STACKED

books

Cities, Bicycles, and the Future of Getting Around

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I work for a very large library system. Sometimes, this is a curse – I’m subject to the whims of bureaucracy, I’m unable to enact a great deal of change without paperwork, I deal with disgruntled city workers on a regular basis, and oh, yes, there’s a lot of paperwork. But one of the advantages of this system has to be the amazing group of donors who support library programming – Library Foundation of Los Angeles. At Central Library, the Library Foundation holds a regular lecture series called ALOUD on subjects ranging from Neutra’s architecture to urban farming to poverty. The Library Foundation attracts fascinating authors to speak about their latest published works, and most of the programs are free. On occasion, ALOUD attracts some very big names – I’ve seen Steve Martin play the banjo and talk about his book Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life, Garrison Keillor will perform next week to promote his novel Pilgrims: A Wobegon Romance, and last night, I was able to attend a panel discussion featuring special guest, David Byrne. The lecture was called “Cities, Bicycles, and the Future of Getting Around.”

David Byrne, to promote his new book Bicycle Diaries, has been on a whirlwind tour of the United States, hitting many major metropolitan cities. In each panel discussion, he brings together a civic leader, an urban theorist, and a bicycle advocate. I had the pleasure to hear Michelle Mowery, Bicycle Coordinator for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Don Shoup, Professor of urban planning at UCLA (a “parking rock star”), and Jimmy Lizama of The Bicycle Kitchen as they joined David Byrne for a lively two hour discussion. Each speaker had fifteen minutes to give a presentation, then they all sat down for Q&A… that was supposed to last for 20 minutes, but ended up in the hour long territory.

David Byrne himself gave a really thoughtful speech – he talked a little bit about the freedom after he discovered cycling in an urban environment. He was living in Manhattan, and he found himself tired of relying on taxis or the train schedule. He found that when he rode his bike, he could easily hop from art gallery to a concert to a restaurant in much less time (and expense) than any other means of transportation. His presentation was particularly notable for the number of photos of different cities – both of urban spaces that worked with cycling (most notably in Europe and Asia) as well as places that weren’t conducive for bicycles – including a snapshot of an Austin road.

Donald Shoup added a more academic tone to the discussion; his book, The High Cost of Free Parking, details the amount of money (and time) spent looking for curbside parking spots in urban locales. A biking enthusiast himself, he also introduced the idea of the Bicycle Boulevard as a cheap way to encourage biking within Los Angeles. I’m a neophyte when it comes to new urban planning ideas, so I was particularly fascinated by his engaging presentation. Honestly, it makes me want to take his class at UCLA!

The bureaucrat, Michelle Mowery, was the real star of the show, though. Articulate and passionate, she obviously loves her job… and the world of cycling. Every Monday, she rides from Long Beach to her downtown Los Angeles office via the LA River Bikeway. Her presentation was on the shorter side, but almost every single question in the Q&A section was addressed to her. And boy, was she able to answer them. She was one of the architects of the new Los Angeles Bike plan, and she was able to refer to specific chapter and page numbers that dealt with the complaints of the attendees. She said that the plan was incomplete, but her office was really working hard to gather more funding and more importantly, more awareness for the issues at hand. Mowery was also able to outline clear and feasible ways to practically implement almost every single suggestion from the biking community. I came away from the presentation extremely impressed that cycling had such an advocate in the city government.

The final presenter, Jimmy Lizama, offered a grassroots perspective on cycling in Los Angeles. I liked his presentation style; instead of using a traditional PowerPoint, he used a series of photographs to illustrate a story about his girlfriend’s daily bike trip to the local elementary school with her son. Jimmy was able to illustrate both the joys and struggles of a typical Angeleno cyclist. And during the Q&A, he was able to offer more personal recollections to expand on theories presented by the other speakers.

I love the idea of using books as the basis for lectures such as these. Honestly, I have no real connection to the biking community here. I haven’t owned a bicycle since my father sold mine in a garage sale during my high school years. But I really enjoyed the community that the library brought together through this book-based discussion. I’ve added a couple of items to my growing to-read pile, plus I gained some insight into my neighborhood. Sometimes, reading can seem like an insular activity, but events like these can be found at local libraries all over the country… and they’re worth the trek. Or the bike ride.

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

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When this title showed up at work, my coworker and I talked about whether it was a graphic novel or teen fiction. After thinking it over and looking around a bit, I decided to buck the trend and put it with graphic novels. Now that I’ve read this one, I still don’t know. Perhaps I’m more confused now!

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan is a picture book for teens and adults (I don’t think it’s exclusively one or another, really!). More accurately, it’s a collection of short stories accompanied by detailed, fantastical art work. This is not my usual genre but I absolutely adored it.

This collection of short stories is bizarre yet familiar. As you read it, you are transported into an alternate reality that at the same time feels so normal or familiar. In the first story, a family’s international student decides to live in the kitchen cupboards during his stay and collects not the interesting and valuable pieces of the Australian culture, but instead the garbage and “throw away” pieces of life. At the end, he leaves his hosts a wonderful little surprise made with those assorted discards.

Another story — inspired by the cover pictured above — is about a deep sea diver in the old get up showing up in a family’s yard. Unsure what to do with this strange guests, the children deliver him to “Mrs. Bad News,” their neighbor who returns all of their lost toys to them broken. The images are beautiful and the story ends much differently than the children planned.

A couple other stories involve the discovery of hidden worlds within one’s own home and a story about what happens to the poems people write and never do anything with.

Each and every story is beautifully illustrated. This is a book that those who like fairy tales or fantasy, as well as short stories or graphic novels will love. It is part fiction and part graphic novel, as well as part book of art. Tan received a grant from his home country of Australia to complete it, and I think they were smart to let him develop such a unique book. This is a great one for an adult story time or for a family read. I am so eager to get my hands on Tan’s other book, The Arrival, because this one was just so darn good.

I think this is one of those books that proves literacy is so much more than the words on a page. Literacy is also visual, and without the visuals that Tan provides, this book wouldn’t be quite as fun. Although it’s a picture book, I don’t think this is the sort of book the younger crowd would “get” as well as teens and adults would simply because of the importance of the visuals to the stories and because of the sheer (wonderful) absurdity of some of the tales.

So, even if you’re not the traditional graphic novel aficionado, give this one a whirl. It might change your mind … or at least give you an appreciation for the fine art of balancing words and images to weave a set of fun and memorable stories.

“Fat” by Jennifer McLagan

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“For all the Jack Sprats out there – you’re wrong!”

This is the dedication for my new favorite cookbook, Fat by Jennifer McLagan. I’m not alone in loving this work; the James Beard Foundation gave the coveted “Cookbook of the Year” award to this title. More than a simple collection of recipes, McLagan included extensive food histories, nutritional information, world-wide food folklore, and step-by-step instruction on everything involving fat.

The book is divided into four different sections – butter (“Worth it”), pork fat (“The King”), poultry fat (“Versatile and good for you”), and beef and lamb fats (“Overlooked but tasty”). Each section has a 10 page spread giving an overview of that types of fat included within the chapter. For example, the beef and lamb fats chapter touches on suet, bone marrow, marbling, tallow, and dripping. An extensive introduction, bibliography, and index round out the structure of the book.

McLagan truly believes that one of the problems with the modern diet is its fear of fat. She starts developing this thesis in her dedication, expands on the sentiment within the introduction, and continues to discuss specifics within the beginning pages of each chapter. “Fat, we reasoned, was why we packed on the pounds and got ill, so we banned animal fat from our lives” (page 2). She makes a good point – as a whole, North Americans are still obese, unhealthy, obsessed with exercise… and eating less animal fat than ever before. The animal fat sources that she examines are rich in monounsaturated fats – different beasts than the hydrogenated and polyunsaturated fats found in an average American diet. McLagan not only looks at the nutritional benefits of eating more fat, she also examines the reasons why it’s so pleasureful. She includes many interesting “fat” quotes and phrases in the margins of the pages, reminding us how fat wasn’t always such a taboo thing to be called. I loved the variation of sources – Shakespeare sits next to German folklore next to Dorothy Hartley.

McLagan highlights many fascinating history tidbits about fat. Did you know that the Indian Mutiny of 1857 was, in part, due to a misunderstanding between Indian sepoys and the East India Company over the loading procedures of the Enfield rifle? The design required the sepoys to bite off the casing before pouring out the gunpowder, but the casings were said to be greased with lard (pork fat) or tallow (beef fat), distasteful to both Muslim and Hindi soldiers. Rebellion ensues, and the British government has to take over control of the subcontinent. Other interesting anecdotes include the origins of the name “Fat Man” for the second atomic bomb dropped on Japan, history of Bolladagur day in Iceland, and discussing the chemistry of the soap lady at the Mütter Museum.

But this is more than just a book that preaches at us – at its core, Fat is a cookbook. With its gorgeous photography, I wanted to eat everything on the pages, even if it was just a picture of lardo and persimmons. The endpapers are really a magnified picture of caul fat, delicately lacing the contents of the book. McLagan prefaces every recipe with great instructions and stories. And there are a lot of decadent recipes in here – Fat Fat-Cooked Fries, Sauteed Foie Gras with Gingered Vanilla Quince, Bone Marrow Crostini, Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Sage Butter, and a ridiculously mouth-watering Salted Caramel Sauce. Cooking with real fat sources doesn’t seem easy; many recipes require a great deal of preparation work, but McLagan assures us that the payoff is worth the effort.

Of course, there’s a waiting list a mile long for this book at the library, so I had to give up my copy too soon, well before I was able to cook any of the recipes for myself. But I’ve not so subtly hinted about my love for this book to my friends, plus I have a birthday coming up… One can only hope. I promise there will be a roast goose for any generous gift-givers in the future, though.

Summer readin’…had me a blast!

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One of my favorite things about summer is the reading. Although we can pick up a good romance or “beach read” any time, there’s nothing more enjoyable than reading a story set on the beach or on vacation during the summer. This year, far from the heat and humidity and all together “summer” setting of the last few of my summers, I appreciated them just a little bit more. Here are a handful of this summer’s top picks.

Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman was one of the first books I read this summer. Savannah is a true Carolina girl who would find nothing more enjoyable than to spend her summer working at the library and reading romance novels … until she meets Jackson, living near her for the summer. He’s her dream boy, though as readers we realize that far before she does.

Savannah’s mother is a controlling and unsympathetic one, though throughout the story we find the pieces about why she is that way; Jackson, being a gentleman, is careful to obey all of Savannah’s mothers rules. When Savannah continues to have bouts with terrible asthma, though, it seems that Jackson may be the person who can make that better. Of course, it can’t be that easy, and Jackson is pulled away from her at a critical time for family reasons. Will he be back? How will she go on and get better after these paralyzing attacks?

Breathing features a main character who is a combination of things that is just so rare in books: a smart girl … a smart SOUTHERN girl. I really appreciated that and appreciated more than Savannah is not bragging about it nor is she ashamed of it. She’s a real person. This book made use of southern dialect well without it being over done, even though there were particular phrases throughout that bothered me as a reader (“something fierce” was overused a bit). Herbsman definitely made a strong debut with this one!

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han will be a mega hit with Sarah Dessen fans — released May 2009, I don’t think it’s quite hit its peak because of the flood of new titles in the summer, but I suspect as more people read it and make the connection between the two writers’ styles, it’ll see its audience quite well.

Belly (short for Isabelle) spends her summers with her mother at Cousins Beach house, but they’re not the only ones. Every summer since she was a baby, Belly’s family has shared the summer home with her mother’s best friend Susannah and her two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. But this summer was not like those previous summers; Belly’s finally coming into her own as a person and has suddenly caught the attention of Conrad and Jeremiah in ways she never did before when they were younger.

Although Belly has always had a fascination with Conrad, she meets another beacher, Cam, with whom she falls quickly in love with (well, love for a teenager looking for a beach romance, of course). But it’s Jeremiah who will drop the news on Belly that everything she believes and she wants in boys just isn’t what may be the best for her.

Add to the mix a realistic portrayal of a life-altering situation and The Summer I Turned Pretty becomes much more than a breezy read. Han weaves this narrative into the story quietly, much like Dessen can, and as such, she makes this a story that’ll remain with the reader a little longer than just the time that the reader spends with the book. Unfortunately, though, Han has yet to see her full potential as a reader realized; she does rely a bit on a tried and true situation and to be entirely superficial, I got confused with too many characters having C names and none of those characters having much personality or development, making them interchangeable and uninteresting. However, for a story focusing on Belly and summer flings, this one satisfied. I’m excited to see how the second book in this series will turn out. It’s slated for a spring 2010 release.

Okay, okay. Now you’re really judging me after seeing that the next entry is about Lauren Conrad’s L.A. Candy. But you know what? I liked it. Perhaps I liked it far more than I feel comfortable admitting, but wow. She — or the person she thanks for “helping” her in the end notes — wrote a pretty engaging, fast-paced, and fun book.

Jane moved to Los Angeles with her best friend Scarlett for an internship after finishing high school. Quickly after the move into a tiny, dingy apartment, Jane runs into a casting director at a club who offers her and Scarlett the opportunity to try out for a new reality series entitled “L.A. Candy.”

With a little trepidation, they go and as you can guess, the rest is history. Scarlett and Jane are paired up with two other girls whom they do not know and the show follows their lives as they unfold in Los Angeles. The girls are moved into a high class apartment, sent to parties, and followed at all times. Throw in some staged romances (though Jane doesn’t quite realize they’re staged, of course), some mani/pedi dates set up by the producers, and of course, plenty of girl drama, and you have your own “reality show.”

What I liked about L.A. Candy was that it actually seems like it gives some insight into Lauren Conrad herself — she writes from the perspective of someone who’s been here and done it. And it’s like a train wreck you can’t stop reading. Perhaps best of all is the massive cliffhanger at the end that will indeed force me to pick up the second book in this trilogy to-be. That book is slated for spring 2010, as well.

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Two other fantastic summer reads I’ve already blogged include Melissa Walker’s Lovestruck Summer and the book I’m working on right now, J. Courtney Sullivan’s Commencement.

What have been your favorite “summery” reads this year? There have been so many good ones that it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few!

Twitter-style book reviews, part 2

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I’m moving soon, so I’ve been frantically trying to read all of the books I have checked out from various libraries, books I’ve picked up at conferences, and books I’ve borrowed from friends and acquaintances. What this means is that I have started many books but not finished any of them. At present count I’m reading twelve books. Because I haven’t actually finished any, I can’t post a full-fledged review, but I decided it would be worthwhile to highlight some of the more interesting and noteworthy titles. So, without further ado, what I’m reading now in 140 characters or less.

Liar, by Justine Larbalestier

After her boyfriend is killed, pathological liar Micah says from now on, she’ll tell only the truth. Interesting psychological YA with a twist.

Escape, by Carolyn Jessop

Carolyn Jessop’s story about her life in the FLDS, her subsequent escape, and what happened afterward. Simplistic writing, compelling story.

The Secret Life of Prince Charming, by Deb Caletti

Quinn discovers her womanizing father steals more from the women in his life than their hearts. Sometimes slow YA, but has real insight.

A Kiss in Time, by Alex Flinn

Teenage boy wakes up Sleeping Beauty in modern times. Hilarity and confusion ensue. There are better retellings, but this is fluffy and fun.

The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness

A germ kills off all females and causes men’s thoughts to be broadcast. One day, Todd discovers a quiet in the Noise. Fascinating YA dystopia.