Reading Round-Up: Names, Vampires and Potato Peel Pies

The last book I reviewed was New Moon from the Twilight series nearly three months ago (see post).  Needless to say, it's time to catch up on which books I've been reading.  In lieu of long, tedious critiques, here's a quick round-up of my latest adventures in literature (including some light lit as well).

1. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri: In a word, wonderful!  Lahiri is a master storyteller who has an eye for detail and quirky observations.  The story of Gogol Ganguli feels very real because it mixes the right amount of humor, heartache and cultural confusion.  I highly recommend The Namesake, which is Lahiri's only full-length novel (her other two books are collections of short stories).  The film version staring Kal Penn is quite good, but not as great as the novel.

2. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris: Book one of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, which spawned the hit HBO series, "True Blood," is a wonky combination of sci-fi and mystery.  Although Harris' writing reads like your typical paperback novel, the plot— a telepathic waitress falls for the lone vampire in a small Louisiana town amidst a string of grisly murders— is enough to keep your interest.  Will I read any more Sookie Stackhouse books?  Maybe.  Will I tune in for the second season of "True Blood"?  Definitely.

3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: A novel written as a series of letters— brilliant!  Set in 1946, the story follows a London writer's correspondence with residents on the island of Guernsey.  At first the sheer number of letter-senders and recipients is confusing, but it soon becomes apparent who the main characters are.  This book has all the warmth and sweetness of an English tea party: overall, a cozy little novel.

4. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer: It's hard for me to give an objective review of the third book in the Twilight Saga since I've become one of their starstruck fans.  The unexpected plot twists of the previous two novels give way to a more introspective story in Eclipse, which focuses on relationships.  What the book lacks in climactic tension it more than makes up for with character development and romantic tangles.  No wonder it's many readers' favorite.

Alright, that's my two cents on these four books.  In case you missed my new gadget on the left, I'm currently reading Salman Rushdie's The Enchantress of Florence.  It took about 60 pages for me to get used to Rushdie's writing style, but now I'm enjoying it.  I'll give you the final verdict when I finish.

The best nook for books

Sometimes simple is better.

Of course, Amazon has computer algorithms analyzing your preferences to give you personalized recommendations. Sure, Borders and Barnes & Noble have shelves with the, "<--If you love this, you should try these-->" signs. But despite the advanced technology and the expert book critics, the best place to check out new books that you probably have never heard of before is the local little bookstore.

For me, that place is the Bulls Head Bookshop in the Student Store on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus (their webpage doesn't do it any justice). For the first three years of my undergraduate career, this bookstore was the ideal hideout between classes. Creaky floors, odd chairs, wooden bookshelves and an instore coffee shop made Bulls Head feel like an eccentric old professor's personal library. The selection of books included big-name bestsellers as well as a smattering of oddities— I don't think Border has ever featured a table full of banned books. Bulls Head had the knack for highlighting both strange and thought-provoking material. It was almost as if an eccentric old professor really was sneaking into the shop afterhours to pick the worthy books.

While the entire Student Store underwent major facelift in 2007, the bookshop within retains its quirky personality. The area is brighter, the floors no longer creak and the bookshelves still smell new, but to my great relief, its soul has stayed the same. The picture above shows the staff recommendations bookcase, which is one of my favorite parts. At the risk of sounding high and mighty, I think every booklover should find herself an offbeat shop where she can burrow away from time to time.

In case you do not have such a sanctuary yet, here's what caught my eye during my most recent trip.

Bulls Head's Latest and Greatest

1. The Once and Future King by T.H. White — I'm a sucker for Camelot stories; anything from Tennyson's Idylls of the King to First Knight to NBC's new miniseries "Merlin," piques my interest.
2. Vintage Fabric from the States — A Bulls Head staffer described this photo book as "fabric porn," and I have to agree. The patterns are pretty and fun to look at, which might assuage the design chasm I've been in since Domino magazine shut down.
   
3. The Pesthouse by Jim Crace — Nothing makes you appreciate our world (messy as it is) more than a post-apocalyptic novel. The story focuses on the regression of America to a preindustrial state complete with plagues, slavery and religious cults.
   
4. The Guide to Getting It On by Paul Joannides — Okay, I don't really have any intention of buying this, but the title and cover art are cool enough to warrant a second look.
5. Changing Planes by Ursula K. LeGuin — Changing reality planes while waiting to change airplanes...brilliant! This sounds like my kind of sci-fi fare.

Bookmarked: 'New Moon' Madness

Let me begin this post by saying that I am a slow reader. I often reread sentences and paragraphs to make sure I've absorbed everything the author has shown me. As a writer, it helps me to notice the details, the descriptions, the diction and the voice. Despite my sluggishness and a prevalent rumor that the second book in the Twilight series is slow, I finished New Moon within a week— just in time for the movie trailer to grace the Web waves.

I can finally say that I "get" the whole teen-vampire mania that's been spreading like wildfire. While Twilight was a fun, fast read, it didn't hook me the way its sequel has. Perhaps it's because New Moon has more monsters and less mush. Sure, reading about how much Bella and Edward love each other is sweet, but isn't it more interesting to see how well our heroine does flying (hem hem: jumping) solo? Also, Jacob Black has a larger role in the second book. No longer a little freshman, he has grown up in many ways, but his affection for Bella has only deepened. Hello, love triangle.

The story opens at the beginning of Bella and Edward's senior year of high school. The two have shared a blissful— yet glossed over— summer together, and all seems fine and dandy. Without giving too much away, I'll divulge that certain events prompt Edward to leave Forks (oh no, the town's Web site has a Twilight map of love). Although Bella has a serious bout with depression, her recovery is an interesting and sometimes humorous process. Her loveless new life revolves around extreme sports (motorcycling/crashing) and buddy time with Jacob. But don't let these ordinary details bore you— there are more supernatural forces at work in Forks than Middle-earth. As with its predecessor, New Moon progresses at a steady pace, following a basic plot until the last third of the book. Call it Stephanie Meyer's signature move: the woman loves doing plot jack-knives once she's two-thirds through the novel. Don't plan on eating, sleeping, socializing, etc., during the last six chapters as you might find yourself in a zombie-like stupor.

In case you haven't seen the film trailer, check it out here. Just be forewarned: the preview has some spoilers. New Moon will open November 20, and in the meantime you can drool over the poster.

Next on my reading list is The Namesake by Jhumpi Lahiri. I'm about 100 pages in— time to add the film version starring Kal Penn (aka Kumar, Kutner, White House public liaison) to my Netflix queue.

Bookmarked: 'Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'

The latest book to leave my nightstand and find a comfy spot on my bookshelf (scratch that, my bookshelf is already overbooked) is Gregory Maguire's Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. A clever retelling of Cinderella, this book was not as fabulous as Wicked — which I guess should be obvious since it isn't a best-selling Broadway play — but Maguire's enchanting prose and cheeky interpretation of classic tales hold true.

Set in 17th-century Holland, Confessions is like a fun cross between Wicked and Girl with a Pearl Earring. Art is all the rage throughout the book, something amateurs will relish and art history buffs will loathe. A detailed description of "The Garden of Eathly Delights" thrilled me because I've actually seen it in the Prado, but jaded experts would just roll their eyes at the painting's odd little cameo in the book.

As in Wicked, Maguire creates a strong and interesting woman as his protagonists. Whereas the former examined the subjective nature of good and evil through the life of a passionate yet quirky green girl-turned-witch, Confessions questions the value and consequences of beauty through opposites: Iris the Plain (at best) and Clara the Freakishly Beautiful. But in the end, it is Maguire's fleshed-out version of a stick-figure fable that I'll take away from Confessions, not a lesson in philosophy. To find out more about the book and read reviews, visit its amazon page.

Next up! As mentioned, I want to read Angels & Demons before watching the film, but Chocolat and New Moon are also worthy contenders. I'll let you know which one ends up on my nightstand.

***UPDATE*** While searching for a picture to go with this post, I discovered that Disney turned Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister into a TV movie starring Stockard Channing, Jonathon Pryce (i.e. Governor Swan from Pirates of the Caribbean) and Matthew Goode (Watchmen). Sadly, it's so obscure that Netflix doesn't even carry it. If it's streaming online anywhere, I'll post the link ASAP.