First Day in Paris!

For so long I've dreamt of traveling to Paris that now it seems almost unbelievable to actually be here. This photo of me, standing on a bridge spanning the Seine, is the spot where I first saw the Eiffle Tower. Look closely, and you'll notice it behind me in the distant sky. I made it to the Louvre on my first day, and was quite moved to walk the historic Palace and art mecca I've imagined for so long. Arriving late in the day, there was no line to enter, and a very small crowd around the Mona Lisa. Two other top picks I saw were the Winged Victory and the Wedding at Cana. I've got so many stories to share already, but I'm on a thirty minute internet limit. However, now that I know my tech works, I plan to post each day I'm here. I'm blogging from Paris. Now that is cool! Au revoir until tomorrow.

The List of 35

As I write just 25 hours remain until my Air France jet takes off for Paris. The reality has not yet sunk-in. Over the weeks since making my reservations, I've been reading books and browsing web sites to compile "A", "B", and "C" lists of what I want to do and see while in Paris. As an art lover, visiting museums is high on my "A" list, and Paris if filled to overflowing with options. My top choices are the Louvre (of course), the Musee d'Orsay, the Musee de l'Orangerie, the MuseeMarmottan Monet , and the sculpture garden at the Musee Rodin. That's a lot, but I have a plan. For example, the Louvre has about 35,000 items in eight departments on display at any one time. So I've been browsing the Louvre's web site for 35 items that I most want to see. Of course my list includes the Louvre's top three: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory.
What would you recommend I include in my list of 35?

What Should I See in Paris?

I've been reading Paris for Dummies (2005), but today checked out guides more up-to-date. They are Access Paris: The Only Guide That Leads You Street by Street into the Heart of the City, published in 2008; and Fodor's Paris 2009. Using these books, I'm drafting a schedule of what I want to see and when during my week in the City of Lights. What would be at the top of your list?

Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Girl Detective

When I was asked if I'd be interested in being interviewed by Voice of America (VOA) for a story on the Nancy Drew Mystery series, I immediately remembered reading it as a girl, sprawled across my bedroom floor. My mother was concerned that I was reading too much, and not getting out to play with friends. Now that memory is part of an overview of the books, and what they have meant to girls since they were first published in 1930. You can read the transcript and listen to the audio stream from the Voice of America website at http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2009-08-23-voa2.cfm. My thanks to reporter Nancy Thompson for her excellent overview. Since the story is a feature on VOA's Special English site, the pace is slower for those who are learning English. It is interesting to read the comments posted after the transcript from people all over the world.

Almost French

There are some books you read that touch your life for years to come. One of those for me is Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris by Sarah Turnbull. Sarah was an Australian journalist who moved to Paris to marry her love, Fred. Although a gregarious person who had traveled, Sarah discovered that France is unique. In an interview with "Paris Through Expatriate Eyes," Sarah says, "I think a lot of foreigners come to France, knowing they're coming to a foreign country and naively don't expect it to be that different." For Sarah, it seems the biggest challenge relates to being a foreigner married to French person. She is not French, but because she is married to a French man, she is not a member of the expatriate community. She explains that, "I had Fred and being with a French person, sharing your life, you are thrown into the whole French culture. You can't avoid it. You're not really in an expat world. I think some foreigners would like to be more integrated but find it quite difficult. Although as you have suggested it's often easy to have pleasant, engaging spontaneous conversations with your neighbor at a café, forming friendships takes a lot of time." After many years, Sarah begins to feel Almost French. For me, Turnbull's book is an engaging and honest memoir of taking risks and living life as an adventure. My memory of it was a motivating factor in deciding that I could take myself to Paris. If Sarah Turnbull and Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and Frances Mayes (Under the Tuscan Sun) can travel alone, then so can I.

While writing this post I discovered some interesting web sites which I link to above and highlight here.
Paris Through Expatriate Eyes
The Official Web Site of Elizabeth Gilbert
The Official Web Site of Frances Mayes

Paris: City of Lights

The DVD Paris: City of Lights, produced in 1995 by View Video, is not well shot or written, but even that could not quell my growing excitement about visiting Paris. In one hour of viewing I was reminded of Paris' history, and the great men and women whose lives have contributed to her fame. I thought of beginning a list of those who have contributed to Paris' fame, or those French names that have become recognized world-wide, but I soon realized how huge it would be. I think of Berlioz, Debussy, Delacroix, Voltaire, Hugo, Braille, Nadar, Manet, Monet, Matisse, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir, Seurat, Valadon, Marie Curie, and on. When you think of French people of note, whom do you think of and why?

By the way, I discovered a "List of French People," organized alphabetically by profession, on Wikipedia.

The Sweeet Life in Paris

On the white board outside my office, I am counting down the days to Paris. As of today, the number is 17. What's fun are the comments I receive and conversations I get into when people walk by and notice. One woman stopped to reminisce about her trip to Paris. Later she e-mailed to say, "There aren't many things I know about Paris but this fellow is going to 'set you right' about Paris. I only wish I had learned about his website before we went to Paris." Fortunately for me, I'm viewing the site before I go!

david lebovitz: living the sweet life in Paris

My new friend suggests David's book, too.

The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City

Bonjour Hello Kitty!

I like Hello Kitty. Recently one daughter said that women my age should not own anything Hello Kitty. I did own a cell phone case with this sweet character. But I lost it. Or maybe someone lost it for me? Then there appeared these Hello Kitty items with a French theme. Each time I visited a certain store, I'd browse the towels, shower curtain, trash can, bath matt, etc., featuring Mademoissele Hello Kitty and her chien. But I resisted purchasing, telling myself my money will be better spent in Paris. However, I have been telling everyone about this latest Hello Kitty find, and with the great friends that I have, I should have guessed that someone would buy me a gift. I now am the smiling owner of a Bonjour Hello Kitty bath towel. Tres bien!

Finding a Place to Stay

I don't remember who first recommended Karen Brown's books to me, but I know that when I used them to find places to stay in England and Spain, I was pleased with the results. My local library had two of Karen Brown's books for France: Karen Brown's France Hotels and Karen Brown's France B&B. Her books became my guide for finding a place to stay in Paris.

Keeping a Personal Promise

"My dream is to visit Paris -- especially the Tour Eiffel (1,056 feet high) and the Louvre. (Remember to make dinner reservations at Tour Eiffel well in advance!)"

My journal entry has been fulfilled. I have dinner reservations at the Julves Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower for September 14.

But why is the restaurant called The Jules Verne? Without even expecting to, I've made a Lit Linx! The restaurant is named for French author Julves Verne (1828 - 1905), known as one of the "Fathers of Science Fiction," along with author H. G. Wells. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Verne is the second most translated author in history, behind Agatha Christie

Verne is best known for his novels A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), From the Earth to the Moon (1865), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1869–1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). He wrote about air, space and under water travel before they were possible.

Le Julves Verne was remodeled when world renowned chef Alain Ducasse took over in 2007. The restaurant is on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. However, the second floor is 410 feet up, providing diners with what many call "an unparalleled view of the grandeur that is Paris." This is where I will celebrate my birthday.

Alain Ducasse opens his Eiffel Tower Restaurant (YouTube :52)
Le nouveau Jules Verne (YouTube 3:10)

Mysteries in Paris

Author Cara Black has set each of her mystery novels in one of the 20 neighborhoods or municipal districts, called arrondissements, of Paris. Her latest, released this summer, is entitled Murder in the Latin Quarter. I find it interesting that when I'm focused on something, there suddenly seem to be reminders of that something all around. For example, I'd just confirmed hotel reservations in the the Latin Quarter for my September visit to Paris. Then listening to NPR's Morning Edition, I hear Ms. Black's story (In Paris, A Mystery Writer Whose Name is Noir).

Paris' 20 arrondissements are arranged in a clockwise spiral, beginning in the middle of the city on the Right Bank (north side) of the river Seine. Black has written ten books thus far:

Murder in the Marais
Murder in Belleville
Murder in the Sentier
Murder in the Bastille
Murder in Clichy
Murder in Montmartre
Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis
Murder in the Rue de Paradis
Murder in the Palais Royal
Murder in the Latin Quarter

She has ten more arrondissements to go!

Have you read any of Black's books? Do you have a favorite Paris arrondissement?

LitLinx to Paris: Join Me!

Visiting Paris has been a dream and a goal since I cannot even remember when. So when the approach of a big birthday began to trouble me, I decided it would be healthy to distract myself from the shock of it by spending the day doing something special. I decided this was the time for Paris.

Why Paris? For me it is the city with so many links to my favorite literature and art. Within the next few weeks I'll explore those links here with you, as I prepare for, travel to, and spend my week in Paris. I hope you will join me.

Above: My journal with an entry from almost a decade ago. It reads, "My dream is to visit Paris -- especially the Tour Eiffel (1,056 feet high) and the Louvre. (Remember to make dinner reservations at Tour Eiffel well in advance!)

Julie & Julia: Lives to Books to Movie

Last night I saw the movie Julie & Julia. Meryl Streep should win an academy award for her portrayal of Julia Child. The movie is based on two real life stories told in two books: My Life in France by Julia Child, and Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell. In 2002 Powell, a Julia Child devote, set out to cook all 524 recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and blog (The Julie/Julia Project) about the experience. The blog became a book, the book a movie. Seeing the movie has inspired me to read the books. (However, it has not changed my personal mantra that the best thing to make is a reservation!)

Meryl Streep was a guest on The Daily Show on August 6, reviewing her role as Julia Child. It is a must see!

Seeing the movie and reading the books compliment my own adventure, to be recorded in this blog. I will have My Week in Paris, September 11 - 17, and I'll tell my story here, beginning today. I hope you will join me.

National First Ladies' Library

I discovered a new library and great resource. Read about the National First Ladies' Library at my post on Fairfax County Public Library's moderated discussion Library NewsBytes.

Library NewsBytes

I've taken a hiatis from LitLinx the past two months while transitioning into a new full-time position, which includes writing for the Fairfax County Public Library blog Library NewsBytes. I'm in the process of devising a logo for the site. Any ideas? Let me know in the comment section here at LitLinx, or at Library NewsBytes. Thanks! And welcome back.

Turtle's Penguin Day

Little Turtle is so inspired by the book about Penguins his father reads at bedtime that he dreams he is a penguin. The next day Little Turtle goes to school pretending to be a penguin, and all the children in his class cry, "We want to be penguins too!" Their teacher, Ms. Dog, reads to them about penguins, and they spend the rest of the day applying what they've learned. One of my favorites is when "they all tried to pass balls to each other using just their feet the way penguins do with their eggs."

I like this book for its direct link between reading and learning and fun. I like the colorful and cheerful illustrations. I like the creative use of "penguin colors" for the cover, and the polka-dots for the end pages. The book finishes with one page of Penguin Facts.

Turtle's Penguin Day
by Valeri Gorbachev (2008)
Recommended for ages 4 - 8
ISBN 9780375843747

The Beckoning Cat

Like me, you may often have noticed little statues of cats, beckoning with a paw, in Asian businesses. In her picture book The Beckoning Cat, based on a Japanese folktale, Koko Nishizuka tells the delightful story of this kind cat, and why it has become a symbol of good luck. This is a lovely book to share in honor of Asian Pacific America Heritage Month, recognized annually in May.

The Beckoning Cat

by Koko Nishizuka

Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger

ISBN 9780823420513

2009; $16.95

Books Not Finished

It used to be that I thought it imperative to finish every book that I began. Then as I realized that I'd never be able to read all the books I wanted in my lifetime, I began to give myself permission to stop reading books I did not like. It still is a struggle. I have this feeling -- where does it come from? -- that you should finish every book you start. Perhaps it results from school where you have required reading.

This spring I have encountered five books that I have not finished reading. I am slightly unnerved. Five books in only the first quarter of a new year! As a friend of mine would say, "What's up with that?"

Here are the books and the short version of why I put each aside.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2009 Newbery Award Medal recipient
Dark, dull, difficult to imagine.

Paris Noir edited by Aurelien Masson
The introduction was a turnoff!

Into a Paris Quartier by Diane Johnson
Tedious.

Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters by Nancy Pelosi and Amy Hill Hearth
Obviously ghost written, and very poorly.

The Practicing Congregation: Imagining a New Old Church by Diana Butler Bass
I imagine this was a doctoral thesis which someone decided to publish. Boring.

Anyone have a good book to read?

Poem In Your Pocket Day

Today is the second national Poem In Your Pocket Day, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets in honor of National Poetry Month.

At my place of work, staff posted favorite poems on a bulletin board in the lunch room. It was fun to watch as people read poems and engaged in conversations about them throughout the day.

I was surprised by how many people enjoy poetry, have favorite poems, and even recite poems from memory. The celebration turned out to be a team-building experience.

photo by sul

Earth Day 2009 - 10 Things to Do

In honor of Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22, read this book with the children in your life.

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World
by Melanie Walsh (2008)
ISBN 9780763641443, $15.99

Walsh's ten are simple things all of us can do everyday that will make a difference.

National Library Week Reading List

National Library Week (April 12 - 18) just ended, but in the course of helping customers I compiled a nice picture-book list related to libraries, librarians, books, and reading. Enjoy! (photo by sul)

Fiction
Read Anything Good Lately? by Susan Allen and Jane Lindaman
The Best Place to Read by Debbie Bertram
The Best Time to Read by Debbie Bertram
Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue
D. W.’s Library Card by Marc Tolon Brown
Locked in the Library by Marc Tolon Brown
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss
Our Library by Eve Bunting
But Excuse Me, That is My Book by Lauren Child
Maisy Goes to the Library by Lucy Cousins
The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy
ABC Letters in the Library by Bonnie Farmer
I.Q. Goes to the Library by Mary Ann Fraser
The Shelf Elf by Jackie Hopkins
The Shelf Elf Helps Out by Jackie Hopkins
Franklin’s Library Book by Sharon Jennings
Hot City by Barbara Joosse
Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
Clarence the Copy Cat by Patricia Lakin
I Want to be a Librarian by Daniel Liebman
Quiero Ser Bibliotecario by Daniel Liebman (SP JP LIE)
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies
The Saturday Escape by Daniel J. Mahoney
When the Library Lights Go Out by Megan McDonald
Winston the Book Wolf by Marni McGee
Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn
Lola en la Biblioteca by Anna McQuinn (SP JP MCQ)
Tiny Goes to the Library by Cari Meister
We’re Going on a Book Hunt by Pat Miller
The Boy Who was Raised by Librarians by Carla Morris
Beatrice Doesn’t Want To by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Curious George Visits the Library by H. A. Rey
I’m Going to New York to Visit the Lions by Tanya Roitman
Mind Your Manners, B. B. Wolf by Judy Sierra
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra
Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian by Jessica Spanyol
Beverly Billingsly Borrows a Book by Alexander Stadler
The Library by Sarah Stewart
It’s Library Day by Janet Morgan Stoeke
“L” is for Library by Sonya Terry
The Librarian from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler
Library Lil by Suzanne Williams
Can You Guess Where We’re Going by Elvira Woodruff
The Little Red Fish by Taeeun Yoo
Nonfiction
At the Library by Carol Greene (J 027G 1999)
The Bookworm’s Feast: A Potluck of Poems by J. Patrick Lewis (J 811 L 1999)
Please Bury Me in the Library by J. Patrick Lewis (J 811 L 2005)
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter (JB BAKER 2005)
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky (JB ERATOS THENES)
A Library for Juana by Pat Mora (JB JUANA INES 2002)
My Librarian Is A Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World by Margariet Ruurs (J 027.4 R 2005)
The Library of Alexandria by Kelly Trumble (J 027.032 T 2003)

The Year the Swallows Came Early

I heard this morning on NPR that today, March 19, is the day the swallows usually return to San Juan Capistrano. This seemingly minor migratory fact caught my attention because I just finished reading Kathryn Fitzmaurice’s debut novel called The Year the Swallows Came Early.

Eleven-year-old Eleanor “Groovy” Robinson lives in San Juan Capistrano. Her father is in jail, her mother works long hours at her beauty salon, and her best-friend is dealing with anger at his mom who has reappeared after several years’ unexplained absence. As she faces these life challenges, the swallows return earlier than usual, bringing with them a series of events that help Eleanor begin to understand the complexities of life and the importance of forgiveness.

The Year the Swallows Came Early
by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
2009, The Bowen Press
ISBN 9780061624971 $16.99
Recommended for ages 9 - 12

Iditarod 2009

The 37th annual running of the Iditarod sled dog race began on Saturday, March 7.

For all the information, news, updates, photos, video, etc., see the official website www.iditarod.com.

Mr. Lincoln's Boys

Based on true accounts, this picture book depicts the mischievous antics of Abraham Lincoln's two youngest sons, Tad and Willie, during their White House years. The boys were known as high energy pranksters, doted on by the adoring father.

Mr. Lincoln's Boys

by Staton Raybin

Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

2008, Viking Juvenile

36 pages; recommended for ages 4 to 8

ISBN 9780670061693 $16.99

What Textbooks Left Out

In confessing to how boring they can be, former textbook writer Steve Sheinkin uses real-life accounts and quotes to write an attention-holding and readable account of the Civil War, with focus on Presidents James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln. His book further shares a review of what happened to the key players after the war, interesting source notes, resources for further study, an end list of all quotes in the book and their sources, and an exhaustive index.

Two Miserable Presidents: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil War

by Steve Sheinkin

Illustrated by Tim Robinson

2008, Roaring Brook Press

264 pages, recommended for ages 9 to 12

ISBN 9781596433205 $19.95

ComicsDC: Arlington County's Central Library has a stand-alone graphic novel section now

ComicsDC: Arlington County's Central Library has a stand-alone graphic novel section now

Lincoln and Douglass

Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship

by Nikki Giovanni

Illustrated by Bryan Collier

2008, Henry Holt

40 pages, recommended for ages 9 to 12

ISBN 9780805082647 $16.95

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, and then escaped in 1838. His work as an abolitionist brought him into contact with President Abraham Lincoln. This book is about the strong friendship that developed between two national leaders committed to the common goal of ending slavery in the United States.

Lincoln Through the Lens

Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life
by Martin W. Sandler
2008, Walker Books for Young Readers
96 pages; recommended for ages 9 to 12
ISBN 9780802796660 $19.99

History professor and award-winning writer Martin Sandler documents more than 100 photographs of Abraham Lincoln's life and times. Included in this collection is the only known pre-Gettysburg Address photograph of the sixteenth President.

Lincoln for Kids and Teens

February 12 marked the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, and in preparation for this celebratory year, several new books have been written for children and teens about our 16th President. We'll review them on LitLinx one-by-one, beginning today with one of my favorites.

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

By Candace Fleming

2008, Schwartz & Wade

200 pages; Recommended for ages 10 to 14

ISBN 9780375836183 $24.99

An in-depth and personal review of the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, this book includes photographs, copies of documents, and highlights about the people important in Lincoln's life and times. The author spent five years researching, and it is evident in the quality and thoroughness of the finished work. Unique to this book is the new insight into Mary Lincoln's life provided by her recently recovered personal letters.

Inaugural Poetry

Elizabeth Alexander has been chosen by President-Elect Barack Obama as only the fourth inaugural poet in American history. The 45-year-old award-winning poet also teaches African American studies at Yale.

Robert Frost was the first Inaugural Poet, chosen by John F. Kennedy in 1961. Bill Clinton followed Kennedy's example, choosing Maya Angelou for the 1993 inauguration, and Miller Williams for his second swearing-in ceremony in 1997.

On a musical side-note, poet Miller Williams is the father of singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams