[one] This year. Graduation is just around the corner (less than three months now!) and my focus is starting to shift away from writing “another paper” to “ooh! finishing up my thesis!” God only knows what’s around the corner, but I don’t doubt that it will be good.

[two] We’re carrying some new books! Okay, so that happens all the time, but I’m really excited to be carrying select titles from the Leaders in Action series. Especially Glory and Honor, Greg Wilbur’s biography of Johann Sebastian Bach. I like all the titles we’re stocking (they’re solid biographies, especially good for family reading), but for some reason the Bach one really speaks to me, if only because musicians are rarely recognized as “leaders.” Anyway, all the books are well worth checking out if you haven’t already.

[three] Summer is coming. I can feel it. Or actually, just see it. We’re finally starting to escape from the snow (even though it still lies all around us in crispy, brown-ish piles). Soon it will be spring, and no one will be asking me why I’m not wearing a coat.

[four] The end of school also means the beginning of more reading. I’m already salivating at the thought of getting to read more Auden and Rosenstock-Huessy. Oh yes, oh yes! Nerddom eagerly awaits.

[five] Laura and Austin get back tomorrow, which means that the office will again be lively, Austin and I can resume our “debates,” and someone else besides me will be posting here.

It’s a lonely Friday afternoon here at Canon Press. I’m busy cleaning up my desk (or at least aiming to), listening to Sixpence None the Richer, and wishing more people were around.

Mr Jones, Lucy, Austin, and Laura are all away on trips (visiting quite literally various corners of the world). And since Rachel Hoffmann is off somewhere else, I am the sole inhabitant of the “Canon Press Production Suite.” If only I weren’t so timid, I’d raise a ruckus. Instead I’m working on improving productivity and making my office a little neater. (I’m one of those people who tends to pile up papers everywhere.)

So, here’s to coworkers. Not only are they fun to talk to and all that jazz, but they make the world a fuller place. Or something.

Last year Publishers Weekly (the trade magazine of the publishing industry) published the results of a survey which asked readers what factors motivated them to buy a book. They could select any number of options. Here are the top eight answers:

1. Friend’s recommendation - 49%
2. Familiarity with author - 45%
3. Description on jacket - 32%
4. Reviews - 22%
5. Advertisement - 21%
6. Place on bestsellers list - 17%
7. Reading group pick - 16%
8. Cover design - 12%

This got me thinking about how I buy books. Like the people polled, I primarily rely on recommendations from friends, followed by familiarity with the author. I rarely get a chance to browse new books on the shelf, and generally disregard advertising. I place high value on bestseller lists because I’m keenly interested in the zeitgeist (read: pop culture).

Despite my affinity for all things popular, the best books are the ones not very many people know about. The more obscure a treasured book, the greater sense of ownership. Through New Eyes (forthcoming from Athanasius Press in a brand new edition) and Angels in the Architecture are a few of my favorites. Discoveries like these are few and far between, but whenever they turn up, I’ll be sure to share!

I love cooking. And while I love feeding people, my greatest joy is in “the process:” Chopping stuff, marinating, finding a balance of flavor, and preparing the menu. For many of my friends, the idea of cutting carrots into little cubes or carefully buttering layers of phyllo (φύλλο) dough causes much distress. My second favorite joy is altering a recipe and having it taste delicious. Cooking is far more forgiving of alterations than baking. While there are basic scientific issues in cooking that need respect, it’s unlikely that you’ll ruin the meal if you make a few changes.

I’ve come across many folks who find no joy in cooking, but get slightly excited at the thought of making something - with a little help from someone else. I must say that more than a few of my willing victims have walked away from a cooking lesson with a desire to explore food ideas and try something outside of their comfort zone.

So here’s my idea. Rather than starting a cooking school or regular book club, I’m going to start a cookbook/food magazine cooking club, with the thought that it would be welcoming to rookies and advanced cooks. I’ll pick a cookbook or issue of a food magazine, we’ll try the recipes in the book or magazine for about 4-6 weeks, and we’ll hang out at theCafe and exchange ideas, thoughts, and whatever else happens.

It’s still in the planning stages. I’ve contacted a few of my favorite food magazines to see if I can get issues in to Canon Press at a discount. And, Canon Press will continue to offer cookbooks at a discount. Obviously suggestions would be welcomed.

If you have any thoughts on this…leave me some feedback or email me if you’re shy.

Definitely ‘Water Cooler’ material, but my car’s been in varying stages of refusing to start for the last 2 months. And while the old Sentra has abandoned me at rather inopportune moments (shopping in Spokane, the grocery parking lot, late for work), it’s made me much more grateful for all the teensy things God does that I don’t usually consider. So when I got it back from the mechanics today with a new ignition switch, I had to give thanks for the little engine spark—it worked right away, the very first time.