Saturday 16 May 2009

The Reading Lamp: history, mystery, and magic


It seems that this spring, the sunshine is as elusive in Oregon as it is here in Ontario. Luckily, readers are out in abundance for here's another committed book-lover from the west coast.

Besides the readers, Oregon seems to have its share of well-established indie bookstores - young man, I may just have to advise you to go west.

Your name:
Helen

What are you currently reading? The Pig Did It by Joseph Caldwell.

Where are you reading it? In the elusive Oregon sunshine.


How did you discover this book?
My favorite place to buy books is Broadway Books (Portland Oregon) where the newest selections are laid on a table for easy perusal and I always seem to find something I like. The staff also recommends books they have enjoyed. They have an excellent blog where they list and describe newly arrived books and upcoming events. That is where I bought The Pig Did It. I had just finished reading City of Thieves by David Benioff and although I enjoyed it, I wanted to read something lighter.

What do you think of it so far? Well it was off to a good start, but the pig has disappeared from the scene and he provided the comic relief. I am almost done and I hope the pig returns soon!

How do you choose what to read next? I check a great local website for tips called Reading Local run by Gabe Barber to see what he or his followers recommend and/or I just go back to Broadway Books and see what looks good. They once had a display of mystery books by writers from around the world and that is where I found The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill which I highly recommend. It takes place in Laos after the Communist takeover and it combines history, mystery, and magic.

What is your favourite indie bookstore? Why? As I mentioned earlier, I love to shop at Broadway Books. They celebrated 17 years of business this year and here is video, made by my husband Mario, of their 15th anniversary party. The staff is knowledgeable and very helpful in recommending books.

Who do you talk to about books? Anyone who will listen but now in the age of the internet, I exchange ideas with other readers on blogs and websites such as Reading Local.

If you're interested in being featured on The Reading Lamp, email me at colleen AT bookphilia DOT com!

1 comment:

helen said...

For someone closer to home, has anyone read Alan Bradley's 'The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie'? I read on Bookbroads that in 2007 it won the Debut Dagger Award of the (British) Crimewriters' Association. Alan Bradley lives in Kelowna, BC.