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Book Picks
Reader, writer and teacher Lindsay Fleming lists her favorite memoirs.
For me the best memoirs infuse the tales of off-beat lives lived in far-flung places with humor and poetry. I know I’ve loved a book if I go to find it on the shelf and it’s gone.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. A breathtaking survival story that proves that real life is stranger than fiction, and that we are who we are because of and in spite of our parents. It hooks you from the first word and doesn’t let you go. Hot off the presses, it is sure to become one of the finest exemplars of the genre.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller. In a haunting, unforgettable voice, Fuller tells the story of a childhood spent on farms in war-torn regions of southern and central Africa. Her family history is darkened by tragedy, but every page teems with animal life and light.
West With the Night by Beryl Markham. An elegy, an adventure story and a love letter to a romantic time in east African and aviation history. Markham’s life is a lesson in authenticity and courage.
This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff. With candor and humor, Wolff explores the faulty foundation of his broken family and the façade he erected to bust free from the ruins.
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. McCourt’s achingly beautiful account of his impoverished Irish childhood may reduce you to sobs, but its greatest gift is transcendence. If you happened to miss it when it got all the buzz (McCourt won the Pulitzer in 1997), give it a go.
Sleeping Arrangements by Laura Shaine Cunningham. This story of a Jewish girl who grew up in a whacky, make-shift family in the Bronx, is a very funny read, chock-full of charming and florid detail.
Lindsay Fleming worked as a lecturer in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University from 1996-2004.
Atomic Books
1100 W. 36th Street, Hampden
410-662-4444
Walk into cutting-edge Atomic Books -note Noam Chomsky’s latest on the front table—and you might worry you’re nowhere near edgy enough to shop here. But loosen up, let the indie soundtrack rock you, and browse those oddly titled shelves—Freak Books, Drugs, Food Frenzy, Stories for Disturbed Children—because it’s all about learning at Atomic.
Owner Rachel Whang explains, “Our basic goal is just to carry books that interest us. What’s the point in having your own business if it’s not about that? Our broad interests are in indie/micro press, fringe/retro pop culture and DIY art/music.We enjoy selling books and publications that people put their heart and soul into, or a sense of fun, items that are made by hand or have a spirit of sharing. It’s all about exchanging stories and knowledge.”
Some favorite books right now?
Diane Arbus: A Biography by Patricia Bosworth, which explores the private life of the controversial photographer from childhood to career to her suicide in 1971.
Hamachi Girl by Thien! Pham, a “comic” look at the love life of a sushi chef.
Spaniel Rage by Vanessa Davis, three self-published diary comics colorfully detailing the life of a young woman with a troubled and tempestuous inner life.
After you study the magazines at Atomic—don’t miss the feminist ‘zine, Bitch—take comfort in the familiar fiction section, which offers lots of the same books Barnes and Nobles carries. You’ll spy Haruki Murakami’s acclaimed Kafka on the Shore, and Jonathon Safron Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. As you scan the new novel titles, don’t resist reaching your hand inside the glass jar of “itty bitty chickens.” They’re plastic playthings like nothing you’ve seen.
Mystery Loves Company
1730 Fleet St, Fells Point
410-276-6708
One of the best-kept secrets in Baltimore, Mystery Loves Company sells used books and new books with one twist—everything’s a mystery. If you’re looking for a rare scary find, they’ve probably got it. Owner Kathy Harig displays piles and piles of mysteries (and some thrillers) in haphazard fashion, because her shelves are fully loaded. A resident cat prowls the cozy store, and a teapot even rests upon a doily. The shop hosts regular readings by local mystery writers Laura Lippman, Lisa Scottoline, and more.
Mystery Loves Company invites customers to author panel discussions—they also assemble theme gift baskets for the diehard murder fan, assorted mysteries by your favorite author, fancy teas, and wine. What more could an eager plot-cracking reader require? Maybe a severe rainstorm and a Cheshire cat…
Hot Titles—
The Hunt Ball by Rita Mae Brown
To the Power of Three by Laura Lippman
The Typhoon Lover by local author Sujata Massey (part of her Japanese-American Rei Shimura series)
Angels in the Gloom by Anne Perry
Visit http://www.mysterylovescompany.com and sign up for the monthly newsletter—and remember, Kathy enjoys helping customers choose interesting reads.
Top five best sellers at The Ivy Bookshop for the week of August 18, 2005.
No Country for Old Men, Cormac McCarthy.
The Mermaid Chair, Sue Monk Kidd.
The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova.
Until I Find You, John Irving.
Lifeguard, James Patterson, Andrew Gross.