Village Books Blog

A Book Is My Solitude

When I choose a book, I don't just think about the latest and greatest title, or what the cover looks like, or whether or not the author seems like a cool person to grab coffee with. I consider much more than that. To me, a book is not something that one simply picks up, skims through, and drops off at the nearest used bookstore. A book is my solitude; my refuge from whatever life event has me feeling out of whack that day. A book is my excuse to retreat to my room and hide under my electric blanket (which, in a house full of poor college students who would rather freeze to death than fork out the extra money for heat, is a wonderful thing). A book is my excuse to stash my cell phone away from time to time in a place where I don't have to respond to its tiresome pestering.

It is my excuse to stay in on a Friday night when I'm feeling drained from a long week of demands, or when I simply want to relax. It is my haven from those difficult dilemmas that we all face in life. Now, don't get me wrong; a book is not my excuse to permanently avoid any and all responsibilities. Rather, it is there to ease my concerns, soothe my mind, and quiet my heart in the most difficult of times, or the most peaceful of evenings.

Books are my friends. In fact, books are some of the best friends I think any of us can ever have. They never demand more from us than we can give. Instead, they challenge us to look outside of our daily lives and into the lives of others. They ask us to empathize, to consider events that we wouldn't regularly dedicate our thoughts to. They only request that we acknowledge what someone else has to say for a change. In a world where all of us are constantly on the go, trying to meet demands that frequently exceed our capabilities, a world where we see our own worst faults and try to control myriads of things that we should simply let be, books are there to relax us. In the conversations we hold with books, they never try to change us, and we don't try to change them. Books hold our hands in their pages and ask us to breath. They assuage our fears, if only for a few blissful moments so that we can recollect ourselves. In a culture where many students my age will never read a book for leisure again in their lifetimes, I am finding more and more value within the pages of my best friends.

As I continue to grow and learn more about my world around me, I find myself running towards books, not away from them. I crave what they have to tell me. After four wonderful, challenging, enlightening years at Village Books, books have not disappointed me once. Their dependability, and the fact that I can trust them unconditionally, are admirable qualities that I find invaluable in people. I know that the world is an unpredictable place, and I haven't even left the North American Continent. I also know that wherever I go, and whatever journeys I wind up taking, books will always be there to comfort and enliven me. After all, isn't that what great friends are for?

--Tiffany

The Importance of Family Time

My mom is my best friend. We're like "Gilmore Girls," but without the teenage pregnancy. We spend a ton of time together hanging out, but it was not until last night that I realized how time together as a family, and family time are two completely different things. Due to boredom from being snowed in we decided to bust out some board games and change things up a bit. I cannot remember the last time I had that much fun, laughing about things that out of context seem stupid but when you're playing board games, they are the most hilarious phrases you've ever heard. It's moments like these that make up a family.

Some of the most important memories from my childhood were when we had what I call family time. For me it isn't just all being in the same room together. It's working towards a common goal that involves the minds of every person involved, like playing board games. Now that is a trivial example, but others are cooking a big Sunday dinner together, building a treehouse together, or reading a book together. This last example is in my opinion the single most important thing a family can do together. It's a way for the parents to educate their children and help facilitate their intellectual growth. It's also a way for children to develop their imagination and start figuring out who they want to be, knowing their parents support them. Reading puts us in other people's shoes, and since identity is such a huge issue for children this is a great way for them to develop it within their home with their families present unlike the modern-day alternative of running away from home to find yourself.

My mom read to me every single day from the second she found out she was pregnant with me. I believe this is why we are as close as we are, but also why I am the person that I am. Yes, Dr. Seuss and Goodnight Moon are fantastic books but it wasn't the words that mattered as much as the act of reading as a family was. Even though I'm now all grown up we have decided to still have family time, because no matter how old you get, you're never too old for your family.

--Kyle

This Isn’t Just Retail for Us

         (image credit unknown)

We’re booksellers. Literally translated, that means we sell books, buy books, shelve books, return books, move shelves, change light bulbs, vacuum, empty trash, remove a book from a shelf and place it in the right place on a different shelf, rave about books that deserved to be raved about to anyone who will listen, rave about books that are being raved about that don’t deserve to be raved about, and anything else that happens to arise during our typical workday. To an outsider, it would be easy to assume that we are simply retailers who sell books. We’re not. We’re much more than that.

Take, for example, Rachel, who regularly reviews books on her blog, rachelannhanley.blogspot.com/.

Or Rem, who has been a writer for many years. And now makes gorgeous knitted bookmarks that he sells in the store.

Perhaps you know Brendan, who came to us as an intern, hungry to learn more about the book and publishing industries. And now, well, he’s one of us *maniacally rubs hands together*.

Maybe you remember Chuck’s book on the history of the store, It Takes a Village Books. Yes, he too is an author.

Or my own book, the Village Books Guide to Self-Publishing, which helps authors sort out the nitty-gritty for publishing their own book.

Every November Sarah, our Children’s Book Buyer & Store Manager, buckles down for NaNoWriMo to crank out a novel in 30 days!

Have you seen the beauty that Cindi, Laura & Jonica create from books? If you’ve been in the store lately, look around. You’ll see stunning book-based artwork hung in various places.

(Cindi's artwork)

Point being, we’re not just people who just happen to work in a place that sells books. We’re here because we love books. We love to create them, work with them, work around them, learn more about them, interact with them. We’re certainly not getting rich doing this. Fortunately or unfortunately, books are simply part of our DNA.

-Lindsey

The 12/12/12 Plan

I love books, but I’m a slow reader. Being a slow reader can be daunting when standing side-by-side with readers who have reached the “One Book a Week for One Year” mark or, the even more seemingly unattainable, “100 Books in One Year” status. I feel slightly embarrassed when I finish a book and proudly update my Goodreads status, only to see that my “Date Started” was more than a month ago (or two). It seems that some of my friends add three times as many books to their Goodreads profiles in the time it takes me to add that single title. (Although one friend recently confessed that he marks books as “Read,” even when he’s just scanned them. He claims that he comprehends enough of the plot of some books to deem them as “Read.” You know who you are!)

I stopped feeling sorry about my slow reading pace when I read this article earlier this year about the dwindling reading habits of Americans. To summarize it:

• One-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
• 42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.
• 80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.
• 70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
• 57 percent of new books are not read to completion.

The statistics may be old (from a 2003 study), but they’re not dated. Actually, if you do a search for reading habits of Americans, nearly every year since the beginning of this decade makes reference to the high percentage of Americans who NEVER read ONE book in a year’s time. I can’t even wrap my head around how that’s possible! It seems like even if it’s accidentally, even if it happens to be a children’s picture book that was sitting on the table in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, everyone should have read at least one book in a year’s time!

These two extremes of reading got me thinking: Wouldn’t it be great to reduce that percentage of bookless Americans all the while making it perfectly ok to not feel inadequate if you don’t read 52+ books a year? Why not make reading attainable again by simply striving to read one book a month, whether it’s a children’s picture book or Murakami’s latest tome?

So in January 2012, we’re kicking off 12/12/12: 12 books in 12 months in 2012. Here’s the plan:

•    You can participate through the Village Books Facebook page, Twitter feed, Goodreads group (Village Bookians) or by registering in the store come January
•    At the beginning of each month, we’ll ask you what book you’ve chosen for that particular month
•    During the middle of each month, we’ll check in to see how your book is
•    At the end of each month, we’ll do a final check in to see what you thought of the book
•    Rinse, repeat 12 times

Each month, folks who tell us what book they read will be entered in drawings for one of four $5.00 Village Books gift cards--one each through Facebook, Twitter, Village Bookians & in the store (we'll have a display in the store where you can enter).

Yeah, it’s kinda like a book club, but without the obligation of being somewhere at a specific time…or of having to read a book you don’t actually want to…or of having to hear gossip that you’re really not interested in…or of having to drink wine…well, you could still enjoy the wine. And men? Yes, even you can feel comfortable participating! (We still truly and honestly believe that book groups are not just for women, despite popular belief.)

Don't want to actively participate in the discussion? Simply do this on your own and you'll still have the satisfaction of reading 12 books in a year’s time!

-Lindsey

Making Time for Reading in 2012

2012 is almost here, and once again I feel woefully unprepared. As I tear down the Christmas tree and start buying my textbooks for next quarter I can't help but think about New Year's resolutions. This tradition is one I always try to take part in, but generally end up abandoning once the ball drops. In the past I have made lavish claims about giving up soda (but root beer always prevails) or cleaning my room once a week (which my mom can corroborate as a failed mission), but this year I have given a bit more thought as to how I can actually accomplish my goal.

First, I chose JUST ONE resolution to focus my energy on: Reading more.

This may seem kind of vague, but I know exactly how much my “outside” reading has fallen to the wayside since I started at Western Washington University four years ago. With textbooks and articles and novels to read for class, it often takes me upwards of a month to finish even a short book. In 2012, this pattern will end. I have no delusions about reading 100 books in a year or one book a week, I just want to read more nonrequired material. The reason I have not been able to do this in the last few years is because of TIME MANAGEMENT.

I have brainstormed a few ways to make time for reading in 2012, and I hope that these tips can help you to join me in this resolution!

1.    Join “The 12/12/12/ Plan” through Village Books
This might be kind of a shameless plug for my employer, but if you haven't heard of our 12/12/12 plan yet, you can read about it here. To sum it up, the goal is to read 12 books in 12 months in 2012. The real kicker is that you can read ANY BOOK. That means that if May is a crazy month for you, your book could be Goodnight Moon or something else that is relatively unintimidating. You get to be part of a book club, without the risk of reading something you have no interest in.

2.    Combine reading with your other responsibilities
I know what it's like to have a lot to do; I am a full time college student, I work at Village Books, and I have three nephews that frequently need babysitting. My plate is pretty full, but who's to say that reading cannot be integrated into these responsibilities? Instead of letting my nephews throw Legos all over the living room, I can read The Phantom Tollbooth to them. If I read an advanced release book from work, I can contribute my review to the book buyers. Since I consider my social life a responsibility, a book club is a way to combine my resolution with socializing.

3.    Turn off the TV
I'll be honest: I love television. I am one of those people who ALWAYS finishes a book, even if I am not enjoying it. The same goes for TV shows. No matter how much a show has spiraled into stupidity as the seasons go on, I will stick it out to the series finale. Because of this, I have more TV loyalties than I am proud of. So, in 2012 I plan to drop at least one show per night from my schedule (sorry Desperate Housewives, but you're not going to make the cut.) By carving out a few programs, I can add seven hours per week for reading!

4.    Don't force it
The reason resolutions often fail is because they can make us miserable. Some days, after classes and work and homework, all I want to do is lay down and watch Family Guy. As long as I keep my laziness in moderation, there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to give in to it sometimes and ignore my book for a night.

I hope that I helped you consider adding “read more” to your list of resolutions this year. If not, I wish you all luck in your respective goals. Happy New Year!

--Kacie

Trust Us, We're English Majors & We Know What We're Doing

Whenever I tell people I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, I always feel like I'm introducing myself at an AA meeting. "Hello, my name's Kyle, and I'm an English major." Contrary to popular belief, this is not something I need to go to therapy for. It was actually a conscious decision. It wasn't a major that was my backup because I didn't get into business or political science. As soon as I took my first English class at the University of Washington I knew it was the right major for me. I am an incredibly creative person who gets easily bored when I'm presented with facts and numbers and told to memorize them so I can spew them out later. I like to be given information to process, internalize, and then apply to the world in a new way. I'm not alone in this. Turns out, most English majors are like this as well.

When you look at the spectrum of potential majors at a university, English is the only major that teaches its students critical thinking and analytical skills which can be applied towards a variety of career paths. I'll admit, you should not hire us if you want to sit us in front of a computer and give us menial tasks to complete. We have a tendency to get cranky if we do that for too long. But give us a problem that requires us to look at it from multiple angles to try and find the best solution. An example that comes to mind is social work and counseling. While yes, we did not study the human brain, we did study the human condition. Reading a book gives you insight into another person's soul. I prefer books in the first person because I know exactly what they're thinking, feeling, experiencing. I believe this enables all readers the ability to empathize more with others. English majors spend hours in those classrooms discussing how the characters felt, why they reacted the way they did, and why the author wrote their text. What was the point of it all?

English majors have a stereotype of all wanting to be teachers. I can promise you I only know of one person who was an English major that went on to be a teacher. Many of us, myself included, have aspirations to be novelists. Others want to be social workers, counselors, journalists, politicians, and even doctors. The underlying theme to all of this- we want to change the world. Now I know that sounds incredibly melodramatic but I actually do not mean this is the colloquial sense. I mean we spent four (or more) years learning how to solve problems, and we want to put that education into practice. We were there with Elizabeth when she was faced with the issues of female identity being dependent on marriage. We pulled the trigger with George when he killed Lennie out of love. We analyzed their social circumstances and discussed how they are applicable  today. How we can change our world. A good piece of literature is when years later or a continent away it still resonates with modern society. And my job was to realize that bridge and write about what we can learn to change our circumstances. So to all those who put out ads for future employees, I would highly recommend adding English to the list of preferred degrees. If not, you might be missing out on someone who could cure cancer, and then write the book about it.

--Kyle

A Plea to the Feminists (of all genders)

I fought tooth and nail to bring in copies of Dorothy Dinnerstein's The Mermaid and the Minotaur, a polemic which examines the relationship between female-exclusive child-rearing and the misogyny this engenders. The roots of a "gendered" divinity, the roots of feminine self-repression, the roots of male possessiveness, in fact the roots of all gender bias can be found in her simple premise. Nothing else seems to reach the bedrock. The book is passionately argued, fiercely intellectual, and potentially life-changing. I think this is the single most important book ever written on the subject of gender relations. Important not only if you accept her argument, but important in that if you reject it, this is the premise you must defeat. If you don't think this belongs on your bookshelf next to The Second Sex and The Vindication of the Rights of Women, then I will buy it back from you at full price.

Rachel's Review of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Rachel runs our VB Reads Young Adult Book Group and VB Reads Fantasy Book Group. She's a reader among readers for sure! You can check out her own blog by clicking here or see what other books she recommends by clicking here.

I've discovered another magical find! Daughter of Smoke and Bone starts with an offbeat, attention-grabbing scene that hooked me immediately, and it didn't take long for my intrigue to spark into infatuation. I'm a reader who can easily put down a book, even when I'm adoring it, because now and again I like to do other things, like eat or sleep. That's why it's all the more impressive when I find a book so good that it calls to me even when I'm trying to finish some actual work.

I've mentioned before my stance that there are two kinds of gifted writing: that which turns invisible and that which demands admiration. Taylor's is the latter. I was hyper aware of the writing style at all times, but in a positive way. She handles words with such love, devotion, and care that I frequently paused my overeager reading rush. Not only does Taylor craft unique turns of phrase and evoke intense sensory imagery, but she does so on almost every single page. There were a handful of times when the writing stumbled over itself with a jerky point of view change, such as when the author inserts her own voice to tell us pretty obvious details about a character like that the protagonist is very mysterious, but those awkward moments can be counted on one hand.

The pace is the work of a master, hitting a nice balance of suspense without frustration. A lot of information is withheld, something that can easily, and often does, annoy me, but in this case it worked. Karou, the mysterious protagonist, knows as little as we do (often less), so I enjoyed the journey of rediscovering a forgotten past with her. Taylor feeds her readers new information on this imagined world and its secrets in little bites that kept me constantly appeased: never starved, never bloated.

After finishing the book, I realized it's a fairly direct Romeo and Juliet spin-off, only with so many added layers and so much entrancing world-building that one might miss that. The back cover describes the story as a forbidden love tale; however, it actually takes quite a while, perhaps a third of the book even, for that portion of the story to take off.

As a brief summary, Karou lives among humans, but she was raised by chimaera, creatures with mixed human and animal features. While she has mortal friends and does in fact share her fantastical life with them, they all assume the bizarre tales and drawings are nothing more than the work of a creative imagination. Karou's guardian, Brimstone, sends her out on strange, disturbing, and sometimes dangerous errands to collect human teeth, though he refuses to explain their purpose...which I never could have predicted!

My only annoyance with this book is that I wasn't aware it's the first in a series until I neared the end and found myself mentally chanting, "How on earth will she wrap this up in only twenty more pages? In only ten? Five? Two?" Then I reached the last line "to be continued" and did feel quite disappointed to know I wasn't anywhere near reaching a conclusion. However, I do believe that if someone starts this book with the knowledge that it's the first in the series, it does find as nice a closure point as possible with such a grand plot, though I admit the end was the only time when my nicely fed reader's appetite felt the slightest bit starved.

This book slides under your skin. The writing reaffirms the power of words and the story hums with fervent emotion throughout, including hope's struggle against a wall of tragedy. From the tensions of a double life to petty (in comparison) social concerns to a tone that can hit hilarity, woe, and romance right on target, there's never a dull moment!

A Word from a Customer: Rachel Thexton on 'Cutting for Stone'

Rachel Thexton is a Vancouver, BC native with a passion for animals, travel and all these written. As a PR professional, Rachel is a news junky and spends her days consuming and exploring media. She loves Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and we asked her to tell us why.

I have never been to the lush countryside of Ethiopia nor have I used my hands to save someone’s life through surgery but through Abraham Verghese’s vivid and passionate descriptions of place and character, I can clearly visualize the Horn of Africa and feel some of the passion and intensity of medicine.

In Cutting for Stone, I found myself relating to characters with life experiences and challenges so different from my own. I found myself seeing things differently. I think this is a sign of successful fiction.

We all know the feeling of loss, challenges of growth and desire for passion but in this story Verghese’s characters take the reader to a place where they can feel these experiences through a different set of eyes-or as Verghese says, while wearing a different pair of slippers.

Just as they are in the western world with wealth, technology and privilege, characters living in Ethiopia during a time of upheaval are seeing the best and worst of human nature, losing themselves in music and coming to terms with who they are.  

Have you thought lately about how our actions, even the smallest ones, build upon each other to create our destiny? In the same way, our actions can either save a life or help end the life of another.

Reading Cutting for Stone allowed me to travel far away from my life and reality but at the same time allowed me to look back at myself from the outside in.

Guest Blog Post: Art Wolfe, 'Dogs Make Us Human'

Premier wildlife photographer Art Wolfe has released a groundbreaking tribute to canine and human friendship around the globe in his latest book, Dogs Make Us Human. He will be at The Leopold's Crystal Ballroom on Thursday, November 17, 6:30pm.

Like many American families, my family always had dogs. My favorite was a good- natured, scruffy mutt named Wolfy. I took him everywhere I went. He was the great companion of my youth. I think we spent more time hiking in the Cascades than at home in West Seattle.

Since the first wolves were lured to Middle Eastern hearths between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago, humans and dogs have forged a strong, interspecies bond. This bond, born of necessity and molded into the deep recesses of our psyches and culture, is the foundation of our canine helpmates, companions, workers, medical lifesavers, friends, family members, objects of value and sometimes even, food.

As long as I have been photographing, dogs have been a focus for my lens. Wherever there are humans, there are dogs and how we humans treat them runs the gamut. One man’s pet is another man’s fetish. At a medicinal market in West Africa, I saw rows upon rows of dog heads along with desiccated chameleons, primates, crocodiles, and ungulate horns. In Japan, the cutest of the cute Poms, Pekes, and Yorkies in designer jackets rule the roost. My travels have shown me uncomfortable extremes in humanity’s dealings with dogs, but most importantly much of the joy that characterizes that core relationship.

Dogs Make Us Human is a celebration of the positive aspects of the relationship: it’s charming, upbeat, and while my photos show the remarkable bond canines and humans have, New Zealand-based, NY Times bestselling author Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson’s words speak to it directly. How from Manhattan to Mongolia, dogs enrich our lives, help make our lives less difficult, help us live longer. I have certainly witnessed this first hand through many cultures since I started traveling the world. 

Nearly thirty years ago I made my first trek to the Tibetan Himalaya on the Ultima Thule expedition from Seattle; the goal for most on that research expedition was to summit Everest, but for me, I yearned to see the culture. Roaming the streets of Lhasa, I came upon numerous round little children with their round little dogs and I was captivated. These encounters in the remote corners of the world are the most special of all: days spent in with the Dani tribe in Irian Jaya, witnessing their daily tasks, which include affectionate interaction with their wiry dogs; with the Yanomamo in the cloud forests of Venezuela, who colorfully adorn their prize hunting dogs as they adorn themselves; with the Tsaaten, the reindeer people of Mongolia, who have big, hairy dogs to protect their priceless herds from wolves and bears.

It was not until recently that I really started concentrating on photographing dogs in “western” cultures. While there are geographical and cultural pockets where dogs are still working animals, such as New Zealand, I would say for the most part we a significantly different relationship with our canine friends. They have insinuated themselves deeply into our family life—sometimes seeming like the only family we have; they have various professionals who take care of them—the vet, the groomer, the walker; dogs are a booming economy. But seriously, as Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson points out, in all these photographs of peoples from around the world with their dogs, we see evidence of the same deep feeling, the same deep pleasure in “otherness” that we can only have with a creature who returns the trust, the friendship, and the love. Our species has been blessed.