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Tales of Terror from the Black Ship
by Chris Priestly
Bloomsbury, $12.99 hardcover, 243 pages
 
Reviewed by Heather Froeschl

What better on a dark and stormy night than ghostly tales to scare and haunt? Ghostly tales that involve pirates of course. “Atop a windy cliff, dangling over a stormy sea, lies the Old Inn.” The setting is perfect and the characters heavenly.

Two children are sick in bed, their father the innkeeper having gone to fetch the doctor while a terrible storm rages. Quite suddenly they feel much better and enjoy their tradition of reading pirate tales of horror. A knock on the door alarms them, but being an inn, the children play host to a weary traveler. What follows is a marathon of scary stories, each more gruesome and grisly than the last. Young Cathy is fascinated and ecstatic with the visitor, imploring him to continue, while her brother Ethan is highly suspicious and doubtful of the sincerity of their late night guest. Something about the man is not quite right, and when the storm fades away the children learn that there is much more to be doubtful of.

This rather macabre book for readers aged 9 -12 adds to the trend in darker books for children of late. More in-depth than the Goosebumps habit, this reading has a nice O’Henry type twist. Chris Priestly has a similar title available for more horrific fun, “Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror.” As enticement for reluctant readers, these books should capture the audience; for pure entertainment, they are a hit.

Described by the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" as "one of the most eloquently communicative poets," Carl Dennis won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection "Practical Gods." His other volumes include "House of My Own," "Climbing Down," "Signs and Wonders," "The Near World," "The Outskirts of Troy," "Meetings with Time," "Ranking the Wishes," "New and Selected Poems, 1974-2004,", and "Unknown Friends." He has published in "Atlantic Monthly," "American Poetry Review," "Ironwood," "Kenyon Review," "New Republic," "Paris Review," and "New Yorker." In 2000 he was awarded the Ruth Lilly Prize from "Poetry Magazine" and the Modern Poetry Association for his contribution to American poetry.

Where: Green Drawing Room, Main, Hollins University.

When: Thursday, April 9, 2009, 8 p.m.

Contact: 540-362-6451

One day last week, I sat cross-legged on the floor while parts of my body fell asleep, but my mind was riveted and my attention rapt. This wasn't an event I had planned to attend until the very last moment. As I followed the crowd through a beautiful library to a high-ceilinged room with crown moulding, every seat was taken and floor space was hot real estate. My companion and I were lucky to gain a section of carpet with a view, but even luckier to have come across this panel discussion.

Confirming my belief that Festival of the Book is well worth the travel and time off from work, I listened to Michael Dirda for an hour, thrilled to be getting personal advice from this Pulitzer prize-winning literary critic. He said though, that he is not a critic so much as he is an appeciator of the written word. I love that. Author of "Classics for Pleasure" and "Book by Book," a columnist for the Washington Post Book World, and a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books and other print and online periodicals, I felt I was worshipping at the altar of my own personal god. I've been a book reviewer for 13 years and yet I still feel like a hack when in the company of such a well versed, intelligent book lover. I was entranced and quite happy to sit on the floor and listen.

Michael was at "So Many Books...The Pleasure of Reading" to discuss he recent release, "Classics for Pleasure," a volume I am anxious to acquire, in panel discussion with Jessica Feldman, co-editor of "What Should I Read Next?", Professor of English at UVa, author of "Gender on the Divide," teaching nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature, and Robert Stilling, co-editor of "What Should I Read Next?," a Ph.D. Candidate in English at the University of Virgnia and a graduate of Yale College. In a Yin-Yang balance, Dirda's book concentrates on the fictional side of life, while Feldman and Stilling's work is more of a non-fiction suggestion collection subtitled: "70 University of Virginia Professors Recommend Readings in History, Politics, Literature, Math, Science, Technology, the Arts, and More."  It was interesting to hear the contrast and comparisions of these complimentary volumes.

From Publishers Weekly on Dirda's book:
"In this casually brilliant collection of great book recommendations, Dirda... discusses titles ranging from well-known favorites such as Sherlock Holmes and Beowulf to more obscure writers such as Jaroslav Hasek and John Masefield."

From the book description of "What Should I Read Next":
"An enlightening antidote to the anxiety all readers face in pursuing their intellectual curiosity about everything from themonetary system to modern art and beyond."

Books on books are not a new concept but not a habitual read for me. I think I have been swayed.

Finally, after thirteen years of living in Virginia, I went to the Festival of the Book. Now, I'm making plans to attend next year, and every other year that I can swing it. I intend to swing it. Soaking in the atmosphere of the written word, I had a joyous two days and quite easily could have reveled in the entire five day conference. What am I talking about?  

The mission of the Virginia Festival of the Book is to bring together writers and readers and to promote and celebrate books, reading, literacy, and literary culture. That said, let me elaborate....

It is the largest gathering of authors, writers, and readers in Virginia, and, I'm told, the Mid-Atlantic region. Produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (I've always loved the Humanities!) the Book Festival has become an integral part of Charlottesville and UVA. And they are lucky to have it. Almost every aspect of the Festival is organized and generated by Festival committees consisting of community volunteers who contribute their time. This is a huge undertaking, and a widely varied set of events.

Programs range from traditional author readings and book signings to a StoryFest day of children's authors and storybook characters; from a panel on how to publish a novel to a discussion on running a book club; from a workshop on book-binding to a discussion on freelancer's rights. All programs are open to the public; with the exception of a few ticketed events, programs are free of charge.

The crowds of attendees are all book lovers, or so it seems, with a giddiness that permeates the air. The excitement over meeting a beloved author was infectious; the desire to gather more and more books to cherish or devour was a common ailment.

One event I attended was a delicious evening of intimate bookish conversation. Wine & Words with David Baldacci and Adriana Trigiani on Thursday afternoon, March 19th, was a perfect appetizer for the Festival for me. (See if you can spot Amy Hanek and I on this slideshow on the Festival's website.) Just the description from www.vabook.org makes me hungry all over again:
"It's la dolce vita with Adriana Trigiani (Very Valentine) and David Baldacci (Divine Justice). Enjoy an assortment of Italian meats, cheeses, grapes, olives, and a glass of Italian wine at this intimate engagement."

Held at a lovely wine bar, Enoteca, 401 East Main Street in Charlottesville, just down from the UVA campus, it was a bit tight for the crowd that these two authors drew, standing room only, but nicely done.

David Baldacci, author of Divine Justice and 16 other novels, will release First Family in April 2009. Famous for his thrillers, he is a lawyer, born and raised in Virginia. He and his wife have established the Wish You Well Foundation which supports family literacy. David spoke about his foundation to a very welcoming crowd.

 Adriana Trigiani (Very Valentine) is the best-selling author of the Big Stone Gap series; Lucia, Lucia; Queen of the Big Time; Rococo and Cooking with My Sisters. She has written and will direct the Big Stone Gap movie. Adrianna shared a bit of news about the casting of the movie, and introduced her lovely sisters and mother to the crowd. Her in-laws were also in attendance and funnily enough are close neighbors to David Baldacci at Smith Mountain Lake.

I was able to speak to David briefly about his upcoming appearances in Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake, and of course, get a copy of his latest book signed for my mother, his "#1 fan." Talk in the room touched on numerous topics revolving around the media and writing. An acquaintance of mine asked me about The Roanoke Times and the newspaper business, while my friend Amy sat and chatted with Adriana's entourage. (More on that in another blog entry.) Both authors signed books for the guests and made for a lovely literary afternoon.

On my way to Festival of the Book last week, I convinced my conference going companion and friend to stop at a book warehouse. It didn't take much convincing. We were in the area, which doesn't happen much, and we were book-minded, which happens all the time. We were pleasantly surprised at what we found.

I think we meant to stick together but were quickly torn apart by the enticement of books, books, and more books. 500,000 so says the web site. They were sorted by genre and by author and they were all priced at 60 to 90% below the publishers' retail prices. I tried to resist temptation and refused a handbasket, warning Amy that it would probably be best to not have a helping  hand in spending our money. I ended up with my arms full and finding a tote bag that I would also purchase. A bestseller I hadn't read, a book by an author friend I'd just made, a classic to cherish, a few things for the kids, and even a poster to frame for my new home, I was out of time and near the limit I'd set for myself in cash. The choices were immense; I was never more like a kid in a candy shop, even when I was one!

The Green Valley Book Fair, just south of Harrisonburg was established in 1971, originally held in an old barn on the Evan's family farm. Back then, used and antique books were the focus and people would even camp in the pasture next to the barn in order to be first in line when the doors opened. Over the years the book fair outgrew the barn. Today it carries new books exclusively, and occupies two warehouse type buildings totalling 25,000 square feet. The Green Valley Book Fair is not open every day though. Keeping with the fair feel, it is open only six times a year, for two weeks at a time. Visitors will want to plan ahead as you'll want plenty of time to browse. And visitors come by from all over the world. At the front of the store there is a map of the United States with pushpins to mark where customers have hailed from. Virginia is packed to capacity but there are marks from Alaska to Hawaii and beyond our map to Japan. 

This from their website:

"Where do the books come from?
We specialize in publisher's returns -- books that have been returned to the publisher by other book stores. We also carry a select number of remainders and overstock books, but because of our emphasis on returns our stock tends to be more current and much more eclectic than what you'd find on the remainder shelves in a typical book store." That doesn't bother me. It is akin to recycling or treasure finding.

There came a pouring rain while I browsed, something Amy was too distracted to even notice, but it so added to the ambiance for me. The soothing sound on the tin roof while surrounded by books was actually an incentive to me to stay awhile and buy. I plan to return another day. Here is the schedule of their two week "appearances":

March 14 - 29, May 9 - 25, June 27 - July 12, Aug. 22 - Sept. 7, Oct. 10 - 25, Nov. 27 - Dec. 13, open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

By guest blogger Janelle Rucker, Franklin County Reporter at The Roanoke Times

I’ve found that reading resources really help to supplement my reading.

In the past few years, I’ve discovered a couple of Web sites that feed my hobby: Goodreads.com and PaperBackSwap.com. Goodreads is kind of like Facebook for readers. (And actually, there’s a Goodreads application on Facebook.) You can connect with other readers and authors, keep track of books you’ve read, want to read and are currently reading. I love it. Whenever I’m looking for a good book to read I can browse through my friends’ lists or other features on Goodreads to find a book that I may have otherwise never come across. I also like that it lets me review books I’ve read and read others’ reviews.

Less than a year ago I discovered PaperBackSwap. It’s exactly what it sounds like, except that you can exchange hardcover, textbooks and audio books as well. When you sign up you get two free credits for the first 10 books you list for swapping. Whenever another member receives a book they’ve requested from you, you get another credit. Then take your credits and go browsing! As of this afternoon there were more than 3 million books available for swapping. The only cost to you is postage to send your books, which averages $2.50 per book.  When you request a book, the postage is taken care of by the sender. I’ve gotten at least a dozen books from other members so far and I’ve mailed out that many. I’ve gotten books from different genres from readers all over the country. What’s great about the site is there are rules to the books that can be posted for swapping, i.e. no writing on pages. You can also make special request like you don’t want books from homes with pets or smokers.

Don’t want to give up any of the books in your collection? No problem. Credits can be purchased for $3.45 a piece. Still cheaper than any book you’d find in a store, right?

So, do you have any reading resources to share?

LAMENT: The Faerie Queen’s Deception, by Maggie Steifvater, Flux, 336 pages

Reviewed by Heather Froeschl
heather.froeschl@roanoke.com

A beautifully entwined tale of Celtic lore and modern life, “Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception” is a rich and potent novel. It is a book for young adults, and adults alike. Fantasy becomes reality for sixteen year old Deirdre as she discovers that she is one of the few who can see the fey. What she sees though, is far from the fluttery cartoon characters that paint childhood dreams. Cloverhands, who are gifted to see the faeries of the world, are also cursed with this vision.

Luke is a soulless ageless assassin, sent to kill Deirdre by the Faerie Queen. A magic stronger than the Queen’s command controls Luke and he finds he is unable to commit the task, but this will cost him a price so dear it will break reader’s hearts. To the haunting tune of the harp, which Deidre caresses to life, and the harmonic melody of Luke’s flute, a dark story of love and lore emerges. The tale twists like a Celtic knot, winding around tragic circumstance and deep felt desires.

Maggie Steifvater weaves ancient lore and lyrical prose, opening the reader to a veiled world somewhat darker than American thinking of the faerie realm. More along the lines of real Celtic tradition, her writing is enchanting, yet dangerous; her characters complex.

See an interview with this author.

Liza Mundy, author, journalist and native Roanoker will be speaking in Roanoke at the Shenandoah Club on Monday at noon.

Mundy penned the best-selling biography of Michelle Obama. In 2007 she published the book "Everything Conceivable," about the business of reproductive technology.

She is a staff writer at The Washington Post, where she has covered politics, popular culture, and women’s issues. She is a regular contributor to the online magazine Slate and participates in its women’s blog, XX Factor.

Couldn't make it to the Virginia Festival of the Book this weekend but still yearning to hang out with fellow book lovers and meet best-selling authors?

Check out the first annual Literary Festival sponsored by the English Club at Radford University. The theme for the Saturday evening event is "Ocean to Ocean: Creating Universal Art for Specific Communities" and will feature readings and discussions by authors Sharyn McCrumb (pictured here), David Huddle and Rita Quillen.

Richard Rose, producing artisitic director for the Barter Theatre, will also conduct a discussion. Author Jim Minick will serve as moderator for the evening.

The fun starts Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Mcguffey 203 and admission is free.

Campbell County (VA)  Social Services is planning a Children's Book Fair, scheduled for sometime in April 2009, during which books will be distributed to benefit families and promote children's literacy. Citizens are asked to drop off gently used or new books for children of all ages at Campbell County Social Serivces, 69 Kabler Lane, Rustburg, any time before March 31. Business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Contact Shannon Carhart, 434-332-9764, skc031@dss.state.va.us for more information.