Summertime: What's in My Bag

I started reading this series many years ago. I was excited when PBS Mystery announced they were turning them into one hour mysteries. I was annoyed when the Inspector Lynley series completely messed up the books. Tommy Lynley is an elegant, titled Englishman (he's a Lord!) who has chosen to be a professional police detective specializing in homicide. His partner, Barbara Havers, is the polar opposite: dowdy, unpretty, lower class, abrasive and rude. Together, they make a fabulous team. Other characters deepen the personal story, which unwinds as the pair solve the mysteries. This is her newest book. If you are interested in the series, it starts with A Great Deliverance.

Authors On Tour Live: Elizabeth George

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz won an Alex Award for best adult book for young adults. The description in Amazon convinced me: Meet Isabel "Izzy" Spellman, private investigator. This twenty-eight-year-old may have a checkered past littered with romantic mistakes, excessive drinking, and creative vandalism; she may be addicted to Get Smart reruns and prefer entering homes through windows rather than doors -- but the upshot is she's good at her job as a licensed private investigator with her family's firm, Spellman Investigations. Invading people's privacy comes naturally to Izzy. In fact, it comes naturally to all the Spellmans. If only they could leave their work at the office. To be a Spellman is to snoop on a Spellman; tail a Spellman; dig up dirt on, blackmail, and wiretap a Spellman.

And since gas is so darned expensive, I'm planning some local field trips, including one to Concord. To get ready, I'm reading some books about the writers of Concord in the early 1800's. American Bloomsbury by Susan Cheever was an amazing collection of essays. I had no idea what scandalous lives Emerson, Hawthorne, etc. lived. Would you believe that Louisa May Alcott had a crush on Henry David Thoreau? That Nathaniel Hawthorne courted one Peabody girl and then suddenly married her sister? Or that Margaret Fuller, a brilliant and brainy "modern" woman, had two married men vying for her attention? (The two men were Emerson and Hawthorne!) Having read this book, I'm dipping into Hawthorne in Concord by Philip McFarland and The Peabody Sisters by Megan Marshall. I love a good scandal, even if it is 180 years old! After, or during all this reading, I will head down the road to Concord and visit the Emerson House, the Old Manse, and the Alcott's Orchard House. A truly geeky summer trip!

Summertime: Graphic Novels http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifand Comics

The Dark Knight is scheduled to open soon...don't forget to read the graphic novels by Frank Miller. Need more comics? Check out this list from my favorite blogger, Whitney, in Pop Candy. She was a judge for the Eisner awards this year for best graphic novels and really knows the field. Here are just some of her recommendations:




Top 25 (some are adult in content)
Family Friendly





Do you like to draw and write comics? Check out Webcomics by Steven Withrow and John Barber. The authors give practical advise on "tools and techniques for digital cartooning" and interview well known webcomic creators.

Can't draw but have something to say in this medium? Check out this free website. It helps you put together your own comic strips, even if you can't draw a straight line!

Summer Reading Ideas Are Cominghttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Newton North doesn't have mandatory reading lists for students for the summer. That doesn't mean we don't think it's important (and fun) to read on vacation. It does mean that you should read what you love, whether it's Rowling or Dickens, Shakespeare or Stephen King. But sometimes it's nice to have some suggestions, so I will be blogging this week to mention some books not mentioned in this blog already. I'll try to give you choices in every genre, as well as some nonfiction books for those of you who prefer reality to fiction! I have two baskets full of books waiting for my vacation...start building your own summer survival kit!

Click here to access the suggestions!

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

The popular author Sophie Kinsella (of Shopoholic fame) introduces a new heroine with a big problem. Lexi Smart wakes up in the hospital with a case of amnesia caused by a head injury. The last thing she remembers is being a loser: crooked teeth, frizzy hair, no money and a dead-end job. But apparently the three years she can't remember were big ones: she's now sleek, sophisticated, rich, a successful businesswoman and married. But as she tries to reconstruct her recent history, Lexi begins to dislike the woman she became. If you're a fan of Samantha Who? or are just in the mood for a funny and touching story, this is the book for you.