Today’s post comes from Ingrid, who works with the cashiers.
How many times have you finished a book and felt like it was the end of a relationship? That longing feeling lingered in your system and seeped into your subconscious. I know, I’ve been there. Now, there are books that are as memorable as last year’s Thanksgiving and THEN there are the ones that devour your senses and cut away at you like your first kiss. Here’s my list:
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
I know what you’re thinking, another biography about finding yourself? I assure you this one will put into perspective most things that lay dormant in most of us. Like the title suggests, the book is about a journey, both literal and spiritual. If you’re a wanderlust and have no funds to support such a habit this book will act a tour guide exploring northern Spain to Santiago de Compostella. I’m not the kind of person who easily falls for a writer but Coelho has left an imprint on my soul like no other. He’s also a love him or hate him type of writer SO if his tendencies to go into a realm that’s too confusing or just plain unreal/surreal gets in the way then he’s not for you. Otherwise indulge in the meditative pleasures of finding yourself within the pages of this book.
Chariots of the Gods by Erich von Däniken
Our world is so vast and so full of mysteries it’s easy to cast it aside as tumultuous and get caught in a bubble. Life, if we let it, can become monotonous, moving along to the same drum beat day after boring day. The very FACT that we’re here with blood running through our veins stirs my emotions to a point that can be clinically called Obsessive. Erich von Däniken came out with this masterpiece back in 1968. While Nixon declared his presidential candidacy and the US State Department announced the highest US casualties in the Vietnam War, Däniken introduced a hypothesis that declared with a vociferous voice that our civilization was indeed visited by what he refers to as “ancient astronauts”. Far out, right? But the evidence, THE EVIDENCE that lies in those pages is nothing short of incredible. Take a read for yourself and dare to question our existence!
Tiger Tiger by Margaux Fragoso
Sexual abuse is not an easy subject to tackle in any form; especially if the predator isn’t referred to as such and is instead humanized by its victim. This book is more of a long poem within a modern timeline. A prose tinged with perversion and innocence. My heart and respect go out to Mrs. Fragoso for not only having to re-live her situation by writing this memoir but for surviving it; for helping those who have been in similar circumstances and exposing herself indirectly without compromising her incredible gift as a writer. A bittersweet book that will haunt and inspire you well after you read it.
The Power of Kindness by Piero Ferrucci
It’s hard to imagine a compassionate world if we were to base it on current events. Personally, this book really made me question myself and my everyday actions towards the people I love and those I have yet to meet. The benefits of living a happy life go hand in hand with spiritual growth. Ferrucci doesn’t scold you into submission but instead takes a sincere and gentle approach into helping you realize how simple and beneficial it is to let kindness be your guide. Everyone can benefit from this book but remember to leave your EGO at the door.
Got any recommendations on books that changed your life? Let me know, I’m ALWAYS open to suggestions. It’s hard to stay in the know with so much literature and so little time…
-Ingrid
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Alright I know that the title makes me sound as if I’ve gone loco, but I do have a point. We all know the great advantages to buying locally. As Ruby has said in this very blog, it even goes as far as reducing your carbon footprint. Sounds like win, win, win all round. But there are even more advantages to buying local, locally. Alright that still doesn’t make sense. Perhaps I should try to explain with an example.
Andrea Lambert’s debut novel, Jet Set Desolate, follows Lena Cosentino through the disco underbelly of millennium-era San Francisco in a sexy, fast-paced read you’ll be too scared to put down. Leaving a trail of men (and the occasional woman) in her wake, Lena fights to keep her head above water amid a frenetic backdrop of wrenching pain and struggle barely masked by the twinkling lights of the disco ball. Although her life seems marked by excess, just a scratch beneath the surface reveals Lena barely holding it together as she attempts to keep her cruel sometimes-ex Jesse at bay while simultaneously managing her bipolar disorder, which is exacerbated by her growing cocaine addiction.
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Here’s a story about love and loss as only Chris Rashcka can tell it. Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy’s anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog. Raschka’s signature swirling, impressionistic illustrations and his affectionate story will particularly appeal to young dog lovers and children dealing with the loss of something special.
Endlessly surprising, this sly, sharp-edged narrative is the author at his very best, making readers laugh out loud at the most unexpected things in a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place where the past is present, the present is confusing, and the future is completely up in the air. Dead End in Norvelt is also a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Fiction title for 2011 and one of Horn Book’s Best Fiction Books of 2011.
Geisel Award: 
Caldecott Honor: 
Margaret works on call in the Customer Service department at the main store. She’s been working here for three years. Here are 25 things you don’t know about her:
Has no pronounced allergies or medical disabilities
Can gift wrap with her eyes closed (as long as it’s symmetrical)
Will cry without fail at the “Jurassic Park” episode of Futurama
I am Greek & Norwegian
I no longer have my picture taken, everyone feels so free to post on the internet!
My favorite snack is white popcorn with salt & butter & a side of Evian water
This is the time of year when thousands of tourists and football fans show up in Pasadena for the 