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Thursday, September 02, 2010

J.K. Rowling Donates $15.5M to Multiple Sclerosis Research (Feature Articles)

J. K. Rowling is 45, the exact age her mother died of complications due to Multiple schlerosis (MS), a debilitating neuro-degenerative disease that strikes between 2 and 150 per 100,000 population depending on your genetic background. Research shows that people of Scottish descent have the highest incidence of this disease, so it is fitting that the money is going to the University of Edinburgh, Rowling's home town, and will be named "The Anne Rowling Centre for MS Research. Significant donations like this, with the celebrity power behind it, is a medical researcher's prayer answered. It takes away the burdon of tedious and time-consuming annual grant applications for dwindling government funding sources, and most importantly, it brings the disease and disease sufferers to the forefront of public awareness. J.K. Rowling became a billionaire off the royalties of her now famous children's Harry Potter book series, and she is at the point of giving back to society some of that bounty. "I cannot think of anything more important, or of more lasting value, than to help the university attract world-class minds in the field on neuroregeneration, to build on its long and illustrious history of medical research and, ultimately, to seek a cure for a very Scottish disease," Rowling said. There are around 100,000 MS carriers in Britain, and Scotland has one of the highest rates in the world. The new center will also look into other degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntingdon's disease, which like MS are neurogenic, progressive and incurable.

Monday, August 30, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Camilla Gibb (Feature Articles)

The "Writerly Questions Series" is brought to you courtesy of Random House Canada who partners with BookBuffet. Look for this feature each Monday. The idea is we ask different authors the same set of questions designed to give readers a glimpse into the lives and writing mechanics of authors. It is fascinating to compare and contrast when you check the list to date at bottom. Today's author is Camilla Gibb. Camilla Gibb is the author of four novels: Mouthing the words, Petty Details of So-and-So Life, Sweetness in the Belly and the forthcoming The Beauty of Humanity Movement—as well as numerous short stories, articles and reviews. She was the winner of the Trillium Book Award in 2006, a Scotiabank Giller Prize short list nominee in 2005, winner of the City of Toronto Book Award in 2000 and the recipient of the CBC Canadian Literary Award for short fiction in 2001. Her books have been published in 18 countries and translated into 14 languages and she was named by the jury of the prestigious Orange Prize as one of 21 writers to watch in the new century.
QUESTIONS:
1. How would you summarize your book in one sentence?
It’s a story about the intersection of the lives of three very different people in Vietnam and how those relationships allow them each to reconcile themselves with aspects of the turbulent past
2. How long did it take you to write this book?
Two years.
3. Where is your favorite place to write?
At the kitchen table on a sunny day.
4. How do you choose your characters’ names?
I choose ordinary names appropriate to the culture or context. Extraordinary names draw too much attention to themselves and disrupt the reading.
5. How many drafts do you go through?
Countless. Maybe 25?

Monday, August 23, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Alissa York (Feature Articles)

The "Writerly Questions Series" is brought to you courtesy of Random House Canada who partners with BookBuffet. Look for this feature each Monday. The idea is we ask different authors the same set of questions designed to give readers a glimpse into the lives and writing mechanics of authors. It is fascinating to compare and contrast when you check the list to date at bottom. Today's author is Alissa York. Alissa York has lived all over Canada and now makes her home in Toronto with her husband, writer/filmmaker Clive Holden. York's award-winning short fiction has appeared in various literary journals and anthologies, and in the collection, Any Given Power, published in 1999. Her first novel, Mercy, published in 2003, was a Canadian bestseller. Dutch, French and US editions have appeared since. York's second novel, Effigy, was published in April 2007, short-listed for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. International rights to the book have sold in Holland, Italy, France and the US. Her new novel, Fauna, is on sale on July 27, 2010.
QUESTIONS:
1. How would you summarize your book in one sentence?
FAUNA tells the story of the love between a female federal wildlife officer and the owner of a wrecking yard that doubles as a sanctuary for injured urban fauna and other lost souls.
2. How long did it take you to write this book?
Two and a half years.
3. Where is your favorite place to write?
My desk -- in fact, it's the only place.
4. How do you choose your characters’ names?
Sometimes I come upon promising names during the research process -- Edal was like that. Darius and Lily, on the other hand, arrived from the ether already named.
5. How many drafts do you go through?
Around a dozen -- the later the draft, the finer the adjustments.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Contemplating Wines (Feature Articles)

At the end of a long day here on the farm (in the Interior of BC) it's great to sit on the porch surveying "the back 40" when the intense heat of the day has passed and the long shadow of our cottonwood next to the house provides a cool respite. Here I sit sipping a glass of crisp white wine while skipping through a copy of John Schreiner's The Wineries of British Columbia (Whitecap, 2009). John has been studying the subject for 30 years and this is the 3rd edition. He's mastered the art of giving just enough information to satisfy your curiosity and tempt your palate. Believe it or not there are 457 wineries in BC now, up from 14 in 1988. They're all listed in alphabetical order with the bottle label and engaging stories about each of the vintners, their properties, their methods and their successes. I go immediately to some of my favorites and see a common thread between us: people passionate about wines, not afraid to tackle the science and chemistry of its art, and determined to produce bottles that any family would be proud to serve company and any restaurant would be happy to place on their wine list alongside other worldly fare. Most often wineries are started, taken-over or completely re-vamped by people from entirely different backgrounds to the industry. Blasted Church was started by two couples who were brokerage accountants. Cedar Creek was started by a geologist and his wife. Burrowing Owl was started by a civil engineer with a business degree, and Quails' Gate was started by a distant relative of ours, the Stewart family, now the largest producer of Pinot Noir in Canada. If you want to learn the stories behind the wines you're drinking, take a mental tour through BC's award-winning and up-and-comers. Better yet, purchase a copy and head east on Highway 3 to the Okanagan where you can sample wines and visit winemakers on our own terroir. Slip in a copy of John Schreiner's Okanagan Wine Tour Guide on the dash for good measure! Now, where was I? Oh yes. I'm looking at the future terraced vineyard on our south slope. The east to west oriented valley will ensure long hours of sunlight and the rocky soil will concentrate the flavours in the grapes. Bring on the investors!

Monday, August 02, 2010

Whistler Reads Short Fiction Finalists: Dee Raffo and Karen McLeod (Feature Articles)

Whistler writers Dee Raffo and Karen McLeod are the winners of the Children's Short Fiction Contest sponsored by Whistler Reads during our 29th author event this past July. The submissions were reviewed by Canadian author Matthew Hooton who came to speak to the village-wide book group, and who agreed to vet the submissions. Both stories are featured here. The exercise was designed to stimulate thinking about the challenges of writing from this "site line", as Matthew describes it, "...where you are actually lower to the ground and view the world from a whole different angle." Dee and Karen enjoyed the process and said Matt was a sensitive editor and mentor who gave excellent advice on their writing. Here now are: "Running with Horses" by Dee Raffo, and "Mrs. Ryan's House" by Karen McLeod.

RUNNING WITH HORSES
By Dee Raffo

Her mother had been the one driving. It was icy and the bend was sharp, the paramedic said it would have been quick. The tree branch had punctured right through the windshield and struck her in the throat. Johnny was another story. He wasn’t wearing his seat belt, which was unusual, and was thrown about thirty metres before his small body had come to a stop. He suffered head injuries that caused him to die two days later, never opening his eyes again. In his five year old hand was a yellow tractor. Michelle thought this may have been the reason he wasn’t wearing his belt. She had gone over it time and time again, frame by frame as if it was a movie. Johnny taking off his belt to get his favourite toy, her mother taking her eyes off the road to make sure he put the seatbelt back on. Gone. In one morning, when there had been so many, they were gone. (continued... )

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Long List Man Booker Prize Announced (Feature Articles)

The judges for the 2010 Man Booker Prize for Fiction today, Tuesday 27 July, announced the longlist for the prize. It is the leading literary award in the English speaking world. A total of 138 books, 14 of which were called in by the judges, were considered for the Man Booker Dozen longlist of 13 books. The chair of judges, Andrew Motion, commented:"Here are thirteen exceptional novels - books we have chosen for their intrinsic quality, without reference to the past work of their authors. Wide-ranging in their geography and their concern, they tell powerful stories which make the familiar strange and cover an enormous range of history and feeling. We feel confident that they will provoke and entertain." A glance over the list you will see some familiar authors who've won literary prizes, or nominations for the Man Booker in previous years. I'm always a little disappointed there aren't more fresh names in literary contests, however it is always a pleasure to read an author you know and can compare the progression of their work. Order one or three from the list and take your chances picking the winner. This will be announced on Tuesday 12 October at a dinner at London's Guildhall and will be broadcast on the BBC Ten O'Clock News. The prize is worth £50,000 and brings the author increased sales and worldwide recognition. The list is:

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Jeffery Eugenides Has A New Book (Feature Articles)

"One of the most anticipated new books around the Farrar, Straus & Giroux offices (and out in the Real World, I daresay) is Jeffrey Eugenides' follow-up to Middlesex. That 2003 novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize and was later selected for Oprah's Book Club, has sold over 2,000,000 copies and is on many readers' lists of their favorite contemporary novels." writes Jonathan Galassi, president of FSG. Jonathan caught up (virtually) with Jeff in his studio in Princeton, New Jersey, where he is rounding the turn on his new novel.—Work In Progress Blog

Galassi: Please tell us everything you can about your new book, starting with the title.

Eugenides: I hate to begin by withholding information, but I'd rather not divulge the title of the new book at the moment. I remember when my wife was pregnant and we were trying out different names for the baby. Anytime we told someone a prospective name, they would find something wrong with it. It rhymed with something not-nice. It was just begging to be deformed into a schoolyard epithet. The result was that we never named our child and refer to her now only by her SS#. So I'm not going to make that mistake again and tell you the title of my book.

Curious to read more of the interview? Click this link."I don't quite know how to describe it. A college love story? Maybe."

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Famous First Lines: Test Your Literary Knowledge (Feature Articles)

 Are you a literary snob?  Take this Quiz And Find Out. Here is the very first line at the beginning of ten classic novels. See how many you can match up.

100% qualifies you in BookBuffet’s Literary Elite

75% and above means you should consider becoming a BookBuffet Moderator!

 

50% and up not bad, you make our Budding Bibliophile category.

Anything below that signals, "Hide the Remote!"

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Literary Review Sources: A Baker's Dozen (Feature Articles)

Looking for a source of good literary reviews? The place to go is a trusted literary magazine, but last time we checked there are hundreds. For the ultimate web resource go to New Pages website. Here are a few of our favorites and others that piqued our interest.


1. African American Review

African American Review promotes a lively exchange among writers and scholars in the arts, humanities, and social sciences who hold diverse perspectives on African American literature and culture.

 

[African American Review website]

2. AGNI

"AGNI has become one of America's, and the world's, most significant literary journals"--PEN America.  Now edited by renowned critic Sven Birkerts.

 

[AGNI website]

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Go's Tells All (Feature Articles)

Depending on your age and your taste in music, you may not recognize this author's name, but you will likely recognize her band, The Go-Go's. This 80's punk rock band came out of Los Angeles California and was the first all-girl band to write their own songs and play their own instruments. The members originally consisted of Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals), Margot Olaverra (bass), and Elissa Bello (drums). Their first album Beauty and the Beat went double platinum and since its release the Go-Go's have sold over 7 million records. I still remember the cover art of their 1982 album Vacation which featured 5 lovely ladies in white frilly hats, pink tops and white skorts waterskiing parallel in a single line. It was retro-bitching. In addition to their success, they had a reputation for hard partying on the A-list circuit. Belinda Carlisle has had the most successful solo career of the group. She's also just released her memoir titled, Lips Unsealed published by Crown, a division of Random House (June 1, 2010), which is getting great reviews from Kirkus and others for (in addition to the heady girl-power celebrity stuff) its unguarded honesty surrounding her drug and alcohol issues, her battle with weight loss, low self esteem and abusive relationships. Below is an excerpt from her book. Check it out along with the You Tube videos of the girls performing and some of their album cover art. It's the perfect summer read while you listen to their music on your iPod.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Justin Cronin (Feature Articles)

The "Writerly Questions Series" is brought to you courtesy of Random House Canada who partners with BookBuffet. Look for this feature each Monday. The idea is we ask different authors the same set of questions designed to give readers a glimpse into the lives and writing mechanics of authors. It is fascinating to compare and contrast when you check the list to date at bottom. Today's author is Justin Cronin. Born and raised in New England, Justin Cronin is a graduate of Harvard University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Awards for his fiction include the Stephen Crane Prize, a Whiting Writers’ Award, and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. He is a professor of English at Rice University and lives with his wife and children in Houston, Texas. His newest novel, The Passage, is published by Doubleday Canada.
QUESTIONS:
1. How would you summarize your book in one sentence?
Girl saves world.
2. How long did it take you to write this book?
Forty-seven years, but most of it in the last three.
3. Where is your favorite place to write?
Rome is nice. But usually I write in my office over the garage. I used to write IN the garage..
4. How do you choose your characters’ names?
Like my children's names, they seem to come from above.
5. How many drafts do you go through?
Three at least. In the second draft, I add. In the third, I cut. Often I have to do this more than once.
6. If there was one book you wish you had written what would it be?
Currently, Joseph O'Neill's NETHERLAND
7. If your book were to become a movie, who would you like to see star in it?
I think Russell Crowe would make a great Agent Wolgast.

Monday, May 17, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Holly LeCraw (Feature Articles)

The "Writerly Questions Series" is brought to you courtesy of Random House Canada who partners with BookBuffet. Look for this feature each Monday. The idea is we ask different authors the same set of questions designed to give readers a glimpse into the lives and writing mechanics of authors. It is fascinating to compare and contrast when you check the list to date at bottom. Today's author is Holly LeCraw. Holly lives outside of Boston with her husband, who is a journalist, and three kids. Her short fiction and book reviews have appeared in a range of publications, including the Edge City Review and the Boston Book Review. Her short fiction was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Though a newcomer as a novelist, she grew up in the book industry. For more information on her newest novel, The Swimming Pool, please visit her website www.hollylecraw.com

1. How would you summarize your book in one sentence?
It’s the story of a young man and an older woman who are mourning the same person--his father, who was her lover--and who, to their great surprise, begin an affair of their own, leading to crises and revelations they never could have imagined.
2. How long did it take you to write this book?
I tried not to keep track. Three or four years.
3. Where is your favorite place to write?
Alone on Cape Cod.
4. How do you choose your characters’ names?
They just come to me and I use them as placeholders, because at the beginning I am always in a hurry; later I go back to change them and they’ve affixed themselves to the characters like barnacles, and I can’t think of anything better.
5. How many drafts do you go through?
One draft flows into the other, so I’m not sure. They aren’t discrete manuscripts. Four? Five? Twenty? I did do an edit/polish for both my agent, before we submitted, and then my editor.
6. If there was one book you wish you had written what would it be?
Too many to choose from--but on the other hand, I can’t imagine writing any books but my own.
7. If your book were to become a movie, who would you like to see star in it?
Hmmm...maybe Robert Pattinson for Jed, and Juliette Binoche for Marcella. We could make her French.
[8-20 cont'd]

Monday, May 03, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Joan Thomas (Feature Articles)

The "Writerly Questions Series" is brought to you courtesy of Random House Canada who partners with BookBuffet. Look for this feature each Monday. The idea is we ask different authors the same set of questions designed to give readers a glimpse into the lives and writing mechanics of authors. It is fascinating to compare and contrast when you check the list to date at bottom. Today we feature Joan Thomas. Joan Thomas's debut novel, Reading by Lightning, won the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book (Canada/Caribbean) in 2009, was a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book, was shortlisted for three Manitoba Book Awards, is the 2009 Manitoba Reads pick and on the shortlist for the Amazon Best First Book Award. Her short stories and creative non-fiction have been published in journals and magazines across the country, and she is the writing and publishing program consultant for the Manitoba Arts Council. Her newest novel is Curiosity from McClelland & Stewart.

Questions
1. How would you summarize Curiosity in one sentence? Forty years before Darwin, a 19th century gentleman and a fossil-collecting working-class woman meet each other, and their way of thinking about the world changes.
2. How long did it take you to write this book? I read for about a year and then I wrote for three.
3. Where is your favorite place to write? I wrote part of this book in a desk in the bedroom, part in the basement facing a cement wall, the rest in my current light-filled office. Really, I don’t care, as long as it’s quiet. I’m not a Starbucks kind of writer.
4. How many drafts do you go through? With word processors, it’s impossible to say. I’m always tinkering with what’s there, adding layers. But if you consider it a separate draft every time you say, “Okay, this is done,” print it off, and give it to someone to read—maybe 8. It’s amazing how often you finish a book! [4-10 continued]

Sunday, April 25, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Anosh Irani (Feature Articles)

The "Writerly Questions Series" is brought to you courtesy of Random House Canada who partners with BookBuffet. Look for this feature each Monday. The idea is we ask different authors the same set of questions designed to give readers a glimpse into the lives and writing mechanics of authors. It is fascinating to compare and contrast when you check the list to date at bottom.

Today we feature Anosh Irani. Anosh Irani was born in Bombay and moved to Vancouver in 1998. He is the author of the acclaimed novel The Cripple and His Talismans. His play The Bombay Plays: Bombay Black & The Matka King won the Dora Mavor Moore Award in 2006 for Best New Play or New Musical. His newest novel is Dahanu Road.

QUESTIONS:
1. How long did it take you to write this book?
The idea came to me in the form of a single image -- that of a bottle cork -- about 7 years ago, but the actual writing took three years.
2. How many drafts do you go through?
Each novel is different. For this one, I must have done about 5 drafts. Maybe more.
3. If there was one book you wish you had written what would it be?
A FINE BALANCE by Rohinton Mistry.
4. If you could talk to any writer living or dead who would it be, and what would you ask?
If I had a chance to meet someone from the past, it wouldn't be a writer; it would be the prophet of the Zoroastrians, Zarathushtra. But he did compose sacred hyms, so one can call him a poet.
5. Did you always want to be a writer?
Not at all. I didn't want to be anything. Ambition seemed like a lot of work.
6. If your book were to become a movie, who would you like to see star in it?
Johnny Depp. (But I don't have a part for him in it.)

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Kiwi Collections: The Most Beautiful Hotels In The World (Feature Articles)

Whenever I travel, I use Kiwi Collection to book the hotels. They always know the coolest places to stay within my budget, and offer upgrades and perks that my usual travel agent (or attempts at self-booking online) cannot. The big news is that Kiwi Collection just completed an extensive revamp of their website - check it out. Whether you are taking a business trip, planning an annual vacation, or just grabbing a quick get-a-way, this site goes beyond information - it inspires.

Started by Swedish entrepreneur Philippe Kjellgren (pronounced Shellgrenn), Kiwi Collection has a team of people around the world who find and approve new properties by staying in the rooms, exploring the environs and meeting personally with each owner/manager to establish a professional relationship. (Sounds like a dream job, right? Ya, I thought so too. ) Approval and listing with KC is maintained as long as the service equals their exacting standards. Whether you prefer well-known international brands, that funky boutique gem, a luxury camp or a classic Inn experience, you can be sure that Kiwi Collection's personal relationship with the owner/operator will ensure you are welcomed like a friend of the family or an honored guest.

I had a 5-city junket over about as many days recently, and was somewhat dreading the pace. I was so relieved to hand the address of my hotel to my driver at each stop and discover the hotel location was minutes from my business meeting, it was close to the local sites with great restaurants and potential night-vibe, and I was greeted with a huge smile upon check-in, fitted with a view-room or similar upgrade, and provided excellent personalized service.

If you are like me and tend to squirrel away the hotel booklets with suggestions of other hotels in the collection, then you'll enjoy having one - or all three - of Kiwi Collection's coffee table books with gorgeous photos of hotels from around the world and Kiwi's lively descriptions outlining the unique assets. Overnight Sensations The Americas: Hotels for the Discerning Traveler, Overnight Sensations Europe: Hotels for the Discerning Traveler, and Overnight Sensations Asia Pacific: Hotels for the Discerning Traveler. I know for a fact that Madonna has these books, but you don't have to be a Rock diva to appreciate the excellent service and ahah comfort that the Kiwi connection affords. Just book your next hotel through them and see!
"It's for people who care about where they stay."
Join their Facebook and Twitter pages.
Canada & USA 1 800-999-0680 or Worldwide 778-331-0680

Monday, April 12, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Yann Martel (Feature Articles)

The "20 Writerly Questions Series" is brought to you courtesy of Random House Canada who partners with BookBuffet. Look for this feature each Monday. The idea is we ask different authors the same set of questions designed to give readers a glimpse into the lives and writing mechanics of authors. It is fascinating to compare and contrast when you check the list to date at bottom.

Today we feature Yann Martel, whose newest novel, which you can purchase here is Beatrice & Virgil is published by Knopf Canada (left) or the US cover version (right). Martel is the award-winning author of four previous books, including the recent What Is Stephen Harper Reading?. Yann Martel is one of Canada’s most interesting and surprising writers. Born in Spain in 1963, Yann grew up in various places as the son of diplomats. He won the Journey Prize for the title story in The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios. His runaway bestseller, Life of Pi was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. It was the winner of the Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction as well as the Man Booker Prize. Yann lives with writer Alice Kuipers and their son in Saskatoon.

1. How would you summarize your book in one sentence?
Writer meets taxidermist meets Holocaust.
2. How long did it take you to write this book?
With interruptions, nine years.
3. Where is your favorite place to write?
No favourite place. I just need a chair, a table, my computer and a little peace and quiet.
[4-20 continued]

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Scrabble Allows Proper Nouns (Feature Articles)

Yes, I know this is about to rock your world... BBC reports that "the rules of word game Scrabble are being changed for the first time in its history to allow the use of proper nouns, games company Mattel has said. Place names, people's names and company names or brands will now count. Mattel, which brings out a new version of the game containing amended rules in July, hopes the change will encourage younger people to play. Until now a few proper nouns had been allowed which were determined by a word list based on the Collins dictionary. In Scrabble, players try to gain the highest points by making words with individual letter tiles on a grid board. Each letter tile has a points value between one and 10, based on the letter's frequency in standard English. Various coloured squares on the board can double or triple a player's points. My question is, does this mean that we are so bereft of a sizable vocabulary that we have to dumb-down our games?

A spokeswoman for the company said the use of proper nouns would "add a new dimension" to Scrabble and "introduce an element of popular culture into the game". She said: "This is one of a number of twists and challenges included that we believe existing fans will enjoy and will also enable younger fans and families to get involved." However, Mattel said it would not be doing away with the old rules altogether. It will continue to sell a board with the original rules.

Scrabble was invented in 1938 by American-born architect Alfred Butts. He later sold the rights and it was trademarked in 1948."

Monday, March 29, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Joy Fielding (Feature Articles)

The "20 Writerly Questions Series" is brought to you courtesy of Random House Canada who partners with BookBuffet. Look for this feature each Monday. The idea is we ask different authors the same set of questions designed to give readers a glimpse into the lives and writing mechanics of authors. It is fascinating to compare and contrast. Today we feature Joy Fielding. Joy Fielding is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Charley's Web, Heartstopper, Mad River Road, See Jane Run and other acclaimed novels. She divides her time between Toronto and Palm Beach, Florida. For more information on her newest novel, The Wild Zone, please visit her website www.joyfielding.com

1. How would you summarize your book in one sentence?
"The Wild Zone": Three men make a bet as to which of them can be the first to seduce a mysterious young woman, with unforseen, and deadly, consequences.

2. How long did it take you to write this book?
It took approximately one year - from the time I first got the idea till it was completed - to write. About 4 to 6 months of actual writing. This is true of all my books.

3. Where is your favorite place to write?
My favourite place to write is in my office, which is a room in my downtown condominium. The room is beautiful, the view spectacular. (4-20 continued)

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Big Short (Feature Articles)

Michael Lewis's new book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine chronicles the 2008 financial collapse through the investors who realized what was happening to the U.S. economy — while it was happening — and then made a fortune by betting against the markets. If you compare The Big Short to his first book Liar's Poker, you could say that Liar's Poker was the bond market bomb that destroyed the Wall Street investment firm Saloman Brothers, while The Big Short, using Stanley Kubric's Strangelove reference, explodes the sub-prime nuclear device that sent up a mushroom cloud over our economy and toxic spores around the world. Several of Michael's books have been made into feature films. "Blind Side," the football flick just won Sandra Bullock an Academy Award, (Purchase DVD) and Brad Pitt is currently in production with Michael's baseball story Money Ball. But make that strike two: Pitt swings his bat for a second time, having just bought the rights to adapt The Big Short along with his buddies at Paramount. Why are Michael Lewis's books such hot properties? He writes smart, perceptive stories that capture the personalities behind the phenomenon, and he does it with clarity, heart and humor. I highly recommend you take the next 40 minutes and listen to Terry Gross at NPR interview Michael Lewis. His cast of real characters include a former neurosurgery resident with Asberger's Syndrome who starts a hedge fund, quits medicine and makes a fortune betting against the system. Then there is Ledley and Mai, two guys in their early 30s who also start their own hedge fund starting with ~ $100,000 and quickly turn it into $15 million by betting on financial events that are extremely unlikely to occur — and therefore didn't cost much to bet against. "This is a story of human perception - people see what they want to see," says Lewis. Read an excerpt of The Big Short, Chapter One inside...

Monday, March 08, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Andrew Kaufman (Feature Articles)

The "20 Writerly Questions Series" is brought to you courtesy of Random House Canada who partners with BookBuffet. Look for this feature each Monday. The idea is we ask different authors the same set of questions designed to give readers a glimpse into the lives and writing mechanics of authors. It is fascinating to compare and contrast. Today we feature Andrew Kaufman. Check back for upcoming authors: Joy Fielding, Drew Hayden Taylor, and John Boyne.

ANDREW KAUFMAN's critically acclaimed first book, All My Friends Are Superheroes, was a cult hit and has been translated into six languages. Kaufman is also an accomplished screenwriter and has completed a Director's Residency at the Canadian Film Centre. He lives in Toronto with his wife and their two children. His newest novel is The Waterproof Bible.

The Questions:
1. How would you summarize your book in one sentence? A woman who projects her emotions, a man who meets a woman claiming to be God, and a mermaid driving a stolen Honda Civic are forced to ask themselves which is more important – faith or fact.

2. How long did it take you to write this book? It was a little under seven years. Or, more concretely, when I started I was single and renting a one-bedroom apartment and now I'm married with two kids and a mortgage.

3. Where is your favorite place to write? Beside the stereo.

Friday, March 05, 2010

Whistler's Writer in Residence Program: Get Into The Swing of Things (Feature Articles)

Each year the Whistler Writers Group offers a Writer in Residence Program for the full month of September. Twenty successful applicants who have submitted a writing sample and paid the modest $250 fee have the opportunity to attend both the group sessions and four one-on-one mentoring sessions with an established writer. The guest author gets to stay at Station House, a converted building that is owned and operated by the Resort Municipality, which is located in an idyllic, quiet location on the opposite side of Alta Lake across from the Whistler village, the ski hills and the hubbub of busy tourist activities. The fee does not include accommodation, but that's the fun part. Whistler has everything from five-star hotels like the Four Seasons to quaint Bavarian style B&B's, or if you are really on a budget, perhaps you can score one of the 101 rooms at the new 2010 Olympic Athlete Village Youth Hostel? Distractions from your homework include world class golf (3 courses in as many miles), hiking (take the new Peak 2 Peak tram and cover two mountains in one day), mountain biking (boasting the world's largest network of trails and the world's largest non profit rider's association to take you there), and then there's the village patio dining and bistro experiences and plenty of shopping. You'd better pack a whack of outdoor gear in addition to your laptop and that sharp pencil! The Whistler writers group, called Vicious Circle was launched in 2001 by Stella Harvey. It has a core of committed members who help with the organizing and creative spirit. They meet regularly throughout the year to critique each other's writing - so they can't be all that vicious. Check out their just-released video of the writer in residence program posted on the group website. www.viciouscircle.ca It's the work of Rebecca Wood Barrett and Duane Hepditch. Past writer in residence authors include: 2009 Wayne Grady and Merylin Simons; 2008 Jane Dorsey; 2007 Paulette Bourgeois. The 2010 author has not yet been announced, but counting from March to September gives you six months to work on your writing, and polish a short piece consisting of 20 double spaced pages for the submission deadline. Then plan to drop everything and come hang-out in Whistler this September. Contact Stella Harvey: stella25@telus.net. PHOTO: Alta Lake Rope Swing

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Jim Crace's Deliciously Sarcastic Column Turns 10 (Feature Articles)

Jim Crace is the author of, among other books, Being Dead a novel about a middle-aged couple who sneak away for a beach picnic and spontaneous tryst among the sand dunes, who are subsequently accosted and bludgeoned (sounds gory and off-putting but it's fascinating). The reader experiences the victims' agonal death in a rather David Lynch, "Twin Peaks" hyper-real perspective from inside one of the victim's brains while the bodies become an entomology lesson in the art of decay. Coincidentally, I'd just read Being Dead when I attended a reading by Michael Cunningham at Royce Hall in Los Angeles. Cunningham admitted that he'd just read Being Dead and loved Jim Crace. I'm not calling to order a meeting of the Jim Crace admiration society, rather I am calling to your attention to the fact that a decade, yes a DECADE people, has elapsed since Jim Crace began writing his deliciously satirical literary review column for The Guardian entitled "Digested Read." It is an absolute scream. As Crace says, "The primary goal is to entertain – something the book itself has often failed to do – but it's also intended as a (semi) serious critique, for much of the fun is derived from clunky plot devices that don't work, pretentious stylistic tics, risible dialogue and an absence of big ideas. Literary criticism does not have to be dull to be serious." It's based on the premise that many books are reviewed glowingly and inadequately by people who either (gasp) haven't read the book, or worse, didn't really "get it." Jim pokes fun at the books and writers he has "digested" and regurgitates a delightful masticated blurb that will have you ruminating like a bovine on E. So celebrate a decade of critique with me by plowing through Crace's column and see how it effects your views on some of the books you've likely read and authors you likely admire. Crace says, "Satire when it's accurate isn't cruel." I for one will never look at Martin Amos or his books the same again.

Monday, February 01, 2010

20 Writerly Questions Series: Beth Powning (Feature Articles)

BookBuffet partners with Random House Canada to offer you a writerly glimpse into the lives of authors. First up, is Beth Powning. Check back for upcoming authors: Joy Fielding, Drew Hayden Taylor, and John Boyne.

Beth is the author of several books, including The Hatbox Letters, Edge Seasons: A Mid-life Year, Shadow Child, and The Sea Captain's Wife. She lives in an 1870s farmhouse with extensive gardens in Sussex, New Brunswick, with her husband, artist Peter Powning. For more information about Beth and her books, please visit her website The Sea Captain's Wife.ca, or read the first chapter of The Sea Captain’s Wife. <

1. How would you summarize your book in one sentence? The Sea Captain's Wife takes the reader around the world on a square-rigged sailing ship in the 1860's with a young woman and her captain husband; beneath the dramatic and fast-paced events of the adventure are the small, painful, and subtle moments that constitute a marriage.

2. How long did it take you to write this book? Three years.

3. Where is your favorite place to write? In my studio, which is a big room over the kitchen in our 1870's farmhouse. The room has tiny, low doors that even I have to duck to go through. There’s a skylight and narrow east-facing windows overlooking my vegetable gardens, forests and pastures. Questions 4-10... Continued below.

Monday, January 18, 2010

The Gold Globe Winners 2010 (Feature Articles)

The Golden Globes are always a pre-curser to the Academy Awards (The Oscars) and this year awards went to some actors whose careers have well deserved recognition in the past and who receive it now, as well as the expected sweep of AVATAR. Kudos to James Cameron who once again breaks box office records by making over $1 Billion USD in the fastest time from opening date. (If you're interested in the animation, get this excellent book, The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure) BookBuffet was particularly pleased to see Vieneese actor, Christopher Waltz win Best Supporting Actor for "Inglorious Bastards", and also Mo'Nique, Best Supporting Actor in "Precious". Check out the list of winners and nominated to see which films and their adapted books you want to start plowing through before Oscars March 7th, as you may have heard that the Academy of Motion Pictures announced back in June '09 that the Best Picture award will list 10 not 5 movies in the running. In the 30's and 40's The Academy used to feature 8-10 nominees, so this is not a completely new concept. One assumes it's a bid to increase theatre attendance across the spectrum of films before the award ceremony, and I have to agree, when an average of 400 films are released each year it seems reasonable to allow 10 to shine in the annual spotlight. Read on for the Golden Globe list of nominees and winners with links to books, trailers and trivia.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Miep Gies, Who Helped Anne Frank Hide From Nazis, Dies at 100 (Feature Articles)

She was the secretary of a spice company doing business in the office where Anne Frank, her sister, parents and two others stowed away in the attic in Amsterdam. She brought food and clothing to the family, as well as books and newspapers. The hide-aways were discovered late 1944 (the informer has never been uncovered) and Anne was taken to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany where she died of typhus March 1945, just two weeks before the American liberation of the facility. Anne's diary was found by Miep Gies. She kept it and gave the diary to Anne's father Otto, the only survivor. He then published his daughter's diary in 1947. It has since been translated into 65 languages and read by millions of children and adults. The Diary of Anne Frank Miep worked to promote the diary and to ensure that its legitimacy was not destroyed by Holocost-deniers who alleged it was a forgery. Until her 99th birthday when she suffered a small stroke - she continued to answer hundreds of letters from the public.

Friday, January 01, 2010

Inviting All Book Groups to Adopt a Student for a Year (Feature Articles)

At the ripe young age of 45 John Wood was a Microsoft director in charge of business development for greater China. He had a grueling schedule. One year he decided to take a break and do a trek in Nepal. That trip changed his life. Appalled by the lack of education opportunities, where children were being sold by their parents into bonded labor in neighboring countries instead of growing up in their own communities getting an education, he began bringing books back to Nepal. Hauling them to remote mountain locations by yak, by donkey, by whatever means he could, he was able to provide the people living there with no schools or libraries a chance to learn to read. He formed a charity called Books for Nepal. It's a similar story told in the popular title, Three Cups of Tea, but in this case John Wood has transformed his vision into a multi-country organization called ROOM TO READ that operates in 8 countries with an astounding record: ROOM TO READ has built more than 750 schools, established 7,000 libraries containing five million books, and funded nearly 7,000 long-term scholarships for girls. They publish books in the language of the countries they operate in - often authored and illustrated by local people using local stories told within the culture, that have often never been published before. This is a meaningful enterprise with a stunning track record. BookBuffet has become a corporate sponsor and we invite you to invite your book group to "adopt a student" for one year. It only costs $250 to provide all the books, uniforms, and tuition for one student to attend a Room to Read school for one year. We are challenging 50 of our book group members to join. Help transform the lives of others, and take inpride your own book group's impact on literacy around the globe.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

The 6 Best Technology Gifts This Season (Feature Articles)

Buy any of these technology gifts for people on your holiday shopping list and feel the ho-ho-ho; it's one-stop shopping for you and techno-bliss for them. We at BookBuffet either have or want to own one of each. Last year we bought the digital camera for our kids, our sibs and the G-parents, and smiles abounded from ear to ear. This year we're updating everyone with a new iphone and arming them with a Kindle. Canada has just gained access to the Kindle; the USA tested all the first generation models and the rest of us get to reap the benefits. What is there not to like about the Kindle? It makes sense environmentally and you can't beat it for convenience; transport hundreds of books with you, download new digital versions in minutes over 3G at a fraction of the regular book price. The killer item on this list is the tiny (fits in the palm of my hand) digital projector. It attaches to your iPod or iPhone and projects a 4 foot wide image on any white surface. Add a set of portable speakers and your next mobile presentation will impress even the board. Order all of these items in bulk from BookBuffet using the handy direct links. Tell them to giftwrap, write a custom note card, capitalize on the free delivery, et voila - Holiday Shopping completed. Now you can enjoy the parties, actually plan to ski or hit the beach before the Xmas rush, and relax throughout December. Peace, good will and happy holidays from all of us at BookBuffet!

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Gift Books for Holidays 2009 (Feature Articles)

Warning: gratuitous naked hockey player photo explained later; do NOT let your imaginations run to Bruno-like movie segments. Oh those book-wormy Canucks... Even in winter, or perhaps because of the long winters, there is a new literary related news item every week. What am I talking about? Let's take them sequentially. First, the November prizes: the Scotia Bank Giller Prize and its competitor the Governor General (aka the GG) award ceremonies. In Canada it does not suffice to wait-n-see who wins either of these awards. If you are worth your salty Canadian back bacon you are expected to have read several titles on both short lists and have an opinion on each. Phew! Then on December first, the Globe and Mail newspaper comes out with its Globe 100, staff picks for the best books of 2009, a list that features both national writers and an excellent sampling of the best books from the two other culture connections, the USA and the UK. You barely scrape through the list, reading the short summaries provided on each and circling titles targeted as gifts for holiday shopping, when the CBC Canada Reads group announces the list of 5 novelists and 5 celebrity defenders who will compete in media debates to win the public's vote for the top spot as the 2010 Canada Reads title - meant to be read by all Canadians. It's pure gladiator stuff. I liken the pairing of authors with celebs to a hockey team that has their buff defenseman shouldering opponents into the boards when they skate close to the team's goal scoring forward. Someone once complained to me that men in Canada are turning into hermaphroditic frogs (capable only of asexual reproduction) because of the strong feminist culture, and I had to counter with a hockey reference: "Where else do men willingly give up their front teeth for a sport and have the courage to wear a hairstyle known as the mullet?" Now refocus your attention from, ahem hockey, to books. Here is BookBuffet's hot pick list gleaned from all-of-the-above book lists (and a few more) in 6 easy categories for your holiday shopping pleasure. "A book is a gift you can open again and again." –Garrison Keillor

Monday, November 30, 2009

Walmart Wins Canadian Supreme Court Ruling to Keep out Unions (Feature Articles)

In 2004 the employees of the Jonquiere Walmart store located 470 kilometers (290 miles) north of Montreal successfully organized and joined the United Food and Commercial Workers, or UFCW. Walmart famously does not allow its employees to unionize. Like other locations before this in the US, Walmart closed the store the minute union activity was initiated. In 2005 the workers sued Walmart and won their case on the grounds that closing the store violated their freedom of association rights guaranteed by Canada’s constitution. They were the first store North America-wide that had successfully won their case against the mega retailer. But Walmart fought back with a petition to the Supreme Court of Canada, who in examining the case overturned the ruling 6-3, saying that Walmart proved its reasons for closing the store were valid. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce sided with Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart, arguing that businesses ought to retain the freedom to make operating decisions. President Ken Georgetti of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLL) says this effectively hamstrings 100 workers at more than 300 stores across Canada. One can imagine Walmart in his crosshairs today, and it will be interesting to see what happens elsewhere in Canada. I first became aware of the pros and cons of the Walmart giant in a book Nelson Lichtenstien wrote titled, The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works-and How It's Transforming the American Economy that detailed the employee practices as well as the no-inventory policy which forces suppliers into just in time deadlines to meet Walmart's high-volume, low profit customer expectations. If you want to understand how founder Sam Walton's store became the largest retailer chain in America, and how his Christian-values successor, Soderquist made it onto the top Fortune 500 companies with revenues in excess of $200 billion, then read The Wal-Mart Way: The Inside Story of the Success of the World's Largest Company (240 pgs, 2nd edition, Thomas Nelson Publisher, 2005) -Photo Credit: MindyourMind.ca

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Math: It Does A Body Good (Feature Articles)

Whether you are a whiz at math or not, there remains a universal fascination with how applied math principals help us understand the world around us. I've just discovered of a cool new website where you can get an answer to any math or physics question you want. Despite today's access to unlimited resources on the web, nothing beats this conversation style site that makes you feel like you've reconnected to that brilliant prof you had in your 20s and can only now appreciate in your 40s. Check out askamathmatician.com Questions range from trivial to philosophic: How can we prove that 2+2 always equals 4? What is the best way to understand relativity theory? Why is it so counter intuitive? Is teleportation possible? What is monotony? What is the connection between quantum physics and consciousness? Why does math work so well at modeling the world around us? In answer to the last question, one of the things that resounded with me was that mathematics "was primarily created for practical purposes... addition is used to count possessions, multiplication for trade, and geometry to measure plots of land (or some similar purposes). Mathematicians and scientists use math to model the world by constructing mathematical objects that capture important properties of physical things. Hence, it isn’t as though math just happens to work well for analyzing the world we live in, rather, it was specifically designed for that purpose. e.g. if I have two objects in one group and I combine them with three objects in another group, then my new group has five objects, which is mimicked by 2+3=5." I used this website as a jumping off point to discover other cool sites and books. Check out these math tatoos, how to books on overcoming your math phobia, learn about the Berkeley math circles that are inspiring our youth to gain a fascination with math, and other books with insights into some of the brilliant math minds of the century.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Ten Things I Learned About The Short Story Genre (Feature Articles)

The popularity of the short story genre has waxed and waned but it seems to be on a comeback. I had my suspicions about why this might be true but decided to read up on the matter while preparing for a public discussion of Alice Munro's new short story collection, "Too Much Happiness." It emerges that more novelists are turning to the short story to express themselves. There's even a new business venture coming out of NYC called Electric Literature that has people like Michael Cunningham, author of "The Hours" at the helm promoting short stories through eco-friendly electronic transmission modes. Learn about the roots of short story, how it evolved to the present form, exactly what that is, and which prominent authors use it with an example by each that you can click to purchase. Why is it popular now you ask? From the writer's perspective a novel that consists of between 100,000-250,000 words can take between 3-5 years of your life to complete. Now consider the modern reader's short attention span: (I am forever hearing from JQ Public about the lack of time to read.) We get our news in sound bites, do our social networking in 140 character tweets or through terse Facebook posts, and even text our voice messages via cell phone in preference to direct P2P conversations. The short story's time has come! We can download them onto our iphones and entertain ourselves with a complete one-sitting story during the nanosecond of free time left to us day or night. (photo credit: LA Times Blog)

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Nobel 2009 For Literature Goes to Romanian Writer Herta Mueller (Feature Articles)

Better than the Oscars, this week is when my favorite literary prizes are awarded. First the Mann Booker (reported here), and now the Nobel Prize for Literature. This year's Nobel goes to a rather obscure German-Romanian writer, Herta Mueller. Born in Romania in 1952 the author fled her country due to the persecution and oppression she experienced after her first novel was published, under heavy censorship by the Communist government. A non-censored version was smuggled to West Germany where it received acclaim. Her writing centers on the injustices and politics of (old Communist) Romania with a strong prose style that is "lively, poetic, and corrosive". Mueller takes home a prize of $1.4million - a sum difficult to snort at. One imagines it offers economic freedom to writers enabling them to continue their craft - so with the Wrigleys gum advertisement in mind - that's two freedoms in one. What does this say about the Nobel Prize jury, who have been criticized for judging a writer's politics as much as their prose? Nobel wrote in his will that the prize should go to a person with "a lofty and sound idealism". It is the 20th Anniversary of the fall of Communism. Previous winners have been notable for their focus on revealing the injustices within their country and within their society. Herta is only the 12th woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature. She is in good company along with Nadine Gordimer, Doris Lessing, Toni Morrison and another German language writer, Austrian Elfriede Jelinek. The Nobel Prize has been awarded since 1901, 101 times; it was not awarded in 7 years when the funds were instead applied to the trust.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Wolf Hall wins the 2009 Man Booker Prize for Fiction (Feature Articles)

Hilary Mantel is tonight, Tuesday 6 October, named the winner of the £50,000 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for Wolf Hall: A Novel, (Fourth Estate, 650 Pg) It is the story of Thomas Cromwell, a man who rose from humble beginnings as a blacksmith's son to become the 1st Earl of Essex and the chief advisor, fixer, and administrator to King Henry VIII during his reign, 1532-1540.

Says Mantel when asked what she likes about the Tudor period, "It has sex, melodrama, betrayal, seduction and violent death - what more could you want?" In interviews Hilary has said that it took her 5 years to write the book. She does not claim to be a historian, but she does careful research into the man and the times and this time she decided to choose an intimate point of view for the story, one that has captivated both her readers and the jury. Says Mantel, "I don't write historic fiction, rather I write contemporary fiction about people in history." Says a blogger, "It's a study of a politician: flawed, and prepared to do things which are questionable, even immoral, to get the result he wants. At the same time his humanity is an important part of the picture, and that's why we see him so much with his family. She even manages to make that old monster Henry VIII understandable, if not sympathetic." Learn more about the author, download excerpts to your phone and access links to author readings from the shortlist.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Sexual Ambiguity in Life and Literature (Feature Articles)

A recent article from the BBC News reported that the South African 800m world champion runner, Caster Semenya has tested positive to male genetics. This not only leaves her stigmatized with the ambiguous sex label, she could be banned from competition with women. In the face of this exposure, she withdrew from a scheduled race today. Media has sided on the outrage of a disclosure that should carry rights to the patient-doctor confidentiality agreement. The knowledge brings unimaginable psychological repercussions for Caster, because she has been raised female her entire life. While this very public medical debate takes place within the media and the IAAF, it reminds me of a collection of writers who tackled the topic by giving their characters intersex qualities and describing a scenario about its effect in their lives. Not only is it fascinating to learn what science currently understands, it is interesting to see how society handled sexual identity as reflected in literature at various periods of history. Learn about the four “types of sex” that current experts use to classify us, and discover (please help us add to the list) the novels, plays and poems that deal with intersex.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Buying Books: Yeah... Where DO You? (Feature Articles)

With so many options available, BookBuffet asks the question, "Where do you buy your reading material these days?" Our site has a Browse Books icon at the top R corner of our home page banner that is linked to Amazon.com, .ca, and .uk. for purchases. I ask this question because I just finished speaking with two friends who told me they use Amazon exclusively to purchase "thousands of dollars worth of books and DVD's each year," and I responded, "OMG, why not buy them through BookBuffet?" They answered, "Oh, you mean I can do that and you'll get, like, a commission or something?" "YES!" was my whole hearty reply. "It's not much but every little bit helps!" I went on to explain, "The reason we use Amazon is because they've got the biggest selection of books when we did our online retailer comparison. AND the best digital support and user features that compliment our work in directing readers to good books. The more you buy, the more we benefit. When you purchase a few books at a time, the shipping is FREE. Beats driving to the local store where you may discover they do not carry what you came for, and you'll have to place an order and return a second time. As well, when you shop Amazon you can shop -the world- in the markets where books first become available. I just bought

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Get The Skinny On Canada's Proposed New Copyright Law (Feature Articles)

We've all done it. Downloaded an in theatres only movie from the net before the Oscars; nabbed a file from one of the Napster-type music sites; used a picture off of Flikr for our own web article. But now that there are so many sites offering easy, cheap pay options for copyrighted material, this should be happening less and less - right?! What happens when you take a famous image and photoshop it into something new, or parody someone on your blog? Get the latest on this issue when the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association in partnership with the UBC School of Journalism and Tyee Magazine host renowned copyright and internet law expert Dr. Michael Geist. The talk is in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia's "Wise Hall" on October 1, 2009. Dr. Geist is Canada's leading technology law expert and the guru of the Canadian movement to prevent copyright restrictions from infringing on key free speech principles including parody, artistic use, fair use, and device transferability.

A national innovator in using Web 2.0 tools like blogs and Facebook for campaigns for law reform and policy change, Dr. Geist's advocacy, in partnership with Cory Doctorow, resulted in more than 30,000 people joining a Facebook group opposing proposed Canadian copyright law changes and ended in the tabling of the proposed changes by then Industry Minister Jim Prentice.

To learn more about Dr. Geist's work, visit his website at www.michaelgeist.ca

The time of the lecture and Dr. Geist's topic will be announced by the BCCLA. Check out their website www.bccla.org for details! Here is the run down on Bill C-61, the proposed changes to Canada's copyright law.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

10 Literary Terms You Should Know (Feature Articles)

When discussing books and examining literature we sometimes run into literary devices whose name and definition have escaped us since college and university days. Recognizing them and discussing their use elevates your discussions. Here is a test to refresh your memory.

Match these literary terms with the definitions below. 10/10: Head of the class; 8/10 Still teacher's pet; 6/10 Some review required; 4 or less: Purchase one of the reference books below.

• 1.Allegory
• 2.Metaphor
• 3.Parody
• 4.Allusion
• 5.Irony
• 6.Satire
• 7.Simile
• 8.Aphorism
• 9.Personification
• 10.Paradox

Friday, August 14, 2009

Les Paul Dies at 94 (Feature Articles)

There is perhaps no other person more renowned for the development of the electric guitar and advances to sound recording in the twentieth century than inventor and jazz musician, Les Paul. He died from complications of pneumonia today, surrounded by family and friends in White Plains Hospital, New York. Remarkably as late as last year, Les Paul age 93, played two sets every Monday night at a club in NYC. He was the inventor of mulit-track recording and the hard body electric guitar. The latter was first in commercial production by the Fender Guitar Company in a model called the Stratocaster. The following year, 1950 Fender's competitor the Gibson Guitar Company brought Les Paul on board to create their own solid body electric guitar bearing his name. Ironically, they had earlier turned him down when he first presented his design, named "the log" made with a 4 x 4 solid piece of wood, a bridge and strings mounted on top — back in 1941. A little know fact is that a near fatal car accident shattered Les Paul's left arm and elbow such that doctors said they could only repair it to a fixed position, and asked what he preferred. He told them to fix it in a 90 degree angle, and this disability is said to have contributed to the early design elements of the Les Paul guitar. Today the Gibson Les Paul is the widest used electric guitar in the industry. Paul McCartney used a "cherry burst left handed" Les Paul, Neil Young favoured his "Old Black" as did other guitar legends: Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards. An award winning musician, Les Paul and his wife Mary Ford recorded dozens of pop hits that went gold. Tunes like, "Vaya Con Dios," "How High the Moon," "Nola" and "Lover." In February 2006 at the age of 90 he won two grammies for his album, American Made World Played and his wonderful comment was, "I feel like an old building with a new flag pole on it." Join us in listening to and learning about Mr. Les Paul. Following is list of book and CD recommendations. Watch this YouTube video of Les ripping it up.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Bee Culture: Books and Buzz (Feature Articles)

We are considering keeping bees at the farm. It’s a passion I was first exposed to through literature: The Secret Life of Bees and Bee Season, with advice from the experienced beekeeper a few miles down the road. We’re currently planting a small orchard above our existing vegetable patch, and I envision a field of lavender (like the one pictured here) next to produce lavender scented honey. Bee keeping isn’t just a country thing – they’re keeping bees on the tops of skyscrapers in Manhattan, and even producing a variety of honey from them sold on Bleeker Street!

Friday, July 24, 2009

TED Global Conference in Oxford: Stunning Speech About Windmills (Feature Articles)

&lMaybe it's because I'm here at the farm and looking into windmill technology to harness this ample daily resource so I can pump water into our fields—because this TED story, the one that's creating such a buzz, has also caught my attention. TEDGlobal 2009 is meeting in Oxford in the UK right now. You can get all the updates on their Twitter page. The speaker who has blown everyone away (literally speaking) is William Kamkwamba from Malawai. Back at TEDGlobal 2007, he was a shy young man who'd built his family a windmill from scrap in order pump water from the ground to save his family from starvation. His story captured the world's attention. Today he walked onstage with confidence to tell his story from that point to this. It's all captured in his book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope Join me, as I compare the topic of his book with my own research, on our own farm, into wind technology here in North America. It's an interesting study in contrast and comparison. Photo: William Kamkwamba at TEDGlobal 2009, Session 7: "Radical development," July 23, 2009, in Oxford, UK. Credit: TED / James Duncan Davidson

Friday, July 10, 2009

Mid-Summer Reading Cattle-prod (Feature Articles)

OK, you've figured out I'm at the farm and so all of my metaphors today are going to reflect that. I am curious to know what escapes you have planned for the summer? Do you make a ritual foray up to the cottage on the lake? Do you take a driving tour of the local wineries in your region? Do you hop the big pond and immerse in the cultural offerings of Europe? Or, like me, do you turn off the Internet, your cell phone and all forms of communication and just hang out? My days at the farm are jam-packed. It's up with the birds at 4:30 am (yee gad) and after morning coffee, 3 hours of weeding the farmhouse garden patch, peeling a few logs for the bedsteads we're building for guests, I'm painting the new purple martin birdhouse to convince the swallows to relocate out from under the eves, take a drive in the tractor over the front 80... and of course, when the day heats up and my outside hammock under the cottonwood calls, I relax with a good book and perhaps a tall G&T. Isn't this what the lazy days of summer are all about? It's our chance to put away obligatory professional reading matter and the newspapers that draw us into world events, and instead allow ourselves to be transported to a fictional world, followed of course with the nonfiction title we've been saving for unfettered nights. Here's what's stacked in the shade next to my hammock...

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Twitterature: Classics in 140 Characters or Less (Feature Articles)

"Is there no end to Twittermania? Last week we saw the social networking tool Twitter deployed on the streets of Tehran. This week, moving seamlessly from the sublime to the ridiculous, it is being used to aid the digestion of the world's greatest literature." So writes Guardian correspondent Ed Pikington in New York. BookBuffet is delighted that our favorite (professional) social networking site is putting its technology to good use.

"Fans of the classics will either be delighted or appalled to learn that the New York-branch of Penguin books has commissioned a new volume that will put great works through the Twitter mangle. The volume has a working title that will make the nerve ends of purists jangle: Twitterature."

In it, the authors will squish the jewels of world literature - they mention Dante, Shakespeare, Stendhal, Joyce and JK Rowling - into 20 tweets or less - that is 20 sentences each with fewer than 140 characters.

The book is the brainchild of two 19-year-old first-year students at the University of Chicago who claim to be starting a cultural revolution from their college dormitory. Bashing their heads together one evening in their university digs, Emmett Rensin and Alex Aciman asked themselves what defined the grandest ventures of their generation, and best expressed the souls of 21st century Americans?

Pretentious, maybe. Precocious, certainly. The answer they came up with was double-headed. They identified high literature as a crucial pillar for any generation.

Friday, June 05, 2009

A Right to Bare Arms: The State of Feminism Today (Feature Articles)

It is becoming increasingly hard to convince young women that feminism is relevant today. What short memories we have. Only 2 generations ago, women couldn’t vote (for women of color and native women, that right came much later) and had few rights even within the home , expected to “cater to [their] husband’s personal comfort,” “never complain” and “know [their] place.” (See Goodhousekeeping, May 19955) Our mothers’ generation was the first to “have it all” meaning they were “allowed” to have careers and families, but I’m sure any one of them will tell you being a “supermom” wasn’t a walk in the park, nor were they perceived or paid as equals for the most part. It was only a few weeks ago, after all, that Barack Obama signed the Equal Pay bill. That means that 4 months ago it was legally OK to pay a woman less based solely on her gender. We still get called—and worse, call each other—sluts and whores. We still think certain women deserve respect, and others (prostitutes, transgender women) do not. Shockingly, 1 in 7 think it’s acceptable to hit a woman if she is “nagging or constantly annoying,” and is responsible for inviting sexual harassment if wearing provocative clothing. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5875108.ece A disturbing majority of teenage girls thought pop-singer Rhianna must have “made [boyfriend Chris Brown] really mad” for him to have beat her unconscious. Clearly, we have a ways to go.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

For The Love Of Book-Art: Check-out Alicia Martin (Feature Articles)

I came upon an amazing sculpture by contemporary Spanish artist, Alicia Martin who uses books as the raw material for her works. If you love books as much as we do, you will delight in her installations. The curator at Galleria Galica who represents the artist says, "Symbols of culture, of memory and of communication, the books in her works end up being at times restless, at others ironic, poetic or even aggressive, but always intent on forcing us to think about certain central issues of contemporary life: the instability of knowledge, the fragility of memory and the need for it, the information Babel of the mass media, the difficult relationship between cultures. No longer shut away in libraries or reduced to a furnishing accessory, the books/work of this artist turn into a shapeless incumbent concretion that tenaciously clings to the walls of the gallery and seems to elude the laws of gravity. Never repetitive, the works of Alicia Martín manage to turn books into animated objects, full of symbolisms that act as powerful but ungraspable echoes." The sculpture pictured here required 5,000 books. Watch the YouTube video as the location is stunning and the books seem to come alive as pages rustle in the breeze, and almost speak to the circling observers.—Cordoba, Spain

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Alice Munro Wins the Man Booker International Award Today (Feature Articles)

Canadian short-story specialist, Alice Munro has today won the biannuel Man Booker International Prize, worth £60,000. It is awarded once every two years to a living author for a body of work that has contributed to an achievement in fiction on the world stage. This is only the third time the award has been named. Ismail Kadaré won in 2005 and Chinua Achebe won in 2007. Munro's next collection of short stories, Too Much Happiness, (Douglas Gibson, McClelland & Stewart) will be published in October 2009. The judging panel for the Man Booker International Prize 2009 is: Jane Smiley, writer; Amit Chaudhuri, writer, academic and musician; and writer, film script writer and essayist, Andrey Kurkov. The panel made the following comment on the winner: "Alice Munro is mostly known as a short story writer and yet she brings as much depth, wisdom and precision to every story as most novelists bring to a lifetime of novels. To read Alice Munro is to learn something every time that you never thought of before." Wikipedia says, "Munro's work is often compared with the great short story writers. For example, the American writer Cynthia Ozick called Munro 'our Chekhov.' In Munro stories, as in Chekov's, plot is secondary and 'little happens.' As with Chekov, Garan Holcombe notes: 'All is based on the epiphanic moment, the sudden enlightenment, the concise, subtle, revelatory detail.' Munro's work deals with "love and work, and the failings of both. She shares Chekov’s obsession with time and our much-lamented inability to delay or prevent its relentless movement forward."

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Some Days You're The Dog, Other Times The Hydrant (Feature Articles)

BREAKING WORLD NEWS… The promised US presidential pooch has been picked, US media reports say. The soon-to-be "First Puppy" is a six-month-old black and white Portuguese water dog that Mr. Obama's daughters have named Bo, The Washington Post reports. Churchill had Rufus, the Queen of England has her corgis, now America has Bo.

Why are we so in love with our dogs? What do we find so fascinating about something that slobbers, eats us out of house and home and requires us to pick up after it? And what encourages us to write about them?

Ever since my boyfriend and I got our puppy, our lives have not been the same. Before getting our little pup we borrowed books out of the library, watched training DVD’s, browsed You Tube videos and, of course, had the Dog Whisperer playing incessantly. We would discuss with each other the commands we were going to use, the techniques we would implement and we nearly blew a month's wages at Pet Smart. Now she's a fully fledged member of the family, if a bit of a hairy addition, and I can’t imagine my life without her. Like most dog owners I have a few stories to tell ranging from the funny to the cringe worthy. Most of the time whilst recounting these tales the audience either nods in agreement or cries with laughter. I recently reviewed a book called Queen of the Road by Doreen Orion (Broadway, 2008), which is the real life story of a couple traveling the states of America with their two cats and dog in tow, which also reminded me of John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. "A dog, particularly an exotic like Charley, is a bond between strangers. Many conversations en route began with 'What degree of dog is that?'" Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck (Penguin: 2002). In both accounts the dog plays a huge role in story, they are the companion, the friend, and often an ice-breaker in the most awkward situations.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

What Is Obama Reading? (Feature Articles)

Isn't it nice that the USA has a President who openly admits to reading? And isn't it nice that his choice of books matters to the reading public. That is the conclusion that the publisher of Vintage/Anchor Books announced Monday when they tallied—the Obama effect—on a book they released last June as compared to sales this Thursday May 7th. There has been double-digit increase in sales since Obama revealed he was reading Joseph O'Neill's novel, Netherland (a highly praised novel about cricket, marriage and living in a post 9/11 world.) It all came about in a New York Times interview (article is free when you register) written by David Leonhardt, who spent 50 minutes in a one-on-one conversation with Obama. The whole article is worth reading because it encapsulates Obama's daily agenda since taking office, and it is both candid and intimate. When the president disclosed how much he was enjoying the book, sales hit the roof.

Learn more about the plot, the author (a dashing barrister-cricket player) and the celebrity effect on book sales historically. Then click to purchase this book as you'll be seeing the cover frequently in hands of your fellow commuters on the buses, subways and airplanes. It is sure to be a popular book group pick, and the topic of discussion around the office water cooler. Below is a synopsis of the book, a copy of the transcript posted on Amazon with the author and a bit of biographical background—your primer for many conversations to come! Hurry, the first printing was only 70,000 copies.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The London Book Fair 2009 (Feature Articles)

The London Book Fair takes place each spring for three glorious days offering over 100 seminars and events for over 3,000 industry professionals. It is the global marketplace for rights negotiations and the sale and distribution of content across print, TV, film and digital channels. The LBF closed today to reports of moderate attendance, compared with years past, due to the recession and publishing house cutbacks, but the people who came, did so "with a mind to doing business" was the conclusion. Checking out the big book deals in London this year, one of the biggest involved the Swedish thriller, The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler - a pseudonym, according to rumours at Earls Court, for Henning Mankell. The title, which has yet to sell in the US, was at the center of a heated auction in the UK involving some of the country's leading crime publishers. Also, the British literary agency David Godwin Associates Ltd. has sold Tiger Hills, a novel by Sarita Mandanna, to Penguin India for the largest advance the house has ever paid for a debut. Sophie Hoult of DGA did not give an exact amount but said the deal was for seven figures. Hoult called Tiger Hills “a sweeping popular novel set in India between 1878 and the second World War” and classified it as “an Indian Thorn Birds crossed with Gone with the Wind.” Mandanna is a banker in New York. HarperCollins signed Prince Charles for two books, the first about stewardship. The Free Press and Holt both ink debut authors to six-figure deals. Umberto Eco flew to London specifically to present the sixth annual LBF Lifetime Achievement Award in International Publishing to his old friend Drenka Willen, senior editor, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Just over half of publishers surveyed at the London Book Fair have put plans in place to sell books in any digital form. The British are at least three years behind Americans in adapting e-books; and American readers are much more interested in romance, while more British readers skew toward literary fiction.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Hitting the G (Grammar) Spot (Feature Articles)

Good grammar, just like good writing, is a lifelong pursuit. You can never give up! I continue to challenge myself with the intricacies of grammar and style, not merely for my own sake, (I confess to being a very late bloomer at this topic) but more particularly as the last-resort editor of this website with a responsibility for checking our contributors' writing. For reference sources I have three different books on grammar and style and two dictionaries. I often take one or another of these with me to bed—egad, I can't believe I just admitted that. But a reference book sitting on the shelf or at your bedside is of no use when most of your writing is done on your laptop or at your office computer. Hence, you can imagine my excitement in striking the motherload with the discovery of an excellent online grammar site that I now keep bookmarked at the #1 spot on my browser tool bar, (ahem, the aforementioned G spot). It's not Grammar Girl, the mainstream site for lightweight questions. It's not the pay site of The Chicago Manuel of Style, as I'm too cheap to pay when I own the book. It is a non-profit foundation out of Hartford Connecticut with a FREE site called, Guide to Grammar and Writing. More...

Monday, April 13, 2009

The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (Feature Articles)

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is the story of a family from the Dominican Republic living in Brooklyn. It is a story about immigration and immigrants, integration and alienation, family and dictatorships—and how one thing doesn’t necessarily preclude the other. Oscar is a dorky, obese virgin obsessed with science fiction and fantasy books. He has a difficult time making friends and an impossible time getting girlfriends. In fact most of his life in the US is a string of embarrassments and disappointments, and his life is more or less insignificant.

"Our hero was not one of those Dominican cats everybody's always going on about—he wasn't no home-run hitter or a fly bachatero, not a playboy with a million hots on his jock. And except for one period early in his life, dude never had much luck with the females (how very un-Dominican of him)."

His sister Lola is fiery and rebellious, much like her apparently maligned mother Hypatia was, we learn later, in her youth. Lola marries Oscar’s one-time college roommate Yunior, the books most frequent narrator, and the story is told through his and each of the other 4 characters’ eyes variously throughout the novel. Because it’s usually Yunior, the Dominican college frat boy/jock telling the story, the language is a patois of east coast hip-hop inspired 20-something slang and Dominican expressions—you might want to have a Spanish-English dictionary handy, because asking the Spanish guy next to you on the plane what “galletazo” means resulted in a lot of blushing and awkward laughter (“bitchslap”) for this reader.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Vampire Obsession (Feature Articles)

"Awaken to darkness on this place we call Earth, One vampire's bite brings another one's birth. A vampire wakes with blood thirsty needs On the warm rich sensation he feels when he feeds. He stalks in the night like a disastrous beast, And what once was alive will soon be deceased. So when the last bit of sunlight disappears from the sky, You better watch out unless you want to die." -Victoria Boatwright

What is our obsession with Vampires all about? They have been lurking in the depths of our human history for thousands of years, their popularity never diminishing; a myth that is perpetuated and reinvented throughout time with astonishing resilience. Is it the promise of eternal life that draws us in, or the sexy undertones of a stranger coming into your bedroom in the middle of the night…

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

No Dribble From Drabble: Discovered Authors (Feature Articles)

A lovely essay in The Guardian (April 4 2009) caught my eye today, it was written by a person I did not previously know. The story is titled "The Missing Piece" and it is about how various people overcome their “black dogs,” (which could have been a direct Churchill quote, but whom she doesn’t reference). She does comment on various famous writers (Tennyson, Wharton, Henry James) who experienced periods of melancholia, and the methods they used to fight it: writing, walking. What I love about the piece is that she draws in personal anecdotes from her own family—her mother and other people’s mothers factor in there as ways not to handle melancholia, aging and the like. Read the piece and see what you think. The fact that I could think of at least 6 people to send the article to who are dealing with life issues and might take heart from an article that touches upon how not to give in, signifies to me that this is an important and inevitable part of the life process, and that from time to time we all need to be reminded that great people as well as the unwashed masses go through it. photo credit: National Portrait Gallery

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

My Brush With Arnold: How I learned to Love the Tesla (Feature Articles)

Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades I pass Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Hummer. Well, he wasn’t the California governor at that specific point in time. He was just a movie celebrity slash retired body builder and husband to broadcaster Maria Shriver, on his way home from the studio. My kids were in the car and as we passed “the Terminator” casually smoking a stogy while driving in the slow lane, the site was just too much for them. Squiggling in their seat belts trying to attract his attention from the back of the car, Arnold sees that I am attempting to negotiate traffic and deal with their minor commotion. For one brief moment his eyes lock with mine across the lanes as I pull alongside him, and he breaks into his characteristic wide, broken-tooth grin and nods to me. Then he gives my kids "the terminator good-bye wave” the one that his character makes while sinking into the molten goo at the end of the titular movie, and my kids go wild and cheer and wave. I accelerate ahead into traffic. Read on to see where this leads to The Tesla and the current state-of-the-art in electric motor cars.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Elizabeth Gilbert: More Interesting Than I First Thought (Feature Articles)

OK, I'll admit it. I have been boycotting Elizabeth Gilbert. You remember her. She’s the author whose book all your girlfriends were reading and raving about two years ago. Yes raving. Like Oprah's book picks, I was highly skeptical and quite frankly annoyed. I mean, she charged over $10,000 plus first class travel expenses to come speak to a community not far from where I live, and the topic wasn’t something really very earth-shattering. Side bar: the highest paid writer-speakers are presidential biographers. Apparantly they can command $25,000 USD per talk, which is more than most authors make in royalties for the entire print-run of their book. But back to Elizabeth Gilbert and Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (Viking 2006). I surmised that her book too easily became a popular (make that run-away) success, and was defacto best suited to the masses. The jacket blurb described a woman in pre-midlife crisis moaning about her ex-husband, traipsing around and gorging herself in Italy (Diane Lane already did that in “Under the Tuscan Sun”) and then channelling the divine in some remote cliché location, where again, the Beatles have been-there done-that, then she magically falls storybook-style in-love before the conclusion. Does that breath "fluff" to you? People were saying, “It’s so easy to read, and it incorporates travel with history and spiritualism. Oh, and it’s funny too.”

Saturday, March 21, 2009

BookNet Canada: 6 Projects That Will Save The Publishing Industry (Feature Articles)

Michael Tamblyn, CEO of BookNet Canada, describes 6 projects/changes/initiatives that could make things better for publishers, readers, and others with an interest in the future of the book. Watch the Video BookNet is the non-profit dedicated to innovation in the book industry supply chain. The talk was given at BNC's annual technology conference, which was attended by 225 industry people in Toronto. Overall the message from the conference was: use mobile devices to disseminate news and content; seek new distribution chains such as www.shortcovers.com to distributes e-books on a fast track (not currently possible via traditional publisher streams); support the bloggers and freelance journalists [we second that]; add Web 2.0 capabilities such as hyperlinks in text to the e-books to make them more than just an electronic version of a traditional print book. For a list of video casts from the conference access the TWITTER stream from BookNet Canada and look for the series of video cast presentations upcoming on YOUTUBE and then check out their new website www.biblioshare.org.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Obama Spanks AIG: Will he get the money back? (Feature Articles)

American International Group (AIG), the faltering insurance giant, paid out $165 million in bonuses from their government bail-out check. Obama was quick to respond. (Watch the video) and the attorney general Andrew M. Cuomo of New York says that because AIG has received federal bailout money, it has to consider what is best for taxpayers. He will subpeona evidence and use every measure within his power to stop the payments. AIG says its hands are tied. They say that they are contractually obligated to pay the bonuses to their executives, including those who are part of the AIG division where the company’s crisis originated.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

The Perfect Stimulous Package (Feature Articles)

A recent post on BookFinder.com talked about their sure-fire "Stimulous Package." I clicked the link and instead of finding advice on finance or the economy, I found a selection of books on... coffee! When it comes to book-selling clever marketing still rules the day. With editor Scott Laming's permission we've posted that list of books, but I also want to share what I've discovered about the site. BookFinder.com is a blog about reading, buying and selling books. They claim to offer prices that are between 50 and 81% off list price at most stores and online venues. You can sell books to them as well, which is very handy for students wanting to off load textbooks. If you're looking to please a coffee-loving friend with a gift, one or more of these books along with a pound of organic locally roasted coffee beans, perhaps a set of those cute expresso cups and saucers and you're definitely going high-test. Throw one of those new fangled latte machines and you may never need your discount card clipped at the local java hut again! Just place her number on speed-dial.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Curious To Know What's On Your Friends' Bedside Table? (Feature Articles)

So are we! So as an experiment in social networking using the Facebook site, I posted an invite to my "friends list", an agreed distinguished but paultry list of 110 (gloat, all you people with over 400 friends) and to my surprise 67 of them joined the eponymous BookBuffet FB group. Of those, over 20 posted a note about what they're currently reading. It's a fascinating list both in its variety, and in what your friends have say about their on-the-go book(s). Lots of ideas!! Check it out. Regardless of whether you're a FB member, go to FB homepage and type "Bookbuffet" in the search field and our group will come up. Join and we'll post new results again here in a few weeks.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

James Patterson To Publish Collective Author Thriller (Feature Articles)

I've seen "collective novels" before, but this time uber-crime writer James Patterson will be kicking things off. Patterson will write the first and last chapters of AirBorne, a 30-chapter thriller that will be released one chapter at a time beginning next month. For all the chapters in between Borders and Random House held a contest to find 28 writers who could each create a fast-paced and thrilling chapter in less than 750 words. The contest closed just last month, and the judges are in the process of selecting the winners, each of whom will receive a copy of the finished book; one lucky author will also get a one-on-one master class by phone with Patterson himself. Once completed, AirBorne will be released one chapter at a time beginning on 20 March. Readers will be able to download each chapter electronically, but the final book will be published in print only for participants in the competition. Read on, as BookBuffet explores Patterson's career and his community works, as well as the ways he's using new media to market it all.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Mulit-tasking with Firefox for the Morning Challenged (Feature Articles)

If you’re like me, you have whittled the morning rituals down such as to maximize sleep, allowing the absolute bare minimum time to shower, dress, and travel to work. If one step goes wrong; a late bus, an incognito set of keys, the entire operation is derailed and I am late. Thus the mornings are a time of great stress and panic. You can imagine, then, how delighted I was when I discovered the good people at Firefox have made an application for people like me, who can’t waste precious time by typing tedious URLs to read the morning news. Enter “Morning Coffee,” the app that allows you to click a steaming cup of Joe icon (and hopefully I have the same in my hand at this point as well) and get all your usual websites pre-loaded into tabs in one window. For example, I usually read the NYTimes, BBC News, the Economist, the New Yorker and of course Bookbuffet every morning, so with the click of a button they are all there, awaiting my somnambular perusal. You can even customize your Morning Coffee by day, so if you like the Tuesday Science section of the Times, on Tuesdays your Morning Coffee will go directly to that page. Enjoy! Morning people need not imbibe.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Tomb Raiders of Books (Feature Articles)

Perhaps a little less glamorous than a theft in the art world, book thievery hit the headlines this week in the U.K. with some rather stunningly expensive and intriguing robberies. On average the BBC reports that shoplifters make off with around $750m worth of books a year, small change to these professionals. “Jacques is one of a handful of highly intelligent, well-educated criminals who operate in the somewhat murky world of international antiquarian book traders, collectors and curators. They successfully plunder priceless tomes, manuscripts and ancient maps, while the players in this closed world - the national and international libraries, the dealers and the victims themselves - largely remain silent about what is going on.”
Photo:King George III's library collection encased in its glass temperature-controlled column at the center of the British Library, St Pancras

Monday, February 09, 2009

What You Need To Know About The 81st Academy Awards (Feature Articles)

On February 22nd at 5 pm Pacific Time and 8 pm Eastern Time, the 81st Oscar Awards Ceremony will go off at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by the unlikely, Hugh Jackmon. Get a list of the nominees and download the voting ballot, then catch up on some of the history, hype and trivia with us here at BookBuffet. Of course our special interest (aside from the gowns and hairdo's) are the awards for screenwriting. There are two categories: Best Original and Best Adapted. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has been organizing the annual event since 1929.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Poetry and Science of Snowflakes (Feature Articles)

Snow. When you live in a mountain community you see a variety of it. The temperatures that precipitation falls at along with the atmospheric conditions conspire to produce magical landscapes, or like this year in the Pacific Northwest, dangerous avalanche conditions. The natural progression from just living and playing in the snow is to explore the subject from the artistic and the scientist's perspective. Caltech physicist, Kenneth Libbrecht has published several books with images of snowflakes captured by a special photo-microscope that are exquisite. He says, "The most symmetrical crystals are usually found during light snowfalls, with little wind when the weather is especially cold." Libbrecht follows upon the tradition of scientific study of ice crystals that runs back to Johannes Kepler and includes René Descartes, Robert Hooke, the Vermont farmer Wilson Bentley (who recorded 5,000 different snowflakes) and the Japanese snow scientist Ukichiro Nakaya. Lastly, there are some works of literature whose main character is snow. Join us on the subject of snow.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Canada Reads 2009: Race To Pick From Top 5 (Feature Articles)

Reads has announced its five picks for the countdown to the finalist. People are encouraged to plow through these books and make their vote for this year's Canada Reads selection. The five books are: The Book of Negroes, The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant, Mercy Among the Children, and The Outlander. We've listed a summary of the books and author bios with links to purchase and to vote. See which titles interest you, purchase and share your copy and your opinions with friends. Debate airs Mar 2-6.

The Book Of Negroes, by Lawrence Hill | HarperCollins Canada

In Lawrence Hill’s gripping historical novel, an unforgettable heroine recounts a life story that spans more than 50 years and three continents. As Aminata Diallo moves from slavery to freedom, she fights to keep her dignity and find a place she can call home.
Defended by: Avi Lewis

Thursday, January 01, 2009

2009 New Year Resolutions: Take the Reader Survey (Feature Articles)

You've popped the cork on the champagne to ring in the New Year, but does your 2009 resolution list include reading books and community interest? Last year we reported the alarming reading statistics from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) with a view to alerting people to this negative trend. This year I want to focus on you, the BookBuffet user, who admittedly is already an avid or at least a regular reader, to broaden your reading appetites and engage publicly in the literary arts. Ask yourself, "Do I challenge my reading palette or do I stick to similar books by similar authors?" "Do I include a provocative book on politics, history, economics or science?" "Do I reach into the list of classic literature for the best writing so I can compare all the modern novels I read with authors whose works have stood the test of time?" And finally ask yourself, "What do I do that positively effects the reading habits of others: my family , my friends, my colleagues?" Take the test below and see where you stand.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

2008 Yearend Review of Award Winning Books (Feature Articles)

This is the list of authors and books that won awards in 2008. I find that reading these titles (or other works by these authors) helps to mark time in a way that connects me to the literary Gestalt of countries around the world. See if any appeal to you.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Films You Gotta See Over The Holidays (Feature Articles)

With the holiday season upon us, and interest turning toward some easy cultural distractions why not treat yourself to one of these stunning movies at the local theatre? Go to the late matinee when there won't be a line up and tickets are a few bucks cheaper so you can splurge on a nice bottle of wine with your take-out on the way home. Here are my picks for some thought-provoking discussions over said take-out dinner.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

How To Get Rid The Bah Humbug! (Feature Articles)

Having trouble getting into the spirit of Christmas, or the more politically correct holiday spirit? Then get yee down to the nearest reading of the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol and feel the "bah humbug" rattle right out of you. Ours happened at the local library with a bevy of readers lined up in their Sunday best to recite one of each of the five staves in their turn with all the flourish and sentiment they could muster. Interspersed were the voices of the children's choir singing carols and the crowd invited to join alternating songs using our best tenor voices held warbly-up to the too-high register of the children. Rather like church without the pews, we instead silently offered up our intentions to the snow god to bless our mountains so we could all get on with business-as-usual skiing and boarding in the winter wonderland. (This is Whistler, after all.) But more than anything, it is the comfort of the familiar words from the Dickens classic that thawed my icy exterior. Below are some of my favorite lines from the story, and a link to the full text online. Why not gather your family beside the fireplace amidst yuletide cheer and glogg, and do a reading together? (Full Text Online) Learn about BookBuffet's upcoming collaboration with WGBH Boston who is producing four Dickens productions for Masterpiece [Theatre] starting Feb 2009.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

The NYT 100 Best Books of 2008 Announced (Feature Articles)

Each year I look forward to seeing which titles make it onto the NYT Top 100 List of Books in 2008. As a book reviewer I enjoy comparing notes on the books that passed my desk courtesy of the marketing departments of the publishers, and look forward to discovering the books we missed. It's interesting to tally which publishers have the strongest showing because it indicates to me the strength of their editorial departments. Publishers Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Knopf factor frequently this year. Check out these titles from the larger alphabetized 100 list. Any book club worth its salt would want to read them. There's something of interest everyone; supernatural call girls, paralyzed dissidents, Aussi surf noir characters, and whole insect colonies.
—photo:The Times Skyscraper

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

BiblioBurro: A New Take On The Mobile Library (Feature Articles)

Each weekend Luis Soriano gathers his two donkeys, Alfa and Beto and loads them with books that he takes to villages in nearby towns in Columbia. “I started out with 70 books, and now I have a collection of more than 4,800,” says Mr. Soriano, 36, a primary school teacher who lives in a small house here with his wife and three children, with books piled to the ceilings.His project has won acclaim from the nation’s literacy specialists and is the subject of a new documentary by a Colombian filmmaker, Carlos Rendón Zipaguata. This kind act has made Luis the best-known resident of La Gloria, a town that was the inspiration for the setting of the epic novel of Luis's more famous countryman Gabriel García Márquez, author of “One Hundred Years of Solitude.”

Sunday, October 26, 2008

November is National Novel Writing Month (Feature Articles)

It's been said that every person has at least one novel in them. Here is your chance to find out. Whether you're an individual wanting to test the waters, or an educator bringing your whole class to the pool, for the month of November, you just have to log on to http://ywp.nanowrimo.org and follow directions. Don't let the name of this organization fool you; it's for adults as well as youth. The Young Writers Program of National Novel Writing Month is a fun, "seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing." Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write your novel by midnight, November 30. The philosophy is not to get hung-up on style or grammar. It's volume, baby, volume that counts. (Studies show that when you stop freaking about the former, you end up in a writing groove to which the all the other details can be fixed post-op.) The word-count goal for our adult program is 50,000 words. (That's 1600 wrd/day) The Young Writers Program allows participants who are 17 and younger to participate too. Set reasonable, yet challenging, word-count goals. What matters at NaNoWriMo is output. BookBuffet would like to take our class to the pool. On November 1st, email us here with your intent to participate. Nov 30th email us with a copy of the final manuscript that you submit to NANO. Our editorial team will tally the results from participants and offer our own recognition. Details on how to participate follow.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Nobel Prize for Literature Goes to A Frenchman: Meet Him And His Publisher (Feature Articles)

To any writer the Nobel Prize for Literature is the ultimate award of the year because it recognizes the merit of not just one book or novel, but the work of a lifetime; the author's literary legacy brought to the attention of the world and placed among distinguished peers of past and present. This year the prestigious award goes to Frenchman, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio. Jean-Marie has over 40 published works, 12 of which are translated to English. He is considered by some as one of France's greatest living writers and essayists. Here in North America we have a small Boston publisher to thank for his works. David Godine specializes in beautifully made books and hand selected literary properties and translations.Thank you David. (Read about DGB in next month's featured publisher.) The Swedish Academy praised Le Clézio as an “author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy.” Discover the 2008 Nobel Prize winner, and read excerpts from some of his books.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Books to Film: Revolutionary Road (Feature Articles)

Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road (Vintage) was first published in 1961. It rocked people’s worlds then, but drifted off the radar screen until now. December 26th it will be rediscovered by modern audiences through the release of the feature film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett, directed by Sam Mendes and written by Justin Haythe. It is the story of a young married couple, April and Frank Wheeler who live in the eponymous suburb that is a bedroom community of New York set in the '50s. Revolutionary Road is being compared in its film version to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and significant Oscar buzz surrounds the lead actors. Take the opportunity to discover Yates now.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Book Pricing: When Canadian and US Currencies Are At Par (Feature Articles)

I know I am not the first person to wonder why the sticker prices quoted on the back of books are still significantly higher for Canadians than Americans when it has been a full year since the US and CND dollar achieved parity. "So why don't books cost the same in Canada as the US?" Consider the list price on Alan Greenspan's The Age of Turbulence is $35 U.S. and $42 Canadian. Suggested retail prices for James Patterson's You've Been Warned are $27.99 and $32.50. I took a look at the history of the two currencies and what the Association for Canadian Publishers (ACP) and the Association of American Publishers (AAP) had to say. Read this and weigh-in with your thoughts. If you are a publisher, share your experience.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Three Cups of Tea: The Story of One Man’s Promise (Feature Articles)

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is the prize-winning bestseller you have by now certainly heard of if not read. It has been the book of the month for many book clubs including both of mine, and before reading it I must say I was surprised at its popularity. A book about building schools in the Middle East is hardly the sort of terrorist expose we’ve seen hogging airport bookshelves since 9/11. It is a much simpler, yet far less reductionist story of a mountain climber cum philanthropist who made a sustainable impact in a part of the world known for its remote inaccessibility, both geographically and some would say ideologically. "Tea" succeeds in providing access to what is, of course, a universally human desire to improve the lives of our children.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

David Foster Wallace: Dead At 46 (Feature Articles)

David Foster Wallace, the author best known for his 1,000 plus page 1996 novel Infinite Jest was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Friday night, according to police. He was 46. Sadly, this ends his long battle with depression, in which his father says, "Everything had been tried." Michiko Kakutani, chief book critic of The New York Times wrote in 2006. “He can do sad, funny, silly, heartbreaking and absurd with equal ease; he can even do them all at once.” David has been called one of America's most important young authors and is often compared to Thomas Pynchon. Of course the best way to know an author is through their books, but if you haven't taken the opportunity yet, there are ample places to read and "meet" him. My most illuminating moment of Wallace was in his television interview with Charlie Rose, taped in March of 1997. His brilliance and vulnerability, his modesty and honesty were all mixed up in a somewhat defiant, verbosity that bordered on pressure of speech in places where his thoughts were coming faster than he could form the words. Here is a small tribute to David Foster Wallace with some links for further reading and viewing.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

2008 Short-list Announced Mann-Booker Prize (Feature Articles)

The Man Booker 2008 Shortlist was announced today. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the most important literary prize in the English speaking world. Winners of the prize become household names. This year there are two debut novelists and a broad geographical representation of authors from India, England, Australia and Ireland. The works are being touted as "intensely readable, page turning stories." For the first time extracts are available for download onto mobiles - that's just in time for my new iPhone! LIsten to: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga and five more. Details inside.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Having It All: A Website About Choices Women Face Today (Feature Articles)

Marguerite Dorn and Carol O'Day are the founders of a new website and consulting business that addresses the work-life and work-family balance that women face. Check out www.thenewhavingitall.com. It's the age-old modern dilemna: stay home to be with your children or leave them to keep a job? There are likely as many variations to this spectrum as there are women with families. Everyone's circumstances are different. Some things are within your control, many things are not. How do we, as a society, rate on the scorecard of motherhood? Join us at BookBuffet as we explore the business concept that two former power-house professional women are carving out for themselves to help make a difference for the rest of us, while they maintain balance in their own lives.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

What They're Up To Now: Writers We've Podcast (Feature Articles)

Reading, researching and interviewing an author whose book comes across my desk for review at BookBuffet is a fun process. It's fascinating to be able to speak intimately with authors about: the source of their inspiration and characters, their methods of writing, the values they attach to their work, and who their mentors are. When it's time to say goodbye, you really feel as though you've gained some insight into an interesting life. So when we hear back from writers about their latest book, film or television projects, we love to share the updates with you. Here are (in alphabetic order): Zoe Archer, Joseph Boyden, Kit Bakke, Julian Fellows, Margaret MacMillan, Kem Nunn, Susan Orlean, Jonathan Safran Foer, Tracy Quan and Michela Wrong. Find out about their latest novels, tv pilots, babies, academic appointments, and life in general. We've been sent review copies of some of their new books and will give you a quick run-down.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Serpentine Gallery in London Features Architect Frank Gehry (Feature Articles)

Each summer in London's Hyde Park the Serpentine Gallery asks a different modern architect to design and build a temporary structure for public display. This year it happens to be Canadian-born uber-architect, Frank Gehry. This is his first built structure in the UK. Known for his dramatic fluid titanium sheet metal skins on the amorphous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in Spain, and the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Frank has this year designed a pavilion of glass and wood that could easily be adapted to a garden space connecting buildings on your property. Find out more about his inspiration for the project and browse through a collection of architecture books and films on the master. (photo credit, Paula Shackleton)

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Discipline in Jogging and Writing (Feature Articles)

Haruki Murakami has a wonderful article in the "Life and Letters" section of The New Yorker magazine (June 9 &16, 2008) that reveals the Japanese novelist's inner workings and how he became both a runner and a writer. It's not surprising that discipline, with a capital D is at the root of both, providing fascinating biographical insights into the author's life, his motivations and his writing. If you're a runner, a wannabe writer, or simply a lover of Murakami's books: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1997) Kafka on the Shore (2005) and After Dark (2007) to name three titles for starters... read on.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Rose Tremain Wins 2008 Orange Prize (Feature Articles)

Rose Tremain has twice been a Booker Prize judge and this year she wins the prestigious Orange Prize for her tenth novel, The Road Home: A Novel (Chatto and Windus 2007) The story is about an Eastern Eurpean migrant worker who travels to London for employment that can support his family. He discovers London is awash with money, celebrity and complacency. The contrast underscores the new East-West economic dichotomy that exists between disparate EU countries resulting in the flow of population to Western urban centers who must then grapple with a cultural divide.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Galway Kinnell (Feature Articles)

Poetry, that exacting science of words, art, expression and sometimes distance, has spoken to me through the voice of Galway Kinnell. Well, actually through the audio excerpt at the Paris Review. To be bitten by poetry you need to have it read to you. To have the author read it, is a delight most exquisite. Treat yourself to 07:55 minutes of escapism today: A cigarette break for the imagination. Then click on the link to purchase your own copy and get to know more of Kinnell's words. A New Selected Poems published by Mariner Books (2008).

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Newest release by Pulitzer Prize Winner Jumpha Lahiri (Feature Articles)

One of my favorite authors is Jumpha Lahiri because she writes about people I relate to who have experienced things I could not. Her latest book is a collection of short stories and critics are hailing it as her masterpiece. She writes about family and generational interactions, about immigrants and aspects of cultural identity and assimilation from her Bengali perspective. She writes about human emotions in exquisite variety - all of it rendered in delicious prose. With mentors in Hawthorne and Hardy, how could she go wrong? Pick up a copy of Unaccustomed Earth (Knopf April, 2008) and take it to the cottage, the beach or read it in installments at the leafy park near your work place on extended lunch breaks.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Dubai-based Translation Project Promises More Arabic Books (Feature Articles)

Last year the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) of the United Arab Emirates launched “Kalima,” a project to translate books into Arabic; its stated aim was to translate 100 works. Late last month, the ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, upped the ante: His eponymous foundation launched a similar project, albeit one that aims to translate 365 books in its first year – or, in other words, one per day.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Barbara Walters' New Autobiography (Feature Articles)

Since I don't have television, it's difficult to keep up with daytime shows like Oprah. But I happened to be traveling and turned on the hotel tube to see Barbara Walters' appearance on Oprah — talk about female power! Surprisingly, it sounds like Barbara has written an interesting book, which she titled, Audition: A Memoir because she's been doing just that her whole life. I picked up a copy and thumbed through it and here what is in store for all you BW fans. Auditions is published by Knopf May 6th,2008.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Who is Petri Liukkonen? (Feature Articles)

You may not have realized that the website you visit frequently for concise biographical information on world authors is coming from an obscure Finnish library near the Russian border!  Meet Petri Liukkonen, Director of The Kuusankoski Library, Finland.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

PEN Award Goes to Chinese Political Prisoner (Feature Articles)

With the news of world-wide protests over China's behavior in Tibet, and the resulting disruptions of the Olympic torch ceremonies for the Summer Games in Beijing, it seems appropriate that this year's PEN Freedom to Write Award go to imprisoned Chinese writer Yang Tongyan who is serving a 12-year prison term for posting anti-government articles on the Internet. What role does the PEN society perform and why should we care?

Monday, April 07, 2008

2008 Pulitzer Prize Winners (Feature Articles)

The winners of this year’s Pulitzer Prizes were announced on Monday, April 7, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. The awards honor books in five categories — fiction, poetry, history, biography, and general nonfiction – though the judges may decline to give an award in any of them. The Pulitzer site, www.pulitzer.org, has all the results. A special citation was awarded to Bob Dylan for his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power. Click on quick links to purchase.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Introducing Video Book Reviews: Love A Book? Video A Review! (Feature Articles)

Put your FACE to a BOOK! It's a Whistler Public Library and WR-BookBuffet joint program. To celebrate the opening of the grand new Whistler Public Library, BookBuffet-Whistler Reads will be filming locals, resort visitors, World Cup and Olympic athletes as part of a video presentation putting your FACE to a BOOK. There is a child, teen, adult and athlete category. Everyone is welcome. Just pick a book and tell us, in about two minutes, what you loved about it. The video-book reviews will be compiled into a short feature film that will be previewed at the Whistler Library Opening Gala festivities April 12th-17th and available online here. Find out how you can participate below.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

UK Announces 2007 Top Library Lends (Feature Articles)

It is interesting to consider which books and authors are most popular with lending libraries versus the bestseller lists and literary fiction. James Patterson has just made the top spot, reports the Guardian, having tallied over 1.5 million copies of his books lent in the past year. He is the third author to have earned the distinction since they began keeping such records in 1982. J.K. Rowling and Ian McEwan only made it to 107 and 252 respectively on the library lending list, whereas their novels, Harry Potter and Atonement made it to 1 and 13 respectively on bestseller lists for the year. What does this say about borrowers? Check out the top 10 borrowed books list and see for yourself.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Rediscovering Robertson Davies (Feature Articles)

While browsing through the stacks at a favorite independent bookstore, I came upon a copy of Fifth Business, a Canadian classic by Robertson Davies, the first novel of his acclaimed Deptford Trilogy. I cannot resist a Penguin paperback—the combination of superior cover art and binding make them a pleasure to hold, read and collect. If you've not yet discovered Canada's prominent novelist, playwright, critic, and journalist, then pick up a copy of Fifth Business as it is his most autobiographical work of fiction. It tells the story of three characters—Dunstan Ramsey, Boy Staunton, and Paul Dempster, whose life paths are haunted by a single boyhood event. Davies' prose is reflective of his academic study of mythology and archetypes, his career as a repertory actor and theater advocate. He was one of the founders of the Ontario Stratford Shakespearean Festival, North America's leading classical theater.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Facebook Asked to Ditch Scrabulous (Feature Articles)

Facebook, the social network site, invites members to invent applications for its users. The most popular of these is an online game called "Scrabulous" which is based on the Mattel-Hasbro board game Scrabble. The software was developed by Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla, who are based in Kolkata, India. Lawyers for the board game say the online version infringes their client's copyright and must be removed. According to the Scrabulous website it has 594,924 daily active users - about a quarter of the total that have signed up to play it - meaning that at any one time in the day there are half a million people worldwide playing the game online. Users admit to having never played the board version, but after becoming hooked on Scrabulous...

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Starting a New Book Group? Here's How To Avoid The Pitfalls (Feature Articles)

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to start a book group -- you're in good company. But it's important to lay the ground rules early and get into good habits.  Here are some of the ways you can -- avoid the pitfalls.

Monday, December 31, 2007

2008 New Year's Resolution (Feature Articles)

My 2008 New Year's Resolution is to take the National Endowment for the Arts "To Read or Not to Read" report seriously and take action. The NEA produces the most comprehensive and reliable survey on reading there is. It draws from consistent, widespread sources that produce measurable conclusions: Only one in four Americans read a book last year. "Despite improved reading abilities in elementary school . . . all progress appears to halt in teenage years at age thirteen. There is a general decline in reading among teenage and adult Americans, and they read less well. Even college graduates' regular habit of reading has declined. These declines have demonstrable social, economic, cultural, and civic implications." What can we do? Read this and find out.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

2007 Yearend Review: Award Winning Books (Feature Articles)

This is the list of authors and books that won awards in 2007.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Bookbuffet Holiday Pick List 2007 (Feature Articles)

In our household every member receives a book for the holidays. When the busy social schedule calms down and before we have to return to work or school, it's nice to read a hand-picked book. Check out our highly personalized gift list, and make your shopping easy with one trip to the bookstore or order online, (make that "express, wrapped and labeled with free shipping") and save yourself the hassle of parking, shopping, and schlepping.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Xiaolu Guo's Third Novel is Set in London (Feature Articles)

A poet from the age of fifteen, Xiaolu Guo first came to London in 2002 as an experienced novelist and filmmaker from mainland China. Her observations led to her third book, the first in English, a remarkable mix of eastern and western ideals with a clever, funny, often profound and engaging writing style. Titled A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers: A Novel (Published by Nan A. Talese, September 4, 2007), The novel explores a subject that many people can relate to, the acquisition of a new language. This book was nominated for the 2007 Orange Prize for fiction. Read the review then listen to the interview, and view clips from her filmography. Xiaolu Guo is a talent we will see and hear more.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

CS Richardson's Amazing Little Gem: The End of the Alphabet (Feature Articles)

The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson (Doubleday, 2007) is a one-hundred-and-nineteen-page gem coming out in paperback that you can read in one sitting. Be prepared to be taken on a roller coaster of emotion. It is the story of a couple, one of whom has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness and told will not live past one month. It is a story of love, of courage, and of loss. It is a story you will read and pass on to friends, because we all admire this kind of love; we all fear this kind of devastation and find ourselves compelled to look into their abyss. The End of the Alphabet has just been awarded the Commonwealth Writers Prize for First Novel. Congratulations Charles!!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Bluerectangle.com Offers Video Book Reviews (Feature Articles)

The folks at Bluerectangle.com have a great idea -- one I've been working towards myself -- video book reviews you can watch in about a minute or two delivered by (what appears to be) regular folks. It's a great concept for those of us attempting to look past the hype of a book by mainstream publishing marketers and get a peer review of a new book. It's like taking the Amazon visitor reviews one step further. With Blurectangle.com you get to see the reviewer and determine their sincerity and honest opinion. Click on title for more details.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

BookBuffet.com Is Looking to Crack the Top 100,000 Site Rank (Feature Articles)

Help us with our goal to break the top 100,000 websites. Today we're at 115,886 which is up there with www.health.com (117,423) and www.readinggroupguides.com (168,348). Did you know there are over 140 million domains registered world wide. That places Bookbuffet.com in the top 8.27%. How can you help? (a) Browse our latest features and click on the social networking links at the bottom of each to post it to Digg, Facebook or your own blog or favorite social networking sites. (b) Subscribe to our RSS feeds and get the latest book news, author interviews, member generated reviews and timely editorials. Our podcasts are a great way to discover new authors. (c) Register your book group. Easy as A B C - Click, Share, Join, Subscribe. Prizes to the lucky members who join on day 100,000! Stay tuned.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Amazon to Launch An Electronic Reader Device Monday Nov 19th (Feature Articles)

Will libraries holding book stacks become a thing of the past? Amazon's Jeff Bezos plans to announce his new electronic book-reader device called The Kindle on Monday in New York City at the W Hotel's swanky Union Square location. The Kindle will cost $399 but the W Hotel has a corporate alliance with Amazon that will allow guests to check out devices like a library book, with downloaded books coming straight off Amazon's website. Marketing research by the company followed iPhone's launch strategy that used celebrity endorsement. Rumors have it the year-long awaited e-readers will come with a pre-loaded bestseller. Watch for the announcement Monday. For a re-cap on the battle between Google and Amazon technology click feature title.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Norman Mailer Dies At Eighty-four (Feature Articles)

American novelist, playwright, journalist, screenwriter and film director Norman Mailer died on this day of renal failure following lung surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award once, he was awarded the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from The National Book Foundation in 2005. His break-out novel in 1948, The Naked and the Dead, published when he was just twenty-five, describes the face of war from his military experience when drafted into the US army serving in WWII Philippines theatre. It is on the Top 100 Novels List. Mailer and co-founder Dan Wolf started The Village Voice in Greenwich Village in 1955. Mailer was married six times and is survived by four children and one adopted son. For a list of his other creative works and links to noted obituaries, click feature title.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Wine & Book Group Pick for November '07 (Feature Articles)

Madonna is the most famous female pop artist of our time; singer-songwriter, dancer, record and film producer, actress, and a fashion icon. She has won multiple Grammy and Golden Globe awards and is known for her controversial music videos, stage performances, and use of political, sexual, and religious themes in her work. Discover the woman behind the mystery. Journalist Lucy O'Brien's groundbreaking biography, Madonna: Like an Icon (HarperCollins, Nov 2007) gets at the heart of Madonna's chameleonlike existence. Extensively researched and perceptively written, it explores the complex personality and legendary drive that made her "the world's most successful female musican" (Guinness Book of World Records). A great book to discuss with your group over equally provocative wines picked for you by our partners at www.womenwine.com

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Financial Times Reveals Winner of The Best Business Book of All Time (Feature Articles)

The Financial Times last week unveiled the results of an online poll of readers to find the best business book of all time, and the winner, by a wide margin, was The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith's influential economic treatise published in 1776.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Whistler Reads: THE FEMALE BRAIN (Feature Articles)

What makes us women? Whistler Reads fifteenth reading selection November 1st at the Durlacher Hof was a resounding success as members new and old (with tourist visitors attending from Mexico and Switzerland) had a one-hour conversation with the author, Dr. Louann M. Brizendine, via speaker phone. Available as podcast shortly As a neurobiology undergrad at Berkeley in the '70s, Louann asked the question, "Why is there no research study results of female animal behavior and brain physiology?" Since that time, researchers like Louann have, along with advances in non-invasive MRI and PET scanners, learned a wealth of information encapsulated in Dr. Brizendine's book, The Female Brain. Written in an easy to read, "Ahhah!" format that weaves what Publisher's Weekly calls "a trove of information and stunning facts" and that Huffington exclaims is "bloody brilliant ... answers questions that have plagued me for years, as well as ones I hadn't even formulated yet."

Monday, October 29, 2007

Technology Corner: iPhone Features (Feature Articles)

The iPhone is a multimedia and Internet-enabled quad-band GSM EDGE-supported mobile phone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Its single-touch screen technology is so easy to use, they've sold more than 1.4 million iPhones since the release date on June 29th. To stop people from buying phones and reselling them, Apple announced last Thursday that it will limit sales to two per person (down from five) and you can no longer pay cash - they want to track credit cards and checks. What's so great about the iPhone? It's a virtual office enabling you to multi-task with a single finger. Take a look at what this amazing piece of technology can do, then read on to discover some of the perks and quirks of how people are using the phone.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Doris Lessing Wins 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature (Feature Articles)

Ms. Lessing, who turned 88 on October 22, never finished high school and largely educated herself through her voracious reading. She was born to British parents in Persia (now Iran), was raised in colonial Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and now lives in London. She has written dozens of books of fiction, as well as plays, non-fiction, and an autobiography. She is the 11th woman to win a Nobel Prize in literature. Here is the latest coverage of the announcement with links to books.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Author Podcast: Joseph Boyden (Feature Articles)

When Canadian Joseph Boyden came on the literary scene he wowed readers with his powerful historical fiction set during WWI about brotherhood, native identity, and the raw face of war. To meet and speak with Joseph is a pleasure. He's handsome, and has a quick smile and a generous personality. His self-effacing modesty makes him accessible to people despite his success and obvious talent. Please join me in listening to Joseph talk about his life, his writing, and his upcoming new novel, which will follow on the success of Three Day Road.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Wine & Book Group Pick for October '07 (Feature Articles)

With the harvest and Thanksgiving on everyone's mind, BookBuffet invites you to take a look at Barbara Kingsolver's nonfiction treatise Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life for this month's Wine & Book pick. It's about eating local, eating seasonal, supporting small farms, and saving the planet from extinction through your everyday purchasing choices of food that is not trucked, flown or shipped using fossil fuels to your market. Don't miss the opportunity to drink a lovely local wine along with this book when you meet to discuss it with your group. Women & Wine have lots of ideas on wine makers whose products are organic, too. Learn about wine as you read the wonderful titles selected especially for this group.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

It's Film Festival Season: Check Out the Books to Film (Feature Articles)

It's Film Festival season in Canada again, which means right after Toronto, comes Vancouver and then Whistler. With so many excellent novels adapted to film we are going to list some of our favorites and introduce a "Books to Film" night on alternate months. Grab your book group members for a feature film in your neighborhood and meet for coffee to compare the book with the film. We'll provide details to spice up your discussion, but obviously everyone reads and views things from their individual perspective. Bring your expertise and share it liberally -- with the popcorn.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

National Punctuation Day is September 24th (Feature Articles)

Let's eat, John. (OR) Let's eat John. The first is a request to John about a meal. The second is suggesting that John become the meal. "A misplaced comma can be a big deal!" says Jeff Rubin, the founder of National Punctuation Day®. What a brilliant idea. If you despised all that grammar stuff in school, now is your chance to brush up on punctuation. While your spell check program can hide one bad habit, it only takes a few memorized rules to keep you out of punctuation purgatory. A properly punctuated document can mean the difference between getting your point across, or losing your audience (or client, or job) altogether. Take this one day to celebrate the comma, apply the period, learn when to use a semicolon or a colon, and ensure you know where to put the apostrophe or how use a dash. An ellipsis -- what's that? Check out this website dedicated to punctuation, and purchase a copy of one of these excellent resource books for yourself or someone in need.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Whistler Reads: END OF EAST (Feature Articles)

The Whistler Writers and Readers Festival takes place September 14-16th. This year event organizer Stella Harvey and her Vicious Circle team invited Whistler Reads to take part. Sign up for a class. Don't miss our readers and writers mixer, Saturday Sept 15th 8-10 pm at Millennium Place. This evening is arranged and moderated by Whistler Reads founder, Paula Shackleton. It's Book Club Night when you get to chat with author Jen Sookfong Lee about her wonderful novel that is set in Vancouver's Chinatown, The End of East (Knopf, Canada). Thanks to our sponsors who are providing door prizes. WR now boasts ~200 members. Everyone is welcome. "Whether you live, work or play in Whistler -- read what Whistler is reading." Join the WR Shanghai Tang After-Party, 10-12 pm at Ric's Mix Lounge located nearby. Tickets and how to join WR below.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Want to Raise Your IQ and Improve Your Memory: Exercise! (Feature Articles)

As a book group moderator in a ski-resort town, I like to say, "You already exercise your body, come exercise your mind!" in my bid to get people to join our village book group. But studies show aerobic exercise actually doubles blood flow to the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for neurogenesis (new brain cell growth, new memory). It works for everyone: from aging brains to children, and everyone in between. Exercise in combination with social stimulation is even better, they say. That old adage "the body feeds the mind" turns out to be true. Here are three excellent books on fitness for three age groups. Motivation for everyone. Click the title for the full article describing the science and some cool products to use while working out.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Canada Gets a New Territory: Nunavik in Northern Quebec (Feature Articles)

They have been negotiating for decades, but just this week Canada, Quebec, and Nunavik came to an "agreement in principle" between the three sides, with a formal signing ceremony to follow within weeks. What does it mean for residents north of the 55th parallel in Quebec consisting of one-third of the land mass? Residents -- regardless of ethnicity -- will be given an opportunity to vote for their own government. A Nunavik Assembly of five members will act as the cabinet and elect a speaker. Each member will be responsible for one governmental department, such as health, education, and local and regional affairs. This treaty is different from BC's Nisga'a Treaty, which is based on ethnicity. Learn more about the treaty, the region, and the people with links to literature from the region.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Booker Prize Long List Announcement: Get One, Get'em All (Feature Articles)

Now in its thirty-ninth year, the Man Booker aims to reward the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. It has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and even publishers; last year's winner Kiran Desai has traveled the world since winning in 2006. The 2007 longlist of thirteen books -- the Man Booker's 'Baker's Dozen' -- was chosen from 110 entries; 92 were submitted for the prize and 18 were called in by the judges. Browse the list (below), click on book titles to purchase; challenge yourself to read as many as you can. Each book is a gem crafted this year by authors from around the world. See list below... -photo credit ManBooker

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Sacred: The British Library's Exhibit on Jewish, Christian and Muslim Faith Books (Feature Articles)

For the first time the rarest and most exquisite examples of the sacred texts of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths are on display together at the British Library: Torahs, Bibles and Qur’ans. If you are in London this summer it is worth a visit. If not, browse the BL's interactive online exhibit for a look at what these texts have meant to "people of the book" all around the world for centuries. It includes videos with discussions by historians and religious experts, a chance to "flip through" the books that are on display, and more. In these troubled times, it behooves us to understand the similarities between world religions. Here is a taste of my visit...

Monday, July 30, 2007

Wine & Book Group Pick for August '07 (Feature Articles)

The Saxon word for pebble is chesil. Ian McEwan's brilliant new novelette, On Chesil Beach: A Novel is this month's Wine & Book Group pick. Set in 1962, it begins on the wedding night of a young virgin couple, Edward and Florence. After meeting and falling in love at a London college, they anticipate their vows as the entry into 'real adult' life; however, naiveté brings disappointment. The story is a touching examination of relationships, love, sex, the era, and how, despite best intentions, people somehow manage to get it wrong. McEwan asks, "Can the entire course of a life can be changed –- by a gesture not made or a word not spoken?" Despite differences in sexual politics today, readers will resonate with these two characters. Chesil Beach is an excellent choice for the last month of the summer. So pack your beach bag and slip in a delicious wine selected by our partners at Women and Wine. McEwan calls this a movie-length book that will take about three hours to complete -- just right for a lazy afternoon picnic!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

A LuLu of an Idea: Putting Your NOKIA Phone to 'Novel' Use (Feature Articles)

TORONTO (Reuters) - An Italian writer decided to put his mobile phone to good use during his daily commute to and from work -- by writing a book. Robert Bernocco, an IT professional, took advantage of his travel time by writing a 384-page science fiction novel, Compagni di Viaggio (Fellow Travelers), on his Nokia using the phone's T9 typing system.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Last of the Potter Books Goes on Sale Saturday (Feature Articles)

Is it the pitter-Potter of little feet I hear? In case you are like me, the only person left on the planet who has not managed to run out on Day One to purchase a copy of the latest and last Harry Potter books published by Bloomsbury, here is an excellent round-up on BBC of all the books in the series. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. J.K. Rowling is richer than her Queen from the royalties earned from book sales and associated film and merchandizing revenues. Click on feature title for excerpts and links to purchase.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Katanga: Land of Copper by Paula Shackleton (Feature Articles)

When Sir Ernest Shackleton was looking for men to join his expedition to the South Pole in 1914 at the outbreak of WWI, the advertisement is supposed to have gone like this: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success." My initial thoughts wandered to that when I was asked to travel for a book commission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the spring of 2006. Just eight weeks shy of the first democratic election in forty years, Global Watch was reporting rebel bands still roaming the eastern countryside, preying on civilians after the civil war that brought rape, starvation and genocide to 4 million people. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned of malaria and a host of curable and incurable endemic diseases. What follows is an account of my trip and the fruit of my travels, a 217 page photographic coffee-table book with accompanying essays on - the history, land and people of the richest undeveloped copper region in the world - Katanga: Land of Copper (Marquand Books, Dec 2006) Take a look at this snap shot of a country on the brink of change with renewed optimism for peace and prosperity. There is no Lonely Planet guide to the Congo as yet, but there soon will be!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Moderator Tips: The 'Job' of the Participant in Book Group (Feature Articles)

Your job as a participant of a book group discussion is not to understand. It’s a search, a seeking. A close-reading and discussion of a novel or short story does not require conclusions. Some writers write against easy answers, and endeavor to explore the ambiguities and paradoxes of life in their fiction.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Timely Reads from the Rand Institute (Feature Articles)

The RAND Institute is the original socio-political and scientific think tank. Everyone who read A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar, or saw the movie based on the book, is familiar with the story of the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician, John Nash. Nash worked at RAND, the scientific think tank established in 1946.

An acronym for "research and development," RAND is a non-profit institution that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis. Much of this research is available to the general public through the institute's publications.

Residents in Whistler, BC are being treated to a visit by Graham Fuller - CIA and RAND Corporation Expert Sunday July 22 Spruce Grove Field House Public Talk and Forum at 4:30 Friends of the Forum BBQ at 6 pm. This event is being hosted by The Whistler Forum for Dialogue. Don't miss it, and come prepared with some light pre-reading material. (Click title for details)

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Michael Moore's New Documentary Earns 2nd Highest Box Office in History (Feature Articles)

Michael Moore's latest documentary "Sicko" deals with the healthcare debate in America. BookBuffet's Political Books Contributer, Loree Fayhe brought this excellent movie review by Isaiah J. Poole to our attention. It was posted on the affiliate website of the Institute for America's Future. Whether you agree with Moore's political bent or not, the film stirs the political pot and it will be interesting to see how the public responds and the pundits react. As Poole says, "Go see "Sicko" this week, and since members of Congress are in their states and districts, invite them to accompany you—especially if they think that the nation's medical care ills can be solved by Bush's little tax cut pills.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Wine & Book Group Pick for July '07 (Feature Articles)

July is the month that promises long summer days and time to escape into a delicious novel set in far-away lands. This month’s Wine & Book Pick take us to Beijing, China, where Nicole Mones (bestselling author of Lost in Translation) brings us an enticing story of friendship, love and, cuisine The Last Chinese Chef (HoughtonMifflin, 2007)

Friday, June 29, 2007

2007 CBC Literary Competition (Feature Articles)

The 2007 CBC Literary Awards competition is now open! The deadline for submissions is November 1st, 2007. The Awards are Canada's only literary competition celebrating original, unpublished works in both official languages. There are three categories: short story, poetry, and creative nonfiction, with cash prizes totaling $60,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, publication in Air Canada's enRoute magazine and visibility for the winners and their winning entries offered by CBC. To find out how to enter, visit their website at http://www.cbc.ca/literaryawards, email them at literary_awards@cbc.ca or call toll-free at 1-877-888-6788.

Author Podcast: Monica Magnetti (Feature Articles)

Stress is an endemic fact of life for people juggling career, family and personal needs. How do you recognize the signs, and how do you restructure your priorities to reduce stress and return to balance? Monica Magnetti is the author of, Outsmart Stress and Being in the Present Moment: How to Create the Blueprint of your Life, she is and the founder of Luna Coaching.  BookBuffet spoke with Monica about this social phenomenon and the ways her life coaching practice has helped clients. Listen to the podcast of this interview, and read along with the transcript. Then click to Monica's site for an appointment or book purchase.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

US Authors Guild Receives $500,000 from Dutch Libraries (Feature Articles)

The Authors Guild is the nation's largest and oldest society of published authors and the leading writers' advocate for fair compensation, effective copyright protection, and free expression.  They have just been sent a check for $537,000 from the Dutch Lending Libraries for royalties on US books lent out. The practice is not done in North America - but it is in 19 countries in the EU.  Read on to see how it works. 

 

Monday, June 25, 2007

The NewYorker Conference 2012: View this Excellent Podcast Series (Feature Articles)

I am a big fan of the NewYorker magazine and many of their staff writers. Everyone who knows Malcolm Gladwell is familiar with his groundbreaking books, Blink and The Tipping Point. Gladwell (and others) made some fascinating presentations at their first "Conference 2012: Letters from the Near Future," on subjects ranging from the nature of genius, to morality, to gaming, to intellectual property. Don't miss these excellent podcasts. Some favorites below.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Nigerian Author Wins the Orange Prize (Feature Articles)

One of the world's top literary prizes has been won by the twenty-nine year-old Nigerian novelist for her book set in the 1960's Biafran civil war. Meet Chimamanda Ngozi Adichel and  her winning novel, Half of a Yellow Sun (Knopf, 2006) 

Friday, June 01, 2007

Wine & Book Group Pick for June '07 (Feature Articles)

For June's Wine & Book Group pick we couldn't resist the novel that bumped The Da Vinci Code off of its number one spot on the New York Times Bestsellers List. The Birth House: A Novel (William Morrow 2006) by Ami McKay is a story about midwifery, with all its controversy and struggles, set in the 1900s in a small town in Nova Scotia with the story-telling tradition of Annie Proulx.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Summer Reading Suggestions (Feature Articles)

Look no further for your summer reading picks, as three of my favorite authors have new books out just in time: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni, and Falling Man: A Novel by Don DeLillo. We've thrown in a sexy beach read and a beloved classic for good measure. Order any three online for ontime and free delivery.   

Saturday, May 26, 2007

What Does It Take To Make It In Literary Fiction? (Feature Articles)

As a person who leads book groups, meets and interviews new authors and reviews books,  I frequently get asked the question, "How do books make it in the literary fiction market?"  Rachel Donadio's article "Promotional Intelligence," in the May 21, 2006  edition of NYT reveals the window is smaller than a space shuttle trying to land in hurricane season—new authors have two weeks to make it.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Book Expo '07: Must Do's in The Big Apple (Feature Articles)

As a member of the torchered, ahem privileged people who call themselves "bi-coastal," I get to hangout in New York regularly. It is the publishing capital of America and my job requires that I meet with industry people. With Book Expo America taking over the city next month, there will not be a single hotel vacancy. I thought it would be fun to share a few of the things I like to do there.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Wine & Book Group Pick for May '07 (Feature Articles)

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen is an imaginative story set during the American depression involving an orphan boy named Jacob and the tribe of circus performers and animals that become his world. Alternating between Jacob's early life and his final years in a nursing home, the story is sure to intrigue and stimulate interesting discussions. For wines we've picked labels with elephants! Join the Wine & Book Group and meet more hearty food, story and wine lovers!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Whistler Reads: THREE DAY ROAD (Feature Articles)

The Path Gallery, owned by Brit Germann was the perfect location for this month's Whistler Reads (the village book group) discussion of Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. This critically and popularly acclaimed novel is set in both Ontario and the trenches of WWI France where Canadians distinguished themselves in the courageous battle of Vimy Ridge. Three Day Road powerfully evokes this history from a Canadian Native perspective in the same way that Vonnegut's  Slaughterhouse Five has etched in our minds the bombing of Dresden WWII. Horrifying and beautiful, it will resonate with the group for a very long time. Take a look at the discussion of this novel, which is certainly destined to become a Canadian classic.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Interview with Shauna Hardy Michaw, Co-Founder of The Whistler Film Festival (Feature Articles)

What do you do if you happen to live in a small town with only one theatre that only screens one box-office blockbuster every one to two weeks? If you’re the red-headed dynamo Shauna Hardy Mishaw, you get your buns in gear and turn that paucity of celluloid vacuity into The Whistler Film Festival—Western Canada’s fastest growing cultural phenomenon, screening 80+ films (including top North American directors), $40,000 in prizes and commissions, and the country’s most innovative programming through the Filmmakers Forum.  All that and more in just five short years! Learn more about this vital regional addition to the world film festival circuit in this interview with the WFF Co-Founder and Executive Dirctor.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Books to Film (Feature Articles)

Several films are coming to theatres starting this month that have been adapted from books you have either read or been planning to read. Check out these trailers and see how the screenwriters, directors and actors make artistic alchemy of the book on (or that should be on) your shelf. The Namesake: A Novel (Mar 9th), No Country for Old Men (Aug 2nd), Atonement: A Novel(Sept 6th), The Kite Runner(Nov 2nd) Time Travelor's Wife (starts shooting in Aug)

Friday, April 13, 2007

Kurt Vonnegut Dies at Age 84 (Feature Articles)

Playright, essayist, novelist and literary icon, Kurt Vonnegut died in Manhattan on April 12th of brain injuries sustained after several falls in the previous few weeks. He is survived by his wife Jill Krementz, his six adopted children and one biologic son. Vonnegut's "dark comic talent and urgent moral vision" produced novels like Slaughterhouse-Five , Cat's Cradle and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. In all, he wrote fourteen novels ranging on metaphysical themes, the banalities of our consumer culture, the destruction of the environment, and creative science fiction worlds that all contained his own brand of philosophy and jokes. (click on title for full feature)

Monday, April 09, 2007

Wine & Book Group Pick for March '07 (Feature Articles)

For our March Wine & Book Group book selection we have a wonderful story by Chinese-American author Lisa See. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel (Random House Trade 2006), Lisa's third novel, is both a suspenseful and poignant story and an absorbing historical chronicle. Her books deal with the cultural divide between her two nascent cultures. To purchase wines suggested by our partners at Women & Wine, click link for more details. Author details and more inside...

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

ABA Announces the 2007 Book Sense Book awards (Feature Articles)

The American Book Sellers Association is comprised of independent bookstore owners across America. Each month their internet arm, Book Sense tallies book sales in various categories to let consumers know what has been popular. Here are the books we shoppers purchased most in all categories in 2007.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Stephen Hawking Turns 65 & Plans to Celebrate in Space (Feature Articles)

Celebrated British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, author of A Brief History of Time (originally published in 1988 with 10 million copies sold) plans to celebrate his 65th birthday by taking a zero gravity flight and then a trip into space courtesy of Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic. The lifelong wheelchair-ridden scientist is famous for educating the masses on the origins of the universe, gravity, black holes, time travel and quantum mechanics.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Author Podcast: Margaret MacMillan (Feature Articles)

The Whistler Reads village book group met March 7th at 7pm at Millennium Place to discuss Margaret MacMillan's award winning, Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World (Random House) Three community members (City Councillors and the former Mayor of Whistler) brought history to life with a fun MadLib of the world leaders from the conference; (see pictures) the audience watched them argue and debate the terms of the peace and participated with their own comments and questions. Margaret MacMillan "addressed" the WR group via an earlier podcast interview with WR Director, Paula Shackleton.  Fabulous Alsace regional wine was provided by Dundarave Wine Cellar with tasting notes and given out as door prizes. Thanks to Telus, for their support of WR literacy arts in our community.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

NYT Bestselling Author Lisa Unger Has a KickAss Website (Feature Articles)

Marketing, marketing, marketing. Authors either get it, or they struggle with out-dated, inefficient marketing plans. Lisa Unger, NYTimes bestselling author of Beautiful Lies: A Novel and Sliver of Truth: A Novel gets it! Her personal website has all the latest bells and whistles of a one-woman techno-band—great design, great audio excerpts, cool use of Flash® , interactive feedback ops, and reading group extras. Check it out!

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Author Podcast: Kit Bakke (Feature Articles)

Seattle author, Kit Bakke has had an interesting life. In the '60s she was a member of the Underground Weatherman, an activist group who protested the Vietnam war. This interested the FBI enough to compile a 100 page file on her.  Today this mother of two with two post graduate degrees and a book publication speaks to us about another reformer, the one featured in her first novel, Miss Alcott's E-mail: Yours for Reforms of All Kinds(David Godine Books 2006) Intrigued? Click on the link to our podcast in this article and listen along.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Introducing Linguistics (Feature Articles)

While researching a book project this summer at the British Library I came upon a concise little primer on linguistics, Introducing Linguistics (Introducing... S.) in the souvenir shop. If you have ever wondered about the science of language and the various disciplines that study it, this little gem will suffice.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Women & Wine's Vino Picks for Oscar Night (Feature Articles)

Wondering how to make this year's Oscar house party even more fun and entertaining? Why not serve the wines matched to each of the Best Picture nominations. Here's what the gals at W&W have picked. Click on title for the full article with movie round-up and wine tasting notes.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

1000 People Have A Valentine's Day Pillow Fight in SanFrancisco (Feature Articles)

Hilarious pillow fight captured by Scott Beale from the Laughing Squid.

View the video

Thursday, February 08, 2007

The Talking Stick Festival: Vancouver, BC February (Feature Articles)

Residents of the Pacific Northwest have many opportunities to cross into the rich cultural firmament of our indigenous peoples from their own perspective of the immigrant mosaic. The Talking Stick Festival (Feb. 5-11) in Vancouver, BC brings together established and emmerging Aboriginal artists from across Canada in expressions of theatre, storytelling, writing, music, dance and visual arts.  I attended a reading by the captivating and acclaimed author, Joseph Boyden Three Day Road (Penguin, Canada) at the First Nations House of Learning at UBC on Feb 7th, and came away with a greater appreciation of the proud and steady strides of this nation's founding culture.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Annie Leibovitz: Iconic Photographer Bares All (Feature Articles)

If you are a fan of photography you will no doubt be familiar with the work of Annie Leibovitz. Brandished on the covers of so many Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair magazines her fold-out spreads of celebrities characterize a style. We look forward to "the movie star issue" "the music issue," the industry has become synonymous with her work. In her current exhibit at the Brookline Museum the lens is turned around—on Annie, her loves, family and friends. A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005 (Random House, Oct 2006) 472 pages.

Wine & Book Group Pick for February '07 (Feature Articles)

For February's Wine & Book Group we return to Australia with the fifth novel of two-time Booker Prize-nominated Tim Winton, and his post-WWII Australian saga Cloudstreet (Schribner, reprint 2002). Purchase the book online and read the tasting notes of the fabulous regional wines our partners at Women & Wine have picked to match this title. Sip, discuss, enjoy! This is our 14th session. Register for the group, and join in the online discussions.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

February is Black History Month (Feature Articles)

"Many people describe Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Letter from Birmingham Jail', and the civil rights movement as the defining moment in their lives and the generation since has been shaped from it."

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Oprah's Book Group is Back After Taking a Year-Off (Feature Articles)

After putting her book club on hold for a year subsequent to her debacle with James Frey, Oprah has reconvened and she's sticking with the autobiography genre and Sidney Poitier's (Yes, the actor) The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography published by Harper San Francisco 2000.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Do Smart Women Intimidate Men: Breaking the Myth (Feature Articles)

For at least this generation women have been hearing that smart men are not attracted to smart women. I happen to think the opposite is true --- and here is a book by Dr. Christine B. Whelan Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women(Simon & Schuster, Oct 2006) Even if marriage isn't your goal, (Is there a book Even Smarter Women Don't Wed--just kidding?!) click on our header for details of the ABC News article discussing this topic & take their quiz.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Winteruption: Feb 23-25 Vancouver, BC (Feature Articles)

Gotta love these names... Hal Wakes incoming Artistic Director for the Vancouver International Writers Festival has asked us to post this notice about a cool event they're presenting -- an evening of competitive wordplay that brings together Vancouver's finest. Host Billieh Nickerson, authors Caroline Adderson, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Kevin Chong, Steven Galloway and more! Click on header for details

Friday, January 12, 2007

2006 Yearend Review: Book Award Winners (Feature Articles)

This is the list of authors and books that won awards in 2006.   

   

Monday, January 08, 2007

Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures: Book Review (Feature Articles)

The life of doctors and the medical profession has been a source of fascination to the general public for years as witnessed by the success of television series from "ER" and "House," going back to "Marcus Welby" and "Ben Casey." Doctors and nurses do consult on the sets to ensure authenticity, and sometimes they cross-over careers to become professional writers. Vincent Lam's first novel, Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures (Anchor Canada 2006) won Canada's most prestigious literary award -- the Giller Prize for this first work. It gives the raw and honest perspective of medical students and young physicians struggling with the demands of the profession in the Canadian healthcare system. Click on the title for the full article. This is Whistler Reads "January" book discussion: Spruce Grove Field House 7pm Jan 24th. WR partners with the Whistler Public Library

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Canada Reads: Annual Literary Jousting Up North (Feature Articles)

As popular as national hockey the Canada Reads book debate has become a national (literary) sport that pits a select panel in a series of broadcasts to promote the book title that they feel the whole country should read. Host Bill Richardson, veteran CBC broadcaster, print columnist and author of about a dozen books brings his wry wit and honed moderating skills to the sessions with the objective of involving the whole country in voting (and reading) not one, but perhaps several of the five books announced on the shortlist. It's a brilliant tactic to get Canada reading! Here are this year's books and the panelists who picked them. The debates run from February 28th to March 2nd and are broadcast 11:30 am and 7:30 pm EST. See how many books you can plow through, and don't forget to cast your vote.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Wine & Book Group Pick for January '07 (Feature Articles)

January is a great month to review your resolutions. If one of them is "read more books" or "taste more wine" then this is the group for you! Join our Wine & Book Group, meet other people, and use the author, book and wine information to meet those ny's resolutions. This month we feature Joseph Kanon's compelling thriller that has been adapted to film starring Cate Blanchett and George Clooney and directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Babel, Bobby, Borat & Bond (Feature Articles)

Ah yes, the holidays are upon us. After your last-minute shopping, why not take in one of these films with family or friends? Our four "B" movies -- er, not that kind of movie -- all start with the letter B: Babel, Bobby, Borat, and Bond. (Technically the new Bond movie is Casino Royal) Purchase the book suggestions that follow each movie for excellent post-view reading.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

New York Times' Top 10 Books of 2006 (Feature Articles)

It's always interesting to see which authors the books editor for the NY Times will pick for their annual Top 10. Here is the list, which has a selection of fiction, nonfiction and short stories by authors that include Gary Shteyngart, Claire Messud, Richard Ford, Marisha Pessl and more. Click on our article's title for complete list, or the hyperlink above to get to the NYT. (log in required for full NYT articles)

Friday, December 01, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for December '06 (Feature Articles)

The folks at Women & Wine have made the book selection this month -- they had a burning urge to match wines to Elizabeth Kostova's popular historical novel about vampires -- but better than Rice, with plenty of suspense, romance and intrigue, The Historian  (Little, Brown & Co) 2005. Read about the author, the plot, and the wines you can purchase and enjoy at your next meeting. And don't forget to join our Wine & Book Group!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Author Podcast: Swain Wolfe (Feature Articles)

Award winning Montana author and documentary filmmaker, Swain Wolfe joins BookBuffet host Paula Shackleton in speaking about his fourth book, The Boy Who Invented Skiing: A Memoir (St. Martins Press, June 2006) Listen to this podcast by clicking on the link, and follow along with the transcript. Swain's lilting, intentioned speech describes a world of experience growing up in the West during hard times, and points to the basis of his lyric prose and the complex characterizations in his novels. This book is an excellent gift for the men on your holiday shopping list.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for November '06 (Feature Articles)

When Stephen King rated Kate Atkinson's new novel, One Good Turn (Little, Brown and Company, Oct 2006) "the best mystery of the decade," I just had to bite. What a perfect book for stormy, rainy November and for our Wine & Book Group.  Kate is best known for her Whitbread award-winning novel Behind the Museum. One Good Turn is a sequel which takes now ex-private eye Jackson Brodie, also wealthy, retired and bored, mooching around Edinburgh festivals.  Buy the book, join the group, and see what our partners at Women & Wine have in store for you to taste along with this delicious mystery.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Canadian Book Awards: The GG and the Giller Short lists (Feature Articles)

Each year Canadians look forward to the announcement of the short list for their two important literary awards -- the Governor General Award (fondly referred to in Canada as The GG's) and the Scotia Bank Giller Prize. Here are the authors and books that made it on 2006's list AND THE WINNERS AS AN UPDATE.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Technology Corner: iPod turns 5 (Feature Articles)

click title for article Apple's hugely successful personal audio device has just had its fifth birthday. This little gizmo revolutionized the music and talking book world by taking Apple's superior technology, design and marketing to bring us a device that weighed 6.5 ounces, could hold 5 GB of music, connected to our computer -- if you were a MAC user (PC's available the following year) and essentially became part of the urban wardrobe.  Where are we now?

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Philip Gourevitch: Editor of the Paris Review (Feature Articles)

I met George Plimpton in front of his Paris Review booth at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival back in 2002. A gentle giant, he blended a career of acting (Good Will Hunting) and literary arts as one of three founding members of The Paris Review. He died at the age of 73 in 2003. AbeBooks spoke with the new editor, Philip Gourevitch, and here is what he had to say about one of the world's most respected literary magazines.  

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Orhan Pamuk Wins 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature (Feature Articles)

This Istanbul-born writer is described by Margaret Atwood as having put Turkey "on the map" of world literature. Now that distinction is confirmed since he has won this year's Nobel Prize for Literature. The Nobel is usually awarded to a writer for their body of work (not just one novel) whose focus challenges their country's social or political practices, or brings attention to uncomfortable truths. Learn more about Pamuk in this article. (click title to expand)  

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Whistler Writer's Retreat (Feature Articles)

Whistler's Writer's Festival presents a public reading by: Maude Barlow, Joseph Boyden and Eden Robinson at Millenium Place Thurs, Friday and Saturday Sept 14th 15th & 16th. Tickets $9.95 or 3 for $25

Friday, September 01, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for September '06 (Feature Articles)

Sue Miller, Lost in the Forest  examines love, sensuality, and betrayal in idyllic Napa Valley wine country. A perfect setting for our September Wine and Book Group where we select a popular book each month and our partners at Women&Wine.com match delicious wines.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

How and Why to Join WHISTLER READS -- village wide book group (Feature Articles)

You live in Whistler or own recreation property. You've just learned of our village wide book group and want to participate. You found a book mark or viewed a poster talking about WHISTLER READS during your vacation and want to stay in touch with the community and people. You're a BookBuffet member and have never been to Whistler but are intrigued by our group and the books we choose.

All good reasons to Join WHISTLER READS!! Here's how.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for August '06 (Feature Articles)

For August we mind-travel to Mexico where Luis Alberto Urrea captures the landscape and soul of his native country through the voice of his young protagonist, Teresita, who has been gifted with the power to heal. The Hummingbird's Daughter, (Little, Brown 2006) won Urrea the Kiriyama Prize for fiction in 2006. The prize is awarded to voices from the Pacific Rim.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Francine Prose Writes to Readers and Aspiring Writers (Feature Articles)

One of my favorite writers and critics, Francine Prose, has published a new work directed toward just about anyone interested in books. It has the unwieldy title, Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write. (Harper Collins 2006) An excellent interview of the author appears in The Atlantic today.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for July '06 (Feature Articles)

Just in time for summer, Lauren Weisberger's bitchy New York fashion novel has been released as a feature film produced by Wendy Finerman (Forrest Gump) and the new movie tie-in copy of her first novel is now available.  It's the perfect beach read AND the perfect choice for our Wine & Book Club! Click on the book to link to purchase and join us. Find out more...

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

VidLit: The Future of Book Promotion is Here (Feature Articles)

Can anyone imagine a hit music single without its corresponding hit music video? Well, think what's in store, er...avail online for you in the book world now that VidLit, a company established by ten year film veteran Liz Dubelman, has changed the face of book marketing with her irreverent flash animated "trailers" for books. Case in point—VidLit's fun piece created for THE FUTURIST: A Novel by James P. Othmer.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Three Great Books from OTHER PRESS (Feature Articles)

Small independent publishing houses are a great place to shop for books that have been hand crafted from the selection processs through the editing, design and printing process. The one thing they lack is a big budget to market to you -- hense we at BookBuffet strive to bring you some of the gems available just a click away! Take a look at these three titles from Other Press: O My Darling by Amity Gaige, And the Word Was by Bruce Baumann and Hosack's Folly by Gillen D'Arcy Wood.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Back From the Congo (Feature Articles)

Many of you have been asking about my trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The purpose for the trip was to gather photos and essay material for a coffee table-style book on Katanga, the southern-most province of the DRC. Here are a few thoughts and accompanying photos. The photographer on the project was Roger Moore.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

2005 Summer Film Festivals (Feature Articles)

Escape the dog days of summer by catching a new Indi Film in one of the many Film Festivals going on around the globe. Variety has the best list of these we have found. No matter where you live or plan to travel, there's sure to be a festival nearby. Check out the ones we've profiled -- some you may never have heard of before.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Lesbian Lit: Brokeback For Babes (Feature Articles)

Male sexuality has been getting a lot of attention lately, so where does popular culture stand on female sexuality these days? Once upon a time, Anne Carson was an obscure academic with a small cult following. Eros the Bittersweet, the quirky academic treatise that marked her debut, was published by Princeton University Press in 1986.

Monday, June 05, 2006

An Inconvenient Truth: The Companion Book to Al Gore's Movie (Feature Articles)

When you live in a mountain community where our livlihood depends on the weather, people are especially sensitized to the issue of global warming. In the wake of Vice President Al Gore's 2000 election defeat, he dropped the campaign trail for an environmental crusade in an effort to halt the progress of global warming by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. [Meanwhile President Bush instituted a law against gay marriage—go figure.] If you don't see the movie, pick up the book, send copies to your friends with gas-guzzling cars, and make an effort yourself in at least one way - every week.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for June '06 (Feature Articles)

The Wine and Book Group pick for June combines literary biography with a travel, cultural, and historic perspective. Why not let Christopher Ondaatje (yes, Michael's brother) take you to Sri Lanka where his own roots derive, to read about another relative of a famous writer, Leonard Woolf, husband of Virgina. Woolf in Ceyon (HarperCollins 2006) It is emerging that Leonard is one of the literary giants of the twentieth century. 

Monday, May 29, 2006

Whistler Reads: THE GOLDEN SPRUCE (Feature Articles)

The Golden Spruce was three hundred years old—an arboreal miracle. In 1997 it was tragically cut down by an eco-terrorist, whose identity it emerged, was a handsome, increasingly disturbed professional forester by the name of Grant Hadwin. The tree was revered by Haida Indians, and had become a destination the world over for people fascinated by its uniqueness, its golden beauty. This is the story of a man, a tree, and the forest industry that was the economic backbone of the Pacific Northwest -- a must read for anyone living in BC.

Come meet John Vaillant. June 7th at 7pm hosted in a beautiful Whistler view home.  Advance Ticket Purchase Required. Buy this book online or at Armchair Books in Whistler Village where Whistler Reads members receive 10% off. Join WR today [click on "Register" select "New member of existing group" type Whistler Reads in the Group name box] and be a part of Whistler's reading community - whether near or far!

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Annual Summer Dinner & Cookbook Meeting (Feature Articles)

Each May our book group selects a food themed book or a cookbook for our June dinner meeting before breaking for two months over the summer. With everyone's busy schedules we've relegated the cooking to the wonderful culinary experts at Barbara Joe's Cookbook store, who host us in the shop amidst book stacks and their custom demonstration kitchen. Check-out bookstore owner, Barbara's pick list.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for May '06 (Feature Articles)

May's book selection introduces us to Australia's author-equivalent of Barbara Kingsolver—Carrie Tiffany is a former park ranger and agricultural journalist who combines her two passions in this stunning debut novel set in the '30s in the Australian countryside. Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living (Scribner May 2006) has just been shortlisted for the Orange Prize, and we can't wait to introduce you to this author and her country's fabulous wines when you join Bookbuffet's Wine & Book Club Come and learn about wines as you read, courtesy of our partners at www.womenwine.com!

Friday, May 12, 2006

Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ Voted Best Work of American Fiction in Past 25 Years (Feature Articles)

At the beginning of this year, Sam Tanenhaus, editor of the New York Times Book Review sent a letter to a few hundred writers, editors, publishers, critics, editors, and others in the literary fold asking them to name "the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years."

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Little, Brown Denies 'Opal' Re-release (Feature Articles)

Readers who have a copy of Kaavya Viswanathan's How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life may want to hold on to it, as the book is now a collector's item. In a statement issued from Little Brown,the publisher finally said that it will not be releasing a revised edition of the book. And Viswanathan's second book in the two-title deal she signed with LB is dead too.—By Rachel Deahl, Reprinted from PW Daily Archives  

                                    

Thursday, May 04, 2006

John Kenneth Galbraith Dies at 97 (Feature Articles)

Celebrated Economist wrote over 40 books

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

PEN Awards Announced May 1 (Feature Articles)

                                                                                   Philip Roth has been awarded the $20,000 PEN/Nabokov award for "a living author whose body of work, either written in or translated into English, represents achievement in a variety of literary genres and is of enduring originality  and consummate craftsmanship."  Mr. Roth will receive his award May 22 at New York’s Lincoln Center.   

Thursday, April 27, 2006

English Majors Unite: Lynn Coady Feels Your Pain (Feature Articles)

Lynn Coady chronicles the plight of English majors everywhere through the eyes of nineteen-year-old aspiring poet Lawerence Campbell.  As poetry month draws to a close, Mean Boy eases the transition with quirky, entertaining account of the poetic community.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Computer Program Predicts Book Title Success (Feature Articles)

 How much does the title of a book contribute to its success? Authors and their book editors agree, it's the toughest part of the job. Computer science researcher, Dr. Atai Winkler at LuLu.com plugged in all the bestselling hard cover fiction titles off the New York Times bestseller list from the last 50 years and here is what he discovered: 

Monday, April 24, 2006

Copy This: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Reading (Feature Articles)

Growing up with Dyslexia and ADHD, Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea learned to become an expert at reading people.  He used these skills, 'learning opportunities' as he calls them, to build a $2 billion dollar empire.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

April is Poetry Month! My Own Poet: A Modern Case for Poetry (Feature Articles)

Donna Pierce, librarian-turned public administrator-turned diplomat reflects on poetry's place in the information age, and her personal relationship with a certain Mr. Pound.

Monday, April 10, 2006

April is Poetry Month: What's The Appeal? (Feature Articles)

Poetry is a dying art. At least for most people. Flame me with e-mails if I'm wrong, but it just seems to me that no one takes the time to write it, read it, much less memorize it and recite it. Of course this is preposterous!

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Author Podcast: Michela Wrong (Feature Articles)

Michela Wrong spent six years as a correspondent covering events in Africa for Reuters, the BBC, and The Financial Times  prior to writing her book, In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz. Printed by Harper Perennial and on its second edition, it is a history of the Congo and President Mobutu’s 32-year reign.  It has been heralded by The Economist as a book that is destined to become a classic.  She spoke with us from her home in London.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for April '06 (Feature Articles)

Sue Monk Kidd is the chosen author for April's Wine and Book Group where we select a popular book group read and match delicious wines. The Mermaid Chair (Penguin Non-Classics March 2006) is Sue's follow-up novel to her bestselling first fiction, The Secret Life of Bees. The Mermaid Chair won the Quills Award 2005. Sue celebrates the feminine erotic in this transcendent story about a daughter who, upon returning home to help her mother, becomes sexually involved with a Benedictine monk. Filled with Sue's delicious use of metaphor, and mixing desire with the forbidden—you won't want to miss out.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Technology Corner: PayPal Goes Mobile (Feature Articles)

Online payment company PayPal is preparing to offer a service that will let consumers make purchases or money transfers using simple text messaging via mobile phones, the company said on Wednesday.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

The Parchment by Gerald T. McLaughlin: The Next Da Vinci Code? (Feature Articles)

Dan Brown's bestselling book, The Da Vinci Code has gone down in history as one of the most popular novels. Translated into 40 languages with over 40 million copies sold and garnering the author an annual income of $76 million dollars. But another book combining a plot to threaten the foundations of the church with stolen artifacts and Templars is out.  The Parchment (Lindisfarne Books) by Gerald T. McLaughlin. Lovers of The DaVinci Code should take a look.  

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Author Podcast: Margaret Atwood (Feature Articles)

Bookbuffet recently had the pleasure of speaking with Margaret Atwood.  Ms. Atwood is one of today’s most important writers.  She has established herself as a prolific poet, novelist, literary critic, proto-feminist, and political activist.  She is hailed as one of Canada’s most eminent writers and has been honored throughout her career both nationally and internationally.  Atwood, through her perfuse writings, critiques, and activism has ultimately contributed to the growth of women’s writing and to the established legitimacy of Canadian literature.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Kafka: The Nexus Between Art and Neurosis (Feature Articles)

Eighty years after his death in 1924, Kafka remains one of the most intriguing figures in the history of world literature. Reiner Stach has worked ten years to create the first of three volumes that will become the definitive biography, an essential reference, of Franz Kafka. Kafka: The Decisive Years, (Harcourt 2006)

Monday, March 06, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for March '06 (Feature Articles)

Book groups who have been meeting for a few years will all have read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (Vintage) when it first became available in January 1999. But for those of you who are just starting out, this book remains forefront in our minds with the stunning adaptation to film that garnered Oscar awards for Best Art Direction, and Best Costume. Our partners at Women and Wine have matched delicious wines to sip and taste at your next book group meeting.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Author Podcast: Zoe Archer (Feature Articles)

Romance novel sales last year were an astounding 1.4 billion dollars. Statistics show romance readers are predominantly middle class, educated and married. BookBuffet was intrigued to speak with a talented new writer, Ami Silber who is an Iowa Writers' Workshop graduate who writes romance under the pseudonym Zoe Archer. Listen to the interview and discussion on the genre, her literary roots and of course her new book Lady X's Cowboy (Dorchester)

Saturday, February 18, 2006

2005 Whitbread Award Winner Announced (Feature Articles)

Biographer Hilary Spurling has won the prestigious 2005 Whitbread Book of the Year award for the second part of her masterful biography of Matisse, Matisse the Master (Hamish Hamilton), a work which took her 15 years to complete. The announcement was made last night at a star studded awards ceremony held at The Brewery in Central London.

Friday, February 17, 2006

Author Spotlight: Joy Kogawa (Feature Articles)

Canadian writer, poet, activist and social commentator, Joy Kogawa has become a voice for displaced persons.  Her first novel, Obasan tells the story of her childhood relocation from home to an internment camp, circa WWII. Rated as one of the important books of this generation, it has now been adapted into an opera called "Naomi's Road" that is generating interest, along with a movement to secure her childhood home as a monument and writer's retreat.

Friday, February 03, 2006

Lundin For Africa (Feature Articles)

Would you take a five week expedition across primitive roads through 10 African countries by motorbike? A team with three intrepid riders have done just that. 

The Lundin for Africa Foundation is committed to raising resources and support to improve the quality of life in Africa through grass roots projects involving orphanages, fresh water and sustainable community intiatives. Over $1.3M has come in so far.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for February '06 (Feature Articles)

For all of my adult reading life, I have been learning about South African politics and race relations through Nadine Gordimer's novels. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, she has been called the moral voice of her nation. Her latest novel, Get A Life (Farrar, Straus and Girioux) is our pick for this month's Book & Wine Club, where our partners at www.WomenWine.com match equally complex and evocative wines. Don't miss this opportunity to experience South Africa as it breathes and tastes today.

Friday, January 20, 2006

Author Podcast: Lori Lansens (Feature Articles)

Bookbuffet speaks with Lansens about her second novel, The Girls (Random House, 2005). Listen to the audio and follow along with the transcript. This is an author whose work you will want to follow.

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Thursday, January 12, 2006

BookBuffet Members' Recent Reading Lists (Feature Articles)

Many of you have asked what other book groups are reading. We queried the database for the latest entry on random book group archives and here is your answer. Please drop us a few lines about your group with a picture so we can share.

The Million Little Pieces Scandal (Feature Articles)

When the public is told a lie in the case of journalism, (Stephen Glass, former Associate Editor at The New Republic) it erodes our sense of trust in the media. When politicians lie, it can bring down a government; Watergate and now the Adscam for Canada's Liberal Government led by Prime Minister Paul Martin. But let's consider the implications of that little prefix, "non," as in fiction, as in A Million Little Pieces.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Wine & Book Group Pick for January '06 (Feature Articles)

Experience España this month as BookBuffet and our partners at Women & Wine http://www.WomenWine.com have selected the runaway European bestselling novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind Penguin (Non-Classics) for the January 'book and wine club' with three delicious wines at various price points, carefully researched and selected for you and your group. Read, taste, discuss and enjoy! January is a good month to join our group, order the book, and pick up some fabulous deals on wine (by the bottle or case) guaranteed to transport you on mental and sensual journey.  

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Win Books For Your Group (Feature Articles)

BookBuffet would like to learn more about you and your book group so that we can review books, write feature articles and engage authors that interest you—and offer tools that help your group. Take a moment to answer these questions, copy & paste into an email to us, and we'll enter you in a monthly draw to win review copies of books courtesy of Random House.

Interested in having your voice heard? Write a book review on the BB BLOG and you could become a regular BookBuffet reviewer!  

Thursday, January 05, 2006

First Literary Awards of 2006: The Whitbread (Feature Articles)

The Whitbread Group PLC announces the 2005 Awards at the beginning of January each New Year. Launched in 1971, there are 5 categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Childrens' Book.  

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Variety Has Its Eyes on the Oscars (Feature Articles)

Variety is a to-the-trade publication that keeps entertainment industry types up on all the latest news, deals and gossip. Here is what they have to say about the screenwriters up for potential Oscar recognition this March 5th 2006. Click on book images to purchase.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Technology Corner: 2005 Gift Giving (Feature Articles)

Each holiday season we review the latest technology gifts to thrill your loved one, and keep friends and family on top of the electronic media wave. There is something here  to please everyone.

Friday, December 16, 2005

Book Browsing in New York City (Feature Articles)

New York City in December at the height of the holiday season is a feast for the senses; the vibrancy, the crowded streets, the ornately decorated windows, and the unlimited gift choices make you want to say halleluiah to capitalism. BookBuffet traveled to NYC to book browse the epicenter of publishing and consumerism; here are a few of our finds.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

BookBuffet Holiday Pick List 2005 (Feature Articles)

Each year BookBuffet's editors and staff put their respective "best picks" together over a range of reading interests for your shopping convenience.  This year we divide the list into personality types: adventurers, history-buffs, naturalists, art-lovers, domestic divas, and so on.  Order all your books giftwrapped, receive free shipping, and the only chore left will be the joy of giving!

Wine & Book Group Pick for December '05 (Feature Articles)

This month Women&Wine and BookBuffet bring you a wonderful literary and enophilic match -- Jane Austen and passionate reds -- just in time for the busy holiday season. Something to think about and drink about; are we really that much different from Jane's crowd?

Saturday, November 26, 2005

2005 Yearend Review: Award Winners (Feature Articles)

This is the list of authors and books that won awards in 2005.   

   

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Jewish Lit: Rashi's Daughters by Maggi Anton (Feature Articles)

Rashi's Daughters (Banot Press 2005) is a new novel of historical fiction by Maggie Anton chronicling the lives and loves of Rashi's three daughters, Joheved, Miriam, and Rachel. The author took time to answer questions from Lisa Silverman, BookBuffet's Jewish Literature Editor, who is herself a book group leader, and Director of the Sinai Temple, Blumanthal Library in Los Angeles.

Friday, November 18, 2005

Romance Today - Or - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Harlequin (Feature Articles)

Maybe you’ve passed that section on the way to “Literature.”  You might even linger there for a moment, lured by the colorful, sometimes salacious, covers, and struggle with the temptation to pick up one of the books, skim the first pages.  But you don’t want to stay long—there’s serious literature waiting for you, and it might damage your bookstore cred to be spotted in the Romance section of your local B&N.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

2005 Giller Prize Winner is David Bergen for The Time In Between (Feature Articles)

The 2005 Scotiabank Giller Prize was awarded to David Bergen for his novel The Time In Between (McLelland and Sterwart) a luminious story alternately told by Charles Boatman and his daughter Ava, about their separate journies to Vietnam from the Pacific Northwest; one to come to terms with post war hauntings from military experience; the other to reconsile the shadow cast over her upbringing by her father's past.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

BookBuffet Author Event: A Yoga-Dharma Retreat (Feature Articles)

Fall is the perfect time to realign your fitness and diet regime into a contemplative mind-body balance. Los Angeles author, yoga instructor and dharma teacher Arthur Jeon, is coming to Whistler, BC to lead a Yoga-Dharma Retreat. Sponsored by Solarice Wellness Centre + Spa, Lululemon Athletica, Le Chamois Hotel, BookBuffet and Random House Canada. November 18-20 More details...

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Author Podcast: Damian McNicholl (Feature Articles)

Damian McNicholl's first novel, A Son Called Gabriel (CDS Books) is a poignant story of a young boys' ambiguous sexual awakening in the backdrop of Northern Ireland's turbulent civil rights struggle of the '60s and '70s. It is a must-read for: every parent about to raise teenagers; every educator, councilor or psychologist; every minister or priest—indeed anyone seeking to be reminded of the importance of individualism.

Monday, October 24, 2005

The Little Prince Adapted for Opera by Rachel Portman (Feature Articles)

The New York City Opera is staging Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's wonderful childhood novel, The Little Prince at the New York Theatre, 20 Lincoln Center for eight performances only November 12th-Nov 20th. This is one of my favorite all-time children's stories adapted by Rachel Portman, (The Cider House Rules, Emma.) It is sure to please.  Learn more about the talent behind this event.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Technology Corner: Throwing the Book at Google (Feature Articles)

the massively successful search engine that has become a household name and appears in dictionaries as both a verb and a noun, has been pushing the buttons of publishers and writers in their quest to digitize everything in print libraries. It’s an interesting dilemma and one that readers, who are the ultimate consumers and beneficiaries, are watching with close attention. Does Google have the right to digitize all the books and journal in libraries?

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Meeting Canada's Doyenne: Margaret Atwood (Feature Articles)

Not to be discouraged by the blue-rinse and scarf-set of women populating the Vancouver Chan Centre, I sip a glass of wine and browse the Vancouver Writers Festival brochure in the lobby before taking my seat in anticipation of meeting Canada's doyenne writer, Margaret Atwood. Vancouver has arrived with a line-up of front-list authors that any self-respecting festival would be proud of.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

John Banville Wins 2005 Man Booker Prize (Feature Articles)

Irish-born writer John Banville was named winner of the 37th Man Booker Prize for his novel, The Sea published by Picador. He takes home £50,000. If you read only one prize-winner this fall -- let it be Banville.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Author Podcast: Susan Orlean (Feature Articles)

 Susan Orlean is a staff writer for The New Yorker. Her style of journalism is among some of the best prose written in the country today by a new breed of journalists. Author of five books, three of which are compilations of her collected articles, her book, The Orchid Thief  (Ballantine Books 2000) about an environmental controversy in the protected swamps of Florida inspired the film Adaptation.  BookBuffet caught up with this intrepid travelor, dog lover, and new mother to talk about  her writing.

Monday, September 26, 2005

Author Spotlight: Salman Rushdie (Feature Articles)

When Salman Rushdie won the Booker Prize in 1981 for Midnight's Children he was additionally awarded the James Tait Black Prize as the  best Booker Prize winner over all the first 25 years. His latest novel, Shalimar the Clown: A Novel (Sept. Random House) is a powerful parable about the willing and unwilling subversion of multiculturalism, with perspectives on the greater issue of extremism and zealotism. Learn more about this important literary figure in BookBuffet's author spotlight.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

30th Toronto International Film Festival (Feature Articles)

The Toronto International Film Festival has become one of the premiere events for filmmakers the world over to introduce their work. In fact it has become the unofficial launchpad for the Oscars. There are 335 films from 53 countries. Of those 109 are world premiers and 67 directorial debuts. Sept 8-17th

Zadie Smith's Third Novel: On Beauty (Feature Articles)

Zadie Smith's first novel White Teeth (Penguin) set critics on the edge of their seats.  Now that she has reached the ripe age of thirty she is once again back on track and solidly claiming her place in the literary firmament with her third work, On Beauty: A Novel.(Penguin) This work gathers narrative steam from the clash between two radically different families, with a plot that explicitly parallels Howards End. (E.M. Forrester is a favorite)

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Books to Film: Fall ABC's - Austen, Balchin and Capote (Feature Articles)

Literary fans across the board are going to have enjoyable movie going experiences this season—with these ABC's adapted for film. Austen, Balchin and Capote. Get the book, see the movie, and discuss at one of your next book groups.

Friday, September 02, 2005

BookBuffet Attends John Irving (Feature Articles)

I am seated mid-sanctuary in a pew of the packed St. Andrews-Wesley Cathedral in Vancouver, awaiting the arrival of John Irving.  The vaulted room, with its stained glass windows and carved stone-relief, is a-buzz with the conversations of people waiting to see this American Literary Icon, and to hear him speak about his most autobiographical novel to date, Until I Find You (Random House 2005).

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Lone Star Literature (Feature Articles)

Hankering for a taste of Lone Star literature?   Jamie Engle is a book reviewer and freelance writer living in north Texas. Bookbuffet asked her to round-up important authors from her state. She recommends the following: Katherine Anne Porter, O. Henry, John Graves, James Michener, Larry McMurtry, Joe R. Lansdale, and Jane Roberts Woods. Sample them inside with this...

 

Friday, August 12, 2005

Author Podcast: Julian Fellowes (Feature Articles)

BookBuffet spoke with Oscar winning screenwriter, Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, Vanity Fair) about his first novel, SNOBS (St. Martin's Press 2005) his insights into British aristocracy with thoughts on America, his Director/Screenwriter debut with Separate Lies in theatres this October—and the next actor to possibly play James Bond. Read the transcript and listen along.

Friday, August 05, 2005

UK Book Groups Vote Their All-Time Favorites (Feature Articles)

The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver was voted the all-time reading group favorite, according to a poll organised by the Penguin/Orange Reading Group Prize in association with Ottaker's. Here is the rest of the top 20 list—see all your book group favorites. If you find you've missed reading any book on this list—include it on this year's reading agenda!  

Thursday, August 04, 2005

BookBuffet Casts Our Vote in the New Literary Award, (Feature Articles)

"Reed Business Information (RBI) and the NBC Universal Television Stations have joined forces to launch The Quill Awards, a new US book award that honors excellence in book publishing," and BookBuffet is on the Nominating Board.

Saturday, July 30, 2005

Hans Christian Andersen Exibit: British Library (Feature Articles)

If traveling to the UK this summer you must stop in at the British Library to see the comprehensive exhibit of one of the world's most beloved children's story tellers, Hans Christian Andersen. Born in Denmark in 1805 into poverty, he died in 1875 a wealthy man. This exhibit celebrates the bi-centenary of his birth. Preview the British Library's website and read about his life, his career, the people and influences that shaped his books.

Friday, July 29, 2005

Gender Trends in Bestselling Authors: Who's On Top? (Feature Articles)

Remember when female authors had to use a male pseudonym just to get published? Remember when all those "guy" titles dominated the NYT bestsellers lists back in the 60s? Well all that has changed as Chris Hastings, correspondent for the Telegraph in the UK reports—the girls are on top.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Other Press: BookBuffet's Review of Indi Publishing Houses (Feature Articles)

What do smaller pub houses offer that the conglomerates can't? A passion and philosophy about books that is as varied and interesting as their owners. BookBuffet scouted out these fascinating people at the BEA in New York and asked for book recommendations from ten of the most interesting indi publishing houses. We start our series here with Other Press.

Monday, July 18, 2005

BookBuffet Author Interviews Make It Onto iTunes and Podcaster.net (Feature Articles)

Calling All Authors.  BookBuffet has been doing author interviews since we launched this company.  But the advantages of today's technology is that we can now offer readers great listening opportunities to our author interviews.  RSS Feed and Podcasting, the audio corolary of simple syndication is now taking our interviews to millions of listeners via various podcasting aggregators in addition to our own website, where you can listen to mp3 files in each article. List of BookBuffet Author Interviews

Would You Like To Have Your Book Group On TV? (Feature Articles)

If you are in a lively book group who enjoys reading non-fiction, history, biography and discussing current events, you may be selected as one of four groups by C-SPAN2's Book TV for filming and airing this fall. Spread the word to your book group friends to sign-up with www.BookBuffet.com as we prepare to select groups from our membership at the invitation of Book TV for this exciting opportunity!

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Author Podcast: Jack El-Hai (Feature Articles)

Jack El-Hai, prize winning medical journalist and author of The Lobotomist (Wiley 2005) spoke with BookBuffet about the life and times of Dr.Walter J. Freeman—the man who helped pioneer and promote lobotomy as a revolutionary form of psychosurgery in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses. What went wrong? Why did this procedure become synonymus with the kind of repugnance and abuse we ascribe to it today?  What can people, the medical community and healthcare policymakers learn from the unique life and career of Walter Freeman? Listen to the interview about The Lobotomist, and find out.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

Moderator Tips: How To Pick Books For Groups (Feature Articles)

Picking the right book for a particular group is a wonderful challenge.  The first consideration is to determine the group's reading goals. Subject matter is of course important, but there are other considerations such as the author's style, the complexity of the book's structure, language and more.

Friday, July 01, 2005

Book Group Dinner Meetings at Barbara Jo's (Feature Articles)

Before breaking for July and August each summer our book group picks a cook book, divies up recipes, and meets for a sumptuous meal, great wine and conversation.  For the past three years running we have left all the work up to the good people at Barbara Jo's Books to Cooks—a cook book store slash demonstration kitchen that hosts events with food prepared by one of the shop's exquisite chefs. They instruct and serve dishes from our chosen book. This year's pick was Tarte Tatin and the menu was...

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Undressing Infidelity: Why More Women Are Cheating (Feature Articles)

 What's this? A new book that expresses something we've known all along; women are not the ones being abandoned by their husbands in marriages, but rather 66% of divorces are initiated by wives.  It appears that the younger, blonder temptress is not to blame for it all.  "This is refreshing news," quotes Atlantic Monthly reviewer Cristina Nehring in her review of Diane Shader Smith's book. Why do women leave?

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Round-up Of Summer Reading Lists (Feature Articles)

Looking for something to read this summer?  See what these noted publications are recommending.

Friday, June 24, 2005

Musings Upon Return from BEA (Book Expo America) 2005 (Feature Articles)

BookExpo America is the largest annual event attended by book industry professionals from across the US and the world. This year's affair was in the Big Apple with attendance rivaling long established European Book Expos in Frankfurt and London. BEA is where booksellers, retailers, rights professionals, international publishing executives, librarians, educators, and anyone else involved in the exciting world of books meet. What goes on?

Friday, June 10, 2005

Amazon Enters the Audio Books Market: BookBuffet is There (Feature Articles)

Publisher's Weekly just announced that, "Amazon appears close to opening a new online store to sell digital downloads of spoken-word audio, a move the would put the company in competition with industry leader Audible." Why is this of interest to book groups?

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Take a Literary Voyage This Summer (Feature Articles)

No need to acquire a nautical wardrobe, get sea sick, master the bow line, or risk life and limb on the ocean blue.  These authors write so captivatingly your mental travels will suffice.  So grab a bottle of Bed Head Sea Mist hair spray (for that just-got-out-of-the-surf look) and tuck one of these books into your beach bag this summer for your own literary voyage.

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Summer Reading Ideas (Feature Articles)

As summer approaches, book groups are considering which meaty tombe—or long read they will tackle.  Some groups even opt to read an author's entire bibliography of works.  Others are happy with a selection from the classics or a new biography—books that take an extended time to plow thru. Here are a couple of ideas.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Author Podcast: Tracy Quan (Feature Articles)

Tracy Quan first entered onto my radar screen while I was researching Jared Diamond (Pulitzer Prize winner for, Guns, Germs and Steel) and his new book, Collapse.  There in the middle of an uber-geek website, between cognitive linguistics and intense scientific, technological and cultural conjecture was the short, alluring biography of author Tracy Quan. Her first novel Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl, (Three River Press, 2003) has been translated into more than six languages. Her personal essays and other writings have looked at adultery, identity politics, AIDS, virginity, prostitution, technology, and numerous topics from a unique perspective. These have appeared in South China Morning Post, The Asian Review of Books, The Globe and Mail, Los Angeles Times Book Review, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Der Tagesspiegel (Berlin), San Francisco Chronicle, Men's Health.

Tracy is a former sex-trade worker of ten years who crossed over into writing with her popular Sex series under the Health category of David Talbot's then ground-breaking website, Salon.com. That series grew to 55 episodes (still archived on salon) introducing Tracy's protagonist Nancy Chan, "Manhattan Call Girl of the Millennium".

Saturday, May 07, 2005

Books to Film: May & June (Feature Articles)

Is it a comic book, is it a film? Robert Rodriquez expertly directs this film noir adaptation of Frank Miller's dazzling black, white and color manga—graphic novel series, Sin City. Think Dick Tracy meets Pulp Fiction.

 

 

 

Sunday, May 01, 2005

Author Podcast: Sharon Boorstin (Feature Articles)

Sharon Boorstin author of Cookin' for Love: A Novel with Recipes; iUniverse (2005) is a pleasure to speak with for three reasons: she is a self-made woman grounded in the values of food, family and friendship, (not necessarily in that order) who writes humorously about issues germane to women in their 40’s and 50’s, and has accomplished her goals by embracing technology in a creative way that you will enjoy reading about. 

Sunday, April 24, 2005

For The Guys: Malcolm Gladwell as Hip Intellectual (Feature Articles)

If you're looking for a book you, your husband, boyfriend or co-worker might like, look no further than Malcolm Gladwell. The wunderkind writer for NewYorker magazine is influencing all the hip-intellectuals with his first two books... (photo by Brooke Williams)

  

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Words and Stories: Get Out and Hear Some (Feature Articles)

Creative risk is an exhilarating experience both from the creator’s and audience point of view.  Organizer Michel Beaudry experienced both sides in the recent Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival event as organizer and presenter of Words and Stories.  BookBuffet attended the event, a collective tribute by five varied artists whose riffs on a mountain theme delivered unique perspectives and performances. Read about TWSSF and then check the spoken word events in your neighborhood, a refreshing way to connect to words. 

Monday, April 18, 2005

Shortlist for the Orange Prize Announced: 3 Brits & 3 Americans (Feature Articles)

 Each year I relish the announcement of the shortlist for the Orange Prize. I've read almost all of the previous winners and can tell you that they have each of them been excellent. Check-out the list announced today. 

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Canada's AdScam Blown Open Thru The Power of Blogs (Feature Articles)

Canada’s Sponsorship Scandal, alternatively known as AdScam or Canadagate, has been fascinating to watch from a citizen’s rights and media perspective. It is making history in Canada because Bloggers, and those who frequent their sites, have been the driving force accessing and disseminating information traditional print media has not been able to convey. Find out more about the justice system in Canada, ownership of the media, and the best books on ethics.

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Moderator Tips: How Important Is It To Like The Book? (Feature Articles)

Every moderator or book group leader hears a call to action when the first comment out of a group member is, "I didn't like this book." Rachel Jacobsohn has been leading groups for over 30 years.  Here are her thoughts on this crucial topic, in our ongoing BookBuffet series of book group leader tips.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

New Website Directed at BlacksandBooks.com (Feature Articles)

BlacksandBooks.com is a new literary website launched Feb. 1, 2005 that offers news on African American authors, publishers and booksellers—one of the leading growth opportunity markets. Founder Ken Smikle said, "We have long recongnized the need for more trade information about African-Americans' rising profile in book publishing - not just as authors, but as publishing professionals, booksellers, agents and consumers."

Thursday, March 31, 2005

You Can Judge These Books By Their Covers (Feature Articles)

I’ll admit I’ve always been guilty of ignoring the maxim and picking up books whose creative trade paper covers intrigue me. My theory is: creative on the outside, creative on the inside. In the case of anything published by McSweeny’s, the theory holds true.  

Monday, March 14, 2005

BookBuffet Members' Recent Reading Lists (Feature Articles)

Many of you have asked what other book groups are reading. We queried the database for the latest entry on random book group archives and here is your answer. Please drop us a few lines about your group with a picture so we can share.

Technology Corner: What Browser Are You Using? (Feature Articles)

Do you use Netscape? Internet Explorer? Safari? Mozilla? Firefox? Each browser has its own idiosyncrasies and you should know which ones are safe!  All browsers are not created equal!  And worse, some are dang dangerous.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Letters from Beirut (Feature Articles)

  Beirut—the pearl of the Middle East

My former room-mate at the Stanford University Pulishing Course is a charming, intelligent young woman from Beirut.  She attended graduate school at NYU and spent her youth in Paris during her country's civil war years in the 80's. Happy to be home in a thriving Beirut once more, we have been corresponding back and forth.  I want to share her e-mail and first hand account with you surrounding recent events in her country.  

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Reachoutandread.org: A National Literacy Program (Feature Articles)

Book group members are avid readers and often help their community libraries and schools by donating the books they've read. Perhaps your group is like mine and has been considering taking part in a philanthropic initiative to promote literacy?  www.reachoutandread.org may be just the right organization for you.

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Academy Awards 2005: BookBuffet’s Best Guess (Feature Articles)

BookBuffet lists the movies nominated this year that were adapted from books or available as original screenplays. We hope you will read the work that inspired the film. Click on titles or images for links to purchase.

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Chinese New Year 2005: The Year of the Rooster (Feature Articles)

Chinese New year is celebrated on the first day of the first moon of the lunar calendar, Feb. 9th, and lasts fifteen days. Celebrate by reading these outstanding Chinese authors whose work has won literary acclaim and spans stories set during the Cultural Revolution, Tianamen Square uprising and even a modern Chinese verson of The Bell Jar.

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

BookBuffet Welcomes Lisa Silverman: Jewish Literature Specialist (Feature Articles)

As a synagogue librarian and book group leader, I have enjoyed many excellent novels with Jewish themes. I will be glad to share them with you here at BookBuffet as my groups read and discuss them.

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Collapse: What Makes Jared Diamond Facsinating? (Feature Articles)

He is one of those rare breeds of men who reached the pinnacle of accomplishments in the academic, scientific, literary community...

Friday, January 21, 2005

The News From Paraguay: Lily Tuck's Epic Love-War Story Wins the 2004 National Book Award (Feature Articles)

It is Paris 1854 and Ella Lynch, a broke and beautiful courtesan, decides to take-up with the dashing and wealthy Francisco Solano—the future dictator of Paraguay—and move to his isolated country to become his mistress. Taking with her a servant, her possessions and a horse called Mathilde, she reports the news in letters back to Paris of her experiences in an exotic new world of isolation and adventure, power and wealth, fraught with harrowing challenges of war, disease, and her own spiral into her husband's cruel ambition.

Friday, January 14, 2005

California Literary Review: Irreverent, Insightful Reviews & Interviews (Feature Articles)

Check-out the latest addition to BookBuffet's LINKS & RESOURCES. We have just added The California Literary Review to the list of Book Review resources. The CLR was founded just one year ago by Paul Comstock, and already its collection of reviews, interviews, and essays offer great reading and book suggestions for book groups. Two essays attracted me...

Thursday, January 13, 2005

400th Anniversarry of Don Quixote (Feature Articles)

I read Don Quixote for the second time before interviewing [the latest most supreme translation by] Edith Grossman. As well, our whole family listened to the audio tape on a trip down the West coast from Vancouver to L.A., and I can tell you my teenage boys were in a trance the whole way.  If you haven't read it, now is your chance. "Falkner read it every year, former Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez peruses it daily.." Read more of this excellent Guardinan article Jan 13th, 2005

Monday, January 10, 2005

Book Browsing in Paris (Feature Articles)

I enjoy getting the Economist City Guides  in my email box and wanted to pass along a terrific book browsing tip for Paris. On the Left Bank, between the Quai d'Orsay and the Íle de la Cité  are antiquarian booksellers or bouquinistes—second hand book stores; what could be more romantic than walking along the Seine, reading French existentialists at an outdoor café while sipping hot thé, or better yet, a snifter of warm Congnac. 

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Books to Look For in 2005: From The Guardian Unlimited (Feature Articles)

What are the literary highlights of the next six months? The Guardian team of reviewers picks the best books, beginning with fiction and covering history, science, politics, philosophy, film and poetry

Kathryn Hughes, Martin Kettle, Josh Lacey, Steven Poole, Robert Potts and Tim Radford
Saturday January 1, 2005
The Guardian

Saturday, January 01, 2005

The Way The Crow Flies: A Book About Secrets and Lost Innocence (Feature Articles)

Ann-Marie MacDonald's second novel, The Way the Crow Flies tops bestseller charts in the paperback edition in her home country.  It portrays the Canadian Cold War perspective as experienced by the McCarthy family, who live in a small Ontario border town on an RCAF military base. 

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Sontag's Fight With Leukemia Ends (Feature Articles)

Susan Sontag, one of America's most influential intellectuals, author of 17 books translated into 32 languages and internationally renowned for her passionate activism in the cause of human rights, died today at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Monday, December 27, 2004

Can You Detect the Gender of an Author Through Their Work Alone? (Feature Articles)

Occassionally, just looking at or hearing a writer's name doesn't tell you whether they're a "he or she". According to a team of computer scientists, however, there are plenty of clues in the writing style.

Sunday, December 19, 2004

BookBuffet Holiday Pick List 2004 (Feature Articles)

Here's our highly subjective list of the best books for gift-giving this holiday season. Don't forget to sign yourself and your literary friends up for a BookBuffet Membership. (Click on book titles for quick link to purchase.)

Friday, November 26, 2004

Books to Film: November & December (Feature Articles)

With Thanksgiving weekend upon us, movie goers can start the season with some interesting titles, then pick up the book.  (click on book images for link to purchase)

Monday, November 15, 2004

Technology Corner: Search Engine Wars - Which Is Best? (Feature Articles)

BBC News Magazine just reported the results of its study of the Big 5 players: Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Ask Jeeves, or A9 and the verdict is...

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Alice Munro Wins 2004 Giller Prize (Feature Articles)

Just a few hours ago the winner was announced at the televised gala in Toronto for Canada's prestigious Giller Prize with $25,000 awarded  to Alice Munro age 73, for her latest short story collection, Runaway, Knopf (October 2004)

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Adventure Stories: New and Notable (Feature Articles)

With fall upon us and the holidays just around the corner, you may be pining for adventure. Whatever reasons keeping you from that end need not stop you from reading really good yarns of other people's adventures.  From 20,000 mile motorbike enduros to excellent anthologies of important adventure writing this past century, come explore with us... 

Thursday, November 04, 2004

The Da Vinci Code: Do Best Sellers Make Good Book Group Selections? (Feature Articles)

Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, Doubleday (March, 2003) has become a worldwide, bestselling phenomenon.  With more than 8 million copies in print—and still going strong, BookBuffet considers its popularity and what this means to book groups. 

Thursday, October 21, 2004

ManBooker Prize 2004: Alan Hollinghurst (Feature Articles)

Stymied on what to read? Challenge your book group and pick up this year's winner of the ManBooker Prize; it is sure to provide all the elements for a great discussion.

Inner City Teacher Writes Compelling Essay (Feature Articles)

To celebrate Powell's tenth anniversary, thousands of participants sent in their essay telling their "most memorable reading experience in the last ten years", to compete for the prize of a $1,000 spending spree on books. Read the compelling winning entry by a grade 11 inner city school teacher...

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Woman Wins 2004 Nobel Prize for Literature (Feature Articles)

Elfriede Jelinek, 57, is the tenth woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 103 years, which causes her "more despair than peace"; she is quoted from her home in Vienna. This reaction is in keeping with the author's reputation as a challenging and unique voice whose work characterizes women in post-war Europe.

  photo Noble Prize Website

Moderator Tips: Specific Ways to Begin Discussion (Feature Articles)

This "Moderator Tip” continues where the first ended—creating a ritual to honorably initiate your discussion.  Please email any comments or criticism, and suggestions for future columns. If you are a moderator, volunteer or professional, everyone at BookBuffet.com would benefit from your response.

Thursday, September 30, 2004

Graham Greene Centenary: October 2, 2004 (Feature Articles)

October 2, 2004, marks the centenary of one of the twentieth century’s most important literary figures: Graham Greene. In volume three, Norman Sherry brings this magisterial biography—twenty-seven years in the making—to a close. Catch up on all things Greene...

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

September is Book Festival Month (Feature Articles)

Check the BookBuffet Events Calendar for the many Book Festivals listed in Canada and the US. These events are wonderful opportunities to meet authors, promote literacy and make connections—perhaps sign up for a writing course in your area! 

Saturday, September 18, 2004

Book Browsing in Vienna and Budapest (Feature Articles)

The Viennese will tell you the best time to visit is in summer or at Christmas, but arriving in balmy September after the departure of crowds affords enjoyment of the outdoor café life, and is a wonderful way to meet locals and discuss books. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Penguin Promotes Its Non-Fiction Backlist (Feature Articles)

Fiction and non-fiction used to carry relatively equal weight with book sellers, publishers and the compilers of bestseller lists.   Until recently, fiction was the more dashing, glamorous side but non-fiction has started to produce stars which publishing companies are wanting to promote from their backlist.  

Monday, August 30, 2004

The Hottest Booker Prize Favorite Ever (Feature Articles)

Bookies for the Booker are laying an unprecidented, (this early) 3/1 odds on David Mitchel's novel, Cloud Atlas to win the prestigious ManBooker Award for 2004,

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Books to Film: August/September 2004 (Feature Articles)

This month promises interesting big screen viewing adapted from books by: William Makepeace Thackery's Vanity Fair;  Andre Dubus's We Don't Live Here Anymore;  The Motorcycle Diaries of Che Guevarra, and the art house triumph, Maria Full of Grace by Joshua Marsten.  .

Saturday, August 21, 2004

Australia Book Awards 2004 (Feature Articles)

The annual Australian Booksellers Association met in Canberra this week to honor the country's best books, best book sellers, best publishers among other categories.  Two books tied for Book of the Year:

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Author Podcast: Sheila Hayman (Feature Articles)

Sheila Hayman is a force to be reckoned with. In typical British selfdepricating fashion, she describes herself as "the daughter of a German  pure mathematician and a Yorkshire Quaker, who grew up awkwardly with stick-out ears and an appreciation for upper Mozart while [her] friends were still listening to the Monkeys”.

Friday, August 13, 2004

Julia Child Dies at 91 (Feature Articles)

Julia Child passed away in her sleep early today, in her Montecito assisted living center located just one hour north of Los Angeles on the California coast.  Credited with bringing French culinary technique and style to the average home-maker via her popular first cook books, she went on to host "Bon Appetit"  on television and her distinctive warbling voice made her a favored icon of the culinary world.

Thursday, August 12, 2004

So You Want to Be A Rock & Roll Star: Jacob Slichter's look at Celebrity and the Music Industry (Feature Articles)

If you are not inclined to air guitar while listening to your favorite rock riff, and playing in a Rock & Roll band was never your secret fantasy, then you must certainly go out and buy Jake Slichter's new book because you are missing-out on an interesting perspective of life.

Monday, August 09, 2004

Moderator Tips: Laying The Groundrules (Feature Articles)

It has always been my contention that book groups epitomize a contradiction in terms. Reading is a, if not the, most isolated activity. A book group weds that isolated activity with animated social discourse. One activity enriches the other; some say they are linked inextricably. Once we read a book that moves us, we want to find someone with whom we can discuss it. A book group fulfills that paradigm.

Sunday, August 08, 2004

The Stanford Professional Publishing Course: For Mid-Career Professionals (Feature Articles)

The Stanford Professional Publishing Course is an intensive nine-day program for mid-career professionals in book and magazine publishing, taught by luminaries in the U.S. publishing industry. Paula Shackleton, founder of BookBuffet attended the 2004 course held in July.

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Better Homes and Husbands, Valerie Ann Leff (Feature Articles)

Anyone who has played Monopoly knows the winning strategy is to own Park Avenue and Board Walk, load them up with hotels, and cleanout every player who inevitably lands there.  Valerie Ann Leff wants to clean readers out with her debut novel Better Homes and Husbands, (St. Martin’s Press 2004) a funny, insightful and compassionate book about the people who live and work at the glamorous Park Avenue address.

Monday, August 02, 2004

Why Read? Mark Edmundson's New Book (Feature Articles)

In this technological age, statistics show reading is down. What individual and societal effect does this fact imply? Why should we care? Beyond all we are taught in school, the morals we learn from family while growing up—only reading, Edmundson argues, can shape our thoughts, opinions, actions as adults.

Saturday, July 31, 2004

Public Radio: A Great Place to Discover Authors (Feature Articles)

Radio stations not only interview authors and keep audio files on their websites, but you can also view Spoken Word events. Check out these two superlative Public Radio Stations: BookWorm & Talking Volumes.

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Ahab's Wife: Helena Kriel's Adaptation of the Novel by Sena Jeta Naslund (Feature Articles)

Question:  How do you take an acclaimed 700 page novel and adapt it into a 120 page screenplay?

Sunday, July 04, 2004

Books to Film: July 2004 (Feature Articles)

Summer blockbusters are difficult to negotiate when you are a literary junky looking for interesting film adaptations.  But here are a few flicks coming down the pike this summer that will interest you.

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Saturday, June 26, 2004

ReJoyce: 100th Anniversary of Bloomsday (Feature Articles)

Centennial celebrations of James Joyce and his sprawling masterpiece Ulysses continue around the world all summer. Not near any of the happenings? We interviewed documentary filmmaker Fritzi Horstman on her work titled, Joyce to the World. Get inspired...

Saturday, June 19, 2004

NEA Brings the Largest Ever Tour of Shakespeare (Feature Articles)

The National Endowment for the Arts presents Shakespeare in American Communities, the largest tour of Shakespeare in American history. Shakespeare in American Communities will bring professional Shakespeare productions and related educational activities to more than 100 small and mid-sized communities in all 50 states.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Author Podcast: Arthur Jeon (Feature Articles)

What does a "Meat-eating, poker-playing, cigar-smoking, skirt-chasing, Ivy League graduate-come-screenwriter and yoga instructor have to do with it?" asks screenwriter and best friend Helena Kriel at the Santa Monica book launch of this author. Meet Arthur Jeon, in this month's author interview, discussing his new book, City Dharma: Keeping Your Cool in the Chaos, Random House (2004) his first in a two-book contract. Love and the Dharma is his next book.

 

Saturday, June 05, 2004

Book Browsing in New Orleans (Feature Articles)

 Arriving at New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport during a spring thunderstorm is quite an experience... 

Friday, May 14, 2004

Author Podcast: Edith Grossman (Translator Marquez, Llosa...) (Feature Articles)

May is International Translation Month and we caught up with Edith Grossman to talk about her latest work of translation, Don Quixote by Miquel Cervantes, (Harper Collins 2004)  NEW! Listen to the podcast interview.

Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Punctuation Primer as Best Seller (Feature Articles)

The British have invaded, again; this time with Lynne Truss's book Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. Gotham Books (2004)  A best-seller on the other side of the drink, we shall soon see if Americans can be similarly titilated, motivated, or collectively annoyed enough to pick up a copy and join in the fun.

Monday, April 26, 2004

24th Annual LA Times Book Awards (Feature Articles)

Highlighting the newspaper’s annual Festival of Books, the gala Book Prizes Awards ceremony honored ten authors for outstanding literary achievement.

Friday, April 23, 2004

On-Air & Online Book Clubs: April/May Book Picks (Feature Articles)

From Oprah to The Washington Post, here’s a roundup of the current title selections from the book clubs hosted by the national television shows, magazines, and major newspapers.

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Nebula Winners: The Best in SciFi & Fantasy (Feature Articles)

This past weekend over 1,000 writers of science fiction and fantasy voted on and presented the Nebula Awards.

Monday, April 19, 2004

Santa Monica CityWide Reads: Christopher Isherwood (Feature Articles)

Kudos to Susan Annett, of the Santa Monica Public Library in her latest staging of the Citywide Reads program highlighting the centenary tribute to Christopher Isherwood, author of The Berlin Stories. If you did not know of or have not yet taken advantage of this unique community literary opportunity, now is your chance. This month is a doozie. If you are not in the area, follow along online.  

Monday, April 12, 2004

People Seem Astonished We Can Read (Feature Articles)

Oprah may have gotten America reading, but across the pond in Britain it’s Richard & Judy behind the book reading—and buying—boom.

Friday, April 09, 2004

Pulitzer Prize Award Winners for 2004 (Feature Articles)

Joseph Pulitzer was a skillfull newspaper publisher whose first passion was to elevate the quality of journalism. On his death in 1904 he bequeathed $2 Million to establish a school or journalism at Columbia University. 

Sunday, April 04, 2004

Lost Art of the Seductress (Feature Articles)

Betsy Prioleau is author of The Seductress (Viking Press, 2003), about women who ravished the world through the lost art of love. Reviewed by David Bowmanat Salon.com.

Thursday, April 01, 2004

Author Spotlight: April is National Poetry Month (Feature Articles)

April is National Poetry Month: 30 days to celebrate poets and their craft. Consider a volume of poetry for your next book group selection.

Monday, March 29, 2004

Early Stories Wins the PEN/Faulkner Award (Feature Articles)

John Updike's short story collection The Early Stories has been selected for the 2004 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Pacific Rim Voices: Sa & Clendinnen (Feature Articles)

The 8th annual Kiriyama Prize was awarded to Shan Sa and Inga Clendinnen for literature promoting greater understanding of the Pacific Rim and South Asia people and culture.

Friday, March 19, 2004

The Longlist for the Orange Prize (Feature Articles)

The Orange Prize for women's fiction published its longlist on Tuesday. Check out its evolution from a British feminist ghetto toward Britain's most international literary award.

Saturday, March 06, 2004

Critics Pick "The Known World" (Feature Articles)

“It is difficult to read this book without wishing we could change history; it is impossible to finish it without full awareness of how futile is that dream.”

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Last Remaining Bloomsbury Group Member Dies (Feature Articles)

Diarist Frances Partridge, last survivor of the literary Bloomsbury Group's most famous love quadrangle, has died at 103.

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

February is Black History Month (Feature Articles)

"Many people describe Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' and the civil rights movement as the defining moment in their lives and the generation since has been shaped from it...

Friday, February 06, 2004

The Tax Man Cometh: Amazon To Comply (Feature Articles)

"Online retailer Amazon.com will begin complying with changes in the state's sales tax law beginning April 1, company officials told legislators Tuesday. [So says] Rich Prem, the company's head tax official..."

Monday, February 02, 2004

The 76th Academy Awards Ceremony: Feb 26th (Feature Articles)

BookBuffet's Books to Film feature for February is devoted to the Oscar list. Great films often derive from great books and successful screenplay adaptations. Have your read any of the original books these nominated films are based on? Chances are the ones you've read will affect your own voting at home when they announce "..and the winner goes to...!"

Sunday, February 01, 2004

Author Spotlight: James Joyce (Feature Articles)

James Joyce was born on February 2, 1882...

Wednesday, January 28, 2004

Whitbread Award Goes to the Dogs (Feature Articles)

Mark Haddon received the 2003 Whitbread Book of the Year award for his novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Who is Bob Silvers and What Did He Do for The New York Review of Books? (Feature Articles)

Writing an e-magazine of sorts I'm in awe of this man. Everyone has their hero, but I invite you to read excerpts of this article in The Guardian and see what I mean. 

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

Book Browsing in Whistler, BC (Feature Articles)

Whistler, British Columbia is a full-season destination resort offering unparalleled skiing and snowboarding in the winter—and opportunities for aprés reading. BookBuffet's Paula Shackleton spent her holiday doing both.

Thursday, January 15, 2004

Author Podcast: Sara Lewis (Feature Articles)

BookBuffet interviews Sara Lewis, author of The Best of Good, is a story of Tom Good, a talented musician struggling with depression and losing his grip on life, who upon discovering that a decade old romance produced a son he never knew existed, becomes motivated to transform himself into a person his son will want to love. Sara writes like a female Nick Hornby.

Wednesday, January 14, 2004

Not in a Book Group? Kick-off 2004 with This Feel Good Novel (Feature Articles)

Pick up a copy of The Best of Good and participate online in our moderator-led discussion. Host Leslye Lyons is sure to pique your interest as you read and examine this understated gem.

Thursday, January 01, 2004

Author Spotlight: Walter Mosley (Feature Articles)

Walter Mosley has much to celebrate in January: his birthday and the publication of his latest book, The Man in My Basement.