East of Eden

I feel like there are these certain books that we look at and hem and haw over because we know that we are supposed to read them, but don't want to really delve into them. Maybe they're classics, so they've been built up over time. Maybe they're long and we don't want to do that to ourselves at the moment. Maybe we just don't want to read them, even though we, as seasoned readers, feel an obligation to read them to be 'well read.'

I felt all of this, and more, about reading East of Eden. I grew up extremely close to Salinas, California, and John Steinbeck is a kind of legend, a hero of the central coast whose descriptions of the mountains and valleys and rivers and farmland is still unparalleled by any other writer. To me, Steinbeck always felt like a burden. We were forced to read his books in school, making our way through The Pearl and The Red Pony, Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. I hated him in a way it's only possible for a school-age child to hate an author that they are forced to read.

A few years ago I went on a road trip from L.A. to Seattle. I had recently re-read The Grapes of Wrath and loved it and had decided to give the tome that is East of Eden another go. My grandmother had been trying to get me to read this book for years, declaring it the best book about my homeland that I could ever hope to get my hands on. She'd given me an old worn copy years ago that had sat, untouched on my bookshelf as I made my way through high school and then college.

But finally, as I delved into the first chapter of East of Eden, I saw it. I saw the mountains and valleys, the rivers and farmlands of my youth vividly in my head. And as I got into the meat of the story, I fell in love with each and every character. Despite their flaws and their misgivings, their successes and failures, I loved them deeply. From the mother turned madame, to the cold, distant father, and the sons forced to commit the sins of the father again and again for all time, East of Eden finally brought Steinbeck to me. Once and for all, he was my writer, writing of my home. And though he is just as powerful and just as eloquent whether or not you've visited the much changed Salinas Valley or have only had a look around in your mind, East of Eden was worth digging through the indifference of the classic because I found the perfect novel.

Happy Reading,
Julia

Speak

In the recent past, the line between youth and adult fiction has become more and more blurry. Novels meant for teens often contain explicit sex and drug usage and other adult issues, the only distinguishing trait between its adult counterparts being that the protagonist is usually a teenager. But as a teen, I always felt talked down to when I had to read books that seemed to wash over the things that I was experiencing on a day to day basis. And even for those who maybe can't relate to the harder truths of some young adult novels nowadays, isn't fiction supposed to be a way to escape, a way to experience those things that we may not experience ourselves?

That being said, there are few books that tackle gracefully and respectfully such topics as rape in a high school setting. When I first read Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, I had no idea what it was about. I had no idea what I was getting myself in to.

Anderson writes with a wistful clarity that helps navigate through the often troubling waters of the protagonist's, Melinda Sordino, life. She's experienced such a trauma, and yet, retains her own self so wholly that one can't help but keep reading.

When I was in school, being assigned a book like this would have been a revelation, a welcome divergence from the tediousness of too watered-down version of life. Sure, Speak isn't the easiest book to deal with. It brings up hard topics and not so pretty life lessons, but in Anderson's hands, we're safe to discuss.

Happy Reading,
Julia

Ballads of Suburbia

In the 1960s Hubert Selby, Jr. introduced us to the underbelly of the American city, the prostitutes and drug addicts, the pimps and theives.  He gave them faces, names and personalities.  On the other side of the board in the same decade, Richard Yates introduced us to the dark side of Suburbia.  He perfectly captured the discontent, the restlessness, the boredom, and the pretty face that gets plastered on all of it.  Cut to today, television shows, movies, books, stories, they all have plot lines that revolve around suburban housewives addicted to prescription pain killers, mood elevators, muscle relaxants and everything in between.  

And yet, for me, there was always something missing.  Whether I was huddled in my room reading of junkies, pimps and whores, or watching the original Beverly Hills 90210 (where the rich kids always had problems), there was an element that seemed missing to me.  My element was missing.  Where was I in these stories?  I wasn't a rich kid in Beverly Hills, I wasn't a junkie on a street corner.  I could appreciate all these stories, but could I relate to anything more than fleeting similarities?  Absolutely not.

That is, until I read Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert.  If you scroll back in the archives of this blog, you'll find my review of Ms. Kuehnert's first book, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, and as much as I loved that book, Ballads of Suburbia hits on something so raw and so unspoken that at times it was almost shocking to read.  This book doesn't shy away from the unsavory behavior of teenagers, nor does it fail to capture the extreme tragedy befalling many of America's teens as their parents cart them off to the safety of suburban wastelands.

Ballads of Suburbia bridges the gap between Yates and Selby, Jr.  It brings the dark, gritty reality of teenage culture in suburban America to the surface through a cast of characters that are hard not to love.  Like Last Exit to Brooklyn, Stephanie Kuehnert puts a face on the drug addled and disaffected youth of the quiet, tree-lined streets of Oak Park, Illinois.  Like Yates, she puts a dark and dystopic spin on the outwardly beautiful face of the suburbs.  

This book is an achievement and solidifies the place of Stephanie Kuehnert as a powerhouse writer, and one that is unafraid to tackle hard and tender issues.  I can't wait to read what she writes next.  

Happy Reading,

Julia

Shortcomings

Once in a while a book comes along that captures the a small slice of life so accurately that it's almost too much to take.

One of my favorite comics artists, Adrian Tomine, has written and illustrated a small book of such high caliber, it's hard to really compare it to anything. I first read Shortcomings sitting at the counter at Book Soup and was immediately engrossed. When describing it, it's hard to not make the books seem trite. Really, it's a basic boy meets girl, boy looses girl, boy moves on with life kind of story, but the tender black and white illustrations illuminate so much. The emotion, the solitude, the joy, the lonliness of relationships and their demise.

Tomine does what so few can do, he writes a comic book for all people of all ages, for anyone who just wants a good simple story, look no further than Shortcomings.

Happy Reading,
Julia

Author Does Good

So I'm reading through my daily email from Publisher's Weekly this morning and I come across this article, talking about an author coming to Book Soup on August 13 and how her book is being shopped around for a movie. I must say, I've read it and I can't wait. Laurie Sandell, in this graphic memoir titled, The Impostor's Daughter, writes of her Argentinian father and the elaborate stories he used to tell about his thrilling life, stories that maybe seemed slightly out of sync with the paranoid sheltered life her father tended to lead in their family house.

I can't say too much without giving away all the satisfying shock and awe of the story, but I let out the appropriate gasps and tsks as I rode around reading it on the New York City Subway not too long ago. Sandell's book is great as a graphic novel, and I encourage all of you to come out here on the 13th and check it out, but I'm crossing my fingers that it gets the big screen treatment it deserves. This one definitely goes on the 'stuff we want to be movies' list.

Happy Reading,
Julia

Post-Game Wrap-Up

So Comic-Con was a success once again, and once again I trudged into work on Monday completely and utterly exhausted, but still invigorated, ready to tackle our comics/graphic novel section. Of course, seeing as it's not my full time job to actually arrange the graphic novel section, simply a passion of mine, I have not been able to lay a hand on it. But I will say this, our favorite comics publishers, namely DC Comics (and their imprints Vertigo and Vertigo Crime), Top Shelf, First Second, Del Rey, Oni Press, Image Comics, Fantagraphics, and Dark Horse (to name a few) are coming out with some pretty amazing stuff this season, and we can't wait to bring it to you guys.

I discovered a little book called Fables this year and I absolutely cannot put it down. If you don't know it, basically it's about all the fairy tales (Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, Beauty and the Beast, etc.) and they have been kicked out of their old lands and are forced to live among the common people in New York City. Snow White curses like a sailor and has divorced the smarmie, philandering Prince Charming, Beauty and the Beast are having marital issues so the Beasts beastliness is flaring up again, all this in the background of some of the most vivid storytelling and artistry I've ever seen. And, we found out at Comic-Con, the Fables creator is releasing a full length novel in the Fables universe titled, Peter and Max.

Of course, no modern Comic-Con would be complete with out some movie/t.v. updates. Our favorite shows based on books Dexter and True Blood are coming back with a vengeance. I managed to attend the Dexter panel and I'll tell you, it looked amazing. John Lithgow coming in to play the Trinity Killer (can't wait to find out all the gory details on that). The one question that kept coming up was why they were deviating from the books. I didn't really know they were, but I guess if you want the details on that you'll have to read the Jeff Lindsay novels.

Then there were the movies. And this year there are a ton of great movies coming out that are based on books that we love (there might be one or two that aren't as well). Of course Iron Man 2 is hitting theaters next May. The footage on this makes it look like it will be as good, if not better, than the first. And Sherlock Holmes, also starring Robert Downey, Jr., looks like it's going to be totally amazing. But I think what we book nerds are really all looking forward to is the triple header of kids book adaptations coming to theaters soon.

First off, and one that is near and dear to my heart is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. One of my favorite books as a kid, Cloudy became more and more poignant as I grew up, going from the fantastical excitement of raining food from the heavans to the realistic notion that the weather could actually become a threatening and dangerous thing. I just hope that the animated version of this movie doesn't wear away at some of the edge of the book.

And then there are the two kids books that almost look like they are going to be not for kids movies. Alice in Wonderland, of course looks pretty amazing. Vivid colors, dark themes, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. This one looks like it might be pretty awesome. Of course, we'll wait till the movie comes out to make our final decision.

Finally, there is Where the Wild Thing Are, Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers, a trailer that almost makes you want to cry because that book has everything in it. Loss of innocence, adventure, imagination, and a kind of melancholy that tends to permeate any situation in which an adult looks back at childhood. A piece of the set was on display, which I tried valiantly to get a picture of, but alas, the Warner Brothers booth closed every time there was a signing, and there was always a signing.

By Sunday, I was ready to be done with Comic-Con, the Twilight girls (who I happen to feel a warmth toward...come on, they're reading), the fan boys, the costumed superheroes and the never ending crowds of too-excitable people. Still, the end of Comic-Con, complete with it's Rocky Horror rip off of the Buffy Musical, is a sad time. Swarms of people leaving the convention center for the last time, many of them seeing the sun for the last time, before next year.

Happy Reading,
Julia

40 Years

It's hard to believe that it's comic-con time again, yet here I sit in sunny San Diego at a bar not far from the madness. Already it's apparent that this year is bound to be crazier than the last. Hordes of people pored into San Diego last night and this morning and will continue to pour in throughout the next few days, scrambling to see the TV, movie and comics panels, eager to make sure their finger is firmly on the pulse of pop culture.

And that's my job here, to make sure that my Book Soup finger stays directly on the pulse of what new things are going to be huge, which aren't worth getting involved with and which small little gems there are to me found in the melee of the display floor. There are a few certainties this year, Twilight is a big fucking deal, shockingly. Iron Man 2 is being buzzed about. Dexter and True Blood are big hits. But what I look forward to every year is the new discoveries. Last year that discovery was Twilight and the madness that seemed to come out of nowhere surrounding that franchise (hang on kids because it's not going anywhere; the 6500 capacity room was full hours before the panel even started). This year is still to be seen. Though as one walks around comic-con and it's virtual orgy of geek currency certain excitements and bastions of pop culture start to make themselves known. Through the millions of potential phenomena comes one or two that, by the end of the weekend are practically legendary. I guess we'll find out what they are soon enough.

Happy Reading,
Julia

Please Stay

Airplane reading usually consists of a mind-numbing, simply for escape book; the kind that I can't stand. My idea of airplane reading is something that I can start and finish in the course of the flight, that keeps me wholly engrossed for however long I will be in transit.

As I flew back from New York last night, I sifted through the pile of books in by bag (as I am not able to travel without approximately 8 books) and grabbed the one that everyone has been telling me to read. I've read reviews in Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly and Booklist, I've been told by our book buyer and our Penguin Rep that this is a book not to be missed, and finally, finally I figured out what all the fuss is about.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is intensely moving and well-written. It may not have been the best choice for an airplane seeing as I kept having to turn away from the person next to me so she couldn't see that I kept tearing up, but as far as living up to my airplane needs it was an overachiever. Not only could I not put it down, I started it and finished on the plane, but I seemed to delve into this world and only look up right before we touched back down in L.A.

The story is one of severe and tragic loss as a start, but through an artful deconstruction of what exactly makes up a life, it is about how we choose to overcome, to move on when we've lost everything, when there is little left to live for. What better time to explore these themes than the present, when loss abounds?

Happy Reading,
Julia

No Really, Thank YOU!

So here I sit in a hotel room in Brooklyn.  I've been here since Tuesday at the annual Book Expo America where we booksellers and publishers get together and figure out how best so serve you.  The consensus this year seems to be that the upcoming fall season is mighty strong.  But the question is also how do we get books to you, our beloved customers.  Are eBooks all the rage, do you read what we write on twitter or facebook or this blog, or do you just want to come in to the store and talk to someone who knows about books?

In any case, these are some of the issues discussed, and I have to say, we're especially proud to talk up our customers.  It seems we might have the best ones around.  You guys are enthusiastic and knowledgeable, you come to events, you love books as much as we do, simply put, you're the best.  

Sure, this year in all industries has been worse than before, but thanks to you Book Soup continues to do well.  So seriously, from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!

Happy Reading,

Julia

Sitting Shiva

So I'm going to dangle a little bait because this book doesn't come out until August 6th.  I want everyone to take note of it though because I can't get it out of my head.  

Jonathan Tropper's new book, This Is Where I Leave You, is an absolutely stunning achievement.  The premise is simple; a father dies and the family, who is only vaguely Jewish is made to sit shiva as per the father's dying request.  The hitch of course, is that, like most families, this family cannot stand each other for more than a few hours.  

Of course hilarity ensues.  But Tropper brings a tenderness to the Foxman family that permeates even the most humorous scenes.  The Foxman's have a past, they harbor grudges and hurts, they are petty and deep and beautiful.  Each character finds a way, even when they are at their most self-righteous, their most shallow, and their most spiteful there is an inherent lovability in each character.  The people that you should hate the most, rip at heartstrings in the end.

This Is Where I Leave You is an absolutely engrossing read.  Study that picture in the corner and remember it for August...I guess this is where I leave you.

Happy Reading,

Julia

Blue Pills

In celebration of Eisner Nominees coming out I thought I'd talk about one of my favorite nominated books.  The common misguided thought about comics is that they are men in tights, kids stuff that adults are meant to grow out of by the time they reach high school, if not then definitely college.  But more and more these amazing graphic narratives are being penned and inked, the pictures only providing deeper layers to the act of reading a moving story.  

Blue Pills by Frederik Peeters is exactly that.  About Peeters' relationship with an HIV-positive woman, Blue Pills is funny, heartwarming and realistic.  He brings a tenderness through the pictures, a sense of imminent loss looms even in the happiest of times.  But ultimately for Peeters, the relationship is a great one, and beautifully rendered on the page.  

Comics aren't just for kids.  In fact, they may just be the best thing to happen to "grown-up" literature.  

Happy Reading,

Julia

Wall of Inspiration

Well, the L.A. Times Festival of Books has come and gone.  Every year, as we descend on it, the team of organizers at Book Soup looks at one another with weary eyes and wonders if it's all worth it.  Then we get there, and we see everyone running around getting excited about books and we answer our own doubts...of course it's worth it.  Everyone who goes and gets excited about reading, whether you're reading Danielle Steel or David Foster Wallace, we do the work for you.  We love that you love books.  

I am definitely someone who has been guilty of bitching that no one reads in L.A. (which, according to statistics is very far from the truth).  And every year, the last weekend in April proves me so wrong, so so wrong, that I have a kind of revitalization in thought, a refreshing of my own personal web page. 

My favorite thing, by far, at the Festival this year was the graffiti wall of 'What Are You Reading?'  I found it poignant and inspiring and just amazing.  By the end of the weekend the wall was nearly black, writing over writing, a few huge titles protruded along the top.  The sheer volume and variety of books was overwhelming to say the least. Not shockingly, or maybe very shockingly, the most written title was Twilight (and/or any number of books in the series).  

So now, I have to say thank you to Stephenie Meyer.  We definitely felt the Twilight effect this weekend as every single young adult panel sold out (and we didn't skimp on books).  I might be giving her too much credit, but young people in Twilight shirts (and bags, and buttons, and necklaces, and wristbands) made quite a showing at the festival.  And I must say, I was glad to see them.  Say what you will about Twilight as a series, as a movie, as a philosophy (and believe me, I have my problems with it), but between Meyer and J.K. Rowling kids are reading, and we're happy to have them in the club.

Thanks to all who came and all who wished they would come.  We do it for you.  

Happy Reading,

Julia

Something To Write Home About

I discovered emo, or what I later found out was called emo during my senior year in high school. I had mellowed from my days of getting elbowed in the face and kicked in the head in the mosh pits of the Bay Area and embraced a sensitive side of myself that only I had known existed.

I distinctly remember listening to The Get Up Kids album Something to Write Home About approximately 47 million times as I contemplated leaving home and friends and comfort and going off to college where, presumably, everything would be different. I also distinctly remember asking a friend of mine, who was much better versed in this new (to me) genre of music, this emo, to take me to Streetlight Records and give me an emo tutorial. This was when we still didn't really know how to use the internet to look up every single thing we could possibly want to know so I had to rely on my friends for coveted information like this.

So, now nearly 10 years later, when I saw Leslie Simon's Wish You Were Here my first reaction was insane jealousy. People who randomly discovered what is now known as second wave emo, had this amazing source available to them. And a source that was not so dull as a wikipedia site, but that contained the local flavor of each of the indie/emo scenes that so influenced my young adult life.

Of course, I'm a grown-up (sometimes) and got over my jealousy pretty fast, cracked open the book and learned some stuff. Anything from which labels were born of which city, to the dos and don'ts of christian rock, quizzes on whether or not I'm alcholic enough to front a Twin Cities band, to what exactly a Freegan is (it's ridiculous, I'm warning you), Simon has managed to capture the flavor and give a surprisingly in depth history of this often mocked, but hugely popular scene.

From Chris Carrabba to The New Amsterdams, NOFX to The Replacements, 924 Gilman to The Cha Cha Lounge, anything you ever wanted to know is contained in these paper bound pages...plus there are some pretty awesome illustrations.

Happy Reading,
Julia

P.S. Click that little orange button and sign up for the podcast to listen to me interview Leslie. Click it. Right now. I mean it.

Columbine

I'll admit, I found it hard to open the first page of David Cullen's Columbine. I was a sophomore in High School the year those students were shot at their own high school. I was loathe to relive the shock we all felt, whether or not we as too cool high school students deigned to admit it at the time, loathe to relive the sadness, the fear. At the time, it was the single most earth-shattering moment of my relatively young life, and I absolutely did not want to read it. Still, it taunted me. The bleak grey cover with stark white lettering whispered from its place on my office shelf, 'read me.'

This morning it finally happened. Spurred on by a colleagues decision to read what is sure to be the definitive book on an American tragedy, I cracked the paperback proof that I had grabbed from our stacks of free galleys so many weeks ago. Much to my surprise, this wasn't the trying read that I had first envisioned it to be, but a gripping account of two boys and thirteen victims brutally cut down in the prime of their lives, not to mention the mourning and psychological effects on countless others.

Cullen shows us with utter grace and compassion that these boys were not the social outcasts they were made out to be; they were not advised by KMFDM to murder their fellow students, but two deeply troubled young men (Harris more so than Klebold) who committed the ultimate act of brutality against innocent and unsuspecting students.

Even as the book meanders toward the fateful day, giving in depth description and background on the town, the boys, the victims, the ammunitions suppliers, a dark cloud looms over the horizon of the narrative. Cullen somehow manages to make a suspenseful non-fiction out of a story we know too well. This book is absolutely astonishing in the attention to detail and the in depth journalistic reporting (how we miss you journalists). Even with the intense subject matter, I found myself unable to put the book down, and unwilling to be pried away.

Happy Reading,
Julia

Secret Lives

What is it about adolescence that fascinates us so thoroughly?  Is it that we all still bear scars from that painful period?  That we'd like to romanticize it to take some of the sting out of those years?  Or is it just that as painful as adolescence is, it's also exhilarating and we never really feel that same exhilaration again?

Whatever the case may be, I definitely count myself in the group that loves teen movies and T.V. shows, that loves reading young adult novels, and can't stop watching Stand By Me.  But I try to stay rooted in fiction, perhaps so that I don't actually have to deal with the real pain of adolescence, like somehow if it's buried under humor, it will be easier to digest.  (That seems obvious, but think about it).  That is, until I read The Secret Lives of Boys by Malina Saval.

Now, if you haven't guessed by the name that signs off on each of these posts, I'm a girl.  So like most girls, I'm not privy to the inner workings of the adolescent male, seeing as when I was an adolescent I had no freaking clue what the adolescent male was thinking or doing.  But holy crap, there's a lot going on there.  The Secret Lives of Boys delves in to the lives of a group of individual boys who, on the surface, seem like they should have nothing in common.  Everyone from the Teenage Dad to the Hearing Impaired Republican Gay Vegan share many of the same hopes and fears, and the same emotions...yeah that's right, teenage boys actually feel emotion.  Shocking, I know!  

Jesting aside, I've found myself near tears multiple times while riding the bus to work as the boys in this book share the same hopes, dreams, obstacles and fears that every adolescent faces, no matter what their gender.  And rediscovering those feelings that are so far in the past for most people, is not nearly as painful as you might think.  I find myself hopeful that all is not lost, that 'kids today' are just as driven and motivated and confused and worried as they were ten, twenty or thirty years ago.  They just have a few different obstacles to overcome.  

Happy Reading,

Julia

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Holy Crap!  Has a cooler book come out in the past few years?  I will admit I wasn't fully on board the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies bandwagon when I first heard about this book.  'What has this man done to my beloved Jane?' I asked myself.  But the more I heard the more intrigued I was by this notion.  More and more, I was curious about how this would play out.  Could you really turn the ultimate romantic novel into a zombie novel with romance?  Could Shaun of the Dead really turn out to be akin to Jane Austin?

After last night's reading, I'll admit, I'm completely convinced.  What would make Elizabeth Bennett a better heroine than she already is?  Um, make her the best damn zombie, oh I'm sorry, unmentionable, fighter the world has known.  What would make the scene where Lady Catherine and Elizabeth face off over Darcy, even more tense?  A fight to the death between these two seasoned fighters.  Yes, you all can guess what I'll be doing on my days off this week, and it has something to do with Pride, Prejudice and Zombies.

Happy Reading,

Julia

Letters, Letters, Letters

I absolutely cannot stand reading books in hardcover. I find it tiring (maybe I need to start working out more) and cumbersome to read try and find a comfortable position in which to read a hardcover book. So I'm usually 6 months to a year behind the great new books. This week is a great week though because finally The Letters of Noel Coward is out in paperback. With letters to such juggernauts as Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill, Katharine Hepburn and even Lawrence of Arabia, this collection of the ever fascinating playwright's letter is not to be missed.

From musings on tea at the Ritz, to serious and touching letters about the Blitz, Noel Coward's letters are absolutely fascinating. A true window into perhaps the one true genius.

Happy Reading,
Julia

Mix it Up

So March is coming to a close, but cook books are still on sale until the end of the month.  In the spirit of cooking (it is cold enough in L.A. to eat some hearty meals...I mean it's like 60 degrees), I thought I'd throw another cookbook recommendation your way.  Last time I talked about bread, but, truth be told, I don't really bake a whole lot of bread.  I mean, on the special occasion when I do Tassajara is the best.  For just everyday food, nothing beats the Moosewood Cook Book.  

It's the perfect, and best, vegetarian cookbook, but it's not just for vegetarians.  Anyone who wants to know how to cook great meals that are hearty and healthy should own this book.  The recipes aren't difficult to make, and you end up with a great dinner, rather than a frou frou meal.  The perfect cookbook for weeknight cooking, from the folks at Moosewood in Ithaca, NY.  

Happy Reading,

Julia

Cooking

Seeing as we're running a little promo at Book Soup, I thought I'd throw in my two cents and recommend some cook books.  For the whole month of March cookbooks are 15% off, and we have some great ones.  

One of my all time favorite books is the Tassajara Bread Book.  Tassajara is a zen retreat up in Big Sur, California, and this bread book creates the most amazing bread ever.  

I will admit I have a personal connection to the Tassajara Bread Book; my mother's copy has pages stuck together, the binding no longer holds the pages in, there is residual flower and coffee rings spattered all over the most important pages of the book, not to mention the fact that some of my best memories revolve around kneading dough made from that book.  

But more than just a personal relic, Tassajara bread is bread how it is meant to be.  Thick and hearty, with actual nutritional value, Tassajara bread trumps all other breads.  Buy it and give yourself over to an afternoon spent in the kitchen kneading dough (rope your friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, children, spouse) into it and spend time chatting and cooking...it's how life is supposed to be.

Happy Reading,

Julia

Travelers Beware

I love a good travel book.  There's nothing quite like living the travel experience through a well phrased sentence.  Nothing like reading an exact experience you've had while traveling in whatever country the author is flawlessly describing.  

This is how I felt when I read Holy Cow by Sarah Macdonald.  A pitch perfect account of how crazy, ridiculous, amazing, awe-inspiring, India is, Holy Cow, paints a vivid picture of not only the extreme poverty and life-flashes-before-your-eyes driving, but also the thick cloud of smog that hangs over Delhi, the smells of food and burning trash, the cows meandering through the streets, causing gridlock.  

Macdonald has a way of making you laugh and tugging at your heart strings in the same paragraph, sometimes in the same sentence.  A great depiction of a country that spills over with contradiction and irony.  Great book!

Happy Reading,

Julia

May the Force Be With You

What is it about pop-up books?  No matter how old we get, it's still exciting to turn the page of a book and have some shape literally pop out of the book at us.  Matthew Reinhart is the reigning King of the Pop-Ups.  He's done things with Dinosaurs, Sharks and Lions, Witches, and Wardrobes that could be called revolutionary.   But my all time favorite of his books is Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy.  I'm not a Star Wars person, in fact, I've never seen Return of the Jedi or the last movie that came out (which I don't even know the name of), but this book is amazing.  

Not only does it pop-up in the regular from the middle way, but there are smaller fold outs that pop up Ewoks and Storm Troopers galore.  Of course the fold out light up light sabers at the end of the book are perhaps the coolest pop up feat ever, and the reason that everyone should own this book, whether or not you like Star Wars.  

Happy Reading,

Julia

Naomi & Ely

So there I am on the bus coming home from work last night.  I'm catching the glare of all the lights on Sunset Blvd, squinting at the black words on the white page.  I have music blaring in my ears, trying to ignore the heaps of craziness that ride the bus in Los Angeles at nine on weeknights and all of a sudden, my eyes are welling up.  Holy shit!  I think to myself, I'm about to start crying.  The book I'm reading, Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List, is seriously tugging at the strings in my heart I'd forgotten about.

Not a sequel, but a follow up to Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, I expected somewhat of the same kind of book for Naomi & Ely and was instead given this gift of reexamining modern relationships, be them romantic, friendships, or simply acquaintanceships.  Naomi & Ely not only explores some of the devastation of youthful naivety, but also the tender exhilaration of real and true closeness.  

It hurts just as bad, if not worse, when you break up with your friends, but the proverbial make-up sex is a million times better when you get back together with them.  I seriously loved this book, so much so that I'm pretty sure I'm going to read it again, and again, and again.

Happy Reading,

Julia

Artiste of the Month

In celebration/anticipation of Watchmen coming out on Friday, Book Soup is acknowledging Alan Moore as one of the best (if not the best) comics artist ever.  In our graphic novel section you'll be able to find the vast majority of Moore's seminal graphic oeuvre.  From From Hell to Promethea, Swamp Thing to Tom Strong, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to V for Vendetta we're tipping our hats to the great Alan Moore.  

Alan, we salute you.  Thank you for your ceaseless entertainment and thank you for breaking us out of the men in tights version of comics we were subjected to for so long.

Happy Reading,

Julia

Algonquin Goddess

Dorothy Parker is to writing what Mae West is to film.  She's witty, she's gorgeous, and she's way smarter than you or I.  Parker is probably most famous for her witty comebacks, often bandied about at the Algonquin Hotel after umpteen martinis, but her writing is a thing of beauty.  In fact, the Portable Dorothy Parker is the one of three Portable books that has never been out of print (the Bible and Shakespeare being the other two).  

Mae West was all about bawdiness, all about pushing the envelope through sex appeal, and Dorothy Parker most definitely did not shy away from that, but her writing goes deeper, it goes darker than most people remember.  Her multiple attempted suicides come out in some of her witty poems that rhyme and sound upbeat, but when read closely bring out a somber, painful disposition.  Parker was a complex individual, and is often written off as a witty lady who said better things than she wrote, but just trust me on this one, that judgement is off.  Way off.  

Penguin recently released the amazing book you see here with some extra writings that Parker didn't love, but I certainly do.  This is definitely one not to be missed.

Happy Reading,

Julia

Calling All Screenwriters

So I began working on a theory last year that Book Soup has the midas touch when it comes to screenwriters and Oscar wins.  Well, this year my theory has been proved.  That's right, the past three years in a row Book Soup has hosted the winner of the Best Screenplay Oscar.  Starting with Michael Arendt for Little Miss Sunshine, followed by Diablo Cody and this year we had the privilege of hosting both the winner for Best Original Screenplay and the winner for Best Adapted Screenplay. 

So by my calculations if you're a screenwriter and you have an event at Book Soup you'll win an Oscar (but don't hold me to that).

Congrats to Dustin Lance Black and Simon Beaufoy on their Oscars and the fantastic stories they told us.

Happy Reading,

Julia

The Truth is Out There

My junior high school self had a major fan girl moment last night when Matt Hurwitz and Frank Spotnitz came by to talk all things X-files.  This blog maven got a slight thrill when none other that Agent Scully showed up to answer questions for her adoring fans.  From the chance of a third X-files movie to the logistics of filming the t.v. show, all three of our guests stayed until every question was answered and then hung out to sign books, DVDs, Posters, whatever.  

Happy Reading,

Julia

I Love You, Larry Doyle

Perhaps you are like me and walked by a magazine stand when the amorphous inkblots that make up Rorschach's face winked at you from the cover of Entertainment Weekly.  Perhaps you are like me and immediately had to devour the entire magazine for any morsel of Watchmen information to be found.  In the process of said devouring of said magazine, you may have run into a little blurb about a little movie called I Love You, Beth Cooper.  

Not too long ago, when the book first came out, Larry Doyle, came to Book Soup.  As a former writer for The Simpsons, it's no surprise that Larry had us all in stitches throughout the course of the evening.  However, when I went home and read the book, I was surprised to find that I kind of loved it.  It perfectly captures the one crazy night as a teenager magic with the most realistic portrayal of true nerddom I've ever read.  

It's a little like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist for geeks.  But whatever it is, whatever it's like, it is fabulous.

Happy Reading,

Julia

Hardest Working Man

It would be easy to write off Ron Jeremy as just an older pornstar.  It would be easy to mock his book, his memoir of his times as a pornstar in the golden age of porn (a.k.a. the seventies).  As much as I wanted to laugh of Ron Jeremy's book, The Hardest Working Man in Showbiz, I just couldn't.  It's a charming, witty book.  Sure it's got the stuff we all want, the stories of porn shoots being busted by cops and boat scenes gone bad, but what lies underneath is a tender beating heart.  Sure, he's a pornstar...THE pornstar, but he's also a man with big dreams.  Dreams that continue to drive him even now.  

Happy Reading,

Julia

Dunce Century

So there are those books that we all know the title of, all know that we should read at some point if for no other reason than to have the ability to discuss the book when it comes up in casual conversation, and somehow it always comes up in casual conversation.  Some of these books aren't worth reading, some are.  Oh, but how to know which is which?

Let's start with just one.  Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is definitely one of those books that comes up in conversation and should be read, poured over, and cherished.  The protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly is (I'm going to say it) the BEST character in fiction.  Yeah, I did it...THE BEST CHARACTER IN FICTION.  He's disgusting and slovenly, he's a complete asshole, and yet somehow, you still end up loving him.  

How can you say no?

Happy Reading,

Julia

Smart, Funny and Drunk

A few of my favorite things: people who are smart, funny and drunk.  There's just something about a person who can keep up with quick witticisms and dish them out.  It's why I wrote of my love of Chelsea Handler a few posts ago, why I love Tina Fey, and probably the reason I'm still single.  No offense to Tina and Chelsea, because I love them, but there was a lady not too long ago who takes the caustic wit to a level that is yet to be seen before or since.  Yes, the Lady of the Algonquin Round Table herself, Ms. Dorothy Parker.  

Besides being one of the three books of the Portable series to be constantly in print (the other two are Portable Shakespeare and Portable Bible), she's by far one of the most underrated and profoundly moving writers ever.  Like May West, she was famous for the quick, zippy one-liners often heard in the Oak or Rose Room of the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, but her short poems, as well as her prose are not to be overlooked.  

Though famous for her wit, Parker was obsessed with the idea of suicide, and even attempted it a few times.  This darkness in her often comes out in her poems, perfectly rhyming poems that make you want to cheer until you figure out what they're about...and by that time Ms. Parker has usually moved on to the next poem.  

Penguin Classics recently released a beautiful new paperback version of The Portable Dorothy Parker that contains new poetry and prose that Ms. Parker, ever the self-critic, wouldn't allow in the first few editions. 

If you're looking for a great book to sit next to your bed and keep you company before you go to sleep at night, Dorothy Parker would be more than happy to sleep with you...she told me so herself.

Happy Reading,

Julia

Young and Bright.

Evelyn Waugh is probably best known for being the author of Brideshead Revisited. His books, like those of John Updike or Ernest Hemingway are indicative of an entire generation of people. He follows the English, especially Londoners, as they naively live their day to day lives, not knowing that their entire world is about to start crashing down around them as World War II starts.

My personal favorite of Waugh's novels is Vile Bodies, a slim but exacting novel that follows the young educated idle classes of 1920s England. They are the Paris Hiltons of their day (though decidedly more educated than Ms. Hilton), famous for being rich, constantly being photographed, and, constantly being scooped by a reporter who blends seamlessly into the young bright elite.

In true Waugh fashion, the glitz and glamor of monied London comes crashing violently down as Germany starts in on England. Through the war and the blitz emerges a tender, unassuming love story for the ages. And Waugh does it again.

Happy Reading,
Julia

Truth, Justice, and the Soviet Way.

What if Superman, instead of landing in Smallville, landed in Soviet Russia?  What if he still fought for good, still fought for truth and justice, but it just happened to be truth, justice and the Soviet way?  

Mark Millar's (writer of Wanted) Superman:Red Son explores this concept with such grace and nuanced intelligence, it's easy to forget that you are reading about a man who flies around in spandex.  Superman, in this incarnation, doesn't think ill of the U.S. or Democracy, he, like his traditional counterpart, doesn't fight ideals, but crime.  He still fights for the common man, it's just than now he's fighting for the common communist.  

It's just a fantastic retelling of a classic tale.  You don't need to know anything about Superman to enjoy this often overlooked book.  

Happy Reading,

Julia

I Have To Start Reading Comic Books Too!?!?

So in the past five years or so (you can argue it's been more or less, but I'm taking the middle road), comics have made a major comeback.  Maus and Persepolis (both of which I will review at some point) caught on and won high literary prizes, bridging the barrier between highbrow literature and lowbrow men in tights comic books.  And now, those of us that consider ourselves to have a finger on the pulse of the book world, find ourselves having to commit to a whole new genre.  As we are being overloaded with all the fiction, non-fiction, art, photography, and cook books that come out every year, we have to add another section to that list...graphic novel. 

Remember when they used to be comic books and we could just write them off as kids stuff?  Well, that's unfortunately not the case any more.  One of the questions I get asked most is, 'where do I begin?' with these graphic novels I now have to catch up on.  

My recommendation is to start with Watchmen by Alan Moore.  Fox and Warner Bros. just came to an agreement over rights to this movie and it will be coming out on the 9th of March as scheduled, but really, as Zach Snyder (the director) has said, you just have to read it.  

Put out in 1986 (the same year as The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller), Watchmen follows a group of fallen superheroes once known as the Minutemen.  They are morally corrupt, living in a world that hates them, but one they just might be the last hope for, and are trying to figure out a murder of the utmost importance.  

This book examines the danger of ultra-powerful government and the price the people pay for decades of secrets and lies.  It examines the nature of fame and vigilante justice.  Examines the nature of humans to eat each other alive.  

Watchmen is a masterpiece of literary fiction...not to mention the drawings are pretty awesome.  So what are you waiting for?

Happy Reading,

Julia

Are You There?

I find that many books filed away in humor often fall short of being truly funny.  Many try too hard, many take too preposterous a stance on any particular subject, many just simply fall short.  I'll be honest, I'm usually loath to read books deemed humor.  Not because of their perceived non-literary value, but because of the often lack of substance.  Humor books that are great are really really great.  They shed light on life in a way that highbrow literature can sometimes miss, they shed light on certain facets of culture that are otherwise overlooked or taken as normal.  

It takes a lot to get my to laugh out loud while reading, it takes even more for me to be in Vegas with my girlfriends and be somewhat distracted because I want to finish my book (and I have a tendency to read some pretty awesome books when I'm in Vegas with my girlfriends).  On my annual Vegas trip, I couldn't contain myself, could barely look up from my book to pick up my overflowing glass of Jack Daniels, as I read Chelsea Handler's New York Times Bestselling book Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.  Now, I've talked about her other book, My Horizontal Life before, and I loved both, but in her latest book, Handler crosses a line.  She's no longer just a funny lady who has the number 1 show on E!, she is a great writer.  A writer who, through her own life stories, shares our own life stories.  Stories of crazy families and sibling rivalry.  Of desire for success and determination for making it through life with some great friends and great stories.  

As irreverent as Chelsea can be, she has a heart thumping under the veil of funny and sometimes off color stories.  Chelsea loves her crazy daddy.  She loves her friends, even when they drag her to parties she doesn't want to go to.  And most importantly, she points out the flaws in life, and how much fun that makes everything. 

Happy Reading,

Julia

P.S. If Chelsea has a googlealert and is reading this, I'd like to say that I'm sure I can match you drink for drink (though my drink of choice is not Grey Goose, but Jack Daniels) and I'd love a chance to prove it.

Drugs and Ammunition

Talking to kids about drug use is probably one of the hardest subjects a parent can breach.  Let's face it, they don't want to talk about it, and it's not exactly something that parents want to discuss, but it's a necessity in this day and age nonetheless.  Personally, no book had a bigger effect on my decision to partake in any exploratory drug use wisely than Go Ask Alice.  

It's a true story told by an anonymous girl who spirals down into oblivion.  She experiments with drugs, sex, and loses all semblance of her life.  It's not preachy or unrealistic, in fact, it's a real diary from a real girl who experienced it all.  This is one that is absolutely not to be missed and not to be glossed over.  Read it with your kids, read it with your parents, just read it.

Happy Reading,

Julia

After Dark

One of the questions I am asked most frequently now that the Twilight-craze is in full effect is what do I (or what does my kid) read after Twilight? The obvious answer is Anne Rice, but I'm not too certain that the age range Twilight tends toward is necessarily the proper age to start on Anne Rice. Personally, the most appealing thing about Twilight is the romance, vampirism is secondary to the romance between Bella and Edward, so why not one of the classic romances.

Here's a few suggestions:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a somewhat obvious choice, seeing as it is mentioned numerous times in the Twilight Saga, but it is an epic romance full of beautiful language and heart-breaking longing. It's deals with more adult emotions than Twilight, as there is more of a sense of duty and propriety struggling against desire and longing, but it's still appropriate for the teenagers that Twilight tends to appeal to.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
An epic novel (as well as an epic movie) it's romantic and epic, it's adult but not too adult. Sure no one is sucking anyone's blood, but the backdrop of the civil war carries the same sort of timeless romanticism that hundred year old vampires possess. Though it may be a longer novel, it's still shorter than the four Twilight books.

Pride and Prejudice and Emma by Jane Austen
Both novels focus on a young female protagonist, both are told in sympathy with said protagonist, and both are epic romances. Aren't Elizabeth Bennett or Emma Woodhouse just precursors for Bella Swan anyway?

Happy Reading,
Julia

Inspiration Abounds

It seems like lately everyone is looking for some kind of inspiration. Whether it comes from a new leader or a small child, inspiration is as important in life as air or water. For a young writer, the best source of inspiration is other writers; other people who suffer the same paralyzing fear, the same need to spill words on a page and smear them around into a thing of beauty. For a young writer, my favorite source of inspiration is a small book, thin and unassuming, by a master poet (and I'm not even that big of a poetry fan).

Letters To a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke could be the most beautiful piece of writing I've ever read. Deep and poignant, even for non-writers, non-artists, non-poets, it reaches to the depths of youthful exuberance and emotion, pulling threads out you never knew existed. Beautiful and profound at once, Rilke's letters to a young protege poet bring out the essence of writing, creativity, and life itself.

Happy Reading,
Julia