Library Book Sale

Every year my town has a library book sale of donated books, so early this morning I made my way down there to check out the offerings. I only took thirteen dollars because if given the chance I have no doubt I would blow all my savings on used books. I ended up with a selection of five paperback and one hardcover, all which I got for eight dollars.

The books I ended up with (there was much editing done before I got to the cashier) were:

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland

The Stillborn God by Mark Lilla

East of The Sun by Julia Gregson

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

The Accidental Masterpiece by Michael Kimmelman

"In the realm of psychological suspense, Thomas Harris stands alone. Exploring both the nature of human evil and the nerve-racking anatomy of a forensic investigation, Harris unleashes a frightening vision of the dark side of our well-lighted world. In this extraordinary novel , which proceeded The Silence of The Lambs and Hannibal, Harris introduced the unforgettable character Dr. Hannibal Lecter. And in it, Will Graham--the FBI man who hunted Lecter down-- risks his sanity and his life to duel a killer called...

The Red Dragon"

I'm not really into the whole FBI murder mystery type of book, but I've wanted to read this ever since NBC's Hannibal came out-- it's one of my favorite shows and I just think it was done so excruciatingly well. (To hear me gush more, click here) The plot and ideas in the show were great, especially the way Hannibal and Will Graham's relationship was portrayed, so I wonder if that's drawn from the book or Bryan Fuller's own genius. I'm excited to get through this so I can compare to the show.

(Excuse my dangly hair)

"A professor invites a colleague from the art department to his home to see a painting that he has kept secret for decades. The professor swears it is a Vermeer--why has he hidden the important work for so long? The reasons unfold in a series of stories that trace ownership of the painting back to World War 2 and Amsterdam, and still further back to the moment of the work's inspiration. As the painting moves through each owner's hands, what was long hidden quietly surfaces, illuminating poignant moments in human lives. Vreeland's characters remind us, through their love of the mysterious painting, how beauty transforms and why we reach for it, what lasts, and what in our lives is singular and unforgettable."

Even though people preach not to judge a book by it's cover, I couldn't help it with this one; I love the blue and the little picture window. I picked this book because of the art history aspect, but also because it seems to be the type of book I like best; not very dramatic, relaxed and contemplative, asking questions about human nature, life, beauty, but not necessarily answering them. And it involves a professor--- I have a weakness for any insight into the lives of professors *see: my obsession with The Rebel Angels by Robertson Davies*

"The wish to bring political life under God's authority is nothing new, and it's clear that today religious passions are again driving world politics, confounding expectations of a secular future. In this major book, Mark Lilla reveals the sources of this age-old quest--and it's surprising role in shaping Western thought. Making us look deeper into our beliefs about religion, politics, and the fate of civilizations, Lilla reminds us of the modern West's unique trajectory and how to remain on it. Illuminating and challenging, The Stillborn God is a watershed in the history of ideas."

I really had trouble exercising self-control in the philosophy/religion section. I basically wanted to carry the whole table home-- but alas, my thirteen dollars. So I settled on this- combining religion, philosophy, and politics. I was remembering history class this year, learning how the Constitution and early government was built on Judeo-Christian ideas. I think it'll be a good read for when I'm not in the mood for fiction.

"As the Kaisar-i-Hind weighs anchor for Bombay in the autumn of 1928, it's passengers ponder their fate in a distant land. They are part of the "Fishing Fleet"-- the name given to the legions of Englishwomen who sail to India each year in search of husbands, heedless of the life that awaits them. The inexperienced chaperone Viva Holloway has been entrusted to watch over three unsettling charges. There's Rose, as beautiful as she is naive, who plans to marry a cavalry officer she has met a mere handful of times. Her bridesmaid, Victoria, is hell-bent on losing her virginity en route before finding a husband of her own. And shadowing them all is the malevolent presence of a disturbed schoolboy named Guy Glover. 

From the parties of the wealthy Bombay socialites to the poverty of Tamarind Street, from the sooty streets of London to the genteel conversation of the Bombay Yacht Club, East of The Sun  is graced with lavish detail and a penetrating sensitivity---historical fiction at it's greatest."

I originally picked up this book because the title reminded me of the story East of the Sun West of the Moon. I'm not sure if this book relates to that at all, but the story on the back cover sucked me in-- set in an interesting place in an interesting time with interesting people. I don't really expect this book to be all that deep or English-class material, but it sounds like the kind of book I could read just to relax and hear a great story. 

"Set at a boys' boarding school during the early years of World War 2, A Separate Peace  is a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between two friends one summer, like the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world."

I bought this one because I had heard a lot about and I'm also pretty sure I'll have to read it for school sometime in the future. 

Used Book Haul

Finally, finally, after a week of excruciating finals, I finished school today. And what better way to kick off the summer than with a book haul? There's this adorable used book store right across the street from my school where mismatched wooden bookcases and stacked crates house every beaten, battered, and dog-eared copy you could dream of. No one can blame me for splurging a little.

Truth be told, I had a little housekeeping to take care of. For sophomore year I have to read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and one other book from the list of the following:

Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Shine by Lauren Myracle

About a Boy by Nick Hornby

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Out of these choices Rocket Boys, About A Boy, and The Secret Life of Bees appealed the most to me, but  I decided to start with the latter.

"Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother" , Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina- a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black bee-keeping sisters, Lily is introduced to the mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come."

-Back cover of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

This book appealed to me for a number of reasons-

1.) Reading the back cover reminded me a lot of the movie The Help with the idea of rights for African-Americans and black stand-in mothers. I really enjoyed that movie and thought it showed a time and place in America that isn't often portrayed.

2.) The part about the beekeepers and the honey instantly made me think of Charlotte Charles from Bryan Fuller's Pushing Daisies (one of my favorite shows!) and her Honey for the Homeless campaign. There's probably no real connection or parallel, but I thought it was cute. And bees are obviously going to be some sort of meaning or symbolism in the book, which is relatively uncommon in my experience, so that will be interesting to think about.

3.) There's the mystery aspect to it. I presume from the back cover that Lily's mother's death had some sort of mystery surrounding it, and a little bit of guessing and secrets is a surefire way to keep me interested in a book.

Sorry for my unnecessary and inconsistent artsyness in that shot. I don't know what came over me.

" The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.
The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered."
-The back cover of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

I'm looking forward to reading a memoir/ autobiography (woah, what's the difference? I never thought about that before...) I haven't read too many, and I'm sure you have to approach this kind of work with a different lens than you would with a novel. 

"The highly original satire about Oedipa Maas, a woman who finds herself enmeshed in a world-wide conspiracy, meets some extremely interesting characters, and attains a not-inconsiderable amount of self-knowledge."

-Back cover of The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

Well, this is... an interesting story. You see, this book is one of my dad's all-time favorites. So since father's day was coming up, I thought it would be in accordance with the actions of a thoughtful and caring daughter to purchase a copy for him. However, I didn't realize until it was too late that hard-cover copies of this book are no longer printed, which is why the few I found online were priced at around three hundred dollars ( I assumed a typo was at fault) Anyways, father's day passed, and no present. So today when I wandered into Tim's Used Books and spied this little copy sitting on the shelf, I felt it was my duty as a daughter- to make my dad buy it for himself. Smooth, I know. But it's the thought that counts, right?

Anyways, I think this will be a good read since it was referenced repeatedly in Foster's How To Read Literature Like A Professor.

PS-- For some strange reason I love when I buy a used book to realize that it's been annotated by it's previous owner. There's something special in knowing that someone else held this exact same book as you, enjoyed this exact same copy, and through their notes you can almost follow along with their thought process. It's a really pure way of seeing someone- seeing what's in their head.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

I couldn't resist this little copy of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. We just finished this in English class, and ever since my teacher collected our books my backpack has felt just a little too empty- 107 printed pages of too empty, to be exact. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Steinbeck, and this book impressed me yet again. It's a slim little novel that has great power and force of idea, and since it's so short there's really no excuse to not read it.

Have I guilt-tripped you enough now?

So these will fill up at least the start of my summer, and now that I have a little bit more free time on my hands I'll definitely be updating this blog more often!

Au revoir-
Skye

pps-- sorry for that awk little copy and paste patch mehhh

If you've read any of these books leave your thoughts/ reviews in the comments! I'd love to hear what you think :)