Behind the Bookshelf: Interview with a bookseller, Pamela Delegge

 

Meet Pamela Delegge, mother to Allie and bookseller extraordinaire. This lady is serious about her books and is more tuned in to what books and authors to keep your eye on than almost anyone I know. She spent years handselling books to her regular customers at Barnes & Noble in Reston, Virginia until she and the husband jumped the pond (once again) for Germany.

What are you currently reading? Thoughts on it?

I am in the middle of several books. And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini is the main one I am reading. It is a tearjerker, as I suspected. He is an author that you can depend to give you a good book. I am also reading a completely different book because I can only take tragedy so much and that is The Humans by Matt Haig. I just started this one and am hoping it is as good as his previous book, The Radleys. Finally, I am listening to the audio Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, who is one of my favorite authors and the audio is wonderful.

What books are you most looking forward to this year?

There are a lot, so sit down!

Alex by Pierre Lemaitre. Actually, I was able to buy this book from my favorite British book seller and am waiting for it in the mail.

We Are Water by Wally Lamb. This is one I am waiting impatiently for he is my favorite.

The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan. Another big favorite.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. This is a debut author that I am hearing a lot about.

The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer. I had to include this teen novel because I do like teen and her series was awesome.

The Returned by Jason Mott. Interesting fact is that Brad Pitt's production company bought the rights to this book.

Night Film by Marish Pessl. She wrote Special Topics in Calamity Physics, which I loved.

There are always more!

Did you set any reading goals for 2013? If so, what are they?

Let’s be honest, a reader doesn’t need to stress about how many books to read nor how many are classics. I have loved reading many classics, and there are some books, classic or not, that I will read again. But I have no desire to go back and read all the books I should have read in High School or College. So- No- to goals.

What three characters would you invite to the bar for a drink?

Rose and Ruby from the book The Girls by Lori Lansens. They are conjoined twins and this is one of my top five books. They are characters I can still picture in my head today. I loved this book.

If you could convince any two authors to write a book together, who would it be? Why?

I would pick Andrea Camilleri and Donna Leon. The only reason is they are my husband Tony’s favorite authors, and they both write about Italy. I have never been a big fan of authors writing together except for Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.

What's the most annoying book you see flying off the shelves?

This has been a hard one for me. I was irritated when The Road won a Pulitzer because I really didn’t like that book at all. I was confused as to the popularity of Fifty Shades of Harlequin (Ha-Ha), but I do like that people still love to read no matter what, so annoyed as I might have been, I still think everyone has the right to read what they want. This is still America!

If you could give people one piece of advice to prep them for entering a bookstore, what would it be?

I think you should look at the staff recommendations first, and find a staff member that likes the same kind of books you do and talk to them (hopefully they are booksellers that read). There are so many websites and magazines out there, if you do not have a good bookstore near you. Publishers Weekly, Good Reads, Amazon and Barnes and Nobles also have a lot of good information.

Weekending, 06.15.13

Ah, weekends, so often the sweet spot of the week. Forty-eight hours spent racing the clock. Really, it's far too little time to reboot my brain, write all of the things, read all of the books and spend time with all of my people. That doesn't mean I don't give it my best shot though :-)

I managed to climb out of bed at a reasonable hour on Saturday morning to meet up with Ravena for a trip into Maryland to check out Hobby Lobby. Somehow I got it in my mind that they would have a sign with the word 'library' on it. They didn't. I can't help the fact that it was less than two miles away from the Dutch Country Farmer's Market (and things like candy apples, which I did not buy). When I got home, I spent some time trying to read a few Avengers comics in preparation for a post I'm trying to write comparing fanfic to comic books. It was nice to kick my feet up before getting ready to meet Scarlet at McMahon's in Warrenton, VA. If Stars Hollow were a business, it just might be McMahon's. I like it (and their vodka tonics) just that much.

I treated myself to This Is The End and Now You See Me on Sunday morning (thank you, $5 matinees) before grocery shopping and all of those other necessary weekend activities. Honestly, I expected to be disappointed by This Is The End. Sometimes I feel like I'm broken on the inside because I don't always find comedies funny like most people seem to. This, however, was freaking hilarious. Don't get me wrong. It was also stupid, but I found that I couldn't stop giggling.

The first two photos are actually from the Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, Maryland. I was there on Thursday afternoon, but the center was just too pretty not to include.

Art binge, living my art life on Pinterest

I haven't written about art* since Oliver Jeffers at the end of January. Yikes! My love for the topic has definitely not waned. In fact, I sort of ended up giving myself a rather large art-related research project and have been dabbling in that here and there, trying to figure out how to really get started. I've also found myself slowly and sporadically cataloging some of my current art interests over on Pinterest.

To keep up with some of what is currently holding my interest, head over and follow my Art Binge board.

*Let's set aside the fact that film and books are works of art.

Thrifty DC: Alamo Drafthouse

I'm going to get over myself and tell you why you should make your way to the Alamo Drafthouse out in the wilds of Ashburn, Virginia (really pushing the bounds of metro DC). I'm going to swallow that tiny, tiny shred of Texas pride I manage to hold onto (you realize I've pretty much shed any remaining dignity by admitting that, right?) and my zealous belief that special things should remain in special places* to tell you about it. Really, I am.

The thing that makes the Alamo Drafthouse truly special isn't their robust menu and in-seat food service. It's all about the special events and screenings they show. For years, I've been jealous of my brother's ability to attend the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sing-Along and have tried to arrange my Christmas travel schedule so that I can finally attend an Elf Quote-Along. They excel at turning a movie into an interactive event and bonding experience.

How would I spend $20 and while away a Saturday?

Get your rear to the Alamo Drafthouse out in Ashburn (fill up your tank first...it's far) over the next few days and check it out. On Saturday, you can channel the Summer of '83 and watch Jaws 3D on the big screen or roll with your homies next Thursday for the Clueless Quote-Along. It's not really a thrifty outing, especially if you order food, but I can't imagine you having a bad time.


*Can we stop franchising everything please??

My story as told by water, part V

photo by Kate Gardiner

Have you ever been water skiing?

In high school, my best friend's family owned one of those motorboats meant to be driven at alarming speeds over great expanses of water, and I was lucky enough to get to join them for a couple of summer trips on one of the local lakes. The Texas sun was always relentless in its intensity, constantly reminding us how uninhabitable the west should have been. Taking to the water was your only real alternative to sealing yourself inside an air conditioned home. The wind and spray coming off the waves as the boat skipped across the water was the kind of refreshing that I think only a dog riding with its head out the window can understand.

The boat ramps are now closed at Twin Buttes Reservoir because of the drought, but back in the '90s there would be a line of folks waiting to put in. We were never there to fish but, instead, had a need for speed and a desire to be pulled recklessly behind a boat with nothing but a rope. It really is amazing what the oblivion and fearlessness of youth will lead you to do. But I digress.

I was never good at water skiing. In fact, I'm not sure what I did actually counted as skiing. Really, I never excelled at anything that involved a level of mastery over my own body, and water skiing was no different. A girl can only withstand so many false starts and attempts to get her feet under her. Even with wobbly legs finally underneath me, there was no grace in my form. In fact, if you were on Twin Buttes 20 years ago and remember the incredible girl who sailed around the lake bent at the waist, we may have very well been ships passing in the night.

That's What She Read, episode 3

I'm excited to announce that a new episode of That's What She Read is up! Our goal is to post a new episode every month to allow for life and all of the books in between. Once we get a few episodes in the hopper, we'll migrate to iTunes. In the meantime, do us a solid and listen! We think we're pretty entertaining ;-)

There are a few ways you can listen: stream it; download it; or listen to it on the Soundcloud app.

In this month's episode, I talk about The Secret History by Donna Tartt, What Changes Everything by Masha Hamilton, and the Positron series by Margaret Atwood. Ravena talks about barreling through Alliance of Blood by Ariel Tachna, Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman, and Whoever Fights the Monsters (fanfic) by circ_bamboo and feelslikefire. As more of these make their way up, I think you'll see the breadth of styles we cover and how different our reading proclivities are.

Episode 2 is also online, if you'd like to catch up!

Behind the Bookshelf: Interview with a bookseller, Malnurtured Snay

 Meet Malnurtured Snay! Let's call him MS for grins. He's a voracious reader living and working in the District, and another one of us who always wanted to work in a bookstore. As he plotted his escape from Timonium to DC, MS started applying at all your standard stores: Barnes & Noble, Kramer's (one of my favorite discoveries when I first moved to this area), and the Borders in Golden Triangle (ever notice how it's not an actual triangle?). He wound up at Borders and worked there until February/March 2011, when the store closed in the first phase of what was Border's death knell (his words, not mine).  He bought a lot of books during his time there.

MS can be found exploring this beautiful city by foot and by bus and is known to tweet incessantly about Star Trek: TNG (among other things) at @MalnurteredSnay. He can be found proffering book reviews and other opinions over at, you guessed it, Malnurtured Snay.

What are you currently reading? Thoughts on it?

I've been reading "Arthur the King" by Allan Massie which places the Arthur legend at the end of the Roman occupation of Britain and Merlin the son of a centurion. I'm enjoying it, but it's really making me want to watch John Borrman's Excalibur.

What books are you most looking forward to this year?

None - ever since I stopped working in a bookstore, I just haven't kept up with news about what books are being published. I've also become a huge fan of used bookstores and book sales. There are lots of both in the DC area, and there's a great weekly "Folio Sale" at the DC-Chevy Chase library on Connecticut Avenue. There's also an annual "pop up" bookstore at Farragut Square for a month each spring. Somehow this was off my radar until this year, but I definitely stopped through a few times and picked up a lot of stuff. 

Actually, I take that back because Nathaniel Philbrick has a new book coming out (it's not nautical themed, which is strange) on the battle of Bunker Hill. But due to my aversion to buying books new (they're expensive!) I'm going to hope I get it as a birthday or Christmas gift this year. 

Did you set any reading goals for 2013? If so, what are they?

I actually set myself a goal of not buying any more books. I live in a studio apartment. There are bookshelves stacked on bookshelves in my apartment, and each shelf is packed full of books. I even have a book handtruck from Borders in one corner, and it's piled high. I just buy books in vastly more quantities than I will ever be able to read them, but that goal only lasted a few months. I've been finding books that I have multiple copies of and taking them to work and trying to give them to coworkers. I don't work in a bookstore anymore, so this is a little harder than it used to be. I'll just be happy to have a few great days with good books on the roof deck of my building.

What three characters would you invite to the bar for a drink?

Jack Reacher, King Arthur, and Harry Potter. I guess it would have to be a British bar - drinking age is 18 there, right? Gotta make sure Harry can get a drink. 

If you could convince any two authors to write a book together, who would it be? Why?

I think if you could get Alastair Reynolds, who writes some amazingly scientific space opera, to collaborate with Ken Follett, who writes these tremendously thick and engaging historical novels (I want another sequel to Pillars of the Earth!) that would just blow my mind. 

What's the most annoying book you see flying off the shelves?

Well, it's been a few years since I worked in a bookstore, but can I do three way tie? Anything in the Twilight Series, anything by Dan Brown, and anything by Nicholas Sparks. Speaking of Sparks, I don't for the life of me understand why he isn't shelved in Romance.

If you could give people one piece of advice to prep them for entering a bookstore, what would it be?

Like ... as a customer, or as an employee? 

As a customer: feel free to browse, but when you're done with a book, please actually put it back onto the shelf where you found it. Don't just stack the thing. We had one night when some college professor (or professor-type, anyway) came in with some of his students and walked around the store, from section to section, pulling a bunch of titles out from each section, then just leaving them stacked on the floor when they moved along. Seriously, fuck that guy; don't be that guy. And if you ask a bookseller for help and all you know about the book is that it has a red cover and used to be on that corner of that table six months ago and they find it for you? They deserve a cash tip.

As an employee: there are customers who come in, browse, and leave. Most of these people are boring, and unless they come in a bunch, you won't remember them. The ones you will remember are those who are great, and those who are awful. Wherever you work, there will be code names for the awful ones. Every now and then I run into some of these awful people in DC, and the first instinct is to just turn and fucking run. Oh! The stories.

Garlic and Sapphires

When a friend pressed Garlic and Sapphires into my hand while browsing Reston Used Books, I was skeptical. I was sure it would be a fine, entertaining read and agreed, thinking it would be a break after the intensity of The Twelve. What I wasn't expecting was the maelstrom of thoughts and emotions this book spurred. More than a simple memoir filled with entertaining stories (and they were entertaining), Reichl unwittingly schooled me in criticism and dipped her toe into the world of social critique.

To be honest, I've never given much thought to what goes into being a restaurant critic. Yes, I assumed there was the eating of the food, and I can't forget the scene from Gilmore Girls when Sookie was trying to track down a critic who had recently reviewed the Inn. This book felt a little like a master class in criticism. As I read of Reichl's four and five visits to the restaurants she reviewed and of all the different dishes and courses she sampled, I felt like such a schmo. Of course she does this. She's a professional with uncompromising standards and would feel the need to account for natural variability and off days. Suddenly, I was ashamed by the meager opinions I've thought to offer after one visit to a restaurant.

Even more fascinating than the peek into the world of a professional critic was the social experiment of embodying different characters as she dined out. Cloaking herself in thrift store costumes ranging from the clunky to the fabulous, she explored different versions of herself and engaging in a bit of self therapy along the way. However, for me, the more telling part of each transformation was the subtle indictment of society and its reactions to the various versions of her. Reichl's discomfort became my own as stark class lines were drawn in the sand.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention what readers of her Times reviews have known for years. The woman has an adventurous palate and can paint an evocative picture of food. My relationship with Asian food has always been one of fear and skepticism (I eat sushi at a restaurant who names their pieces Hot Hippy and G.I. Jane), but Reichl's loving treatment of Korean food and other fare has me wanting to open my mind and give it another go.

Definitely an older title worth picking up.

Weekending, Hagerstown

I found myself with a friend back in Hagerstown on Saturday. The air was thick, and the window units pumping in the antique malls were on their last leg. Still, there were plenty of odds and ends--treasures for someone--within Beaver Creek Antiques to make it worth the drive. The Turkish lamp above was dreamy.

And do you see that dog from Hempen Hill?  That baby was lunch and dinner (and worth every bite).

Missing India and other ramblings from my week

Photo by Carl Parkes

Do you ever have the beginnings of all of these random thoughts in your head but lack the energy to develop them further? That's totally me this week! Instead of trying to cram them onto Twitter or saving them to develop further, I just need to dump at least one of these here and reclaim some brain space.

This week I got invited to speak in India--all expenses paid and in three weeks. I passed on the opportunity, and it killed me. Folks, I'm pretty sure this is what adulthood looks like. India has been on my short list of countries to visit ASAP ever since I returned from Taiwan, but the thought of the big meetings I have coming up and projects to move forward and personal shit I need to keep together had me saying no. I'm still stewing on it. It has me wondering if I've lost the ability to be impulsive and fly by the seat of my pants. During the past twelve months, I've passed on Korea and London, too (granted, London was a little weird). I don't want to ever lose that part of me. With this latest no, I've promised myself that next time will definitely be a yes.

Pop Culture Travel: Searching for Mystic Falls and Henrietta, VA

I'll use pretty much any excuse to go exploring. Ever since we saw the map of Mystic Falls pop up on the screen of The Vampire Diaries, Scarlet and I have talked about looking for the part of Virginia that inspired the town. Once I read Maggie Stiefvater's description of the fictional Henrietta, VA in The Raven Boys, I knew we had to head to the Charlottesville area to film a quick video (improv style, very).

P.S. I recommend immersing yourself in the world of young Blue Sargent and her family of psychics. Stiefvater gives Blue a combination of confident individuality and the self doubt of someone trying to find their place in the world and navigate first relationships, believable and with enough of a backbone to be a role model.

Behind the Bookshelf: Interview with a bookseller, Scarlet Rose

Meet Scarlet Rose. This native Virginian can be found among the stacks at your local Barnes & Noble by day and local musician by night. She can sometimes be found blogging at SVR and "I loved it!". I consider her my resident Teen (she read the Hunger Games series and John Green before it was even a thing) expert, and word on the street is that she's penned her own book we might get to read one day.

What are you currently reading? Thoughts on it?

What am I NOT reading is more like it. Every so often I get excited (and impatient) about several books at once. I’m currently in the middle of Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, Swamplandia! By Karen Russell, and The Sun Also Rises (Audio CD) by Ernest Hemingway. However, against everything I’ve always said about the series and my prior book taste, I have begun Game ofThrones by George R. R. R. R. R. Martin. This is SOLELY because I love the show. I never would have started this if I didn’t love the TV characters so much. The last book I finished was Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham and it was awesome!

What books are you most looking forward to this year?

EASY: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater and Allegiant by Veronica Roth.

Did you set any reading goals for 2013? If so, what are they?

I set both quantitative and qualitative goals. I always want to read more books than I did the year before and while I failed at that in 2012, I set a goal of about 40 books for 2013. I’m already behind. And while I think all books serve a purpose, I also wanted to try to fit in a few classics this year, but so far that might just be me reading The Great Gatsby over and over. I guess The Sun Also Rises counts, right?

What three characters would you invite to the bar for a drink?

At first thought, my list is: Jordan Baker, Jessica Wakefield, and Gansey (from The Raven Boys). I can easily think of a few more (Ron Weasley, Four (from Divergent), Matthew de Clermont (from Discovery of Witches), but I think those might be more appropriate for my “After Drinks Party.” *winkwink*

If you could convince any two authors to write a book together, who would it be? Why?

Wow! Maybe Judy Blume and John Green because I think they’re both so defining in the genre for which they write. John Green could have easily written Are You There God, It’s Me Margarat and I would totally believe it if you told me Judy Blume wrote Paper Towns.

What's the most annoying book you see flying off the shelves?

As a genre, I’d say Manga. I hate it. I hate it so much. But book wise? Definitely that cat series for Young Readers. I have an intense dislike for books about animals and this one just looks horrific. Whenever kids ask for it I want to shake them and yell, “BUT WHY AREN’T YOU READING HARRY POTTER?!”

If you could give people one piece of advice to prep them for entering a bookstore, what would it be?

The short answer is: Do your research. 

Now, I plan on expanding:
I’ve worked at a bookstore for 10 years now and I’ve heard pretty much everything. I can tell the difference between the casual shopper who can’t remember a title/author and the shopper who came to the store for a specific book, but has no idea what it is. 99% of people have either a smartphone or a computer so do a quick google search and find out the author/title!

On that note, why do so many people call bookstores? Aren’t we in the internet age? Use the “Find In Store” function. People are so weird. I avoid the phone at all costs! Follow my lead!

“Which book is better?” Really? You’re going to ask me which book on diabetes is better? That’s a nametag around my neck, not a stethoscope. Google it! It’s funny, though, because on the rare chance someone asks me about a book in an area I know well (education, music, YA), they don’t want to listen. Someone recently asked me about a Praxis book and I replied saying, “When I took the Praxis II…” and it was in one ear and out the other. I generally am pretty clear on whether I know something 100% and if I don’t.

“What’s that song that goes, “blah blah blah?” Ohhh, that song! Yeah, no, google it.

“I want a fiction books that take place in castles!” “What!?” DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH! That’s not asking for a book recommendation, that’s asking a very specific question.

“There was a book in the Post, but I can’t remember the name.” Then go back to your paper and write down the title. OMG!

I could really go on and on here as even just one day working in a bookstore gives countless examples of people being a holes. Do I sound bitter? Maybe I am. I do really love books, though.

Thrifty DC: Farmer's Markets

This month the Washingtonian magazine published it's guide to the season's farmer's markets. This is a prime opportunity to combine a low-key outing with pesky grocery shopping. So many things are being produced in and around this region that I can easily get any staple I need at a local market. I also consider the people watching and chance for colorful pictures to be entertaining, but maybe I'm just easily amused.

How would I spend $20 and while away a Saturday?

9AM     City of Falls Church Farmer's Market      free entry

In addition to your standard fruits, veggies, eggs and dairy, they've got things like baked goods and coffee. All of my favorite things. One of the regular vendors is Atwater's. I've been known to pop by their Catonsville location for a fresh-baked loaf of bread when I'm up there for work and definitely recommend them. 

I've never been, but their website also mentions a monthly chef series.

Afterward, I'd recommend a walk over to Cherry Hill Park. It's right next door to the farmer's market and the perfect place to snag a picnic table and do some reading.  

One of the great things about living in the DC metro area is the abundant number of ways to entertain yourself for relatively low cost. It's so easy to focus on the more expensive restaurants or the must-see show, but the area has so much more to offer. I don't know about you, but I'm at my most creative when I'm feeling a bit skint. So, while I'm encouraging myself to save and shifting from the indulgent winter to simple summer pleasures, I thought I'd share a weekend (Saturday or Sunday) expedition each week that won't set you (or me) back more than $20. I plan out some of these to-dos for myself, so why not share it with others. 

Thrifty DC: Art Museum Day

One of the great things about living in the DC metro area is the abundant number of ways to entertain yourself for relatively low cost. It's so easy to focus on the more expensive restaurants or the must-see show, but the area has so much more to offer. I don't know about you, but I'm at my most creative when I'm feeling a bit skint. So, while I'm encouraging myself to save and shifting from the indulgent winter to simple summer pleasures, I thought I'd share a weekend (Saturday or Sunday) expedition each week that won't set you (or me) back more than $20*. I plan out some of these to-dos for myself, so why not share it with others.

I was psyched to learn that this Saturday is Art Museum Day, aka the day that the few museums in DC that charge will open their doors for free! That just might be tempting enough to get me to go into DC on a weekend during tourist season.

How would I spend $20 and while away a Saturday?

10:00AM     Corcoran Gallery of Art                             free

One of my favorite museums but one I don't get to very often. I'm looking forward to seeing David Levinthal's War Games exhibit.

11:30AM     Todd Gray's Muse                                       $4.00

Grab the pea and potato samosas at the cafe as I fight my way back outside.

12:15PM     National Museum of Women in the Arts       free

I've actually never been to this museum, and it's just far enough off the well-tread tourist paths that it might not be overrun.


*Let's keep it real. I'm not going to the trouble of adding in transportation costs.

My story as told by water, part IV

As light ebbed from the cobalt evening sky, I thought not about the damp bangs, pasted to my forehead by the humid, post-storm air, or the inky darkness that began to envelope us. Instead, my attention was solely focused on the gentle whir of the cast net as it sailed through the air, its splash as it met its mark on the Choptank River and the notion that this might be one of the coolest, weirdest Friday nights I’ve had in a while.

I try not to talk about work a lot on here, but every now and then I'm just so thankful or blown away by an experience that I can't stop myself. Friday was one of those experiences. Spring is spawning season for migratory fish, and once the water starts to warm up a bit, herring, shad and other migratory fish begin to make their way up rivers along the coast looking for a little loving. 

When the guys from Maryland DNR asked if I wanted to come help collect herring eggs [to grow baby (technically fry) herring to stock other rivers], how could I say no?

Standing along the banks of the Choptank, we cast about on the hunt for the elusive female herring whose eggs were ripe. The window can be incredibly narrow; also, it was really hard to type the word 'ripe'. We fished this 25-foot section of the river for more than three hours and only found two females who were ready to get down. The male herring were plentiful.

What came next was far more ritualistic (even spiritual) than the laboratory exercise I imagined. I kept thinking I'd be taught some kind of fertility chant (I wasn't). Seated on nearby rocks and lit by headlights on the state truck, both roe and sperm were milked from the few herring collected and combined in a stainless steel vessel. One of the guys stirred this strange mixture with a turkey feather while river water and a special powder were added. This process continued until only the fertilized eggs remained in the river water. These were moved to their new nursery (aka a sealed plastic bag and cooler-type contraption) and immediately driven by a third member of the team to their temporary home at one of the state hatcheries.

As I watched the truck speed away, I couldn’t help but feel even more alive, maybe even a bit more womanly (yes, a little odd). I silently bid these new little herring farewell and promised to keep fighting to make their new home in the Patapsco River as hospitable as possible.

Behind the Bookshelf: Interview with a bookseller, Marie Hviding

When I transitioned to non-profit work, I took a job at my local Barnes & Noble to earn some extra money. For five years, I spent my evenings and weekends selling books (and sometimes coffee). While my romantic fantasy of working in a bookstore might not have meshed with the reality of working for a corporate giant, I wouldn't trade those years for anything. My reading tastes expanded, learned the joys of the Advance Reader Copy, and met some of my best friends. Book people, for the most part, really are the best.

Want some of that insider bookseller knowledge? I've lined up interviews with some of my favorite current and former booksellers and can't wait to share them with you over the coming weeks. I'm kicking off this series with Marie Ann Hviding (above). Marie lives in Boston and just finished a degree in Library and Information Science (you know, just to complement her degree in literature). She blogs over at BatGirl. I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I do!

What are you currently reading? Thoughts on it?

At the moment, I'm reading Stephen King's "The Wind Through the Keyhole". It's an extra novel inserted into his Dark Tower series. In theory, I'm annoyed. I waited for King to finish off this series before tackling it, because he was so erratic in publishing the series. I loved it and thought that he took some huge risks, did some crazy things, and threw in a gigantic meta element which totally blew me away, but he also gave it a definitive ending. I admire when an author has the courage to finish a work and walk away, so I was annoyed that he felt the need to go back. All of that being said, I'm really liking it. It's Stephen King, so it moves fast, and his Dark Tower writing has this hybrid vibe that blends the epic quest with King's folksy, familiar, "I'm just a guy telling you a tale" voice.

What books are you most looking forward to this year?

I've been very out of the publishing loop for the last two years, but there are several books that were either just released, or are due out by the end of 2013 that I can't wait to get my hands on:

• Margaret Atwood's next book: Everything Atwood writes is awe-inspiring and makes me feel lucky to live in a world where she writes books and I get to read them but "Oryx and Crake" and "The Year of the Flood" were completely unhinged, gut-wrenching genius, that left me emotionally drained and I can't wait to see how else she intends to destroy me. 
• "The 5th Wave" by Rick Yancey: I find post-apocalyptic fiction irresistible and this one has been getting tons of buzz and intriguing reviews. 
• "Benediction" by Kent Haruf: His novel "Plainsong" is one of the most beautiful and moving novels I have ever read and this returns us to the town of Holt, Colorado. Time spent here is always time that gives me hope for mankind. 
• Finally, I won't lie, I can't wait to read Dan Brown's "Inferno". I know people love to bust on "The DaVinci Code", but really, I thought it was a lot of fun, and throw Dante and Florence into the mix? I certainly can't resist that. 

Did you set any reading goals for 2013? If so, what are they?

Reading Goals? Mostly I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to read for the sheer joy of it. I always try to keep my reading well-rounded, so I'll be looking for something fast and fun, followed by something big and epic that I can get lost in, and then maybe follow that with something challenging to spark my brain. My usual reaction when I finish a book is to read something very different next. Also, I keep thinking that I'm ready to tackle David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest". Maybe this year I'll actually do it.

What three characters would you invite to the bar for a drink?

I'm going to cheat and invite 4 characters for an evening of drinks, because I couldn't bear to uninvite one of them once I got them all in my head: Gus McCrae from "Lonesome Dove", Eleanor of Aquitaine from Sharon Kay Penman's historical novels, Ford Prefect from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and Hermione Granger from "Harry Potter". It's an odd mix but I think one which would be interesting and provide an evening of cleverness and fun.

If you could convince any two authors to write a book together, who would it be? Why?

I've got nothing for you with the two authors. I can't seem to wrap my head around the concept of what kind of Frankenstein's Monster I would want to create with that kind of power. The only time I've seen it work successfully in my opinion, was Peter Straub and Stephen King's collaboration on a couple novels. I think they were successful because their styles are pretty similar, but I don't think the result was anything that either one couldn't have achieved on their own. Perhaps something where the reader was getting two sides to a story from a male and female point of view. That presupposes that men cannot write women and women cannot write men and I think that's a limiting way to look at things, but for the sake of argument, let's have Henning Mankell and Elizabeth George put Kurt Wallander and Barbara Havers together to solve a mystery. Both are solid writers with well-established characters who could hold their own ground and ideally not be absorbed by the other.

What's the most annoying book you see flying off the shelves?

Annoying book flying off the shelves? I don't know about that. I try not to judge things I haven't read, so usually it's more a matter of confusion. I just don't get the appeal of some titles because they don't interest me. I do worry about the popularity of books that seem to be about nothing more than pretty girls acquiring ... stuff (boys, clothes, money), but I hesitate to judge without really reading them. I worry that we are setting up our young women for lives of mental poverty.

If you could give people one piece of advice to prep them for entering a bookstore, what would it be?

Be open to possibility. Don't be afraid to try something new. Don't be afraid to read something that nobody else is reading. Don't be afraid to be attracted to a book just based on it's cover. BUT, take some time before you commit to a book. Read a few paragraphs, in fact read the first couple of pages. Don't blindly follow others, decide for yourself whether a book is right for you or not.

Another First Friday in Richmond

1. Happy hour at Penny Lane Pub
2. Dinner at Sticky Rice (the original is the best)
3. Galleries along Broad Street for Art Walk

That's what she read...take 2

This is my friend, Ravena. She reads a lot. She also can't help but vamp for the camera.

Back in October 2011, Ravena and I tried to combine a book club with book review podcasting. The combination of trying to figure out how to host audio and a series of less than impressive books (because who wants to hear 3-4 negative podcasts in a row) led me to shelve the idea. Now, thanks to SoundCloud, we're giving the podcast idea another go and revamping the format. Instead of reading the same book and doing a more in-depth review, we're going to focus on a general discussion of our current reads, any interesting publishing news we've heard, and chats about upcoming titles we're excited about.

Listen to our most recent podcast on your computer or via the SoundCloud app and let us know what you think! This was kind of a spur-of-the-moment recording, so things should only get better from here. :-)

Keep your eyes peeled later this week for another new book-related feature.

Charting my coffee trail

Beach in Santa Barbara

You know I've got a caffeine problem when I'd rather talk to you about all the coffee shops I visited than the beaches I saw (not that they weren't spectacular). Let's list this one out!

1. Starbucks (a couple along the way)
2. Urban Coffee Lounge, Kirkland, WA. Love, love, loved this place. I'm so jealous that Terra essentially lives right above it. I would marry both the salted maple and the honey cinnamon lattes. They also have a fantastic looking selection of baked goods (including vegan and gluten-free offerings) and breakfast sandwiches (get the lumberjack).
3. Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Portland, OR. Routinely on best coffee lists. I'd been here before and knew my stimulant needs would be solidly met.
4. The Human Bean, Grants Pass, OR. I wasn't impressed with the coffee, but it was inexpensive and got the job done. It was one of many coffee kiosks along the highways we drove. Such a fan of how they seemed to thrive along the west coast.
5. Java Hut, Crescent City, CA.
6. Pour Girls Coffee, Laytonville, CA. Solid coffee. Cute marketing.
7. Peet's Coffee & Tea, Palo Alto, CA. Good latte. A guy I used to work with always had coffee shipped from Peet's. It was fun to finally visit and give it a try myself.
8. The Cow's End Cafe, Marina Del Rey, CA. We thought we were in Venice. Oops. I couldn't really enjoy this cup because of how windy it was.
9. Silverlake Coffee Co., Los Angeles, CA. This cup tasted amazing. Perhaps this can be somewhat attributed to the fact it had been a couple of days since I'd had a cup.


Beach at Carmel-by-the-Sea

Top 10 eats of the epic west coast roadtrip

Food tourism is a fun way for me (and most of my peeps) to explore new places when traveling and definitely part of my pre-trip research. That said, none of the places below (well, Voodoo I'd been to before) were on my list*. Instead, they were a combination of recommendations and kismet. These were definitely the best meals of the trip (because don't be fooled into thinking there weren't sad stops at places like Quiznos in the middle of nowhere Nevada and Arby's in the middle of nowhere Oregon and Lara bars and grapes from our bag of snacks).

If you're ever in Portland, find a way to try Tasty n Sons. Though small, it's a welcoming restaurant full of comfortable decor, great lighting and friendly waitstaff.  They recommend ordering family style and sharing, and I have to say that everything we tried was indeed tasty. Best asparagus I've ever had. If you really want to keep the fun going, head downtown to Ground Kontrol and play some classic arcade games. First Awakenings and BurGR also led the pack. I'm still thinking about the amazing english muffins and scramble (below) that I couldn't finish.

 I'll subject you to tales of my favorite coffee places later ;-)


Bacon-wrapped dates, asparagus with bacon and egg, polenta with peppers and Italian sausage, and chicken and dumplings at Tasty n Sons in Portland


Voodoo Doughnut in Portland 


Blueberry wheat germ pancake at First Awakenings in Monterey


More brunch at First Awakenings
 

Burgers at The Habit in Santa Barbara
 

Mexican food at Casa Blanca in Santa Barbara
 

Brunch at Five0Four in Hollywood
 

Meatloaf po'boy at The Gumbo Pot at the Los Angeles farmer's market


Gordon Ramsey's BurGR at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas
 

Pancetta & Pear pizza at Brix Wine Cafe in Juanita, WA

*Really bummed I never made it to Delancey in Seattle.

You're my shining star: Las Vegas' Neon Museum

One of the few things on my "must see" list was the Neon Museum (aka boneyard) in Las Vegas. I'll never forget stumbling across photos on Flickr several years ago that someone had taken at the boneyard (back before it was open to the public) and immediately falling in love. Needless to say, I was happier than a little kid at Disney once there.

It was everything I wanted and more--typography, rusted bling and a one-hour tour chock full of Vegas history. If any of those things appeal to you, escape from the strip and seek this museum out. I still get a giddy feeling thinking about the tour.

Rivers and parks of the west

I’m back. Actually, I’ve been back since Monday but was immediately buried in meetings and to-dos. I took photos (nothing fussy, just my iphone), shot video, wrote myself notes on stray pieces of paper, sent postcards and even recorded voice memos to friends back home, but how to process all of this? I'm going to cheat and pretty much copy an email I sent my coworkers when I got back. Given that we're enviro-river people, you'd better believe I started with rivers.

I saw the freaking Snake River (hint…look down)! Maybe this isn’t a big deal to everyone, but as someone who has heard about this river for the past 12 years, it was fairly epic. I may have come close to shedding a tear. Maybe. The photo below was taken outside of Twin Falls, Idaho, and the Snake met us here and there on the drive back through Oregon. There wasn’t a single time I saw it that I wasn’t blown away.



The epic list of rivers I finally got to meet doesn’t end there. I saw (not comprehensive and in no particular order) the Snoqualmie River, Yakima River, Columbia River, Snake River, Rogue River, LA River, South Umpqua River, Umpqua River, Willamette River, Calapooia River, Santiam River, Klamath River, Prairie Creek, Strawberry Creek, Russian River, Eel River, Mad River, and Soquel Creek. For years, I feel like I’ve had a special window into what we do on the west coast because one of the grant programs I manage, reading, scoring and offering advice to places I’d never seen. Each of these rivers represents a place we’ve worked (or considered working) and where what little we’ve been able to do has had an impact. The Eel River (below) was one of my favorites. Its blue-green water wove in and out of our path along the 101 through northern California, and I was lucky enough to get to see one of the removal projects we’ve been working on there for the last several years.



I drove through deserts and mountain ranges, traveling from the most barren climates through peaks where snow was still falling. I saw the following federal lands—Snoqualmie Pass, Snoqualmie National Forest, Umatilla National Forest, Great Basin National Park, Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Mojave National Preserve, Redwood National Park, and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest—and traveled the Pony Express, El Camino, and Oregon trails. 3,589 miles…give or take a few.





Also, lest you think it was all nature and work, I can also say that I played arcade games in Portland, had brunch with a guy who will be on the next season of America’s Next Top Model in LA, attended a proposal in Downtown Disney, and visited a neon sign boneyard outside of Vegas, but more on that later.

A travelin' fool: Seeing the U.S. state by state

I have so much to download from my trip out west and am trying to wrap my brain around how to describe everything I saw and experienced. It was phenomenal and different on so many varied levels. From the people I met (oh, LA) to the different environments I experienced, it all deserves its own time in the limelight.

While I take the time to process everything, I need to freak out a bit about the map above. You guys!!! Look how few states I have left to visit! I'm so lucky we were a family that struck out on big road trips (lightbulb...this shit runs in the family). Many of those southeastern states were seen from the back of a wood-paneled station wagon and a white minivan.

So...who wants to take me to Hawaii?

Epic west coast roadtrip

I'm traveling along the west coast this week (and next!) for a combination of work and play. There is an insane amount of documenting going on, including quick video segments. I'll share more later, but for now, here we are waiting in the rain to score some of Portland's famous Voodoo Donuts.

Sign Painters

A tiny portion of my pictures of signs. Some of my favorites are held hostage on Flickr, awaiting me to renew my pro account.

When I found out Sign Painters, a documentary on the art of the hand-painted sign by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon, was premiering at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, I was over the moon. I've been stalking, er, following along since I saw Faythe first mention the project on Twitter. I can't say that I'm obsessed with good signage, but an interesting sign has always been able to lure me in. Judging from all the photos of hand-painted beauties littering my phone and Flickr account, it is safe to say I've had a thing for them for quite a while.

The film, itself, paid homage to the craft and passion of sign painting. After an intro chock full of sign porn, we traveled the country with the filmmakers and listened to stories from some of the greats. I was humbled by the stories of apprenticeship and years of dedication to learning their craft. Sometimes I find myself frustrated with not automatically knowing how to do certain things or not being considered an expert (shoots a wary look at the ukulele sitting unplayed in my corner). What a cocky bastard I am to think I should be good at something after giving it an hour or a week!

Another thing that really spoke to me was something mentioned during the q&a when Levine made reference to how important it was as a filmmaker and a researcher to be able to add quality content in a field where information is scarce. As a collector of information and stories, this really spoke to me. Like graffiti long abandoned under an overpass, Levine and Macon extend the legacy of some of these artists beyond faded traces left on that brick building you always pass walking home from work.

Seeing the film surrounded by portraits in the Renwick's Grand Salon was just the cherry on top.

Day in the Life, 03.30.13

7:00 AM Driven out of bed by a sore back. Grab a bottle of water and settle on the couch to read.

9:00 AM Meet workout buddy at the gym for some treadmill time. As much as I hate to admit it, I always feel better after leaving the gym.



10:00 AM Firm up my afternoon plans and grab a venti soy latte to fuel me.



1:38 PM Waiting to watch the premiere of Sign Painters (much anticipated by me and so good) at Renwick Gallery!



3:30 PM Checking out some of the pieces in the Craft Gallery.



5:00 PM Late lunch/early dinner at Sweetgreen in the Reston Town Center. I'm a huge fan of their earth bowl.

6:15 PM Picking up groceries and other supplies for the week. Five days until Seattle!

7:45 PM The portraits on display at Renwick were really cool. My favorite was a somewhat austere woman seated beside a gigantic gray cat. It inspired me to pick back up my wacky portrait project. Stopped by Michaels to refresh my paint supply.

8:21 PM Pajamas, water, couch.

lately

1. DryBar as part of continued birthday celebrations for Scarlet
2. Steven's concert
3. DC on my way to Maryland
4. Calm before the storm; empty classroom before a Johns Hopkins University presentation
5. Maryland Board of Public Works meeting during "snowquestration"