Waiting on... Wednesday

What more can I say? It's Ian McEwan, only one of the top living writers in the English language. Love his stuff. Can't wait for his new one. Out March 30, no? Anyway. Want!

More Waiting on Wednesday at Breaking the Spine with Jill.

Do You Collect Books?

I read a lot of books, and I buy a lot of books, but I never really thought seriously about collecting books per se. I mean, I've collected the occasional series, manga especially, but I've never really collected just to collect.

Awhile ago, I saw the movie "Definitely, Maybe," which featured a character who collected various editions of Jane Eyre, because she loved the book and because she was looking for a particular lost volume of her own, given to her by her late father. I loved this nerdy, bookish touch in an otherwise by-the-numbers romantic comedy and it reminded me that for a while when I was a teenager I had my own collection of old copies of Jane Eyre. It was my favorite novel (still is) and although my collection reached a grand total of three copies I still treasure those books.

(The week after I saw the movie, I saw a pretty illustrated edition of Jane Eyre on sale for cheap at a local used bookstore and now I have four!)

As I was setting up my new home office over the past few days, I noticed that I've developed a little collection of signed books- about 50 so far- that would be nice to gather together on the bookcase I have in the room. I organized them alphabetically and they look nice! I'm sure I'll continue to add to that little collection as time goes on.

When I attended ReaderCon this past summer, I went to a session on collecting, starring a man who's collected hardcover first editions of every Hugo Award winner. He talked about the thrill of the chase, dealing with ex-library copies and other pitfalls and pleasures of collecting. I thought it was funny but then he sort of inspired me, and I thought about starting a collection of first editions of Booker Prize winners, since I love the Booker Prize. Some quick searches on online showed that, apart from a few early winners that cost in the hundreds, it's actually a relatively accessible collection to start, with many winners available for under $50 in good-quality condition. I have a few- I have Wolf Hall, The Blind Assassin and Possession, and I actually bought another the other day, Life of Pi, in anticipation of an upcoming local event with Yann Martel.

What do you think? Do you collect books? Do you want to?

Sunday Salon- Coming Soon- My New Home Office!

After a somewhat bruising week between this and that, I've been having a very nice weekend napping, baking and reading.Yesterday I baked a batch of hamentaschen, the traditional triangular Purim cookie, though I fill mine with Nutella instead of the traditional poppy seeds or apricot. Yum.

And today I'm putting together a little home office for myself- a new desk and a recycled bookshelf, in my sewing room. I'm saying goodbye to my old futon and setting up the first desk I've had since college. I'm so excited. I really need a more formal workspace at home; working from my sofa has not been going well! My husband and I got a simple desk at IKEA last week, just perfect for my laptop; right now it's still in the boxes. Unfortunately, since the futon's new owners won't take possession until later on today I can't set it up and take pictures to show you right now.

So for the afternoon I'll be cleaning and periodically reading Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, a very nice new novel by Helen Simonson. Jeff and I think we need to have another yard sale this spring or early summer so I'm putting aside things and throwing things out and just generally clearing out some clutter. And wondering if I'll ever get back to my quilting!

Oh- if you're into blogs about movies, a couple of friends of mine have started a blog, A and A's Movie A Day, to document their project of watching a movie a day until they've worked their way through their substantial collection of DVDs. They're smart and cool and great writers and I'm going to follow them- you should, too.

What are you up to today?

You can read more Sunday Salon here.

Out in Paperback, Reviewed by Me

I wanted to give you a heads-up on a few titles out in paperback and in bookstores now, that I reviewed when they were released in hardcover.

Some are brand-new releases and some have been out for a while.

Links are to my reviews.

Most recent is Miriam Gershow's very nice The Local News, about a teen girl whose brother has disappeared. I liked this one a lot. It's moving in a quiet way.


Late January saw the paperback release of Abraham Verghese's wonderful Cutting for Stone, one of my top favorite reads last year. It's amazing. If you like literary fiction please read this!








The paperback of Curtis Sittenfeld's American Wife has been out for several months, but it's still worth checking out. It's a fictionalized version of the life of Laura Bush. I enjoyed Sittenfeld's writing in this character-driven, darkly comic novel.

Kira Salak's page-turner The White Mary was controversial in the blogosphere when it was released in the summer of 2008. I loved it. I just noticed the paperback in my local bookstore a few weeks ago.

Booking Through Thursday- Grammar Police

In honor of National Grammar Day … it IS “March Fourth” after all … do you have any grammar books? Punctuation? Writing guidelines? Style books?

More importantly, have you read them?

How do you feel about grammar in general? Important? Vital? Unnecessary? Fussy?

I have Strunk & Whites The Elements of Style, and yes, I have read it, though I'll say that I don't think that the style the authors promote is the end-all of good writing. I think grammar is very important and it bothers me so much to read writing with poor grammar that I will put a book down if it's sloppy enough. (I've also been known to stop reading poorly-written blogs.) Of course, most professionally published books aren't that sloppy and the most I really ever notice will be some misused pronouns- "She was taller than me" is a typical example. It's I, folks- "She was taller than I". It's a big reason why I dislike reading books written in dialect. Sometimes that technique can really help a reader get inside a character's head, but sometimes if it's not done well it just strips the character of his or her (notice how I didn't say their) dignity and makes the character sound stupid. So yeah, I'm not crazy about bad grammar!

Read more Booking Through Thursday answers here.

Special Feature: Interview with author Mahbod Seraji

As promised, today I'm featuring a short interview I did with Iranian writer Mahbod Seraji, who graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us. Yesterday you may have read my review of his novel, Rooftops of Tehran; long story short- I loved it, and I was thrilled to be able to ask Mahbod a few questions.

1. What inspired you to write this story?

My own childhood, the memories of the alley, great friendships I had as I was growing up – As I mention in the interview at the end of the book ROOFTOPS OF TEHRAN is loosely based on my own personal experiences. I have to also admit that reading ANGELA’S ASHES deeply affected me. One of my greatest regrets in life is that I never got to know or talk to Frank McCourt before he passed away. His story was quite an inspiration to me.

2. What would you like an American reader to learn about Iran from your book?

I wanted my readers to know that Iran is full of people just like them. People who fall in love, value friendship, have strong morals. One person at a book club meeting told me that before reading Rooftops she thought all Iranians were animals. We are talking about a nation of seventy seven million people, 70% of which is under the age of 30 with a literacy rate of over 98%. How 77 million people can be all animals, is beyond me. But it’s the reality of the situation we’re facing; the consequence of 30 years of demonization and dehumanization of Iran and Iranians for political reasons. And unfortunately sometimes people only remember sound bytes from political speeches, or Fox News, and form an unfavorable perception of a nation. Now that would be like someone outside the US watching the first 15 minutes of any of the local news channel and forming a perception of life in the US based on those segments, which hardly represent life in America in its entirety. Right? My book was an attempt and a hope for people to understand life in Iran at a deeper level, and understand that people of Iran are very different than its government.

3. What is That, that quality that others say Pasha has, that he learns to value in himself and others?

THAT, is an indefinable quality, perhaps charisma, charm, presence, and a sort of magical appeal that attracts one’s attention. It’s not one thing, someone’s look, education, the way they speak, the way they make you feel, but a combination of all those things.

4. The character of Doctor appears only briefly in the novel but his presence is felt throughout the characters' lives; was he inspired by someone or something in particular?

Doctor was based on two people, a friend of my father who was arrested by the SAVAK and executed, and the son of my Persian literature teacher in high school, suffering the same fate. His father was devastated with what happened to his son, and I wrote an emotional blog called THIRTY YEARS LATER for truth out.org about the whole incident and its similarity to the death of Neda the young woman whose death was captured by a cell phone camera during the last June’s disputed election rallies in Iran: http://www.truthout.org/081209R

5. Are there any other books you'd suggest- fiction or nonfiction- to someone who want to learn more about Iran? Will we get to see any more fiction from you in the future?

I have a list at the end of the book: Nonfiction: Ervand Abrahamian has a number of great books on Iran, I also like MODERN IRAN by Nikki Keddie, ALL THE SHAH’S MEN by Stephen Kinzer and THE IRAN AGENDA by Reese Erlich. On fiction side, MY UNCLE NAPOLEON by Pezeshkzad, FUNNY IN FARSI by Dumas, and all of Nahid Rachlin’s books are excellent. I am writing another book and am almost finished. Hope to get it out in 2011. For now, I’m calling it, CHILDREN OF THE VILLAGE.

Mahbod, thank you so much for participating! I can't wait to read your next book!

REVIEW: Rooftops of Tehran, by Mahbod Seraji

Rooftops of Tehran, by Mahbod Seraji. Published 2009 by New American Library/Penguin. Paperback.

Click here to buy Rooftops of Tehran via IndieBound.org. I'm an IndieBound affiliate and receive a small commission on sales.

I asked for Rooftops of Tehran for Christmas and I'm glad I didn't wait any longer to read this captivating, magical and bittersweet novel of love, friendship and hope.

The story opens in 1973 Tehran, among a group of friends in their late teens, starting with Pasha and Ahmed. Pasha is in love with Zari, his beautiful neighbor, who is engaged to a young man known affectionately as "Doctor." Doctor is a slightly older student deeply engaged with left-wing political elements opposed to the Shah's autocratic rule; he is also a mentor to Pasha, who adores him almost as much as Zari. Ahmed, more outgoing and flamboyant, is pursuing his own forbidden romance with the charismatic Faheemeh and the four friends spend a summer together laughing and talking and deepening their bonds. Then Doctor finds himself up against the SAVAK, or secret police, and a brand-new kind of pressure comes to bear on the friends.

The narrative alternates between the summer and a time in the not-distant future when Pasha is a patient at a psychiatric hospital; that he doesn't know why or what has happened to him creates suspense and helps keep the narrative moving at a clip- and kept me turning the pages. It's basically a quiet story of ordinary people that Seraji tells and this device injects some drama. When the time lines come together, we find that things have irrevocably changed for Pasha and his friends. As the novel nears its conclusion, there are lingering questions and a twist that left me wondering what the future has in store for these characters- very real and likable people I'd come to care about.

I loved Rooftops of Tehran. I loved the characters and I thought that both the love stories and the political suspense was well-drawn and believable. The romance between Zari and Pasha is just so sweet and sad, and thankfully not without hope. It is beautifully written and has a real tenderness and affection towards its subjects- the characters and the country of Iran. I would give Rooftops of Tehran to smart teens as well as literary fiction readers, who would enjoy Seraji's beautiful descriptions, the characters and their relationships as well as the politics. I know I'll be re-reading this book sometime soon; it's really lovely and I hope you'll want to read it soon, too.

Click here to read my interview with author Mahbod Seraji!

Rating: BUY

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review from the publisher.

Graphic Novel Monday: Megillat Esther, by J.T. Waldman

Megillat Esther, by J.T. Waldman. Published 2006 by Jewish Publication Society of America. Paperback.

Click here to buy The Megillat Esther via IndieBound.org. I'm an IndieBound affiliate and receive a small commission on sales.

Since the Jewish holiday of Purim is here, I thought it would be fun to talk about the graphic version of the Megillat Esther, the story of how Queen Esther saved the Jews from slaughter by King Achashverosh and his advisor, Haman, in ancient Persia, the story which forms the basis for the holiday. Not your standard children's-book interpretation, J.T. Waldman's version of Esther's story is full of intrigue, conspiracies and reversals, not the least of which is the physical reversal of the text which occurs halfway through. At this point, the reader needs to flip the book over and read it right to left, all the better for the Hebrew but possibly jarring for readers unfamiliar with reading Hebrew or (in my case) Japanese manga. But I digress.

This Megillat Esther is a treasure- a beautiful and thoughtful retelling of the Book of Esther. The story is told in English and beautifully-lettered Hebrew, and includes rabbinic footnotes and a bibliography, as well as a section explaining the importance of citations and explaining the term midrash, the stories that expand on the Hebrew Bible. This section seems aimed at children, but this is no children's book. Waldman's rich, detailed black and white illustrations reward careful attention and a slow, deliberate pace, and there is some racy sexual content and innuendo which render the book unsuitable for children but a fine choice for older teens and adults interested in Judaism and the holiday of Purim.

Waldman's Megillat Esther is a real treat. I had a hard time tracking down a copy through my local public library system, but it's worth a read, at Purim time or anytime.

Rating: BUY

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review from the publisher.

Sunday Salon

It's Sunday again, and it's one of those Sundays when it's a little hard for me to come up much to say. I've been busy working- I have a new part-time job for the Association of Jewish Libraries- and I'm starting to set up a little home office for myself. My husband and I went to Ikea yesterday to look at desks and I found the perfect one, but I don't want to buy it until I get my sewing room cleaned up enough. I have a broken-down futon that needs to come out; that's a project for this week. I'm anxious to get my little workspace set up now.

My "no buying books for Lent" vow is going well I guess, although I did break it on Thursday night when I attended a book party for local writer Randy Susan Meyers and her new book, The Murderer's Daughters; proceeds from the book went to The Home for Little Wanderers, and I really wanted the book, so I hope God will understand. It was a great party and I got to meet a bunch of folks I knew from Twitter as well as hang out with pals like Dawn Rennert of She is Too Fond of Books and others. The weather that night was cascading downpours and the party was held in a beautiful home complete with a roaring fire; it was kind of wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading Meyers' book- it's got a lot of very positive attention.

Today I'm headed off to a bookstore or two for some browsing and I'm starting a new book, Melanie Benjamin's Alice I Have Been, which I've been looking forward to for a long time. I hope everyone has a great Sunday!

You can read more Sunday Salon posts here.

Friday Finds- A New Spin

Since I'm not getting any new books until Easter, I have no Friday Finds this week. Instead, I thought it would be fun to share the books I want to buy:

Anita Amirrezvani's The Blood of Flowers, historical fiction set in Iran about a woman trying to become independent. I hope that used copy I saw at the Harvard Book Store is still there! (Yeah, right!)

Marcel Möring's In a Dark Wood is going to be a must-read; it's about Europe dealing with post-Holocaust and post-World War II guilt and its consequences. I'm really looking forward to reading this.

Finally, Atiq Rahimi's The Patience Stone looks fantastic. Set in Afghanistan, it just won the Prix Goncourt, the prestigious French literary prize. I can't wait.

All three of these books tempted me to break my Lenten vows this week. Those and the new Ian McEwan will be on my shopping list when I hit the bookstore on Easter Sunday. What books have been tempting you lately?

You can find more Friday Finds at ShouldBeReading.wordpress.com.