Tag: books

convos with strangers

books and beyond

abby mumford

to reiterate my last post, i love books. i was amazed by stories of people’s first library cards then and now, i’m amazed by what books can inspire others to do.

introducing: margot wood, fauxtographer extraordinaire.

i first learned of her where i learn about everything, the twitter. someone had retweeted one of her fauxtos, which is to say, one of the scenes from a YA book she recreated and then captured on film. even i, a photography dunce, could tell the picture was stunning. granted, i’ve read or heard of most of the books that inspire her photos which makes it even more fun for me, but you don’t have to have read the book to appreciate her genius because she gives a non-spoilery account of what scene the image came from, who her model/s is/are, why she chose that scene, and any other juicy tidbits from the photo shoot.

she also has a wicked sense of humor, as is evidence by our twitter exchange with mindy mcginnis, author of the (much touted) upcoming novel NOT A DROP TO DRINK.

funny convo 1

funny convo 2

yet another reason why i love the twitter. it introduces me to the most extraordinarily creative, not to mention, like-minded people.

since mindy’s book isn’t out yet, let’s all sit back and enjoy margot’s fauxtographs!

feelings

library cards

abby mumford

i love books. this is not a surprise if you’ve read any of my posts. i read books, i buy them, i borrow them, i work on them at my day job, and yet, i can’t help but be amazed by the stories others tell me about them.

*****

this past weekend, i was at a friend’s baby shower and in lieu of a card, the hostesses had requested we bring a book to start the baby’s library. this idea charmed me, but also rattled me. there are SO MANY GREAT BOOKS out there, how could i ever decide on just one for this baby?

my automatic buy for babies is usually any book by sandra boynton. the board books are sturdy and bright, but most importantly, silly. the words and pictures are crisp and clean and hilarious. how can you not love a book that caters to both babies and parents? however, the countdown to the shower was closer than i realized and i had no time to run to the store. i turned to my own bookshelf.

(why do i have kids’ books on my shelf, you ask? i used to work for a large, corporate, trade publisher in the juvenile division and kept all the best books i (and my coworkers) worked on.)

i settled on THE POLAR EXPRESS.

for me, this book didn’t hold the weight it does for others. christmas books were/are abundant in my parents’ house, but i had zero memories of reading this particular book as a child and as such, my only memories of it were the struggles i incurred while working on the 25th anniversary edition which included the book, a slipcase, a cd, a sticker, and shrinkwrap. it was my first “kit” and there were a lot of moving parts when you were in the production department…

anyways, i realized my experience with this book was in the vast minority, so i tenderly pulled the book off my shelf and prepared it for the shower. when it was time for the mama-to-be to open my gift, she held it high so everyone could see. her mother in law immediately ran over to me with tears in her eyes.

“that’s the first book [my son] picked out when he got his first library card,” she whispered.

*****

until recently, the library in sister J and BILT’s town was a tiny store at the local mall because the main building was under construction, but as soon as the newly renovated library re-opened, a family outing was planned.

it turns out you have to be four years old to get your own library card. baby mac is three. that didn’t stop her.

while sister J was registering for the cards, BILT, baby mac, and bubba mac perused the kids’ section. baby mac was overjoyed with the selection and in fact, would pull a book off the shelf, race over to sister J to show her the new option, and then return to BILT to pick out another one. she ended up selecting four books that day to take home.

first choices

four books may not seem like a lot but it’s a strong enough foundation to support a lifelong love of books.

do YOU have any book stories to add to my collection?

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book club

BOOK HUNGRY: city of bones

abby mumford

who says you have to be crowded into the living room, kitchen, and/or dining room to hold a book club? we are ladies of the 21st century. we don’t need no stinkin’ couches. so pull up a blog and join in the conversation.

the members of the BOOK HUNGRY are (alphabetically): patty blount, kelly breakey, blake leyers, karla nellenbach, and myself. we pick a book to read. we discuss via phone. we post a review on our individual blogs the 3rd thursday of the month. click on their names above and enjoy.

this month’s BOOK HUNGRY selection is: 

CITY OF BONES by cassandra clare

what it’s about from amazon: 

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

my opinion:

i’d read this book before, but it was so many moons ago and i didn’t remember enough about it to be able to participate in the monthly call, so i requested it again from the library.

as i re-read it, i recalled my initial reaction was “meh” and the end was “eww.”

those impressions didn’t change with a second re-read.

i mean, this book was fast paced and interesting up until the end. i didn’t like the end at all. it doesn’t make me want to read the other books, of which the gals informed me, there are four more, not to mention a movie coming out. i realize there’s a huge following of this series (and her other one) but i don’t see the appeal here. maybe i’m tired of paranormal? maybe i’m not a huge fan of what the ending suggested?

blake did tell us not all is as it seems, but again, with my bookshelf overflowing with books i’m desperate to read, i don’t think i’ll be sticking with the mortal instruments series. maybe later i’ll try the infernal devices series…?

have you ever read a very popular book and felt the opposite way from public opinion?

p.s. during our call, i learned that cinnamon and cayanne pepper are two spices that help increase metabolism. who knew? well, karla did and now i do too!

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book club

BOOK HUNGRY: learning to swim

abby mumford

who says you have to be crowded into the living room, kitchen, and/or dining room to hold a book club? we are ladies of the 21st century. we don’t need no stinkin’ couches. so pull up a blog and join in the conversation.

the members of the BOOK HUNGRY are (alphabetically): patty blount, kelly breakey, karla nellenbach, and myself. we pick a book to read. we discuss via phone. we post a review on our individual blogs the 3rd thursday of the month. click on their names above and enjoy.

this month’s BOOK HUNGRY selection is: 

LEARNING TO SWIM by sara j. henry

what it’s about from amazon: 

When she sees what looks like a child tumbling from a ferry into frigid Lake Champlain, Troy Chance dives in without thinking. When she gets the child to shore she discovers that his name is Paul, he speaks only French—and no one seems to be looking for him.
Her determination to protect Paul pulls Troy from her quiet life in a small Adirondack town into an unfamiliar world of wealth and privilege in Canada and then in Vermont. Her attachment to him—and the danger she faces when she tries to unravel the mystery of his abandonment—force her to evaluate everything she thought true about herself.
Sara J. Henry’s riveting, award-winning debut will keep readers engrossed right up to its shattering conclusion.

my opinion:

karla chose this book, so i knew a few things before i even picked it up from the library. it would be dark, suspenseful, and sad. my initial impressions of karla’s choice weren’t wrong, but i also should have known i’d enjoy it.

it’s a story of an unconventional mother and son (in more spoiler-y ways than one). the beginning of the book surges into action and doesn’t stop. it’s relentless, but in a quiet manner, which turns a bit into a whisper during the middle, but takes off again at the end. most of us (minus karla) didn’t see that one coming. whew boy!

i thought this was a standalone novel, but during our conference call where sara called in to chat with us (!), she explained it’s just the beginning. the second one, A COLD AND LONELY PLACE, came out last month and if it’s anything like the first book and its full slate of fascinating side characters, it’s worth a read.

p.s. book hungry’s had a big month. first, we get to talk to the author of the book we just read! and second, we’re expanding our ranks. one blake leyers is joining us and she’s diving right in by picking our read for next month. initiation by fire!

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