Magic places

There are still magic places out there, half hidden and unsung of by the main stream
culture...
As a reader of Hudson Valley Happenings I am more and more drawn into the beautiful neighborhoods along the Hudson River, just beyond my doorstep. 
I am glad to be able to be so close to so many amazing places. 
One of them is this little gem: 

Rodger's Bookbarn in Hillsdale, NY is just the place I would regularly frequent, if only I lived a little closer. Being a hopeless bibliophile makes this just the destination to get lost in for hours.
I wonder if there is a reading nook....

And being so close to other lovely destinations like Hudson on Hudson, Hyde Park or Rhinebeck, this would be a fabulous day trip to explore. Maybe I throw in some apple picking...

Where to find it: 

Rodger's Bookbarn
467 Rodman Road
Hillsdale, NY 12529
(518) 325 3610

Images via Hudson Valley Happenings (FB) and google maps.

On the wings of a new book

Evan Burl and the Falling by Justin Blaney

This book fell into my lap on a Friday night. Last Friday night... I love intriguing teen stories, coming of age of sorts.... fantasy and mystery rolled in one.
Of course I could not resist the free download offer either.  By Saturday morning I was done.
As I begun reading, the old, yet every time new feeling of excitement and flatter in my stomach took hold of me and I read Evan Burl's tale in one go.... Given a few hours in between to feed the family and pick the kids up from school.
I am in awe of the amazing plot, which wraps itself in an almost timeless, yet futuristic setting. I had steampunk images floating through my head, while following Evan through the mysterious rooms, the cauldroen, the walls of the castle. The basic story follows a boy and his friends, mostly orphaned children living with him under the rule of his uncle, working hard for something untold, a frightening, magic treasure of sorts... Something which inflicts some with death, others with powers so large, it becomes almost unmanageable. Evan's self detected fate to become a monster seems unavoidable, yet he fights the demons around him, there is always this shady glimmer of hope to escape the foretelling. It's a wrestling with the good and bad inside oneself, the world at large and the people who have power over us.
The language is rich and the images are lush. Justin Blaney has managed to create a believable magic world, one, far enough from our reality to make it true fantasy and close enough to life to experience all the ups and downs of a teen, trying to follow his heart. 
The story is complex and rich, but I felt gently guided into all the different viewpoints. It helps to slip into the different characters/minds to follow the storyline and to get the picture.
Knowing that Evan Burl, Henri, Pearl have not finished their journey into freedom helped tremendously to overcome my slight disappointment with the final pages, there is just a little too much suspense for my need for  somewhat happy endings... But it makes me anticipate the next sequel with impatience.
I absolutely can see this turned into a movie, ( I'd love to be the set designer) and at the same time as an audio book... I love to listen to such stories.
I recommend it for all fantasy lovers and teens who love to glide into a different world, yet close to their own feelings.




Image via Goodreads.

What I am reading now

To find my way back into my grove I tend to look for books which give me deep comfort and satisfaction, immersing myself in a different world, yet somehow familiar and challenging at the same time. I found such book in Juliet Barker's biography of the 

Brontë's.

I recommend it highly. An eye opener about the times, lives and the rectifying of many unsustainable myths about this literary family.

Image by V..Zlotkowski

More books

I wanted to share some more books I have discovered lately, this time for adults. You can read about my children's and teen book recommendations here.


Let's get started: It's a fairly mixed bunch....


From the delightful Alan Bradley comes a new book in the Flavia de Luce series, which I adore! 
I Am  Half-Sick Of Shadows.
If an 11 year old English girl in the 1950's with a talent for chemistry and a nose for murder interests you only remotely, then you will be hooked....
This time it's another murder mystery right before Christmas at the crumbling Buckshaw Estate! 
If you haven't gotten a chance to read his previously written books, I very much recommend them. Absolutely charming!
Perfect for all Anglophiles! 

Another prolific writer, whom I have enjoyed reading over the years, is Bill Bryson. His latest book, At Home, now out in paperback, is another stroke of genius. He describes in entertaining and enlightening ways the history of home as we know it, and, perhaps, as we do not.  
It's a short history of private life and architecture in the English speaking western world from the times the Romans left England to present day America! 
Indeed: Bryson's enthusiasm brightens any dull corner!

Moving along: I have had read Lev Grossman's The Magicians and liked the book. It's fantasy/realism for adults and the comparison to Harry Potter or Narnia does not hold up to his skillful ways with words. It is interesting to notice, that the reviews are widely spread in all directions. From devotion to hate I have found everything. Personally I favor his storytelling and now the sequel has arrived. I will follow up with The Magician King, hopefully worthy its predecessor!

Sticking with a little more magical realism I am also looking forward to reading Karen White's The Strangers On Montagu Street. 
I devoured her previous books in which she introduces the characters. During this summer's break I have had plenty of fun following her around with ghosts in the South....It's light fare, but this is what I need in-between...

Memoirs: I recommend three books. The first one - A Mountain Of Crumbs - by a Russian immigrant coming to America and her childhood and youth in the former Soviet Union. It is especially interesting for me, because I share many memories growing up under a communist regime. To read about her realities made me shiver.
She has been compared to Frank McCourt and his memoir Angela's Ashes. I guess this is already a great recommendation.

Another book which had me in it's grip from the first page is Adeline Yen Mah's Falling Leaves. The story of an unwanted Chinese daughter and her incredible journey into freedom, fulfillment and finally writing.

Of course, much has been said and written about Joan Didion's latest venture into memoir writing. After her highly acclaimed book The Year Of Magical Thinking she has now written about her stepdaughter's death at the age of 38. Blue Nights.
I have reflected a little more about it here. 

Some of you might remember the German writer Bernhard Schlink, who wrote the bestselling story The Reader, which was subsequently made into the movie of the same title. (starring amazing Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes in the main roles)
There are many more great books by him, one I very much 
like is The Gordian Knot. Perhaps the translation from German into English suggests particular ideas (thinking of the Gordian Knot in history) but the more correct translation should be The Gordian Bow. Of course that doesn't sound remotely as good as knot and I guess this was the motivation behind the translation. The difference between a knot and a bow is obvious, the first is practically not to be easily unraveled, but rather  needs to  be cut in half, the latter can be pulled apart...There is of course some meaning behind the original title and this differentiation. Sorry to nit pick....
But go ahead and find out yourself! A classic noir thriller about love and deception.

Another book which has me sitting in anticipation is Alan Hollinghurst's The Stranger's Child.  There has been a wonderful interview with him on the Leonard Lopate Show; you can listen to it here. Just about everything about the story set in England from the beginning  of WWI to the almost present days has me all excited. Oh, go ahead and buy it already....

Finally I'll end this rather long post with my last book I have waiting in the shelf beside my bed....
The Night Circus.

Maybe it will be the right thing to do, to read it at night....
A little more magic and love and the spinning of one's imagination.... I can't stay away from it! 


But then again, we are in the right time for magic and believe!
Just a few sprinkles....








All images via Barnes & Noble website.

Books of the South

Many lovely books I've read so far over this summer and I just want to share them with y'all! 

We spend the most delightful time in the South and its all about the South in these books!

Harper Lee's classic! And of course I saw the movie classic too! My summer '11 favorite!

Fun with ghosts!

More fun with ghosts!

What can I say: I loved the book and the movie!

I just adore her books! Straight to the heart!

Summer perfect reading!

By now this is a must for Savannah fans! The audio version is priceless, the movie less so!

This book touched me on many levels! I recommend it strongly!

What have you been reading?

XX
Victoria




Images through B&N website!

Bookish delights

More books to read, its a wonderful endless task pleasure to find something to inspire, entertain and learn some of life's lessons: Books are forever!
So here is what has caught my eye over the last few month, apart from the ones I have been telling you all along.... and I am sure you might get in the mood to pick one and curl up to the pleasure of immersing yourself!

Find out more about it here...

 and here...

here... 

 here...

here... 

 here...

here... 

here...

here...

here...

here...

 here...

here...

and here!

I hope you will enjoy some of it!

xx

Victoria

All images by V.Zlotkowski

My current book list

Ok, I haven't been that consistent telling you about my reading lately!

Sometimes I have a down time and then I suddenly realize I haven't read anything of consequence recently!

But that changed again when I finally collected Alan Bradley's third installment of his Flavia de Luce series. The charmingly odd 11 year old heroine is high on my to follow list and the latest in her sleuth adventures is as addictive as the first two.

You can read a wonderful review by Sarah Weinman here.

It's best if you start this journey through Flavia's adventures at the beginning.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie started it all and since then I can't wait to find out more about her!

Followed by The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag!

And it's the last one of her adventures which has me in it's grip right now! A Red Herring Without Mustard!

I copied this review from Amazon! It's all in a nutshell!

"By J. Lesley (Midsouth, United States)
This review is from: A Red Herring Without Mustard: A Flavia de Luce Novel (Hardcover)

This charming series of novels written by Alan Bradley is positively addictive. You can start at any point, with any of the three, but Flavia along with her family, friends and neighbors in the tiny British hamlet of Bishop's Lacey will surely capture your imagination, your sympathy, or your heart. Probably all three.

Flavia is the most unusual eleven year old girl you could ever meet. Her interests are centered around chemistry, riding her bicycle (called Gladys) and escaping the evil clutches of her two older sisters who torture her at every turn. Ah, siblings. In this third action packed adventure Flavia starts out wanting to have her fortune told at the village fête and ends up burning down the tent of the gypsy fortune teller. Of course it was all an accident and Flavia does her best to make amends by seeing that Fenella Faa has a safe place to park her caravan while she recovers from the effects of the smoke she inhaled. And what better place than on the grounds of her family's estate, Buckshaw? Events begin to spiral into more and more unusual situations as Flavia begins to uncover facts of an ancient religious group, a kidnapped infant, valuable antiques disappearing and then reappearing, and a vicious attack, then a murder. All the while the police are pursuing their inquiries and Flavia is pursuing her own investigation. What is that smell of dead fish she seems to keep noticing?

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I had been looking forward to following along while this young detective solved the puzzles which seemed to keep mounting up and I certainly was not disappointed. The deeper Flavia went into the attack on Fenella the more questions were raised about other things going on in both Bishop's Lacey and other nearby villages. In the middle of it all hangs the very real life troubles of the de Luce family and their money problems. Flavia's father has to make some hard decisions and some sacrifices are necessary now, and more will surely be faced in the future. Come along into this wonderful world and meet Flavia's father, her sisters Ophelia and Daphne, Mrs. Mallet, Dogger, the doctor, the vicar, the police inspector and his sergeant and a host of neighbors both nice and not so nice. A small English village, an eleven year old girl, the 1950's and crime of many kinds. A recipe for adventure and delight."

Thank you, J.Lesley, you put the right words to my thoughts!

xx

Victoria

All images via amazon.com.

What I am reading now

Image

Lately, with winter upon us I love to read more and hang out next to the fire place, after all the day's work is done.
I can hear my daughter singing upstairs, my son playing guitar and my husband still working next door on his computer. The dog cozies up next to me, expecting a neck rub and perhaps a treat and then I curl up on the couch and open my book! Heavenly moment! Well, until the familiar Maamaaa! call is heard from upstairs....

Last year I had read Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden and when The Distant Hours came out a couple of month ago I could not wait to find the right moment to begin with it! Kate Morton, a native Australian, lives in Brisbane with her family.
Her first book The House at Riverton is still on my list. I like to tease myself...Another long winter is ahead!


Image

So that's where I am now: An old English castle, family secrets and a young heroine, a wonderful recipe for a tale which has me in it's grip way later then my usual bedtime....
I found Kate Morton's website and check out this fabulous trailer to her new book!

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton from Pan Macmillan on Vimeo.

So if you are in with me for a mystery with all the trimmings, go ahead, find a reading nook, get comfortable and open the first page!


xx
Victoria

PS: Click on the book titles to go to Amazon to shop!


Pictures as indicated.

What I am reading now

On my bedside sits always a collection of books, patiently waiting for me. The stack never gets any shorter, since I add to it...oh for the love of reading! Occasionally I straighten them out and some of the ones on the bottom get reshuffled to the top... for fairness!
But a few days ago Justine Picardie's Coco Chanel biography was displayed at my local bookstore and I simply couldn't resist.
It got plonked right on top of it all!

I love her story, her couture, her style, the movies about her and now I get a chance to read all nicely assembled by
Justine Picardie. (She also has a wonderful blog, just follow the link on her name above)



And have you read 'Daphne' by the same authoress?


But this will have to wait a little longer, now it's Coco all the way!

It started as good as I was hoping it would...

XX
Victoria

Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn

Here come a little more then a few snap shots from our delightful visit to Bedford Ave, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.
We started out late morning on Sunday and after about 40 minutes driving arrived at our destination. The sun was out, a little cool, but lovely walking weather. Bedford Avenue between Grand Street and 9. Street is a hip heaven for everyone looking for fashion and music, small shops with everything from soap to sausages and many nice places to eat, drink and be merry...









For the more design oriented among us there is from junk shops to thrift stores and places of unusual modern to mid century high end design all to be found what one could wish for in this rather small area.
I spend an hour browsing through the shelves of one of the larger thrift stores located on Dribbs Avenue and 9St Street.
Old wonderful editions of Dickens and Thomas Hardy, L.M. Alcott and Walter Scott caught my eye. I have always been drawn to old books and the only reason not to bring many of them home is the limited space in our already packed library. I know, it's a lame excuse for the true collector, but thinking that all these stories line my shelves, I hesitated...





I saw an old doll house and chandeliers, a comfortable wing back chair, although old covered with a rather wonderfully current pattern of shredded upholstery.





After this we walked back towards Bedford Ave and then along smaller side streets to a pretty place with the fitting name
'The Future Perfect'.
A little treasure box of modern design and decorative objects.


The chandelier is such fun, I would have loved to bring it home...







We had such a fun afternoon and we will return soon! There is so much more to be explored, discovered and visited!


XX
Victoria



Pictures by V. Zlotkowski