11.04.09
Zingerman’s is the BOMB!
I just got done with a tour of the bakery at Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, prior to an author dinner with Paul Doiron, debut author of The Poacher’s Son, and all I can say is Zingerman’s rocks! I’ll have a picture-tour up soon – hopefully tomorrow – so you can all join in the awesomeness we have so close in Ann Arbor. 
Bookworms musings
First attempt at this blogging thing. Don’t really consider myself a luddite, but I am far from tech savvy.
Just finished the latest book by Alex Kava called “Black Friday“. I double checked my book diary and I hadn’t read anything by her before, and I am now wondering why? It appears as though her earlier books, specifically, “Exposed”. Have the same cast of characters in it. Yea! My favourite type of writer, one who carries her characters throughout a series of trials and tribulations. Makes me feel like I know them, though I won’t get all “Annie Wilkes/Misery” on anybody I promise.
Kava’s FBI profiler, Maggie O’Dell, the smitten Nick Morelli, and Maggie’s newly found stepbrother, Patrick are all on hand for this book which takes place on the most dreaded Friday of the year for those people who loathe shopping. The Friday after Thanksgiving, at the largest Mall in the United States, is where the action take place for most of the book.
It was a very quick read for me, kinda left me wanting for more. But she leaves one character in the book, and I have a feeling that Miss O’Dell will be chasing him for books to come. Since it was my first Kava read, and I enjoyed it so much, of course I found myself at Schuler’s again this afternoon looking for previous novels. I only found one. Not a problem, now I can have Pierre print me up a copy of the older ones on the new Espresso Book Machine. Sweet concept, if they can get it running, and keep it running.
Trying to decide which book to tackle next…
Krys the Bookworm.
One last Halloween gasp
I can’t bear the thought of it already being November – how does Halloween come and go so fast? Sigh. So here’s one last nod to Halloween before I retire it for another year.
At this time of year I always need a solid dose of vampire lore, and this time I was treated to a sharp revisiting of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, in the guise of a sequel — Dracula: The Un-Dead — composed by Stoker’s great grand-nephew Dacre Stoker, working with Ian Holt, a (or is it an?) historian and Dracula documentarian.
I approached this with some trepidation, knowing that sequels can be dodgy things, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The action takes place 25 years after the “brave band of heroes” triumphed over Dracula. Jonathan and Mina Harker have always lived with the mark of Dracula hanging over their heads, most powerfully through the fear that one day their son Quincey may be the target of revenge. When it becomes obvious that members of the band are being hunted, all of their history is unearthed, leaving them fighting for their lives and wondering if they did indeed kill Dracula after all.
While it’s definitely not life-changing, this novel is pure fun, with everything you’d hope for: interesting twists on the vampire legends, a rapid page-turning pace, and even romance that doesn’t descend into mere vamp-porn. Great fun for cold autumn nights!
–Whitney
10.29.09
Graveyard Party a Success! Cross your fingers and wish for Neil!
Much adored author Neil Gaiman (*swoon*) sent out a challenge to bookstores: Throw an amazing party to promote the Newberry Award-winning young adult title The Graveyard Book. Submit a short video of the event, and the store that Neil declares had the best party will win an Author Event with him! (*swoon again*)
Schuler of Okemos put together a kick-ass party and submitted it for review, so cross your fingers and wish for Neil! In the meantime, check out this video news story from Lansing Online News
!
10.28.09
The Silence is Broken By Moaning and Decay!
The blog has been a bit quiet the past week as I have been buried under the promo avalanche of great events that always happens in the autumn! Lest you think I’ve been purposefully neglectful, I upload pictures of the culmination of a month and a half of careful, creepy preparation. If you missed it, there’s still time to see the Zombie Darkroom Pin-up Photography of Jena McShane, which will be hanging through the end of the week.
I give you Schuler’s First Annual Zombie Night (at least the pictures I have so far)!
brains…Brains…BRAINS!!!
Schuler co-owner Cecile Fehsenfeld speaks on the literary Price Wars
Schuler co-owner Cecile Fehsenfeld was recently interviewed by Bill Castanier for the Lansing City Pulse in reference to the current big-box price war that has been heating up among Amazon.com, Walmart and Target. The article came out in today’s Pulse.
I hope more news outlets pick up this line of inquiry, because most people won’t consider the price war a bad thing – “Hey look – A Great Deal!” But there are heavy questions we have to ask ourselves whenever we chose price over quality, or discount over local good.
Schuler thanks you for supporting your local, independent booksellers!
Casualties of war
Independent book stores brace for retail giants’ online price cuts
10.21.09
Where all my hype psych-thrillers at?
I’ve been ripping through ghost stories the past couple of weeks, including the unsettling but engrossing debut novel The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom. (I’d really like someone else to read this and give me their opinion – I had trouble with disliking the main character, but it definitely had creeeepy moments.) It was worth checking out, but the problem is few modern-day tales of hauntings live up to the classic psychological supernatural thrillers like The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Maybe it’s simply that the clipped pace of modern life has left most people unable to invest the time in a psychological slow-burner, leaving us more attuned to the slam-bang-splatter cheap thrills of crappy horror films.
Well, Ms. Jackson writes in that measured, creepy cryptic style that creates a seeping terror, but it’s a layered fear. We fear the unknown without us, but we fear the unknown within us even more. Jackson’s novel walks the fine line of uncertainty: Need we fear what may be out there, or is the real horror within our own minds?
–Whitney
10.15.09
Mardi Link returns to Schuler of Okemos
Also blurbed in the Lansing City Pulse this week, Michigan true crime author Mardi Link will return to Schuler of Okemos for the Get A Clue Mystery reading group next week for an author talk and signing!
Join us at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, for a chilling evening as we welcome back Mardi to discuss her latest true-crime book Isadore’s Secret. Mardi once again delves into Michigan’s murderous past to shed light on the disappearance of a nun from the Northern Michigan town of Isadore over 100 years ago. The disappearance had shocked the small community, but it would be a decade before the discovery of her skeleton buried in the floor of the church would turn those most trusted into suspects and send the town into a panic as the murder remained unsolved.
Click through to check out the City Pulse piece:
10.14.09
2009 National Book Award Finalists include 2 Michigan authors!
The 2009 National Book Award finalists have been announced, and two Michigan authors are on the shortlist! Huge congratulations out to David Small, author/artist of the graphic novel memoir Stitches, and to Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of the short story collection American Salvage. Schuler of Lansing hosted an author event with Bonnie last spring, so we’ll be able to say “We knew her when…”!
We’ll also have an exclusive interview with her to post on the blog soon – stay tuned!
Click through to see the full list of nominees:
