Doing my Holiday Library Haul with Trevor Noah and some mysterious companions

I seriously did not intend to head back to the library so soon and on a holiday weekend to boot but as it happened, a book that I placed on hold came in.

 For any book person, that last half of my statement is explanation enough and for others, yes, I did have a good amount of time to pick it up but just waiting until after Thanksgiving day was hard to do.

The book in question is one that I've been wanting to read for some time now. Trevor Noah's memoir,Born A Crime, has been getting excellent reviews but more importantly, it tells his true story of being in a racially divided nation, a part of history that's from a not-so-distant past.

The Daily Show host chronicles his childhood in South Africa,where to be born biracial like him was legally considered a criminal act. Noah talks about how daily life was difficult for his mother(it was dangerous for her to even walk down the street with her own son), the way his relatives engaged with him and what eventually inspired him to be a comedian.

Told in his humorous yet heartfelt style, this is a touchingly insightful look at a childhood that had to make major decisions due to race right up front and how Trevor Noah became the man that he is for it. I am so looking forward to reading this book,so much indeed:

In the meanwhile, I did have one book to return(The Chalk Artist by Allegra Goodman, which was a decent read),so that meant that I could get another one,despite still having a library book at home from my last visit that I just started. Talk about your tangled webs there!

Perhaps that is why I also borrowed The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. I've heard a lot of good word of mouth about her mystery novels and thought it was time to give her a try.

Our lead detective is Lo Blacklock, a travel writer in need of a rest. While taking a cruise aboard the luxury liner Aurora, Lo becomes convinced that the woman in the cabin next to hers has been done away with, despite the fact that there is no evidence of anyone having taken that cabin or any such person being on this particular voyage.

Lo refuses to buy into the notion that a recent trauma is causing her to not see the situation clearly and get some assistance from her ex-boyfriend Ben into solving this mystery. The plot does sound interesting and folks are comparing this story line to classic Agatha Christie ,which is good reason for me to stamp my passport for this sinister sailing adventure:

You would think that would be plenty,especially with one at home already but I couldn't resist grabbing one of the newest John Grisham titles. Camino Island is set in the world of rare book dealers, where a major heist is the theft of manuscripts by F. Scott Fitzgerald from a vault at the Princeton library.

Bruce Cable runs a specialty book shop in Florida, where such an item would be difficult to sell yet an encounter with Mercer Mann, an aspiring writer who is deep in student loan debt, draws him into the case.

When Bruce finds himself implicated in the crime, the urge to find the stolen manuscripts becomes more than an academic venture. It's been a good while since I read John Grisham and since I do have an interest in the used and rare book market, this seems like a fine way to get reacquainted with his work:

So, that makes four books on loan from the library, a lot for me at the moment. However, reading this quartet of books(which includes Paula Hawkins' Into The Water) and getting them back by Christmas should be a worthy challenge.

Renewal will be a big help in this endeavor,that's for sure. I swear, there is just something about being at the library that makes me crave books more than usual. Perhaps it's that revived sense of childhood wonder, with so many beautiful varieties of books all around me like a garden of words, that makes it such a temptation. Well, at least it's a temptation that only leads to good:

A trio of paperbacks to make your Book Buying Black Friday all the better

Happy day after Thanksgiving,folks,and I hope you all had a lovely day as well as a great meal with your loved ones.

 By now, most of you are engaging in the other annual tradition of this weekend, holiday gift shopping, and to that end, I'm recommending a threesome of fresh new paperbacks that should suit a few of the book lovers on your list.

First up is a special edition of L.M. Montgomery's iconic novel, Anne of Green Gables, from Penguin Classics Deluxe. Not only is this edition adorned with charming artwork by Siobhan Gallagher, it comes with an introduction by Benjamin Lefebvre(director of L.M. Montgomery Online) who details the struggles that the author faced in publishing her book.

There's also an engaging foreword by novelist J. Courtney Sullivan, who talks how Anne of Green Gables peaked her interest in writing and in maintaining life long friendships. To this day, one of her good friends is quick to reconnect with as they both loved the 1985 TV adaptation of the series and feel that it's the best one ever:

Being introduced to Anne with an "e" this year, I feel that any new edition of this delightful story is well worth having,whether you prefer your Anne Shirley to be old school or new. As to adaptations, I've enjoyed watching the current PBS films(the latest one,subtitled "The Good Stars" aired last night) and I'm sure even Marilla would agree that this Deluxe Edition would be a suitable and sensible gift for readers new and established indeed:

Next, for those seeking potential prize winners, we have Elmet by Fiona Mozley, a debut novel that was a major contender for the Man Booker Award this year.

This tale,set in the woods of Yorkshire, is narrated by Daniel,who is living with his father John and sister Cathy isolated from the wider world and their home life feels idyllic for the most part.

However, when a local landowner(who once had John on his payroll as an enforcer) becomes determined to take their land for his own financial gain in a larger project, Daniel's family finds their peaceful existence altered forever, yet not without a serious fight. A smartly written story that takes a sure and steady pace as it explores that pivotal fork in the road that we all must take, some sooner than others.

However, if the folks on your list are more in the mood for a sweet relaxing read, debut author Louise Miller has a slice of storytelling pie ready to serve.

The City Baker's Guide to Country Living has a Gilmore Girls flavor to it, only if chef Sookie St. James was the leading lady instead of Lorelai.  Olivia Rawlings decides to move to the small town of Guthrie in Vermont after her personal and professional life in Boston truly blows up on her.

Taking a job at the Sugar Maple Inn, Olivia finds that her culinary skills are still solid yet her new boss Margaret has a very high standard that is in serious need of maintaining. The reputation of the inn is built upon a lengthy winning streak in the apple pie contest at the county fair and that standard has sunken recently.

In addition to that, Olivia becomes attracted to Martin, a former musician who has returned home to Guthrie in order to help his ailing father out with the family farm. Can she create a winning recipe for her new work and love life? Quite the humorously heartfelt read to give and get this holiday season:

Best of luck on your holiday shopping sprees this weekend and I do hope that these suggestions are helpful. In the meanwhile, let us take a moment during the mad rush of gift buying to appreciate the wonderful reads that have sustained us through out the year. Having new books is great but giving thanks to the ones still on our shelves is important,too:

A Library Haul and a back to the Binchy reread

One thing that I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving is having an active library card,not to mention making a little library trip to have new reads in time for Turkey Day.

My first pick was Into the Water, the much anticipated second thriller from Paula Hawkins,whose debut The Girl on the Train was truly a runaway hit. Granted, I thought the TGOTT was just okay yet it was very addictive to read(one of those stay-up-all-night deals),so I'm willing to take a shot with this one.

The leading lady of this story is Jules Abbot, who reluctantly returns to her home town of Beckford due to the death of her estranged sister Nel. She met her demise by drowning in a local lake known as the Drowning Pool, infamous for the watery graves that many women have found there over the years.

Jules not only has to untangle the mysteries surrounding her sister's death and the other Drowning Pool victims, she has a teenage niece named Lana to try and connect with as well. This set-up has an old fashioned feel to it that might be worth investigating,even with the batch of mixed reviews Into the Water has gotten so far. Who knows, I might like it better than Girl on the Train,we shall see:

The library book that I started reading,however, is Allegra Goodman's The Chalk Artist which has a variety pack of storytelling to unfold.

We first begin with a budding romance between Collin, a struggling of sort artist looking for direction in his life, and Nina, a new to the system teacher struggling to connect with her students. As things go on, Collin learns that Nina's father is a high tech mogul who invented one of the biggest video games of all time.

While Nina wants to get Collin a job with her father, she's worried about how that could change the nature of both relationships. Also, one of her students, Aidan, becomes pulled into a viral marketing scheme to promote the newest version of the game and that could have serious real world repercussions.

These story lines seem far apart but Goodman slowly yet surely draws them close together. The characters are instantly engaging, one of the author's hallmarks, and I'm more than willing to see what will become of them as the pages turn.

Meanwhile, with the holidays fast approaching(not to mention the horror of the daily headlines), I am feeling the need for some emotional comfort food and the best place for that on my bookshelf is my Maeve Binchy section.

Yes, I do have a good chunk of space devoted to the Irish authoress who is sadly no longer with us. I was well into her books before Tara Road was an Oprah pick and rereading it now is doing me a world of good.

Sure, it's a bit melodramatic at times but so what? Binchy always managed to level that out with solid characters and plots that had the ring of realism with a small town flair, even if some of her stories were set in a big city like Dublin.

The plot of Tara Road is what I always liked to call "female friendly" as two women sharing a troubling time in their lives swap houses and countries in order to recoup and reassess. We start off with Ria Lynch, a seemingly happy housewife who is willing to sacrifice for her charming husband Danny but he betrays her good nature to a point where she has to make a stand.

 Once she spends some time in America at the Connecticut home of Marilyn(who is mourning the loss of her son), she begins to get a new sense of herself as well as a new lease on life.

 The book was originally published in 1999 but still stands up as a heartfelt read. Binchy didn't sugar coat the problems that her characters faced, instead she showed just how people felt they should either deal with or ignore the situation at hand until finding the solution at hopefully just the right time.

Some might still think that Binchy's work(and other writers like her) are frivolous entertainment but they couldn't be more wrong. While her books are comforting, they're not simply candy flavored tonics for the spirit. Rather, they give readers a sense of hope that good things are possible despite the bad times in front of you and the way things are now, we could all use a nice relaxing read such as this to help us out:

Don't get me wrong, I'll be reading plenty of new books before this year is out(finally got started on my last Series-ous Reading selection,The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss). Yet, it is nice to revisit an old friend as it were,book wise.

Chances are that I will be making another library visit soon,which is great but I do wish that one of those little lending libraries that people set up in their neighborhoods was within my reach. Then again, my withdrawals vs my deposits might not be as well balanced there,so best to avoid temptation!:

Some good choices on the media menu for tasty Thanksgiving TV

With Thanksgiving being oh-so-close, I felt it was time for another  flavorful reminder of the season with a look at a few of the best TV shows that highlight holiday cooking and eating.

First up is The Chew, the daytime darling of the foodie circuit that has pretty much spent the whole month of November on prepping for Thanksgiving, ranging from recipes old and new to dinner table settings and creative leftover suggestions.

Part of what makes this show fun as well as a great reference guide is the crackling chemistry between the quartet of hosts, with the dynamic dueling contrasts of Iron Chefs Michael Symon and Mario Batali, Top Chef Carla Hall's good humor and the always engaging Clinton Kelly. It's like hanging out with the cool culinary kids, who would gladly invite anyone over for some good food and good talk:

In the evening, however, Chopped is your best bet for some offbeat Thanksgiving meals. Actually, it's a weirdly entertaining way to live vicariously through the bizarre mystery basket ingredients there.

After all, what are the odds on you having to cook with gummy turkey feet, pumpkin pie ice cream, smoked turkey gizzards and green bean casserole? Granted, that was not all in one basket but it could very possibly be in the future,you never know.

Even the regular rotation of judges take their shot at the stove at holiday time, whipping up dishes that may seem strange but are nine times out of ten, taste delightfully savory for any season:

 Speaking of green bean casserole, if you're just looking for some old school food flair, Cooking Channel tends to air the classic Alton Brown series Good Eats for just such an occasion.

The smart and sassy take on nearly every edible item known to human kind has plenty of Thanksgiving highlights, from cranberries(which can be made into a candle!) to the right way to prep that turkey and the perfect mashed potatoes. If you like your Thanksgiving with a side of culinary cleverness, then you are in need of some good eats indeed:

And finally, for those of us who simply want a little home style cooking, Ree Drummond has that on tap as a key ingredient for her daytime series, The Pioneer Woman.

Ree's sincere charms make many of her meal time recipes feel both warmly old fashioned and satisfyingly modern all at once. That special emotional blend of hers is great for Thanksgiving, as she certainly knows how tricky it can be to spread the dinner table love yet she pulls it off with an ease and grace that pours out as smoothly as gravy:

 So, whether you're in need of cooking tips or just want to see the other holiday options out there, there is something for everybody when it comes to Thanksgiving food TV. The recipe is easy and no cook to boot: just take one remote control and click around a few channels until that just right show comes into view. Then sit and watch for a hour or so,binging purely optional.

If done right, your Thanksgiving TV will serve as many as possible and be that small screen sweet treat that tops off your holiday viewing in a most delicious way:

Some nominees for my Nonfiction November reading

Having just finished a month long readathon, it's understandable that  I would want to take a more leisurely approach to the rest of my literary year.

However, I've heard a lot about Nonfiction November, where the main goal is to read more factual books than my usual supply of fiction. While you can follow the challenge officially, most people seem to set up their own TBR and do their own thing here. With that in mind, I have a few books that are in the running for my personal NFN selections and maybe you might want to try one of them,too:

NOURISHED: Food writer Lia Huber chronicles her emotional journey into the world of cooking, going from a romance in Corfu where family love and home cooked meals went hand in hand to a village in Guatemala that the addition of simple vegetables to a soup brightened up everyone's day.

I've started this book already and Huber's writing is very heartfelt, bringing a vivid warmth to her descriptions of the time,place and people around her. Recipes are also included but the stories here are the main course of this memory feast.

With Thanksgiving coming up this month, this delicious memoir could provide some menu plan ideas or a tasty way to appreciate those good moments in life:

 BOOKNOTES: C-Span once had an interview show where authors of nonfiction shared their thoughts about the world as well as put in a good word for their latest book. Book Notes was hosted by C-Span co-founder Brian Lamb and this collection was the first of several that highlighted those interviews in print form.

There's a vast variety of writers on display here from historians such as David McCullough and Doris Kearns Goodwin to political figures like Colin Powell and journalists ranging from Neil Sheehan to Stanley Crouch.

 The show had a good run, starting in 1989 and ending by 2004. I remember watching it from time to time back in the day and wish we had a version of Book Notes right now. Considering how the lines between fact and fiction have been blurred lately, this certainly feels like the right time to check out how the old school was able to make those distinctions very clear. Also, with knowledge under fire as it is now, the subtitle of this book "America's Finest Authors on Reading,Writing and the Power of Ideas" sounds rather timely to me:

 MY BOOKSTORE: This collection, edited by Ronald Rice, gathers together over eighty writers to talk about their favorite independent book stores and give their recommendations for good book buying from all across the country.

The list of writers ranges from best sellers like Fannie Flagg, John Grisham and Elin Hilderbrand to award winners such as Isabel Allende and memoir notables Rick Bragg and Dave Eggers.Here, they share some good stories about how these little literary shops made their reading and writing lives all the better and as a former indie bookseller myself, this sounds like a dream.

A few writers have even become indie book seller themselves, like Ann Patchett who highlights her favorite store here and perhaps took a bit of real world inspiration along with a great book or two from there:

Don't worry, I still plan on reading plenty of fiction(have a few books to catch up) but increasing my nonfiction intake feels like a fine idea. There are way more well read than me in this department,so you can find a lot of good suggestions for your own Nonfiction November list out there but do be sure to check out subjects that sincerely interest you.

On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to try something completely different yet it does help to persist with a lengthy nonfiction read if you are honestly motivated to learn more about a certain subject. Happy Nonfiction November and good reading to all and yes, to all a good read: