Things I'm Excited About!

Greetings, fellow readers! I thought I'd take a short break from my summer reading log posts to share with you some of the other bookish things (besides books, of course) I'm excited about this summer.

1. Free stuff. You would not believe how much free stuff I get working in a bookstore. Free limited edition Batman comics? No problem. Free samples of a new fantasy series from Tor.com? We've got a whole box of 'em to give away. Free magazines? You had me at Entertainment Weekly's special coverage of San Diego ComiCon! Which, by the way, I am crushed I was not able to attend this year--I was in California a week too early. Ah well, I'm still young! And I did score a pretty sweet vintage Doctor Who t-shirt online brought back special for the event.

2. Indie bookstores. While I realize that in some ways my working for a chain bookstore could be considered selling out to The Man, I spend quite a few of my hard-earned dollars at The Bookmark, Neptune Beach's independent bookstore-by-the-sea. Seriously, if you live in the Jax Beaches area or are here for a visit (please come!), you HAVE to check this place out. It's small and sunny and full of signed copies from their weekly author events. They're even bringing Tomie DePaola of children's book fame to speak in October! That's one I can't miss.

I was there yesterday with my dad, intending to buy one book (the third book in Cathrynne M. Valente's Fairyland series) but I ended up coming away with four--I should really know better by now that books are like Lay's potato chips: you can't have just one. In addition to the Fairyland book, I found the most beautiful illuminated copy of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself that I absolutely couldn't live without (Thank you, Brain Pickings, for breaking my checkbook with your covet-inducing reviews!), a centennial Penguin Deluxe edition of James Joyce's Dubliniers with a drool-worthy cover, and the Penguin Great Ideas edition of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince. This is a neat little series that I discovered at Foyles while I was in England last summer. Penguin has collected the most world-changing essays and works of nonfiction into a lovely series with minimalist covers that capture the ethos of the ideas themselves. I already have two, which I bought in London, and I think Signor Machiavelli will feel quite at home with his compatriots on my shelves.

How I feel at the end of each new haul.

3. Magazines. Normally, I'm not a big magazine reader (other than the occasional Mental Floss for long plane trips) but lately I've become enamored of Wired and its sleek synthesis of art, technology, and design, not to mention the thought-provoking, often hilarious, articles. Jerry Sinefeld on Google Glass--guys, you have to check this one out. I feel a certain kinship with the good folk of Wired: I'm excited about all the new developments in technology and what we can do with things like prehistoric superfoods and tablet journalism, but I also admire beautiful things and the tradition of human artistry that predates the digital age. Wired succeeds where many other observers fail to combine the two and create something new and awesome--so awesome, in fact, I might even subscribe.

4. BookTube! Readers of this blog will be well acquainted with my obsession with Ron Lit and, more recently, Words of a Reader, but lately, my YouTube channel has exploded with BookTube videos. I can't stop watching them! Or subscribing! Or fighting the urge to go out and buy all the awesome books these rockin' ladies recommend!!! (I am highly caffeinated right now, in case you couldn't tell.) If you're looking for your next great read, or just wanting to expand your literary horizons, go to BookTube. The channels I've tagged will give you a good start, and once you're down the rabbit hole, like Alice, you'll go wherever your heart takes you. 

So that's about it for today--let me know what you think of this post by commenting below! As always, I'm all about da recommendations.

Until next time,

Anna

Summer Reading List, Part 5

Greetings, fellow readers! I have returned from the west coast with my head full of space exploration and my suitcase full of completed books. While I was in California, I got to take a tour of the SpaceX factory floor (which was mind-blowingly amazing!) and visit the California ScienCenter, where the space shuttle Endeavour is kept. All of these adventures, plus spending lots of time with Jacob, made this one of the best weekends of the whole summer.

Here are some reviews of what I've been reading since my last post:

Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs. Another guilty pleasure summer mystery, this book was nothing special, but still fun to read.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I loved this book! My friend Elli recommended it, and I couldn't be happier I decided to read it. It's about a girl named Cath who writes fan fiction for a Harry Potter-esque book series. She and her twin sister have always worked on these stories together, but when they leave for college, their relationship is strained as each girl adjusts to new experiences. This is a sweet little ode to the stories we write and the books we love best. Highly recommend.

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, I am Half-Sick of Shadows, Speaking from Among the Bones, and The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, all by Alan Bradley. Now that I am all caught up on the Flavia de Luce series, I can only say I'm sad I have to wait another year until the new book comes out! These mysteries are awesome--I recommend you give them a shot if you're in the mood for something clever.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This was a really good book about two teenagers, one French and one German, growing up during World War Two. Part coming of age novel, part historical mystery, this book went by so quickly for me: I couldn't stop reading it! Definitely a keeper.

Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space by Lynn Sherr. A good biography of the US's first woman astronaut, including an intensely personal look at the woman behind the NASA portraits.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. This one was a recommendation from my youngest sister. Two girls, Sophie and Agatha, are sent to a school to train as either fairy tale heroes or villains. Upon arriving, however, each girl is convinced she has been placed in the wrong school. The story follows their adventures as they try to undo the mistake while remaining true to their natures.

Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang. This is a two-part graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion in China that I found at The Bookmark, our local independent bookstore. Being new to graphic novels, I didn't really know what to expect, but I thought the artwork was really good and the two perspectives gave an interesting interpretation of this time in history.

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle and Hope Larson. The original novel was one of my favorites as a kid--still is--so I was delighted to see that the graphic novel turned out so well. The blues and blacks of the panels evoke the space and time travel of the original novel, and the characters' personalities really shine through the drawings. This is one I will probably go out and purchase for myself.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. One of the best, most consistent books I have read in a long time. I can see why it won the Pulitzer prize. This book is about a teenage boy and a piece of stolen art, and the story follows them both on their interconnected journey through life. It is also about the trauma of loss and the power of art to heal and hurt us. I honestly can't do this book justice--you just have to read it for yourself. It's long, but I promise you, it will be worth it.

Until next time,

Anna