Annnnnd . . . it’s August!
August 2, 2009

I am, as I promised myself last week, already into some concentrated reading. My one-month hiatus from work began Saturday (technically, Monday). Two new books—My Germany: A Jewish Writer Returns to the World His Parents Escaped by BiblioBuffet’s Lev Raphael and Traversa:  A Solo Walk Across Africa, from the Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean by Fran Sandham— part of a batch of five that showed up Saturday on my doorstep courtesy of Powell’s Books and UPS, immediately shot to the top of my To Be Read pile on the nightstand.

Though I am only about fifteen pages into My Germany I have already been captured by the words and the world they are portraying. And I mean only the greatest respect to Lev when I say that they are magnificent. I have little interest in “Jewish” books but I am interested in powerful writing as is found here: “As my train nears the station, it hits me that this entrance could not be more American. My mother was a slave, considered subhuman by the very people whose language she spoke so perfectly that it might have saved her life. . . . My mother was brought here to Magdeburg against her will, while I made the choice to come. To Germany—the country I had sworn never to visit.”

The second book, actually the concurrent one, feels entirely different. It is. I’ve read even fewer pages, about five and I’ll likely finish Traversa given my passion for adventure books, but there’s something—the language is more pedestrian, and the sense of involvement more superficial. “At this stage,” the author writes about his alcohol-fueled idea of the night before, “I was not excessively worried a bout being eaten by lions or getting trodden on by an elephant, or even having my throat cut by bandits—every adventure worthy of the name must surely bring its share of danger. I was more trouble by the fact that if I walked across Africa I’d have to give up my flat and my job and then return to England penniless, probably ill and certainly exhausted, with no job and nowhere to live.”

Yes. And . . .?

It’s intriguing, certainly, or I wouldn’t read it but I have the sense that in comparison to the other it is going to end up as the 99-pound weakling getting sand kicked in its face by the Charles Atlas stud who then strolls off with the weakling’s girl. (Me?)

It’s an odd feeling, this pairing. And it has nothing to do with reading more than one book at a time; many readers routinely do that, including me. No, for some reason it’s these two books. It’s almost a competition not for my attention but for . . . something. I’ll let you know next week.

Upcoming Book Festivals:
If you are planning to be in or near the Salinas/Monterey area of California between August 6-9, the 29th Annual Steinbeck Festival offers a wonderful way to spend time. The festival takes its theme—Legends, Myth and Magic—from the recent release of the Penguin Classics Deluxe edition paperback release of The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights. Among the festivities are an appearance by Chistopher Paolini, a film festival of classic, cult, and contemporary films related to the theme, a storyboarding workshop, a musical performance of Renaissance music, theatrical stage fight demonstrations, a storytelling workshop with Jim Weiss, and a talk by filmmaker and producer Ken Wales. Of course, there’s more. More than a few speakers tackle every aspect of Steinbeck’s legacy, from Cannery Row as it was then to the making of the television mini-series based on East of Eden. The cost varies, depending on what tickets you choose and what special events you wish to attend.

The Arkansas Book & Paper Show, a feast for literary collectors and investors, will take place in Jacksonville on Saturday, August 8 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Sunday, August 9 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Three dozen book and paper dealers and fifteen authors will be there to meet and mingle. Admission is five dollars.

Also on Sunday, August 9, is the Vermont Summer Book Fair, which will take place in Woodstock from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Antiquarian book dealers will be displaying a large number of books, maps, prints, and related ephemera. Admission is five dollars.

The Pub House:
Wilderness Press is the publisher to visit if you are looking for outdoor books and maps. They have it all. Fortunately, you can search by title, author, category, or region. Even glancing down the category list brings up innumerable titles in the areas of biking, books, camping, canoeing and kayaking, children’s, climbing, cooking, fishing, heath, hiking, home and garden, maps, nature, outdoor skills, special interests, sports and travel. Regardless of where you are going or what you want to do, you’ll find a great book to help you here. (I know; I own about half a dozen of their titles.) 

Of Interest:
If you have ever wondered how books get their titles, here’s a place to help you. The aptly named How Books Get Their Titles is the blog of Gary Dexter, a journalist and writer of many things literary. What’s particularly read-worthy about this one is that he uncovers fascinating literary history. Some are well known (A Streetcar Named Desire) , others more speculative (Othello). But they are well done, and Dexter writes carefully to ensure he doesn’t wander off the supported path. 

This Week . . .
Well, it began last week but the 10 Days in Google Books Contest continues on through to August 5.  Three people each day will win a Sony Reader. And it’s so easy. You answer five questions (all of which can be found by googling the question as directed), then you are asked to submit an essay of less than 50 words of what the experience of reading will be like in 100 years. That’s it! I wish you luck.

As a side note to the contest, you might be interested in reading a short story published in 1898 by Edward Bellamy. Titled “With the Eyes Shut,” it is a strangely prescient tale of today’s electronically-wired society.

Until next week, read well, read often and read on!

Lauren