The Book File No. 1: Are we there yet?

(the quick visual list of books. Don't worry, we're almost there!)






Time feels as if it were lingering on the last few days of a year that will never be experienced again. Unless Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure proves to be grounded in more scientific research than we thought, adventure and excitement for those stuck waiting for the ball to drop might need some encouragement.

If a trip with Keanu back to 1989 doesn't sound good, try these books fit for the most competent of explorers:


Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Explore the Regency Era! Okay, that might not make most people bubble but, reading Pride and Prejudice is akin to perfect skies and smooth sailing. At the core of this novel is the absolutely modern and engaging love affair between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. If love isn't in your future for this New Year's eve, then pick up a copy & experience the wonder and truth of their love affair. It's something that every modern girl is striving to find!

P.S.I loved the 2005 Film adaptation of this novel. I felt that they created a true portrait of the provincial nature of the Bennet Family.



Off the Map: Tales of Endurance and Exploration As Told by Fergus Fleming
Don't listen to me, listen to the publisher:
Tales of Endurance and Exploration offers 45 gripping accounts of some of the most amazing feats in the history of exploration. The tales are divided between three 'ages of exploration', each of which is prefaced by a lively essay introducing key aspects of the age in question and identifying themes that will be developed in greater detail in the stories that follow. Taken together, tales and introductions amount to nothing less than a complete, uniquely accessible, and supremely entertaining history of exploration.

From the Renaissance golden age of Columbus, da Gama and Magellan to the 20th-century heroics of polar explorers such as Peary, Scott and Amundsen, Cassell's Tales of Endurance and Exploration offers the reader an unforgettable and unputdownable collection of stories.

BRING IT ON!



Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
Exploration doesn't have to begin at LAX or John Wayne Airport! No, march right into the kitchen and pick up this tale of a fellow blogger ready to battle all of the great recipes of Julia Child! In Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job, & Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living (yes, that was the acutal title-wow) by Julie Powell is the action packed fight of sister versus sister! Who will win?! I'll just take a seat next to the great culinary bake-off and eat all the toils of war! Napkin please...


The Elements of Style Illustrated by William Strunk, E. B. White, William Strunk Jr., Maira Kalman (Illustrator)
Where are my manners? How can I have style if I'm endorsing a great bake off against Julia Child? Maybe I should just make my point! The classic book on grammar by William S. Strunk has been updated to treat the modern day palette to a feast of wonderful watercolors and images. Who knew that Maira Kalman, Illustrator, could make grammar as sexy as she did?! More importantly, it can make the most of any drab afternoon or tea party.


The March of the Penguins by Luc Jacquet, Jerome Maison (Photographer), Donnali Fifield (Translator)
If the movie didn't capture your heart the first time, with those soft voice narrations and shots of icebergs, then may I make a suggestion? Luc Jacquet's book is a great retreat into the life cycle of an Emperor Penguin. Love and Survival does prevail within the pages of this book. And get this...you can even stay warm while cruising the Antarctica! Bogus! Whoops bad reminder of my opening hook! I'll get it right the next time-I swear!


So don't sit alone this winter! Head over to Barnes & Noble.com where all of these titles are readily available. (Damn, that just sounded like a commercial! Burr..)