My Ideal Bookshelf by Jane Mount & Thessaly La Force

This book is a creative idea beautifully and simply brought to life by the art work of Jane Mount.  Dozens of writers, artists, designers, and other creative types were asked to write a short essay about their ideal bookshelf next to which Mount paints an image of this individual said shelf.  The result is a book filled with hours of interesting viewpoints, inspiration and at least 20 new titles to add to your to be read lists. 

The question, what books are on your ideal bookshelf?, is one of those desert island, last meal questions whose answer reflects so much about a personality.  Not to mention, technology has wiped away much of the idea or even consideration of the spine of a book. These images remind us how artful a shelf of honest to goodness books can be.

The Wild Trees by Richard Preston

An astonishing account of several unschooled naturalists obsessed with finding the largest tree on Earth.  Hiking miles into unmapped, unexplored areas of the California Redwood forests, they access areas so remote & inaccessible, no human save possibly ancient Native Americans has ever been there.  To fuel their passion, they fashion climbing apparatus and ascend hundreds of feet into the forest canopy, going as far as living atop the trees for weeks to find & observe new and undocumented species of plants & animals - a virtual Great Barrier Reef of life which has evolved entirely in the sky.  Complete with maps and drawings, this book of exploration, danger, persistance, and human folly is an unexpected joy to read, proving that there are still wonders of nature we have yet to uncover.

French Lessons  by Ellen Sussman

Loved this little book of vignettes about 3 French tutors and their 3 American students over a 2-day period in Paris.  Nothing deep, just good story telling and interesting characters grappling with life and love in all its forms. Woody Allen should base his next movie on this book. 

The Girl Who Fell to Earth  by Sophia Al-Maria

I was overdosed on Afghanistan/Taliban books, and German/Nazi occupation books, and Irish childhood misery books - so when I saw this was about a teenage girl in Qatar, I thought - meh!   Wow, was I wrong!  This book was current, poignant, enlightening, well written, and memorable.  Bedouin man speaking no English comes to America to make good; moves to Pacific Northwest & marries an earthy, self-sufficient American girl;  has children;  Father misses family & returns to Qatar.  Told from the perspective of the teenage daughter, the story is a realistic portrayal of extreme culture clash. Pacific Northwest liberalism vs. a rigid, segregated, polygamist theocracy.  Also interesting because the story ends before 9/11, so there is an undercurrent of impending disaster as the book progresses.

The Art Forger  by Barbara Shapiro

Fictionalized version of what may have become of several paintings stolen from the Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990. This book roped me in with a blend of fact vs. fiction, intrigue vs. romance, artistic passion vs. cutthroat business practices.  Well written and good story line posing interesting questions: what would you do for money & prestige?  Where does ethics stop and survival take over?  The story concludes, but leaves you wondering: all those priceless paintings you see in museums - are they authentic? 

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Brilliant loner gets led thru a warp in a city park and into an alternate reality where he goes through rigorous testing to get accepted into Magic School.  Somehow the schoolmasters are able to alter reality so that his parents actually think he is going to a "normal" prestigious college.   Great premise - right?   All the action from there follows his predictable escapades thru 4 years of college fun and mystical schooling with all his fellow magic students. 

One horrific event during the school years kept me reading in anticipation of some good vs evil confrontation.  After graduation, they all move to NYC w/their newly minted BA in Magic, and unlimited money.  What I didn't understand is WHY were these people going to magic school?  To what end? At this point in the book, when they are young adults, they continue to appear immature, self-absorbed and aimless, and I stopped caring and stopped reading.