Top Ten Book Covers (and Titles)
I am a firm believer that you can–and should–judge a book by its cover. After working for a book publisher and now as a book reviewer, I have come to the realization that the time spent perfecting a book’s title and cover art is usually a pretty good indication of how successful the publisher thinks it will be.
Saying Goodbye
I’m writing this in advance of the weekend, because I will be without internet connection. This weekend, Jack and I will be traveling to Lynchburg for the memorial service of his grandmother, Gene Joiner.
Subscription Saturday: Travel, Bookstores, and Factchecking
Subscription Saturday is a way for me to keep track of the print and digital articles that I’ve read and, in most cases, recommend, this week. This week, I’ve been doing research on local bookstores, but I also took a break to read more travel articles.
Video Review: “Book Lust to Go” by Nancy Pearl
Though I was thrown off by the book’s confusing layout and titles, this is a fun source of inspiration for readers who want to learn more about the countries they plan to–or dream of–visiting.
Wordless Wednesday: Washington Monument
Subscription Saturday: Productivity, Poverty, and Public Radio
This week, I’m back to reading more books, but a few articles caught my eye. Enjoy! Work “Letter From Nucla, Colorado: Dr. Don” by Peter Hessler The New Yorker, September 26, 2011 Hessler introduces us to “the life of a small-town druggist,” who dispenses medical wisdom and compassion in equal shares. The description and history of his town, Nucla, is fascinating. “What Looks Like Productivity” by Rachel Toor The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 2, 2011 How do you stay on task–working […]
“Holy Ghost Girl” by Donna M. Johnson
Donna Johnson had an unusual childhood. Her mother brought Donna and her younger brother, Gary, into the inner circle of David Terrell, a very popular big tent revivalist in the 1960s and 70s. Donna spent her childhood under the wing of the charismatic and megalomaniacal minister; the only home she knew was under the “largest tent in the world.”
Wordless Wednesday: Tidal Basin
Top Ten Surprise Endings
This week, I’ll be writing about the top ten book endings that left me with my mouth hanging open–because of a cliffhanger, because the ending was mindblowing, and so on. Because of my reading preferences, I’m not often left hanging off cliffs; I prefer books that build and allow me to solve mysteries before we reach the conclusion. But there have been a few books that pleasantly surprise me with the ending.
Fall for Reading
Every fall, as I head back indoors and curl up under a blanket, I eagerly survey my shelves for the books I’d like to read. After a rather lackluster September–because of moving and beginning school–I’d like to amp things up in October. Here’s the list of books I’m hoping to get to.
September 2011 in Review
September 2011 Stats Books in progress: 6 Books read: 6 Pages read: 935 Books reviewed: 6 Posts on book reviewing: 12 (includes features like In My Mailbox, Top Ten Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Subscription Saturday, and Sunday Salon; reading challenges; and news) My stats are not nearly as impressive as they were in August, but I’ve been having a great time nonetheless. This month, I began my first graduate writing class, which has been marvelous. (Last week our guest speaker was Paul Dickson!) […]
Subscription Saturday: Books, Sex, Invention, and Why We Write
Welcome to the inaugural edition of Subscription Saturday. This is a way for me to keep track of the print and digital articles that I read and, in most cases, recommend.
“The Subversive Copy Editor” by Carol Fisher Saller
In addition to her position as senior manuscript editor at the University of Chicago Press, Carol Fisher Saller is editor of the Chicago Manual of Style Online‘s Q&A.
During her tenure, she has received tens of thousands of grammar and style questions pertaining Chicago’s complex rules for publishing. Somehow, she reads every single one, no matter how esoteric or absurd, and she posts answers to the most common and/or difficult questions in the online Q&A.
Wordless Wednesday: National Book Festival
Top Ten Favorites to Re-read
I rarely re-read books. There are hundreds–thousands–of book out there that I want desperately to read, and my bookshelves are lined with dozens of tomes that taunt me when I walk by. (In a good way. I think.)
