It's hard to find ways to fill the time while driving and I am currently on a driving-heavy vacation up the New England coast. As the wheels rolled on we discussed many things including spirit animals and books....
After hours of scouring the interwebs this week, I've finally done it. I've found my 5 favorite bookish stories, including a real Agatha Christie mystery, a comparison of Plato and Dumbledore and Up lit. Not sure what that last one is? Read on...
There has been much talk lately about how books, particularly speculative fiction such as Orwell's 1984, are cautionary tales for the slippery slope the world is proceeding down. I need a break from that doom and gloom. So, let's talk about fictional worlds where I might actually like to visit or even live.
All good things must come to an end, even books. What happens when that end disappoints?
You've experienced it before. The book. The hype. Maybe it even becomes a movie. And then, for some reason, the meteoric rise of a novel has a Milli Vanilli level fall. (You 90s people know what I mean.)
I took a children's literature class in college. It was a bit of a departure from my typical Shakespeare and Russian literature type subject matter. I chose it as a relief from some of those heavier texts and deep down I probably thought it would be easy.
Independent bookstores, like people, have their own personalities. That's why I prefer these stores to the cavernous and cold Barnes and Nobles of the world. Going to a new indie bookstore is like making a new friend. And I made two recently in Washington, DC.
I read an interesting comment recently about how many authors view Facebook as "too much work." My first response? That's absurd. Then I started to think about it. Compared to other social media options such as Twitter or Instagram, is it more work? Is Facebook worth the effort?
I'm currently reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by the recently deceased writer, Robert M. Pirsig. It's a mind-blowing philosophical journey exploring classical vs romantic understanding. And, of course, such a book has made me start thinking about my own bookish questions...
K.L. Kranes 