Day 127 : The Week in Review July 13-19, 2020

Chatting Books Online ,  Day 127, The Week in Review  July 13-19, 2020.  This week we talked about lots of different types of books, we played with our new puppy , and our favorite English Football Club: The Wycombe Wanderers won the playoffs securing themselves a spot in the Championship League for the new season.  All I can say is Pretty, Pretty Good.

This week I recommended:

Farnsworth's Classical English Style (genre: English Grammar_

Bringing Nature Home (Gardening)

Angelina Ballerina (Children's )

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Dystopian Novel - Hunger Games Prequel)

and The Secret to Hummingbird Cake and The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories (two lovely southern novels)

Day 126 : The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories

Chatting Books Online Day 126.  Here's something I have not done until now - recommended two books by the same author on two consecutive days but after writing about Celeste Fletcher McHale's first book yesterday I could not get her second book "The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories" out of my head. 

Another truly southern novel, this one set in the aftermath of a catastrophic flooding event, this book takes place in both Baton Rouge and the coastal areas of Mississippi. 

The novel is witty and touching , has wonderful friendships , and has just the right amount of romance.  A really nice summer novel from the delightful Celeste Fletcher McHale.

Paperback.  279 pages. $15.99 a copy.

Day 125 : The Secret to Humingbird Cake

Chatting Books Online Day 125.  Today's recommended book is "The Secret to Hummingbird Cake" by Celeste Fletcher McHale. 

This is a delightfully southern novel about 3 best friends, their ups, their downs, their lives, loves and everything else.  The story is set in Bon Dieu Falls , Louisiana which I have now discovered is actually the previous name of Montgomery, Louisiana (north central Louisiana ).  According to a conversation with the author (who is a hoot by the way) , the book is actually the true story of she and her best friends, the names have all been changed of course and I am still guessing which one of the friends is actually the author. 

The book and author were actually first introduced to me by a bookclub who had read the book and skyped with Celeste for their meeting and I have to say it is an excellent bookclub pick - so much to talk about.  From absolutely devastating sorrow to laugh out loud joy.  This book has been a favorite recommendation at our shop for years.

Day 124 : The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Chatting Books Online Day 124. So during all the recent events : pandemic, murder hornets, etc, lots of people made Hunger Games jokes but did you know that during this time Suzanne Collins also released a new book? Well she did . The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is actually a prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy and shares the story of President Snow as a teenager. What I loved about the book is it really did a fantastic job of taking all the little strings throughout the three original books and gave them all a fully fleshed out origin story. Not only how did Corilanus Snow become President Snow, but where did Mockingjays come from, what's his obsession with roses about, how did the peacekeepers come to be, when did they decide to start allowing onlookers to send tributes food, how did the Hunger Games even really begin to exist and what is the motivation for them? So much is answered beautifully in this book I now want to go back and re-read the trilogy to see what else I can pick up. And you know what I actually (sometimes) felt a bit of compassion for him. The book is really well done . Currently only available hardcover $27.99 a copy.

Day 123: Bringing Nature Home

Chatting Books Online Day 123. Today's recommended book is Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy. The sub-title of this book is "How you can sustain wildlife with Native Plants" and I think that is a great way to summarize the book. Mr. Tallamy, who you may have heard speak when he was in St Francisville for the Southern Garden Symposium a couple of years ago, explains how you can use native plants to develop an eco-system that will attract insects and wildlife to your yard that will make your yard more sustainable without so much chemical interference by "bringing nature home" to your yard. With full color pictures to help you identify the insects and plants this book is an excellent handbook as they say for anyone that has a backyard. Paperback 359 pages, $19.95 a copy - and I even have a couple of signed copies currently in stock (same price).

Day 122 : Angelina Ballerina

Chatting Books Online Day 122. Today's recommended book is Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird. It is the perfect book for all the little aspiring ballerinas in your world, and I should know because I was once an aspiring ballerina and I would have loved this book.

In the book Angelina , a sweet little girl of a mouse (a mousling) loves to dance and she dances everywhere she goes spinning into furniture and toppling over everything, But when her parents recognize the issue and put her in dance lessons to channel that energy she works very hard and eventually becomes a very famous dancer. Working hard and having dreams wins again!

This hardcover storybook sells for $17.99 a copy.

Day 121 : Farnsworth's Classical English Style

Chatting Books Online Day 121. We have an ongoing battle in our home, and because we are so utterly boring it is over writing styles. My husband Rob and I both share our writing with the other for critique, proof reading and commentary. We do not, however, always accept the changes suggested. Most of that comes down to writing style. Until now the debate has been between Strunk & White's Elements of Style and Dreyer's English. Or between the simplicity of a Hemingwayesque writing style (his preference); and a more "stream of consciousness" collection of run-on sentences (my natural inclination). Well imagine my husband's delight when he ran across a new entry in the debate: Farnsworth's Classical English Style by Ward Farnsworth. He immediately sent me a review of the book and then asked me to order him several copies so he could "gift" them to me and some of the people he works with . Subtle he is not. That said I actually like the book quite a lot. Instead of being a boring collection of rules it breaks down English grammar by way of examples of great writings from the likes of Churchill, Thoreau, Lincoln, Dickens , and Twain, among many others. In reading this book you not only learn from the example of experts but you also read interesting excerpts that might just provide insight into other works. Now, will the book actually change my writing style? I think from the length of my sentences so far in this recommendation you can see that the change has not been complete as of ye; but Rome wasn't built in a day. (Normally I would go off on a tangent about a visit to Rome but I see now that that may be extraneous - so see I am learning! ).

Today's recommended book, therefore, is Farnsworth's Classical English Style by Ward Farnsworth in which Farnsworth shows how small choices about words, sentences, and paragraphs put force into writing and speech that have stood the test of time. . First publishing 2020. Hardcover. 146 pages. Sells for $27.95 a copy.

Day 120: Week in Review July 6-12, 2020

Chatting Books Online Day 120. The week in review July 6-12, 2020. It has been another busy week in our world . In addition to our time in the bookstore we also watched The Wycombe Wanderers win their semi-final playoff match Monday (final match tomorrow , Come On You Blues!) , and a new puppy joined the family ! She has been a lot of fun meeting new friends at the bookstore each day , I can’t tell if Buster the Bookstore Dog is pleased or not , but so far we are all playing nicely together . This week’s book recommendations included : the Beast by Wycombe Wanderer Adebayo Akinfenwa , the a Unhuggables , Memere’s Country Creole Cookbook , The Book of Orchids , Brother Sun, Sister Moon , and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil . If you missed the review of any of these books you can read it at: http://www.conundrumbooks.com/chatting-books-online