who have been fully armed at the Haymarket Stores. (page 220)

Take an old man’s word; there is nothing worse than a muddle in all the world. It is easy to face Death and Fate, and the things that sound so dreadful. It is on my muddles that I look back with horror – on the things that I might have avoided. (page 232)

Last minute present ideas

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I’m about to head out to finish up my Christmas shopping at Book Culture, so I thought it’d be fun to do a quick post on a few of my favorites books to give this year.

And since there’s almost no time left to get things shipped before Christmas, it’s a perfect opportunity to head out to your favorite independent bookstore and show them some holiday support. Buying books at indie stores is one of the best ways to support your community. If you enjoy browsing for books in real bookstores, support them now while they’re still here.

For people with young daughters:
Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman is the ultimate lullaby/poem for little girls, and it’s beautifully illustrated by Charles Vess.

For food & food writing fans:
Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink, edited by David Remnick, is an excellent collection of food writing. It samples from the entire span of the New Yorker’s history to date, so the authors featured range from M. F. K. Fisher to Julian Barnes. Perhaps the perfect gift to accompany a DVD of Julie & Julia?

For any reader:
The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse. I can’t think of a better gift for a reader than introducing them to P. G. Wodehouse, if they’re not already acquainted. Thank You, Jeeves would also be a great first Wodehouse to give.

For bakers:
The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book is my go-to source for new baking recipes. It’s a beautiful cookbook with heavy duty ringed binding, and every recipe I’ve tried has come out successfully and delicious.

For anyone:
I’m not sure there’s anyone who won’t smile when they open the Fur-Covered edition of The Wild Things by Dave Eggers. It’s probably the best designed book to come out in 2009, and the novel itself is fantastic as well.

Happy shopping, and happy reading!

Polysyllabic Spree – November 2009

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Books Purchased:

Books Purchased - November 2009

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Cathedral by Raymond Carver
Funny Business: Conversations With Writers of Comedyby Leonard Marcus
Eat, Memory edited by Amanda Hesser
Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink edited by David Remnick
The Paris Review Interviews vol. IV edited by Philip Gourevitch
Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman
Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

Books Read:

Books Read - November 2009

Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger (re-read)
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Mating Season by P. G. Wodehouse
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Time Was Soft There by Jeremy Mercer
Funny Business: Conversations With Writers of Comedy by Leonard S. Marcus

Previously reviewed: Time Was Soft There.

I re-read Franny and Zooey for book club. I didn’t think it was going to be possible, but it was even more spectacular the second time. I’m happy that the other members love Salinger as much as I do, and want to re-read his other books for book group as well. Also, even upon a second reading, my favorite line remains:

Lane spotted her immediately, and despite whatever it was he was trying to do with his face, his arm that shot up into the air was the whole truth.”

I’ve been meaning to post about The Magicians for a while now. I haven’t yet because I didn’t really like it and the thought of writing a whole post about it never seemed that appealing. The novel seemed to drag quite a bit, but it mainly came down to the reason I’ve come up with for most novels that I don’t like: I didn’t like the characters. I can get through just about anything happily if I care about the characters, most crucially the main character. The only character I remotely liked was Alice, but thought she was underdeveloped. Also, there was a piece of the plot that was unresolved, which bothered me.

One of the best things about the universe must be that P. G. Wodehouse wrote so many books while he was alive. Whenever I need a dose of awesome, I read one of his novels. The Mating Season, like every other Wodehouse novel I’ve encountered, did not disappoint. Here are a few of my favorite lines:

He shimmered out, and I subjected Catsmeat to a keen glance. I am told by those who know that there are six varieties of hangover  -  the Broken Compass, the Sewing Machine, the Comet, the Atomic, the Cement Mixer and the Gremlin Boogie, and his manner suggested that he had got them all.”

“What with one thing and another, singing a bit too much in the bath and so on, I was about five minutes behind scheduled time in reaching the post office, and when I got there I found Gussie already at the tryst.”

I had never read Ethan Frome before, and I’m not sure why someone didn’t find out and whack me over the head. This is a fantastic book, and it’s so short that there’s really no excuse for not reading it. I enjoyed every aspect of this tidy little classic, but I think what I appreciated most right away was that it felt so much like a dark Gothic tale. The beginning reminded me somewhat of Wuthering Heights - the fact that the person who finds out the story and is able to tell the tale is someone who is unrelated to and not present in the events of the plot. Instantly when I started reading it I was transported into a different world: the world of a great story. I could tell I was in good hands, and I settled in for the adventure. It’s hard to describe how a good novel transports you into another place and state of mind, but it’s wonderful when it happens.

I’m planning on doing a full post about Funny Business by Leonard S. Marcus, because it’s a unique book that deserves some more attention.

Also… Funny Business was the 100th book I’ve read this year, so I’ve officially hit my goal. :)

Reading List Book Covers

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Those who follow me on Twitter (@emilylovesbooks) know that one of my favorite things to do on my commute is what I call “book-spot.” I snoop to try to see what other people on the train are reading, and then tweet about it using the hashtag I created, #bookspotting.

Many others have joined in, especially fellow New Yorker, Amanda.

I’m telling you this back story because this week one of my co-workers (who is well aware of my book-spotting tendencies too) got me something so totally cool. They are book jackets from www.bookcityjackets.com in Brooklyn. First of all, this is a really cool store. Here’s the info from their about page:

Book City Jackets are updated versions of the classic paper bag book cover.  Our goal is turn books into a new kind of affordable art that can be displayed on bookshelves and coffee tables, in cafes and classrooms, on planes and trains . . . anywhere people bring their books.  Our covers are off-set printed on recycled kraft paper in downtown New York and “fold-to-fit” almost any book.  A Book City Jacket isn’t just beautiful — it also protects from spilled drinks and prying eyes and provides a convenient space to doodle and jot down notes.  Book covers were a good idea in junior high school and they’re a good idea now.

The set that I received are, in my opinion, the most awesome. It is the Reading List set, and it enables you to cover your book with the titles of three mega-classics: Moby Dick, War & Peace, and Ulysses:

bookcityjackets

These are so fun, and a way to either protect your copies of some of the world’s most respected novels, or throw book-spotters off your trail as you read some guilty pleasures. I think I’ll do the latter :)

What a great gift for any book lover!

Time Was Soft There by Jeremy Mercer

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Time Was Soft There

Time Was Soft There by Jeremy Mercer is a memoir about the author’s stay at Shakespeare & Company bookstore in Paris, and a tribute to a bookstore that has served as a refuge for thousands of writers throughout the years.

For people who do not know: there have been two Shakespeare & Company bookstores in Paris, both famous in their own right. Both featured English language books. Sylvia Beach’s store opened in 1919 and is most famous for publishing James Joyce’s Ulysses. The store was also frequented by literary giants of the day: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and many others. It closed at the start of German occupation in Paris in 1941.

George Whitman’s bookstore opened in 1951, but didn’t change its name to Shakespeare & Company until Sylvia Beach died. George was a big fan of the original store, and acquired most of Sylvia Beach’s collection of rare books and first editions from the original store. He named his daughter Sylvia Beach Whitman, in honor of the first Sylvia. George’s store was also frequented by literary giants of the new generation – the beat writers, such as Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. He opened up the store to poor writers needed a place to stay – there are over a dozen beds throughout the store for writers to live and write in the bookstore.

Jeremy Mercer stayed at the bookstore in the early 2000s, and so of course his account is of George Whitman’s Shakespeare & Company. Jeremy was a newspaper reporter and crime writer in Canada when he fled the country to escape some intense personal drama. He soon found himself unemployed and broke in Paris. George Whitman and Shakespeare & Company gave him refuge, and he begin to start his life over and begin to write again. He also became quite close to George, who is a really interesting and eccentric man. It’s probably one of the best portraits of George Whitman that has been published so far.* (I’m not even aware of any other books about him, actually. Please correct me if I’m wrong.)

I loved learning more about Shakespeare & Company bookstore. Reading this book made me want to immediately book a flight to Paris so I can visit it myself.

This memoir will be greatly enjoyed by book lovers; it’s a treat to read first hand what life is like living and writing in one of the most famous bookstores in the world. But less bookish people will enjoy it as well – it’s almost travel writing too, in a way, since it’s about a foreigner coming to Paris and discovering the city. Its themes of being in a low place and needing a fresh start are universal. And really – what could be a better setting than a bookstore?

*According to IMDB, there was a documentary film released in 2004 about George Whitman and the store, called Portrait of a Bookstore as an Old Man. I’d love to see this, but not sure how to get a copy. It looks like it may not have been released on DVD.