The 20th Edition of the Decatur Book Festival

The Decatur Book Festival is returning for its 21st year, and that means it's time to celebrate. The Festival is taking place across 11 different stages, and will feature best-selling authors like Brian Goldstone, who is giving the keynote address on Friday the 2nd, Tomi Adeyemi, Tayari Jones, and many more. Eagle Eye will also be returning to the festival as a vendor this year! You'll be able to catch us on the lawn of the First Baptist Church of Decatur, where we'll be peddling all sorts of books and other bookish goodies.

Speaking of the First Baptist Church, we will be the designated bookseller's for all of the talks happening within it on Saturday, October 3rd. This includes both the Sanctuary and Carreker Hall, and between the two stages there's sure to be an author or two you'll want to hear from.

The Sanctuary at First Baptist is one of the largest venues at the festival, and throughout the day it will be host to interesting authors writing across all sorts of genres. Tomi Adeyemi will be kicking things off on Saturday with a discussion of her new novel, The Siren. After her, Arthur Sze, the 25th U.S. Poet Laureate, will take the stage. He will be discussing poetry in translation, as well as his book, Transient Worlds. Next on the docket are Kristen Kobes Du Mez and Robert P. Jones, who will be discussing the state of Christianity in America. Kristen's new book, Live Laugh Love, examines the current culture of white Christian femininity, while Robert's book, Backslide, inspects how Christianity has played a role in rising anti-Democratic sentiments. Chai Pani's Meherwan Irani will be spicing things up in the sanctuary afterwards with his new cookbook, No. 1 BEST INDIAN COOKBOOK IN THE WORLD! He'll be giving the inside scoop on some of his recipes, while also giving insights into grocery shopping & other techniques you can take home with you. Closing out the Sanctuary is award-winning, best-selling author Tayari Jones, whose new book Kin has been a block-buster success this summer. 

That alone was a bit of a doozy, but there will be even more authors speaking down in Carreker Hall through the day. Traditionally, the book festival has used that space for its cooking demonstrations, but this year it will be home to authors who write genre fiction. From mysteries to romance to horror and everything in between, there's sure to be a panel for whatever flavor of fiction you prefer. Tara Goedjen, Meredith Lavender, and Kendall Shores will be opening the day with a thrilling discussion about... thrillers! Madeline Martin will be up next to discuss her book, A Time of Witches. This multi-generational tale of witches in Georgia mixes fantasy and history, but you'll have to come on down to see just how it does so. The magic continues with the next two authors, Bel Banta and Nghi Vo, at their Courts, Ballrooms, and Bloodshed panel. Their titles, The Court of Venus and The Scarlett Ball, both deal with the political machinations of magical hierarchical organizations and the beautiful facades they hide behind. Things will take a scary turn afterwards, as Mary Berman & Sarah Langan take the stage to talk horror. Their titles deal with modern femininity, and the horror than can pervade the expectations society places on women. 

The next two authors, Natalia Hernandez and M.K. Lobb, will keep you on the edge of your seat, but you can rest assured knowing there will be a happy ending in their Adventure Romances'. Natalia's The Lost Guardian takes us on an archeological expedition, while M.K.'s The Dark in Her Veins follows a hit-woman whose time may be running out, but both feature enterprising women who are in for more than they've bargained for, both professionally and romantically. Finally, Emma R. Alban and Katie Jung will be closing out the proceedings in Carreker with ghost romances. Both authors' books feature ghosts in romantic leads, so this panel should definitely bring you back to life after a long day at the Book Festival!

That covers all of the authors we'll be selling books for at the Decatur Book Festival this year. It's set to be a long day, but we look forward to seeing you all there! If you aren't able to make it down on Saturday, be sure to stop by the store for signed copies of all of the aforementioned titles. We may have some of their other books signed too! 

For the full schedule of events, click here.

Banned Books Week: Let Freedom Read

Who is to say what you should and shouldn’t read? With Banned Books Week October 4 - 10, we’re talking about banned books!  

The official theme for the week is Let Books Be. Protect the freedom to read. The focus is on “highlighting the freedom to seek and express ideas, and bring national attention to the harms of censorship” in support of librarians, teachers, writers, and booksellers.

How many banned books have you read? According to the American Library Association, some of the most challenged books include titles such as Sold by Patricia McCormick, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, and many others. Some banned classic titles include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, 1984 by George Orwell, and more. In addition to the books listed here, Eagle Eye Book Shop also has some banned book merchandise as well. 

Some of the reasons books may be banned stem from recurring themes such as LGBTQIA, sexual content, social and political themes, profanity, worldview objections, and more. 

Why is it important to fight against the banning of books? The fight against the banning of books protects intellectual freedom, upholds our constitutional rights, and ensures that everyone has open access to diverse ideas and history.

Local Banned Books Week events include the following:

East Atlanta Library Banned Book Club is holding a “Choose Your Own Adventure” event at 6 p.m. on October 6. Participants will choose and read any challenged book and then will gather with local readers for a community-led discussion.

Virginia Highland Church Banned Book Club has structured meetings where participants discuss and analyze literature that has faced opposition or censorship.

And you can also join Georgia Advocacy and Activism Groups such as the ACLU of Georgia and the Georgia Coalition Against Classroom Censorship to make a difference when it comes to the banning and censorship of books. 

Banned Books Week is organized by the American Library Association, Pen America, The Banned Books Week Coalition and other partners like Unite Against Book Bans. For more information, visit bannedbooksweek.org.

Are the Classics Unconditionally Good?

    Despite being one of the largest genres of books, or maybe because of this, the Classics have very little in common. While genres like Romance and Sci-Fi/Fantasy are also pretty loosely related, they've still got certain common themes, settings, and tropes that bind them together. Fiction is the only other section that can compare in its lack of cohesion, but when you go to browse the shelves of a fiction section you already know it'll be a grab bag. When you're browsing the classics, though, there's the expectation that no matter what you pick up you're in for some sort of Great Literary Experience. I mean, they're the classics for a reason, right?

     When I was vacationing abroad last year, I had to put this theory to the test. I had finished the book I packed and was looking for something to read when I found myself in a used books market. Being in he Netherlands, most of the books were in Dutch, but there was one stall with a bunch of Penguin Classics in English. While there were plenty of titles I was familiar with, there were even more titles that were new to me. And so, standing in front of all these classics, I picked one of these I was unfamiliar with based on everyone's favorite metric for judging a book: it's cover. 

    I left the market with a copy of Evelyn Waugh's "Unconditional Surrender," a slim paperback with a lovely line art illustration of a soldier on a beach. I had skimmed the back of the book & it seemed interesting enough, though I did not read closely enough to realize that the book was the third installment of a trilogy. With limited reading material on hand I had no choice but to read the book anyways, and I'm glad I did because the book was quite lovely.

    The entire Sword of Honour trilogy follows Guy Crouchback, a soldier in the British Army during World War II who has enlisted with the hopes of finding purpose in the fight against the Nazis. By the time we get to the events of "Unconditional Surrender," Guy has lost the idealism that led him to join up in the first place. On top of that his aging body can't keep up with the demands of the front lines, so Guy is forced to take up a desk job. There are a number of other plot threads in the mix, from issues with Guy's father to a will-they-won't-they sort of relationship. Despite not having the context of the first two books, I still found these to be interesting plot threads with compelling, multi-faceted characters, though I couldn't help but feeling like I would've appreciated everything even more had I read the full book. "Unconditional Surrender" is also a satirical novel, and goes about skewering the bureaucratic realities of war with great wit and humor. 

    This is just one example of a time when picking a Classic at random paid of, but I can think of other examples too. Whether I branched out and read something from an author I'd never heard of or found a more obscure title from a familiar face, it's rare that I walk away from a "Classic" feeling less than rewarded for my time. I guess there really is a reason why we've chosen to preserve some of these texts for thousands of years after all.

It's Time to Revisit the Classics

Perhaps many of us were introduced to classic books and stories at an early age. Parents often start by reading traditional picture books to their young children, including titles such as Goodnight Moon and favorites such as Dr. Seuss books, the Winnie-the-Pooh collection, and more. Then it’s on to middle grade readers and titles such as E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, Anne of Green Gables, and more.

It’s generally during the high school years when most of us are introduced to the novels considered as classics for assigned and required reading. Students get their first taste of classic novels such as J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and many others. But perhaps there’s something about being a high school student and required reading that can take all the fun out of the sheer pleasure of reading a story - especially a classic novel that may seem old and antiquated to a high school student, unless of course you’re Rory Gilmore and then that’s a completely different story altogether. Things haven’t changed much. As students go back to the classroom, they’re looking for their required reading - The Classics. 

Once an adult and post school years, the classics are no longer required reading. But that doesn’t mean that these gems aren’t being read. In fact, according to the New York Public Library’s website, The 10 Most Borrowed Books of All Time at the New York Public Library include classics such as The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, George Orwell’s 1984, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury top the list. And classic novels are considered classic for a reason. 

Just what makes a novel a classic? You might think it’s because it’s written by a particular author, or because it was written a long time ago. Or perhaps it’s because it’s a story that covers certain subject matter. But according to publishing giant, Pan Macmillan, in a blog post entitled, What Makes a Classic?, by Harriett Sanders, a classic novel is described as a book that has stood the test of time because it’s so good. Sanders further states a classic novel has “a gripping story that’s expertly crafted and brilliantly expressed.”

Lately the classics have gained popularity even finding their way to both the big and small screens. Blockbusters such as Homer’s The Odyssey, and Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, along with television shows such as the upcoming adaptation of Steinbeck’s East of Eden, and the Public Broadcasting Station’s adaptation of Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo, and more, have gained both readers and viewing audiences alike for their timeless stories, themes, and mass appeal. 

With my own goal to read more classics, I recently picked up Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. It was interesting giving the reader insight into the way mental health was viewed and treated years ago when the book was written compared to how mental health is viewed and treated today. The next classic on my list is John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. I hope to read it before the Netflix seven-episode miniseries begins streaming October 1.

How many classics have you read for leisure and fun or to expand your knowledge since your days as a student? When you’re ready to dive into your next classic novel, Eagle Eye Book Shop has a robust selection of both Children’s Classics and Classic Novels for your next read. And while we know our customers have an eagle eye for good books, our knowledgeable booksellers are here to help you find the particular version or translation of the classic novel you’re looking for. 

Gardening doesn't have to be a fool's errand

    With proper planning, gardening doesn't have to be a fool's errand. And Eagle Eye is here to help!

    Starting a garden can be an overwhelming task, whether you’re planning your first season or have some experience under your belt. Beyond choosing which plants you want to grow, you must also consider garden placement, sunlight, potential landscaping changes, and rainfall accumulation. 

    Not to mention, using the internet as a research tool can lead to an overload of often conflicting information, especially if you turn to unregulated forums like Reddit.  

    Luckily for you, Eagle Eye has a wide array of gardening books and even a few members of staff who can point you in the right direction to get your garden going. With a little research and a can-do attitude, gardening can be a rewarding and fulfilling hobby.

    If you’re interested in environmental stewardship, our staff’s top recommendation is Native Plants of the Southeast by Larry Mellichamp, a former professor of botany at UNC Charlotte. This beautiful, full-color guide to hundreds of southeastern native plants can help you determine which plants will thrive in your yard. It’s a wonderful addition to your home library, or even a gift for the native plant enthusiast in your life. 

      A popular type of garden is the classic vegetable garden. Eagle Eye is fully stocked on Joe Lamp'l's The Vegetable Gardening Book, a seed to harvest guide on organic vegetable gardening. This comprehensive volume covers everything from soil and mulch to pest control -- very handy come late summer when the invasive Joro spider makes a reappearance.

    Even if you're an established gardener, Eagle Eye may have a book which appeals to a burgeoning interest -- perhaps raising chickens? If so, take a peek at An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Backyard Chickens by Jenna Woginrich. Regulations on raising fowl vary between municipalities, so be sure to check your local ordinances before making an impulse run to the Feed & Seed.

    If poultry is of no interest to you, perhaps you could look into keeping an apiary -- a word first used in 1654 to describe a bee yard. Local ordinances apply to beekeeping as well, so be sure to do your research. Or, check out Pollinator Gardening for the South by Danesha Seth Carley and Anne M. Spafford to learn all about nurturing bee habitats without donning a bee suit.

    Not everyone has access to outdoor space, whether a backyard or a community garden. For the housebound plant lovers, the wonderful world of houseplants awaits within the pages of House Planted, a guide to styling your indoor space with plants by Lisa Muñoz.

    If you've got more of a black thumb, you could give succulents a try, or some windowsill herbs -- both notoriously challenging to kill. Or start easy with The Unkillables, Jo Lambell's guide to 40 houseplants which just might survive no matter the level of neglect.

    Perhaps you're the type who's more interested in the function of plants over their cultivation. Why not check out Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide or Eat the Weeds: A Forager's Guide by Deane Jordan.

    These are only a few gardening options. The beauty of a garden is that it can be anything you imagine, whether ornamental perennial, tropical exotic, or a plain old rock garden. No matter which level of gardening, herbalism, or foraging you're at, Eagle Eye has a book for you. It's never too late to plant a seed and watch what grows. Before you head in, send your local 4-H agriculture agent an email to inquire about soil testing, and consider signing up for a home composting service to turn your garbage into black gold because remember -- all successful gardens sprout from healthy soil!

    

Bonnie's Birthday Bash

On April 21st, Eagle Eye's very own Bonnie Ann, the Book Shop Dog, turned 7 years old! Everyone's favorite bookish Miniature Poodle has made it one more rotation around the sun.

To celebrate, Bonnie sported her birthday bandana around the store before going out for a Puppy Sundae at Bruster's to cap off her birthday festivities. She also received a good deal of belly rubs from other staff throughout the day. I spoke with Doug and Diana Robinson to get more of an idea about how Bonnie has impacted their lives, outside of being too darn cute.

Much like the little white dog depicted in the Fool Tarot, Bonnie works as a grounding force by keeping the Robinsons from running too wild and helping them to maintain their routines. Within the store, she also helps to keep them aware of when another dog enters the store by going a little crazy in the back.

While she isn't the biggest fan of other dogs, Bonnie is quite fond of people. If you ever see her in the store be sure to say hi, and if you'd like to see her feel free to ask at the front. If she's working that day, we may be able to bring her out to greet you!

Finally, here are some fun facts about Bonnie. She is named after the famous pirate Anne Bonny, for the black patch over her eye. She is also very smart, though she hasn't quite gotten the hang of reading yet. Despite this fact, she does have a favorite book, which is "How to Be a Pirate."

Lucky Find

Whenever I start looking at a shelf in a used bookstore, I always feel a little overwhelmed. Being faced with so many titles, many of which I've probably never heard of, can be pretty daunting. But once that initial flicker of anxiety has passed, something else takes root. I think of all the books I've taken a chance on and that have rewarded me for doing so, and the thrill of the hunt sets in. It's something like a gambler's high, because, ultimately, when I go shopping for books I'm really just hoping to get lucky.

There are a couple of main ways luck can manifest at a used bookstore. One of them, as I alluded to earlier, is when you find a hidden gem. Part of what makes used bookstores special is that you can find books from authors & publishers that have fallen into relative obscurity, or maybe you'll find a title you've never heard of from an author you adore. Hidden gems are the kind of books that reward you for really taking your time and looking at every title on the shelf, but they aren't the only gems you'll find at a used bookstore.

Part of the draw of shopping used, at least for me, is that you can save a little bit of money, especially as the prices of new books have been steadily increasing. It always feels great, and a little lucky, to find a hot new title at a used price, doubly so if the hold list at the library is getting close to the triple digits. For anyone curious, we'll usually start getting used copies of title about nine months after the publication, but people have been known to trade things in much sooner. Coincidentally, paperback editions of books also release about nine months after the initial publication. 

Getting a good deal on a great book is always pretty lucky, but sometimes the real cherry on top is hiding within the pages (and I'm not talking about the words). People leave all sorts of things in their books, from photos to receipts to old plane tickets, and I always get a kick out of finding these glimpses into the book's past. I always love finding book marks, too, especially if they've come from another bookstore somewhere far away.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when comes to lucky things happening in the bookstore. Besides finding something good on the shelves, there are usually some pretty nice people in the aisles who are probably just as excited about books as you are. Sometimes they've even got a cute dog with them! So keep your eyes peeled, because after you've found your next great read you may even be able to find someone to discuss it with.

Jef Holbrook is Shooting from the Literary Angle

    If you've been watching R.J. Decker, the new TV series based on Carl Hiaasen's "Double Whammy," you may have noticed a familiar face. Eagle Eye Book Shop's very own Jef Holbrook appears as Gary, a supposedly mild mannered florist who has found himself wrapped up in PI Decker's murder investigation. We'd be proud of Jef regardless, but that fact that he's starring in a book adaptation makes the whole occasion extra sweet. 

    This isn't the first time Jef has worked on an adaptation, though. From appearances in the Will Trent Series, to a role in the film adaptation of Lyle Lyle Crocodile, to lending his vocal talents to audio versions of Scientific Digest & kids books such as "I Need a New Butt," Jef his left his mark on plenty of different productions. He's so prolific, in fact, that he doesn't even bother letting his coworkers know when he comes across a book he's worked with anymore, because then he wouldn't have time to do anything else!

    Working at a bookstore does have its benefits for Jef, as he does a lot of research to prepare for roles. Whether he's looking for an original text, trying to delve deeper into a time period, or just reviewing some of his favorite acting books, Jef can usually find something on our shelves to help with his process. In our interview, he did emphasize that the script has the final say on what's happening in a scene, but he also noted that his research helps to bring new color to a role.

    If you'd like to see the full catalog of Jef's roles, or check out any of his bevy of side projects, please feel free to check out the links below. And if you're looking to get something autographed, go ahead and print out this lovely picture of him!

https://jefholbrook.com/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3762401/

https://www.youtube.com/jefholbrooktv

Love Y'all Returns

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, but it won't be the only love fest in Atlanta that weekend. The Love Y'all Book Festival is back and better than ever! The romance book festival will be returning to Downtown Decatur for the third year in a row from Friday, February 13th through Sunday the 15th.

 The festival is back with all the usual bells and whistles: author talks & signings, plenty of vendors, and unique Experiences that you can participate in with authors. But the people running Love Y'all have learned from the past festivals and are using that knowledge to take this year to the next level. I can hear you asking, "What exactly is this next level going to look like?" Well, dear reader, I sat down with Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Bookseller & Love Y'all co-founder to get the inside scoop.

 One of the most significant changes this year is an increase in involvement from publishers. You'll be able to see this in the form of publisher booths, but they have also been providing more support behind the scenes. This support (along with an increase in ticket price) means that there's more stuff in the VIP bag this year. A purchase of a VIP ticket will bring with it five books, a shirt, a free experience, and more! The selection of books will also be greater, because there are more authors coming to Love Y'all than ever, including some from Germany, India, and Canada, as well as throughout the United States.

This year, Love Y'all is also trying to highlight more of Decatur's vibrant bookstore community. Besides the various bookstores that will be selling at the festival, a special Book Shop Tour will take attendees to a number of other shops, including Little Shop of Stories and Atlanta Vintage books.

If this sounds like something that's up your alley, or if you're interested in finding out more about Love Y'all and the authors that will be there, you can check out their website at loveyallfest.com. 

 Check out our Love Y'all authors here. 

A Black History of Anime

Valentine's Day isn't the only thing going on in the February, it's also Black History Month! Eagle Eye is fortunate enough to be located in Atlanta, Georgia, a city rich with Black history. And as this history meets the present, a large number of intersectional groups have emerged within the city. Specifically, we've got a burgeoning community of Black fans of anime and manga.  

One group that has emerged from this community is Trap Sushi, who put on events throughout the year that "merge the best of Atlanta's cultural diversity with the allure of Japanse pop culture." Attendees are encouraged to show up in full cosplay regalia, dressed to the nines as their favorite characters. 

As anime & manga have continued to grow in popularity around the world, Trap Sushi & other cultural crossovers were inevitable. Historically, however, representation of cultural groups outside of Japan within anime and manga have not always been the most respectful. There are many examples of overly-exoticized or down-right caricaturish Black characters, but there are also plenty of examples of positive representation in Animanga.

Naruto's Killer Bee and Bleach's Captain Tosen are two characters from some of the biggest series of all time that serve as pillars of their respective universes. While we're talking Bleach, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Yoruichi, one of the most iconic women in all of Animanga. Her lightning speed and bubbly personality have earned her a place in the hearts of fans around the world. Another iconic character is Dragon Ball's Piccolo, who, while technically an alien from the planet Namek, has also been widely accepted by the Black anime community due to his characterization as an "other" within the story. 

Gachiakuta, a recent breakout success, features Black characters in many roles, from the leader of the series heroes to one of the most powerful villains. Kei Urana, the series' author, also regularly illustrates Black background characters, a small detail that most other creators may forgo but that helps to widen the scope of the world. 

As anime & manga continue to grow in popularity, it is heartening to see creators uplifting the communities that support their work. Even more importantly, though, it is wonderful to see groups that have traditionally been spurned be able to support each other and create spaces where they can celebrate themselves.

 

Check out Bleach volumes here.

Check out Gachiakuta volumes here.

Check out Naruto volumes here.

Check out Dragon Ball volumes here. 

A Reader's Guide to the Book Prize

    The end of the year brings with it the conclusion of the literary awards circuit. With the Nobel Prize in Literature announced in October, the Booker Prize & National Book Awards following suit in November, and pretty much every other book award having been announced already, we've got a whole list of books that are supposed to be pretty good.

    Coincidentally, it's also gift-giving season, and having this list of books is a great resource for finding things to both ask for and give as gifts. Besides just announcing the prize-winning books, many awards will also provide their long & short lists for you to review. One of my favorite new releases from last year, Rachel Kushner's Creation Lake, was on my radar because it appeared on Booker's long list way before the book was even released.

    Consulting rewards lists can also be good if you're looking to buy a book for someone who reads outside of your genre. For the Science Fiction & Fantasy readers in your life, consult the Hugo or Nebula awards. Looking for some Horror? Then check out the Bram Stoker & Shirley Jackson awards. For Romance there are the Romantic Novelist awards, complete with twelve different subcategories, but if you need a romance recommendation in store there's always Bookseller Preet's staff picks shelf!

    Awards lists are a good starting point for finding a good book, but with tens of thousands of new titles releasing every year there are simply too many titles for the panels of judges to review. Luckily we've got each other to fill in the gaps, like with Preet's aforementioned staff picks shelf. Additionally, if you find a book on a list that looks interesting, a good way to find similar titles could be checking out the rest of the books in the publisher's catalogue. Fitzcarraldo, for example, has published the works of a number of Nobel Prize Recipients, but they also publish the works of Fernanda Melchor, one of my favorite authors who hasn't claimed that specific prize yet, and plenty of other cool authors.

    To sum it all up, awards lists are a good place to find good books but they aren't the only place. A couple well placed questions can also get you where you need to go, whether they be addressed to a friend, bookseller, or internet search engine. And at the end of the day, if you give or receive a book that you don't particularly enjoy it's not the end of the world. It might even give you something to laugh about down the road.

The Books We Prize

    My grandmother kept a modest bookshelf. The top few rows held her photo albums, folios filled with memories of her people, her travels, the playbills of operas she’d seen. Then there were her Dutch books, ancient volumes that have seen more of the world than I have. The writings of philosophers and psychologists, books from her youth that followed her for the rest of her life.

    Below those shelves sat her fiction. I’ll always think of her when I see People of the Book, not because she ever mentioned to me that she particularly liked it but because it was what she had on her side table when I’d visit her seventeen years ago. The cover really etched itself into my mind.

    In her last months, she read The Dutch House. I would ask her about it when I’d visit, curious to hear what she thought of Ann Patchett’s writing.

    “Well, it’s not very Dutch,” she answered, a sly smile on her face. As a native of the Netherlands, I could tell she was a bit disappointed.

    When she passed and we had to gather up her belongings, it was easy to tell which books were the ones she prized. Her children’s children’s books, grown brittle and yellowed from years of shelf-life. The foreign language dictionaries that helped her to forge a new life, first in North America and then in the South, before finding her way up to Tennessee. The rows of photo-albums that extended past the modest bookshelf, into her guest room and closet.

    We kept all of that, minus some photo-albums, but we also kept some of the other ones too. The one’s that reminded us not just of the places she went and what she accomplished there, but of who she was when you’d visit her on a Saturday in August and ask her about The Dutch House. The ones that transport us back to those childhood visits. The ones that remind you that a person weaves a long and storied tapestry of life over one hundred years, but at the far end of that weaving there’s still a smiling Oma ready to crack a few jokes and offer you something to snack on.

The Future

        Between climate change and the general state of the world, the future can be scary to consider. Where will we be in 10 years? 50? Will we make it another 100? 

     The answer is: most likely yes. With the rapid rate of scientific advancement, some good old human ingenuity, and a sprinkle of good luck everything should turn out fine. Once we've made it that far, though, things will have changed a good deal, and those changes can be scary to consider too. 

    Tender is the Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica, explores one of these potential futures. When a virus that is lethal to humans infects the world's wildlife, humans choose to take the preventive measure of wiping out the animals. The world's population survives, but they are left with one big question: "What are we going to eat?" The answer for most is "special meat," otherwise known as human flesh, though going vegan is still an option. 

    The novel follows Marcos, the manager at a human slaughterhouse. Despite his occupation, he is one of the aforementioned vegans, and while he bears witness to the slaughter of countless factory-farmed humans he spends much of his time trying to actively dissociate. A lot of Tender is the Flesh's fear factor comes from the sheer amount of brutality inflicted on humans, but what's even more disturbing are the lengths to which the practices have been normalized. From Most Dangerous Game style man-hunts to in home coolers for storing live "head," also known as humans, for those looking for the freshest cuts.

    Throughout the novel, Bazterrica weaves a plot thread that might make you believe that there may be some sort of silver-lining to all of this, that reconciliation is still possible. Just as you are turning the final pages, though, the thread is severed. All hope is lost, you are left to wander in the dark. The future is scary.

    But it doesn't have to be that way. 

     Under the Eye of the Big Bird, by Hiromi Kawakami, looks even further into humanity's future. What exactly this future holds is revealed through a series of interconnected short stories, and the mix of intrigue and satisfaction that each story's reveal gave me made up for a large portion of my reading enjoyment. Even as time has passed, though, I still think about this book, so I can assure you that it's not all instant gratification. This is all to say that this book may best be enjoyed blind, so if you have any interest in reading it I recommend you call up Eagle Eye and order a copy (We probably have some on our shelves). Spoilers can't ruin the best stories, though, so feel free to read on regardless.

    Under the Eye of the Big Bird's stories follow humans in strange circumstances. Some of them use numbers for names. Others live in isolation, only being visited by another person occasionally for the purpose of procreation. People are occasionally visited by younger versions of themselves. The lucky ones have psychic powers. It's revealed about halfway through the book that all of them are part of a grand experiment to evolve humanity, one that started out of necessity millennia ago and will continue for millennia to come. 

    Kawakami takes full advantage of the story's time frame to both give us some glimpses into humanity's speculative future (my favorite potential evolutionary branch are the super chill plant people) and show us how the appearance of these extraordinary individuals might be received. Despite how far-fetched some of the ideas in the novel may get, what Kawakami is really looking to explore is human nature. What drives us? What scares us? How far will we go to secure our own future? Under the Eye of the Big Bird may not provide clean answers to these questions, but the ones it does offer are certainly quite interesting.

    The last story of the book follows the two final members of humanity. There's an inherent sadness in reading about the last two girls in the world growing up, but there's also something pure in those pages, something like serenity. The future Kawakami envisions is uncertain, but unlike Tender is the Flesh it is not without hope. 

    The future might be scary, but that's not all it has to be.

Why We Like to Be Scared

 

Scary movies, tales of ghosts, witches and goblins, and haunted houses dominate this time of year. It’s Halloween and time for all things scary – including scary novels, better known as Horror Fiction.

A quick Google Search indicates one of the first scary stories can be traced back as far back as ancient Mesopotamia to the Epic of Gilgamesh. Since then scary stories have only gained in popularity over time. Some of the most well-known scary stories include Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, a tale she started writing in 1816 at the age of 18. Another classic horror novel, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was published in 1897. Edgar Allan Poe, who is often referred to as the “father of horror” with his eerie and gothic poems and stories such as The Raven, Annabel Lee, and others, also made a mark in the horror genre. And then, current horror and bestselling author, Stephen King, with his hits like Pet Sematary, The Shining, It and many others have held readers’ interest in the horror genre.

In fact, the website bookinfluencers.com in the article dated July 2024, The Rise of Horror, states that according to Nielsen data,  the sale of books in the horror genre experienced a significant increase of about 54% in 2023, and a number of subgenres such as gothic, vampire, paranormal, dark fantasy, just to name a few, have been created to help readers narrow down their selections based on their chilling, thrilling, creepy or terrifying reading preferences.

So why is it that we like to be scared?

A Forbes.com article from Oct. 22, 2023 entitled The Science of Scared: Why We Love the Thrill of Being Afraid by Nicole F. Roberts says it’s not just one thing, but a number of things such as the adrenaline rush, escapism, a shared experience with others, and more, that allows humans to experience and enjoy the emotion of fear in a controlled environment.  

And a healthessentials article on the Cleveland Clinic website entitled Why Do We Like to Get Scared? states that “Our brains are hardwired to enjoy being scared,” but also adds, “as long as there’s no real danger.” Fear is an emotion that can cause a number of simultaneous processes to occur in our bodies when we’re frightened. Those processes can include the Flight or Fight response, an increased heart rate and blood pressure, goose bumps, and more.

Unlike films and haunted houses, if a horror story in the form of a book gets to be too much, the reader can always put it down to put some time and space between themselves and the story and then pick it back up when they’re ready. But we don’t suggest putting a book in the freezer like Joey Tribbiani did with his copy of The Shining in the hit sitcom Friends. A cold book is just that…a cold book.

Eagle Eye Book Shop has a number of horror titles and more. Visit eagleeyebooks.com online or visit us at the store for your next spooky read.

Enjoy the scare and Happy Halloween!

Coverage

One of the most exciting parts of working at a used bookstore is seeing all of the different books that people bring in. Besides allowing me to see lots of different books, it also means I get to see even more book covers. You may be wondering how I'm seeing more cover designs than titles, but the answer is simple: alternate covers.

Most traditionally published books have at least a couple of cover designs thanks to the International market. It's usually cheaper to commission new cover art for a book than it is to pay for the rights to use another, so publishers around the world will often use different covers for the same book. There are plenty of other reasons for the divergence in covers than use rights, though. One is that people living in different parts of the world may have different tastes, both in terms of what they enjoy visually and in their stories. Sayaka Murata's Vanishing World is a book that's covers illustrate these differences.

The novel is set in a world where sex has become taboo and children are artificially conceived & raised communally, with no single parental figure to latch on to. The themes grounding the story are quite dark, but Murata approaches things with an imaginative flair that lends the story some lightness. The American release (left), with its overflowing tub of baby dolls, highlights the almost comedic absurdity of the situation. The UK edition (middle) has biblical imagery that seems to be referencing themes of conception & the price of pursuing the forbidden. The German cover (right) dials in on the story's underlying darkness. 

The beauty of these book covers, and alternate book covers in general, is that no matter how much they differ they're all representations of the same text. One of the things that makes books special is their openness to interpretation, how two people can read the same words and be affected by them in completely different ways, and alternate book covers feel like the perfect visual metaphor for this.

The Classics section is another place where you'll find lots of different book covers, but for different reasons. The first is that many classics are in the public domain, meaning that anyone could print a copy and slap whatever they wanted on the cover. Most of the large publishers already have editions of older books in print, though, so you won't see as many of the Classics from smaller publishers. 

This leads us to the second reason for the variety of covers in Classics, which is that there's a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Different publishers will all put out editions of the same text, so a distinct cover is a good way to make an edition stand out without altering the content. 

Additionally, because many classics are quite widely read & people already have an idea of what they're getting into when they pick up the book, classics covers can afford to be a little more abstract. Penguin's cover's are a good example of this abstraction, where they'll simply feature a painting, usually tangentially related to the text, the book's title, and the name of the author. 

Fitzcarraldo, a British publisher, takes simple cover designs to the extreme. Their covers are all solid colors, blue for fiction & white for nonfiction, and besides basic information like author & title you'll find little else on the book (except, of course, for some blurbs).  

So whether you don't like the cover of your favorite new release or you're looking for a fifth copy of your favorite Jane Austen novel, the moral of the story is to never settle. What you're looking for is out there waiting to be found, you might just have to start looking a little further afield.