DCL Book Chat

Just My Type is a book about fonts. Yes, I realize that sounds pretty odd, but remember how hot Eats, Shoots and Leaves was a few years ago, and think about how fonts can actually elicit emotions and pretty strong reactions. A few years ago when Ikea changed their font people were actually angry about it. It was a fontroversy. 

Simon Garfield is a British author who has written non-fiction works delving into everything from the history of AIDS in Britain, to the attitudes of the British during and after WW2. He’s a splendid writer who concentrates on somewhat “quirky” topics. You will learn why the “T” in the Beatles logo is longer than the other letters and how Gotham font helped Barack Obama into the White House. If you have ever looked at the drop-down menu in Word and wondered what a Garamond is, or why you’re attracted to Comic Sans, which this book calls irreverent and naïve, this might be something to consider for a change of pace.

Dedra

The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen is a wonderful examination of a family’s reaction to the father’s somewhat mysterious death. It’s 1979 when Nicky Fleming, a British diplomat posted to Bonn and working closely with East Germany, is discovered at the base of the embassy building. Politely escorted out of the country, his wife Letty and their three children retreat to Letty’s family home in the remote Outer Hebrides. As Letty sinks further into anger, abject grief and confusion, Georgie, Alba and Jamie each cope with their father’s death in different ways. This sounds grim, but the tone of the story is more quirk than quiet and the story zooms along as the children bump against each other and wrestle with their rambling, misinformed thoughts. Of course there are various queer island folk to perk up the already perky story, as well as an escapee sentient bear who plays a pivotal role in the mind of Jamie, who processes information in a less-than usual manner. Rotating chapters precisely capture the tone of each family member (as well as the bear) and the story wraps up with a very satisfying conclusion. I wanted The Summer of the Bear to continue on for many more seasons.

Laura J.