A Medieval Town of Books: Hay-on-Wye, Wales

After our back-to-back sabbaticals in Tokyo and at Oxford University, I've been busy offline, settling back home in Maine. During our year abroad, my professor husband researched an academic book, and I gathered material for two young adult novels. At the end of our UK sabbatical, we visited Hay-on-Wye, which hosts a literary festival and has more used bookstores than I've ever seen in one location.

The Richard Booth's Bookshop has three floors of books, ranging from rare to new, including a large children's and YA section shown above. It's the brown woodframe building in the opening photo.

We found the best antique book selection at Hay-on-Wye Booksellers in a Tudor style building that felt appropriately Shakespearean. I chose an antique book featuring animals for our kind friends who hosted our dog while we were abroad.

To distinguish themselves, some secondhand bookstores specialized by genre. Murder and Mayhem is devoted to mysteries, crime fiction, and horror.

After a day of book shopping, we stopped at Shepherds for delicious local ice cream.

On a sunnier day, we walked along the River Wye and admired the wild swans.

We also learned how to say weak bridge in Welsh: "pont wan." Luckily said pont was strong enough for foot traffic and small cars. There were more challenging hikes in the nearby Brecon Beacons.

After our country walk, we enjoyed a cream tea (scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream) at Llangoed Hall, Laura Ashley's former home (above). Even in my hiking clothes, I felt like a character in Downton Abbey.

Back in England, we visited Highclere Castle (at left), where Downton Abbey was filmed. The tour was fun, featuring the amazing library, but they don't allow indoor photography.

It was such an inspiring year abroad! My young adult novel set in the UK is now with my agent, who loves it. I'm currently working on a new YA novel set in Japan, which I will blog about later. I update more frequently on twitter.

More about our Wales vacation here:
Carew Castle & Coastal Cliffs in Pembrokeshire, Wales

A Book Lover's Birthday Gift: waging battle in verse

Birthday celebration with my brother, my mother, my father, and me - photo by my sister-in-law Sumie Nobunaga Lamport

My dad must have been my age now when I called him
"an old man." Late on a ski day, he'd taken the intermediate slope rather than following me down an icy double-black diamond with hazard signs.

My dad retaliated by quoting poetry at me,

"I grow old...I grow old...
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?"

My groaning did not stop his recitation.
My dad - and T.S. Eliot - had the last word.

Or so he thought.

Jump ahead in time. I was now the mother... 

...of a teenager who leaves me in her snowy wake. 

Her grandpa had a big birthday. What should we give him?

My dad started the tradition of giving stupid gifts. Before I moved to Oxford, England for a one-year sabbatical, he gave me a mug featuring the six wives of King Henry VIII. When hot tea was poured, their heads vanished.

For my paternal jester, I considered a poetry collection written in invisible ink, but a beautiful edition of T.S. Eliot's poetry would be more classy.


In Portland, Maine I found an antiquarian bookstore, Carlson & Turner. Although T.S. Eliot died years before my birth, 1965 was not quite ancient enough for a leather-bound volume. The bookseller offered to rebind a 1970s edition, which I found at Yes Books. He rolled out reams of dyed leather and sheets of marbled paper. He'd spent decades mastering the classic art of bookbindery. His gorgeous samples with gold lettering were out of another century. The supple leather was soothing in hand.

This was the gift for my dad: "Time for you and time for me."

 A Love Song from J. Alfred Prufrock and me

The Union Street Bakery, Brunswick, Maine

Although The Union Street Bakery and Cake Shop only opened a few weeks ago, it's such a perfect match for my neighborhood that it feels like it has always been here. The owner, Sandra Holland, has many years of experience as a caterer, baker and business woman. She also has an Associates Degree from RISD in Culinary Arts with a focus on pastry. When I first moved to Brunswick, Sandy was running the Humble Gourmet, a similar bakery/sandwich shop but in a less hospitable location. Her new venture is located on a quiet, tree-lined side street near the public library and in easy walking distance to everything in Brunswick, including my house.

The Union Street Bakery: 40 Union St, Brunswick, Maine

Entering the Union Street Bakery feels like visiting an old friend's home with the comfy chairs, local art and sunny window nooks. Refreshing breezes flow through windows on three sides, carrying the scent of baking bread and brewing coffee from the open kitchen. Cat Stevens played timeless favorites. I had the perfect lunch: toasted turkey BLT with avocado, a regular on the menu with other sandwiches, soup, quiche, salad, cookies and cupcakes.

After a leisurely lunch, Henry and I ordered a gluten free birthday cake for our daughter. Sandy was amazed to hear that our little girl with Shirley Temple curls could be turning eighteen and heading to college. Years ago, we'd carpooled our sons to Audubon summer day camp.

Sandra Holland & her crew
Photo curtesy Union Street Bakery

I'm so pleased to see Sandy back at what she does best: making our town feel like a neighborhood and baking the best cakes ever. My favorite is her tart but moist lemon cake, and I'm not usually a cake lover. Her carrot cake is really good too and is available in an almond flour version for those on gluten free diets. My daughter was put on a gluten free diet recently for health reasons, and it's a relief to find local businesses catering to her needs. I'm sure I'll be back on other summer days with my daughter and during the long winter with friends. It's so cozy and warm.

After lunch, I walked a couple blocks to the Gulf of Maine Bookstore to buy two copies of Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee, one for me and one for my daughter. She loved To Kill a Mockingbird so much, she named our dog Scout. I'm planning to post my impressions of this controversial lost-manuscript-found-book next week. Who else is reading it (no spoilers please)? You can read/listen to a free sample posted by The Guardian here. If I'm not online, I'm probably reading in my hammock.

Daisies in Pickard Fields, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine

A new chapter: Middlebury College

Two views of my son's dorm at Middlebury College.

As my son joined the queue of freshman, my advice was:
"Don't run over the photographer."

My son turned to me and grinned. "Don't be so sentimental."

I laughed with him, fighting back tears. It was a long journey, and I don't mean the five hour drive from Maine to Vermont.

Middlebury Town in Vermont

My son worked so hard to get to Middlebury College, and he got lucky too. Middlebury was the first college we visited together junior year. He fell in love with a hilly campus encircled by mountains, the absurd amounts of snow and a cafeteria open all day long: paradise!

President Liebowitz had advice for us parents: "Your job is done. They're adults. Don't worry; we'll look after them." He celebrated Middlebury's achievements and shared a story about a sobbing parent. He told us "to suck it up." We laughed because it beat crying. It was time to let go.

I said goodbye to my son by cell phone. He was rushing off to take a placement exam. I had never felt so alone, not since my mid 20s. My husband was in Maine, meeting with his freshman advisees at Bowdoin College. Our 16-year-old daughter had already left for a semester school on a coastal farm. For one semester, we will be empty nesters. It's not all bad; I can write and paint without interruption. For years I've been looking forward to this gift of free time. But still.

Look, Beth, Small Damages.

In my new found solitude, I headed off campus, crossing the bridge to the charming town. I took refuge in The Vermont Book Shop, overlooking the river. Driving home, I listened to Beautiful Ruins on CD.

Now I'm back at work, writing a new young adult novel and painting a couple of commissions. Classes have started at Bowdoin too. For the first time, my husband's students are the same age as our child. The dog roams the house, sniffing around suspiciously tidy rooms. Our son calls weekly and our daughter emails. They sound happy. We're all adjusting to this new pace of life.

Blog Watch: Happy 5th Blog Anniversary to Cynthia Newbury Martin! Welcome back Donna and A Cuban in London from summer break! Elizabeth Wix has shut down About New York but is still posting at The World Examining Works. 

At Main Point Books with Beth Kephart and Craig Johnson

At Main Point Books with Beth Kephart

Last week I spent a blissful couple of days helping my friend, Cathy Fiebach, who just opened an indie bookstore in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Main Point Books is as warm, smart and sunny as its owner. Since childhood, we've shared a passion for good books. It was her dream to open a bookstore and it was mine to be part of it for a few days. How often do you get to live a fantasy?

My favorite job was matching customers' individual tastes with new books, but the hardest work happens behind the scenes. Main Point Books is open 7 days a week, and Cathy is up at dawn placing orders, organizing author events, cleaning the bathroom and doing paperwork. I filed reams of book packing lists/invoices and learned all about Ingram, a book distributer. Empty shelf space indicates recent sales. Cathy's business savvy (a Warton MBA with experience in marketing) is as important as her love of fine literature. Her knowledge, energy and hours are making this bookstore a success. It helps to have such a welcoming and enthusiastic community too. And there's a cupcake store next door!

Many local authors stopped by, and it was a delight to meet (first photo) one of my favorite authors/bloggers, Beth Kephart, in person. I'd asked Cathy to order Beth's two historical YA novels, both set in Philadelphia. Dangerous Neighbors takes place during the Centennial and focuses on twin 16-year-old girls who dare to become involved with boys beneath their social class. Through extensive research, attention to detail and a fine ear for period dialect, Beth brings the past to the present. Dangerous Neighbors is a perfectly crafted novel; it's as tight as a short story with prose as lyrical as poetry:

"Then she steps through the hall and toward the front door, the whisper of her black skirt fading to silence." 

"Katherine saw how his eyes were like pieces of dark green-brown glass, shining and absorbing shine at the same time. She wondered if he'd seen her, then wondered why she cared..."

Dr. Radway's Sarsaparilla Resolvent  (impossible title to remember!) is a companion novel to Dangerous Neighbors. The protagonist is William, the boy with the "green-brown glass" eyes, who rescues lost animals in shantytown. My favorite character was a young goat (I love animals.) DRSR is a Dickensian story with a touch of Steinbeck's Cannary Row and gorgeous illustrations by William Sulit, Beth's talented husband. It's a younger and more masculine story, which I'd recommend to middle school boys and to fans of Dangerous Neighbors who miss the characters. The twins and their feminist/suffragette mother make a few appearances. Locals will be pleased to hear that Beth Kephart is planning a Main Point Books author visit.

Bestseller author Craig Johnson added an unscheduled stop to his book tour while visiting his daughter, who lives near Main Point Books. His Longmire mysteries have become a televised series, and his fans (men and women) came eagerly to hear him speak. Craig showed up in a 10-gallon hat, weathered jeans and cowboy boots, looking like he'd hitched his horse to the parking meter. He spoke eloquently about writing and shared many humorous anecdotes. His aim is to make the reader feel like he/she is sitting beside him on a barstool, not reading a book. Although western mystery is not my genre, I bought The Cold Dish, the first book in the series. Authors take note: you don't need to read your book out loud to gain a new reader, not if the story behind the story is equally interesting. Craig promised to return to Main Point Books - don't miss him.

Author Craig Johnson with Cathy Fiebach, owner of Main Point Books

It was hard to leave Main Point Books, my ideal bookstore. There's a cozy children's corner by the local author section. The big Young Adult section is beside Adult Fiction, making it easier for teens and for adults to crossover. We talked about renaming the Romance section New Adult. Nearly half the stock is non-fiction or memoir. Coming soon will be bookshelf blurbs from store employees and reviewers like me. I shall stay involved, even at a distance.

Follow Main Point Books on twitter for updates.

Reviewer's Disclosure: at my insistence, I was not compensated for my work in the bookstore (beyond food!) or for my reviews. I bought the three paperback books at Main Point Books. Dangerous Neighbors was edited by and dedicated to my new agent (before she shifted to agenting.) My online friendship with Beth stems from my appreciation of her blog and her books. Seems like a theme in my life...

Thank you, followers! Your encouraging comments on my last post helped. Revisions are nearly finished. There will be a final round of polishing once I get feedback from my agent, who is reading again. I haven't missed much summer. It's been raining in Maine for so many weeks on end that I've lost count. Mushrooms are springing up instead of wildflowers in our lawn. I even found one growing in the kids' bathroom (our 1920's home lacks central air conditioning.) When I went to print my manuscript, the paper kept curling up. I had to open a new pack of paper to keep the printer from jamming. This morning the rain has paused, but the trees are hiding in fog. This is my fault for mocking Seattle in my last review. I'm looking forward to catching up on your blogs soon. I've missed you too!

England in Springtime

Hello, I'm back! We've been in England visiting my in-laws, who live on this gorgeous stretch of the
Thames River.  This is the village where my husband grew up.

For provisions we headed to Wallingford (photo above), which hasn't changed much since medieval times. We easily found wellies (rubber boots) for my daughter but not a replacement headset for her iPod. I highly recommend the antique arcade and the Wallingford Bookshop. Agatha Christie lived outside this charming town. My mother-in-law, an occupational therapist, used to help care for her.

My daughter was amused to find a supermarket aisle devoted to tea and snapped this photo. I tasted a Cornish cheese called yarg, wrapped in nettles. I have a special interest in all thing Cornish since the young adult novel I'm revising is set in Cornwall.

For "research" my husband and I had to visit the Catherine Wheel, a favorite pub in Goring-on-Thames.

Back in the day, food was cooked directly over the fire.

The hidden men's room.

Amos sings along to opera and pop.

When we tired of the singing dog, we took the train to London. After watching a superb performance of 
Gorky's Children of the Sun at the National Theatre, we admired the view from the Millenium Bridge.

The weather was damp and chilly,
but the sun came out for
my husband's birthday party.

The best part of our visit was
catching up with family
and old friends.
I met Sherry and Safia
during my junior year abroad in London.

If you live in the UK or Japan,
check out Safia's fair trade clothing company:
People Tree.
She's wearing one of her dresses
in hand woven fabric.

England, I already miss you.  Photo by my daughter.

What are your favorite books?

My friend Cathy (right of me) is opening a bookstore in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and she is asking for our help:

"I am getting ready to place my opening order for Main Point Books and was looking for some help to make the initial order more interesting. Would you send me a list of your 3 favorite books of all time and your 3 favorite books this year (a longer or shorter list is completely fine)? If you have time and can write a sentence or two about why you loved the book that would also be extremely helpful. I am hoping to have shelf talkers about many of the books." 

- Cathy Fiebach

My book recommendations follow. Please add yours  in the comments and pass on the good news!

Favorite Books of All Time for Adults (so hard to choose!)

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

Murakami's innovative novels inspired me to try writing fiction myself. His realistic characters struggle to make sense of the surreal landscape of modern Tokyo with yakuza gangsters, elusive women and enigmatic cats. 

A Secret History by Donna Tart

This novel captured the love of learning and the charm of a New England college campus. A murder mystery added intrigue and danger. 

The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh

A contemporary tale set in eastern India where deified tigers roam free and viciously wild in tidal country. The tough Indian-American heroine has come in search of the elusive river dolphin. She hires an illiterate fisherman whose knowledge runs deeper than the hidden pools. The lyrical prose is as captivating and enchanting as the story.

Favorite Books for Adults from the Past Year

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (review coming soon)

Favorite Young Adult Books of All Time

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne's friendship with Diana, her slow building romance with Gilbert and the gorgeous island setting made this a childhood favorite. The 6 books in the series follow Anne from her adoption as a headstrong young girl to adulthood.

 The Arm of The Starfish & A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle

Adam Eddington, a student of marine biology, was my biggest book crush as a teen. I loved how L'Engle's novels featured smart girls who loved science and books but were a bit awkward in love. That was my life. 

New classics which inspired me to write young adult fiction:

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Looking for Alaska by John Green

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Favorite Young Adult Books from the Past Year

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Small Damages by Beth Kephart

Out of Nowhere by Maria Padian

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

A Wonderful Middle Grade Book from Last Year

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

An ordinary boy with a disfiguring birth defect starts school in 5th grade. The reaction of his classmates spotlights the cruelty of middle school and the ability of people to rise above it. I don't usually read MG fiction, but I picked it up in our local bookstore and couldn't put it down. This engaging novel deserves its number one spot on the NYT bestseller list.

Maine Point Books is due to open by early June. Please share your book suggestions with Cathy in the comment section or add a link to your own post. Nonfiction and gardening books are welcome too. Thanks for your help!

Reviewer's Disclaimer: Author Maria Padian is a friend and Beth Kephart is a blog buddy. I borrowed or received free ARCs of their books and of Flight Behavior for review purposes. The other books I purchased for myself. I happily agreed to advise Cathy on young adult books for her bookstore without compensation.

Note: I'll be taking a one-week blog vacation for my kids' spring break. Next post: April 24th.