A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse

416 pages
Published in 2010 by Europa Editions
New York, NY

The Plot:
A quaint little bookshop called The Good Novel, which specializes in selling only novels that are deemed truly worthwhile pieces of literature by the owners and a secret advising committee, has opened its doors to the world from a quiet corner of Paris, France and is proving to be quite the successful enterprise... Until anonymous threats and mysterious attacks are made upon the owners, the secret committee and the store itself threatening it's very existence. (To learn more about A Novel Bookstore's plot visit Europa Editions for a full summary.)

My Thoughts:
Nearly a year ago I first stumbled upon A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse while browsing the various book blogs I subscribe too. Each review basically said the same thing: A Novel Bookstore is not only a unique read for those who love books, but it is one that should be read. I tucked it away to read at a later date. That time finally arrived this past week when, at a loss for something lighthearted to read, I randomly chose A Novel Bookstore from my library's shelves.

From the vague memory I had of the reviews I had read I thought I was picking up a modern mystery novel that involved a bookstore. A book about books, just the summer read I was looking for... And for the first few pages that's exactly what I believed I was reading. The book opens with three attacks upon members of The Good Novel's secret committee members, but as I read on I quickly realized that A Novel Bookstore is not a lighthearted who-dunit mystery, but rather a mix of drama and philosophy, with a thread or two of a love story woven in.

My only complaint with A Novel Bookstore is that while the plot is unique and exceedingly clever it does tend to plod at several points. There were several times where I felt the author got side-tracked in side stories or little details that mattered little to the story development, but I pressed on because I was curious as to the outcome of the story. Would The Good Novel survive the attacks? Who was behind them? What would become of the owners and the committee members. Of course, to make matters worse for me as I read, the author tossed around dozens and dozens of titles of good novels and authors (of good novels) that were mostly French and most of whom I'd never even heard of. I suppose this was supposed to spark in me the desire to track down these books and read them so as not to be a bibliophile who has read very few "good novels," but for me it just was a bit overwhelming. Perhaps if I'd heard of half of the authors (my fault for not being French???) I might have felt less so.

At any rate, I did find myself finishing this bittersweet story and realizing that even though it wasn't the lighthearted mystery I had expected to read, it was still a book that I had reasonably enjoyed. On more than one occasion it had caused me to stop and think.

For example, the very concept of a bookstore that only sells books that are deemed "good" by the owners (or an advising committee), is this bad? Are they pushing an elitist mindset? No, I don't think so. For anyone wishing to read something not available at such a bookstore they need only shop elsewhere. Who cares if you read a mixture of really good literature and so-so novels. If I could draw an analogy I'd say a bookstore like The Good Novel is similar to an organic food store. If a shopper is looking for a specific organic food item they might find it at a general grocery store, but they will almost certainly find it at an organic food store. That doesn't mean the general grocery store is "bad" for selling only a few organic items or that the organic food store is "best" because they don't sell any generic food items. They each have their own clientele with the occasional cross-over. Bringing it back to bookstores the same comparison could be made between a bookstore selling only "good literature" and those that sell a mixture of the good with the pulp and even a smattering of the bad. To shop at one or the other doesn't make you an elitist, its simply a matter of a consumer shopping at the store where they will best fine what they seek. And if they cannot find what they want they'll simply shop elsewhere for that item.

As I read I did stop to wonder -- if I had access to a bookstore like The Good Novel would I shop solely there? I doubt it. For me, I need to a mix in my reading -- the good and the fluffy. The classic and the best-seller. It's just the type of reader I am.

Over all, I found A Novel Bookstore to be a thought provoking read. Not a classic in and of itself, but a very clever story and one that caused me to stop and think. That's much more than I can say about most modern novels I've read of late.


Related Links:

The Good Novel
Lauren Cosse (Wiki Bio)
Europa Editions

Calling All Mystery Lovers!

Hello mystery lovers, what could possibly be better on a hot summer day than a chilling read by Agatha Christie? Perhaps the chance to win ten of her crime novels as reissued by HarperCollins Publishers.

To learn more (and enter to win) check out the US Agatha Christie website for official information and community and to register to receive the US Christie newsletter, which will automatically enter you into the contest.

And then, while you wait it won't hurt to run by your library and pick up one or two of Agatha Christie's short story collections just to wet your appetite because then on September 15th, Mysteries in Paradise will hosting a birthday celebration in honor of Agatha Christie.

What's On My Nightstand: July 2011

It's the end of July and we are in the midst of a very hot summer. Yesterday was the "What's On Your Nightstand" monthly posting at 5 Minutes for Books and I missed posting... so better late than never! Perhaps it's the heat, or perhaps it's the fact that I'm 5.2 months pregnant at any rate I'm in a reading and blogging funk. My reading has been light and sparodic for the last month and my blogging has been even worse.


Currently on my nightstand I am in the midst of two books:

I love a good Angela Thirkell Barsetshire novel and August Folly is the fourth in the series... but this one doesn't read quite as well as the previous three I've read. I'm not sure why, but I am making slow progress through this book.

A Novel Bookstore is a recent release that was translated to English from French (its original publication) and contains a story mixed in mystery, suspense and philosophy. I've read rave reviews of this book and in my attempt to find something unique, interesting and modern I grabbed this one during a library visit. I'm about ¼ of the way into the story, but the verdict is still out. We'll have to see what I end up thinking.


Upcoming reads that I need to have finished by the end of September (our next book club meeting) include:

My book club is reading section two of The Passion of the Western Mind, which focuses on the Roman worldview and its influence on literature. As a result we are also to read William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (a play I read in high school) and a few of the lives contained in Plutarch's Lives (i.e. Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus,  and Antony). I'm debating about skipping Julius Caesar since I've already read it and focusing just on Plutarch... But we shall see. There is plenty of time. The question is only my attention span. Hopefully once the summer heat disapates I'll be able to focus better.

Other than that... As I said, I'm in a rather funk. I haven't had the attention span or energy to read anything deep, so that has eliminated any classic I might otherwise consider reading, which leaves me with just light or modern books. To be quite honest I'm in such a funk I haven't felt like reading much at all. What I need is a really inspiring or exciting book to read... Something that is not too heavy in content or in writing style and yet has a genuinely interesting and well-written plot. Know of such a book? Let me know.

Perhaps I shall take my own advise and head over to 5 Minutes for Books to see what other bloggers are reading and have waiting on their nightstand.

Chaff in the Wind by Edna Walker Chandler

389 pages
Published in 1964
by Sierra Printing & Publishing Company 
Sacramento, CA

My first encounter with Edna Walker Chandler was through the pages of her Cowboy Sam series. As a child my mother would borrow the Cowboy Sam books from our local library to assist with my early reading, and later with my brother as he too learned to read.

Although the Cowboy Sam books are now out of print and thus extremely valuable to collectors, I still have fond memories of those books and hoped to one day own one or two of them, if I could ever find them for a reasonable price.

Unfortunately after a quick browse of the Internet I realized that unless the books are reprinted there's not chance that I will be adding them to my personal library any time soon. But it was during this search that I stumbled upon something I was not expecting -- Mrs. Chandler's only novel written for an adult audience, Chaff in the Wind. I was immediately intrigued. This forgotten novel is not nearly as valuable as Mrs. Chandler's children's books and I easily found affordable copies online (as low as a few dollars) as well as a free copy on Paperback Swap!

I picked up Chaff in the Wind in early June and started to read, only to discover what an engrossing read it was.

The Plot:
Chaff in the Wind is a saga of the land where the bread rises, told through the lives of some of the people who brought into being the great American Wheat Empire. Although the story actually begins in 1899, it covers the era from the early '80s to 1918. During that period occurred the greatest agricultural and industrial expansion the world has ever known. Its impact was felt by the wheat country as well as by the cities. In that time the wheat people lived, loved hated, dreamed, died of their dreams, and lived again, as grains of wheat in the chaff driven by the wind. The wheat people have their good, their bad, their middle-of-the-road groups, as do people in any other sector of life. But they held strongly to the basic values of home, church, and school, their conflicts being mainly those of Men against Nature, and Man against Self. (Summary courtesy of the publisher, back cover)

My Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised when I began reading Chaff in the Wind. I must admit, at first I wasn't sure if I would like the read or not. It isn't a well known novel and thus could very well be a dud, but within a few chapters I found myself hooked. Prior to reading this novel I really knew (and thought) very little of the "American Wheat Empire" and life in the mid-west during the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Now that I've finished the novel my interest has been wet and I am curious to learn more.

I found Mrs. Chandler's writing easy to follow and her characters and setting believable. My only complaint is with the pacing of the novel, particularly towards the end of the book. At the beginning (and within the first two chapters) the story speed is a little slow, but then as the setting and characters are established I found the story began to properly pick up speed and maintains a healthy pace for much of the book. It's only when I reached the last few chapters that I felt things got a little rushed -- as if Mrs. Chandler had planned to reach a certain point in time or a certain generation and suddenly realized she had only a handful of pages left to get there. In the end, while I enjoyed the read, I wish she had given herself a few more chapters to wrap up the story.

For those looking for a different type of historic novel I definitely recommend Edna Walker Chandler's Chaff in the Wind. It may not be great literature, but it was an entertaining read and one that has sparked in me a specific interest in learning more about wheat farmers at the turn of the last century.

As a side note, Chaff in the Wind reminded me of another settler-type novel I read in 2010, Gentlemen From England by Maud & Delos Lovelace, another read I highly recommend.


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Related Links:

• More about Edna Walker Chandler
• Excerpt from Chaff in the Wind
• Edna Walker Chandler Bibliography

Top Ten Classics I Intend to Read... Eventually

I have taken this post idea from Carrie at Reading To Know, who in turn got the idea from Bluerose's Heart. Each one of our lists differ, so when you're done checking mine out be sure to click the above links and see what ten classics made these ladies' lists.

On Reading Classics
Over the last decade I have read quite a few classics and I know that is all due to the ladies in my book club. They are the ones that encourage and challenge me to read the classics, both modern and ancient.

When it comes to classics I am reminded of a quote by C. S. Lewis:

"It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones."

Of course I'm not always very good at following this reading-rule-of-thumb, but I do try to keep it in mind and broaden my reading to include old as well as new, non-fiction as well as fiction, and the challenging read as well as the light and easy. My "Top Ten Classics" list includes some very old reads as well as a couple more recent "classics." It includes some challenging reads and some less challenging, but somehow they are all books I've known I should read and intend to read... eventually.

My Top 10 List (in no particular order):

1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

 I've enjoyed Jane Eyre, but the depressing story of Heathcliff and Catherine is one I just haven't rushed to read... Yet so many people love this book and insist I must read it... One day I will.

2. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

I started reading The Grapes of Wrath in high school. I enjoyed Steinbeck's descriptive writing, but was turned off by a particular character in the story. Even so, everyone says this is a must read classic and so I know I really should get to it sooner than later. I managed to read East of Eden, so how much worse could this one be?

3. The Thousand and One Nights by Anonymous

 Ever since the early 90s when I first saw the Disney adaptation of Aladdin I have wanted to read this book. I think it could be a very interesting read.

 

4. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I cannot believe I have not read this novel. I mean, I love a good mystery and who could be better than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!?

 5. Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace 

I've never really thought about reading Ben-Hur, but if Anne Shirley enjoyed it so much she couldn't put it down for Geometry I think it must be worth the time.

6. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 

Another read I started in high school, but never finished. If it weren't for my book club I doubt I would have ever finished a Dickens because of my experience in high school... But since then I have read and loved no less than three Dickens novels. I will one day return and finish this story.

 7. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

This story has always struck me as weird, but I've heard by a good friend that it is definitely a worthwhile read. I hope one day to see for myself why she likes it so much.

8. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

This is one novel that I know I must read. I know it will be a challenge, but I think I'll be glad I read it when I'm done.

9. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Saw the movie, loved it. Know I will probably love the book even more. Sadly can't say I've ever read any Dumas. Really to be a well-read reader I should read at least one and this one interests me the most.

10. Silas Marner by George Elliot

Read and loved Middlemarch years ago. I have since heard that Silas Marner is also an very good read. I've put off George Elliot for a while because she's not exactly a breeze, but perhaps in 2012 I'll get this one off my TBR list and onto my review shelf.

So that's my top ten list. Have you read any of these? Any thoughts of encouragement or discouragement about reading them in the next year or two? Are any of these books on your list? Leave me a comment and let me know, or better yet, leave a link so I can check out your own "Top Ten Classics I Intend to Read" list.

Happy reading!