The Book Stacks

I’ve just heard that Madeleine L’Engle died this last Thursday at the age of 88. Check out the article here. I am in shock. How did I miss this news? I remember reading A Wrinkle in Time several times as a child. It was fabulous. The themes of uniformity vs. individuality and children saving a parent captured my imagination. Later, L’Engle was the Writer in Residence for (the now defunct) Victoria Magazine for a year. Her monthly essays reminded me how much I loved her writing.

We’ll miss you Madeleine.

Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

Long-time readers of this blog may have noticed that I have a habit of asking folks about their favorite book. I’m particularly fond of asking that question in interviews. So, when Gillian of Food History mentioned that she was going to be at an Australian SF Convention, and offered to ask one question of the assembled writer throng for me, you can imagine what I requested. And the best part? She got all sorts of answers for me, and typed them up with some commentary. All hail Gillian! I’m sure that you are curious to learn about the reading habits of Australian SF/Fantasy/Horror writers, so read on. (Note: many of the authors chose one favorite out of their several favorites, so while the book listed may not be their ultimate favorite it is still *a* favorite.) I can see that there is much reading in my future. By the way, Gillian’s current favorite book(s) are “Ursula Le Guin’s Always Coming Home or maybe the Ellen Kushner duology.”

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Food History, Always Coming Home, Ellen Kushner

Well, apparently I’ve been tagged in an ongoing meme, by JM over at Fiction Scribe. JM has asked that I post 7 random facts about me. In an effort to keep this post on-topic, I will attempt to make that 7 vaguely Book-related facts. Hmmmm. Well, here goes…

1. My Favorite book is Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key.

2. I have never yet finished writing a novel, but I have a couple that I’ve begun.

3. I write poetry. I even have one titled “Heirloom Tools.”

4. My first story was called “My Favorite Characters Meet.”

5. The single most driving factor behind my desire to be a published author is a guy in 7th Grade who said I would never be a writer. I plan to dedicate my first book to him.

6. I am a librarian, like my parents before me.

7. I have never read the Da Vinci Code.

Well, there you go, JM. I hope that’s what you were looking for.

I Tag:
The Folks at Book Chronicle
Catslyn at SCA Life
The Folks at Silliness.org
Juli over at Juli’s Cinema Spot
Mallory over at Mallory in the Middle
Bess from Tea and Complexity
DaveP at Pop Buzz UK

The rules:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 things as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.

Lloyd Alexander, the Newbery Award-winning author of the Prydain Chronicles and many other fabulous books, has been taken from us by cancer just weeks after his wife had also passed on. Mr. Alexander was 83. (You can find the New York Times article here.) And I was so very sad to discover this. Lloyd Alexander was one of my favorite authors growing up. I inhaled all of his books that I could get my hands on. I still have all of my copies of the Prydain Chronicles, worn with repeated reading. I have a copy of The Kestrel somewhere, but I can’t seem to locate it. (Book two of the Prydain Chronicles: The Black Cauldron was made into an animated film at one point. I still think that they should have made films out of the Westmark books.) Okay, so I didn’t buy a Prydain related web domain like one of my friends, but that doesn’t mean that I never dreamt of being Eilonwy or The Beggar Queen of Westmark. Lloyd Alexander had the ability to create a believable fantasy world that would suck you in and leave you scrambling for the next book. Speaking of which, I’m going to gather all of his books together and add them to my reading stack.

Another of the greats has left us. Who will give Gurgi his munchings and crunchings now?

Lloyd Alexander, Prydain Chronicles, The Kestrel, Westmark, Gurgi

Sidney Sheldon, author of many best-sellers and a few screenplays, died Tuesday of complications from pneumonia. Some of his better known screen plays are: “The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer” (for which he won an Academy Award), “Easter Parade,” and “The Patty Duke Show.” Apparently, he still holds the record for “the world’s most translated author,” as his 18 novels have been translated into 71 languages. His books often featured strong women as characters. Perhaps this is why they remain so popular? His legions of fans will miss him.

Source: Yahoo News

Sidney Sheldon

Richard Carlson, author of several books about stress-free living, died Wednesday on a flight to New York. Cause of death appears to be cardiac arrest. His newest book Don’t Get Scrooged: How to Thrive in a World Full of Obnoxious, Incompetent, Arrogant and Downright Mean-Spirited People came out last month, and he was travelling to promote it. Mr. Carlson was 45.

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

Richard Carlson, Don’t Get Scrooged

Happy Birthday to Sir Arthur C. Clarke, man of science and Science Fiction. He is eighty-nine today.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke

Bebe Moore Campbell, author of such books as Brothers and Sisters and Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine died Monday at the age of 56. She was diagnosed with brain cancer this past February. Campbell was a very versatile author whose work included plays, children’s books, and many articles.

Source: Yahoo News

Bebe Moore Campbell, Brothers and Sisters, Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine

Ronda over on Tiny Treasury has recently done a whole series of posts about different Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. I am particularly fond of Ramona the Pest. (I blame Ramona for my love of “boinging” long curly hair.) Which is your favorite Ramona book? Did you know that Beverly Cleary’s website contains a map of Ramona’s neighborhood? I also found Mrs. Cleary’s 1938 UC Berkely yearbook picture shown here. Not that long ago, Portland, Oregon (home of the real Klickitat Street) honored Mrs. Cleary with the construction of the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden which isn’t far away from Klickitat Street itself. By the way, Beverly Cleary was born in 1916 and she is still with us. So, check out Ronda’s reviews and enjoy Mrs. Cleary’s books while she is still around. I wonder what box my Ramona books are in?

Tiny Treasury, Ramona, Beverly Cleary, Ramona the Pest

I have a cute little pink book titled A is for Annabelle by Tasha Tudor in my personal collection. I think that it just might be the first book that I ever owned. The note on the inside cover says, “To: Elisa, Love Aunt Libby, Xmas 1973.” Aunt Libby was my Great-Grandmother’s older sister, and she died in 1974. The cover is different than the image I found, but I can’t seem to find a good copy of the old cover. Tasha Tudor uses a doll named Annabelle and her accessories to teach the ABCs. My favorite has always been, “X is the letter for which I’ve no rhyme.” The illustrations in this book, all of which were created by the author, are beautiful delicate images picturing young girls, Annabelle, and her things.

I was looking at my collection the other day, and I got to wondering about Tasha Tudor. Was she still around? Was she still working? Well, as it turns out, yes and yes. She is now 91 years old and still going strong. Her family has even set up a website - www.tashatudorandfamily.com. So there you are. For once, news of someone who is still around.

A is for Annabelle, Tasha Tudor

William Styron, author of such books as Sophie’s Choice and The Confessions of Nat Turner, for which he received the Pulitzer, died of pneumonia today in a Martha’s Vinyard hospital. He was 81, and had apparently been ill for some time.

Source: Yahoo News

William Styron, Sophie’s Choice, The Confessions of Nat Turner

Theodore Taylor, author of such classic books as The Cay, Teetoncey, and The Trouble with Tuck , died Thursday at the age of 85. Theodore Taylor came to my Elementary school once, and I remember reading his books and being a bit over-awed at seeing the person who had written them. I still have my copy of Teetoncey and Ben O’Neal.

For more information: The L. A. Times Article

Theodore Taylor, classic books, The Cay, Teetoncey, The Trouble with Tuck