If someone called me a "feminist" or a "bleeding heart liberal" or even a "libtard" my first response would be, "Well, thanks!" And then I'd say, "And nice to see you matured past the name-calling of 7th grade." (I wouldn't be able to help myself. I mean really, "libtard," come on.)
It started in early fall 2001, on September 8, just before the numbers 9-11 would become burned into US history. But on that sunny Saturday, tragedy had not yet struck and the bookish excitement of the very first National Book Festival swallowed up the Library of Congress and stretched out onto the National Mall.
It's Friday Five time again. Time to review my five favorite bookish articles or stories floating around in the last week or so. This week includes a sampling of stories both serious and fun, ranging from racism in books to book festival mania.
Like the Highlander, sometimes there really should only be one. If you're unfamiliar with my arcane reference to the 1980s cult film, it's about a bunch of immortal highlanders who battle each other until only one is left. That's not really why I'm using this example.
Some people read only fiction. Some people read only nonfiction. I read both. But if you asked me for my top 10 favorite books, there would not be a nonfiction book in the list.
I recently came back from a road trip through New England (which I've chronicled on a blog series I've called Traveling with the Travelers). However, right before leaving on the vacation, I became a book fairy. Instead of waiting until I returned home to Northern Virginia to start my book fairy adventures, I decided to spread book fairy dust along our trek up the coast.
I live a relatively land-locked life near the Eastern US coast. The closest my family and I get to sailing is a swan-shaped paddle boat on a lake. That was until a recent trip to New England where I discovered the thrill of the open ocean and the stories it can tell...
It's literally a once in a lifetime experience. The blotting out of the sun. A total solar eclipse. Maybe that's why books and movies like to use eclipses for plot and metaphor...
I have two philosophies when it comes to travel. One: Choose one location and delve into all the nuances and quirks of that one place. Two: Visit as many different places in a general location that will reasonably fit into the length of the vacation. Regardless, I make sure to always visit the town's bookstore.
K.L. Kranes 