Fascination

There are three new books on the shelf that are inherently interesting for different reasons.

Berlin: the Twenties by Rainer Metzger and Christian Brandstatter. The city of Berlin developed a wicked, wicked reputation between the wars, and the hundreds of photos in this book give you a glimpse into that daring, desperate time. America likes to think we coined the idea of the 'Roaring Twenties', but we were pretty buttoned-down in comparison to Berlin.

Supercapitalism: the transformation of business, democracy and everyday life is a new book by Robert B. Reich, who was the Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration and is now a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley. Books about economics usually make my eyes glaze over, but every time I've heard Reich talk (TV and radio, never in person, alas) he always has the most interesting ideas. This book is sure to be full of more such unique ideas and perspectives.

Bill Bryson has written a new book about Shakespeare, and although the Bard has been analyzed to death, I am willing to sit down and read a shopping list if it's been written by Bill Bryson. Shakespeare: the world as stage is a clever, flowing biography of one of the greatest writers of all time (please, no letters from Francis Bacon fans).

The library will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, so I'll take this opportunity to wish you and yours a wonderful holiday.....I'll talk to you again on the 26th.

Armed America

Looking for a nice, controversial topic to throw out at the dinner table this holiday? How about gun ownership? Regardless of which 'side' they're on, people are rarely indifferent about the subject. If you would like to get a broad overview of the average American gun owner, you could look at a new book Armed America: portraits of gun owners in their homes. This is not a scientific sampling of gun owners; there are plenty of people who own guns but might not feel comfortable having their picture published holding one. But photographer Kyle Cassidy spent two years criss-crossing the United States looking for gun owners willing to pose with their weapons and answer the question "Why do you own a gun?". The answers are very interesting. Some guns are family mementos, others are collectors items. Some are for hunting or target practice, while others are kept as a matter of principle. Many, many people in this book keep them for self-defense: either against their neighbors or against the government. Another interesting aspect of the book is the backdrop of each picture - generally the living room. It's a snapshot glimpse into someone else's life, and it becomes so easy to try and look for clues to their personality hidden in the books on their shelves, the art on their walls, even the type of pets they keep. This is a very voyeuristic book and you can't help but wonder if the subjects are happy with the persona they project, or are even aware of it.....an interesting look at America as a whole, and not just gun owners.

Teen fashion

It's hard to find a group more fashion-conscious than teenagers, and the odd thing about current trends is that the rattier and grungier the clothing, the more expensive it seems to be. So what is a financially strapped teen to do? Well, they could check out two of our new books: Generation T: 108 ways to transform a T-shirt by Megan Nicolay and Subversive Seamster by the Stitch Lounge Girls (Melissa Alvarado, Hope Meng and Melissa Rannels). Nicolay is a designer and seamstress in Brooklyn, New York, while the Stitch Lounge Girls are home-based in San Francisco. The first book modifies tees - usually printed ones - in a variety of ways to create an urban, post-punk look (think Gwen Stefani). Nicolay also shows you how to transform tees into skirts, scarves, leggings, pillows, bikinis and seat cushions. Subversive Seamster has a broader range of starting materials and will show you how to take any thrift store find and change it into something totally different. A pair of checked men's slacks? Presto, it's a halter top with the fly revealing a tiny bit of cleavage. Bedspreads become vests, wool coats become skirts, and sweaters become mittens. And each piece has that requisite sloppy look that is so coveted by today's young people (wow, I must be galloping up on middle age!). A warning note to parents and grandparents: it's a fine line between cool and embarrassing, so if you try to make these fashions for your young relatives be sure you get their input on whether or not your project really is 'hip'.

Book love

Every once in a while we have someone come in with a tattered book, asking if we will mend it for them. No fancy first editions, no collected works of Shakespeare signed by the author. The books people bring in are far more valuable than that: gifts from beloved grandparents, Bibles handed down through family generations, the first book they ever purchased. For those people who are trying to preserve a piece of themselves, we have a new book that will help you: The Care and Feeding of Books Old and New: a simple repair manual for book lovers. Authors Margot Rosenberg and Bern Marcowitz own a bookstore in New York City, and they share easy techniques for maintaining and repairing the special books in your life. The nice thing about this book is that they use easily obtained supplies and simple to follow procedures. You don't need to be a trained archivist to renovate your personal library. This excellent guide covers such common problems as page tears, stinky books, dog-eared pages, wet books and loose pages. It also discusses routine cleaning, creating the proper environment for your books, and how to put together your own little repair kit. This is a must-read for anyone who loves their books (just don't dog-ear the pages!).

The Voice of the Poet

There is something especially intriguing about hearing a poet read their own works. It's like hearing a giant of the silent film era; sometimes they have a thin, reedy voice that is at odds with their powerful persona, and sometimes their voice seems to be a natural extension of their character. With poets, there is the added interest of hearing how they envision the pace of their narrative and the words they choose to emphasize. Poetry is meant to be spoken out loud, and we have a new series of audiobooks which showcases some of America's most famous poets reading their own works. You can hear the voices of W.H. Auden, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg, Langston Hughes and Sylvia Plath, and all of these discs contain never-before released recordings. We also have a disc entitled American Wits, which includes Dorothy Parker, Ogden Nash and Phyllis McGinley. Anyone who enjoys listening to Garrison Keillor's Writers Almanac or the radio program Selected Shorts on KRBD will love these sets. Since each set comes with a text of the poems, a bibliography and a commentary by J.D. McClatchy, editor of the Yale Review, they are a must for any student of poetry and a wonderful classroom aid. Listen and enjoy.

I'm baaaack!

Rather than wasting your vacation time on the actual holidays, I heartily recommend using it beforehand, so you can get everything done. And, in fact, I still have my Christmas cards to write and my tree to put up, so I shudder to think what state I would be in if I hadn't just spent 9 days running errands. It's nice to be back, tho.
If you are traveling for the holidays, perhaps you might want to take along one of our newest books: The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: travel by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht. Interested in adventure travel? There are instructions for how to control a runaway camel, jump from a moving train and ram a barricade. Intrigued by an exotic locale you have heard mentioned in the news? Learn how to pass a bribe, survive a riot, and navigate a minefield. Looking to become one with nature? Learn how to cross a piranha-infested river, survive a tsunami, and build a shelter in the snow. (Well, you don't have to leave town to use that skill this week). You might be thinking 'Ha, ha, what a useless book', but the authors did actually contact experts in these fields to ask their advice and suggestions. The chance you will ever use this information might be slim, but at least it's quality stuff. And you never know when you will need to foil a UFO abduction. So there.

Vacation Time!

Hi...thanks for sticking with me so far. I'm going to be taking a short vacation to try and get my life in order before the holidays (Ha!). I'll be back and posting again on the 18th of December.