Book Launch Cafe

Best of 2008

Before I say goodbye to 2008, I'd like to pause and reflect on the good things the year has brought with my "Best of" in books.  

Favorite non-fiction book:  A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. It actually made me feel good knowing that my right brain ways has a bright future!

Favorite book I passed on: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. This book was a gift to a woman who I heard needed some uplifting. She sent me a lovely note in return. 

"Dear Maria, Thank you so very much for the wonderful book you sent me. The Last Lecture is such an inspiring book. It really makes you stop and think about life and how wonderful it is. It made me stop and think that my husband and I will get  through the waiting for the lung transplant. With wonderful caring people as yourself. I belong to the Red Hat Society and one our members is going through chemo and radiation. So i passed the book on to her to read. Then I asked her to pass it on to someone in need of being inspired. So the book you sent me is on a journey to help so many." 

Favorite tear jerker book: Merle's Door

by Ted Karasote. The author was the voice for Merle and sometimes I laughed and then I cried and cried and cried. 

 

Favorite new spinoff from Book Launch Cafe: The Reading Revolution 28-Day Reading Challenge

I hope BLC readers tell their communities about this and inspire people to share, talk and get excited about books.  

Favorite new Book Launch Cafe feature: Short Stories by Everyday People. My friend, Greg, is a master storyteller. I wanted a forum where people can unleash their stories too. 

 

Favorite fiction book: Brida by Paulo Coelho. It's always a magical journey and a return to innocence reading Coelho's books.  

Favorite Children's book: One Grain of Rice by Demi. I enjoyed the illustrations as much as the beautiful story.  

Favorite Author event I had the honor to attend: Muhammad Yunus talking about Creating a World Without Poverty in Santa Barbara, California. He hopes in his lifetime to remove poverty and instead create poverty museums. 

Favorite BLC Meet the Author: Chris Corbett. It was a fun hearing him read passages from his book then talk about the story behind it. The book reading took place in Montecito to support the launch of his new novel, Coast Highway. 

Favorite book quote: The one that is most fresh and most recent read from Brida by Paulo Coelho

“In his or her life, each person can take one of two attitudes: to build or to plant.  Builders may take years over their tasks, but one day they will finish what they are doing.  Then they will stop, hemmed in by their own walls.  Life becomes meaningless once the building is finished.  Those who plant suffer the storms and the seasons and rarely rest.  Unlike a building, a garden never stops growing.  And by its constant demands on the gardener’s attention, it makes the gardener’s life a great adventure.”   

Favorite ah- ha word: break-fast. A personal trainer in passing told me the meaning behind the word. When we get up from a long sleep, we break the fast by eating breakfast. It just clicked with me then what breakfast really means!

  

Favorite book of the year: My grateful journal. My pink journal encourages me to focus on the good stuff of the day. Sometimes I have to dig but it's always there. 

Favorite author poetry quote: W.B. Yeats "But I being poor have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams." 

Favorite book a friend loaned me: Succulent Wild Woman by SARK. We all need our creative space. 

Fun book I gave as a gift: Porn for Women. I had fun flipping through the pictures at the bookstore. I gave this to my sister for her birthday. She had fun sharing it with her husband! 

Favorite book gift received: Forgotten books: Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge both from Thomas Hardy. Gifts from my father are always special. 

Favorite life-changing read: The Diamond Cutter by Geshe Michael Roach. The concept of imprints changed the way I think about my actions.  

- to prosper financially, maintain a generous state of mind

- to make a happy world, live ethically

- to be healthy and attractive, don't get angry

- to be a leader, be joyful in constructive helpful actions

- to focus the mind, meditate

- to be free from frustration, practice looking for the "hidden potential" in everything. 

- to give others what they wish and what I wish cultivate and practice compassion. 

Favorite website find of the year: Kimbuktoo for finding interesting book gadgets and the photos are just stunning. Runner up is Writers Rooms. Feels so voyeuristic to look in other people's rooms, especially writers.  

My favorite LA bookstore with all my favorite Mexican authors: Imix Books

Colorful and eclectic LA eastside spot in Eagle Rock. 

Favorite LA bookstore hangout with my dog, Sarbina: Skylight Books.

She likes it when strangers ignore her. They didn't move their eyes from the books. I found 3 Writer's magazine they don't carry in Santa Barbara so I was excited to bring them home. 

Favorite Santa Barbara bookstore: Chaucer's Books. 

They have an awesome occult section plus they just care about their community. 

Favorite book event: Book Group Expo. I shared the experience with my niece and we had a great time at the Salons and meeting authors. My favs -- Kate Jacobs author of The Friday Night Knitting Club and Andre Dubus III author of The Garden of Last Days also House of Sand and Fog, book turned movie. 

Favorite non-book book gadget: Durable colored Index tabs by 3M Post-It or Staples brand to bookmark pages. The durable tabs stay in place if the books travel in my purse. 

Favorite Green resource handbook: Go Green, Live Rich. Inspired me to get an energy audit in 2009. Calculate your carbon footprint. 

Best reading device invention in 2008: Kindle.

Paperless, wireless reading. Easy on the eyes. Sold out on Cyber Monday. 

Lastly, I want to pay special tribute and honor Paul Newman and Randy Pausch for the lasting gift of their story before they passed on this year. 

Welcome 2009. 

Share YOUR Best of 2008 or grateful for by using comments. 

Happy Holidays from Book Launch Cafe!

 

I hope you're enjoying the spirit of the season with family, friends and/or a good book. Happy Holidays to you and yours. 

And in case you're looking for something to read, here's some Book Launch Cafe tidbits:

• Short Stories
• Book reviews 
• Meet the Author  

  

The 28-day Reading Challenge starts in January 2009. Join the Reading Revolution!

Books make great gifts because...

Publishers are using celebrity influences to encourage book purchases and giving. 

Booksequalgifts.com

"Books make great gifts because... you get a good read on how well the giver really knows you." 

- Maria, BookLaunchCafe.com

Spectacular rainbow glistens over Santa Barbara

I captured this spectaular site yesterday from our street view then followed it down the highway towards Montecito. You are looking at a magical rainbow. 

It comes as a welcome gift to our community because just a little over a month ago was the Tea Fire in the Santa Barbara mountains. I saw the rainbow as a symbol offers hope to those who lost their homes and are going through some tough times.  

I was at Chaucer's Books the other day and I overheard a lady tell the cashier she lost her home in the fire. It's one of those simple gestures that... just works. She and all others who make a purchase there get a generous discount. Chaucer's and other retailers around town are offering the same. I can't help but notice how many things in our lives are inextricably linked to books.  

"The world was hers for the reading."

Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Books made into movies now playing

There's a TV in my living room inside a cabinet armoire... I watch maybe less than 4 hours of program including news, per month. Many months no TV especially in summer BUT I love to watch netflix movies. I just watched Paris, je t'aime. It's a collection of short stories of love that take place in Paris neighborhoods, which is a nice pick to get you in the holiday spirit of love giving... and isn't that what it all boils down to anyway... love and the gift of presence. 

Paris, je t'aime doesn't all have to be watched at once. You can cook, watch, eat, watch, smooch, watch, kiss your dog, watch another story. Let me know what you think of it.

Then there are those movies inspired by the book. I haven't read any of these books listed so I'll probably enjoy the movie more without casting heavy judgment on the screenplay! I know it's terrible that I do that. Here's a list of books turned movies NOW PLAYING:  

• "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button " by F. Scott Fitzgerald (with Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett) 
• 'Sisterhood of Traveling Pants 2 ' by Ann Brashares
• 'Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3) t' by Stephenie Meyer 
• 'Marley & Me ' by John Grogan (with Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston)
• 'The Secret Life of Bees' by Sue Monk Kidd (with With Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson) 
• 'Nights in Rodanthe ' by Nicholas Sparks (with Diane Lane, Richard Gere)
• 'Yes Man' by Danny Wallace (with Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel)

My dog chewed up my library book

I went to The Book Group Expo in San Jose and to my surprise brought home a dog who needed a home. Willow is 3 yrs old and came to us not house trained. On the chewed items list is Paulo Coehlo's "Brida". With so many books laying around Willow decides to go after the library book! I sensed she was mad at me for giving Sarbina more affection but it's hard to evenly give it out 50/50. Someone told me that dogs have a sense of fairness, just like kids do. And female dogs keep score. 

So now I own "Brida" which is unfolding beautifully to pass forward anyway. Coehlo's storytelling is such a magical experience. I highly recommend an earlier book, "The Alchemist", it's a fable that urges people to follow their dreams. That story still brings me joy each time I re-visit it in my memory. 

 

Bit o' Lits for the literary commuters

Over the summer, Pat, a friend of mine from Bethesda sent me a Washington Post article and a handful of Bit-o'-Lits. I came across the bite sized magazines today during space clearing. It's a literary gem. Pat's card wrote that she thought I'd be inspired by this one gals gal's story of turning her passion for books into a business. I sure am. 

Bit o' Lit is a 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inch magazine that serves up 5 commuter length book excerpts in each issue. No reviews, just a synopsis of the book from the publisher. For the Bit o' Lit publisher, the light bulb went off riding the metro headed to her paralegal job. She thought of it as an excellent partnership between her tiny publication and publishers who are eager to promote new books and authors and connect them to readers. 

I'm holding one of these magazines in my hand right now. Retro cover. Easily digestible and super portable. Simply stated and full of useful content: book excerpts, book news, an obit of authors past, and word wit to further engage the mind. 

If you're an author, this is a great venue to get public attention for your new novel. Contact your publisher and tell them about Bit o' Lit. 

FREE. Available in Washington, DC area. 

Step up to the Costco Book Table

I came across the Costco newsletter online. There's an interesting article about the Costco book table and the business behind the 200 titles they sell. It's serious book business. 

Some interesting tid bits I gleaned from their newsletter: 

• They consider books to be a perishable commodity so what you see one day might not be there the next. 
• Their book buyers are information maniacs. They read book reviews daily, scour hot tips, read lots of books and even stand near the book tables to hear what members have to say.
• Books are sold at 30-60% list price. 
• They are one of the top 5 booksellers in the US. 
• Selections are skewed toward slightly upscale readers.  

Costco helped propelled "Cold Mountain" and "Memoirs of a Geisha" to the bestseller list. The buyers like to help unknown books and their authors to the top ranks of book selling. 

Though I enjoy the community of what a bookstore offers, Costco is a neat place to hang out and flip through titles and maybe find a treasure of a story at a deep discount. Read the article at Costco Connection. 

Here's a tip for authors seeking to get their book on the table.... word-of-mouth marketing around the Table, my dear friend. 

Out with kitschy

 

The kitschy look was short-lived but I have to say I kinda liked it. Back to the original look...

You'll notice some changes mostly in the re-merchandising of content and the way it's showcased on the site. Access to Meet the Authors, Book Reviews and Short Stories by Everyday people now have a place on the TOP NAVIGATION. BLC Author Books are still on the right column for quick glance and click through to purchase on Amazon. Just like our lives, BLC is fluid and evolving. 

BLC Holiday Gift Picks are on left column. I heard a report on the radio recently that during economic recessions people tend to gift and read more books. You get more entertainment and value for your money. For less than $20 you can retreat from the distractions of life, unplug, unwind, and cut the constant chatter and immerse yourself in a good story without traveling anywhere. 

Season's Greetings! 

Kitschy could be the new look

Don't you wish sometimes life came with a manual -- during technical challenges at least?! If that were the case, would our lives be so interesting and evolving? Take today, I decided to simply add a column to BLC. When I clicked "publish" what I got was a badly mis-formatted website, not useable at all to visitors.

I have to thank authors Thich Nhat Hahn, Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer and so many others I'm sure for planting patience seeds that taught me how to deal with technical malfuncations. In their own words they all said something similar to "detach from the outcome". And I did! So instead of stressing over the malformed blog I calmly emailed typepad support to restore to original look then tried different, actually a lot, of variations of what could work just to get BLC to a readable condition and I came up with this design! It's intended to be temporary but we'll see, I'm actually liking the kitschy look. 

Dresser Books

I had a little fun snapping photos of the books scattered around my home. These 5 books seem to have found a permanent home on my dresser next to my bed. 

This is actually a photo of my bedtime ritual. It consists of lighting my candle, adding to my gratitude journal (pink book), taking a sniff of luscious lavender essential oil, and reading whatever I have a taste for right before bed. My favorite is reading a story from Carlons Bulosan's Laughter of My Father. They're funny stories of his childhood in the Philippines. A little humor before I slumber into dreamland. 

My absolute favorite books right now

 

Stack of reading pleasures

My stack of reading pleasures at the moment contain WE Empower, a book I picked up at the Women's Conference. This book will definitely be passed on after the seeds get planted! 

Magazine stack includes my favorites AAA Westways Magazine which has great snapshots of interesting places to visit in CA. This is their dog issue. Below that is Domino Magazine, Spirituality & Health, Santa Barbara Magazine and Central Coast Magazine. 

Bedside books

Books you'll find at my bedside table. 

Vision Board Playshops

Vision Boards have played a powerful role in the forward movement of my life since I left the corporate world and became an entrepreneur. Pieces of what I'm doing now was pictured in some form on the vision board I created. I desired it then manifested it. I just wonder why I didn't vision more vacations like to Italy, Greece and Hawaii!!

That was three years ago when I created my first vision board. Among other images that I have since manifested, I snipped various book images. Not knowing what that meant only that it made me feel good to clip book images in inspired book spaces, the idea for Book Launch Cafe was hatched. The journey continues and though I don't really have a grand plan for BLC, I know the journey is well worth it because it brings me joy. 

I am a passionate believer in the power of Vision Boards. Next week, I'll be leading a Vision Board Playshop in Santa Barbara with insights drawn from The Vision Board: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life book. Click here for BLC author profile.  

I'll let you know how it goes and if you want to start one your city, I highly recommend this book for the why and the how of creating your vision board.  

If you live in either CA or the Washington, DC area, contact me to facilitate a Vision Board Playshop in your area. I'll be in VA, MD, and DC in January. It's a fun, almost relaxing, exercise for all those hard at work left brainers. Bonus is you'll come away with a visual blueprint of your life in the coming year(s). 

MARIA 

maria@booklaunchcafe.com 

 

Book Giveaway from My Inspiration Lounge

Sorry guys this one's for the girls! 

Joyce Schwarz is the latest author I just interviewed for Book Launch Cafe and now you have a chance to win her book The Vision Board: The Secret To An Extraordinary Life! Act fast gals, this book is the perfect opening to a new year and will change your life. 

This giveaway is being done by Misty at My Inspiration Lounge. All you have to do is share what inspires you. Simple enough. Then Misty will pick one lucky and inspiring lady at the end of each coming weeks.  Go to My Inspiration Lounge website for details. 

Good luck. Live Inspired. 

Season's Greetings! 

I am happy to report I just posted 3 new AUTHOR Q&A's on BLC Meet the Author (always located right sidebar) + 3 new BOOK REVIEWS for this last stretch of 2008. Enjoy!  

Meet the Author

• Joyce Schwarz author of The Vision Board: The Secret to An Extraordinary Life
• Lily Koppel author of The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal
• JAyme Barrett author of Feng Shui Your Life 

Book Reviews 

• Rock Bottom  
• The Red Leather Diary 
• The Kingsnake in the Sun 

 

Book Launch Cafe turns 1!

Book Launch Cafe has been organic in nature from the beginning. It's been a fluid simple idea that is constantly being shaped. A year ago today, Book Launch Cafe was launched. I remember the day vividly because I ran a temperature of over 100 degrees. It's one one those moments though if that idea didn't hatch then, it might not have. I'm so glad it did. I've met so many wonderful people because of it. 

I want to express much gratitude to all of Book Launch Cafe's featured authors, contributors, and readers. Always the geeky girl in high school, I didn't know books could be this much fun! 

The timing is coincidence on these two announcements that is so appropriate for turning 1: 

• I'm happy to announce that BLC now has book reviews. Meet Cecilia Sepp, BLC's first book reviewer. Read her first review of Dewey: the small town library cat who touched the world. 
• And I'm ecstatic to announce this one. I've created a 28-Day Reading Challenge community. The Challenge officially kicks off November 1st but what better time to announce it than now! I'm still working on a few more tweaks but it's open to new members who want to take the reading challenge. Click here for details and to join.

To celebrate, I'm headed to 2 events this week. Tomorrow, I'm headed south to the Women's Conference where I'll meet celebrity authors and then north to the Book Group Expo in San Jose where I'll participate in my first literary salon.  

Lastly, my gift to you are free BOOKMARKS for you to print, cut and use. Click here then look to the left side of the site for 'FUN DOWNLOADS'. You don't have to be a member of the 28-Day Reading Challenge community to download them but I do hope you'll join me. 

Enjoy and thank you for being a part of BLC!

NEW on BLC! Short Stories by Everyday People

I have a good friend who works in the computer industry. Long before his long days in front of computers, he fished. He worked on fishing boats. You know like the guys on the "Deadliest Catch" reality show? When I first saw the show I could now visualize my friend Greg and his fishing boat stories. Fisherman, they're a crazy bunch well at least the captains of the boats are. Their wild eyes don't see fish, they see $$$$$.

Remember the book and movie, The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger? That's what my friend's stories sound like. I've known my Greg for almost 8 years now and he has a new story when I see him and I see him pretty often. If he re-tells the same one, it sounds like a new one. Always so colorful, full of adventure and funny the way he tells it!! I've been nudging him to write his stories down. He finally did. I read them and thougt wow he's a good writer, natural and compelling and he's got the plot down.

So I found a little home for them here because I think writing no matter who you are or what you do is good for the soul. It's a creative pursuit and a fun way to expressive yourself and if you want to share it, great - this space is here. Hence, a new section in BLC called "Short Stories by Everday People". You can write your own. Click here to submit. Here's the first story.

Short Stories
by Greg Olewiler (Camarillo, CA)
Fishing Tales from the Edge: The Omar Zone and Crane Hook

Crazy Loco Love

One of my favorite authors, Victor Villasenor, just released his new book Crazy Loco Love. I'm excited to devour the pages but that feast will come after the books I'm digesting now. The list is long. 

Anything he writes is beautiful in its honesty and writing... And I just found out he'll be at the Grove. Lucky for me I'll be in the area that weekend so I might be able to just make his book signing. 

Sunday October 19th at 3pm

The Grove 

3010 Juniper Street

San Diego CA 

Also check out his annual Snow Goose Festival at his Oceanside ranch where he was raised. It takes place on the Sunday before Thanksgiving to honor Mother Earth and promote peace. You can imagine a very lively celebration and where I first met the author when he released, Burro Genius: A Memoir. The vision for the festival is an inspiring one. You can read it here.