Talk Like a Pirate Day

The Pirate Encyclopedia brought to you by Snorg Tees.

It be "International Talk Like a Pirate Day," me hardies. And tonight I will swash my buckle and down my grog with my maties. In honor of this most holiest holy days, here be a book list for you:

Pirates! by Celia Rees: An oldie, but goodie much beloved by the HTC.

Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World by (amazing, wonderful, just not enough adjectives to describe her) Jane Yolen because male pirates shouldn't have all the fun. Read this in conjunction with Seafaring Women: Adventures of Pirate Queens, Female Stowaways, and Sailors' Wives by David Cordingly.

The Pirate Life by "Chumbucket" Baur and "Cap'n Slappy" Summers: The men who (un)intentionally brought us Talk Like a Pirate Day.

The Pirate Primer by George Choundas, so you be speaking the pirate speak while you be living the pirate life.

The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodard. The sub title be saying it all.

The Sea Rover's Practice by Benerson Little. How else will you learn how to pillage your enemies and come along a victim ship?

To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker: Swashbuckling, treasure and romance.

The History of Pirates by Angus Konstam et al. A bargain book that is no longer in print, it still has the pedigree of an author who used to run the armory for the Tower of London and the Key West Maritime Museum.

And although they are not out yet...

In November, Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the N World in Their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom--and Revenge by Edward Kritzler. Two words: Pirate Rabbis.

In February 2009, The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King. Go visit the official website.

Where Did The Time Go?

Ahh! I was all set to have a semi-leisurely morning. Got up, washed my dishes from last night, made some coffee and sat down to blog…when my mom called.

(She wants “that book on nonviolent dog training.”)

Okay, cool. Phone call over. Read some articles, look at the time and—What the? How is it eight already? I was gonna blog! Prove that the Christmas season and sucked me into a whirlpool of tinsel never to be heard from again!

I don’t know why I’m surprised. Time has been sorely lacking this week because the big-wigs are coming through and the store(s) (secondary business included) must look looooovely, dahling. Which is funny, because keeping any store looking pristine during Christmas requires a pact with the dark side and a whole battalion of elves.

(And while I’m willing to get down with my own evil I refuse to wear pointed ears and a fur trimmed hat. I have some dignity.)

So here’s the book word as far as I’ve been told:

When Richard Powers is interviewed, people listen…and like. The Echo Maker has become very popular.

The true Omnivore’s Dilemma is whether or not to buy one copy or two of the Pollan book for the foodies in their lives.

Roz Chast is the name on many a comic-lover’s lips, but I cannot get the book into the store because my supplier tells me they are out at the publisher. Is this true Bloomsbury? ‘Cause you’re killing me here because only some of my customers will take the Best American Comics 2006 as an alternative.

If you read, even a little bit, chances are you will get a Barak Obama book for Christmas from someone you know (at least if you live in my town).

There’s a whole lot more like this, but I have to make with the showering, dressing and makeup putting on-ing so that I won’t scare the world. So ta-tah for now. Just remember: if there is even one sticker left on a book from a previous sale, a customer will not only find it, but use it to haggle over the price of their purchase. Doesn’t matter if it is buried behind eight other books or up in overstock, it’s like they have a nose for these things. Somehow I forget this every year.

Please add any and all book news of note (to you and/or the rest of the world) in the comments if you feel the need. Share the insanity.

What's My Line?

I'm already in my "I hate Christmas" mode and it's only November 2nd. Of course, it could be that I'm just suffering from a time change hangover and the cold weather blues because I really do like the Christmas decorations the company chose this year which indicates that true grinchiness has not set in.

(Even if the colors do turn me a special shade of death warmed over.)

Given my general sense of blah-ness, I can't remember if we did this before (so please forgive me), but I was wondering what your favorite lines are from books. They don't have to be opening lines, and you don't have to keep it down to one. Just give the title and author of the book you pulled it from.

Jazz this cold November day up with some words, people. Spark some interest in others.

Teen Angst Years Too Late?

I’m trying to get my brain to function, but the cursor is mocking me. There is no coffee in the house, the tea isn’t working, and I might have to throw myself into a cold shower to achieve full wakefulness. I’m hoping and praying that my customer (who looks like Anne Bancroft’s character forty years after her Graduate expiration date) has decided that we are no longer worth her time or persecution complex. Even her nice personality makes me jumpy now because I keep waiting for her to snap (“Will it be when I tell her that book isn’t discounted or when I tell her it is not in paperback?”).

But enough about me, we must celebrate because my SB Day entry made Erin remember Christopher Pike (and the Last Vampire series of which I maintain the first book is still the best) and a lot of people celebrate the works Zilpha Keatley Snyder (I loved the Egyptian Game), Ray Bradbury and others. So to carry on the discussion of YA literature, let’s talk about what works for you as a reader (or worked for you) and what doesn’t. For those of you who’ve read the newer titles, does the constant product dropping annoy you? Does it detract from the story? Are there books that involve teens and teen social commentary that don’t do this?

When was the last time you wondered into the Young Adult section and really took a look? Were you surprised at the changes in selection from when you were a kid?

Have you picked up a YA book to read lately?

I’ve been on a YA reading kick lately and I desperately want to talk to people about it. There are some amazing books out there as well as some entertaining ones that I forgot moments after reading. So tell me your thoughts on the subject of YA.

I’m going to go jump in the shower before I fall asleep on the couch.


Off topic:

Penguin dropped me a line yesterday to mention that Daniel Silva has a podcast up on their site. Silva’s one of those authors that I always hear amazing things about, but have never had a chance to read. I would love to hear your opinion of him as well.

100 Degrees In The Shade

It’s been so hot, brain denaturing hot, and I don’t have A/C, so all I can do is lie here on my futon and let my hurricane fan blow down on me. It’s too hot to read anything that invokes heat, which means no romances for me for awhile (I’m finishing up The Long Tail instead). Maybe I’ll pick up Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News, which a friend once told me “just makes you feel cold” as you read about Quoyle’s life in Killick-Claw.

What books affect your temperature—whether invoking the heat or a chill—when you read them? Does this affect when you read them?

The Challengers

The Challengers:

Marta:

A Confederacy of Dunces - O'Toole
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter - Vargas Llosa
Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff – Moore
Decline & Fall – Waugh
Persuasion – Austen

Susan Wilbanks:

Gaudy Night - Dorothy Sayers
His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik
In This House of Brede - Rumer Godden
Sharpe's Triumph - Bernard Cornwell
Guns, Germs & Steel - Jared Diamond

Penny L. Richards:

Octavia Butler, Kindred
Michael Berube, Life as We Know It
Anna Lanyon, Malinche's Conquest
Lindsay Clarke, The Chymical Wedding
Lisa See, On Gold Mountain

Andrea:

Snow Wolf- Glenn Meade
The Sculptress- Minette Walters
Lonely Hearts- John Harvey
lost boy lost girl- Peter Straub
Geek Love- Katherine Dunn

Cee:

1. Prodigal Summer - Barbara Kingsolver
2. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
3. Doomsday Book - Connie Willis
4. An Equal Music - Vikram Seth
5. The Assassin Trilogy - Robin Hobb

Susan Adrian:

1. Seen by Moonlight, by Kathleen Eschenburg
2. If I Never Get Back, by Daryl Brock
3. Suspicion, by Barbara Rogan
4. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
5. The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper

Robin Brande:

1. Polar Dream, by Helen Thayer
2. Swimming to Antarctica, by Lynne Cox
3. Road Fever, by Tim Cahill
4. East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
5. The Subtle Knife, by Philip Pullman

Christine Fletcher:

1. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
2. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
3. Nobody's Fool, Richard Russo
4. The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton
5. Mansfield Park, Jane Austen

Web:

1) Lincoln's Dreams - Connie Willis
2) Then She Found Me - Elinor Lipman
3) The Easy Way Out - Stephen McCauly
4) I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith
5) Joy in the Morning - Betty Smith

Diana P:

Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey
Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
Dragonsquest by Anne McCaffrey
Face the Fire by Nora Roberts
Midnight in Ruby Bayou by Elizabeth Lowell

Janni:

1. A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Madeleine L'Engle
2. Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson
3. The Ice Queen, Alice Hoffman
4. Christopher Fry, The Lady's Not for Burning
5. Forgotten Beasts of Eld, Patricia McKillip

Lady T:

1)Northanger Abbey/Jane Austen
2)The Ladies' Auxillary/Tova Mirvis
3)Mammoth Cheese/Sheri Holman
4)Swan Song/Robert McCammon
5)Popco/Scarlet Thomas

Sue:

1. The Year the Music Changed by Diane Thomas
2. Come Like Shadows by Welwynn Wilton Katz
3. Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson
4. The Goddess of 5th Avenue by Carol A. Simone
5. The Shelters of Stone by Jean M. Auel

Katherine:

1. A Moveable Feast, Hemingway
2. All Didion
3. All Chekhov (the stories, the plays)
4. Always Cheever, but never Updike.
5. My Phantom Husband, Marie Darrieussecq

Paul (whose profile is unavailable):

1. Tomcat Murr - ETA Hoffmann
2. At Swim-Two-Birds - Flann O'Brien
3. Master and Margarite - M. Bulgakov
4. Carmichael's Dog - R.M. Koster
5. The Kiss of the Spider Woman - Manuel Puig

Beth:

1. World's End, T.C. Boyle
2. A Gesture Life, Chang-Rae Lee
3. Ex Libris, Anne Fadiman
4. Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris
5. The Instance of the Fingerpost, Iaian Pears.

Jmc:

1. Persuasion, Jane Austen
2. The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold
3. Welcome to Temptation, Jennifer Crusie
4. The Far Pavilions, M.M. Kaye
5. Living to Tell the Tale, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Ms. Librarian:

The Gate to Women's Country, Sheri Tepper
Combat in the Erogenous Zone, Ingrid Bengis
The Once and Future King, T. H. White
On Basilisk Station, David Weber
The Pride of Chanur, C. J. Cherryh

Otterb (who shares a mind with Susan Wilbanks):

The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King
Anything by Lois McMaster Bujold, favorities are Memory and The Curse of Chalion.
The Cloister Walk, Kathleen Norris
Pilgrim's Inn, Elizabeth Goudge
Liaden Universe books, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

Michelle:

Prodigal Summer - Barbara Kingsolver
Possession - A.S. Byatt
Use of Weapons - Iain M.Banks
Acid Row - Minette Walters
Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

Alua:

Song for Arbonne - Guy Gavriel Kay
Kushiel's Dart - Jacqueline Carey
Primary Inversion - Catherine Asaro
Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
Golden Compass - Phillip Pullman

Kate R:

1. Bartimaeus trilogy (it'll come out as one book some day)
2. Once and Future King TH White
3. Bottom of the Harbor (essays about old NY) Joseph Mitchell
4. October Light John Gardner
5. 100 Years of Solitude. Marquez


“I Challenge You to a Book Duel” is now closed. Thanks to everyone who participated.

The List As It Stands So Far

Okay everyone, here is the list so far for the writers you think deserve more, more, MORE recognition. Please continue to add more authors to the list here when you think of them. If I’ve made any mistakes on the list below, or forgotten someone that you commented about, please let me know. I only spent an hour researching and typing this up this morning, so I’m sure it’s not perfect.

Literature/Fiction

Suzanne Strempek Shea (Becoming Finola, Washington Square Press)*
Judith Ryan Hendricks (Bread Alone)
Ayelet Waldman (Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, Mommy Track Mysteries)*
Jean Hegland (Into the Forest and Windfall)
Jennifer Vanderbes (Easter Island, Debut Novel)
Christopher Bram (Father of Frankenstein/Gods and Monsters, Harper Perennial)
Brenda Scott Royce (Monkey Love, Debut, NAL)
Karen Karbo (Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me et al)+
Bill Roorbach (The Smallest Color, Counterpoint Press)
Christopher Moore (Lamb/Fluke/Dirty Job, William Morrow/Harper Collins)*

SciFi/Fantasy

Maria V. Snyder (Poison Study, Luna)+
Rachel Caine (Weather Warden Series, ROC)
Wen Spencer (Wolf Who Rules/Ukiah Oregon Series, Baen)
Laura Resnick (Disappearing Nightly, Luna)
Martha Wells (Ile-Rien Trilogy, Eos)
Stephen Baxter (Manifold Series, Del Rey)
Guy Gavriel Kay (Fionavar Tapestry Series, Eos)*
Juliet E. McKenna (Aldabreshin Compass Series, Tor)

Mystery

Louise Ure (Forcing Amaryllis, Debut Novel, Warner)+
Cara Black (The Aimee Leduc Mysteries, Soho Crime)
Erin Hart (Haunted Ground, Pocket Star)*
William Kent Krueger (“Cork” O’Connor Mysteries, Atria)
Brian Freeman (Immoral, St. Martin’s Minotaur)
Mary Logue (Bone Harvest, Fawcett)
Stephanie Barron (The Jane Austin Mysteries, Bantam)
Lisa Reardon (Mercy Killers, Counterpoint Press)

Romance

Marianna Jameson (My Hero)
Kathleen Eschenburg (Nightingale’s Song/Seen By Moonlight, HarperTorch)
Pamela Britton (In the Groove, HQN)
Diane Farr (Under a Lucky Star, Signet)
Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon (Somebody to Love, Zebra—as Rothwell)+
Teresa Bodwell (Loving Miranda, Zebra)
Nancy Butler (Kindness of a Rogue, Signet)
Carla Kelly (Wedding Journey, Signet)
Dawn Thompson (Waterlord/Ravencliff Bride, Love Spell)
Elizabeth Sinclair (Miracle in the Mist, Medallion Press)
Paula Reed (Into His Arms/Nobody’s Saint, Zebra)
Flo Fitzpatrick (Hot Stuff, Zebra)
Leslie LaFoy (Her Scandalous Marriage, St. Martin’s Press)

Young Adult

Carrie Asai (Samurai Girl Series, Simon Pulse)
Marly Youmans (Curse of the Raven Mocker/Ingledove, Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Mariah Fredericks (Crunch Time/The True Meaning of Cleavage, Atheneum)

Also Rans (We love them, but so does everyone else)

Deidre Martin (Romance, USA Today Bestselling Author)
Jennifer Crusie (Romance/Fiction, NYT Bestselling Author
Mary Roach (Science/Nonfiction, NYT Bestselling Author)
Susan Kearney (Romance, USA Today Bestselling Author)

Not Available/Out of Print

Christos Tsiolkas (Not Available in the United States)


*Noted to be National or International Bestsellers without any indication what lists they were on, will probably be bumped to the back of the list.

+Writers who have been contacted (or that I’m in the process of emailing) about participating in some way with this blog.

Updates...

I finished off the update list:

Books you should be reading...

Books You Should Be Reading...

(So just ignore the fact that they are shelved in the Young Adult or Intermediate section of your local bookstore.)

Tired of the same ol’ same ol’? Young Adult and Intermediate books are the new realm for storytellers to boldly go where they’ve never gone before, so if you’re in the mood for an adventure then check out this reader generated list.*

The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud

Bartimaeus footnotes his thoughts, snarks at the wizard world, and helps save humanity even when he thinks the world might be better off without them. No where will you find a character as dynamic, sarcastic, and altogether morally ambiguous as Bartimaeus in his adventures with the humans Nathaniel and Kitty. First book: The Amulet of Samarkand.

Tithe and Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales) by Holly Black

Urban-gothic (fantasy) setting where “everything was strange and beautiful and swollen with possibilities.”

Any book by Scott Westerfeld specifically:

The Uglies and The Pretties (The Specials is not yet out)

“A future dystopian story about a society where everyone receives plastic surgery when they are 16 that makes them drop dead gorgeous. But what else are they giving up in order to live in their "pretty" world? Chilling portrayal of where our conspicuous consumption and focus on one particular type of beauty might bring us in the near future, suitable for both teens and adults who are interested in the barrage of "perfected" images that we face every day.” (Diana)

So Yesterday

It's the story of professional "cool hunters" who are the ones that invent the trends that everyone else follows. Suitable for anyone who ever wondered why we tried to follow a trend. (Diana)

The Midnighters Series (First book: The Secret Hour)

A group of children born at the midnight who has magical access to the 25th hour of the day and all the horror and powers that come with it.

Teach Me by R.A. Nelson

“Another Razorbill offering about a young woman who has an affair with her highschool teacher. Very real, very raw, very moving. Not exploitive or gratuitous, but a realistic and emotional portrayal of a very difficult situation.” (Diana)

A Great and Terrible Beauty and its sequel, Rebel Angels, by Libba Bray.

“NYT bestselling story of a girl in a Victorian finishing school who discovers a magical realm, but deals with issues of feminism, sexual awakening, class struggles, etc. Also, the covers are DIVINE. Sell themselves.” (Diana)

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

“One girl's spiral into depression and invisibility after a serious trauma in her life (was also made into a television movie).” (Diana)

(Diana also says to check out anything by Penguin’s imprint Razorbill)

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

“Capra-esque examination of the afterlife.” (Diana)His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman

“They're about a little girl, but deal with some very very serious issues. Not children's books at all, really. They're about the nature of childhood and the nature of God. And there's sex. (They're making a movie out of this one, too, but Harry Potter it ain't.)” (Diana)The Giver series by Lois Lowry.

“The Giver won a Newberry many many years ago, I think, and she's recently come out with two more books in the series -- Gathering Blue and the Messenger. Another Future dystopian tale.” (Diana)

Ink Heart and Ink Spell by Cornelia Funke

“Truly wonderful,especially for those already in love with reading. It crosses over quite well into an adult audience-why they haven't yet escapes me!” (Lady T)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

“The thief of the title is a young Munich girl in Nazi Germany who copes with the stress of the war by swiping every book she can get her hands on. One of the main characters is Death,who also is the narrator.” (Lady T)

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

There’s nothing like high school romance, especially when the boy you love is a vampire. Melanie says, “It may even be better than Bray's stuff.”

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

“Follows the life of Jethro Creighton through five Aprils, from the April beginning of the Civil War to the April of its end. The war, unsurprisingly, changes everything thing in his life, including his family. While still a boy Jeth shoulders the burden of supporting his family and running the family farm.” (JMC)

Trickster series by Tamora Pierce

“These are the story of Aliane, daughter of Alannah, the King's Champion, and George, Master of Spies, from one of Peirce's earlier series. Ali becomes embroiled in a political intrigue in the Copper Isles through the machinations of the trickster god, Kyprioth. Trickster's Choice is the tale through the early stages of planning a rebellion. Trickster's Queen is the heart of the rebellion, along with a few surprising twists and turns with respect to who the new Queen of the Copper Isles will be.” (JMC)

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

“Mattie has ambitions beyond marriage and life on the family farm, despite the attentions of a handsome neighbor. While working at the local hotel in the Adirondacks, she meets a guest who later drowns. The guest left letters with Mattie with instructions to burn them, but instead Mattie reads them and learns that she was pregnant by her employer. Based on real life murder mystery from the turn of the 20th century.” (JMC)

The Tilghman Family series by Cynthia Voigt

“They are a little bit dated (one takes place during the Vietnam War), but still good. Set on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The first book (I think) was Dicey's Song, which tells the story of how Dicey, a teenager, brings her brothers and sister home to the grandmother she doesn't know after her mother either disappears or is committed or dies, don't remember which. Mostly about a young person who is used to being responsible learn to trust and how to give up control to an adult. The other books are about her siblings, her uncle who died in the war, and then about people in her circle of friends. Solitary Blue is a good one of the series, as well.” (JMC)

Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Here’s a review by JMC.

Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix

“To preserve life,the Abhorsen must enter Death.” (Amazon)

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Moose has a lot to deal with: an autistic sister, a mother obsessed with getting her killed, a new school and his dad’s new job at Alcatraz in 1935.

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

The four fantastic voyages of Lemuel Gulliver.

“One of the funniest, filthiest books I've ever read. I can't believe I missed it all these years. Of course, I doubt I'd have gotten the jokes when I was nine.” (Lisa Hunter)

Bromeliad Trilogy by Terry Pratchett

“In a world whose seasons are defined by Christmas sales and Spring Fashions, hundreds of tiny nomes live in the corners and crannies of a human-run department store. They have made their homes beneath the floorboards for generations and no longer remember -- or even believe in -- life beyond the Store walls.” (Amazon)

Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage

“At birth, Septimus Heap is carried away for dead, and his father, Silas Heap, is entrusted with a baby girl. When the villainous Supreme Custodian tries to assassinate the now 10-year-old Jenna, who, it turns out, is the daughter of the murdered queen, the girl flees to the Marram Marshes along with some family members, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, and a young army guard known only as "Boy 412.”” (Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR)

Summerland by Michael Chabon.

An American Narnia.

Help a Reader Out.

Doug just finished the first book in the fabulous Bartimeaus trilogy and will soon blow through the rest. Kate and I are cackling with glee, of course, because this means yet another convert to relay the greatness that is Jonathan Stroud, but I'm in a bit of a quandary. You see, I have yet to find another Intermediate (or Young Adult) author that captured me the same way that Stroud did. In my defense, I rarely venture into the Children's section at the store unless someone forces me (its a scary, messy place, people). I've gotten better than I used to be, but I just don't have the knowledge to give Doug what he needs.

That's where y'all come in.

Do you have any suggestions for great Children's literature books (ones that, in your opinion, are really much better suited for adults)?

Give me the names (and some reason why they are so great) and we'll compile a list for everyone because a good read is always appreciated.

See also: "One of those big questions" if you are feeling in a discussion type mood.

List for Bonnie (Cont’d)

Bonnie, I found one possible book title a couple of days ago (in answer to your search here), but since then I’ve taken a walk through our Young Adult section and discovered several more books that fit your qualifications.

Day of Tears (15.99) by Julius Lester

This is actually supposed to be shelved in Intermediate fiction (ages nine through twelve), but I’ve seen it misplaced before. Black and white cover with a silhouette (head only) that is gender neutral.

Ithaca (17.00) by Adele Geras

Black/gold cover with ancient Greek style pottery etchings. Re-imagining of the The Odyssey through the eyes of two young, female protagonists.

Falcondance (14.95) by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Third in the Kiesha’ra series, this slim, black hardcover has a silvery depiction of a falling boy with wings on the cover.

World of Eldaterra #1: Dragon Conspiracy (16.99) by P.R. Moredun

The story of James Kinghorn who slips through a portal to another world in 1910. Slim, black hardcover with cut-out to reveal a dragon in a preservation jar.

Looking For Alaska (15.99) by John Green

Slim, black hardcover with a candle on the cover (smoke swirling).

Johnny and the Dead (15.99) by Terry Pratchett

Black hardcover, gray gravestone with title on front.

Purple Emperor (17.95) by Herbie Brennan

Second in the Faerie Wars trilogy. Black/purplish cover. Male protag part of an ensemble cast.

Warrior Heir (16.99) by Cinda Williams Chima

Might be too new (release date on the computer was April 1st, but things have been known to ship early), but has a black cover with a large silver sword.

Teach Me (16.99) by R.A. Nelson

While it is a slim, black hardback, I doubt this is the book you are looking for due to its content (about a girl’s affair with her teacher).

Booklist the First

Compiled fresh from your comments, the first reader generated booklist.

Bethany K. Warner posted about her love for Watership Down by Richard Adams saying, “I have read this book many times and sometimes picked it up just for the El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle stories. In college, we were assigned a wonderful essay about this book and my roommates kept calling it the "rabbit book" and I was so distraught because it's about so much more than rabbits.”

Indeed they are.

Lady T went for a little more Chick in her Lit with Johanna Edwards, Your Big Break.

The plot revolves around Dani Myers,who works for a relationship break-up service and one of her clients requests her help in breaking up with a married man who turns out to be Dani's father!I know, this sounds very chick flick but it's a fun and funny story with loads of great side characters like Dani's brother who plays amateur detective (too much CSI watching) and an obnoxious repeat client who actually insists that Dani become his friend to broaden his understanding of women. Edwards is becoming one of my favorite female-friendly authors.

Follow the clues to your local bookstore if you’re as intrigued as I am.

Vicki chimed with choices for every age group:

Children: Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes. A less well-known, but very funny retelling of traditional fairy tales. It was re-released in 2003 so it should be fairly easy to find nowadays.

Teens: The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. This is the perfect fantasy book for the horse-loving tomboy in your life. McKinley once, I believe, described this as the fairy tale SHE would have wanted to read as a girl.. what more do I need to say?

Adult: The Sea Road by Margaret Elphinstone. A beautifully written, immersive tale of the life of Gudrid of Iceland, mother of the first European born on North American soil, and sister-in-law of Leif Eriksson.

Marianne McA is thinking about giving Lian Hearn a try, so I think it’s only right that we all consider checking out her choice, “I've just reread Lois McMaster Bujold's A Civil Campaign, and was thinking afterwards what a satisfying book it is. It's effectively a Sci-Fi/Fantasy version of a Regency Romance, and it's light and fluffy and funny. It is part of a long series, but isn't written in such a way that you need to have read the other books to enjoy this one.”

NJ Dave would like to nominate A Prayer for Owen Meany for Great American Novel of the 20th Century. His favorite read from last year was a “tie between Middlesex (yes, it's kinda mainsteam, but it's a great book) and Villa Incognito (Tom Robbins).”

That’s okay, Dave, I love mainstream.

Mapletree7 has favorites for every mood (something I totally understand).

In The Garden of Iden by Kage Baker.It's just about perfect, and it kicks off the best science fiction series currently being written.

On other days my favorite books are Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers and Spring Moon by Bette Bao Lord.

Milady Insanity seconds my Tales of the Otori recommendation (well, thirds if we count Marianne McA’s dh). Hazzah!

China G brought up the incomparable Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, “Storm Front is the first. It's good and the series just gets better and better.”

An excellent list all around, everyone, and I hope it gives you something to think about next time you’re wandering around the bookstore looking for something to read.

Until next time, Gadget.

It be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, ye landlubbers!

It be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, ye landlubbers!

Aye, me hardies, it be that day again: International Talk Like a Pirate Day! So raise your inner pirate from Davy Jone’s locker and celebrate with these swashbucklers and fiends…or ye’ll be walking the plank.


Pirattitude!: so you wanna be a Pirate? Here’s how! By John Baur and Mark Summers. Introduction by Dave Berry

ISBN: 0451216490 Price: $ 12.95

That’s right, ye swabbies, the Pirates behind International Talk Like a Pirate day have written down their tale fer yer edification. Learn to raise the main sail, walk the plank, swash your buckle and comport yourself in all pirate-type ways. (Special bonus: learn to actually talk like pirate for more than three words unlike the author of this post.)

About the Author:
John "Ol' Chumbucket" Baur and Mark "Cap'n Slappy" Summers came up with the idea for Talk Like a Pirate Day during an ill-fated game of racquetball way back in 1995, making it the first holiday that ever originated as a sports injury. They adamantly deny that there was any grog-swilling involved, though they both admit to swilling more than their fair share of grog at other times.

Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe

ISBN: 0375423214 Price: $15.95

Satirical. Pirate. Fiction. ‘Nuff said.

What? You didn’t know it existed? Who said ignorance was bliss because you are obviously missing out. Pirates! Is a book beloved by everyone in my store. It’s been passed around almost as much as Lamb (which would make since because they share the same bit of silly, Python-esque humor).

About the Author:
Gideon Defoe, who lives in London, is twenty-eight. He wrote The Pirates! to convince a woman to leave her boyfriend for him. She didn't.

I say:

Really, how can you not fall in love with a book written to get some woman to leave her boyfriend…it would have worked on me. Not to mention all the science humor, ham, and the holy ghost make for one amusing as hell tale. Look for Pirates! In an Adventure with Ahab coming soon.

Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly

ISBN: 0156005492 Price: $14.00

Get your history on with this exploration of pirates and our perceptions (with actual examples). Was Blackbeard truly a nasty, nasty man? And what about that Captain Cooke? Cordingly answers all in an easy to read format.


The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805 by Richard Zacks

ISBN: 1401300030 Price: $ 25.95

Political intrigue, pirates, presidential shenanigans and covert operations: what more could a girl ask for? An interesting (and entertaining) look at a small piece of history that might must be one of those things that make you go “hmmm.”


Books for the pirate kiddies:


Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady (Bloody Jack Adventures) by Louis A. Meyer

ISBN: 0152051155 Price: (now in paperback)

A follow up to Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship’s Boy, Jack(y) is once again battling the high tides of…private school? Say it ain’t so? Who would want to reform a pirate? The term scrappy is totally appropriate for this fun, tough character.

How I became a Pirate by Melinda Long. Illustrations by David Shannon.

ISBN: 0152018484 Price: $16.00

A boy runs off with pirates to help them bury their treasure, David Shannon’s bug-eyed drawing ensue.

How to Be a Pirate by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Translated by Cressida Cowell

ISBN: 0316155985 Price: $ 10.99

From the woman who brought us—I mean, translated—How to Train Your Dragon comes the further adventures of the son of Stoick the Vast of the Harry Hooligan Viking Tribe (Hey, I know some Hairy Hooligans). Fun for little boys and girls alike.

Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke and Kerstin Meyer. Illustrations by Chantal Wright

ISBN: 0439716721 Price: $15.95

Whether you view this as dose of little girl power or an example that girls can be bullies too (as the contrasting reviews by Booklist and Library Journal alternatively suggest), you’ll definitely get your dose of girl Pirattitude!