Perfect Pairings

Trying to decide what to read this weekend? Consider picking up a classic and pairing it with the perfect alcoholic beverage.

I absolutely adore flavorwire, who came up with 10 great books with accompanying drinks. Which will you choose?

Take a look at the options here.

Light Boxes

Many discovered this title through NPR. They listed it as one of the weird and wonderful books of 2010. Author, Shane Jones, creates a Fantasia-like universe and though it is absolutely bonkers, you'll quickly buy into it. 

"Light Boxes", is the story of a town that is perpetually plagued by February. The sun is becoming nothing more than a faint memory. 

As winter drags on, children begin to go missing and adults fall into depression. Sounds dismal, right? Well, it doesn't take long for them to rally and go to war against February.

The book is beautifully written. A perfect blend of fantasy and reality. A small book, but a fantastic adventure. Enjoy it over a cup of coffee on a snowy day this coming winter. 

"This is How You Lose Her"

This week I want to share a brand new book that just released today. For those unfamiliar with Junot Diaz, he also wrote, "The Brief and Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao". His second book was a collection of short stories called "Drown". Now he's back with his third book: "This is How You Lose Her". I have been waiting for this release all summer and am so eager to get home and start reading.

There is nothing I like more than a fantastic collection of short stories. Lately I have been too busy to start (and finish) a new book. I love being able to pick up a book of short stories, read a few, move on and pick it up again another day (or year).

A good volume of short stories will pack punch after punch. Diaz will do just that.

Today Flavorwire listed "The Cheaters Guide to Love", one of the short stories in this collection, as one of the Ten Greatest Short Stories About Love.

Read some of the reviews for this book on Amazon.

I was instantly caught by the quote at the beginning of the book. The quote is from Sandra Cisneros, author of "The House on Mango Street": 

Foxy Fitzgerald

Instead of blogging about a book today, I want to share with you the coolest new book-related thing I have acquired.

Sofie, whom I discovered on Etsy, partnered with me to create his amazing book fox! Her site, bonjour poulette, has created the cutest little animal characters. I loved the fox and requested one of her foxes with a book. 

She nailed it!!! I am so happy with my little fox. Someday, when my bookstore days are done, I will look at this precious fox and think about the many years in which my life revolved around selling books. 

But for now,  I just need a name. Any suggestions? 

.... the verdict is in. Foxy Fitzgerald it is! : )

"I Cannot Remember Much"...

"I cannot remember much, I cannot feel much. Maybe erasure is necessary. Maybe the human spirit defends itself as the body does, attacking infection, enveloping and destroying those malignancies that would otherwise consume us.”  -Tim O'Brien, "In The Lake of the Woods"

Most people know Tim O'Brien for his books about Vietnam. His most popular title is, "The Things They Carried", which is often required reading in high school. "In the Lake of the Woods", was an award-winner book when first released in 1994, but is now frequently overlooked and not commonly found on bookstore shelves. 

After discovering it, I ordered it in bulk to the bookstore where I work. I began hand-selling and recommending it to everyone. I needed other people to experience the book and discuss it with me. 

This novel is intense. Quick paced. Mystifying and horrific. 

The book takes place in 1986. Following the loss of a political election, John and Kathy Wade retreat to a cabin at Lake of the Woods to reflect on the past, dream of the future, and redefine their marriage. Soon after arriving, long-time secrets resurface and tensions build. Then Kathy disappears. 

The novel goes back and forth between evidence and hypothesis, as an unnamed narrator tries to piece together a terrifying mystery. 

Ultimately the book questions obsession, love, and memory. 

I can't tell you anymore. I refuse to ruin it for you. So quick--- Read it!  Let's talk about it. 

"And So We Beat On..."

The Great Gatsby was F. Scott Fitzgerald's third book. He declared it would be, "something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned". This jazz age story speaks of greed and money. Ambition and defeat. The ceaseless desire to attain the American dream at any cost.

It also tells the love story of Jay Gatsby. A man who once loved a beautiful woman. A woman who would not wait for him. Though completely unattainable, he spends a summer trying to win back her love. Flaunting his wealth. Driven to win back the woman he once lost. 

Heartbreaking. Tragic. Full of melancholia:

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." 

Impossible to forget. 

And that is exactly why it is one of the top books on my list. 

If you have not read it--- you will want to. It is being adapted for the big screen again. Director Baz Luhrmann (Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge) is taking his own stunning approach to this classic. 

I absolutely judge books by their covers and my favorite for "The Great Gatsby" is the one pictured. It is designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. She's a talented cover designer that works in-house for Penguin. 

Are you a Gatsby fan? Love it or hate it? Going to re-read in preparation for the movie?