Natasha Trethewey is Named the 19th US Poet Laureate

Congratulations to Natasha Trethewey on being named the 19th US Poet Laureate!! I learn of the news in an article written in the New York Times titled New Laureate Looks Deep Into Memory by Charles McGrath. In Mr. McGrath's article, I learned the following information:

The Library of Congress is to announce Thursday that the next poet laureate is Natasha Trethewey, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of three collections and a professor of creative writing at Emory University in Atlanta. Ms. Trethewey, 46, was born in Gulfport, Miss., and is the first Southerner to hold the post since Robert Penn Warren, the original laureate, and the first African-American since Rita Dove in 1993. 

“I’m still a little in disbelief,” Ms. Trethewey said on Monday.

Unlike the recent laureates W. S. Merwin and her immediate predecessor, Philip Levine, both in their 80s when appointed, Ms. Trethewey, who will officially take up her duties in September, is still in midcareer and not well-known outside poetry circles. Her work combines free verse with more traditional forms like the sonnet and the villanelle to explore memory and the racial legacy of America. Her fourth collection, “Thrall,” is scheduled to appear in the fall. She is also the author of a 2010 nonfiction book, “Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”

Click on the above link to read the full New York Times article, 'New Laureate Looks Deep Into Memory' by Charles McGrath.

I'd never heard of Natasha Trethewey until she had been named the next US Poet Laureate. Eager to hear one of Natasha Trethewey's poems read aloud, I curiously searched YouTube and found several videos with Natasha Trethewey in them. The above video features Natasha Trethewey reading her poem "Liturgy" from her 2010 book Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I loved the poem and thought it was very moving! 

I love listening to poetry being read aloud, especially from the poet who actually wrote the poem. I hope you enjoy listening to the poem as well.

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

Milkweed Book Cover

Milkweed is the 4th novel I've read by Jerry Spinelli and as usual, Jerry Spinelli's writing and storytelling doesn't disappoint!! I was captivated from the very first page, right through the last page & so will you!

Milkweed is a novel for young adults and it deals with the heavy and sad topic of World War II during the time when the Nazi's occupied Warsaw, Poland. 

The story is told through eyes of a young, orphan boy who is alone and trying to make sense of the world around him during this chaotic time. Milkweed is his journey to survive in the world, to find and belong to a family...

The following is a brief synopsis of Milkweed from Jerry Spinelli's website:

He's a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham.

He's a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. Who steals food for himself and the orphans. Who believes in bread and mothers and angels.

He's a boy who wants to be a Nazi someday, with tall, shiny jackboots and a gleaming eagle hat of his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind.

And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he's a boy who realizes it's safest of all to be nobody.

Read Milkweed, see where the story leads you and how it all ends.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

"I would rather be poor in a cottage full of books than a king without the desire to read." Thomas Babington Macaulay

Make Your Own Accordion Books!!

Have you ever thought about making your own according style book? I have wanted to make my own accordion style book ever since I purchased two beautifully constructed accordion books that were hand crafted by a talented Etsy seller!

I've searched YouTube and found several do it yourself accordion book craft projects that look like fun to make! Check out the following projects.

The above video shows an interesting way to make an according book. You can download a template to make this accordion book from the YouTube page that this video is found on. Instructions are also given in the download on how to make this cute looking triangle shaped accordion book.

Make an aceo accordion style themed book. This one looks like a fun accordion style book to make also!

I love the look of the above mini accordion book!! But it it seems kind of advanced for a newbie crafter like me!

The above video teaches you how to make an accordion photo album without any glue in its construction.

Do you like making craft projects for yourself, friends or family as gifts? 

I use to do a lot of craft projects, but I've not had the opportunity to do much crafting over the past three years. I'd like to start making some craft projects again though and the above accordion style craft projects look like something right up my alley. There are literally hundreds, and more like thousands of craft project videos on YouTube. Check them out and get crafty!! 

Let me know if you make any of the above projects!! I'd love to hear how they turned out.

Accordian Books from the Uniquely MaryL Etsy Store

I found myself browsing Etsy once again. I love their website as it is a wonderful way to showcase wonderful handcrafted items. This time around I found a seller that makes adorable accordion books.

The blue snowflake accordion book features eight haiku poems that are winter themed in nature. This accordion book's interior is also decorated with cute snowflake stickers, which gives it a wonderful wintertime feel. The reader is suppose to guess, by the haiku's description, what object is being described in the haiku poem, which makes reading this book fun... The answers to each haiku are listed in the back of the book.

The red and cream floral accordion style book is filled with colorful images of bird feathers and lovely poetry that pertains to feathers.

Both books are nicely constructed and contain beautiful images within each book. I wasn't able to photograph great images of the interior of either book, so have none to upload. 

I purchased the above accordion books from the Uniquely MaryL storefront on Etsy. There are many more cute accordion style books for sale at Uniquely MaryL, along with other cute handmade items. Enjoy perusing the Uniquely MaryL storefront!!

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

Book Cover

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Alice Hoffman's novel Incantation. This is the first novel I've ever read by Alice Hoffman and I'm sure it won't be my last after reading Incantation.

Alice Hoffman is a wonderful storyteller as the reader is drawn into Incantation's story on the first page and your attention is kept throughout the entire novel. 

Checkout Alice Hoffman's website for a synopsis of Incantation along with an excerpt and reading guide.

It's a Dog's Life by Dale Mayer

Book Cover

It's a Dog's Life by Dale Mayer is a novella that is approximately 70 pages in length. I was able to download, It's a Dog's Life, for free from Amazon.com to my iPad.

I love dogs, so when I came across It's a Dog's Life, it was an easy decision to decide on reading this novel. It sounded like a short, fun filled read with a cast of quirky characters. Plus, who can pass up on a free book to read?? 

I'm glad I chose to read It's a Dog's Life. It was a fun, easy breezy beach read that made the afternoon pass by quickly! I enjoyed the plot twist at the end of the novel, which made for a nice surprise.

Until my next post, happy reading!

The Bookaneer Used Bookstore

Last weekend, my hubby and I were in the Thousand Oaks area on a day trip. 

After lunch, we headed to a used bookstore in Thousand Oaks called The Bookaneer, which is a nice sized independently owned bookstore located in a strip mall with ample free parking. 

The Bookaneer contains a well stocked selection of used books from various genres. Books are sorted by genre and alphabetized by authors last name, which makes finding books you're looking for easy. Books are 50% of the cover price unless otherwise marked.

Tracy was the nice lady on staff during our visit. She offered wonderful customer service... We talked about books. I shared with her that I was a cozy mystery novel lover and that I'm always on the look out for new mystery authors. So, Tracy shared the names of two mystery writers with me that write novels, she enjoys reading... Now I'll be on the look out for novels by Ellis Peters and Elizabeth Peters in the future!!

I ended up purchasing two paperback mystery novels before I left The Bookaneer titled What's a Ghoul to Do? by Victoria Laurie and Murder Under the Mistletoe by Jennifer Jordan. I look forward to reading both novels.

The Bookaneer also buys and trades used books. Call them for more details at (805) 379-9667.

The store hours for The Bookaneer are as follows:

Monday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm during the summer and from 10am to 5pm during the winter.

You may follow/like The Bookaneer on Facebook. Use the following link to find their Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bookaneer/123580500992622

Artist Crafts Dress Out of Romance Novels

I love it when I come across online articles with photographs of artwork by talented artists who create artwork from books. I am always amazed by their talent and skill as an artist to craft wonderful works of art from books or other medium for the world to see.

Carrie Ann Schumacher is once such talented artist, who has crafted a dress she sculptured from romance novels. The pictures are amazing of the dress she crafted and so is the story behind how Ms. Schumacher created this lovely dress! See pictures of Carrie Ann Schumacher's beautifully crafted dress and read how she created the dress from a post made by RT BOOK REVIEWS.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

"One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time." Carl Sagan