Hello world!

The big news of the week is the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Literature.  And the award goes to… Mario Vargas Llosa, the acclaimed Peruvian author and political figure, for mapping the “structures of power and (for) his trenchant images of the individual’s resistance, revolt and defeat.” That’s a mouthful!  In more simple terms, his books are poignant and masterful, and what better way to ensure that people read them than give him one of the most prestigious award possible.

Vargas Llosa is the first South American writer to win the award since Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1982.  The two are apparently forever linked.  They are former friends with closely related careers (Vargas Llosa even wrote a book about his friend titled García Márquez: Story of a Deicide), but reportedly had a feud that resulted in Vargas Llosa punching Garcia Marquez in the face and giving him a black eye.  Even prolific authors as genius as these men can act like children sometimes!  A comforting thought. But Garcia Marquez recently tweeted “cuentas iguales,” which is a poetic way of saying “now we’re even.”  Perhaps the award has put them back on even terms…

Enough of the gossip and back to the real purpose of this post- Vargas Llosa has written over 30 novels, plays and essays. If you want to read one of Vargas Llosa’s masterpieces but only have time for one, I would recommend The Green House.  The novel is about a brothel called “The Green House” and how it affects all the lives it touches in multiple times and places.  It is a complex read, with multiple story lines going on at once, many characters, and a narrative without paragraph breaks. It is not told chronologically, so complete focus is necessary, but it serves to emphasize how brutality and corruption is continuous.

If that’s a little too dark, Vargas Llosa also tried his hand at humor and satire with novels like Captain Pantoja and the Special Service and Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. I would recommend Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, which is partly based on Vargas Llosa’s relationship with his first wife. It is about Mario, an aspiring writer, who works at a radio station that broadcasts multiple radio soap operas every day, and his affair with “Aunt Julia,” a 32-year-old divorcee.

Some additional notable works of his include, The War of the End of the World, The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta, and A Fish in the Water. These are just a few out of many.

So now Vargas Llosa has joined the ranks of other Nobel Laureates like Harold Pinter, Samuel Beckett, John Steinbeck, Albert Camus, Ernest Hemingway, and many others.  So much to read, so little time.  In fact, Beaufort Books has teamed with Moyer Bell to publish new editions of our very own Nobel Laureate, Pearl S. Buck.  So get reading!

That’s all for now!

I am sorry for the huge delay since the last blog, but sadly my days at Beaufort Books are coming to an end. I have been training the new intern, Carol, who is great, you’re gonna love her!

I simultaneously find it hard and easy to believe that it’s been five months since I began this internship at Beaufort Books. It has been quite the adventure, and I’m glad you all got to tag along for the ride. I remember when I was first informed about my blog duties, I was actually, contrary to my typical behavior, really scared. What am I blogging about? Who out there in WWW will care? I legitimately had no idea what to expect – out of the internship, out of my last semester of college, out of this blog. I’ll admit, I’m still in the question mark phase of my life, but five months later I am without a doubt a little bit less confused. If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that I don’t want to give up writing, probably ever.

Speaking of writing, this blog began as a literature and publishing-related blog, and I will continue that on through to its last. I just recently read Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games and its sequel, Catching Fire. It is edge of your seat suspense, and a phenomenal summer read, because the third installment hits shelves August 24^th. There’s also a movie in the works, it’s YA, so it’s  never pretentious, and your blogger loves it. ‘Nuff said.

Here is the last segment in my connections list:
Remember that rocker-looking famous dude from my building? The one I always see in the elevator? Well, last week we rode up together again, and we got to chatting (he’s a little chatty), and at some point I put out my hand and introduced myself as Rachel, fully sure this semi-famous man would gladly inform me of his first and last name, thereby giving me full swing to Google him. Unfortunately, all I got was a first name, and it’s Ricky. Not at all helpful. Well, you’ll just have to trust me that there is a semi-famous rocker dude who always rides in the elevator with me. And he knows my name now.

Whoa! of the day: Every single day that I’ve been at Beaufort Books, I have gone to a little place around the corner for lunch called Books and Bagels. It is one of the only kosher places in the area, and it’s a really sweet place, with daily soups (I got a free one last week!). I also find it kind of funny that it’s called Books and Bagels, because there are in total about five books on the shelves at any given time. Unimportant. What is important is that my friend was in Vienna two weeks ago, and in telling me about his trip, reported that he had eaten at this little kosher place he found called…Books and Bagels! I’m going to let you digest that. It is my mission for the day to find out what the connection is between the two. Apparently, there are much more books in the Austrian version of the cafe, which makes a lot of sense if the 19th Street version is an offshoot of it. Addition from the future post-lunch Rachel: Okay, so I just got back from Books and Bagels where I got a free lunch because it’s my last day! I asked one of the workers there about the Viennese Books and Bagels and he thinks either the owner used their ideas, or owns both! Mystery solved! Can someone say uncanny?

What else? I have officially moved to the Jersey shore for the summer. This means the number of persons living in my house has…quintupled? Is that a word? It also means Jersey cops, Jersey hicks, Jersey boardwalks, and most importantly, Jersey moonrise! If you have yet to watch the moon rise, and I have had to convince people in past that yes, the moon does in fact rise, this is a MUST SEE. Trust me. I took NJ Transit today, which made the F Train look like my nephew’s Thomas the Tank Engine toy. Over the weekend I saw billboards toting the following slogan: Jersey Doesn’t Stink! I went to their website, which you need to check out HERE. The concept is hilarious and yes of course I signed the petition. Even though when I arrived at the Secaucus Junction there really was a terrible smell emanating in the air, there are other, more important ways which make Jersey unstinky. One of which includes that your blogger lives there in the summer.

To celebrate the end of my blog, I have compiled a list of mine and your all-time faves. There’s nothing like a little reminiscing for a proper season finale. Here they are in chronological order (because that always makes the most sense). Click on the titles for a direct hyperlink to the blog post.

1) Imperfect Peyton – In this blog, my second ever, I explored my love for Manning and the loss of the Super Bowl. If there is one amazing part of the summer, it’s the fact that when it’s over, number 18 will be back on the field ready to conquer again.

2) Brand New Brand – When Rachel Lily was created, the connections list started, and my road to fame began.

3) Labyrinths – One of my favorites. In summary, I got lost in the city on the way to a book club on Labyrinths. Irony at its best.

4) Family Feud on the F – A look at the ridiculous mind of your blogger.

5) Orange Plates – Here’s something I never told you. According to the weekly website analytics, this blog post received a record-breaking number of hits – almost 250!

6) Random Facts of Blogness – A fan favorite.

7) Random Facts of Blogness II – The sequel.

Sadly, we need to wrap up and say our goodbyes. We have come a long way. Remember the snow day that kept me locked up at home? It’s now a sweltering, melting city out there. We’ve discussed Google, and Apple, great books, great authors and great ideas. I think the randomness of this blog has always kept me on my toes, and I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Since it’s my last blog post, maybe you’ll all consider commenting? Hm?

I want to thank Erin, who may not work at Beaufort anymore, but truly made my experience here unforgettable in the best of ways. I would also like to thank Margot, who is the backbone of this company, and who really taught me everything I will ever need to know about publishing. I would also like to thank the Midpoint crew – James, Josh, Antonio, Tony, Charlie, Laurie and of course, Eric. I was so lucky to be given this opportunity, and I thank you for making it such a memorable one. And lastly, I would like to thank all of you – friends, family and strangers alike, who have taken this phenomenal journey with me. Although I joked on my very first post about a network of “fans” that I supposedly had, I am very much humbled by the outpouring of support from my blog followers. I have named them without names throughout these last five months, but I hope they know how much I appreciate them. Gracias. You rock my blogging world.

In the words of William Shakespeare – “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
In the words of Gov. Schwarzenegger – “I’ll be back.”

Your truly,

Rachel Lily

p.s. No seriously, I’ll be back. I am semi-planning to get my own blog somewhere out there. Google me. This is not the last you’ll hear from Rachel Lily. Goodbye Beau and Arrow, hello world!