The Savvy Reader

3 Ways To Pop The Question And 8 Ways The Question Could Pop You

[Editor's note: Benjamin Errett sent us this list for the Sympatico Book Guide and it was just too perfectly charming to keep from you. So, I'm crossposting it to The Savvy Reader]

Three Ways to Pop the Question, and Eight Ways the Question Could Pop You

In my new book Jew And Improved: How Choosing to Be Chosen Made Me A Better Man, I propose to my future wife on the roof of our house. It made sense to pop the question in the home we owned together, but there wasn't a particular room that seemed worthy of the moment. Up on the roof -- under the stars and with the slight possibility of falling three stories into the backyard -- was both romantic and exciting.

Here are some popular methods of proposing I considered and rejected:

Joe Hill Makes His Canadian Debut

More exciting author news -- Joe Hill is coming to The Merril Collection (239 College Street, Toronto -- it's in the Lillian H. Smith library) on Monday, March 22 at 7PM, making his first Canadian visit. You can call the collection at (416) 963-9993 for more details.

This is seriously an event not to miss. Joe Hill is the author of Horns, the hottest thing in fantastic horror since Stephen King's last book (Joe Hill, incidentally, is Stephen King's son) and it is an amazing read. Rob Bain, our amazing Marketing Assistant, recently reviewed it, so I'm going to shamelessly quote a chunk of his review:

7 Great Tips For Living An Anticancer Life

Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, himself a cancer survivor, was inspired by Michael Pollan's latest book, Food Rules, to write a series of his own Anticancer Rules. Below find 7 tips to help you lead an Anticancer life.

Get physical
Make time to exercise, be it walking, dancing or running. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 days a week. This can be as easy as just walking part of the way to the office, or the grocery store. A dog is often a better walking partner than an exercise buddy. Choose an activity you enjoy; if you're having fun, you're more likely to stick with it.

Christopher Moore Visits Canada

Mega-star Christopher Moore sent out this email today:

Hey kids,
Christopher Moore, Author Guy here.
Just a couple of news items.
First, Fool comes out in paperback today, so for those of you who have been holding off, go for it. For those of you who want to have a hardcover for your collection, you should probably grab one soon.
Second, I have a new book, Bite Me: A Love Story coming out on March 23rd and I’ll be doing a national tour as well as four Canadian dates, the first time I’ve been back to the Great White North in ten years.
Full details for the tour (as well as a few FAQs) are here:
http://blog.chrismoore.com/index.php/archives/1215
There are a few ticketed events, so be sure to call ahead to those venues if you plan to attend.

The Canadian dates are listed on Christopher Moore's blog here, and keep your eyes on The Savvy Reader and our Facebook Group for more details.

And if you've managed to miss reading Christopher Moore (...seriously?) check out Fool, Bite Me, or my personal fave, Lamb.

-- Amanda

10 Controversy-Causing Books

Freedom to Read Week -- the annual event that asks Canadians to think about the meaning of “intellectual freedom” -- runs until February 27. The books on this list have all caused controversy, either now or in the time they were published, and some have even been banned. So celebrate your freedom to read by reading on, and take a look at some banned books for teens, adults, and kids.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
This astonishing novel is at once a dark satire which has been terrifying readers for generations, a cleverly written science fiction which informed the genre, a thought-provoking classic, and a thoroughly entertaining read. It’s been banned in several places and at several times for its adult themes – sex, suicide, and drugs all make an appearance in this must-read classic.
Read from Brave New World

Leonard Maltin Takes Charge Of Our Pop Culture Questions

The Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide series has been my go-to-guide to TV movies since before I was old enough to control the remote, so I was beyond excited to check out his newest book, 151 Best Movies You've Never Seen. And I was downright thrilled when he agreed to answer our Pop Culture Questionnaire. Read on to learn about some of Leonard Maltin's faves, least-faves, and thoughts.

Finish this sentence: "People would be surprised to know that I can't..."
…stomach most horror movies. I get scared much too easily.

If you couldn't live in the country you're currently living in, where would you live and why?
England; I feel an affinity for almost all things British.

10 Books Your Kids Will Love

If you know any kids between 8 and 12, you’re probably familiar with the frantic shuffle to entertain them during March Break. Give them one of these fantastic books, though, and they’ll be lost in a world of magic and adventure in no time. Every kid -- from the voracious reader who always has a favourite to the reluctant reader who would rather wash dishes than pick up a book -- will find something to love on this list.

A Bad Case of Ghosts by Kenneth Oppel
The first book in the Brains and the Barnes series follows Giles Barnes as he enlists the help of his super-genius neighbours, Tina and Kevin Quark, to help him solve the mystery of the ghosts in his new house. This one will have even the most reluctant reader glued to the pages.
Read an excerpt from A Bad Case of Ghosts

English 101 - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

As a girl who's constantly looking for reading challenges, joining them, creating them, and then failing miserably (see My Tragic Right Hip for proof), I'm glad that one's come along that I'll actually be able to tackle. Enter English 101 from The Olive Reader, HarperPerennial's blog. This month they're reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and I've got TWO copies for digital peeps that want to join me.

Welcome to English 101: The Harper Perennial Classics Book Club! Today’s book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

As I think I may have said in the introductory post, I resisted reading ATGIB for a long time, scowling in the face of anyone who suggested it to me by saying, “but it’s about a young girl growing up in Brooklyn who loves reading! And you’re a young girl growing up in Brooklyn who loves reading!” But when I eventually read it, somewhere around age 13 or 14 (oh, how I wish GoodReads had been around to keep track of my reading back then!), I fell in love. I knew just how Francie felt, wanting to lose myself in the world of books because it was so much better than what was going on in the real world, though I was young enough that I don’ think I articulated it to myself that way. ATGIB was beautiful and sad (the scene where Katie lays her head on the table and sobs after the funeral stayed with me all these years), and I remembered it fondly.

I’m so glad I first read it when I did, because the most prominent thing about it this time for me was the all-consuming, unending poverty. Collecting junk to sell for pennies. Mixing old bread with water and other kitchen scraps to make meals. Feeling the concrete through the holes in your shoes. The Nolans are always cold; always hungry. They are barely surviving...

Click over to The Olive Reader to read the rest of their ATGIB post. 

For now, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn has rocketed up my TBR pile for February. Anyone else want to join me? We might be a little behind as The Olive Reader has already started their discussion but literature's timeless, right?

1. Email me if you'd like one of the two copies I have to give away.

2. Browse Inside to start reading the book.

3. Take some time to look at the Reading Group Guide.

4. Learn more about Betty Smith.

Fight For Your Title: Alice Kuipers Talks The Book of Negroes

Not sure what this is all about? Check out the HCC March Madness contest, then check out our Fight For Your Title blog challenge.

Alice Kuipers, author of Life on the Refrigerator Door (a March Madness contender!) and The Worst Thing She Ever Did, has written us an incredibly evocative post about her experience reading The Book of Negroes.

Reading The Book of Negroes

I read The Book of Negroes on a plane. I remember the weight of the book -- I was worried it would be too heavy and it would get in the way on the journey. Instead it took me on a journey that I will never forget.  The story of Aminata and her incredible strength, her voyage through a lifetime barely comprehensible, yet terribly vivid and true, has stayed with me. I carried the novel through customs, squeezed into my seat on the plane, and remained gripped as I turned the pages faster and faster, wanting to get to the end. Yet wanting to stay in the book forever. I don't remember a flight like it.

--Alice Kuipers

Do you agree with Alice about The Book of Negroes (you can read an excerpt here), or is there another title you think should take the prize (maybe Alice's book, which you can read part of here)? Write your post and leave a link to it in a comment on Fight For Your Title. 

Is There Anything Cuter Than Valentines?

These book-themed Valentine's Day cards are just the sweetest things. They make me wish I was back in elementary school, putting a valentine in everybody's handmade mailbox. 

Check out the printable PDF. There's a set for Henry in Love, My Heart is Like a Zoo, Sugar Cookies, Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, and Darklight (which means there are some for the little ones, some for teens, and even some for us grown-ups).

Download them here, send them to all your friends, and tell me about your favourite in the comments (I like the Sugar Cookies ones. Too cute!).

--Amanda