The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Hardcover)
by Mary Ann Shaffer (Author), Annie Barrows (Author)

From Publishers Weekly
The letters comprising this small charming novel begin in 1946, when single, 30-something author Juliet Ashton (nom de plume Izzy Bickerstaff) writes to her publisher to say she is tired of covering the sunny side of war and its aftermath. When Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams finds Juliet's name in a used book and invites articulate—and not-so-articulate—neighbors to write Juliet with their stories, the book's epistolary circle widens, putting Juliet back in the path of war stories. The occasionally contrived letters jump from incident to incident—including the formation of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society while Guernsey was under German occupation—and person to person in a manner that feels disjointed. But Juliet's quips are so clever, the Guernsey inhabitants so enchanting and the small acts of heroism so vivid and moving that one forgives the authors (Shaffer died earlier this year) for not being able to settle on a single person or plot. Juliet finds in the letters not just inspiration for her next work, but also for her life—as will readers. (Aug.)
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Review
“I can’t remember the last time I discovered a novel as smart and delightful as this one, a world so vivid that I kept forgetting this was a work of fiction populated with characters so utterly wonderful that I kept forgetting they weren’t my actual friends and neighbors. Treat yourself to this book please—I can’t recommend it highly enough.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

“Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows have written a wondrous, delightful, poignant book— part Jane Austen, part history lesson.  The letters in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society aren't addressed to you, but they are meant for you.  It's a book everyone should read.  An absolute treasure.”—Sarah Addison Allen, author of Garden Spells

“Here's who will love this book: anyone who nods in profound agreement with the statement, "Reading keeps you from going gaga." The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a delight. Tart, insightful and fun.”—Mary Doria Russell, author of The Sparrow, A Thread of Grace and Dreamers of the Day

“Charming…. [Heroine] Juliet finds in the letters not just inspiration for her next work, but also for her life—as readers will.”—Publishers Weekly
“A sure winner…. Elizabeth and Juliet are appealingly reminiscent of game but gutsy ’40s movie heroines.”—Kirkus Reviews

Mary Ann Shaffer (Author), Annie Barrows (Author)

Product Description
“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

About the Author
Mary Ann Shaffer worked as an editor, a librarian, and in bookshops. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was her first novel. Her niece, Annie Barrows, is the author of the children’s series Ivy and Bean, as well as The Magic Half.

 

 

Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer (born December 24, 1973, in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American author. She is the author of the books The Host and Twilight, along with Twilight's sequels New Moon and Eclipse. Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in the Twilight series, has been completed and will be released on August 2, 2008. She has also written the first draft of Midnight Sun, a companion novel in the series.

The Twilight series is centered on a teenager named Isabella Swan (nicknamed Bella), her vampire love Edward Cullen, and her werewolf best friend Jacob Black.

Personal history

Meyer grew up in Phoenix, Arizona with a large family. She has five siblings: Emily, Heidi, Paul, Seth and Jacob. She "borrowed" her siblings' names for use in her Twilight novels, most notably for the character of Jacob Black, who shares the same name as her brother, but was not named after him. Meyer attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where she majored in English. She met her husband Christian, nicknamed "Pancho", when she was growing up in Arizona, and married him in 1994. Together they have three sons, Gabe, Seth, and Eli. Meyer is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church.

Meyer says that the idea for Twilight came to her in a dream about a girl and a sparkling vampire sitting in a meadow on June 2, 2003, the transcript of which is now Chapter 13 of the book. After writing and editing the novel, she signed a three-book deal with Little, Brown and Company.

The sequel to Twilight, New Moon, had an unintentional staggered release all over North America, beginning in early August 2006. Meyer initially wrote an alternative sequel to Twilight, called Forever Dawn, which she then used as an outline for the remainder of the series. She has stated that the novel will never be published, as it doesn't fall into the genre of young adult. The third book in the series, Eclipse, was released on August 7, 2007. The fourth book, Breaking Dawn, is slated for release on August 2, 2008 in the United States and Canada and on August 4, 2008 outside of North America. Meyer has revealed that Breaking Dawn will be the last book written from Bella Swan's perspective, and stated on her website that there will be more than four books. Meyer has also stated that her other novel, Midnight Sun, will be more of a companion piece to the series than a genuine sequel, as it will describe Twilight from the view of Edward Cullen. A rough first chapter of Midnight Sun has been posted on Meyer's website, though she has stated that it will be edited and otherwise changed before being released as part of the novel in the future.

The band Muse features prominently in the Twilight series. Meyer is a huge fan, and always includes songs by the band in her playlists for the books. She has also told fans that a concert featured in her third book is a Muse concert, and that some of the main characters are fans of Muse.

Published works

Meyer's first novel, Twilight, was published in October of 2005. By November, Twilight had reached #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list for young adult chapter books.

Meyer soon published the sequel to Twilight, New Moon, in August 2006. In its first week of release, it debuted at the number 5 position on the New York Times Best Seller List for Children's Chapter Books. In its second week it rose to the number 1 position, where it remained for the next eleven weeks. In total, it spent over 50 weeks on the list. On May 5, 2007, the special edition of New Moon was released. It included New Moon temporary tattoos, an Eclipse poster, and the first chapter of Eclipse.

On August 7, 2007, Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series, was released. In total, the three books have spent a combined 143 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list.

One of Meyer's stories was published in Prom Nights from Hell, a collection of stories about bad prom nights with supernatural effects. Other authors who contributed to this collection are Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, and Lauren Myracle. Prom Nights from Hell was released April 10, 2007.

On May 6, 2008, Meyer's adult sci-fi novel, The Host, was released by the adult division of Little, Brown and Company; it follows the story of Melanie Stryder and Wanderer, a young woman and an invading "soul", who are forced to work as one in order to find Jamie and Jared, Melanie's little brother and the love of Melanie's life respectively.

On May 31, 2008, the special edition of Eclipse was released. It contains the cover art and first chapter of Breaking Dawn as well as "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" t-shirt transfers.

[Read more...]

Thank Ref: Stephenie Meyer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Stephenie Meyer, book, Breaking Dawn

Eric J. Chaisson Author

Eric J. Chaisson is an American astrophysicist and science educator best known for his research, teaching and writing on the interdisciplinary science of cosmic evolution. (Closely related subjects include epic of evolution, big history, and astrobiology). He is also noted for his original research on the interstellar clouds and emission nebulae of the Milky Way Galaxy, and for his leadership in improving science education nationally and internationally. Chaisson was also a senior scientist and director of education programs for the Hubble Space Telescope through its development and until 1992.

Chaisson earned his PhD at Harvard University in 1972 and has since held appointments at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Johns Hopkins University, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. He is currently director of the Wright Center for Science Education at Tufts University, where he holds research professorships in the department of physics and in the school of education. As an Associate of the Harvard College Observatory, he also serves with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard, where he teaches an annual undergraduate course on the subject of cosmic evolution (cf., web site below).

Chaisson has published more than a hundred papers in the refereed journals and written a dozen books, several of which have won awards, such as the B.J. Bok Prize (Harvard) for astronomical discoveries, the Smith-Weld Prize (Harvard) for literary merit, and the 2007 Kistler Award (Foundation for the Future) for increasing understanding of subjects shaping the future of humanity. He has also won scholarly prizes from Phi Beta Kappa and the American Institute of Physics, a Certificate of Merit from NASA for work on the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as fellowships from the Sloan Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences.

Chaisson's major research interests are twofold: His scientific agenda addresses an interdisciplinary, thermodynamic study of physical and biological systems, thereby seeking to understand the origin, evolution, and unification of galaxies, stars, planets, and life in the universe. His educational work engages master teachers and computer animators to create better methods, technological aids, and novel curricula to enthuse teachers, instruct students, and enhance scientific literacy of everyone from grade school to grad school.

Book form Eric J. Chaisson Author.

Epic of Evolution: Seven Ages of the Cosmos by Eric J Chaisson Read more about this title...

Cosmic Evolution: The Rise of Complexity in Nature by Eric J. Chaisson Read more about this title...

Cosmic Dawn: The Origins of Matter and Life by Eric J. Chaisson Read more about this title...

 

Recent References
"A Unifying Concept for Astrobiology," International Journal of Astrobiology, v 2, p 91, 2003.
"Complexity: An Energetics Agenda," Complexity, Journal of Santa Fe Inst., v 9, p 14, 2004.
"Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics in an Energy-rich Universe," In Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics and Production of Entropy, Kleidon, A. and Lorenz, R., Springer-Verlag, 2005.
"The Great Unifier," New Scientist, v 189, p 36, 2006.
"Rhythm of the Cosmos: Finding Unity among the Natural Sciences," Tufts Magazine, p 16, Spring, 2001.
Cosmic Evolution: Rise of Complexity in Nature, Harvard Univ. Press, 2001. ISBN 0-674-00342-X
Epic of Evolution: Seven Ages of the Cosmos, Columbia Univ. Press, 2006. ISBN 0-231-13560-2
Astronomy Today (co-authored with S. McMillan), Pearson, 6 editions, 1993-2008. ISBN 0-13-091542-4

Link to:

Eric Chaisson's web site

Wright Center web site

Cosmic evolution web site

 

Thank Ref: Eric Chaisson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Eric J. Chaisson, Astornomy, Book

When You Are Engulfed in Flames - Best Sellers in Books by David Sedaris

Customer Reviews - When You Are Engulfed in Flames

By now, David Sedaris is a household name for anyone who listens to "This American Life" on NPR or reads the New Yorker religiously. I first came upon the author when my cousin read me his SantaLand Diaries. Because I do not enjoy being read to aloud, I would look over her shoulder and silently read along (which turned out to be a bit ahead), and then wait for her to get to the punchlines so that I could laugh out loud at the correct moments. The laughing out loud wasn't hard to do, but the waiting for my cousin to get there was. It was the funniest thing I had read in a good long while. I have never heard "This American Life," but I have since read many of his essays, both in his previous works of collected essays and those that have been published in the New Yorker.

WHILE YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES is Sedaris's sixth book, and it opens with a bang but slowly loses steam until the long essay at the end. "The Smoking Session" chronicles his quest to stop smoking after his mother dies of lung cancer. It starts off in traditional essay fashion and then concludes with diary entries --- dates and all --- for each day he is in Tokyo kicking the habit. Perhaps because addiction is such a powerful and personal topic, this is the funniest, the most intimate and the most human of the essays here.

This is not to say that the others are devoid of humor, intimacy or humanness, for to lack such things would be completely un-Sedaris-like. But in "The Smoking Section," where he reminisces about previously quitting drugs and alcohol, along with the present cigarettes, he is back to being Sedaris at his finest. It is almost as if this small section is the book itself and the rest of the stories are filler --- good on their own but a bit tedious side by side in book format. This may be due to the fact that many were first published elsewhere, thus they lack thematic continuity.

These essays, however, are still worthy of merit. Those that originally appeared in the New Yorker are by far the best of that bunch, and the rest are interesting for anyone already familiar with Sedaris --- for each story is one more puzzle piece into the life of the man we feel we know. Taken as a whole, they bring comedy to everyday life and a narrative to everyday experiences. He writes of his family, his schooldays, his travels, his relationships, and all other phases of life both important and trivial --- and the trivial is made significant by its insight and irony. Sedaris kept journals before becoming a writer in the professional sense of the word, and he has truly turned his personal hobby into a unique literary endeavor that appears effortless and without fault.

In WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES, like all previous works of his that I have read, his homosexuality doesn't come into play until the middle of the book. In this way he is a writer who just happens to be gay instead of a "Gay Writer." As a minority writer and an advocate for gay rights, I find it refreshing that his sexuality is treated no differently than that of anyone else. Sedaris writes of his life with his boyfriend Hugh and focuses as much on their day-to-day existence as a couple as on the fact that they are two males in love. He has his coming-out stories and his in-the-closet stories, but all these are treated as no more or no less important than everything else he writes about. The result is literature that can be read by gay males but is not written specifically for gay males, and this seems to create a sense of normalcy that homosexuals of both genders often lack in this hyper homo-aware generation, which is at once friendly and phobic.

Sedaris --- Greek, middle-class, gay, and with his own set of neuroses --- is an individual to whom we can all relate --- if not in specifics, at least in the sense of a self-conscious, second-guessing, blundering and selfish existence. He tries to be nothing other than what he is --- a human being. And for this we can't help but love him.

--- Reviewed by Shannon Luders-Manuel

Customer Reviews & Ref: My Associates Store Books - When You Are Engulfed in Flames

 

About the Author
David Sedaris is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and Public Radio International's "This American Life." He is the author of the books Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, and Barrel Fever.

David Sedaris (born December 26, 1956) is a Grammy Award-nominated American humorist, writer, comedian, and radio contributor. Sedaris came to prominence in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "SantaLand Diaries". He published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, in 1994. Each of his five subsequent essay collections, Naked (1997), Holidays on Ice (1997), Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000), Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (2004), and When You Are Engulfed in Flames (2008), have become New York Times Best Sellers.[2][3][4][5][6] As of 2008, his books had collectively sold 7 million copies.[7] Much of Sedaris' humor is autobiographical and self-deprecating, and it often concerns his family life, his middle class upbringing in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, Greek heritage, various jobs, education, drug use, homosexuality, and his life in France with his boyfriend, Hugh Hamrick.

Ref & Info: David Sedaris - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

David Sedaris, Book