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Dear Reader,

First, I do apologize for the lateness of this December newsletter. This season has been significantly more busy than anticipated, which is wonderful. People are excited about books - about new releases for themselves, about donating books to food pantries and toy drives, about gifting books to children and grandchildren.

So, this edition of "Notes from the Bibliophiles" may be squeaking in under the wire, but it's for good reason. We've been busy introducing books to their new readers! And this newsletter may be a tad briefer than others, but I promise it is just as thoughtful and created with you in mind. I trust something will catch your eye.

Here are two recent releases which have particularly captured my attention in the past week:

The Encylopedia of Early Earth, by Isabel Greenberg (Little Brown, $23.00) is sure to earn its stripes in the canon of original, and stunning graphic novels. All genres of literature experience periods of reinvention. The graphic novel or comic book form, is no exception. It has seen an evolution from the easily recognizable newspaper strips, to full-length serials of social commentary, to your fairly standard superhero tales, to the heyday of graphic memoir. All of these styles are still incredibly popular and relevant, but this other is coming into play, as well. It is perhaps the graphic novel in its purest form - a graphic novel. An illuminated story. Words and pictures.

In Greenberg's exquisite combination, readers are treated to a vision of early Earth. Not that of dinosaurs and ape ancestors, but of an entire civilization - as curious and emotional as ourselves. More specifically, it is the story of one young man, who leaves his North Pole home in search of love, only to find it at the South Pole - a place he can never fully reach, due to the sensitivity of this Earth's magnetic fields. Along the way, our narrator relays the people he meets and the tales he gathers, confirming once more, that the need to share our stories is a common and timeless human quality.

If you have encountered even just one of the plethora of reviews which have started to surface of late, of Robert Stone's Death of the Black-Haired Girl (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $25.00), you likely read what an engrossing story he has woven in this relatively short novel. I don't mean to sound redundant, but I wish to second the sentiments of every single review I've read, and say that Stone is one of the great ones. I am so sorry to have passed him by all these years, and yet so happy to have found him now. It is a writer with a rare gift who can make every word count. Who can explode the narrative at a break-neck pace, and yet always maintain control over the revelations. Who can capture the nuance and slang of a heaping cast of characters, and yet imbue them with enough universality to reflect all the light and dark inside every one of us. The genius of Death of the Black-Haired Girl, in particular, is the simplicity. No flourishing turns of phrase, no rambling descriptions, no inconceivable vocabulary. It is fast, dirty, biting and honest. This is what makes it so haunting. It is a story that is happening right now, somewhere.

Maud Stack is our black-haired siren of the title. She is a siren in any number of ways. She has seduced her professor. She pens violently controversial articles for the school gazette. She hops aboard an unstoppable ride of drugs, alcohol and madness. As the reader approaches just one of the many inevitable tragedies along the way, Stone decidedly colors every one of his characters in a shroud of gray. Moral ambiguities and personal demons run rampant. The whole bunch - from Maud's police officer father to the college counselor (an ex-nun) to her B-movie actress roommate to the homeless that wander the crumbling city blocks surrounding the liberal arts college - struggles to separate the black from the white and clearly define the two. But in an institution of higher learning, preserving that image is everything.

No one will walk away with their hands clean. Even the reader becomes complicit and accountable. Did I mention that this one will haunt you?

Thank you, as always, for your support in rounding out this transitional calendar year. We certainly would not be here without our fellow bibliophiles.

Wishing you a joyful and relaxing Christmas, and peace, health and happiness in the New Year!

Yours in books,

    

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new in paperback

 

inside a snow globe
by judy cummings

Sitting at my computer this morning and looking out the window made me think of snow globes. The snow was falling in slow motion and I almost felt as if I were inside that globe looking out. Needless to say the weather ramped up as the day went on and now it is more like being inside a whirling vortex. How nice it is to be inside and warm, with the wind howling outside. Add a good book and a couple of warm cats and you have the making of a perfect evening. There is nothing nicer than falling asleep, warm and safe, with the storm outside your walls.

As I do every year at Christmastime, I have overextended myself and my limited capabilities. Now it's a matter of taking a deep breath and trying to stay focused and finish one project at a time. We get so immersed in our projects that we forget to look around and look beyond. Now is the time - the time to look beyond - to do something for someone else. Now is the time to set aside all those projects and go outside and play with the kids or grandkids. Their wonder at a snowflake or their delight in playing in the freezing cold will renew your spirit and help you believe in the magic of Christmas.

I have neglected my reading - I know! It's criminal! However, I am in the middle of The Night Guest, by Fiona McFarlane (Faber & Faber, $26.00), a debut novel. The main character, Ruth, is a widow living alone in a remote beach house. During the previous night she has dreamt of  a tiger in the living room, or at least she thinks it was a dream. The following morning a taxi arrives at her doorstep and out comes Frida, a force of nature. Frida says she is a government worker sent to help Ruth with her daily chores at no cost to Ruth. In the course of time, Frida becomes indispensable, eventually moving in with Ruth. Ruth is confused - did she ask Frida to move in? Have Ruth's sons arranged for this to happen? A sense of unease begins to creep, ever so slightly, into the story. I CAN'T WAIT to see what happens! Put this one on your wish list! 

                                                                           

                                   Judy Cummings

do it yourself in 2014

The New Crochet: A Beginner's Guide, with 38 Modern Projects,  by Marion Madel (Potter Craft, $19.99)
From the publisher: Crochet gets a chic makeover in this beginner-friendly book from French designer and crochet teacher Marion Madel. The 38 quick and easy projects include oversized scarves, cozy cowls, lacy shawls, decorative embellishments, bags, and much more.

Fold Me Up: 100 Paper Fortune-Tellers for Life's Pressing Questions, by Michelle Taute (Perigree Books, $16.00)
From the publisher: Cootie catchers aren't just for kids anymore! These 100 paper fortune tellers provide a fresh take on a childhood favorite with answers/strategies for handling tough adult situations and answering important life dilemmas like:


Learn to Knit, Love to Knit, by Anna Wilkinson (Potter Craft,  $19.99)
From the publisher: Colorful, fun, and utterly adorable, Anna Wilkinson's designs appeal to beginner knitters who haven't been inspired by typical beginner projects . . . these unique pieces will inspire beginners to pick up a pair of needles and fall in love with knitting.

guest bookseller

Maureen Abood

is the author and photographer of the blog Rose Water & Orange Blossoms, where she writes about her Lebanese family and food, and life Up North in Michigan. Her upcoming Lebanese cookbook will be released in spring 2015 from Running Press.