Saturday, 31 December 2011
Stortbooks: 84 Charing Cross Road
Stortbooks: 84 Charing Cross Road: A great one to end 2011 with a short synopsis of the wonderful 84 Charing Cross Road. The book by author Helene Hanff was published in 197...
84 Charing Cross Road
A great one to end 2011 with a short synopsis of the wonderful 84 Charing Cross Road.
The book by author Helene Hanff was published in 1970 and tells the story of the twenty-year correspondence between her and the chief buyer of an antiquarian bookseller called Marks & Co , named Frank Doel , which was located at the address 84 Charing Cross in London England.
Hanff first contacted the shop in 1949, when she saw an advertisement in the Saturday Review of Literature. She has been in search of obscure classics and British literature titles she had been unable to locate in New York City.
Her letter lands on the desk of Frank Doel and it becomes his job to fulfill her requests. In time, a long distance friendship eveolves not only between Hanff and Doel but also with other staff members, which culminates in the exchange of Christmas and birthday presents as well as food parcels to compensate for post World War II food shortages in England.
Their letters include discussions on a variety of topics from how to make a Yorkshire Pudding, to the sermons of John Donne, from how the Brooklyn Dodgers are playing to the coronation of Elizabeth II.
Hanff intends to travel to England to meet with her long distance friends at 84 Charing Cross. Helene Hanff did finally visit the site in the summer of 1971, , but sadly, Doel had died in December 1968 from peritonitis caused by a burst appendix and the bookshop eventually closed. The shop was still standing but was empty, the trip is recorded in her 1973 book The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street .
The book was later made into a stage play, television play and film. The 1987 film was directed by David Hugh Jones . The screenplay by Hugh Whitemore is based on a play by James Roose-Evans which itself was an adaptation of the original book. The film starred Anne Bancroft as Helene Hanff and Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench as Frannk Doel and his wife Nora.
Today, a circular brass plaque on the building that now stands on the shop's former site acknowledges the story.
The book by author Helene Hanff was published in 1970 and tells the story of the twenty-year correspondence between her and the chief buyer of an antiquarian bookseller called Marks & Co , named Frank Doel , which was located at the address 84 Charing Cross in London England.
Hanff first contacted the shop in 1949, when she saw an advertisement in the Saturday Review of Literature. She has been in search of obscure classics and British literature titles she had been unable to locate in New York City.
Her letter lands on the desk of Frank Doel and it becomes his job to fulfill her requests. In time, a long distance friendship eveolves not only between Hanff and Doel but also with other staff members, which culminates in the exchange of Christmas and birthday presents as well as food parcels to compensate for post World War II food shortages in England.
Their letters include discussions on a variety of topics from how to make a Yorkshire Pudding, to the sermons of John Donne, from how the Brooklyn Dodgers are playing to the coronation of Elizabeth II.
Hanff intends to travel to England to meet with her long distance friends at 84 Charing Cross. Helene Hanff did finally visit the site in the summer of 1971, , but sadly, Doel had died in December 1968 from peritonitis caused by a burst appendix and the bookshop eventually closed. The shop was still standing but was empty, the trip is recorded in her 1973 book The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street .
The book was later made into a stage play, television play and film. The 1987 film was directed by David Hugh Jones . The screenplay by Hugh Whitemore is based on a play by James Roose-Evans which itself was an adaptation of the original book. The film starred Anne Bancroft as Helene Hanff and Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench as Frannk Doel and his wife Nora.
Today, a circular brass plaque on the building that now stands on the shop's former site acknowledges the story.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Book characters translated into films !
Making books into movies does not always work on many different levels. A reader invariably ( especially when there is a series of books or when the same character appears in more than one volume ) builds up an image of a character as they perceive them. When the book is then made into a film, if the director and casting crew have not quite got it right it can shatter the illusion of the character that lives in the readers mind (well it does for me anyway).
Tonight, we have watched The Lincoln Lawyer ( a Christmas pressie from my kids ), based on the novel of the same name by one of my favourite authors Michael Connelly featuring lawyer Mickey Haller.
The Lincoln Lawyer is the book that introduces cynical defense attorney Michael Haller tp the reader. Haller's nickname "the Lincoln Lawyer" was borne out of his preference for working out of his Lincoln Town Car instead of in an office. Twice married Haller's ex's are Maggie McPherson - nicknamed "McFierce" by defense lawyers, is a career prosecutor with the Los Angeles County DA's Office and the pair divorced due to their careers being opposite each others—Haller was defending accused criminals, while McPherson was prosecuting them—although they have continued to maintain a close relationship with periodic reconciliations. Lorna Taylor (ex number 2) is Haller's office secretary.Haller maintains good relationships with both of his ex-wives and has joint custody of his daughter.
There is a softer side to Haller though too, having taken his driver Earl on because he was a former client who works his debt off having been unable to meet his legal fees owed to Haller. One of his Private Investigators is formerly a member of a bike gang frequently defended on a variety of matters by Haller. Haller's discomfort with representing the guilty is a constant theme in the series, and he has twice attempted to move to the prosecution.
The plot of the Lincoln lawyer twists and turns from almost the beginning to the end. The story focuses on an unusually important case of wealthy Los Angeles realtor Louis Roulet who has been accused of assault and attempted murder. At first, he appears to be innocent and set up by the female "victim."
However, Roulet's lies and many surprising revelations change Mickey's original case theory, making him reconsider the situation of Jesus Menendez, a former client serving time in San Quentin State Prison after pleading guilty to a similar and mysteriously related crime.
In the end, Haller outmaneuvers Roulet without violating ethical obligations, frees the innocent Menendez.
So having built up an image of Haller in my own mind I was intruiged so see whether Matthew McConaughey cut the mustard. I must admit, my initial reaction was that he was too arrogant to be my Mickey Haller, but as the film progressed I warmed to the portrayal until in the end I was won over and my mind's image of Haller has been slightly amended !
We have The LIncoln Lawyer and many other titles for sale at Stort Books
Tonight, we have watched The Lincoln Lawyer ( a Christmas pressie from my kids ), based on the novel of the same name by one of my favourite authors Michael Connelly featuring lawyer Mickey Haller.
The Lincoln Lawyer is the book that introduces cynical defense attorney Michael Haller tp the reader. Haller's nickname "the Lincoln Lawyer" was borne out of his preference for working out of his Lincoln Town Car instead of in an office. Twice married Haller's ex's are Maggie McPherson - nicknamed "McFierce" by defense lawyers, is a career prosecutor with the Los Angeles County DA's Office and the pair divorced due to their careers being opposite each others—Haller was defending accused criminals, while McPherson was prosecuting them—although they have continued to maintain a close relationship with periodic reconciliations. Lorna Taylor (ex number 2) is Haller's office secretary.Haller maintains good relationships with both of his ex-wives and has joint custody of his daughter.
There is a softer side to Haller though too, having taken his driver Earl on because he was a former client who works his debt off having been unable to meet his legal fees owed to Haller. One of his Private Investigators is formerly a member of a bike gang frequently defended on a variety of matters by Haller. Haller's discomfort with representing the guilty is a constant theme in the series, and he has twice attempted to move to the prosecution.
The plot of the Lincoln lawyer twists and turns from almost the beginning to the end. The story focuses on an unusually important case of wealthy Los Angeles realtor Louis Roulet who has been accused of assault and attempted murder. At first, he appears to be innocent and set up by the female "victim."
However, Roulet's lies and many surprising revelations change Mickey's original case theory, making him reconsider the situation of Jesus Menendez, a former client serving time in San Quentin State Prison after pleading guilty to a similar and mysteriously related crime.
In the end, Haller outmaneuvers Roulet without violating ethical obligations, frees the innocent Menendez.
So having built up an image of Haller in my own mind I was intruiged so see whether Matthew McConaughey cut the mustard. I must admit, my initial reaction was that he was too arrogant to be my Mickey Haller, but as the film progressed I warmed to the portrayal until in the end I was won over and my mind's image of Haller has been slightly amended !
We have The LIncoln Lawyer and many other titles for sale at Stort Books
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
The late great Patrick Swayze
Channel 5 had good viewing last night, a programme all about Christmas records through the ages, brought back some wonderful memories, followed by the sublime "Dirty Dancing". Patrick sadly lost his battle against pancreatic cancer in September 2009, a hugely talented actor taken all too soon.
Just days after his death Simon and Schuster published " The Time of My Life " by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi. I was given a copy of it at Christmas that year. Whilst I had enjoyed watching Swayze portray Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing and then Sam Wheat in Ghost in 1990, I had never been a fan as such.
I am ashamed to say that the book gathered dust on the bookshelf until January 2011. I remember the day well. It was a Sunday and I had finished whatever book I was reading and deciding I would try a different genre ( I have never really been that big on autobiographies ), I picked it up just after lunch, I put it down having read the last page through tears about 10pm that evening.
It is a memoir, written with wisdom and heart which recounts much more than his bout with cancer. In vivid detail, he describes his Texas upbringing , his personal struggle including his seeking treatment for alcoholism following the suicide of his sister in 1994. He covers his rise to fame with North and South and his commercial breakthrough in Dirty Dancing and Ghost and the soul mate who stood through it all, his wife, director and co-author Lisa Niemi.
I had no idea just how difficult it had been for Swayze to achieve his success. The story of his life certainly has an inspirational value because till the very end he remained a fighter, ready to face both the external world and his own weaknesses. The book shares honestly the life of one of Hollywood's favorite stars and portrays the love he held for Niemi, about whom he said , "You are my woman, my lover, my mate and my lady. I've loved you forever, I love you now and I will love you forevermore."
If you have not read this remarkable book I can highly recommend it.
Just days after his death Simon and Schuster published " The Time of My Life " by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi. I was given a copy of it at Christmas that year. Whilst I had enjoyed watching Swayze portray Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing and then Sam Wheat in Ghost in 1990, I had never been a fan as such.
I am ashamed to say that the book gathered dust on the bookshelf until January 2011. I remember the day well. It was a Sunday and I had finished whatever book I was reading and deciding I would try a different genre ( I have never really been that big on autobiographies ), I picked it up just after lunch, I put it down having read the last page through tears about 10pm that evening.
It is a memoir, written with wisdom and heart which recounts much more than his bout with cancer. In vivid detail, he describes his Texas upbringing , his personal struggle including his seeking treatment for alcoholism following the suicide of his sister in 1994. He covers his rise to fame with North and South and his commercial breakthrough in Dirty Dancing and Ghost and the soul mate who stood through it all, his wife, director and co-author Lisa Niemi.
I had no idea just how difficult it had been for Swayze to achieve his success. The story of his life certainly has an inspirational value because till the very end he remained a fighter, ready to face both the external world and his own weaknesses. The book shares honestly the life of one of Hollywood's favorite stars and portrays the love he held for Niemi, about whom he said , "You are my woman, my lover, my mate and my lady. I've loved you forever, I love you now and I will love you forevermore."
If you have not read this remarkable book I can highly recommend it.
SHORT STORIES v NOVELS
I am an avid reader of thriller/suspense/detective novels. I love authors such as Michael Connelly , Tess Gerritsen, John Grisham , Mary Higgins Clark, Martina Cole , Peter Robinson, Peter James and Jeffrey Deaver, to name but a few.
Recently, I've read "More Twisted" , by Jeffrey Deaver, a collection of short stories. In the author's preface , Deaver says, that occasionally he teaches writing. One of the most frequently asked questions that he is asked by students, is " should I start writing short stories then work my way up to novels? ". Deaver's answer is NO. Short stories and novels are not like apples and oranges, more like apples and bananas. He says - quite rightly in my humble opinion - that novels seek to emotionally engage readers on all levels and to do that authors must develop characters in depth, create realistic settings, do extensive research and come up with a structured pacing that alternates between the thoughtful and the rip-roaring. A short story is like a snipers bullet. Fast and shocking.
Interestingly, I watched David Jason on the One Show last week and he said more or less the same thing. He of course is starring in a new series which began on Boxing Day " The Royal Bodyguard ". When asked if he felt that this would be another hit series, he pointed out that in years gone by his characters, whether they be Del Boy, Granville or Frost viewers had an opportunity to get to know and love ( or in some cases hate ) the characters, due to the number of series that were made. These days due to budgetary constraints, characters need to be an almost instant success giving the show massive tv ratings to have even a chance of a second series being commissioned , let alone a third, fourth or fifth !
Characters in novels are much the same, I have spent years learning about Harry Bosch ( Michael Connelly ), Kay Scarpetta ( Patricia Cornwell ) Rizzoli & Isles ( Tess Gerritsen ), Alan Banks ( Peter Robinson ) and Lincoln Rhyme ( Jeffrey Deaver ). I feel I know them, know what they are like, how they will react to given situations. Yes the novels are for me for sure. With short stories, for me at least, I cannot lose myself in them as there is just not the time to get to know the characters well enough !
Recently, I've read "More Twisted" , by Jeffrey Deaver, a collection of short stories. In the author's preface , Deaver says, that occasionally he teaches writing. One of the most frequently asked questions that he is asked by students, is " should I start writing short stories then work my way up to novels? ". Deaver's answer is NO. Short stories and novels are not like apples and oranges, more like apples and bananas. He says - quite rightly in my humble opinion - that novels seek to emotionally engage readers on all levels and to do that authors must develop characters in depth, create realistic settings, do extensive research and come up with a structured pacing that alternates between the thoughtful and the rip-roaring. A short story is like a snipers bullet. Fast and shocking.
Interestingly, I watched David Jason on the One Show last week and he said more or less the same thing. He of course is starring in a new series which began on Boxing Day " The Royal Bodyguard ". When asked if he felt that this would be another hit series, he pointed out that in years gone by his characters, whether they be Del Boy, Granville or Frost viewers had an opportunity to get to know and love ( or in some cases hate ) the characters, due to the number of series that were made. These days due to budgetary constraints, characters need to be an almost instant success giving the show massive tv ratings to have even a chance of a second series being commissioned , let alone a third, fourth or fifth !
Characters in novels are much the same, I have spent years learning about Harry Bosch ( Michael Connelly ), Kay Scarpetta ( Patricia Cornwell ) Rizzoli & Isles ( Tess Gerritsen ), Alan Banks ( Peter Robinson ) and Lincoln Rhyme ( Jeffrey Deaver ). I feel I know them, know what they are like, how they will react to given situations. Yes the novels are for me for sure. With short stories, for me at least, I cannot lose myself in them as there is just not the time to get to know the characters well enough !
Monday, 26 December 2011
MIRIAM'S SONG
Having sat down this afternoon and watched one of the Christmas
DVD's we opened yesterday, Invictus, it reminded me of MIRIAM'S SONG written
by MARK MATHABANE, as told to him by his sister, MIRIAM MATHBANE. It
is the memoirs of Miriam Mathabane, essentially a story of a young black
woman living and coming of age in South Africa amidst apartheid and is
beautifully written. With its courage, determination, resilience, faith
and hope, it is a truly inspirational story spectacularly told. I first read
this book some three years ago, but it is more than worth a second read.
"This is the Best Trip" and unearthing little gems
Hope you've had a good day. Boxing Day has a bit of an "after the Lord Mayor's show" day feeling for some, but in many ways I actually prefer it to Christmas Day. Certainly been a very pleasant day here at Stortbooks Towers. The weather's been so mild I've even spent some time trying to weed the area we've set aside for a vegetable patch - well it was actually set aside some years ago, but that's another story..
I started one of my Christmas present books last night and it's "This is the Best Trip - Chasing the Tangerine Dream" (Scratching Shed Publishing 2011) by Ian Chisnall, which is an account of Blackpool FC's remarkable season in the Barclays Premiership 2010 -2011. Author Ian, BBC Radio Lancashire's sports broadcaster, is the Dad of two of our good friends Craig Chisnall (Deputy Editor of "The Football League Paper") and Dean Chisnall who is currently appearing in "Shrek The Musical" at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (and who takes over the lead role of "Shrek" himself in February 2012) - so much talent in one family!!
I've only read the first couple of chapters but already this book's got a good feel to it. Review to follow in due course...
**********
One of the most exciting aspects of running a used bookstore is when you are asked to go out and look at a collection of books that someone no longer has room for, such as the time I was asked to go and see if I was interested in buying a collection of books from a lady whose father had recently passed a way. The gentleman obviously enjoyed his books and there was a wide variety of 900 books. This was the collection of someone who simply bought what he liked - not someone who collected expensive books, but who bought new books as they were published and the collection spanned a period of around 45/50 years. I did not go through the books in any detail at the house, but the lady was happy to just make some room and I paid her £1 per book.
Back at Stortbooks I found there were some really interesting books but on delving deeper into the boxes I found a very unimposing looking, black hardback which was a little bumped on the corners - in fact it was quite scruffy. It turned out to be a first edition of Casino Royale by Ian Fleming - no dustcover, and a little tatty, but it still fetched £900.00 at auction - if it had had he original dustcover intact too, then it would have been a five figure sum, but still not a bad return for a book that cost a pound!
Certainly it's still occasionally possible for the collector to unearth a gem for very little outlay, but one place you are less and less likely to find one is at your local charity shop. Some years ago charities became wise to the fact that quite often they had been selling books for 50 pence that would then be resold on by an eagle eyed collector for many times that amount, so it is now standard for most of the main charities to have the books that are donated to them valued by an expert employed by the charity.. and of course no-one can blame them for doing that.
I started one of my Christmas present books last night and it's "This is the Best Trip - Chasing the Tangerine Dream" (Scratching Shed Publishing 2011) by Ian Chisnall, which is an account of Blackpool FC's remarkable season in the Barclays Premiership 2010 -2011. Author Ian, BBC Radio Lancashire's sports broadcaster, is the Dad of two of our good friends Craig Chisnall (Deputy Editor of "The Football League Paper") and Dean Chisnall who is currently appearing in "Shrek The Musical" at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (and who takes over the lead role of "Shrek" himself in February 2012) - so much talent in one family!!
I've only read the first couple of chapters but already this book's got a good feel to it. Review to follow in due course...
**********
One of the most exciting aspects of running a used bookstore is when you are asked to go out and look at a collection of books that someone no longer has room for, such as the time I was asked to go and see if I was interested in buying a collection of books from a lady whose father had recently passed a way. The gentleman obviously enjoyed his books and there was a wide variety of 900 books. This was the collection of someone who simply bought what he liked - not someone who collected expensive books, but who bought new books as they were published and the collection spanned a period of around 45/50 years. I did not go through the books in any detail at the house, but the lady was happy to just make some room and I paid her £1 per book.
Back at Stortbooks I found there were some really interesting books but on delving deeper into the boxes I found a very unimposing looking, black hardback which was a little bumped on the corners - in fact it was quite scruffy. It turned out to be a first edition of Casino Royale by Ian Fleming - no dustcover, and a little tatty, but it still fetched £900.00 at auction - if it had had he original dustcover intact too, then it would have been a five figure sum, but still not a bad return for a book that cost a pound!
Certainly it's still occasionally possible for the collector to unearth a gem for very little outlay, but one place you are less and less likely to find one is at your local charity shop. Some years ago charities became wise to the fact that quite often they had been selling books for 50 pence that would then be resold on by an eagle eyed collector for many times that amount, so it is now standard for most of the main charities to have the books that are donated to them valued by an expert employed by the charity.. and of course no-one can blame them for doing that.
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Well here we are on Christmas Day 2011 - what better day to publish the first post on our new Stortbooks blog. We imagine a few million books have been given as presents today and certainly here in the Stortbooks household was no exception. Val received "Faithless" by Martina Cole, "The Litigators" by John Grisham, Ben got "Fatty Batter" by Michael Simkins and Tom "You Must Like Cricket" by Soumya Bhattacharya. I was the grateful recipient of "Start The Car - The World According To Bumble" by David Lloyd, "This Is The Best Trip - Chasing The Tangerine Dream", by Ian Chisnall and "Brian Clough - Nobody Ever Says Thank You" by Jonathan Wilson. (Val also got "The Strictly Come Dancing 2011" annual, but we're not mentioning that!)
As you can see there's a bit (lot) of a sporting bent in the Stortbooks household, but this blog will be dedicated to books of all types and whilst we might not be inclined to wade through Cecil J Allen's "Railways of Britain" (Thomas Nelson 1958), it might be one of your favourite books, and if it is, we'd love you to post a review of it on here.. and that's the whole idea of this blog.. we want to hear from you with your book reviews, whether they are books that are part of our stock here at Stortbooks or not.
So if you love books, then hopefully this blog will be for you. We want you to take a full part in future posts on here. Just fire away with your comments or contact us with your reviews and we promise we'll publish them.
So we'll let you go and eat some more turkey. Then put your feet up, pour a glass of your favourite tipple and get stuck into one of those Christmas book that Santa popped into your stocking this morning... and if you've read them already (?) why not browse our catalogue at www.stortbooks.com
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