Spotted | The Novel Cure: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You by Ella Bethoud and Susan Elderkin

Dear Blue:

Loads of smiles and blessings to you, Dearie. 

I come bearing a gift sure to knock your bookish fancy off its axis. I've forgotten what book I was actually looking for when I spotted The Novel Cure by Ella Bethoud and Susan Elderkin, but like kids running towards the Ice Cream Truck, I could not take my eyes off it. It is, quite simply, the definitive bibliophile's dream. It's bound simplistically with a lovely (and rather sturdy) book jacket, it's a solid weight with a satisfying number of pages, and even though it's a whopping $26.95 (This is the reason I go to the Strand so often...my poor wallet) (Another reason I shouldn't wander through a bookstore aimlessly), I rushed to B&N during my lunch hour to grab up this little treasure.

Have you ever felt a kinship with a character who just happens to be going through the same things as you? Felt the uncanny pleasure that comes with discovering that a writer has somehow tapped into your life for a mere moment? Imagine a dictionary filled with every emotion you could experience (Anxiety, Broken Heart, Dizziness, or Fear of Flying, for example,) and instead of finding useless suggestions, you could discover a novel that may put your 'ailment' in perspective. That is the aim of The Novel Cure. I had such fun discovering which novels were paired with which 'ailments': Carelessness = The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery (e.g. my brain in written form), Breaking Up = High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, or Broken Heart = (my favorite) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Along with fabulous suggestions for numerous ailments, they've also included Top Ten Lists for every age group,  Sitting in the Bathroom, Flying on a Plane and more. Approaching my thirties means taking on a ten year project of reading the books on their 30 Somethings list. But I might as well not get ahead of myself and finish my twenties off with a bang. I have one more full year of twenty, after all.

The only bone I have to pick with these beautiful women are that for some novel suggestions they explain a little too much, spoiling major plot lines for said books (*coughs, Jane Eyre*). But if you're like me, especially for some classics, it won't matter so much that the plot has been exposed, as the experience is worth taking a gander on regardless. This book has placed a ton of novels on my radar (as if I needed any help) that I would never have encountered, like Oroonoko by Aphra Behn, written in 1688 under the entry, Bitterness, about a couple who must endure overwhelming odds, but who manage often frightening circumstances with hope and courage. Who doesn't need a lesson in gratefulness these days, when the mere thought of my Venti Caramel Brulee Latte being prepared wrong could have me spiraling into post Quarter Life Crisis?

I can't imagine holding a better bookish book in my hands, and if I could, I would send it straight to you.

Hugs and Love,

Spotted #4 | Strand Bookstore- Union Square

Spotted is a Feature on Novel Days where I spotlight books which I discover whilst about town.

Let's Bring Back: Lost Language Edition by Leslie M.M. Blume: This little number is one of my favorite discoveries! I literally fangirled over it when I saw it in Urban Outfitters. It's beautifully hardcover, and feels like a treasure to keep in your bookcase. Dastardly, Coxy-Loxy, Cockamamie, Dear...so many cool phrases that I'm going to make my personal mission to bring back, because lets face it, our slang just isn't romantic enough.

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare: You all know how much I adore The Infernal Devices series, but for some reason I found myself a bit hesitant to read The Mortal Instruments, even before I started TID. One moment someone will passionately recommend it, and the next, some one will say that it isn't up to the hype. Who should I believe, TMI fans? No matter what the opinion, the film sure looks great.

Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor: When I first started college I experienced "A Good Man is Hard To Find", and I remember being a little more than disturbed. Especially since we were studying about the grace of God within the text. I couldn't really see it then. But I've always wanted to revisit her work. I feel like I need, at least, one short story collection in my book case.

Persuasion by Jane Austen: In a section where Strand booksellers offer their personal recommendations, one associate said that this is Jane Austen's best, raw, and most thoughtful novel. I tried to read this novel as a young teenager, but found it really hard to get into. Perhaps, I'm ready for it now. I also find it very intriguing that it doesn't seem as popular as her other novels. What do you Austentatious fans think of Persuasion?

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf: I've never read Virginia Woolf, though A Room of One's Own has intrigued me in the last few years. I think, too, that I've been a bit reluctant to read her work, for her tragic end. I have the same reluctance for Sylvia Plath. Have any of you read Woolf?

The Essential Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway: Oh this man. It's so hard for me when it comes to him. So many people talk of how genius he is, and also how much of a jerk he seemed to be. I also think that reading Z and The Paris Wife has poisoned my mind to him. But I want to look past the latter and just take in the beauty of his words. Any recommendations?

My Antonia by Willa Cather: I literally saw this sitting on a table as I passed by, remembered I had the novel on Kippa, and then decided on the spot I had to have it. I haven't heard very much about this book, save for a short paragraph excerpted in a writers workbook. But then I read the inscribed quote on the cover by H.L. Mencken: "No romantic novel ever written in America, by man or woman, is one half so beautiful as My Antonia." How could I possibly pass this up after that wallop of a quote? I've since started reading it, and it's a dream, ladies and gents.

Lunch In Paris by Elizabeth Bard: I've had this memoir/cookbook for a while on Kippa. Of course anything recounting experiences in Paris is pretty awesome, but what I loved most about Elizabeth Bard's personal recollections is that towards the ending of every memory, she includes a recipe to accompany it. I think I may spend this summer reading through the recipes, and trying my hand at each one as Julia Powell did with Julia Child's recipes. Have any of you read this one?

American God's by Neil Gaiman: I must be the only person on the planet to have never read anything by Neil Gaiman. He has be the modern day mythological writer genius. I've thought often of reading Coraline, after watching the film, and then I chanced on this one. Sounds like a graphic novel. Are any of you Gaiman fans? What do you think of this one? Any more recommendations?

That's been this weeks SPOTTED. I hope you're all having a truly blessed week, and I would love to know what you've spotted.

Spotted #3: Strand Bookstore- Union Square

Spotted is a Feature on Novel Days where I spotlight books which I discover whilst about town.

Atonement by Ian McEwan: ...is by far one of the most well written, yet saddest novels I've ever read. Till this day, I can't finish it, or watch the film...but the man is an awesome wordsmith.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion: I'm almost ashamed to call myself a writer while simultaneously admitting that I've never experienced the legend that is Joan Didion. I have heard that TYOMT is a great place to start with her, though. What do you guys think of her work?

The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami: For the record, I would read about a fry loving alien who oozes violet blood, and seeks after his true love named Gloria....if Murakami wrote it. I've read his novels and become absolutely enamored by him, but I've never experienced his short stories. It's time to give them a try.

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski: Funny story about this novel. See, I'm into novels that are innovative, both in terms of writing, and aesthetic form. So, if your novel displays text all over the place, newspaper articles, photography, scripts, blank spaces, and everything else that makes freeform awesome, then there's a huge chance I will buy you on that alone. I did just that with this novel two years ago.  But, the story-line is so scary and mysterious, that I put it on a shelf in my closet that night...and never picked it up again. I've been told never to read it alone...and never at night. I'm not daring enough, ladies and gentlemen.

American Fantastic Tales edited by Peter Straub: At the Strand Bookstore, you can count on being introduced to a book that you would've never encountered otherwise. This is one of them, and I would love to read some fantastical tales from the past. 

The Beginners by Rebecca Wolff: I discovered this novel whilst sandwiched between two teeming stacks. You may never make it out, ladies and gents! At first, I was merely attracted to its cover, and simplicity of title. But a coming of age tale about a girl taken up with a new 'worldly' couple that moves into her town...mixing innocent infatuation with the film The Strangers. No one knows who, or what these new people are. I think I'm sold.

Sudden Rain by Maritta Wolff: I found this next to The Beginners, and I honestly loved the cover. I also love writers' infatuation with demystifying the American Dream. Though, I've never been a fan of anything set in the 70s for some reason.

Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende: I've always wanted to read Allende. I'm sure that this will be an amazing, surrealistic portrait of a young woman trying to figure out who she is. Perhaps, it's the Chilean Anastasia.

Le Petite Prince Moleskine Diary: (The first link is for the book, the second for the moleskine) Of course I had to mention one of my favorite stories of all time. Seeing this diary made me smile. Whilst visiting another bookshop favorite of mine, Books of Wonder, I found this sort of unabridged collectors edition, filled with drafts, and ponderings of Antoine De Saint-Exupery. Sounds like a dream to me, ladies and gents.

Thanks for reading, dearies! What books have caught your attention this week?

Spotted #2: Barnes & Noble Union Square

Spotted is a Feature on Novel Days where I spotlight books which I discover whilst about town.

The Time Travelling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette by Bianca Turretsky: I saw this and immediately the little girl in me who loves to play dress up began to cheer. This novel surrounds a thirteen year old who wind's up in Marie Antoinette's court. Who wouldn't want to be in her court, if not just to experience it all by proxy! Macarons, pastels, bustling skirts...I think so. This might be a really light refresher to my list.

Zombies vs. Unicorns Edited by Holly Black: Every time I see this anthology I laugh inside, because it seems  such a crazed notion that someone would even pit a grotesque and slimy Zombie with a beautiful Unicorn. I guess from the last, you all know what side I'm on! Give 'em grief, Unicorns!

Mademoiselle De Maupin by Theophile Gautier:  I'm always on the lookout for really wonderful French Classics. Since falling in love with Guy De Maupassant, I wanted to explore more iconic pieces. Taking a stroll past the B&N Penguin Classic's section, the cover caught my eye straight away. It's illusory, intriguing, puzzling. I'm very curious. (Contain's Adult Themes)

Willful Impropriety-13 Tales of Society, Scandal and Romance Edited by Ekatarina Sedia: Totally excited about this anthology of no doubt beautifully engaging tales about the darker sides of society! Honestly, anything Victorian, or smack dab between the 20s and the 60s...I'm sold. There's something so much cooler and more drawing about the secrets lying in these eras than in present day.

Diva by Jillian Larkin: It's set in the 20s, and there are Flappers involved. This needs no explanation ;-). Anyone else love ths series?

Laura Lamont's Life In Pictures by Emma Straub: This novel makes me happy to see placed all around bookstores. It has such a beautiful cover, and a premise that the 20s lover in me is thrilled to dive into.

Battle Royale by Koshun Takami: This. Novel. Of course this is The Hunger Games before The Hunger Games came to be. Seems quite the work. Vicious, raw, and even in the midst of all this, I'm curious. I'm really hoping that it's not violence for violence sake. But, yeah...seems pretty frightening overall.  (Contains: Violence)

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace: Does anyone truly know what this novel is about? Have any of you read it? I know many have placed it on their challenging books list with hopes of conquering it as one would seek to defeat War and Peace or Anna Karenina. I always like a good challenge, that's why I'm hoping to finish Murakami's 1Q84 before year is over.

Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell: I watched the film starring Jennifer Lawrence surrounding a young girl who's in search of her father in the poverty stricken Ozarks. Something that I can't explain captured my attention. I didn't watch the film long enough to know every bit of the story, but when I discovered that there was a novel, I thought it would be interesting to read. I also have a fascination with Appalachia and areas surrounding this territory and culture. It seems a whole other world there. 

What novels have captured your eye lately?

Spotted #1: Barnes & Noble Midtown

Spotted is a Feature on Novel Days where I spotlight books which I discover whilst about town.

The Twitter Diaries by Georgie Thompson: An entire novel written in the form of twitter updates. I wanted to turn up my nose at this, but I couldn't help but think of how fun this could be. Not to mention, it takes a good writer to write a compelling plot within 140 spaces.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire: I believe I caught on to this novel some months before it caught fire amongst readers/bloggers everywhere. It's comparison to Fifty Shades is almost completely wrong, but the one way that they link is the self published/independently published factor. It's novels like these that make me so excited to self publish my own novel. A few years ago, who would've thought that it was possible for a self published author to gain a spot on The New York Times Bestseller List? Seeing this novel in a bookstore made me smile!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: I watched this novel float from tweet to tweet for almost a full week. How can I ignore such craze? I think I'm the only one who hasn't read it yet. What do you guys think about this novel? I'm game for a good mystery...as long as it isn't drawn out.

How To Write A Sentence and How To Read One by Stanley Fish: Because after Grad School I really need to re learn these basic functions.

The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern: I started reading this about a month ago, and now I'm ready to jump back into it. I've heard the most magical things about it, and the more I see it around, the more I would love to take a journey to a real life night circus (if such exists).

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles: Today, I picked up this promising gem as an early birthday present. One of my best friends and fellow bluestocking, Casee Marie from Literary Inklings, has consistently recommended this novel to me until I couldn't resist any longer. There's just something about the 30s and 40s that I'm fascinated with. It seems as if even daily life was romantic back then. I'm really looking forward to this one.

One Day by David Nicholls: This. Book. In my review of it, I talk of how this novel wracks my brain. Whenever I see it, I feel a mixture of awe, sadness, and irritation. Dexter will do that to you...that ending will do that to you.

Cosmopolis by Dan Delillo: I'll admit that I've only turned my eyes to this novel because of my dear, Robert Pattinson. I tried reading it while I was still in Wales, and it certainly seemed like our generations' Ulysees. I'm curious to read more, as I enjoyed the sound of the dialogue after seeing a few scenes from the movie. It is so slow and calculated. I'm almost sure that it's our version of Shakespearean language. I'm looking forward to discovering the meaning of each word.

The Conde Nast Book of Unforgettable Journeys-Great Writers on Great Places: There's nothing better than good writing that evokes a sense of place that makes one sure they've travelled. Good writing can certainly make a place seem mythic and lovely by bringing out the natural, untapped beauty of the place described. This would be an interesting addition to my library.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss: So, I've had this novel trapped in my closet for the past 2 and a 1/2 years. I've heard pretty mixed reviews, but this quote: "Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."--keeps me hopeful. One of my great missions as a writer is to discover new ways to write about and describe the act of loving someone, and this novel seems a treasure trove of inspiration. What do you guys think?

What awesome reads have you spotted around lately?