I've always know this to be true, I've gotten a lifetime of inspiration from places like Island Books on Mercer Island and Powells in Portland, Oregon.
Indie Bookshops
Are 'Inspiring Places to Be'
"I visit an
awful lot of bookshops for work and I've done an awful lot
of events at
independent bookshops, and they're just inspiring places to
be. With each one
of them, there is always a story. I love to talk to
independent
bookstore owners about their shop and when and how they
bought it; every
single shop owner has a completely different,
fascinating
backstory. It's the amount of love that goes into creating a
beautiful shop in
the first place, making it look so nice, and then all
the work that goes
into hosting events and creating that community
atmosphere that
makes people want to come into the shop. I think
independent
bookstores are just little gems, each and every one of
them--they're
magical."
--Lisa Jewell
I am so excited that there are more bookstores opening up in Seattle after a long drought of bookstore closures.
Madison Books
Holiday Pop-Up Opens in Seattle
James Crossley at
work in the Madison Books pop-up.
Madison Books http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz39309134,
a new indie bookstore scheduled to
launch early in 2019 at 4118 E. Madison Street in Seattle,
Wash., has opened
a "Holiday Pop-Up Shop
giving customers
an early peek at the location. On Facebook, the store
posted: "This
will be a great opportunity
to buy the best
books of the season as presents for your loved ones--and
let's admit it,
for yourself. Gift wrapped and everything! It's also a
chance to get a
sneak preview of the fully outfitted bookstore that's
yet to come."
The pop-up will remain open until December 29.
Tom Nissley, who
also owns Seattle's Phinney Books
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz39309137
and first announced plans for the new bookshop earlier
this year told
Madison Park
Times: "We're looking forward
to getting to know
our new neighbors and having a good selection of
books available for
holiday shopping, with the possibility of ordering
and picking up any
books we don't have in stock." Madison Books will
close again in
January to complete renovation work.
In a recent
interview with the Seattle Review of Books, Madison Books
manager James
Crossley
discussed plans
for the new venture, noting that the initial reception
has been
enthusiastic: "It's been great! We've had a really hospitable
welcome--a lot of
people coming in the store to buy books already, and
even more who just
want to stick their heads in the door and say
'welcome to the
neighborhood.' "
Asked if the
pop-up shop provides an opportunity "for people who come in
to help shape the
store a bit," Crossley replied: "Absolutely. One of
the first things
we did was hang some butcher paper on the wall and draw
some virtual
'shelves' with an invitation for people to fill them in
with what they
want to see--first of all what they want to get under the
tree this year,
but more importantly what they want to see on our
shelves going
forward."
The first title
Madison Books sold was The Overstory by Richard Powers,
"which is one
of my favorite books this year," Crossley noted. "And our
first special
order has already been placed and arrived, and it was for
The Beastie Boys
Book. Being able to get those in people's hands was a
good feeling. A
great feeling."
This is the coolest little free library I've ever seen!
Epic Little Free
(Tree) Library in Idaho
Artist Sharalee
Armitage Howard has created an epic Little Free Library
inside a more than
100-year-old cottonwood tree stump outside her home
in Coeur d'Alene,
Idaho. KREM reported that Howard was inspired when her
family decided to
remove most of the tree after branches began to fall.
The core of the
tree was starting to rot, and "she felt inspired to
create one inside
the stump that remained from the tree. The library
features a
swinging glass door, steps, and interior and exterior
lights." A
Facebook post earlier this month about the work-in-progress
has generated more
than 70,000 shares.
In an update this
week, Howard wrote: "Thanks so much for all of the
wonderful feedback
about our little
free library! It's awesome to know that there are so
many people out
there that appreciate how art (in any form) quite
simply, makes the
world a cooler place to live in. There has been a lot
of requests for
more pictures, so although this tree won't look amazing
until Spring when
I can plant groundcover and cheerful perennials around
it, touch up the
paint, and fine-tune the trimwork... I have a couple
updates: 1.) I've
officially become a Little Free Library charter
member! It's my
understanding, that within days... you'll see my tree on
the National map.
2.) A fun detail that didn't show up in my first
picture, is that
the dental moulding above the door, is actually little,
titled, wooden
books!"
I'd Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel is an amazingly juicy little hardback that packs a big punch for bibliophiles. Herein is an examination of why readers read, what books resonate and where the optimum reading spaces reside. Though the author is fairly young, (compared to me), she has a firm grasp of the passion that true book lovers have toward books and reading. I found myself putting flags (small post it notes) on a half dozen pages so I could quote Bogel's wisdom in my journal. Here's the blurb: For so many people, reading isn't just a hobby or a way to pass the
time—it's a lifestyle. Our books shape us, define us, enchant us, and
even sometimes infuriate us. Our books are a part of who we are as
people, and we can't imagine life without them.
I'd Rather Be Reading is the perfect literary companion for everyone who feels that way. In this collection of charming and relatable reflections on the reading life, beloved blogger and author Anne Bogel leads readers to remember the book that first hooked them, the place where they first fell in love with reading, and all of the moments afterward that helped make them the reader they are today. Known as a reading tastemaker through her popular podcast What Should I Read Next?, Bogel invites book lovers into a community of like-minded people to discover new ways to approach literature, learn fascinating new things about books and publishing, and reflect on the role reading plays in their lives
The perfect gift for the bibliophile in everyone's life, I'd Rather Be Reading will command an honored place on the overstuffed bookshelves of any book lover.
I'd Rather Be Reading is the perfect literary companion for everyone who feels that way. In this collection of charming and relatable reflections on the reading life, beloved blogger and author Anne Bogel leads readers to remember the book that first hooked them, the place where they first fell in love with reading, and all of the moments afterward that helped make them the reader they are today. Known as a reading tastemaker through her popular podcast What Should I Read Next?, Bogel invites book lovers into a community of like-minded people to discover new ways to approach literature, learn fascinating new things about books and publishing, and reflect on the role reading plays in their lives
The perfect gift for the bibliophile in everyone's life, I'd Rather Be Reading will command an honored place on the overstuffed bookshelves of any book lover.
The subtitle of this book,"The delights and dilemmas of the reading life" says it all, though there's only 145 pages for Bogel to say it in. Not a word is wasted, nor are there any typos to worry readers with tyranical inner editors like myself. My only problem with the book was that there weren't more chapters to revel in the wisdom of my fellow book lover. I'd give this choice volume an A, and recommend it to anyone with towering TBR piles and not enough time to make a dent in them.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is the January book for my library book group. Because this book has gotten so many rave reviews and press hype (not to mention a movie deal) I was hesitant to start reading it, because usually overly hyped popular fiction sucks. Therefore it was a huge relief to discover that Ng's prose is evocative, her characters brilliant and her storytelling engrossing and emotional. I can't say that I loved all of her characters, because I loathed Izzy, who was a real b*tch for no other reason than she felt rage from birth that had nothing to do with anything, it was just intrinsic to her being. That made her either in need of medication or a good whupping by her lame parents, in my opinion. Her mother's constant censure of her didn't help, of course, but why neither one of them sat down with a therapist to get to the root of the problem I couldn't understand. Still, there are some profound scenes in this book that give readers pause in thinking about the relationship of children to their parents, and babies to their mothers, in particular. Here's the blurb: From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You, a
riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect
Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their
lives.
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town--and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town--and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.
SPOILERS ahead! While I lauded Mia for wanting to pursue her art, I felt that she was a really shit mother for basically stealing her daughter from the infertile couple who had provided her with sperm (and an egg? It is never made clear if Mia donates one of her eggs or if the wife uses one of hers) so that she might be a surrogate mother to their baby. One sentence from her brother, who was an idiot, about her "selling" her baby, and she immediately takes off with baby Pearl, thereby shafting the couple who had so desperately wanted a child of their own. Mia wasn't in any condition, being a homeless artist, to care for a baby, and poor Pearl moved to Shaker Heights after a lifetime of going from one place to another (and living on scraps and freebies) for her mother's photography, (but in reality they were running away so that the surrogate parents couldn't find them) believing that her mother was going to allow her to settle down there, make friends and graduate from high school. But when Elena Richardson finds out that her son is having a sexual relationship with Pearl, and she believes Pearl has aborted their baby, she forces Mia to make the choice of either leaving or being exposed to the surrogate parents and to her own disapproving parents. Mia is also a hypocrit, telling an impoverished Chinese immigrant woman who abandoned her baby at a fire station (the child was near death, starved and cold and filthy) to go to court and try and remove the little girl from her adoptive home, where she has been thriving under the care of a wealthy childless couple. I had very little sympathy for this woman who should have allowed the child to stay with the only parents she's ever known, (if you truly love your child you want them to be provided for) and where she is well fed and taken care of. The courts decided in favor of this plan, and yet we are supposed to be happy that the Chinese woman steals the one year old and flies back to Shanghai where it will be impossible to find her. She will doubtless grow up in poverty, and we're supposed to think this is somehow okay because she is now with her "real" mother. I felt tremendous sympathy for the adoptive parents, who were devastated as they'd grown to love the little girl, and they had the means to care for her. But Mia, who has stolen her daughter from her rightful biological parents, somehow thinks this is all her business, which it isn't. We are also supposed to sympathize with Izzy, who is pissed off at everyone, especially her family, her sister Lexie (who actually did have an abortion), her brother Moody (who is in love with Pearl, but she doesn't think of him as anything but a brother) and her other brother Trip (who is also in love with Pearl and is having a clandestine affair with her) as well as her usual fury at their mother, who is a rule follower but doesn't understand why her daughter seeks to break every rule and destroy everything she gets her hands on, including their home, which she burns to the ground before running after Mia and Pearl. Maybe it's because I am the same age as Elena, but thought she should have Izzy jailed or put in an asylum somewhere, because that child was insane and needed help and enforced discipline more than she needed coddling. The last thing that made little sense to me was Pearls universal allure. Everyone loved her nearly on sight, which is weird. However, despite my dislike of some of the characters, I still found this novel very compelling, and I had to read it all in one sitting. I'd give it an A, though somewhat reluctantly, and recommend it to anyone looking for some good debate ideas.
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield is the third book she's written that I've read, and as usual, I found her prose silken, her plot compelling and her characters mesmerizing. I couldn't figure out whether the story was set in the 19th century or 18th, but it was certainly set at a time when communities thrived on oral history and legends and tales to pass the time in the evening after work was done. It was also a time when the inexplicable was relegated to "magic" or ghosts or the supernatural, rather than rational explanations. Here's the blurb: On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an
extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to
while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously
wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child.
Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a
miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These
questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.
Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.
Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison, stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.
Once Upon a River is a glorious tapestry of a book that combines folklore and science, magic and myth. Suspenseful, romantic, and richly atmospheric, the beginning of this novel will sweep you away on a powerful current of storytelling, transporting you through worlds both real and imagined, to the triumphant conclusion whose depths will continue to give up their treasures long after the last page is turned.
Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.
Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison, stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.
Once Upon a River is a glorious tapestry of a book that combines folklore and science, magic and myth. Suspenseful, romantic, and richly atmospheric, the beginning of this novel will sweep you away on a powerful current of storytelling, transporting you through worlds both real and imagined, to the triumphant conclusion whose depths will continue to give up their treasures long after the last page is turned.
I enjoyed the twists and turns to the plot and that the author doesn't allow the reader to solve the mystery until the very end of the book. I also loved Rita the healer and Daunt the photographer, though I completely understood Rita's fear of death in childbirth and her wish to remain celibate and unmarried so that she'd never have to face that trauma. Though she succumbs to love and does get pregnant in the end (SPOILER) we never actually find out if Rita survives childbirth and goes on to live a long and happy life with Daunt. It is implied that they do, however, and the ending is mystical and satisfying and sweet. I'd give this book an A as well, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good old fashioned "tell it around the fire" story.
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