Book Embargo

Harry Potter has gone beyond just a series of books and movies. It has changed our world. The international laydown date is THERE because of Harry. He is a household name that is loved (and hated) but above all KNOWN by everyone in the world. Daniel Radcliff is on the list of top five richest actors and actresses under 25.

I loved all seven of the Potter series. I think that not only was it a great story, but it had great characters. I always have worried that Harry and his friends could get into a bit more life and death peril that I thought wise, but still, they were able to work together and save the day.

If you take a moment, or two, to think about the change Harry, JK, the students and teachers of Hogwarts, and the entire wizarding world has made on your own life, I think you will be impressed. I am not talking about change like what a difference the heart surgery made. I mean the outlook on reading pre- and post-HP. It may be greater for me because I work in an environment that can physically SEE the change. Kids that were not reading have gobbled HP and yearn for more. Phillip Pullman’s Golden Compass, Tamora Pierce’s Alanna, and countless others have enriched children (and adults) who would not otherwise enter their realms. And beyond all that, there is now a CHILDREN’s New York Time bestseller list. How cool is that?

I tip my hat to you JK, and say thanks for bring Harry, his friends and his world to my own.

Not that you can have too many at that age, but my favorite 96 year old author is Harry Bernstein. I just finished his second memoir, The Dream. His first memoir, The Invisible Wall, takes place in his childhood in England. Now, in his second memoir, The Dream, Harry and his family travel to Chicago to live the American dream.

Here is a fun article at IHT.com. Another article about his first book is at NextBook.org.

Here is the STARRED Publisher’s Weekly review of his new memoir,

The Dream: A Memoir
Harry Bernstein. Ballantine, $24 (304p) ISBN 978-0-345-50374-9
Having mined his English upbringing in The Invisible Wall, Bernstein resumes a nine-decade reckoning in this gently observed memoir of a Jewish immigrant family riven from within. Eager to escape English mill town life, his mother promises her brood a better life in America—a dream providentially fulfilled with steamship tickets. But even after reuniting with family in Chicago, his father’s “bloody ’ell” bellows and monstrous rage continue to smite. The author takes in his new surroundings with a keen adolescent eye, observing “back porches all piled on top of one another like egg crates,” belying celluloid America—as do his ragamuffin elders, with his grandfather reduced to begging in secret. At school he confounds Midwestern types with his Lancashire accent, comically mistaken for an Egyptian named “Arry.” Engulfed in the Roaring ’20s, the Bernsteins revel in the luxuries of telephones and parlor rooms, only to feel the wallop of the Depression as the decade wanes. Uprooted to New York, Bernstein ekes out a living and falls quietly, desperately in love, achieving a joyful 67-year marriage. Coming on the heels of his first book, this one will delight readers eager for more of Bernstein’s distinctive voice and gift for character. (Apr.)

The only sections that I did not thoroughly enjoy were the sections when his dad’s behavior was at its worst. His descriptions of Chicago and New York in the pre-Depression and Depression eras have both the beauty and wonder of a child and the realism of a boy who has a terrible father and no where near enough money.
Harry is a 96 year old man who has live such an amazing life. It is interesting for me, because I was raised with a small amount of Jewish culture to read about Harry and his life. It is a fabulous memoir, both are really. The Invisible Wall is available now in hardcover, but look for the paperback release soon. The Dream will be out later this spring and yes, he is working on the third book.

All the best to Mr. Bernstein and may he continue to enjoy good health so we can all enjoy his stories!

So I said there was no title but there was a date for the newest Paolini. Well now there is a title and the date was moved!

Welcome BRISINGER on September 20th (a Saturday) in 2008.

See you then!

Light of the Moon is Luanne Rice’s newest novel. It takes place mostly in France, but our main female character is from Connecticut. I have never read anything by Luanne Rice before, and I enjoyed this experience. At our bookstore we have, what we call, “Calgon-Take-Me-Away” reading. This is definitely in that catergory. It is the story of a woman who goes to France, to visit the white horses of the Camargue.

The story begins with a vacationing woman being swept off her feet, literally. Beyond the entertainment value of this story, I believe that this book could help someone deal with grief in a way that books found in the grieving section never could. The death of Susannah’s mother, and the loss of Sari’s mother ties together in a way that could help people accept the grieving process. While some loss is dealt with though time like Susannah with her mother, other forms can be even more scarring. The manner in which Sari loses her mother, with the pain of the following accident, keeps her trapped in the grief of her five year old self, even though eight years have passed.

If you feel like reading a classic or a literary tome, this will not fit the bill. If you feel like being swept away by other people’s problems (in France no less), then check out Light of the Moon. It was a delightful story, but if you are anything like me, find the tissues BEFORE YOU START. It will make everything much easier. Look for this new novel at your local independent bookshop now!