Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Love Your Local Bookstore: Faulkner House Books in New Orleans, LA



This is probably the most unique bookstore I've ever been to (if not ever, then a very long time). It is quintessential New Orleans and absolute gem. On top of incredible architecture, the book selection is amazing. They have everything from beautifully reprinted classics to great new authors, and everything in between. 

Below are pages from their website:

About Faulkner House Books


Established fifteen years ago on William Faulkner’s birthday, September 25, Faulkner House Books has been a full-service new and used book store serving the New Orleans, Louisiana, area and customers around the world.
Faulkner House Books: Exterior
Faulkner House Books
Faulkner House Books is located at 624 Pirate’s Alley in the heart of New Orleans’ beautiful and historic French Quarter, just off Jackson Square, behind the Cabildo and opposite St. Louis Cathedral’s rear garden.
Owned and operated by attorney Joseph J. DeSalvo Jr., Faulkner House Books is a sanctuary for fine literature and rare editions, including, of course, books by and about Mr. Faulkner. Frequently featured in the national news media, Faulkner House Books has been described by both collectors and writers as America’s most charming book store. Newcomers to the book store find the owner and managers knowledgeable, helpful, and hospitable.

Specialties

Interior of Faulkner House Books
Bookstore interior
In addition to William Faulkner, our specialties include Tennessee Williams, Walker Percy, Modern First Editions, Southern Americana with an emphasis on New Orleans and Louisiana-related titles, and Johnsoniana.
We welcome special requests and do custom searches. There are thousands of additional titles in our open shop and off-site warehouses that are not yet on this Web site. In addition, our dedicated staff members make several book-buying trips a year, in the United States and abroad.
Be sure to let us know about your special requests, and we will keep a sharp lookout for you!

A Literary Landmark


Faulkner House is a national literary landmark. The 27-year-old future Nobel Laureate William Faulkner rented rooms on the ground floor in 1925, the same space that houses the bookstore today. Faulkner arrived in New Orleans as an unsung poet and by the time he left for France a year later, he was well on his way to becoming America’s most famous novelist.
Faulkner Plaque
Plaque outside of bookstore
Mentored by his neighbor Sherwood Anderson, who convinced him to shift his focus from poetry to prose, he had written and published his first novel, Soldiers’ Pay, within a year of arriving. To support himself, he wrote a series of poetic sketches about New Orleans, which later were collected in New Orleans Sketches. Faulkner’s first work was published by a New Orleans journal, The Double Dealer, founded by a group of talented New Orleans poets in response to H. L. Mencken's description of New Orleans as a cultural wasteland.
The journal was active for several years and also published the early work of Hemingway, Dos Passos, Sherwood Anderson and other authors who later became famous. Faulkner sub-leased the ground floor from William Spratling, the famous artist, jewelry designer, and architect, who later went on to regenerate the silver industry in Mexico at Taxco. Spratling himself was leasing the whole house from a Creole family. While living on Pirate’s Alley, Faulkner and Spratling produced a book satirizing their friends, Sherwood Anderson And Other Famous Creoles. New Orleans also provided inspiration for the future novels MosquitoesThe Wild PalmsAbsalom! Absalom!, and Pylon.








I'M BACK!!!

I know it's been over a week since the last post and I'm sorry! Sometimes life just gets crazy! So get excited for some great posts coming your way starting tonight. The husband and I went to New Orleans this past weekend for a post-birthday getaway and had a blast. We literally ate all. day. long. But more importantly, we discovered an incredible bookstore! Any guesses?? (It will be posted tonight!)

image via

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Tasty Tuesday: KOMBUCHA!


Avery of Penguin Group provided me a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

The Short & Sweet of it: Kombucha has been around forever, but thanks to the wildly popular Kombucha Brooklyn (owned by the authors) it has recently become a serious food trend. Just like the title says, it really is the amazing probiotic tea that cleanses, heals, energizes, and detoxifies. 

A few years ago I decided to be extra healthy. At the time it meant that I would order sweetened green tea at Starbucks instead of a carmel light frappuccino. A huge decision, I know. But now my husband and I cook almost every meal and use primarily fresh ingredients. If it wasn't for delicious hamburgers (or hot dogs at Charger & Baylor games) and the occasional juicy steak I would definitely be a vegetarian. It's not that I don't like meat, I just LOVE veggies! So when I came across this book about a delicious and healthy drink, I knew I was in for a treat. 

This book has it ALL. Seriously. It starts by describing what kombucha actually is and how fermentation works. You also learn how kombucha came to be and how it spread thanks to kombuchasseurs (don't you just love that word?). The idea of brewing your own tasty kombucha may seem daunting- especially if you've ever watched your husband attempt to home brew his favorite IPA. But the authors explain everything and do a great job at simplifying the process and directions. They even include easy, healthy, and delicious recipes to transform you from a kombucha drinker to a kombucha eater! There are almost 70 pages of unique kombuca recipes that range from soup to apple pie. Did I mention the kombuca kocktails? They say you can detox while you retox! Best of all, this book is fun! Sometimes health or wellness books can be pretty dull. This book is definitely NOT one of those. The authors have great senses of humor that will keep you entertained the whole time! Now go get to brewing, join the 'buch revolution, and discover all the benefits for yourself! 



In NY? Visit Kombucha Brooklyn! You can also order online

Monday, December 9, 2013

Love Your Local Bookstore: Murder By The Book


Murder By The Book is one of the nation's oldest and largest mystery specialty bookstores, established in 1980 by Martha Farrington, and purchased by McKenna Jordan in 2009.  The store stocks over 25,000 books -- new & used, hardbacks & paperbacks, first editions, collectibles, gift items, mystery magazines, and more.  In 2011, we hosted over 200 of the hottest mystery, crime, and fantasy authors for book signing events.  We've had everyone from Dick Francis to P.D. James, Sue Grafton to Robert Crais, Michael Connelly to Patricia Cornwell, James Lee Burke to Daniel Silva.

Murder By The Book is located in Houston, Texas within five minutes of the Texas Medical Center & Rice University, and ten minutes from the Galleria.  Off U.S. 59, take the Greenbriar exit; head south on Greenbriar; one light from 59 is Bissonnet St; turn right on Bissonnet; we're ahead on the right (2342 Bissonnet), between Kirby and Greenbriar.  
For large events, additional street parking can be found on Morningside, and South Blvd.  Please do not park behind the store.  This area is for employees and authors. 
Store Hours:
Monday thru Saturday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
We stay open late on nights when we host author events, so feel free to give us a call to see if we'll be open after 6.   

Be sure to check out their upcoming events...
December:  Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. 



They have 24 of our favorite paperbacks on sale for 20% off, and are reviewing one a day on the website for Advent! Make sure to stop by!
(All information was taken from their website)

Support Murder by the Book!

Friday, December 6, 2013

The Book Gifting Guide: The Fabulous Financialist








 



 









 







Happy St. Nicholas Day!

St. Nicholas Day has always been one of my favorite days of the year. Christmas season is in full swing, and it's my birthday (AND my husband's birthday, crazy I know). Woohoo! I'm not quite finished with this book, but wanted to make sure I at least put it up on the blog today... review coming soon!

Baylor Press provided me a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.



Thursday, December 5, 2013

Brotherly Love

My incredibly talented younger brother, Levi Stack, recently wrote and self-published his first book. He is by far the most creative person I know and his writing shows it. I am so thankful that he gave me an inside look at how a book is compiled start to finish. He even let me do read-throughs of rough drafts and offer my opinion on the incredible illustration drafts for the cover art. Needless to say I enjoyed every minute! Levi's working on finishing Book #2 and I'm so excited to get to go through the process again! The Silent Deal also makes the perfect gift for the young adult in your life (or anyone who loves a good adventure and/or the Russian Empire). Note: The book gifting guide for the teenager is coming soon!


When Viktor and Romulus, two peasant boys, dig too deep into their town’s strange past, they awaken the wrath of a mysterious overlord. As the blood brothers struggle to survive, their search for answers takes them through gambling parlors, bare-knuckle boxing matches, and dark forests full of wild animals and men alike. But even with the help of their friends, can they escape the deathly experiments their foe is creating in Staryi Castle? Enter the bold lands of the Russian Empire where the colorful characters of The Card Game dwell, from the fortune-tellers and fire-jugglers of the Romani Gypsies, to the dangerous criminals that make up the Thieves World, the predecessor of the Russian Mafia. An explosive mixture of adventure and mystery, The Silent Deal is a young adult novel that will rip readers through the pages. A perilous journey awaits…



A look at the cover drafts by Owen William Weber...

 

 


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Lord of the Mai-Tais


It's a Tasty Tuesday thanks to Tequila Mockingbird, the amazing cocktail book for the literary lover! When I first laid eyes upon this clever creation I just couldn't resist. Besides the faithful margarita, I think the only cocktail I've ever made at home is an appletini (really crazy I know). But thanks to this little gem, I can find some inspiration from my favorite literary masterpieces, like The Sound and the Slurry, or The Last of the Mojitos. Whatever your poison, Tim Federle has you covered in the most delightful way possible.

BUY

Monday, December 2, 2013

Monday's Must Read: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Simon & Schuster provided me a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own (lucky you).


The Short & Sweet of it: This novel is a complete and utter delight. A highly sensible, socially awkward, and extremely lovable genetics professor is on a mission to find the perfect life partner. A hilarious journey ensues resulting in a love story of an unconventional type that I promise you've never read before. 

I don't even know where to start other than to say I LOVE THIS BOOK. (It's not every day I break out all caps, so you know it's kind of a big deal.) I've always been a sucker for a good love story, but they tend to all start running together. So when I met Professor Tillman and Rosie I think I let out a little squeal of excitement and many lols, obviously. 

Don Tillman might just be my favorite character of the year ever. Set in his rigid schedules with every minute accounted for, he decides that thanks to his newly acquired, short skirted housecleaner (cleaning takes up quite a bit of time each week) he has some extra time available to spend looking for a wife. With lofty standards and a penchant for effectiveness, he devises the Wife Project, a crafty questionnaire designed to weed out all the undesirables (smokers, late arrivers, vegetarians, etc.) Along the way he meets the quirky Rosie who is searching for her biological father. Between the Wife Project and the Father Project, Don's time is occupied in a way he never would have predicted, with a result he probably wouldn't have imagined possible. Could the charmingly neurotic Professor Don Tillman actually be capable of love?

You really should read this book. Since the holidays are coming up and you're going to be spending extended time with your families, there really is no better time than this to buy some new books to bury your nose in. It would also make a great gift for almost anyone on your list, especially someone slightly obsessed with the one and only Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Swoon


BUY