It's a Night Circus

‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern, a magical tale that delivers

“The circus arrives without warning. . . It is simply there when yesterday it was not.” It’s a mystical Victorian circus and as it travels its fame grows. The appeal is to all ages, and a group of fans form with mysterious ways to predict where the circus may appear next. Open only from sunset to sunrise, the night hours are filled with magic, caramel popcorn, chocolate mice, tents with acts to astound you, a blazing bonfire, the most intricate grandfather clock ever, an intense competition to the death, and an eternal love. This may seem like more than a circus can offer, but “The Night Circus” is a novel that delivers all that.

Two magicians, too young to know what is happening, are tricked into a mortal competition . . . . . Link to my recommendation


 

Givers In Anticipation

Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier.

Kathleen Norris (Poet and Essayist)

As usual, Book lovers gathered to share stories, laugh, recommend books and wander the endless shelves of wonderful books at the Edmonds Bookshop.  This day we were celebrating World Book Night. 

April 23^rd is William Shakespeare’s celebrated birthday, and it’s World Book Night.  Each year on that night, World Book Givers across the country give away books that are donated by the authors and publishers.  The books are given to those who don’t regularly read or don’t have access to printed books.  In 2013 Givers across the country handed out half a million printed books in 6,200 towns and cities, including Edmonds.  And here we are again.

There were 22 Edmonds Givers who picked up a box of books to give away.  The plans for the Night were as varied as the books.  For example, Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers is a young adult book with mature themes about the war in Iraq.  Our Giver is donating copies to the Meadowdale Middle School Libraries, particularly to encourage reluctant reader boys to pick up this powerful writing.

Do you like provocative short stories?  Bobcat by Rebecca Lee is a stirring collection, showing people at their most vulnerable and compelled to make sense of their human condition.  Our very own Edmonds Bookshop owner will be looking to surprise some seldom readers who are riding the ferry with a copy.  Last year she was Giving copies of Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, about a foster child who was turned out from her foster family at 18 with nothing.   She was especially touched by a woman who had commented that she was ready to turn out her son near that age.  By the end of the ferry ride the woman ran up excited that she was already on page 30, hadn’t read in so long, and was just loving this book.  A connection.

The Raven Warrior by Vincent Pratchett was chosen by a teenager who is spending his 13^th birthday handing out this gift of reading in Edmonds with his dad.  Happy Birthday Ryan Kennedy!  Thank you for being a Giver.  You’ve chosen a mystical Arthurian style legend with a wizard and his witch in the Middle Kingdom.

Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow will be enjoyed by commuters at the train station.  This thriller is described as a real page turner.  Sounds like a hit for a potential reader starved for a book in the hand.

Last year a Giver handed out David Sedaris’ book Me Talk Pretty One Day by the Market in Seattle.  She was so touched by a woman who was an out of work French teacher.  The woman stayed in touch and said how she couldn’t put the book down until she was done because it had really raised her spirit.   This book developed a friendship.  Now she’s back to Give again, this time The Zookeepers Wife by Diane Ackerman.  It’s an inspiring book during World War II and helping with the resistance when Germany invaded Poland.

Another Giver is a hiking enthusiast who will be Giving Wild by Cheryl Strayed to potential readers at Costco Gas and at the Edmonds Beach.  She is a person who loves the outdoors and the Pacific Crest Trail.  She has fond memories of growing up hiking parts of that trail in Washington with her Dad.  She’s hiked 78 miles of the PCT in Washington with her son.  This year she’ll spend a month solo hiking from Oregon to Canada.  She’s hoping this book will inspire people to do one thing, whatever that thing is, to do that one thing they’ve always wanted to do.

The World Book Night Givers are excited to be out on the streets again, sharing stories.  And don’t forget, “A book is a gift you can open again and again.” -Garrison Keillor

World Book Night Books Delivered

I've given my WBN book When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago to a warm hearted woman who is a volunteer teacher for a class of ESL (English Second Language) class.  That will be 20 happy students!  I can't wait to hear how they like the book, but tonight I'm celebrating that they are receiving the book.  Hooray!

Here's some interesting information from this busy, amazing lady volunteer teacher -

Why did you choose this book for your students? What appealed to you and what did you think would appeal to them?

Since I am Puerto Rican, the title of the book caught my attention. My parents immigrated to the US in the 50s during Operation Bookstrap in Puerto Rico. We lived outside of Chicago, Illinois, in the city of Aurora. I felt my English Language Learners (ELLs) would find this book interesting and a subject they could relate to. At this time, the adults I work with are all Hispanic.

Why is teaching important to you?

I’ve always wanted to give back to my community through a volunteer program. My parents came to America on a shoestring and they had to acculturate into a society that was very different from theirs. At the time, there were no services to assist them. They received help from their friends, employers and professionals who were willing to help them learn how to live in America. When an opportunity came up in Duvall through “Duvall Eastside Literacy” (now Hopelink) I jumped at the opportunity to volunteer to work with the local migrant, immigrant and refugee communities. Originally, I had a diverse group of adults, but now all my adult students are Hispanic.

How did this class get started?

When I was originally offered a chance to get some books for my class, I had organized a group of Hispanic adult women through my church’s Outreach Center. Now I am working with adults through the King County Library System in their Talk Time program. Some of my past students are now going to Talk Time.

Is the class in Duvall, WA or where?

All my volunteer classes have been located in Duvall. As I referenced above, I started with Eastside Literacy in Duvall, it merged with Hopelink. I volunteered with them for over 15 years.

Other World Book Night Givers pictured here with their boxes of books: Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow, Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, The Ravens Warrior by Vincent Platchett, Bobcat by Rebecca Lee, and Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

 

World Book Night When I Was Puerto Rican

When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

April 23^rd is William Shakespeare’s celebrated birthday, and it’s World Book Night.  Each year on that night, World Book Givers across the country give away books that are donated by the authors and publishers.  The books are given to those who don’t regularly read or don’t have access to printed books.  In 2013 Givers across the country handed out half a million printed books in 6,200 towns and cities, including Edmonds.

When I was Puerto Rican is the memoir I’ve chosen to give away from this year’s selection of books.  Copies will be given to adult students at an ESL (English Second Language) class that is taught by a volunteer teacher.

This is a beautifully written memoir.  The author tells tales of growing up in Puerto Rico during the 1950’s.  She freely shares her feelings about her island home, her parents’ loving/battling relationship, her many siblings, and her native culture.  I appreciated the frank descriptions of the life, and the poverty, contrasted with the open hearted appreciation of the wild and open nature surrounding her in Puerto Rico.  It was so interesting learning about it all.

In her mother’s desire to find another life, eventually she moved with all her children to New York.  Esmeralda, or Negi as her nickname, is 13 years old when she is suddenly uprooted to a new and sometimes puzzling new life.  She is the oldest of her 7 and eventually 11 siblings.  She barely speaks English, and has many new things to learn about the culture and logistics of her new home.  This brave young girl is never a victim; she takes on her new challenges head on.  Her memoir becomes an immigration story that touches the heart, and one that I think so many immigrant families can empathize with.  After finishing this book, you can read more about her life in the Barrios of Brooklyn, and her later years of education in her second memoir Almost a Woman.  Her story is truly inspiring.

I’m so excited to share her story on World Book Night.  How fortunate Edmonds has the wonderful Edmonds Bookshop.  The owner Mary Kay Sneeringer is a big supporter of World Book Night.  The books for the Edmonds Givers have all been received at the Edmonds Bookshop, and we’re joining together for a party there to share stories and celebrate reading.

If you’re interested in finding out more about World Book Night, you can visit the link at http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/ and maybe we’ll see you next year.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

An Evening With Gillian Flynn

To everyone's delight, Gillian Flynn read the "Cool Girl" excerpt from her book Gone Girl at the author event at Seattle Town Hall April 17th.

Gone Girl

By Gillian Flynn

Thursday night author Gillian Flynn spoke at the Seattle Town Hall, Seattle Arts and Lectures series.  She is the author of three novels, including Gone Girl.  This story is a chilling, psychological thriller.  As I kept reading I thought curiously how strange this story gets, and then it gets crazier and crazier.  Gillian’s novel is plot driven, but the characters are the heart and soul of the novel.  I was intrigued by the characters, who I felt were very real, but odd.

The story is about a young married couple Nick and Amy Dunne, who are living very happily in New York until they lose their jobs.  With no employment prospects, Nick moves them back to his small home town in Missouri.  That’s really a life style change.  Then, on their fifth wedding anniversary Nick comes home to his front door that is “wide-gaping-ominous open,” and his wife is gone.  As the story then moved forward, I slowly began to wonder about how Nick was narrating the story to me.  I began to doubt, to become suspicious about how reliable Nick really is as a narrator.  Was his information true?  Could I trust him?  And then . . . THE TWIST.  Wow, I never saw that coming.  Like Gillian said in her talk, if you’re not sure what happened behind closed doors, then you’ll want to find out.

Gillian Flynn grew up in Kansas City, Missouri in a family that encouraged lots of stories.  Her parents were community college professors teaching reading and film.  Playing as a girl, she always liked the “dark side” because she felt the dark side allowed for more imagination.  The witch was the fun part!  As a writer she explores why people do bad things, and how bad things happen.  She spoke about how it’s the larger themes, like family, long term relationships, cities, and loyalty that make great mysteries.

Gillian spoke to a full house.  She was delightfully humorous and also insightful in describing her books, and the writing process.  It was so much fun to meet her at the reception and the book signing.  She is obviously very happy with her works, and enjoys meeting her readers.  She says she often hears much debate on her writing, especially about the ending to Gone Girl, and that pleases her because she is glad people are interested in her stories and want to talk about them.  She briefly shared the stage with Gabriel Zuniga, who is a sixth grader from Seattle and the grand prize winner of the Writers in the Schools Mystery Story contest.  We were treated to a brief reading of his essay, “Mistake”, which was very clever.  I’m betting we’ll be watching for his novel in a few years.

I’m recommending you read Gone Girl now, before seeing the movie when it comes out in October.  Just be advised of Gillian’s caution to readers, “I don’t do happy endings”.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

Living the Good Life

The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die, by John Izzo

What does a happy life, a life well lived, look like? That is the question this author sets out to research. This book is a description of what he learned from interviewing over 200 people ages 60 to 106. Each person had been identified by friends and family as “the one person they knew who had found happiness and meaning.”

It turns out there are concepts that these happy people all have in common, leading to the author’s life secrets. And the best news is that anyone, of any age, can start practicing these life secrets and improve their quality of life. It’s never too late. The most important thing is . . . . 

Link to my Recommendation

George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution, by Brian Kilmeade and Don YaegerHere is an historic example of ordinary people living extraordinary lives. These people acted with heroism and patriotism that they had to keep secret from their friends, family, and community. This book is centered on General George Washington’s persistence to win New York back from British occupation. The General had learned about the value of spy information as a younger man, with his personal experience during the French and Indian War. He looked to engage spies in New York. General Washington hit the jackpot, . . . . .

Link to my recommendation - Washington's Secret Six Recommendation