About Books & Literature: Catching Up: 'Arcadia' and More

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor We're having a chilly snap this week, so instead of spending the afternoons in the lake, I'm spending them sunning on a rock like an iguana. Well, an iguana who knows how to read and is frantically catching up on books from the Spring. 'Arcadia' by Lauren Groff In her sophomore novel (her debut was the acclaimed The Monsters of Templeton), Lauren Groff tells the story of a boy who grows up on a hippie commune in Upstate NY. Though I didn't grow up on a commune, exactly, I am an Upstate NY hippie, so of course, this March 2012 release simply has to be on my reading list. See More About:  arcadia  lauren groff  1960s 'The Shoemaker's Wife' by Adriana Trigiani My in-laws are going to Italy for a month this summer, the lucky dogs. I am staying right here in good ol' Upstate New York, where I'll read this April 2012 release that fictionalizes the story of the author's grandparents, how they fell in love, and how they came to America. That'll be almost as good as a month in Tuscany, right? See More About:  adriana trigiani  historical fiction  Olympic Poets Gathering for Poetry Parnassus Meanwhile, over in London, the Cultural Olympiad is on, and poets from around the globe are gathering for a variety of poetry-related events. Movie Review: 'Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter' This movie, now in theaters, is based on a bestselling book of the same name, from the author that brought us Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. But does it live up to the book? Well, technically, no -- our book reviewer gave the book 3/5 stars, and our movie reviewer gave the movie 2.5/5 stars. Still worth your time for novelty's sake? That's for you to decide, bud. See More About:  abraham lincoln vampire hunter  benjamin walker  timur bekmambetov Books & Literature Ads Free Books Download Kids Reading Books Kids Books Fiction Books Summer School Books Featured Articles Quotes from 'The Jungle' Preview: 'Twilight, the Graphic Novel: Collector's Edition' Review: 'B is for Bagpipe: A Scottish Alphabet' Shakespeare Crib Sheet 'Man and Superman' Act III Words Worth Borrowing (Part 1)   More from About.com Bake Sale Bestsellers Make your next bake sale a profitable one with these irresistible recipes. More> Real Recipes app Download our highly-rated app for free recipes and kitchen tools, for iPhone and iPod Touch. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2012 About.com   Cookbooks for Kids Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook Simply in Season Children's Cookbook Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Welcome Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey!

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor The very idea that even amidst wars and recessions and crime and heatwaves and terrible pop music trends, we still have a Poet Laureate in the United States... well, it's a nice one, isn't it? It gives me a little bit of hope, at any rate. Meet Natasha Trethewey Our newest Poet Laureate, Emory University professor and Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey, is the first Southern American poet to be honored with the title in a quarter-century, and one of the youngest Laureates we've had in decades. Learn more about her poetry and her work. See More About:  black american poets  women poets  poets laureate What is a Poet Laureate, Anyway? The "laureate" part of the "Poet Laureate" title comes from the ancient Greek tradition of placing wreaths made of bay laurel on the heads of heroes and victors. Don't worry, though, I've been duly assured that Ms. Trethewey will not be required to wear a wreath of any kind on her head during her tenure. See More About:  poets laureate  petrarch  chaucer Annotated List of American Poets Laureate Do take a moment to explore this list and see some of the magnificent writing that's been done by the holders of this esteemed position. "Why We Should Read Poetry" by Amy Lowell "We should read poetry because only in that way can we know man in all his moods -- in the most beautiful thoughts of his heart, in his farthest reaches of imagination, in the tenderness of his love, in the nakedness and awe of his soul confronted with the terror and wonder of the Universe." See More About:  amy lowell  poetry  women writers Books & Literature Ads American Literature Fiction Books Free Books Books De Books for Children Featured Articles Suzy Bishop's Books in Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom' Erik Bruhwiler Interview 6 Quick Manga Reviews Guess How Much I Love You Pop-up Review Descriptive Writing in Modern Nonfiction Free Play: A History of Messy Rooms   More from About.com Bake Sale Bestsellers Make your next bake sale a profitable one with these irresistible recipes. More> Real Recipes app Download our highly-rated app for free recipes and kitchen tools, for iPhone and iPod Touch. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2012 About.com   Reviews of Recent Releases 'Arcadia' by Lauren Groff 'The Red House' by Mark Haddon 'A Naked Singularity' by Sergio de la Pava Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Oprah's Book Club is Back!

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor For those of you who've felt a void in your reading life since Oprah left the air, you'll be happy to know that her book club is back, now with improved online forums and other interactive features. Cool! What is Oprah's Book Club? If you somehow missed the hype back in the Book Club's heydey, here's a quick rundown of how it worked, and a list of selections. See More About:  oprah's book club  oprah winfrey  book clubs The New Oprah's Book Club -- and the First Pick! Learn more about where to find the book club and catch a glimpse of the first (or, more accurately, latest) pick! Tips for Starting a Book Club Want to start your own book club instead? Check out these tips! See More About:  book clubs  how to  book meetings General Book Club Questions I always find reading the book club selections to be the easy part. Some books lend themselves easily to discussion, but others need some prompting. Here are some questions to get your chit-chat started. See More About:  discussion questions  book clubs  book meetings Books & Literature Ads Book Club Books Oprahs Book Club Good Book Club Books Childrens Book Club Book Club Featured Articles 'The Collected Writings of Joe Brainerd' Children's Books for June 2012 Love in 'As You Like It' Baseball Poems How to Compose a Profile Break a Leg!   More from About.com Bake Sale Bestsellers Make your next bake sale a profitable one with these irresistible recipes. More> Real Recipes app Download our highly-rated app for free recipes and kitchen tools, for iPhone and iPod Touch. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2012 About.com   Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Help Your Kids Have a Literary Summer

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor My kid is only two, so I don't have to think about summer camps and reading lists quite yet. Or maybe I should rephrase that... my kid is only two, so I don't get to ship him off to camp for a couple of weeks quite yet. How To Pick a Theater Summer Camp for Kids Between my allergies, my lack of athletic prowess, and my intense distaste for creepy-crawlies, I think I would've been a great candidate for a tidy, bug-free theater camp. There wasn't one in our vicinity or price range when I was a kid, so I was doomed to bunk beds and animal track identification (shudder), but my budding literature-loving self would've just loved the opportunity, I'm sure. See More About:  children's theater  acting class  drama workshops Shakespeare For Kids I saw an ad in the paper the other day for a Shakespeare summer camp. A Shakespeare summer camp, people! My inner 12-year-old is jumping up and down and clapping her hands at the very thought! (My inner 12-year-old is, for the record, an enormous geek, but she's very lovable anyway, I assure you.) See More About:  shakespeare activities  shakespeare fun  shakespeare for kids 2012 Summer Reading Lists Speaking of geeky 12-year-olds, am I the only one who got really excited about summer reading lists as a kid? Man, I could not wait for that thing to get passed around. "What do we get to read this summer?" And here I am, ahem, ahem years later, still copping ideas from high school teachers and librarians far and wide. My, how far I've come. See More About:  recommended reading lists  summer reading  libraries How To Set a Reading Schedule Even with the best of intentions, a summer reading list can go quite unread without too much trouble -- those lazy sunny days just slip right away, and school sneaks right back up on you. Help your kids (and yourself) set a good reading schedule to keep them on track for the whole season. See More About:  book lists  reading schedule  when to read Books & Literature Ads Children Summer Camp Summer Camp Kids Summer Camps Kids Summer Camp for Kids Kids Summer Camps Featured Articles Summer Poetry Contest Deadlines June 2012 New Releases Adam Warren Interview How To Argue Like Socrates, Ben Franklin, and Columbo Graduation Quotes How To Choose a Piece of Comic Book Art   More from About.com Bake Sale Bestsellers Make your next bake sale a profitable one with these irresistible recipes. More> Real Recipes app Download our highly-rated app for free recipes and kitchen tools, for iPhone and iPod Touch. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2012 About.com   Reviews of Recent Releases 'In One Person' by John Irving 'The Newlyweds' by Nell Freudenberger 'Reticence' by Jean-Philippe Toussaint Advertisement