Hello everyone! How
is everyone on this fine Saturday morning? Wrapping presents, perhaps?
Or, preparing some of that "special" egg nog for family and friends
later on? The holiday season is in the air and we are all a part of it,
no matter our background or faith. This is a time for giving and
sharing (although I think we should do that the entire year and not
just during Winter!) and spending time with family and those we love.
However, not all of us are caught in the good spirit of the
holiday season. Some of us do not have any family or any loved ones to
spend time with. Some of us dread the holiday season because it brings
back horrible or unpleasant memories.
To those of you who might be in a situation like that or one
close to it: remember that you will ALWAYS have a friend in me, no
matter what. My thoughts go out to each and every one of you during
this season, regardless if it is a happy time for you or not. Each and
every one of you are special to me, and most of you I have never met!
Anyway, I just wanted to say that. Thank you for reading thus far.
NOW!!!!!!!
OH MAN!!!! Remember how last week I was not in the best of moods regarding the movie
Atonement? Wipe the slate clean because yours truly saw it last night! That's right, Memphis did get the movie, just a week later.
I
always cringe when I hear that a book is being made into a movie; I
think that the director is going to fail in capturing the essence of
the book and that the movie will be very "Hollywood"-ish. Well,
Atonement was not like that at all! James McAvoy(he is sooo cute!) and
Keira Knightley did an excellent job in playing the lovers whose lives
are forever doomed by one action on a summer night in 1935 England. Ian
McEwan's words were very apparent throughout the entire movie and I
barely moved in my seat.
The music was simply divine (I will be buying my CD today no
matter the cost), the acting top notch, and some of the scenes and
settings were simply haunting. This is a movie you do not want to miss!
And,
for those of you who are like me and will not see the movie unless you
have read the book, I have a copy of Atonement for sale as well some of
Ian McEwan's
other works that are just as good: On Chesil Beach - his newest book,
Saturday, and Enduring Love. Each book is $3.00 before shipping. Send
an e-mail to
info@viridianbooks.com if you are interested.
As
a bookseller and reader, I am a member of about ten different literary
online newsletters, trying to keep up with the literary world and give
you guys the latest scoops. Well, here's one that had me floored: it
seems that Amazon recently purchased JK Rowling's handwritten
(literally) book of fairy tales entitled
The Tales of Beedle the Bard. . . for 4 million dollars! Only seven in existence and Amazon was able to scoop one up through Sotheby's in London.
Tired
of Myspace? Looking for something a little different, perhaps? If you
are a lover of all things Fae and Faerie related, visit Enchanted Folk Social Network
to satisfy your every faerie need. Set up a profile, join different
groups, write and share poetry and/or stories, and view art that is
absolutely otherworldly.
And speaking of art, I discovered an artist that made me cry when I viewed her pictures. Stephanie Roberts
is an artist beyond compare, one that will send shivers down your
spine. I especially loved her rendition of Ophelia, my favourite
character from Hamlet.
Most people, when they hear the term Victorian author, think
of Charles Dickens and his wonderful books. My all time favourite book
is A Tale of Two Cities. However, there was another author who captured
not only the soul of the Victorian world but who also showed its darker
and more sinister underbelly.
Wilkie Collins was best known for his detective novel The
Moonstone but he also wrote another work that will keep you up late
into the night:
The Woman In White.
A
young woman is married off a man who may or may not be what he appears
and it is up to her more intelligent sister to discover the truth as
well discover the true identity of a mentally ill young woman dressed
in white who walks the streets and forest pathways at night. This book
is Victorian Gothic at its best!
Ruth Rendell
is a the master of the psychological thriller: the book that not just
answers the question of WHO committed the crime but WHY did they it.
Although I have only read two of her books thus far, she has made me a
follower of her written words. The book A Demon in my View
is a classic example of her style. A lonely bachelor living in small
apartment complex in London is deathly shy of women, so shy that he has
"ways" of relieving that shyness. He also keeps tabs on the other
occupants of the building and creates fantasies in order to cope with
his own psychosis. A new tenant moves in, causing much distress to the
bachelor, who feels that his twisted world has been invaded and decides
to take matters into his own hands . . . a great book and a thriller
beyond compare.
Everyone probably knows this already but I'll say it anyway:
Ike Turner died this week at the age of 76. Can you believe that?!?!
Just had to mention it.
For those of you who are as obsessed with books as I am,
The Literary Traveler
was designed for you. Care to visit Virginia Woolf's home? Or maybe
you'd like to see where Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote her poems? Now
you can schedule vacations regarding notable literary figures and their
places of residence or birth or even death. How cool is that?!
Well, that's all for this week. Take care, be safe and remember:
A bookseller is a good friend to have, especially when that bookseller drools over a 4 million dollar book!
Absinthe Dreams,
Kimberly
Owner/Resident Muse, Viridian Books
The Bookstore for the Strange and Unusual Reader
www.viridianbooks.com
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Kimberly
Mood:
energetic
Status:
changing her life one moment at a time
Updated:
Tuesday, Jun. 10 - 06:27 AM
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