(Never) judge a book by its cover

You know the saying: "Never judge a book by its cover." Yeah, right, I still do it anyways. Sometimes, at least. And come on - don't tell me that you aren't automatically drawn to some books because their cover art manages to touch you in some way or other. Maybe it's just a subconscious thing, but I believe it's almost impossible to totally ignore a book's sleeve. It lures and sways you, even if you may not notice it, and bookshops very deliberately use this to influence your book buying patterns. I know that I've fallen for this many times before (and have actually come across new titles that I might not have approached otherwise through this, so it's not a negative thing for me) C. Max Maggee has recently published a wonderful article on the differences between UK and US book covers, taking a look at how a book's outside appearance is tailored towards its intended audience. Read the whole article HERE.

Blind Date with a Book

(c) SC, welcometobookalley.blogspot.com

So there's this: I usually have a "free books" box at work, which is where I drop all the books I can't (or don't want to) keep, so students can pick them up and get a free read. As I don't have the shelf space I'd love to have, I think this is the best option to give those books a well-deserved new home. :)

Now that  Valentine's Day is fast approaching I decided to give the thing a whole new twist. I got the idea from a guy called Steven Thompson who posted it to the wonderful Book Porn page on Facebook. So tomorrow will be "Blind Date with a Book" Day in my office! All the books are wrapped with little (cryptic) descriptions on the wrapping and people choose a package without knowing what's inside. Then they take their literary "Blind Date" home with them and are in for a surprise read. In case they don't like their "date", they can drop it back into the regular free books box for someone else to pick up later. All this wrapping, drawing and coming up with suitable teasers was a lot of work and I'm already excited to see how this will go.

10 novels that solve all of your problems

Alright, we live in a world where psychological illnesses become more and more common. Emily Temple on flavorwire.com, however, has come up with the perfect solution: books! 

Yes, the written word can do lots of things and might just cure you of your addictions, phobias, etc. So why spend extra money on expensive self-help books, if the answer to your issue might just be sitting within easy reach on your bookshelf. Read more on Emily's wonderful (tongue in cheek) suggestions here: 10 Novels to Solve All of Your Problems

(c) http://s3.favim.com/orig/47/book-crazy-girl-hair-wind-Favim.com-437340.jpg

Kate Atkinson...and her new novel

(c) Martin Hunter, kateatkinson.co.uk

Ok, I'll admit it: ever since I came across her writing as an undergraduate, I've been in love with Kate Atkinson's books. For me, she is one of few contemporary writers who effortlessly seem to be at home in different genres and who always manage to come up with endearing and versatile characters. I'm a big fan of her earlier work such as Behind the Scenes at the Museum or Human Croquet, but am equally fond of her Jackson Brodie crime series.

Yet, I'm happy to announce that it's only a good six weeks until the publication of her latest novel Life after Life, to be published on 5th March. Here is what amazon has to say about it: 

"What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right?
During a snowstorm in England in 1910, a baby is born and dies before she can take her first breath. During a snowstorm in England in 1910, the same baby is born and lives to tell the tale.
What if there were second chances? And third chances? In fact an infinite number of chances to live your life? Would you eventually be able to save the world from its own inevitable destiny? And would you even want to?
Life After Life follows Ursula Todd as she lives through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. With wit and compassion, she finds warmth even in life’s bleakest moments, and shows an extraordinary ability to evoke the past." (amazon.de)

Doesn't that make you all excited??? Well, I definitely can hardly wait to get my hands on this! Meanwhile I might just re-read her short stories.

How to keep track of your books

So there's this: Keeping track of your reading can be difficult! Nothing new there, especially if you are as fond of making lists as I am. Ever since I started to 'devour' books, I've compiled lists of the titles I've already read, the ones I'd like to read, the books I own, ... (Yes, I'm a nerd!) This had become rather tedious at times because titles accidentally got left out, etc., when I came across Goodreads.

(c) www.goodreads.com

If I had to describe Goodreads in three words and to people who haven't come across it yet, I'd more or less tell them that Goodreads is like 'Facebook for bibliophiles'. And I believe this description captures the essence of Goodreads quite well, don't you think? The page is an extremely useful tool to keep track of your daily/weekly/monthly/annual book intake - you can even take part in the annual 'Reading Challenge'! It's also great when you're looking for reviews and other readers' opinions. Everyone can rate their books, create their own shelves, post comments in various groups etc., so it is a wonderful place to exchange reading tips with your fellow book lovers. Moreover, Goodreads is just plain convenient, even though it does have a few flaws (e.g. the search for titles isn't always very acurate). However, the advantages definitely outweigh the downsides, so if you aren't familiar with it yet, you should probably go check it out. It sure has made my nerdy little book lover's life a lot easier.

Review: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

You know what they say: Better late than never! Shortly after Christmas I promised to write one or the other review about the books I received as gifts, but unfortunately didn't really get around to it until now. The first book I would like to talk about is Matthew Dicks'/Green's Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend.  (N.B. In case you are confused about some editions of the book appearing under two different names, this site explains it all: Introducing Matthew Green).

Let me start by saying that I loved this book from beginning to end. It was quite unique and different from most books I've read before. Well, maybe except for Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. The narrator of the story, Budo, is an imaginary friend and with his four years is exceptionally 'old' as most imaginary friends, so we learn in the story, usually disappear again quite quickly. His creator, Max, lives with a form of autism (even though a specific diagnosis is never named in the book) and is something like a social outcast at school. Budo as his only friend provides a fabulous insight into Max's inner world - he makes you laugh, cry and worry for both his and Max's well-being. I'm not going to spoil your fun by going into greater detail about the plot, but let me reassure you that the story eventually becomes very exciting and even nerve-wracking. 

All in all, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend is simultaneously funny, smart, heart-warming and suspenseful: Clearly a must-read!!

In memory of a friend and fellow literature lover

The holidays are over and the new year has already brought about tragedy. A very good friend and colleague passed away unexpectedly last week. I'm still lost for words, but as she was a passionate Shakespeare scholar, I think one of his sonnets may function as a suitable commemoration.

Sonnet 60 - William Shakespeare

Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end;
Each changing place with that which goes before,
In sequent toil all forwards do contend.

Nativity, once in the main of light,
Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,
And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.

Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow:

And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,
Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.

Santa was good to me - Xmas break book frenzy

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and got to spend it with their loved ones. And I hope Santa was good to you. He sure brought me quite a few great presents, among them these enticingly yummy looking books. I can hardly wait to snuggle up under a blanket "between the years" and jump into all of these stories. I just finished Audrey Niffenegger's The Three Incestuous Sisters, a lovely book with terrific images created by the author herself, but the other books sound promising as well. I'll be back soon with comments on some of these: already started reading Memoirs of an imaginary friend this morning.

(c) SC, welcometobookalley

Happy Holidays!

Source: themarysue.com

The holidays are fast approaching and it's time to get into the festive spirit. Oh my, do I have presents for everyone yet??? As I will be gone from my blog for a few days, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish everyone reading this a

 Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah,
or a Wonderful Kwanzaa! 

I hope you'll be able to enjoy the holidays with your loved ones. And, of course: May you get a lot of great books!!! :) I sure will spend quite a bit of time reading and will then be back with new reviews and book tips soon. Till then, take care and enjoy the holiday!

Another lovely bookshop: Sterling Books, Brussels

So, I spent the weekend in Brussels: a beautiful city with lots of sights and wonderful cafes and restaurants. However, there is also a nice, little, centrally-located, English language bookshop that I would like to mention here: Sterling Books in the Wolvengracht 38, close to the Theatre Royal.

bookstoreguide.org

Located right in the middle of the city, Sterling Books is by some guidebooks considered as one of the best locations for people craving English language reading material in Brussels. Opened in the late 1990s, it has since established itself as one of the biggest independent English bookshops in Belgium

bookstoreguide.org

The bookshop looks rather modern and is spread over two floors, the lower one stocking mainly fiction, children's literature and newspapers and magazines while the upper floor is dedicated to non-fiction. Here customers can also find a few tables with chairs, so that you can flip through the pages of the books in peace and quiet, maybe even with a cafe latte from the coffee machine. Both floors are connected via a beautiful Dickensian staircase: creaky wood and books - me like! :)

Just one downside: I thought their titles were rather high priced, especially considering that most books were (occasionally much) more expensive than elsewhere. However, I guess this a "side effect" with independent bookshops and - while I don't want to throw around my money - I do think it's crucial to support them.

So there's this...

Source: bookporn.tumblr.com

... little cartoon I came across and I'm still torn about what I should think about it. On the one hand, I find it funny and mostly true, but on the other hand I'm going a bit "naaaaah" at the term book slut. I'm not starting a feminist discussion here, but do I really want to be called a slut, even if it's in combination with the word book? Not really. I'm not that touchy but this just makes me cringe a bit.

Yet, the rest of the cartoon is quite nice, I believe, and - except for that somewhat slutty dress and said terminology - I think I can identify with pretty much everything: Tea addiction? Check. Glasses? Check? Sharp, bright eyes? Gotta ask the hubby. Other physical traits mentioned in cartoon? I guess. Book and bookmark always at hand? Definitely check? And yes, this reminds me that I wanted to buy myself a new bag as the old one is starting to fall apart. Christmas is coming up and I need a good bag to carry around all those treasures I hope Santa will bring me.

Time to look back: Five of my favourite books from 2012

(c) popularkinetics.wordpress.com

It's that time of the year again when everybody begins to reminisce about the past twelve months. I'm of course not immune to this 'tradition' so - in line with the nature of this blog - I thought about all the great new books I came across in 2012 and have tried to come up with a list of five of my favourites. It was a tough choice, mind you, but just consider these as representatives for all the other wonderful publications out there. So here are some of my 2012 highlights:

1) The Sea Detective by Mark Douglas-Home

This Scottish novel provides an interesting new perspective on the maverick detective and thus makes it a perfect read for everyone who likes crime fiction but is sick and tired of the fact that there is so little really new and original material out there. Skilfully constructed with different plot lines merging in the end, the story revolves around protagonist Cal McGill, a nerdy Phd student of oceanography who solves mysteries by tracking ocean currents and tidal drifts. It thus combines science and literature and the personal history aspect isn't neglected either - a perfect mixture.

2) Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan 

This surely is one of my favourites. While some of the passages detailing proceedings in the Secret Service were kind of lengthy, the characters definitely made up for these. It's a skilfully constructed story with many twists and turns but ultimately boils down to Serena's problems with relationships - with her family, her friends, her lovers. Plus, "Sweet Tooth" gives an interesting account of Britain and its sociopolitical impact in the 1970s and the role of the artist, i.e. writer. Ultimately, it can also be considered a story about literature. The end reminds one a bit of Atonement, and I don't yet know whether I find this charming or a bit cheap, but still I'd highly recommend this novel. 

3) There But For The by Ali Smith

Another example of Scottish literary greatness: Miles Garth attends a dinner party in an upper middle class neighborhood in London. Sometime between the main course and pudding he goes upstairs to a guest bedroom and locks himself in. Over the course of the next months he develops a cult following when people aim to solve the mystery of the guest who "over-stayed his welcome". Extremely clever in both form and content, Ali Smith's novel draws a picture of British society in all its dirty little details. Wonderful!

4) The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

The first section of Eugenides' novel looks at the big excitement over deconstruction and post-structuralism back in 1980's academia. It eventually continues to actually deconstruct the traditional literary marriage plot via religion, philosophy, and the "discourses" of literary criticism. I just loved this book and even though I'm an academic myself, it taught me one or the other thing about criticism. 

5) Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell

This is a book for anyone who thinks that being a book seller might be boring. It's definitely not, when you consider what these people seem to experience on a daily basis. Instead they are asked for the "English translation" of classics such as The Scarlet Letter, etc.). Or they are supposed to immediately know the title of  "that green novel with a flower on it that I had as a child". Jen Campbell's book collects numerous anecdotes of this sort and yes, I almost peed myself while reading it because it was so funny.