Sugar Rush

http://www.booktopia.com.au/roald-dahl-set-of-7-books-going-solo-wonderful-story-of-henry-sugar-ah-sweet-mystery-of-life-switch-bitch-someone-like-you-my-uncle-oswald-boy/prod9780140927429.html

From pre-school through third grade, I attended a Montessori School. This education system is notoriously independent and  freewheeling. We learned the number system by playing with a tower of pink blocks, long division with beads and a chess-board; there were no desks, no set schedule and no homework— in fact, we often made up our own equations to bring home just for fun. Grammar was taught through a system of colors and shapes, while the big bang theory was explained using a frying pan and confetti. Sure, my school was different from most, but I am thankful for having had a flexible curriculum and resourceful teachers that embraced my creative spirit, encouraging me to learn for the sake of knowledge itself.

My second grade teacher, Mr. J, would often read stories to our class during the post-lunchtime slump (typically, this occurred just after we had fed Izzy, the pet snake, and just before we would head out to build the “Tiger Pit Fort” in the woods behind the playground). Sometimes, if we were lucky, Mr. J would play his guitar and sing songs that he wrote himself. But my favorite part of the day was story time, a custom we had never quite outgrown— even in second grade. Mr. J’s picks ranged from Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone— before it had been released in the United States— to The Hound of The Baskervilles and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. No matter what, he always made us look forward to this time of day.

One afternoon, he began Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. I was immediately engrossed in this tale, which was slightly chilling and deeply profound for an 8-year-old. In the story, Henry Sugar finds a report about mediation and extraordinary human capabilities. We get to explore this mystical world alongside Henry, learning about the dark side of human nature and the perils of greed and power. After he finished the story, I knew it’d be haunting me for quite some time… and it did do just that. I recall being in eighth grade, faintly remembering the tale of Henry Sugar, tracking it down at my school library during recess. Years later, I still often find myself thinking of Mr. J’s classroom and the wonderful book that discovered me there.

Pot Luck

Photo Courtesy of womenshealthmag.com

My roommate (C) and I have recently been cooking up a storm in our new apartment. Now I’m by no means the most practiced chef, and at times it can be a struggle finding the time between classes and meetings and studying to cook a simple meal. So we have allotted Thursday nights our evening to cook something grand and watch old episodes of Felicity, which has been working out splendidly. While most other nights we’ll make quick salads or a pot of cous-cous, it’s nice to plan one big recipe to make each week that goes the extra mile. So this is when the cookbooks really come in handy, particularly Everyday Italian by my girl Giada de Laurentiis. Nobody does Italian cuisine quite like her. This book is full of standard Italian recipes that every Pisan should have on hand (or know by heart), but since I’m not at that level of expertise just yet, Giada is my go-to goomba!

s.

It Has Arrived

Photo courtesy of uncrate.com

I recently finished True Prep, the sequel no prep ever anticipated or hoped for. Lisa Birnbach has teamed up with author/graphic-designer Chip Kidd to unleash an updated analysis of the WASP world— which, as true preppies know, has not actually changed all that much since The Official Preppy Handbook was published in 1980. While I am largely disappointed that this book does not nearly live up to the unabashed wit of its predecessor, I believe its appraisal of preppy culture in the 21^st century does bring up a number of key issues that beg to be addressed: facebook, Tory Burch and synthetic fibers (namely fleece).

Yes, the tongue-in-cheek humor of the first edition was daring, but preps around the world embraced it wholeheartedly. Anna, one of my best friends from back home, is a live embodiment of Birnbach’s first manuscript. She taught me (and the rest of my tree-hugging North Shore day school) several important lessons on how to be authentically preppy. I will always remember how she displayed the original handbook on her nightstand for immediate reference. Why? It was honest. Nothing but the cold, hard facts.

Photo courtesy of amazon.ca

This brings me to the slightly unpleasant part of my critique. I think that the newer version is more gossip than satire— boasting a new era of scandalous thirty-somethings who spend more time in rehab than grammar school— and this I do not applaud. What’s more, even the most respectable blogs (LP and Vineyard Vines, to name a few) are touting the novel like a prized puppy and praising Birnbach’s latest effort without an earnest evaluation of the text.

However, the most important thing I learned from Anna is how to carry myself amidst a controversy. I will remain effortlessly composed— making no fuss, lest it wrinkle my perfectly-pleated Nantucket Reds. I’ll smile with a casual tilt of the head and put the book right back on its shelf next to Old School and A Separate Peace. After all, a vertical stripe is always an admirable choice of cover art.

Long Live the Corner Bookstore

This summer I became acquainted with a lovely little bookstore around the corner from the design studio where I worked. Sometimes during my lunch break, I would sneak over to browse through titles displayed in the window. But one day when I had more leisure time, I dipped into unfamiliar territory way in the back aisles of the shop, far from the snappy hard-covers propped up in the bright and modern window display. I disappeared into a sea of second-hand books, cracked and withered and worn. Utopia, I swear.

My purchase that day included a biography of B.B. King, a book about Buddhist Meditation, and an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. The owner of the store, who had been sitting in the back corner the entire time I was browsing, struck up a conversation with me about some of the books I had in hand. When I told him that I was an English major, he explained how I was one of the few college students (out of several neighboring Universities) who ever came into to the store. Lou then reminisced about the earliest days of his shop, when he didn’t have to worry about competitors like Barnes & Noble or Kindle.

Photo courtesy of popmatters.com

There’s a Borders just around the corner from the school I attend, and conveniently, it’s one of the stops on our off-campus shuttle service. I’m sure this is the biggest reason why the myriad of students on the other side of town rarely take a gander in Lou’s little shop of wonders. Now before I go too far as to give you the impression of corporate giant bashing, I must admit that I’ve always loved the all-in-one café/bookstore. Some of my fondest memories as a tyke are of those Sundays with my dad at Barnes & Noble, with a hot chocolate in one hand and a giant stack of books in the other. I loved sneaking into the aisles of notebooks and book lamps and cardstock—which would probably explain why I decided to work at a stationery house this summer.

But when Lou told me his shop had all but surrendered to these large chains and their alluring web spaces, I did feel some resentment. I felt badly that this man and his wonderful store were at a disadvantage because of a commercial powerhouse down the road that bottles up the magic of small stores like his and attempts to sell it in mass quantity.

I’m not really sure where I’m going with this one, because I’ve always thought all bookstores should be created equal… and the large, familiar chains will always have a special place in my heart. But I guess the conversation just made me more mindful about the dilemma faced by Lou and many other Mom & Pop’s stores out there. While I’m sure I’ll return to Borders and Amazon.com, I think it’s important to cherish the lovely little gems standing in their shadows and show our loyalty to the little guys from time to time.

A San Francisco Spectrum

Photo courtesy of http://www.superherodesigns.com/journal/

I’m a little bit of a nerd in everyday life, but a downright geek when it comes to organizing my bookshelf. I’m not a perfectionist with most things; my room can get very messy, my desk is always cluttered and it’s hard for me to keep everything straight. But when it comes to books, it’s important to me that they look well kept. After all, a book collection is like a little window into someone’s life, so I think it’s only fair for houseguests to have an accurate representation of what I’m all about.

I always thought my bookshelf was pretty nice, but after reading an entry in the Superhero Design blog, I have been humbled. Adobe Books in San Francisco had their shelves reorganized by an artist named Chris Cobb and a group of 16 other individuals… into a legit RAINBOW! I kid you not.

Wish this bookshelf was mine.

❤ S.

A Table, a Chair, a Bowl of Fruit and a Violin

Decorating my new apartment got me thinking… who doesn’t love a good coffee table book?  A staple accessory for any living space, grown-up picture books can spruce up a room and entertain guests when you need just a few extra hostess-minutes. Here are a few of my picks:

The Book of Exploration (Ray Howgego)

The mother of encyclopedias, The Book of Exploration contains a sweeping collection of all the greatest voyages throughout history.

Alice in Wonderland Giant Poster and Coloring Book (Sir John Tenniel)

I found this one at urbanoutfitters.com, which is my preferred source for apartment swag. This book features vibrant images of the timeless classic and blank scenes that your guests can color in.

Photo courtesy of mypearsonstore.com

Roman Art (Nancy H. Ramage & Andrew Ramage)

I actually had to buy this as a textbook this year, but it doubles as a great piece for our living room table!

101 Places not to See Before You Die (Catherine Price)

Not as many pictures in this one, but it’s pretty funny and great for browsing. It will definitely spark some conversation among houseguests.

Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities (Frank Jacobs)

This book features some CRAZY maps, ie. a map of what the world would look like if land was sea and sea was land, a Sudanese city shaped like a Rhinoceros, a map of Ludacris’ hoes in different area codes… yes, he goes there. Jacobs also has a blog that you can check out here.

(s)

To Kindle or Not To Kindle

Photo courtesy of cnnmoney.com

It seems like everyone these days is all about the Kindle or the iPad. Despite the fact that both are way beyond my college budget, I’ve been doing some research in the hopes of deciding whether I’d benefit from one. At my school you can actually sign up to “test drive” a kindle, which sounds pretty neat (I would have done it already, but I’m afraid I may get too attached!)… I’ve been asking around and it seems like the people who own them wouldn’t have it any other way. As a college student, I could definitely see the advantages of ordering textbooks and downloading articles with a single system and only having to bring one item to class. I also travel a ton, so it’d be nice to have a collection of books with me on the road. Still, I don’t think I could get used to reading books on a screen. I guess I haven’t made up my mind yet… any advice?

s.