Her Book Self

I was playing around with some data from my catalog over at LibraryThing, and one of their recently added record fields is "From Where" providing users a place to track their books sources.  For fun I thought I would compile the information for the books that I've read so far in 2011, and since I'm nerdy I put it all into a cute little pie chart:

Lest people get the wrong idea about my online habits, the Amazon field (comprising 27% of the books I've read this year) includes all the books I've read on my Kindle, the majority of which were downloaded for free.  Along with spotlighting my fondness for my public library (13%) and LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program (plus GoodReads giveaways =13%), this paints an interesting picture of my preference of Borders (10%) over Barnes & Noble (2%) or other bookstores (3%) when I was actually purchasing books. 

I suppose there's a good chance this post could be of little interest to anyone besides me, but it was an odd exercise in looking at from where I really do get the books I read.  Often people ask if I primarily read eBooks, and though I state that I still read plenty of paper books it's handy to look at how much (or how little) digital reading is a part of my book consumption.

Anyone else out there fascinated with random bookish data? 

Many of you hoped, predicted, expected and wished for this to happen, but as I recently announced my presence on facebook, I suppose my next announcement comes as slightly less of a surprise:

This doesn't quite mean I have any idea what I'm doing yet, but as I navigate the fast paced world of hash tags (#), retweets (RT), mentions (@), and follows I hope to add a new layer to my blogging experience and connect with some of my favorite bloggers on a more regular basis.  I also want to extend a huge thank you to April over at Good Books and Good Wine.  I've long been a fan of April's blog and her post during BBAW was one of the main persuading factors to me joining Twitter.  The big surprise though came within just an hour or so of me signing up for Twitter and finding some favorite blogs to follow, when this note appeared:

booksandwine April C

Hey all Lisa @HerBookSelf is way new to twitter, so why not give her a warm welcome and a high five for joining the land of twitter!!

Last year, I posted my review of White Night - book nine in Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files - but I didn't realize until I was writing up my review for Small Favor that it's been almost a year between books in this series for me.  Maybe because I read another Butcher book earlier this year, it didn't seem like I had been away from Dresden for quite so long, but like any reunion with an old friend, once I started reading it felt like Harry and I had never been apart.  

An early winter in the Midwest is usually nothing to question, but when snows roll in mid-autumn, Harry Dresden - the only wizard listed in the Chicago phone book - knows to suspect something sinister. Mab, Queen of the Winter Fae, calls on Harry for one of the favors he owes her and though he'd like to pick and choose which assignments to accept from her, the last place he wants to be is on the Winter Queen's bad side. Add in unexplainable magical forces, a host of fallen angels, and a missing mobster and Small Favor is another excellent entry in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.

Some fans argue that the inflation nature of the saga - baddies who keep getting bigger, stronger, and more numerous - has turned Harry Dresden into more of a superhero than an everyman protagonist, but I disagree. For one, Harry was never an everyman but his talents also never blossomed unrealistically. If anything, he's a hero who knows his limits and occasionally does manage to get his butt kicked a little. Second, along with increasing foes, Harry has stronger allies as the book series progresses. The supporting characters are often as endearing - and hilarious - as Harry himself and more often than not Harry is a team player rather than a lone ranger. Finally, despite his wizarding skills, Harry at heart is still a character to relate to. He is caring, smart, and funny and the series is as much about him growing as a person as it is about his magic.

I love that these books can thoroughly distract me from life. Filled with humor, action, adventure, and characters that I've come to genuinely care about, I know I can rely on Butcher when I find myself in that strange between book limbo phase when nothing I pick up to read strikes my fancy. Ten books strong the series refuses to run out of steam and I continue to look forward to the next entry.

Book: Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

Series: The Goblin Wars

Book Order: Tyger, Tyger* (1); In the Forests of the Night (2) - coming November 2011
* indicates a book I have read

Teagan Wylltson, also known as Tea, is a more or less average teenager with an artistic mother, a bookish father and a younger brother Aiden who has a gift for karaoke.  She has a great internship working with primates at the local zoo and is on track for a college scholarship, yet things start to get strange when Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives.  Introduced as a not-quite-cousin, Tea and her best friend Abby are pretty sure that Finn is trouble despite Tea's attraction to him.  Finn leaves almost as soon as he arrives, but when malevolent shadows strike out at Tea's family, she soon discovers that the Irish stories and legends her parents used to read to her are more than just myths and fantasy. She learns that Fear Doirich - the goblin king - is frighteningly real, and when he spirits away Tea's father it's up to her, Aiden, and Finn to mount a rescue.  Delving into a land that she barely understands, Tea must learn the truth about the stories she thought she knew, including the secrets about her own identity and the normal life she's always known.

Kersten Hamilton weaves an enchanting young adult urban fantasy story in this book.  I loved that it was set in Chicago with ties to Irish myths and legends.  Teagan was an exciting and dynamic heroine who displayed honest emotions - fear, concern, uncertainty, regret - while still possessing a bold spirit to face the challenges in front of her.  Finn was intriguing, a good conflicted hero, and I hope there is a bit more development of his character in the second book.  The supporting cast was also delightful and musically-minded Aiden and Teagan's friend Abby - who may have ties to the mafia - added a spark of humor to the novel.  Filled with action and imagination, the book was well paced.  At times chilling, funny, sentimental, and surprising Tyger, Tyger was a great blend of modern storytelling with Irish mythology.  Continuing on with William Blake's influence for a title, the second Goblin Wars book In the Forests of the Night (due to be released in November of 2011) promises to carry on the beautiful setup of this novel and hopefully deliver more of the same.  

Along with featuring this book for Series in September, I want to include it as part of my 2011 Fairy Tale Challenge (8 out of 12).  The incorporation of traditional characters from Irish legends make this a great work for those that love updated versions of classic stories.  I was originally attempting to blog one fairy tale a month, so I'm a little behind on my schedule, but I hope to still make 12 by year end.  I'll happily take recommendations for tales I should read, too!  And if you want more information about the genesis of the 2011 Fairy Tale Challenge check out the blog that started it and got me hooked on fairy tales once again: Tif Talks Books!

Call it Snowmaggedon, Snowpocalypse, SnO-M-G, or any other type of Blizzaster - whatever cutesy moniker you pin on it did not make it any less of an annoying or inconvenient weather phenomena.  Schools canceled, work canceled and the general advisory was not to leave the house on Wednesday unless absolutely necessary.  And after the necessary shoveling was done (digging or tunneling might be a better word...) staying inside all day really did seem a pleasant option.  Warm clothes, comfy blankets, hot tea, and of course - good books! 

I suppose I have Chicagoland's third largest snowfall in history to thank/blame for my recent reading progress.  Not only did I finish Preston & Child's Fever Dream (a read aloud with my husband), but I made extensive progress through Romancing Miss Brontë by Juliet Gael as well as jumping back into a bit of The Count of Monte Cristo on my Kindle.

Were you home-bound by severe weather recently?  Did you use it as an excuse to get some extra reading done?

photo credits: "Snow Day" by Betty M and "Dude - Where's my car?" by Tatiana A.

Shauna Niequist, author of Cold Tangerines, returns to writing and her signature style of simple but poignant observations on faith in everyday life in her latest book Bittersweet. Subtitled thoughts on change, grace, and learning the hard way, Niequist does not shy away from discussing her own personal struggles and pain. Her candid honesty and conversational tone connects the reader to her words and her life making her message stronger, clearer, and more profound.

Each of the small chapters works as a stand-alone essay, but they all tie together smoothly. Whether reading one passage at a time or several in one sitting, the book has a smooth pace. Niequist is ultimately quotable, too; and I found myself dog-earring multiple pages knowing that there were several lines I wanted to come back and reflect on at a later time.

The title of the book comes from Niequist's idea that a full life requires both bitterness and sweetness. She says, "When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow." In a later chapter about friendship and the trap of always trying to appear perfect she explains, "We slip into believing that it's better to strive for perfection than to accept and offer one another grace." And among many brilliant thoughts on writing she offers the insight, "Writing wakes me up, lights me on fire, opens my eyes to the things I can never see and feel when I'm hiding under the covers, cowering and consumed with my own failures and fears."

Niequist is not ashamed to share her "failures and fears" with the reader but it is obvious that what she states about writing is true. In the written word she truly does shine, and her words are perfectly chosen and powerful, creating a work to be reread, reflected on, and ruminated over long after the final page is turned.

Book: White Night by Jim Butcher

Series:The Dresden Files

Book Order: Storm Front* (1), Fool Moon* (2), Grave Peril* (3), Summer Knight* (4), Death Masks* (5), Blood Rites* (6), Dead Beat* (7), Proven Guilty* (8), White Night*  (9), Small Favor (10), Turn Coat (11), Changes (12),  Plus assorted short stories
* indicates a book I have read

Harry Dresden has the honor of being the only wizard listed in the Chicago phone book, and in White Night he's back for another suspenseful adventure.  The chivalrous sorcerer can't stand seeing a lady in trouble so when a string of apparent suicides among a group of female magic practitioners comes to his attention, Harry decides to look deeper at the events.  He definitely doesn't like what he sees when all evidence starts to point to someone close to him as the prime suspect.

As a Chicagoan, I'm particularly vulnerable to loving this series.  Jim Butcher effortlessly captures the heart and soul of The Windy City and readers familiar with the locale will delight in witnessing Harry accurately refer to, visit, and wreak havoc across their favorite sites.  Of course, even those who have never been to Chicago can appreciate visiting the city through Harry's eyes and the humor, suspense, and adventure woven through Butcher's writing are a treat to all readers.

The books in The Dresden Files series are probably best when read in order.  There are many references to previous events in this novel - and many jokes based on those events - and the complex relationships of the characters can't adequately be explained in summary style.  However, I really feel this is a series that has improved with almost every book.  Storm Front, the first in the series, was a great read when I first encountered it, but looking at how far the series has come, it's arguably the weakest novel of the group.  Dead Beat, book seven, might be my favorite in the string, but White Night was an excellent work and even after nine Dresden novels, my appetite for Jim Butcher's Windy City wizard is still eager for more. 

So now I'm wondering, what do you think about reading books that are set in the city/town/area where you live or work?  Any examples of an author or book that did a great job capturing the spirit of the place you call home?

Welcome back to my continued conversation with Michael Clifford, author of The Book and The Muse of Edouard Manet!  (In case you missed it, read Part One of this interview here!)

In The Muse of Eduoard Manet, your descriptions of art conservation and authentication appear really well researched. Is this a subject you studied for composing Muse or did you already have background knowledge?

One of the most important elements for me as an author is to ensure believability and character. Emily Porterfield works in the art conservation department? Then I work in the conservation department. The Art Institute granted me a special privilege in 2005 to allow me a chance to tour their conservation labs and offices - including the exam room with the x-ray machine! I asked them thousands of questions, got to see them working on paintings up close and modeled my written description of the space around their laboratory. After another five months of research, I felt I knew enough (if not too much) to make her character as true as she could be. I plan to always give my characters such accuracy. As a reader, I absolutely hate when I can tell that the topic is poorly researched or simply embellished upon because, "hey…it's fiction." Sorry dude. If you're writing on the topic, you better be well-read on the topic.

The Book explores the advantages of digital readers but also extols the virtues of the printed word. Do you have a Kindle, Nook, iPad, or eReader or do you prefer traditional books?

I am definitely one to embrace change. I love change. As a novelist, my mind runs in different directions when being introduced to change. The moment I noticed someone reading a book from a Palm Pilot ten years ago, I immediately envisioned the government altering the text without the reader being aware. BUT the technology is great and the convenience is staggering. I think that if I had too many books to choose from I may start a book and then want to jump to another before I'm finished. Knowing my tendencies, I'm sticking to paper for now. I do love paper books. There are a lot of us out there that still love reading from paper books. The way they smell. How, like us, they grow old and worn over time. The cover gets wrinkled. The pages dog-eared. I obviously touch on this topic in The Book and romanticize it for those who still love paper, but in reality...I don't really see a future without both paper and digital. I'm hoping my book will play a role in keeping paper books around, but I can't see bookstores going away. Used or New.

What projects are you currently working on?

The second and third novel in the Time Chronicles series, which I've recently decided to make a nine part set throughout the duration of my writing career. The first three cover Emily's life. The second three, her daughter's life and the final three span her grandson's life. I'm already intending on losing years of my own life to research, as it took me two years for Muse and another two-plus for The Opera Ghost and The Vindication of the Ripper. So don't wait until I'm finished with them to start the series...

My current project is called The Felinian which will be out in the fall. To put it plainly, I've created a new monster. There once was a time when a vampire was a simple ideas. And then Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. I'm hoping the same will be said of The Felinian. When people hear that it's a book about a "cat-woman" they say to themselves that the monster already exists. Sorry to disappoint, but not in the way I created her. The Felinian is a girl who discovers that she has powers. Just as vampires, she has a need to feed...on boys. And like her counterpart, the werewolf, these needs arise during the cycles of the moon, the tides and the circulating seasons. "Cat woman" has been heard of before. But the being I created is vastly different in all aspects. Comparing the batman-style "cat woman" to a Felinian is like comparing Count Chocula to Count Dracula.

I say it's a "new monster" because I give her a gothic backstory. There is a deep mythology that plays with the idea that they've existed for thousands of years. The 4-book saga takes place over the course of her four years in high school with a deeply Halloweenian setting. It's interesting to engage with this high school dynamic and the social awkwardness that comes with those years, following someone who is different and who stands out from the crowd. As puberty sets in and she discovers that she is a monster, we see why this change would make her life a nightmare - including the introduction of older Felinian, which gives me license to show different times in history. The Felinian plays to that alluring eternal life aspect that readers are drawn to with Vampires. Vampires never age and the same goes for Felinian - until they lose one of their nine lives. At which point they age dramatically. What's interesting is that you can have a 14 year old girl who looks 100 years old and vice versa. Sorry, I know I'm gabbing on about it, but it's what I'm working on right now and I'm excited!

The story is fantasy, but there is a lot of history and suspense and it's darker than you would expect. But not inappropriately dark for a high school novel. It's young adult but will be enjoyed by the older reader in the way that Stephanie Meyer's books are. I know that the market is flooded with Vampire stories so I decided that, rather than add to the pile, I wanted to create my own new pile. Just like all these YA novels that take place throughout a school year - each book is self-contained and enjoyable on its own and will relate to the entire series. I notice how much young adults are reading books like Harry Potter and Twilight. My novel is fresh, but not completely dissimilar to what one can find in the young adult section of the bookstore. I came up with this book because I wanted to encourage this desire to read. This sort of answers the next question, but most of the English teachers I've been speaking to over the past months share the same sentiment that young students aren't reading. I want to help them out anyway I can. To provide another outlet, catch young interest and encourage them to become life-long readers.

Anything else you'd like to share? Where can we find out more about your upcoming work, appearances, etc?

In the fall, I'll be having a tour of high schools across the US. If you teach English, send me a line and I'll try to fit you into the tour schedule!

My thanks to Lisa for the opportunity.  Please look me up for more information, to ask me questions about my books and find out what's coming next:


http://www.dontreadthebook.com
http://www.thetimechronicles.com
http://mcliffordauthor.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/M-Clifford/330111742567

I met a lot of people in college and little did I know that one of them (so far!) would emerge an author writing books that would blow my mind.  Accepted into the quarter-finals - top 250 submissions - of Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award, The Book was met with rave reviews.  Equally impressive is The Muse of Eduard Manet, the first in an exciting trilogy called the Time Chronicles of Emily Porterfield.  It is my honor to present a two-part interview with author Michael Clifford.

*applause, applause*

Thanks for letting me interview you, Mike!

In The Book you explore a dystopian version of Chicago while The Muse of Edouard Manet is historical fiction with a bit of time travel. Was either genre more enjoyable to write?

I'll always have better memories associated with The Muse of Edouard Manet. It was my first *real* novel and so, I took my time. The Book was a journey but there was a lot of sadness associated with it. I was mourning my father and knew exactly what would happen in the novel as it progressed. When I started Muse, I was at a great stage in my life and there were a lot of places I wanted to explore in the first draft. Each day was enjoyable. I researched for two years to understand 19th century Paris and became an expert on a lot of topics - Impressionism, Edouard Manet, art conservation, Einstein's theories on time travel, etc. My wife was amazed, seeing me captivated by scholarly articles. But although my book is fantasy, it was important for me to keep the story as realistic as possible. If there was time travel, it had to be consistent and self-sustained. So much of that genre is built on rules that don't make sense. Rules that the author invented for the sake of the plot. It should be the other way around. My book allows those people, the logically-distracted reader, to finally exhale and give time travel a chance again.

Muse is Mainstream Fiction, so it covers a lot of genres - Romance, Fantasy, History, Science, Murder, Suspense, Mystery, Art History and much more. The best aspect is that (to borrow from Gaston Leroux, author of The Phantom of the Opera), my novel is "Faction". Rather than create the character of Edouard Manet, I studied the real person, devouring every book I could find on him. I then recreated him in full and molded my story around HIS character. Just as I had used the details in his paintings, I did not construct something within the story that didn't already exist. I think rules are important with writing. I make my own and stick to them.

Mainstream Fiction with daubs of Faction is more enjoyable to write because it's like going to a huge barbecue where there's all these different grills going and food being passed and so many differently flavors to savor and tastes to enjoy. Everything you could want and fit awkwardly on a paper plate, right before your eyes. With care, the meal can be amazing. These elements gain prominence with each subsequent novel. Muse was initially written to be a stand alone piece, but my wife wouldn't have it! She wanted to know what happened to the characters and how time travel could affect them all. Thus The Time Chronicles of Emily Porterfield was outlined and written.

I'm sure you've heard it a lot, but your wife is right! I couldn't agree with her more, and I can't wait to read the next installments of Emily's story.  :)  But moving on, are your reading tastes as varied as your writing?

I'll read anything. Especially if it's an audio book. I am very aural in nature and I focus better with an audio book. When I read from a book, I hear my own voice. It's good for an author to hear voices different than their own (did I just write that?). Silly. I usually try to get through 8-10 books a summer, but if it's audio and I'm working out, sky is the limit.

Which authors would you say have most inspired or influenced your writing?

Michael Crichton. He mixes science, mystery, intrigue and deep character-driven plots. He also weaves fact with fiction. After reading Jurassic Park as a kid, I watched an interview where he said that scientists were close to discovering the ability to clone dinosaur cells. I remember thinking, "How cool! This story could actually happen?" If you look at Muse and The Book, you'll see that (within the framework of the story) I set them up to be "possible". More rules, I guess.

The Book contains multiple references and quotes from other books and literary sources. At what point in constructing the novel did you gather them? Were there any that you wanted to include that were left out?

I knew I wanted some of the quotes when I started. Books that had an interesting past, regardless of their content. There also were serendipitous times during the writing process. Once, I played "book roulette". I went to the library, walked the aisles, pulled out a book by W. Somerset Maugham with a relatable title and opened it up. The first page I saw had someone reading a book. The quote was perfect, so I used it. I always knew that I was going to use The Catcher in the Rye, because I wanted my main character to get his name from a once well-read novel. A surly critic once told me that they didn't want to read a book about a character whose name is Holden with the surname of the author. I chose to give Holden my last name because he is a combination of me and my father (who is also named Michael). My father passed away just before I was about to write The Book, so it's sort of a "grieving process" novel. After his funeral, I dove into the favorite books of my youth which included Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. From day one I knew Fahrenheit would be included because I wanted my main character to share the same experience that Bradbury had given his - to be surreptitiously reading a forbidden book in the private comforts of his home. I thought that by using Bradbury's novel, it would be a nice homage to the man. There are other reasons I included some of my quotes, but I'm leaving some questions unanswered! Other quotes left out? I wanted to include some Michael Crichton and Stephen King, but I didn't want too many quotes cluttering the narrative.

Pop quiz - in one of the quotes I included, there is a single word that is different than the original text. And there's also one novel I included that doesn't exist.

On that note, I'm going to go do some searching through my copy of The Book, and try to come up with an answer! Part two of this interview will be coming soon!

Living near Chicago is something that I rarely appreciate as the gift it is in my life.  One of my favorite high school field trips was for my senior year Humanities class in which we took an architectural walking tour of the city and ended up at one of my favorite museums, The Art Institute of Chicago.  With the iconic lions gracing the stairs on either side of the entrance, the outside of the building is gorgeous but displays only a tiny fraction of the priceless beauty inside.

 It's a place I could lose myself in for hours on end, and though I haven't been there in several years (a fact I hope to remedy this summer) I recently encountered a book that transported me there and reminded me how much I love the place and the stunning works contained inside.  The Muse of Edouard Manet is the second that I have read, but the first written, by my college friend Michael Clifford.

A conservationist at The Art Institute of Chicago, Emily Porterfield has always been attracted to the works of pre-Impressionist painter Eduoard Manet. When a Manet exhibit is scheduled to display at the Art Institute, Emily x-ray's one of the paintings and discovers a hidden letter written in lead white paint beneath the artist's scene. The discovery could change her career, but her life is even more drastically altered when, upon falling asleep after reading the letter, she is mystically transported to Paris in the 1870's and meets the artist himself.

Swept up in the amazing impossibility of time travel while dreaming, Emily finds herself getting to know, and falling in love with, the man whose work she would adore a hundred fifty years in the future. However, in the present, she faces the discovery of three "new" Manet paintings, seemingly lost during World War II. Whether the paintings are real or forged is a secret that someone might just be willing to kill to keep.

M. Clifford's work is a stunning blend of genres - science fiction and history, romance and mystery. The details of Edouard Manet's life and work are as intricate and precise as the expertly researched descriptions of modern day art authentication and preservation. Sweetly romantic, action-driven, and emotional, with a mix of information, humor and suspense, The Muse of Edouard Manet is a literary work of art!

The book tells a succinct story with a satisfying conclusion, but with writing this vivid and characters so enjoyable, readers will be eager for the soon to be released second and third books in The Time Chronicles of Emily Porterfield!

Along with being a really enjoyable read, this book reminded me how much I love artwork.  I actually took an Art History class in college and one of my fondest memories was actually being given the assignment to spend time in the art museum.  One of my favorite works was actually not a painting but a sculpture.  It's a somewhat creepy and disturbing work - image at left - called "The Blind" by Lorado Taft. (..but that's a rather long story.)  Do you consider yourself an art fan?  Do you have a favorite painting?  Van Gogh's Starry Night?  The Scream by Munch?  Seurat's Sunday Afternoon?  I'd love to hear comments about what inspires or awes you!

From The Lightning Thief to The Last Olympian, last year I read through Rick Riordan's entire Percy Jackson series.  I've long been a fan of ancient civilizations so I enjoyed the modern take on Greek mythology, but I was even more excited to dig into The Red Pyramid, Riordan's newest book in which he brings a contemporary spin to another ancient culture.

Carter Kane has spent his life traveling with his Egyptologist father.  For Christmas, Carter and his father head to England to see Sadie, Carter's sister, who lives with her grandparents and only sees her dad and brother twice a year.  Their visit is drastically changed after a trip to the British Museum when Carter's father unleashes a spell that releases five ancient Egyptian gods into the world.  It's up to Sadie and Carter, with the help of some unlikely bodyguards, to stop Set, god of chaos, from destroying the world.  Along the way, they'll have to learn about their father's secret life of magic and the truth of their family heritage.

It's difficult not to draw a comparison between this first installment of The Kane Chronicles with Rick Riordan's hugely popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, but although there are many similarities, The Red Pyramid is a unique and original tale.  This story was told from both Carter's and Sadie's perspectives and both narrators infuse the story with Riordan's signature humor - including witty chapter titles.  The book is filled with action and packed with details and information about Egyptian gods and mythology, encouraging learning alongside entertainment.  

I found the ending of the book to be interesting and unexpected and I'm very curious to read how The Kane Chronicles will continue in the future.  Riordan knows how to weave a great story and fans of his writing will definitely want to pick up this book.

Interestingly enough, I started The Red Pyramid last week when Chicago was in the throes of Stanley Cup fever.  I really enjoyed this story about the Kane family and their connection to magicians of ancient Egypt, and I  also had a smile on my face watching the final game of the hockey playoffs as - in overtime - the Blackhawks #88 scored the winning goal, a shot that only he and the Flyer's goalie saw go into the net, to bring Lord Stanley back to Chicago.  Who was this miracle shot maker?  Who was this Blackhawk winger with a touch of magic up his sleeve?

Why, it was Kane, of course!

Back when my hometown still had used bookstores, I remember picking out a fantasy novel with an intriguing title and a somewhat familiar author blazing across a cool two page cover - the front page is a two-tone scene with the top displaying a green hued city and below a black bar bearing the title is a sepia picture of a tunnel with the opening cut out to reveal a purple image of the torch lined tunnel on the interior page.  The author's name on the top read "National Bestseller Neil Gaiman" and when I first picked up the novel, the name struck a chord in my memory from a series of graphic novels I read in late high school and college. And across the black bar at the center of the cover lie ten letters in white font reading "Neverwhere".

The story is an urban fantasy of a man named Richard Mayhew who, after stopping to help an injured girl on the street, is pulled into an alternate reality in the world of London Below.  Gaiman's premise is built on the idea that many people in the ordinary London (London Above) have slipped through the cracks into London Below, an underworld of magic and mystery.  Here people can speak to rodents and pigeons and the various London Tube stations have identities of their own: there is an Earl in Earl's Court and there are Friars in Blackfriar's Station.  Richard's fate and chance of survival in London Below comes to depend on the girl he helped, a young woman named Door whose family has been killed, and her companions the Marquis de Carabas and the fierce warrior named Hunter.  Pursuing them all are the villains Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar - hitmen, who are not quite men, with an unknown employer.  And then there's the Beast of London.

I don't want to give too much away about this book, but I will say it's one of my all time favorite novels and the one which first enamored me to Neil Gaiman as a writer (I like his graphic novels, but I love his prose).  Early in chapter one, Gaiman introduces two main characters with the following passage:

"There are four simple ways for the observant to tell Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar apart: first, Mr. Vandemar is two and a half heads taller than Mr. Croup; second, Mr. Croup has eyes of a faded china blue, while Mr. Vandemar's eyes are brown; third, while Mr. Vandemar fashioned the rings he wears on his right hand out of the skulls of four ravens, Mr. Croup has no obvious jewelry; fourth, Mr. Croup likes words, while Mr. Vandemar is always hungry.  Also, they look nothing at all alike."

~Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere p. 7

If that passage incites nothing more than a shoulder shrug from you, I'd recommend not bothering with Gaiman's work.  But if you're like me, you find it highly entertaining.  From the opening words, the reader imagines Gaiman is about to describe slight differences between the individuals.  He continues with some brilliant descriptive writing, revealing both physical and character traits, and closes the paragraph by completely overturning the reader's original perception.  And all of this is done amid a somewhat fearful and suspenseful chapter.  The juxtaposition of humor and darkness is something of a signature in Gaiman's work and I think this passage is a good snapshot of what much of his work contains. 

I read this book years ago, and I'm sure some people are wondering: why blog about it now? 

This weekend I had the opportunity to see a stage production of Neverwhere at Chicago's Lifeline Theatre.  Adapted for stage by Rob Kazlauric (who also takes on the role of Richard with a very believable Scottish accent) and directed by Paul Holmquist, the show follows the novel quite closely and does a wonderful job capturing the humor, adventure and excitement of the story.  The cast was magnificent and each character seemed to have walked right from the pages of Gaiman's work.  The sets, sound, lighting, music, makeup, costumes, puppets, and props were all pulled together with fabulous details, and the love of the source material was evident in every aspect of the production.  For those in the Chicagoland area - or those looking for a reason to take a Windy City vacation - I highly recommend seeing Neverwhere.  The show has been extended to July 18th, but tickets have been selling out, so if you're debating, don't delay.  I should note too that I really liked Lifeline Theatre as well.  They are a venue that specializes in literary adaptations and I'm a little ashamed to admit that this was my first visit - however, as their new season advertises The Moonstone and Watership Down, I certainly plan on returning!

Well I don't know that I'll make it to either, but I want to put a quick spotlight on two Literary events this month for those in the Chicagoland area, featuring authors I've already blogged about!

Summer's a great time for reading and a great time for outdoor festivals, so if you're in the area be sure to check out one or both of these awesome events!

Four simple words begin the narrative of M. Clifford's The Book: "Don't Read The Book".

What bibliophile can resist a challenge such as that? With a slight smirk I eagerly defied those words and plunged onward into the world of Holden Clifford - an intriguing dystopia in which environmental laws have banned paper and all literature and news media are conveniently conveyed to audiences via digital hand-held devices, portable and personal, each one called The Book. Holden, like his Salinger namesake, is a character caught existing rather than truly living and right from the start - as I, too, used a novel to shroud myself from a daily Chicago commute - I found myself empathizing with him and silently hoping for whatever would break him from his mundane life.

Holden's awakening comes in a Chicago bar called The Library, a tribute to the recycled book pages that wallpaper the venue. Upon seeing his name on an antique page from his favorite book, Holden's eyes are opened, not only to the powerful mystique of the printed word, but to the alterations from the original text that exist in the digital version he read his whole life.

M. Clifford's writing style is fresh and unique. The gripping story proves him to be an expert storyteller, beautifully weaving together political intrigue, suspenseful action, intricate relationships, and philosophical discussion. His descriptive techniques encourage the reader to engage with the writing - to enjoy the language as much as the story. It is a novel to be both savored and devoured. There are books which are meant to be read, respected, and reshelved, but The Book is one which lingers in my mind after the final pages have been viewed. It is a conversation starter as much as a story, drawing on themes such as the benefits and pitfalls of technology. Clifford's work sheds light on new thoughts and raises unanswerable questions but it could just be that the resolution is not nearly as valuable as the inquiry.

 The questions that this book sparks about the digital revolution in the publishing industry are the foundation of conversations I have had multiple times in the break room at work, on the train or the bus in the city, and even in my online book club.  Though I don't own one, I see the inherent handiness of devices such as the Kindle, the Nook, Sony's eReader, and the iPad.  (My reasons for not owning one are strictly financial ones - I would adore the convenience but I fear that my book-buying budget for the year would be spent in a matter of weeks with the convenience of one touch shopping.)  But I'd love to raise the conversation here.

Do you have a digital reading device and what do you see as the advantages/disadvantages compared to paper books?  Do you think that the prevalence of digital books has changed or will change society's views on the value of the printed word?