Today is the final day of Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2010! This yearly event of giveaways, blog hopping, blogging, and awards is all about you! And you and you and you and me and is the brainchild of Amy from My Friend Amy.Each day this week I'm hosting an international giveaway (winners announced on Monday, September 20), so I hope you come back to see what I have in store.
Today's BBAW topic is about blogging goals. I don't really know what my goals are, but I know that I feel strongly about a couple bookish things. One is audiobooks. For some of my thoughts on how to get listening, see the post I wrote yesterday for the BBAW blog.
Another is my imprint awareness mission. You might recall that I started out the week talking a bit about one of my favorite imprints. Thus I'm going to finish the week talking about another must-read imprint. In fact, if you are long-time reader of my blog, then you know that every Friday is imprint day at Beth Fish Reads.
Currently, I am featuring and collecting reviews of Harper Perennial Books. And I thought I would stick with tradition and turn the spotlight on Simon Van Booy's collection of five stories Love Begins in Winter.When I first picked up this slim volume (about 200 pages), I started browsing the title story and found myself lost in it, almost forgetting to start from the beginning to let the story reveal itself as the author intended.
Here's just one passage that made me pause:
I open my cello case and smell my grandfather. I pick up the instrument and run my fingers tenderly up and down the strings. In each note of music lives every tragedy of the world and every moment of its salvation. . . . Music is only a mystery to people who want it explained. Music and love are the same. (p. 22)Van Booy's prose is lyrical and sometimes almost stunningly beautiful. Although the collection cannot be called romance, the common thread is love. I would like to share parts of two reviews with you, both of which express my feelings:
- Wendy, from CaribousMom, says: "Van Booy captures the essence of what makes us human, and how love can be found in the most unexpected places. "
- Nancy, from Bookfoolery and Babble, says "Simon's writing is unflinchingly honest, an exploration of the flaws of humans and the love that binds them together."
This book was featured as part of my
Spotlight on the Harper Perennial imprint. For information about the imprint, please read Erica Barmash's welcome note posted here on June 18, 2010. I encourage you to add your reviews of Harper Perennial books to the review link-up page; it's a great way to discover Good Books for Cool People. See the alphabetized review index to see what others are saying. And don't miss the The Olive Reader, the Harper Perennial blog.
Love Begins in Winter at Powell's
Love Begins in Winter at Book Depository
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These links lead to affiliate programs.
Published by HarperCollins / Harper Perennial, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780061661471
ISBN-13: 9780061661471
Giveaway
To get you started on some imprint love, Harper Perennial Books has generously donated three of its most recent releases so I can offer them to one of you. Here's what you get:
This is a great collection that should appeal to a wide range of readers. The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter is a novel of a modern life gone crazily off its tracks, The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle is novel about a veterinarian and her relationships with people and animals, and Vanishing by Deborah Willis is a collection of stories that explore the aftermath of broken relationships.
This giveaway is open worldwide and will run until I turn on my computer on Monday morning (September 20). To enter, you must fill out the form. A winner will be picked via random number generator, and I will delete all data after the winner is contacted.
Good luck and don't forget to check all my BBAW posts -- I have a giveaway each day.
Like you, I am passionate about audiobooks. I loved your post yesterday about them, and I hope that we can get more and more people listening to them. I think there are misconceptions, and I think if readers just try them, they will love them!
ReplyDeleteI love it how you write that you lost yourself in the Van Booij book. That's a good sign!
ReplyDeleteI somehow don't give short stories the chance they deserve. Well, I prefer books to be over 500 pages (why pick it up, otherwise? :-) ), although lately I've started to appreciate shorter books of high quality too.
I really like the quote you used. Indeed love is like music and neither should be explained. This books sounds wonderful...breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteI need to remember to bring this one into my home.
May you continue reading great books and blog about those for us!
ReplyDeleteHere is my BBAW: Forgotten Treasures post!
May you continue reading great books and blog about those for us!
ReplyDeleteHere is my BBAW: Forgotten Treasures post!
You know I, too, love the audiobooks. I'm going to be working on fun things to do in addition to my reviews of them in an effort to show off their appeal.
ReplyDeleteHappy Book Blogger Appreciation Week, Candace!
Before he retired, my father listened to audiobooks on his long commute to work. Audiobooks were a lifesaver for him and they really are great form of entertainment. I'm hoping to try some children's book titles out with my daughter this year. We'll see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had some clear cut goals too!
ReplyDeleteI've learned so much about publishers and imprints since I started blogging and find it odd that other people in my real life don't find it as fascinating as I do.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Ohhhhh, I loved "Love Begins in Winter"! It is the book that made me realize there are actually some short story collections out there that I enjoy. What a gorgeous book. I'm so happy you're featuring it!
ReplyDeleteI remember when Love Begins in Winter was making blog rounds a year or so ago (maybe?) and it was always one that intrigued me. Thanks for reminding me! And thank you for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteLove Begins in Winter sounds like a beautiful read - really like the excerpt you posted.
ReplyDeleteI really look forward to seeing more audiobooks being discussed on the blogosphere! Glad that a few of you bloggers are spearheading the "movement." Geez--did I really just use that work buzzword? Ick! ;)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a command: Imprint Love!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love Caribou's mom.
Ooh I love the cover of Love Begins in Winter!
ReplyDeleteIt is so interesting that you focus on publishers. In Denmark so many small companies have been bought by huge Gyldendal that there are only a few crime fiction publishers that count.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that when I began sending manuscripts off, I expected that the small ones would be more positive and accomodating while the truth has been that one of Gyldendal´s editors has given me confidence and made me believe I can actually write a novel worth reading (because his rejections have been so constructive and positive).
good sign really. .thanks for the info
ReplyDeleteHave heard great things about the books featured in the giveaway and love Harper. Thanks for hosting this!
ReplyDeleteI *heart* Simon! And it warms my cockles every time I see someone blogging about his writing. I haven't read Love Begins in Winter yet, but it's really only a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteThe cover of the Van Booy is beautiful, and I'm taken by the quote you included. I'm always captivated by music in books!
ReplyDeleteI really like the sound of Love Begins in Winter --added it to my wishlist!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!