Seven Kinds of People You find in Bookshops

 One of the perks of being of being a  bookseller is that I know readers - lots of different kinds of readers - and each and every one has a story to tell, a joke to share, a plate of homemade cookies, or a simple smile to remind me stop, breathe, and take in the day.  This may sound counter intuitive, but many of these readers  give me books. I am surrounded by books both at LaDeDa and at home, still, nothing tops a book that has been selected with care just for me.

My most treasured book-gift came from friends Jim and Susie Miller.  On our opening day of business, the Millers were among our first customers.  I was nervous, unsure if I had made the right decisions.  On top of that, taking money from friends felt awkward, and  embarassing.  The book they chose happened to be one I had read several times.  In fact, I owned a copy,  It seemed logical to say, "Hey, I have a copy of this book at home.  I'll drop it off at your house and you can return it when you're done."  They proceeded to school me in Bookselling 101,  Lesson #1 --sell the  book if you want to keep the doors open.

Susie then handed me the most wonderful edition of Flowers from Shakespeare's Plays. With a tattered cover faded to a quiet sage green, the book bloomed with page after page of watercolor paintings, descriptions of each flower (and sometimes weeds) along with a quotation from the play in which the flower was mentioned.  

Even better than that was the hand written note on the inside cover from gifter to recipient, followed by a note from Jim and Susie.  If that isn't special enough, in the margins near most of the pictures were dainty notes on when, and where each flower had been planted, along with the temperature on planting day, and whether or not the flower thrived.  Each February, I page through and begin planning for spring.

I began this blospost with the intention of focusing on the book pictured above. This, too, was a gift, nicey inscribed by customer-now-friend, Jim. "Bev, how often does a person run across a book that they give to their favorite bookstore?"  The post was to offer desciptions of the seven types mentioned in the title in hopes that you would find yourself among the list and send us a note.  Clearly, that didn't happen.  But it will.  I know this has gotten long. I have missed my moments pounding these keys; time flew as the words spilled.  Check back next week for those promised descriptions.

You're wondering where the blog has been, right?  Honestly, I don't know.  In part, I was playing with other formats, hoping to create a weekly newsletter for the store.  I enjoyed designing and writing short somethings in that form for a number of organizations and purposes.  But, do you know how short those news items are? I created columns,stuck in some artsy icons, leaving little to no room for my scintillating commentary on books.  And heaven forbid that my wisdom on universal truths would have to omitted.  So, back to blogging it is.  It is nice to be back and I am trying to figure out how to make commenting on here possible so you can add your own scintillating universal truths for our thousands of readers. 

Thanks for stoipping by.  (Please give the comment button a whirl so we know if it works or not. Thanks.)

Be happy

LaDeDa Bev

 

Trans-Sisters Radio by Chris Bohjalian

Typical love story plot: boy meets girl. Boy loses girl.  Boy and girl reunite.  Not exactly the scenario here.  Boy loses girl, indeed...because he is will soon be she.  Chris Bohjalian (Midwives) wrote this book when we had a glut of nasty TV talk show dedicated to chair throwing, baby daddy outing, and sensationalizing even the most sensitive of human conditions.  We've all learned a lot about the trans community since those days, and for that reason alone, part of this book may present information already clear in your mind. 

The plot, as I said implied, is simple.  A man and woman fall in love; neither is expecting their casual relationship to move in that direction, but hearts opened and things moved from there.  Because the intensity of their friendship grew quickly, it wasn't until months in that Dana was able to tell Allison that he was considering transitioning.   And he did - both tell and transition.

Allison had tough choices to make - leave love behind, dabble in a lifestyle she had not considered before, embrace a platonic life                                                            with Dana, run away.....

Bohjalian spares no details in describing the reconstruction surgery, and the necessary rehab that follows.  Although I can't understand, I have always sympathized with those who don't feel right about who they are.  Taking dramatic steps, as Dana did, may be one solution, but the impact of that decision results in a myriad of complexities both for the transitioned individual and for anyone in his/her life.  So many thoughts ran through my mind as I read this, making me question how truly open minded I am about this topic.  So, yes, there is a physical change, and hopefully that is followed by an emotional change leading to much deserved happiness for the individual.  But, genetically, s/he has not changed, so what does that mean?  Is that really a change?  That, and other issues, confused me along the way...that's good reading.  Made me think.  Made me wonder....

This is human drama brings to light something that is probably not as rare as many of us believe it is.  The book is rough going at times, rocky, proactive, disturbing, and raw.  I guess you can tell from the lack of direction in this post that this book has me spinning.  Perhaps I would be more settled about the book had it not been for the ending.  The resolution (of sorts) was contrived, and, in my opinion, insulting to the major characters.  Check it out and let me know what you think.  (Mary, if you read it, please read the first couple chapters before you skip to the end!)

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay happy.

...and thanks...your support since our little indie bookstore has reopened has been humbling and overwhelming.

In Five Years...revisited

My book group has chosen this as our May title so I figured it would be a good time to resurrect these comments based on my first reading a few years back.  Got me thinking about how much changes in a short period of time and how quickly.  There have been surprises in my life, for sure, and in the lives of many friends.  they have been profound, maddening, provocative, and and many levels -life changing.  Suddenly, this simple, Sunday afternoon read had me doing some deep diving.  I seldom do a second go-round with a book, but this was good.  Thank you, Mary, for selecting this book for us.

 In five Years seems to be the hot go-to book right now.  Chick lit?  Rom-com? Beach read?  Sure. All of them.  When you applied for your first real job – you know the one you hoped would be a “career” and not just a nine to five gig – were you asked the big question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”?  Most of us were.  That’s where we poured our altruistic selves out to the interviewers in Miss America fashion.  Now, with my teaching career behind me, I understand what a very big question that was.  This book blows open our expectations of the future and suggests that we may not be in charge after all.

Our protagonist, Dannie Cohan, type A, resume building stoic, has her days, her life and her world planned.  She calculates every decision with a keen eye to whether or not it will get her where she wants to go.  She’s hard to relate to, for sure, but not unlikeable.  In fact, I can’t think of another novel I have read where I have rooted for every character. 

Dannie falls into a deep sleep on the night of her engagement and dreams she awakens in a strange apartment, with a strange man.  It is 2025.  The man, Aaron, knows her, knows everything about her, and goes about the day’s business as though it were routine for both of them.  Oh, it gets a bit steamy, and Dannie confesses it is the best bit of steam she has experienced in a long time. Shortly after, she wakes from her dream and moves on with only minimal thought about the dream until….

…Bella, Dannie’s lifelong friend introduces her to her latest…and TaDa…her latest is Aaron, from the DREAM!  I’m not revealing any spoilers here, all of that happens in the first twenty-five pages.  Here’s where I got a big surprise.  I thought, Oh, this is going to be tons of fun, a jolly romp as the Brits might say,  lots of cat and mouse type games, a door slammer plot.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  The author takes us on all sorts of twists and bumps, including some tear-jerking moments, and an unexpected ending. 

This quick Sunday afternoon read might be just the thing you need for a little escape.  Maybe, if we all stay healthy and work hard to keep those around us healthy, we will be back to normal in  five years.

Thanks for stopping by

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay happy.

Austen, Sanditon, and Pride and Prejudice

Using the words "Jane Austen" and "controversy" in the same sentence seems absurd, but now, with the airing of "Sanditon" on PBS's Masterpiece, the critics have risen with vengeance.  Die hard Austen fans appear to suffer greatly over the sex scenes... and oh-my-stars...the fact that many women in the series wear their hair down  Yet these pickers of nits have faithfully watched the entire series. 

The fact is that Jane Austen only wrote the first eleven chapters of Sanditon (a miserably awkward word to pronounce).  It is assumed that illness prevented her from completing the novel, yet several creatives have stepped in with imagined endings.  There's no denying many of Austen's favorite themes flow through the story.  Early on in the series, I set Jane Austen aside and watched this as a totally enjoyable Regency romance - flowing hair and all.

Years ago, I wrote a bookish column for the Herald Times Reporter.  Since I'm in a bit of a book slump right now, I thought I'd let you read that column again and perhaps you will pick up one of your favorite oldies to re-read while you wait for spring.

Here's the HTR piece.....

The copyright date is missing from my tattered copy of  Pride and Prejudice, but the crisp, yellowing pages, and netlike binding material tell me it‘s from the 1920’s.  Another clue to its age is whispered in the prices advertised on the final pages.   “Men, Women, and Emotions,” for example - “A skillful analysis of social habits, customs and follies.   Full of helpful admonition, sure to assist in smoothing rough ways of life...” - sold for fifty cents.  The deluxe edition with dark brown cloth cover was $1.00. 

            Stamped inside of this small piece of history, I found “Men’s and Boys’ Fine Clothing, Schuette Bro’s Co., Manitowoc, Wis.  Can’t you just imagine a conscientious Schuette employee placing this book ever so gently upon a formal occasional table?  How many women, I wonder, were whisked away to Georgian England by Austen’s sweeping story arcs and rapier wit while waiting for her son to be measured for his first adult suit.

            This bit of civility greeting local shoppers surely has roots in a time when life was slower, quieter and, to use one of Jane Austen’s favored words – genteel.  Perhaps that is one reason readers have an on-going love affair with Austen.  First impressions may be that Jane Austen, the spinster who published anonymously to avoid the tongue wagging, frequently directed at women writers the 1800’s, authored love stories.  And, indeed she did.  But, wrapped in her romances were stories of class structure, competition, and the feisty struggle between desire and propriety.       

            Yes, her plots seem formulaic, and could be reduced to a lonely-hearts ad – young woman of meager means seeks male suitor of substance in hopes of building a secure future.  Still, Austen’s plots have captivated generations.  In the Lizzy-Darcy storyline, Austen’s rubato rhythm mimics the tide’s ebb and flow.   Lizzy approaches. Darcy retreats.  Darcy regrets his words.  He approaches Lizzie.  Lizzie retreats...until...well, you get the picture!

             Lizzy Bennett is no blushing flower as one might expect from a novel set in 1797.  In fact, she is quite the opposite -  fiery, witty, and determined to be Darcy’s equal, not his subordinate. 

             Readers have voted Fitzwilliam Darcy, the quintessential love interest, one of ten most dateable fictional characters.  His brooding nature smoldering with hints of mystery and danger has become the archetype for  apparently unattainable men including Rhett Butler and Mr. Big of “Sex and the City” fame.  

            Classic and classy, Austen’s works turn up in forms both amusing, and horrifying.  Bridget Jones’ Diary is a contemporary movie version of P&P, coincidentally starring Colin Firth who played Darcy in a true to text A&E mini-series.  The freshest entry into the Austen-like offerings comes from Seth Grahame-Smith who mashes Austen’s text with strange zombie violence.  The first in his series, Pride and Prejudice & Zombies, finds Mr. Bennet instructing his five daughters in martial arts.  It’s a good thing, too.  At the grand Pemberley ball, the girls step up to defend party goes against a zombie attack! 

            Bollywood director Guider Chatham gave us a musical extravaganza titled “Bride and Prejudice,” starring former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachcan as Elizabeth Bennet.  Bits of Hindi and Punjabi dialogue will not hamper the enjoyment of dedicated Janeites. 

            Can’t get enough?  Join the Jane Austen Society of North America, or simply check out their website at jasna.org.  You will find a lengthy list of Austen inspired books and movies and as an added bonus you can buy your Austen earrings, bumper stickers, tote bags.  

The Word is Murder

This ranks up there as one of the most fascinating, artfully crafted mysteries ever!  Anthony Horowitz authored the Alex Rider series for young adults, and served as screenwriter for several PBS Masterpiece Mystery! shows including  Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War.

The first chapters confused me.  Was the author going to spend the entire novel talking about his personal writing history?  Was the personal information ever going to connect with the story arc or had some editor somewhere simply mislabeled the introduction with the early chapter titles?  

Before long, though, I realized that Horowitz has more than intimated himself into the novel, he places himself at the center of the action as a novelist working with a detective to solve a crime.  It's all very meta.

Mrs, Cowper walks into a funeral home to arrange future services for herself.  Six hours later she is dead.  Murdered.  Several murders follow, all tied to a ten year old accident that killed on young boy and resulted in life long injuries for his brother.

Disgraced ex-detective, Daniel Hawthorne enters the picture, as he frequently does when the London police are stumped.  Hawthorne, arrogant, surly and secretive, enlists the help of Horowitz, thinking that the author will follow him as he solves this complex case, and ultimately write a best selling novel about the investigation. The push and pull that erupts between these two often slows the movement of the investigation (but not in a bad way), with both parties questioning the efficacy of the relationship.  Told in first person, Horowitz lets us in on all sorts of writing and publishing secrets while being critiqued at every turn by Hawthorne.  It is this very difference in styles that eventually brings together a obtuse mixture of parts leading to a solution. 

The narrative unraveling of the case is a fine homage to Agatha Christie and  all traditional gumshoe detectives who rely on cunning, intuition, and sometime law-breaking to solve crimes.

Next up -  Killers of the Flower Moon

Thanks for stopping by.

   

Death of an Irish Diva

These grey, wishy-washy days call for some lighter reading, and so I grabbed a cozy mystery from my futures pile.  Like many cozies, this is part of a series.  In this case, some characters and minor incidents carry over, but story lines are fresh so jumping in at any point is easy.

This particular series is anchored by a versatile group of scrap booking ladies which includes a retired journalist and more than one amateur sleuth.  Combining Irish dance, scrap booking, adoptions, murder and much more, the story begins with the St. Patrick's Day parade in Cumberland Creek.  The parade goes off without a hitch until the body of famed Irish dancer, Emily McGlashen is found murdered in her dance studio.  the prime suspect is Vera Matthews, owner of a competing studio where only the fine, traditional dance forms are taught.  

Shortly, we discover that Emily may not be who she claimed to when a couple named McGlashen arrive to identify the body they believe to be their daughter only to announce they have no idea who the body is.  Then there's Vera's mother who, in the process of having her yard dug for a pool, finds that her home may be located on consecrated burial ground.  This is all good fun, just a cozy mysteries should be.  No lengthy description of chopped up bodies. no gratuitous love scenes. no cuss words.

There's a cozy for every interest, occupation, hobby, season, holiday, location, historical period, favorite animal, favorite supernatural obsession....well, you get the picture.   they're pure escape reading, and after one or two in the series, you feel like you're spending Sunday afternoon with old friend.  Do a search on Cozy mysteries and you'll come u0p with dozens of hits.  but, if you're looking for a specific theme and don't have the time or desire to wade through all the on-line sites, let me know.  I'd love to do the digging for you.

As I was thinking about this post, I scrolled through older posts and found a few words about another cozy to add on the right side bar.  In my search, I discovered that apparently I have posted on the same book a couple time - probably because I frequently start a book  and then get pulled away by another title - getting back to the original partial post months or years later.

I also discovered that my dog hasn't posted in a long time, nor have I have a guest post from Steve.  Gotta make some changes there soon.

Thanks for stopping by.

Everything I Never Told You

This is the third book selected by a small book group I recently joined. The group that meets at LaDeDa is still going strong - about 10 years or so.  In fact, on Friday we met for our belated Christmas party and celebrated with pizza, and a white elephant gift exchange.  I was lucky to be re-gifted one of the items I gave last year.  

Let me back-up.  Many years ago, I found  a Marie Osmond doll at St. Vinnie's.  I'm not talking a little Barbie type doll; this treasure is at least three feet tall and came with patterns so I can sew her a collection of totally mod fashions.  Won't happen.  Included in her storage box was a king size pillow case with a screened photo of a pre-pubescent Donny lounging.  The moment Nancy opened her gift last year, a wave of regret flooded through me - not quite to my soul, but still rather deeply.  Nothing could have pleased me more than re-getting this pillow case, unless it was the three nun finger puppets, the post-it note collection, the Penzy spices with a 2015 expiration date, or the bathroom freshener.  All in all, a grand night.

Back to the book now....much of what I am going to say is speculation since I had little time to read last weekend due to a poopsick doggy.  Vet says there is some sort of intestinal upset (no sh*t) and gave her antibiotics.  I suspect she drank a cup of coffee that I had misplaced.

OK.  The book.  The title hints at much, wouldn't you say?  A book of secrets?  Then there are the opening lines, "Lydia is dead.  But they don't know this yet."  I figured the story arc would focus on the how and why of Lydia's death, and to an extent, it does.  The bigger story is the day to day functioning of two generations and the impact the sins of the first have on the next.  In the 1970's, a Caucasian girl marrying a Chinese boy was not acceptable.  Who committed that sin - the young married couple or the mother who refuses to bless the union?  What about parents who readily admit they favor one of their three children over the others?  I can't forget to mention the parent who pushes a daughter to excel in areas she herself was unable to pursue due to her responsibilities as a wife and mother.  

This is the story of the complexities of family life.  So far, it is not a happy story and I fear that will not change.  But the real-ness has drawn me in and I no longer wonder about Lydia's death.  It is the impact of that death that will siphon truths from each character.  Where that will lead, I'm not sure, but I suspect this may be a book with an ambiguous ending.

Thanks for stopping by.

Little Women

Old fashioned.  Tender.  Sentimental.   Sweet. Yes, Louisa May Alcott's novel is all of these, but it also extols universal truths, both touching and hard edged.  Some people may argue that the four March sisters, having been groomed in skills needed by all good wives of their day, do not set reasonable examples for young girls reading the book and facing challenges of the 21st century.  It's true that with the exception of Beth, the sisters dream about the castles in the clouds, fine dresses and marriage.  But there's more. 

These are two pre-teen and two early teen girls who, along with their mother, keep a household organized and efficient while their father/husband is away at war.  The have little to live on and yet always find enough to share with neighbors who are less fortunate.  Meg works as a governess and Jo is a companion to an elderly aunt.  Each girl is her own person and not a paper doll, pliable to the expectation of society.  I found them to be real people, flawed like all of us.  

Alcott's writing shines in the two chapter devoted to Beth, the sister I would guess most 12 year-old girls are drawn to.  The second sister, Jo, probably challenged Alcott's first readers the most.  She is a tom-boy, quirky, witty, surly at times, and does something I believe to be rare in those day; she has a platonic relationship with a boy!  She also dreams of being a career woman, a writer and she relentlessly hones her craft. 

Meg, the oldest, is the first to marry and have children, twins.  Mothering does not come easily to her, especially with a high spirited son and a husband who is, in my opinion, a pill.  Admitting that motherhood can be draining and even sometimes impossible is a message that until recently was unacceptable.  Amy could be considered the most superficial of the group, yet she matures into a likeable person giving hope to parents and those who have difficult people in their lives.  

This book doesn't drip with saccharine as I thought it would.  Instead, I found it pleasant, sad, thoughtful and more than well worth the time it took to read the 400+ pages in tiny, tiny type.  I wonder if I would have been impressed had I read it when I should have, around age eleven.  I also wonder who tells people to read it now.  This is one of those books I hope will always find a place on bookshelves in many homes.  I hope reading it will be as pleasant a surprise to future readers as it was to me.

Thanks for stopping by.

Baby Girl

Everyone has a story.  Some stories are about beginnings, others - endings.  Some are happy, -others not so much.  Yet, each story inhabits a place in someone's personal history, moving them, directing them and shaping them.  Baby Girl is one of those stories.  

You know from past posts that if I were to list my least favorite characteristics in fiction, sentimentality and inspiration would top the list.  But when a friend handed me this book and announced that it is her story, those characteristics paled in light of the bravery and resilience shone in the main character. 

 Let me explain.  Although the author clearly identifies and thanks the local woman whose life became the road map for this book, I will refer to her only as "C".  C wandered into my store years ago; it might have even been in our former location.  She was bright, exuberant, and gentle even though the tiny glimpses she gave me into her life had me shaking me head and wondering how she had risen above her challenges.  At the time, C was living in a totally unorthodox dwelling, but she made it seem special, almost exotic.  Little did I know hoe much angst that "home" represented, nor did I have any inkling of all that led to her living in that awkward space.

Baby Girl is about losing and finding.  Giving up a baby girl for adoption marks the mid-point of C's sorrows, but also makes the beginning of C leaving her inner baby girl behind and growing into a strong, confident woman.  The path C takes to get to today tricks her, trips her and sends her spinning in a million directions.  Still, she beats down the enemies one by one with wit and intelligence.  Throw in a nice dose of stubbornness and you've got the perfect mix for success.  And whether she believes it or not, C is a success.  

I have to be honest here and say that the writing style is quite simple... without a lot of artistry.  However, the succinct word choice and linear plot development are solid.  The important element in the book is the main character, a fictional representation of my friend C.  Betty Lee Crosby allows that character to shine through the darkness.

C, thank you for trusting me enough  to share this with me.  I hope you are proud of who you are.  I am happy we are friends.

Thanks for stopping by.

LaDeDa Bev

Thinking About Alligators

If you're up on current, local news, you know all about the alligator drug bust.  If you don't, here's the scoop - in the process of locating a parole violator, police went to a home and were greeted with a strong pot smell wafting through the air. Upon searching the premises, a hug amount of marijuana was found, along with an alligator!  An alligator, right here in Manitowoc.  It seems the little guy was pretty sick - dehydrated (or high) and was quickly taken to a rehab center.  Makes sense, I guess. After all, anyone dumb enough to be growing, or storing or whatever ...several pounds of pot you surly needs to protect it with a guard alligator.  

Personally, I am not a fan of the alligator or the crocodile for that matter.  Years ago, while prepping a show I was directing at a local high school. I dreamed of going into the costume dungeon.  I'm not kidding when I say dungeon.  The door was hidden behind the trophy case, held shut with a rusty padlock that sometimes worked.  Down eight or nine steps in the pitch darkness before coming to a light switch that sometimes turned on the single bulb dangling from the ceiling.  Down three more steps, sharp turn to the left and then another door. This place was never intended to be storage.  I think it was actually an access passage to something mechanical which the custodians just hoped they would never have to access. Anyway, the black hole of costumes was occupied by a colony of crocs.  Play prep always haunts my dreams with the intensity in direct proportion to the difficulty of the show.  

Ironically, one of my favorite new kids' books is the one pictured above.  Magnolia's teacher tells the class to brings something from nature for show and tell.  You can see what Magnolia brings!  She's a spirited little kid, and the alligator matches her move for move.  He chews gum. laughs behind the teacher's back, and tries to eat a kid.

The fun isn't limited to the story, though.  The illustrations tell their own stories.  You have to watch for the paper airplane flying from page to page.  Clever names decorate lockers and the blackboard is filled with questionable facts.

Alligator allegory?  Yup, read Lisa Moore's Alligator to see how ruthlessly reptilian some folks can be. And don't forget Bringing Albert Home, a memoir I wrote about earlier.  The author's mother had a pet alligator but her soon to be husband gave her a "him or me" ultimatum.  Mom decided to return the beast, cross county via car, to Florida.  Guess what?  She meets Hemingway in the process.  

Kipling wrote about an alligator in his Just So Stories, but my all time favorite alligator line was spoken by Mrs. Malaprop in The Rivals by Sheridan.  I loved all those comedy of manners playwrights - Goldsmith, Congreve, Wilde.  But Sheridan gave me Mrs. Malaprop, a character who spoke in a confident voice while butchering the English language.  Speaking of a sweet young thing named Lydia, Mrs. Malaprop says she's "as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile."  Malaprop says much more, but that's the only quote that fits here!

I'm still working on and thoroughly enjoying West with the Wind.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hemingway, Elvis and a Couple Fights

Yup!  Another Hemingway checked off.  Of course, I will not accomplish my goal of reading all his work this year.  This stuff is exhausting.  "Snows" may be a short story, but Hemingway packed it full of artistry. Much of this semi-autobiographical work is told through stream of consciousness sequences in which the main character ruminates - with great bitterness - about the missed opportunities in his life.  Harry is dying of gangrene due to an untreated scratch he received while on safari.  The fever and the fear death feed his need to philosophize.  Regret regret regret - loves unfulfilled, women used and tossed. books unwritten, talent not used...and the biggest regret of all - nothing stood in his way except himself.

Harry is the typical cold, unhappy, callous Hemingway man.  Interestingly, most of the women in "Snow" display whispers of strength, but seldom do they assert themselves enough to press either themselves or Harry into action that could take them away from the seedier sides of life.

Symbolism? Oh yes.  More than I recall in other Papa H writing.  The frozen leopard atop the mountain, vultures, hyenas and the mountain itself.  For me, a symbol has to be purposeful and in this case, they are. Sure, I can see where debate is possible, and in some cases the symbols have multiple layers, but theses are not so cryptic as to render them little more than pompous displays of "Look what I can do."  

Time to pick up a happier book.

On the LaDeDa front...things were hopping around here on Friday beginning with a customer altercation. Oh my goodness.  Such exciement.   A brother and sister stopped in after school for Italian sodas.  The little brother announced that his sister has a new boyfriend.  She screamed!  She shouted.  He laughed.  He didn't take the hint when she told him to stop or else.  When he continued to shout out the boy's name "or else" happened.  The sister got him in the best 4th grade girl  head lock I have ever seen.  You go girl.  When little brother refused to stop calling out the boy friend's name, she suddenly unlocked the death grip. She snapped to attention and I saw tears well up. Then she ran and locked herself in our bathroom and cried.  Between sobs she managed to inform me that she was never coming out.  I went to the car and told mom. Soon the door was unlocked and off the siblings went.  I can only imagine what that ride home was like.

Then, of all things, an Elvis impersonator walked into the store.  It seems he has written a couple books. In one, he recounts his 50 years of entertaining as a faux Elvis and another is a murder involving Abraham Lincoln.  The third book has three titles : Elvirus! Elvi-Geddon, Dawn of the Elvi Invasion.  Rather than me trying to explain, here's what the back of the book has to say....

Elvis is everywhere.  Elvis impersonators are taking over every facet of our society.  T.V.  Movies.  Social Media.  Education and even Politics.  A group of 100 Elvi in 1977 has grown to over 100,00 with no end in sight.

There's more, but that gives you an idea.

Later that night, our book group met to discuss Peyton Place.  Fireworks!  I can't remember the last time we had such emotional disagreements.  For the record, most of the group enjoyed the book, including me and yet the points of contention got...well... contentious.  This isn't the first time I have left a discussion thinking that I don't belong in a book group.  My taste is often different for others, and as a result I walk away wondering if my logic and my view of the world is warped.  Maybe we have grown so close that we have left any pretence of politeness behind and can  disagree more like sisters than the group of strangers were were 8+ years ago.  Still, that's a tough concept for an only-lonely like myself.  Anyway....

Thanks for stopping by.

What am I reading now?  Not sure.  I just received an Advance Reader Spy of a little mystery set in Lily Dale, that quirky new age community  in New York that I wrote about a few months back.  Realistically though, I think it's time for me to read I am Malala.  We'll see.....

On the Road with Albert

Oh how I wish that everyone who loves books and reading could have me life!  Really, days are filled with interesting, chatty customers, happy people who tell me about all the books I "must" read.  I add those titles to my list and actually read some of them.  Sometimes it takes years, but I try.  Then there are the ARCs - the Advance Reader Copies that come in the mail - sometimes in a package of a singe book, but more often in a box with many inviting titles.  They pile up nicely.  Waiting.  I try to match them up with the perfect reader. Post it notes come in handy when ear-marking an ARC for a particular customer who I know might like the book.   I ask you, how can life be bad when you get a treasure like the one above?  

Here's the info from the back of the ARC since I haven't read the book yet and wouldn't be good at pretending I have.....

Elsie Lavender and Homer Hickman (father of the author) were classmates in the West Virginia cornfields,** (see note at bottom) graduating just as the Great Depression began. When Homer asked for her hand, Elsie instead headed to Orlando where she sparked with a dancing actor named Buddy Ebsen, (yes, that Buddy Ebsen).  But when Buddy headed to New York, Elsie's dreams of a life with him were crushed and eventually she found herself back in the cornfields, married to Homer.

Unfulfilled as a miner's wife, Elsie was reminded of her carefree days with Buddy every day because of his unusual wedding gift: an alligator named Albert she raised in only the bathroom of their house.  When Albert scared Homer by grabbing his pants, he gave Elsie an ultimatum: "Me or that alligator!" After giving it some thought, Elsie concluded there was only one thing to do" Carry Albert Home.

What fun. The newlyweds traveled 1000 miles to return the alligator.  What's curious to me is that the sell sheet says everyone knows this story.  It's new to me and probably new to many of you as well. The first page photos of the main characters include Homer, the younger and the elder, Elsie, and Albert.  There is also a rooster with this parenthetical disclaimer (Whose presence on the journey is not entirely understood).

So now I am faced with a dilemma.  Do I read this book which promises a "sweet and tragic tale" or do I stick to the plan and read Compulsion?  Years ago I read this true crime novel based on the infamous Leopld and Loeb murder case that changed the course of American justice, and I have seen the movie several times. As a Philosophy minor, I was attracted to the story of two socially awkward college boys obsessed with Nietzsche's concept of the super human. That Philosophy minor, by the way, did little other than provide me the auspicious privilege of wearing a toga and declaring "I think".  But dang it, the book was re-released a while back and finally worked its way to the top of the pile.  So which will it be...alligator tripping or a tragic attempt to commit the perfect crime? 

**Oh and YES, the editor who wrote the blurb for the back of the book actually said they went to school in a cornfield!

Still Thinking About Artemisia

Our book group discussed The Passion of Artemisia on Friday night, and with one exception, we all enjoyed the book. The more we talked, the more I wondered why I had never heard of Artemisia Gentileschi before discovering this book. She was a contemporary of Caravaggio, and appeared to have known him personally. Art history classes cover Caravaggio Titian, and Michelangelo ad nauseum, but women artists are seldom celebrated. Heck, the first female artist I recall being referenced in a Humanities class was Frida Kahlo, and even that included a comment about her uni-brow!

I went to the library to get a book of works by Gentileschi but came up with next to nothing...just a few mentions of her in some books on "influential" women artists. Not the big, coffee table books I found on other artists. Her suffering - her passion - is evident in her character's faces. Artemisia was tortured because she accused a fellow artist of rape. When she would not admit the act was consentual, her fingers were laced with rope which was incrementally tightened until the flesh between her fingers cracked and bled. She was subject to a life of ridicule and scorn, not the least of which was her father's continued partnership with her rapist.

I know I have to move on, but I am hoping that perhaps one or two of you will pick up this book and be as moved as I was. The painting at the top is one her many renditions of Judith Slaying Holofernes.

What am I reading? Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, host of the Travel Channel's "No Reservations." Each week, Bourdain takes us travelling - sometimes to places quite exotic, other times, to rather mundane locations. But no matter where he goes, he fills his hour with history and color. And, there is always the ceremonial tasting of a local gastronomic delight. Now, that could mean something quite posh and unpronounceable to plebeians like me, or it could be something most of us would never even consider food. In "Kitchen," Bourdain writes with crude honestly about what he has experienced as a career chef . Much of what he shares isn't pretty, or appetizing, but the culinary warnings are softened by his acerbic wit.

Did you all get to AcousticFest on Saturday?

A Message from Mike Perry and a New, Local Writer

Here's a little note from Mike Perry, one of our fave authors and occasional guest at LaDeDa. He is the author of Population 485, Truck, and Off Main Street. Of course, you already know all that...and if you don't, what are you waiting for? Here's his message.....

Howdy. Lately I have been raising pigs and chickens and will therefore leave my boots at the door. This is a relatively new habit developed on the advice of my wife. I cannot lie - I am lazy about unlacing, and sometimes when she travels I get pertinacious and track up the kitchen. I watch the clock and calendar and mop up shortly before she is due to return. As I am a disciple of distraction she regularly walks through the door and catches me in my steel-toes trying to nudge clumps of dried mud out of sight against the mopboard, all the while sporting the same ghastly grin of ingratiation employed by cookie-thieving six-year-olds and willfully incontinent puppies.

I meant to say thank-you, and already I am off track. This is a recurring theme with my writing. Not everyone is enamored of the tendency. People sometimes ask me why I skip around, and I can only reply because that's how it's going in my head. In the early years I attempted to write seamless prose. I insisted on taking the reader by the elbow and gently introducing each narrative thread as if it were a timid child on its first day at a new school. Then one day in the mid-1990's I sat in my old green chair and read several of the essays in Jim Harrison's Just Before Dark, and as he jumped for haute cuisine to Budwiser to stag hunting in the south of France to ice fishing in Michigan and so on, it struck me that all my solicitous handholding was presumptive and made me not a Boy Scout but rather an overbearing lunkhead who mistrusted the navigational abilities of the unknown reader. So now when I come to the end of a thought, I just jump. I don't always make the right leap. Readers and reviewers sometimes point this out. I don't mind. Nonstop encomiums artificially enhance the ego while softening one's critical midsection, which is where the blows are absorbed.

Originally this book (Truck) was supposed to be about two things: the resurrection of my old pickup truck, and a year in the life of my garden. I wanted to write a book about gardening because I was fed up with happy gardening books. I felt it was time for a grim gardening book, and I'm eminently qualified. I wanted to write about fixing up my truck because I dreamed of claiming brake pads as a business expense - sadly, the tax lady said no. The third thread - the real love story - came as a complete surprise. Tangent of a lifetime, really. Things are going good: I am currently in the process of trying to figure out how to adjust a four-point racing harness in order that it might secure a baby seat.

It's fun to joke and ramble, but here's the main deal: I am baffled and overjoyed at the wrong turns and coincidences leading to the book... It would not exist were it not for word-of-mouth readers talking to readers, book lovers talking about books. And for that I owe a great debt...Thanks. Thanks. For you, I remove my boots.

**********

Joe Keil, a local author and 20-Year veteran of law enforcement, dropped this book off last week hoping that I would stock it. Honestly, I am not a fan of self-published books, but there are a few that have the right ingredients, and this is one of them.

Joe and his wife, Deb, spent a long time visiting with me, and their belief in this project and their sincere efforts to do the hard work needed to get this book into the right hands is impressive.

As a former educator, I know how important it is to have detailed knowledge on the signs of drug use/abuse, and even with that knowledge firmly in hand, we sometimes get it wrong. This book shakes the subject down to readable bits, not in police jargon, but in language that we all can understand. It is an exhausting, frightening, but necessary book. If you do nothing else but look at the pictures in the appendix, you will be a wiser, more aware protector of our youth and their future.