Bright Star: Love Letters and Poems of John Keats to Fanny Brawne ~John Keats
–this collection published 2009
–Penguin Books
–130 pages
–4/5 stars
I recently reviewed the beautifully tragic love story of John Keats and Fanny Brawne as adapted in Jane Campion’s film, Bright Star. I was so impressed with Keats’ poetry in the film that I picked up the companion book as a gift for my wife for her birthday…then promptly borrowed it to celebrate the beginning of National Poetry Month.
A Short Guide to a Happy Life ~Anna Quindlen
–published 2000
–Random House
–50 pages
–4/5 stars
“Life is made of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves how to live, really live…to love the journey, not the destination.”
In addition to the desire for the mythic and the fantastical, the scent of spring in the air has also brought with it a desire to revisit the nonfiction work of authors I have personally discovered over the last few years, in particular Anne Fadiman, Nick Hornby, and Anna Quindlen.
In scouring the library catalog to add books for re-reading, like Quindlen’s excellent, How Reading Changed My Life, I saw this little gem that I had not yet read. While not profound in the “I’ve never heard that before” department, this quick read has nevertheless served to remind me of the need to consciously take the time to enjoy the simple things.
Continue reading A Short Guide to a Happy Life ~Anna Quindlen
The Journey that saved Curious George ~Louise Borden, illustrated by Allan Drummond
–published 2005
–HMH Books, 73 pages
–4.5/5 stars
It was all about the monkey, long, long ago in a childhood far, far away. At least it was for me. Like many a young boy and young girl, that endlessly curious little trouble-attracting monkey was one of my childhood fixtures. If you were a reader, or were read to by your parents, there is a good chance that at least once in your life you went on an adventure with Curious George. I passed on the monkey mania by reading some of the books to my daughter when she was young. And all that time I was curiously un-curious about the creator of George’s exploits. That is until now.
Continue reading The Journey that saved Curious George ~Louise Borden
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much ~Allison Hoover Bartlett
–published 2009
–Riverhead Books, 262 pages
–4.25/5 stars
With a cover image like the one above and a main title that reads like a personal confession, it is hard not to be predisposed to like this book. Its full title: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession, gives one just the barest hint of the story that this book will tell, a story that will have book lovers experiencing a wide range of emotions as they go on a journey of discovery with the author.
(All images in this post are pictures taken by me of the books that I am reviewing, unless otherwise noted.)
Well before I began budgeting my book purchases I had ordered a number of things through my local comic shop. Back around May, this book, Dames Dolls and Gun Molls: The Art of Robert A. Maguire, serendipitously arrived as I was smack dab in the middle of reading crime/noir/pulp fiction. I wasted no time in reading it, after all it was a beautiful collection of art from an artist whose work I admire. In an effort to catch up on book reviews, it seemed like a splendid idea to wrap this book review around a Friday Favorites post, thus giving you more bang for your buck.
Please join me in paying homage to one of the the true masters in paperback book cover illustration, Robert A. Maguire.