Hillary – Page 3 – Lemuria Books

Author: Hillary (Page 3 of 3)

“You like ghost stories?”

Because it’s the week before Christmas, and Christmas is a crazy time around Lemuria, I’m going to keep this blog short and sweet; just like Gillian Flynn’s new 62 page book, The Grownup. (Okay, maybe there’s not a lot of “sweet” to this book, but you get where I’m going with this). Plus, if you’re as busy as we are at the moment and you know you don’t have a ton of time for reading, you can knock this book out in an hour.

If you’ve read any of Gillian Flynn’s other books; Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, or Dark Places (my personal favorite), then you’ll definitely want to pick this one up. If you haven’t read any of her books, but have seen the movie Gone Girl, then I really recommend you read her work! Flynn sticks to her crude, almost disgustingly haunting writing style with this one, so it sucks you right in. It’s the story of a young women runaway-turned-psychic-turned-con-artist. She’s a weird mix of things, but in a great way. Through her psychic gig, she meets a lady who is having strange things occur in her newly renovated 19th century home. She sees this as an opportunity for a lot of cash in a short amount of time. However, in true Gillian Flynn fashion, there’s a strange twist thrown in that keeps you flipping through the pages.

I don’t want to say too much, because with the book being so short, it’s easy to give something away. But, with a question like this on the back of the book: “You like ghost stories?” I think we can both agree this is a fun, 62 page, thriller given to us by Flynn.

Devotion by Adam Makos

By Hillary

On November 16, 2015

In Adventure, Biography/Memoir, Civil Rights, Events, First Editions, First Editions Club, Gift Books, History, Southern Culture, Southern History, Staff Blog

Adam Makos will be here TONIGHT at 5:00! We love this book so much that we’ve chosen it as our December pick for First Editions Club.

Let me start this blog off by saying this….

I don’t read non-fiction. Pretty much….never. Not at all. I can not sit down and read fact after fact about a topic; it just can’t hold my attention the way a fictional story can. I don’t like this, because I want to be able to learn about different things and I obviously have books at my fingertips to do so by working at Lemuria; but, non-fiction is just not my “go to”.

With all that being said…..Let me tell you about this non-fiction book that changed everything.

I’ve always been interested in World War I and World War II and the time period around those years. To be honest, I’ve just always been interested in the history of different wars (obviously more interested in those in which the U.S. were involved). I like watching movies based around war and there are times when I will watch documentaries as well. But, reading a history book wasn’t something I enjoyed.

However, I really feel as if Devotion has changed my outlook on reading about history. Devotion is an incredible story from military journalist, Adam Makos. As it’s stated on the cover, it’s “An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship and Sacrifice” between two Navy carrier pilots during the Korean war. One of which is a white New-Englander who comes from a country club background (Tom Hudner), while the other pilot is a share-cropper’s son from Mississippi (Jesse Brown) who became the first African-American Naval pilot. Basically, Jesse was fighting for a country that sometimes wouldn’t even serve him in a restaurant. However, he found much more than just a job in the Navy; he found men that stood by his side no matter what.

Lieutenant Tom Hudner

Makos goes way beyond just slapping down facts on a piece of paper, he takes you into the intense lives of both Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown during their time in the Korean War by offering you a novel-like feel. He interviewed so many military veterans and used all of that information to make the stories flow together as one- so much so that it feels like you’re reading a novel rather than sectioned off facts about the war.

From what I understand, the Korean War is the Forgotten War, but Makos takes you right into the battlefield; from the Marines on the ground in trenches to Jesse and Tom overhead in their planes. I was definitely taken into the harsh conditions (temperatures as low as -35 degrees) when the Marines were near Chosin Resevoir; and there were moments when I felt like I was in the plane with Jesse or Tom trying to make split-second decisions. Makos included maps to help show the locations of each event, letters, and photos taken during this time as well as before (photos of marines and pilots with their wives, parents, siblings, etc). Having photos and being able to put faces on to the people being described made me become so involved in the story, that there were a few times while I was reading that I became slightly emotional.

Ensign Jesse L. Brown, first African-American Naval Aviator

Makos made me look at non-fiction in a whole new way. I was given facts and I was given true stories …and it was beautiful. This book was such a great way to take a look at history and to teach myself more about sacrifice, war, and one’s devotion to friendship. I feel like I’m going to have to keep sticking my nose in our history section from now on to see if I can learn a few more things.

Get to Know Hillary

By Hillary

On September 30, 2015

In Get to Know...

How long have you worked at Lemuria? 6 months….going on 7!

What do you do at Lemuria? I sell books! Plus a lot of other things….Mostly, I like to keep things organized around the store. Currently, I tend to the Mystery section, the Popular Fiction section, the Fantasy/Horror Section, the Graphic Novels section, and soon I will also have the Gardening section. (I say soon, technically it is my section….but it’s a bit of a mess right now, so I don’t want to claim it just yet.) I’m also about to start handling/making all of the displays in our main room, which I’m really excited about.

Talk to us about what you’re reading right now. I’m currently reading Katy Simpson Smith’s new novel Free Men (out February 2016). I’m not too far into this one, but so far so good! Check it out once it’s released!

What’s currently on your bedside table (book purgatory)?

I know it’s difficult, but give us your current top five books.

Room by Emma Donoghue (movie coming out in October!)

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

The Girl of Fire and Thorns Series (three in one!) by Rae Carson

Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young

Where’d You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Any particular genre that you’re especially in love with? No. And I don’t mean that in a harsh way. I think I’ve become known around the store as “Hillary, the girl who reads anything”. If I like it, I’m going to read it.

What did you do before you worked at Lemuria? Like….do you want me to start from birth? Or, like in the past year? I’ll just cover the past couple of years. I graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in Psychology (cause, you know….why not?)

My husband still had a year left in Law School, so I worked as the adoption coordinator for the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society for about a year and a half. Learned a lot from that experienced, gained three animals from that experience, too. Spay and neuter your pets, people!

Then my husband landed a job in the Jackson area, so we packed up our things (and animals) and moved on in!

If you could share lasagna with any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you ask them? Kent Haruf, who recently passed away. I wouldn’t really ask him anything, I’d just like to let him know how much I really enjoyed his last, perfect book.

If Lemuria could have ANY pet (mythical or real), what do you think it should be? Real: About 4 cats. Mythical: Fully-clothed free House Elves that can get books down (with magic) from the top shelf for me.

If you had the ability to teleport, where would you go first? Probably Switzerland. I mean, have you seen the Alps?

I’ll leave you with this…

Three books for your bedside table

By Hillary

On September 17, 2015

In Adventure, Fiction

I normally write my blogs on one book at a time. BUT! Today I thought I would share three books that I’ve recently read and really enjoyed.

One book has been made into a movie, one is currently being made into a movie, and the other…well, this author has several books, and two of his books have……yep, been made into a movie!

So, if you’re planning on seeing any of these films, I thought I would introduce you to the authors’ books first.

One.

Ron Rash’s Above The Waterfall.

Although this particular book has not yet been made into a film, two of Rash’s other novels, Serena and The World Made Straight, have. Yep, you’re remembering the one with Jennifer Lawrence (yeeeeeees) and Bradley Cooper. I watched “Serena” a few weeks ago (on the lovely Netflix) and it really made me want to check out some of Rash’s other books. I’m really in love with the fact that his books are set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina; this sets everything up for a beautiful story. In Above The Waterfall Les, a sheriff just on the edge of retirement, must deal with the ugliness of crystal meth cooks throughout his mountain town, while also dealing with an elderly local that is being accused of poisoning a trout stream. Becky, a forest ranger who seems to have a dark past, weaves in and out of the story in a rather beautiful way. Rash cuts back and forth from Les’ dealings with the law, to Becky’s love with the nature and mountains around her. Both Les and Becky seem to have difficult pasts, but both are being brought together, not only with defending the elderly local, but also for their love of the natural world they live in.

If you’re looking for a quiet, yet entertaining read…give this one a go!

P.S. Ron Rash will be here tonight at 5:00 for a signing and reading!

Two.

Cheryl Strayed’s Wild.

This book came out as a film in 2014, and if you haven’t seen it…..read the book first! (Although, the movie is good, too).

My husband and I recently took a trip to Washington and spent a few days hiking around Mt. Rainier. Within those few days, we quickly decided we wanted to do this again…and soon. We’re already trying to gather up backpacking gear and looking up trails to get ourselves started. Our goal is to hike the 93 miles of the Wonderland trail (around the base of Mt. Rainier) one day. Which….will definitely take some training. I figured, why not read about Cheryl’s time on the PCT trail with little, to no training? This book is definitely going to identify more with individuals that are interested in either hiking or backpacking. But, Cheryl was also an advice columnist before becoming an author and this book is filled with metaphors, quotes, and stories that will inspire one to pull themselves back up if they are down. The main reason that Cheryl started her journey on the trail was based on grief, she was grieving her mothers death and her divorce. My favorite part of Cheryl’s writing/journey is how she ties in the nature around her to her healing process. For example,

“Crater Lake was a mountain with a heart torn out, that eventually healed— like myself”

If you’re interested in maybe picking up hiking, or you possibly already backpack and hike, you should definitely pick this book up. If you’re wanting a good story with a ton of brilliant metaphors throughout, take a chance on this one, and I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Three.

Emma Donoghue’s Room.

Room is being made into a film and will be out nationwide on November 6th, 2015. Please, please read the book first! Because, I’m not completely sure how well this book can be made into a movie and still have its full effect.

In Donoghue’s Room, Jack and his Ma live in an 11×11 foot room morning, day and night. This room has been their prison since Ma was 19 and all of Jack’s life (because he was born in that very room). Ma and Jack eat, sleep, sing, play, read, cook and bathe in this room, since “Old Nick” kidnapped Ma six years before. What makes this story so interesting (and why I think it may be difficult to adapt into a film) is that it is told from the perspective of five-year old Jack, who has never been outside of Room. Just pick this book up and read the first paragraph…here’s a taste of what Jack is like:

“Today I’m five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I’m changed to five, abracadabra.”

The only things that Jack has ever known is Ma, Room and all of the things that are located in Room. To Jack, there are a million things to do in Room (read, water Plant, play Track, sleep, color), but for Ma, she is continuously thinking of the Outside and her life before being put in Room. There are two different perspectives on life coming from Ma and Jack throughout this book and it’s an awesome read. I couldn’t get over how incredibly content Donoghue made Jack’s reality feel to him, I wanted to scream “There’s a whole world out there, Jack!”. But, he wouldn’t have understood that. His Ma has to slowly introduce Jack to things throughout the book before finally getting him to understand that she had not always been in Room.

Please pick this book up and read it before the movie comes out….I really think reading this is going to make the movie so much better for you!

So, there ya go. Three new books to add to your pile! Please find me in the store and let me know how you like one, two or all three!

The Gates of Evangeline

By Hillary

On September 1, 2015

In Fiction, Southern Fiction, Staff Blog

This is a book I actually read a couple of months ago, but haven’t had much of a chance to encourage anyone else to read….because it only just came out today. But! Now you can buy it and read it! Preferably at Lemuria, where you can pick it up right off of my recommended shelf. That’s what your plan was, wasn’t?

The Gates of Evangeline is a great psychological thriller written in a Southern Gothic style. Although Young isn’t from the South herself, the setting of her novel definitely is. Evangeline, a beautiful old plantation home, is captured perfectly in Young’s description of Louisiana’s swamp land. It’s here where our heroin, Charlotte “Charlie” Cates begins working on her writing assignment, a thirty-year-old missing child case, for a true crime magazine. It’s a chance for her to move on from her own son’s death, but that’s not the only reason Charlie has taken the assignment. She thinks that the missing child is communicating with her, to help her find out what happened to him.

I know what you’re thinking, “Eh…paranormal is not my thing.”

Trust me, it’s not really mine either. But, Young has written Charlie’s character in such a way that you can’t help but believe in her. I wanted so badly for her to figure out what had happened those thirty years ago because she was such a sympathetic, strong and heartwarming character. There’s a lot of loops and turns before that happens, but Young’s writing sucked me right in and I couldn’t wait to figure it all out.

If you’re not a fan of paranormal, but you are a fan of romance…there’s a little bit of that thrown in there too. *wink wink* Charlie has a bit of a thing for Evangeline’s landscaper. Yet again, the relationship between the two was believable, and I was definitely rooting for them.

This was a really good read. If you’ve always considered getting into a little Southern Gothic feel, I recommend checking this book out.

Also, if you want to be really cool, you should come meet Hester Young on Friday, September 4th at 5 o’clock! She’ll be signing and reading from her psychological, eerie, paranormal thriller with a touch of a romance novel, The Gates of Evangeline.

See you there!

Hold Still by Sally Mann

By Hillary

On July 24, 2015

In Art/Photography, Culture, Staff Blog

If you don’t know who Sally Mann is, that’s okay. But, you may want to get to know her. I didn’t know exactly who she was either, I only remembered her most famous photograph of her three children. Maybe this one rings a bell?

She’s pretty well-known for her large-scale black and white photographs, and her second book of photography “Immediate Family”—filled with photos of her (mostly un-clothed) young children. Yes, she got quite a bit of backlash due to this, but hey, it’s her children and her life. Sally said it best when describing how she takes photographs and what that might cost her: “To be able to take my pictures I have to look, all the time, at the people and places I care about. And I must do so with both warm ardour and cool appraisal, with the passions of both eye and heart, but in that ardent heart there must also be a splinter of ice.”

Mann’s new book, Hold Still is not just a photography book, she has let us step into her life by making this book her memoir. I’ve always enjoyed photography, and I’m not going to lie, at first I only picked this book up in the store to flip through the photos. I was told that she had been to a “body farm” and taken photos of the human body’s stages of decomposition and damn, she really did (yes, I’m the gross kid that thinks that stuff is cool, sorry about it). This book is filled with photos from the birth of one of her children to photos of family relics. All of which are intriguing and beautifully done.

While the photography is great (trust me, it is), I really stuck around for her writing. I picked this book up while I was working, and didn’t want to put it down. I literally had to, because…you know, work comes first. But! I knew I had to buy this book. Reading the pages in this book will make you feel like Sally Mann is sitting right next to you joking and telling you her life story. Her wit is perfect, it sucked me right in. She’s a bit of an odd-ball, but aren’t we all? I think that’s what truly makes this feel like your best friend is telling you a story, instead of you reading a book.

This books the best of both worlds for me (and hopefully you!). The photography is beautiful and her writing makes me wish I had grown up right next door to her in Virginia in the 1960s.

Rooted in Design by Tara Heibei and Tassey de Give

By Hillary

On June 11, 2015

In Decorating, Gardening, Staff Blog

I know our blogs are normally written on fiction related books, but I figured (with it being summer and all)….I’d write this blog about gardening!

I’ve grown up with my Dad always planting a garden, every single year. I’ve grown up hoeing, planting, and then picking, shelling, or snapping. Every year. With that being said…you learn a thing or two about how to plant/where to plant certain plants, seeds or bulbs. However, because my husband and I are only renting our current home, I’ve mainly stuck with indoor plants and container gardening (tomatoes WILL grow in a bucket).

With the indoor plants, because they are a form of decoration for me, I became more interested in their looks. I would definitely pop into Lowes, buy a few plants I thought were “pretty” or “neat” and then plant them. I soon realized, I didn’t even know what half of the plants I had were named or even how much sun or watering they needed.

So! Of course I turned to our bookstore and rummaged through the gardening section. I came across Rooted in Design and realized it was the best of both worlds (a book on taking care of indoor plants AND using them for decor in your home). Just looking at the photos in this book made me want to buy all of the plants at Lowes. The authors discuss the importance of balance when using plants as decor in your home, making sure to not overcrowd an area, but to use plants to play with the proportions of a space. There is a section in the back that goes over fertilization, pruning, potting and re-potting as well as a plant directory, with photographs and the scientific names, of every plant shown through-out the book. Which this, of course, helped me to figure out what some of plants I already had were named and what amount of watering they needed.

There are so many projects in this book (building terrariums, growing vines along your wall, moss walls, etc.) that it inspired me to basically re-pot all of the plants in my home. I went out and made sure I purchased the correct potting soil; I even bought rocks to make sure water would drain better in some of my pots (…I paid for rocks, y’all). Here are a few of the plants I re-potted.

And they’re still going strong!

I’ve never owned a gardening book before, but I’m really happy I picked this one up. If you’re into (or just getting into) indoor or container gardening, I would suggest taking a look at this book. It definitely inspires one to be creative in their home and in their gardening.

Accept, Obey, and Serve

By Hillary

On May 22, 2015

In Fiction, Staff Blog

I’m not going to lie, I definitely picked this book up because of how awesome the cover art is (it’s covered in bees….why wouldn’t I want to read it?). But, once I actually read the inside of the book jacket I realized that upon reading this book, I would get to live the life of a bee for a few days, and I was all in (cool cover art or not).

The Bees begins with Flora 717, a sanitation bee and our heroine of the story, biting and smashing her way out of her incubation cell in her hive. She is hairy, ugly, and extremely different than all other sanitation bees. Thus, her journey begins a little differently than most. Flora 717 is faithful to her Queen and hive, but is very strong and intelligent; she quickly becomes a crucial member of the foraging kin when food shortages occur. As she rises higher in the kin-system of the hive, Flora 717 begins to learn that not everything is as it seems and that the hive may be falling apart (literally).

Laline Paull’s novel is filled with hierarchy details that will make you feel as if you’ve stepped back into medieval times (but with bees, of course). The Queen of Flora 717’ s hive is almost God-like, bees repeat chants of “Accept, Obey, and Serve” , have devotion time, and pray to her to forgive any sins that may have committed. There are Drones (male bees) that treat certain kin-sisters like objects and ask them to clean them after they have foraged for nectar. Although Paull definitely keeps the real world/human nature close by, her writing will take you into the life of Flora 717, and make you feel everything she feels— from the vibrations in her antennae, to the pain and anguish she felt when she flew too far from the hive and could no longer smell the sweet scent of the Queen. She even goes into detail about the honeycomb-like flooring of the hive….it’s like you really are living the life of a bee.
So, cool cover art or not….you should definitely give this book a try. If you enjoy lots of imaginative details, you’ll enjoy Laline Paull’s small world of bees (you’d be surprised at how similar if may be to our own world!).

P.S. The Bees is now out in paperback!

Can Magic be Used for Good?

By Hillary

On April 8, 2015

In Staff Blog

The Thickety: A Path Begins is J. A. White’s first volume in the Thickety series, and my first book to write about in a blog. I’m new to Lemuria and completely new to blogging.

When I first started working at Lemuria I was really excited about all of the books that were now at my fingertips. I was especially drawn to the Young Adult and Middle Grade sections in OZ (our young readers room) when I noticed so many books that I had already read as well as books that I had been wanting to read. Based on my fondness of this area and on some of the previous series I have read, it was suggested to me to read The Thickety; and trust me, I’m glad I did. Think Harry Potter meets The Giver. Amazing.

In Thickety, the villagers of De’Noran only have one thought: “There is no such thing as a good witch.” This is the thought that Kara Westfall grew up with, yet her mother was a witch. So, could it really be true that no witch is good? Or that nothing good could come from using magic? Kara has to go day to day being pushed aside because of her mother’s past with magic. She is treated worst of all by Grace, a girl in her class who belittles her and uses her to get things she wants. Kara soon learns of her own magical powers, and must figure out how to control them. She has to realize that she has enough honor and kindness to control her powers and use them for good. Others seem to only want magic and power to themselves. This leads to much devastation in the town of De’Noran, only making the villagers want magic gone for good.

Thickety lets you travel through a world filled with spells, magical creatures, and evil, while teaching you that doing good and being a better person will get you somewhere in life, and being a bully or trying to use people for your own advantage….well, won’t.

I’m definitely glad I followed up on that suggestion and basically spent my whole day off from work in the pages of this book. I really feel like kids in grades 4th through 7th will love this series. Even as an adult, I found this book very entertaining and it was difficult for me to put down. Now, I’m on to the second book!

Author J.A. White will be here this afternoon at 4:30 to sign the newest book in the Thickety series: Thickety: The Whispering Trees. Don’t miss it!

National Poetry Month: More Than Just Romance

By Hillary

On April 7, 2015

In Poetry, Staff Blog

I’m a fan of this poem because it’s very easy to grasp, and I feel like many people can relate it it in different ways and situations. For instance, of course it can be a meaningful poem between a husband and wife, but it can also be just as meaningful between a parent and child. But most of all, I like this poem because it reminds me that even when you’ve lost someone in death, you can and will still carry that person in your heart.

[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]

By E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Author: Hillary (Page 3 of 3)

Gifting the Perfect Book: Psychics, Home Owners With Super Old Houses, or Con-Artists

Devotion by Adam Makos

Get to Know Hillary

Three books for your bedside table

The Gates of Evangeline

Hold Still by Sally Mann

Rooted in Design by Tara Heibei and Tassey de Give

Accept, Obey, and Serve

Can Magic be Used for Good?

National Poetry Month: More Than Just Romance

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