Sunday, January 22, 2012

Let’s hear it for books!

I obviously have books on the brain as of late. Paris, My Sweet (Sourcebooks) comes out in a mere 10 days. I’ve also been eating up Adam Gopnik’s The Table Comes First, am getting ready to dive into Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Marriage Plot, have been delighting in the U.S. printed version of Paris Versus New York and am anxiously awaiting some upcoming releases including The Little Paris Kitchen, Paris in Color, Apron Anxiety and Mastering the Art of French Eating. What can I say? I’m a book girl.

Naturally, I fell for this video when I discovered it (while reading a nice review of Paris, My Sweet on The Novel World). I just love the idea that books are alive. And that they have the power to make us feel alive.

What was the last book you read that made you feel alive?

9 comments:

  1. My Life in France. Read it again last week.

    I'm with you: I adore books. One of my favorite scenes in Hugo is in the bookshop. Seeing all those books made my heart skip a beat.

    Any dates for your book tour?

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  2. Hi Amy! I love, love, LOVE your blog. I am slowly working my way reading through the entire thing. I am leaving next week to move to Paris for six months, so it's been great gaining insight into what to expect. I just wanted to ask, is Milo still around? Did he make the trip back to NY with you? I love my kitties and am sadly leaving them home (with my husband! even sadder!) while I'm in the City of Light... but your story of bringing Milo to Paris made me laugh out loud... and I loved the pictures of him! (Crazy cat ladies, unite!) Anyways, I can't wait to read your book. The last book I read that really came alive to me was "Let the Great World Spin" by Collum McCann. Such an interesting tapestry of characters. A bientot!

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  3. How wonderful! Thanks for sharing this video. I am in awe of the enormous amount of work implied in shifting so many books around to make it!

    To answer you question: the last book that made me feel more alive was probably "A River Sutra" by Gita Mehta.

    Thanks for your wonderful blog. I, too, look forward to your book.

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  4. There are too many good ones to name. But Robin Antalek's "The Summer We Fell Apart" is a fantastic read- the story of a family, told from each members point: Dad, Mom, and each of the four kids. Delicious writing and emotional insight.

    Just pre-ordered your book. Can't wait to see it in my hands!

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  5. Amy, I'm so looking forward to your book!!! I love them and I also loved Let the Great World Spin by Collum McCann. The other one that I really liked was The line of beauty by Jeffrey Eugenides. Right now I'm rereading To kill a mockingbird. I just need the sense of Atticus Finch in my crazy world right now.

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    1. Amy, this is just magical! And I'm so excited about your book release. Can't wait to order it up.

      Of course books are alive. I keep my Shakespeare and Chaucer books next to each other so they can talk in the night. I also mix up my harp music books a little on the shelf once in a while so they don't get bored with each other!

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  6. I know you're a fan as well but Rules of Civility was just enchanting!!! And The Marriage Plot is pretty good - almost about to finish it!

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  7. Ah, such great suggestions. Thank you everyone!

    Meghan, Nina, Joanna, Amy - thank you so much for your enthusiasm for Paris, My Sweet! (Meghan, Milo is, indeed still around. Thanks for the reminder - I must post about him tout de suite! Best of luck and happiness in Paris!)

    Cali, I need to write you back... no San Diego visits, but a San Francisco reading at Books, Inc. on March 22!

    Keep the pages turning... xo

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  8. Oh man, I'm sure your book is going to move up the list but one of the non-French books that really spoke to me recently was The Hunger Games (surprisingly). It was really the last book to move me and I almost didn't want to say it because the series has become so mediatised and popular but I couldn't help but adore it.

    The other book that stands out for me that I read last year was This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Trapper :)

    Just got my hands on your book and.... it's never leaving my sight!

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