What am I Reading?

Lately, despite the piles and piles of new books I have to read, I’ve been rereading old favorites. I was definitely inspired by the death of Robert Jordan, author of the epic series Wheel of Time, to reread his work and hope that they find a worthy author to finish off the series. The death of a favorite author seems to me to be much more heartbreaking than one thinks it will be. Writing is a very intimate process, and if you’ve read many of their books, you’ve spent more time in their head than most people spend in each others’ – and if you particularly enjoy what you find there, it’s sad to hear of the loss to the family and real-life friends, not to mention sad to think that what was in that head will no longer leak out onto a page.

So, once I finished rereading the eleven books currently out in the Wheel of Time, I found that I still needed comforting, preferably from someone who was still around. So I picked up the perfect time-travel novel, The Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis. One of the things I like about Connie Willis’ writing is that, despite it being time-travel and set in the future, the world she writes in is undeniably ours, and she’s trying to tell a story about people, not about science or about how many fancy gizmos she can come up with. In the novel, a young historian named Kivrin travels back in time to the Middle Ages to study the culture and people, but arrives in the past ill and in a desperate situation. At the same time, Oxford (where she traveled from) is under quarantine, it’s during Christmas, and multiple university people are laid up while they try to deal with the hassles of life under quarantine and to make sure Kivrin arrived safely and will be able to return.

In the midst of all that, you find stirringly real characters, both in the future and in the 14th century. The small touches thrown in provide not just historical accuracy and a feeling of recognition about the future, but a story that can be related to  – regardless of whether the reader is a science fiction fan or not. The Doomsday Book won both the Hugo and the Nebula awards in 1993.

Horror-ish

I know it seems odd, but though Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, I’m not much of a horror reader. I think I’d rather pretend to be something scary than read about it most of the time. Though I know I do occasionally miss out on some good literature, there are distinct advantages to not reading horror – such as not being afraid of clowns or ventriloquist dummies.

However, I have occasionally picked up a novel from the horror section, some of which I enjoyed, and some I did not. Here’s a few to getyou started:

Imajica, by Clive Barker – Very creepy, and very difficult for me to finish, but also very, very well done. I can’t really remember the plot though – I think I’ve blocked it. Weaveworld is another by him, however I don’t believe I was able to finish that one.

The Witching Hour, by Anne Rice – Anne Rice does live in the horror aisle, but to me her books aren’t classic horror, they’re much more gothic. I guess that means that they are just dark and romantic (though not romances) instead of full of horrors. I like the Mayfair witches series much more than the Vampire one, but I’ve only read up to Lasher in it, then I kind of lost touch.

And, speaking of gothic, how can we forget the classic writers of gothic horror when we talk about spooky books? Poe is the penultimate of course, with too many stories in the gothic tradition to list – the most famous being ones such as The Fall of the House of Usher, in which madness leads to destruction, and The Tell-Tale Heart, in which guilt leads to madness which leads to destruction. Of course there’s also Shelley’s classic Frankenstein, Stoker’s classic Dracula, and even George Eliot gave us one of my favorite gothic tales, a short story called The Lifted Veil. Edith Wharton gave us many gothic tales, including Ethan Frome. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s got several gothic tales, but my favorite is Young Goodman Browne, since you are never really sure what happens. That feeling of uncertainty is creepier than any bloody axe or ventriloquist dummy, probably.

More modern authors have tackled the gothic genre as well; perhaps the most well known being Joyce Carol Oates. Poppy Z. Brite is also well worth looking into if you enjoy this type of fiction – though she is VERY creepy and disturbing! In a well-written way, of course.

Cozying up to Mysteries

Today at the store we got in a ton of cozy mysteries, and while I was shelving them I was thinking about why I love them so much. Of course, I love lots of books, so it’s really not surpising that I love the cozy mystery genre, but let me ensure you know what a cozy is before I leap into why they’re great.

A cozy usually has an amateur sleuth, rather than a PI or a police detective. These sleuths are quite often women, and they usually end up investigating the death of a neighbor, co-worker, friend, or enemy quite often while running their own business or working a particularly appealing job. These jobs or businesses usually (but not always) have something to do with food, flowers, drink, or cleaning – thus giving the author the opportunity to package recipes and tips along with her story. These mysteries are most often marketed towards women.

Now why does this grizzled veteran of thousands of science fiction books adore cozy mysteries? Easy! First of all, sometimes science fiction is just too hard. If I come home, after a long annoying day of work and just want to fall in bed – and especially if I’ve just finished a book and am starting a new one – I don’t want to pick up a science fiction novel and have to understand an alien culture! As much as I enjoy it, I frankly don’t always have the energy for it. Cozies, on the other hand, are incredibly easy to digest and get into.

Also, cozies are not gritty or gory. Hardly ever. Sometimes mystery novels freak me out, not many of them, but some of them, sometimes. I know I can read a cozy even if I’m home by myself at night during a thunderstorm and everyone in the prison just escaped. No problem! They might have murderers and and violence, but there’s always some sort of charm that glosses over all the really gross stuff. Plus, the killers in cozies usually end up being pretty pathetic – after all, the mystery is always solved by removing a stain or realizing someone added a new flower bed!

Another reason I love cozies is that they have to be the least pretentious books in the world. People who read cozies know that they are reading for pure escapism, and maybe they like the stain-busting tips or recipes that go along with the mystery. Though I do enjoy reading literary fiction, non-fiction and other esoteric such things, sometimes it’s just as fun to know that you aren’t getting anything extra out of a book. Who needs enlightenment when you can learn how to make a perfect cup of coffee? In fact, isn’t it near to being the same thing?

Hmmm…I hope I’m not veering towards learning something from a cozy…that would take away some of the joy. Well anyway, let me give you a short list of some of the cozies that I enjoy, and for once, ones that we have in stock in the store!

Coffeehouse Mysteries – by Cleo Coyle. If you like coffee, you will LOVE these mysteries. The protagonist manages a fantastic historic coffeehouse in New York City, and all too often finds herself in a mess of trouble with some type of murder or other threatening her business. Add to the mix delicious gourmet coffee tips, believable and likable characters, a fun and interesting backdrop, and an acceptable and pleasing amount of romance, and you’ve got yourself the perfect cozy!

Death on Demand Mysteries – by Carolyn Hart. Running a mystery bookstore in the small-knit, idyllic island community of Broward’s Rock, Annie Darling has the perfect setting (and name) for the cozy genre. And who loves books who doesn’t love reading about people who run bookstores?

Toadfern Mysteries – by Sharon Short. Josie Toadfern runs her small Ohio town’s only laundromat, and has become something of a stain expert, leading her to be one of the few people who can figure out what the mysterious markings on a silk blouse or handkerchief actually are. The characters in Short’s series are wacky and fun, and the setting is believable and interesting, making for a perfectly satisfying read for me.

The one downside I’ve found with cozies is at times the characters are very stereotyped and the plot can be incredibly formulaic – not with all, but definitely with some. Sometimes, the authors work so hard to be acceptable to as broad an audience as possible that in the course of trying not to offend anyone they offend most people – or at least me. But when you know you’re only reading for fun, those things really don’t seem that important. Come in and ask about cozies, everyone here will be more than happy to lead you to the best of the bunch.

SHAZAM!

Great, exciting news! We were recently approached by a group of guys who would like their discussion group on comics to start meeting here at Don’s Books. They will be meeting the second Tuesday of every month, beginning November 13th, from 6-8, and new people with an interest in comics are welcome.

Questions about the group can be sent to the famous world-traveler comic book aficionado Weston Strickler at westonelliot@gmail.com. I’ve known a couple of the guys in the group for a long time, and trust me, the group will be fun and laid back. If you’ve ever felt like you had no one to talk about your comic book obsession, if you’re just getting started reading them and need some help, or if you have an interest in comics and graphic novels as a literary medium, come and check out the group.

Space / Time Continuum Errors

Wow, I could have sworn we were still blogging all this time. Gee whiz, has it really been since July? I think that it’s not my fault, there must have been something going on with that darn space/time continuum doodad again.

Regardless, it’s been a great couple of months at Don’s Books. We have successfully started our monthly book discussion group, led by former IU Kokomo professor Dr. John Rudy. In November we’ll be discussing Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. Make sure to come early, we’ve been running out of chairs! Surely it’s not due to the striking resemblance our discussion leader bears to Brad Pitt?

I personally spent some time down at GenCon in August, which, for those of you unfamiliar, is a convention for role-playing gamers. The geeky ones with pencils and paper and funny shaped dice. It was huge and actually quite overwhelming. The BEST part was meeting one of my favorite new writers, Patrick Rothfuss. Rothfuss is writing one of the most compelling and beautifully written epic fantasy series out there. The initial title, The Name of the Wind, is just out in hardcover right now, so we don’t generally carry it, but we are more than happy to order it. The paperback (and the next volume in the series) is coming out in April of next year. Not only is it a great book, it was written by a GNOME.

Now, I honestly can’t say enough about the quality of this book. Especially as a first novel, it makes the fantasy epic seem brand-new. If you have EVER enjoyed reading fantasy, pick it up. If you are disappointed you can blame me, but I can’t imagine how you could be, and I would probably question your taste and perhaps your character. Rothfuss won the Quill award for best Science Fiction / Fantasy novel this year, and you can watch him accept the award on NBC Saturday, October 27th. I’m sure he’ll say something delightful and witty, because he’s just that kind of guy.

Reference

Today, Monique shelved lots of things quickly, moved large print and audio books to where horror used to be (keeping you guys on your toes, as usual), and typed a bunch of stuff. I weeded in the parking lot so people will stop walking in and asking if we are still open and rearranged the reference section.

Working in the reference section got me thinking. People don’t think that the reference section is fun. They only head there when they want a dictionary or a thesaurus, for the most part. Just the word reference implies that you only use those books when you need to refer to something, yet there are a lot of books that live in the reference section that can be read from cover to cover, without causing pain. I thought I’d profile a few of our reference books, and remember, we usually get between 100 and 300 books in everyday, so we will always be getting in new, fun reference books for your amusement.

Woe is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English, by Patricia T. O’Conner  This grammar book is fun and easy to get through. O’Conner reminds readers that you don’t need to know the technical nitty-gritty of language to get it right, and gives everyday, easy to follow examples that take much less effort to understand than my college composition books did.

Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Extraordinary Book of Facts and Bizarre Information. We actually have several of the Uncle John Bathroom Reader series right now. Did you know that one third of all high school graduates never read another book?  I couldn’t imagine that, but that’s what Uncle John says! With pages of facts and other fun things like lists of oxymorons (drag race, nonworking mother, genuine imitation), these books have enough fun and useful information to keep you occupied while you are occupied. They also have very durable covers.

The Tightwad Gazette, by Amy Dacyczyn (a.k.a. The Frugal Zealot). Though many of the cost-saving techniques in this book require far too much effort for me, I have nothing but admiration for the people who manage to utilize these techniques everyday. Learn how to safely reuse everything from vacuum cleaner bags to tuna fish cans, make a compost bin, and get discounted pantyhose.

Speaking of craze-inducing kids books…

I mentioned a few posts back that I had heard a lot of good things about the Philip Pullman His Dark Materials series – of which the first installment, The Golden Compass, is being made into a movie – but that I had yet to read it.  I was embarrassed enough by that omission to pick up a copy on Wednesday and I love love love it.

I even went to the movie website after I finished the books and made my own daemon (mine is a fox named Sirion) and read up on everything on there, and then to the author’s website so I could find out more about him. I looked at a few fansites but then got nervous about spoilers so stopped. I told my husband about the world-building and we decided it would be our next carbook (we have a deal – he can drive if I can read. Since I feel guilty about reading with him sitting there being bored, I started reading aloud to him, and now sometimes we invent places to go so we can read our carbook. Right now it is Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke – a fantastic book).

So today I bought books 2 and 3 in the series, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. I am so excited to read them I’m almost disappointed that I have plans this evening. The world-building in Pullman’s novel is fantastic – you never feel out of touch, despite the fact that you rarely notice when he is giving you pertinent details. The world has a very unique, kind of steampunk feel about it. The characters are wonderful, it’s impossible not to adore the main character partly due to her faults – she is a magnificent liar! It also takes a bit of time to turn out who are the villains and who are the good folk, and with some characters you are never quite sure. I keep reading from other people that there are all kinds of deep philosophical questions and moral quandries in the novels, and while I noticed that they were there I honestly didn’t take the time to sort them out; I was far too interested in the story.

Come in and pick up a copy before the movie! The movie isn’t actually out until Christmas, which is far too far away, but this way you’ll have time for your whole family to read it – and it’s definitely a book for both kids and adults.

Harry Potter is GONE!

From our shelves…that is. I don’t know if he’s REALLY gone as I don’t have a copy of the book because Robert sold them ALL last night. Yay Robert! YAY for selling!

While we’re glad we were able to sell the massive quantity we ordered, Monique and I were a little disappointed we weren’t able to lug home our copies today, though it was obviously our own fault for not having faith in Robert’s selling power.

While I’m definitely in the middle of reading something else that I’m not going to put down for the new tome, I’m nervous as all get out that the book is going to be spoiled for me. I am really, really careful about spoilers; I hate them for anything. So far, I’ve just avoided turning on the tv or looking at newspapers or looking at websites I believe may not be discrete. It seems to work, but I’m not sure how long I can survive on limited media.

Working at Don’s Books

Today I was told I need to talk more about how great it is to work here.

Despite the draconian insistence on publishing positive press, it is a great place for me to work. I’ve worked at one other bookstore, a Barnes and Nobles – and I worked in the cafe. The cafe was the lowest of the low in the Barnes and Nobles caste system; I never did understand why, and I liked my actual work and customers. It was management that was whacko. I think they all had thought they would do great things with their English degrees when they grew up…

BUT, on to THIS store. I love working here because:

1. I get cheap books.

2. I love to help people find new authors and get them to read great books.

3. I love working for an independent bookstore.

4. I love that I’m allowed to squeeze all my hours into 4 days a week so I get three days off

5. I love it when we have a rare book that someone’s been looking for for years

6. I love our customers

7. I love having authors come in

8. I love having the flexibility to be creative and implement new ideas

9. I love that people ask me about books and I get PAID for it

10. I love being surrounded by books all day

11. I love working with our staff

12. I love being paid to stay current on trends in the book world

13. I love learning about the book industry

I think my very, very favorite part about working here though, is being able to recommend books, and the helping people find things to read part of the job. It’s fun how I get paid to be a book-pusher, when it used to just be an annoying quirk of mine. I mean, I still try to push books on friends and family, but not nearly as often as I used to. It’s almost as if a person with OCD got a job cleaning tile floors with a toothbrush, or a drug addict got a job…err…doing dugs, I guess.

Of course, I also love the cheap books part. I usually end up taking one to three books home on a daily basis. As I said, I work four days a week, so that ends up being 4 to twelve books on a weekly basis, or 16 to 48 books on a monthly basis. Not that I read all of them, but I like to think that someday I might.

Books and Movies and Movies and Books

I just had a child ask me if the Nancy Drew graphic novel we had on display was based on the movie.

It was fun to watch her eyes widen when I explained to her that, in fact, Nancy Drew books were being written before someone as old as ME was born. At least with Harry Potter, people – well, the vast majority of people -  know that Harry existed in print before he was on screen

Speaking of Harry Potter, the new book comes out on Saturday. We will be open at 11:30 in order to sell the book at 12:01. As Robert said in his email, we may not be the cheapest  place in town to get it, but we’ll probably have the shortest lines!

Back to books and movies – there are so many good books being made into movies right now. You should check them out when you come to pick up your copy of Harry potter! Here’s a short list:

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman – A beautifully rendered fairytale, told by the master of myth who brought us Sandman, American Gods, and of course, the funniest novel on the apocalypse ever, Good Omens.

The Golden Compass, by Phillip Pullman – If you’ve been to the movies lately, you’ve seen the previews for this one. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve yet to read it – despite the many great things I’ve heard about it in the last few years. It’s supposed to be brilliant, and the movie looks dazzling.

The Nanny Diaries, by Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus – This was a guilty pleasure of mine, and it definitely kept my attention. Who knew how crazy incredibly rich New York housewives were?