Book of the Week: The Night Circus

I have a girl crush on my librarian. Several months ago, I chatted with one of the cute girls who works at our local library about a book I was just returning. We found quite a bit to say about the book, and discovered we had been reading many of the same works. It is so exciting to find someone who reads what you read; it's as though you speak the same secret, magical foreign language. Well, before I could properly ask her name and introduce myself (never mind that she has my info up on the computer screen while she's checking my books out for me), a line of patrons formed behind me and we said a hasty goodbye. 

On subsequent library visits, I surprised myself by hoping she'd be working so that we  couldtalk again. I even mentioned to my husband how nice it would be if we became friends. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a chance to talk again. We would say hello to each other briefly, as she assisted other patrons, but we never managed to both be free at the same time. One awkward encounter I'll supply: I approached the desk to check out a book (timing it perfectly to arrive there as she was finishing with someone else) and just as she turned to me, the other librarian stepped in to take care of me. She (the should-be-my-friend girl) stood next to this other librarian, then said hi. I mentioned I had a book on hold. She got it off the shelf as the other librarian looked up my name, then turned to find it on the shelf and they nearly ran into each other. As the librarian was checking my book out, the girl smiled at me, I tried to think of a way to start a conversation over the librarian's shoulder, and then she just shrugged her shoulders and turned away to help someone else. My husband witnessed all of this and laughed all the way home. He thinks I must have been twenty times more nervous and crazy about courting him if I put this much thought into making a new friend. But I can just tell, we would be really great friends!

Anyway, I dashed to library before flying to Ottawa for work last week and guess who was working at the desk with no other patrons floating around needing help?? The girl, that's who. I returned my book and got all flustered, wishing I wasn't wearing sweatpants and one of Nick's big shirts. I started to walk to the shelves to browse and then turned back to her and asked if she had any recommendations. We talked for a bit about what kind of book I was looking for and then her face lit up and she ran to the back and came out with a novel in hand. I thanked her for the book, and introduced myself, and learned her name. All of this background story to tell you: I read a delightful story this week, thanks to my librarian friend's recommendation. It is called The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. 

(Aside--How cool is it that her surname is also the surname of the fictional author of The Princess Bride?? I was immediately intrigued.)

So, you shouldn't read this book unless you're looking for a story that will whisk you away to a mysterious, enchanting world dripping with romance, conflict, and imaginative magic. I walked around dreamy-eyed, thinking about the fantastical while I worked this week. This is the story of two magicians, for lack of a better word, pitted against each other in a battle of abilities--the ability to manipulate matter, to change the colors of a dress, grow a garden of ice crystals, bewitch umbrellas to truly repel rain. With such powers, they create beautiful experiences of wonder for their friends and circus guests. Devastatingly, they discover that there can and must be only one victor in this competition. In order to survive, one must destroy the other. 

I can't tell you anymore--go discover it for yourselves! It isn't too far-fetched and magicky. It's accessible magic in a believably unbelievable early 1900's world. Trust me, and trust my new librarian friend: this is a feel-good book that is perfect for Spring Break, pool-side, or on snuggled up in bed. 

Inspired by the book, I am toying with the idea of planning a midnight feast this summer for some friends. Sparkly strands of lights and decadent dishes just for fun, with a Night Circus decor theme. Yes, yes, yes. 

Book of the week: The Aviator's Wife

Happy Thursday, everybody! It's time for a book recommendation. I'm so happy to share The Aviator's Wife, by Melanie Benjamin. I found this book in a tiny bookshop with an overstuffed couch in the Garden District of New Orleans. I brought it with me on a work trip to Toronto this week and I couldn't put it down: I read it during my flight and while waiting for my luggage at the baggage carousel, I stayed up past my bedtime two nights in a row, and I snuck in a few pages before each of my shows this week. This is a fictional account of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of the man who first flew across the ocean from New York to Paris. Benjamin breathes life into historical facts and paints a heroine who feels real and close to the reader--so that we relate to this woman who, indeed, lived a very unique life! 

The story begins in Mexico City, where a young college student, Anne Morrow, first meets Charles Lindbergh, a real American Hero. He's just completed the infamous solo flight across the Atlantic and is balancing his thirst for achievement and adventure with a need to escape the relentless hounding of the press. He chooses Anne as a companion, someone whom he can trust and rely upon. Anne thrills at this unexpected, exciting twist of events in her quiet life. But she soon realizes Charles has high expectations for her role not only as his wife, but also as his only crew on his many expeditions and missions. Set in Anne's voice, the novel explores the couple's tumultuous relationship, adhering accurately to historical fact. 

I learned a lot from Anne's journey. Her desire to please her husband pushes her to do amazing things: she learns Morse code, how to navigate using the stars, and earns her pilot license. And yet, she's always left yearning for validation--love--from Charles. The epigraph at the beginning of the book is a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart." I found myself pondering this concept as Anne, an author and an artist, struggles to align her beliefs and world-view with those of her husband, a scientist (really). You can see her desires being molded throughout their marriage. I just want to share two excerpts.

This first one is when Anne is trying to decide what to do after college, professing to want more than just becoming a housewife and an entertainer: 

"'But what about love? What about passion? What about--more?' I flung my pencil down with a dramatic gesture that surprised both of us...'I don't know about you, but I don't want to be one of those dried-up matrons you see at bridge parties, scowling at the younger generation. I want to be one of those marvelous old ladies covered in scarves who rock in their chairs with mysterious smiles, remembering the scandalous affairs of their youth!'

"'Why, Ann Morrow!' My roommate's green eyes deepened. 'You sly creature! I guess still waters really do run deep!' (pg. 53)"

In this next passage, you can see Anne begin to understand what she has ahead of her at the beginning of her marriage:

"'Are you sure?' I asked anxiously, twisting the tie of my robe in knots. 'Are you sure you want me?'

"'Of course. Who else would I want? Who else would I trust but you, my wife? I would like my eggs now, if you please.'

I could only stare at him, overwhelmed by all that was expected of me. Last night, I realized suddenly, had only just been the beginning. Charles Lindbergh had chosen me; that, in itself, had been enormous enough to absorb, and I hadn't quite finished doing so. But now I began to understand what that really meant. I would be not only his wife but his copilot. I would not only make his eggs but steer his course to the Orient.

"I started to say, 'I'll try,' but stopped myself just in time. I understood that 'try' would not be an acceptable answer.

"Instead I said, 'Of course. How do you like them?'

"'Over easy.'

"'Perfect. That's just how I like my own eggs.'

"I did not like my eggs over easy. But it would be simpler, I knew, to pretend that I did(pg. 97)."

Of course, I'll leave the conclusion and the plot points undisclosed. It was so interesting to discover this famous couple that captured America's attention for so long (I hadn't known anything about Charles Lindbergh beyond his initial solo flight). Benjamin's writing masterfully drew me in--I felt invested in Anne and found her transformation throughout the novel satisfying. 

After completing the book, this story sent me to Google, researching more about the fascinating Mrs. Lindbergh, a symptom of what historical fiction at its best can accomplish. That should make the author happy, as she herself wrote: "As a historical novelist, the most gratifying thing I hear is that the reader was inspired, after reading my work of fiction, to research these remarkable people's lives further." 

Next, I think I may have to read some of the books Anne wrote and get to know her a little better! 

Book of the Week: The Giver

Like many of you, I first read Lois Lowry's The Giver in elementary school. I remembered it being the first book that not only transmitted me to another time and place, but also created a whole new set of rules for a different kind of world and society. It was, I see now, my introduction to dystopian fiction. 

Recently, I had noticed several different authors citing The Giver as one of the influential books that shaped them and their work. I was interested in rereading it as an adult and spent an afternoon doing so while my husband sat nearby studying all that sciency stuff he studies in medical school. 

Then, after a show at a school in New Jersey, an eighth grader was talking about how he hates reading, but that his principal had given him a book and he was enjoying it. What was the book? I asked. The Giver! It was pretty neat to tell him I had just reread it and we chatted about it for a few seconds. So then I knew I needed to share it here, as well-- whether you've read it before or this is the first you've heard of it, take my recommendation and go check it out of the library!

The book was inspired by a conversation Lowry had with her son, then serving in the armed forces, who prompted her with questions about why suffering exists in life. Lowry explores the need of pain, pleasure, and emotion by creating what initially seems like a utopian society where each member's language, dreams, actions, and careers are carefully guided and monitored. The main character is 12 year old Jonas. He is anxious to discover what his career assignment will be, but everyone is surprised when he is chosen to be the Receiver--the next elder in the society who will hold the memory of experiences in history that are now withheld from the rest of the community. Memories of color, snow, and even the concept of family. 

After reading it again, I watched a few interviews Lowry gave about her work. I discovered she's actually tackled this topic in three subsequent books, making The Giver a quartet. I've requested them from the library and I can't wait to read them. Something she said in one interview really struck me: "Young people, young readers, believe they can change the world." That inspired me because I remember reading when I was younger and feeling a fire beneath my feet--I felt like I could do something about whatever it was I was reading and learning. I hope that I can tap into that belief and write stories that give that same assurance to young readers today. 

Love Stories and English Letters

I just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Shaffer and Barrows. I have had it recommended to me several times over the last year or so and finally gave it a chance--it was DELIGHTFUL!

The novel is composed entirely of written correspondence between the characters, which I thought might limit the depth of the story. However, it actually lends a richness to every aspect of good fiction: the characters describe stories and people through their own unique paradigms and lend the reader a sense of discovering real relationships by snooping through old mail. The protagonist is smart, bold and unorthodox. The supporting cast is endearing. Their stories made me laugh and sigh with sadness, and I read it all too quickly once I hit the real love story at the end, racing to find out if they meet happiness or disappointment. 

Read it! It's going on The List*

*You know, when people find out you like to read and they ask you what they should read and you feel suddenly overwhelmed by the responsibility to direct someone to something they would like, something that will turn them to reading, and something that will reflect favorably upon yourself. For times like these, I pull out a mental list of books I can rely upon to either satisfy the person's honest query or alert me to their poor taste and views. 

Halloween Kid

I just sent this adorable book by Rhode Montijo to my niece,

because Halloween packages are
pretty much the greatest thing. ever.

and because it features two
of my favorite things: Halloween and Cowboys.

I found my copy at a Pottery Barn and was delighted by the rip-roarin' story of the Halloween Kid saving Halloween from goodie gobblin' goblins and a whole host of other shady, Halloween stoppin' bad guys. 
"Yee-ha-Halloween!" the Halloween Kid shouts!

Plus, the author totally rocks. He not only illustrates his own books, he also absolutely, totally loves Halloween and makes all sorts of Halloween art. Including--hello--a vintage-looking Halloween Kid lunch box. I want this =)

I'm a champion of this incredible holiday, and I'm glad to find I've got some help out there.

Top three reasons to get excited about Halloween:

1. COSTUMES--No big surprise the actor girl likes dressing up, I know. But Halloween costumes are more than that, they're a special tradition. Growing up, my mom always made our costumes. As we got older, we began to take a more active part in imagining, designing, and creating the costumes of our dreams. It was, and is, incredibly satisfying to create an entire character, to bring an idea to life and then show your friends what you accomplished whilst gathering candy and visiting with the neighbors. I am so grateful my parents often dressed up with us (and still do). They let us know it was okay to be silly and have fun, that you don't have to grow out of dressing up the way you might grow out of trick-or-treating. It's such a delightful, fun thing to plan and anticipate; my sister and I will talk about costume ideas all year long. Those ready-made, cookie-cutter costumes off the rack at Walmart may be best for some, but I am happy Mom took the time and money to create unique costumes with us.
I wish I had photos of us as kids!
I'm going to put in a call
and ask her to send me some.

2. PUMPKINS--pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin-scented candles, pumpkin-picking farms and hayrides, pumpkin-carving, seeing tiny pumpkins in the grocery store, driving past a wagon full of harvested pumpkins on the side of a country road (is the word pumpkin starting to look a little strange to you, too?). Actually, it's more than just pumpkins. It's the atmosphere of Halloween stuff. It's seeing goofy Halloween decor in the aisle at the store. It's attempting to realistically spread spider webs down the railing in your house to make your staircase look spooky. It's that Halloween card in the mail from Great Grandma "V" with $5 (this one is weird to Elizabeth--she never got Halloween cards, but we ALWAYS did. In fact, I've already mailed cards to all my siblings and my mother). It's the fact that we didn't just decorate our house--we transformed our house into a magical place. The neighbor who has a million Christmas lights blinking and flashing, an inflatable snowman in the yard and a glowing sleigh with a full set of reindeer on the roof through the month of December (you know this guy, right?)
--we are the equivolent during October.
Graves dug in the front yard,
a coffin with real bones peeking out
just inside the door,
and goulish pictures hanging on the walls.

3. GOOD, CLEAN FUN--this is the time when people host jack-o-lantern festivals, make apple cider, and tell classic spooky stories while frosting ghost-shaped sugar cookies. I have amazing memories of classic skating in costume, awkward middle school Halloween dances, hanging on to my friends while making our way through haunted houses, even being attacked by a candy-giving pirate on a Halloween cruise one year! In my family, we bust out the greatest movies at this time of year: Hocus Pocus, Lady in White, Wait Until Dark, High Spirits (randomly featuring Peter O'Toole, Liam Neeson, and Daryl Hannah). Nothing horrifying or evil, I don't dabble in that stuff--just the crazy, fun things like throwing a dinner party and making all the food
 resemble creepy ingredients from a witch's spellbook.

Signs of Life

It's been a lovely week of visiting elementary schools on the Eastern side of Carolina. I spent time at the beach, in parks, and in my car when I arrived 15 minutes too early reading this book. 

Ooh, ooh, it is a good one. 

In the world of nonfiction, there's a fine line between expertly employing words to tell an honest, interesting story and.....just being boring and verbose. 

Natalie Taylor's memoir is absolutely the former: I love her voice and her wit and the way she brutally bears her heart in this book about her first year's journey of becoming a widow, having a baby, and trying to make sense of why life is still tirelessly marching onward. 

If you're a reader, especially, you'll love the way she uses familiar literature to explore ideas about what life is all about. Sometimes she's imagining Holden Caulfield having Picnic, Lightning days (from the poem by Billy Collins, which he writes in response to a line in Lolita) and at that point in the book, she makes a comment about how Holden would react in her situation and it is so darn pickin' hilarious and poignantly painful at the same time, with all those allusions woven up into the mess, that I just have to sit and think about it for a moment, maybe re-read that paragraph because I liked it so much.

I also have to give a shout out to my favorite character: Natalie's Fairy Mom Godmother, her imaginary godsend to help advise her through this ordeal, FMG for short. The FMG is funny. When I say funny, I mean, I totally spewed chocolate milk all over one of my pages because I took a swig right before I read something the FMG said, that kind of funny. You have to read the book to really get to know and appreciate her, but one of my favorite scenes with the FMG is right after Natalie finishes a training workout for a trialthalon her sister talked her into signing up for. She's panting, resting over in the shade while everyone else is chatting like the bike ride and run were no big deal:

 "Some really nice person made homemade cookies and brought bananas for after the workout. I sit in the shade staring at my feet while the rest of the team talks cheerily and debriefs about the workout. I don't think Tammy even broke a sweat. 'See you next Saturday!' Jack yells on the way to his pickup truck. 'You're dreamin',' my FMG says. She is lying on the pavement with a towel over her head and a half-eaten cookie in her left hand. (pg. 264-5)"

P.s. If you're one of those people who can't really read a book unless it hooks you from page one: Bingo, this one is for you, too. I was just browsing Barnes & Noble's new releases before meeting a friend, liked the cover, flipped to page one and before I knew it, I was a chapter and a half into Signs of Life. So I bought it and couldn't put it down, hardly.

This book is a great one for bringing out my over-analytical thinking. I've never lost a spouse, but the book allowed me to contemplate the grievious periods in my life right along with the author. So I feel as though I went through some awesome, gratis therapy this week, as well.

One last thing, I'm not really sure how I feel about trailers for books, but I found this when I was searching for the book cover picture and liked it. If you need one more little nudge to read this book, here you go:

Sweetness

This fantastic debut novel enraptured me, making my Friday morning quite enjoyable. Bradley's eleven-year-old heroine, Flavia de Luce, is admirably intelligent. Her deducing stream of thought, extensive grasp of chemistry, and delightful attitude in tricky situations had me cheering, "Yeah, Flave! You ROCK!"

Read it.