Read To Relax

Fact: Reading for just six minutes can help reduce your stress level by two thirds. 

New Books!

The Angel's Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafon: I loved loved loved Shadow of the Wind and Angel's Game is it's prequel. Can't wait!

Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson: I read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in college and really liked it. Treasure Island should be a fun summer read.

Letters With Character

A couple of days ago I discovered Letters With Character; a collection of letters written by actual people to fictional characters. It's a really creative idea for a blog and they cover a wide range of accomplished authors:

This site was suggested by the highly anticipated What He's Poised To Do (Harper Perennial, June 2010), a collection of short stories by Ben Greenman, an editor at the New Yorkerand the author of several acclaimed books of fiction. The stories in the collection use letters and letter-writing to investigate human connection and disconnection. This blog has a related mission, which is to allow readers to interact directly with literary characters. Letters should be addressed to your favorite characters and sent to LettersWithCharacter@gmail.com.

Letters can be funny, sad, digressive, trenchant, or trivial. We receive too many submissions to publish every one; we strive for a balance of genres and periods. Letters must be written by a real person and must also address an unreal one. There are no other requirements.

So, I was inspired to write hate mail to Catherine Linton (which I posted yesterday) and today it was chosen for Letters With Character! Is it super dorky that this kind of stuff excites me?

My favorite letter I have come across so far, written for Edna from The Awakening - one of my favorite books:

Dear Edna,
Swim. Swim like there is no ending. Is there an ending? Are you still swimming? I don't know because there aren't any more pages left. What are you doing now? Did you make it there? Did you come back? Did you drown? Drown. Don't drown. Keep going until you see the next page, please. And I'll meet you there.
Sincerely,
Shome Dasgupta

Book Blogger Hop

Thanks to Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books for hosting this book blogger hop! What a great way to connect with other book bloggers.

ABOUT THE HOP:

In the spirit of the Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

Join the hop at www.crazy-for-books.com

Congratulations, Jonathan Karp

"For Karp, it's like going to sleep running a classy bodega and waking up managing Bloomingdales."

-Robert Barnett on Jonathan Karp, who founded the imprint Twelve and now, will head Simon & Schuster beginning June 14th.

Top 20 Under 40

The New Yorker has named it's 20 Under 40 - it's favorite authors who are all under 40 years old. When they made the list 11 years ago it included relatively unknown authors at the time who grew to become renowned (Jhumpa Lahiri, Junot Diaz).

A couple of weeks ago I read that they were compiling the list again. Apparently the New Yorker's Editor-in-Chief was brushing his teeth one morning and thought to himself they hadn't done it in awhile, so why not?

Who made the list? I definitely called out one (Jonathan Safran Foer) but the others aren't as recognizable (save Nicole Krauss - Foer's wife!):

Chris Adrian, 39
Daniel Alarcón, 33
David Bezmozgis, 37
Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, 38
Joshua Ferris, 35
Nell Freudenberger, 35
Rivka Galchen, 34
Nicole Krauss, 35
Yiyun Li, 37
Dinaw Mengestu, 31
Philipp Meyer, 36
C. E. Morgan, 33
Téa Obreht, 24
Z Z Packer, 37
Karen Russell, 28
Salvatore Scibona, 35
Wells Tower, 37
Jonathan Safran Foer, 33
Chimamada Ngozi Adichie, 32

To my disappointment I have only read the work of one of these authors (and only recognize a handful of their names). Next time I'm at the bookstore I am going to pick up a few books written by them. So, my question to you is have you read anything by any of these authors (besides Krauss and Foer)? What was it? Did you like it?

I've also got to say that the youngest person on this list is my age. Kudos to her. Clearly she is on the right track. To make this kind of list at the age of 24 is quite the accomplishment.

A Letter to Catherine Linton

Dear Cathy,

You are really starting to annoy me with your whiny disposition and refusal to act like a sane, rational woman. At first it was entertaining but you're all grown up now. Eat something already and take a sleeping pill - you'll wake up feeling great. You're constructing your "illness" in your head because you are used to getting whatever you want. If you miss Heathcliff so much then do something about it! Mopping around your room isn't going to change a thing. Stop acting like a child.

Love,

Brenna

Chuck Bass as Heathcliff?

I'm about halfway through Wuthering Heights and it's fantastic so naturally I imdb'd the title. It looks like there have been a handful of movies made and there is one in production - starring Ed Westwick as Heathcliff!

I haven't watched Gossip Girl in ages but the characteristcs that embody Heathcliff (brooding, misunderstood, sinister yet sexy) are perfect for the face behind Chuck Bass.

I suppose my only gripe with Westwick is that he is a little young - maybe someone in their late 20's would have been more suitable. However Ed appeals to that demographic of young teenage girls who will hopefully come to fall in love with Wuthering Heights like I have.

"And, as to you Catherine, I have a mind to speak a few words now, while we are at it. I want you to be aware that I know you have treated me infernally - infernally! Do you hear? And if you flatter yourself that I don't perceive it, you are a fool; and if you think I can be consoled by sweet words, you are an idiot: and if you fancy I'll suffer unrevenged, I'll convince you of the contrary, in a very little while!" Muuuuahahahaha. Perfect for Ed!