The Buzz...About Books

Dispatches from the War on the Internet

When Wikipedia darkened it's site last week to protest the passing of laws that would have placed new restrictions on our use of the internet to share books, music and video, I was very glad to have just finished reading two excellent collections of essays by Cory Doctorow on the issues involved.

Cory Doctorow by Derryl Murphy

Doctorow was born in Toronto and has a reputation as an author of fine science-fiction and as a co-editor of the wildly popular blog Boing Boing. He has also been writing marvelously entertaining articles on the internet using down-to-earth, easy to understand language and examples from everyday life.

In his first collection -- Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future he writes in detail about the negative effects of Digital Rights Management (DRM) and other forms of control on the internet.

Doctorow's argument boils down to his belief that whatever we lose in the free exchange of information on the internet, we will gain in innovations which will enrich our culture in ways that cannot yet be predicted. Call him an optimist.

Doctorow has given away free downloads of all his novels from the beginning of his career. He has found that by making these copies free and encouraging his fans to share them online he has expanded the market for the printed editions of his books.

In his latest collection -- Context: Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in the 21st Century he writes about how these issues affect him as a creative writer and as a new parent.

He explains intellectual property, the "information economy", copyright enforcement and digital licensing in clearly understandable ways.

His warnings about the vulnerability of our passwords and our personal data online are frightening and sobering.

He explains why streaming will never replace the downloading of music online.

He also talks about how he manages the hundreds of non-spam emails he gets every day, and why he will never buy an iPad.

Together these books cover ten years of exciting, insightful coverage of these increasingly important issues in a highly readable way.

 

Wine & Murder

Ellen Crosby's The Merlot Murders beings late one night when Lucie Montgomery receives a phone call from her brother, Eli, telling her to come home immediately, because her father has been accidentally shot and killed. Lucie has been living in France for the past 2 years, recuperating from a car accident that has left her dependant on a cane.

Returning to her family's Virginia-based vineyard, Lucie discovers that much has changed since she left and that her father has actually died under suspicious circumstances. The family home is in shambles, Eli is desperate to sell the vineyard to escape their debts and her younger sister, Mia, is now dating Lucie's ex, who caused her debilitating accident.

Lucie's godfather, Fitz, warns Lucie that her father was murdered because he refused to sell the vineyard and gives her a mysterious key. The next day Fitz's body is discovered in one of the wine canisters. Lucie realizes family, friends and employees have suddenly become suspects. She also discovers that the murderer may be after her. While trying to get the harvest in and save the vineyard, Lucie must also try to unmask the killer before it's too late.

Also available in:

Large Print

Other books in this series include:

Celebrate Australia Day with Books!

January 26 is Australia Day, the official national day of Australia.  It commemorates the landing date of a British fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788.  While it would be great to go to Australia and celebrate there, this may not be an option for everyone.  Instead we can do the next best thing and read a book by an Australian author. 

 

The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
Temple became the first Australian to win a Gold Dagger Award with this novel about a homicide detective who uncovers family secrets, racism and police corruption while on a leave of absence.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
On the eve of World War I, a young girl is found abandoned on a ship to Australia.  As an adult, she returns to England to uncover her past.

The People's Train by Thomas Keneally
Artem Samsurov flees Tsarist Russia for Australia but soon discovers injustice and repression in his new country.

Ransom by David Malouf
Brisbane writer David Malouf's latest novel is a re-telling of Homer's Iliad.

The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan
In 1954, a Slovenian family settles in Tasmania but discovers that their new life will not erase memories of their old one.

The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
The fictionalized history of Australia's most legendary hero by two-time Booker Prize winner Carey.

The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy
Kennedy has been called the Antipodean Anne Tyler. In this debut novel, a father and his estranged daughter try to overcome their differences during a backpacking trip in the Tasmanian wilderness.

This is a very small selection of the Australian literature available at Toronto Public Library. Please ask the staff at your local branch for additional titles.

Etta James 1938-2012

I came into work today and was greeted with the sad news that Etta James has died at the age of 73.  I discovered her music when I was in high school and have remained a loyal fan ever since.

Her personal life was complicated.  She survived the music industry, drug addiction and a friendship with Keith Richards who remembers her fondly in his autobiography, Life.  She was born to a 14 year-old mother and an unknown father.  Her mother was often absent, leaving Etta with caregivers who discovered and exploited her singing talent.  When Etta was 14, promoter/songwriter Johnny Otis heard her sing and became her mentor.  Coincidentally Otis also died today at the age of 90.

If you would like to read more about Etta James, try her autobiography, Rage to Survive: the Etta James Story.  Toronto Public Library has a number of her CDs as well. 

 

 

 

Coffee Break? Enjoy These Books about Coffee

 

The coffee world is buzzing (possibly literally) with the news that Tim Horton's is enlarging its cups so that the largest will now hold 24 oz.  I'm passionate about coffee but this sounds like too much even for me. 

In any case, the extra caffeine should keep us awake long enough to read these books about coffee.

 

Fiction

The Coffee Trader by David Liss
In 1659 Amsterdam, struggling trader Miguel Lienzo decides to risk everything he values in order to corner the market on an astonishing new commodity--coffee.

A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez
This Kabul coffee shop offers refreshment and much more to a diverse clintele.

Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna
Set on a southern Indian coffee plantation at the turn of the twentieth century. Devi Nachimada is determined to win the heart of the daring tiger hunter Machu. When her plans fall apart, there are devastating consequences for the plantation.

Too Much Coffee Man's Amusing Musings: Notions, Insights, Ideas, Theories, Inklings, Realizations & Thoughts by Shannon Wheeler
No list of coffee-related books would be complete without Too Much Coffee Man--an over-caffeinated superhero who spends much of his time in coffee shops debating about the state of the world with his sidekick, Too Much Espresso Guy. (Graphic Novel)

The Various Flavours of Coffee by Anthony Capella
Finicky coffee-lover Robert Wallis is hired to help create a coffee bean reference manual in 19th century England.

Non-Fiction

The Art and Craft of Coffee: an Enthusiast's Guide to Selecting, Roasting and Brewing Exquisite Coffee by Kevin Sinnott
Sinnott aims to make everyone a coffee connoisseur with this fun and informative book.

Brewing Justice: Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability and Survival by Daniel Jaffee
This detailed study of Mexican coffee farmers investigates the social, financial and environmental impacts of the fair trade movement.

Coffee: a Dark History by Antony Wild
European coffee trader Wild traces the 500 year history of the industry, focusing particularly on the politics surrounding the production of coffee beans.

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
Between 1914-1931, Danish aristocrat Karen Blixen owned and operated a coffee plantation in Kenya. This memoir, published under her pen name, documents the many joys and heartbreaks of her time in Africa.

Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed our World by Mark Pendergrast
Pendergrast believes coffee is the second most important commodity in the world today. In this book he traces its history and influence.

Very Superstitious: Five Books for Friday the Thirteenth

Not my actual cat.

Back in 1972, Stevie Wonder assured the world that "superstition ain't the way".  Well, it's Friday the Thirteenth and some people do still hold on to ancient superstitions.  Anecdotal evidence from humane societies indicates that black cats and dogs are more difficult to place.  As for me, I abandoned this particular superstition after an adorable, homeless black kitten crossed my path one day and stayed for 18 years. 

Want to find out more about superstitions?  Here are some book suggestions:

13: The Story of the World's Most Popular Superstition by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer
So why is the number 13 considered unlucky anyway? Lachenmeyer takes an in depth look at the history of this and other superstitions.

Black Cats and Four-Leaf-Clovers: the Origins of Old Wives' Tales and Superstitions in Our Everyday Lives by Harry Oliver
This book examines the origins of number of commonly held superstitions.

Cassell's Dictionary of Superstitions by David Pickering
The book includes past and current superstitions as well as rhymes and chants.

Hockey Superstitions: From Playoff Beards to Crossed Sticks and Lucky Socks by Andrew Podnieks
Why do hockey players grow beards during the playoffs? Find out the answer to this and many other questions in this book.

Superstitions: 1,013 of the Wackiest, Myths, Fables and Old Wives Tales by Deborah Murrell
This reference guide provides the social origins of many of our common beliefs.

Here's my favourite song about superstitions: I Ain't Superstitious by Willie Dixon.  Enjoy! 

 

Charles Taylor Prize Shortlist

The Charles Taylor Prize was founded in 2000 to honour Canadian literary non-fiction.  The shortlist was announced on January 10.

This year's nominees are:

Afflictions and Departures: Essays by Madeline Sonik

The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: a Canadian Story of Resilience and Recovery by Andrew Westoll

Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe by Charlotte Gill

Into the Silence: the Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis

The Measure of a Man: the Story of a Father, a Son and a Suit by J.J. Lee

The winner will be announced on March 5, 2012.

Pemberley Revisited

Sequels to Jane Austen's novels are often greeted by fans of Austen's works with a variety of reactions, which can range anywhere from curiousity and enthusiasm through distain and resentment.  

P.D. James (or Baroness James of Holland Park, to use her official title) is one of a few well-known authors to publish a sequel of one of Jane Austen's books.  P.D. James is one of Britain's best known detective fiction authors.  She has published 19 novels, most of which feature policeman Adam Dalgliesh. 

In Death Comes to Pemberley, she continues the story of  Pride and Prejudice, revealing the six years between the end of that book and the beginning of this story in the Prologue.   I think Austen fans will particulary enjoy this part of the book, as it is quite "Austen-esque".

The story itself begins on the eve of Lady Anne's Ball, with Jane and Bingley, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Georgiana and the Bingleys' friend Henry Alveston all visiting Pemberley.  Just as they are about to retire for the night, a chaise arrives driven quite unexpectedly.   As the galloping horses come to a stop, a hysterical Lydia Wickham throws herself out of the carriage and screams that her husband Wickham has been murdered in the Pemberley woods.   Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Alveston soon set off, only to discover  Wickham over the body of Captain Denny crying "He's dead! Oh God, Denny's dead! He was my friend, my only friend, and I've killed him! I've killed him! It's my fault".  Has Wickham really killed Denny?

Publishing a sequel to such a enduring classic is not done lightly, paricularly by a well-respected author.  P.D. James discusses her motivation for writing this story in a interview with the Telegraph and in this video interview, which took place in her home in October 2011.

 

 

Quite a number of reviews of this book have been written, including in the New York Times and Globe and Mail.  The Toronto Public Library also has it available in audiobook format.

 

Related Posts:

• Spinning Austen or Jane has the last laugh
• Jane Austen Ruined My Life
• Mashed up Fiction and the "ick" factor

Millions and Millions of Cats

Millions of cats roam the Internet, from legendary kitties like Ceiling Cat, Keyboard Cat, and the touchingly rotund Maru to the captioned "kittehs" in I Can Haz Cheeseburger. 

In less than a decade, net cats have multiplied exponentially - with no sign of letting up. Chances are, you have at least one cat right now in your inbox or posted on Facebook. In particular, library staff have a symbiotic relationship with cats (if you don't own a cat when you are hired, you are issued one).

Some popular web cats are prowling their way into print. And we can help you find them.

Check out Cat vs Human by Yasmine Surovec which originated as a personal blog.  Simon's Cat and Simon's Cat: Beyond the Fence by Simon Tofield, a British animator, started as a delightful series of Internet shorts.

 The popularity of cat videos spawned "Catvertising," a brilliant parody by a Toronto-based ad agency:

  

Watch a real commerical that used cats to their ad-vantage.

Not all Internet cats are sweet like the Talking Cats.  Some are nightmarishly creative. Watch "Welcome to Kitty City" by the UK animator, Cyriak.

 

 Want more funny felines in print (beyond Garfield)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Fat Freddy's Cat Omnibus by Gilbert Shelton
• Great Comic Cats by Malcolm Whyte
• The New Yorker Book of All-New Cat Cartoons

 

Ceiling Cat is watching . . .