Kudos to author Susanna Calkins who won the Sue Feder Historical Mystery Award at the 2016 Boucheron World Mystery Convention, for her 2015 novel, The Masque of a Murderer. BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is proud to have featured Susanna at our launch events of the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ has a great lineup for the remainder of the 2016 season. You can stay on top of the latest news by checking the Book●ed website and clicking on BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ or LIKE the Book●ed Facebook page.
Let’s be honest. For speed, convenience and a cost savings, it’s hard to beat Amazon. I confess that I use it. Statistics strongly suggest you do too. It’s a brilliant business concept. Except that it tends to destroy its competitors. That’s how the market works, you say. As consumers, it’s in our interest to seek out lower prices and convenience. But at what real cost?
In the past decade, book selling has undergone major upheaval. Independent book stores found themselves increasingly competing against major chains and discount stores encroaching on their territory. It was impossible to compete with the floor space, advertising clout and cut-rate prices offered by the deeper-pocket, faceless corporate entities.
Then independent stores got creative. They realized they could offer their customers personalized service because they took the time to get to know them. The indie stores opened up opportunities to local authors, they welcomed children and book clubs. They participated in off-site events and developed loyal customers through newsletters. The ambiance of neighborhood bookstores made them community gathering places, which could not be achieved by the chains and discounters.
The indies started to flourish as the corporate behemoths started to flounder. Borders went under. 130-year-old Barnes & Noble is reportedly teetering on the brink. The one giant seller still going great guns is Amazon, which began as a bookseller out of a Seattle garage in 1995. Now Amazon is out to topple local independent bookstores.
Surely Amazon would tell you it salutes and welcomes indie book stores. But that won’t stop them from trying to steal away indie book store customers. Chicago will be the fourth city in one year to have a brick-and-mortar Amazon book store open. Their store prices will match their online prices, which means less than you would pay at your neighborhood independent book store. What will this mean to the many vibrant indie book stores that serve Chicago’s booklovers so brilliantly? Time will tell.
There’s no reason for Amazon to open a physical book store in Chicago, except that the empire recognizes there’s money to be made from an active book-loving public. Now it will be up to those readers to show the indie stores we love them too by being as loyal to them as they’ve been to us.
Since July 2015, booklovers have had a new, fun place to meet authors and buy books – at BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ http://www.bookedwebcast.com/booked_books-n-bottles.html. Now in its second season, the monthly events are held at two venues, one in Chicago and one in suburban Northbrook, IL. Each venue offers a different convivial atmosphere for lovers of books and wines. Guests enjoy conversing with authors while enjoying quality wine tastings. The quality wines are as diverse and delicious as the books and both are available for sale. In season two, we also added the Bonus Buy concept: mementos, merchant discounts and professional photos with the author, among other goodies. For season three, to begin in the spring of 2017, we expect to add a third venue. Three venues, three different settings. Something for every taste. Stay tuned!
This month’s singular BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will be a national book launch celebration on September 25th at Sunset Foods in Northbrook, IL. Boy, 9, Missing is the debut novel from Chicago author Nic Joseph, to be released by Sourcebooks Landmark on September 20th. In the tradition of Defending Jacob or Drowning Ruth, this suspenseful thriller explores the ramifications of revenge, justice, and the aftermath of a terrible night in the lives of two families. As we enjoy our free wine tasting, we’ll be discussing where inspiration comes from and how this book elevates its theme. As always, audience participation will be encouraged! Books will be available on site from the Book Bin, wine and the ever popular Bonus Buy packages (mementos, merchant discounts, professional photos with the author and more) will also be available for purchase.
October 1st is the deadline for submissions to the Missouri Review’s competition for the 26th Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editor’s Prize. Prizes of $5,000 each for Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry. Winners receive publication, invitation to a reception and reading in their honor and a cash prize.
The Unbound Book Festival is looking for hosts to hold fundraising parties for next year’s event. The free Missouri festival aims to bring nationally and internationally recognized authors to Columbia, Missouri to talk about their books, their work, and their lives in interactive activities. Beyond the one-day event, organizers hope to raise funds and awareness to improve literacy standards throughout the State of Missouri.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ will celebrate the national book launch of Boy, 9, Missing from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, September 25th at Sunset Foods in downtown Northbrook, IL. The debut novel from Chicago author Nic Joseph, published by Sourcebooks Landmark, has been compared to classic thrillers Defending Jacob or Drowning Ruth. The event, hosted by Book●ed, includes a free wine tasting, conversation with the author, book signings and more. Books will be available on site from the Book Bin, wine and the ever popular Bonus Buy packages (mementos, merchant discounts, professional photos with the author and more) will also be available for purchase.
The 13th Annual Best Book Awards entry deadline is September 30th. The i310 Media Group, organizer of the competition, says it is “specifically designed to not only garner media coverage and book sales for the winners and finalists but to promote awarded books to the publishing and entertainment industries.” Open to all books with an ISBN and published in 2016 (galley copies welcome). 2015 and 2014 titles are also eligible.
“Book Readings That Sell Your Book” is a workshop offered by Off Campus Writers Workshop on Thursday, October 13th from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Winnetka Community House in Winnetka, IL. Part of publishing a book today is performing readings and doing signings at bookstores, libraries… and, if you’re really lucky, BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™. Actress, comedienne, and novelist Jennifer Rupp will shares practical tips for giving author readings that entertain, intrigue and help sell books. Jennifer invites attendees to bring three pages of something you’ve written for practice in a safe, supportive environment.
NORTHBROOK WRITES: Character Development with Eric Charles May, part of a series of free workshops for writers, will be offered by the Northbrook Public Library on Saturday, October 29th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. May, who was a BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ featured author in 2015, is an author, associate professor in Fiction Writing at Columbia College Chicago, and former reporter for The Washington Post. His workshop will address how to develop rich and engaging characters.
The psychological thriller is one of the hottest genres in publishing. Twists, turns, playing with your mind. Building tension. Challenging your assumptions. Surprising you. The best ones are described as page turners, the books you can’t put down, the ones that stay with you after the final sentence.
Certain themes and elements tend to populate thrillers: a vulnerable, unsuspecting victim (usually female or young or both) facing an unstable, unreliable menace (human or otherwise). The action is intense and unrelenting. Success of the book depends on an author’s ability to create memorable characters in situations that feel fresh, keeping the reader’s heart racing from scene to scene, page to page before a resolution that satisfies the reader.
The psychological thriller may also fall into other categories (romance, horror, science fiction, etc.) but it has an edge over the standard suspense thriller because of its familiarity. Instead of depending primarily on plot, we get inside the minds of the characters, recognizing elements of ourselves in their thoughts and feelings. This is what pulls us in and holds us captive.
Classic psychological thrillers include Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca (1938), Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train (1950), Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby (1967), Stephen King’s The Shining (1977) and Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs (1988). Popular psychological thrillers on their way to becoming classics include Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island (2003), Gillian’s Flynn’s Gone Girl (2012) and Tim Johnston’s Descent (2015) – Tim Johnston was the featured guest at the June 2016 BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™.
Destined to grab readers’ attention is a psychological thriller set to debut on September 20th. Boy, 9, Missing is the debut novel from Chicago author Nic Joseph, published by Sourcebooks Landmark. BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is “thrilled” to host Nic at a book launch celebration this month. In the tradition of Defending Jacob or Drowning Ruth, this is a suspenseful debut that explores the ramifications of revenge, justice, and the aftermath of a terrible night in the lives of two families.
As we enjoy our free wine tasting, we’ll be discussing where inspiration comes from and how this book elevates its theme. As always, audience participation will be encouraged! Books will be available on site from the Book Bin, wine and the ever popular Bonus Buy packages (mementos, merchant discounts, professional photos with the author and more) will also be available for purchase.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™, hosted by Book●ed, are monthly events connecting authors and their books with booklovers who also enjoy great wine. Check out the Book●ed website and click on BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ for details of the upcoming events.
Yellow school buses have started rumbling down my street. Across the country similar scenes are playing out. Another school year is awakening. Children are making memories that will stay with them throughout their lives. What do you remember about your school years? Betcha there’s a teacher or two entwined in those memories.
There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can’t move, and the kind that just gives you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies. – Robert Frost
Because we’ve all had experiences with teachers who lifted us or quashed our dreams, literature about the teacher/student relationship resonates. How many of these notable books featuring memorable teachers have you read?
Fiction
Villette – Charlotte Brontë
Anne of Green Gables – Lucy Maud Montgomery
Goodbye Mr. Chips – James Hilton
Good Morning, Miss Dove – Frances Gray Patton
To Sir, With Love – E.R. Braithwaite
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Muriel Spark
Up the Down Staircase – Bel Kaufman
A Lesson Before Dying – Ernest J. Gaines
Dancing in a Distant Place – Isla Dewar
The Woman Upstairs – Claire Messud
Non-Fiction
The Water is Wide – Pat Conroy
Reading Lolita in Tehran – Azar Nafisi
If we believe that children are our greatest treasures and we entrust most of the hours of their formative years to teachers, perhaps we should offer teachers exceptional salaries, thereby attracting more of the best and the brightest.
For a great quote about the lifelong impact of teachers and books, check out this week’s Book.ed Blog Quotable.
I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. – John Steinbeck
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is thrilled to introduce booklovers to author Jessica Chiarella and her haunting debut Speculative Fiction novel And Again (Simon & Schuster, 2016) at our August 29th event in Chicago and August 30th event in Northbrook, IL.
And Again asks the question: Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? How much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your body and heart? The story, told with Chiarella’s keen imagination and soaring prose, examines the consequences when four ordinary individuals with terminal illnesses are given a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies. Drawing from today’s headlines about advances in genetics and cloning, Chiarella develops four memorable characters who need to contemplate what it means to be human.
U.S.A. Today calls the book “haunting” and awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars. As always, the author conversations and book signings will be complemented with equally stellar wines.
When was the last time you wondered what your life would be like if just one decision in the past had been different? When you had that thought, did you decide to make changes going forward? This compellingly human experience has launched many of our best literary stories over generations and in all settings.
Books that explore this universally human dream of alternate lives, only imagined or made real, include:
Fiction
The Awakening – Kate Chopin
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
The Razor’s Edge – W. Somerset Maugham
Disgrace – J.M. Coetzee
Non-Fiction
Seven Years in Tibet – Heinrich Harrer
Into the Wild – John Krakauer
This Boy’s Life – Tobias Wolff
Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is thrilled to introduce booklovers to author Jessica Chiarella and her haunting debut Speculative Fiction novel And Again (Simon & Schuster, 2016) at our August 29th event in Chicago and August 30th event in Northbrook, IL.
And Again asks the question: Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? How much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your body and heart? The story, told with Chiarella’s keen imagination and soaring prose, examines the consequences when four ordinary individuals with terminal illnesses are given a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies. Drawing from today’s headlines about advances in genetics and cloning, Chiarella develops four memorable characters who need to contemplate what it means to be human.
U.S.A. Today calls the book “haunting” and awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars. As always, the author conversations and book signings will be complemented with equally stellar wines.
You can automatically get a link to the weekly Book●ed Blog and upcoming BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ events by going to the Book●ed Facebook page and clicking “Like”.
Speculative Fiction is a fast-growing literary genre you may not have heard of but have probably read and enjoyed. The genre encompasses literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy, ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, magical realism and modern myths.
As broad in plot as Speculative Fiction is, the best of the genre will:
• Introduce a memorable and relatable protagonist with human traits (whether human or alien).
• Present the protagonist with a dilemma — an antagonist (another being or a situation) — and build tension by before showing resolution.
• Make the resolution worth the journey – for the reader as well as for the main character.
• Research the “factual reality” behind the speculation to develop a firm, believable foundation before letting the imagination soar into speculative fantasy.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest news for inspiration and to keep the story fresh.
Speculation asks us to imagine “what if…?” At the heart of the “what if…” is the human connection: “What if this were to happen to me?”
A sampling of the best in this genre includes:
• The Time Machine – H.G. Wells
• 1984 – George Orwell
• Stranger in a Strange Land – Robert Heinlein
• The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K. Le Guin
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is thrilled to introduce booklovers to author Jessica Chiarella and her haunting debut Speculative Fiction novel And Again (Simon & Schuster, 2016) at our August 29th event in Chicago and August 30th event in Northbrook, IL.
And Again asks the question: Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? How much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your body and heart? The story, told with Chiarella’s keen imagination and soaring prose, examines the consequences when four ordinary individuals with terminal illnesses are given a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies. Drawing from today’s headlines about advances in genetics and cloning, Chiarella develops four memorable characters who need to contemplate what it means to be human.
U.S.A. Today calls the book “haunting” and awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars. As always, the author conversations and book signings will be complemented with equally stellar wines.
Regardless of the genre, it has been said that no story is wholly original. Each one has been told before in some form or fashion. Researchers at MIT recently demonstrated the truth behind the theory that one of only six core plots form the building blocks of complex narratives. You can read the MIT explanation at the MIT Technology Review.
Regardless of what corner of the political boxing ring you sit in these days, all Americans should be proud to see a woman finally nominated by a major party as their candidate for office of the President of the United States.
Hillary Clinton made history this past week but she is not the first woman to change history. The list of women who have shaped the world we know (in addition to our mothers) is endless. Their stories are made more challenge, complex and interesting by virtue of their gender.
Whether or not you’re “With Her” (Hillary), let’s give her her due for breaking an historic barrier. Then check your local book store or library to find great books about other women who left their mark. You might start with these:
Margaret Mead – Jane Howard
Clara Barton: Professional Angel – Elizabeth Brown Pryor
Eleanor Roosevelt: Volumes 1 & 2 – Blanche Wiesen Cook
Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Life – Joan D. Hedrick
Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol – Nell Irvin Painter
Personal History – Katharine Graham
Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America – Elliott J. Gorn
Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom – Catherine Clinton
Jane Addams: Spirit in Action – Louise W. Knight
On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson, Author of Silent Spring – William Souder
It’s never too soon to let our children (boys as well as girls) know about the important contributions made to our world by women. There are plenty of wonderful books for young readers that adults can also learn from. Here are four to get you and your favorite child started:
Remember the Ladies: 100 Great American Women – Cheryl Harness
Here Come the Girl Scouts! – Shana Corey
Rachel Carson and Her Book that Changed the World – Laurie Lawlor
Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project – Jack Mayer
Note to Readers – Every now and then, I will re-post a blog entry that has withstood the test of time. Whether you missed it the first time ‘round or read it years ago, I feel it’s worth sharing again. Recently, I was aghast to see a room designed with a bookcase full of books placed backwards, spines hidden, to match the room’s white/beige color theme. As the Rev. Sidney Smith (1771-1845) said, “No furniture is so charming as books.” Clearly the designer of the white/beige room isn’t a booklover. But you are. Here’s what I wrote about the most important part of a book’s cover on July 27, 2014.
In a recent gathering of writers, the discussion turned to book cover design and, more specifically, book spine design. Even more specifically, how often book sales are lost because authors and publishers overlook this crucial part of a book.
As important as a book’s cover is, it’s usually the book’s spine that first greets us on the shelves of stores and libraries. It’s one thing if we’re looking for a particular title or author, another if we’re browsing. Truth is we’re browsing even when we’re looking for a particular title or author. This is why book spine design deserves at least as much attention from authors and publishers as they give to cover design.
Since shelved books usually stand vertically, the ideal direction for type on the spine is horizontal to make words appear as we normally view them. But this is problematic if the book is not fat or the words are long. Most books cannot support this design. Instead, letters are usually turned at right angles to the viewer’s eye, running along the vertical spine. Because this is not the normal way we view writing, it has to be even clearer than it would otherwise have to be.
In North America, the normal direction of words on book spines is from top to bottom; in Europe, it’s usually bottom to top. This is because in North America, books are stacked face up, while in Europe, they’re stacked face down, with no front covers visible at all. The result is that readers browsing the shelves in a European bookstore tilt their necks to the left, while those in North America tilt theirs to the right.
With spine design, simple sells. This may be one reason modern books titles are often only one or two words; a design choice as much as a literary one. Capital letters, having no ascenders or descenders, present more cleanly than lower case letters. Bold fonts work better than delicate ones. Colors need to contrast but not compete. The spine must attract attention, convey information and please the eye; a huge job for a relatively small plot of real estate on a book.
Next time you’re browsing bookshelves – in a store, a library or your own home – see which books attract your attention. Then consider the designs of the spines. You’ll notice trends that succeed but also be surprised when a rule-breaking design works.
Like people’s spines, book spines should be accorded the care and respect they deserve because their job is critical to everything that resides within the body.
BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ is proud to feature an Elle Magazine Readers’ Choice winner at our July events. Come sip excellent wines as you get to know author Mitchell Bornstein and learn about his inspirational true book, Last Chance Mustang. Join us from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, July 25th at TASTE Food & Wine in Chicago or on Tuesday, July 26th at Sunset Foods in Northbrook. Wine, books and the popular Bonus Buy packages are available for sale at these free events.
Note to Readers – Every now and then, I will re-post a blog entry that has withstood the test of time. Whether you missed it the first time ‘round or read it years ago, I feel it’s worth sharing again. This month’s BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ book, Last Chance Mustang by Mitchell Bornstein, is the inspired and inspirational true story about the unique bond forged between a man and a spirited wild mustang with an ugly, abusive past. This blog post honors the bonds between celebrated authors and their animal muses. Here’s what I wrote about those relationships on April 14, 2013.
My daughter, Kenna, suggested I write about writers’ pets. The menagerie in our home includes a calico cat named Katje, a dwarf hotot rabbit named Oliver and a betta fish named Tidus. Past residents included Arrow (English Pointer), Dusty (mini-lop), guinea pigs Mücki and Rosette, and a goldfish named Sunset. All have been amusing, but only one has been a muse for me, resulting in my prose poem, Katje Must Be Fed. My niece, Leisa, also has a variety of pets but it was her first pug that inspired her to write the children’s picture book, Pugsley’s Imagination.
Dogs have been favored by the likes of Steinbeck, Cheever, Doctorow, Vonnegut, Sendak, Wharton, Dorothy Parker, Stephen King, Virginia Wolf and Robert Penn Warren (who saluted Tolkien by naming his dog Frodo). Cats were companions to such literary luminaries as Twain, Dumas, Beckett, Huxley, Kerouac, Collette, Eliot, Plath, Sartre (his cat was Nothing) and Raymond Chandler (whose Persian purred while perched on his manuscripts as Chandler edited). Polar opposites Hemmingway and Capote owned both cats and dogs (the progeny of Hemingway’s famous six-toed cats still roam the Hemingway House & Museum in Key West, FL).
As far as I can tell, authors choose cats more often than dogs to share their lives. This may not be a matter of personalities (authors’ or species’) as much as it is a result of lifestyle. An author living in the countryside might like to take thoughtful walks with a canine companion while a city-dwelling author might view dog walking as stealing writing time. Cats tend to be more independent — or less needy — than dogs, depending on how you feel about felines vs. canines.
Then again, look at which authors have chosen dogs and which have chosen cats. Do you see any trends? And what can we imagine about writers with more “exotic” tastes in pets? Those would include some obvious ones such as Beatrix Potter (rabbit) and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (raccoon). But how do you explain Flannery O’Connor (peacocks) or Lord Byron (peacocks, crocodile, crow, heron, fox and bear — oh my!)?
With 24/7 news reports screaming violence and tragedies and Facebook friends spewing hurt, angry invective from every viewpoint, it feels like our world is suffering from PTSD.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined by the National Institute for Mental Health as, “… a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.” The explanation goes on to explain, “It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to help defend against danger or to avoid it. This ‘fight-or-flight’ response is a typical reaction meant to protect a person from harm. Nearly everyone will experience a range of reactions after trauma, yet most people recover from initial symptoms naturally. Those who continue to experience problems may be diagnosed with PTSD. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they are not in danger.”
PTSD is like a black hole, a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. This can happen when a star is dying. Because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. They are invisible.
In dark, desperate times like these, we seek answers. We seek solace. We seek hope. Can anything be done to heal our wounded world? Is there a way to overcome the barriers we’ve built as emotional protection from past wounds, real or imagined, at the expense of peace, contentment and happiness?
This year, I found inspiration in the moving true story about a remarkable horse named Samson. Part history lesson, part training manual, and part animal narrative, Last Chance Mustang by Mitchell Bornstein tells the entwined story of America’s once great, now forgotten wild herds and one mustang’s efforts to forgive and forget his abusive, dark past.
Mitch had twenty years of experience fixing unfixable horses. His task was to tame Samson, the violent beast whose best defense had become offense. Samson would be Mitch’s greatest challenge. Through the pair’s many struggles and countless battles, Samson would teach Mitch about the true power of hope, friendship, redemption and the inspiring mettle of the forever wild and free American mustang.
What struck me about this book, beyond Mitch’s compelling storytelling and my love of animals, was how Samson represented all deeply wounded sentient creatures – including humans – and how Mitch’s approach to helping Samson could be — should be — applied to other fractured souls.
I’m pleased and proud that Last Chance Mustang will be the featured book with an author appearance at this month’s BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™. The free wine tastings and book signings will be Monday, July 25th from 6-8 p.m. at TASTE Food & Wine in Chicago and on Tuesday, July 26th from 6-8 p.m. at Sunset Foods in Northbrook, IL. Details can be found on the Book●ed website.
If you’re wondering “Do books really have the power to heal?” check out Katie Engelhart’s thought-provoking article in the September 2013 Maclean’s magazine.
Looking for books to help understand your own distress? There are countless educational, professional and self-help books.
The young among us are especially vulnerable to trauma but they also have a remarkable resilience. To Light the World: Stories of Hope & Courage for Challenging Times offers an annotated bibliography of inspiring books for young readers.
Recommended literature (three novels and two memoirs) with insights about understanding and coping in the real world:
The Giver – Lois Lowry
One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcí¬a Márquez
Narcissus and Goldmund – Hermann Hesse
Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom
Last Chance Mustang – Mitchell Bornstein
You’re going to the community pancake breakfast, you’re going to watch the patriotic parade, you’ll fire up the backyard barbecue or lounge on the beach and you’ll round out the evening by watching fireworks. Great ways to celebrate Independence Day with family and friends. But what’s this holiday really about, and why does it especially matter in this all-important election year?
Lest we forget or take for granted how we obtained the democracy we enjoy (or want to enhance) in the U.S., there are many books – fiction as well as non-fiction, written then or now – that can remind, inform, enlighten or inspire us. Some of the best include:
Non-Fiction (Written Then)
Common Sense – Thomas Paine
The Federalist Papers – Alexander Hamilton
Autobiography – Benjamin Franklin
Democracy in America – Alexis de Tocqueville
Non-Fiction (Modern)
1776 – David McCullough
Washington’s Crossing – David Hackett Fischer
John Adams – David McCullough
Alexander Hamilton – Ron Chernow
Founding Brothers – Joseph J. Ellis
Paul Revere’s Ride – David Hackett Fischer
Fiction
Burr – Gore Vidal
Rise to Rebellion – Jeff Shaara
Arundel – Kenneth Roberts
For Young Readers
Johnny Tremain – Esther Forbes
Sophia’s War – Avi
My Brother Sam Is Dead – James Lincoln Collier
What kinds of books thrill you? They come in many varieties – science fiction, mystery, spy, sports, romance…. You get the idea. Thrillers are as varied as the people they thrill. Take any genre and you can turn it into a thriller by following a few standard rules. Or at least you can try:
• Create a protagonist the reader cares about. With a lot to lose. Up against a formidable antagonist (the antagonist can be a person, place or thing, real or imagined).
• Add complex, believable characters with relatable traits (be they good or evil).
• Surprise with twists and turns, like a roller coaster offering two possible tracks while building moments of tension and relief as the ride progresses.
• Pace the story to reveal something new and end each chapter leaving the reader questioning what will happen next.
• Show, don’t tell. It’s all about anticipation and action, even if it takes place in the mind.
• Relate to the reader’s own sensory experiences to make the action real and intimate.
• Have the protagonist grow from the experience.
• Leave the reader with a take-away after the story ends… so it lingers in the mind and heart.
You’ll always find new thrillers on the just-published lists. They’re popular for obvious reasons. One that burst on the scene last year and broke through the competition for glowing reviews is the best-selling Descent by Tim Johnston – featured at this month’s BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™.
An idyllic Rocky Mountain vacation turns into a heart-pounding page turner when a family’s teenage daughter goes out for a run… and disappears. Readers become enmeshed with the family as its members respond to events over time in this New York Times, USA Today and Indie National bestselling novel.
The Washington Post literary critic said, “The story unfolds brilliantly, always surprisingly . . . The magic of his prose equals the horror of Johnston’s story; each somehow enhances the other . . . Read this astonishing novel.” The Denver Post said, “What makes the novel unforgettable is its sense of character, its deliberate, unadorned prose and Johnston’s unflinching exploration of human endurance, physical and psychological.” NPR made this astonishing comparison: “Tim Johnston has written a book that makes Gone Girl seem gimmicky and forced.”
This month marks the expansion of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ to two venues and we are so excited that the occasion brings this award-winning author to the Chicago area: We’ll be at TASTE Food & Wine in Chicago on Monday, June 27th and Sunset Foods on Tuesday, June 28th. Great books and great wine. Ah, the thrill(er) of it all!
After Tim Johnston’s Descent, you might want to wrap your mind around these varied thrillers (listed chronologically):
Dracula – Bram Stoker
Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier
And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
In Cold Blood – Truman Capote
The Andromeda Strain – Michael Crichton
The Shining – Stephen King
Coma – Michael Crichton
Presumed Innocent – Scott Turow
The Silence of the Lambs – Thomas Harris
The Alienist – Caleb Carr
The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Steig Larson
It doesn’t matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was. – Anne Sexton
Each of us has a view of our father that is, in large part, myth. Even in our adulthood, we see him through our child-eyes. First a god, then all too human. He fills or fails the expectations we have of what we imagine a father should be.
We rarely consider who our father was before we existed but, were we to try, at best we would have only the smallest taste. If we become parents, we tend to re-imagine our fathers, either trying to emulate them or trying to correct their deficiencies by being better parents to our own children.
Literature abounds with great books by and about fathers. Through these books, we can better understand and appreciate the unique relationship between fathers and their children. Can you see your father in any of these memorable ones?
Non-Fiction:
Lt. Col Mark Weber – Tell My Sons
“Pa” Ingalls – Little House on the Prairie
Robert M. Pirsig – Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Errol Flynn – The Baron of Mulholland
Fiction:
Atticus Finch – To Kill a Mockingbird
Baba – The Kite Runner
Tevye – Tevye and His Daughters
The Man – The Road
Mr. Bennett – Pride and Prejudice
Bob Cratchit – A Christmas Carol
Horton – Horton Hatches the Egg
Jean Valjean – Les Misérables
Thomas Schell – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Jack Torrance – The Shining
For all those fathers grappling with teenage children, share this gem from Mark Twain:
When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.
This month’s BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ brings twice the fun to Chicagoland. Award-winning author Tim Johnston will mix and mingle with wine tasters while discussing his inspired psychological thriller, Descent, on June 27th at TASTE Food & Wine in Chicago and on June 28th at Sunset Foods in Northbrook.
The free 2-hour events begin at 6 p.m. Books and wine, along with the popular Bonus Buy packages, will be available for purchase onsite or conveniently pre-order your book from the Book Bin to pick up at the event.
An idyllic Rocky Mountain vacation turns into a heart-pounding thriller when a family’s teenage daughter goes out for a run… and disappears. Readers become enmeshed with the family as its members respond to events over time in this New York Times, USA Today and Indie National bestselling novel. Here’s what the reviewers said:
“Outstanding . . . The days when you had to choose between a great story and a great piece of writing? Gone.” — Esquire
“The story unfolds brilliantly, always surprisingly . . . The magic of his prose equals the horror of Johnston’s story; each somehow enhances the other . . . Read this astonishing novel.” — The Washington Post
“Tim Johnston’s high-wire literary thriller . . . will leave you gasping.” — Vanity Fair
“What makes the novel unforgettable is its sense of character, its deliberate, unadorned prose and Johnston’s unflinching exploration of human endurance, physical and psychological.” – Denver Post
“Tim Johnston has written a book that makes Gone Girl seem gimmicky and forced.” – NPR
The Season 2 expansion of BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ was well-covered in the June 16th edition of the Daily North Shore.
The timing was perfect. I just finished a leisurely (meaning, as time allowed) reading of the 1978 National Book Award winner, Max Perkins: Editor of Genius, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Scott Berg. I had been telling everyone how I loved this great book about the best editor ever. It captured time, place and personalities to perfection.
And there it was: a news item announcing the opening of Genius, adapted from Berg’s book. Impressive cast: Colin Firth as Perkins, Jude Law as Thomas Wolfe and Nicole Kidman, Wolfe’s long-time paramour. Another favorite, Laura Linney, plays Perkins’s wife, Louise. Throw in portrayals of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway for good measure. Delicious ingredients for a tasty movie, selected to compete for the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival.
Coincidence on coincidence: I’d be in the city beloved by me and Max Perkins – New York — when the movie debuted in the U.S. I hastily re-arranged my busy schedule to see the movie on its opening day.
And then the reviews came in. On the downside of “mixed”. Fans of Thomas Wolfe may be entranced but, reportedly, the handsome production quality of the film isn’t enough to hold up the wordy script and Law’s over-acting. Despite the stellar cast, one wonders why the leads are Aussie and English when there are so many equally excellent American actors who could portray the epitome of American literary genius.
The clips I saw in promotions didn’t impress me (and, boy, did I want to be impressed!). My great balloon of excitement and anticipation rapidly deflated. I’ve re-categorized this must-see-now movie to the when-it’s on DVD-and-I-have-time list .
If only the screenplay writer and director had the spirit of Max Perkins in them, we might have gotten the film adaptation Max Perkins: Editor of Genius deserved. Fortunately, we still have the book.
My Encounters with Cassius Clay and Muhammad Ali
A giant has fallen and the world has noticed. “The Greatest” – Muhammad Ali – is one more star in the heavens. His passing on June 3rd at the age of 74 has been covered extensively by the media. Here are my two personal recollections of meeting a real champion, three decades apart.
In 1964, I was a student at the High School of Music & Art and a brash young boxer named Cassius Clay had already won the Gold Gloves and Olympic Gold as a Light Heavyweight by the time he was 18.
There were two ways to get from my home to my high school in Manhattan’s Harlem. The shorter way required climbing a very long set of stone stairs through a park. Because I was arriving late one morning, I chose the shorter path. Clutching my textbooks, I was trundling up those steps, alone, when I found myself surrounded by several youths who clearly were not classmates. This group didn’t go to school and their boredom was about to be alleviated by taking advantage of my solitary situation.
As their nudging grew to shoving, matched by the pulsing of my heart pushing inside me, the ugly scene was suddenly interrupted by a beautiful bronze angel. Everyone recognized Cassius Clay (the name he was given at birth, named after his father, not yet changed) as he seemed to float down the steps to the jostling group. In just a few, soft-spoken words, my savior reminded my abusers that their bullying behavior reflected poorly on them.
Then he went on his way. We all did as the group dispersed. I’ll never forget that encounter. My guess is none of those other kids did either.
Fast forward to circa 1998. I was married, mother of two young children and deeply involved in protecting children’s rights. At a Chicago fundraiser for HEAR MY VOICE: Protecting Our Nation’s Children, Muhammad Ali (he changed his name shortly after our first encounter) was the guest of honor, a “Champion of Children”, recognized for his decades of work on behalf of at-risk kids.
My husband, children and I happened to be standing just inside the entrance of the hotel banquet room where the event was to take place when in walked Ali, arm in arm with his wife, Lonnie. As TV cameras rolled and photographers snapped photos, an aura filled the room. The Parkinson’s that was taking over his physical being could not dim his dynamic spirit.
Suddenly, Ali stopped where my 6-year-old daughter stood, bent over and kissed her on the top of her head. Then he gestured to her to reciprocate with a kiss on his cheek, which she happily obliged. Later, while having our photo taken with “The Champ”, I briefly recounted our first meeting to Ali. He answered with a kind, slightly wisecracking tone but the Parkinson’s made his words unintelligible to me. I was embarrassed for my lack of understanding and did not want to embarrass him as well, so I smiled and nodded as if in agreement. My heart broke a little. I have the photos of my family with Ali that evening, along with a pair of autographed red Everlast boxing gloves. My husband, children and I will always remember this encounter with a giant of our times.
Although the media has been filled with countless stories celebrating the life of Muhammad Ali, the anonymity of social media has once again unleased the dark underbelly of our society. There are those whose blind prejudices fuel their online invective. Ali was a complex man, not a perfect man. In the public eye, he was an extroverted entertainer. In private life, he was introspective and held deeply to his faith. He anointed himself “The Greatest” and set out to be just that. He had a gift with words and I share three of his quotes that say much about who he was:
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
Want to learn more about the life and times of Muhammad Ali? A great place to start is Pulitzer Prize winning author David Remnick’s KING OF THE WORLD.
To read Ali writing about Ali, check out his excellent memoir The Greatest and his final, reflective book The Soul of a Butterfly.
Note to Readers – Every now and then, I will re-post a blog entry that has withstood the test of time. Whether you missed it the first time ‘round or read it years ago, I feel it’s worth sharing again. I chose In and Out of War from May 2014 for this Memorial Day weekend because this election year will have major repercussions on our nation’s decisions concerning future warfare. As we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, it is fitting to remember the legacy of war… and peace. Vote wisely.
I suppose if one lives long enough, one will experience war up close or from a distance. Our attitudes toward war, toward those who engage in it or are subject to its consequences, are influenced by the times and circumstances in which we live, by the people we know, by the experiences we have … and by the books we read.
Every war generates its own literature in its time and in later generations. The same war does not automatically generate the same story, or viewpoint, or reader response. The best war literature makes us contemplate the meaning of war to us, personally and as part of larger communities, nations and a diverse species sharing a singular planet.
Whether you choose to read a classic or contemporary book about war, consider following it with a book that approaches the same conflict from an opposing viewpoint. Stretch your vision of humanity. The point is not to change your opinion, although that is possible, but to give you a greater understanding of the human experience.
This blog post honors those who serve and sacrifice on behalf of the rest of us.
There is great, enduring war literature for every generation. Some of the best include:
• The Iliad by Homer: Greek war in the Bronze Age; poetry
• The Art of War by Sun Tzu: ancient Chinese military treatise
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Franco-Russian War; novel
• The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane: American Civil War; novel
• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque: World War I; novel
• For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway: Spanish Civil War; novel
• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller: World War II; satire
• M.A.S.H. by H. Richard Hornberger (pen name Richard Hooker): Korean War; novel
• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien: Vietnam War; fiction, short stories
• Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden: Somalia; nonfiction
• The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway: Bosnian-Serbian War; novel
• The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell by John Crawford: Gulf War; memoir
• Behind the Lines Edited by Andrew Carroll: non-fiction letters
Don’t be confused by the blurring lines between memoirs and autobiographies in recent literature. They differ in several ways. Autobiographies have more constraints in their structure, needing to be chronologically complete, detailed and factual. Memoirs are allowed personal and artistic liberties in determining what and how to tell about selected moments of one’s life.
In Gore Vidal’s memoir, Palimpsest, he defined the two genres this way: “a memoir is how one remembers one’s own life, while an autobiography is history, requiring research, dates, facts double-checked.” By this comparison, you might assume an autobiography reads more like a dry textbook while a memoir is more like a rousing novel. Truth is that the success or failure of either format falls squarely on the writing. That’s what will turn you on or off to the person at the heart of the story.
There is a hybrid today that goes back to memoirs typically seen in the 1800s-early 1900s, wherein they were usually about someone’s relationship with someone else of equal or greater renown. Only in the late 20th century did people start writing memoirs about themselves — and labeling their works as “memoirs” in their titles.
In the past two years, I’ve been involved with two such hybrids: Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power by Romina Power and The Baron of Mulholland: A Daughter Remembers Errol Flynn by Rory Flynn. Two accomplished women writing about their even more famous fathers. Their access to people, documents and information about their famous fathers allowed them to effectively infuse the memoir/biography hybrid format with information, photos and personal opinions that previous books and other media couldn’t approach.
Although the hybrid concept was the same, Romina and Rory approached their books differently. Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power uses more historical information to show the origins of the Power theatrical legacy and interviews with people who lived with or worked with her father. She uses memoir to explain how she came to learn about her father. Photos, divided into three segments within the book, support the chronology of generations of the family with the primary focus on the life of Romina’s father (one of several successful Tyrone Powers over the centuries).
The Baron of Mulholland is a handsomely produced coffee table format book, filled with personal photos and reproductions of Errol Flynn’s handwritten personal correspondence. The emphasis of Rory’s book is her parents’ relationship and her own recollections of her father. She also devotes considerable space to her famous brother, Sean Flynn, a noted photographer who died while on assignment in wartime Cambodia.
Through a similar hybrid concept but using different storytelling approaches, Romina Power and Rory Flynn deliver very personal stories about very public men. The Baron of Mulholland will be on sale when Rory Flynn appears at BOOKS ‘n’ BOTTLES™ on May 16th and at the Pickwick Theatre on May 17th.