bookshelves of doom

What I read yesterday.

I read Relish, by Lucy Knisley, which is an adorable graphic coming-of-age memoir that's centered around food and travel. I loved how she showed her parents' parallel interests post-divorce: both parents are extremely food-oriented, and both are world travelers, but they prefer to experience food and the world very differently, which in turn allows Lucy a broader range of experience. And I loved her philosophy about food, which lines up quite neatly with mine about books: like what you like, and make no excuses for your taste. ALSO. Each chapter ends with a related recipe (huevos rancheros! pasta carbonara! sushi!), and MAN OH MAN, if Knisley wrote an entire cookbook in this format, I'd buy it in a hot second. Love.

I also read Stephanie Kate Strohm's Confederates Don't Wear Couture, which, like its predecessor, is funny and light and chock-full of cool historical facts. While the rom-com angle wasn't as strong as in the first book—I never find it as satisfying when characters have gotten together and then conflict is introduced purely to Create Tension—it's still an entertaining, fun romp, and I very much hope for more. (Yay for more Dev Ravipati in this one, though I do admit that I was completely thrown when he used the word 'tranny'. Use of the word—in that specific situation, especially—would be in keeping with his personality, though, as he tends to not be remotely interested in political correctness, etc. See: his response to Libby's surprise about his lack of qualms re: the murky ethical questions that surround Civil War reenactments.) Bonus points for all of the info about historical reenactments (cultural as well as mechanical), for the suggestions for further reading, and for discussing the problematic aspects of celebrating and glorifying certain parts of history without ever completely taking sides on the issue.

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Book source(s): ILLed through my library.

The Fun Home debate continues in South Carolina.

From the NYT:

The College of Charleston, a public university, provided copies of Ms. Bechdel’s memoir to incoming students for the 2013-14 academic year, as part of its annual College Reads! program that tries to encourage campus-wide discussion around a single book each year. The books are not required reading.

But one state representative, Garry Smith, told South Carolina newspapers this winter that he had received a complaint about “Fun Home” from a constituent whose daughter was a freshman at the college. Mr. Smith contacted the college to ask about other options for College Reads!, and said he was told there were none. Mr. Smith then proposed cutting $52,000 – roughly equivalent to the cost of the reading program, he said – from the college’s $20 million appropriation from the state. The budget cut is now moving through the legislature; South Carolina news media coverage indicates some sizable political support for the cut.

My feelings on Raina Telgemeier's Drama and Smile...

...in a nutshell:

 

(Minus the sentimental part. Basically just, I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU.)

"In reading Maya Angelou, I became more grown-up than the grown-ups."

Roshi Fernandez on Maya Angelou at NPR:

I had entered the second year of the six years when I didn't speak of the-thing-that-happened-to-me-when-I-was-11, and I was looking for explanations of that thing. And I was looking for ways to introduce the subject to my parents, so they would say, "Oooh, I understand," in an unemotional, chatty way, and we could get thatthing out into the open.

In Maya Angelou, I found some answers. Reading I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings explained more to me than the Harold Robbins and Jackie Collins novels that we passed around the classroom ever did. Maya Angelou told me quite clearly — your body is yours.

YES. YES, I WILL TOTALLY READ THAT CELEBRITY MEMOIR.

CARY ELWES.

ON THE MAKING OF THE PRINCESS BRIDE.

From the CBC:

More than 25 years later, Cary Elwes still has the fondest memories of starring in The Princess Bride.

The actor has a deal with Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for a memoir about the beloved fairy tale. The book is called As You Wish: Tales from the Princess Bride.

Touchstone announced Friday that it has scheduled publication for the fall of 2014.

Book challenge: Barefoot Gen.

From Comic Book Resources:

The school board in the Japanese city of Matsue has restricted student access to Keiji Nakazawa’s Barefoot Gen, the autobiographical story of a six-year-old boy who survived the Hiroshima bombing.

The board ruled that the book will remain in elementary and junior high school libraries but only teachers will have access to it; students will not be allowed to check it out.

I am SO TOTALLY ALL ABOUT READING THIS ONE.

From Today:

Since his heyday as beloved character Brandon Walsh, the 43-year-old has battled legal woes and a life-changing car crash, gotten married, had kids, stepped behind the camera a few times, and, as a native Canadian, even become an American citizen.

And soon, Priestley will be adding "author" to his resume — he's penning a memoir about his personal life that will hit bookstore shelves next spring.

The as yet untitled tome will delve into some never-before-revealed behind-the-scenes action on "90210," the teen hit that skyrocketed Priestley to stardom in the 1990s.

I shouldn't be this excited, but here we are.