I'm an Open Book

If this picture doesn't make me want to curl up on a cozy couch & read to my heart's desire I don't know what does. However, that outfit might be just a little too fancy for alone-time reading. Just a bit?

{Freja Beha Erichsen by Paolo Roversi}

Nerd Alert

I'm about the be the biggest dork EVER.... but have you ever noticed that the Weasely Family from the Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling closely resembles J.D. Salinger's fictional Glass family?

Here's the breakdown (with help from Wikipedia):

• Seymour Glass = Bill Weasely. Both are hard working and auspicious.
• Webb Gallagher "Buddy" Glass = Charlie Weasely. Buddy narrates of most of Salinger's short stores and may even be the protagonist on Catch in the Rye. Charlie from HP "prefers dragons to women" according to Rowling.
• Beatrice "Boo Boo" Glass = Percy Weasley. Both are boring and the most removed from their family.
• Walter "Walt" and Walker Glass = Fred and George. Two sets of twins. Walt is the "lighthearted" Glass member and dies in battle in occupied Japan. Fred dies while fighting Voldermort and is definitely a favorite among Harry Potter fans. Walker becomes a Priest, and, stay with me here, George loses and ear and claims to become "holy" for it. I'm not making this up!
• Zachary Martin "Zooey" Glass = Ron. Zooey is the one everyone knows about because he has a major piece of American Literature credited to him. Ron's pretty famous too.
• Frances "Franny" Glass = Ginny. Youngest girls who all the boys like.

I'm not saying its a conspiracy, but I'm just saying look at the facts. I'll let you know how the rest of the book is once I get over this shocker! Until then, time to go back to being cool...

GoodReads

So, I was wondering out loud with a friend today about how great it would be if there was a Pandora-esque website for books instead of music. After some extensive Googling, I found GoodReads. It reminds me of Netflix, so I like it already. It has a system where you rate books that you have read and based on those stats they suggest books for you. It's free to use and a good way to keep track of what you have read & gain insight into new books. If you have some time to kill online or are just interested in some new suggestions, check it out.

{image: Interrupted Reading by JBP Corot, 1870}

How do you OCD?

Here are some lovely photos of some well organized shelves. They beg the question: how do you choose to organize your tomes? Alphabetical, by color, by genre, by author, by year....? I tend to save one side of my shelves for yet-to-be-read books & keep my finished ones on the other side & within those two groups I do it by genre or author, which tend to be similar... I also have mild OCD, so shape & size of said books is an important factor to consider.

MUSIC: Folk Friday {Joni Mitchell}

Hello there! I'm sure you have been waiting on pins & needles all day; anxiously anticipating a music post. After spending roughly 17 hours in the air {& many more in the airport} this past week, I have been spending a little more quality time with my iPod than I'm used to. Before I left I stated that I had downloaded some new tunes to cozy up to for my trip & what did I go and do? Listen to my all time favorite on repeat {tip: don't fall asleep with your iPod on because your brain will suck in the songs & it will be permanently engrained in your skull -actual scientific factoid right there}. Which brings me to: Joni Mitchell. OBSESSED.

I have every album, even those weird jazzy ones she released more recently. My two favorite albums of hers without a doubt are: Blue {1971} & Ladies of the Canyon {1970}. Actually, ugh there is a doubt because I can't choose - Song to A Seagull {1968}, For The Roses {1972}, Court & Spark {1974}...I can't choose.

Anyways, the point is I listened to Joni over & over & over & over again on my Netherlands adventure & thought it would be fun to feature a more established artist this week & someone whom I dearly love.

Here's a little biographical information on Joni; for those of you not in the know.

Real name: Roberta Joan Anderson.

Birthday: November 7, 1943.

Country of Origin: Canada

Debut Album: Song to A Seagull {1968}

Joni was an integral part of the folk {& folk rock} music genre sweeping the music world in the 1960s & 1970s. Her cohorts included Tom Rush, Joan Baez {the pair can be seen in the photo below}, Donovan, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, & Fairport Convention, among others.

She was a big part of the Laurel Canyon music scene {that's her in her Laurel Canyon home below}, which including The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Canned Heat, The Monkees, & Buffalo Springfield...just to name a few. If you're interested in learning more about the Laurel Canyon music scene {or if you just love it already...guilty!} there is a fabulous book entitled: Canyon of Dreams: The Magic & Music of Laurel Canyon that is a simply gorgeous piece of art in its own right.

If you're a big CSNY fan, you might be interested to know that Joni is the inspiration behind the lovely "Our House" song, penned by Graham Nash when these two were an item. {see photo below}

A few years back I saw Tom Rush at the fabulous venue, The Narrows in Fall River, MA. He told a funny story about how, relatively recently, Joni canceled on a tour that would reunite some popular 1970's musicians from the folk persuasion the morning of the first performance because her cat was sick. I just love this story because it's so Joni - sensitive, homebody, cat person...I imagine she knits & sits on a farmers porch & gazes at the mountains & forests, while drinking camomile, waiting for her next source of inspiration.

This inspiration has apparently never dried up. Joni released her latest CD, Shine, in 2007 & she performed "Both Sides Now" at the Winter Olympic Games this January in Vancouver.

Hey, it's folk, what do you want leather & vodka shots? Speaking of leather & rock&roll style, I adore her ensembles....chunky ethnic necklaces, prairie skirts? yes please! Well, this concludes my first Folk Friday post that actually features a classic folk musician. I hope you don't mind the throw back {I'm more of a throw back person myself, so it's bound to happen now & then. Enjoy a little live performance of one of my top 10 Joni songs below:

Anne Frank

I just returned from an amazing week spent in the Netherlands. It was part of a study abroad trip concentrating on housing & preservation issues in Holland, but don't worry I had plenty of fun too! We stayed in Amsterdam, but took many day trips outside of the city. I highly recommend a visit - I can't sing this place's praises enough!

On one of my two free days I visited the Anne Frank House {Oh, that line was long! We went back right before closing & had better luck}.

I have been a fan of her diary since I was younger; having re-read it a handful of times. The house itself was quite interesting from a museum studies/preservation standpoint {which I'm sure you're all thrilled to hear about!} - Otto Frank insisted that the house remain unfurnished {the Germans stole/sold off the contents of the house immediately after the inhabitants were arrested} & there are sections of it that have been altered in order to narrate the concentration camp segment of their journey {all metal & grommets, etc}.

I have always been captivated by Anne Frank's story mainly because she was such a normal, albeit eloquent, teenager, immensely relatable, with a shockingly sad ending. While reading her diary, without knowing the outcome & taking out the portions discussing the persecution of the Jewish people, you could almost forget that she & her family were in hiding. It is a powerful book that can initiate conversation on any number of topics - especially human rights & religious acceptance. If you have never read it, regardless of your age, I highly recommend giving it a try.

Annelies Marie Frank was born in Germany in 1929 & moved to Amsterdam in 1933. In 1942, Anne & her family, along with a few others, went into hiding in her father's office building on Prinsengracht {a canal street in Amsterdam}. Two years later, in 1944, they were betrayed by a still unknown source & were shipped off to various concentration camps. Anne & her sister Margot went to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where they died of typhus in 1945 {at only 16 years old}, just a short time before liberation.

Her father, Otto, was the only survivor of the Holocaust out of the group of people they went into hiding with. He returned in 1945, found his daughter's diary & had it published in 1947. It has been translated into a multitude of languages & has gone through many publications. In 1999, Time Magazine named Anne on of the heroes & icons of the 20th century. The Diary is truly an important work, for historical & literary reasons.

Quotes:

• "And finally I twist my heart round again, so that the bad is on the outside and the good is on the inside, and keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would so like to be, and could be, if there weren't any other people living in the world."

• "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

• "If I read a book that impresses me, I have to take myself firmly by the hand, before I mix with other people; otherwise they would think my mind rather queer."

• "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart."

Green Eggs & Ham

In anticipation for the celebration of all-things-green tomorrow I was reminded of this very green book {thanks in part to the Food Network Challenge of Dr. Seuss cakes that I am currently enjoying}:

Green Eggs & Ham

{Dr. Seuss, 1960}

I could not, would not, in a house.

I would not, could not, with a mouse.

I would not eat them with a fox.

I would not eat them in a box.

I would not eat them here or there.

I would not eat them anywhere.

I would not eat green eggs and ham.

I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Fun fact about this fun book: Dr. Seuss wrote it using just 50 different words, only one of which is more than one syllable {'anywhere'}. Sometimes it takes more creativity to work within the lines.

Dr. Seuss {aka Theodor Seuss Geisel}, originally from Massachusetts {more evidence that it's clearly the best place to be from} published over 60 kids books, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas {1957}, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish {1960}, & The Cat in The Hat {1957}. Surprisingly, he never had any children, stating: "You have 'em; I'll entertain 'em." As a former art camp counselor, I think this is a pretty good sentiment.

With so many fun books to choose from, I think the one I love the most has to be the Sleep Book {1962}. I love the crazy creature names {Foona Lagoona Baboona & the Krandles to name a few} & the rhyming pattern.

So, what's your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Bookmarked

While doing some searching for new books {not that I'm in need of any at the moment, but hey, procrastinating research papers takes one to many mysterious places}, I came across the most excellent bookstore in the whole world. Of course it's in England, just like most everything I'm obsessed with.

Persephone Books

Started in 1999, this store reprints neglected books, mostly by 20th century women authors. They put a lot of thought into the books they print, so you know you're going to get something great. The outside covers of all

the books are printed in a very soft, lovely gray, but the inside covers are printed with pattens specific to the characters or author's time period. I love that each book feels special {and looks like candy!}.

In addition to the attentiveness given to each treatise, Persephone Books is also concerned with the satisfaction of their customers. They provide a very handy, and accurate, present buying guide that can be found here.

Obviously, I want absolutely every book they offer, but as soon as I finish my current reading stash, I can't wait to dig into A New System of Domestic Cookery by Mrs. Rundell. Out of print since 1893, this cookbook was prevalent in the time of Jane Austen. If Jane cooked, it would have been with the advice and instruction from this work. Oh, I love the idea of historic recipes!

Speaking of historic {as a grad student in historic preservation, it's sort of an area of interest for me}, the bookstore itself is located in a historic building {LOVE!}. Dating to 1702-1703, the store has retained some of the original historic fabric, including panelling, staircases, balusters, & an essentially unchanged basement.

I'm seriously considering asking for their book of the month club for my birthday!

Article {& location of the pictures} on the bookstore here.

Girl Power!

{image: Young Girl Reading by Jean-Honore Fragonard}

While searching for a "Today in Women's History" calendar, I came across this amazing quote. It's ideas like this that inspire me to keep reading:

"Each time a girl opens a book and reads a womanless history, she learns she is worth less." {Myra Pollack Sadker}

Go here to learn about Myra Pollack Sadker {interesting lady!}

Amazon.com has put together a list of Notable Female Characters of Great Literature. Some of the books listed are definitely in my personal library.

Who are some of your favorite literary heroines?

I think B & I can agree on our love for that sassy redhead, Anne, with an 'e', of Green Gables. She was never afraid to be herself, however clumsy & kooky that self was!