Village Books Blog

Oh the Places You'll Go...When Searching for Books to Print on the Espresso

 

The other day I decided I was going spend some time delving into the database of books that can be printed on our Espresso Book Machine. What started out as a project focusing on books of regional interest quickly shifted to typing in keywords that I thought might bring up some fun results. Once I moved beyond my 5-year-old mentality (that’s how I discovered this gem on athletic underwear), I went back to mature searches.

I'm not a cook, but I have a thing for simple cookbooks. Not the fancy ones that are published today, that have ingredients that can only be found in remote parts of the world or require 70+ items, but the ones that my grandma uses. The ones that contain recipes with no more than a handful of ingredients and come out tasting amazing. So I started looking for these sorts of cookbooks and, sure enough, we have access to a great deal of them. One that I found is Good Housekeeping's Book of Recipes and Household Discoveries:  Every Recipe Actually Tested and Approved. Here’s an example of one of the recipes in this book:

APPLE CORN BREAD
7/8 cupful corn meal
½ cupful bread flour
1 teaspoonful salt
1 tablespoonful molasses
¾ cupful buttermilk
½  teaspoonful baking powder
1 tablespoonful melted shortening
3 medium sized apples
½ teaspoonful soda

Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly together add the buttermilk molasses and shortening and mix well. Pour into a shallow greased tin and place the apples peeled and cut in eighths over the top. Bake in a hot oven three quarters of an hour. When done dust with powdered sugar.

Done and done! And please note how all measurements are rounded up to “-fuls”.

After getting my culinary fix, I decided to delve into literary interests and see what I could come up with. I did a search for “Wizard of Oz” and came up with more great results, like this one: http://bit.ly/rdwUyh. Check out the illustrations in this book (copyright 1899!)

I like to think that it’s not just because I’m a book geek that I find this stuff to be so cool. Can you imagine the original editions? The smell of the ink? The splatters on the Good Housekeeping cookbook from someone making Cheese Rarebit with Milk (see page 38)?

It’s easy to get lost in these types of searches. Before I knew it, an hour had gone by and I had ordered 5 books (oh yeah, many of these books are really cheap, too!) You should try your own searches and see what you come up with. If you find something you like, send me an email and I’ll see if I can get it printed for you (http://ebm.villagebooks.com/). For now, I need to get back to printing for myself!

--Lindsey

Interview with Josh Langston

Rachel Hanley leads our Young Adult & Fantasy Book Groups. She also has her own blog where she reviews books and interviews authors, one of which is the below interview with Josh Langston. The Fantasy Book Group will be discussing Langston's book, Druids, on Saturday, August 20, noon. You can read more of Rachel's writings here: http://rachelannhanley.blogspot.com/

Josh Langston has been a writer all his life, beginning as a child in Minneapolis, MN, and continuing to his current residence in Marietta, GA, which he shares with his bride of nearly four decades, their two undisciplined mutts, and an indeterminate number of over-sized goldfish. His short stories have been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. His novel, Druids, co-authored with Barbara Galler-Smith of Edmonton, Alberta, debuted in October, 2009. The first title in a series of historical fantasies, Druids is set in the first century BC. The second book, Captives, released in May, 2011.

RH: What are you reading right now?

JL: Live Wire by Harlan Coben. His series about Myron Bolitar, sports agent, former basketball star, and all-around good guy, has given me more hours of entertainment than I can count. He's a genius at developing quirky characters.I read Carl Hiassen for much the same reason. While I strive to improve my craft by reading brilliant writers like these two, I get the added bonus of great stories told well.

RH: What first sparked your interest in writing?

JL: I loved to read as a child, and I was blessed with parents who encouraged me to do it. My father was a writer/director of commercial motion pictures and often worked at home. My first attempt at fiction was a retelling of the Robinson Crusoe story using a cast of raisins brought to life by some mysterious (and now long forgotten) means. I think I was ten. Dad didn't say a word as I labored away at his Olivetti portable (wonky Shift key and all). I managed nearly an entire page before I burned out. Such are the staggering demands of the writing life.

RH: What do you love the most about writing? The least?

JL: The absolute best part of a writing project is typing "The End." The simultaneous feelings of pride, relief, and accomplishment are addictive. For me, much of the work of writing is simply that: work. When it's going well I can lose myself in the characters or the crisis. There have been a few characters whose fictive deaths actually had me close to tears. I enjoy working with the same kinds of characters readers like to read about: profoundly evil bad guys and sympathetic good guys. The trick is to cultivate the reader's acceptance of what motivates a character to do the things she does. I'd much rather just jump to the "Ta-Da, All Done!" stage without having to do all the work. Sadly, I haven't figured out how to do that.

RH: Why fantasy?

JL: I've always written stories with a fantasy element, because my grasp of science is, well, pretty thin. Otherwise I'd be cranking out SF all day, every day. In Druids we adopted a single fantasy element, woadsleep, which among other things, has the effect of putting characters in a state of suspended animation. But it's not what drives the story. History and the characters do that. Woadsleep makes it a great deal more interesting. That said, one of the challenges we faced was limiting its use. Scarcity enhances value. The same applies to fantasy. If everyone can perform magic, its value is diminished. You have a problem? Just wave your magic wand. Yawn.

Make things too easy, and no one cares. Nor should they.

RH: How was Druids born?

JL: Sometime in the 90's, my Druids writing partner, Barbara Galler-Smith, and I wrote a fantasy novella set in the year 800 (about the time Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor). It involved a strange little man named Spaldeen whose wood carvings came to life. As a pure fantasy story, it worked just fine. But the more we thought about it, the more we realized that there was a much greater story to be told. It wasn't enough that Spaldeen could "feel" an odd life force in the wood he carved. We needed to know how that life force got there. In the process of working out the back-story, we wrote an entire novel.

RH: What was it like collaborating on a book?

JL: It was terrifying. And exhilarating. Demanding and liberating. Frustrating, yet educational. Barb and I brought different skill sets to the project. In the beginning it was fairly easy to assign tasks based on strengths. Back then, Barb's included a profound grasp of Celtic history and the ability to write beautifully descriptive narrative. My strengths lay in plotting and dialog. Together we had a reasonably well-stocked fiction-writing tool kit.

The bottom line: If you can't check your ego at the door, don't even bother to attempt a collaboration.

RH: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

JL: To quote "Galaxy Quest," one of my favorite films, "Never give up. Never surrender!" Treat your creativity like any other muscle in your body: exercise it. If you don't, it will atrophy. Writers write. Do it every day. When you're not writing, you should be reading. Or taking care of your Honey Do list -- never ignore that either!

Finally, if you haven't already, join a writer's group. You'll learn more from giving critiques than receiving them. And when you eventually make it to stardom, help out a beginner.

VB Alumna, Sheri Toomey, and Her Perspectives on the Environment

Sheri was a bookseller here for over three years until love won her away from us (and we are thrilled for her!) She now lives in Cincinnati, where she is still very active in reading, writing and editing.

A security guard at a newspaper where I used to work once said that these days people had so many books and all you really needed was one. I didn’t disagree with him then, but in my mind I was already forming an argument. A life with just one book is like a monoculture. Field upon field of ripening wheat with nothing else on the horizon. To understand anything of complexity I need lots of information from many different perspectives. Reading many books about a subject provides a depth of understanding that shows how much everything is connected. My subject: the environment. I am obsessed with it and keep trying to understand why we are not protecting what is essentially our home and what we can do about it. Three books I’ve read recently gave me some answers and also introduced even more questions.

Anthill, a novel by E.O. Wilson is the second book I’ve read that helped me understand that religious beliefs would prevent people from caring about the environment. The first was Brenda Peterson’s I Want to Be Left Behind. It is amazing to me that a book can tell people that we as humans are supposed to dominate the earth and every creature in it, but there are those who believe just that. This novel is also the first book about saving the environment that I’ve read where the main character works within the system, instead of trying to break it down or change it. It is also an amazing chronology of the lives of ants.

The second book was recommended to me by Jonica. Crow Planet Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness by Lyanda Lynn Haupt brings humans into the frame of nature, instead of insisting that nature is out there, somewhere we don’t live. Her daily study of crows, why they proliferate around humans, and observations of their intimate lives, brings nature home into the very paths that we walk every day. She encourages us all to become naturalists, to notice the ordinary until it becomes extraordinary, and to cherish it. She also mentions that we don’t seem to know how to live with animals within our daily routines and recommends several other books, like Living with Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest by Russell Link. The way we take out the garbage, the question of whether it’s wise to feed wild animals, among other things, can affect the lives of the other animals living amongst us.

The third book, The Philosopher and the Wolf by Mark Rowlands, I saw in one of Robert’s catalogs and asked him to get it for me. I’ve always been fascinated by wolves and have read many books about them. This one captured me with comparisons between the nature of simians and lupines. Rowlands presents evidence of the cunning and violence of apes juxtaposed with the fierce honesty of wolves. Living with his wolf, Brenin, Rowlands delves into this perspective further and begins to question whether humanity would be more humane, if we just had a bit more of the wolf in us.

Camp Village Books!

 
Here at Village Books we are ready to take summer seriously. This year, we are hosting Camp Village Books each Thursday in July and August. The camps, which are from 1-5pm and are for 8- to 13-year-olds, highlight different themes and activities each week, from science experiments to art activities, to games and field trips around Fairhaven.

There are lots of reasons why you should sign up your kids or grandkids for Camp Village Books this summer. First, the hands-on experiments, crafts, and activities we have lined up are going to be educational & entertaining, sometimes messy, and always FUN. Second, we will show kids all the great books that are related to each week's theme. Third, since each week has a different theme, no two camp sessions are alike, and so kids can and should sign up for more than one session (if you sign up for four or more, the price goes down). Fourth, VB staffer Christina knows how to be kid-like, and you can count on her for playing games and doing all activities together with the campers. Fifth, Village Books is just one of the greatest places Christina can think of to spend a summer hanging out with other kids doing fun stuff.

Here's a break down of each session and some of the projects kids can look forward to:

Thurs., July 14th, Mad Science Camp
Come prepared to make messes, do science experiments, learn about why things happen & how, and talk about the scientific method. We'll create Frankenstein's Hand, do experiments looking at pH levels in food, light a light bulb using lemons, and maybe even drop egg parachutes out of the window of Book Fare Cafe! And much more!

Thurs., July 21st, Games We Used to Play
Today we will play all types of  low-key and energetic old-fashioned games...the kind mom, dad, grandma & grandpa used to play. We'll learn the rules in marbles and perfect our technique. Play a game of jacks. Create never-ending stories while sitting in a circle. Come have a fun day of running around and squealing with laughter.

Thurs., July 28th, Observing Nature Through Art
Make hand-bound art books with Christina using recycled office paper, rubber bands and sticks. After making our own original books, we'll hit the interurban trail in Fairhaven and take an easy-going walk in search of nature objects. We'll stop along the trail at various points to observe the sights, sounds and smells, and then record them in our books using watercolors, markers, pencils, pens and crayons.

Thurs., Aug. 4th, Behind the Scenes Businesses
This is a day for taking a field trip around Fairhaven. We'll be stopping in at a variety of local businesses to see how they run their storefronts and restaurants behind the scenes. Campers will get to experience what it's like in receiving rooms, kitchens, offices and repair shops. Everyone will come home with a new understanding of what it takes to run a business, and may get some free goodies as well.

Thurs., Aug. 11th, Writing IS Fun
Now, I'm sure you're thinking, “what kid wants to go to writing camp in the summer?” But, this isn't your average writing camp. We won't be learning about essay form, perfect grammar, composition, or research papers. Instead, we'll be learning about all of the creative ways kids can use writing to have fun. We will write our own Mad Libs, write haiku outside on the sidewalk, get an intro to slam or performance poetry, and do a brief intro to screenwriting.

Thurs., Aug. 18th, Performing Arts 101
Today's activities will be completely hands-on, and will bring in a few experts in theater, dance and music to do mini performing arts workshops. Local improv teacher from Improv Playworks, Sheila Goldsmith will come do an introductory improv workshop with the kids that will have everyone giggling.

Thurs., Aug. 25th, Maritime Science & Exploration
This week we'll learn about ships, boats and other maritime-related topics. We will talk about tall ships, learn to tie basic nautical knots, take a walk down to the water for some beach-combing, and make origami paper boats, shell rubbings, and other sea-related crafts.

More info about our camps:
Cost: $30 for each session, or $25 each if you enroll in 4 or more! All registrations must be received by 5pm on the Sunday prior to camp date. Space is limited. Camps without a minimum enrollment of 5 will be canceled and registrants will be notified. Register at the VB main counter or print out a registration form (attached below) and mail it or bring it in. A snack and water will be provided at the camp. Call
671-2626 for questions.

Two Very Different Books You Need to Read

What to read, what to read? Perusing bookshelves for the next thing to take on is tons of fun, but really daunting. So many books. That cover is really cool, but the story sounds kinda lame. That cover is awful, but you've heard great things about that book. Let me make things easy for you. Read these books: The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai and The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan.

I don't typically read the werewolf/vampire books, but a trusted friend recommended this one to me, so I had to listen. I now have to step off my high and mighty "I don't read werewolf/vampire books" pedestal because not only have I read one, I also loved it. Since I'm not a reader of this genre, it's tough for me to say that this isn't your typical werewolf book, but I'm gonna say it. This isn't your typical werewolf book. It's about Jake Marlowe, the last remaining werewolf to be taken out by the World Organisation for the Control of Occult Phenomena. But after already being alive a couple hundred years, Jake just doesn't care anymore. He's the existential werewolf. What more could he possibly live for? Well, there's always something to live for, right? It's not long before Jake finds his reason. The same friend who recommended this book also gave the best description: It's like Le Carre wrote a werewolf novel. That's spot on. Even if werewolf books aren't your "thing," you should give this one a shot.

What's the deal with this one? Ok, so. Lucy Hull is a children's librarian in a small Missouri town. She loves books, but hate the restraints put on her by conservative co-workers and parents. She leads the story time, but can't read or recommend anything too "controversial." You know, like Harry Potter. Fortunately, she and 10-year-old book devourer, Ian, have figured out ways to get him the literary contraband without his fundamentalist Christian parents finding out. But that's not the basis of the story. Things really get rolling when Ian dupes Lucy into kidnapping him. Is she saving him from harmful parents or using the kidnapping as an excuse to break free from her confining life? This book is an homage to books. Many of the chapters are written in the styles of some of our favorite books, from Pat the Bunny to the Choose Your Own Adventure books. It's a fun read, so perfect when you need a break from an existential werewolf.

--Lindsey

P.S.--click the book covers for more info on these books or to order a copy.