Priceless and Unique Books

by Emoke B’Racz

There are books that just cannot be repeated.

This has been the case with Categories on the Beauty of Physics, by Hilary Thayer Hamann, slices of art and physics and literature on shared pages filled with short bursts of fine and thought-provoking information. The editor was in our store many years ago, and since then I have treasured this collection and will continue to do so.

At times I am convinced that great writing happens or arrives from the space between contemplation, art and science. Or maybe I just resonate with writing that arrives from that direction.

I like art that allows the viewer to “fall into” a painting; that is how I came to follow Gerhard Richter’s art and later his writing in The Daily Practice of Painting. I wish MIT Press would reissue this book so everyone could have access to his landscapes, both inner and painted, in the answers he provides to questions posed by critics. The Q & A style of presentation feels truer, since spontaneity is priceless and unique.

Both titles above are out of print, but used copies are available through our Out-of-Print service at Malaprop’s or Downtown Books and News.

Now, there are also many exciting books that are readily available, and I need to bring your attention to a few authors in particular. While these aren’t new books, they stand the test of time (at least for me).

…drumroll please…

Ellen Gilchrist’s In the Land of Dreamy Dreams…. Leslie Marmon Silko’s Delicacy and Strength of Lace… Gretel Ehrlich’s Solace of Open Spaces and This Cold Heaven… I cannot imagine my life without the contribution these books have made to it. I owe to these books my appreciation of the beauty of wonderful writing that keeps me centered.

Hold Still and Deep South by Sally Mann are not only visual beauties but exemplify thought-provoking writing that makes me jump around in my brain for joy. Sylvia Plachy’s photo essay of Hungary, When Will It Be Tomorrow, invited me into a world where the camera’s captured moment allows me to travel through decades of memories both true and created.

This is truly one of the most important results of reading. Books can be fodder for a reader’s creativity…. that reader being you, me, and all of us. For independent booksellers this is the greatest gift we can give, and we gladly give it.

Speaking of giving… imagine this scene as it unfolded recently: as I am ordering books for next fall from university presses at our front counter, a smiling gentleman purchases a gift certificate for $100 and proceeds to give it to a family with five children in the store. The noise level from those children when they realize they are able to choose and take home a book is deafening in a joyful way! Now that is what I call a great day in our store.

Come see us, because you never know what good thing will come about.

Malaprop’s Recommended Reading

from Hannah Richardson

Getting my spring back in my step!

Growing up, March 1st always marked the first day of spring for me. It was the day spring sport practices began, daffodils were coming up in full force, and I no longer had the long-running “coat” battle with my mother each morning before school. Spring also marks the time where my reading becomes a porch activity and I look for books that match my spring yearning for growth, adventure and light, fresh foods.

That said, below are a few of my favorites:

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. It’s over 30 years old at this point, but this beautiful childhood classic still rings true. It tells the tale of Great Aunt Rumphius’ worldly adventures as she seeks to make the world a more beautiful place.

When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams. I read the last paragraph and was instantly hooked to this poetic meditation on her life, her family, and the natural world around her. She writes with such ease and grace that you are forced to slow down your reading and take each paragraph in like it’s its own reflection.

The Taco Cleanse. Soups, stews, dense breads and heavy desserts are what make my world go ‘round. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and so I reach for The Taco Cleanse: Part detox diet, part humorous food blog, part delicious taco extravaganza. Nothing will prepare your mind and body for summer romping like a few months of taco cleansing….and it even comes with a certificate of completion!

This Road I Ride by Juliana Buhring. While perhaps not a literary masterpiece, this all-inspiring true story speaks so honestly to my adventuring nature that I have come away believing that cycling solo around the world can’t really be THAT difficult, right?

What makes this truly remarkable is her sheer doggedness; especially given the fact that she’d never been a cyclist before this journey. This is perfect for those us who dream of big, athletic adventures but perhaps don’t have the time or tenacity to make it happen on our own. This book will be released in May, just in time for cycling season!

from Melanie McNair

Spring fever!

Love and turbulent romance, anyone? Garth Greenwell’s What Belongs to You and Matthew Green’s Home are now out in hardcover. Paul Lisicky’s The Narrow Door is a beautiful memoir of friendship, love, and loss. All of these great authors will come through town to read this spring, so check our events calendar so you don’t miss them.

For something a little different, check out Maggie Nelson’s genre bending The Red Parts, coming out in paperback in April. It is part memoir, part reporting on the trial of her aunt’s murder 35 years after the fact, and part cultural criticism.