BW18: May Author of the Month - Peng Shepherd

 

Happy Sunday! Our author of the month is Peng Shepherd who writes speculative fiction as well as mysteries. Shepherd's debut novel, The Book of M, released in 2018 won Dartmouth College's 2019 Neukom Institute for Literary Arts Award for Debut Speculative Fiction. Her second book, The  Cartographers, was an international best seller, and her third book, All This and More will be released in July of this year.  I'm currently reading The Cartographers which is about a young woman who finds a map with a dark and deadly secret, in a hidden drawer of her deceased father's desk. 

I have always been fascinated by Cartography, the study, science, and practice of drawing and using maps, which brings us to one of our 52 Book's Bingo categories.  From the real life cartographic crimes like in Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime by Miles Harvey to writing books like Maps of the Imagination by Peter Turchi, to creating your own maps in Map Art Lab: 52 Exciting Art Explorations in Mapmaking, Imagination, and Travel, to fictional tales of mapmakers such as The Mapmaker's War by Ronlyn Domingue, they have all been an adventure to read. 

Have fun exploring the fiction and not so fictional roads and routes of cartography! 

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BW28: 52 Books Bingo - Cartography

Courtesy of World Atlas 

Explorin' we shall go!  One of our 52 Books Bingo categories is Cartography which is the art and science of map-making.  Read a book about maps or map-making, written by or about cartographers, historical, present and literary cartography as well as fictional maps.  Books I have enjoyed in the past are:

"The Island of Lost Maps tells the story of a curious crime spree: the theft of scores of valuable centuries-old maps from some of the most prominent research libraries in the United States and Canada. The perpetrator was Gilbert Joseph Bland, Jr., an enigmatic antiques dealer from South Florida, whose cross-country slash-and-dash operation had gone virtually undetected until he was caught in 1995–and was unmasked as the most prolific American map thief in history. As Miles Harvey unravels the mystery of Bland’s life, he maps out the world of cartography and cartographic crime, weaving together a fascinating story of exploration, craftsmanship, villainy, and the lure of the unknown."

"Maps of the Imagination takes us on a magic carpet ride over terrain both familiar and exotic. Using the map as a metaphor, fiction writer Peter Turchi considers writing as a combination of exploration and presentation, all the while serving as an erudite and charming guide. He compares the way a writer leads a reader though the imaginary world of a story, novel, or poem to the way a mapmaker charts the physical world. "To ask for a map," says Turchi, "is to say, ‘Tell me a story.’ "    With intelligence and wit, the author looks at how mapmakers and writers deal with blank space and the blank page; the conventions they use or consciously disregard; the role of geometry in maps and the parallel role of form in writing; how both maps and writing serve to re-create an individual’s view of the world; and the artist’s delicate balance of intuition with intention.A unique combination of history, critical cartography, personal essay, and practical guide to writing, Maps of the Imagination is a book for writers, for readers, and for anyone interested in creativity. Colorful illustrations and Turchi’s insightful observations make his book both beautiful and a joy to read."

as well as playing with 

"Travel through the exciting world of cartography with Map Art Lab. This fun and creative book features 52 map-related activities set into weekly exercises, beginning with legends and lines, moving through types and styles, and then creating personalized maps that allow you to journey to new worlds. Authors Jill K. Berry and Linden McNeilly guide readers through useful concepts while exploring colorful, eye-catching graphics. The labs can be used as singular projects or to build up to a year of hands-on creative experiences. Map Art Lab is the perfect book for map lovers, creative/DIY-inspired, designers. Artists of all ages and experience levels can use this book to explore enjoyable and engaging exercises. Everyone loves maps. And what's not to love? They are beautiful and fascinating, they teach you things, they show you where you are, places you long to go, and places you dare to imagine."


Check out Goodread's list of Cartography books and have fun following maps of thought.  


Plus our Brit Trip is taking us down Fosse Way to Devon:  Devon has the special distinction of being the birthplace of two English greats – Agatha Christie and Devonshire cream tea.

Rabbit trails:  Kent Cavern  Christie’s house Greenway

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