Two exciting blog-related developments today. First, I redesigned the blog. I wish the middle column weren't this narrow, and that the pictures of the book covers were a little bigger, but unfortunately I can't control either one. In general, though, I am happy with it. If you have any comments on the redesign, please let me know! I can always go back to how it was.
Second, I was contacted by a reporter from the New York Times today who wanted to interview me about my book buying habits. It was really fun to talk to her about where I get book recommendations. I told her that I rely on print reviews, book blogs, and shelf-surfing at independent bookstores. I am not sure whether my answers were relevant for the article she is writing right now, but she said she'd stay in touch and that she might want to use me for another article in the future. Exciting!
Speaking of shelf-surfing at independent bookstores, I returned from the Outer Banks in North Carolina a few weeks ago, where I go every summer. I paid my annual visit to Island Bookstore, one of my all-time favorite bookstores, to check out its fiction section. Island Bookstore has about a tenth the number of fiction books as a typical Barnes & Noble, if that, but its selection is impeccable. I get excellent book suggestions every year.
Over the next few weeks, I will share the books I found at Island Bookstore that I noted for the blog. Here's today's Island Bookstore Pick: Miss Harper Can Do It, by Jane Berentson. From Amazon:
Third-grade teacher Annie Harper knew that boyfriend David would likely be deployed to Iraq. After all, he was in the military when they met in college. During the year he is gone, she decides, she will write a noble, uplifting, bestselling, Oprah-worthy memoir of sacrifice and long-distance love. As happens, life and literature do not live up to expectations. Annie pretty much goes on as before. Students and friends occupy her. She and David have an active email correspondence and far more phone calls than one would think possible. She volunteers at a senior center. She adopts a pet chicken, and Gus, her childhood best friend, plays a large role in her life. She has fun; she learns and grows. There is some real terror from the warfront, but their correspondence dwindles to the petty and humdrum, leading the reader to anticipate the outcome. With its irresistible protagonist, wacky footnote asides, and spot-on language, Berentson’s involving novel is funny, heartrending, and outstanding.
I can't find any reviews of Miss Harper Can Do It online. Amazon user reviews are mixed; Goodreads reviews are better. But I am intrigued by the description above. Has anyone read this yet?