The Annotated Pride & Prejudice or an atmospheric English novel, anybody?

The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. As with many of her fans, P&P is my favorite Austen novel, one which I revisit almost every year for the sheer reading pleasure she provides. Picking up this sumptuous version, however, made me feel like I was getting an entirely new reading experience! The color plates, the annotated text, the heavy acid-free paper, and beautiful design all contrive to make this book a must-have for every Austen fan. And at $35 for a coffee-table sized format, this book really is an affordable luxury. Take a look at this gorgeous new offering from Harvard University Press/Belknap, edited by Patricia Meyer Spacks.

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. This lush novel interweaves three separate stories which span most of the 20th century. All of the factors for a great English mood novel are present: a castle, a family whose creative streak is matched only by its madness, three spinster sisters, a quaint village, mysterious disappearances, ancient secrets, tragic misunderstandings, and a young publisher trying to sort fact from fiction in the local lore. The stories meander at a deliberate (other readers might say slow) pace, converging all in the last chapter in a very satisfying way. This book is perfect for those readers who want to sink their teeth into an atmospheric novel that will make them want to curl up for hours with a pot o' tea. Published by Atria, a division of Simon & Schuster.

~Emily

I never met a bookstore I didn't love!

This past Monday's shelf awareness featured a quotation from author Kate Morton, The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden:

"I have never met a bookstore that I didn't love. And I've met a lot. I can't seem to help myself. It's a habit, an obsession, a life's work. Drop me anywhere and it's like a homing device starts blinking in my brain.... Every bookstore is different, just like the people who own them, and yet there are threads that tie them together. The books for one thing. All those covers. All those blurbs. The dim nooks and corners where shelves meet. The spines, lined up, row upon row, covers turned face out every so often, calling you to come a little closer. I always feel, if I could just stand quietly enough, I might actually hear the faint whispering of thousands of stories jostling together on the shelves, waiting to be chosen."
--Author Kate Morton, speaking at the Australian Booksellers Association's annual conference (via the Australian).

I most certainly agree with Ms. Morton's statement, although I was deprived of the independent bookstore experience until college. My sophomore year I went to Oxford, Mississippi for a speech and debate tournament and was introduced to Square books. The experience singularly changed my outlook on how a community and a bookstore can benefit and prosper from one another.

Yesterday the Huffington Post compiled a list of "the most amazing bookstores in the world." It was a very impressive list that made me all to aware that I haven't traveled nearly enough!

Every independent bookstore that I visit has an endearing quality, and usually after I visit has become a new favorite. What have been some of your favorite bookstores?

Best,

Paz,

~Nieves