> The Things You Can Read: April 2013

The Things You Can Read welcomes you and thanks you for your readership. We, here at The Things You Can Read, ask your help, if you visit our site regularly, please follow us either via email or Google Friend Connect.  Launched on June 7, 2012, our site has already attracted a great deal of attention.  One of the goals of the site is to feature reviews of Children's Picture Books, Young Adult novels and Adult Literary Fiction/Nonfiction.  A second goal for the blog is to be a resource for teachers of English and writing--with examples of student created writing, writing tips, resource links, and the opportunity to pick the brain of a seasoned English teacher.  To spice things up...every now and then, we'll also include random quotes and thoughts on education and life in general, but our ultimate goal is to reach out into the blogosphere and be a "Book Whisperer" and "Writing Whisperer" to children and adults of all ages.   Thank you for your readership.  Here is to a lifetime filled with reading and writing.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

National Poetry Month Ends: The Fascinating, Handwritten Poems of Famous Authors

Flavorwire shared The Fascinating, Handwritten Poems of Famous Authors. It is an amazing assortment of handwritten poems from the "Who's Who of literature." Below you will find the poem we found most interesting. Having just read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Fowler this one spoke volumes.  Check out all ten and let us know which is your favorite here at The Things You Can Read.

fitz
F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Addenda (Seven Years Later)”
“What shall I do with this bundle of stuff
Mass of ingredients, handful of grist
Tenderest evidence, thumb-print of lust.”



It’s unclear why the Great Gatsby author was penning an 8-year-old poems mentioning lust and necking, but F. Scott Fizgerald did just that.Addenda (Seven Years Later) was written for actress Helen Hayes’ daughter Mary MacArthur. Fitzgerald spent time at the family’s New York home and wrote the verse on the reverse side of another poem he composed for Mary when she was an infant (during the time he wroteTender is the Night). He died several years after Addenda was written, beset with illness from a life of alcoholism. Mary died at 19 from polio.



Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

World Book Night Response




In connection with World Book Night, twenty 7th grades students, all of which were light readers, received free copies of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury on the 50th anniversary of its publication.  It was our hope that students receiving the book would write a short response sharing their thoughts about the novel, which would then be sent to worldbooknight.org and now we have our first response!

Fahrenheit 451

Here is what T. W. had to say about Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury:

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is by far one of the most bizarre and tenacious stories I have ever read.  It is also one of my most favorite.  With vivid descriptions and sensory details, as well as, eerily similar aspects to today’s world, it is most deserving of the title CLASSIC.





Again, thank you World Book Night for allowing me to reach out to students and foster in them a love of reading!

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!


Monday, April 29, 2013

Review: The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler

The Bookstore

Review: The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler

Rating:4 of 5 stars

“I, Esme Garland, do not approve of mess. This is unfortunate, because ever since I woke up this morning I’ve had a feeling that I might be in one,” thus begins The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler published by Simon & Schuster, Inc. What a surprise for Esme, a smart Brit who is working on her PhD in art history at Columbia University in New York City, when she discovers she is pregnant. A baby is not in her plans, especially not a baby with someone who she has only been dating a few months. The rest of the story follows the rocky road Esme travels over the next nine months, and rocky it is. All the twists and turns in Esme’s journey to Georgie’s arrival are what make the novel an entertaining read. 

The Bookstore is set in New York City, and the city itself is a character. Her personality shines from chapter to chapter. Enjoy discovering the name of an “out of the way” restaurant, a favorite museum, or some other New York landmark which Meyler slips into the storyline, creating a real New York feel. Knowledge of the city will only add to the enjoyment of this debut author’s novel. If you are a novice to New York the novel will generate a deep seated-desire to visit “The Big Apple.” For those readers who love the intricacies of life in New York this is a must read.

Esme’s true salvation and redemption comes not from her family back in England, but from the family she cultivates at her job at The Owl, a small, seemingly insignificant, independent book store sandwiched in-between the behemoth Gap and Staples on this New York City block. Easy to overlook, but once found, an oasis for thirsty literary souls. Esme’s relationships with "The Bookstore" pays homage to all those fellow bibliophiles out there who find peace, friendship, and community among the shelves of a favorite local independent bookstore. The Owl is Esme’s safety net. It is here that George, the owner of The Owl, and Luke, a long-standing, guitar playing manager, take Esme under their wings and give her the foundation to try and have it all, a baby and a PhD. 

If you are looking for a great summer read The Bookstore is definitely for you.

I'd like to thank Gallery Books and Edelweiss for providing an advance reader's copy of The Bookstore.

Summary Courtesy of Goodreads 
A witty, sharply observed debut novel about a young woman who finds unexpected salvation while working in a quirky used bookstore in Manhattan. Impressionable and idealistic, Esme Garland is a young British woman who finds herself studying art history in New York. She loves her apartment and is passionate about the city and her boyfriend; her future couldn’t look brighter. Until she finds out that she’s pregnant.

Esme’s boyfriend, Mitchell van Leuven, is old-money rich, handsome, successful, and irretrievably damaged. When he dumps Esme—just before she tries to tell him about the baby—she resolves to manage alone. She will keep the child and her scholarship, while finding a part-time job to make ends meet. But that is easier said than done, especially on a student visa. 

The Owl is a shabby, second-hand bookstore on the Upper West Side, an all-day, all-night haven for a colorful crew of characters: handsome and taciturn guitar player Luke; Chester, who hyperventilates at the mention of Lolita; George, the owner, who lives on protein shakes and idealism; and a motley company of the timeless, the tactless, and the homeless. The Owl becomes a nexus of good in a difficult world for Esme—but will it be enough to sustain her? Even when Mitchell, repentant and charming, comes back on the scene? 

A rousing celebration of books, of the shops where they are sold, and of the people who work, read, and live in them, The Bookstore is also a story about emotional discovery, the complex choices we all face, and the accidental inspirations that make a life worth the reading.

Does The Bookstore sound like a book for you?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.


Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

10 Foolproof Books to Give as Gifts

gatsby

In honor of Mother's Day and World Book Night here are ten books suggested as foolproof gifts by Flavorwire.  We have read several on the list, and have several others on our To Be Read List,  which one would you give as a gift?  Read the full article by clicking HERE.

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

World Book Night



In connection with World Book Night, twenty 7th grades students, all of which were light readers, received free copies of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury on the 50th anniversary of its publication.  It is our hope that students receiving the book will write a short response sharing their thoughts about the novel, which will then be sent to worldbooknight.org.  Thank you World Book Night for allowing me to reach out to students and foster in them a love of reading!

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!



25 RARE PHOTOS OF FAMOUS AUTHORS


QWIKLIT.COM
Check out QWIKLIT.COM's recent post:  25 RARE PHOTOS OF FAMOUS AUTHORS  Here are two of our favorite pictures and why we liked them.


This photo captured our attention having just finished reading Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler.  I think this photo captures the Fitzgerald family as they were presented in Therese Anne Fowler's novel.
 
At any rate, let us love for a while, for a year or so, you and me. That’s a form of divine drunkenness that we can all try. There are only diamonds in the whole world, diamonds and perhaps the shabby gift of disillusion. – F. Scott Fitzgerald, from “A Diamond as Big as the Ritz”. Pictured here with Zelda and their daughter, Frances.

This photo also caught our attention becasue To Kill a Mockingbird is our favorite book.  Amongst the collection of names we'd use for our next baby is Harper Lee or Leigh in honor of the author of our favorite book.

“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” - Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird







Of the 25 photos which ones were your favoirtes?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Names Inspired by Book Characters


The Huffington Post showcased 12 "Baby Girl Names Inspired by Beloved Book Characters."  If you were going to name your child after a character in a book...what would you pick?  We'd look at the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird  for a name or we'd move to authors names.  What author's name would you use?  We like Harper Lee or Leigh.

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Amazon's 'Most Well-Read Cities' in U.S.


According to Huffington Post:

For the second straight year, Alexandria, Va. topped Amazon's list of the "Most Well-Read Cities in America," which is compiled from sales data of all book, magazine and newspaper sales in both print and Kindle format since June 1, 2012, on a per capita basis in cities with more than 100,000 residents. This year's top 20 are:





1. Alexandria, Va.
2. Knoxville, Tenn.
3. Miami, Fla.
4. Cambridge, Mass.
5. Orlando, Fla.
6. Ann Arbor, Mich.
7. Berkeley, Calif.
8. Cincinnati, Ohio
9. Columbia, S.C.
10. Pittsburgh, Pa.
11. St. Louis, Mo
12. Salt Lake City, Utah
13. Seattle, Wash.
14. Vancouver, Wash.
15. Gainesville, Fla.
16. Atlanta, Ga.
17. Dayton, Ohio
18. Richmond, Va.
19. Clearwater, Fla.
20. Tallahassee, Fla.

Read the full article:  Click HERE  Is your city on the list?  We are somewhat surprised that ours made the list.

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!



Monday, April 22, 2013

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

Description: comic strip

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

PHOTOS: Most Beautiful Bookstore?
Dutch bookstore Selexyz Dominicanen might just be the prettiest bookstore we've ever seen.

According to Huffington Post:
A chain of Dutch bookstore Selexyz might just be the prettiest bookstore we've ever seen. Housed in a seven hundred-year-old former Dominican church, it's a stunning house of worship now devoted to the cult of physical books. El Ateneo in Buenos Aires is pretty special, but right now we're leaning towards Selexyz (though we have no idea how to pronounce it.)


Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Three of the Best Poetry Websites


A Dozen of the Best Poetry Websites 

In recognition of National Poetry Month here are three of the best poetry resources the web has to offer, according to BookBrowse.

General Poetry Sites

Poetryfoundation.org. The Poetry Foundation has a huge selection of poems supported by substantial biographical info. I particularly enjoyed browsing poems by geographical region. It's the sort of site that you could dip in for a couple of minutes or a couple of days.



Poemhunter.com. Whether you're looking for themed quotes, the lyrics to an almost forgotten song, to revisit a favorite poem or discover new poets, this vast resource of over 800,000 poems and 80,000 poets will deliver the goods. You can sign up to receive the poem of the day by email and, once you create your free account, catalog your favorite poems for future reference.



Poets.org is affiliated with the Academy of American Poets. At first glance, it seems a little less welcoming than the two sites mentioned already, but when I started digging in its resources are great, not least the very cool regional map of the USA, including bios of key poets, poetry events, poetry-friendly bookstores, and poetry history. The Academy of American Poets inaugurated National Poetry Month so, unsurprisingly, they're also a great resource for that as well.




What poetry site would you add to the list?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!


Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!





Wednesday, April 10, 2013

April is National Poetry Month: The Rime of the Modern Mariner


Books on the Nightstand made this recent recommendation for April...Check it out!


The Rime of the Modern Mariner is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Nick Hayes. It recasts Coleridge’s poem as an ecological fable for today. The illustrations, done in shades of blue and black, are simply stunning! (This link has some interior images)









Do you have any tips for writing poetry?  We'd love to hear them.  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!



Tuesday, April 9, 2013

National Poetry Month Continues with @PenguinUSA

Promo
Follow Penguin on Twitter for National Poetry Month 

The team behind @PenguinUSA on Twitter has put together a grand campaign to celebrate National Poetry Month 2013. Follow us on Twitter beginning April 1st to join in sharing daily poetic verse culled from Penguin's wealth of poetry collections spanning the ages...from ancient times to modern times. There’ll be daily giveaways, too! 

Browse our new Pinterest board of Penguin poetry titles.
Check out the Poetry Month app Poems By Heart from Penguin Classics and watch the video 

Think you can read a poem with the best of them? Prove it! Email us your recitation of William Blake's "Eternity" or William Shakespeare's "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" and you'll be entered for a chance to win over five hundred dollars' worth of Penguin poetry titles!



Let us know what you plan to do to celebrate National Poetry Month!

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 

Monday, April 8, 2013

National Poetry Month Continues

Poetry gives students a chance to play with language and vocabulary. Although writing poetry can be intimidating, this article recommends some poetry forms just for beginners, including writing group poems and acrostics. Read the article to discover many other poetry forms, and find the approach that works best for your students!-Adlit.org

Do you have any tips for writing poetry?  We'd love to hear them.  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.


Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!



Sunday, April 7, 2013

National Poetry Month Continues

Start with humorous poems that rhyme! That's the first piece of advice in this easy-to-read guide to using more poetry in your classroom. Other advice includes tips for choosing poems, how to manage poetry readings, and how to avoid breaking copyright laws when you copy poems for class.-Adlit.org

Do you have any tips for writing poetry?  We'd love to hear them.  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 
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