Guests
by Powell's Readers, May 27, 2014 9:06 AM
For Short Story Month, we asked our readers: What was the last short story collection that you couldn't put down, that kept you up all night, that you couldn't stop recommending? We were delightfully surprised by the number of replies we received. Here are some of our favorites. If you'd like to submit your own book recommendations, click here for instructions.÷ ÷ ÷ The Lone Pilgrim by Laurie ColwinRecommended by: Alice L. from San Diego, California Favorite short story author of all time: Alice Munro — not terribly original, but there won't be much argument, except perhaps from Bret Easton Ellis, and who listens to him? Favorite short story of all time: There are two — both Alice Munro. I can't choose between them: "Meneseteung" from Friend of My Youth and "The Albanian Virgin" from Open Secrets. I recently read a 1981 collection by Laurie Colwin, The Lone Pilgrim. Colwin's work has become a secret garden for short story enthusiasts, increasingly obscured from view due to her untimely death in 1992 at the age of 48. I've heard her dismissed on the basis of writing homespun family tales, nothing very remarkable, but this group of stories is evidence to the contrary. I'll pick two of the 13 stories that are examples of Colwin's narrative voice, her mischievous and keenly observant sensibilities. In "Family Happiness," Polly's life follows her family's expectations, and her husband is a duplicate of her father ("He was big and handsome. His underwear was made of pima cotton. She had moved from one family to another and often hardly noticed the difference."), but her long and happy affair with Lincoln enables her to maintain the necessary façade. No disaster ensues, no Anna Karenina–like punishment for her sins; it works for everyone. "The Achieve of, the Mastery of the Thing" starts off: "Once upon a time, I was Professor Thorne Speizer's stoned wife, and what a time that was." In this case it's weed that enables the protagonist to endure a stuffy husband and a proscribed life. In the end — spoiler alert! — she turns him on to it, and, to their mutual delight, he discovers that "it produces unhealthy mental excitement." ÷ ÷ ÷ Fidelity by Wendell BerryRecommended by: Maureen E. L. from Wheaton, Illinois Fidelity is comprised of five short stories inspired by Berry's own environment and represented by the fictional farmland and town of Port William, Kentucky. In the stories, he combines poetry, storytelling, and essay to create a work both profound yet mundanely simple. An absolutely beautiful piece of art necessary for any and every library. ÷ ÷ ÷ Fishing the Sloe-Black River by Column McCann Recommended by: Thomas from New Jersey Favorite short story collection of all time: Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson I'd received McCann's Fishing the Sloe-Black River as a gift from a great-aunt of mine and had no idea of the author. I was hesitant to start the book (the last gift I'd gotten from her was a Grisham novel that didn't wow me), but when I did I was completely enthralled and captivated. Column's collection reminded me of Flannery O'Connor's Everything That Rises Must Converge. It was brutal and powerful, and keeps you thinking about the characters long after the book is done. ÷ ÷ ÷ The UnAmericans by Molly AntapolRecommended by: Cheryl F. I love The UnAmericans. Antopol is a wonderful, evocative writer who creates poignant, full little worlds in each story. To me she is a cross between two of my favorite contemporary writers — Jhumpa Lahiri and Nicole Krauss. Each story is a fully developed world inhabited by complex emotional situations. Each story, with its characters desperately trying to find connections, was a very emotional experience for me as a reader. Whether it was a widower looking for love again and mistakenly thinking he found it in "The Old World," or the grandmother telling stories about surviving the war in the forests in "My Grandmother Tells Me This Story," or the estranged father fearful of the play his daughter has written about their tenuous relationship in "The Quietest Man," or the developing relationship between the young girlfriend and her widower boyfriend's teenage daughters in "A Difficult Phase," these are all characters trying to fix their loneliness by attempting to make connections — some more successful than others. Brilliant, heartfelt, and intensely personal, these stories and characters will stick with me for a long time. Fools by Joan SilberAlso recommended by: Cheryl F. Fools is a string of beautiful gems. Each story is so specific and personal, yet they all fit together beautifully. I love the way Silber has her characters all speak in their own voices, and as the observer/reader you can see their "truths" through their own observations and through what they omit and do not see. Although "Buying and Selling" is not my favorite story in the collection, there are some passages at the end, where both Rudy and Liliane are sharing their thoughts with us and we see how each is so misreading the other character, that are very sad and poignant. I love the way Silber creates a story that can cover
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Guests
by Powell's Readers, April 9, 2014 8:43 AM
We asked our readers: What was the last book that you couldn't put down, that kept you up all night, that you couldn't stop recommending? We were delightfully surprised by the number of replies we received. Here are some of our favorites. We'll be posting more on a regular basis, so check back often. And if you'd like to submit your own recommendations, click here for instructions.÷ ÷ ÷ Dies the Fire by S. M. StirlingRecommended by: Linda L. from Olympia, Washington Favorite author of all time: S. M. Stirling Favorite type of book: I can't pick just one type! Sexy detective stories (Robert Crais, James Lee Burke, J. D. Robb); intelligent yet engaging sci-fi (Frank Herbert's Dune); sweet and clever nature writing, flowing like Tupelo honey (anything by Gary Paulsen). I heard S. M. Stirling's Dies the Fire reviewed on National Public Radio and felt compelled to buy it and buy it fast. Set in the great Northwest, it's a tale of struggling woe and redemption following a bright flash in the sky that kills all electronics, downing a small plane flown by an ex-marine taking wealthy tourists sightseeing over the Cascades. It turns out the event affected electricity in an area far beyond the plane, which the small group of survivors discovers when they hike out of the wilderness to find highways with bumper-to-bumper dead vehicles, whose passengers are just sitting and waiting for the government to help them. But is there still government infrastructure left to help? Should people start walking toward the big cities or gather all the supplies they can and head out to the hinterlands with kith and kin? How well would people like sheriffs, mayors, and Bill Gates survive in the new world? Luckily, S. M. Stirling has given us nine page-turning books to suss it all out, with more books planned, Stirling-be-praised. I bought three used copies of the first book to hand out and was pleasantly surprised when I felt closer to friends who read and loved the book like I do. Rush to get Dies the Fire, used or new from Powells.com. Your survival in this world, and/or a post-apocalyptic one, just might depend on it. ÷ ÷ ÷ 11/22/63 by Stephen KingRecommended by: Elizabeth V. from Romeo, Michigan Favorite author of all time: Probably Abraham Verghese; maybe John Hart, Dennis Lehane, Mary Doria Russell, Richard Preston, Stephen King, David Wroblewski, or Joseph Kanon Favorite type of book: I can't name a favorite genre, but my favorites all have this in common: they get interesting within the first few pages. 11/22/63 is probably the best time-travel book I've ever read. King writes terrific dialog, and the content is not typical of King. Jake, an English teacher/writer in Maine, learns how to step into the past. He decides to take this opportunity to prevent President Kennedy's assassination but has to spend five years in the "Land of Ago" before that date, 11/22/63. This book is long. But even though I read the hardcover (read: heavy), while I was reading the last 50 pages, I felt terrible that the story was coming to an end. ÷ ÷ ÷ Reamde by Neal StephensonRecommended by: Leslie B. from Houston, Texas Favorite author of all time: Mordecai Richler Favorite type of novel: Spy novels I loved science fiction when I was a kid, but as I grew up, I was put off by the poor writing. Neal Stephenson can write a suspenseful novel that happens to be sci-fi. And I particularly like the backstories of his characters in Reamde, as well as the varied geography of the setting. ÷ ÷
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Guests
by Powell's Readers, March 26, 2014 10:34 AM
We asked our readers: What was the last book that you couldn't put down, that kept you up all night, that you couldn't stop recommending? We were delightfully surprised by the number of replies we received. Here are some of our favorites. We'll be posting more on a regular basis, so check back often. And if you'd like to submit your own recommendations, click here for instructions.÷ ÷ ÷ Jitterbug Perfume by Tom RobbinsRecommended by: Keith Knuuti from Honolulu, Hawaii Favorite author of all time: Depending on when you ask me, I have a number of different favorite authors. But right now my answer would be William Faulkner. Favorite type of book: Genre fiction (science fiction, crime novels, etc.) After avoiding the novel for a decade, one day I saw a used paperback copy of Jitterbug Perfume on the free shelf at the library and decided to give it a shot. I was hooked almost instantly. Robbins had created a world that I immersed myself in completely: the imaginary history of medieval Bohemia, the vital role of beets, the perfume experts, all wrapped up with sex, love, and immortality! I've gone back and reread the book a couple of times, and each time I end up recommending it to a new group of friends. Some people are interested in the love story, others in the immortality, others in the sense of smell, and a few lucky souls are convinced when I mention that beets play a prominent role. For what it's worth, I also resisted beets back in the 1980s, and now I love them, too! ÷ ÷ ÷ The Goldfinch by Donna TarttRecommended by: Brenda Hooper from Kelseyville, California Favorite author of all time: So many favorites, only one to choose! Probably Pat Conroy. Favorite type of book: Literary fiction The last book I loved would have to be The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. This book was such a poignant reminder of how quickly our lives can change and the good and bad ways we deal with that. But for me, more importantly, it was a reminder of how differently I read now that I'm in my 60s. I'm much more attuned to the subtleties of a book and the author's voice. Donna Tartt is a writer who makes me think my way through a book, and that makes it such a memorable experience. She expands my mind and I feel as though I'm following along. Her writing is vivid and a constant reminder of why I read and have such an addiction to books. ÷ ÷ ÷ The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel WilkersonRecommended by: Kathleen Stewart from Milwaukie, Oregon Favorite author of all time: Laurie King (lately), Tim Egan, Jane Austen, Wallace Stegner Favorite type of book: Historical, mysteries, time travel, strong women The best book I've read lately was, without a doubt, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. This book opened up truths that a fairly enlightened and worldly white girl from the Pacific Northwest never knew about. Sure, slavery was outlawed, but the absolutely horrendous actions that African Americans in the South endured during the 1900s needs to be required reading for every American. The author shares the true stories of four individuals and their flight from the South to "the warmth of other suns." It is a very readable book. I couldn't put it down and learned something from almost every
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Guests
by Powell's Readers, March 18, 2014 12:21 PM
We asked our readers: What was the last book that you couldn't put down, that kept you up all night, that you couldn't stop recommending? We were delightfully surprised by the number of replies we received. Here are some of our favorites. We'll be posting more on a regular basis, so check back often. And if you'd like to submit your own recommendations, click here for instructions.÷ ÷ ÷ Words of Radiance by Brandon SandersonRecommended by: Lia M. from Santa Cruz, California Favorite type of book: Mysteries I love and write mysteries, but I can't resist telling you about the epic fantasy novel Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. I find that I just can't stop thinking about and recommending it. As much as I adore crime novels, I often need the change of pace and stretch of imagination that comes from reading science fiction. That's why, in addition to the excellent mysteries I've read lately from terrific writers like Tana French, Matt Haig, and Adrian McKinty, many of my favorite books this year were from outside my own genre, books from writers like Neal Stephenson, Andy Weir, Max Barry, Jo Walton, John Scalzi, and Peter F. Hamilton. But Sanderson's Words of Radiance actually had me shouting out loud to the author, begging him to please keep my favorite characters alive and whole. I don't remember the last time a novel had me literally crying out. Except for George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, I hadn't strayed out of science fiction into fantasy since I was a teenager enraptured by The Lord of the Rings. Somehow I'd come to believe that epic fantasy wasn't for me, that "sword and sorcery" was for video game lovers, that science fiction was the limit of my dalliance. But from the minute I started Sanderson's Mistborn books, I was hooked. I moved on from those to Elantris to my favorite (before its sequel, Words of Radiance), The Way of Kings. These are very fat books. In fact, at around 1,100 pages, Words of Radiance is said to be the very thickest that publisher Tor's printing press can produce. But far from finding the size daunting, Sanderson's books flew by, fascinating me from paragraph one with their alien worlds drawn in exquisite and original detail, each featuring at least one strong, complicated woman as a protagonist (I'd been wrong to assume epic fantasy relegated female characters to support status). Words of Radiance is a masterful epic, in my opinion. Continuing the story begun in The Way of Kings, it shows the slow bitter struggle of slaves to climb out of depression and injustice to join with other classes and races in elaborate and cutthroat strategies to save the world. That world, so different in geography and customs and natural law from our own, became as concrete to me as my own, thanks to Sanderson's vivid characters, realistic motivations, and highest possible stakes. Reading the book, my real life seemed to fall away, bringing back that joyful kid-again feeling, that first-library-card thrill that all readers cherish. I've recommended Words of Radiance to every Facebook friend and Twitter follower. I know it takes a big leap of faith to believe that a thousand pages can whoosh by in no time at all. But it's a leap I'm glad I took with Sanderson's books. ÷ ÷ ÷ Fire at Eden's Gate by Brent WalthRecommended by: Michael V. K. from Portland, Oregon Favorite author of all time: Lawrence Ferlinghetti Favorite type of book: Poetry, books on computer languages, or anything about Oregon I think everyone should know about this book, this man, and this author. Fire at Eden's Gate: Tom McCall and the Oregon Story has kept me up all night several times. It should be required reading for all prospective Oregonians. Oregon is a lot more than Portlandia, and without Tom McCall, we wouldn't have Portlandia as we know it. Tom McCall loved Oregon but was certainly not without his shortcomings. Brent Walth captures McCall and his era in a balanced biography that reads a lot more like a page-turning Western than a political biography. Much of what happened in Oregon under McCall's leadership presaged trends that would take national stage four decades later — environmentalism, planning issues, recycling, marijuana, and getting violently split political factions on both the left and right to agree for the sake of Oregon (well, we can hope for that cooperation, anyway). McCall came from wealth, but it was decaying wealth, the family fortune gone before it could buoy him. McCall rose from small-town journalist to national icon, political leader, and savior of Oregon's troubled environment. Walth rarely lionizes McCall, though, always reminding us that he was a human leader. McCall drank too much, yelled too much, and could be a stubborn asshole, and Walth keeps the human side of McCall mixed in with the debates, the policy, and the successes. It's an Oregon book as much as a McCall book — when the Beach Bill comes up, Walth takes a side trip into Oregon history and conjures the memory of a previous generation's Oregon hero, Oswald West. At a time when Oregon's leadership is adrift and politicians seem to be losing sight of this great Oregon that deserves quality stewardship, Fire at Eden's Gate is a reminder of why Oregon fosters Portlandia, world-class wine, native trout fishing, and simple wonder. McCall was our Teddy Roosevelt, and Fire at Eden's Gate sets me ablaze for this state every time I read and reread it. ÷ ÷ ÷ Wildwood by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis
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Guests
by Powell's Readers, March 18, 2014 10:08 AM
We want to know: What was the last book that you couldn't put down, that kept you up all night, that you couldn't stop recommending? Send the following in an email to [email protected], and we may feature your recommendation in an upcoming blog post or newsletter. Who are you? Name and location: Favorite author of all time: Favorite type of book: Attach a photo of yourself or any photo that you feel represents you (optional). What was the last book you loved and why? Write a paragraph telling us all about
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Guests
by Powell's Readers, February 14, 2014 10:00 AM
For this special Valentine's Day series, we asked our readers to tell us about the first book that stole their heart. Here are some of our favorite stories. They range from joyful to wistful, hilarious to poignant — but each demonstrates the ineffable experience of falling in love with a book, an author, or a fictional character.The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle During my first stint as a library volunteer, I was asked by the librarian to read three nominated books and participate in the ALA voting for that year. I don't remember the two other titles, but the book that won my vote and my heart was The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle. I read this book three times that month before realizing that I had to have a copy for myself. I was in seventh grade but grew up in a financially disadvantaged family and never purchased a book of my own. As my mother would say, "Why waste money when you can read any book you want in the library for free?" This proved sufficient up until this point. A book fair was scheduled to visit our school and I knew that this was my chance (for even getting my mother to take me to a bookstore would be a challenge). For the next few weeks I begged her to let me keep the spare change after grocery shopping, looked under our sofa cushions for lost coins, and sold some of my favorite pencils to classmates to obtain the cash I knew I needed to procure my dream book, at the time identified with a cover price of $4.99. When the Book Fair finally came, I hit a new milestone in my life — I purchased my very first book. Today my library contains 700-plus books, but there is only one that I pull down from the shelf at least once a year and revisit like the best friend you never lost touch with, The Only Alien on the Planet. I have written to Kristen Randle expressing my delight for her book, and she was kind enough to offer to inscribe it for me if I mailed it her way. I was so excited, until the day I stood in the post office not able to part with it. I kept thinking, What if it gets lost in the mail? What if it gets misplaced at her publisher's office? WHAT IF SHE BENDS THE COVER TOO FAR BACK WHILE MAKING THE INSCRIPTION? The idea was terrifying, and I ended up never shipping it out. Sadly the book has been forgotten by most of society over the years, but it will always hold a special place in my heart. – Sam Y. Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer I can scarcely remember a time when I did not love reading, but the first book I remember falling utterly in love with was Charlotte Sometimes. It is about a girl in (approximately) present day who falls asleep one night and then wakes up in 1918 as someone else. Each night she switches places with the girl in 1918. It was probably the first book that I read that was fantasy without being fairy tale, and it opened the floodgates to my lifelong love of science fiction and fantasy and magical realism. It was also the first book I remember reading and then recommending to my mother (instead of the other way around). She read it and loved it as much as I did, and since I was probably seven or eight at the time, this was a huge step that also opened up a lifetime of sharing and discussing books with my mother. For years I couldn't find it because it was out of print; it makes me so happy that it is available again. – Heather T. The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy I think I was around 13 years old when I discovered the book The Singing Tree at the public library. What probably first grabbed my attention were the exquisite illustrations — something unexpected in a book that wasn't written for young children. The author, Kate Seredy, was also the illustrator, which amazed me. When I started reading, I was immediately captivated by the characters. The book, which opens in pre-WWI Hungary, tells the story of the loving Nagy family, who live a peaceful and happy life on a ranch. They treat one another and everyone they encounter — including Uncle Moses, the Jewish shopkeeper in the village — with respect. Then their lives are transformed by the war. As I read a moving scene from the battlefield, late in the book, I was stunned to find myself sobbing. This was the first book that made me cry. I didn't know a book could do that. I reread it many times, and it never lost its power. The beautiful illustrations never lost their power, either. I was mesmerized by them and studied their details over and over. Today, when I got the book out to photograph it, I was again lost in the drawings and felt some of the deep emotions that I seem to reserve only for this book. – Risë K.
More First Loves on Powell's Blog: Last of the Breed | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm | Baldy of Nome | Bambi | Jane Eyre | A Little Princess | The Hobbit | Finn Family Moomintroll | Mary Poppins |
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Guests
by Powell's Readers, February 13, 2014 1:45 PM
For this special Valentine's Day series, we asked our readers to tell us about the first book that stole their heart. Here are some of our favorite stories. They range from joyful to wistful, hilarious to poignant — but each demonstrates the ineffable experience of falling in love with a book, an author, or a fictional character. Check back tomorrow for more tales of bookish love.Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy If my mother is to be believed, I read at a precociously early age, and I cherish memories of the look, feel, and even smell of the Beacon Early Readers (this was England in the late 1940s). I leapt from them into Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series, which I also loved and read over and over. But my big book moment, the life-changer, came when I was seven and my parents let me listen, in bed on Sunday evenings, to the BBC serialization of Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd. I was enraptured with Bathsheba and Gabriel. I wanted this story with all my heart. I couldn't wait for the next episode: I asked for the book at the library. Bless the heart of the librarian who directed me to it in the big people's library. I took it home and tore into it. I know I couldn't have understood it all; it's hard for me to believe now that I consumed it so avidly, but I did. And I loved it, and do to this day after countless readings. So I have just bought a new copy for my granddaughter's ninth birthday. She may not be ready for it. She may not read it until she is 30, or 70, but I want to know she has it on her shelf. – Liza T. S. ÷ ÷ ÷ The Pink Motel by Carol Ryrie Brink My first love was The Pink Motel by Carol Ryrie Brink. I don't think this was the first book I read, but it is definitely the first I can still remember reading. The Pink Motel is a story of some kids whose family inherited a quirky pink motel (and several of its odd guests) in Florida. I grew up in the Midwest and never saw an ocean, a beach, or a palm tree until after I got out of college. So this was some pretty strange and intriguing stuff for me. It led to a brief stint of pink as my favorite color and a lifelong love of oceans and the tropics. My first job out of college took me around the world where I worked and lived on the ocean and more than a few beaches. Even though I'm landlocked again in Colorado, I still have a couple of pink flamingos in my garden. It wasn't until I saw a copy for sale online that I read it again after 45 years and realized what an effect it had had on my life. – Allen T. ÷ ÷ ÷ From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg I grew up in an L.A. suburb in the '70s, and when I was in elementary school my mom would take my sister and me to the public library every Saturday morning. I always checked out the maximum books allowed (10) and read them all during the week. Every weekend, 10 books. I must have borrowed and read Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler over 50 times. It was always in my tall stack of 10. Finally, my mother bought me my own copy (paperback!), and I still have it today. I loved reading about the Met, and while I didn't aspire to run away from home, it made me yearn to live in New York City. It seemed like a world so exotic and amazing. When I finally did move to NYC and go to the Met for the first time, it felt strangely familiar, like an old friend, even though I hadn't read the book in ages. I am still attracted to books that transport me to a place I've never been but make me want to travel there. – Ruth R.
More First Loves on Powell's Blog: Last of the Breed | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm | Baldy of Nome | Bambi | Jane Eyre | A Little Princess | The Hobbit | Finn Family Moomintroll | Mary Poppins | In Watermelon Sugar | The Only Alien on the Planet | Charlotte Sometimes | The Singing
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Guests
by Powell's Readers, February 12, 2014 10:00 AM
For this special Valentine's Day series, we asked our readers to tell us about the first book that stole their heart. Here are some of our favorite stories. They range from joyful to wistful, hilarious to poignant — but each demonstrates the ineffable experience of falling in love with a book, an author, or a fictional character. Check back tomorrow for more tales of bookish love.Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson When I was about 7, our school librarian read Finn Family Moomintroll to our class. I absolutely fell in love with the Moomins. I borrowed the book from the library, but when the time came to return it, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wanted to have that book forever. So I did what any panicked 7-year-old would do. I hid it under my bed. My mum found the book months later when it was well overdue and asked me why I hadn't returned it. I burst into tears and told her I stole the book because I loved the story and I wanted to keep it with me forever. That was when I learned that there was such a thing as bookshops and that there were actually more than one copy of all the books in our library. It was a stunning revelation. I took the book back and apologized to the librarian, and my mum took me out and bought me my very own copy of Finn Family Moomintroll. I'm in my early 50s now and I have the whole series, and I still read the books every now and then. I'm so glad I never had to say goodbye to the Moomins. Bookshops are some of my favorite places on this planet. – Mairi W. ÷ ÷ ÷ Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers As voracious a reader as I am now, I was late to the book party. No one read to me as a child, but it never occurred to me to ask because, truthfully, there weren't many adults around who had the time. As a result, I didn't come to appreciate books until I could read by myself. But the books that made me fall in love with reading were the ones that took me to a place where children were taken care of, and where magic happened. My favorite was a boxed set of Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers. I fell in love with the way I could open those books and get lost again and again and again. I could be transported to so many places with Mary — a lovely house in London with a warm fire and toast, a tea party on the ceiling, a balloon-buoyed trip through the park, a tiny world full of Plasticine people. If I wasn't reading those books, I was playing with my set of Mary Poppins paper dolls and recreating the scenes. Soon I was given Charlotte's Web and fell in love with Wilbur. Then I became enthralled with Anne of Green Gables and a slew of Scholastic titles. In junior high, it was Great Expectations, followed by Shakespeare in high school. Later still, as an English major in college, I found Milton and Chaucer. But I always went back to Mary Poppins, to that safe warm place where everything was just as you imagined it should be. – Linda W. ÷ ÷ ÷ In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan The first book that made me swoon was Richard Brautigan's In Watermelon Sugar. I was 13, allowed to go on my own into the city's oldest library, which was downtown (we lived in the suburbs in a small city in Ontario, Canada). That was exciting and new in itself. Over 45 years later, I can still recall the exact spot where I was standing in the "stacks" in the old, musty, dark basement of the library. The shelves stood close together; the floors creaked. As I scanned the books, the title of Brautigan's novella caught my eye (I have no idea what else was on that shelf!). Curious, I pulled it out, opened it, and read the first line: "In watermelon sugar the deeds were done and done again as my life is done in watermelon sugar." I literally swooned. My world shifted in that moment. I had never encountered anything like it. My mind swirled as I imagined a life, a world, lived in watermelon sugar! I still own the book and most of Brautigan's others. – Alivia M.
More First Loves on Powell's Blog: Last of the Breed | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm | Baldy of Nome | Bambi | Jane Eyre | A Little Princess | The Hobbit | Far from the Madding Crowd | The Pink Motel |
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Guests
by Powell's Readers, February 11, 2014 9:00 AM
For this special Valentine's Day series, we asked our readers to tell us about the first book that stole their heart. Here are some of our favorite stories. They range from joyful to wistful, hilarious to poignant — but each demonstrates the ineffable experience of falling in love with a book, an author, or a fictional character.Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte I was 14 and hopelessly shy. I kept to myself a lot and had a hard time navigating many of the awkward social situations middle schools are so often plagued with, and I spent most of my free time reading. Up to that point in my life, reading had served as an escape, a welcome fantasy into which I could sink and disappear from the outside world. I hadn't yet found a book that really challenged the way I thought about the world or how I saw myself. That all changed with Jane Eyre. I'd never really read what you might call a "classic" before, but I nevertheless became immediately attached to Jane's voice and her struggle to find meaning in a harsh, highly judgmental world. Through thick and thin, Jane was stubborn to a fault and stayed true to her own ingrained sense of right and wrong, and doormat little me was continually impressed by her backbone and the complete trust she had in her own instincts. She was seldom afraid to say what was really on her mind, and that, I think, I admired most of all. Considering how much Jane meant and still means to me, I haven't gone back to reread her story since the day I first finished it. I think this is at least in part because I know there's no way that it will ever be like it was. There's a quote that says no two people ever read the same book, and I think it's true. Should I ever decide to pick it up again, a very different girl would be reading the same words that her 14-year-old self loved so much, and part of me is afraid it won't live up to the memory. But such is the nature of most things, isn't it? Maybe when I do finally manage to summon the will to reread it, I'll find a host of new ideas to puzzle over and lots of different things to love about her story the second time around. – Victoria O. ÷ ÷ ÷ A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett I read A Little Princess when I was about 8 or 9 and loved the book more than any I had read at that time. My parents saved a lot of the books my sister and I read, and eventually we unpacked them to give to our children. When my daughter was 8 or 9, she read my old copy of A Little Princess. When she finished it, she closed the book, sighed, and said, "That's the best book I ever read!" I said, "I've been waiting 30 years to hear that!" Needless to say, I've saved all of my children's books. – Tina L. ÷ ÷ ÷ The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien There have been so many books that I have loved over the years that it is difficult for me to remember a first one. I do recall I was fairly young when I first got my boxed set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings one Christmas. I sat down and read the whole set straight through, from morning until night, from Christmas to New Year's. No television, no radio, just reading — no doubt with a few breaks for meals and showers. I still have those books, moved many times and much worn. I am rereading The Hobbit after seeing the second Hobbit movie recently. I still like the book better. – Jerry A.
More First Loves on Powell's Blog: Last of the Breed | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm | Baldy of Nome | Bambi | Finn Family Moomintroll | Mary Poppins | In Watermelon Sugar | Far from the Madding Crowd | The Pink Motel | From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler | The Only Alien on the Planet | Charlotte Sometimes | The Singing
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by Powell's Readers, February 10, 2014 9:00 AM
For this special Valentine's Day series, we asked our readers to tell us about the first book that stole their heart. Here are some of our favorite stories. They range from joyful to wistful, hilarious to poignant — but each demonstrates the ineffable experience of falling in love with a book, an author, or a fictional character.The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm It was my birthday in August 1949 in Germany. My mother and her sisters with all their children (all men at the frontline) were traveling from invaded East Germany to the west. Even though the war had ended in 1945, we were still poor and without any support. I don't know where she got it from and how, but my mother gave me my first book: The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. I carried this book everywhere and read it again and again. I was only seven years old but my reading improved with every page — I could not stop. After that I always had a book in my hand. My second love started in the Realschule in our German lesson. We were introduced to Anne Frank's Diary and our teacher, a nun, took us to the movie theater to see the film. I can still feel my horror and my sadness. That started my eagerness to read everything about my country's terrible history and the history of Europe at that time. – Helga W. ÷ ÷ ÷ Baldy of Nome by Esther Birdsall Darling I grew up on a farm in Wheeler County in Central Oregon. Being outdoors with my dad and the livestock was what I really loved. Although I enjoyed school, reading for pleasure was just not on my radar. Then, the summer I was 10 years old, I contracted rheumatic fever and had to stay in bed 24/7 for more than six weeks. Summer was a busy time for both of my parents, so I was pretty much left alone for much of the day. A neighbor brought me a copy of Baldy of Nome by Esther Birdsall Darling, a thrilling tale of sled dogs in the Yukon gold rush. I read that book and was totally hooked; I wanted more! There was no public library in Wheeler County, nor is there now. At that time, it was possible to write to the Oregon State Library in Salem and order books. I wrote a letter asking for "more books like Baldy of Nome," and over the course of the summer, some thoughtful, resourceful librarian sent me dozens of books, a few at a time, that were similar but gradually increased in difficulty and sophistication. Whoever he or she was, that librarian turned me on to reading. I became a voracious reader who majored in English in college, got a master's degree in literature, and taught English to thousands of high school students over a 37-year teaching career. Today, in retirement, I belong to two book clubs that meet each month to discuss a wide variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction. I also volunteer at the local library and am happy to have a patron of any age ask, "What would you recommend for me?" I'm afraid I'm not as adept at answering that question as that long-ago librarian at the state library, but it's pure pleasure to hear later that someone enjoyed the book or books I recommended and ask for more — just as I did after reading Baldy of Nome. – Prudy Z. ÷ ÷ ÷ Bambi by Felix Salten The book that made me fall in love with reading was not a book I read myself. After the death of my father when I was barely six, and after a move to a new city, my mother decided to try a new tradition of gathering all three of her children together in the evening and reading to them. I'm sure it was a way to assuage her own grief while spending some quality time with three bewildered young children. The first book she chose to read was Bambi by Felix Salten. I remember being snuggled into my pajamas, with twilight closing in, listening to the sometimes funny, sometimes harrowing story of the young fawn read in my beloved mother's calm and reassuring voice. It was magical and I was transported. I remember feeling a real sense of loss when the book ended. Wanting to recreate that feeling of finding other worlds made me pick up a book for myself, and I have never stopped reading. – Cathy K.
More First Loves on Powell's Blog: Last of the Breed | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Jane Eyre | A Little Princess | The Hobbit | Finn Family Moomintroll | Mary Poppins | In Watermelon Sugar | Far from the Madding Crowd | The Pink Motel | From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler | The Only Alien on the Planet |
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