“To take my work seriously would be the height of folly.” - Edward Gorey

Looking for something quirky to read?  I just read Edward Gorey's Amphigorey Again and it definitely fits that criteria.  This is his fourth collection in his Amphigorey series (Amphigorey, Amphigorey Too, and Amphigorey Also)  and is full of 29 stories.  You may be asking, who exactly is Edward Gorey?  He was an author and artist who is specifically known for his delightful macabre picture books.  If you are looking for a good introduction to his work then I recommend this collection since it includes an excellent assortment of his stories and drawings.  While his stories aren't for everyone (be warned when I say quirky, I mean it! They often don't make a lot of sense and keep you puzzled after you have finished.  If you are a Lewis Carroll fan then you will LOVE Edward Gorey!) his pictures are absolutely amazing.  Here are a few drawings from my favourite story 'Neglected Murderesses":

 

"Miss Q.P. Urkheimer brained her fiance after failing to pick up an easy spare at Glover's Lanes, Poxville, Kansa, 1936."

"Nurse J. Rosebeetle tilted her employer out of a Bath chair and over a cliff at Sludgemouth in 1898."

Aren't his illustrations amazing?? These examples aren't the best quality but if you google Edward Gorey then you will find a great assortment of pictures.  Check him out!

Good News Everyone!

More exciting news to share with regards to that well know author J.K. Rowling!
First of all, she has a new book coming out this fall.....now before you ask:

No, it is not a Harry Potter Book.
No, it does not contain magic.
No, it is not written for children.

Yes Rowling is taking a leap into the world of adult fiction and is trying her hand at writing a book aimed at an older audience.  The Casual Vacancy will be available on Thursday September 27th 2012.  Here's the blurb that has been released:

"When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?
Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults. " (http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/TheCasualVacancy)

So what do we think? I will read it because I simply can't not read it but a party of me does ache at the thought of reading a book by her that does not follow the adventures of Harry and friends....

Speaking of them....Here is the second piece of Rowling news!

This was recently published on her website in the FAQ section:

Question: What about the Harry Potter Encyclopedia? (side note: Rowling had mentioned at some point that she hoped to one day write and publish this)

"For a long time I have been promising an encyclopaedia of Harry’s world, and I have started work on this – some of it forms the new content in Pottermore. It is likely to be a time-consuming job, but when finished I shall donate all royalties to charity." (http://www.jkrowling.com/en_US/#/about-jk-rowling/faqs-and-rumours)

Let the excited squealing begin!

"Ellen was asked to record the new steamy novel "50 Shades of Grey" for the audio book. Things didn't go according to plan."

"Proof that 'I was here, and I made my mark' "

"In 1855, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, complaining about the irritating fad of “scribbling women.” Whether they were written by professionals, by women who simply wanted to connect with others, or by those who wanted to leave a record of their lives, those “scribbles” are fascinating, informative, and instructive." (Goodreads page for Scribbling Women)


I loved Scribbling Women by Marthe Jocelyn.  I have always been interested in looking at different historical events and periods of time through the perspective of women so when I first found out about this book I was immediately interested.  This book was fantastic!  One of my favourite things about it was that I had never heard of any of the eleven women whose stories were told and yet as I learned about each of them, I found myself wondering why on earth hadn't I heard of them??  Each have such amazing stories to tell and have had some sort of historical impact on the world we live in today.  Take Nellie Bly for instance; she was the first female undercover reporter! The things she did to get her story are incredible, especially when you consider that she was the first one to do it!  And Daisy Ashford; she was an author who stopped writing at the age of 14 and whose novel The Young Visiters is still in print and popular today! After reading this book, I have found myself with a large list of books that I now want to read so I can found out more about these 'scribbling women'.


Here are the women whose stories are told in Jocelyn's book:
Sei Shonagon
Margaret Catchpole
Mary Hayden Russell
Harriet Ann Jacobs
Isabella Beeton
Mary Kingsley
Nellie Bly
Daisy Ashford
Ada Blackjack
Dang Thuy Tram
Doris Pilkington Garimara

Books on Film

There are lots of great videos on YouTube that involve books and the literary world.  Here are a few recent favourites that make me smile :)

Many beloved literary characters (Pinocchio, Captain Ahab, Little Miss Chatterbox, Black Beauty, and Raggedy Ann and Andy, just to name a few!) get together to "rally people behind the Book People Unite movement and help get books in the hands of kids who need them the most" (YouTube blur).  Features a lovely song produced by The Roots and features the vocal talents of Jack Black, Chris Martin, John Legend, Regina Spektor, and more!
For more info on the movement, visit the website: Book People Unite

If you have 15 minutes to spare then I really recommend that you watch this!  The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore won the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 2011 and it was a well deserved win! Such a charming story, I laughed and cried while watching this visually delightful film.

More Potter!

Many many months ago news broke the J.K. Rowling was putting together and ultimate Harry Potter based website called Pottermore.  It would include lots of additional information, pictures, links, videos, and the ability to purchases all the books in ebook format.  Naturally I hustled my way over to Pottermore to discover that the site was still in beta.  I patiently waited and check back ever few weeks.  And I waited.....and waited....sigh, and waited.  Then a brilliant coincidence occurred today.  While at my local library I happened to glance at one of the many studious teenagers (oh exam season I remember you well) laptops and saw the words POTTERMORE blazing across the screen! When I got home I held my breath and typed in the url and lo and behold, it is alive!!  I am now a member of Pottermore and have spent the last hour exploring and let me tell you...it is fantastic!  I love being walked through each chapter and getting the chance to learn interesting tidbits about characters and places that I though I knew so well (Oh J.K. you sure showed me!)  An example of the brilliant material you can find the story of how Petunia and Vernon Dursley met, the courtship and wedding, as well as their interactions with Lily and James Potter.  Fascinating stuff! While obviously not integral to the plot in the first book I none the less found that this tidbit made these already wonderful characters even more vibrant!  I'm so excited to continue exploring Pottermore and even more excited knowing that I have 7 whole books, chapter by chapters, to go through and fall in love with all over again

POTTERMORE

Reading Roundup!

Clearly I have fallen behind on updating! Having recently gotten 2 adorable kittens, I have found myself very easily distracted!

Here is the rundown on recent reads:

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak
The first in a trilogy about Catherine the Great, this novel covers Catherine's arrival in Russia and her eventual taking of the throne.  Really well written novel about a very interesting period of time and a fascinating woman!  I really liked how Stachniak told the story form the perspective of Varvara, a maid turned spy in the palace.  A really excellent read!

Maus I + II by Art Spiegelman
Moving, funny, shocking, wonderful....just a few words to describe Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece. The graphic novel style is perfect in telling us the two joining stories of Spiegelman's relationship with his father in recent times and his father's story as a Jew during the Holocaust.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
My second novel by Willis and her second in her Oxford Time Travel novels.  This one took me a little longer to get into (I found that it started much slower than The Doomsday Book) but I also really liked this book.  Set in Victoria England and involving the misadventures of two time traveling historians, a mischievous cat, and a whole slew of well written character.  I'm excited to read more by her!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I have heard lots about Green and what an amazing author he is so I decided to read is latest novel.  Wow, this guy is good! I don't think I have ever read teen based dialogue that I actually find believable and not just annoying!  This book was an emotional roller coaster! I laughed, I cried, I felt it all!  Definitely worth a read and this has convinced me to pick up his earlier novels.