Because of our recent discovery of the wonderful author Ron Rash, Elizabeth uncovered a nice piece Rash has written in Garden & Gun. It's a lovely remembrance of growing up and fishing on his family's land in North Carolina. In Rash's signature style, he recalls visiting year after year with his grandmother, fishing the streams, and "the happiest, most amazing place that you have ever found".
Getting in Touch With Her Florida Roots
Burrow Press, a Central Florida-based publisher, posted this online essay from writer, Amy Watkins. Titled Knowing My Place, Watkins reflects on growing up in Florida, yet trying to shed her southern dialect while studying writing in college. She comes to find that authentic voice of her roots, with all of its trials and joys, helps her create her most meaningful work. Check it out along with the rest of the Burrow Press portfolio.
Booklovers Rejoice in Bookish Podcasts
So you've got your nose in a book whenever you can, you listen to audio books when exercising or driving, and sneak in a few moments of reading while in the checkout line. For us reading fanatics, not enough, right? Maybe you've just finished that perfect story, and you just can't (don't really want to) rid yourself of that giddy/melancholy/contemplative feeling you got from that special read. Like a rocky breakup, how do you move on?
A great in between - podcasts about books and reading, of course. I knew they were there, but haven't fully delved in yet. But here we have it neatly handed to us from MJ Franklin of online zine Mashable. Check out their list of ten bookish podcasts ranging from book reviews to story telling. And let us know what you think. We'd love to hear. Enjoy.
14 Of the Most Beautiful Libraries in the U.S.
Book lovers will find a haven in these libraries - a list compiled and published by Chronicle Books. They are magnificent monuments within the communities they serve to culture, education, and adventure. Thank goodness for libraries!
Visit Chronicle's blog with images of each of their 14 picks.
Modern Day Poet with Old Fashioned Style - David Foster Hall
Poet David Foster Hall
Friend of Beyond the Cover and poet, David Foster Hall is quite the legend in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The long-time resident and attorney has the reputation of a gritty negotiator and heartfelt craftsman with a respected reputation - if it's worth doing, take care, and do it the right way.
Hall has published one of his poems about a D.C. historical landmark. Wandering Congressional Cemetery, in local publication, The Hill Rag.
bones sleep like locusts,
lean into dark like a blink -
marrow-dry, brittle-hard book spines,
laid out like starched shirts
forgotten by caring, and hate, and love
and one-night stands.
Read the poem in its entirety in the Hill Rag's September issue. We're anticipating seeing more of Hall's writing very soon.
10 Great Bookish Hotels via BookRiot →
The Batman Room at The Eden Motel in Taiwan
BookRiot is such fun. If you haven't visited, give it a whirl. It's a book lover's playground of sorts. This post in particular caught my eye - 10 Great Bookish Hotels. From Minneapolis to London to New Zealand (a Hobbit hotel, of course!), we learn about uniquely and carefully created guest rooms to add to your wanderlust adventure.
"The 10 Best Short Story Collections You've Never Read" from Publishers Weekly
I've mentioned previously on this site that I really enjoy short stories and can never quite understand the resistance I hear towards them. They're perfect for the ADD type lifestyle many of us lead, as it provides a sense of accomplishment more quickly than most novels.
Writer Mia Alvar has written an article in Publishers Weekly providing her recommendations for "The 10 Best Short Story Collections You've Never Read" and her reasons for enjoying the medium.
Fortunately, I've enjoyed two of the collections listed - Joan Silber's In My Other Life, which was an excellent, candid and thoughtful reflection on middle age; and Pam Houston's Cowboys Are My Weakness, which was so intelligent and fun, I've read every Houston book since.
"35 Books Every Designer Should Read" from Fast Company
I've worked with a lot of designers throughout my career with a range of knowledge and expertise. Some have been great talents and some, well, needed a little more time to percolate. The common thread throughout though has been their creative drive expressed in such personal ways. I've loved seeing their individual bodies of work - so much so as to identify their style among others - grow and change as they mature and adjust to each project. And admittedly, I've been envious of their ingenuity.
Everyone needs inspiration; even the most creative among us. There are thousands of design books out there, and Fast Company has compiled a list of some of the top. They've reached out to design schools to get their recommendations for everything from graphic to interior design. It's a fun list. Enjoy, read and create!
10 Books Turned Into Films Released This Summer
The Huffington Post has has provided a list of ten film adaptations of best selling books to be released this summer. Thank goodness we have some quality films in addition to the usual summer superhero/vampire/zombie blockbusters. Check out more about each book and film on the Huffington Post site. In the meantime, here is a quick list of the books:
- Far From the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
- Heroic Measures, Jill Ciment
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Jesse Andrews
- A Slight Trick of the Mind, Mitch Cullin
- Dark Places, Gillian Flynn
- Paper Towns, John Green
- Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert
- Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, A Road Trip With David Foster Wallace, David Lipsky
- Black Mass, Dick Lehr & Gerard O'Neill
- Every Secret Thing, Laura Lippman
Best Books of 2015 - Lots of Great Reading Yet to Come
via The Telegraph
Just when my to be read list has reached colossal proportions, The Telegraph releases its list of "the must-read novels, memoirs and history books released in 2015 so far." Please check it out, and let us know what is on your list. And by the way, their list is updated weekly so visit often.
Esteemed Author Herman Wouk Turns 100
Author Herman Wouk
Best selling American writer Herman Wouk turns 100 today. His body of work is truly remarkable. Beginning with The Caine Mutiny in 1951 (later made into a film) he moved on to create what is known as the War Novels. These are two volumes The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. The books covered World War II in depth - not only the historical events, but the characters, emotions and political impact surrounding it. Wouk continued to create works of fiction and non-fiction throughout his career.
The Atlantic magazine has written an wonderful piece about the Pulitzer Prize winner Wouk you can read here. Happy birthday Herman. And thank you.
Headed to NYC for BEA or Summer? Visit These Bookstores.
Greenlight Bookstore, Brooklyn
There are many an opinion of preferred book haunts in New York. If you're headed to New York for fun or business, or for Book Expo America, as I am, here are a list via BuzzFeed of some of the popular bookstores that are not to miss.
From the Huff Post: 21 Book From the Past 5 Years Every Woman Should Read
Huffington Post has compiled a list of powerful books published in recent years they suggest every woman should read. The list includes Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng, and Swamplandia!, by Karen Russell.
We're only one into the list (Wild), but we here at Beyond the Cover will be catching up on some of these. Let us know which ones you've read and your thoughts on them.
Reading List for Graduates - 21 Books for the Class of 2015
It's that time of year again when a new group of young, eager graduates pass through a major life milestone. But who will do the cooking now you're not living under mom's roof? Oh, wait, you're able to consider a career of your own choosing? Is there a guidebook for growing up?
BookBub has kindly compiled a list of recommended reading for this year's graduates. The learning never ends.
Books Turned Into Movies - How Many Have You Seen?
We all love to walk into a movie theater and see what the screenwriters and directors have done to our beloved book. There's that knowing satisfaction that you can speak with authority to your friends about the true meaning because you, in fact, read the book. You take pride in having a secret insight to the little details not portrayed in the film adaptation or express your disdain at leaving out critical information. Oh, but it's fun, even when it's disappointing. You still have that intimate connection with the written version; the original.
Buzzfeed has a list and fun check off list of movie adaptations of great books. It will even let you know if you need to see more films. Apparently, I need to sit down with a large bowl of popcorn.
10 Books That Inspired Today's Leaders
I'm always interested in what successful people are reading. After all, the folks at the top need that steady flow of inspiration more than anyone. We found this article on Fast Company and it's got some great diversity to it - from economic impact of caring for a community to finding, sustaining and optimizing your personal energy. You'll probably see a review of a few of these soon. In the meantime, check them out yourself.
22 CEO's Share Their Favorite Books
I love books. And I also love infographics - those great visual storytellers. Inc. Magazine has put together a list of 22 CEO's in the U.S. and their favorite books. There are some that you'd expect, like Good to Great and Blink. There are also a few surprises. And only a few have included their favorite fiction. At least we get a little peek into their tastes.
Find the list and infographic on the Inc. site.
Literary United States: A Map of the Best Book for Every State
illustration by Sarah Lutkenhaus
We just love this article from Brooklyn Magazine. It's a wonderful list of ideal books for each of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.. Fun to peruse, and I am embarrassed to say, I've not read the books from my states! You'll see these coming soon to the blog. I'm committing to at least two of them (I've lived in a few places) by the end of this year.
Read and enjoy. Let us know what books can be added to this list.
Adorable Kate Spade Mug
Love this thermal travel mug from Kate Spade! Perfect for a cup of tea in the backyard with your latest read.
20 Bands Named For Literature
Image Credit: Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, Via Getty Images
You gotta love it when you find one of your favorite bands has some intellectual meaning behind its name. It sort of validates (at least in your own mind) your love of the band and gives you one more bit of trivia to impress your friends. Mental Floss has done some research and found 20 bands that are named for either characters or lines in literature, including The Doors and of course, Veruca Salt. Take a look and enjoy the music.