CRP's Blog

Sneak peek at this week’s staff reads post: Maine, David Bowie, and anvil weddings. Also, Ellen is having a hard time moving on from the previous post on favorite covers. #CRPreads

I’m making my way through The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. right now. It’s good train reading! Meaghan turned me on to this article about what an exceptional publicity campaign the book had, so of course I couldn’t help but see what all the fuss was about. It’s actually the first e-book I’ve ever read completely on my phone—which, I was surprised to find, isn’t a completely godawful reading experience. (Am I allowed to say that? Will people in publishing hurt me?) —Caitlin Eck, publicity manager

I’m a huge fan of Kate Christensen’s writing and am finally getting around to reading her most recent book, How to Cook a Moose. I don’t consider myself a foodie, as such, but the palpable glee that she brings to her descriptions of planning, cooking, eating, and remembering her favorite meals gives me sympathetic shivers of joy. Bonus points for making me want to visit Portland, Maine, immediately.—Allison Felus, production manager

Received the October issue of Harper’s in the mail the other day, and I was delighted to find in it an excerpt from Nicholson Baker’s new nonfiction book, Substitute, in which he applies as a substitute teacher in a Maine school district for about a month. It’s been a while since a piece of writing made me guffaw, but Nicholson Baker’s good at that. —Geoff George, publicist

After attending a screening of the David Bowie Is documentary at the Music Box earlier this week, I’ve been once again poring over my copy of the book, which I purchased when the exhibition passed through Chicago in 2014. A gorgeous object in and of itself (that matte cover treatment! the gorgeous Bowie photos!), the book is a wonderful reminder of how the exhibition and the Starman himself did indeed blow our minds. —Ellen Hornor, project editor

This is a bit of a whirlwind, so find something to hold on to and we’ll begin. I’m a fan of the Nerdette Podcast, and in this week’s newsletter, or Nerdsletter, they linked to an article in Atlas Obscura about Lady Margaret Cavendish. Lady Margaret was not only recognized as the first female natural philosopher (aka scientist) of her time, she also is the author of one of the first science fiction stories which she published under her own name in 1666. It’s a fascinating read and now I want read both the story and a recently published novel about her. While on Atlas Obscura, I also found a fun article about the history of “anvil weddings” in the UK, which describes the 200-year-old history of couples eloping to Scotland to be married by blacksmiths, mole-catchers, fisherman, and the like, if they couldn’t get approval for a wedding from their town or parents. And, finally, on the topic of people running away to foreign locations, I’ve been enjoying Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud on audio. There are a lot of stories of people either escaping to another continent, or traveling to another country to fake their demise. —Mary Kravenas, marketing manager

Set in 1899 New York, The Golem and the Jinni describes the origin, survival, and friendship of two magical beings: one made of clay, the other of fire. It delves into philosophical quandaries, Jewish and Arabian folklore, the immigrant experience, the human experience, and more. I’m trying to hold off on finishing it until the leaves start changing because it feels like the perfect book for fall. —Emily Lewis, editorial and marketing assistant

I just finished reading The Bell Jar. I read it for the first time probably 15 years ago, and I remembered nothing except thinking that interning at an NYC magazine, as protagonist Esther Greenwood does, was incredibly glamorous. After quoting the line “Man, you are in the bell jar” (from everyone’s favorite Winona Ryder/Ethan Hawke movie Reality Bites) to a friend who was feeling less than great, I decided it was time to revisit this classic novel. This go-round I was reading with the question “what makes this book so special” stuck in my head, consciously seeking style over plot—which Plath has in spades. I couldn’t believe how many times I laughed, or realized how spot-on Plath was about certain interactions or feelings. Every third sentence read like poetry. This was definitely an interesting one to return to. Keep it on the must-read list! —Meaghan Miller, senior publicist and social media coordinator

As I bicycle to and from work along the lakeshore, I’ve been listening to Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, narrated by Hillary Huber. Despite the contrast between the fresh, clean greenery of what I see and the dirty streets of Naples in my earbuds, I find myself cycling slower and slower as the story engrosses me, and I just don’t want to get off my bike. The only way I can commute efficiently is to turn off the book and listen to music instead . . .  —Yuval Taylor, senior editor

I just started reading one of our own: Ben Montgomery’s second title, The Leper Spy. Having loved Grandma Gatewood’s Walk quite dearly, I’m looking forward to learning about another inspiring woman from Ben. —Michelle Williams, managing editor