Book News and Other Miscellany

Volume 3, Issue 1

Various links to cool videos, websites, articles, and news about books.

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No. Way. A new Harry Potter book is coming! The book will be released on Sunday, July 31st (Harry's birthday, obvi). It will be the eighth book, and it's actually a "special rehearsal edition" script of a new play, based on an original story by J.K. Rowling. Sounds confusing, but who really cares? Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is about the harried(ha) life of an overworked Ministry of Magic employee, father of three little wizards, and former savior of the wizarding world. So you know, normal everyday stuff. I wonder if Harry and Ginny have a minivan.

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And speaking of Harry Potter, here's the trailer to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  In case you're like me and completly missed it.

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We think our Instagram account is pretty spectacular. Find us @thirdplacebooks, if you aren't a current follower. But there are tons of other great book related Instagram accounts.

Bustle.com put together a list of 10 Accounts Every Book-Lover Should Be Following Right Now. It's a pretty good list. They seem to cover the gamut of what the book Instagram world consists of; that being, cats, coffee, young adult readers, and bookstores. 

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Check out this Seattle Times feature on our 

new, soon to be open, Seward Park Store!

Managing Partner, Robert Sindelar, overseeing construction

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Here's a random new staff pick from one of our lovely employees. Christina at Ravenna thinks you should read...

Our Spoons Came from Woolworths by Barbara Comyns

This beautiful book, the story of an impoverished, naive young artist in 1930s London, totally took me by surprise. At first the mishaps of newly-married Sophia and her husband Charles are funny and awkward--everything Sophia cooks tastes like soap; they paint all of their furniture sea-green; they live in terror of Charles' forbidding relatives; and they're always hard up for money. But through a masterful technique of Comyns, Sophia's wondering attitude slowly reveals as much about her (and her unconscious attempts to deflect the emotional impact of constant disappointments) as it does those around her, who benefit from exploiting her optimism and self-doubt. Some moments of the book approach psychological horror, and the happy ones (they exist!) come as a great relief. 

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In honor of Valentine's Day, find out what literary couple you and your significant other are. Take the quiz here.

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And ... a book and a cat.

Book News and Other Miscellany

Volume 2, Issue 2

Various links to cool videos, websites, articles, and news about books.

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The Man Booker long list, also known as the "Man Booker (Baker's) Dozen" was announced late last month.

This is the second year that the prize has been open to writers of any nationality. Nomineess must also be originally written in English, and published in the UK. The shortlist will be announced on September 15th with the award itself announced on October 13th.

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The Martian comes to movie theaters this fall. The trailer looks amazing! Several of us have read and loved the book and can't wait for the movie!

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People who read actual, physical books fall asleep faster and sleep better than those who read e-readers. There's a super-long, fancy, academic study that proves it. Or you can read NPR's summary.

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What's your personality? Take this quiz!

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 50 Romantic Books for People 

Who Hate Romance Novels

I love Flavorwire's lists. They are consistently interesting topics and always full of  books you wouldn't normally consider belonging to whatever particular list it is. I found Dancer from the Dance (one of my all-time faves) by Andrew Holleran on their list of Best New York Novels. It's also in their 50 Essential Works of LGBT Fiction.

I had been sampling pretty heavily from the LGBT list and that's how I came to read, Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman, currently my favorite book this year. Call Me By Your Name is also on the 50 Romantic Books list, which is how I ended up reading John Wyndham's The Chrysalids. And why I'm moving on to The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch. You must check out these lists, they will inevitably throw you down a rabbit hole of binge-reading. Not a bad rabbit hole to be in.

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And, a book and a cat.

-Erin

On Hating Books Part II

You are reading Part II of this post. The body of the post is hidden to prevent spoilers.

On Hating Books

I've been giving some thought to why we read. What is it we're looking to find in those pages? The answer is different for each of us. I read to learn, and to feel. I love a book because its characters charm me, or the story stirs me. But what does it mean when we don't like what we find between the covers? Recently, I had the opportunity to really ruminate on what happens when I hate a book.

For days, I'd been wrapped up in a certain novel--loving it. I was enmeshed in the world and emotionally invested in the story. In short, captivated. A friend of mine was reading it at the same time and we would text back and forth about the characters as if gossiping about friends.

And then the author did something so unthinkably cruel and awful, I felt like I'd actually been punched in the stomach. This book had me crying a few times, but at that moment all I felt was white-hot, visceral rage and I threw the book across the room. I'm serious. I've never done that before. It was automatic, an unconscious impulse. One moment I was reading, and the next, the book was hurling through the air. I went from loving it to hating it in one sentence.

I left the book lying where it landed for at least a day. But I did eventually finish it, fuming the entire time. I felt so manipulated, and so stupid for believing all the things the author had me believing.

And I could not let it go. It was all I thought about, all I talked about.

Around this time I came across a blog called I Hate Cheryl Strayed. Fans of Cheryl Strayed may want to steer clear, this woman's anger is for real. I read a few posts of her 39-part review of Wild. 39 parts!!!!! After that, she goes on to review the movie version, and then Cheryl's other book Tiny Beautiful Things. The blog is entertaining but I didn't really understand; if she hated the book so much, why waste so much time on it?

And I thought about the book I threw across the room. I wasn't writing a blog about it (though now I am), but I certainly spent a lot of time thinking and talking about it. And, after all, I did finish it. The writing is beautiful and the characters really did feel like friends. I wanted to feel something, and I certainly did. So, did I really hate it that much? Or perhaps the better question; did I really care that I hated it that much?

Whatever else this book was to me, it was an experience, and I'm glad I read it. And with a little time and perspective of what real book-hatred looks like, I can even say I liked it. I'm not saying there aren't books out there that I legitimately hate, I am not one to find value in a book simply because it's a book. And I'm not saying that the blogger above doesn't legitimately hate Wild. I'm only saying that I liked this particular book so much that it didn't matter that I hated it.

So the book I swore I would never recommend--I'm recommending it. I hesitate to reveal what book I'm talking about, worried that there may be inadvertent spoilers in this post. So, I'll leave it up to you. Click on through if you want to know.

Book News and Other Miscellany

Volume 2, Issue 1

Bringing this back. Various links to cool videos, websites, articles, and blogs about books. Enjoy!

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You may recall the "squee heard round the world". Here's the trailer that accompanies said squee.

Do. Not. Tell. Me. Anything. The first episode was last night and I haven't seen it yet.  

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I was trying to find a literary holiday for you to celebrate this week, but I found something better instead. Melville House's commentary on literary holidays, Major Literary Holidays Other than Read an e Book Day. International Lie About Having Read Proust Day is my new favorite holiday. It's "actually everyday, though it's officially recognized on August 13." I'll be exchanging gifts if anyone wants to join me. It was a serious toss-up between that and January 13th, Give Up Trying to Read 2666 Day.

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The Man Booker International Prize was announced last week. If you think that's the ordinary Man Booker Prize, you're wrong. Don't worry, we didn't know what it was either. Everyday's a school day! The Man Booker International Prize is awarded to ...

one writer for his or her achievement in fiction. Worth £60,000, the prize is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language. The winner is chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel and there are no submissions from publishers.

Where the regular old Booker Prize is given to one book, yearly, the Man Booker International Prize is awarded for a body of work every two years. Kind of like the Olympics. Actually, not at all like the Olympics.

Your new Man Booker International Prize winner...

László Krasznahorkai!!!!

Some of his more recently translated work includes Santantango and Seiobo There Below.

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And now, a brand new section of Book News:
Cool books I really want to read, but haven't had a chance to yet.
Admittedly, not really news, just my sneaky way of pointing out cool and worthwhile books you might be interestded in.

The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas

A new edition of what is commonly seen as the legendary Norwegian writer's masterpiece, this story tells the tale of Siss and Unn, two friends who have only spent one evening in each other's company. But so profound is this evening between them that when Unn inexplicably disappears, Siss's world is shattered. Siss's struggle with her fidelity to the memory of her friend and Unn's fatal exploration of the strange, terrifyingly beautiful frozen waterfall that is the Ice Palace are described in prose of a lyrical economy that ranks among the most memorable achievements of modern literature.

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And a book and a cat.

Goodnight Moon: A Critique

Believe it or not, I just read Goodnight Moon for the first time the other day. I was babysitting, and it was the book that the kid picked out. Why I had never read it, I can't say. I know it's a classic, but it has never appealed to me, same with Runaway Bunny. I'm pretty sure it's the art. It just does not do it for me. Which is too bad really, because the words are lovely. The sentiment, the cadence- that I can really get behind. But the art...it just looks weirdly diabolical.

Well, I am pleased to report that I clearly am not the only person who feels this way. There is a hilarious, genius of a blogger over at The Ugly Volvo who has really taken Goodnight Moon to task. Give it a read. I promise it will brighten your day.

All of My Issues With the Goodnight Moon Bedroom by The Ugly Volvo

HOBBIT DAY!!!!

Get ready to take your shoes off and free those Hobbit feet, it's Tolkien week! And September 22nd is Hobbit Day!

Hobbit Day was first celebrated in 1978 to commemorate the birthdays of everyone's favorite hobbits, Biblo and Frodo. Annie at Lake Forest Park is super excited and advises that any festivities "should include many, many fireworks (possibly dragony in nature), eating cake, and lots of dancing." And in all your revelry, she begs you not to forget, "elevensies, the most important meal of the day! Except for, of course, breakfast, second breakfast, dinner, and supper." Head over to the American Tolkien Society's site for more history and lore on Hobbit Day.

To celebrate Hobbit Day, The EMP will be displaying some awesome Hobbit and Lord of the Rings artifacts.  They'll be unveiling Sting, the dagger used by Bilbo and Frodo, as well as Aragorn's sword and Gimli's axe. Click here for more info.

In my "research" for this post, I was checking out Wikipedia's page on the Middle Earth Calendar. It is mind blowing. Bet you've never thought much about Shire-reckoning. Maybe you should start. I also stumbled on to The One Ring, and its Today in Middle Earth calendar. It's really astounding how much time and effort fans have put in to the upkeep of this website. Just for kicks, I checked out what happened in Middle Earth on my birthday:

When :March 4, 3019
Where: Helm's Deep
Description: Gandalf returns. (not from the appendices)
 "There suddenly upon a ridge appeared a rider, clad in white, shining in the rising sun. Over the low hills the horns were sounding."

Very cool.

Here are a few of Annie's hand-picked, favorite, hobbity books:

The Art of the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien edited by Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull

This beautiful book was released a few years ago to celebrate the 75th anniversary of The Hobbit's publication. I'm so glad it was! Tolkien was not only a talented author, but also a brilliant artist. This book is stuffed full of sketches, paintings, doodles, maps, and plans, as well as the complete Hobbit illustrations. Hammond and Scull lead the reader through Tolkien's work, some of which had never been published before this book was released. It's an easy and wonderful way for Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans to get to know another side of the beloved author who created Middle Earth.

The Hobbit illustrated by Alan Lee

Though I love The Hobbit with Tolkien's original illustrations, this breathtaking edition with Alan Lee's beautiful drawings really is my favorite edition. He captures Middle Earth with such clarity and accuracy, I find myself falling into the Shire with every turn of the page. Smaug is devastating in all his dragon glory, Beorn's bear is glorious and terrifying, and I wish I could burrow myself into Bag End. A must have for even the smallest Hobbit fan.

And here's a trailer for that movie that's coming out soon...

So there you go. Raise up a buttered scone or perhaps some mushrooms, and enjoy a most festive Hobbit Day, and a merry Tolkien Week!

Book News and Other Miscellany

Volume 1, Issue 2

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Brickjest is absolutely, hands down, the coolest thing on the internet. It's a Lego translation of David Foster Wallace's epic Infinte Jest as interpreted by a father son duo. It's unbelievable!

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Jon Stewart took a long break from his Daily Show hosting duties to adapt and film a movie version of the book Then They Came For Me: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival by Maziar Bahari and Aimee Molloy. The movie is called Rosewater, and here's the trailer:

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Here is Flavorwire's list of the 25 Must-Read Books for Fall. Starring, among others, Diane Ackerman! Incidentally, we'll be welcoming Diane and her new book The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us as a part of the Ravenna Luncheon Series on Tuesday, September 16th at 1PM. This is a ticketed event, $40 includes a copy of the book and a delicious lunch from Vios. Seats are sure to go quickly so call the Ravenna Store (206)-525-2347.

Ackerman is justly celebrated for her unique insight into the natural world and our place in it. In this landmark book, she confronts the unprecedented reality that one prodigiously intelligent and meddlesome creature, Homo sapiens, is now the dominant force shaping the future of planet Earth.

Humans have "subdued 75 percent of the land surface, concocted a wizardry of industrial and medical marvels, strung lights all across the darkness." We tinker with nature at every opportunity; we garden the planet with our preferred species of plants and animals, many of them invasive; and we have even altered the climate, threatening our own extinction. Yet we reckon with our own destructive capabilities in extraordinary acts of hope-filled creativity: we collect the DNA of vanishing species in a "frozen ark," equip orangutans with iPads, and create wearable technologies and synthetic species that might one day outsmart us. With her distinctive gift for making scientific discovery intelligible to the layperson, Ackerman takes us on an exhilarating journey through our new reality, introducing us to many of the people and ideas now creating perhaps saving our future and that of our fellow creatures.

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Find out which character from American Literature you are!

Take this quiz.

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The Amazon war has headed overseas. In an attempt to support and protect independent bookstores, the French Government has passed a new law making it illegal for large online retailers, namely Amazon, to ship books free of charge. And in Japan, publishers have condemned Amazon's latest ranking system. Read more here.

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NEW MOCKINGJAY PICTURES!!!!!

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Annnnnnd a cat with some books.

Book News and Other Miscellany

Here are a few random book related articles, blogs, pictures, and what not from all the corners of the internet.  Okay, maybe not all the corners, but a fair few.

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Are you in love with Cormoran Strike and J.K. Row...I mean Robert Galbraith? Well, you are in luck. Rowling says she loves writing under her pseudonym and is already half done with the third novel.  She  even claims that this series could be longer than that other series she wrote. She'll keep giving her private eye cases (and novels) as long as she keeps him alive. Ha! Keeps him alive! Easier said than done, Rowling...have you actually read Harry Potter? Read more here.

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Here is a lovely little piece from Esquire.
How to Quit Amazon and Shop in an Actual Bookstore by Stephen Marche

A good seller in a bookstore is infinitely superior in every way to a personalization algorithm. Even by entering a bookstore, you're faced with literally a thousand choices that you've never been faced with before. Somewhere in there is something that's entirely fresh to you, and will reward your soul by exposure. That's what good books do, and good bookstores, too. They let you step out of your algorithm.

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Our new favorite website: Today in Literature ... never miss an important day again.


On July 23rd, 1846, Henry David Thoreau is jailed for not paying his poll tax. I guess he should have stayed in the woods.

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It's probably time for you to take this book quiz.

What Children's Book Character Are You?

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Awesome trailer for the movie version of Unbroken out later this year. Go ahead, try not rushing out and buying this book after you watch the trailer. You won't be able to stop yourself.

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Cool Blog Alert! You may already know about this great book blog, but I just stumbled upon it this week. Musing is the official blog for Ann Patchett's bookstore, Parnassus Books in Nashville. It's got great articles, lists, and staff picks. Particularly awesome are the Authors In Real Life segments, and of course the Shop Dog Diaries.

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And this super important picture of a cat and some books from The Literary Cat. Because, you know...cats.

You are welcome.

Colbert Bump!

Give California the Colbert Bump 
to the New York Times 
Bestseller List

The Hachette-Amazon kerfluffle is heating up, and the King of Outrage has finally weighed in. Last week Stephen Colbert, himself a Hachette author, put his foot down and called Amazon out on their "scorched-earth" tactics used to bend Hachette to their demands. 

Amazon's attempts to force Hachette's hand include suggesting alternate books, removing the buy button, delaying shipments, and even raising prices. Additionally, Amazon is refusing to take pre-orders on Hachette titles. Of course this affects huge authors like J.K. Rowling, Malcolm Gladwell and Stephen Colbert, but particularly concerning is what these actions could mean for first-time authors. Amazon is responsible for 40% of all print book sales and their sudden refusal to sell could be catastrophic for new and unknown authors. 

But don't worry! Stephen has a plan!

Last week Colbert, and special guest Sherman Alexie, called on the Colbert Nation to pre-order California, the new novel from debut author, Edan Lepucki, through Powell's Books in Portland. After an astounding response that had orders pouring in and crashing Powell's website, Stephen has Colbert-bumped it up a notch. Now he wants California on the New York Times Bestseller list, a feat nearly impossible without the monstrous weight of Amazon. But he's determined, and he's asking you to pre-order California from ANY Independent bookstore. 

Lucky for you, we just happen to be an independent bookstore, and we are definitely ready to take your order for California or any other book you might want. Together we can show Amazon that we will not, in the words of Stephen Colbert himself, "lick their Monopoly boot...or any of their Monopoly pieces!"

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

Or call either store

Lake Forest Park (206)-366-333

Ravenna (206)-525-2347

Click here for the video.

California by Edan Lepucki

The world Cal and Frida have always known is gone, and they've left the crumbling city of Los Angeles far behind them. They now live in a shack in the wilderness, working side-by-side to make their days tolerable in the face of hardship and isolation. Mourning a past they can't reclaim, they seek solace in each other. But the tentative existence they've built for themselves is thrown into doubt when Frida finds out she's pregnant. 

Terrified of the unknown and unsure of their ability to raise a child alone, Cal and Frida set out for the nearest settlement, a guarded and paranoid community with dark secrets. These people can offer them security, but Cal and Frida soon realize this community poses dangers of its own. In this unfamiliar world, where everything and everyone can be perceived as a threat, the couple must quickly decide whom to trust. 

A gripping and provocative debut novel by a stunning new talent, California imagines a frighteningly realistic near future, in which clashes between mankind's dark nature and deep-seated resilience force us to question how far we will go to protect the ones we love.

Hachette vs. Amazon and Why it Matters

Perhaps you've heard about the little dust-up going on in the book world. For those who haven't, Amazon and publisher Hachette Book Group are in the midst of some sort of disagreement over terms, though no one really knows the specifics. As a result, Amazon has retaliated by taking certain actions against Hachette including slowing delivery of Hachette titles and removing books altogether. At any rate, it's a lot to explain, so you should read more about it here and here.

While Amazon throws its considerable weight around, the disagreement is hurting more than just Hachette. Authors are beginning to worry about what the continued battle will mean for their livelihoods. James Patterson has written a short but brilliant piece on the subject:

The press doesn't seem to consider this newsworthy, but there is a war going on between Amazon and book publishers. This war involves money of course, and though I have an opinion, I’m not here to comment on what might be a fair and reasonable settlement. 

There are other significant issues people might want to consider. Currently, Amazon is making it difficult to order many books from Little, Brown and Grand Central, which affects readers of authors such as Malcolm Gladwell, Nicholas Sparks, Michael Connelly, me, and hundreds of others whose living depends on book sales. What I don’t understand about this particular battle tactic is how it is in the best interest of Amazon customers. It certainly doesn't appear to be in the best interest of authors. 

More important—much more important—is the evolution/revolution that’s occurring now in publishing. Small bookstores are being shuttered, book chains are going out of business, libraries are suffering enormous budget cuts, and every publisher—and the people who work at these publishing houses—is feeling a great deal of pain and stress. Ultimately, inevitably, the quality of American literature will suffer. 

If the world of books is going to change to ebooks, so be it. But I think it’s essential that someone steps up and takes responsibility for the future of American literature and the part it plays in our culture. Right now, bookstores, libraries, authors, and books themselves are caught in the cross fire of an economic war. If this is the new American way, then maybe it has to be changed—by law, if necessary—immediately, if not sooner.

Now, sure, James Patterson will probably weather this storm just fine. But what about the smaller, lesser known authors?

Hopefully this gives you a few more reasons to shop with us, or any other independent bookstore. For one thing, we'll gladly sell you the book you want (and if we don't have it, we'll get it for you as soon as we can, usually within a day or two). And shopping with us means supporting your favorite authors. At the Ravenna location, we've put together a small display of Hachette titles, making it easier for you to support those authors and your community, and maybe help Hachette stand its ground.

And in case you need them, here are a few more reasons to shop indie, brought to you by IndieBound.

Why shop Indie? 

When you shop at an independently owned business, your entire community benefits:
The Economy
-Spend $100 at a local and $68 of that stays in your community. Spend the same $100 at a national chain, and your community only sees $43. --Local businesses create higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
-More of your taxes are reinvested in your community--where they belong.
The Environment 

-Buying local means less packaging, less transportation, and a smaller carbon footprint. 

-Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money to beautify your community.
The Community 

-Local retailers are your friends and neighbors—support them and they’ll support you. 

-Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains. 

-More independents means more choice, more diversity, and a truly unique community.

Now is the time to stand up and join your fellow individuals in the IndieBound mission supporting local businesses and celebrating independents.

If you'd like to learn more about what Amazon means for the future of publishing and books, George Packer's New Yorker article from earlier this year is required reading.

Literary Tattoos

How often does a simple Google search lead you down a spiraling vortex of inane and ridiculous web pages? We all know what it's like and most of the time there's a certain amount of shame after surfacing from such an internet binge.  But today I found the coolest blogs which made all those shameful, wasted, internet hours worth it (okay, probably not, but let a girl pretend).

Readers of this blog may have some idea that I (your primary blogger, Erin at Ravenna... hello!) have a bit of a thing for Moby Dick.  You may have seen me mention it a time or two, or 17.  It's been an important part of my literary life, and I was thinking I might like to get a tattoo dedicated to Moby Dick.  Thus began my Google search.

I started out looking for images of Moby Dick inspired tattoos, and found some pretty cool stuff.

The above image led me to Pinterest, which is where most of my inane and ridiculous, spiraling, internet vortexes end up. Once I'm on Pinterest I usually lose the thread of my original search because I'm distracted by all those recipes and craft ideas and glitter.  But somehow I stayed relatively on topic and found some seriously cool book tattoo ideas.  Like this one...

When I saw that, I wondered if there were any cool tattoos of my favorite childhood books, Beverly Clearly's Ramona.  And of course there are.

I found that Ramona tattoo along with a bunch of other neat ideas, here. Eventually, my search ended with a couple of great blogs dedicated solely to literary tattoos.  If you have a few minutes, you should definitely check out Contrariwise and The Word Made Flesh.  They're great places to get lost for awhile.  These blogs offer a brief glimpse into the lives of strangers and the literary things that matter to them. It's a bit like looking at other people's book shelves.  Different books touch people in different ways.  Seeing what character or quote or author someone is willing to wear on their skin for the rest of their lives is fascinating.

Also fascinating... Contrariwise has cataloged 95 different people with the tattoo "So it goes" from Slaughterhouse Five.  I'm ashamed to say I've never read any Vonnegut.  But with at least 95 people willing to etch his words on their skin, maybe it's time to take a look.

Which Austen Man is the Man for You?

 It was Jane Austen's birthday last Monday.  To celebrate, Huffington Post shared a piece arguing that Mr. Knightly is the better man than Mr. Darcy.  Here's the article.

It's got some pretty good points, but I contend that the best Austen hero completely depends on who you are and where you are on your own romantic trajectory.

When I was reading Jane Eyre for the first time (yes, I know it's not by Jane Austen), I couldn't get over how much I loved Mr. Rochester.  He's so dark and mysterious and brooding.  But then, rereading it years later, I realized that Rochester is a secretive, explosive, manipulative coward.  Not quite as appealing to my more worldly self.  Maybe Rochester was "perfect" for me then, but certainly not now.  And just like Rochester, there is no perfect Austen hero.  There's only the perfect Austen hero for you, at this moment.

If, as the article poses, Darcy is the bad boy then maybe he's what you're looking for (a point I totally disagree with; Darcy is way too stiff to be any good at being bad).  Perhaps "rebel" Darcy is what you need on the rebound after a bad break up, or in your early twenties (thirties, forties, fifties, whenevers) and sewing your wild oats.  But honestly, if you're looking for a legitimate Austen bad boy, it's obviously, Sense and Sensibility's Willoughby or Mansfield Park's Henry Crawford.

Maybe we look to the more mature Knightley after our hearts have been smashed by all those Darcys and Willoughbys.  Though Knightley comes off being a bit too chastening and judgy for my taste.  I want a hero, not a schoolmarm.  Northanger's Henry Tilney could be another option here.

Then again there's always the steadfast, tortured, and unbelievably romantic Colonel Brandon.  He's one of my favorites (but maybe only because of Alan Rickman's version).  Not so overbearing as Knightley, but still a bit too much of a kicked puppy for my taste.

For me, the sweet spot is Captain Wentworth.  He's the once spurned (often overlooked) but reluctantly faithful hero of Persuasion.  He's
been heartbroken and he's a little vengeful, but in the end he just can't help loving who he loves.  And he seems like the most real and honest of the Austen men.  At least to me, at this moment.  But who knows, ask me again in a year and I may be convinced that Mr. Bingley is the perfect man (doubtful).

Who's your favorite Austen man?  If it's anyone other than Captain Wentworth (more like Captain Perfect!), it's probably because you haven't read Persuasion.  Just kidding!  I'm sure your favorite Austen man is perfect for you.

Seriously though, read Persuasion.  It's Captain Wentworth.  Hands down.

Bookstore Perils

The other day I was at the cash register, and heard a terrible crash.

Looks like Mark shelved one too many books. Sorry the picture is a bit blurry, I was finding it difficult to laugh and hold the camera steady.

This incident got me thinking about the weight of books. So I googled "weight of a library" and found this great little piece on Snopes. Enjoy!

Bookshelves of Desire

It's been awhile since we've posted some book porn...you know, drool worthy photos of the library you might one day have, the reading nooks you can only imagine in your mind.  Let me tell you a little something about the internet...it will waste your time.  One of the best places to waste that time is on Pinterest.  Don't know what Pinterest is...don't worry.  You're better off to just pretend you've never heard of it and hold on to those 3 hours per day that will be sucked into the vortex that is Pinterest.  If it's already too late for you, have you tried a Pinterest search of bookshelves?  Well, go do it right now...better yet, I'll do it for you...there.  Beautiful, aren't they?

Sigh...

And don't even get me started on book nooks.