Book Report: "Amahl and the Night Visitors"

No one diagrams the dissolution of a relationship like Lorrie Moore, and "Amahl and the Night Visitors: A Guide to the Tenor of Love" is no exception. (My, what a clunky title. You can see why I shortened it above.) Self Help, the collection in which "Amahl" appears, is devoted to tales of love and loss. When listing authors I admire, I somehow always forget about Moore. This is terrible of me because she's really quite wonderful. With an eagle-eye for details that ring devastatingly true and wit for days, Moore seems able to capture the right word, feeling, and movement at the exact right moment. Oh, she's a sharp one....

Book Report: "Travis, B."

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the books I chose to round out February are not about love, but rather unrequited love. In this instance, a young cowboy named Chet takes a winter job feeding cattle in Glendive, MT. He comes into town one evening and wanders into a night class taught by Beth Travis, just out of law school, who lives 9 hours away in Missoula. Chet falls for her of course, but nothing ever goes as planned, and well, I did say unrequited...

Book Report Inspiration: Handmade Valentines

I planned on making some anti-valentines, but after reading Valentines, Ted Kooser's lovely book of Valentine's Day poems, I decided to make some sweet valentines. Just so we're all on the same page: in 1986 Ted Kooser decided to write a poem on a postcard and mail it to some friends for Valentine's Day. It was a hit, so he made it a yearly tradition. Eventually his list of postcard poem recipients reached 2,600 people. Valentines collects these postcard poems. I know poetry can be a terrifying prospect, especially when it's concerned with L-O-V-E. But Kooser's poems are not overflowing with flowery, gushy sentiments--they're sweet, sometimes silly, and fun...

Book Report Inspiration: Finding the Right Words for Your Valentine

Finding the right words can be difficult, especially when trying to express yourself in a genuine and non-cliche way. Anyone can pick up a greeting card covered in hearts and roses, but the sweetest notes are those that are heartfelt, personal, and true. If you're having trouble coming up with the perfect words for the one you love, like, or respect, here are some tips for getting something down on paper and a few options for a backup plan.

1. Reference the good times. The inside jokes, pet names, and that totally annoying but also endearing thing your lady or gentleman does. Adding something personal to a card is an immediate and easy upgrade over just signing your name with an arrow pointing at whatever's printed inside. 

2. Look to your significant other's favorite music. Two options here. 1. Digital mixtape: songs they love, songs you think they'd love, or songs that express how you feel. 2. Song lyrics that can be incorporated into your valentine. Any of these options demonstrates that you've been paying attention and are willing to put in a little work to make something special. (Also, movies. A little Disney or Harry Potter gif collection never hurt anyone.)

3. Use quotes from novels, poetry, and correspondence. Skip Shakespeare and the Romantic poets. (Unless that's what you're into.) I love Shakespeare and the Romantics, but there's so much more--countless authors and poets who have put their love into near perfect, weep-worthy words. All you have to do is seek them out. The Poetry Foundation has a page that sorts poems by occasions, seasons, and subjects. Guess what? They have 123 poems on love. Even if you don't find anything, you'll still have read some inspiring poetry and should be primed to write your own. Done and done! For author and book quotes, try Goodreads--A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh) is a great place to start. 

4. Find inspiration in antique or vintage valentines. People used to talk real fancy and they declared their love in ornate and beautiful ways. Study those ways and then steal their technique. Last year, Design* Sponge featured a lovely collection from the New York Public Library. And don't worry if your lady or gentleman friend isn't into the intricacies of Victorian courtship, there are lots of less formal decades to choose from. Maybe your significant other or BFF has a particular love for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or She-Ra: Princess of Power. One word: ebay.

5. DIY yourself a cute punny card. If you're on Pinterest, you probably know the sort of thing I'm talking about: the card with a book of matches attached to the front where the caption reads: "We're a perfect match." Cute, right? And easy too. Real Simple put together a collection of just such handmade valentines, including the matchbook card. 

6. Let clever people do the work for you. Just print and cut, email, text, or post on Facebook. Last year, Jennifer Lewis made some amazing illustrated Wes Anderson and Arrested Development valentines for Flavorwire. Beth Evans made her own Parks and Recreation and Breaking Bad valentines. But she didn't stop there; her tumblr has pages of sweet and silly pop culture valentines. And Marisa Seguin created these cute Arrested Development valentines. For 2014, Adam Ellis of Buzzfeed has crafted some literary valentines. Any hip lady or gentleman would thrilled to receive these little gems.

Book Report: A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time is one of the first science fiction books I remember reading. Can I just say that I love this book? I have no idea why I haven't read the entire series--it's a quintet!--but I aim to remedy that immediately. One of the wonderful things about Madeleine L'Engle is that she doesn't write down to her readers. Sophisticated concepts about space and time travel are explained clearly and with respect, and the young heros of the story are smart, capable, and willing to make sacrifices for those they love. And there are puns!

Book Report: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is similar to The Witch of Blackbird Pond in that both books are about young women defying convention, following their moral compasses, and suffering the consequences. But while Kit in The Witch of Blackbird Pond dreams of escaping her drab Connecticut life to sail home to Barbados, Charlotte Doyle actually spends the majority of the book on the high seas. Pure girlhood adventuring! Plus rebellion, flogging, guns, knives, sailors at the mercy of the cruel ocean, and murder!

Book Report: The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond is very dear to me. It's one of the first chapter books I remember choosing and reading on my own. I probably read it in 3rd grade (around the same time as Kävik: The Wolf Dog), before I knew much about accusations of witchcraft in the New World, Quakers, or discrimination of any kind. Yes, it covers all three topics. But it's also a book about friendship and family, love and kindness, standing by your principles regardless of the consequences, and a young woman finding her way in the world...

Book Report Inspiration: Safeguarding the Written Word

Christmas clean-up has finally begun here. It pains me to defrock the Christmas tree, but even though it still smells quite like the noble fir it is, the branches are turning brittle. It's time to let the tree go. Sigh. There are also ornaments and decorations, wrapping paper, and boxes to be dealt with. We've accumulated SO MANY boxes. Some are destined for cardboard cat cottages (or villages in progress) and others will be deposited in the recycling bin, but a few lucky boxes are going to be repurposed for storage. This quick project is a good accompaniment for my annoying desire to organize everything in January. New year, new organized life? We'll see...

Christmas Report: Last Minute Wrapping Inspiration

Today I'm ceding my "Book Report" post to offer some last minute Christmas wrapping inspiration. A couple weeks ago, I showed you how to make tassel gift toppers from ferns and fir trees, but the other ribbon and bow replacement I'm using this year is inspired by the leather laces from my cowboy hat band DIY...

Book Report: Bookish Gift Guide 2

Image by Coffee Stains and Cigarettes on Flickr

Just in case you didn't find the perfect present in last week's post, here's the second round of bookish gifts for the book lover in your life...

Book Report: Bookish Gift Guide 1

Image via Local Milk

As a total book nerd, I'm always keeping an eye out for excellent bookish items. All of my shopping is done for this year, but here are some gifts I'd happily give my favorite book lovers...

Book Report Inspiration: Winter Reading List

Image via Rustic. Meets. Vintage

Well, it's officially December, and even though I haven't finished off my fall reading list, it's time to assemble a stack of books to get me through the long winter months. This winter I'm going to tackle a few classics, revisit one or two favorites, and try--really, really try--to get caught up on one particularly lengthy series...

Book Report: "Amundsen"

I've been hard at work on my autumn reading list, but since I'm in the middle of Doctor Sleep, I decided to dedicate today's post to a short story by my literary spirit guide, Alice Munro. I've mentioned her a couple times on the blog, but haven't professed my love for her nearly as much as I ought. Such a failure on my part because Alice Munro truly is a wonder. After reading her elegant and deceptively simple stories, I'm always quiet, humbled, and grateful. It's like she's laying a strong, wise hand on my soul. And I don't say stuff like that about just any old author...

Book Report: Night Film

Finished Night Film and loved it. It's one of those labyrinthine novels that seems to reveal, seems to offer a way out, but is actually adding another layer of intrigue and peril. There were a couple times when I forced myself to put the book down after midnight and before falling into a troubled sleep, thought about the plausible insanity I had just read...

Book Report Inspiration: Fall Reading List

Image via Local Milk

Willow Springs, the literary journal operated by EWU's MFA program, posted a link on Facebook today from The Daily Beast: "What Sebastian Junger, Susan Orlean, and Others Are Reading This Fall." It got me thinking about my own fall reading list and reading lists in general. As a reader (and a very nosey person), I'm quite interested in what others are reading. And I especially love reading lists from authors I admire. Authors, make more public lists of what you're reading! 

Book Report: 'Salem's Lot

There's a slight Halloween holdover in "Book Report" land, and that holdover is all about 'Salem's Lot by Mr. Stephen King. This book has popped up several places on the blog this month, and I couldn't let the spookiest season pass without dedicating a post to the small town overtaken by a big darkness. I loved Stephen King as a young reader and would borrow my dad's paperback copies of Cujo and The Stand and Carrie on the sly, but other than reading The Shining last year, I hadn't really dedicated much time to Stephen King as an adult. Well, after adding 'Salem's Lot to my list, I've officially rekindled my author crush on King. Big time. 

Book Report Inspiration: Printable Halloween Bookmarks

I have a confession to make. I'm bad about bookmarks. I use gum wrappers and old post-its, sometimes pencils or unused kleenexes, and those fake American Express cards that always come in the mail. But wait. It gets worse, dear readers. I dog-ear pages. All. The. Time. There are only things that will deter me from my normal course of action: if the book is borrowed (then it's a post-it or gum wrapper for sure) or if the book is very old or delicate. But otherwise, all bookmark bets are off. It would seem I have no respect for the sanctity of the printed word. It's a bleeding shame. 

Book Report Inspiration: DIY Crow Carnivale Mask

Assembling images for "The Cask of Amontillado" post last week plunged me deep into two subjects: crypts and Carnivale masks. Of course crypts are right up my alley, and looking at ossuaries and Parisian catacombs fit my morbid tastes quite well...Carnivale masks were a different story altogether. They freak me out in a way that chandeliers made of skulls and femurs will never do. But because "Amontillado"is set in Venice during Carnivale, and both Fortunato (the victim) and Montresor (the victor!) take part in the festivities and don masks, I couldn't just forgo the masked bit...

Book Report: The Cask of Amontillado

"The Cask of Amontillado" is probably my favorite Edgar Allan Poe story. I remembered reading it for the first time in ninth grade and feeling a chill as I realized: This is what I've been waiting for. "Amontillado" is a scant eight pages dedicated to the execution of an act of revenge, cruel and premeditated revenge...

Book Report: The Witches

Roald Dahl's The Witches is one of my favorite books from childhood (and The BFG!). I love that his books are so imaginatively off-kilter; he manages to combine the fantastically impossible with the wise, the humorous, the tragic, and the grotesque. I mean, one of the children gets turned into a chicken, and then her family eats the eggs she lays. Um, that's super gross and demented, but it works in the story. (Other kids are turned into pheasants and killed and eaten by their neighbors. Dang, Roald Dahl.) Plus, this book teaches you how to identify witches, and we all know how important that is, especially at this time of year...