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.)
Book Festivals and “The Wire”
Book Festivals This has been an excellent weekend for books. The National Book Festival, now in its eleventh year, added an extra day to the festivities on the National Mall. And the Baltimore Book Festival also happened this weekend, though I was so busy with NBF I couldn’t attend. I had a great time wandering through crowds of book lovers swarming the Mall, watching lines of eager fans snake by the book-signing booths, and listening to great talks about books and writing. […]
“The Night Bookmobile” by Audrey Niffenegger
Creative in concept and dark in tone, this innovative picture book for adults combines magical realism and gothic themes.
Final verdict? Not as awful as Her Fearful Symmetry, but not as good as The Time Traveler’s Wife.
Wordless Wednesday: Tablet-tastic!
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
Basil Hallward, an artist, is in love with his latest painting–and his subject, Dorian Gray. In fact, Hallward firmly believes that Gray’s indisputable beauty and charm have taken his art to an entirely new level, to the point that all who gaze upon his image are compelled to fall in love.
Wordless Wednesday: Rain, Rain, Go Away
Top Ten Blogger Recommendations
Each Tuesday, bloggers create top ten lists about reading, writing, blogging, and more! This week, bloggers have been encouraged to write about the best books they have read because of another blogger, in honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW).
Required Reading: Books for “Nonfiction Techniques” Class
As I mentioned yesterday, I begin grad school tomorrow night and I couldn’t be more excited. I will begin with only one class, “Nonfiction Techniques.” Here’s what they have us reading:
August 2011 in Review
August 2011 Stats Books in progress: 6 Books read: 7 Pages read: 2,382 Books reviewed: 6 Posts on book reviewing: 6 (includes features like In My Mailbox, Wordless Wednesday, and Top Ten Tuesday; reading challenges; and news) August was a great month for me–I read several great books that I’m excited about reviewing, and I reviewed several books that I enjoyed a great deal. I loved John McWhorter’s What Language Is and Noelle Hancock’s My Year with Eleanor. And I also enjoyed […]
“American Gods” by Neil Gaiman
People have described Neil Gaiman’s American Gods as one of the true new classics of fantasy. I generally scoff at such claims, since it is virtually impossible to tell which works will stand the test of time; many books and movies are widely heralded upon their release, only to be quickly forgotten. But the description is actually quite fitting for American Gods. The book has a patient, almost meandering approach that echoes the slower pace of classical movies like “Citizen Kane” or “The Maltese Falcon.”
Wordless Wednesday: New House!
Winner of “What Language Is” and New Giveaway
And the winner of John McWhorter’s What Language Is… The Word Jar! Congratulations! My next giveaway will be Ned Zeman’s fantastic memoir of madness and memory loss, The Rules of the Tunnel. Leave a comment on that review by midnight on September 30 to win! Note: I originally posted that the winner was Gwendolyn B. at A Sea of Books, but she informed me that she had already won this book and graciously offered it to the next random winner.
“The Rules of the Tunnel” by Ned Zeman
What is madness? How does one distinguish between a behavioral disorder and a really bad day?
Ned Zeman, a journalist who has written for Vanity Fair, Newsweek, Spy, GQ, Outside, and Sports Illustrated, turns his eye to the one subject that has constantly eluded him: himself. His zany memoir of madness and memory loss reads like one long feature piece—a profile of himself.
Happy Labor Day!
Guest Review! “Russian Winter” by Daphne Kalotay
“It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in love; but she no longer believed in it for herself.” This simple proclamation, uttered by Drew Brooks, a character in Daphne Kalotay’s first novel, reveals an ingrained belief that haunts all three protagonists of Russian Winter. Kalotay, whose short fiction is gathered in Calamity and Other Stories, illustrates how the lives of three seemingly disconnected people become intertwined amidst a jewelry collection that the central protagonist, Nina Revskaya, has put up for auction.
Melody Schreiber 