Books: August 2006 Archives

It happened this week. After much deliberation (and those Kim Cattrall advertisements), the names are out.  That's right, the nominees for this year's Quill Awards were announced with assorted press releases this week, figuring, I suppose, that not a whole lot of book people were awake when Al Roker first revealed the children's nominees on NBC's Weekend Today.

For those of you who don't regularly stick your heads in the publishing world's sand, the Quill Awards comprise an attempt to make more cash off books. It's an idea that arises every once in awhile in publishing, before everyone realizes that a healthy profit margin is only a pipe dream. Or, to quote the Web site, the awards "pair a populist sensibility with Hollywood-style glitz and have become the first literary prizes to reflect the tastes of the group that matters most in publishing--readers." Translation: you get to choose the winners from a preselected group of nominees supplied, in part, by our sponsors. Oh, and it's televised, which means a red carpet and ball gowns!

Actually, despite the trumpets that herald this as the thinking person's Oscar, the idea behind the Quills is a pretty good one. After all, as Oprah says, getting more people to read books can only be a good thing. This is the second year for the Quills, and I hope that we see more and more fanfare to surround the event in years to come. In the meantime, be sure and vote for your favorites in each of the 19 categories. Now is your chance to thank those writers who you truly love and whose words have changed your life--at least in the past year, anyway. Go straight to www.quillsvote.com and weigh in. (We'll be voting for The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and My Life in France)

Since we here at abrooklynlife have only read a fraction of the nominees (ok, only two: see above), we thought it'd be fun to hold our own contest, called the F Train Awards. We'll be accepting nominations in the categories of adult fiction and non-fiction up until 30 September, giving you plenty of time to submit your favorites. Send all nominations to lapenguina@gmail.com or submit your nominations in the comments section. Come October, we'll hold our own vote and announce the winners on 10 October, to accompany the Quills.

Let the inkbath begin!

Perhaps it was the unseasonably cool weather. Perhaps it was the luxury of a brain-dead August beginning. Perhaps, well, perhaps I just didn't pay very close attention. Regardless, it was a slow book-week on the F train. Still, there were a few stand-outs. In no particular order I present the few, the proud, the Subway Reads:

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
by Erik Larson

Ham on Rye
by Charles Bukowski

How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie

End of Story: A Novel of Suspense
by Peter Abrahams

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
by Jon Krakauer

As all die-hard booklovers know, there is no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than wandering the musty stacks of a used bookstore. A good used bookstore is more than just a place to buy books on the cheap. It's a reliquary of yesterday's obsessions, ideas, and really cool covers; it's an opportunity to be reminded of those classics you always meant to actually finish (ok, start), and an excuse to stock up on some good trashy thrillers. It's a place to start at the beginning of the alphabet and work your way through.

Freebird Books & Goods on Columbia Street exists in the grandest of grand used bookstore traditions. Hardcovers and paperbacks are piled to the ceiling, and there is something new to be found around every corner and tucked into every crevice. Not all used book shops remain free of the aura of stagnation and neglect, but Freebird seems to scrub all the desolation of abandonment from its books, leaving the volumes happily content to wait for that one perfect moment when kismet strikes. You may not be able to find this week's Subway Reads at Freebird--used book shops are about the finding, not the possessing, after all. But, with a large, enchanting back garden and cozy front window, it's a bookstore that merits a visit for no other reason than a Sunday afternoon.

The Brooklyn Follies
by Paul Auster

Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979
by Tim Lawrence

The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil
by George Saunders

Every Woman Needs A Wife
by Nalaighna Kai

Experiencing Spiritual Breakthroughs: The Powerful Principle of the Three Chairs
by Bruce Wilkinson