This Week In Books
July 7, 2024 Edition
Your faithful TWIBers are at the beach this week. And–as anyone with children knows–such trips are not a “vacation” but rather a “family getaway.” Still, we have gotten away. It should also be noted that one of us is already sunburned. The other is in a boot due to a freak accident involving two dogs and one bicycle. All of which to say, we will be taking a week-long break from these missives while we soak up the sun and spy on what other people are reading. Already spotted: Remarkably Bright Creatures.
The Paddington Bear Experience: County Hall in Central London has put up a new exhibit: The Paddington Bear Experience. Paddington fans can now walk through parts of his story including darkest Peru, Paddington Station, a replica of the Brown’s house, and Mr Gruber’s antique store which doubles as a gift shop. The experience also includes a Marmalade Festival where you can even try Paddington’s favorite sandwich (spoiler alert, it’s Marmalade). The beloved bear was first conceived by author Michael Bond when he spotted a stuffed bear alone on a shelf at Christmas. And so the story of an orphaned bear from Peru who wormed his way into the Brown’s, and everyone else’s, hearts was born. The first book was published in 1958 to instant success. Fourteen chapter books, numerous picture books, two films, and one royal fan later, Paddington is a worldwide treasure.
Wall Street Snooty: Leave it to the Wall Street Journal to throw some shade on romantasy books. Romance has often been looked down on as an illegitimate genre, but now that it has added dragons, Fae, and magical abilities to the mix, the disdain seems to have gotten worse in some quarters. Maybe they’re threatened by female readers keeping the publishing industry alive, or maybe it’s all that cold hard cash that romantasy writers are raking in? Whatever the reason, isn’t it past time we stop looking down on other people’s reading choices? Don’t judge their romantasy books and they won’t judge your “story about a disillusioned white guy, wandering the world, misunderstood and coldly horny” Deal? (Bonus points if you can name the novel that quote came from).
The Queens Reading Room Festival: The New York Times took us on a photo tour of the second annual Queen’s Reading Room Festival. Camilla hosted the one-day festival at Hampton Court Palace on June 8th. More than 10,000 guests attended the event which included poetry readings, guest authors, and a celebration of all things Dickens. We lowly Americans missed all the revelry but at least we can enjoy this video of Miriam Margoyles as Mrs. Gamp from Martin Chuzzlewit.
Speaking of Dickens: Open Culture reported on the unearthing of the earliest known Charles Dickens film adaptation by the British Film Institute. Rediscovered over ten years ago, the black and white silent film depicts the death of Jo the crossing sweeper from Bleak House.
The Book Of Flaco: Flaco the owl stole the hearts of New Yorkers and maybe even the nation, when he “escaped” from the Central Park Zoo in 2023. In reality vandals slashed through his enclosure and he suddenly found himself alone in the urban jungle. However, he quickly enchanted locals as he learned to fly and hunt on his own, becoming a symbol of freedom and resilience. And despite the odds, he survived and made a life for himself, albeit a short one. A little more than a year after his escape he tragically died. Flaco fans will be pleased to learn that a new book chronicling the life of the famous bird will be released this fall. The Book Of Flaco, by David Gessner, will detail how he adapted to the wilds of Central Park.
Authors Against Book Bans: A new organization has sprung up to fight the onslaught of book bans nationwide. Authors Against Book Bans seeks to help authors get involved in local efforts as well as provide support and help for those involved in fighting bans.
Crossword Connections: Crossword Solver put out an illustrated list of the authors most mentioned in crossword puzzles. Beginning in 1913 and spanning till 2023 they counted the number of times an author was mentioned in a crossword clue from 62 major newspapers. And–of course– one name sits atop that list with an astounding 437 mentions. Can you guess who’s King of the Crossword? Some might think he’s old enough to be a Bag of Bones but his career has been a real Fairy Tale. No other author has given us Insomnia in quite the same way. It will be a real Misery when he stops writing because his books are always on our list of Needful Things. But go on, guess who earned the top spot. We won’t spoil it for you. ;-)
Catch Up with Ariel over at I’m So Glad You Asked where she is talking about finding your voice.
Marybeth is chronicling the path to her newest novel over at I Will Tell You This.
I’m reading “I Cheerfully Refuse”… I’ve read the first 2 chapters and I’m totally amazed. Can’t wait for tomorrow!