BookLust

BiblioQueria 23

Anyone else read this recent article in the National Post about Oprah and her book club? It's written by Ted Rall, a hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners editorial cartoonist and writer in the US. Sometimes I disagree with Ted's views, but most of time, I like what he has to say. And I gotta admit, I agree with his views on Oprah and her book club. And they're not very nice.

If you're interested in the subject of the article, I urge you to read the whole piece. But basically what Ted is saying is that Oprah has a big part to play in the quality of books that get attention in the media, specifically some of the questionable 'memoirs' that Oprah has been raving about (and then running away from) in the past few years:

Oprah claims she was duped by greedy, lazy publishers. Yet, her web-site still recommends the fake books by Frey and the Rosenblats. Even so, the problem isn't Oprah's credulousness. It's that she has atrocious taste. That, and a platform for promoting her bad taste.

Rall goes on to say:

The problem isn't bad and dishonest writers. They can't help themselves. The problem is that mainstream American culture is gullible, sentimental and dumb.

No one is more blameworthy for Americans' stupidity than publishers and book reviewers who act as taste-makers. As in all creative pursuits, publishing exposure is a zero-sum game. Rising tides don't lift all boats; anyway, they're more like thrones than tides. A few titles suck the air out of the room as the rest wither and die due to lack of attention.

Each decision to review a bad book results in a better book going unreviewed, unnoticed and its author unremunerated -- and thus less likely to publish more books. Each prize committee's decision to grant an award to a bad book takes away praise that might otherwise have drawn acclaim and sales to a good one. When bad books do well, authors study what works in the marketplace and copy the formula-- resulting in more bad books.

Readers who rely on popular hype to choose books often come away disappointed. A few may decide to dig deeper, but most won't. Burned readers become non-readers.

Yup, I gotta admit, that pretty much sums up my view of Oprah and her book club these days. And yeah, I know what the retort to that statement is: "But she's getting people reading!" And yes, I'll concede that that is a good thing. But –  if she's just getting people (and I mean a LOT of people) reading crap, which in turn motivates publishers to produce more and more crap, then quite frankly, I wish she'd just stop that damn book club and go back to talking about her weight problems exclusively.

Confession: When Oprah first started her book club, I was excited. I read quite a few of the books on her list: The Deep End of the Ocean, The Book of Ruth, She's Come Undone, Stones From the River, Here on Earth, I Know This Much Is True, The Pilot's Wife and Middlesex (actually, I read that one long before Oprah recommended it on her club. Hmmm). Save for Middlesex, I would say that pretty much all those titles are not really impressive books. In fact, some of them are downright awful. I certainly would not go back and reread any of those novels (and quite frankly, I wish I could take back all the time it took for me to read I Know This Much Is True. Gawd). Over time I stopped reading Oprah's recommendations because I was getting mighty sick of reading another heart-breaking story about some down-trodden woman finding her way in the unjust world. I think she picked up on this response from the general public, and that's when she surprised everyone (including Jonathan Franzen) by picking The Corrections for one of her book club recommendations. Well, we all know how that story panned out. And now the latest drama in her book club picks is her love of the gut-wrenching memoir, which as her luck would have it, keeps turning out to be a crock of shit. Enough, already, Oprah. It was a good run. Sort of. Now. Please. Stop. Save us from yourself.

And so, my BiblioQueria question to you is...

What's your take on Oprah's book club? Love it? Hate it?

And as a special treat, for those who've never seen these strips (and those who'd like a trip down memory lane) a couple of links to my 'Art Imitating Lit' comics, all about Oprah. Warning, though, for those who haven't encountered my comic strip humour before: they contain a lot of potty words.

A Million Literary Pickles

The Story of 'O'

BiblioQueria 22

If you haven't noticed lately, times are tough. Lots of companies are laying off staff. The publishing biz ain't doing so great, either. And I'm sure plenty of folks are looking at their budgets, and trying to cut back on excess spending wherever they can.

I've certainly had to cut back, too. Being a freelancer in a recession is not much fun, I must say. Especially when you get your second goddam property assessment in three years, and it just so happens to assess the value of your house right before the real estate values tanked, so your property increase will be based on very unrealistic, and very unfair numbers. But I digress, a tad. Sadly, one of the areas where I have had to cut back on is book-buying. I find this very, very hard, 'cuz I walk into bookstores and see all the pretty new and delicious books and I just want to buy them all!! But I can't. So instead, I trek it over to our local library and sign out books that only a few months ago, I would have bought. Or I choose to reread books, or get to the to-be-read pile, or even pick up books that I have initially given up on. For example, a few months ago I tried reading Richard Russo's Empire Falls, but just could not get into the story – I found it dull and plodding and depressing. Then about two weeks ago the hubby brought home the DVD televised series of the book, and I watched the first episode, and was thoroughly hooked. I went back to the book, and finished it in a few days, then finished watching the DVDs of the series. I'm still not particularly impressed with the book, and quite frankly cannot understand why it won the Pulitzer, but I can appreciate some aspects of Russo's novel. Honestly though, I thought the televised series was much, much better. Anyone else out there like the book? Anyway back to what the heck I was talking about...

How ironic, huh? I am asking folks to please purchase any and all of my own books, even though for now, I have sworn off buying any books at all. In fact, I know it's kinda unfair, but hey – if I could make mega bucks with this career, trust me, I'd be buying up whole stores of books! So if you can afford to buy books, and you are compelled to buy one of mine – don't let me stop you! Heh. So my question this time 'round is...

Have any of you stopped buying books as a way of saving money because of this economic crisis?

BiblioQueria 21

I haven't done BiblioQueria for quite a while, so now's as good a time as any! And since it's so damn hot outside (I hate Summer – hate it. Were it not for my beloved garden, I'd be praying for snow), I thought it only fitting that I write a rather heated post.

Quite the image, huh? It got me thinking about my days as a library technician, when I first met my hubby. When we officially began dating, we were still working together for TPL. We worked in the Technical Services department, which meant that we didn't service the public, instead those working at that branch concerned themselves with receiving and cataloguing books, and dealing with a lot of administrative stuff. The building we worked in was the original old branch for the former City of York Public Library. It was a sweet old musty dusty building, which has since become a daycare centre after Toronto's amalgamation. Down in the basement of this building was the kitchen and the break room, as well as a section where we stored all of our Talking Books. Oy, if those books really could talk, they'd have  few things to say. I confess that on more than a few occasions, the hubby and I did partake in some quick canoodling down there, ok? But nothing really naughty. Certainly nothing worse than what you see in that poster. I dunno. There was something rather romantic about furtively kissing in a building devoted to books and higher learning. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase Book Lust, huh?

So my question to you is...
What's the most interesting thing you've ever done in a library?

BiblioQueria 20

After wandering around the house today, it has dawned on me that we have books in just about every room in the house. The library (of course), our bedroom, my studio, our computer room, the living room, the kitchen and the basement. And yes, the upstairs bathroom (the downstairs bathroom seems to be used only in desperate emergencies; as of yet it doesn't have that 'sit down and stay awhile' ambiance. Might have something to do with all the spiders that congregate down there).

Ahhh... bathroom reading. I confess that it's a habit that I've never really taken to. But the hubby loves it. So we've got a basket on the floor next the toilet full of mostly his bathroom reads:

The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge
by Jeremy Narby

Countdown to Apocalypse: A Scientific Exploration of the End of the World
by Paul Halpern

Canadian Global Almanac 2004

Patently Absurd: The Most Ridiculous Devices Ever Invented
by Christopher Cooper

Hmmm... seems to me that some of those books are anything but relaxing, but it works for him, I guess.

Anyway, even though I'm not a fan of bathroom reading I thought it would be the genteel thing to do to at least provide a bit more variety for any guests who chose to partake in some leisurely reading on the throne. So with that in mind, I purchased the charming little non-political and hopefully non-apocalyptic book The Weather Calendar or A Record of the Weather for Every Day of the Year by Mrs. Henry Head.

The tiny blurb on the back of this tiny book reads:

Taken from letters and diaries from as early as 1506 and writers that include Peyps, Swift, Walpole, Gray, Dorothy Wordsworth and Jane Austen. This day by day account of the weather makes fascinating and compelling reading.

Take, for example, today's date, August 11th:

1774. Don't be brave this month: the weather is already much cooler, and you need not catch cold to prove how intolerable the heat is.

-- Walpole.

My sentiments exactly!

And so my questions to you are...

Are you a bathroom reader? If yes, what books do you have in your bathroom right now?

BiblioQueria 19

Remember that little book I wrote and illustrated a while back, the one my literary agent has been trying to get published? Well, sorry, still no good news to report. I think it has now been rejected by 6 publishers to date. Very frustrating. Even more frustrating is the fact that on two occasions it was a 'close but no cigar' situation, in which some editors loved the project, but unless everyone is on board, it just ain't gonna fly. And this is even after I did a rewrite on this sucker, which at first I wasn't thrilled about, but in hindsight, I think it does add another dimension to the project. But let's be sure about something – this little book idea is no magnum opus, ok? Just a light-hearted, hopefully witty, and hopefully fun read.

Anyway, from what I understand about this whole process, part of the problem with my project is that the bigger publishers are hesitant to pick it up because let's face it, I'm not Dan Brown or Candace Bushnell, and they cannot be assured that this book is going to pull in a lot of cash. It is beginning to look like I will have a slightly better chance at getting published by a smaller publisher, who is perhaps more willing to take a risk on a nobody like me. What makes me so sure about this? Because not too long ago I was approached by a small publisher in NY to write and illustrate another little gift book idea. So it looks like I will be getting published after all, just not with my original idea (yet, anyway!) I'm just waiting for various contracts to be signed, and then the deed is done, and the real work begins (actually, I'm already working on the project, because I'm very neurotic and paranoid about staying ahead of deadlines). I'll go into further detail about the project, once those lovely contracts have been signed. I'm trying to be calm about this whole thing, but in truth, it's very exciting, especially having my agent negotiating my first book deal. I know it's silly, but it makes me feel so great!

So it got me wondering about a few things. Why do I have this need, this desire, ok, this obsession to be published? What are my motivations for getting my work in print? I've already had my illustrations published in books (and there will be some book illustration projects coming up in the near future, which I will discuss down the road), so why isn't that enough to satisfy me? I want to have both my words and my illustrations in print. I want the entire project to be mine, right down to the last brush stroke and the last comma. So let's face it. It's not just a desire to share my creative energies with the world, it's definitely an ego thing. I admit it. I want to walk into a bookstore, and see my book on a shelf, waiting to be bought by another book luster. But it's not just ego which motivates me in this direction. I love words, and I admire people who can take all the letters of the alphabet, jumble them up and create something utterly magical. I want to be able to do that, too! For me, writers are magicians, and I see myself as The Sorcerer's Apprentice, fumbling and bumbling around, screwing with the broomsticks because I don't quite understand how to use the magic. But I'll keep trying, and maybe one day I won't cause a massive flood while fetching the water.

And so, after all my blathering, my questions to you are ....

Do you want to be published, too? And if yes, why?

BiblioQueria 18

Oy. So busy. Very little time to post, but been missing it so bad, had to make an effort.

So I'm thinking to myself, you know, I'm still really on a gardening groove, but it's about time I started talking about books again, so how can I combine the two passions in one post? Why talk about gardening books, of course! Heh. Aren't I clever? Ok, enough with the rolling of the eyes.

In the past month or so, I have purchased or received as gifts some wonderful gardening books, and I thought I'd list them, and say a few words about each book.

Garden Talk: Ask Me Anything by C.Z. Guest
I couldn't resist this one because it was marked down from $40.00 to $7.00. I'm not sure if it's really my kinda book; I have no idea who C.Z. Guest is, and quite frankly, based on the picture on the front cover, she looks a little too hifalutin for my tastes. The book is organized by seasons (which I find a tad odd), and within each season are subjects which are listed alphabetically. (For example, in Summer you have Dry Growing Season, Preparing for, followed by of all things Farming Lore, and then Garden for Cut Flowers). The book seems a little too scattered and general for my tastes, especially since I am a novice gardener, but it may be a pleasant book to browse through from time to time, and grab the occasional useful tid-bit.

The Canadian Encyclopedia of Gardening
editor-in-chief Christopher Brickell
Now this five-ton tomb is a wealth of organized information. The only problem with this 752 page monster is that it's bloody heavy, and a little difficult to handle (especially with my wonky arm!) But it packs a great punch of gardening knowledge. Chapters are organized in a logical fashion, which makes it very easy for the novice to get exactly what one needs. (Some very useful chapters: Gardening Planning and Design, Climbing Plants and Annuals and Biennuals). Excellent photograhs, especially when it's a step-by-step instruction, like say, How to Propogate Perennials by Root Cuttings. I do wish that there were more easy-access pictures for the novice to recoginize trees and flowers, but you can't have everything, I suppose. Besides, then the book would have to be carried around in a wheelbarrow or something. I know I will be using this book on a regular basis, in spite of the fact that it is goddam heavy.

Encylcopedia of Garden Plants and Flowers by Lance Hattatt
The perfect book for the totally clueless gardener, like myself. Everything listed alphabetically, with bright, beautiful colour images, along with the latin name and the more popular name that it goes by in the lay-gardener lexicon. For example, I am now totally in love with Iberis umbellata which is just your common candytuft. But it's heavenly! Along with the name and the pic of the plant or flower is a little info explaining whether it's an annual or perennial, and what are it's special needs. There's also an index of common names at the back, so that it will cross-reference with the latin names throughout the book. This is a fabulous book (thanks, Mom!), a real keeper. My only concern is the fact that it's published in the UK, so some of the common names that the Brits use may not be the same as the Canadian version. But overall, it's simply a delightful addition to my ever-expanding gardening library.

Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home
by Julie Moir Messervy and Sarah Susanka
I just couldn't resist this one! It's a lovely compliment to their first book, Inside the Not So Big House, which I also have in my possession. This is not so much a practical reference book, as an inspirational coffee table book, in my opinion. Gorgeous photographs of beautifully designed gardens all throughout this book. Thing is though, these houses aren't exactly not-so-big. In fact, most of them are pretty honking huge, with pretty damn large plots of land, and sometimes in strange locations, like a desert. I would have to look at some of these ideas, and figure out how to incorporate them within my limited space, and ahem, very limited budget.

Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass by Liz Primeau
Love, love, love this book. First, because it's Canadian, so all the gardens are more than likely doable, since they will be in my zone. Also, this is exactly what I want to do with by backyard. Get rid of all the grass, and just go crazy, baby! The ideas can easily be incorporated into backyard designs, too. Excellent photographs and descriptions of flowers and plants used for each garden, along with a detailed garden plan for each garden displayed. I look at these pictures and want to cry, because I can't wait to get going on my garden plan for the future!

You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening by Gayla Trail
What a fabulous idea for a book. And it's Canadian! Based on the many creative and inexpensive ideas found on www.yougrowgirl.com, Gayla Trail's book is fun, informative, creative and very inspirational. It's a hip, funny, down-to-earth approach to gardening for gals who may not have a lot of cash, gardening space or gardening know-how. Hey! That's sounds just like me! Lots of tips, projects and recipes can be found in this fun, funky, illustrated book (illustrations, by the way are by the very talented Leela Corman). And Gayla Trail is definitely my kind of woman. She's a graphic designer, writer, photographer and of course, gardener. And she lives in Toronto! Do you think if I called her, she might come over for tea and gardening advice?

So that's my garden library for now. I highly doubt that I will be able to limit it to just these titles. And so my BiblioQueria question to you is ...

What gardening books would you recommend for me, that are not already on this list?

BiblioQueria 17

"I am a cartoonist.
We are thin on the ground, we women cartoonists, it's still thought of as a man's job, and there are even fewer of my sort who aren't English and never went to art school."

This is what I read on page 9 of Barbara Vine's The Minotaur. Oh yes, I am hooked. And it just keeps getting better and better as this haunting, yes riveting story progresses. A fascinating psychological study of twisted family relationships and dark secrets which slowly come to the surface. And there's even a mysterious labyrinth of a library in the tale! If you want to experience a delicious, riveting read, then you must get a hold of this book. Many thanks to RJ for bringing this gem to my attention.

Which brings me to the subject of riveting reading. I picked up this book last Friday, and started reading it in the evening. I wanted to continue reading all through the night, but I'd had a busy day, and I kept drifting off to sleep in spite of the engaging story. Saturday was a write-off because I had too many errands to do, and then a dinner party in the evening. All I could think about was how I couldn't wait to get back to that book. Come Sunday morning, and I'm up early, on the couch with my coffee, and to hell with the rest of the world. I had plenty of work to attend to, but that book was calling to me, and I could not break the spell. So I sat on that couch for quite a few hours, completely entranced. I did not answer the phone. After a while my bladder tried to get my attention, but I would have none of that nonsense. Just like the title of another engaging book says, Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading! Hurricanes and tornadoes could have whipped through the house, and I would not have blinked an eye.

And so my question to you is....

What was the last book you read which had you completely and utterly rivited?

BiblioQueria 16

This doesn't happen to me very often, but when it does, it's very upsetting. What with all the stress and chaos from moving (and the cost of the electrician, and then the washing machine and the dishwasher leaking into the basement and the strange suitcases all the way from Italy coming to our front door that were meant for the previous owners and the lovely stinkbomb put in our mailbox by some smartass kids), I simply cannot concentrate enough to read. I can barely get through the newspaper. All I'm really cabable of doing at the moment is vegging out in front of the TV at the end of the day. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has had this experience. I want my brain back!!

And so my question to you is...

Have you ever had a time in your life when you just could not get yourself to read, even though you were surrounded by books?

BiblioQueria 15

How I love these lazy days after Christmas. Snuggled with the hubby and the cats on our well-worn couch, surrounded by, and reading, yes, lots of books. Thankfully I did receive some books as presents, but upon close inspection, I have discovered that I gave more books as presents than I received. Hmmm... I'm obviously not making it clear enough to certain relatives how easy it is to please me....

But I do love giving books just as much as I love receiving them. I don't just buy any old book for any old person; I make a very concerted effort to find the right book for the right soul. And I certainly appreciate it when the favour is returned. Here's the list of books that I received this Christmas:

Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel by Jane Smiley
Making It Up by Penelope Lively
Inside The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka and Marc Vassallo
The Complete Peanuts 1957-1958
What I Meant To Say: 25 Essays on the Private Lives of Men by Ian Brown

And here's a list of the books I gave as presents this year:

Van Gogh's Table at the Auberge Ravoux: Recipes From the Artist's Last Home and Paintings of Cafe Life by Alexandra Leaf and Fred Leeman
Napoleon Dynamite: The Complete Quote Book
Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter by Steven Johnson
The Quotable Robertson Davies : The Wit and Wisdom of the Master by James Channing Shaw
The Naming of Names by Anna Pavord
Backstory: In side the Business of News by Ken Auletta
Ex Libris : Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
The Little Book of Hockey Sweaters by  Andrew Podnieks
Women's Wicked Wisdom by Michelle Lovric
What Liberal Media?: The Truth About Bias and the News by Eric Alterman

And so my questions to you are...
What books, if any, did you give for Christmas, and more importantly, What books did you receive?

BiblioQueria 14

Today as I was finishing up my Christmas shopping, I came across this enchanting card at the fabulous card store Write Impressions in yes, the Bloor West Village. I knew as soon as I saw it that it was meant for me. So now I'm just waiting for the card to be specially framed at my favourite frame shop in the Village. The image that I have scanned (which is not as clear as the original) comes from a tiny duplicate found at the back of the card, which I had trimmed off for framing.

This whole experience got me thinking about the fact that I actually have quite a few framed images in my home that are related to the theme of books and reading. I won't go into detail describing each image (I'll save that for another post!), but suffice to say that quite a few of my pictures are rather, um ...bookish. I can't wait to arrange all these bookish photos in my new library next year. Who knew that just the mere thought of arranging pictures could be so delightful?

And so my question to you is ...

Do you have any bookish images on display in your own home?