Laguna Beach Books

Confessions of a Bookseller

2008-11-18T16:27:00.000-08:00

I never read Jane Eyre before last week. I was so charmed and surprised by this novel that I am amazed it managed to slip through my grasp for so many years. I purchased a copy of Jane Eyre when I was in sixth grade and my teacher told me I would love it. Thirteen years passed between that one interaction in a bookstore and me finally deciding to read it.

The plot is beautiful. It's a gorgeous love story. I was moved to tears several times throughout the book. I was also moved to read several parts aloud to all of my roommates (four to be precise). I even exlpained the entire plot to three of them to allow them to fully appreciate the prose.

Jane Eyre reminded me what is so great about good books. The strong presence of themes and symbolism helped me realize why this would have been required reading in high school. In short...I loved it.

(i'm also playing a blogging game with friends, hence the horse prompt, feel free to play along)
Horse prompt: What are the top three things on your wish list for Christmas (the more amazing and impossible of getting the better)

Favorite Blog Friday

2008-11-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

There's a new blog I am quite fond of. Black Cover.

They compare other Black Notebooks to Moleskines. It's a pretty intense comparison. They test how transparent the pages are with different pens, they let you know how flexible it is, how easy it is to write in and it's precise measurements. It all makes for a lovely blog that I love reading.

If I lived in San Francisco...

2008-11-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

I would go to this.

Magazine Round Up

2008-10-10T13:19:00.001-07:00

Every Friday we get new magazines. Some of the titles we did not ask for (like Fairway Living Your Luxury Lifestyle Resource and Major League Soccer, The Magazine for Soccer Lovers) and some I love (like The Believer and Juxtapoz).

This week I feel the need to share the thoughts that crossed my mind as I unpacked our magazines today.

My secret boyfriend James Franco is on the cover of Out.

Amy Adams is looking fantastic on Vanity Fair, she used to work at Hooters?

Hugh Jackman is on a horse for Men's Journal

And Martha wants you to make everything by hand for the holidays in Martha Stewart Holiday, Special Edition

I find I never take the time to read magazines, but I do love looking at the pictures.

Library Envy

2008-10-09T18:44:00.001-07:00

As a book lover I dream of one day owning a house and finally giving my books a room of their own. In this dream there are floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with well read and loved books. Come to find out my dream library gets put to shame by Jay Walker's real library. I'm a little jealous and a lot in love. Thank you Wired magazine for bringing this national treasure to my attention.

The last paragraph of the article is the best.
"Walker struggles to balance privacy with his impulse to share his finds with the outside world. School children often visit by invitation, as do executives, politicians, and scholars."

I have one question: How do I get invited?

Books and the non-death of reading

2008-10-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

I was reading The Olive Reader, and found an amazing article Dave Eggers wrote for Esquire. It's on reading and it is wonderful. I hope you'll read it and love reading all the more! The Future of Words.

Open Mic Night!

2008-09-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

October 12, 2008 at 5 pm.

Laguna Beach Books is pleased to host Orange County's first open mic writer's night, an event that will occur the second Sunday of every month beginning in October. Writers of both fiction and non-fiction pieces are encouraged to attend, and everyone will have an opportunity to share their work. This event will be facilitated by writer Meredith Resnick.

The inspiration for this event came from DimeStories, a new program in development for NPR. The show's concept grew out of an open mic series that began in San Diego four years ago at The Grove bookstore. Writers are given a time limit of three minutes to read their story, which allows for a fast-paced evening with tightly-edited pieces.

With the creation of an open mic night, Laguna Beach Books has the goal of creating a more cohesive writing community in Orange County. Because the night will occur on a monthly basis, there will be a consistent focus on the arts/literary lifestyle and it will hopefully benefit the greater community. The bookstore has also been a large supporter of other community organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the Friendship Shelter.

This will be a great opportunity for writers to get exposure and receive feedback on their work. Open to all writers and listeners, this event is free to all.

For more information, please contact Danielle Bauter at 949-494-4779 or via email at danielle@lagunabeachbooks.com.

Book lovers unite

2008-08-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Edith Wharton's estate is facing imminent foreclosure, but the good news is we can help! Edith Wharton Restoration has launched a major effort to raise enough money to keep the landmark open to the public. They have already raised a third of what they need! Visit http://www.edithwharton.org/ to learn more!

Blog Crush

2008-08-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Olive Reader has some of the best posts. It started with this title Jhumpa Lahiri wins short story prize; everyone else sucks, and I just read their love of the new Gossip Girl ads (there’s no such thing as bad publicity) floating around the US.

Oh Olive Reader I wish we were friends.

The Road

2008-08-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've already heard and I'm terribly out of some loop...
There's going to be a movie version of Cormac McCarthy's The Road? Is it because of Oprah? Is it because of its Pulitzer Prize? Is it because of No Country For Old Men?

Who knows, but here's an article about it.

Still judging books by their covers

2008-08-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

I was reading Harper Perennial's blog, The Olive Reader, and found an interesting site about book jackets! We love talking about book covers at LBB, so check out this amazing site http://covers.fwis.com/. Share your opinion or judge silently.

A Summer List of Summer Lists

2008-07-02T09:46:00.001-07:00

Summer is the time when most of us get to take a holiday of sorts and read a little more than usual. To prepare us for that time everyone prepares a list to tell you what is new (or sometimes old) and worth reading. We've gathered a few of those lists and brought them to you.

Richard and Judy’s hot summer reads

Hit the Stack! Top 10 summer reads from MSNBC

Summer Reading WSJ.com

NPR came up with several lists: Summer Books 2008

Real Simple magazine had authors make some lists for them.

If you want to know what we're reading, visit our staff pick page.

Enjoy your summer and your reading.

Special Message from Christopher Paolini!

2008-05-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

We have a special video message from Christopher Paolini, author of The Inheritance Trilogy, for all y'all loyal Laguna Beach Books customers, as well as sneak-peak info about the third book in the series, Brisingr, due out September 19th!

Vacation Here I Come!

2008-05-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

After a lot of time thinking about what books to take on my upcoming trip I've finally decided what books are going into my suitcase.

There have been many revisions to my previous list of possibilities and almost none of the books I originally had my eye on made it.

I finally had to ask my friend, who is traveling with me, to help decide. We will be sharing books on the trip, that way I get to pack more, so I figured she could cast the final vote (like a superdelegate).

This is the "ballot" I gave Mimi with very poor spelling and not a lot of information other than,
"The last two will be the most fun, the others are kind of suspenseful but literary, so I don't know how you would like them. one almost won the pulitzer prize (the stories) the top and the last were national book award finalists." (I added the * to note the titles I was leaning towards).

Fieldwork* Berlinski, Mischa
Alias Grace? (margret atwood)
Shakespeare's Kitchen* (Lori Segal) stories
House at Midnight (galley)*

Mayor's Tongue* (nathaniel Rich)
spellman files (lisa lutz)
then we came to the end (josh ferris)

And this is what she decided:
Fieldwork* Mischa Berlinski this one also sounds interesting but I like all the other ones better.
Alias Grace? (margret atwood) - this might to be too cerebral for the trip, but i would be interested later
#4 Shakespeare's Kitchen* (Lori Segal) stories
#2 House at Midnight (galley)* - This one seems to have an uncomfortable love story... i like it

#3 Mayor's Tongue* (nathaniel Rich) - I like that it sounds like there will be great language like raw shark text.
spellman files (lisa lutz) - I'll read this one when I come home, you own it right?
#1 then we came to the end (josh ferris)- if the office was a book? how could I pass this up?

So my bags are packed and I'm ready to go! I'll let you know how the reading goes. Feel free to make bets on how many books I actually finish (I'm shooting for two).

What books do you take on vacation?! A plea for help.

2008-04-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

I'm going on a trip in May. I think one of my favorite things to do when preparing for a trip is planning what books to take. The thing that is unique about this trip is that it is three weeks long. I'm stumped on what titles to take, and how many of those titles is an appropriate amount to travel with.

I have no way of knowing how much I will be reading, or what kind of book mood I will be in while I'm away. There are so many books that I want to read - I keep a very long list - it's hard to narrow down my reading potential to a few titles.

Here are the main contenders:

I've been meaning to read Then We Came to the End for quite awhile now. I've heard amazing things about it from coworkers and everyone else. I'm 90% sure that it will make it into my suitcase.

I just finished reading Mysteries of Pittsburgh my Michael Chabon, and I've decided it would be fun to read his books in order of publication date. Wonderboys is his second novel and sounds petty interesting.

I've read many of Margaret Atwood's books and I've never been disappointed. I'm tempted to throw Alias Grace in as a safety. If all else fails at least I have Margaret?

The Ruins of California. Laura read this novel awhile ago and convinced me to buy it, but I haven't been in the "right mood". For some reason I'm hesitant to pick it up. Fear of not liking it? If it's just me and the book on a plane wouldn't that force me to read it and undoubtedly like it as much as Laura did? I trust Laura's opinion. We're "kindred spirits" when it comes to books, she likes everything I've loved and vice-versa...

The Savage Detectives recently came into the store in paperback. It sounds phenomenal, but Patrick said it was a little strange. He wasn't saying that it was bad it is just off the beaten path. I secretly wondered if he thought it was too smart for me and hence wasn't recommending it strongly.

Fieldwork - a National Book Award finalist. That alone makes me want to read it... It's kind of a mystery, but literary...whatever that means.

I put Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao on the list, and then I took it off because it is a hardcover. For some reason people don't like traveling with hardcovers, I guess it's because they are heavy and cumbersome, but Oscar Wao is pretty petite for a hardcover. I've heard increasingly good things about Oscar (and Junot Diaz). When it first came out it got a stellar review and we couldn't get any it back in the store. Since then it just keeps getting more popular. It was just given The Rooster via The Morning News Tournament of Books - brought to us by the fine people at Powell's Books.

Side note: The Tournament of Books has to be the most creative thing in the book world. It's like March Madness for books, it's over now, but you can still read the reviews of the 16 beloved books from 2007. This also made me want to read Remainder by Tom McCarthy.

If anyone has any input on these titles let me know!
I'll keep you updated on who makes it into the suitcase and who is left on my nightstand at home.

Goodbye, Mr. Pinsky...

2008-03-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

In case you aren't one of the loyal and your internet trolling has gone a little stale, add to your favorites the Washington Post column Poet's Choice. Don't be intimidated -- it's a weekly article featuring selections of poems surrounded by careful and understandable explanations of them.

Up until March, the column had been written by Robert Pinsky, the former United States poet laureate, and he did a wonderful job. Written in a warm, unintimidating style, he could get anyone to fall in love with his selected poems and to understand why they were essential, what about them speaks our soul's deep little human corners. So hat's off to Mr. Pinsky! (And by the by, his new book of poetry, Gulf Music, is a prime example of the best of American poetry.)

To fill those big, wonderful shoes we have Kay Ryan, whose shoes are undoubtably smaller but possessing more elegance. And she lead's off with one helluva poem, written in the seventh century by a man who has been scorned by his friend:

Liar

Swept overboard, unconscious in the breakers,
strangled with seaweed, may you wake up in a gelid
surf, your teeth, already cracked into the shingle
now set rattling by the wind, while facedown,
helpless as a poison cur, on all fours, you puke
brine reeking of dead fish. May those you meet,
barbarians as ugly as their souls are hateful,
treat you to the moldy wooden bread of slaves.
And may you, with your split teeth sunk in that,
smile, then, the way you did when speaking as my friend.

That is painful! But it's the vitriol we love, the kind we feed off of in gossip magazines and lap up from political pundits. So maybe I should feel guilty for loving this poem so much, and though it may be trashy, it's in verse -- how bad can it be?

Keep an eye on the Poet's Choice column. You won't regret it.

-Patrick

A Covers Addendum

2008-02-20T21:11:00.000-08:00

I hope Kristiana doesn't mind a post so soon after hers, but I wanted to add my two-blogcents to her comments.

I, too, get really frustrated at the horrible renditions of book covers for young adult. For example, look at the 3rd in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson (hardcover) versus the massmarket paperback. Okay...that isn't really that bad. And we are talking king-of-mass market, James Patterson.

Here are two that will really make the point--the (vomit) massmarket paperback version of Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Who the heck are they marketing to? Who are these masses??!!

I realize my examples all fall into the sci-fi/fantasy realm, but boy do they make the point. The Herbie Brennan series' covers are all so beautiful and their massed counterparts are campy at best (think Napoleon Dynamite's liger drawings). Then there is poor Ender...an insulting cover to anyone who's read the book. Am I right?!

So, the mass market paperback is an inexpensive publishing format. Its purpose is to sell. Again, who are the masses the marketers have in mind? Creating an ugly version of an original cover sells more books? Even if a mass market publisher cannot use the original cover, can't they find someone to create something appealing? Seriously, call me. I work fairly cheap and would love to draw my own frontspiece for these books. If anyone has any insight (or knows a publishing house that wants to hire me), please let me know.

I looked at many books while researching this topic. For the most part, in the YA/teen category, the mass market or paperback covers were not the worst. It's just that when they were bad, they were rotten!

I'm going to end this with one last example...and this one's for the ladies.

Judy Blume's novels had quite an impact on me growing up. I had all of them and ALL of them had dogeared pages, frayed edges, bent covers, and the most love I could give a book. Anyway, look at the following covers. Which do you remember? Which do you like? Are there any you don't? (btw, I had so much fun finding all those covers. memories!!)

Covers and where I am coming from - a brief history

2008-02-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

It is disappointing to me when hardcover books have great covers and when they are released in paperback they are...how should I say this...not as cute. Then when I realize how awesome the UK covers are I get pretty sad.

I realized my obsession when "Spot of Bother" - a book that is totally strange, but enjoyable and great - came out in paperback. The HC was beautiful, and probably why I picked up the book in the first place. The paperback was just plain creepy. My thought is, maybe Random House wanted to make sure people didn't pick up this book expecting another "Curious Incident about the Dog in the Night". That would be understandable, but it seemed that Random House is trying to scare their potential readers away.

Another book cover I was mildly disappointed in is "The Double Bind". There seems to be only one cover for HC, paperback and the UK. This cover doesn't make me want to read the book. It wouldn't make me pick it up. I would assume terribly bad things about this book if I was only judging it by the cover. Good for me I've wanted to read this book for a number of different reasons. Now that I have started it I see why the cover is what it is, but I still think it could have been better - and by better I mean more to my liking.

I get really excited for books to come out in paperback. A lot of times people don't want to buy hardcover books. They can be a little pricey, and I think that is why we get so excited for trade paperback releases. It means more of our friends and customers will take the chance and read something we're crazy about.

Sometimes the TP cover is scary, sometimes it hasn't changed at all and sometimes it totally rocks. In the slew of books recently out in TP Moral Disorder arrived. Everyone knows I'm pretty crazy about Margaret Atwood, so I was elated with the new cover. For the record I did not have a problem with the HC. It was a nice jacket and the cover itself was a rich red cover. What I love about the new cover is that it is so different from the HC. It is bright and colorful and unique, and I think...way better than the UK version.

As you can tell this cover discussion is just getting started, but we hope you like the new books we're excited about, with or without their covers.

Google Reader

2008-02-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

I've started using Google Reader which means I'm reading blogs all over the place. I feel like I am spying on other bookstores, but in a fun, non-competitive way. It is very fun and educational. I stumbled across this link to an amazing set of book store pictures. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Thanks to The Written Nerd for finding it in the first place!

Judging Books by Their Covers

2008-02-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

Hypothetical situation, here:

Say you wrote your first novel. It was funny, moving, brilliantly-executed. You were hoping for a minor success, a deft Goodbye, Columbus before your Portnoy’s Complaint. But people caught on, and you were nominated for a National Book Award. Everyone in the bookselling world tells you to wait until your book comes out in paperback. Sales are gonna take off, they said. You won’t even believe it.

And then we came to the paperback cover:

Now tell me, why does a book that has the potential to not only be a big, trade paper hit but a solid and long-running midlist seller get a cover designed like this? The little caricatures are straight out of the For Better or Worse comic strip. Which isn’t a bad comic, as comics go. It isn’t Calvin and Hobbes, or The Adventures of Doctor McNinja (Chris’ fave), or even Luann (my high school secret passion), but at least it isn’t Cathy.

I digress, which my mother said never to do in public.

But this cover is frickin' Cathy, and the inside is such goodness! And it is in this spirit we launch the series, “The Brits Do It Better.” We’re not talking healthcare, or dance music, or espionage. We’re talking book jacket design. And first up is the British cover for Then We Came to the End, which I asked (well, told) our Little, Brown publicist not once but twice to use for the U.S. paperback:

Look at the little people, in the little cubicle letters! It's almost like a Chris Ware comic. I’m sure there were rights issues, but in the words of Will Arnet, “C’mon!”

Kristiana offers up The Raw Shark Texts -- a book she has been a huge evangelist for -- as a second example of the United Kingdom of Better Design Effect (or U.K.B.D.E., for the Tom Clancy fans).

Here's the U.S. paperback cover:

The most inspiring part of this cover is the National Bestseller tagline, and that ain't saying much. But you look at the Brits' cover, and it's a wonderland of dense, visually arresting design that not only stands on its own but gives you a sense of what's printed on the four-hundred odd pages of pulp behind the cover.

This might sound like judging a book by its cover, but it's not. Both of these books are on our personal list of favorites from last year. But to face facts, everyone judges books by their covers. And why not? If it's reasonable to go out for dinner and expect both a well-prepared meal and some nice presentation, the same should go for books. Most of the art of a book comes from its language, but who can deny the seduction of thick, heavy-bond paper, uncut pages, and a fine, thoughtfully-produced cover. It's part of what makes books an object of art as well as its vessel.

Books into Movies

2008-01-30T14:02:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across an article about Chuck Palahniuk's Choke being made into a movie. Fox Searchlight bought it and it will be released August 1st. Patrick was not impressed because he already knew this. He is aparently in love with Sam Rockwell, despite his role in Charlie's Angels, and says he is a "freakin' genius". I did not know who Sam Rockwell was until I imdb'ed him, and realized I knew him from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Angelica Houston will be playing Rockwell's mother. Sundance awarded 'Choke' with a Special Jury Prize: Dramatic, Work by an Ensemble Cast. It seems to me like it is off to a good start.

The other day I was looking through a catalogue for Random House and read that Dreamworks is making Revolutionary Road into a movie too. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett will be staring in it - you might remember them from a little movie they did called Titanic, which was the last movie they worked together on. I had to read Yates' novel, about marriage and domesticity in the '50s, for a class in college. I absolutely fell in love with it. It's a great story and I am fascinated to see it adapted into film. Sam Mendes will be directing it - he won an academy award for American Beauty. I guess it's kind of a backwords remake of American Beauty: suburbia...marriage? I suddenly realize this could break my heart. This movie is either going to be really good or really disapointing. I think this probably happens a lot to people who read a lot. Here's something that I love and is dear to me, and it is in the hands of strangers and they are giving it away to the masses. We'll find out December 19, 2008

This got all us thinking of all of the other books that are being made into movies in the near future. Here's the list we've compiled that is of interest to us:

Mysteries of Pittsburgh - novel by Michael Chabon, it has a ton of famous actors in it, and a plot that veers a little away from the original - it takes out an entire character?!

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - this young adult novel is set to release October 3. This is exciting news because Michael Cera is playing the title character Nick. We, in the store, love Michael Cera...a lot...and I'm pretty sure will see anything he is in!

The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DeCamillo's Newberry Award winning young adult book is being made into an animated film. Emma Watson (aka Hermoine Granger) leads an amazing cast of voices, to name but a few: Dustin Hoffman, Matthew Broderick, William H. Macy. This sounds like it might be plugged at the big holiday movie for 2008 - like Golden Compass but without the polar bears.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - David Foster Wallace's novel is in post-production. Here's what I've read that is exciting: John Krasinski is adapting the novel into the screenplay. John Krasinski is directing. John Krasinski is acting in it. To recap: John Krasinski, John Krasinski, John "Jim Halpurt" Krasinski. Also on the roster, Rashida Jones and Will Forte. There's no release date but you bet we'll be there with bells on. In the store we love The Office as much as we love Arrested Development.

I told Laura the topic of this blog and she immediately had a few things to say. "Silk should not be made into a movie, and it should not be starring Keira Knightly." Don't get me, or Laura, wrong, she has nothing against Keira Knightly, she just doesn't want Keira in all of her novels.

There's no steadfast rule about what makes a good book into a good movie, but we'll keep reading and watching and let you know what we think.

Young Adult News

2008-01-25T15:48:00.000-08:00

The release date for Book 3 in The Inheritance Cycle has just been announced. Christopher Paolini’s first two books in the series, Eragon and Eldest, sold over 12.5 million copies worldwide. The third novel, Brisingr, will have a first printing of 2.5 million copies, and will be released September 20, 2008.

Recently announced, Brian Selznick received the 2008 Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children. His young adult novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, stunned all of us in the store when we first saw it last year. The book comes in at 526 pages, but don’t let that alarm you, more than 300 pages of the book is illustrations, done by Selznick himself. Selznick uses both narrative and illustrations to move the story forward, the book could not stand on one of those alone. It is an amazing and inventive book.

Picture by Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Top 10 Books of 2007

2007-12-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Design by Paul Sahre; photograph by Tony Cenicola

The New York Times Book Review announced the top 10 books of 2007 a few weeks ago.

We think their list is great, but we thought it would be fun to give you our personal top books of 2007.

In no particular order here are the books we loved, that moved us, and that we will remember well into 2008.

Jane
Here are four thrillers that Jane loved this year, and one novel that had to be on her list!

1. The Ghost - Robert Harris

2. No Time for Goodbye - Linwood Barclay

3. Body of Lies - David Ignatius

4. Killer Weekend - Ridley Pearson

5. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

Lisa

1. Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2. Harry Potter Collection - J.K. Rowling
After an imense amount of peer pressure Lisa read the entire Harry Potter series this year. Like most of us she quickly fell in love with all things Harry Potter.

3.Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris

4. Richard Misrach: On the Beach
This oversized photography book is amazing.

5. Absurdistan - Gary Shteyngart

Laura

1. Bad Monkeys - Matt Ruff
It's a bizarre set of twists and turns that you want to make sense, but they don't. Bizarre, hard to keep up with, but funny. I didn't want it to end.

2. Special Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl
The characters were great, but the story gripped you.

3. Thursday Next - Jasper Fforde
Had to get it! Had to read the sequel to such a good series.

4. What is the What - Dave Eggers
I never would have picked it up on my own, but it was for book club. I am so glad I did. The boy's experience is so real and so heartbreaking. It is astounding that all of this was going on a few years ago. I am glad I read it, and was able to learn from it.

5. Before I Die - Jenny Downham
Very well written. The author took a taboo subject, and made it a beautiful story.

Patrick

1. By Night in Chile - Robert Bolano
-- Technically, it didn't come out this year. I read it this year, though, and his "new" book The Savage Detectives was called the best Latin American novel of forever, so I think it counts. It's a dying Chilean priest's deathbed confession of his life in poetry and his complicity in Pinochet's rise. But the images! Woah! Hallucinations, right off the page. He's the new G.G. Marquez.

2. Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris
-- The funniest book I've read this year. Told in the third person plural, narrating the downfall of a Chicago advertising agency in the dot com bubble burst, you get sucked up in the office gossipy vibe -- who's sleeping with whom, and who stole a chair, and why does Benny have a totem pole? -- while feeling for these people who are all too much like you and me.

3. Collected Poems of Lynda Hull
-- You like poetry, or you don't. If you don't, skip to number 4. If you do, and you haven't read Lynda Hull, buy it now. Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost! She's got all of them, and a million more, crammed into single poems that are simple, accessible, and which will decimate you and rebuild you in the same breath.

4. The Yiddish Policeman's Union
-- Michael Chabon is my buddy, but only in my imagination. If we were buddies, though, this is our conversation:
"Hi, Mikey."
"Hey Patrick, that racketball last week was killer."
"Yeah, I know. So hey, the Yiddish Policeman's Union was brilliant. Jews in Alaska? Where do you get this stuff?"
"Um, they really were going to do that."
"Ho man, the government! You kill me! But the characters, the story (so gripping), and everything so detailed and vivid. You're so great. Wanna get a smoothie?"
"Fo Sho."

5. Five Skies -- Ron Carlson's story of three men at different points in their lives, brought
together to build a stunt ramp over a gorge in Idaho, made me cry. But it was a manly cry, and I'm not even kidding. He gets men, and tells a gripping story, and his descriptions of the landscape are awe-inspiring. I was really surprised by how much I liked this book.

Kristiana

1. Raw Shark Texts - Steven Hall
This book is amazing. It's a little strange, but completely compelling and original. I bought it for most of my friends this year because I needed to talk about it with others. It's Steven Hall's first novel and I can't really express how much I loved this book.

2. Special Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl
Another astounding first novel. While the title may be intimidating the book is entirely accessible. It begins with a table of contents and ends it with a Final Exam. Special Topics has been compared to Donna Tartt's "The Secret History", and it is a fare comparison. Pessl makes the story of a close knit group of friends under the influence of their teacher completely her own. It is so good on so many different levels.

3.Divisadero - Michael Ondaatje
I had a friend in high school whose last name was Ondaatje - who was also Shri Lankinn - I wonder if they are related. I saw the movie the English Patient, and I know that is not the same thing as reading the book, but I liked the movie which is what made me pick up Divisadero. Having said that, I was blown away by Michael Ondaatje's most recent work of fiction. I was sucked into the story of a family on a farm in the 1970's - something I did not think I could be so enraptured by. The writing was beautiful and the story was absolutely moving and captivating.

4. Edible Woman - Margaret (Maggie) Atwood
I love Margaret Atwood. I would read anything by her so when Randy gave me Edible Woman (Atwood's 1969 novel) I read it with joy and abandon. It's the story of a 20 something girl who gets engaged and begins viewing the world and her life in new ways. It was great. Atwood's most recent works are: The Door, a new book of poetry with an audio cd of poems read by the author, The Tent, a collection of fictional essays, and Moral Disorder, a series of interrelated stories. Enjoy!

5. The Year of Magical Thinking a Play by Joan Didion
I read Year of Magical Thinking, the memoir, at the beginning of this year, and I loved it. I read the play on the plane ride home from New York after hearing Joan Didion speak. I was drawn into the story again, and was blown away by it. It is heartbreaking and beautiful.

Yet Another Reason to Visit the Store...

2007-12-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the fine folks at msn.com, The Art of the Bookstore Pickup:

http://msn.match.com/msn/article.aspx?articleid=7453&TrackingID=516311&BannerID=544657&menuid=6&GT1=10678

I think this was my favorite bit:

Ed Lowe, a Chicago pensions analyst, recalls the time a woman interrupted him as he read a collection of short stories by the existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre: “I think I said something pithy about Sartre’s thoughts on human frailty,” he recalls.

A true smooth operator.

I don't think we've had an Laguna Beach Books love connections happen yet. Maybe we should have an event that crosses both Speed Dating and Speed Reading, or (what with the writers on strike), maybe a vie-to-be-his-bride reality show called The Protagonist.

J.K. Rowling!!!! (a.k.a. the longest blog ever)

2007-10-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know, J.K. Rowling is on a three city book tour. It began yesterday in L.A. and will conclude in New York on the 19th. Rowling decided when she finished book seven of the Harry Potter series that she wanted to come to the States and thank her fans. To avoid the mayhem of trying to sell tickets (my speculation) to this event Scholastic set up sorting hats in local schools. 1,600 school children were invited to attend. When I arrived at the Kodak theatre there was a group of students in Hogwarts robes and scarves, their chaperone appropriately dressed as a Hogwarts teacher. No joke. It was a surprising - and perfect - touch.

J.K. was introduced by the superintendent of L.A. school district - who was introduced by the president of Scholastic (I think it was the president, but I didn’t have a pen to write down his name, so I’m not 100% certain). Both mentioned how Rowling has had such an impact on students. Harry Potter is the first book that many students have wanted to read for fun. It has also given students the confidence to read bigger books. It is an impact that I hadn't really thought of before, but it’s huge! J.K. mentioned that fact has meant so much to her.

There was Harry Potter soundtrack music playing while we waited for the event to start. There was a starlit backdrop and giant posters of the seven American book covers. In the middle of the otherwise bare stage was a giant rug, a giant throne like chair and a table with tea on it- I'm assuming it was tea because she's British.

When Ms. Rowling was introduced and came on stage she was met by a standing ovation (I'm embarrassed to admit I totally got chills). Ms. Rowling began by reading from chapter two (page 30) of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. She mentioned the page number and to my surprise tons of people flipped open their books to follow along. Also to my surprise, she did voices! She had amazingly good voices for each individual character. Who knew?! Chapter two is when the Dursleys and Harry part ways. There's a part in the chapter where Dudley says 'I don't think you're a waste of space Harry', and the whole audience awed. J.K. replied, "I know! I felt that way when I wrote it." It was adorable.

After the reading she answered questions from the audience. I was surprised that many of the questions were about J.K. rather than the plot, but there ended up being a good balance. An eight year old girl asked if J.K. had as big of an imagination when she was young as she does now, and another child asked what inspiration she had growing up. She answered that her parents did not think being a professional writer was very steady, so she got inspiration from various teachers along the way, concluding that “a good teacher is worth her weight in gold”.

When asked about all the deaths in the book Rowling apologized for putting us through that, but pointed out that if someone we don't care about dies we won't really care. She mentioned the (SPOILER) death of Doby and said that it was necessary, but understandably sad, primarily because Doby was so innocent. The saddest deaths to her were Tonks and Lupin (sigh). She said that it was the saddest because they left behind Teddy, but that it was important because it closed a circle in the story. Harry grew up as an orphan and as Teddy's godfather he will be able to relate to Teddy and give him all the things he missed out on growing up. She talked about Snape. Snape! Rowling said she knew all along why Snape was the way he was, and all the history between him and Lily, and that he is not cut and dry and not necessarily all good.

OH! A student asked if any characters were based on real people, and J.K. explained that Hermione was an exaggerated version of herself (isn't that fun?), and that there are pieces of different people she knows in some characters. Gilderoy Lockheart IS entirely based on someone real. Rowling said that she did not need to embellish anything, and that he would never in a million years guess that he was the mold. "He probably thinks that he is my Dumbledore." Loved it.

When asked if she would rather be the Queen of England or write more Harry Potter books, Rowling replied that she would rather write more Harry Potter books because being the Queen is a really hard job. She also explained that the next thing she works on will have to be something she loves just as much as Harry Potter because otherwise it just wouldn't work.

The whole event went by way too quickly, but it's understandable because she was going to sign 1,600 copies of the book for the students present. Scholastic is giving away 5,000 copies of the Deathly Hallows. Running along the width of the stage were the 1,600 copies of the book. It was impressive, and amazing that
1. Scholastic would do that
2. J.K. could sign that many books in one sitting

Since she was entirely busy signing books for children I did not get to take her out for coffee - I mean tea - and hang out. I'm sure she would have wanted to given the opportunity.

It was an amazing experience. It was like Christmas and I felt like Cinderella going to a ball - yes I'm mixing my metaphors, but that's how it felt.

Since I was at the Kodak theatre I'm going to thank people like I just won an Oscar,
I would like to thank:

our Scholastic rep for inviting Randy
Randy for liking me enough to let me go
Lisa, Jane and Robyn liking me enough to agree to let me go
Patrick for not reading the Harry Potter series, so I didn't have to arm wrestle him
And you the reader for listening to my ramblings about the best day I've had as a bookseller.

Good night!

-Kristiana

2007-10-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

Teachers and Administrators head down to Laguna Beach Books Tuesday the 9th to enjoy:

20% disount with school ID card or pay stub (remember: 10% off for teachers, everyday!)
Free giveaways!
Raffle for store gift certificate!
Expert advice on the newest, best books for kids!
Bring your educator friends (school administrators welcome, too!)

We hope to see you then!!

Love books, not banning!

2007-09-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

What is Banned Books Week?

Every year books are challenged in public and school libraries across the nation. What does that mean? If someone is offended by material, they can challenge the book asking that the material be restricted or banned. This happens to TONS of books throughout the year. It’s strange for me to think that this happens all over the nation, all throughout the year, year after year! It is totally understandable that not everyone likes or wants certain books in their city library, or that parents don’t want some material in their child’s school library. It would be unfortunate though if challenged material was taken out of these venues. Could you imagine a city where Catcher in the Rye was nowhere to be found or a school that didn’t have To Kill a Mockingbird?

At Laguna Beach Books we agree with the American Library Association that not every book is right for every individual. It is our privilege as an independent bookstore to make available a wide range of material, and that includes things that not everyone will agree with. Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom says, "Part of living in a democracy means respecting each other's differences and the right of all people to choose for themselves what they and their families read."

There are many books that have been challenged this year, and so many more books that have been challenged in years passed. We aren’t trying to celebrate controversy. Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom we have to read, the freedom we have to think for ourselves and to hold our own opinions.

Without further ado we present to you The 10 Most Challenged Books of 2006:

· “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, for homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group;
· “Gossip Girls” series by Cecily Von Ziegesar for homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, and offensive language;
· “Alice” series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor for sexual content and offensive language;
· “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things” by Carolyn Mackler for sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
· “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison for sexual content, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
· “Scary Stories” series by Alvin Schwartz for occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, and insensitivity;
· “Athletic Shorts” by Chris Crutcher for homosexuality and offensive language;
· “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky for homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
· “Beloved” by Toni Morrison for offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group; and
· “The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier for sexual content, offensive language, and violence.

Off the list this year, but on for several years past, are the “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.

During banned books week we will have various challenged books featured in the store, and we invite you to let us know what books you love that may be on a challenge list somewhere.

Happy Reading!

Kristiana

Celebrating Spinelli

2007-09-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

Jerry Spinelli

Beloved young adult and children's book author.

Newberry Book Award winner.

A teller of tales that affect both the funny bone and the tear ducts.

More than 20 books published, including Wringer, Stargirl, and Crash.

Why celebrate Jerry Spinelli?

Why the heck wouldn't we??!!

Sunday, September 30th

5:00 pm

Join fellow Spinelli fans at the store.

We'll discuss our (and your) favorite books like

and

and the sequel to Stargirl

Laura (Ms. Silver to those "in-the-know") will lead a read-around

for Jerry's new book

(It's called Eggs in case you couldn't figure it out)

But wait, there's more...

Put your name in a raffle for a chance to win a Jerry Spinelli collection of books!

We look forward to seeing you all there!!

Laguna Beach Books Offers a Writers Workshop

2007-09-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

The Workshop has been postponed. It should start in January!

Mentored by Julie Brickman, MFA, PH.D

Author, What Birds Can only Whisper
Fiction Faculty member, Spalding University low-residency MFA in Writing
Reviewer, Books section, San Diego Union-Tribune

When: 2nd and 4th Thursdays each month, 6 -8 pm: October 2007 - March 2008

Start: October 11, 2008

Membership: fiction and creative nonfiction writers, maximum of 8.

To join: Submit a portfolio that includes (1) your resume, focused on writing experience (2) a brief essay, 2-3 pages, that discusses your goals as a writer, the reading experiences and authors that have shaped you as a writer, and how well you accept critiques of your work, and (3) a writing sample of no less than ten and no more than 15 double-spaced manuscript pages in one of the above genres.

Fee: $600.00, payable in two installments: $300.00 upon acceptance; $300.00 by January 1st 2008. A nonrefundable reading fee of $25.00 will be charged for each application. This will be applied to the course fee for those who are accepted.

You can submit portfolios in the store. Feel free to call us with any questions. 949-494-4779

Why you should read Special Topics in Calamity Physics

2007-08-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, don't let the title intimidate you. We're getting closer to our instore Book club, so I wanted to say a few things on Special Topics to get your engines running and those pages turning.

First off, I think I'm a litte jealous of Marisha Pessl. I'm jealous because she's amazing. She's a fantastic writer, she's not that much older than I am and she's pretty too. If you don't believe me I'm attaching a visual.

Marisha looks like the kind of girl you don't like because you think she's really cool. Maybe that's just how I feel about her, but don't let her picture keep you from reading this book.

In all seriousness though I loved 'Special Topics'. I was excited that there was a table of contents set up like a college course. I was excited that the narrator sites all of her references like it's a term paper. It's strange and quirky, and unbelievable. When I was done with the book I made my friends read it because I enjoyed it so much. If you're thinking about reading it you should. When you're done reading it you can come talk to us about it on September 18th. We'll be in the bookstore the third Tuesday of this month at 7:00pm dying to talk about 'Special Topics' with you!

I can't wait to talk to people about this book. It's one of those books that I think will get better the more it is discussed.

Here are some clues to get you started in your reading:

1. THE FLYING DEMOISELLE: An archaic means of hanging someone, popular in the American South between the years of 1829 to 1860. It is also, in all likelihood, how Hannah Schneider died.

2. THE IRON GRIP: An unfinished tour de force.

3. LION SEX: Something that happens in Room 222 of The Dynasty Motel.

4. VALERIO: A clue

MORE RESEARCH is available at: http://www.calamityphysics.com/

If you still need convincing I will leave you with one last push to get you to pick up the book:

Yes that is Tom Hanks, and yes that is a copy of Special Topics in Calamity Physics, so come pick up your copy and start reading.

Hope to see you Tuesday, September 18th in the store! (7:00pm)

Happy Reading!

Kristiana

Sena Jeter Naslund!

2007-08-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Last night we had the pleasure and privilege of having Sena Jeter Naslund, the acclaimed author, in Laguna Beach Books for a reading and signing!

Everyone was charmed by her eloquence and insight into both the history of France and Marie Antoinette the human being. Sena told the story of Stefan Zweig's earlier biography, Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman, which not only portays the French queen as dim-witted and self-absorbed, but insinuates that this is what the "average woman" is. Average woman?? In a way, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette, she said, is a response to that. In it, Naslund gives Marie Antoinette her most full, human, sympathic and nuanced rendering, drawing deeply from historical sources but giving her life as only a novelist can.

Many in the audience were intrigued to hear Sena talk about writing Four Spirits, set in Birmingham, Alabama during the Civil Rights era -- a time and place that she experienced first-hand. And she assured everyone: you don't have to have read Moby Dick to appreciate her female retelling of that story in Ahab's Wife!

I'll admit, this is my only experience with the great white whale:

We'd like to thank Ms. Naslund and Julie Brickman for their time, and everyone who attended for making the evening such a wondeful experience.

And yes, we still have some signed copies if you missed the good time!

Things I Did at Work Today - a haiku

2007-08-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

i put in orders

i opened bills to be paid

damaged books called on

by Kristiana

Simon Van Booy Event!

2007-08-23T18:19:00.001-07:00

Simon Van Booy joined us Tuesday night at the Mandarin Fine Art gallery, and besides being a gentleman and a scholar (of course), his earnest demeanor and genuine interest in all of the attendees was wonderful to see.

He began the evening reading from ancient Chinese poetry. The aspect of their art he kept referring back to was how readers at the time were trained to read for the metaphor first, and then to savor the actual, physical, realistic minutiae secondly. We tend to go the opposite way: the dying flower is a dying flower first, a reminder of death second.

To close the evening, Simon read "Little Birds" from his collection The Secret Lives of People in Love. It's the story of a fifteen year old Chinese boy and his adopted French father, and it's a tender and elegant portrayal. In addition to the fine language that pervades the story is a genuine-ness and level of empathy for characters that is hard to come by. Most short stories, especially with "literary" aims, lean so heavily on irony, on mocking anything that resembles sentiment. We talked a little about this, how irony is easy but trying to be beautiful is difficult and a brave, vulnerable step to make. Simon's modesty might prevent him from saying so, but I think his book takes that step confidently and successfully.

Thanks again to Simon, and to Kim and John at Mandarin, and to everyone who turned out and made the evening such a pleasure!

-Patrick

(and we have signed copies in the store!)

Joseph Cornell, John Taylor, and Poetry

2007-08-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Festival of Arts closing up shop, I want to single out a particular artist there that blew my mind.

Not that the other fine artists didn't -- some of the childrens' art was breathtaking -- but in John Taylor, there is something so contrary to the other pieces on display. Wildly detailed and even quietly fanciful ships and submarines made of scraps of refuse that he lovingly collects and then shapes into something like this:

Out of who knows what junk, he crafts these rusted remains of battleships and submarines that are simultaneuously hyper-realistic and ever-so subtly skewed into the fantastic. They tap into multiple layers of child and adult fantasy: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea wonder, World War heroism and destruction, Little Mermaid romanticism and the unrelenting progress of death and time in the body of an unreasonably large shark in Jaws. They cause a sort of associative disorientation, bringing out (in this viewer) childlike wonder and the chill awareness of inevitable decay.

And then there's the added level of these wondrous things being made from other peoples' cast-off and disposables. Upon closer inspection, the deck is a bit of CD jewel case. Over there is a fan cover from a computer. Look beneath the rust:

It's these qualities in Taylor's work that remind me of Joseph Cornell's shadowboxes. Cornell has been discussed and explicated (and envied and admired and...) to an overwhelming degree. But they're still fantastic, I don't care. And if you want a new way to approch Cornell, you should check out Dime-Store Alchemy, by our new Poet Laureate Charles Simic. It's Simic's dark, powerful poetry being driven by Cornell's whimsey and history, and it's a real treat.

And if you're the type that is sick to death of Cornell, sick to death of poets taking inspiration from that scumbag Cornell, then take a gander at this fine and funny essay by Naem Murr: http://www.poetrymagazine.org/magazine/0707/comment_179843.html

-Patrick

From Where You Dream

2007-08-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

Some of you might know Robert Olen Butler: Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, and the how-to writing book, From Where You Dream. Others might as a distinguished professor at the University of Florida MFA in Fiction program. And now, reaching the widest audience of his career, Robert Olen Butler (of all people) is a Lohan-esque gossip column superstar.

Yes, I know this probably the first time Mr. Olen Butler has been described as "Lohan-esque," and, one hopes, the last.

For the details, you can look here:

http://gawker.com/news/robert-olen-butler/

But the basic run is: wait, what? Who left who for whom? Huh? Butler's wife left him for Ted Turner, he's fine with that. She did it because Ted reminds her of her abusive grandfather, and he's fine with that, too. Ted unabashedly keeps a stable of women on the ready at all times; Butler says groovy. Her real reason for leaving is that she (as a writer herself) can't get out of the shadow of Butler's Pulitzer, and he's downright eager to tell the world about that. Somehow he's turned a breakup into an ego massage with a happy ending.

I consider myself an open-minded person. People are entitled to live their lives as they see fit, as long as they're not hurting anyone else. (Unless that's part of a pre-arranged bargain, of course.) Reading Butler's email is a fun challenge to that sort of relativism. Is this kind of thing really all right? Is it healthy? Add in the Russian Doll situation of voyeurism -- the masses getting off on the gossip rags getting off on an egotistical writer getting off on an ex-wife getting off on the founder of CNN who, through his wealth and media power, gets off on all the rest of us, bringing everything full circle -- and I think I just had a mental freakout.

In a more bookish-related item, if you want a strange, funky look at a similar type thing, take a look at Donald Barthelme's Paradise. For those of you not familiar Barthelme, he writes hyper-intelligent, incredibly witty and funny stories and novels that, not to sound too academic, really launched post-modern fiction as we know it now. He wrote a retelling of Snow White that is hilarious and his stories, most well-know being The School (which you can check out over at NPR: http://www.npr.org/programs/death/readings/stories/bart.html), are fantastic.

Dalkey Archive Press reprinted some of his lesser-embraced novels. I read The Dead Father and wasn't too impressed. The King was a riotous retelling of the Morte D'Artur story. I'm only half-way through Paradise but already it has some energy the other didn't. The story's center is on a man whose wife leaves him. He happens to meet three models in need of a place to stay, they all move in and suddenly it's the Three's Company episode you always wished they'd made: he's in Pleasure Town. But he's not happy. That's the kicker. He's living the non-monogamous fantasy life and it's not satisfying.

I haven't figured out why yet. Any ideas?

-Patrick

Welcome!

2007-08-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

You know what's funny about a first blog post? You have to write like someone's reading it, but of course no one's reading it. But you're hoping someone's going to read it. Except now, even what I'm writing seems aware of some imaginary audience. And by imaginary, I mean audience of zero.

So let's play make-believe:

Welcome to Laguna Beach Books' official blog! We'll be posting reviews of new books we've loved (or marginally liked, or in the case of Laura possibly just lusted after), old books we still love, news from the bookselling trenches (yeah, we have it so rough), and funny things that happen in the store. Like that one time that Freddy Kruger came in because he's a Lagunan (Laguna-ian? Lagun-ite? Lagunese?), which is actually really creepy. Don't fall asleep, Laguna.

Actually, we'd rather tell you about something very dear to our hearts: Laura Silver. Some of you may know her as Dr. Laura, radio personality extraordinaire, or others call her Ms. Silver. What ever you call her, just don't call her late for work! (Da-dum.) Speaking of da-dum, she's learning to play drums. And she's really excited. She might give up teaching to play professionally. Keep an eye out for this female John Bonham, unless--in a rock-induced rage--she sets fire to the kit and, therefore, would have nothing left to play.

Which would be fine, because then she could stay at LBB, where she reads more and knows more about children's book than any child. And she's friendly. And she knows everyone in Laguna Beach. And if you ask her for a quarter, she'll give it to you. Honestly. Come in and try it.

So thanks for reading, pretend imaginary audience. Check back, tell all your imaginary friends, and come meet Laura (and the rest of us) in the store!

That's all for this one. Stay tuned for more serious posts, and more ridiculous ones, too. Until then, remember Laguna Beach: you're good enough, you're smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like you. Except the misanthropes. Misanthropes don't like anyone.