Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary!

Everyday is a party here at the Free For All, but today is one of those days where we pull out the extra-sparkly confetti and the really fancy party hats…because it’s the 100th birthday of beloved children’s author, librarian, and literacy advocate Beverly Cleary!

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Beverly Cleary was born Beverly Atlee Bunn in McMinnville, Oregon on this day in 1916.  She wasn’t a natural born reader, and spent the first two years of school in a remedial reading group, until her school librarian helped her find books she enjoyed reading.  Their mutual love of reading fostered a life-long friendship, and by sixth grade, her teachers told her that she should become a children’s author, based on her essays and love of reading.

Instead, she became a children’s librarian herself, after eloping with her husband, Clarence in 1940, and delighted in helping children find books that would engage and challenge them.  In fact, it was precisely because there were so few of those books on the shelf that Cleary took to writing.  As she explained to The New York Times in a 2011 article, after encountering a book where a puppy said: “Bow-wow. I like the green grass.”

“No dog I had ever known could talk like that…What was the matter with authors?”

She realized she could do better…and she did.

3637332More than 40 books and 90 million copies later, Beverly Cleary has become one of the most well-known and beloved children’s authors of the century.  From her outlandish and spunky Ramona Quimby to the intrepid Ralph S. Mouse, to the heartbreakingly honest letters found in Dear Mr. Henshaw, Cleary has spent a lifetime treating children like intelligent readers, and giving them characters to whom they can relate, and whose stories they could just plain enjoy.  As Cleary noted of her own childhood reading experiences, “If I suspected the author was trying to show me how to be a better behaved girl, I shut the book”.

Instead, she gave us characters who were–and remain–real, rambunctious, and beautifully empathetic, especially because of their mistakes, flaws, and boundless energy.  As Cleary noted to The Atlantic, “I have stayed true to my own memories of childhood, which are not different in many ways from those of children today. Although their circumstances have changed, I don’t think children’s inner feelings have changed.”

It turns out, she was 100% right.  In an online post from The Oregonian today, librarians, authors, and teachers from around the state have taken the opportunity today to thank Beverly Cleary for inspiring them, as well as their students, to keep reading, exploring, and adventuring.  As one librarian from Cleary’s former grade school (where the library has been rename in her honor) explains,

RAMONA-jumboStudents at Beverly Cleary School come to the library all smiles, and leave grinning as they clutch the books they can’t wait to read. Most all of them know that Beverly Cleary is a famous author who grew up in the same neighborhood they are growing up in. They also know that Henry, Ramona, Beezus and the other characters from Cleary’s books played in the park that they play in. In fact, many of them confuse Beverly Cleary with her fictional character, Ramona. When the younger students sit on the story steps in the library to listen to me read a story, some of them believe Ramona sat on those same steps to hear her librarian read to her.

But you don’t have to take my word for it.  If you would like to hear from the great Ms. Cleary herself, check out this interview below from the Today show that ran last month:

Then, come in and check out some of Cleary’s books for yourself.  For those who grew up reading her, it will be a perfect way to remember your childhood.  For those who haven’t had the pleasure–trust me, it’s never too late!

And, on a personal note, I would like to publicly thank Beverly Cleary, and Ramona Quimby, for teaching me how to tell time.

For the love of all that is good and fictional…

Why do you read fiction?

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It’s a legitimate question, and one that really has no right answer.  Some people turn to fiction for the adventure, some to connect with people in a way they can’t in real life, some to escape real life.  Some read to learn, some read just because they love words and the way those words come together to form a whole book.

Frankly, it’s not really important.  If reading fiction makes you happy, you should read it.  No matter what genre, topic, or theme.

My stance on this was reinforced the other day when I read a blog post by Swiss-Anglo philosopher Alain de Botton, writing for Penguin’s UK website.  The post, titled “Alain de Botton on why romantic novels can make us unlucky in love“, frankly, set my teeth on edge.

Alain-de-Botton-001Alain de Botton begins by stating we should read fiction because it “it lends us more lives than we have been given”, which is a sentiment I think is really quite lovely.  He holds that fiction essentially allows us to live through the lives of others, and learn from their mistakes and decisions, all of which is just fine.  However, that is, apparently, where our amicable acquaintance ends.  Because, de Botton then goes on to state,

Unfortunately, there are too many bad novels out there – by which one means, novels that do not give us a correct map of love…The narrative arts of the Romantic novel have unwittingly constructed a devilish template of expectations of what relationships are supposed to be like – in the light of which our own love lives often look grievously and deeply unsatisfying. We break up or feel ourselves cursed in significant part because we are exposed to the wrong works of literature.

I honestly can’t begin to tell you how sick I am of other people telling me–or any reader, for that matter–that reading romance novels is bad, or “wrong” for them.  As long as romance novels have been popular, there have been people (particularly men, but I’ll leave that be for the moment) banging on about how romance novels will inherently make women unhappy and unfulfilled, because they provide false expectations of reality.

I read a great deal of fantasy and science fiction novels, in addition to romance.  I have never heard anyone voice concern that I may be harmed by these books.  No one seems worried that I will come to believe that animals can talk, or that I can time travel, or that I can shoot flames from my finger tips.  Yet, over and over again, I hear that I am in real danger of thinking romance novels are real.

Cyanide and Happiness / explosm.net

Let me be really clear about something: Romance readers are, demographically speaking, college aged women with careers.  They know very, very well that romance novels are fiction.

Now that we have established that fact, let’s also think about the purpose that romance novels do serve.  They are escapes.  They exist in a world where one doesn’t have to dust, or clean the toilet; where people can excel at interesting jobs; where soul mates are a real, tangible thing.  They are guaranteed happy endings.  And, as I’ve noted before, they explicitly affirm the heroine’s (and, thus, the reader’s) right to self-affirmation and individual happiness.  They teach us that we, as readers and as heroines, are capable of growing, of trusting ourselves, of respecting and loving ourselves.  Love is a reward for a journey of self-discovery.  The rest of it is frosting.  Delicious, sweet, decadent frosting.  With glitter.

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Like this lovely cupcake.

Yet, according to Alain de Botton, “The Romantic novel is deeply unhelpful. We have learned to judge ourselves by the hopes and expectations fostered by a misleading medium. By its standards, our own relationships are almost all damaged and unsatisfactory. No wonder separation or divorce so often appear to be inevitable.”

By this same rationality, the current state of our environment can be attributed to too many science fiction readers believing that we will soon be moving to a moon colony.  Or that our foreign policy is the result of too many thriller readers believing that the Constitution is really a secret code handed down by the Freemasons.  Yet no one assumes that readers of science fiction or thrillers are that stupid or shallow.  Why, then, is it in anyway fair to think that romance readers have such a tenuous grip on reality?

Romance Readers
Romance Readers

I’m not sure if Alain de Botton hasn’t read many romances in his life, or doesn’t quite get them.  And that is fine.   As a very proud Library Person, I can say that he has every right to read, and to enjoy, whatever he likes.  If he would rather read more realistic stories about “real life”–whatever that actually is, that is terrific, and does not reflect on him as a worthy or intelligent person at all.   What I don’t, and will never, accept, is his assumptions about other romance readers.  We, too, have a right to read whatever we want, whenever we want.  And no one has the right to call that wrong, or tell us that “we merely need to change our reading matter”.

Screen-shot-2012-05-30-at-3_20_46-PMAs long as there have been romance novels, there have been people telling women that there is something wrong with the books, and with them, as well, for wanting to read about a world where their voices and their thoughts and their persons are fundamentally valued and important.   That’s not dangerous for anyone, and it certainly shouldn’t be considered unrealistic.

But until we stop judging genres–and their readers, we are not doing justice to the fiction we read, or the empathy that our fiction seeks to instill in us.

So, as we kick off National Library Week, we just wanted to take a minute to reiterate that you and your reading choices are always welcome here, no matter what anyone says.

Saturdays @ the South: Poetic Bibliotherapy

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Despite T.S. Eliot’s immortal words, April is not always the cruelest month (though it can certainly be a meteorologically confusing one!), particularly when it is an entire month devoted to the celebration of poetry. April is National Poetry Month, and in the wake of our posts encouraging the overcoming of metrophobia, I feel it’s only appropriate to celebrate here on the blog. In fact, there is a confluence of events during the month of April that makes it a wonderful month to celebrate poetry. On April 29th, Mass Poetry will have their 8th annual Mass Poetry Festival, throughout that weekend in Salem. The quadricentennial of Shakespeare’s death will happen during this month as well, and just in time, a first folio of his collected plays was discovered in Scotland on the Isle of Bute. Finally there is a call for readers will be happening right here at the Peabody Library on April 16th and 17th, to take part in Homer’s poetic tradition in a marathon tandem reading of the Iliad, which our regular blogger Arabella has already mentioned and about which I am ridiculously excited.

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Amidst these very outward celebrations, I think it’s worth mentioning that what is most meaningful in poetry is often a much more quiet, inward journey that is sometimes celebratory and sometimes merely a subtle change that isn’t even noticed until the impact is felt much, much later. Other times, poetry can be a source of bibliotherapy. In a fascinating  and moving article, LitHub published the observations of a poet who prescribes poems to those in need. Yes, you read that right. She believes in poetry as a form of therapy that can be prescribed to those who need it. Ronna Bloom is the Poet in Residence at Mount Sinai Hospital and the Poet in Community at the University of Toronto. She has taken a very boots-on-the-ground approach to bringing poetry to those who may not have considered it otherwise. She realizes that those she encounters (often people who have had life-changing diagnosis) may not want a poem and that some might consider her efforts frivolous and doesn’t push the issue, acknowledging ” My motto: everyone who is alive could use a poem. Whether they want one is a different matter….There are things poetry can do and things is can’t.” However, there are amazing moments in which she truly connects with her “patients” realizing that “the point is less about liking and more about finding the poem that catches the spark of the experience, with empathy.” My humble opinion is that empathy is one of the greatest gifts poetry give and I give Bloom a great deal of credit for not shying away from what many choose to purposefully avoid (in relation to both tragedy and poetry), gently encouraging them to embrace the possibilities of language.

There are certainly other way in which poetry can reach people. LitHub has also published an article on poems that have made writers cry, indicating the transformative power of poetry. And for all of us wonderful bibliophiles, Flavorwire has a list of beautiful poems specifically for people who love books. Clearly, there is a type of poetry for everyone, whether or not we have chosen to find it yet. For my part, one of my transformative poetic experiences was when I was writing a paper in college and had to choose a Shakespeare sonnet for my topic. After paging through lines and lines of love poetry (my sarcastic, single self getting a little nauseous) I finally ended upon a sonnet about unconventional love, one that didn’t uphold the love-object as an idealized, stylized figure. Shakespeare’s dark lady is the polar opposite to pretty much any convention that poets before and after Shakespeare valued, but the Bard understood that love isn’t always dictated by the conventions of beauty and despite what many would have considered flaws that couldn’t be overlooked, he found much to love anyway. This was one of several poems that made me stop and truly appreciate some of what poetry could do and fortunately, because Shakespeare is in the Public Domain, instead of sharing book recommendations this week, I get to share this poem with you.

Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red, than her lips red:
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound:
I grant I never saw a goddess go,
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet by heaven, I think my love as rare,
As any she belied with false compare.

 

Till next week, dear readers, I encourage you to find a poem that you’re able to connect with in some meaningful way. Whatever that meaning, it is entirely personal and doesn’t need to be compared with anyone’s idea of poetry and meaning but your own. Mass Poetry’s website has a delightful section called “Poem of the Moment” that may help you with this. I also encourage any interested readers to join the Peabody Library in celebrating a centuries-old tradition of the oral recitation of poetry, whether by reading or joining us on June 19th in Veteran’s Memorial Park. Perhaps you might even find personal meaning in Homer’s epic.

 

Five Book Friday!

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I don’t know about you, dear patrons, but it feels like it’s been a really long week.  I’ve been snowed on, rained on, discovered holes in the soles of my shoes that I never knew existed…and that’s only the beginning.

You know what this calls for?

A blanket fort.

Thankfully, the interwebs has provided yet another list of Do’s and Dont’s for Blanket Fort Construction–which specifically states that Blanket Forts go better with books.  And, if your feeling really ambitious, take a look a this...the world’s largest blanket fort, made by Challenge12, Big Box Education, North London Collegiate School, Benchmark Scaffolding and Mace Group in London last summer:

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Courtesy of http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com

Can you imagine the sheer number of books you could fit in a 3,304 square foot fort?! 

Here are a few titles to get you started, selected from the new books that clambered up onto the library shelves this week.  Come in and find some to stock your blanket fort for a lovely restorative weekend!

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3729031Tuesday Nights in 1980: For all you who remember hammer pants and shoulder pads–get ready.   Molly Prentiss has crafted a tale of lost souls and fortuitous meetings, set in SoHo at the opening of the 1980s, bringing together a synesthetic art critic, and an exiled Argentinian painter and revolutionary.  Both men are wandering, somewhat aimlessly, through the New York art scene, until they are brought together by the arrival of a stunning woman and a lonely orphan, who help these two men rediscover themselves, and begin to change them irrevocably.  I am in loved with the brilliantly-colored cover of this book, and there are a number of critics and readers who are equally as enamored of the words between those covers; Booklist gave this one a starred review, saying: “An agile, imaginative, knowledgeable, and seductive writer, Prentiss combines exquisite sensitivity with unabashed melodrama to create an operatic tale of ambition and delusion, success and loss, mystery and crassness…she also tenderly illuminates universal sorrows, “beautiful horrors,” and lush moments of bliss. In all, a vital, sensuous, edgy, and suspenseful tale of longing, rage, fear, compulsion, and love.”

3703578The Last Painting of Sara de Vos: The enduring hero of Dominic Smith’s latest novel is actually a painting that spans four centuries and brings together two remarkably talented and passionate women.  In Amsterdam in 1631, Sara de Vos becomes the first woman to be admitted as a master painter to the city’s Guild of St. Luke, and defies all convention and tradition by refusing to paint indoor subjects, and instead paints the portrait of a young girl standing by a window.  Nearly three hundred years later, in New York of 1957, young and hungry art student Ellie Shipley agrees to paint a forgery of Sara de Vos’ painting in order to help her wealthy patron dupe an art dealer…but it is a choice that will come back to haunt Ellie later in life, threatening to expose all the secrets she has so carefully hidden away.  I am fascinated by books that use words to describe the visual–like the painting at the center of this story, and it would seem that Smith has mastered that unique art in this book.  Kirkus gave this novel a starred review, hailing, “This is a beautiful, patient, and timeless book, one that builds upon centuries and shows how the smallest choices—like the chosen mix for yellow paint—can be the definitive markings of an entire life.”

3703582Cold Barrel Zero: Former journalist Matthew Quirk’s debut novel was an international hit, and is currently being developed as a major motion picture–and, just in time for your weekend, his second thriller is being hailed as a sure-fire hit, feature two men who were once close as brothers–but now are caught in a desperate game of cat and mouse.   Special Operative John Hayes went rogue on a deep-cover mission and betrayed his own comrades, and is now trying to return to his wife and daughter before launching his final revenge.  The only man who can stop him is Thomas Byrne, a former combat medic who fought by Hayes’ side.  As their quests bring them treacherously closer, both men will be forced to consider–and re-consider–whom they can really trust, in a world where the rules are constantly changing.   Publisher’s Weekly loved this book, cheering, “Quirk goes flat-out explosive in this superior military adventure novel. . . . There’s plenty of cool cutting-edge technology, but in the end it comes down to action, and the riveting battle scenes are among the best in the business. Readers will look forward to seeing more of the skilled and deadly John Hayes.”

3707748The Story of KullervoThere’s always a risk in publishing a dead author’s unpublished works–the stuff that probably was never meant to see the light of day.  On the one hand, there is an uncomfortable invasion of privacy that need to be considered, but, for scholars and dedicated readers, these pieces can immeasurably add to an author’s legend and cannon.  The latter seems to be the case with this ‘previously unpublished’ story by the great J.R.R. Tolkien.  Dedicated fans will see inklings of The Silmarillion here, as the ugly, sharp, and magical Kullervo, son of Kalervo launches on a plan of revenge against the magician who destroyed his family and his life.  This copy of the story includes a forward and introduction by Verlyn Flieger, who transcribed this work from Tolkien’s original manuscripts.  Booklist said of this work–considered the foundation of many of Tolkien’s fantasy novels–“The tale blends Tolkien’s trademark prose and epic poetry, and it is fascinating to catch this tantalizing glimpse into his brilliant mind . . .Will please readers who wish to unveil how Tolkien’s creative process evolved.”

3733523The Rise of the Rocket Girls: Many of us grew up hearing about America’s Space Race, and the impressive brains that made it all possible…but no textbook ever told you about the women who worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  Amazon’s reviewer mentions that they invented the pant suit…le sigh.  These women were some of the brightest minds of their generation, consistently broke down barriers, not only in their workplace but in academia, and Nathalia Holt has at last put their story on the page in a tale that Library Journal says “seamlessly blends the technical aspects of rocket science and mathematics with an engaging narrative, making for an imminently readable and well-researched work.”.  Now…once and for all…who says women can’t do math?

Until next week, dear patrons–happy reading!

BIG NEWS!

Quite seriously, we ran out of words to convey just how excited we are about this summer’s blockbuster program–and we want you to be a part of it, beloved patrons!  

Join in the Oral Tradition of Homer’s The Iliad at the Peabody Institute Library

Hey Homer!
Hey Homer!

The Peabody Institute Library is seeking reader/performers for The Iliad: An Epic Reading Event, a marathon tandem reading of the complete text of The Iliad. The event will take place outdoors in Peabody’s East End Veterans’ Memorial Park on June 18th beginning at 9 a.m. and finishing around 1 a.m. Each reader will be given a section of The Iliad to read (10-20 pages) and will be asked to attend a few short rehearsals at the Peabody Institute Library between April 21 – June 18.

Deeply rooted in the oral tradition, before it was ever transcribed, The Iliad was first a story passed down from generation to generation by bards, or poet storytellers. With this production, the library hopes to capture the spirit of that tradition with the help of the community.

No acting experience is necessary to participate in this event (though actors are welcome); an interest in the Classics, a comfort with reading aloud, and a passion for storytelling are the only requirements.

The Library will be holding interest days on April 16th from 12-4 and April 17th from 2:00-4:30; you may register via the library’s online events calendar or by calling 978-531-0100 ext. 10. Drop-ins are also welcome. Feel free to come with a short story to tell or something brief to read (1-2 minutes of material). If you are unable to attend the interest days but are still interested in participating, or if you have any questions at all, please e-mail director Liz Carlson (elizcarlson@gmail.com).

East End Veterans Memorial Park is located on Walnut Street in Peabody, MA. In the event of rain, the program will be held at the Peabody Institute Library, located at 82 Main Street in Peabody.

“The Iliad: An Epic Reading Event” is generously funded by the M. Theodore Karger Fund; the Peabody Institute Library Foundation; the Friends of the Peabody Institute Libraries; and is supported in part by a grant from the Peabody Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

The Romance Garden!

It’s that time again, beloved patrons, when your genre devotees here at the Library give you a taste of their favorite reads from the past month and encourage you to broaden your literary horizons, even if (especially if) it includes the scandals, secrets, and seductions of romance…because, as we say here at the Romance Garden, every mind needs a little dirt in which to grow.

'Book garden' by Ray Maclean
Courtesy of blog.sutherlandlibrary.com

Bridget:

3738795All Chained Up by Sophie Jordan

There are trends in romance that seem to crop out weekly, and I personally find it fascinating to see what is currently “hot” for our heroes.   For a while, you couldn’t toss a cat without hitting a jaded millionaire/billionaire entrepreneur who was absurdly young and even more absurdly wealthy (not that you would want to throw a cat, obviously).  Lately, motorcycle “clubs” or “gangs”, depending on the author, have been garnering quite a bit of attention–and bending a number of laws about the definition of “heroic”.  Most recently, and this one I find particularly interesting, has been prison inmates.  What this says particularly about our culture is a matter for another post, but I figured I’d give this book a try, since Sophie Jordan is an author I’ve always enjoyed.

Nurse Briar Davis has agreed to volunteer at the infirmary at Devil’s Roack prison in the hopes of putting herself in line for a promotion, but the reality of the work is completely overwhelming, as is the stoic, stony-faced prisoner who becomes her first patient.  As someone who’s learned to fear violent men, Briar can’t rationalize the effect Knox Callaghan has on her, but she also can’t deny it.  Knox realized early on that in order to survive prison, he would have to become as hard and as tough as the walls around him.  But when Briar and Knox meet by chance after he’s been paroled….

I appreciated the way that Jordan confronted a lot of the traditional stereotypes around the judicial system and the people who “deserve” to be there, and, over and above everything, I really enjoyed the relationship between Briar and Knox, the mutual respect they eventually developed, and the ways in which they both grew over the course of the story.  This is probably the raciest book that Jordan’s published to date, but she does what she does very well, so it certainly worked.  Though I’m still not entirely sure I’m sold on their genre overall, I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the next Devil’s Rock novel when it’s released in June.

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Kelley:

3680944 Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh

It’s rare that a romance novel gets a 5 star GoodReads rating from me, but the first book in Eva Leigh’s The Wicked Quills of London series is an exception to that rule. In Forever your Earl, when newspaper owner and scandal writer Eleanor Hawke has the opportunity to shadow her most popular subject, Daniel Balfour, the Earl of Ashford, she suspects there is an underlying reason for his invitation, but doesn’t hesitate to seize the opportunity. What follows is an impossible to put down series of adventures that take Daniel and Eleanor to places like gaming hells, phaeton races, and masquerades, just to name a few.

So what makes this romance so exceptional that it deserves a five-star rating? At the risk of sounding very Downton Abbey, it’s smart. When they are first introduced it’s clear that both Daniel and Eleanor are independent, strong-willed, and intelligent characters. Eleanor is drawn to Daniel’s kindness and intellectual curiosity, while he admires her dedication to and passion for her work, as well as her quick wit. In this romance, both the hero and heroine are equally experienced in relationships and life, and their banter, as well as their growing love for one another, is much the better for it.

If the next two books in this series are even half as good as the first, I will be one very happy romance reader. Well done, Eva Leigh. The Wicked Quills of London is definitely a series to watch.

Claude Monet, The Reader
Claude Monet, The Reader

 

Until next month, dear readers….here’s to a little romance!

Saturdays @ the South: Wanderlust – Paris

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Today is the first Saturday in April, the month I most associate with Paris. I’m sure it’s at least partly because the Cole Porter song “I love Paris in the springtime” has wended its way into our culture, it’s but also because my vacation in Paris several years ago took place during April. There were daffodils and tulips in bloom (ironically, many more so than when I went to Amsterdam several springs later), trees were starting to bud in that pale green we associate with the earliest moments of spring and somehow the city was decked out in primrose with a concerted effort usually put into action in Disney parks.

I’ve written about my love of Paris before on the blog and those who know me well (and even some who only know me a little), are well acquainted with my fondness for the city. What often surprises DSC01268most people is that I’ve physically visited Paris just once.  This isn’t to say that I won’t find my way back there, hopefully many times over the course of my life, but my admiration has stemmed from more than just my limited in-person experience. In a way, I feel like I’ve been to Paris dozens of times, mostly through books.

I’m addicted to travel memoirs; I find that few other reads can take me away quite like living vicariously through someone else’s experiences, wherever they may be. Naturally, I’ve read several books in this vein about Paris that make me feel like I’ve traveled DSC02088there myself. The best thing about books like these is that they can make you feel like you’ve transcended both time and space. Reading
Sylvia Beach’s Shakespeare and Co., took me not only to Paris, but to the 1920s as well. I spent Christmas with a family in Paris by reading A Paris Christmas: Immoveable Feast by John Baxter. I enjoyed lunch, romance and the desire to uproot and move to Paris in Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. Emile Zola took me into the Belly of Paris in the late 1800s and Clotilde Dusoulier brought me into the modern belly of Paris in Chocolate and Zucchini.

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My appetite for Paris never seems to diminish and fortunately, neither have people’s appetite for writing about this city. My Goodreads list is filled with books about Paris that I haven’t read yet, but I’m looking to change that. This month, I’m planning on making a dent in that list and make April my month of Parisian reading. In case you’d like to read along with me, here are a few books that I’m hoping to enjoy in the coming weeks:

3636798Five Nights in Paris: After Dark in the City of Light by John Baxter 

Native Australian John Baxter has lived in Paris with his French wife since 1989 and has written several books on the topic. I mentioned his Immoveable Feast above which was delightful and while I’m not immediately jumping into his more popular work The Most Beautiful Walk in the World, I still expect to enjoy this as Baxter wanders through five iconic Parisian neighborhoods during a time when most tourists are asleep. Books like this are always intriguing to me because they seem to invoke the sense of everyday life, not the romance of a whirlwind vacation, while still managing  to find beauty and excitement.

2681069Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris by Clotilde Dusoulier

Blogger Dusoulier has written several books about Parisian food and the discoveries she’s found. A native Frenchwoman, she knows her way around the Paris markets and, fortunately for us, is happy to share what she’s learned in her local travels. Her books are complete with recipes so that readers can create their own little part of Paris in their kitchens.

3594945The Little Paris Bookshop by Nine George

How can I possibly resist a book that puts books and Paris (two of my favorite things!) together? Monsieur Perdu appears to have an innate sense of bibliotherapy, as he prescribes books for visitors to his floating Seine bookstore with a sense of exactly what they need at that moment. This is a fiction book, but I firmly believe that fiction can be every bit as transportive as non-ficiton, and this book seems to have a solid sense of what makes Paris, Paris.

2341301The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade that Gave the World Impressionism by Ross King

I’m a bit obsessed with Impressionism and the paintings that were the result of that movement and I took great pleasure in visiting as  many museums that had great Impressionism collections as possible. This book puts that movement into historical perspective as King discusses the upheaval that was taking place in Paris during the decade when Impressionism was beginning to gain ground as a movement. Using the Salon des Refuses in 1863, the scandalous exhibition of the Paris Salon “rejects” and the first Impressionist showing in 1974 as benchmarks to explore the time when Paris was the center of the world for art and revolution.

Till next week, dear readers, whether it’s Paris or some other wonderful, fascinating destination, I wish you wonderful bookish travels, be the in person or on the page!